#and the restaurant has a really nice atmosphere/decor

[gaytobymeres]

just has some absolutely delicious ramen.... so so good. cannot tell you how delicious the egg was...

[nayedoll]

About you (Part 2 of Baby Came Home)

joost klein x fem!reader

rpf below, please don’t read if ur uncomfortable!!!

this is part 2 to baby came home // i highly recommend reading part 1 for context on this fic!!

cw: 18+, nsfw, smut (f!receiving oral, protected piv), angst, some jealousy ig, reader is kind of a bitch lol

word count: 5k

a/n: some songs that fit the vibe: about you - the 1975 / right - mac miller / thinkin bout you - frank ocean / needy - ariana grande

───────────────────────

You sigh anxiously, tossing your phone onto the big pillows of your bed as you lie down on your soft comforter; it helps soothe your nerves a bit, being in your old bed again, surrounded by your stuffed animals and the girlish decoration of your room that has not changed in the slightest — except maybe it’s a little cleaner now, thanks to your mom.

You really shouldn’t be this stressed about today.

If anything, it should feel nice that your old friends were kind enough to invite you out to dinner, a reunion as they had called it to celebrate the fact that you finally stepped foot in the Netherlands after four years. But whatever emotion you should be feeling right now is subsided by the anxiety of meeting Joost again.

After he left New York, you had been texting and calling each other, neither as friends nor as something more, just enjoying the comfort you brought to one another. And for a while, it really seemed like this was going somewhere, like things could work out again if you tried. But of course, everything had to be ruined; all it took was one question— “Why did you leave?”— before a small argument erupted, one that was enough for you to distance yourself from him again.

Joost was trying to find a reason to why you left, why you didn’t want to come back and be with him and frankly, you didn’t even know what to tell him. You said you needed some time, a few days to think which turned into weeks and months of barely any communication— and now here you were, in the four walls of your old bedroom, getting ready to face him again.

The whole situation sort of reminds you of your first date with Joost; same room, same bed, trying to calm yourself down and pick out an outfit but nothing looks good enough. Your dad still has the TV on too loud downstairs and your mom still comes in your room without knocking. The thought eases you down a bit, makes you laugh as you finally make the decision to leave, already running late.

—

The restaurant is small but pretty, soft lighting falling on the adorned walls as the sound of jazz music and people talking fills the air, helps you relax a little. It’s the same one you used to drag Joost to all the time, the one he would always complain about but secretly loved despite not being the “romantic type” in his own words. You wonder if he picked it out, if he even played a part in the planning of this; the thought is unlikely but still brings a smile to your face.

You walk further into the dining room, overtaken by the loving atmosphere of people laughing, talking, genuinely enjoying themselves as you look around for your friends. You eventually spot them at a table towards the back of the room, all the people you cherish so deeply; Alanis, Apson, Tantu, Lyon and of course, Joost.

With a sweet smile on your lips, you approach them slowly yet nervously. Alanis is the first one to notice you as she rises up from her seat, pulling you into a warm, tight embrace.

“Missed you guys!” You exclaim, hugging everyone one by one, slowly, to put off coming face to face with Joost as long as possible. Inevitably you reach him and god does he look good; the same blonde fluffy hair, same baby blue eyes, an outfit that fits him infuriatingly well, of course coupled with his usual smug expression.

The tension in the room immediately shifts as your friends share knowing glances between them— you get the idea that they have all been informed about your little… reunion with Joost in New York, the memory of him on top of you flashing through your mind and making you swallow deeply.

He beams at you, the knot in your stomach loosening as he hugs you, a small confirmation that things are still okay between you.

“Hey,” You hug him back, maybe for a little longer, a little tighter, something that he doesn’t seem to mind as his big hand caresses your spine. He smells like cologne, it’s the one he was wearing that night in New York, that had your apartment smelling like him for the days afterward.

He pulls back, small smile on his lips, “It’s nice seeing you again,” It makes you smile too as you stare into each other’s eyes wordlessly.

“Alright lovebirds, maybe it’s time to sit down?” Apson says, making you and Joost chuckle awkwardly, reminding you of why you’re here in the first place.

—

After some more catching up with everyone and a few glasses of wine, you can confidently say you’re relaxed and having fun— once again proven to have been overthinking. You’re sitting across from Joost, unintentionally noticing every tiny detail about him, the little smiles, the dimples, all of his mannerisms that you adore so much.

He’s oblivious to it but you’re not the only woman who keeps eyeing him tonight. In fact, the girl next to you has been practically burning holes in his face by staring so hard— and needless to say, it doesn’t go unnoticed by you.She’s pretty, her long blonde hair styled in loose curls and her maxi black dress so simple yet so perfect on her. It makes you sick, even though it shouldn’t be and you know it— but you can’t help the growing jealousy within you the more you stare, her eyes hungry for him and every one of her moves deliberate to make him acknowledge her but he never does.

“I’m going for a smoke,” Joost says as he stands up from his chair, hands digging into his jacket’s pockets to find his pack of cigs.

The blonde girl looks up at him with a mischievous smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement, once again getting on your nerves— to be fair, you shouldn’t be mad at her, letting your envy consume you like a little girl but the alcohol makes it a little hard for you to control your emotions in the moment.

“Are you coming?” He asks, knowing you haven’t smoked yet tonight.

You sigh a little frustrated, not thinking about it much “Not in the mood.”

Joost pauses for a moment, the tilting of his head showing his confusion about your sudden change in attitude. Nevertheless, he gives you a small nod and leaves… you feel somewhat bad now, maybe you should go out there and keep him company.

But before you can even get up, that same blonde girl is already making her way to the exit door, her floral scent pervading the air along the way.

You take a deep breath; okay now you definitely feel like smoking. All the possible scenarios run through your mind at once— what if Joost gets her number? Or worse, takes her back home with him? You don’t think about it much longer and walk towards the door and out the restaurant.

The street is almost empty by now, cold air blanketing your body. Joost is just a few meters away, back rested against the brick wall as he lights his cigarette and— as expected— the girl is standing in front of him, making conversation; you can’t hear what she says but it makes Joost smile, giving you enough of a reason to feel even more jealous, a horrible feeling in your throat.

He doesn’t notice you, says some joke that causes her to giggle; you contemplate going back inside, whether this is embarrassing for you— after all it’s none of your business, you’re not his girlfriend anymore. But the pure idea of Joost taking another girl home, kissing her, fucking her the way he did you makes you want to puke, it fills you with rage.

You walk up to them, the sound of your sharp heels on the ground catching his attention. The girl turns around, obviously bothered by your presence and you notice the unlit cigarette on her hand; classic way to approach someone, you think.

You glance at her, bitter smile on your lips. “Can I have one?” You ask Joost, standing closer to him.

“Thought you didn’t wanna smoke right now,” He says but still hands you the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. You pull one out, coaxing him to light it for you as the girl watches.

Now that you came here, you don’t know what to say exactly, the awkward silence making you nervous. Jealousy has always been a bad trait of yours, though really you’re all bark and no bite, never actually acting upon it; if anything Joost always found it cute, teasing you about it endlessly.

“Is zij je vriendin?” (Is she your girlfriend?) The girl asks, pointing at you.

Joost giggles at that, causing you both to glare at him as his laughing comes to a halt. ”Was vroeger,” (Used to be) He replies, taking a short puff from his cigarette, “Het is ingewikkeld.” (It’s complicated)

You slightly furrow your brows, trying to translate the words in your head but to no avail. The girl nods, less confident in her attitude now as she hands the cigarette back to Joost and slowly leaves, mumbling something which you assume to be goodnight.

You’re left alone with Joost, remaining silent as all kinds of thoughts race in your mind. Once again, it’s you and him smoking against a wall, tension filling the air, almost like you’re having deja vu.

“What a nice girl,” Joost says, his tone an exaggerated delight. You nod quietly and take a deep inhale of smoke, nicotine filling your lungs— he’s obviously teasing you and it annoys you how well he knows you, always making it impossible for you to hide from him.

With a simpering smile, he looks down at you and asks, “And really pretty, don’t you think?”

“Yeah she’s cute,” You say as nonchalantly as you can, peering at Joost when he lets out a low laugh as if he’s mocking you. “What?”

He looks back at you with a cocky smile, “You’re jealous,” He says with such confidence it drives you insane, makes you want to punch his pretty face (and kiss it better afterwards).

You scoff, “No I’m not,” You avoid his eyes, the uncertainty evident in your words.

“Admit it,” He smirks, you feel his eyes scanning your face that has a pinkish blush on it from his teasing, though you’d like to think it’s because of the cold.

You glance at him as he raises an eyebrow, waiting for your response. “You’re so full of yourself,” You chuckle, blowing the smoke away from his face.

Joost giggles, more so amused than anything else by the way you’re acting, so timid for nothing.

“And you’re jealous.”

You roll your eyes, suppressing a smile. “Fine,” You sigh as he puckers his lips a little, a sly smile hidden behind them. “I admit I was a little… bothered by a girl flirting with my ex. So sue me for that.”

Joost crosses his arms, grinning widely. “Really?” He emphasizes, taunting you.

“Yes, really.” You repeat his words back to him with the same assertive tone.

“Is bothered the new way to say jealous?” He feigns confusion, his finger scratching the top of his head.

Unbelievable, you think. You groan, stubbing out your cigarette with your shoe,

“You know what, I’m going back inside.”You’re not actually mad with him but more so matching his playfulness and teasing him back.

When you turn around to leave Joost gently tugs at your arm, pulling you back to him as he throws his finished cigarette away.

“Hey, hey, hey, come on, I’m sorry.” He giggles, using this as an opportunity to grab you by the waist, bring you closer as you pout your lips at him. “I get it,” He murmurs.

“You get it?” You raise an eyebrow, unsure of what exactly it is that he’s getting. His touch on your skin is strong, it makes you lightheaded as you look up at him under the yellowish street lights.

He nods, “I’d be jealous too if some guy was flirting with you,” You smile a little, fighting to keep your composure. Joost was never the toxic and overprotective type, but you loved it whenever he got a little jealous, expressing it in petty but cute ways be it kissing you more than usual or being clingy with you in front of other men.

“Yeah?” You ask him.

“Mhm.” His lips are close to yours, the tips of your noses brushing together. “Although I bet tons of guys have flirted with you since I left New York, am I right?” His voice is lower, raspy sending a warmth through your body even in the middle of the cold night.

“Maybe,” You bite your lip, slowly sliding your hands up the sides of his neck.

Some men had indeed approached you in those months, none of whom you bothered giving a chance to. It didn’t matter how attractive or successful or charming they were— they weren’t Joost and that was enough for you to turn them down.

Joost presses a few kisses on your jaw and the crook of your neck, his lips wet and soft on your skin. “I bet you flirt a lot too,” He mumbles against your neck as tingles erupt all over your body. “Talking to anyone but me,” His words are bittersweet, petty as he nips at your skin and makes you moan quietly. You didn’t text me either, is what you want to say but bickering right now seems a little pointless.

“Let me make it up to you,” You whisper, holding his face in your hands as you lean in to kiss him. Your lips press together hungrily, savoring the taste of wine and cigarettes on his tongue. His hands grab your ass tightly, squeezing it as you let out little sounds into the kiss, sounds that make Joost crumble into pieces all the more. Your sweet scent stimulates his senses, makes him go crazy as he feels himself grow harder.

“Oh damn,” You cut the kiss short, turning around to see Apson and Teun, a shared amusement on their faces— definitely not awkward.

“Okay! I guess we’re not smoking after all,” Apson says, urging Teun to go back inside as you hear Joost laugh behind you.

“No, it’s okay. We were gonna head back inside anyways,” You step back from Joost, fixing your skirt as you wave them over to where you are.

“We were?” Joost asks, you slap him on his arm smiling. “Okay,” He nods, following you inside as he mumbles something to the guys which makes all of them laugh; you assume he scolded them for interrupting your heated moment, seeing as he playfully hits Tantu on his shoulder.

“Wait,” You stop him before he pushes the glass door open, gently grabbing his chin in your hand. Joost looks down at you like a confused puppy, it almost makes you laugh as you brush your lip gloss off his lips. “There.” You smile as he thanks you.

“My place tonight?” He whispers softly, brushing his thumb against your cheek and you nod.

Alanis and Lyon are still in their seats, talking when you come in. They look up at you, smile knowingly at each other because it is so obvious what you and Joost were doing out there, your faces flustered and Joost’s hair unruly.

Joost, as always, breaks the awkward silence, says something about how his steak is shaped like Belgium… which works well enough to switch the subject. Peeking at your right, you notice the blonde girl from before— she seems fairly disappointed, not looking at Joost anymore and it gives you a weird sense of pride, knowing he picked you again, that you’re the one going home with him tonight; hopefully you’ll talk to him later, tell him the thing you’ve been meaning to say all night.

—

Your friends ended up going for drinks after the dinner which you and Joost politely declined, opting to walk the twenty minutes back to his house.

There’s a light breeze in the air, giving you enough of an excuse to get closer to Joost and hug him from behind, your arms around his stomach— maybe it’s too romantic of a gesture but he clearly doesn’t mind as he keeps on fumbling with his set of keys, a small smile on his lips.

Finally unlocking the door, he ushers you inside his house; it’s different to his old one, bigger and surprisingly cleaner than you’d expected, though still cluttered with random objects here and there.

Joost notices the way you look around the dark room, the soft moonlight coming in through the big windows. “Like it?” You feel his hand on your ass, his body pressing you gently against the door.

