#breakfast beer and irish coffee

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Food History

B.C.

10,000 - almonds, cherries, bread, flour, soup

8,000 - wheat ⚜ 7,000 - wine, beer, pistachios, pig, goat, sheep, lard

6,500 - cattle domestication, apples ⚜ 6,000 - tortilla, dates, maize

5,000 - honey, ginger, quinoa, avocados, potatoes, milk, yogurt

4,000 - focaccia, watermelons, grapes, pomegranates

3,200 - chicken domestication ⚜ 3,000 - butter, onion, garlic, apricots

2,737 - tea ⚜ 2,500 - olive oil, seaweed, duck ⚜ 2,300 - saffron

2,000 - peaches, liquorice, marshmallow, pasta, ham, sesame seeds

1,500 - chocolate, vanilla ⚜ 1,200 - sugar ⚜ 1,000 - mangoes, oats, pickles

900 - pears, tomatoes ⚜ 700 - cinnamon ⚜ 600 - bananas, poppy seeds

500 - artichokes ⚜ 400 - pastries, appetizers, vinegar

300 - parsley ⚜ 200 - turkeys, asparagus, rhubarb ⚜ 65 - quince

1st—13th Century

1st Century - chestnuts, lobster, crab, shrimp, truffles, blueberries, raspberries, capers, kale, blood (as food), fried chicken, foie gras, French toast, omelettes, rice pudding, flan, cheesecake, pears in syrup

3rd Century - lemons ⚜ 5th - pretzels ⚜ 6th - eggplant

7th Century - spinach, kimchi ⚜ 9th - coffee, nutmeg

10th Century - flower waters, Peking duck, shark's fin soup

11th Century - baklava, corned beef, cider, lychees, seitan

12th Century - breadfruit, artichokes, gooseberries

13th Century - ravioli, lasagne, mozzarella, pancakes, waffles, couscous

14th—19th Century

14th Century - kebabs, moon cakes, guacamole, pie, apple pie, crumpets, gingerbread

15th Century - coconuts, Japanese sushi and sashimi, pineapples, marmalade, risotto, marzipan, doughnuts, hot dogs

16th Century - pecans, cashews (in India), Japanese tempura, vanilla (in Europe), fruit leather, skim milk, sweetbreads, salsa, quiche, teriyaki chicken, English trifle, potato salad

17th Century - treacle, pralines, coffee cake, modern ice cream, maple sugar, rum, French onion soup, cream puffs, bagels, pumpkin pie, lemonade, croissants, lemon meringue pie

18th Century - root beer, tapioca, French fries, ketchup, casseroles, mayonnaise, eggnog, soda water, lollipops, sangria, muffins, crackers, chowder, croquettes, cupcakes, sandwiches, apple butter, souffle, deviled eggs

19th Century - toffee, butterscotch, cocoa, Turkish delight, iodized salt, vanilla extract, modern marshmallows, potato chips, fish and chips, breakfast cereal, Tabasco sauce, Kobe beef, margarine, unsalted butter, Graham crackers, fondant, passionfruit, saltwater taffy, milkshakes, pizza, peanut butter, tea bags, cotton candy, jelly beans, candy corn, elbow macaroni, fondue, wedding cake, canapes, gumbo, ginger ale, carrot cake, bouillabaisse, cobbler, peanut brittle, pesto, baked Alaska, iced tea, fruit salad, fudge, eggs Benedict, Waldorf salad

20th Century

1901 - peanut butter and jelly ⚜ 1904 - banana splits ⚜ 1905 - NY pizza

1906 - brownies, onion rings ⚜ 1907 - aioli

1908 - Steak Diane, buttercream frosting ⚜ 1909 - shrimp cocktail

1910 - Jell-O (America's most famous dessert)

1910s - orange juice ⚜ 1912 - Oreos, maraschino cherries, fortune cookies

1912 - Chicken a la King, Thousand Island dressing

1914 - Fettuccine Alfredo ⚜ 1915 - hush puppies

1917 - marshmallow fluff ⚜ 1921 - Wonder Bread, zucchini

1919 - chocolate truffles ⚜ 1922 - Vegemite, Girl Scout cookies

1923 - popsicles ⚜ 1924 - frozen foods, pineapple upside-down cake, Caesar salad, chocolate-covered potato chips

1927 - Kool-Aid, s'mores, mayonnaise cake ⚜ 1929 - Twizzlers

1930s - Pavlova cakes, Philly cheese steak, Pigs in blankets, margaritas, banana bread, Cajun fried turkey ⚜ 1931 - souffle, refrigerator pie

1933 - chocolate covered pretzels ⚜ 1936 - no-bake cookies

1937 - Reubens, chicken Kiev, SPAM, Krispy Kreme

1938 - chicken and waffles ⚜ 1939 - seedless watermelon

1941 - Rice Krispies treats, Monte Cristo sandwiches ⚜ 1943 - nachos

1946 - chicken burgers, tuna melts, Nutella ⚜ 1947- chiffon cake

1950s - chicken parm, Irish coffee, cappuccino, smoothies, frozen pizza, diet soda, TV Dinners, ranch dressing ⚜ 1951 - bananas foster

1953 - coronation chicken ⚜ 1956 - German chocolate cake, panini

1957 - Quebec Poutine ⚜ 1958 - Instant ramen noodles, crab rangoon, lemon bars ⚜ 1960s - beef Wellington, green eggs and ham, red velvet cake

1963 - black forest cake ⚜ 1964 - Belgian waffles, Pop Tarts, Buffalo wings, ants on a log, pita bread ⚜ 1965 - Gatorade, Slurpees

1966 - chocolate fondue ⚜ 1967 - high fructose corn syrup

1970s - California rolls, pasta primavera, tiramisu ⚜ 1971 - fajitas

1975 - hicken tikka masala ⚜ 1980 - turducken

1980s - Panko, portobello mushrooms, bubble tea, chicken nuggets, Sriracha, Red Bull energy drink, everything bagels

1990s - artisan breads, Jamaican jerk ⚜ 1991 - turkey bacon, chocolate molten lava cake, earthquake cake ⚜ 1993 - broccolini

1995 - Tofurkey ⚜ 1997 - grape tomatoes

21st Century

2002 - flat iron steak, tear-free onions ⚜ 2007 - Kool-Aid pickles, cake pops

2008 - Mexican funnel cake ⚜ 2013 - cronuts, test tube burgers

Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[fbfh]

thinking about getting rescued by Connor and Murphy Macmanus. you're making ends meet, living in a shitty apartment in boston when some jackass in the russian mob decides that extorting your landlord isn't enough anymore. you come home to find huge, scary thugs roaming the halls of your building, banging on doors and demanding money. they try to shake you down, but you... you're not going to give up, and you're certainly not going to let them win without a fight. thankfully, god doesn't hate you quite as much as you worried he might, because you live in the same building as Rocco's girl. she sees what's happening out there and makes a call. the russian mob doesn't find your plucky attitude as endearing as you'd hoped, and you're about to pass out when two mysterious figures burst in, shooting up every gangster in the place. they get closer to you, muttering something to each other you can't make out, and one of them gently picks you up before everything goes black.

you wake up hours later just before dawn in... the shittiest, crustiest apartment you've ever seen. you're still a little out of it, and two guys - who you can only assume are the same ones from before - crouch next to you, speaking in gentle voices and comforting irish accents.

"You're alright sweetheart." the first one says. you think he's the one who carried you out.

"You're safe here." the other adds.

"Those assholes got you pretty good-"

"Put up one hell of a fight though," the second one chuckles, earning a smack on the back of the head from the first.

