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thekisforkeats · 3 years

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The Joys of Fandom, or, how TMA helped me rediscover my love of tea

So among the many (many) good things The Magnus Archives podcast has brought to my life, none has been quite so profound as remembering how much I love making a good cup of tea. I’ve got a whole post about how it’s helped me categorize the anxiety cloud I live with on a constant basis, how it’s gotten me writing again, and writing poetry which I haven’t done in forever, how identifying with so many openly queer boys going through so much crap has helped me figure out that I want to transition.

But.

Tea is the reason we’re here today, because making a pot of tea has become a daily ritual since I started listening to TMA, and it’s been one of those tiny things that’s changed my life profoundly, and I have TMA to thank for this almost entirely.

I did not grow up drinking tea. I am from the Seattle, Washington area, and I’m just old enough Starbucks was a popular local coffee shop when I was a kid. My parents both drank a TON of coffee, my mother basically runs on the stuff, and by the time I was 6 I was drinking coffee too. Tea, growing up, was Lipton, sometimes iced or sometimes not. I didn’t even realize herbal tea was tea. Green tea was a thing one drank at Chinese restaurants. I was not at all informed.

When I got my first job, I would stop at Starbucks during the bus layover (as once does in the Seattle area) and one day in a fit of teenaged desire to be “cool” and “writerly” because I’d seen a tin of “Writer’s Chai” in the store I bought a chai latte. I loved it, and that became my go-to Starbucks drink.

I still didn’t really get tea, but I at least started learning how to boil water in the kettle and waiting for it to actually boil, pouring it over the tea bag, etc. I didn’t put in milk or sugar because I drank coffee black unless it was a latte or a mocha. I would just sort of... boil the water and pour it over and wait a few minutes and drink the tea with the bag still in the mug.

It wasn’t until I moved to Toronto that I sat down and had a good cup of tea. The woman who hosted the social group I was part of had her particular tea-making rituals, and she encouraged me to try it with milk and sugar, and it was... amazing. Life-changing, even. My perseveration drive kicked into full swing and I had to know everything about tea and its history and how to make a proper cup and so on and so forth. I learned all I could from our hostess, and then turned to the internet.

I bought a kettle to make tea at home but my ex wasn’t really supportive of my desire to brew tea on the regular, so loose leaf and teapots and “does the milk go in in cup before or after the tea” had to wait until I moved out and got a place of my own.

Then I moved to Tallahassee.

In Tallahassee, the coffee was atrocious unless it was from a couple of specific places, mostly serving cafe con leche. But I had my own place and my own dishes and I could have a teapot and make tea and nobody could stop me. So I did. Mostly for myself, while I was contemplating things, and it was really nice to sit and stare out at the ridiculously heavy Florida rain--which hit, in Tallahassee, right about 4:15 in the afternoon all summer so perfect for tea time.

I moved back to Seattle with my spouse, and we moved into my mother’s house. For a long while we didn’t have a kitchen of our own and we had small children, so tea wasn’t a thing I did any more. I had leftover coffee (or canned/bottled coffee) for the caffeine fix, but rarely tea. When my grandmother died and we moved into her old apartment we didn’t have a stove, and I despise heating water for tea in the microwave.

So for the better part of a decade, I barely drank any tea at all. I did discover Oi Ocha in this time, which is bottled green tea from Japan, which is amazing and I love it, but again--it was in a bottle. Not a thing I was personally making.

Then I started listening to The Magnus Archives, and I really identified with Martin Blackwood, because of reasons too complicated to get into here. But it inspired me to want to make tea again, and so I started getting K-cup pods, but it just... wasn’t... right. It wasn’t the same. I mean, it was tea, but it wasn’t... tea.

So I went and bought an electric kettle, and a teapot, and a strainer, and ordered regular deliveries of loose leaf tea, and started making tea for myself and my spouse. I developed my own ritual: cold water in the kettle, put hot water into the teapot (so it doesn’t crack), put three scoops of loose leaf in the strainer. Pour out the water in the teapot when the kettle boils, put in the strainer, pour the boiling water over the strainer. Wait four minutes or so, and while you’re waiting put a splash of half-and-half in the tea mugs (milk goes first so it doesn’t scald and we like the taste of half-and-half best). Then pour the tea into the mugs. The mugs are big enough that I take three spoons of sugar and my spouse four, so put all the sugar into the mugs and then increase the entropy (aka stir) until the sugar’s dissolved. Bring the tea out into the living room, enjoy.

The first time I got it all right, and made a good cup of tea, I literally cried, I was so happy. It was like seeing the sun after it had been dark for so long I’d forgotten what the sun looked like.

The thing I have come to realize about what tea means to me is something that Jon says in the trailer for Season 5 of TMA. Martin brings him a cup of “tea” and Jon goes “that’s not tea” and, indeed, it turns out to be some weird skittering thing. The following exchange really crystallized things for me:

Jon: This is no longer a world where you can trust-- Martin: Tea?! Jon: Comfort.

And that was it, right there. Coffee is fuel, for me. Coffee is “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There.” (Quite literally; part of playing Persona 5 was remembering how much I love trying out new coffee blends.)

Tea, however, is comfort. Tea is slowing down. Tea is caffeine, yes, and therefore focus for my poor ADD/autistic brain, but it’s afternoon focus. It’s contemplation. It’s sitting and breathing in the aroma and thinking about things in a way that isn’t spiraling or catastrophizing. Whether it’s breakfast tea or Earl Grey or green tea, or an herbal like peppermint or chamomile, tea for me is self-care.

Taking those few minutes to get up and go make a pot of tea in the afternoon, to stop the business of the day and just stand there waiting for the kettle to boil, is something I’ve desperately needed. Coffee is easy to sort of make as “fire and forget,” to the point that I’ve gulped down cold or lukewarm coffee I’d forgotten about just because I need the caffeine. Tea, though, if you’re doing it right you have to stand there and wait for the water to boil and wait for the tea to steep. If you walk away to do something else you’ll ruin the whole thing. I completely understand why Martin is running around making tea for everyone in Season 2 all the time, because everything is falling apart in slow motion and it’s a chance to stop, to focus on making the tea, and then to take the time enjoying the tea itself.

Making tea for others also means love to me. I make tea for my spouse alongside myself. I included one of my teenaged children in tea-making for the first time yesterday and my youngest keeps getting the last bit of tea in the pot, and it’s such a joy to see their faces light up. Bringing someone tea means bringing them a mug of love and care. Another reason I identify with Martin--I often don’t know what to say to help someone, so I try to be sure they’re fed and hydrated and cared for. And I, too, had to learn to stop setting myself on fire to keep those people warm. I had to learn to be sure I was fed and hydrated and cared for, so I could care for them. But even now as I get older and wiser and grumpier I still run around making sure everyone’s fed and has had their mug of tea, I just don’t do it at my own expense anymore.

One of my next crochet projects is a tea cozy in the shape of a green owl, in honor of the Magnus Institute owl, because my little tea-making ritual is always going to be connected to TMA in my head. Also I have a “Fifteen Fears” mug and my spouse has a “Magnus Archives” owl symbol mug, so it’s literally just this really intense connection between TMA and tea, for me.

It’s funny how much comfort a horror podcast has given me since I’ve started listening. There are a few fandoms that have profoundly changed me--Star Trek was the first big one, Babylon 5 was the first that directly inspired me, Mass Effect helped me get out of suicidal depression, Persona (specifically Persona 5) inspired me to take responsibility for myself in a way therapy never quite managed.

And here I am with TMA, figuring out how to navigate anxiety and pain and grief in a world that feels like it’s falling apart around my ears. The concept that what we do matters; that right or wrong you should be making a decision instead of just reacting from fear or surprise; that sometimes you screw up and there’s nothing to be done, that “sorry” doesn’t fix everything, that sometimes nothing you do will fix anything and you can’t let that paralyze you... it’s all been necessary, and helpful, and I’ve been terribly grateful.

Thanks to TMA I’m writing again after years of terrible writer’s block. I’m facing my own fears and accepting that despite (because of?) my terrible arachnophobia I’d probably serve the Web if I served anything (although Eye and Lonely would also get a look in--I did say I identified with Martin pretty strongly). I’m recognizing dysphoria and dealing with it after years of trying to deny the elephant in the room.

I’m also making tea again. And for that, I am eternally, profoundly grateful.

#tma #the magnus archives #tea #martin blackwood #tma spoilers #i guess sort of?#i mean just in case #long post #my writing #seriously i cannot overstate how much tea means to me #it's been one of those things i didn't realize i needed until i started doing it again #i will definitely be posting pics of the tea cozy owl as i make it #because it's gonna be adorable af

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yourdlmatchmaker · 6 years

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I think this one is the longest match up I’ve answered so far… :’)

“Hello there, this looked fun. Could I have a long match-up please?

1. Physical appearance: 5'4" (163cm) 100lbs (45kg) very long dark reddish brown hair, dark brown eyes, olive skin (Mix of Thai, English and German) My look has been compared to a scaled down (in height) fashion model – that is long legs, very skinny, high somewhat hollow cheek bones, narrow face and a high forehead with almost no bust to speak of and a teeny tiny waist, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

2. Personality: Oh my, where do I begin? Well, I’m definitely an extreme introvert. People usually seem to think I come across as very professional and aloof. I try to be kind and courteous to everyone I meet, but if they do or say anything that bothers me I can be a little prickly and sometimes downright vicious. Little do they know though that I’m like that, because I’m terribly shy around strangers and have a very strong desire to make people happy and protect them. I fear getting close to others, because I don’t want to hurt or be hurt and have a very hard time finding people I can bond with in both an intellectual and emotional way, so I hide behind distance and politeness. Just because I’m shy at first though, doesn’t mean I won’t be a chatterbox once you get to know me though. Once I’m comfortable with you I’ll share (almost) all of my ideas, random musings and gripes, if I think you’ll be receptive towards it anyways. That takes a very long time though and so far only two people have gotten to that point with me. For people that I’m friends with normally I tend to act in a sort of motherly way, giving them advice and helping them with their problems – sometimes admittingly to my own detriment. As well as taking care of them when they are sick or having emotional issues. I don’t like to help people, but on some level I feel like I must do so especially if I know them.

I’m normally a very logical person, so much so that I will occasionally say the wrong thing or offer ideas or advice when it’s not what the other person is looking for, which I realize after the fact but because I really like to just ‘fix’ things I have a hard time understanding that sometimes people need to emotionally vent, and I often just get confused by it. I’ll try to “be there” for them despite that but it is still difficult.