Placing both arms around his neck you smile, his chest warm against yours. “Yeah. You have good taste in furniture,”

“You should see my taste in women,” His words make you beam against his lips, teeth knocking together as he leans in to kiss you. You deepen the kiss, helping Joost with taking off his jacket that is quickly thrown somewhere on the floor behind him. He does the same for you, kissing along your jaw to your exposed shoulder as your leather jacket falls down to your feet.

Your hand travels down to his crotch, palming his erection which earns you a small sigh from him. Joost pulls you closer by the waist, strong hands caressing your curves as you continue teasing him, your fingers playing with the metal buckle of his belt. In the meantime, you start placing wet kisses on his jaw and neck, your little bites in between making him groan quietly.

“Those are a lot of hickeys,” Joost says.

“Just making sure no other girls approach you,” You mumble; it’s half serious half teasing, you know it turns him on when you’re possessive over him.

Joost smirks, fighting the urge to call you out for your jealousy once again, though he makes a mental note to tease you about it later. He’s too flustered to speak right now anyways, with the feeling of you everywhere; your lips on his neck, one thigh between his legs all while you’re trying to unbutton his shirt (and failing miserably at doing so)— you’re hungry for him and he likes that, likes knowing you’re as weak as he is on the inside, as your hot breath trembles on his neck.

“Let me help you schat,” He pulls back from you, focusing on the buttons on his striped button-up which he takes off at a tauntingly slow speed, biting back a smile when he hears you whine at the loss of contact. Your hands roam around his stomach and chest under his loosened shirt as he fully removes it, then blindly tosses it somewhere behind him.

He clicks his tongue, “So impatient,” He kisses you again, finger on your chin to bring your face closer.

“Yeah because I need you,” You breathe out, feeling his sly smile grow on your lips; it comes out more desperate, more whiny than you intended it to sound, your neediness making Joost’s cock twitch in his pants.

“Fuck,” He murmurs, biting his lip. “Come on, this way,” Taking your hand in his, he leads you to his bedroom— small and messy, full of his scent.

He sits you down on his poorly made bed, the back of your thighs meeting the cool wrinkled sheets. You watch as Joost begins to undo his belt, rubbing your legs together to loosen some of the tension in between them but it does nothing for you— the image of his big tattooed hands on the small metal letters of his belt, Albino, only adds to your arousal. You raise your foot slightly, nudging his calf as he glances at you, your doe eyes looking up at him, practically begging him to hurry up.

He chuckles, pushing his pants down. “So damn needy,”.

He kneels down on the carpet in front of you, the tender touch of his hands down your legs and his tight grip on your calves giving you goosebumps. He takes your high heels off, carefully putting them aside before his lips start littering your legs with kisses.

“Such a gentleman,” You coo, your breathing deepening with each peck on your skin as Joost gently pushes your legs open to gain more access to your inner thighs. There, he sucks on the sensitive skin, coaxing you to gasp; he hasn’t even fully touched you, yet you’re already melting under his touch, aching with need.

Joost stops at the hem of your skirt, his light blue eyes looking up at you from between your thighs, an image you wish you could capture. “Baby can I eat you out, please?”

A small smile forms on your lips. Who’s needy now?

You nod down at him, “Since you asked so politely.” Joost motions for you to stand up, sly grin on his face; he strips your skirt off, his palms aimlessly stroking your legs, giving you a small squeeze on your ass. He gently pulls your panties off, the lace fabric slightly sticking to your skin due to the wetness in your folds.

“Zo mooi,” His compliment sends a warm smile to your face as you stroke his hair. He plants another quick kiss on your clit, the tiny tingling sensation causing you to hiss, then guides you backwards against the bed until your back hits the comforter. Involuntarily, you bend your knees for him as he climbs into the bed, slightly hovering over you.

He leans down and kisses you hungrily, his thick fingers rubbing small circles on your clit as you moan loudly into the kiss from the sudden wave of pleasure. You feel him smile against your lips, a cocky smile at that.

He slowly pushes one finger into your slick folds, “You like that?” He purrs against your jaw. You nod repeatedly, muttering a soft yeah in between shallow breaths. Joost goes lower as he lies on his stomach, burying himself in your thighs, deep purple marks all over them from his previous kisses. Withdrawing his finger from you, he licks up your entrance, making you suck in a sharp breath as your thighs close together ever so slightly, pressing on his head.

He starts soft, his tongue flat near your clit making your skin prickle before he moves down, teasing your hole with just the tip of his tongue.

Impatiently, you push your hips forward, desperate to feel more of him; he nuzzles your core as you both let out a small laugh. “You want me to suffocate down here?”

You giggle, “I will suffocate you if you don’t hurry up,”

He grins, delving his tongue into your slit. You moan as you feel it swirling inside you slowly, making you clench. “Faster,” You breathe out, entangling your fingers in his hair, softly pulling at his golden hair strands. Joost picks up the pace as his tongue explores you, nudges your clit a few times to hear more of your breathy moans. He holds your legs open that are trembling as you chase your climax, your body burning with overstimulation. His thumb is stroking your clit in fast motions, causing you to whimper continuously and grasp at his hair to which he hums sending a vibration through your core.

With that, you come undone on his mouth as you let out a loud mixture of cries and curses. Joost lets you ride out your high, sucking at your lips and your clit. His chin is glistening with your release as he pulls back from you, plants a few gentle kisses on your thighs, letting you catch your breath.

You gaze at him as he sits up a little and grabs a condom from the nightstand. He’s a little sweaty, his face flushed and his hair looks messy as he runs his hand through it, He’s perfect.

“Don’t look at me like that,” He says as he takes off his boxers— your eyes flicker to his hard cock, the tip swollen and leaky with precum. You feel a little guilty, want to take care of him like he did you.

You giggle, narrowing your eyes at him, “That’s how that girl at the restaurant was looking at you, just so you know I’m not crazy or anything,”

“You’re still on that? Baby, I’m here with you now, you don’t have to worry about it,” He softly pulls your hand, making you sit up next to him, kissing you on your cheek.

Smiling softly, you take the condom from his hand, opening the wrapper with your teeth. “Joost?” You ask him as you carefully slip the condom on, feeling his veins along the way. He hums, coaxing you to keep talking. “Can I ride you?” You’re a little shy when asking him that and you don’t know why; today in general, you’re kind of nervous around him and he finds it funny, cute nonetheless.

“Hell yeah,” You look at him again, his warm smile comforting you.

He crawls past you, sitting against the plush headboard as you move to sit atop him. Your face is also flushed, beaming with the afterglow of your orgasm and Joost can’t help but kiss you again, slowly, whilst fully removing your top.

You take his shaft in your hands, adjusting yourself above him so that his tip is right at your entrance before you push yourself down onto him; the residue of your arousal makes it easier for him to bottom out, a drawn out groan leaving his mouth as he does so, feeling you tighten around the veins on his cock. You lift yourself up slightly until only the tip is inside of you before quickly sinking down onto his cock again— you continue this pattern, noticing the breathy moans that Joost lets out, his mouth opened ever so slightly and his brows furrowed.

You pick up your pace, placing both hands on his shoulders for support as Joost squeezes your tits in his warm hands. Locking eyes with him, you almost want to cry with how beautiful he looks, how good his cock feels inside of you, how perfect you are for one another.

“What’s on your mind liefde?” He breathes out, a grunt slipping from his lips.

You bite back a moan, “Joost I want you,”

“You have me,” He chuckles.

“No,” You mutter, “I want you all the time. I love you,” You speak fast, desperate to convey your feelings to him. “I love you so much,” You repeat, burying your face in his neck.

“Shit,” He groans as he starts thrusting into you, noticing that you’re growing tired. “I love you too,” His hands are tightly wrapped around your body, holding you in place as he slams his shaft against you— it’s fast and sloppy, makes you dizzy with pleasure, unable to suppress your loud moans. Your eyes tear up a little at the confirmation that he also loves you— it’s not the first time you hear it from him but you’ve missed it, you’ve missed him and this stupid city that you grew to love because of him.

The pressure is too much, easily leading you to your second orgasm tonight as you dissolve into pleasure, moaning Joost’s name repeatedly. He’s now the only one doing the work, pushing himself into you relentlessly as you kiss him softly on his face because that’s the most you can do right now with how much your legs are burning.

A little later, Joost comes inside of the condom, the sound of his deep moans (and a few whimpers he tries to suppress but fails) filling the room.

You collapse next to him and onto the bed, breathing deeply, your eyes heavy with exhaustion. Joost gets up wordlessly to put his boxers on again, coming back with a shirt on his hand and your panties. He sits down in front of you, gently pulling your tired body up so that he can redress you. “You’re gonna get cold,” He mumbles, his thoughtfulness bringing a sweet smile to your lips.

“Thank you,” You coo, enjoying the feeling of his shirt on your body; it’s warm and big, carries his scent that you love so much. “I like this shirt,”

“Yeah? Keep it. Y’know to have something remind you of me when you go back to New York,” He chuckles a little as he says that. You take a deep breath, looking at him with eager eyes. He senses a hesitation in you, tilting his head in confusion, “What is it?”

“I’m not going back,” You say, your voice close to a whisper. “To New York, I mean.”

Joost grins, “Don’t play with me dude,” He says, shaking his head.

“I’m not,” You chuckle, gently placing your hand on top of his. “I got offered a job here and I’ve been thinking about it,”

Joost’s eyes light up, his dimples prominent. “Liefde that’s great news,”

He hugs you, presses some kisses on your hair as you stroke his back— he never wants this feeling to go away. “Date tomorrow?” He asks in your ear.

“Mhm.” You smile and kiss him softly, staying in the comfort of his arms. You get a good feeling, one that you haven’t had in years; you will go on that date and things will work out between you and you will never let him go again.

“I love you.”

───────────────────────

thank you sm for reading!!! i hope this met everyone’s expectations lol 😭🥹

[cloveroctobers]

LUCA — summer prompts 🍋

A/N: taking a shot writing for Mr. Luca! Love when the bear gives us crumbs and I’m able to create/build more off what was given. Let’s give it up for Mr. Eyebrow king being in lurve 💛 also I promise this is the last time I’ll be using a song from this album but the entire album fits for the bear in my humble opinion, I’m not going to hold you!

WARNINGS: still trying to get a feel for Luca’s character so I hope I wasn’t too far off for him! Feels! A supportive partner! Mentions of mental health & dark thoughts that lead to dark actions—but not overly described but definitely hinted!

Added summer prompts from here & I’m using these two: “hey, you said to keep hydrated! i’m pretty sure there’s some water in this cocktail.” + “i’m not happy you’re sunburnt, but i am enjoying getting to be the one helping you put aloe vera on.”

*GIF BELONGS TO: @goodsirs

❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚

Being back in Copenhagen was a whirlwind of emotions but Peyton picked the very best one.

To tell you the truth, Peyton’s been away for about three months, and decided to take the trip back but not alone.

She’s the one leading the way, natural sway in her hips even beneath her cream shacket as she’s all smiles to the familiar workers who seem to be moving at ease. It’s a Sunday, a little after twelve and the restaurant isn’t as busy yet. In her mind, it’s the perfect time to show up, unannounced, although Sydney and Marcus were definitely questioning it.

Carmy doesn’t say much, deciding to take in the architecture of the dark painted walls and the industrial decor instead. He still follows behind as Peyton pushes the back doors open, holding it in place as she waves the three to where the real show is located.

The kitchen is louder and lively compared to the main floor: which is quiet with small chatter, cedar wood infused air, and the gentle splashing from the large stone water fountain, that’s tucked in the back of the main dining floor.

There’s at least six chefs moving around in the kitchen, handling different tasks and talking to each other in calm tones that aren’t as similar back in Chicago. It’s a whole different atmosphere, Carmy thinks and he knows his thoughts are matched as his round eyes peek over at Sydney’s while Marcus sends all split-tooth grins.

It doesn’t take long for Peyton’s eyes to find Luca’s frame, who has his back turned to the four, large hands tending to the dough on the counter that he’s kneading.

“Is that the guy?” Sydney asks, only hearing a few stories from Carmy and occasionally Marcus.

Carmy nods, “yeah, yeah. That’s Luca.”

Peyton continues holding the door for the chefs who start to leave the area, greeting Peyton on their way before she lets the door gently flap behind them after they take their exit. The woman with the hair full of volume takes a stand in between Marcus and Sydney.

“Welcome and welcome back to Brimstone’s Gate.” Peyton introduced the trio who further took in the environment of the kitchen.

Marcus took a deep inhale, “it’s nice to be back…after everything you know?”

A solemn mood is felt after his words.

“I absolutely get that,” Peyton comments as she rests a hand on his shoulder, “just consider this your second home. A place of comfort and to relax your mind.”

Marcus gives a small smile, “thanks, Peyton.”

“Of course.” Peyton moves to face the three again, smile on her glossed lips as she clasps her hands together while she begins walking backwards, “so brimstone’s gate is one of the popular restaurants here in Copenhagen just like the lovely owner and manager of this place that you just met, Ragmus previously said. It’s mainly known for its intricate desserts and quaint and savory cuisine.”

“You’re really selling it, Peyton.” Sydney tells with two thumbs up.

Peyton winks as she points out at the twenty-something year old, “thanks girl, it’s what I do.”

Peyton’s a successful Editorial Food Photographer and it became the best decision she’s made for her career.

“Should we be calling you presenter chef instead?” Carmy teases, “we could have used some of those skills at the bear.”

Peyton laughs as she rolls her thumb over her fingers, “where the money resides, honey.”

“Ah, and here I thought we were friends.” Carmy’s got a crooked smile playing on his lips while Peyton playfully scoffs.

