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labellerose-acheron · 3 years

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The Acheron Cottage -- aka Swynlake’s Burrow

This is a REBOOT of the first in a series that one day may be complete but also may never be complete. As most of you know I’m like a huge #spatial person in my writing, so all my character’s houses/apartments/living spaces are really well mapped out in my brain? And I thought it’d be fun for people to see. (And a good reference for those who may RP in those spaces at some point.)

And since we just did a whole plot where Hades and Belle renovated their house, I thought I would update their floorplan! (Also, because I’m super obsessed with this magical house.)

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @lou-bonfightme

Overview:

The Acheron cottage is now a 3 ½ (from 1 ½) bath, 6 bedroom cottage that was built in the 1700s sometime most likely and finished renovations in late June of 2021. Due to the fact the house is now four floors, taller than most of the trees in the area, and most of the surrounding houses are only 2 floor simple farmhouses and cottages, it sticks out a bit in the landscape, not to mention its haphazard leaning-tower of Piza style architecture. The new floors look like they were just kind of slapped onto the original house. (Think the Burrow.)

It is on 5 acres of land and backs up against the woods. There is a small stable and pasture on the land, as well as a large garden. It’s located in Southwest Swynlake, a few minutes walk from the local stable. There are neighboring farms, but they’re far enough away to not really count as proper neighbors.

Assume that all walls that are not covered by windows or other things (like closets) are full of books. The walls alternate between painted wood paneling and stone. Floors are wood except for the mud room, which are stone. The garden is shown in every photo, in order to orient yourself with which way the rooms are facing.

Residents:

Belle Acheron, Hades Acheron, Toulouse Bonfamille, Opal Acheron, Aidan Acheron, Bellamy Acheron, Arthur the ghost, other ghosts, chickens!, Philippe, Angus, the Black Shuck, Victoire, Vincent, Honoré, and Lord Voltaire Scalington, Destroyer of Universes.

**note: pictures in the aesthetic are to give an overall #feel of the house, but don’t necessarily indicate the exact furniture/decorations/floorplan. the floorplan, on the other hand is not quite to scale but i did the best i could.

1. Entryway

When you first walk into the house on your left is a row of hooks (made out of various odds and ends), on which to hang jackets. To your right is a little table and a mirror, probably plants added (thanks, Toulouse.) The hallway is wide but short and opens up into the living room area. The stairs are directly across from the front door. You can also see all the way through into the kitchen from the entryway.

2. Living Room

The living room is the most spacious room in the house and has remained so, even though other parts of the house were expanded. There is a large window seat beneath the front window. Two chairs and a couch are situated near the fireplace, which is dressed in the original brick, these are new pieces of furniture. It was painted a very pale, fading yellow, but now is painted a pale blue. Furniture is cozy and neutral colors (couch is a coffee colour and leather to prevent staining, chairs are a nice maroon colour, picked out by Lou with Hades’ influence). Lots of blankets (because Belle gets cold easily) and books along all the walls. A carpet is laid down beneath the couch/chairs.

These days, there are a few family portraits in spaces on bookshelves and above the mantel: one from Belle and Hades’ wedding, of the just the two of them and one of the whole wedding party; pictures of the children and with Toulouse, of course. Also, a picture of Belle’s mother has a place of importance among one of the shelves. There is also a picture of Persephone reading with Vincent in her old room. There is also evidence of children: toys and such littered about. It is rarely ever fully clean, no matter how fuitally Hades tries. The living room–as well as the rest of the house–is home to several clocks–on walls, on shelves, etc. Belle’s father was a clockmaker and Belle and him used to fiddle with the broken ones–made them tell time backwards or too fast or only every other hour. Belle and Hades’ chess table moved from the mudroom into the living room, near the fireplace. There is almost always a game in progress.

If one has a keen eye, they will notice there are no logs by the fire, nor soot in the fireplace. Yet, often, an eerie blue fire will be burning in it during the colder months.

3. Kitchen

The kitchen was the room that increased in size the most. The wall where the stove is was knocked out and pushed backwards to shift everything to the left. It now boasts copious counterspace, as well as a large island that is usually cluttered with mail and children’s things. Refrigerator, stove, oven, no dishwasher (which is probably the bane of Hades’ existence since Belle hates doing dishes and Lou doesn’t know how.) Cabinets are cherry wood; some are refurbished, and the new ones were made to match the originals.