Despite my size and shy disposition I’m actually extremely hard to intimidate and will stand up for myself and other people very quickly. It doesn’t matter who my opponent is or how big, strong or powerful they are, I will stand my ground possibly to the end if I believe in my cause strongly enough (though because of my protective nature it is very easy to make me back down by threatening other people). No matter how many feminine things there are that I love, for some reason I always feel like I end up coming across as a bit too masculine and I often feel a bit more male than female. This isn’t necessarily out of a desire to be male, but rather I feel like I have more masculine than feminine qualities and also feel like I am sadly bereft in the supposedly more girlish personality traits of my sex. Despite this though I have no real desire to change my personality or sex, I am who I am after all. Nevertheless I remind people more of their brothers and sons, and my tiny social circle is all boys (at the moment.)

3. Scorpio (Sun), Gemini (Moon), Gemini (Rising) (The last two are important because despite having almost all of the Scorpio traits, once you get to know me I never shut up. ^_^;)

4. Hobbies/Interests: Drawings, painting (I like both fine art and illustration and can work in several different mediums – acrylic, watercolour, marker, ink and even digital art. Fantasy art, Surrealism, Manga and Impressionism are examples of styles I can do, and I’m still working towards improving my hyperrealist style.) I’ve been obsessed with making art since I was a very small child and at this point it’s really become my life’s work. I dedicate so much of my time, energy and resources to this that I forget to eat or sleep and become a bit of a shut-in. Reading: (Most of my books are non-fiction, though I do enjoy some older fiction on occasion – The Silmarillion, The Great God Pan and pretty much anything by H.P. Lovecraft being some examples. My library contains field guides, books on botany, mycology, medicine, artbooks, anatomy, geography, geology, microbiology, mythology, occult/witchcraft, religion, linguistics, phrasebooks, particle physics, cartography, calligraphy, history, psychology, genetics (…probably a lot more but we’ll be here for far too long.) Gardening: I love growing all sorts of things, but especially herbs and flowers. My living area is full of plants of many different kinds and I devote a significant portion of my time and energy to them. I also like to grow tropical plants from the seeds of fruit that I buy at the grocery store. Manga and Anime: I don’t seem immediately like the sort of person who would love popular culture, but the fact that I can enjoy some fun stories while reading or watching in a language that is not my native tongue has always been the main motivation behind this obsession. I’m also madly in love with cute things and ink drawings. Video Games: Another thing people probably wouldn’t expect by looking at me but… I have a HUGE collection of games (on my computer) of many different kinds. Like with anything else I do, I have to play everything in it’s original language (it’s more fun and respects the artistic integrity more.) I mostly like JRPGs and Visual Novels now, but I used to love Sierra games when I was younger, and some FPS like Doom. There is no type of game I won’t play. Though gaming is generally the lowest thing on my list of priorities these days. Cooking: I like to cook, can can do many different styles. Mostly Thai, but also frequently Japanese (both traditional and modern), Italian, German, English etc. I can cook pretty much anything though I don’t like baking as much. (I’m not super fond of sweets, except on the rare occasion when I must have them.) Fashion and Makeup: I am completely unable to leave the house without makeup and sunscreen and always have to make sure my clothing is at least presentable and neat. I actually enjoy applying makeup and like experimenting with it (I hate doing my hair though, the length is too much so I usually bun or ponytail it.) I also like a few Jfashions, Mori-Girl, Otome-kei and Classical Lolita especially. Unfortunately I’m also a very active person so I usually end up dressing in a more Korean style instead (tight high-waisted jeans, long sleeved tight black shirts and heeled boots – is running in heels a skill? XD), but when it’s practical to do so I love wearing the frilliest dresses I can find with a very poofy petticoat, a bonnet and floral designs. Hiking: I like to forage in the forest for mushrooms and plants when I can. I find that the fresh air and beautiful scenery calms me down and energizes me. Studying Languages: I haven’t had as much time for this lately, but it’s a side hobby. Unfortunately Japanese is the only one I’ve gotten particularly far in… (There are not enough hours in the day or night.)

5. I like: Tea (Especially Earl Grey, must be high quality or I get a stomach ache… yeah I know, its true. @_@), coffee (espresso in lattes or specialty black coffee made in a French Press, no drip :P), Self discipline, Quiet time, Nature, Music (all kinds, though especially symphonic metal), WalkingI love: My cats (though I get along quite well with all felinekind and animals in general (save humans :P), Plants (I mean every kind of plant, though trees and flowers stick out a bit), Fungi (even molds, though not when they’re growing on my food), Beautiful things, Art Supplies, Bright and pastel colours, Antiques, Books, Art, Paintings, Illustration, Shopping for art suppliesI dislike: When people look untidy, Foul smells, People that bore me, Small talk, Sloth, Loud noises, Erratic behavior, Selfishness, People who act overtly friendly and try to get close to you too fastI loathe: Cruelty (especially towards animals and children), Cowardice, Deliberate ignorance, People who complain a lot, Irresponsibility

6. I was unable to bond with my sole caregiver due to extreme child abuse and neglect on their part, In addition to that I was not allowed to attend school until my teenage years (I was educated very strictly at home, supposedly because I was too advanced to fit in at school – though it might also have been to keep me prisoner at home all the time. >_<). Due to this I have had a very hard time fitting in with society as my childhood was mostly spent alone, reading, drawing, playing computer games, spending time with the cats that I lived with and going out into nature (I made friends with a couple of squirrels.) Much of what I knew about people and the world was gleaned from books, magazines and the internet – although I was allowed to associate with a few family friends on occasion. I did have a very good intellectual education (though often held to impossible standards), but because I was so cut off from more normal ways of socializing I still have a very hard time relating to other people.“Relationship-wise” I’m umm… actually extremely submissive in private (^_^;) (Not something most people would expect as I seem very proud and dominant normally). I’m also very easy to embarrass as I’m not very comfortable talking directly about certain sorts of… umm… “romantic” things and avoid almost all forms of public affection. Above all else I look for people who can understand and relate to me via interests and experiences and who I can also relate to in the same way. Probably the same thing most people look for… but figured I should mention it. Would rather not be paired up with Ruki, I have a huge personal grudge against him that dates back to More Blood – and a part of me still plots his doom. (I apologize deeply to all the Ruki fans though.)

Hope this wasn’t too long, I feel a bit silly. (^_^;)

Take your time and have fun with this.

Could I please be anonymous?”

Admin Abi: Oh my~ what a long and detailed match up!! I really enjoyed reading it and I NEED to say that I felt identified with many parts!! Well~ I hope you get to see it “anon-chan” ;D and I thank you for the long wait. Long reply for a long match!

*finishing your match up*

Your romantic match is…

Reiji!

I must say/confess…I seriously I thought I was reading Reiji’s female description! I don’t intend to offend you and I apologize if I did. But you see…I want to explain myself a little more as to why I said it…

I'll tell you how you two met! After some time that you were studying in a school, you just wasn’t able to fit. Your parents then decided to change you into a more private school. They even changed you into a night-time school. During that time of the day, they thought you would be able to fit more since there would be less students as well as to keep your high level of education. They sing you up to this school and to be honest you weren’t very sure or excited about it. It would mean to adapt one more time and start all over again. Adapting to the time, education system and…met new people once again. On your first day you had a hard time finding your classroom…you were lost and let’s say you didn’t know exactly how you ended up in the chemistry laboratory. You knocked and…a handsome and elegant man opened. He seemed somehow annoyed, but he asked you what is that you wanted. You showed him your schedule and asked him where you could find your class. He gave you the directions and you thank him. This encounters seem to happen constantly since you seemed to always cross paths. He was always polite (and annoyed) and gave you instructions whenever you needed. One time you asked a girl of your class if she knew him so you could thank him properly for all his help. She was surprised and told you that he was no other that Reiji Sakamaki, the most popular family in school. She was more surprised that you get to be in good terms with the second eldest of the brothers.

“Reiji is well known to be the perfect gentleman…but he is unrechable. He’s cold towards everyone and thinks of himself above all. No one has see him dating any girl and he just closes himself in the chemistry laboratory, yet he is the top student in school. I really think you shouldn’t try to catch him, you’ll end up rejected” the girl told you. It’s not like you had those intentions with him in the first place, you just wanted to thank him. The next day you went to his class and simply left him a small note telling him how greatful you were. He was impressed? You couldn’t tell to be honest. You kept having encounters with him, you discovered that he was a little more open when you both were alone. He showed you his perfectionist nature as his sadist part. Yet…you seem to be unavoidable attracted to him. You of course were polite and a lady at first and that gave you extra points! He never confessed to you directly? He just simply let know that you now belong to him~.

He can’t believe how many things you both have in common. Just like you Reiji has an interest in botanics and science. You both have created a small garden with all types of herbs and a small section with flowers. You two sometimes have disagreements since you both are very logical, so you tend to discuss about some things. There were times in which you had troubles with him since he can’t stand being told what he should do (I mean it wasn’t your intention to offend him…you just tried giving him some advice!). Yet…even Reiji had it difficult to make you afraid…you were so difficult to intimidate, how you do it?.

He also had some troubles accepting or at least trying not to change you that much about your preferences. He sometimes have problems dealing with your more masculine nature…but well no one is 100% perfect. He sighs loudly and you know that you are doing something that is bothering him. He also doesn’t like that you tend to hang more with men that girls, yet he knows that even though you are nice and such with them…no one could provide you with the things he offers for you like a deep connection both mental and emotional. He also don’t mind the fact that you have social problems…I mean he manages to keep you with him almost all the time. He’s pleased whenever you dress like a lday or all cute just for him…it makes him feel good with the fact that he gets to know you better than anyone.

He understands what is like to grow alone and being force (in a way) to always give your best and being the best. He felt like he needed to have you all by himself and you fekt the same. You had someone to care for (well not literally but as a target to your attentions and love) and so has he. He always take care of you no matter the circunstances, he has found you and has no intention to let you go…never!

Your dates are mostly staying at his room, having a nice cup of Earl Grey tea (of the highest quality, who you think he is?) and discussing for hours about deep and serious topics. He enjoys your vast knowledge in literature, sciences, botanics, medice, linguistics, witchcraft (which he also has used), gentics…man, he can talk to you for hours and just like you said there are times you both wished the day had more hours to keep going. Even your drawings, pieces of art and knowledge in general never cease to stop to amaze him (he won’t admit it though…his biggest attempt to praise you, would be telling you “you did a good job” or “Indeed you are right about this”). Your interests are so vast that is incredible to make you both stop (Reiji is the one that always stops the conversation in order to go to sleep). Reiji sometimes have problems with your huge invest of time in your video games…but he accepts that a break once in a while is important. You small walks also doesn’t bother him that much…he has one of his familiars keeping an eye on you at all moments so he doesn’t have to worry and can concetrate on his chores and experiments in peace.