They both know if Peyton was in Chicago on better terms, Peyton would definitely shoot some photos if that’s what Carmy really needed for The Bear. She met Carmy years ago, attending the same restaurant alongside Luca, until she decided creating food wasn’t her passion like her well-known food critic mother wanted it to be. Instead she liked seeing the visuals and telling hundreds of those stories through film.

“That’s a likely story,” she responds as she purposely bumps into Luca who hadn’t noticed they were here, “oh my apologies! Didn’t see you there, Chef.”

Both Marcus and Sydney both squinted and furrowed their brows at each other while Carmy folded his arms, waiting to see how this would play out.

Luca exhales, assuming it to be one of the new clumsy younger chef’s that just started here two weeks ago. He pulls some of the wet dough that sticks to his finger tips and barely glances upwards, a routine of words spewing from his lips, “t’alright chef, let’s just remind ourselves the notices we give out to one another when we cross around, yeah?”

“Sure thing,” Peyton says, “Mind telling us what you’re preparing?”

His arched brows immediately furrow before he focuses in on who exactly is speaking to him. There’s surprise written right on his face, brows raising while Peyton is still full of soft smiles that she sends his way. He’s grabbing a rag then, struggling to break his eyes away to see the other three faces.

“Hey man,” Marcus starts which makes a slow grin appear on Luca’s own face.

“Good to see you again, Chef.”

Luca’s eyes trail over the small group, his eyes then settling on Carmy’s who still looks the same as he leans from one foot to the other but he’s full of more tattoos. Which almost makes Luca want to glance down at his own filled arms but he decides against it. He still liked his own artwork better.

“Carmen Berzatto.”

“Luca Hodgson.”

The three are watching the pair as if this is a pickle ball match. Sydney’s holding a breath as Luca makes his way over to Carmy, towering over him and face not revealing any emotion while Marcus is sending glances to Peyton who is behind analyzing Luca’s dish.

Luca says, “Are you still a know it all prick?”

Marcus was not expecting this since it was Carmy who reached out to Luca in the first place for his experience here months ago. He figured they were on good terms if Carmy wanted Marcus to learn from Luca. What changed?

“Well that uh depends, you still a show off, jackass?” Carmy met Luca’s eyes, not backing down in the slightest.

They hold each other’s stares before Luca breaks off into a laugh, followed by Carmy as they briefly embrace, hands clapping each other on the back in greeting.

“Oh, okay then.” Sydney mutters as she gazed over at Marcus who is also confused with a shrug of his shoulders.

Carmy then does the honors of introducing Sydney and Luca, who immediately shakes his hand, despite the sticky and warm residue from the dough.

“Pleasure to meet you, Chef Sydney. You probably can’t say the same now with dough on your hand, I suppose. I’ll grab you a wet nap.” Luca tells as he moves around to grab the said item.

He leans against the opposite counter where he was previously working, now fully wiping his own hands, glancing over at Peyton who’s all up in his dish as he voices, “I wasn’t aware any of you were coming. A heads up would have been cool.”

“So you’re not a fan of surprises, noted.” Marcus says while Luca dips his head about in a sorta motion.

Carmy scratched at his brow then, “We were under the impression that Peyton had it all sorted.”

Luca’s eyes are back on Peyton who’s listening but doesn’t provide anything to the conversation, it’s not like Luca could do anything about it now since they were all here.

“Don’t touch the remonce.”

“It’s not remonce yet,” Peyton looks over her shoulder at Luca who rolls his eyes.

Luca then says, “nice of you to let me know you were bringing guests.”

“They’re not guests, they’re practically family.” Peyton fans her hand about while Luca just lets out a sigh.

Carmy cuts in, “we’re not trying to disrupt the flow you have goin’ on here by any means.”

Luca snorts, “uh huh. It’s slow right now, so you lot are lucky I don’t mind.”

Sydney awkwardly claps her hands together, “great! We’re also really curious to what you’re working on…here at work.”

“Smooth, Syd. Real smooth.” Marcus teases while Sydney tightens her eyes sarcastically.

Luca looks back at his dish where Peyton is ready to show it off, posing in front of it like they were on jeopardy. The man cant help but to shake his head at her antics but announces, “I’m making frøsnapper.”

“It’s a traditional dish here,” Peyton mentions, “frø is a danish word for seed and frog.”

Sydney jokes, “Is it also going to leap off the tray after you take it out of the oven?”

Luca blinks but says with a straight face, “maybe if I throw in a few drops of green food coloring.”

It took a few seconds for Sydney to get the joke back, breathing out some slow laughter, while Marcus shook his head at her and Carmy watched as Luca briefly touched Peyton’s hips to make more space for him to talk about the pastry.

“Yes so, frøsnapper. Also known as for the English, seed snapper or frog snapper. It’s got remonce filling and once it’s done baking, it’s sweet and savory while the texture falls between flaky and delicate.”

“Like a croissant.” Marcus pointed out.

Luca shook his head, “Not quite, Marcus. This is Denmark.”

Marcus paused as he picked up on Luca’s mannerisms, “…fucker.”

Which makes Luca grin again.

“How long is Prep time?” Carmy asks as he makes the first move to get closer, peering at all the ingredients.

“About 12 hours or so.”

Carmy let’s out a low-whistle, “Shit.”

“Shit’s right mate and I started yesterday. It’s a excellent breakfast or pick me up for the afternoon, which is why I planned for it to be done today.” Luca explained.

Peyton speaks up, “and it will be…how long for the oven?”

“Fifteen minutes.” Luca automatically answers as he looks at the clock on the wall behind them all.

“See…Patience.”

“Every second.” Luca moves his winter deep ocean eyes to her ink colored ones, the two holding each other’s stare before he turns back to the rest.

“Any of you have allergic reactions to sesame or poppy seeds?” He asks, watching their facial expressions.

Carmy shrugs while both Marcus and Sydney shake their heads, ‘no.’

“Great, grab some aprons by the door there while I roll out the dough.”

“Oh, we’re doing work too on this vacation. Okay, yeah! I’m down.” Sydney rubs her hands together in excitement as she elbows Carmy lightly, who twists a smile onto his own lips.

Marcus is the first to move while Sydney follows. Carmy stays behind with Luca and Peyton as he picks up on the end of their hushed conversation:

“…I’ll be much better when we have dinner?”

“Cant. Not sure how long I’ll be here tonight, we have a few summer birthday gatherings here later. What about breakfast? It’ll be my day off.”

“Early meeting for me, I’ll be at the office.

“Lunch then?”

“…That works.”

“Finally.” Luca mutters as he takes his time but adds just enough pressure to roll out the dough, which makes Peyton let out a small laugh.

Sydney comes back, handing Carmen a apron who was mostly in a trance watching the dough get flattened that he didn’t bother to interrupt the conversation between old friends. He silently thanks Sydney before securing it around his waist.

Peyton leaves room for Marcus and Sydney to take her spot on the left of Luca, “and this is where I leave you three in good hands.”

“Wait…you’re not gonna get in on this?” Sydney is surprised while a smile is still planted on Peyton’s lips.

She motions to her outfit, “Looking this good? Not today, girl.”

Sydney eyes Peyton’s outfit which consisted of her brown voluminous hair pulled back into a claw clip, a cream opened corduroy shacket and a orange and white floral mini dress, “…fair point. I’m sure if you really wanted to, you could button that thing up and throw a apron on. Doesn’t seem like something you’d want to miss.”

“Your concern is touching, sis. But I actually can’t wait to get home and I’m sure Luca will save me one to try.” Peyton says as Luca is back in his zone now, trimming the edges of the dough and slides off the ingredients of the remonce to Marcus to mix together by hand.

Luca is listening as he replies, “yeah I will, see you at home.”

“See you at home.” Peyton repeats before winking at Sydney who is gapping, Marcus widens his eyes a bit, and Carmy is covering his snickers with a balled up fist.

Sydney turns back to the dish after Peyton leaves and mumbles, “so yeah, next time I’ll shut the fuck up.”

Which earns a laugh from both Luca and Carmy.

“You could have told us, Carmy!” Sydney whisper yells at Carmy who shrugs his shoulders.

Marcus chuckles, “Hey don’t feel bad, Luca didn’t tell me shit either the last time I was here and I’m kinda feeling a way about it now.”

Luca instructs Marcus to spread half of the remonce on one side of the dough then says, “I didn’t think we needed to share love stories just yet, Chef. The love was already there in the pastries.”

“Booo, how corny of you. Where’s the tomatoes?” Marcus snorts which Luca can’t help but to chuckle back.

Luca jokes after he nods his head in approval at the amount of remonce, “Looks like all of us were left out of something, huh?”

“If you don’t mind me asking…how long…?” Sydney starts as Luca takes over after Marcus folded the dough again, slicing it into twelve rectangles before he shows Sydney what to do next.

“What? How long have we been in love and decided to get engaged?”

“This fucking guy, how did you deal with him?” Marcus laughs, asking Carmy.

Carmy says, “we handled our beef outside.”

“What?!” Sydney squawks, “there’s no way you two fought.”

Luca explains, “it happened only once not far from the restaurant we worked at. And I don’t really classify that as much of a fight.”

“A punch to the eye wasn’t good enough for you?” Carmy’s eyes are in slits at this.

Marcus comments, “Damn.”

Luca defends, “A sucker punch isn’t fair. But I got you back, we scrambled a bit and then moved passed it the next day, bruises, cuts and all.”

Marcus concludes, “Sometimes that’s just how it works.”

“It smells like too much testosterone in here for me.” Sydney cuts in.

“Not sugar?” Luca lightly questions as he starts with the egg wash before handing another brush over to Sydney to help finish the rest.

Sydney scowls, “Yeah dude, I don’t know if I like you.”

“Join the club,” Luca winks over at Carmy who rolls his eyes with a small smile.

“Are you serious?” Luca wants to know just what his soon to be wife thought she was doing.

He met up with her, right on time, finding her sitting on the stone wall with what looked like a bright Orange cocktail in a plastic cup decorated with a little umbrella and fruit jammed along the straw.

They’re at the beach, it’s mid seventies, and there’s not many people on the walkway that rests along the sand. Mostly everyone else is taking advantage of the comfortable warmth on the sand. Luca and Peyton weren’t really beach people, preferring a lake and cabin any day but it was Peyton who suggested they meet out here since it was closer to her job.

It was far from their detached home but Luca didn’t mind the drive. He loved sight seeing when he made the time for it and usually when he had the time off, which was rare, he tried to get out there and see the world since there was so much to offer. He also couldn’t wait to be in Peyton’s face again; he wouldn’t count spooning her last night either, considering his face was covered with her bonnet.

Which he missed.

Conversations were meant to be had so that they could continue on with their journey together. She had to step away from their relationship for a few months and Luca was nothing more than understanding…although it stung a bit. He even offered to pick up and go to Chicago with her but Peyton told him life couldn’t be put on pause for her low moments, yet she was appreciative.

She dressed in jeans today as she hops off the wall, a smile in her brown eyes as she holds out her arms innocently, “hey, you said to keep hydrated! i’m pretty sure there’s some water in this cocktail.”

She’s mentioning the text message Luca sent to her a few hours ago, after she announced a headache was coming on after her meeting with her pushy manager. He was just checking in as he did a bit of laundry around the house but that didn’t stop his concern at all.

“Give me that,” Luca plucks the drink from her fingertips, fast as he sniffs at it before placing his own lips right on the straw, “hmm and here I was expecting vodka.”

“It’s not that kind of party, baby.” Peyton peers up at him as she locks her arms around his waist.

One hand comes up to palm her cheek, leaving Luca to take his time trailing his eyes all over her beautiful features, “So good to have you back.”

“Kiss me then.”

Luca snorts, “is this you asking for my consent?”

“Sure, uh huh.” She’s almost swooning in his eyes and Luca smirks as he leans closer to her lips.

“Eh, maybe later.”

“You asshole!” Peyton pushes at Luca’s back after he circled around her.

He’s laughing as he tosses a tatted arm over her shoulders, liking the feel of her being tucked right underneath his arm. She doesn’t miss how he’s holding onto her drink now, but she doesn’t mind it as long as she gets to keep him close.

They’re enjoying each other’s company again, almost as if the last three months didn’t happen but they both know it did.

“So…tell it to me straight. You’re back here with me now and I was left in the dark as soon as you were checked in.”

“I wanted to call rather than write you but I never had the words.” Peyton quietly says, “And I know you wouldn’t have minded if I just said a simple hello and we breathed on the phone for twenty minutes or whatever. I just didn’t want to make it worse for you.”

Luca hums, “Guess I can appreciate you taking my feelings into account but I can’t say I wouldn’t have rather talk to you than your mum, no disrespect.”

“Yes I know, she’s a lot.”

“Most families are.”

Peyton lays her head against Luca’s shoulder as they continue walking along the path, “Well you’re my family too and I’m sorry for handing over nothing but white noise to you while I was trying to get a better hold on this.”

It was extremely hard not knowing where exactly Peyton was and dealing with a mother like her’s.

“I don’t want you to apologize for doing what you thought was best for your mental health.”

“And I don’t want you to feel like I was shutting you out…you’re the last person I’d want to ever to do that to. I love you too much, to the point where I realized that I’d always want tomorrow’s with you.”

Luca felt his heart swell at that. It was always a good feeling to know that someone loves you just as much as you loved them. Luca was always known for his banter especially back when he worked at Noma years ago with both Carmy and Peyton but it seemed like Peyton’s energy meshed well with his.

He instantly thought Peyton was attractive and didn’t enjoy how she got on with Carmy equally at the start. Her approach to cooking wasn’t as serious as it was for him and Carmy but she was curious to learning. That’s something that was brought into their soon romantic relationship, they were open to go with the flow and it led them right to Luca putting a ring on it.

