#but really it’s them going back and forth naming middle eastern restaurants

[fioletowa-krowa]

I hate itinerary planning meetings so much

[artsychowroamer]

Pick of the Month: Fortify Kitchen & Bar

Author: ArtsyChowRoamer

Pick of the Month

FORTIFY KITCHEN & BAR IN CLAYTON, GEORGIA

One of the main reasons we decided on a road trip to Clayton, Georgia recently was all the noise we had been hearing about the Fortify boys. The friends from days at Lake Rabun together that led them to open their own place down the road a piece. This post will give you all the info on why they are my pick of the month.

Owners Jack Nolan and Chef Jamie Allred have put together a stellar farm to table concept which these days seems to be the mantra of every restaurant. But they really mean it; putting together a video on their website and naming over 20 different local farms they are sourcing from to prove it.

This kind of resources allows Chef Jamie to change up his offerings seasonally. Having just released the fall menu you might think the usual suspects would be on there but there are more than a few surprises and his own take on some oldies but goodies.

RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED

It was suggested to us before that reservations were a good idea even before Covid restrictions limited seating to get the social distancing right. Even though we were visiting mid week 6:30 was the earliest available the week before.

I sent a message that we would like to get in earlier if they had a cancellation at opening time of 5. Don’t roll your eyes at that. We just have found that getting in at opening time insures the least number of people, the speediest service for shorter stays and the best sanitized situation for the evening.

Happy was I to receive a call that day around 2 that they would be able to take us at the earlier time as requested. We left our hotel up the street and walked the few blocks where crowds were already gathering at the door; some with reservations and some without hoping the earlier time would net them a sneak in.

CASUAL COZY ATMOSPHERE

The host and hostess were wearing masks along with our server I was glad to see. The bartender was also masked up and busy with social distanced diners being seated at the bar. This reassured me feeling like they were putting safety front and center for their customers.

The restaurant had a nice casual atmosphere with a coziness from metal details, old brick and traditional light fixtures with a modern twist. I noticed a sign with an arrow that said Local Art and realized that everything on view was most likely for sale by artists living in the community.

I took the opportunity to snap a few photos for this post to give you an idea of what to expect and some of the art the restaurant sports on it’s walls. The waiter dropped by to give us our menus and tell us about the specials for the day while we decided what kind of wine to order.

They have a very nice selection so I tried the William Hill Estate cabernet while my husband decided on a German white Riesling. Both selections were excellent and were terrific with the different breads offered in our bucket along with flavored butters.

FIRST COURSE

Since fall was in the air I decided that a good soup was going to be my first course and went with the Butternut Squash with pumpkin seed pesto, fried sage and a maple drizzle. My husband went for the Short Rib soup on the specials list.

Soups, salads and snacks ranged in price from $6-13. Choices included usual suspects like a Spinach or Caesar salad and fried green tomatoes but Chef’s take and local sourcing added ingredients like pickled red onion, candied bacon, roasted sweet potatoes, poached apples, goat cheese and house made dressings.

Not the usual suspects would be coca cola braised pork cheeks, fried gouda fritters or clams done in a Mexican style. Let me just say those fritters are addictive. One arrived in the middle of my husbands short rib soup and it was heaven in of itself.

The meat was fork tender and tasty like eating barbecue with this crispy melty thingy going on! Hard to describe but most definitely delicious. My soup was luscious, thick and rich with cream. The pesto and sage provided background flavors and texture with added sweetness from the maple drizzle; a perfect cold night Southern dish that will please throughout the fall season.

HARD TO CHOOSE AN ENTREE

We looked over the menu again to pick an entree and it wasn’t easy. He went with the duck breast in a roasted red pepper sauce and I wanted to try seafood and waffled back and forth between the trout and fried shrimp platter ending up with the shrimp. Pricing ranged from $18-35.

Both dishes arrived in a timely fashion as I snapped my pics with nicely composed plates. The only criticism I would offer in this area would be wiped plate rims to meet a more perfect expectation of this level of dining.

I tried the duck first. We were asked if we wanted it medium rare or more. We ordered it medium rare which is the way I think duck breast should be cooked giving you a crispy skin hopefully with a texture on the meat similar to a medium rare steak.

A word about duck expectations. My husband is from Eastern Europe where the duck is most often offered with the bone thereby allowing them to render that duck into fall of the bone capacity. My husband is always expecting that even when it isn’t possible!

I reminded him you can’t do that with no bones-it will only dry it out and make it tough. I loved the dish both texturally and taste wise with a polenta cake and crispy relish of shallots, mushrooms and grapes. Having said that if there were anything to wonder about it was the red pepper sauce.

Lovely in conception but not quite sweet enough for duck I think but I could be wrong. My husband loved the sauce. My dish felt like a homegoing homage to the South with the fried shrimp set off with collard greens, coleslaw and hushpuppies.

Chef’s version of cocktail sauce was a miss for me without the horseradish zing you want. I asked for the Remoulade which was much better and seemed to work well with the other flavors overall. Something called comeback sauce was offered as well.

I’m thinking my next trip will include the trout with lemon scented rice pilaf, pecan roasted brown butter and fresh dill. You probably would be happy with the beef, chicken or pork dishes on offer as well. Sides like fried rice, Napa slaw, beer battered onion rings and buttermilk mashed potatoes all speak to seasonal freshness with a wink to Southern preparation.

DESSERT AND SPECIALTY COCKTAILS

While we were too full to try dessert the choices were tempting and several included chocolate. The photo below will give you a good idea what to expect if you have a sweet tooth.

Besides having nice wine selections Fortify is pretty proud of their signature specialty drinks. There are 8 on the menu for $10 that range from a sour, to an old fashioned along with a Pink Panther and a Smoking Jacket. There is a pleaser for any taste here. The video below will give you a better idea.

A WORD ABOUT PI

Fortify became such an instant hit that they decided to branch out and add the location next door known as Fortify Pi and it’s all about the pizza. You can have one of their designs with the latest and freshest ingredients or you can make your own with different price levels of choices.

They are making some good pie in that restaurant. Sitting at the bar, outside or at a socially distanced table this more casual atmosphere makes for a lively entertaining lunch or dinner choice especially if you can’t get in to the other location. They were crowded as we were leaving from dinner.

CONCLUSION

All in all we enjoyed our road trip to this little gem of an artsy community. You don’t normally find this level of dining and commitment to ingredients in the North Georgia mountains. I can highly recommend you visit the area and don’t miss either of their locations. You won’t be disappointed.

If you enjoyed what you read you might also like other posts under Edible Fare and on Clayton, GA too. Hey, don’t be a stranger! If you visit, let me know what you ate and what you thought. Look for more upcoming posts on this area soon. Until next time…

Cheers!

ArtsyChowRoamer

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[pillowfluffs]

Soulmate!Wonho // Chapter 8

Pairing: Wonho X Reader (female)

Genre: Soulmate!AU, College!AU, fluff, slight angst, mystery? 

Author’s Note: I am so sorry for the long wait, but it’s back! I developed writer’s block whilst writing this chapter so I feel that this isn’t my best chapter and I’m very sorry.. You may think otherwise but this is just from my point of view. I am of course past this block and am working diligently on the future chapters and other works coming soon! I really can’t imagine what my other series’ will be like after? Like this story means so much to me and I love it so much and I’m so happy so many of you enjoy it too! This series only gets juicer from here ;)) So I hope you enjoy chapter 8! And as always, I will be posting a new chapter on Saturday’s 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time (U.S. Time) ((4:00pm Central Time // 2:00pm Pacific Standard Time)) Feedback is greatly appreciated and please look forward to more future works ;) 

Chapter 9 is coming out September 15! I’m SO sorry for the long wait ;(( I’m just very busy, but I will NEVER drop this series! 

The bright morning sun peeked through the leaves, but the dense amount of trees still made it dark. You were calm as you walked through, the sounds of small twigs snapping below your feet as well as the rustling of the leaves as the wind brushed through singing its song. the cool breeze blew through your hair as you walked through the familiar yet somewhat changed place; new trees had begun growing, some were fallen over which created a new path. You didn’t have a set place in mind, just wandering and wondering what would happen when night fell. “Am I going to die again tonight?” The corners of your lips pointed downwards as your pace slowed down just from this thought. So far, you were trying your best to not think about what just happened with your parents; you knew you would cry from it but you would have to confront it either sooner or later.

Changkyun and Wonho left the Arcrani, each with a bubble milk tea in hand after enjoying their dinner beginning to head back to the academy. He knew Changkyun was right but he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling within beginning to eat at him for not finding you. A silent atmosphere surrounded them as they walked down the sidewalk, more people in the streets and less cars. People were out, going to nearby bars, restaurants, other places due to the fairly warm weather for the first time in forever.