Reiji is a true gentleman: he always remembers the important dates, the things that you like and those you don’t. I can tell you that he knows perfectly that you are rather new when it comes with romantic things, so he doens’t push you into hand holding or kissing since he, himself, doesn’t like it. Your submissive nature with his dominant one makes a great combination, he feels so proud that he gets to see your true nature…and that you show it just for him…not just in a “pervert way”, but also as the chatty and even your akwardness. Because that true self with imperfections and all…is what makes you perfect to his eyes. You are so perfect together: YOU TWO HAVE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON THAT HE SHOULD THANK HEAVENS FOR SENDING HIM SOMEONE AS PERFECT FOR HIM AS YOU!!

I hope you liked it and that I made sense? I feel that in some parts I wasn’t very clear or…maybe that was just my imagination…?

Either way hope you get to see it and like it of course…and thank you for your patience again!!

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myseoul17-blog · 6 years

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Thurs. Oct. 5th @ 10:05am.

I was close to 1.5 hrs ahead of my schedule bcos of the temporary holiday closure of the Yonsei University Museum. Meanwhile I don’t “time” my trip precisely, I have a good idea about where I should be at what time bcos I plan around my meals. For most non-food things, I look at the operating hrs (specifically museums) & everything else, I fill in by “area”, or ease of access via subway. That’s how I plan my trips & it works great for me! Regarding museums, if possible, I like to go 1st thing in the morning to avoid crowds.

Anyways, after the Yonsei Univ. walk, I came back to the main Sinchon street, & noticed that at 10:00am, most stores were still closed, & the street was still pretty quiet, with hardly any ppl. So I decided to stop at Hollys Coffee for a morning coffee. 1st time going into a multi-level franchise café!

The view on my right after I entered the café. There was a poster of their latest item, & to its left, there was a small shelf/display area with their merch & coffee beans for purchase.

The “morning set” & “all day brunch” caught my attention haha The morning set, which lasts from 7-11am, consisting of a pastry & regular coffee (pastry or bagel according to the photo), costs 5000w. That is equivalent to approx. $6CAD. They have refill service & bring-your-own-cup discount as well.

Muffins on top (3300w each, ~$3.90CAD) & cakes on the bottom, prices ranging from 5300-5800w (<$6.50CAD).

Mascarpone tiramisu // cookies & cheese.

There have 1 poster for pretty much each type of drink they serve.

#1. Expresso (Americano, mocha, latte, cappuccino, plus a few of their specialty expresso drinks). 3600-5900w for regular size, 4100-6400w for grande.

#2 top. Brewed coffee. Tea lattes are under this category; they were the priciest items 5900w reg./6400w grande.

#2 bottom. Latte chocolate. Sweet potato latte what?!?! I didn’t try it bcos I don’t prefer lattes all that much. But sweet potato latte is interesting!

[middle: picture of their “fraps”, aka Hollyccinos]

#3 Hollyccinos. I love menu reading at places for many reasons, such as inspiration for my own cooking experiments, pure interest & curiosity, & allows me to compare among different places. Here, they have strawberry & double berry cheese cake Hollyccino :O I wonder what that is. .. Their fruity concoctions are also under this category - the one that caught my eye was the yuzu crush. A close 2nd was the smoothie of the day consisting of beet, apple, & ginger (omg I would not want to try that at all).

#4 Sparkling & tea. This menu contained sodas & hot/iced teas of all sorts. While yuzu is a popular flavour here (& all of East Asia) that frequents café menus, they have western teas as well, such as peppermint tea & the classic earl grey.

However, my heart belongs to Americano. Black Americano (hot or cold).

I went with the iced version. It was ok; I don’t really know how to grade/rate Americanos. From personal experience, I’ve tried ones that were bitter & others that were less bitter & more on the sour side - I prefer the strong, dark, bitter type. I wouldn’t say this one here was of this nature but it wasn’t bad.

I sat for a bit, charging my phone at the same time, on the main floor by the window. Then before I left, I went upstairs to the 2nd & 3rd floor to see what it was like. The observation of these books made me realize how different the coffeeshop culture is in Korea vs Edmonton (or most of Canada, I want to say).

In Edmonton (/Canada), generally speaking, coffeeshops are places for a social gathering, whether it’s a small group, a date, or a bff catch-up session. Most ppl are not by themselves. If you randomly walk into a coffeeshop in Edmonton, you’ll find that it’s very disproportionate; there are wayyyy more tables/seats with pairs or groups of ppl compared to ones with a single customer.

In Korea, it’s the opposite! “Support” might not be the best word but I definitely notice that there are many things inside eateries & coffeeshops (esp the latter) that are tailored towards individual customers. The more time I spend in Korea, the more I appreciate this gesture & culture. It’s not an uncommon sight in coffeeshops where individuals take up a whole 4-person table simply for reading a book, or doing tasks on an electronic device. For me, it almost feels welcoming bcos I’m also by myself. I like the fact that there are so many ppl like myself in the same setting, sharing the same space! Mind you, this place was obviously not busy but I’ve been to ones where each table was occupied & some were occupied by a single customer. I don’t “feel bad” for occupying a table for 4 by myself, even though there are more than enough empty tables around. In Edmonton, I try to pick the best smallest table as possible bcos I feel I shouldn’t “take up space”. The atmosphere is just so different. I think that if I had traveled with someone, I wouldn’t notice these acute observations & reflect on them.

That being said, coffee culture in Korea is huge, & groups of ppl obviously visit cafes as well. It’s just that the ratio of groups vs individual customers vary widely, whereas in Edmonton, I find that it’s mostly groups.

This is the 3rd floor. On every floor, there is a small “return” station that also includes a garbage, napkins, a short stack of paper cups, & cold water jug.

Advertisement posters can be found in various areas inside the coffeeshop.

Poor quality photo, but also on the 3rd floor - there was a long counter/bar counter with bar stools that allows customers to look down/across the street. Perfect for those who likes to look outside, see the sun, rain or snow :)

#travel #Seoul #Korea #Sinchon #morning coffee #coffee #Hollys coffee #Americano #coffeeshop #cafe

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all-about-wannaone · 7 years

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Coffee Shop Love [Part 1]

Words: 5155

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Angst

Characters: Park Jihoon x Reader (Y/N = Your Name)

Plot: This might sound like your typical Korean drama scenario (cue coffee prince) where a barista finds himself falling heads over heels for a customer and vice versa, or at least that is what Y/N thought. Who knew that she might actually have met her first love in a place as simple as a quiet coffee shop off the streets of Hongdae?

A/N: Yup, I am back with another fully written one shot this time around! At first, it all started with the picture above that I had found on Instagram and a scenario just formed in my head right then and there. This took me about 3 days to write and proof read and I decided to gift this to all who have followed me despite my lack of activity or have liked and reblogged my content, despite the many other great scenario writers out there for Wanna One. :’) I shall not hold you back any further and happy reading! ^^

Warning: Side character death, Lost of a “loved” one

PART 1 | PART 2

“Good afternoon! Welcome to Angelinus Coffee House! What would you like to have today?” The cheerful looking teenager asked with a huge smile on his face.

Despite the cute greeting, it seemed to me that it was just not in his character to be so enthusiastic. However, I would not have asked it any other way. In fact, it was clear that he was one of the factors as to why this cafe was so popular in the area. Apart from the fact that they did have genuine coffee (as what my best friend claimed), but knowing her, there was definitely another side to the story and as far as I knew, it simply meant baristas who were, by her standards, “drop dead gorgeous”.

I did admire him for a bit, but snapped out of my reverie quick enough to focus on the menu instead and throw off some suspicion that I had been probably stared endearingly. Unfortunately, the menu encompassed a total of 5 boards, ranging from the usual coffees to teas to frappes and to smoothies. It was confusing to say the least and it did not help that there were at least 5 different types of coffees such as a Brazilian coffee, African coffee and many many more.

In fact, if one thought the variety was confusing enough, the teas were even worse. It probably had 10 times more items than the coffee menu, ranging from the traditional English Breakfast to exotics like a certain Earl Grey Lavender tea, ingredients imported from France and England.

“You seem a little confused,” the barista spoke again and I felt my cheeks getting a little warm the moment he pointed out my obvious confusion, “I’ll help you then!”

“First thing’s first, coffee or tea, or even something more on the frappes and smoothies?”

“Uh… I-I like sweet stuff so perhaps a f-frappe?”

Oh no Y/N, why the hell did you just stutter?

“Oh, that’s nice! I love frappes too! So would you prefer caffeine based ones or would you like some fruits to freshen up and spruce up the up and coming summer season?”

“Caffeine based would be good. I’m here to meet a friend to study actually and I hope that’s okay. My friend’s a regular, but she’s not here yet, so I figured that I would come in and order a drink first. For her, she would like the Vanilla Latte!”

The barista nodded his head with a smile and tapped in the order immediately with his fast and adept fingers into the cash register. I was not sure whether it was the exhausted me talking but he actually did look good when he was focused on his job.

“And for you, I have one last question for you,” He continued, making eye contact again, “Would you like something that tickles your taste buds or would you like a safe bet instead and see how the cafe fairs? You have not been here before so it’s only right if you try something that you are familiar with. We champion for comfort and satisfaction!”

I laughed at the last sentence, probably a bit too loudly, and he chuckled too with a cute smile and he looked as if he was grinning from ear to ear while his ears got redder and redder.

“Now that you mention it… Perhaps I will try the Vanilla Mocha Frappe! I just realised how much I drink those at the usual cafes so I shall have that!”

“No problem! You made an excellent choice and it’s usually the one which coffee critics come back for and oh, would you like a cake to complement your orders? Simply top up 4000 won each and you can earn yourself a cake, cupcake or even a brownie topped with some homemade artisan ice cream!”

“Thank you very much, but I think we would put that on hold first. Personally, I’m still a little stuffed from lunch…” And after I said that, I felt myself blushing once again and cringing at how much information I had spilled to this stranger of a barista. Yes, I was known to babble a whole lot but not this much to a stranger! Any more information and he would probably have known where I came from, which school I attend and probably what I wanted to be when I grow up.

“No problem! That will be 12,100won and please take a seat! I will attend to your order right away!”

And that was what I did, I paid him the exact amount and took my place at a booth seat in the corner of the cafe. I would not call it a quiet corner, considering that it was right next to a floor-to-ceiling window panel facing the street, but it was surely conducive for learning.