Peyton never had regrets about saying yes. She knew what she wanted with Luca and although the black parts of her brain gave her heavy blues, her heart still told her all that she needed to know.

Luca was patient, tender and he was still her man. They wanted forever and had to find balance even when it became shaky at times. They wanted to stick it out, be together and they lost touch once before when Peyton was the first to leave Denmark but somehow they always found their way back.

“I think that counts for a kiss, don’t you?” Luca whispers, stopping right in their path as he stares down at the dark umber skinned beauty.

Peyton almost pounces on her toes, “thank you! As if we haven’t deprived each other enough.”

“Gosh, so needy.” Luca teases, curling a finger underneath her chin to tilt her ready lips to meet his.

They both exhale as their lips touch after being away for quite some time. Her hand is resting against his clothed ribcage and their lips move together in sync as if there isn’t any limit to time. It’s when his tongue traces the outline of her full bottom lip that she pulls away, fanning herself.

“This man is trying to get me to buss it open in public on the beach, Chile. Relax yourself Hodgson, before we catch a charge.”

Luca’s nose crinkles at this as he chuckles, “fine…save it for the indoors, yeah?”

“Maybe even in the backyard?”

Luca raises his arched brows, actually considering it, “Nah, I don’t want to hear you yelling at me for messing up your edges in the grass. Mind you, that you’re probably allergic to.”

It wouldn’t be the first time he’s messed up Peyton’s edges.

However Peyton always appreciated the concern.

“What about the garden room on the side of the flat?” Luca soon suggested, leaving Peyton to also think about this before she eyed Luca up and down.

It must have still been empty since she left, that area of the home completely slipped her mind when she settled back in, even after leaving Brimstone’s gate yesterday afternoon.

“I think you forget how big you are sometimes.”

A smirk appeared on Luca’s lips then and before he could even open his mouth, Peyton was slapping her hand right over his lips.

“Don’t finish that sentence, there’s kids around.” Peyton warned.

Luca frowned as he muffled, “you started it!”

Peyton smiles at a father who is holding the bars of a tricycle of his toddler, leading them down the path, excusing them as they make their way by. Once they’re out of ear shot, Peyton lowers her hand from Luca’s lips until he pulls the sun glasses from her combed out pin-curled hair to place over his own eyes.

“You’re very handsy today.”

Luca’s arm drapes back over Peyton’s shoulder, pulling her into his side, then he presses a kiss to her temple, “I don’t see you complaining.”

“You’re right.” She pulls her cocktail back to take a sip, “why would I ever?”

“Exactly,” Luca speaks, “…going forward, whatever you need from me, don’t be afraid to let me know please, Mrs. Hodgson.”

Peyton places a kiss to Luca’s pink neck, “thank you baby.”

“Don’t start singing that pasta and lobster song please,” Luca groans after picking up on her tone.

Peyton sends him a look of innocence, “what do you mean? Are we not having that back at the house when the three bears come over?”

“What’d do you mean?”

“There’s no way we’re not inviting Carmy, Marcus, and Sydney over for dinner.”

Luca shrugs, “I didn’t know they were comin’ ‘round anyways.”

“Luca!”

“What? What if I wanted you all to myself first?”

“And you will, they’ll only be here for a week.”

“…A week too long.” Luca mutters making Peyton laugh as she shakes her head, shoving his shoulder.

“Stop it, Luca Lamar Hodgson.”

“No.” Luca chuckles as he points at the beaming woman, “Now you know that is not my middle name, at all.”

What do you have against Lamar’s Luca?

“I’ve talked to Lulu on my way here.”

Luca feels his eye twitch at the mention of his gossiping little sister, Luella. He of course loved her dearly but she could be a brat sometimes and when he misses her call, Peyton was next in line for her dramatics.

“The elevator doesn’t always go upstairs with that one. Especially with whatever she’s gone and said to you.”

“You are on a roll today,” Peyton laughed with her head thrown back, “and you’re not about to do my good sis like that either.”

“She’s my sister first and I know she didn’t say my middle name was that.”

“You don’t know our conversations.”

“Thank heavens for that.”

Peyton paused as she untangled herself from Luca who lifted up her shades to peer at her in question. She held her arms out as she says, “there’s space and opportunity if you wanna fight.”

Luca scans Peyton up and down, taking his time as he did and scoffs, “You don’t scare me, babe. I’ll have you over my shoulder like flour in seconds.”

Peyton cracks her neck and motions her hand, “come on then. Remind me, which one of us was the athlete here?”

Yeah Peyton was deeply invested in tennis once upon a time and originally that’s what Luca thought she wanted to make a profession. She still participated down at the court during the weekends and man was she fast along with those long arms that provided powerful swings. Luca couldn’t see her on the court when it came to tennis, he almost pulled a damn hamstring but he wouldn’t tell any of his mates that.

As for football and cycling…that was a different story.

“That was then and what year are we in now?” He tapped his apple-watch.

Peyton cupped her ear, “Do I hear shade?”

Luca looks around at the sky, “doesn’t appear to be partly cloudy at all. It’s actually very sunny.”

Peyton let out a whole karate sound and tried to strike one, which was humorous but Luca was swift as he easily gripped her thighs and lugged her right up onto his shoulder, holding her in place.

“I told you.” Luca said after awhile, causally walking down the path while Peyton attempted to wiggle around, “let me know when you’re done. I’m just enjoying the view.”

Peyton huffed, “now what if you made me drop my cocktail?”

“I’ve got actual water back in the car, love.”

Peyton mocked Luca who laughed and patted her backside, carrying on in Copenhagen’s sun.

Up in their bedroom, Peyton is lounging on the bed, phone raised up in the air browsing food TikTok’s until she hears Luca letting out a string of curses that sound heavy in his accent from their en suite bathroom.

“Luca, you good?” Peyton calls out to the man, breaking her eyes away from her screen.

“Y-Yup!”

That didn’t sound convincing at all.

So Peyton’s on her feet now, phone tossed to the side of her as she enters the bathroom. She gets a nice view of reddened skin that’s leading from Luca’s neck and down the upper part of his back.

“Ouch.” Peyton remarks, “I did not notice this earlier. I would have sprayed your ass down with my own sunscreen.”

Luca pinched at his skin and flinches a bit, “summer’s aren’t nearly as hot here. I don’t understand why I look like bloody salmon.”

Peyton covers her giggle, knowing why as she stands beside him, after eyeing the change in his skin tone. “I got you, don’t worry.”

There was no doubt in his mind.

Mintues later, Peyton’s retrieved the goo that she had mashed in the container, stored in the back of the fridge, knowing Luca wouldn’t have went searching through there since he tended to eat out at restaurants or order out majority of the time. He had a sweet tooth so she had to be the one to remind him to actually eat full meals instead of desserts from time to time. Which means they’ll have to go grocery shopping at some point, something Luca truly loathes. unbeknownst to him, his mother all the way out in London had grocery deliveries sent to his home, realizing that he didn’t keep his fridge stocked much after Peyton went back to the states.

Peyton first went off to California to visit her father and grandmother in search of different scenery, taking a break from the growing stress but that stress turned into something else. Luca looked back and saw the signs as they laid on the floor together in the dark, with her talking about the end but figured it was just conversation back then. It wasn’t until she went to Chicago to spend time with her controlling mother that she actually tried and it wasn’t just thoughts. Unperceived to Luca and that’s when Luca’s own mother came to be with her son during this difficult time, then he finally got the call that Peyton was being admitted, just to later learn Peyton’s mother called Luca’s first.

He couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t a little irked that people were going behind his back when it came to Peyton. He should have been there…but he knew he couldn’t blame himself. He thought he was just sending his wife to be off for a simple get away…overall he was happy that she was still here fighting day by day.

He knows it’ll be tough but not everyday will be full of clouds.

“i’m not happy you’re sunburnt, but i am enjoying getting to be the one helping you put aloe vera on.” Peyton says as she’s on Luca’s back, knee’s on either side of him, lathering his back in the cold gel.

Her eyes observe the doodles of ink that decorated his arms and smiles at the sunflower on his shoulder, which he dedicated to her.

Luca exhales at the temperature as he continues resting his cheek against his arm, ready to doze off, “Why’s that?”

“I enjoy taking care of you too, duh.”

“I think you like to touch my body, Mariah Carey.”

“That tooooo-ooh,” she tries to belt out a whistle tone that sounds like a rooster being strangled—“but I also love you.”

“I love you lots too, even when you’re trying to make my eardrums bleed…but don’t ever forget that, yeah?” Luca says over his shoulder as he tries to ignore the sting in his skin but knowing that the comfort is coming from Peyton’s hands, he’ll survive.

Peyton leans forward again to place a kiss to the back of Luca’s head, “I won’t.”

Once enough of Luca’s back in covered in aloe, Peyton leaves to wash her hands and place the gel back into the fridge downstairs. When she comes back into the bedroom, Luca is still in the same position she left him in. Usually her side of the bed is closest to the door, which is something they deeply debated over, she climbs over him to tuck herself underneath his folded arm.

His lips press into her clothed shoulder, his t-shirt, before resting his nose against it later, breathing in her homey scent with his eyes closed. One hand goes to run through his sun lightened hair, further soothing him to sleep as she’s back on her phone now, letting him rest.

No more cold sides of the bed because Peyton was home with her warmth and Luca couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

And the next day after that.

And so on and so forth.

❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚ - ̥۪͙۪˚ ┊ ˚ ̥۪͙۪◌ ❛ ༉‧₊˚

Go back and read my current flop summer prompt here.

Continue along with my anthology summer prompts here.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This 1969 mid-century modern in New Berlin, Wisconsin is owned by a film enthusiast who has a real theater projection room inside. The decor is interesting, too. 3bds, 3ba, $424,900.

Except for the wall in the middle, the home is pretty much open concept, but there's so much decor going on here, it's hard to see.

The kitchen is original. I don't love the outdated cabinets - they don't really look MCM as much as they look funky 70s style.

Maybe if it wasn't so busy, the classic Eames dining set would stand out more.

Formal living room. When I see so much on the walls, all I can think of are the holes. And, that's wallpaper. They've even got tract lighting to illuminate the art, so you'd need an art collection.

There's a small dining room.

The primary bedroom has a nice deck.

Not sure, but the en-suite looks like it might be a half bath.

Definitely a family room.

And, this is the home office.

Here's the full bath. Looks like it's been updated to a shower room.

Spiral stairs down to the finished basement.

It looks like there's a little "street" with a movie box office.

Some kind of weird little sitting room.

This looks like a bar. Like the red fireplace.

There's no home theater. It's more like a restaurant or club atmosphere.

Guest powder room.

And, here's the projection equipment. He's showing films on reels. (Does it matter?)

There's a pergola between the house and some other building, maybe the garage.

It's hard to make out the yard w/all the snow and stuff. It's only a .26 acre lot.

In the back you can see the deck off the primary bedroom.

[acnlmorioh]

08/10/2023

today i visited @azaleacnl's new leaf town through the dream suite! it was such an adorable and well made town so here is my review of my travels ! (sidenote i lost the notes i wrote while exploring the town so if its a little disjointed then that's why)

immediately as i loaded into the town i could tell it was going to be amazing. the clovers by the bed and the cherry blossom trees created such an atmosphere already.

i loved the bushes around the town tree, i thought that was a super nice touch.

there were so many outdoor areas that i just loved. i really liked the use of items like the perfect apple basket to add more life to the outdoors. it's really cool to see what people do with the limited amount of stuff you can place outside in NL!! i also loved the trees with the carnations in the water, they looked like cherry blossom petals floating in the river!!

the first character's house that i came across was meli's house! i LOVED the sweets exterior. i find that it can often be a bit out of place in some towns but i thought it fit super well here!

I LOVE THE SWEETS SET. AAAAGHHH. one thing about the whole town is the use of certain smaller furniture items that just add so much more - for example, in this room, the black roses look like they're made of chocolate.

i loved the cosy vibe of the back room with all the cabin furniture and using the large bookcase as a room partition works so well!! the pompompurin room was also super cute and furniture like the super star and the balloon fit really nicely!

i genuinely audibly gasped when i saw this room and i am not even joking. the atmosphere is just PERFECT i think it's my favourite room in the whole town!! it feels so comfy and everything is exactly where it should be. i love it!!!!

the next house i came to was cathy's ! i love the exterior, the fairy tale theme is so cute and matches nicely with the town hall and train station.

i have VERY strong feelings about the lovely set (I LVOE IT ITSM Y FAVOURITE SET EVER) so trust i was a fan of this room !! i also really like the soft lighting that was in a lot of the rooms, when i was decorating my nl house recently i found that a lot of the lighting was wayyy too harsh for my liking so i like how it's done here!! i also noticed a lot of furniture items that i swear i have never seen before - it goes to show how much effort was clearly put into this whole town.

i really love the distinct theming of every room - while they were all different, they still felt really cohesive. i also think the space is used very well, such as in the rococo room. in my own rococo room i've been really struggling to figure out how to use the space, but these rooms are all full but not crowded. i also love the use of cyrus such as in the regal furniture. i never really considered using regal furniture because i didn't like the yellow but here you can see how it's recoloured to pink which i feel makes it fit in a lot better with more sets.

i also love the use of mannequins in the rooms! it really makes it feel like a scene where there's actual characters and a story, like the character by the birdcage in the princess room!

the next house was lina's!! i'm going to become very repetitive but once again i love the exterior. it's so impressive managing to make the very different exterior styles work so well in the same town.

i have never been a fan of the gorgeous set. HOWEVER. seeing it like this (especially with this lighting) has certainly made it grow on me! i think the strong lighting also helps to unite the pieces by making them similar colours e.g. the handbag on the table - iirc it's pink and can't be recoloured, but in the lighting it looks more red which makes it fit in with the rest of the furniture.

once again loved the use of mannequins in these rooms! i thought the minimalist beds in the spa was super smart. the atmosphere in the rooms is actually impeccable like the spa room seems so clean and cool. i LOVED the restaurant room!! i think it's so creative to use the rooms as like actual places rather than just rooms in a house. it adds more liveliness and story to the whole town i really love it!!

the final house i came to was misa's!

the interiors were always very unpredictable in the best way possible - i didn't expect to step into the house and be on a tropical island, but there i was! as much as i really liked the island, i was absolutely blown away by the basement room. it really felt like i was outside and had come across a magical fairy circle. i never really make use of wallpapers like the vistas and skies but this really showed me how well they can be used - the atmosphere was insane !!!

even though this house isn't 100% finished, i honestly liked that - it made me super excited to see what was to come!!!

after i looked at the player houses, i looked around the rest of the town. i feel like my thoughts were the same wherever i went - it was mostly 'OHHH MY GOD THAT IS SO CUTE. OHHHH MY GOD USING THAT FURNITURE IS GENIUS. I LOVE IT'. the pwps were used very well and i think they were really well placed - they were spread out enough that the town wasn't super crowded but there weren't super big empty spaces. i also found the town really easy to navigate, not only due to the placement of buildings but the paths were very clearly and purposefully placed! (they were also super cute i loved the patterns)

i thought the villager housing was nicely done with some of them being paired off together. also bonus points for the wisteria trellis (my fav pwp EVER)!!!!!

overall it was just a really lovely experience going and exploring around the town of azalea. if you would like to visit (which you SHOULD! there's a lot i didn't include here so you should go see the town for yourself!!) the DA is 7E00-00D5-AA0B !! you should also follow the towns blog which is @azaleacnl !!

eee thank you for reading please check out the town + blog !!