"Just try to get some more rest, and we'll check on you soon."

you try to agree, but you're exhausted and out like a light before you know it, managing a "hmmmf" in response before you pass back out.

you wake up properly a few hours later, and it takes you a few moments to orient yourself, to realize you're not in this apartment because of a drunken one night stand. you stretch stiffly, still achy and sore from the fight, and stand up to quietly look around. the apartment is empty, but it's worse than you thought it would be. this place is... a dump. a bachelor owned dump, based on the comical lack of furniture or decorations. you don't know what you're supposed to do until those guys get back, but you don't... not trust them. not yet, anyway. so you tidy up a little. you throw out the trash and wipe down the counters and tables. you spray a little lemon cleaner on the windows and make their beds. you find a pile of pillows and blankets on the ground, and realize they slept in the other room so you wouldn't be uncomfortable.

when Connor and Murphy return in their bathrobes pajama pants and work boots, hang their rosaries up on the nails by the door, and set down the breakfast foods and ingredients they just got from the corner store, they pause. something feels... different. there aren't any coffee rings in the kitchen, or tumbled piles of beer caps from their numerous contests seeing who can make the highest stack. things smell fresher, feel... nicer. you walk into the kitchen, hanging up a fresh dish towel over the oven rack when you notice they're back. you startle a little, and they both smile.

"Oh!" you exclaim, "Sorry... I didn't know when you guys would be back, so I just tidied up a little. I hope you don't mind." you say, almost sheepishly. they share a look, then turn their attention back to you.

"You did all this?" asks Connor, then he nudges Murphy. "We got ourselves a regular snow white."

Murphy laughs, looking at your handiwork.

"I didn't know it was possible." He says back to his brother. "The kitchen floor is white. Did you know the kitchen floor was supposed to be white?"

The Macmanus brothers like you. they find you sweet, and charming. they want to protect you and keep you safe from the scum in this city. since your apartment building is still a mess and crawling with members of the russian mob, you let them convince you to stay for a few days. of course it doesn't end up being just a few days, and no matter what a rough day they have cleaning up the city, they're always excited to get home, flop down on the couch (the one you got them, and the only thing tying the interior look of their apartment together) crack open a couple cold beers, and spend the night with their best girl.

[fablewritesnonsense]

Hi Fable!

For Bleu’s oc asks

4 and 18?

For this ask game

Full disclosure the ice cream one is the reason this took so long to post. Like the cocktail one was easier because of who they were pre-war but the ice cream one was so fucking hard.

4. Favorite ice cream flavor

Richard: Okay so here's the thing. I think in pre-war public he'd posture and say he doesnt like ice cream for whatever Masculine reasons, blah blah whatever. But in private he's a sucker for rocky road. So he'd find a way to sneak it when he was living in barracks, and then buy it "for Gin" while she was pregnant but then clean out the container and make her think she was the one that ate it.

Gin: I think she leaned towards chocolate chip cookie dough. She was definitely the kind of kid that wanted to eat raw cookie dough and so her parents bought that to feed the gremlin. And then it was just a go-to while she was studying/pregnant because it was easier than trying to branch out.

18. What's their go-to cocktail order?

Richard: So I think in the end Richard overall is more of just a casual beer guy but he definitely had to put on airs while he was in the miliatary/in Sanctuary so I think his go-to was probably an old fashioned because its just a good safe Man's Drink.

Gin: Okay I went back and forth on this because I can see Mimosa and Irish coffee for the same reason. They're both like breakfast/brunch cocktails and I know people tend to see them as like barely cocktails because of it, so I can see her being allowed a couple sips from her parents or Nick and Jennifer's drinks at a brunch function as she grew up, maybe eas even allowed her own full cup at home as a celebration as a teen. And through college she had easier access to the ingredients for those two things, with the mimosa being something she was allowed while pregnant (listen i saw old stuff saying that a daily glass of red wine was good for the baby). But I'm going to say Irish Coffee because she can have that post-war.

Thanks for asking! This was really fun!

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Ten (Part 3)

We finish our breakfast and help to clean up, and then Claire and I leave to check our bags into our hostel. It’s not far away, just a few streets over but even by the time the sun has fully risen and the early morning fog has dissipated it remains bitterly cold. We leave our things on our beds, two singles in a private room, and I quickly put on another layer under my jumper. My mother, who was, to my chagrin, right once again, insisted that I bring thermals with me. I’m thankful for them now as I roll the warm jersey over my body and feel my skin tingle with heat. 

Feeling more adequately prepared, Claire and I take the train into the centre of the city and wander around taking in the sights. “It really is quite nice, in a harsh sort of way.” She comments. “It’s weird that there’s that sort of mixture of really old buildings and then new ones, all butted up against each other.” We stand looking at the Brandenburg gate for a while, take some photographs of each other and then walk through an enormous public park with bare trees that I can imagine would be full and bursting with beautiful colour in the summertime. There are other people milling about a bit, pushing buggies and walking dogs, but on the whole it feels empty compared to the photographs I’ve seen on Jude’s Instagram page where he and his friends sat on crowded lawns, drinking beers, or swimming in the lakes. Despite the bleakness of the season, I still find it easy to imagine the life a person might enjoy in a place like this. 

We find a great Chinese restaurant for lunch, where the waiter flirts outrageously with Claire while pretending I’m not there, but the food is delicious, and afterwards we throw ourselves elbow deep in thrift shop bins, pulling out anything and everything that looks remotely mid-century. I find a pair of lavender flares and a ruched lilac top and buy them for a combined cost of six euros, while Claire settles on a black polo neck top and a white mini skirt. Later on she scores big with a pair of white knee height boots.  

“Are you having fun?” I ask her while we drink coffee in an Irish pub near the Checkpoint Charlie, our bags crowded around our feet, and she tells me that it’s nice to get away from it all for a while. I nod, knowing just what she means. 

When the evening folds in and the sun gives way to a moonless sky, we hop on the U Bahn back to Neukolln. The streets have burst into life now with music that streams out from the clubs and the bars. Jude buzzes us into his apartment and we trudge up the seven stories on legs weary from walking, but seeing his face on the other side of the door makes me feel like life is slowly pouring back into my bones. 

“Welcome back.” he says to us, and he has a swipe of dried plaster on his cheek that I itch to wipe away for him. He looks as tired as I feel, but even so he’s in the middle of cooking yakisoba noodles for us, and the small apartment is filled with the aroma of soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms. He has a bottle of sake open on the counter, and pours a glass for each of us. 

“Wow, you wouldn’t get this at the Ritz.” I settle onto a bar stool at the counter to watch him cook as Claire heads to freshen up in the bathroom. “How was your day?”

“Busy, as usual. It’s been just kind of crazy lately, what with everything, deadlines and whatnot… Like I’m not really in the headspace to be all that creative, which isn’t ideal because I’ll need to have my final project ready for the exhibit, well, soon. Very soon.”

“I know how it is.” I muse. “Something about the period between Christmas and summer always feels so manic. I feel as though you blink and it’s passed you by.”

“Exactly.” He grabs a bottle of mirin and splashes a glug onto the sizzling pan. “But I hope your work is going well. Seems like you’ve been pretty much killing it with the illustrations and the murals.”

“Yeah, my Valentine’s Day cards sold really well.” I boast. “Right now I’m working on some for Father’s day.”

“Ah, an important day.”

“Right.” I say, knowing that we both have relatively useless fathers. I glance around me to take in the room, with lamps lit and casting warm light over the furniture. There are candles lighting too, dotted around on various shelves and tables, and a shiver of something, maybe appreciation, or comfort, ripples through me. “It’s so nice to be here.”