“So do you want to stay at my dorm until the harvest moon? I have a couch in my room so you don’t have to go back and forth.” Wonho offered. The two hadn’t shared a room since they were in elementary school together. Their parents moved houses before middle school and high school but the house they currently lived in now was a final home since their children were now going to go to the same college.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have a roommate?” Changkyun didn’t want to intrude on his brother’s nor his possible roommate, but Wonho did make a good point. “And either way, I’m not a student, would that be okay? Won’t security, like, not even let me in?” He felt weary at his brother’s idea, as well as ill at ease, feeling like he would be intruding on his brother’s privacy considering they hadn’t shared a room in many years.

“No one has roommates in Mapnerry; everyone is fortunately able to have their own dorm but we have a shared bathroom between each dorm though.” Wonho nudged his brother, taking a sip of his drink. “Plus, security won’t mind. The only thing they’ll stop you from is if you didn’t have a student ID and you were trying to get into the school, but I do and they’ll allow me a guest.”

Changkyun contemplated, worried about security. “Alright then, if you say so then yeah, thanks. Plus it would be nice to have some company than me going home and being alone since mom and dad are out in a mission.” The two continued walking, almost near the school.

Time had passed since and Changkyun glanced at his brother as he was a step behind him as they walked next to each other. He had never seen his brother so down and gloomy; his head was down as he walked with one hand in his pocket and a clear pout on his face. He wanted his brother to be happy again but he wouldn’t be without you; you were the solution and he didn’t realize this thought until he began thinking about what Wonho and the headmaster said about you. “Wait a minute,” his voice was clear, his eyes looked straight ahead as he processed the next words.

Wonho looked up to his brother. “What?” his voice was monotonous as he looked up. A small spark of hope ignited within him.

“If the headmaster is experiencing energy surges like us and Y/N has the same power as him, then she must be experiencing these surges too right?” Changkyun’s eyes were wide, feeling great.

Wonho’s eyes grew wide from a realization and his mouth created an “o” shape. “That means we, well the professor can locate her with her energy since it’ll be overflowing,” Wonho’s voice was filled with excitement, he was filled with hope but deep down he knew he couldn’t let his hope get too high unless the professor was unable to.

The two now walked faster up towards the open school gates, seeing some students entering and leaving. The path up was illuminated by torches, held by gargoyles whose horns pointed up as they were in a kneeling position, their horns prominent as their face looked down and their arms held out the torch. They approached the gate; Wonho walked through with ease but Changkyun was stopped at the barrier, unable to enter. The security turned towards Changkyun and approached him to turn him away. “He’s my guest, please allow him entry and exit for the week,” a low voice caught the security guards’ attention. They stepped away and went back to how they were before. “Changkyun you may enter.” The headmaster stood next to Wonho. Changkyun attempted to step through, sticking his hand or as well, now able to step through.

“Thank you, professor,” Changkyun nodded his head. “We also have something we wanted to ask you.” he glanced to Wonho into the campus talking. “It’s about Y/N..”

You wandered aimlessly through the woods, a feeling of familiarity mixed with distance filled you. Nature thrives all around you; bird chirping, singing their morning song, small critters scurried about chasing each other over the fallen leaves. A sudden low growl filled your ears, startling you at first until you realized where the sound came from; your stomach. You began feeling hungry as well as a thirst you weren’t going to be able to satisfy, remarking his words. Hopefully these wouldn’t be too big of obstacles on this journey you finally decided, to the school. If anything, you hoped Wonho would remember you, your own soulmate but you didn’t let your hope grow too high so it wouldn’t hurt too much if he didn’t. “This is going to take awhile..” you thought to yourself as you just walked through, hoping not to encounter another beast as you walked through. “Are my abilities really useless in this world?” You thought to yourself as you slowed down your pace, holding one of your hands up, focusing on the energy you could feel within you, but unable to release it. You could feel the energy inside you that you would usually use for your abilities were full, but no matter how hard you tried, even using different techniques of releasing it, it didn’t work. 

He sat before you, his chin perched upon your knee in the cold atmospheric bubble, simply enjoying being in your presence whether you knew it or not. The sound of cars were quite a distance away, only the sound of honking cars and sirens of emergency vehicles whizzing past the abandoned road hidden by the tall trees which led to where the two of you were. Crickets from the nature outside filled the silence. His body was relaxed as his back rise and fell as he breathed, his eyes upon your resting face with his mind clear and body feeling nothing as if he was a blank piece of paper. He suddenly stood up and moved his way towards the door that lead back to his dorm and quickly returned with a pencil and a small black moleskine notebook in hand. He pulled up an old chair but stable enough to hold his weight and opened the small book, flipping through the multiple pages of his drawings of many miscellaneous things, no particular theme until he reached a blank page filled with the natural creme color. “I guess..” He broke the silence with his own voice, although he was unsure himself if you could hear him at all or not, but continued anyways as he slowly began drawing the shape of your head, continuously glancing back and forth. “I never told you my past which was the main reason why I took you..” His voice was a bit soft with the smallest hint of pain, his pronunciation of every word clear as if he was talking to you awake, the sound of his pencil against the paper making short light strokes.

“To start, I-” He struggled to push out the next words mentioning his amazing parents who he loved to the end of earth but he couldn’t causing a searing pain to bloom in his head and his tongue felt as if he couldn’t. Confusion filled him until a numbing feeling fell over him, causing him to stare into space, seeing and hearing nothing, unable to do anything until everything came rushing back to him. “I’m a broken one.. “ It pained him to think back to the fateful day when he lost her two years ago when he was a first year. “It’s cause of me..” He could remember the day vividly, feel the way your tangled hair would get caught in his fingers when he brushed them through it, scolding you in a loving way when you would complain about it hurting but it was your fault for not brushing your hair well enough.

He was awoken from his nap after taking his midterm from the chiming of his phone, ringing with his soulmate’s name and picture on it. He tiredly fumbled out of bed wearing a shirt and jeans, not bothering to change when he returned from the building where the exam had taken place. Someone had attempted to cheat on the exam foolishly which resulted them in being kicked out of the room and most likely sent to the headmaster’s office and having their test terminated which made the test proctors hold everyone there, literally blocking any way out or way in with obice generationem mages to make sure everyone else’s tests were all fair. They were special security called in for special events such as testing since they were very serious and strict about these things. He answered the phone after hearing the ringing for a bit, still groggy as he rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb, rubbing out the final bits of sleep.

“Hello?” His voice was a bit lower than normal, filled with sleep as he tried to suppress a yawn.

“Come to the cafe!” The energy filled voice of his soulmate woke him up entirely, no longer feeling. He was her sunshine though she was quite smaller than him, but to him, she was a perfect size to use her shoulder as a rest. “I finished my exam and so let’s celebrate!”

The corners of his mouth turned upwards as he listened intently. “I’ll leave right now~” his groggy low voice was replaced with a bright cheery one, happy to hear her voice after a few days without hearing it since she concentrated hard on studying. He hung up the phone and slipped on his shoes and his long black winter coat, leaving his dorm building and entering the cold white wonderland outside, feeling the frozen air lace against his warm skin. 

The sky was washed with gray, watery light illuminating thin patches over the campus in brilliance and seeing the normal grassy area covered in smooth, crip, untouched snow. Winter pine trees covered in snow, making their branches droop lower than normal, making the areas below them much darker. Snow began to fall once again, slowly as he made it to the main avenue, not as busy around this time and streets were empty since there hadn’t been any proper shoveling done by any frigokinesis mages who were able to manipulate snow. Winter trees lined the avenue, shivering lightly in the frosty breese; their denuded forms stood starkly against the snow, almost like charcoal outlines sketched by a passing artist. Along limbs that not long ago were adorned with the vibrant colors of Autumn lies an unblemished white layer. He could feel the tip of his nose and his cheeks were now a rosy pink from the coldness, even though he did his best to hide his face. His hands were tucked in his pockets, balled into fists to keep them warm as his lower half was surprisingly doing much better than his upper half. It wasn’t long until he could see the warm lights of the cafe down the block which fortunately, the sidewalk was much easier to walk through from the steps of other people who dampened the snow which was now melted down to slush. It wasn’t long before he reached the entrance of the cafe, pushing the door to enter to be greeted in the warmest way, literally feeling the warmth of the heat from inside wrap around his cold body, the strong smell of the hot coffee being brewed, trays of warm soup and sandwiches being consumed by the few customers inside.

He scanned through the first level to see her by the window, a book open in her hands but her eyes were glued to the snowy world beyond the glass. She wore a black skirt with black stockings and winter boots, and an oversized sweater with her short brown hair, reaching to the length of her shoulders in a half up.

“Even though you finished testing, here you are reading. Ugh, my soulmate is a bookworm.” His voice caught her attention making her bring her light brown eyes to his dark ones, pretending to be in distress, using his fingers to hold his nose bridge with one hand as the other unzipped the jacket. “What am I going to do with you?” He smiled, stepping next to her in her seat, his hand holding her face as she smiled and nestled her face against his touch. He leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead, peppering it after words when he felt one of her hands reached up and held the back of his hand.