[iris-of-bliss]

Healing I: Absence

Summary: Your fiancé hasn’t arrived home for days. Thoughts began to worry about his fate. You would soon find out about what was going on his entire time being away. Giving him love and affection was more important on your to-do list.

Pairing(s): Kabal/F!Reader

Warning(s): Angst

A/N: My first ever angst fic. I hope you enjoy <3

Today has been quiet as usual, remaining alone at home in bed once again. It has been three days in a row of Kabal being absent. Your stomach felt like it was tied in a hefty knot. You remember him talking about a job he needed to handle with Stryker. There were monsters wrecking havoc through the city a few days back. You prayed that he made it through okay instead of ending up dead. Your patience was running thin as you sent text message after text message and stared at one of the photographs you took with Kabal. Your finger traces across his face, heart aching for his return to bed. The atmosphere doesn’t feel the same without your lover. Enjoying the sweet comfort from him by a warm embrace and kisses being peppered all over you. You two settled down well in your new home after the engagement. You couldn’t wait to finally become his wife sooner or later. There weren’t any wedding plans just yet. This might have to hold off for a while.

You recall the memory after his proposal, “I’m so fucking happy you’re in my life, baby. I will always protect you until the day I die…”

You two were holding each other in a tight hug, cherishing this precious moment.

“You really mean that, don’t you Kabal?” you look up to him. Kabal lifts a hand up to caress your face gently.

“Trust me, I never forget to keep my word.”

The treasured memory made you sigh with a hint of sadness. You miss Kabal so much. Getting out for some fresh air in the start of the weekend might help out, but not completely. After getting up to change your clothes, you head out and drive into a town nearby. The place wasn’t too crowded with some residents doing their usual routine. It sounded pretty quiet around here. After stopping at the right parking spot, you wander across a sidewalk while sightseeing. You try your best not to get thoughts about Kabal in the way, yet this would prove difficult.

After some minutes of walking, you rest your back against the wall of a convenience store. You pull out your cell again to send your fiancé another text, telling how much you miss him.

You worriedly look into your surroundings, hoping for him to pop up any second. The heel of your shoe taps along the concrete. You never dealt with Kabal being gone for more than a day, unless it was for an urgent mission. He always reminded you when he comes home, and it was supposed to be a day after he left to work in the afternoon.

Your thoughts snap after you soon recognized a familiar downtown alley across the street. It held special memories of you and Kabal with its cute decorations of lights and plants hanging across the building walls. Plant vases and valuable trinkets gave the alley a nice touch along the path. You remember hanging out to chat next to one of the restaurants within the alley, admiring each other’s company. This was most often planned during the night since the scenery would feel more romantic. It was the right time for each other to get flirty. You manage to cross the street to examine the empty place. Your eyes caught the small dining table made for the outdoors. This was you and your fiancé’s favorite spot. The table was cheap and made of steel along with the seats, but they at least felt comfortable thanks to the cushioning. You sat in one of them before your memories appear once again.

“So uh, how do you like the place? Pretty romantic, right?” Kabal asked nervously, hoping for a positive answer.

You answer happily, “Oh Kabal, I actually like the atmosphere. It feels nice, and it isn’t too open. We’re sitting in an alley and are about to eat together. It is romantic.”

Your hand rested atop of his. One finger traces the back of his. Kabal then holds into yours to circle his thumb around your knuckles. It was a moment of tenderness during the dinner date. Enjoying a date in an alley for the first time was a new experience for the both of you. His expectations were kept low by how you would react to the surprise. He did a great job making you happy though. Why wouldn’t you settle down in a finely decorated alley for dinner? This will end up being forever treasured in your memory. Your fiancé leans in to kiss you. He pulls back so he could stare into your eyes softly. He loved you so much, and he never chose to waste that.

“That’s good to hear, doll face.”

Suddenly, your thoughts were interrupted by a faint cry of a man from the town’s plaza. It sounded as if he was about to die. Your body began to startle from the abrupt situation. The man finds his way into the alley until he recognized you. He looked to be a criminal, but there was something else more questionable: was he wearing Red Dragon attire? There was some blood splatter covering his outfit.

“You,” he announced while panting for air, “I’ve been trying to look for you. Kabal’s little whore I assume?”

You didn’t know how to react. You were hesitant on running the hell out of the alley, but the guy might kill you easy. Your voice shook, “W-what do you want from me? What did you do to Kabal?”

Your response made him raise an eyebrow. Before he makes a move, a burst of purple ran into the man, pinning him against a wall by his neck. The guy was unrecognizable with burnt scars over his skin while also wearing a mask. His clothes looked somewhat similar to what your fiancé has worn before leaving the Black Dragon. He also had hooks words with him. Your mind soon took in the realization. Could this strange individual be Kabal all along?

“If I ever see any of your punk asses around here again, I’d be more than welcome to track you all down just like your buddy! Got it!?”

Your heart dropped. His voice. It had to be Kabal. It was sort of muffled by the mask, but it indeed sounded like him. The Red Dragon member was let go to run off from the area, never to come back again. Your face stirred with worry as you couldn’t believe it was your fiancé. How did his body get burnt up so badly? You rose from your seat to approach the man. He wiped off some blood splatter from his arm after a piece of work he handled. You began to question, “Kabal, is that you?”

He quickly looks up at your face before turning against you, attempting to walk away. You soon grab him by the wrist to stop him, but he pulls away from you. You grip him again by his arm this time. It’s doesn’t matter how hard you try. Kabal keeps resisting you.

“What happened to you? Answer me, please!”

Kabal roughly pulls away from your grip and turns to you, “Get the fuck off me!”

Your body remained still with eyes widening. You have never seen him act like this towards you before. He treated you with love and respect constantly as you were a couple. The joy of him being able to see you again was all gone. Something must have affected him greatly.

“Kabal…talk to me. What’s gotten into you? I never heard from you since you left to work with Stryker,” your words began to stumble, “I…I miss you…”

You rushed in to hug him with tears streaming in your eyes. Your fiancé tries his best to push you off him. It didn’t matter though. You care about Kabal. You wished to comfort him from whatever caused him to earn body scars. All you want was for him to come home with you and talk.

“I said. Get. Off.”

He manages to push you back aggressively. Kabal was an entirely different man now. This can’t be real, right?

His voice raised heavily, “It isn’t worth being around you anymore. Ever since the shit show this four-armed freak made, I’ve got other things to worry about than some engagement.”

You slowly back away from him as he turns against you. You hope to the Elder Gods this engagement never came to an end, but it apparently would be.

“We’re best off not seeing each other again. Goodbye, Y/N.”

With that, he rushes off elsewhere distant from you. You immediately fell to your knees sobbing. You feel your stomach tied to a knot due to what happened just now. There was no way Kabal chooses to throw this all away. The wonderful dates, his protection given to you, those precious reminders about how much he loves you. Hell, even the wedding proposal was there, too. They will never come into fruition anymore after his departure. There is a strong indication of him returning to the Black Dragon, which was ran by that one-eyed scumbag Kano. Still, your heart aches for him. You wanted him to return for comfort, but now all you feel is emptiness. You had nobody by your side. Only time will tell what could possibly happen next.

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's No Access Date

⚡ Warning: This post contains detailed spoiler's for Date which hasn't released in EN yet!⚡

[This date was translated with the help of Google translate and by my friend!]

✧[Part 1]✧

The winter sky was clear and bright, and the warm sunlight gave the illusion of warmth.

I had just left the warmth of the taxi and was shivering in the cool winter wind. Wrapping up my scarf, I walked quickly into the lively West Moon Street.

With New Year's Day just a few days away, this ancient street has entered the New Year's atmosphere early, and the shops on both sides are decorated with festive decorations.

And I didn't care to hang out, my mind was filled with the message which Shaw had just sent me.

Shaw's message: "We have a big problem, come quickly. "

.. I couldn't contact him through the phone, and I didn't know what trouble he had caused. I immediately crawled out of the bed and rushed over without stopping.

Following the directions, I walked through the small streets.

MC: Lane 102, West Moon Street….

I didn't expect that the end point would be an unremarkable and everyday tea restaurant. After confirming again and again, I pushed open the door suspiciously.

The shop was not big, and I saw the familiar figure in the corner at a glance.

It's peaceful here, and the "help seeker" was leisurely holding a cup of hot pear tremella soup.

Didn't get tied up, not even feeling desperately anxious.

Shaw: You came pretty fast.

As if he had heard my footsteps, he turned around and raised his eyebrows as if he were not the one who had just sent the help message.

At this point, I knew I had fallen into his trap again.

I was relieved and angry that I had been tricked. I took a deep breath and put on a "kind" smile.

MC: Was this the big trouble you were talking about? Did you choke on your tea? Did your pants get stuck on the stool? Let me help you call the emergency services?

Shaw: Good imagination, but you didn't guess right, try harder next time.

As he spoke, he pushed over the still steaming brown sugar glutinous rice cakes.

Shaw: Here, let's start with a sugar boost.

Shaw: And then thank me again for calling you out to bask in the sun on such a nice day.

MC [angrily]: I really have to thank you!

I sat next to him angrily, picked up a piece of brown sugar glutinous rice cake and put it in my mouth.

The crispy glutinous rice cake has just the right temperature, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sweet and delicious, and the sweetness in the mouth makes the bad mood of being fooled dissipate a little.

MC: You called me out early in the morning, just to let me have breakfast with you?

Shaw: Of course not .

Shaw: It's true that there's trouble, but…

He turned his head and bit off the half-eaten glutinous rice cake on my chopsticks.

Shaw: Let's fill up the stomach first.

✧[Part 2]✧

Unexpectedly, the "trouble" Shaw mentioned was to go out shopping and sweep goods before New Year's Day.

With a full stomach and a warm body, I was now in the mood to enjoy the roadside stalls.

Perhaps because it's time to buy new year's goods, Huapu Street today was particularly crowded.

MC: Is there anything you want to buy?

Shaw: Whatever, just buy something that can decorate the shop.

MC: I didn't expect you to be too lazy to celebrate the festival, but you still have a sense of ritual for New Year's Day.

Shaw: I don't have much interest, but the old man used to make some things during the holidays.

Shaw: The shop is in my hands, so I can't make it cooler than before.

His faint eyes drifted to the festive street, and I don't know what came to his mind. When I saw this, I took his cool hand and shook it.

MC [excitedly]: Then let's go shopping and make your antique shop lively for New Year's Day!

I ambitiously started to shop, dragging Shaw through the wide range of stalls.

But he was a bit bored with the shopping.

Shaw: This couplet looks good after being hung up, just left with the word Fu and we should be done.

Looking at the old-fashioned couplet he was pointing at, I decided to drag him to another stall with more products.

MC: If you're here, why not choose something more suited the atmosphere?

MC: Moreover, you have called me out, and today I will be "responsible to the end".

Hearing this, he laughed.

Shaw: All right, this is what you said, don't renege halfway.

The aroma of roasted sweet potatoes and popcorn on the street, the elaborate New Year's ornaments and Year of the Rabbit trinkets are a sight to behold.

I carefully compared the koi ornaments and the lantern strings, and was a bit hesitant.

MC: Which one do you think is better?

Turning my head, I saw Shaw holding a small fluffy hairpin and gesturing at the side of my hair.

MC: ...... Can you be serious!

Shaw [in a good mood]: How am I not serious?

As he said this, he put the red rabbit-eared floppy hat in his hand on my head, and the little bells dangling from it tinkled in my ears.

Shaw: But I am seriously choosing the "New Year's goods" that can make me happy.

—

We were very efficient and quickly bought everything we needed.

MC: Couplets, window decorations, lucky fruits, lanterns ...... Seems to have bought almost everything.

Seeing my ankle that was a little sore from walking around, Shaw glanced at me.

Shaw: I'm going to buy something to drink, you wait here, don't run around.