“I know, it’s actually so rare that one of us is in the other’s space like this, isn’t it?” A pause. “Except for the last time I saw you, obviously, and I bled all over your kitchen table, which we can strike from the record.”

I chuckle. “I think it counts. It was pretty fun, even with all of the blood.”

“Did you ever get that t-shirt cleaned?”

“Oh god, no. It was destroyed, but don’t worry, I chucked it into the bin.”

“Glad to know you haven’t been wearing it around the place.”

“How’s your eyebrow now, by the way?”

He turns to grin at me. “Scarred.”

“Oh, no way.” I say, and he comes to lean on the counter so that we’re eye to eye and I can see it,  the skin shiny and pink, and it slices right through his eyebrow, forging a gap in its wake. “Wow.” I say “I can’t lie, it’s a bit iconic.” 

“Sexy, right?” He says proudly, and his eyes do a quick tour of my features. He gently takes his lower lip into his mouth, like he’s thinking about saying something else, but then Jonas makes a loud entrance and throws open the fridge to grab a bottle of beer. “Hello again, Evie Kilbride.” He says loudly. “I’ve heard that you will be choosing the movie tonight”

“Am I?” I say. “I suppose that I can, if you like.”

“Yes.” He says. “I just have the feeling that you have the very best taste in everything. It’s all in your hands.”

After dinner, the four of us settle around the television and watch Black Swan. It’s late now, and we are tired, and nobody says a single word, no questions, no comments. When Jude shifts positions next to me and accidentally presses his thigh against mine I wait for him to move it, but he doesn’t. In the dark of this room, where the only light is the glow from the television screen, I risk a glance at his face, and he looks right back at me, saying nothing. But I swear there’s something in his eyes, because at that moment they seem to glitter even brighter than the city lights outside the window.

Beginning // Prev // Next

[echidna-enquiries]

simple question, everyones favourite food?

Fae: Oooh!! (her eyes sparkle and her ears perk up) Simple but fun! No pictures for today sadly as I'll be here all day filling up a long post but lets start!

Knuckles is grapes (obviously), fruits are his sweet spot! Likes eating all fruits and fruity drinks... which is ironically considering his dad struggles to consume anything that is fresh.... same here honestly.

Lance says he likes chicken, especially tenders or nuggets... or tendies as we both call them hehe~ Usually giving him a box of nuggets is how you bribe him to do stuff for you. He drinks a lot of energy drinks and soft drinks too... the family have to practically force him to eat greens and drink water.

Salem says he has a pescatarian diet, which means he only eats fish as a meat. Which works out nicely as his favourite is fish and chips. He's also a sucker for tea.

Oh god Cedar, he's got a massive sweet tooth, they LOVE baking... to the point of our pain. They try out all these vintage baking recipes and sometimes... they're downright awful. He gets a kick out of it, I don't know what their favourite recipe is though, he's not here right now so I can't ask him. Shockingly though his favourite drinks are Irish whiskeys and ciders. Dude can hold his liquor...

Journey is like Cedar and LOVES sweet stuff, but prefers other pastries. especially doughnuts!! And for drinks she likes cream soda or root beer floats.

After asking Tiberius, his answer was.. not at all surprising. He says he likes barbecued meats but his favourite are hot dogs... it was hard not making a wiener joke to his face because he gets so mad whenever anyone makes jokes like that around him and with drinks he wasn't specific. Just says he looks a good booze to go with it... Again, not surprising....

Sorrel's favourite dish is sushi, thanks to it being a common thing he'd have as a kid when his grandmother would visit! Then, he started going on about how healthy it is. When I tried asking what his drink of choice was he water... I had to bug him to give me an answer that meant favourite and not just what he tries to drink the most. He EVENTUALLY said lemonades and iced tea.

For Seth, man he was going back and forth. Girlie was struggling to choose a favourite. The best answer he could settle on was dumplings or curries, exact recipes change. For drinks they said Iced Coffee was their go to.

Theodore says he likes pies, when I asked if he had particular flavours, he said apple and plum... and he told me he liked plums since his wife cooked things with plums. That man is too sweet for his own good I swear. ;-; Oh and for drinks, Seth got him really into Boba tea when a place opened on Angel Island. They go to get drinks there all the time.

Chase is suuuuper into breakfast foods it seems. Says his favourite food are pancakes, he loves coating them in berries. And drinks he loves fruit smoothies and juices.... he like Sorrel says he likes to try and drink a lot of water. I really thought he'd drink energy drinks more but he said and I quote "Do I look like Lance?".

Morgan gave a very simple answer, food? Pasta. Drink? Wine. When I asked for anything specific she just said all "All... or answers change depending on the mood". She knows what she likes and I admire that.

Johnathan screamed PIZZA when I asked him anything closely related to food... and tbh I love him for that pizza good. For drinks he likes daiquiris and slushies.

Last time Coal was here I asked about his favourite food and he said quickly how he loves a good burger... I didn't ask for specific recipes cause I knew he'd go on for a while. For drinks he said he likes Mojitos... and Johnathan said he also has a guilty pleasure for cirtus-y sodas even though Coal denies it, hehehe.

I dont' even have to ask Rhett what foods he likes, he LOOOOOVES cheese!! If he's able to he'll add cheese to anything he can to eat. He especially has a soft spot for Grilled Cheeses or Cheeseburgers... and I feel on him on that they're soooo goooood. When I asked about drinks he actually got stuck, poor fella couldn't decide. No worries, Rhett. ^v^

Hadar loves strawberry stuff! Strawberries solo, chocolate dipped strawberries, strawberry milkshakes! He loves strawberries! but he wanted to clarify that he can't stand 'artificial' flavoring, he makes his own shakes from home because of that.

Marcello told me he likes Icecream! He'll eat it all year round, even in the dead of winter he'll eat it! And he likes caramel flavoured drinks, especially frappes!

And now Shepherd. I know the boss man practically lives off of coffee and he clearly likes them. Food though he wont' say outloud but I know the answer, we all do... he's got a softspot for cookies! I've seen boxes in his office when I have to go in there. I pretend I didn't see anything though. Hehehe~

Fae: OKAY! That's everyone, you can see why I didn't post any photos... although doing little doodles of everyone enjoying their favourite foods would've been adorable!

Fae:...uhh not sure how to finish this of so just in case, um... my favourite foods are french fries and chicken schniztel! annnd drink? I like a Diet Chao Cola. :3

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 21 - Cusco

The Incan gods seem to the telling us our time in Cusco is up and we should move on. After a crappy night sleep due to dog barking, we realise that we’ve lost our zoom camera lens. We bought this specifically for the jungle which is where we are heading next so it’s a bit frustrating. I shoot off a bunch of messages to see if it’s been handed in anywhere but keep expectations low. I take a shower and as soon as I’ve put shampoo in my hair the hot water stops. Jack gets the owner to soon fix it but I freeze in the meantime. At breakfast the only other family in the room are coughing all over us and then the child vomits down the stairs - nice! We ask the hostel if we can change rooms to a quieter one - the older lady at the front desk doesn’t speak English but is nice and offers us a room with no window but a huge bed. We figure it might be a little better in terms of noise so move all of our stuff. Next we go outside to grab an Uber and a stray dog cocks his leg on me 😫

We take the Uber to Q’enco archeological site, but it’s one of the less impressive sites and neither of us are really in the mood so it’s a short stop.

We Uber back to the city - we desperately need a refuge so we head to Mollys Irish bar and have a beer. I get a chicken salad to try feign some semblance of a healthy diet whilst Jack gets the hearty Irish stew.