“Hehe, I’m your bookworm though,” she had a light tone to her voice, always sounding joyful even when she was upset or tired or sick. She was right however, she was indeed his and he would have it no other way. “Sit, I ordered some drinks and food for us a few minutes ago.” She gestured to the open seat across from her with a kind smile upon her face.

The two sat there, talking about their exams and other things, consuming their meal nicely as they spoke and simply enjoyed each other’s company after what felt like a month of nothing between them. She was an excellent student, though it took her some time to read and absorb things compared to others; she would need absolute silence and focus on whatever she was reading or studying so she turned off her phone the moment she woke up and would study for hours, having no distractions from things like social media or anything. The only distraction for her was him, however. He would miss her and write on his skin, drawing cute small things such as bunnies and hamsters and small animals of the sort to which she would ask him to stop and let her study. As much as he disliked being away and disconnected from her, he stopped. The two were finishing up their warm meals when a white shimmering light had flashed them in the eyes.

“What was that?” He blinked, trying to orient his vision, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. “Did you see that?” He looked outside, thinking maybe it was a glare from the windshield of a car or something reflecting the sun, seeing the other customers undisturbed by it. 

“Yeah, that was weird.” Her eye were being rubbed by her palms as she blinked repeatedly, slowly looking up to focus her eyes on him as he did the same. Just as her vision cleared, the chime of the cafe door caught her attention, seeing two dark figures enter the cafe with what seemed to be ski masks on. “Look,” her voice was monotone, not moving her eyes from them as they slowly began walking toward them, staring into her eyes. Both men were dressed in heavy coats, with black gloves and clothes, though one was somewhat taller than the other. They both possessed broad bodies, seeming somewhat middle aged from their bellies which bumped out a bit.

He turned around, seeing what she was seeing and quickly stood to his feet, sticking one arm out to the side to protect his soulmate if these men were to try something. They seemed to be burglars, yet everyone else in the cafe continued on with their lives, clearly not seeing these men. He tried to call out to the workers as they were usy brewing drinks and making foods, but they didn’t even bat an eye, continuing. “What the… They can’t see them? Or hear me?” They stopped a few yards away from their table in the corner, trapped and afraid to make any run in case these mages were lethal or not.

She slowly stood from her seat, fear beginning to fill her when she saw the smaller man in the back slowly pull out a gun from his pocket, very slowly. She couldn’t let his soulmate die and take a bullet for her, knowing if he did and died, she would feel the pain of breaking everyday. It wasn’t fair to him to deal with it, but she hopes since she was jumping in front, it wouldn’t kill her immediately. 

“What do you want? Do you want money?” Her soulmate bravely stood up against the clearly heavily structured men, but blind to the man behind the first one. “Leave us alone!” A gunshot echoed through his ears, looking down to see where the bullet wound had hit, only to feel his heart dropping. He looked down to see her small body falling to the ground, beginning to feel a burning pain growing on his soul, growing hotter by the minutes, feeling his soul. “No, no, no, no, no, no, stay with me.” His eyes grew wide, with his eyebrows raised in shock. He pressed his hands over her wound, seeing her blood through her layers, frozen in the moment, unable to do anything. He looked back up to see the men gone, the door closing behind them. The shrilling sound of a woman’s scream filled his ears. He kept his eyes on her and hers on him, seeing droplets of water on her face, unknowing they were from him. “Stay with me.. Please..” His voice was breaking, his hands covered in her warm blood as her eyes, they began to blink ever so slowly.

The wound was small, yet a great amount of blood came from her. She began to feel weaker and weaker by the second, feeling more tired than pain oddly. It felt as if she had been shot by the sandman himself. Her vision began to slowly haze into blurs, unable to make clear of his facial distinctions she fell in love with. Even the sound of his voice was slowly beginning to blur, unable to hear much except for a constant high pitched ringing.

The two men approached the long black limo, entering it and removing their masks and gloves, touching them away into their pockets as they entered the limo, closing it and locking the doors behind them. “To Mapnerry, Wade, thank you.” The larger male tossed the gun to the side, beginning to pour himself a drink. “Would you like one, Larry?” He turned in his seat, holding up an old fashioned glass.

“No, thank you.” Both men’s voices were monotonous as they spoke, yet Larry felt uneasy. He had the ability to manipulate the senses allowing him to control what others saw or heard or felt, though he couldn’t control his own senses. “Are you sure the bullet didn’t kill her? There seemed to be quite a lot of blo-”

“Larry, I assure you.” He was cut off by his boss. “That bullet was made by me. You shot it in the place I told you. She will not die; she’ll simply be put to in a very very deep death like sleep where her pulse will be so slow, it would appear she died. Our main concern now is him. He will become a very useful piece on our chessboard, but of course, he doesn’t know, nor will he ever.” He poured the alcohol over the ice in his cup, eliciting the sound of cracking. He spoke as if he had done this before, but Larry knew he hadn’t, not for a long time.

“So what will happen to him now?” He sat forward, watching his boss as he sipped on his drink nonchalantly. “What if they find us?” He couldn’t help but worry considering he hadn’t done this in a few years, knowing that his record had just been cleared of any crime. They drove onto the main road, now out of the alleyway and stopped at a red light, waiting to go. It wasn’t long before the flashing red and white lights and the blaring sound of an ambulance were zooming past all traffic, driving straight towards the cafe.

“He will feel broken but won’t be one. The paramedics will take her to the hospital, he will most likely go with them and wait..” The limo began driving forward toward Mapnerry.

“But why are you starting this again? We escaped last time fortunately and now we have a good clean life with our new names and faces. Why?” He couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Bad habits die hard, and this habit is immortal. It will never die and I will never stop this. Consider me taking over Mapnerry as me scuba diving to catch fish. I’ll only catch the ones I want to eat, but save and raise the most precious fish as my own to sell later.” He laughed at his own simile as they drove into the gates of the school.

He couldn’t hear anything; it was as if everything moved in slow motion. He could feel the slowing of her heart rate through his hands as she continued to bleed out. It wasn’t long before the paramedics came through the doors, bringing a stretcher in with them as they approached the table. A telekinetic and healing mage acted swiftly, lifting her body with ease from the ground and placing her gently on the stretcher and the healing mage with a light orb forming around his hands, beginning to heal her. Other paramedic mages moved with them, placing a breathing mask over her face, her eyes now closed, pressing on the bag valve attached to the mask to ensure she got proper ventilation pressure due to her inadequate breaths. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in the ambulance as they attempted to stop the bleeding and keep her breathing.

“I understand and see your perspective on finding Y/N. While we were in my office earlier, I’m sorry to say, but I was scanning for her ability surges as well, unable to find her. Our best hope is to wait until the moon rises. Until then, I’m sorry boys, I can’t do much.” The headmaster walked into the building, heading towards his office.

The two of their hopes were diminished a bit, but they went after the headmaster. “Wait, Headmaster!” Changkyun called as they passed the entrance, catching up to the professor.

“Yes?” He turned around facing the two brothers whose faces were painted with slight disappointment but were trying to mask it. 

“Could we use your arena? Changkyun believes he could beat me.” Wonho rubbed the back of his neck, hoping at least the professor would say yes.

The headmaster’s eyes practically lit up at the idea. “Ooh, of course. I am curious as well.” He chuckled before he raised his hands, allowing the black smoke to envelop their bodies once again. The headmaster sat in the viewing booth, having a clear view of the soon to be the duel between them. The two opened their eyes, each standing on opposite sides of each other in the arena with a clear barrier between them. “Are you boys ready?”

“Ready? I’m not going to hold back anything, brother or not.” A smirk grew on Changkyun’s face as he took off his flannel, tossing it to the side. Bolts of lightning and volts of electricity began to form around his hands, his hair turning white instantaneously.

“Don’t hold back,” Wonho’s voice was serious, lower than normal as he stared into his brother’s eyes, able to feel his energy radiating from where he stood. His eyes, no longer the dark earthy brown it was, but a whiteness took over. Smoke radiating off his body from the heat of fire beginning to ignite below the shin of his arms and hands, a wind circling around him as the ground of the arena beginning to shake and rumble around them.

Everyone got off the ambulance, pushing her on the stretcher, entering the hospital at quick paces as he followed quickly behind, the stain of her blood on his hands. His hearing was in and out, hearing words of them losing her, how she was recovering, but her condition was back and forth.