After Shaw left, I planned to find a place with few people and wait for him to come back.

The benches around were full of people, and after looking around, I found a wonderful stall.

A sign with “secret advisory service” written was placed on the simple, crude booth. An old man who wore a fashionable sunglasses sat behind the table, swaying his fan.

The interesting sign caught my attention, and with nothing else to do, I walked over to it with great interest.

MC: Old man, what kind of advice can you give?

Old man: Give me your horoscope, wealth luck, love luck and new year luck can all be counted.

Out of curiosity, I half-believed and told him my horoscope, and he counted with his fingers, looking amazed.

Old man: Looking at your fate, you will survive a catastrophe, and you will have future blessings.

Old man: It's not easy recently, is it? Your career luck is back to life, and there are signs of bankruptcy.

I was taken aback. The company did almost lose a big project before.

Although the staff and I managed to turn the situation around in the end, we lost the newly purchased necklace during our business trip.

I didn't expect that a few words would be right on target with my recent fortune, and I became more convinced of this mysterious master.

MC: Can you help me to check my marriage luck?

He calculated, his complexion became subtle.

Old man: Your destiny is younger than you, and your meeting was caused by various variables. How wonderful…

Old man: But the relationship between the two of you will be unstable next year, and there will be a catastrophe.

Seeing my face change slightly, he smiled and shook his fan.

Old man: But there is a way to resolve it.

Old man: The beads I have here are all enlightened and each of you wears one string to ensure that evil will not invade.

I was hesitant to pay an IQ tax for peace of mind when Shaw's voice suddenly sounded behind me.

Shaw: I just went to buy a drink, how did you get fooled again?

✧[Part 3]✧

As soon as I turned around, the hot cup was stuffed into my hand.

Shaw looked at the fortune-telling booth in front of him, his eyes showed a bit of playfulness.

Shaw: Yo, your stall has been renamed, wasn't it still called "Oriental Divination House" a few days ago?

The fortune teller narrowed his eyes when he saw Shaw.

Old man: I see, your partner is this youngster, I was thinking why your fortune is going through ups and downs.

Shaw: Don’t always help others by giving luck, you’re old already, you should just watch your own luck.

With the old fortune teller stroking his beard and staring at me, Shaw dragged me away.

Shaw: If you want to calculate these things , you should just ask me.

MC: If it's up to you, you'll definitely make a bunch of requests, such as eating with you, playing games, or watching movies with you.

I grimaced, thinking about the result of the calculation just now, and the mood which was good before coming out for shopping was now a little clouded.

The hand that was being held was clasped even tighter, and when I raised my head, I saw Shaw's gaze fall on me. 

Shaw: Playing games with me is better than paying IQ tax to this old man?

In a casual tone,with a little imperceptible reassurance, I tilted my head to look at him, 

MC: So I have to thank you for helping me save money? 

Shaw: You're welcome.

Shaw: I'm the one who brought you out, so of course “I'll be responsible till the end”.

Although Shaw said that fortune-telling was unreliable, but I still have some doubts in my heart.

So I quietly went to the gold store and chose two gold beads, one for myself to wear, and the other to weave into a pendant.

—

The day before New Year's Day, I brought the pendant to Shaw's antique shop. I saw him standing on the stool, hanging the lantern he had just bought that day.

Shaw: You finally came at last, Mr. Qian from nextdoor just visited and had a look around, he also said that my store is the only shabby one amongst the entire street.

Shaw: He just hung two lanterns and pasted up a couplet in his house, and when we decorate it, we will hit him in the face.

MC: By then, we will be the most beautiful store in the whole street!

We quickly decorated everything, and the dull store was instantly given a New Year flavor with the red decorations.

After cleaning the high part of the shelf, I put the last ornament on it.

At this time, I suddenly noticed that there seemed to be a few dusty copper coins in the corner of the shelf.

Before I could look any further, Shaw's voice came from below.

Shaw: Come down for dinner, it's too late.

It was getting late, and the last sunset of the year was sinking into the horizon. Through the window, we can see the lanterns on the street swaying in the night.

The dishes on the table are exquisite and the aromatic flavors instantly stir up the cravings in the stomach.

A skit of the New Year's Eve program was being played on the TV, and a person holds three copper coins for divination.

MC: The copper coins on your shelf are similar to this one.

Shaw: That is the money of the Five Emperors, which the old man used for divination.

[T/N]: Five Emperor Coins: Refers to the copper coins cast during the reign of the five prosperous emperors of the Qing Dynasty, namely Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Jiaqing.

Stringing these five copper coins together will have the functions of warding off evil spirits, attracting wealth, and praying for good fortune.

Thinking about the results of the fortune telling two days ago, I was still a bit upset, so I moved closer to him.

MC: Idle is also idle, let's calculate our luck for next year ?

Shaw: Okay, skateboarding with me one time, playing games one time, the price was clearly marked, no cheating. I'll calculate it for you.

I said to myself "profiteer" and squeezed out a smile.

MC: We'll see, we'll see.

He glanced at me with a half-smile, took the copper coin off the shelf and put it in my hand.

Shaw: For the six lines of the hexagram, read the question in your mind and shake it six times with three copper coins.

[T/N]: The I-Ching or yijing divination book consists of 64 hexagrams 卦 "guà", (combination of 8 trigrams). A hexagram in this context is a figure composed of six stacked horizontal lines (爻 yáo), where each line is either Yang (an unbroken, or solid line), or Yin (broken, an open line with a gap in the center). These lines are combined into 8 trigrams (three lines each) which are then combined into 64 hexagrams. And the trigrams in I-Ching represent 8 basic forces of nature.

The ancient coins covered with age marks were heavy, so I closed my eyes and shook the coins in my hand.

MC: Please, God of Wealth, bless me with abundant wealth this year!

Shaw [sighs]: Are you here to ask for divination or to make a wish?

MC: With metaphysics, it's always about being pious so you can achieve what you desire!

Shaw drew six layers of horizontal lines long and short on the paper with the result of my throw, looking amazed.

Shaw: It's been a long time since I've seen such a bad result.

MC: ... Are you fooling me?

[T/N]: I skipped a line here since it was related to yijing divination and it was pretty difficult to translate 😭. Anyways what shaw got here was 屯 (zhūn) “sprouting” which is the 3rd 卦 hexagram, meaning “difficulty at the beginning” simply put they'll suffer a misfortune so one must be careful!

[Sylvia's note]: The first time in my life where I wanted to pluck out my hair because of yijing divination 🥹 I was literally this much close to have a mental breakdown🫠

—

Shaw: Next year, don't delay your work. It'll be bad if you won't sleep well until it affects your health.

Reluctantly, I took those copper coins back into my hand.

MC: Calculate my career luck.

I cast another three copper coins.

Shaw: Not bad, There will be a few troublesome problems, but they can be resolved smoothly.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and put the three copper coins into my hands again.

MC: There's one last question! However, can we leave this question aside?

Shaw: Ok.

Thinking "What will happen to me and Shaw next year", I threw the copper coins out.

After throwing six times, I looked at Shaw with some anxiety.

He finished the last stroke and glanced at me hesitantly.

Shaw [in a low voice]: Extreme misfortune.

[T/N]: Shaw basically got 天夬 the 43rd 卦 hexagram. 夬 (guài), “displacement”. Meaning “resoluteness”, “parting”, and “break-through”, simply she'll suffer an extreme misfortune! (It still cracks me up when I think MC luck for next year is way more horrible than mine 😂 three misfortunes in a row LMAO)

✧[Part 4]✧

My heart instantly went cold.

Maybe it's because my emotions were confiscated, Shaw also saw my terrible expression.

Shaw: Your face looks pale, what did you ask for?

MC: Nothing….

Seeing me touch my nose in a concealed manner, Shaw narrowed his eyes.

Shaw: Is that so? Originally, I knew a way to avert the disaster, but since you said it's nothing, I shouldn't use it, right?

MC: Really?

I always felt that there seemed to be a hint of cunning in his eyes just now, and I looked at him dubiously.

Shaw: Don't believe me, then forget it.

MC: Eh, no, I didn't say I didn't believe it. Master Shaw, teach me?

I hastily grabbed him and smiled flatteringly. He just "reluctantly" continued.

Shaw: Put your hands together and raise them above your head.

I put my palms together and raised them above my head as he said.

Shaw [changes his voice]: Yes, close your eyes, turn three times to the left, then turn three times to the right.

Shaw: Say out loud, "Spirits of the sky, spirits of the land, I invite you to come down to eliminate and prevent disasters as soon as possible!”

Seeing that his expression didn't seem to be fake, I took a deep breath, turned left and right three times, and closed my eyes.

MC: "Spirits of the sky, spirits of the land, I invite you to come down to eliminate and prevent disasters as soon as possible!”

For a while there was only the sound from the TV, I opened one eye and saw Shaw was suppressing a smile, his shoulders were trembling slightly.

Shaw [burst out laughing]: Puff haha you are such a talent hahaha.

MC [blushing]: …. Shaw!

The most retarded thing I have done this year was to believe in his nonsense!

Looking at Shaw who was laughing wildly, I scolded myself in my heart for believing in Shaw half a minute ago.

No, I can't let him be so arrogant. With this thought, I silently withdraw my hand and sat down with my back to him without saying a word.

His laughter gradually stopped.

Shaw [stifles his laughter]: Hey, it may seem funny, but that's a serious way to get rid of disasters.

This guy is still stubborn! I pouted, but still ignored him.

Shaw: Don't believe it.

He lightly dropped a word, stood up and left the seat.

.. actually left? !

I froze in place, concretizing a little Shaw figure in my heart, and pinned it to the ground with all my strength, ravaging it crazily.

Stinky Shaw, bad Shaw, a big fool who doesn't understand style......

If you have the ability, don't come back!

Shaw [whispers]: What are you muttering about?

I didn't know when he came back and sat down behind me.

Shaw: Then I'll try another method, do you want to see it?

My heart moved, but because I couldn't give in so quickly, I didn't turn around.

Shaw: You don't want it? Then I can take it all by myself.

A burst of sweet breath came from behind.

Shaw [in a regretful tone]: It's rare for me to do it myself, and I didn't expect that someone would not appreciate it.

After all, I couldn't resist my curiosity, I turned my head slowly, and saw Shaw holding a piece of steaming pastry in his hand.

Shaw: Open your mouth.

MC: Huh?

In the moment of my bewilderment, a piece of sweetness was precisely stuffed into my mouth.

[Fifth anniversary bgm starts playing]

The sweet but not cloying taste carries the warmth of his fingertips on the corners of my lips, along with the taste buds to the heart.

MC: …Steamed sponge cake?

Shaw: It's Chinese New Year, let's add some color. I hope that next year, you’ll not be corrupted or poisoned by others and be rich overnight.

MC: Did you make this?

Shaw: Yes, I tried it when I was bored at home.

MC: Then I will try my best to help you finish it.

I pretended not to care, put the lunch box in my arms, and picked up another piece and put it in my mouth.

MC: The taste is not bad, barely passable.

Shaw [clicks his tongue]: The requirements are quite high.

He looked at me, and there was an imperceptible temptation in his tone.

Shaw: It's OK, you've got rid of the big trouble just now.

I coughed softly as I took the short end of the stick.

MC: For the sake of the steamed sponge cakes, fine. But in view of your performance, I have to reconsider whether to give you a New Year's Day gift or not.

Shaw raised his eyebrows, apparently he didn't expect that I had additional conditions. He threw away the copper coins in his hand.

Shaw: What’s so hard about this, let God fix it for you. If it’s YangYao, then give it to me.

MC: ….Let me tell you first, you are not allowed to play tricks.

Shaw: Who cheated?

Shaw: But I have a hunch that God is definitely on my side.

I picked up the coins and shook them a few times and scattered them on the table, one forward, one backward and one spinning.

When it was about to fall over, an invisible flash of lightning caused the coin to shake and fall in the other direction.

The two positive lines and one negative line are the Yang lines.

MC: Just now I seem to see something flickering…

Shaw [acts normal like he wasn't the one who did that]: Are you seeing things? Bring it here.

His smiling eyes were sly and bright, and they caught my eyes straight away.

MC: I am generous, this time I will forgive you ….

I handed him the gift box. Shaw took out the pendant inside, played with it in his hand.

Shaw: After all, you are still very concerned about the results of the old man's fortune-telling.

MC: After all it's about our luck and I want to make it better.

His hand paused, and a moment of enlightenment flashed across his eyes.

Shaw: The extreme misfortune divination that you just asked before, was also this?

When I didn't say anything, he reached out and pressed his hand onto my hair and rubbed it "viciously" a few times.

Shaw: And here I asked you, what kind of divination made you look so worried?

Shaw: The divination that the old man gave me before was not auspicious. But aren't I still alive and kicking to this day?

MC: Was it because it didn't work?

He changed his position and leaned loosely against me.

Shaw: It's basically all efficacious, but this is just what I wished for.

Shaw: Smooth sailing is so boring, if you want something, you have to fight with your fate.

There was a hint of certainty in his lazy expression, it seemed that no ominous suffering could fall into his eyes.

It was like a solitary confidence that suddenly shattered all the unpredictable prophecies that had distressed me.

MC: It seems that my gift was superfluous.

Hearing this, he turned his palms, and hid the beads in fear of my repentance.

Shaw [clicks his tongue]: It takes a little motivation to fight against fate.

Shaw: How about it? Do you want to wipe out all the ominous divinations you made with me?

The careless ending of his sentence lifted the clouds of boredom that had been lingering in the mind for the past few days.

MC [happily]: Of course, you should take me with you for such an exciting event.

I raised my head and felt the warm breath blowing towards my face.