After a while we’ve recovered enough that we can face the outside world again, but baby steps so we go straight to Starbucks for a coffee and sort through some photos.

Next up, another massage - we are determined to enjoy this day!! This one is a bit more remedial but my muscles are aching today so perhaps that’s not a bad thing.

For dinner we go to a cute Italian restaurant (only 4 tables) and share lasagne & pesto pasta along with a passion fruit pisco sour. YUMMM.

We take a quick look at a camera store and are amazed when we see our exact lens on sale but it turns out to be S/2800 - wayyy too much money.

Back at the hostel and the younger (son?) owner tries to rip us off with the exchange rate and then denies that he did it at all. Jack lets him have it.

Time for bed. I hope that dog isn’t back!

[askwhatsforlunch]

Saint Patrick’s Day’s Table

Saint Patrick’s Day may be a very happy one for the Irish this year, with the Ireland XV one (rugby) game away from a Six Nations Grand Slam! As I am not a sore loser, and I love good food, I may join in the craic! And with a glass of good Irish whisky and these few recipes, so can you! Cheers!

Breads, Loaves and Oatcakes

Stout Loaf

Dill Soda Bread

Cheddar and Ale Soda Bread

Donegal Oatcakes

Soda Bread II

Oatcakes

Breakfast

Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)

Tea

Maíre’s Potato Scones

Meat

Beer Battered Sausages

Dublin Coddle

Irish Beef and Vegetable Stew

Sides

Colcannon

Champ

Sweet and Alcoholic Drinks

Irish Hot Chocolate (Alcoholic)

Irish Coffee (Alcoholic)

[meowtalhead]

My ocs making tea

Midnight: only high quality tea carefully steeped with special consideration for time and temperature. Just enough honey or sugar to lightly sweeten it without altering the delicate and subtle flavors. Little, if any, milk or cream. Served from a very fancy teapot into beautiful dainty teacups with skeletons and poisonous flowers painted on them

Andrea: likes herbal and floral tea, with honey and lemon to keep her throat in good shape for SCREAMING. Collects cute teacups and mugs with kittens on them. Served with tiny sandwiches and scones

Shredwin: normal store brand tea, just follows the directions on the box if there are any, in whatever glass happens to be in the cabinet. Honestly prefers coffee

Easton: likes strong, rich, black tea like Irish breakfast tea. steeped for far too long, way too much cream and sugar, served in a coffee mug with bacon, eggs, waffles, and hash browns. Loves tea but he's really more of a hot chocolate guy

Veronica: steeped in microwaved bailey's, sweetened with maple syrup, in a novelty beer glass with an inappropriate pun on it

Kevin: only drinks gasoline

[edgessunflower]

Shot shot shots

Pairing: Bayley x Fem reader

Description: After getting a bit carried away while celebrating your Wrestlemania win, your fiancee Bayley helps you

Gif credits to @rebecca-quin

"Cheeeeers!" You yell as you and your friends and fellow wrestlers take shots of tequila, you were all not only celebrating your win but also some of your friend's wins at Wrestlemania. You laugh as you have Rhea in a hug while holding hands with Liv in between sipping on a Mai Tai as you feel everything become more vibrant and more slow as time went on, you became more giggly and even fell out of your chair but luckily Sasha was behind you and caught you "Okay I think you've had enough of a party" you lean on rhea as she laugh and drinks beer while sasha went outside and called bayley, who quickly grabbed her jacket and drove to the bar. She walks in behind sasha to see you swaying as you climb on rhea's back after you and liv shared an Irish coffee together, she shakes her head laughing as she watches rhea carry you around the bar while you hiccup and giggle as you are piggybacked around the bar until you perk up seeing your fiancee a couple of feet away, slowly climbing off rhea's back and with help from Liv and Raquel you make it to bayley and pull her in a hug as you smile big "Baby! What are you doing here?!" she laughs as you walk out the bar together after saying goodbye to everyone as they each slowly get ready to leave and head home mostly likely to sleep off the hangovers, you dance as music plays on the radio making bayley giggle uncontrollably as she drives back home, she helps you inside and change into loose clothing and you fall asleep after eating dinner together. You wake up later on to see bayley doing laundry and you definitely feel like you had fallen off a building, you run to the bathroom and throw up with bayley behind you holding your hair until you were done, she rubs circles on your back and gives you pain meds to help as you lay back down and watch tv, cuddling in her side until you fell back asleep and woke up feeling a bit better as you and her eat breakfast in bed together.

[slowroadtosantiago]

Day 19 - Hornillos to Castrojeriz

(Posting delay of yesterday’s walk as there was rubbish signal and wifi at the albergue)

It was about a 20k day, 12 miles or so.

Each day when we set off I think ‘what on earth am I going to write about today? It’s not a long day, we eat, we walk’ and each day something different happens…so here’s today’s story.

After a reasonable night’s sleep we were rudely awoken by an alarm going off at 6, and people shuffling about and opening the door. Then the light went on, hrmph!

We had breakfast at the hostel then set off about 7:20 with full packs today. My blisters have now all healed so I walked without plasters, and Jane was walking for the first time without strapping her feet up too. Jane’s heel is also OK after rest.

There was a steady climb out of the valley onto the plateau at the top. It was a cooler morning but we still stripped of our jackets half way up. The land is very open with chalk white soil on the hillsides. The fields are full of barley or wheat and young poppies are just starting to appear on the verges and you can see that in a couple of weeks it will look gorgeous.

Across the plateau we started having a go at the Welsh national anthem. My Bethan is going to send through a line a day to learn so we should have it sorted by the time we finish!

We were caught up by an Irish couple who had heard the ‘singing’ and we chatted about our journeys. They were travelling light and doing it in stages so soon sped past us.

Scott also caught us up and we walked down into Hontanas together for our first proper coffee of the day. Hontanas is a nice place that just suddenly appears as it’s down in a dip. On the way out we passed an old 2CV, haven’t seen one of those for ages, and whereas you usually see a fountain cherub having a wee, today we saw a full sized version!

The path followed a nice valley and where it joined the road again we found a comfortable spot under a proper tree to have a rest and change into our sandals.

The road eventually led to an old ruined monastery at San Anton where there was a huge arch over the road and where some of the old buildings had been preserved as an albergue.

The last stretch on a long straight road brought us to Castrojeriz looking impressive in the distance with a castle on the hill and church down below.

Our hostel is clean and the beds not too rickety. It is also unusual as the evening meal is South Korean inspired.

We dumped our stuff then found a cafe for a beer and some lunch for me - I had been looking forward to a wedge of tortilla. We met up with the Texans in the same cafe though they are sleeping elsewhere tonight. We clocked that the church was closed so would visit it later.

Back at the hostel it was time for a shower and a chill. We then had a mammoth session sat in the garden planning out the rest of our trip. Nicole, the Australia, was planning on celebrating her birthday on the 15th of May in Herrerías so we’ve worked out how to get there for then. At the moment it looks like we may get to Santiago on the 24th May and fly out on the 28th, but things can change.

We decided that after all that hard work we deserved a glass of wine so started making our way to the local bar. The clouds behind were very ominous.

The church on the way was open so we thought to drop in there first. It’s a museum as well and the guardian very enthusiastically talked about some of the exhibits, in Spanish, so we nodded along enthusiastically too!

As we reached the entrance again the skies started to open up. We decided the better course of action was to get back to the hostel. As we were running back it started hail storming! A bit damp we got back and watched the streams of water running down the street.

After a while we were called to dinner. The Korean meal was delicious. There was rice on the bottom and different veg arranged on top along with ground beef. You then added a fried egg, soy sauce, miso soup and as much spicy red sauce you could manage and mixed it all together. We’ve got quite a few Koreans in the bunkhouse and they enjoyed it very much.