“At that time, Y/N, I was feeling the utmost pain within me, burning me, breaking me and ripping me to shards on the inside, but I kept it all in. I didn’t let any sign of pain come out because I couldn’t even imagine the pain she was going through. The pain of being shot in the chest along with the pain I was feeling added. It felt as if I was dying inside, my own soul breaking was crushing me from the inside out, but I followed her quietly, until they wouldn’t let me in so I sat there for hours on hours, waiting for an update on her and her surgery, but no one would tell me anything.” He looked to your closed, sleeping eyes, continuing to sketch you easily, thinking back to the torment-filled day, feeling uneasy.

He sat in the hospital waiting room on the edge of his seat with his elbows on his knees, his hands were covered in her blood, feeling as if time was stopped all around him yet the bustling nurses and doctors walking by proved otherwise. He sat there for what felt like hours when only minutes had passed by. His mind buzzed with the what happened moments ago, how worthless he felt when he was already standing before her, protecting her and ready to take anything to protect her, to not let a single scratch be inflicted upon her, yet here she was behind double doors, getting surgery to remove the bullet. He didn’t even see her go in front of him since his eyes were locked on the men, and then thinking about it really made him curious, who had done it and why? After sitting there for a bit, authorities later on and questioned him, but unfortunately, with everything they learned from him, they were still led on to a dead end.