The second hand of the clock moved forward one by one, and there seemed to be cheers of countdown coming from the street in the distance.

I clasped it through his fingers and raised a smile.

It doesn't matter if this divination wasn't good, anyway, with him, even if there is a barren land ahead, we will definitely be able to blaze a path that only belongs to us.

As the hands overlap with the 12 at the top, there was a long chime and cheer outside the window.

MC: Happy New Year, Shaw.

Shaw: Happy New Year .

—

🎊 Call (coming soon)

[travelena]

England 🇬🇧 - London, Cotswolds & Cornwall

Day 1 - London

Dishoom for lunch! We went to the covent garden location though there are many and each has a slightly different decor/vibe. Then walked around Soho and Big Ben, etc. Then we did dinner at Kricket which was mid.

Lots of places we wanted to go but ran out of time: Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Borough Market

We did have one dinner near the airport which was fantastic: Zayani Indian Restaurant

High tea locations I researched: the beaumont, sketch, Oblix at the Shard (great view), Petersham Nurseries (whimsical, but in richmond), The stage at the Londoner (moody bar interior), The Ritz (pianist), The orchid lounge, the bloomsbury, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, The Savoy, Claridge’s, The Orangery at Kensington Palace

Other London food recs though so many more: Dishoom (indian), Da Maria (italian in kensington), Daphne’s italian- cool atmosphere, Villa Mammas - middle eastern, Fait Mason - middle eastern w/ cool interior, Chet’s (thai), The Tamil Prince (order the channa bhatura), Malaysia Deli, Lyaness (cocktail bar), Tayyab’s (punjabi food, lamb chops)

Day 2 - Oxford & Cotswolds

Stopped at Oxford on our drive to the Cotswolds and it was amazing - could've spent more time walking around campus. We had a quick lunch at the Vaults & Garden near the Radcliffe Camera. We didn't have enough time but I would've liked to go into the Bodleian Library and walk around Christ Church meadow. Lots of old buildings and you really feel the history here and can imagine all these brilliant minds sharing this space through time. Then we left Oxford and went to Burford for a quick cream tea before going to our Airbnb on a very cute lush estate with horses and chickens and walking paths through the rolling hills. Could have also stopped at Bibury if time allowed on this route but we didn't have enough. Had a nice dinner at The Willow in Bourton-on-the-Water.

Day 3 - Cotswolds

Went to lower slaughter, bourton-on-the-water, Upper slaughter, stow-on-the-wold. Walked through the villages and enjoyed the quaintness. The main things to do are walk around and take it in, there are some nice countryside walks to do as well. Overall, all about slow living and would be a nice weekend getaway from London. We also spent some time enjoying our accommodation and doing countryside walks near the horse paddocks as well. Overall, very bucolic but the countryside honestly looked like Bucks County Pennsylvania.

Day 4 - Drive to Cornwall

Drove to Cornwall, this day was cold and rainy and I was sick. Didn't do too much except drive. All the drives took longer than the GPS predicted. If more time would've stopped at Dartmoor park on the way and done a hike (Hound Tor hike 2-3 h, or wistman woods 1h, or saddle tor & Haytor Rocks). We stayed just outside St. Ives

Day 5 - Cornwall

Drive to Sennen cove→ Land's End-> porthcurno beach → pedn vounder beach (nearby and gorgeous but can't remember if we went or not) →Mullion cove→Kynance Cove (enjoy Lizard)

We did a lovely afternoon tea. at Polurrian on the Lizard and then cliff walk from the property. This was a highlight!

Walked around St. Ives at sunset - gorgeous!

Cornwall food places I researched: Porthminster kitchen (st Ives - had a great whole fish here), the sea room (st Ives), hub box (st Ives), the Cornish bakery, silco is a cute cafe w tapas in st Ives, harbour fish and chips, moomaid (ice cream st ives)

Day 6 - Cornwall

Went to the beach on the other side of St. Ives and walked along the path from Godrevy Point stopping at Fisherman's Cove. Phenomenal cliff walk - could've gone much farther and hiked more of the coast. Pretty much anywhere along the cornwall coast is gorgeous, could spend much more time exploring/enjoying this area.

Day 7 - Bath

Stayed at Brooks Guesthouse which was cute. Met up with Edith and walked around, saw the old Georgian style buildings around the Royal Crescent where they now film lots of period pieces. Then had drinks next to Bath Abbey (there is a tour/ticket you can get to go inside as well) and saw the dam & Pulteney Bridge. Other attractions there are the roman baths and the Jane Austen Centre. Went to dinner at Bandook which was pretty good but small portions. Tash and I had drinks at The Botanist which was an absolute highlight - live music, gorgeous interior, and amazing cocktail menu. Still thinking about this a year later.

Tips:

Could've spent some more time in Bath, London & Cornwall. Other cornwall plces I would like to go are: Perranporth, Porthtowan, TintagelNorth Devon, Dorset National Landscape. Would've also liked to do a Jurassic Coast road trip and seen the seven sisters and cliffs.

If more time in Bath I would've liked to do afternoon tea at the Pump House

Would've stopped at Castle Combe if more time.

[jasphyshibo]

Must visit restaurant in Chonburi, Thailand !

Chonburi is in the top list of Thai landmarks which have a lot of things to do, especially discovering new flavors of seafood. Every year, foreigners have come to Chonburi a lot since it has the beach and near Bangkok. In this blog, we will review and recommend 4 restaurants in Chonburi from each of us.

📍Glass House, Pattaya Food : 9/10 Price: 10/10 The view : 10/10

To be honest at first I think the foods of this restaurant will be very expensive but it surprises me that it more expensive more than I expected however,the food is very delicious and I really enjoy the view.I do recommend this restaurant to people who like to eat and chill out cause the restaurant are all decorate in Bali theme.In the other hand,I think the service staff is not thorough.

📍Cave Beach Club, Pattaya Food : 9/10 Price : 8/10 The view : 10/10

The first thing that impresses me is the beautiful restaurant from the entrance to the inside. It's a beautiful beach club. The inside is beautifully decorated with handicrafts and weaving work. You can take pictures in every corner of the shop. Outside is a seat by the sea. Good atmosphere and music. Including food, there are variety food such as Italian food Thai food and dessert. In my opinion,this restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Pattaya but the price is quite high. If recommending this restaurant, it is suitable for couples or families because the atmosphere is very good.

📍Sea Salt, Bang Pra Food : 8.5/10 Price : 10/10 The view : 10/10

Firstly, I need to say that I'm from Chonburi so I have tasted a lot of restaurants in the area. Sea salt is one of the best ones so far due to its view, interior design, and importantly the taste of the food. The menu has various kinds of food but the major one is seafood, their ingredients are also very fresh as well since they have a fish tank. The view and the vibe go well together, this restaurant has a good taste in music too. Lastly, the prices are reasonable.

📍Sky Gallery, Pattaya Food : 10/10 Price : 10/10 The view : 100/10

The Sky Gallery has a very nice location. The restaurant located on the hill so you can enjoy a wonderful view of sunset along the sea. They serve either Thai food and international food that very tasty and the prices are ok. The service is fast. It is definitely worth a visit.

[evsvolunteerstotem]

COZY AND WARM NOVEMBER (29/11/2024) 2nd part

Also, my German roommate, Juli, made November even more special by bringing Christmas decorations, food, and a very nice gift for me. This little surprise made the atmosphere at home even warmer and cozier.

As for my studies, as usual I went to Czech classes on Tuesdays and Fridays. Although the classes were quite challenging, the experience was a real adventure, as the lessons sometimes took place in such diverse places as the meeting room, a restaurant or a hotel room. In addition, I have been active in my language learning, attending Romanian conversations on Tuesdays and Spanish conversations on Wednesdays at the Pilsen Municipal Library. This library has become one of my favorite places, not only because of the classes, but also because I was able to find books in Basque and Catalan, which made me very happy.

One of the highlights of my time in Pilsen has undoubtedly been the food. I have enjoyed both the dishes my roommate has prepared and those I have tried in the local restaurants. One special moment was when a lady in our class gave me stollen, the traditional German Christmas cake, which I tried for the first time thanks to her. Later, my roommate brought it again, this time in her almond version, and I loved it!

I have also continued to practice my English by attending the weekly sessions with Tyler on Wednesdays. It is an excellent opportunity to maintain and improve my English skills. Not only that, but I also visited and went for a walk in Šumava on a Saturday and I really enjoyed it!

Finally, what really makes me happy is the group of friends I have here where we have done various activities; for example, celebrating birthdays, going to Prague, visiting the Christmas markets, and getting through the cold all together. Without them and my roommate this would not be the same.

[minttindiancuisine1]

Discover the Flavors of India at Mintt Indian Cuisine in Monroeville, PA

When it involves experiencing the real and colourful flavors of Indian delicacies, Mintt Indian Cuisine stands because the extremely good Indian restaurant in Monroeville, PA. Renowned for its wealthy menu, impeccable company, and welcoming surroundings, Mintt Indian Cuisine offers a memorable eating revel in for food lovers inside the place. Whether you are a connoisseur of Indian flavors or a person exploring the cuisine for the primary time, this restaurant guarantees a culinary adventure that leaves you craving for added.

A Taste of Authentic Indian Cuisine

India is a land of numerous cultures and flavors, and Mintt Indian Cuisine brings the coronary coronary heart of this range to Monroeville, PA. Their menu gives numerous dishes inspired by way of regions at some point of India, ensuring there may be some thing for really anyone. From the smoky tandoor-grilled delights of North India to the tangy and distinctly spiced flavors of South Indian curries, Mintt Indian Cuisine in reality represents the rich tapestry of Indian cooking.

The restaurant takes pleasure in crafting actual recipes using conventional cooking strategies, top class-splendid materials, and fragrant spices sourced straight away from India. This willpower to authenticity has earned it a devoted following and the reputation of being the pinnacle Ind ian restaurant in Monroeville, PA.

Must-Try Dishes at Mintt Indian Cuisine

Mintt Indian Cuisine’s extensive menu functions a nice array of options for vegetarians, vegans, and meat fanatics alike. Here are a number of the standout dishes you could’t omit:

Butter Chicken : A creamy, mildly spiced bird curry cooked in a wealthy tomato and butter sauce. It’s one of the most famous dishes for a reason!

Paneer Tikka Masala: A vegetarian pride offering cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a highly spiced and creamy gravy.

Lamb Rogan Josh: This flavorful Kashmiri dish combines soft lamb with aromatic spices to create a hearty curry.

Hyderabadi Biryani: Known for its fragrant rice and flawlessly spiced layers of chook, mutton, or veggies, this biryani is a should-attempt.

Masala Dosa: A South Indian preferred, this crispy rice and lentil crepe complete of spiced potatoes is served with coconut chutney and sambar.

No meal at Mintt Indian Cuisine is whole with out their freshly baked breads, like garlic naan or butter roti, which pair flawlessly with their flavorful curries.

A Welcoming Ambiance for Every Occasion

One of the severa reasons Mintt Indian Cuisine is the exceptional Indian eating place in Monroeville, PA is its warmth and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are making plans a family dinner, a casual lunch with friends, or a romantic midnight, the eating place offers the first-rate putting. The interior combines cutting-edge decor with subtle Indian touches, growing an environment that feels each snug and unique.

The first-class and attentive personnel in addition complements the dining revel in, always ready to suggest dishes or customize spice tiers to suit your alternatives.

Catering Services for Your Special Events

Mintt Indian Cuisine additionally gives catering services, making it the precise desire for sports like weddings, organisation gatherings, and birthday celebrations. Their group works intently with customers to layout a customized menu that suits the occasion whilst showcasing the top notch of Indian delicacies.

Whether you’re web hosting an intimate celebration or a huge occasion, Mintt Indian Cuisine ensures that your visitors are handled to an unforgettable eating enjoy. Their popularity because the main Indian restaurant in Monroeville, PA extends past their dine-in provider, as they bring the same first-rate and interest to detail to their catering services.

Why Mintt Indian Cuisine is a Local Favorite

There’s no shortage of dining alternatives in Monroeville, however Mintt Indian Cuisine stands out for severa reasons:

Authenticity: The dishes are organized using traditional recipes and techniques, turning in a genuine flavor of India.

Variety: The numerous menu guarantees there’s some thing for every taste desire, such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-unfastened options.

Affordability: Despite its premium satisfactory, the restaurant offers generous quantities at reasonable charges.

Customer Service: From the instant you step in, the employees’s professionalism and hospitality make you experience valued and welcomed.

Glowing Reviews from Patrons

Mintt Indian Cuisine has grow to be a own family name for all and sundry searching for the wonderful Indian eating place in Monroeville, PA. Customers often rave about the restaurant’s flavorful dishes, generous quantities, and steady satisfactory. Whether it’s a regular circle of relatives meal or a celebratory dinner, diners remember Mintt Indian Cuisine to deliver a standout enjoy.

A Commitment to Quality and Innovation

While Mintt Indian Cuisine remains real to standard Indian cooking, the restaurant also embraces innovation via the use of presenting present day twists on conventional dishes. This mixture of lifestyle and creativity ensures that their menu stays exciting and applicable. Additionally, they hold strict hygiene and splendid requirements, making them a depended on preference for Indian meals in Monroeville.

Conclusion: 

Experience the Best of Indian Cuisine

If you’re trying to find real and scrumptious Indian food, look no in addition than Mintt Indian Cuisine, the primary Indian eating place in Monroeville, PA. With its numerous menu, warm hospitality, and willpower to exquisite, this eating place ensures a ingesting revel in like no different.

Whether you’re dining in, ordering takeout, or making plans an event, Mintt Indian Cuisine is the proper choice to satisfy your cravings for Indian flavors. Visit nowadays and embark on a flavorful journey that celebrates the wealthy culinary historic past of India!