We’re now in our bunks listening to the thunder outside. The bad weather is due to move off tonight and we should have a dry day tomorrow, fingers crossed.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Thanks for tagging me, J!!! It’s so true, you can learn a lot about someone from these answers!

Eggs: Over medium. I’ve been on an egg in a hole kick lately but there’s really no wrong way. I’m not a fan of just whites though.

Steak: Medium or medium rare. One funny story about me and steak is that I almost choked to death on one at the exact moment that my now husband and I were announcing to his parents that we were engaged. Yup. Had to be saved by a waiter and everything. That’s me, though. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Milk: I can’t have dairy so it’s cashew or oat for me. Cashew ice cream is the absolute best alternative. (But i was raised on 2%)

Alcohol: haha so in addition to dairy I also cannot have gluten so I *used* to be a craft beer girl, but since there are sooooooooo few gf beers and most of them are not great, I’ve become a wine girl. Partial to semi dry reds but love a good sav blanc in the summer.

Warm drink: Coffee with cocoa powder mixed in, or Irish breakfast tea. Cider in the Fall.

Tagging: @practicalghost @valkblue @pheedraws @littlemisspascal @katareyoudrilling and anyone else who wants to play!

[atplblog]

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[thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels]

Here, let me👩‍🍳

Your Sunday treat has arrived☕️🧋🍵

What am I serving you, lovely?😌 Which way do you take yours?

(If you don't drink alcohol, let me know what your fun drink is! Your go-to gas station grab for a road trip or walk in the park💕💕)

egg:

steak:

milk:

alcohol:

warm drink:

grace my love I am on my hands and knees begging bc this is the sweetest ask ever and it took me eons to answer it BUT I am here and this is so cute ook ok

egg ?? egg my beloved ?? one thing abt me btw is that I NEED to have eggs for breakfast or I will have an unhappy day. fried or scrambled or omelette or benedict or or or but really just a plain old fried egg on toast is my favourite low effort no thoughts required breakfast

steak hmmmm rare. I like a filet mignon and I do medium rare usually but blue rare is v v good

milk !! I am,,, a milk drinker. I am drinking a glass of milk as we speak. someone told me once that I drink milk like I'm cracking open a cold beer at the end of a long day and it haunts me bc it's true. gimme a glass of milk

alcohol hm hm my go to is an old fashioned I LOVE them by I am tempted sometimes by my beloved ICE cold vodka martini with a lemon twist. also I LOVE caesars I am truly canadian

annnnnd warm drink oh my god I think a good cup of tea could save my life. I am a warm drink enthusiast I literally have an entire set of shelves in my kitchen dedicated to warm drinks tea and coffee and hot chocolate and and and but tea is so nice. earl grey. irish breakfast. chai. we could be here all day

[mygainyear2024]

Day 4 Off the beaten track and 22,579 steps to language school

After breakfast I headed to the gym to do my own (the exercise physio's) program which went pretty smoothly. It wasn't too crowded and I found what I needed. I still managed to miss a turn getting there!

After much fluffing around on the computer, I finally got out the door and headed to Alvor for lunch and my first Portugese lesson at Golfland (basically a putt putt). I posted a question about a month ago on a Facebook page enquiring about language classes and had one response, they put me in touch with Rebecca Cuddeford.

I thought I might walk based on the advice of the Canadian couple I met yesterday, although they indicated the coastal route was the one they took. Given my tardiness I decided to follow the maps.me instructions inland. I did notice the path seemed to go off road, but I went with it and saw a different side of the Algarve. It was quite warm today, around 20-21°, I felt the heat walking in the middle of the day. I was also feeling a tad adventurous, not knowing what might be around a corner, until I started listening to a podcast on the Women Who Travel, Condé Nast Traveler program. Alice Morrison walked across Morocco with three nomads and six camels over 7 months. I think she said she did 70,000kms!! Now that's adventure.

I booked lunch at Ria de Alvor at Wyndam Residences. I enjoyed my fresh herb crusted cod, sadly without wine. I just could not entertain the idea of a glass of Mateus and there was no other rosé by the glass. Later, one of the participants in the language school told me that she'd never eat there! Despite all my research prior to coming I had of course missed the main attractions in Alvor, the harbour and its restaurants, and some cute shops I saw on the way to the bus. This was also the case with Ferragudo yesterday, me in the industrial area, while apparently a different world awaits (realised after I did a review of my copious notes). Luckily I'm here for a while and can return.

I had thought about walking back along the coastal route into Praia da Rocha for gelato, but the language teacher advised against it on my own. The reason, the path is not always obvious and can crumble away! Falling off cliff tops before I actually retire is not something on my bucket list. I do have some women who responded to other Facebook posts I wrote (I sent messages to them today announcing my arrival) so I'll ask their advice and whether they'd like to join me. Otherwise Gary, who attended the class today, is a member of a walking group/s and knows everybody, according to the teacher! I had a lovely quick informative chat with Michelle and ?? about owning property in Portugal. They are still based in the UK, but holiday regularly in Portugal. They said they do pay tax in both countries, but there's some arrangement between Portugal and the UK.

It was a fast paced lesson. Rebecca moved to Portugal eight years ago and within four years started to teach. For €5 per hour payg there were about 15 of us. I was the only Australian and I think I heard all British and Irish accents, some sounded quite funny speaking Portugese. I think they were mostly retired, there was one guy who is an actor and he was switched on with it and sounded fabulous. It is an interesting language, there seems to be some German, French, Italian and maybe Spanish influences. Ricardo, the trainer at the gym last night, sounded like he was saying German words (maybe he was!). Anyway aside from Olá (Hi), obrigada (thank you), um galão (a frothy milky coffee), pastel de nata (Portugese tart), I can now practice Chamo-me Jody (my name is Jody), como estás (how are you?), muito benn (very good), quero uma cerveja (I'd like a beer!). We did practice what was taught last week and then moved on to months of the year and numbers.

I ended the outing with a triple scoop gelato (ricotta & café, pistacchio italiano and my preference, crosscantino & rum) from Gelateria Sorbetto, in Praia da Rocha, only a 12 minute walk from my apartment. It was excelente!

I'm pleased to announce the €2.99 (discounted from €5) bottle of rosé from Setúbal is drinkable. It went down well with my homemade (em casa) prawn fried rice, which was still edible with the notes of turps syrah splashed in as stock!

[udo0stories]