“Boys, you may begin.” The voice of the headmaster echoed within the spacious room as he raised the barrier between them with a switch as he sat back with ease. “Show me what you got, boys.” A smirk grew on his face.

~~~~~

Chapter 1 // Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Masterlist

[bimboized]

Oops!

er screen in stunned silence. Running his fingers through his short brown hair, he lowered his hands and pondered sending what he'd found to a watchdog group. The information he'd stumbled across and then pieced together scared him. If he was right, the biochemical company he worked for was in deep with the CIA and MI6. While he didn't know much about organic chemistry, as he was a polymer chemist and engineer, it took some digging, but his research into CRISPR had netted him the information he needed.

The process that Biology Information Manufacturing had come up with, in theory, was decades ahead of what anyone ever thought possible. It had taken some effort, but Andrew had managed to find information: terrorist kept at Guantanamo Bay had been the first unwilling test subjects. Andrews first thought when he'd stumbled over the video files was that someone was browsing porn at work and had been trying to hide it. The time-lapse of the middle Eastern man slowly being feminized, growing massive tits, and then being fucked by two guards had shocked him.

Digging deeper, he found records of people who'd gone into witness protection, along with several missing political figures, most of them running to oppose current leaders. New identities had been forged and post-transformation interviews had clearly shown the full effects of the treatment. It didn't matter how you started, male or female, thin or thick, in your twenties or in your sixties, by the time the treatment was concluded, you looked and talked like some twenty-something bimbo that craved sex in almost any form. It was crazy.

The worst part was that not only did the company had a way to reverse it, they simply chose not to as the governmental agencies wanted those subjected to it left that way. Worse still, while there was information about ways to alter to process to not be so extreme, providing either "natural accelerated breast growth" or complete genetic gender reassignment, the cost wasn't considered "economically viable enough" to provide the treatment to those suffering from gender or body dysmorphia.

Flipping through the files, Andrew wanted to warn the world about this. Had they been willing to offer this to the public, his ethics may have struggled a bit. The way things stood, this was evil. No government should have this ability without steep oversight. Encrypting the files, he pulled the thumb drive from his pocket and slipped it into the machine. He began to copy the encrypted files and tried not to look suspicious.

As soon as the files finished copying, Andrew slid the USB drive into his pocket and closed the windows, leaving the armor weave project information he had been working on in the background along with an email he'd already typed out stating he was taking the rest of the day off. He sent the email, locked the computer and stood up only to see the head of the Biochem division, Jennifer Allister, heading his way. He quickly ducked the other way and, as discretely as he could, he headed toward the exit. He waved at the security guard, Harry, as he made his way out the front door. It was around lunch time, he rationalized, so his leaving shouldn't draw much attention. He got into his car and left the parking lot.

It was a long thirty-minute commute back to Parkview, the village he lived in, his eyes fully expecting that someone was tailing him. When he passed the gas station at the edge of town, he sighed with relief, given the last car that had been behind had turned off a few miles back, probably heading to Fondulac. Thinking about Parkview, he smiled. Andrew liked the people there. He knew most of them, having gone through grade school and high school here. The local bars were decent watering holes and the one restaurant served great comfort food. The small grocery store didn't stock much, but it was better than driving all the way to Springdale.

He pulled into the duplex he lived in and owned, renting out the other half to Isabelle, a Mexican woman in her mid-twenties that often joined him when he'd barbeque on the weekends. She'd outrightly stated she had no interest in men and he'd met one or two of the girlfriends she'd had over in the past. All and all, a nice enough lady, if I bit peculiar in her choice of outfits. Andrew waved at her as she got out of the custom Beetle that she owned. She was wearing a purple and black corset, matching dress, and steampunk goggles that sat atop her head. She waved back, smiling, and waited for him.

"Hey, Andrew," Isabelle said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, "you're home early."

He shrugged. His hand in his pocket gripped the USB drive. "Yeah, decided to take half the day off to relax," Andrew replied. He stepped back and gave Isabelle a once over, chuckling when she twirled to show off. "Okay, so I have to ask. What's up with the fancy outfit. I'm used to you dressing goth, but this is over the top."

"Had a photo shoot in town," Isabelle replied. "I was supposed to take the day off, but the money was good. You still planning on grilling this weekend."

"Probably," Andrew said, as he really had no idea what his life was going to be like later today, much less later this week. "Look, I need to take care of a few things. Chores, that sort of thing. Let's catch up later, okay?"

Isabelle nodded. "Sure thing," she said, turning toward her front door, pausing there to look back at Andrew. "One of these days, you're going to find yourself a good woman."

Andrew laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, maybe you will, too." Isabelle laughed at that and headed inside. Andrew, in turn, headed to his front door, unlocked it and made his way inside. He kicked off his shoes and walked to the spare bedroom that he'd converted to a personal office. Turning his computer on, he waited until everything was loaded before slipping the USB drive into the USB port. He copied over all the files and mulled over his options. He pondered BookLeaks and a few other sites, finally deciding on one. It took some effort to find actual contact information.

Andrew sent over a few of the files and, as they uploaded, got up and paced. He was going to get fired, that much was certain. Probably sued. He mentally told himself, again and again, that this was the right thing. The upload complete, he sent the email.

He got a reply about an hour later, the person identifying themselves only as Xiang, stating they wanted to see more and were eager to get this out to everyone they could. Andrew replied with several emails, sending the rest of the files. By the time they were done corresponding, it was almost six in the evening. Andrew's stomach grumbled. Sighing, he decided he needed a beer or three along with some food. His nerves weren't exactly shot, but they were close.

Deciding he might be getting fairly sloshed, he chose to hoof it to the local watering hole. It wasn't that far, only about a mile. He waved at Bruce, the one cop that lived in town, as he headed into what amounted to downtown Parkview. Reaching the aptly named "Last Chance", he opened the door and stepped inside, country music playing over the speaker system, the sound of pool being played further inside the tavern. Making his way to the bar, he ordered a pub pizza and a beer from Molly, the woman that ran the place.

As the beer was sat down, Molly smiled at him. "Seems like you got someone's attention," she said, gesturing up the bar to a woman sitting at the other end. He didn't recognize her, but her dark black hair, the overall dress, cute top, and girl next door look of her got his attention immediately. Not to mention her melonous breasts. He raised the beer to her and smiled. She grabbed her own beer and walked down, her hips swaying and her breasts, larger than he'd first thought, bobbing back and forth as she walked.

"Mind if I take this seat?" she asked, looking at the stool next to Andrew.

"Not at all," Andrew replied, "and thanks for the beer."

"You looked like you could use it," she said, sitting down and setting her beer on the counter. "I've seen less jumpy rabbits back on my uncle's farm." She offered her hand. "I'm Kelly, by the way."

"Andrew," he replied, shaking her hand. He took a pull of his beer and sighed. "Been a long day, just not one I overly feel like talking about. Who's your uncle?"

"Leo Smithers," she said, reaching for the menu. "He runs the cattle farm 'tween here and Fondulac."

Andrew was aware of Leonard. He'd heard his brother call him Leo when the two ran into him at the grocery store once. "In town with your pa?"

Kelly shrugged. "Just finished college and looking for work back in Springdale. Uncle Leo suggested this was a good place to get a drink and maybe meet a nice boy." She rolled her eyes then winked at him. "I'm not a big fan of nice or boys, but I like finding a good man who's not too nice if you get my meaning."

Andrew took a pull of his beer. "I might, though I'm afraid my beer is empty and to get all the niceness out of me may take a few more."

Kelly laughed. "Here, have mine as a start. I'll order us a few more."

After a half dozen beers and a couple of shared pub pizzas, Andrew was very into Kelly. She had this charm about her that made her irresistible. It didn't hurt that she'd intentionally leaned toward him and pressed his boobs against his arm when she caught him staring at her breasts. She stood up after her fifth beer and reached for her phone. "I should probably call it a night and call a cab," she said, leaning over to kiss Andrew's cheek and somehow unbalancing herself so that she ended up stumbling against him, her boobs pressing against his chest. Andrew felt himself get instantly hard.

"Or, you know, you can walk me home first," Andrew said with a grin, slowly standing and helping Kelly steady herself. He reached for his wallet before Kelly waved him off and reached into her purse.

"You pay for the cab and I'll get our drinks," she said, her speech a little slurred. She handed her credit card to Molly, who ran it and handed Kelly the receipt. The two made their way outside and started walking toward Andrew's house.

Pausing at the doorstep, Andrew was pushed against the door as Kelly pressed her body against him, kissing him soundly. His hands went around her back before slipping down to her ass. She wiggled against his palms and slowly broke the kiss. "Mmmm, forget the cab," she murmured in his ear. "Why don't you take me inside?"

"Yes, ma'am," Andrew replied, fishing out his keys and unlocking his door before making his way in. They both kicked off their shoes before Andrew led the way to the bedroom. Kelly paused at the door to the bathroom. "Let me freshen up first, okay?" Andrew laughed and nodded, making his way to the bedroom. He was completely naked and laying in bed when he heard the toilet flush. A moment or two later, Kelly walked in, completely naked, holding nothing but a condom. "I like to ride cowboy, if that's okay?"

"Happy to let a woman have her way with me," Andrew replied. Kelly crawled over him and began to lick and stroke his cock before rolling the condom down around his shaft. She then lowered herself atop him and began to rock her hips, causing both to moan in pleasure.

He wasn't sure if it was the booze or what, but Andrew never seemed to grow soft despite Kelly bringing him to orgasm four times. By the fourth, though, he was so exhausted, it was all he could do to pull the light sheet over them both as Kelly snuggled against him.

Andrew woke the next morning to hear the shower running. He lay there for a moment, both dealing with a pounding headache from the hangover and trying to sort out the memories from last night. It was all a bit fuzzy. The shower, at least, confirmed that the dream he had about a woman fucking him silly wasn't some dream. As the shower stopped, Andrew staggered to his feet. He still felt a bit weird, like his balance was off. He staggered to the bathroom just as a pantied Kelly opened the door to it. Her breasts hung freely but she had one hand toweling her hair while the other held the rest of her clothes.

"All yours," Kelly said, kissing Andrew's cheek. "I'm going to get dressed."

Andrew nodded, making his way into the bathroom to relieve himself. He left the door open and lurched in. His foot slipped on a bit of water and he found himself spinning, only to land with his butt on the toilet. "Fuck it," he thought, deciding to pee sitting down. It felt a little odd, to be sure, but he didn't feel like standing just yet.

"I left my number on your nightstand, Andy," Kelly said, pausing at the door to the restroom. "Call me once you're coherent, okay?"