The sunlight was about right and perfect for Instagram pictures of food, treats and drinks. Furthermore, it had just the right music; chill with a little summer vibe to it, and it had just the right level of noise. It was not filled with endless chatter like the chains of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, combined with the endless whirring of the coffee machines and loud discussions of projects by both college students and businessmen. Here, they only had the latter, coupled with a few students who were either going to study or catch up with friends and should I say a visually attractive barista too?

I proceeded to take out the work that I had brought from my bag, laying it out on the table neatly, but I took notice of the barista again and this time, he was preparing my a Vanilla Latte for my friend who would be coming in later. He was already finished with my drink, to my surprise, and all that was left was the whipped cream that was said to be imported from Japan.

It was obvious that he knew what he was doing and handled the complicated machine skillfully. Based on what I had known from the Angelinus branch here in Apgujeong, they had invested in a handmade coffee machine. It had a chic and simple design with lots of different buttons and mechanisms (that I was probably bound to destroy if I was the one making them). In fact, he made the job of being a barista seem like he was also an artist, and that was also shown when he put his skills into making the perfect coffee art for my friend. To me, it was not clear what it was and all I saw was his hand moving in a smooth zig-zag motion at first, before ending off the entire demonstration with a straight line down.

Once finished with the finishing touches and the whipped cream, he placed the drinks on a tray and was ready to bring them to me before I heard an extremely loud and boisterous call, “Y/N-ah!! Wow, you sure are early. Sorry for the wait and hi Jihoon-sshi!!”

I buried my face in my hands laughing, as all the other patrons shot her looks of surprise, with some snickering, but she did not seem to bother and just walked straight for the booth seat before sliding in and taking out her stuff immediately.

“I’m sorry I took so long. There was a train delay at my place but I’m glad it wasn’t like the major one where lines 1,4 and 6 broke down. Trust me, if I wasn’t wearing these stupid shoes, I would have ran here. Hope we can get some stuff done today and have a productive one ahead. Wow, I’ve missed you and it’s been so long?? I’ve not seen you since… January? Or perhaps even Christmas?”

“Hi Y/F/N! Here are your drinks. One vanilla latte for you and one vanilla mocha frappe for you.”

That was obviously Jihoon, and he laid the drinks neatly towards the edge, so we would not have any chance to hit it away, together with some brown napkins and a straw next to mine. When we glanced at one another, he shot a smile and gave a small bow, saying, “Enjoy!” before heading back to his station and entertaining the rest of the customers with the same enthusiasm that he had greeted me with.

“Dude, could you just stop being so obvious? You’re literally shooting heart eyes at him.”

I blushed immediately at the comment and looked at my friend, only to realise that she had raised an eyebrow while shaking her head. However, her lips only curved up into a mischievous smile and said, “I know he’s adorable and let me just be really honest, he reminds me of you sometimes so hit me up if you want me to be your cupid!”

She gave a wink and I returned a glare, telling her to focus on her work instead as I turned on my laptop while she took her textbook and opened to the right page in order to attempt a History assignment (or at least that what it looked like) that she had been given. According to her, it was going to be graded and it was clearly an assignment that had probably caused her to pull her hair out at times. Then again, despite her playful tendencies, she was hardworking and incredibly intelligent so I believed that she would have no problem, if she stopped worrying.

“Alright, let’s focus, shall we? We’ll do it in blocks of 45 minutes, take a break and who knows, we might be able to purchase some cakes later too!”

After the rather productive study session, I found myself going back almost every single day. Sometimes, I did not come back just to study, but I found comfort in the ambience of the place. Jihoon was still there, skillful and attracting all the teenagers as usual, and I managed to catch some other baristas as well. There were quite a number and it was clear that they were pretty good friends and their names were Hwang Minhyun and Ong Seongwoo especially, who seemed to cater more for the college students and fresh graduates.

Sometimes, there were live music performances by the two baristas, Kim Jaehwan and Ha Sungwoon, who belted out hit after hit and it was not a surprise if all the patrons who sat there questioned why they would become baristas instead of pursuing careers to be a singer or an artiste. Apparently, Jaehwan had a couple of busking gigs in Hongdae, Ewha and Gangnam, and was pretty well known.

Indeed, it was almost like my third home when I just needed some quality me time. When I needed to study for a test the next day, discuss group projects or when I just needed to seek some comfort from all the CSAT stress, it was a perfect place to relax and unwind. Occasionally, I would nod off as I buried my head into my jacket that I had placed comfortably on the counter. Of course, there were times I felt like they were going to chase me out soon (these handsome boys definitely had peak hours) but it never happened.

In fact, when I did wake up, I would be greeted with a drink and a muffin or a cookie, depending on whether my drink was hot or cold. It could range from Americanos (which I did not like very much) to fruity, refreshing smoothies to matcha lattes to frappes or even hot chocolate. However, when it was a cold drink, there was always a note on a receipt which had my supposed order with encouraging messages and notes.

“There is no rainbow until there is a storm so hang in there!”

“I know school’s tough and it might not always go your way but keep pressing on, work hard and let’s walk through the path of flowers together.”

“H.O.P.E = Hold on, pain ends.”

Indeed, it never failed to bring me a smile to my face and sometimes the occasional giggle when the lines looked like it was something off a Tumblr dashboard. However, it baffled me on who could have given me the drink. It was impossible for me to order because I was in my beauty sleep and despite asking the baristas at the cash register, they would just shrug and shake their heads, but I did catch a glimpse of a smile once, but put it off because that would be impossible.

I tried to stay awake once to see whether this Mr Mystery Coffee Buyer would show up again, but it turned out to be different baristas whenever I went. There was no pattern and there were no repeats of the same drinks. Sometimes, it was also considered to be the “Secret Menu of the Day”, which was only meant for members of the branch. My friend had conspired all sorts of theories, including one that it might just be the baristas, but I played it off because to me, that was only a scenario which was too good to be true.

It either happened in romantic comedies, sappy Korean dramas and fanfictions. Sure, it might have been inspired from a real life encounter, especially for the writers, but it was a rare case and I surely did not want to think about any of that right now. Jihoon was only an eye candy, I would tell myself, but perhaps my body was telling me a different thing; my heart flutters when he smiles, together with the formation of butterflies in my stomach and there are times when time does not seem to matter as he puts his artistic talent in gastronomy to good use.

There was a day, however, when I had received a Chemistry test back, only to realise that I had barely passed it. I studied hard, I really did, but the results clearly did not have anything show for it. I did not cry in front of my classmates, but I sure felt like my heart had been smashed into smithereens, impossible to repair. I had wasted sleepless nights, experienced cram school programmes and even night studies, only to get such a score.

And once again, I found myself back at Angelinus Coffee. Jihoon was there, together with Minhyun, Jinyoung and Woojin. When Jihoon did wave though, I did not wave back due to the many thoughts that surrounded me. It was as if a yoke were on my shoulders and it did not help that the CSATs were a mere 3 months away.

It determined our future, our lives and where we would end up in. Friends around me were doing pretty well, scoring As and Bs and here I was, scoring Ds and Es. I did not really know what was in store for me anymore, but what I do know is that I could just use some pretty good me time; all on my own in the quaint little cafe which had grown to be a part of this difficult high school journey and I took my usual seat at the corner of the cafe, not facing the street this time around but the wall and as I placed my head onto my jacket, I could feel the tears threatening to fall and it did. There was no will in me to fight it and perhaps it would be better to let it all go.

Little did I know that I would fall asleep, and I was soon awaken by a soft tap on my shoulder. It was gentle, light and I almost did not feel it, but when the taps continued, I opened my eyes and squinted to get used to the dim light around me but I was greeted with a blanket around my body, a takeaway cup and a barista in front of me with a broom in his hand and face inches away from mine.

Yup, that was Jihoon and why would I be expecting anything different right? I nearly jumped out of my skin and I’m sure he got a shock when I woke up too.

He cleared his throat a little, before stuttering and telling me that the cafe was going to close for the night. I furrowed my brows and took a glance at the clock on the wall, only to realise that I had been sleeping for the past 5 hours, packing my stuff in a hurried manner and was about to leave with my steaming hot drink in hand and my books.

“Wait!!” A shout was heard and I turned around, only to see that Jihoon had changed out of his attire and also looked like he was ready to go home. Now that I looked at it, I could not help but chuckle a little at his quirky fashion out of his usual work attire. It was stylish in terms of the pieces that he had put together, but the colours were pretty striking to say the least. He had a pair of black sneakers with mismatched neon shoelaces, a yellow mustard shirt, black pants (the only normal thing in the outfit) and a red and white plait with some streaks of brown and grey.

“I-it’s late and I’m sorry for not waking you up earlier so that you could go home before the sun set. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you home.”

“I-it’s alright Jihoon-sshi. I’ll be fine!”

“I’m not sure how well you really know this place Y/N but it really isn’t safe. Trust me, there’s a reason why we close at 9.30pm.”

Looking at his expression, it was clear that he was serious and this was unlike the Jihoon that I knew, serving drinks and serving customers with a bright smile on his face. For some reason, I could see the slight sorrow in his eyes as he spoke, but he quickly turned away and told me to wait for him while he went to the back and packed his things.

“Let’s go!” He said in a chirpy tone once again, and he was back to the cheerful Jihoon I knew.

Once the cafe was locked up, we took a relatively quiet walk to the nearest bus station. I was walking on the side of the road initially, but Jihoon told me to switch places, saying that it was truly not a safe place around here in the night. In fact, it was clear to see why; the street lights were quite dimly lit and it was full of dark alleys which seemed to lead into nothingness and mystery. In addition, the only activity around were bars and late night eating places.

Drunken shouts and laughter could be heard in the far distance and Jihoon placed his hand on the small of my back, pushing me forward slightly. As we walked, we started to talk and I found out a little bit more about him, which was surprising to say the least.

He was a 3rd year student in the prestigious Seoul School of Performing Arts and he was apparently taking Chemistry (the same as I did), Math, Geography and Literature, while majoring in modern dance as an art form. I then proceeded to ask him how he was able to balance his work and school life, considering that he was not around only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He further elaborated that he was surprised he could even pass the years and I found out that he was a smart and intelligent boy, only scoring As and Bs for all subjects, including his art form. He said that he liked to listen to music too (which we found out we had similar tastes in) to relieve the stress and visit the arcade occasionally during the holidays with his supposed best friend, Jinyoung.

“Which bus do you take Y/N?”

“8604! My home is about 5-6 stops away from here!” I replied.

“Oh I take the same bus! We can go home together then!”