Posted: 3/1/2024 | March 1st, 2024 Dublin is a literary, gloomy city. Because there are so many writers and poets living there, it is an excellent city for history buffs and book lovers. There are castles, classic pubs, and lots of live music venues to be found here. Dublin's relatively small size makes it simple to visit all the attractions, events, and walking tours. On foot, you can go almost anywhere. Consequently, unless it is far from the center, do not worry too much about a hotel's location when considering one. Additionally, the city's tram system facilitates easy transportation. Here is my selection of Dublin's top hotels: 1. Hotel Harcourt This three-star hotel is situated in the heart of the city and is housed in a collection of old Georgian townhouses from the eighteenth century, one of which was once owned by renowned author George Bernard Shaw. There is a restaurant and beer garden on site, as well as a bar with live music every weekend. The rooms are not large, but they have lots of natural light, wooden accents, and lovely color pops that make the room feel brighter. Each room has a desk, flatscreen TV, free Wi-Fi, and comfortable beds. The bathrooms are rather small, but they have excellent water pressure, which is a huge plus in my opinion. There is also breakfast included. 2. Clarence Hotel Located in the boisterous Temple Bar area, this hotel was bought by Bono and the Edge from U2 in 1992. It was completely renovated a few years later and is considered one of the coolest places to stay in the city (though it’s no longer owned by the duo). A boutique four-star property, the hotel has an arty, quirky design that features lots of colorful art and wallpaper. The rooms were designed by Irish artisans and feature stylish custom furnishings like white oak floors, colorful and plush headboards, and unique artwork on the walls. The bathrooms have powerful rainfall shower heads as well as limestone flooring and tiled walls. In-room amenities include the standard offerings (flatscreen TV, desk, minibar, coffee/tea maker, desks). Downstairs, there’s a luxurious cocktail bar and a fantastic restaurant serving elevated Irish fare, including daily breakfast and a bottomless brunch on Sundays.   3. Maldron Hotel, Kevin Street Situated on the edge of the Portobello neighborhood, the Maldron is a comfortable place to stay with a view of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It’s a sleek four-star hotel with a simple, minimalist design. The rooms are large with lots of natural light, and the beds are large and comfortable. You also get flat-screen TVs, coffee and tea makers, desks, and free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms are spacious, with showers that have good water pressure. I loved the breakfast buffet, which had tons of variety and lots of fresh fruit. It’s a great place to stay if you want to be centrally located. 4. The Dean This is a hip and funky boutique hotel. The rooms aren’t huge, but they’re bright and uniquely designed, with colorful furnishings and artwork on the walls. All rooms include a flatscreen smart TV (with streaming services), minibar, Nespresso machines, desk, and free Wi-Fi. The white-tiled bathrooms come with powerful rainfall showers, Bluetooth speakers, and Lux Bath products. I also love the chill rooftop bar and restaurant’s view of the city. There’s also a sauna and a heated outdoor pool. Overall, you really get a lot of value here, considering the amenities and central location.   5. The Alex Just south of the Docklands, this is a comfortable and stylish four-star hotel. The rooms here are sleek, with rich, deep colors and elegant design touches (like artwork and wooden desks). The beds are large and comfortable, and rooms also boast large smart TVs, desks, and fast Wi-Fi. While the standard rooms don’t have a coffee/tea maker, there is a café on-site where you can grab a drink. I especially liked the rainfall showers, as they had great pressure. The staff here really go out of their way to help and keep things clean (the property is always spotless).

The hotel also has a fitness center and a few excellent in-house eateries. The buffet breakfast (which can be included in your stay) has a ton of options too.   6. The Spencer Hotel This four-star hotel overlooks the river and boasts an array of upscale amenities, including an indoor pool, a fitness center, a cocktail bar, and a cozy restaurant. The breakfast is great too, with lots of variety (including vegetarian and vegan options). If you happen to be traveling by car, they have a secure parking lot on-site (which isn’t common in Dublin). Rooms here are spacious and minimally designed in a soft, pastel color palette. They have lots of natural light too, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bathrooms are also large, with a shower/tub combo and complimentary Rituals bath products. Rooms also have a mini-fridge and a coffee/tea maker. It’s a classy property that offers excellent value for your money. 7. The Hendrick Smithfield This fun and quirky three-star hotel is covered in artwork by local artists. The rooms aren’t huge, but they make good use of the space and have all the standard amenities, including flatscreen TVs, coffee and tea makers, desks, and Wi-Fi. Some rooms even have bunk beds, which makes it a nice choice for traveling families. The bathrooms are well lit, and the showers have good pressure. There’s a bar on-site if you get thirsty, with over a dozen beers on tap. The Hendrick is a solid midrange option in Smithfield, a less-touristed and hip area of the city with great pubs and cool coffee shops.   I always love visiting Dublin. Brimming with cozy pubs, world-class whiskey, and home to an impressive literary history, Dublin is a city with character and one of my favorite places to visit in Europe. Stay at one of the hotels above to supercharge your visit.  Posted: 3/1/2024 | March 1st, 2024 Dublin is a literary, gloomy city. Because there are so many writers and poets living there, it is an excellent city for history buffs and book lovers. There are castles, classic pubs, and lots of live music venues to be found here. Dublin's relatively small size makes it simple to visit all the attractions, events, and walking tours. On foot, you can go almost anywhere. Consequently, unless it is far from the center, do not worry too much about a hotel's location when considering one. Additionally, the city's tram system facilitates easy transportation. Here is my selection of Dublin's top hotels: 1. Hotel Harcourt This three-star hotel is situated in the heart of the city and is housed in a collection of old Georgian townhouses from the eighteenth century, one of which was once owned by renowned author George Bernard Shaw. There is a restaurant and beer garden on site, as well as a bar with live music every weekend. The rooms are not large, but they have lots of natural light, wooden accents, and lovely color pops that make the room feel brighter. Each room has a desk, flatscreen TV, free Wi-Fi, and comfortable beds. The bathrooms are rather small, but they have excellent water pressure, which is a huge plus in my opinion. There is also breakfast included. 2. Clarence Hotel Located in the boisterous Temple Bar area, this hotel was bought by Bono and the Edge from U2 in 1992. It was completely renovated a few years later and is considered one of the coolest places to stay in the city (though it’s no longer owned by the duo). A boutique four-star property, the hotel has an arty, quirky design that features lots of colorful art and wallpaper. The rooms were designed by Irish artisans and feature stylish custom furnishings like white oak floors, colorful and plush headboards, and unique artwork on the walls. The bathrooms have powerful rainfall shower heads as well as limestone flooring and tiled walls. In-room amenities include the standard offerings (flatscreen TV, desk, minibar, coffee/tea maker, desks). Downstairs, there’s a luxurious cocktail bar and a fantastic restaurant serving elevated Irish fare, including daily breakfast and a bottomless brunch on Sundays.

  3. Maldron Hotel, Kevin Street Situated on the edge of the Portobello neighborhood, the Maldron is a comfortable place to stay with a view of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It’s a sleek four-star hotel with a simple, minimalist design. The rooms are large with lots of natural light, and the beds are large and comfortable. You also get flat-screen TVs, coffee and tea makers, desks, and free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms are spacious, with showers that have good water pressure. I loved the breakfast buffet, which had tons of variety and lots of fresh fruit. It’s a great place to stay if you want to be centrally located. 4. The Dean This is a hip and funky boutique hotel. The rooms aren’t huge, but they’re bright and uniquely designed, with colorful furnishings and artwork on the walls. All rooms include a flatscreen smart TV (with streaming services), minibar, Nespresso machines, desk, and free Wi-Fi. The white-tiled bathrooms come with powerful rainfall showers, Bluetooth speakers, and Lux Bath products. I also love the chill rooftop bar and restaurant’s view of the city. There’s also a sauna and a heated outdoor pool. Overall, you really get a lot of value here, considering the amenities and central location.   5. The Alex Just south of the Docklands, this is a comfortable and stylish four-star hotel. The rooms here are sleek, with rich, deep colors and elegant design touches (like artwork and wooden desks). The beds are large and comfortable, and rooms also boast large smart TVs, desks, and fast Wi-Fi. While the standard rooms don’t have a coffee/tea maker, there is a café on-site where you can grab a drink. I especially liked the rainfall showers, as they had great pressure. The staff here really go out of their way to help and keep things clean (the property is always spotless). The hotel also has a fitness center and a few excellent in-house eateries. The buffet breakfast (which can be included in your stay) has a ton of options too.   6. The Spencer Hotel This four-star hotel overlooks the river and boasts an array of upscale amenities, including an indoor pool, a fitness center, a cocktail bar, and a cozy restaurant. The breakfast is great too, with lots of variety (including vegetarian and vegan options). If you happen to be traveling by car, they have a secure parking lot on-site (which isn’t common in Dublin). Rooms here are spacious and minimally designed in a soft, pastel color palette. They have lots of natural light too, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bathrooms are also large, with a shower/tub combo and complimentary Rituals bath products. Rooms also have a mini-fridge and a coffee/tea maker. It’s a classy property that offers excellent value for your money. 7. The Hendrick Smithfield This fun and quirky three-star hotel is covered in artwork by local artists. The rooms aren’t huge, but they make good use of the space and have all the standard amenities, including flatscreen TVs, coffee and tea makers, desks, and Wi-Fi. Some rooms even have bunk beds, which makes it a nice choice for traveling families. The bathrooms are well lit, and the showers have good pressure. There’s a bar on-site if you get thirsty, with over a dozen beers on tap. The Hendrick is a solid midrange option in Smithfield, a less-touristed and hip area of the city with great pubs and cool coffee shops.   I always love visiting Dublin. Brimming with cozy pubs, world-class whiskey, and home to an impressive literary history, Dublin is a city with character and one of my favorite places to visit in Europe. Stay at one of the hotels above to supercharge your visit. 