Andrew looked up and nodded, giving a thumbs up. He heard the front door close and decided he might as well stagger to his feet. Slowly pushing himself up, he flushed the toilet and opened the standing shower. He turned on the spray, getting it nice and warm. The shower smelled like coconuts and hibiscus. He realized it must've been the body wash his cousin, Amber, had left behind a few months ago. He grabbed his own body wash and opened it, immediately wishing he hadn't. Something about it smelled off. Closing it, he set it aside and reached for the feminine body wash.

Sighing and rationalizing that it would get the smell of sex off him at least, he put some of the coconut body wash in his hands and began to lather up his arms and legs. His whole body felt week and his eyes stung. He realized he'd never taken out his contacts even as he reached for the similarly scented shampoo to clean his hair. The scent seemed to grow on him, though he was having a hard time focusing. He rinsed his slightly shaggy hair out only to realize he'd completely neglected his crotch.

Lathering up his palms, he reached between his legs to clean his cock, only to realize that it was no longer there. In its place was a perfectly formed female pussy. Rinsing himself clean, Andrew staggered out of the shower, for the first time noticing all the hair on his arms, legs, and around his crotch were gone. Wiping the mirror clean with a towel, he looked at his face and body. Even through the blur, the reflection showed softened features in both his face and body, his waist having thinned slightly while his chest showed the barest hint of breasts. They'd dosed him! He was sure of it.

Staggering back to the bedroom, he found a note along with a pair of panties. The note was blurry until Andrew remembered to take out his contacts. Everything became crystal clear as if his vision had been completely fixed. He grabbed the note and read it again.

"We know what you did and intercepted it, Andrew. We're going to give you a chance to rethink your options. You can either come to work and talk to us about this or you know what the consequences will be."

Well shit.

[the-firebird69]

I sent it this idea to open up a restaurant and he said that you can go there and you can order your favorite meal and we'll have chefs there in a short order Cooks it will cook whatever your favorite meal is even if it's special stuff like rack of lamb and so forth and people are starting to love it they're saying this guy is a genius he wants to make food that people will love to eat even if it's a staple like shepherd's pie or even if it's something strange like rabbits too rabbit stew and there's a ton of people who love that kind of thing and Japanese food and sushi and all sudden they started to think of something there's no way that he can do that and he says yes I can make it big I can make it big enough that each restaurant would have room enough for probably 30 people so you have an actual Japanese who plays an actual Chinese food place but you don't necessarily segregate the seating it's a little bit of a trick and all of a sudden they're starting to get giddy about it each place will have its own kitchen lot of people think it's a great idea and some will try and make it work and we're going to take over those places cuz they're not us

I'm proceeding with this it's a great idea it's kind of a trick too people wonder how we do it this is great and they'll forget this comes out perfect it's my favorite meal tons of comfort food steaks and burgers too seafood up the yin yang Japanese Chinese Thai food southwestern Mexican European foods even Norwegian he says in German foods and Middle Eastern and African foods even there's a lot of African dishes and nothing is going to smell bad or tastes bad I can do that it's your favorite dish you have to go back there if it stinks.

Mac wants to invest in it and our son wants them to because it's going to have his name on it somewhere and he probably tried to get money to him cuz he wants to see his work in there and there'll be no connection and they'll see the name and they'll try and make it the whole time it won't do anything probably spend a year on it and then they'll be gone I'm going to head to Olympus now because this is like one of his famous ideas that saves us a lot of trouble and he says that he wants to attach to any of our malls if we have them all and I'm going to go ahead and do that because it's perfect for there it's like a food court but it's a sit down place he said each actually each restaurant can have like a little buffet I mean each area you might segregate the area but you might not so I don't know how to do that is and I said you make a gargantuan buffet and then you have specialty dishes so I'm going to go ahead and do that too

Thor Freya

We approved this idea and it's one of many of his that are terrific and you've seen this in the past and people have done it but only with two or three different restaurants and it comes out kind of crappy and people start not liking it but this is going to work cuz all the dishes are really authentic they taste terrific very well and then be cooked separately by people of the particular ethnicities and foreigners

Live it

Olympus

What a jackass but that's a great idea you can sell our stuff and be right there in the kitchen and everybody will know it cuz they'll smell it a little when it comes out and everybody order it cuz they always order Chinese food this is probably you know I'll have my hamburger fries and give me a side of a poo poo platter so I start laughing cuz that's huge

Wie

We're going to go ahead and do this ourselves see how many fights we can start

Mac

[themuslimrpc]

tips/resources 4 writing muslim characters when ur not muslim?

This is the result of us mods passing things back and forth and here is a list of a few tips we’ve come up with to help you guys out!

CULTURE VS. RELIGION

Do NOT confuse culture with religion. Not all Muslims are Middle Eastern and not all Middle Easterners are Muslim. Acquaint yourself with the culture of your character separately from their religion  —  these beliefs are not interchangeable. Traditions vary from country to country and these traditions can make a great impact on your character’s religious consciousness.

MUSLIM CHARACTER-BUILDING

One should also figure out what type of Muslim they want to play before they start writing. We aren’t all cookie cutter little followers of the faith. You want to play a devout girl? Okay, how often does she pray and/or read the Quran? Does she wear a hijab? Why/why not? 

You want a very moderate guy? Okay, why isn’t he more religious? What religious traditions does he follow and why? 

You have a muse who isn’t religious at all but has grown up with the faith? Why aren’t they religious at all? 

And please don’t go the disrespectful route of ‘oh, my family was homophobic/transphobic/oppressing/violent so I cut all ties with them to escape their medieval mindset and run into the arms of atheism’. 

Although that is someone’s story out there, it’s very islamophobic coming from a non-Muslim who really has no idea if that is a reality so don’t.

SUNNI OR SHIA?

What branch of Islam do they follow? Sunni, Shia, Sufi? These beliefs are important, but also have something to do with culture and geography. Many Pakistanis, Iranian and Lebanese people are Shia, while the majority of Muslims are Sunni, etc. 

ETHNICITY

Is your character Arab? Muslims hail from every ethnicity yes, but are they affected by the predominant Arab supremacy that trickles into the Muslim community? 

Do they face the racism against Arab Muslims who think they’re not REAL Muslims because they do not speak Arabic and are not the people of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)?

NOTE: Arab supremacy is very predominant as well as racism itself so it is important to know how your character deals with this. While not all Arab Muslims are knowingly perpetrating Arab supremacy, some are very harsh with how they believe they are superior to other Muslims simply because Muhammad was of Arabic descent. Arab supremacy though is more so tied to culture and not an integral part of Islam as Muhammad’s last sermon had preached that there is no superiority when it comes to race. 

MUSLIM YOUTH

Muslim teens/ya’s living in Muslim households don’t always have the luxury to party all night because we don’t drink. However, your character may be lenient on religion and just do it anyway. 

Also, consider the inherently different family dynamic in Muslim households. A lot of Muslim children are raised to be very respectful of their elders, not speak ill to their parents and not call their aunts, uncles etc. by their first names. These tendencies will follow them into adulthood.

Despite popular belief, Muslim teenagers are regular teenagers with the same troubles as everyone else; they will have crushes, they will wonder what it’s like on the opposite side of the fence and they will certainly doubt their faith too.

WRITING HARAM

Generally be very careful and thoughtful when portraying your character in environments and situations typically unusual or haram (forbidden). This means if you wish to write about your muse having sex then do so, but be aware of this character’s relationship to sex and whether or not it correlates with their beliefs. Same goes for drugs, alcohol and other strong and/or illegal substances.

It should be noted that although a character is fairly religious and a stickler for the rules, they will definitely say stuff or act in a way that isn’t the most righteous. This could be forgetting to pray, not fasting on Ramadan or eating things that are not halal. 

Writing out the level to which extent their religious consciousness goes can be a very useful tool but it should probably be consistent. If your character is religious, you could probably write them to be ensuring they do their prayers on time, i.e if they’re out shopping, they find an area to pray like a park or the parent-baby changing room. 

Or maybe they have a habit of checking for haraam ingredients in food and sweets such as alcohol and gelatine (usually containing pig gelatine or other meats which are forbidden) and buying halal meat + meals from butchers and restaurants. Do they only buy the filet o’ fish at Mcdonald’s when they’re out with their friends because that’s all they can really consume? Or do they sneak in a hamburger or cheeseburger every once in a while?

If your character isn’t very religious but still hold onto certain aspects of their faith, it could be that their prayer is scarce and while they’re not strict with what they eat. Maybe they’re okay with a restaurant that doesn’t serve halal meat so long as they do not consume pork/ham etc. 

Ramadan is usually a time where Muslims become more religious as it is the holy month where rewards are tenfold. Most semi-religious people tend to abstain from a lot of haram things and do more good deeds such as visiting the mosque for Taraweeh prayer or fasting and abstaining from bad deeds. 

Ramadan is also a time where semi-religious or people new to Islam tend to attempt fasting whether it be every second day or half days. 

Lapses in judgment also occur for most Muslims but don’t use it as an excuse to promote behavior that not one faithful Muslim would ever condone i.e. rape, murder, abuse of a child etc. Sure, it is a trend to write ‘shocking’ characters nowadays but these things are just abhorrent.

MUSLIM LGBTQ+

Also, MUSLIMS CAN BE PART OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY !!! Whether or not they are in the closet is up to you, but a lot of media conflicts with the Islamic faith and LGBTQ+ identity If your character isn’t straight, chances are they have felt confusion and maybe even helplessness as they traversed their sexuality/gender identity. 

LASTLY…

Most importantly, research! Not about writing Muslims, but about being Muslim! The Five Pillars, the Golden Age of Islam, personal etiquette and tolerance, etc. There really is no wrong way to write Muslims, seeing as we are just like any other followers of any other religion; we aren’t perfect and we don’t always follow our religion to the T.

[jennamustafa267]

Short Story Final Draft

  Break Me Off A Piece Of That KitKat Bar

   As Emilee unplugged the wire from her pale dainty fingers, silence enveloped the room relieving her from the sounds of the beeping monitors and nurses that shuffled back and forth. There was now silence in the room as opposed to the reassuring beeping from the monitor and the sounds of the nurses shuffling their feet along the floor with a lack of energy after a twelve-hour shift. Leg by leg she slipped her small little bare feet into the old stained white slippers. As she slowly made her way to the door of her room, she peeked outside to see if anyone was around. Just to her luck, the hallways were empty except for one nurse standing at the desk on a very important phone call to her child. Emilee’s craving for a Kitkat grew by the second. 

   As Emilee stood up from the bed she overheard the nurses from outside her door complaining about being on the early shift. Emilee was confused at first until she glanced at her phone and realized it was 6:15 in the morning.