I smiled and nodded as we continued to sit there in comfortable silence and he continued to scroll through his social media, while I sat there and did the same, responding to the encouraging messages that my friends had sent to me. It was already late, but it still managed to brighten up my day and I was probably smiling subconsciously as I read their messages and jokes that they had sent to me in order to make me laugh.

Unfortunately, there was a question nagging me at the back of my mind. When I looked at Jihoon, he had already put his phone back in his pocket and continued to admire the city lights and the night scene around him, occasionally glancing to the right to look out for the bus. He had an aura of sadness around him, like he was actually carrying an invisible weight on his shoulders.

The once comfortable atmosphere became a little tense and sad. There was no other words to describe it other than tense, awkward, some stress and sorrow.

“Hey.. You alright?” I asked and Jihoon’s shoulders jumped a little.

“Y-yeah.. I’m fine. Just thinking, you know??”

His smile was a sad one, like something that he was trying his best to keep on his face to throw off any form of thinking that he was suffering on his own. I turned away to look for the bus, before glancing worriedly at my watch. The bus was usually fast and frequent but it did not seem to be showing up at all, and it was impossible that we had missed the last bus.

“Do you want to know why I was so worried Y/N? I know you were a little uncomfortable when I had insisted on bringing you home. Trust me, I’m not a stalker.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it! I’ve just never had anyone been so insistent, and don’t worry, with a face like yours, there’s no way that I would have suspected you to be a stalker.”

Wait, why the hell did I say that?

He actually laughed at my statement, before asking in a joking tone, “You know you should never judge a book by its cover right? Now I see why I needed to accompany you home, especially when you seem to be naive and gullible.”

“I-I’m n-not.” I stuttered and I felt my face going red for the nth time that day. I did not know what was it about Jihoon, but he sure had the talent for making a girl’s heart flutter and skip a beat with his gentle and soothing voice.

“I was just kidding,” he laughed before continuing, “Anyway, all jokes aside, I feel like you deserve an explanation as to why I was so… protective back there, especially since we have not known each other very much.”

My eyes turned to face him (after I had got over my embarrassment) and gave a nod, signposting for him to continue his story and whatever he needed to tell me.

“His name was Kwonhyeop and he was my high school senior. Not only did he have a unique name, but he was also unique in terms of his personality too. We came from the same neighbourhood, went to the same school and eventually became pretty good friends. Sometimes, he was not just a close friend, but also an older brother whom I could rely on in times of need. When I needed help in my Math homework, he would help me solve them and when I needed some money for lunch, he would provide it for me, without asking for anything in return.”

“He was a smart boy, and it was pretty clear that all the teachers loved him for just being himself. Girls chased after him occasionally, but he had made it clear that he wanted to focus on his academics first before thinking about the next phase of life and where it would lead him.”

Jihoon took a deep breath, as if he was trying to control his emotions and continued, “We walked here together once, after our interview at Angelinus Coffee, where I work now. Unfortunately, who would have thought his life would have ended so shortly? We were simply walking to the nearest bus stop and we just had to bump into a bunch of drunkards who drank so much they reeked of alcohol and smoke especially.”

“They told us to watch where we were going, but we ignored them and walked faster, but it was to no avail before one of the guys grabbed Kwonhyeop all of a sudden and pulled him into the alleyway. I tried to follow and even fought with the burly men in order to attempt saving my friend. I was not strong enough, and that served as my biggest disadvantage, because the last thing I saw was a wooden plank coming straight for my head.”

And at this point, I could hear the slight sniffle and how his voice has become more airy, showing how much choked up emotions he had stored within him, “And when I woke up, I saw him sitting opposite me, but his head was down and he had obviously been beaten up into a pulp. When I stood up, the world started to spin and I felt a certain warm liquid cascade down my temples but I ignored it, more concerned for my friend who now sat beside me.”

“Indeed, he was barely breathing and had clearly suffered multiple stab wounds in his back and he also had a gaping hole in his stomach. God knows if I let out a strangled scream but someone walking past did hear me and called the relevant authorities, but everything had passed by in a blur as the passer by told me to calm down and that everything would be alright. As the time ticked by, I knew better.”

His sniffles were more obvious now and soon, Jihoon was letting out choked up sobs. He did not need to say any more because it was clear that his friend, Kwonhyeop, did not make it through the ordeal. The latter was clearly someone whom he had depended on and looked up to, but he was taken away from him in the most tragic of ways. Hence, it justified his story pretty well and I could see the fear in his eyes as he relived his memory for the sake of providing closure.

I did not know what to do, so I followed my natural instinct and grabbed his neck, putting his head on my shoulder as the tears continued to roll mercilessly down his cheeks and his breath got more and more shallow. I felt like my blazer was going to be drenched soon with his tears, but it did not matter anymore. Jihoon had protected the naive me from the cruelty of the world out there by protecting me physically, and it was only right if I did the same, except that his was to protect his vulnerability and moments of weakness; more on the emotional side.

Of course, I provided him with tissues and he took it sheepishly before apologising, saying that it must have been awkward for me to hear such a traumatising story, but I shook my head and proceeded to rub small circles into his back as a form of encouragement and comfort. It was clear that he needed someone to be there for him, but apart from his “family” of baristas, I suppose he needed someone different for a change and it was probably too personal to go around sharing with anyone without any solid reasoning.

“Oh, the bus is here.” He said, wiping the remains of his tears and flagged for the bus. I, too, did the same and we boarded the bus together, smiling at the bus driver who greeted us with a bright and cheerful smile.

And we were back again sitting in comfortable silence, but I did not realise that Jihoon had, in fact, fallen asleep; probably exhausted from crying. Suddenly, I felt something hit my shoulder with quite an impact and I turned to look, only to be faced with Jihoon’s auburn brown hair. It was weird definitely, because he was actually taller than I was when we stood up and my shoulder must have been quite a distance from his head if he wanted to sleep just like that. I adjusted my shoulders a little bit and he adjusted his head, finding the most comfortable position and rubbed his head against my shoulder.

Also, it was only then that I had noticed his “god-given” features. He had doe shaped eyes, long eyelashes, a small (and adorable) nose with heart shaped lips that seemed to be tinted with a light peach coloured lip balm. He had good skin too and it was probably as smooth as a baby, to the envy of all girls.

When they said that God was fair, I suppose it did not really apply for Jihoon, apart from his tragic past. It must have been hard for him to go through such emotional stress, but he still put on a smile and seemed like the happy-go-lucky and adorably awkward barista that the town probably knew.

I did wake him up at my stop, and he was surprised to see that he was actually sleeping on my shoulder, blushing slightly and apologising that his head must have been heavy. I shook my head, and subconsciously went to ruffle his hair and he blushed even more with his ears and cheeks becoming the colour of a cooked lobster.

He walked me home anyway and we engaged in small talk with an easy going nature. It was clear that he was finally at peace and I could not have been more thankful that he was back to the Jihoon that I knew. I would not say we were exactly friends, but we knew each other to joke around, laugh and just enjoy each other’s company. Furthermore, I suppose the fact that we were the same age really did help to get to know each other better.

“I’m home,” I said with a smile on my face, “Thank you Jihoon-sshi for bringing me home. It was great getting to know you better and thank you for the hot chocolate too.”

He only nodded and smiled while scratching the back of his neck and walked off, before asking, “Wait!! Can I…. uh… have your number?”

“S-sure,” I replied and God knew why I was still stuttering, “No problem at all!”

“Y/N-ah,” and I hummed while typing my name and my contact into his phone, “Thanks for listening to me. It’s been a long time since I opened up my feelings like that and I really appreciate it. It makes me feel a whole lot better and hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

PART 2 IS OVER HERE!

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soul-in-the-bowl · 6 years

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Mmmmm...matcha Paris!

|eng| Let me take you for a stroll along matcha dotted Paris. No Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, museums, Louvre or high fashion. Just a hot Summer day that needs a proper green cooling. You know that foods can be cooling, right? Well, yes, the green ones are. And as I might not recommend this as the most healthy pass time it dams sure is finger-licking delicious! Alors! Let's discover green Paris! That ice-cream are matcha dreams come true! I could stay longer in Paris only to have them each day. The serving is surprisingly big, they're not too sweet, the matcha taste is strong and melts with a creamy flavour. Because of such treats I gave myself a holiday from the dairy on this Euro-trip :) Apart of ice-cream we cooled ourselves in the 40 degrees heat with a regular matcha tea with plenty of ice. Delicately sweet, very good and very refreshing! Both ice-cream ant tea was 5 or 5,5 eur. You can get plenty of matcha goodies here as well as other treats full of mango or chocolate flavour. Definitely, a place for sweet tooths! Address: Matcha Lizhong, 7 Rue Volta, 75003 Paris. The place seems to be pretty new thus it's hard to find it online. One of the most recommended ice-cream shops in Paris and yes! thumbs up for this place! Plenty of tastes that are made with good quality and natural ingredients. The owner is a patisserie master chef and he for sure mastered ice-cream too. The tastes are pure fun and would want you to come back and try more, though the prices are very Parisienne... 7 eur for 3 scoops, but hey, it's a holiday! My serving holds delicious matcha taste, amazing coffee cardamom and (just) good earl grey with figs (the first two tastes were so damn good, that maybe everything would be just good next to them). The place is open long hours - great treat if you have a late night sweets cravings! Monday - Thursday: 13:00 to 23:30, Friday: 13:00 to 00:00, Saturday: 12:00 to 00:00, Sunday: 12:00 to 23:00 Address: Une Glace a Paris, 15 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris This is a great place if you want to combine matcha and Paris cafe morning. It's a regular Boulanger with an Asian twist and most importantly with this French cafe's tables just on the pavement so you can have your petit noir while people watching (and being seen;)). Make it flan, Mille crepes cake, Japanese sweet rolls or latte - you can have'em all green! It's all gluten and dairy full, they have little signatures next to each item so you can make sure if eggs, milk, sugar, what are there (yes, they are in most of the goodies). For me nice treat, but now as I write it from the month perspective - my body is not so happy to have all those cow's milk and wheat servings... What to do, sometimes curiosity and taste buds win. Address: Aki Boulanger & Aki Cafe, 16 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris Last but not least - vegan, healthy stop for almond milk matcha latte! A very interesting place which I would definitely want to explore, but all I could fit at the time was a drink. I'd treat this one as a nice & healthy drink to enjoy but not too much matcha overall - there was too little green powder so it was lost in this cup full of sprouted almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla flavour, maple syrup and spirulina topping. But still fun, fun, fun! This drink was 6 eur. You can also buy bottled, vegan matcha milk there and something I'd definitely want to try - matcha smoothie bowl! Address: Wild & The Moon. There are few locations all over Paris, this one was their little takeaway hole in the wall at 25 rue des Gravilliers,75003 Paris

#matcha #in europe #france #paris #ice cream #pattiserie #matcha latte #matcha ice cream #matcha pastry #flan #pain melon #melonpan #anpain #aki boulanger #aki cafe #french cafe #wild & the moon #une glace a paris #matcha lizhong

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lumiolivier · 7 years

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Chapter Twenty-One: Long Live the Red Hats

Word Count: 6050

Chapter No. 21/?