[bindia]

Learn the Flavors of India at Bindia Copenhagen: The very best Indian Foodstuff In your area

In case you’re searching for reliable Indian food in your area in Copenhagen, glimpse no further than Bindia. Known for its flavorful dishes, vibrant atmosphere, and determination to quality, Bindia has earned a reputation as among the best spots for Indian cuisine in town.

A Style of India in Copenhagen

Bindia delivers the assorted and abundant flavors of India to the center of Copenhagen. No matter whether you're a fan of fiery curries, fragrant rice dishes, or savory tandoori solutions, the menu at Bindia delivers one thing for everybody. The cooks very carefully Mix standard Indian spices with fresh, community components to develop an unforgettable eating encounter.

What to anticipate about the Menu

Bindia’s menu is really a celebration of Indian culinary traditions. From common convenience foods to more exotic dishes, here are some have to-try objects:

Butter Rooster: Among the preferred Indian dishes globally, Bindia’s butter chicken is prosperous, creamy, and beautifully spiced. Paired with naan or rice, it’s a dish you won’t would like to miss.

Vegetarian Thali: For all those hunting for a variety of vegetarian delights, the Thali gives smaller parts of different dishes like dal, sabzi (vegetable curry), and raita, giving you a properly-rounded food.

Tandoori Chicken: Grilled in a conventional clay oven, this dish is recognized for its smoky taste and tender texture. It’s served with a refreshing salad and mint chutney for your refreshing equilibrium.

Paneer Tikka Masala: This vegetarian possibility is a crowd favourite. Comfortable cubes of paneer cheese are simmered inside of a tangy tomato-centered sauce, filled with robust spices that linger within the palate.

Samosas: These crispy, deep-fried pockets crammed with spiced potatoes and peas are fantastic as a starter or a light snack.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Options

At Bindia, there’s something for everybody, including those with dietary limits. They supply A selection of vegan and gluten-free of charge choices, making sure that each guest can appreciate a flavorful food. From vegetable curries to dairy-absolutely free naan, the restaurant accommodates diverse Tastes with no compromising on style.

The Atmosphere: A Combination of Custom and Modernity

Bindia’s ambiance brings together modern day Danish design with common Indian aspects, creating a cozy nonetheless up to date setting in your meal. The nice and cozy lighting and intricate decor insert for the authenticity of the practical experience, making it a super spot for both of those informal dinners and Distinctive events.

Takeaway and Supply Alternatives

For people who prefer to delight in Indian food near me in the comfort and ease of house, Bindia presents convenient takeaway and shipping solutions. You can order right as a result of their Web site or common food stuff delivery platforms, making certain you get a new and very hot food sent suitable to your doorstep.

Why Locals Adore Bindia

Bindia is more than just a restaurant; it’s a local favourite. With its welcoming personnel, continuously superior-quality meals, as well as a menu that caters to lots of tastes, it’s no wonder why so Lots of people return time and again. The cafe’s focus on sustainability and using natural and organic substances Any time probable also provides to its charm.

Ultimate Ideas

In the event you’re craving Indian meals and live in the vicinity of Copenhagen, Bindia could be the spot to be. Regardless of whether you're a lover of basic Indian dishes or desirous to explore new flavors, Bindia features an unparalleled eating expertise. Go to now to benefit from the wealthy, aromatic, and mouthwatering dishes which make Indian cuisine one of the earth’s most beloved culinary traditions.

Bindia Copenhagen: Your desired destination for genuine Indian food stuff near you!

[onejamtart]

OJT EATS | Singapulah

If you've walked down Shaftesbury Avenue lately, you may have seen a bit of a queue forming across the road from the Les Mis theatre. If you look closely, you'll see that it is for a new Singapore restaurant called Singapulah.

The place has a very retro aesthetic that works really well. It essentially looks like something out of Singapore in the 80s (or at least how we imagine it would look - seeing as we don't have any real idea)

Food-wise, the place is all about showing off the classics of Singaporean cuisine, including some slightly lesser known dishes such as this kueh pie tee. Apparently it's a signature Peranakan dish made with crisp shells filled with stewed turnip and carrots and topped with prawn and peanuts. This was really refreshing and a nice light start to the meal.

While they do all the classics, there's also a couple of slight twists. These were fried chilli crab baos. It's a pretty good attempt at getting all the elements of a chilli crab in a handy snack sized portion. You have the fried mantou in the bun dough and then it's filled with the chilli crab mixture. We'd have liked a little bit more actual crab in this but other than that, this was really nice. A great little alternative for when you don't want a whole crab.

This place does a bunch of different type of noodles so we figured we had to order at least one of them. This was the Singapulah Bak Chor Mee. It's a wheat noodle dish with fish balls, pork belly and a bunch of other things too.

Onto the kopi pork: little morsels of slightly crispy pork in an ever so slightly coffee flavoured sauce. These were very tasty. I couldn't really taste the coffee too much and it was more a slightly sweet almost bbq sauce but there was a hint of the bitterness that you get from coffee in there.

Then it was finally onto dessert. We ordered the kueh lapis which is what looks like a multilayered rice cake. It was very sticky and the flavour was pretty subtle but a lovely end to the meal.

All in all, this was a pretty impressive meal. The decor and atmosphere of the place was excellent and I'll definitely be going back at some point to try their chilli crab and cereal prawns! It's a little pricey for what it is but worth a visit for a good example of some Singaporean classics.

Singapulah, 53 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LB

Cheers, JL

[blackknightgargiefoodtopia]

Pappa Rich

My buddy and I are going on our usual Monday lunch date, and since he was off on Mondays this month, we also decided to catch a movie too. So of course we decided to eat within the vicinity and tried some place new, which is Pappa Rich.

Location: Gadong area, across The Mall

Setting: Very classy and very beautifully set up. A lot of effort has been put into this. It makes for a very nice classy restaurant. Feels almost like A.J.D. Wetherspoon Pub in London

Le menu, which includes the self-order sheet

My Milo Dinosaur (while he ordered the standard Coke)

My buddy's fish and chips

My chicken rice

To be honest, the food wasn't really that impressive. For starters, the sauce tasted sweet, and the black soy sauce they used for my condiments are actually thick sweet soy sauce, which totally contradicts the fact that chicken rice isn't supposed to be sweet at all. Even the soup itself is sweet! My god, what is this? Do they have like overstocked sugar or something? And the chicken was kinda slightly dry. The only thing that really compensated my taste buds was the bean sprouts.

My buddy's food wasn't that too impressive either. The fish wasn't exactly fresh, and it was cooked in a rather bland way, the chips were tough and old and who in the world serves fried rice and sunny-side up eggs with fish and chips? Are they trying to create some sort of fusion? American fried rice with fish and chips kind of dealio? I'm all about fusion but this is just too weird, even for my tastes.

And the price is just too much. I'm actually paying $6.50 (or was it $7.00?) for a crappy chicken rice, and don't even get me started on the price my buddy had to pay for his second-rate fish and chips. It's almost like we're paying for the scenery, not the food. Like the atmosphere and the setting of the restaurant is compensating for the crappy food.

If only they spent that money on the food rather than the decors...

Overall, it's OK if you want to try it just once. But just once is good enough for me. If you're not picky about your food and just want to enjoy a nice, relaxing London-ish setting, by all means.

Overall rating:

[azadiretreat9]

How to create your own DIY yoga retreat in Bali?

A yoga retreat is a worthwhile experience for many. It not only rejuvenates your senses, relieves you of all the stress and anxiety but also cultivates mindfulness. These days, something called the “DIY yoga retreat in Bali” is getting popular. Well, creating one can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience. Do you wish to know more about it? Go through this wonderfully-written and comprehensive blog by Inner Yoga Training on the same. 

A sneak-peek into DIY Yoga Retreat in Bali

Frankly speaking, such a DIY session can show you some really cool places for inner growth and development. It’s insightful. In order to kickstart such a session, one has to do the following:

Setting Intentions

First things first, determine the purpose and goals of your Bali retreat yoga. Answer some questions - Are you looking to deepen your yoga practice, relax and rejuvenate, or explore Bali's spiritual and cultural offerings? Hence, clarifying your intentions will guide your retreat planning to a great extent.

Planning Your Daily Schedule.

Create a schedule that balances yoga practice, meditation, relaxation, excursions, and free time. Decide how many yoga sessions you would like to have each day, and allocate time for meals, rest, and exploration of Bali's attractions. Be flexible and allow for spontaneity while also ensuring a structured and rejuvenating experience. Bali offers a plethora of activities to complement your yoga practice. Research local cultural sites, temples, natural attractions, or spiritual experiences that align with your retreat goals. Consider arranging group excursions or optional activities to explore the beauty and spirituality of Bali.

How about having a Nice Gathering?

Invite friends, family, or fellow yoga enthusiasts to join your yoga retreat Ubud. Share your vision and itinerary with them, and encourage them to join you on this unique experience. Determine the maximum number of participants based on the accommodations and resources available.

Look for a Place where you can Find a Comfortable Stay.

Book accommodations that can accommodate your group comfortably. Consider whether you prefer a single retreat center to host all participants or multiple accommodations in the same area. Arrange transportation to and from the airport, as well as any other transportation needed during the retreat.

Creating a Nurturing Environment.

Decorate your retreat in Bali space with candles, flowers, and elements of nature to create a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Set up a dedicated yoga space that allows for focused practice and meditation. Consider incorporating daily rituals or ceremonies to deepen the spiritual experience.

Nourishing Your Body.

Explore Bali's vibrant culinary scene by arranging nutritious meals that cater to dietary preferences and restrictions. Connect with local organic farms or restaurants that offer healthy and delicious options. Consider including a cooking class or a visit to local markets to immerse yourself in Balinese cuisine. It’s important to look out for other people’s health too. You can encourage participants to take time for self-reflection, journaling, or simply enjoying moments of stillness. Offer spa treatments, massages, or holistic therapies as optional activities to enhance relaxation and rejuvenation.

Bali offers a wide range of beautiful locations for your retreat. It is advisable to consider whether you prefer a beachfront setting, a tranquil mountain, or a serene jungle sanctuary. So, look out for what aligns with your preferences and budget. Remember, creating your own DIY yoga retreat in Bali allows for customization and flexibility. Embrace the opportunity to design something that resonates with your personal preferences and goals. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just enjoy the process of planning and immersing yourself in the beauty and spirituality of Bali. 

Looking for some professional assistance? Reach out to us at https://azadiretreat.com/ now to have a worthwhile experience at the best yoga retreat in Bali.

[bigworldsmallbusiness]

More to Chew: Five-star people, food, and atmosphere

Cafe Chew is a cozy little cafe located in the heart of Sandwich, Massachusetts. Known for its fresh, locally sourced ingredients, this cafe has been a go-to spot for locals and tourists alike. In this review, I will be sharing my experience at Cafe Chew, focusing on the food, atmosphere, and environment.

Let's start with the food. As soon as I walked into Cafe Chew, I was greeted by the delicious aroma of freshly baked goods. The menu offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options, as well as a selection of pastries, cookies, and cakes. I opted for the avocado toast with poached eggs and quiche of the day. The avocado toast was delicious, it was perfectly ripe, and the toast was topped with poached eggs. The bread was fresh and had a nice crunch to it, and the addition of tomato and red onion added a nice touch of acidity to the dish. The quiche of the day was equally impressive. It was loaded with fresh vegetables and cheese, and the pastry crust was perfectly flaky.

I could not leave without getting a seven-layer bar and an ambrosia iced tea. A seven-layer bar, also known as magic bars or hello dolly bars, is a type of dessert that consists of seven layers of different ingredients that are typically baked together in a square or rectangular baking dish. The layers typically include a graham cracker or cookie crumb base, followed by sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and sometimes additional toppings like caramel or peanut butter chips - seven layers of deliciousness! The desserts are laid out on the counter behind a glass screen so you can see what you are getting before you buy it. They are a bit pricey, $7 on average, but the portion sizes are very large. The ambrosia iced tea is the perfect thing to cool you down on a hot summer day. My friends and I love to visit cafe chew after spending the day at the beach, and grab a table outside to enjoy the summer air. The iced tea sells for $3.75, but you get unlimited refills!

One thing that stood out to me about the food at Cafe Chew was the attention to detail. Each dish was carefully crafted with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and it really showed in the flavor and presentation. The portion sizes were also very generous, making it a great value for the price. Moving on to the atmosphere, I have to say that I absolutely loved the cozy, welcoming vibe of Cafe Chew. The decor is rustic and charming, with lots of wood accents, chalkboard menus, and cozy seating areas. The cafe is small and intimate, which adds to its charm and makes it feel like a home away from home. They have indoor and outdoor seating options, catering to every type of customer. When you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by a friendly staff customer who asks you if you want to sit indoors or outdoors and they promptly reserve a table for you. 

The staff at Cafe Chew was also incredibly friendly and welcoming. They took the time to chat with us and make us feel at home, which really added to the overall experience. The service was prompt and attentive, without being overbearing, which was a nice touch. The environment at Cafe Chew was also very impressive. The cafe is committed to using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients, which is evident in the quality of the food. They also have a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, with recycling and composting programs in place, as well as energy-efficient appliances.

Overall, I would highly recommend Cafe Chew to anyone looking for a delicious meal in a cozy, welcoming environment. The food is top-notch, with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and a focus on quality and attention to detail. The atmosphere is charming and welcoming, and the staff is friendly and attentive. And, of course, the commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility is a big plus. If you're in the Sandwich area, be sure to check out Cafe Chew - you won't be disappointed!