   The nurses' words rang in Emilee's ear as the elevator doors shut in front of her. This was always her least favorite part of the day. The way the elevator quickly descends at the same rate her head becomes dizzy making her disoriented to her surroundings.Emile grabbed on to the bar as the elevator quickly descended. She forgot how dizzy these things make her. When the doors opened she was exposed to a world she had not seen in three weeks. Families walking into St.Lutherans with flowers and looks of blushy cheeks. While others walked in with puffy eyes and sniffles. Hospitals; a place of life and death. Emilee hurried as fast as her young fable body could and tried to blend in with the rest of the crowd to make her way out of the hospital. She wore an expensive wool coat that was gifted to her from her grandma who thinks gifts are an alternative to actually visiting. Emilee picked up her grandmother's cloche that she found in her mother's overnight duffle bag and used it to mask her bald head.It was like a great escape as she slipped out of the hospital. 

   Emilee glanced at the time on her phone and realized that her nurse Yolanda would be going into her room to do her usual testing soon. She started to walk faster and became hyper aware of the officers stationed around the hospital.. Emilee looked left and saw an officer placing a ticket on the windshield of a car. As she turned right she recognized the large yellow letters printed on an awning saw "Eddies Deli" printed in large yellow letters on the awning. She held her breath as she walked through a sea of people wearing business suits and homeless men with carts filled with cans

   As she stepped into the deli the smell of French Roast coffee, turkey bacon and fresh bread consumed her and she was overjoyed will all the different aromas.

   She greeted the man behind the counter with a smile and he returned it with a "Good Morning." However, his good morning bore no smile as he was too preoccupied with scratching off a lottery ticket in the hopes of winning a dollar or two.

   Emilee walked up and down each aisle until she found the candy. The aisle was empty except for one young man. He was tall, slim, and had hair so shinny that the dull fluorescent light from the deli's ceiling reflected off of it. Emilee assessed his distressed jean jacket, black ribbed jeans paired with what looked like the world's oldest pair of dirty white vans she's ever seen and thought to avoid moving closer. That was until they both reached for the last KitKat bar.

   "My bad, it's all yours" said the mystery man. This went unheard by Emilee though because she was too hypnotized by his deep blue eyes to process what he said.

   It took her awhile to process what he said and then when she realized she hurriedly replied, "No its okay!! You were here first you deserve it." As she said this, she avoided eye contact.

   “Ladies first right?” he said while handing her the cold kinda dusty chocolate bar. 

   Emilee quickly picked up a random chocolate bar without looking and said, "No really it's fine, I'll just eat this!"

   “A Butterfinger? Heck no!! Those things should be illegal. Let’s not do this whole back and forth thing. How about we split it?” said the fella. 

   Before she could even reply the fella was already heading to the cashier. Emilee dropped the Butterfinger and hurried over while trying to grab a dollar from her wallet so she can at least pay half. But it was too late. The boy already pulled out his limp wallet and pulled out a five-dollar bill. He placed it on the counter and told the cashier (who was still playing the lottery) to keep the change. At that same moment, Emilee felt something buzzing in her pocket. 

   *Three missed calls from Mom and ten messages asking where she was.* Emilee replied “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. Love you” and closed her phone. She noticed the boy was sitting outside the deli. She ran out to him and was surprised to see he hasn’t opened the bar yet. 

   He looked at her mischievously and said, "I'll give you this bar if you can sing the jingle that goes along with it."

“   We don’t even know each other! I’m not singing for you” Emilee laughed. 

   “Sure we do, I’m Ryan and you?” he reached out his hand for a handshake. 

   Emilee hesitated knowing she couldn’t be in physical contact with anyone. 

   “Emilee” she answered but instead of shaking his hand she grabbed the KitKat. 

   “Now, what was that jingle?” she wittingly asked him as she opened the KitKat bar

   “Well done Emilee” he laughed then whispered, “Break me off a piece of that KitKat Bar!”  Ryan sang looking down at a black screen on his phone. 

   “What was that? I don’t think I heard you right?” she taunted him with half a piece of the KitKat 

   “Break me off a piece of that KitKat bar” he hesitantly sang a little louder. 

   “Oh, yea, of course, all you had to do was ask” Emilee laughed while handing him his half.

   They sat in silence leaning against the ledge of the deli window watching the cars go by. 

   “You know I spent my whole life in New York, and I still haven’t seen it all” said Ryan as he wiped the chocolate residue off his fingers and onto his shirt.

   “Well that makes two of us, except I’ve only been here four months” Emilee sighed.

   “Oh so what’s the reason you moved?” he asked. 

   “Uhmm” Emilee quickly tried to think of a lie to mask that she was sick… “You know, I just had enough of Texas. I wanted a change in the environment. And what better place than New York!” she replied hoping he wouldn’t notice that band-aid on her hand where the drip needle lays. 

   “Well then” Ryan shot up and adjusted his posture gesturing for Emilee to take his hand, “let us go explore this new environment, shall we? I mean that’s if you trust a complete stranger?” 

   “We just shared a KitKat. I think that makes us best friends not strangers!” momentarily ignoring all the consequences she could cause by touching him, she gabbed his hand in hopes of gratifying her desires for adventure and fun. She desired adventure more than they both desired that KitKat. 

   Being the rebellious creatures that they were, they walked to the nearest train, jumped the turnstiles and proclaimed themselves to be 'real New Yorkers,' defending their petty crime.“Like a real New Yorker” claimed Ryan as he defended his crime. Five stops later, they ascended the subway stairs on West 4th street and walked hand in hand to the park. As they ascended the subway stairs, they admired the park that they got closer and closer to with every step. The laughter, the bubbles, the barks, the drummer with his empty water gallon and all the people only glorified the park for them more. As Ryan glanced down at Emilee's face, she felt a surge of excitement flow through her body. As they were walking they decided to stop off at a famous Middle Eastern restaurant named, "Mamoun's Falafel." Ryan went inside and bought two warm falafel sandwiches which just happened to be the best Emilee's ever had. A few blocks later Emilee decided to return the favor and bought both herself and him a latte from "Think Coffee."

  Emilee couldn't help but think she found love. Although silence filled their words, it was not awkward. In fact, it was the comfortable kind of silence that made Emilee feel as if she knew Ryan all her life. As they entered the park they scanned the area to find an empty spot to sit. Once they sat down they shared everything with one another. Down to their greatest fears, hopes, dreams, and traumatic life experiences. Absolutely everything... all except for Emilee's medical condition. They continued talking until the air got colder and the sun began to set. It was only then that Emilee realized how late it was getting. She quickly pulled out her phone and saw multiple missed calls and texts from her parents, her favorite nurse and her brother.

   “Wow, someone’s popular” Ryan chuckled as he looked down at Emliees phone. 

   “Believe me I’m not. Ryan, there’s something I have to tell you-” Emilee started but, Ryan cut her off before she could finish. 

   “I think I love you” Ryan belted out with no hesitation. 

   Emilee looked into those bright blue eyes of his and couldn’t help but cry. He felt it too.

   “Ryan, I think I love you too but listen there’s something I have to tell you that could change everything,” she kept crying.

   “You don’t have a boyfriend do you?”Ryan questioned worriedly. “No but,” she grabbed his hand “I’m sick. I have Leukemia. I came to New York from Texas so I can receive proper treatment-” she explained but Ryan cut her off this time, except with a kiss. 

   He pulled away from her and said, “That does not change a single way of how I feel about you. If anything, I love you more for being so strong and brave.” Emilee kissed him again. 

   “I do have to get back though, I’m really cold and starting to feel dizzy. Would you take me back?” she asked

   Ryan stood up and helped Emilee stand, “Okay but after one more stop.” 

   They walked a few blocks out of the park to “Dough” edible cookie dough. This time they shared the heaping scoop of a classic chocolate chip as they dabbled along the sidewalk and back to the subway. Along the ride, Emilee placed her head on his shoulder and whispered

   “I never want this day to end” 

   “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. There will be more” he replied

   After a long commute, they finally reached the hospital. Ryan walked Emilee in and all the way up to her room where a crowd of worried family members, nurses and doctors stood. 

   “Where were you? Are you okay? Whose this? Are you all alright? Are you hurt? Who are you?” Emilee’s mom asked her.    “Mom I’m fine. I’m more than fine actually, I’m in love. This is Ryan, the man I’m in love with. Don’t be mad or yell at him. He had no idea about anything. I just had to get out of here mom. I really wanted a KitKat. And I ended up having one of the best days of my life.” Emilee rushed to explain to her mother before she reacted. 

   Her mom looked at Ryan, shook his hand and thanked him. 

    Ryan visited Emilee every day at the hospital after school. Every. Single. Day. Until, it came time for his last visit. It was two beautiful months they shared together. Two beautiful months of love Emilee got to experience before her last breath. 2 months after the greatest day of both their lives, when Emilee passed away. 

[newstfionline]

Syrian refugees expand Brazilian palates

Anna Jean Kaiser, CS Monitor, July 18, 2017

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL--On a Thursday morning in São Paulo, Ghazal Baranbo prepares for the lunch rush at her family’s restaurant. She carries out neatly organized trays of hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, and hindi kabab and arranges them in a buffet-style line. Her husband, Talal Altinawi, is speaking with their lawyer about the business.

At noon sharp, they’re slammed. The couple frenetically rearranges the dining room to accommodate the quick turnaround of lunch-break patrons while they take turns passing their 2-year-old daughter back and forth. They switch between using Arabic with each other and Portuguese with the costumers.

It looks like a well-choreographed dance, but four years ago Ms. Baranbo and Mr. Altinawi, refugees from Syria, could have never imagined they would own a successful Syrian restaurant in São Paulo, South America’s largest city. They used to live comfortably in a suburb of Damascus, where Altinawi was a mechanical engineer and Baranbo stayed at home with their two children. But as the civil war in Syria progressed and the Assad regime cracked down on civilians, it became too dangerous to stay.

Today, the couple is playing a part in the growing landscape of Syrian refugee-run restaurants popping up across São Paulo. Newly-arriving immigrants, who rarely have experience working in the restaurant industry, are turning to home-cooked Syrian food to make a living. It’s a phenomenon seen in this city for decades, with other waves of immigrants like Japanese, Lebanese, Cameroonians, and Armenians making a culinary foot-hold before them. The country’s open-door policy for refugees plays a big role in making this possible. And for Altinawi and Baranbo, it’s laid the groundwork for a city that’s already familiar with Middle Eastern food.

A wave of Middle Eastern immigrants in the 19th century helped make Syrian delicacies like esfiha (savory pastries) and quibe (spiced bulgur-wheat meatballs) staples in Brazil, and it’s estimated that 7 to 10 million Brazilians have Lebanese ancestry, or almost 5 percent of the population. Newly arrived Syrian refugees are capitalizing on Brazil’s appetite for their native cuisine, bringing back authenticity and flavor and introducing more unfamiliar dishes, ranging from shawarma to baklava.

Most refugees or immigrants here never planned to open a restaurant.

Dr. Saeed Mourad, an orthopedic surgeon from Damascus, came to Brazil two years ago. Converting his degrees and qualifications to practice medicine in Brazil was nearly impossible, so his family turned to the food industry. At their restaurant, they sell baklava, kanafeh pasteries, and sesame-covered barazek cookies, alongside Syrian-style coffee with cardamom.