[helenaheissner]

A Dream of Summer Rain: In the Far-Away Here-and-Now (Chapter 22)

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read twenty chapters ahead on this story, three chapters ahead on "Love During Robot Fighting Time", as well as two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

***

They had a week to prepare, and Lacy wanted to use as much of that week as possible for training. And so, the next day, she rolled out of bed and plodded through the full bore of her raging hangover and went over to Gwen and Quentin’s room.

Lacy braced herself for Gwen’s ‘mistress of pain’ monologue… Only to hear Quentin utter, “Now then, dirty girl, you are going bend over.”

“Yes master,” Gwen breathed.

“Good. Now spread ‘em!”

Good for them. Variety is the spice of life, Lacy thought. 

Then she knocked, and quickly thereafter she heard Quentin say, “Safeword.”

Gwen quickly added, “Dang it. Just a sec, Lacy!”

It was more than a sec. It was at least a dozen secs, probably significantly more. Finally, Gwen, her hair a mess of bedhead, a leather corset clearly visible underneath her bathrobe, answered the door. “Hi.”

“Hi. I, uh, was hoping we could train today.”

“Of course, of course. Just give me a bit- I need to shower.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Lacy smirked. 

Gwen chuckled. “Don’t be a little shit. I’ll meet you in the lobby in twenty minutes.”

“Can we eat breakfast first- my head is throbbing.”

“Yeah, no prob. Get us a seat at the buffet.”

Lacy obliged, and when Gwen joined her downstairs Lacy had sat herself at a table by the window in the white and gray restaurant. She had piled her plate full of bacon, potatoes, fruit, and pastries and had shoveled half of it down her gullet by the time Gwen sat down. 

“How you doing, kiddo?” Gwen asked, a smug smile on her face. 

“I feel like death.” I feel guilty. I feel ashamed. I feel like my parents.

“How much did you drink?”

“Is it that obvious?” Lacy asked. 

“To me? Yes. Very much so. So how much-”

“Seven or eight shots of whiskey. Maybe nine.” Just like them. 

“How-”

“Probably some spritzers, too. And a few beers. Danny must’ve found every drop of hooch in Illinois.” Fucking hell why did I do that why why why-

“I’m surprised you can put away that much,” Gwen said. 

“I’m Irish. It’s my heritage. Un-fucking-fortunately.” Fucking pathetic island trash.

The hotel staff all shot her flabbergasted looks. Lacy grunted. 

“Yeah, you might want some coffee,” Gwen said. 

“No. Literally anything but that.” Kill me. 

“How do you not like coffee?” Gwen asked. 

“I like having my stomach lining intact.” Can practically hear Mom lecturing me over her bottle of white wine right now. 

“Says the girl who drank an entire liquor store last night.”

“Uhhhhhh,” Lacy groaned as she ate a whole muffin in one bite. 

“Oh well then,” Gwen said. She left the table, and when she returned, she had a bagel and lox with a tall mug of hot black coffee. 

Lacy balked at her mentor’s taste in breakfast. “Sometimes you sicken me, Gwen.”

“Sometimes I sicken myself,” Gwen laughed, stealing a muffin from Lacy’s plate. And then a waiter came over a glass of cold black liquid and placed it in front of Lacy. 

“What the fuck is this?” Lacy said. 

The waiter said, “Language, young man.”

“I’m a girl, jackass.”

“Oh, my apologies. Language, young lady.”

“Fine. What the heck is this, kind sir?”

“Cold brew coffee, ordered for you by your friend.”

Lacy side-eyed Gwen. 

“Drink up,” Gwen said, taking a sip of her own hot mug. 

Lacy obliged, and for the first time sampled a coffee she didn’t immediately wish to spit out. “This is… Actually kinda good.”

“Yeah, I had them add a lot of sugar for you,” Gwen said. 

“‘Cause I’m so sweet?” Lacy monotoned. God I’m a hypocrite. 

Gwen clapped her on the shoulder. “Now you’re gettin’ it!”

Lacy slowly drank the rest of her coffee, and by the time she’d finished it and another plate full of greasy buffet food, her head had stopped feeling like a patch of street recently acquainted with a road roller. 

Gwen paid the bill, and they headed out. “Feelin’ better?”

“Much. God, I’m never doing that again.” Seriously, me, don’t ever fucking do that again. Not one drop. Ever. 

“Fffff.”

“What?”

“Ah, just a feeling I know real well.” They walked out into the parking lot.

Lacy’s brow furrowed. They found one of the Winnebagos, climbed aboard. Gwen reached for the ignition, keys in hand. Shame burned through Lacy once again, followed by resentment. Followed by a question that had been on her mind for a few weeks now, one she’d taken great care not to ask. But given they probably only had a week left to live, now seemed like a good time. “Are you an alcoholic?” 

Gwen’s hand stayed stuck with the key in the ignition. “Lacy-”

“That was rude, wasn’t it?” Lacy, you idiot.

“Yeah, you can’t really go around asking people that.”

“Why not?”

Gwen started the car and began the process of driving them out into the Illinois sprawl. “Because it’s inappropriate.”

“Why? It seems like a relevant question,” Lacy said, fidgeting in her seat. They drove through weaves of automobiles, the clamor of the city drowning individual heartbeats in a percussive slush. 

Gwen took them off main street and onto a sideroad, plunging southeast. “Because it’s personal, Lacy. Really personal. Involves stuff that-”

Lacy rolled her eyes. “Gwen, there’s a lot of personal stuff going around lately.”

“What does that mean?”

An aftershock of her hangover barraged the inside of Lacy’s skull. She had to say it- it was becoming way too pressing not to say it. “That a lot of it seems to come back to you.”

“... My family is involved in this, yes.”

It’s been months since you started teaching me and you still speak in vagaries half the time. “Yeah, and you get real touchy about it whenever anyone brings it up, even though it’s kinda something we need to be able to discuss openly.”

“Okay, and what does that have to do with me being an alcoholic?”

“... Nothing.” Guilt and shame speared Lacy once again, and the hangover salted the wound. Shouldn’t have said that, shouldn’t have-

“Then why are you asking?” Gwen snapped, eyes wide with anger. 

Now that was something Lacy recognized. There it fucking is.  

They drove through a suburban neighborhood. Children played roller-hockey at the end of a cul de sac to their left, while mulberries and sycamores lined the roads. 

“Lacy,” Gwen said. 

Lacy sat on her hands and pressed her face against the window. 