Notes: There is something that gets a little cringy and borders into harassment, but it’s not too terribly bad. I’m also thinking about posting this to Fiction Press to boost my numbers over there. Thoughts?

Chapter Twenty: Hangovers and a Harajuku Staple

He may have cleaned up. He may have quit smoking pot. But at the end of the day, Kyle was still Kyle and Kyle was late. With the way last night went, though, I wasn’t complaining. The last thing I wanted to do today was babysit. It was bad enough I had Veronica. I didn’t need that in my life today. What I needed was cold, blended, and caffeinated all to hell.

“You want me make you something, baby?” Julian offered.

“Yes, please,” I grabbed our aprons from under the register, “Can I have a bridge to jump from?”

“No,” he shot me down, “You’re not that bad. You’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want to work overtime tonight,” I pouted, “I don’t want to work here period.”

“Then, what do you want to do?” Julian asked, flipping the machines on.

“I want to travel the country,” I sighed out, flipping the open sign, “I want to cosplay with you. I want for some publisher to see my shit and think I’m a good writer and for this to not be a colossal waste of time.”

“You are a good writer,” he assured.

“How would you know?” I rested my throbbing head in my hands, “You don’t read fan fiction.”

“Oh really?” Julian handed me an iced latte with two shots of espresso, “I don’t read fan fiction, Miss Ouran High School Host Club/Black Butler crossover? Miss Kiss, Kiss, Sign a Contract?”

“Excuse me?” I perked up.

“Miss Sebastian Michaelis lies dormant in the soul of Kyoya Ootori?” he smirked, “And Ciel Phantomhive’s in Haruhi Fujioka? And you say I don’t read fan fiction.”

“Somebody’s been busy,” I blushed, “When did you start reading my fan fiction?”

“Last night,” Julian admitted, “I was bored, sitting in that diner by myself. I tried getting a hold of Paul, but he wasn’t answering.”

“I’m sorry,” I felt bad for him, “I didn’t ask you to follow us.”

“But I did anyway,” he beamed, all proud of himself, “So, question.”

“What?”

“What made you cross them?” Julian wondered, “Why Kyoya with Sebastian and Haruhi with Ciel?”

“Well,” I explained, “In the English dub, Kyoya and Sebastian have the same voice actors. In the Japanese dub, Ciel and Haruhi have the same voice actors. It was begging for a crossover. Not to mention, if you think about it, Sebastian and Kyoya aren’t very different. You can’t tell me that in a modern setting, Sebastian wouldn’t be mistaken for yakuza.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “I see it. But yes. I’ve read something you’ve written. It’s wonderful and I’m so proud. But since you showed me yours, I suppose it’s time I show you mine, right?”

“Slow down there, friend,” I stopped him, “What are you talking about?”

“My portfolio,” Julian gave me a look, “What else would I be showing you?”

“You know damn well what,” I nudged him.

“Mimi,” he gasped, “I am a classier lady than that.”

“Are you?” I grabbed the first customer’s order, “Are you really?”

“Yes, I am,” Julian covered himself, being a drama queen, “I am more than just an object.”

“I know, honey,” I giggled, “You’re also a massive dork.”

“I could’ve told you that.”

“Hold on,” I stopped in the middle of making a cappuccino, “What’s today?”

“Tuesday?”

“What day?”

“The twenty-ninth,” Julian started to get nervous, “What’s the twenty-ninth got to do with anything? Should I have gone full Russell?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I promised, “You don’t need to pull out Russell. You’re fine. It’s just…It’s the last Tuesday of the month.”

“That’s all well and good, Mimi,” he questioned my sanity, “But what’s that supposed to mean?”

“The last Tuesday of every month,” I grinned, “You’ll see. Just wait for it. It should be happening in the next hour or so.”

“What kind of drugs are you on today?” Julian joked, “Or is sleep deprivation screwing with your head?”

“Neither,” I made the woman’s change, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad.”

“Mimi!” Kyle stumbled through the doors.

“Where have you been?” I scolded, “You’re usually only ten minutes late. We’ve been open for an hour, Kyle.”

“I know,” he kept his head down, “And I’m sorry. I’m…I feel great.”

“Oh, Kyle,” I let out a heavy, exasperated, and disappointed sigh, “Look at me.”

“Um…”

“Kyle,” I forced his gaze. Surprise, surprise. If I couldn’t smell it on him, his glazed over, bloodshot eyes gave it away. Fantastic. Kyle falling off the wagon. There’s what I needed today, “You went back, didn’t you?”

“Mary Jane’s a cruel mistress,” he pushed through the kitchen doors, “And she’s got a tight grip on my heart.”

“Dammit, Kyle,” I grumbled.

“Sorry, Mimi…”

“Not even noon and I need a drink,” I growled, “They better hurry up.”

“Who?” Julian asked.

“Again,” I settled, catching a tiny contact buzz from the dumbass in the kitchen, “You’ll see. Now, do me a favor and keep an eye on him.”

“Sure,” he nodded.

“I’ll let you know when they get here,” I told, “Watch him like a hawk, Julian.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Julian gave me a half salute and went to take over my babysitting duties. I couldn’t handle Kyle baked today. All I wanted to do today was lay on Julian’s couch after work with my head in his lap and watch whatever cartoons the good people of Japan had to offer us. But I had the supreme honor of staying over. I just needed a night of calm. I needed the first night Julian and I spent together again. Maybe even the night after we met.

“My goodness,” a small bus had unloaded into the café, “Look at you, Mimi! You’ve gotten so big! I remember when you were just a little thing.”

“Hi, Betty,” I couldn’t have been happier when this sweet, adorable, old lady stood in front of me, donning a big, red hat, “I’m not that big. I’m still that little girl inside.”

“You should stay that way,” she insisted, “That way, you’ll never get old.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” my heart felt so full, “What can I get for you?”

“I don’t know,” Betty looked over the menu, “I don’t want anything fancy.”

“How about a simple coffee?” I offered, “Maybe some French vanilla creamer?”

“That sounds heavenly!” she chimed, “Yes, please!”

“Do you want anything with it?” I asked, “Muffin? Scone? Cinnamon roll?”

“I think I’ll have a muffin,” Betty decided, “Banana nut.”

“One of those sounds pretty good right about now,” I agreed with her, “In fact, I think there’s a batch about to come out right now. Julian!”

“Hold on, sweetheart,” he warned me, coming out of the kitchen with a tray on his arm, “These are still pretty warm.”

“What kind are those?”

“Orange cranberry and banana nut,” Julian stocked the case, “What’s up?”

“Aren’t you adorable!” Betty sang out, “You must be new!”

“Yeah,” he melted, “I’ve been here a couple weeks now.”

“Julian, this is Betty,” I introduced him, “She’s the president of the Lenexa Red Hats. Betty, this is Julian. No title.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Betty,” Julian gushed, “I’ve heard a bit about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too, honey,” she awed, leaning over to me, “Mimi, he’s cute.”

“Yeah,” I started turning pink, “He is. Just moved to town.”

“Where are you from, Julian?” Betty asked.

“I was born in Chicago,” he told, “But I moved here from St. Louis.”

“City boy?” she shot me glances, “City boys aren’t boy scouts.”

“Betty,” I slid her coffee across the counter, “Play nice.”

“I did a couple weeks of survival training once,” Julian admitted, “I’m pretty sure boy scouts wish they were me.”

“Alright,” Betty let it go, “I like him. He’s ok with me.”

“I’m glad we have your approval,” I giggled under my breath, “Six dollars even. Julian, will you be a lamb and grab a muffin, please?”

“What kind?” he asked.

“Banana nut.”

“Of course,” Julian pulled a muffin out of the pastry case and put it in a paper bag, “Here, Betty.”

“Thank you, honey,” Betty smiled, making the entire world light up.

“How long are you and the girls with us today?” I wondered.

“We promise we won’t be too much trouble,” she teased, “We’re going up to Kansas City today. This should be a quick in and out for us.”

“What’s in Kansas City?” I grabbed the next Red Hat in line.

“We’re doing the gardens tour,” one of the others, Martha, broke into our conversation.

“That sounds beautiful,” I approved, “I’m jealous. You guys couldn’t have picked a prettier day.”

“I wish you could come with us, Mimi,” Betty sighed, “It’s such a sight. You don’t get to see much for flowers around here.”

“No, we don’t,” I started on an earl grey tea for Martha, “Mostly hay fields and soybeans around here.”

“Why don’t you play a little hooky?” Martha instigated, “Come with us!”

“I can’t,” I broke the news, “I have to keep things running around here. I’m in enough hot water with the boss as it is. I had to skip out early yesterday and now, I have to stay and balance the books tonight.”

“When will Jeffrey Griffin learn?” Betty pouted, “You have a life, too, sweetheart. He can’t have a hold on your soul.”

“That’s right,” another one of the Red Hats joined us. Gladys. I loved Gladys, “You’re a free spirit, Mimi. And it needs to be let out of its cage once in a while.”

“When was the last time you went out and had any fun?” Martha asked.

“Last night,” I told, “But it wasn’t really for me to have fun. My best friend’s boyfriend broke up with her and I needed to cheer her up.”

“That’s awfully sweet of you,” Gladys praised, “But you still need to do some things for yourself, too.”

“That’s what I tell her!” Julian chimed in, “All the time!”

“You’d think she’d start listening,” Betty gave Julian a little nudge.

“Maybe one day.”

“Remind me to hit you later,” I teased.

“Will do!”

“I like him,” Martha sang.

“Me, too,” Gladys agreed, “Is he your boyfriend, Mimi?”

“No,” I tried to keep my shakes under wraps, “He can’t be my boyfriend. We can’t date coworkers.”

“Again,” Betty raised hell, “Why won’t Jeffrey let you live your life?”

“I don’t know.”

“Probably because he’s so miserable in his own life,” Martha assumed, “He has to make everyone just as miserable.”

“Amen, sister!” Julian gave her a high five.