“I decided opening a Syrian restaurant would be a good idea because it’s a quick way to get income. And Brazilian people really like Middle Eastern food,” Dr. Mourad says.

Many other recently arrived Syrians have followed suit. There’s Muna Sabores e Memórias Arabes, opened by a Syrian woman who sells sweets and other traditional foods that she makes in her home, and Eyad Abuharb, who’s had great success selling fast food-style shawarma sandwiches at his restaurant, New Shawarma, near São Paulo’s downtown. Adam Hamwia, who opened Adoomy in the city’s trendy Vila Madalena neighborhood, specializes in fried chicken and gyro-style wraps.

For Altinawi and Baranbo, the food solution was not an obvious one. Back in Damascus, Altinawi was arrested in what was described to him as a name mix-up (they had the wrong Talal Altinawi), and spent more than 3 months in prison. Soon after getting out, his family loaded up their car and drove the 75 miles to neighboring Lebanon.

“We spent 10 months going from embassy to embassy in Beirut. Brazil was the only place that opened their doors to us,” Baranbo says.

“When I looked down at my Brazilian visa, I thought to myself, ‘What is Brazil? I don’t know anything about this place,’ “ she says.

They arrived in São Paulo at the end of 2013--but it was a rough start. Altinawi began working as an engineer but, after 10 months working there, his employer went under amid Brazil’s relentless recession. Baranbo sold baby clothes on the streets.

They threw a joint birthday party for their son and daughter and served homemade Syrian food. An NGO worker who helps refugees in Brazil encouraged them to start selling street food as a side gig.

“I’m an engineer, not a chef,” was Altinawi’s response, which he still stands by, despite the restaurant’s success.

They started at a street market and eventually landed a catering job at a mosque for the entire month of Ramadan. Their friend from the NGO set up a Facebook page for them and an account on a crowdfunding site, with the goal of raising 60,000 Reais ($20,000) to open a restaurant. About 1,000 locals generously donated.

Then it was time to take on Brazil’s infamous bureaucracy.

“There are so many documents and so many government entities,” Altinawi says. “You need a lot of time and a lot of money for this process.”

But after five months dealing with the red tape, they opened Talal Culinária Síria in April 2016.

Brazil is a popular, if lesser-known, destination for refugees. That’s mostly due to its refugee policies, which are more lenient than the vetting processes in most countries in Europe and North America. There are more than 2,300 Syrian refugees here today, and nearly 10,000 refugees from all over the world. Most immigrants find themselves in São Paulo, the country’s largest city and economic hub.

Brazil has a rich tradition of receiving immigrants, from Arab immigrants coming from the then-Ottoman Empire, often fleeing religious persecution, to Japanese and European immigrants who came to work as laborers on coffee plantations in the early 1900s, or later fled from war. São Paulo is home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

This is reflected in São Paulo’s world-renowned food scene--which trumps other Brazilian cities in its variety.

“Without a doubt the Syrian refugees in Brazil are benefitting from the long history of Middle Eastern immigrants who’ve come to São Paulo and built up the tradition of Middle Eastern food here,” says Tamyris Roxo, a local São Paulo food blogger who studied gastronomy, history, and culture. Their country’s food provides “a strong link for them in Brazil.”

Middle Eastern food is so ubiquitous here that there’s even a fast-food restaurant called “Habib’s,” which sells esfihas, BBQ kaftas, and baba ghanoush, alongside cheeseburgers and pizza. Its logo is a winking man with a big grin wearing a fez.

[achristmasday]

October 30th- November 1st

WE HAVE A TEACHER AND HE’S REALLY LOVELY!!!!!! Paul came in today and we had our first lesson with him, and my initial impression is that he’s a brilliant teacher. I love his approach and I am just so happy to have a consistent figure for hopefully the rest of the college year. 

He started the lesson with a proper warm up that I joined in with, I felt this was important so that I can interact with the first years on the same level instead of just telling them what to do. We all got asked to find a mark in the studio and then after this we were told to walk around the space, switching direction- not just to walk around in circles, also changing the speed of our pace when asked. At random times we were asked to find a partner and act out different scenes/ become different things together. The first scene was patty cake, the second two Russians arguing over a menu at a restaurant and the third was crying pandas. We would continue to walk in between scenes changing pace still. Paul would then call out the scene name and we would have three seconds to go back to our partner and act out the scene again. This warm up I think Paul used to see how far that he can push us. It’s important to hold no ego in acting. You can’t be embarrassed when acting the fool, you just have to get on with it. It was so nice to see everyone properly participating in a proper warm up.    

Another warm up that was conducted this week consisted of us all finding our mark. We were then given an emotion that we had to transform into. The first emotion was sadness. My interpretation of this was picked to show the class, I feel this was predominantly due to my posture. I tried my hardest to come across small whilst standing up. I stood with my head down and arms folded with my legs a little apart. I was trying to use emotional recall in order for me to be able to feel the feelings asked. We were then collectively asked to portray the emotion anger. Everyone automatically changed their posture and went to go to the position they thought portrayed anger best. Paul then asked the class what was wrong with what had just happened. Nobody could really come to the conclusion. Paul then pointed out that there was no emotional journey, we all just switched which is not realistic. This I feel made the whole class realize that you have to sometimes think outside of the box to fulfill the best performance possible. Exercises like this should help the actors no end as it will allow them to internalize their characters. Understanding motivations and the journey needed in between different scenes as well as knowing the starting point and the end goal. The bit in the middle is equally as important.  

We also reviewed  the war scene again this week. At the start of the scene when everybody was mumbling sentences it didn’t come across clearly, it I feel would come off as messy to the demographic. To get passed this problem myself and Paul came up with the solution of everybody individually saying their line when in freeze, creating a thought- tracking affect. This technique was used by Brecht and ignited my idea for everyone to be in blacks for the first scene with one item of clothing that represents a soldier, then all together each element makes up one solders uniform. I feel this would be a clever use of alienation as well as not being too offensive and taking away from the message being given. Instead of mumbling under their breaths Paul came up with the idea to create a soundscape, through the actors each making a sound effect eg: coughing due to the gas, a bomb, a plane. Another thing that was proving an issue with this scene was the use of levels and spacing. The message was getting lost because the scene looked so two dimensional. Paul asked me to fix it as I pointed it out to him and he agreed. So, I staggered the actors making some sit, some kneel, and some stand.The actors that were sitting were playing cards, the ones standing were climbing ladders. The ones kneeling were ion pain or soothing somebody who was in pain. This made everything much more visually exciting. Paul also gave each actor a character profile for example: a Sargent. This helped the actors with physicality, posture and tone. It allowed everything to be much more naturalistic. The two main practitioner influences in this scene i would say are Brecht and Stanislavsky. These two practitioners are complete polar opposites however, the mix of alienation through semiotics and the insular emotion that each character is feeling breaks this alienation and creates a profound effect that I think will not only allow the audience to view the scene from a slightly more objective standpoint but also empathize with the characters and feel bad for the issue- promoting change. Which is what both practitioners wanted, however they just both had very different ways of expressing this.#

The next part we changed was the way that the actors move to surround Thomas. Originally the Actors went from tableau and then slowly walked into the middle of the stage surrounding Thomas. This, conveyed no purpose. Now the transition is much clearer and smoother. It’s much more attractive to the eye. The actors now climb out of the trenches and then in slow motion they act as if they are heading into batten the creating the circle surrounding Thomas. Whistles are then blown and then “GAS GAS GAS” is shouted before everyone dies, slowly however not in slow motion. Facial expression here is very important. Everyone who is dying needs to look as if they are in horrific pain to make this effective. Everyone dies reaching out to the audience, almost asking for help, this again creates empathy. Charlotte Dodd then sings “sleep in heavenly peace” and takes off Thomas’ gas mask- the same gas mask as the dancers use in bitter earth. The dead actors then slowly in a ghost like fashion walk off stage singing silent night, followed by Charlotte escorting Thomas off stage. 

We also adapted the telegram scene after the trenches. Mia now see’s a commander coming towards her. As the commander approaches Mia you can see her upset increase more and more until she is physically on the floor sobbing. I really like the effect of this as I feel it not only shows the impact of the death from the first scene but it also almost shows some of the stages of grief, the realization is a predominate thing here- her entire world has just fallen apart. 

After this we went over and perfected the tableau scenes that follows into the poem. We re staged the tableau's so that they could all be scene by the audience no matter where they were sitting. This has been an issue throughout rehearsals, blocking other actors on the stage. Myself and Paul thought that it is quite possible to draw a laugh from the audience on the Easterners scene and we wanted to try and make sure that this would happen.  Paul decided that to add a more of a comical effect, right at the end their should be a break of the forth wall. In this break of fourth wall all three characters in unison stare at the audience with a look of shock. 

The next thing the whole class focused on was the first Cafe scene between Izzy and Thomas. The thing that was so obviously wrong with this scene was the obviousness of the link between what they were saying and the hot chocolate dance. Of course, these things have to be linked together in some way but not in such a slap dash, in your face way. Myself and Paul split the class into pairs and asked them to create scenes that were different than what Izzy and Thomas had come up with between them but stemmed off of the same kind of idea. The idea of this was for everyone to work as a team and to find ideas off of one another instead of just myself and Paul all the time, I really liked doing this exercise I feel it made everyone able to work better as a team. 

Strengths/ weaknesses and my response:

WE HAVE A NICE TEACHER WHO IS GOOD AT HIS JOB AND REALLY NICE AND CARES ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND THE SUBJECT HE TEACHES- literally the biggest strength to happen to the course since the start of term and I feel like I’m in love with my subject again, which is a fantastic feeling. 

Team work has improved incredibly, I feel this is due to getting a new teacher and him getting everyone to work more effectively together. I really feel as if we have grown stronger and closer this week, which is great as this has been one of my insecurities- not getting to know the first years properly. 

Blocking others on stage has been a weakness, however this issue is being improved in rehearsals by pointing out when it is happening and getting the actor to fix it then and there on the spot before we move on. 

What will happen next/ Personal targets for next week:

There has been mention of some kind of voice over or poem to be included so we will explore this idea in more detail next week as a class, to see what we can come up with to link each scene more effectively together. 

Personal targets for next week include staying as positive as what I feel this week. I feel that this is a fresh start and defiantly needed so I just hope that I can stay positive about the course and have as much excitement as what I currently do.