“You don’t just get to ask that and then go silent when I call you on it!” Gwen snapped. 

Lacy heaved a pregnant sigh. This was a mistake. She shouldn’t have said anything. Should’ve left it be. Shouldn’t have drunk so much last night, elsewise she might not have been dumb enough to ask. Too late now, though. “You haven’t been willing to tell me much about your parents, even though we’re going up against one of them. But I have told you about my parents.”

“What are you getting at?” Gwen asked. 

The neighborhood fell away behind them as they drove out into the open wilderness. 

Fine then. It wasn’t Lacy’s fault Gwen spiked up when interrogated on this topic. “They were both drunks,” Lacy said.

“And what exactly are you insinuating?” Gwen said. “That I might be like them?”

Yes. “I didn’t say that.”

“You implied it.”

Lacy’s eyes narrowed. “Or you’re projecting. All I asked-”

“Was if I was a worthless drunk like them.”

“You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“I beg to differ. Are you sure you’re not projecting?”

No. “You still haven’t answered my original question.”

“Yes!” Gwen shouted. “Okay, there you fucking go! I was a sloppy fucking drunk and it almost killed me. I’m five years sober now, thank you very fucking much, and if you must know I was still a drunk when we first met.” Lacy looked out into the field, the lush farmland surging forth like an explosion of raw nature. “Lacy?” Gwen said. Lacy bit her tongue. She couldn’t say it. She shouldn’t say it. She wouldn’t. “Lacy, for fuck’s sake-”

“Is that why you didn’t take me with you?” Lacy hissed, the words falling out her mouth like gravity itself was tearing them away. 

They came to a stop in a small forest. Gwen got out of the RV, stomped into the dirt. 

“Gwen!” Lacy called after her, unbuckling her seatbelt and jumping out into the valley. 

Her teacher stopped and pivoted to face her. “For your information, yes. Does that make you happy? Does that satisfy you? Knowing that I didn’t take you with me because I was weak, because I was too busy crawling into the bottle? Does that make you feel better, that you had to suffer all those extra years because I was too drunk to take you with me?”

“Yes,” Lacy spat, and immediately rued it. “Wait, no-”

Gwen gave her a deranged smile, and then the middle finger. “No, you don’t get to take that back. But I wanna ask you Lacy, and really think about this- what gives you the right to judge anyone? Who are you to do that? What have you done? You could’ve avenged Drew on your own. You could have gone to avenge your parents on your own. But you didn’t. You chose to come to me for help. Why is that? Why would you go to someone who’d let you down before, who pretty clearly was going to let you down again by not being fucking good enough-”

“That’s not what I-”

“No, but it’s what you meant,” Gwen said, eyes welling up with tears. “Now tell me why? And this better be good.”

Lacy leaned against the back of the RV. “I….” Darkness wrapped around Lacy’s mind, a noose tightening. She stared directly ahead. 

“Lacy,” Drew said. “You know the answer.” 

“I’m scared to do anything on my own,” Lacy said. “I don’t trust myself. Not in the slightest. I’ve got this thing attached to me, this Destiny, that says what I’m supposed to, what I’m gonna do, and it’s just another fucking thing dictating my life to me, trying to make me into someone, something that I’m not, something that I hate, and I’m afraid that if I’m alone with it, if I’m alone at all for too long, I’ll slip up and give in and become a monster. I came to you because I needed a teacher, and you seemed like the best option. And maybe it’s Destiny- maybe our Stars wanted you to teach me. I don’t know what that means, but if I… If I’m gonna have any faith in myself, in my ability to do the right thing in these awful circumstances, then I need to trust it a little bit. I need to believe I can use this power for good. I need to believe that I can… That I can save the world, instead of destroying it. I need to believe in other people too.”

Gwen slumped down, sat in the dirt, brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Fffff is that all?” Lacy’s posture uncoiled as she sat down and leaned against the side of the RV. She wiped her eyes dry. “Yeah. That’s all.”

“You’re afraid you’ll become a monster? Well get in line,” Gwen said with a gentle smirk. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I was… Projecting a bit.”

“I’m sorry for being an asshole,” Lacy said. “That was… That was massively inappropriate. I shouldn’t have asked you that- I shouldn’t have insinuated-”

“I forgive you. And I should’ve been honest.”

Yeah that’d be a start, she thought. She buried the notion in the back of her mind. “Me too,” Lacy said. “I know it’s not rational, wanting justice for my parents when they were fucking horrible, it’s just… I can’t bear the thought of what happened to them. Or maybe I’m just afraid of it happening to me, so I wanna strike back before they can get me.”

“Given our present circumstances, that’s not exactly a radical stance.”

“Heh. Thanks.”

“Ffff okay here’s what you need to know about me,” Gwen said. 

“You don’t need to-”

“Yeah. I do,” Gwen said, raising a palm to cut her off. “My brother Arthur died fighting a ghoul when I was ten. The rest of my siblings… They were… Loyal to my dad’s vision. I wasn’t. It came to a head when I found out Dad was experimenting on my little brother Percival, trying to understand the true nature of Destiny Stars. I stopped him, and they all died in the fight. Morganna, Tristan, Elaine, Iseult, my mother… Even Percival. Baby of the family, caught in the crossfire. Everyone died, save for my father and I. After that I left. I spent a while hunting and wandering, drinking more and more every day to get myself through the pain. It became a problem pretty quickly. There was a brief spot when I first met Quentin where I was able to start cleaning myself up a bit, but then… Then I met you. My Star, back before I’d fully accepted it, led me to you and to Drew. I didn’t know for sure what it meant, but I knew it was important. I wasn’t ready. And you and Drew… When I saw you two, I just saw myself and Arthur all over again. So I turned tail and chugged every bottle I could get my hands on that night. After that things were a blur until I was living on the street, but then finally I got some damn help. Cleaned up. Patched it up with Quentin- by some miracle, he was willing to take me back. I don’t deserve him. And once again, I found myself led back to you, and the more I learn about you the more sense it makes.”

All of that… All of that… Hurt. Knowing that hurt. You knew, Lacy said. You knew who I was and you walked away regardless. But she had to know more. “It does?”

“You and me, we’re gonna save the world,” Gwen said with a deadened look in her eyes. 

Lacy balked. “What if that’s not what the Stars want?”

“Then fuck ‘em. They belong to us, not the other way around. It’s not like we’ve got no choice in what to do with our lives- if we didn’t, I’d still be in the gutter, and you’d still be hiding in your room.”

Lacy wanted to be mad. A part of her was. Gwen had walked away from her, despite knowing or at least suspecting she was supposed to be her teacher. She’d abandoned her… But she came back. When it really counted, when it was well and truly time, Gwen had come back for her and offered to teach her. 

Another part of her was mad at Gwen for not telling her any of this sooner, but at least she was being honest now. And besides, some things were just so personal the idea of telling anyone was an anathema. So tried her best to let it go, to move forward with her teacher at her side. In some ways this was no different than the fight she and Danny had had yesterday, or the skittishness Isabella sometimes demonstrated that Lacy had learned to work around. Everyone had things that made them shut down; the best thing to do was to accept that and try your best to help them through it, try not to take it personally.

And besides, as Gwen had pointed out, Lacy didn’t have that much of a right to judge. It would take a while to accept these secrets and these truths alike, but she would get there eventually. 

Lacy tapped her chest, letting her Star out to dance. She rose to her feet and cracked her knuckles. She offered Gwen a hand up, and she accepted it and rose to her feet.

“In that case, I’d say we have work to do,” Lacy said. 

Gwen nodded. 

Lacy told herself that it would be okay, buried the part of herself that knew it wouldn’t.