“Well, we should be off,” Betty grabbed her banana nut muffin, “It was lovely meeting you, Julian.”

“You, too,” Julian surrendered to her hug. There was no turning that down, “Come back soon, ok?”

“We will,” she assured, “Last Tuesday, like always.”

“You ladies enjoy your trip,” I grabbed the door for them.

“And Mimi,” Gladys took my hand, “Please. Don’t let Griffin rule your life. Or anyone else. If you want to quit your job and see the world, do it. If you want to love that hot piece of ass in there, do it. I saw the way he looks at you and it wouldn’t surprise me if the feeling was mutual. If you want to run around the home with your underwear on your head, don’t let the orderly give you a sedative and a bite guard. You spit out that bite guard and your medication and put your panties on your head. To hell what people think!”

In her own, strange way, Gladys told me exactly what I needed to hear. I knew I loved her for a reason. I gave her the biggest hug, but not too much. Gladys was fragile, “Thank you, Gladys. I think today is that day.”

“That’s my girl!” she kissed my cheek, “Good luck, Mimi.”

I was going to need it. As the Red Hats emptied out of the café, I got back to cleaning tables, hoping it’d be enough to get Griffin off my back and I wouldn’t have to stay. Then again, there’s a possibility that Gladys’ speech sparked something in me. Gave me the balls to leave here without a job. There goes my Crunchyroll premium account. Still got Netflix, though.

“Julian,” I sighed out, already exhausted and it was only noon, “Will you still love me if I’m out of a job?”

“Of course,” he promised, “What are you talking silliness about?”

“Post them,” I demanded.

“What?”

“Light and Misa,” I elaborated, “I think I’m putting in my two weeks. This place doesn’t deserve me.”

“Good for you, Mimi,” Julian beamed, “I’m proud of you.”

“Although,” I thought it over, “Quitting could cause a lot of collateral damage. There’s a chance I’ll end up getting kicked out.”

“If you do,” he took my hand under the counter, “Then, it’s a good thing I’m down the road, isn’t it?”

“You’d let me move in?” my heart radiated such a warmth.

“Of course,” Julian confirmed, “Like I’d let you live on the street. Don’t give me that.”

I rested my head on his shoulder, “What would I do without you?”

“I don’t know,” he threw his arm around me, “You’d probably fall apart. Just a little, though. You’re tough. You can do this.”

“So,” I perked up, “I’m doing this? I’m really doing this?”

“I’m sure you have dreams bigger than the café,” Julian assumed, “At least I’m hoping so.”

“I want to get published, dammit!” I pitched a little fit, “But I’ve looked into it and it’s a long, drawn out, pain in the ass process. The last publisher I talked to said I’d have to wait at least six months after submission for them to even come around to reading my manuscript. Not to mention, I haven’t had an original idea in months.”

“You could write about us,” he suggested.

“That’s sweet, Julian,” I let him down gently, “But I don’t think I could do us justice.”

“Or maybe,” Julian thought it over, “You could write a fic so good that someone from a studio sees it and you end up writing the source material.”

“That’s even more farfetched than me writing about us.”

“Think about it,” he put things into perspective, “Your fan fiction. That’s an original idea, isn’t it?”

“No,” I clarified, “That’s an off-shoot of the series.”

“Is it?” Julian went on, “The idea had to come from somewhere. If you change the names around a little, you can convert your fan fiction into an original.”

“And with some major plot reconstruction,” I figured, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, Julian, but I don’t think it’s going to work.”

“Maybe that’s your problem,” he grabbed the next order for me, “Maybe you should start thinking things can happen and things can work. My god, I need to get you around some of my friends.”

“What good is that going to do?” I asked, resituating the pastry case.

“Maybe once you’re amongst the more creative types cut from the same cloth we are,” he figured, “You’ll start seeing it.”

“Where did your sudden surge of optimism come from?”

“I blame the Red Hats,” he smiled, “Come on, Mimi. You can do this. You’re not staying over. You’re coming home when you’re supposed to. And you’re going to be there when I post our shots from Sunday. Think. What would Light do?”

“Write Griffin’s name in the notebook,” I chuckled a bit, “Then, we’d all be out of a job.”

“Ok, bad example,” Julian caught, “Better one. What would the Elric boys do?”

“Don’t,” I stopped him, “Don’t you dare use my babies against me, Julian. That’s a dick move.”

“What would the Elric boys do?” he repeated himself.

“Dammit,” I grumbled under my breath, “They’d keep moving forwards. Both of my legs are real, so I have that going for me.”

“I guess you could say you have a leg up…”

“Goddammit, Julian…” I shook my head at him.

“Got you to smile,” he chimed.

“You’re an idiot,” I rolled my eyes with a little smile on my face.

“Hi, Mimi!” Veronica came in as her bright and bubbly self.

“Hi, sweetie,” I gave her a look, “You’re in awfully high spirits. Get your revenge lay already?”

“Even better!” she sang out, “I’m not returning my homecoming dress!”

“Awesome!” I threw my arms around her, “You’re still going?”

“I sure am,” Veronica grinned darkly, “You know Luke’s best friend Eric?”

“Yeah. He’s a good kid.”

“Guess who I’m going with now?”

“No!” I gasped, “Does Eric know it’s a rebound thing?”

“He said Luke didn’t deserve me in the first place,” she shrugged, “We’ll see how well this goes and if something takes off from there.”

“Are Luke and Eric at odds?” I wondered, getting her usual coffee order.

“Eric knew about Luke’s side bitch,” Veronica explained, “Apparently, she’s going to school somewhere in Wichita and they met after an away game. Her little brother was playing on the opposite team. Eric told Luke to stay away from her. The fact that he went around behind his back pissed him off. And now, I’m going to homecoming with my ex’s best friend. Life is looking up!”

“Good for you, Veronica,” Julian chimed in, “See? I told you it’d get better.”

“I have some appointments to reschedule,” she grabbed her cup, “Thought I’d drop by and deliver the good news.”

“That’s great news, Roni,” I applauded, “So, no more frown town?”

“Nope!”

“Good,” I sent her out, “Go on. I got other customers.”

“Bye!”

It did my heart good to see that girl in such a good mood again. And that was the final signal from the universe I needed. Gladys’ pep talk. Veronica’s revenge date. Julian saying he’d let me crash with him if worst comes to worst. Good things come in threes, right? Now, all I had to do was wait for Griffin to show his face. I had three years of anger built up deep inside. I couldn’t, in good conscience, keep all of that in. That’s how ulcers happen.

“Looks like the apple cart is still on all its wheels,” Julian noticed, “Ready to shake it up some more?”

“I need Griffin to come in,” I psyched myself up.

“You can do this,” he assured, “You deserve better and you know it.”

“Yes, I do,” I hyped, “I don’t need this kind of anger in my life anymore. Not worth the stress.”

“There’s my girl,” Julian praised as the bell above the door announced Griffin’s arrival, “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

“Mr. Griffin,” I stopped him, “Do you have a minute?”

“Always for you, Mimi,” his voice gave me chills. And not the good kind of chills like Julian’s did. More like a snake crawling under my skin, “What’s up? You’re not trying to get out of your overtime, are you?”

“No, sir,” I shook my head, “I appreciate what you’ve done for me the past three years.”

“And I you,” Mr. Griffin put his hand on my shoulder, making me cringe, “You know, sweetheart, I’m glad I have you. If I didn’t, I’m not sure if this little café would be able to stand. And all the people that make this a regular stop on their way to work would have nowhere else to go.”

Dammit. He knows my weakness. No, Mimi. Stay strong, “You’re exaggerating.”

“No, I’m not,” he assured, “You are my angel, Mimi. You keep my son in line, my numbers in the black, and you provide a great service to our little community. Keep up the good work, kiddo. I’m proud of you.”

“But…” I couldn’t speak. I got so tongue tied. And before I knew it, he was gone. He had just come in to check on the café. To make sure we weren’t getting into trouble. Shit!

“What happened?” Julian worried, “I thought you were going to put in your two weeks.”

“He knows the magic of guilt,” I cringed, “Manipulative prick.”

“That’s called a toxic relationship,” he explained, “They don’t always have to be romantic. If it’s two people and one is holding something over the other in order to get what they want, it’s toxic. In this case, it’s your paycheck. You don’t need that.”

“Yet, I folded like a cheap suit,” I grumbled.

“People like him are going to do that,” Julian went on, “You have to fight past that. You can’t let him make you feel an inch tall for the sake of not rocking the boat. Make that boat capsize. He’s not banking on the fact that you know how to swim.”

“Tomorrow,” I sighed out, “There’s always tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “What’s the point in waiting until tomorrow? You’ll end up putting it off again.”

“Where were you last night when I needed to get Veronica out of her slump?”

“Right across the street,” Julian reminded me, “I’m always there, baby. Never doubt that.”

“Thank you, Julian,” my voice broke a little.

“Hey,” he wiped my cheek, “Don’t start on me. He’s not worth getting upset over. You can tell Griffin what for tomorrow, got it?”

“Ok,” I pulled myself together and finished work for the day. As soon as we closed up, I threw Julian my car keys and holed up in the office. I hated balancing the books with a burning passion. The things I do for you, Veronica Sue. The things I do for you. I made myself Julian’s usual poison of choice and got to work.

The tedious…mind numbing…busy work. In this tiny, cramped office, not much bigger than my closet. Julian told me I could get over my writer’s block this way. That the vast blankness in the repetitive actions would knock something loose. How was I supposed to finish the Free! fic like this? I was stuck in a small office crunching numbers. The Free! fic took place near the ocean. In Rin’s apartment. I was nowhere near that. I’d rather be there than here. Ideally, I’d be at Julian’s, but here I was.

Ding!

I stuck my head out of the office and looked toward the door, “How you doing, Mimi?”

“Good,” I let out a heavy sigh. Griffin. Fan-fucking-tastic. Just what I wanted.

“That’s what I like to hear,” he praised, “You’re my favorite little worker bee.”

“Does that make you the queen bee?” I joked, almost mad at myself for saying that out loud.

“King bee,” he corrected me. No such thing, but I’ll let him have it, “Do you need anything? Doing ok?”

“It’s just balancing the books, Mr. Griffin,” I bit my tongue, “I think I can manage.”

“That’s my girl,” Mr. Griffin put his arm around me, lightly massaging my shoulder.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I gagged a little, getting out from under him, “I need to get back to work.”

“This can wait,” he brushed me off, getting his grip back on my arm, “Can’t it? It’s just numbers. They’re not going anywhere.”

Come on, Mimi. Toxic, remember? Stay strong. Do this for you. Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life. Ultimately, it’s your decision. Now or never. Don’t wait until tomorrow. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. This is crazy, but you can do this.

“Mr. Griffin, I’m moving,” I blurted out, “I’m putting in my two weeks as of now.”

“What?” I caught him off guard, “No, you’re not. You can’t leave me.”

No. Don’t let him use guilt, “I have to. I need to move onward and upward with my life.”

“No, you’re not,” he shot me down, “You’re not going anywhere.”

I can do this, “Yes, I am. I’m sorry, sir, but you don’t make that decision.”

“I thought you were up to something,” Mr. Griffin snarled, “I thought you were going to quit on me. Not surprised. You’ve only been here for three years. It’s not like you’re that motivated to do anything.”

“Excuse me?” I shot him a glare.

“If you were,” he argued, “You would’ve been out of here ages ago. Instead, you’ve had this job since you graduated and haven’t left. You don’t have a college education. You’re lucky you even graduated high school. It’s not like you have any other skills. You’re even quiet around the customers. You’re not going anywhere, Mimi. I know better.”

My heart started racing, beating out of my chest, “Yes, I am.”

“Where?” Mr. Griffin asked, “Where are you going? I know how much you make in a year. It’s not like you’re going very far. You probably couldn’t afford a studio apartment in Kansas City. I took you in when you had nowhere else to go. I took care of you. Anything you wanted, it was yours. I even got you a little extra help. And this is how you thank me? No. You’re not going anywhere.”

“No,” I grabbed my bag, taking the biggest leap of my life, “I am. I am going somewhere and that somewhere isn’t here. I’m done.”

“If you walk out that door,” Mr. Griffin threatened, “Don’t think you’ll walk back in tomorrow morning with a job.”

“Good,” I grinned, “That was the point. You need me more than I need you.”

I pushed through the front door, pleasantly surprised with myself. Good for me. I’m proud of you, Mimi. You did it. You grew a spine. The only suck part now was my lack of employment. Instead of calling Julian right away, I decided to take a walk down the road to the Pit Stop. If anyone could be any comfort to me right now, it’d be Sal.

“Hey!” he sang as I walked in, “There’s my favorite customer!”

“Hi, Sal,” I let out a heavy sigh, post adrenaline rush.

“What’s that all about?” Sal worried, already getting my ice cream for me, “You seem down.”

“Not really down,” I explained, “More like lost.”

“Talk to me, princess,” he offered, “What’s got you lost?”

“I just quit,” I admitted, “I just quit my job at the café.”

“Oh,” Sal put his scoop down and came around to the other side of the counter, giving me the biggest hug he could’ve possibly given me, “I’m proud of you, Mimi.”

“Why?” I wondered, “Why would me quitting my job make you proud?”

“Because you were too good for him!” Sal growled, “My brother, as much as I love him, can be…Well, there’s no nicer way of saying this. He can be an asshole.”

“And how,” I agreed, giggling a little.

“And he was no more an asshole to anyone than you,” his tirade went on, “From day one. And you didn’t need that.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” I sat down, “But now, I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

“That’s what life is, sweetheart,” Sal settled a bit, “Don’t go looking for it. It’ll find you.”

“Can I be honest with you, Sal?” I blushed.

“Always.”

“I think life has found me,” I smiled, “In the form of the guy I was with last week.”

“Thought so,” he brought me my double scoop, “I knew there was something going on with you two. But doesn’t he work at the café, too?”

“I’m the one that got him the job,” my spoon hung out of my mouth. You don’t think Griffin would do something so petty as to fire Julian because of me, do you?”

“No,” Sal promised, “That would mean Jeffrey would have to come down from his high horse to do legwork. That’s not going to happen. Don’t worry. Julian’s job is safe.”

Ring, ring.

“Hold on,” I looked down at my phone, “I have to get this.”

“Go ahead.”

I slid my finger across my phone screen, “Hi, Mom.”

“Where are you?” Mom worried, “You were supposed to be home two hours ago.”

“Sorry,” I apologized, “I had to stay late.”

“Well, hurry up and come home,” she begged, “We missed you!”

“I will,” I promised, “It’ll be a little while yet.”

“Fine,” she let me go, “Get back to work.”

I hung up with my mother and threw my phone back in my bag, “I should be going. Thanks for letting me vent, Sal.”

“Anytime, honey,” he got back up, “If you need anything, let me know, ok?”

I grabbed the shattered remains of my double scoop and left to clear my head. Sal’s sage like wisdom always knew how to cheer me up, but I needed some time to think. I bought myself another couple hours with my mom and Julian didn’t expect me to be done until ten. It was a beautiful night, so I took a walk down to the public pool and climbed the high dive.

I just quit my job. I had no contingency plan. I had no idea where I was going to go from there. I put all my eggs into one basket with doing the con circuit with Julian. Maybe someone’s already seen something in my fan fiction and told two friends who told two friends. I got my phone out and checked my comment section. Nope. Squat. I’m screwed. I have no job, hardly any money, and I have to cancel my Crunchyroll premium subscription.

I just hoped it wouldn’t get to the point where I was so desperate for cash I had to start selling off my babies. Some of my figurines and collectables were worth some serious money. I had a State Alchemist pocket watch made with real silver. I had a replica of Ciel Phantomhive’s ring with an actual sapphire in it (even though in the anime and the manga, it was technically a blue diamond). I couldn’t. Or even worse than selling off my collectables? I really hoped I didn’t have to resort to becoming a camgirl. Last resort. If I’m on the street and starving, then and ONLY THEN would I consider becoming a camgirl.

I don’t know anymore. Maybe I need to get my head right. Let’s look at the positives. What I have right now. I got…I got my ice cream. I got the most beautiful views in all of Lenexa. I got my health. I got Julian. My parents waiting at home for me. Even though they were going to just bitch at me for quitting my job. No, Mimi. We’re thinking positive. I’m hopeless…

“I thought I’d find you up here,” a familiar voice called from the bottom of the ladder, “I stopped by the café and no one was there. Drove by your parents’ house and they were the only ones home. What, my dear Mimi, would you be doing on the high dive at this hour?”

“Trying to make sense of the world,” I sighed out, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“That’s what I do,” Julian climbed up, “It’s a curse. Now, back to the main question. What are you doing here?”

“I did it,” I told him, “I quit. I tried putting my two weeks in. Griffin wasn’t having it. We got into it. And he fired me.”

“So, you’re done?” he asked, joining me on top, “It’s official?”

“Pretty much.”

“Good for you, Mimi,” Julian gave me a quick kiss, “What did he say?”

“I told him I was moving,” I began, “H said I wasn’t going anywhere. That I lacked motivation. He tried giving me guilt trip again, so I got up and left. He said if I walked out, I didn’t have a job tomorrow morning.”

“And?”

“And I told him that was the idea,” I rested my head on Julian’s shoulder, “Then, I went to the Pit Stop, got some ice cream, and came here.”

“This was for the better,” Julian promised, “You know that, right?”

“I know,” I cuddled into him, “I really hope the con circuit’s good to us, Julian. Because that was a serious leap of faith.”

“It will be,” he held me a little closer, “I got a text from Paul earlier with all our Death Note shots from the other day. They’re in a neat little file on my phone. All I have to do is post.”

I grabbed his phone out of his jacket pocket, “Do it. Right now.”

“Right now?” Julian beamed, “We’re doing this right now?”

“What better time?” I wondered, “Do it before I change my mind.”

“Alright,” I watched him log into his website and saw the little green upload bar go up. And the ‘Are you sure you want to upload this post?’ message popped up, “No going back. You sure you want to do this?”

I looked down at his phone screen and hit the yes button myself, “I’m sure.”

Julian gave me a little kiss on my forehead, “I’m so proud of you, baby.”

“Julian,” I wrapped his arm around me, “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be,” he assured, “I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere, remember?”

“Not until May,” I reminded, “Then, we do the con circuit.”

“Bye, bye, Lenexa.”

“Yeah,” I had the sudden realization hit me. In a little under eight months, I’d be leaving the only place I’ve ever called home.

“Mimi?” Julian gave me a nudge, “You in there? You blanked out for a minute, koibito.”

“I did?” I came back.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Maybe we should get you home.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, swinging around to the ladder, “I should. I mean, it’s not like I have to get up for work in the morning, but still.”

“Here’s a thought,” Julian suggested, “Since it’ll be Wednesday and book club’s going to be trying to grab ass me again, you think you could make Russell happen for me?”

“I thought you had Russell down to a science,” I pointed out, “What do you need me for?”

“I always need you around,” he stole a kiss, “I’m lucky my head’s attached.”

And that was the icing on this evening’s proverbial cake. I needed that, “Sure. Besides, it’ll be a good distraction, so my parents won’t find out about me quitting.”

“You’re a big girl, Mimi,” Julian reminded me, “You’re free to make your own decisions. And if you saw this as the best decision for you at the time, then let it be.”

“I guess you’re right,” I started climbing down.

“Now, stop staring at my ass,” he teased, “Or you’re not staying with me tonight.”

“I can’t stay with you anyway,” I broke the news, “My parents just got home and Mom told me they miss me.”

“Any idea where they went?” Julian asked.

“St. Louis,” I assumed, “They’re suckers for the riverboats.”

“Oh, the riverboats,” he chuckled to himself, “So many memories…So much puking…”

“What?” I giggled with him.

“I spent my twenty-first birthday on the riverboats,” Julian explained, “I didn’t realize how much they move when they’re in the water, so I learned quickly that wasted and seasick do not make a good combination.”

“You idiot,” I rolled my eyes at him, jumping down from the bottom rung.

“I’m your idiot,” he followed suit, “And you love me.”

“Last time I checked,” I assumed, “You’re alright.”

The two of us got into my car and started heading back home. I really didn’t want him to go. Just one more night. They couldn’t have been gone one more night. Unfortunately, though, all good things. I got my good night kiss and went straight up to my room. I knew they were going to want to tell me stories, but I just wanted to go to bed. I wanted to be numb.

Hold on…

I looked under my bed and found an amber colored bottle waiting for me. Bless you, Julian Cooke. Bless you. If you were here right now, I’d kiss you. I cracked open the Fireball and started drinking. Cinnamon whiskey would be my saving grace tonight. If I had some vanilla ice cream and a bit of Rum Chata, I’d be making one hell of a milkshake. But Sal was kind enough to give me enough rocky road for one night. Besides, this would be plenty to get me to sleep. I turned on some Fullmetal Alchemist, spooned Sebastian, and stuck a straw in the bottle. Soon enough, it’d pull me under.

#Sorry For Being a Closet Otaku #nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2016

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