Window over the sink looks out over the horse pasture in the distance (a few meters from the house.) Big, gorgeous window overlooking the garden in the “breakfast nook” area. Dining table is a cherry wood to match the cabinets and has eight matching chairs. Usually, the chairs are pushed to the walls, except for ones that are needed. This room is home to the only clock that is not digital that works in the entire house. It’s on the window ledge above the sink and was the first clock that Belle ever fixed by herself.

4. Mudroom

Where Belle always comes in from her horse rides, the door of which leads out into the garden and beyond. This is where winter clothes are stored and muddy shoes are piled by the door. It has a stone floor and is generally the coldest room in the house. The laundry machine and dryer are in this room. It used to be where Belle and Hades played chess. Now, their chess table can be found in the living room.

5. Guest Restroom

There is a new bathroom in the mudroom, for guests and the family to use conveniently. (And for Belle to clean up when coming from outside, Hades loves it.) It is just a sink and toilet but it is much better than making everyone go upstairs when they come over.

6. The Garden

The garden was neglected for a long while, since it was Belle’s mother’s. Originally it was full of just rose bushes, but many of them had died due to neglect (whoops). Persephone managed to save a few but the ones that couldn’t be, she and Belle (with the help of Haku) ripped them out and replaced them with different vegetables and flowers. It has a low brick wall around it. It backs up almost right to the woods. It is now Toulouse’s space and he will make it beautiful, with roses and other flowers and different fruits and vegetables. The opening at the top of it leads down to the pastures and off to the right of the garden is where the woods are.

7. Hallway

There is really nothing special about the hallway. It’s actually quite blank. There are more bookshelves though, which used to make the hallway a bit of a tight squeeze but they had to expand the wall in order to include stairs going up to the third floor, so it is more spacious now (though, not by a lot.)

8. Toulouse’s Room

This room used to be Persephone’s. It is currently Opal’s. However, it will, one day, be Toulouse’s, so I am going to describe that set up.

As you can see from the floor plan, there are copious amounts of plants in his room. He probably has very nice silky sheets--a dark green, maybe, with green walls. He has a long bookshelf among the far wall. On top of this is Voltaire’s tank. Probably a few paintings hung up and a dresser. The door that looks like it goes to nowhere? Oh, yeah. That’s his ever-expanding magical closet. It is a walk-in and is spelled to expand the more he needs it to. It exists now, but it has a child-proof magic lock on it so that Opal cannot get into it, lol. There is a cat tower for Honoré, though both of the cats hang out in Lou’s room, because Vincent is used to it too bc it used to be Persephone’s room.

There is a dog bed in the corner for Victoire, though she usually just sleeps with Lou, if Hades isn’t staying the night with him.

9. Belle’s Room

This room used to be Belle’s, it’s the room she grew up in. However, right now it is currently the twins’ room. However, one day it will go back to being Belle’s, so I am going to describe that set up.

A bit more spacious than the other room (but not by too much) Belle’s room is equipped with a closet, though it isn’t that big, as well as bookshelves all along the walls. There is also a reading nook in one corner with a window seat in it that Maurice built for her (which is why it’s in such a kooky spot) and it is probably Belle’s favourite spot in the whole house (after her secret office). The walls were repainted in a splendid sky blue. Her bedsheets are blue with little flower designs on them. Belle actually doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in her room, except for when she’s getting ready for bed. And I’d say she sleeps in Hades’ room probably 2 nights a week tops, but usually less than that, tbh.

10. Bathroom

Just your standard bathroom, nothing fancy about it. I assume Belle’s house runs on well water and it takes forever to get warm, which is the bane of everyone’s existence, especially Toulouse. This will mostly be his bathroom in the future, as Belle will take baths and such in the master bathroom.

11. Master Bedroom (Hades’ Room)

Biggest room in the house. It used to be Belle’s parents, and then Belle’s father’s. It has been Hades’ ever since he moved in. It is the neatest in the house because Hades is a tyrant about that and so even Belle’s things must be cleaned up. There’s a bedside drawer on either side of the bed, each has their own matching lamp. I imagine the bedsheets are like, extremely boring actually, like legitimately just white or a pale gray. There is also a space in this room, probably by the window, with arm chairs and a little table, where there is a chess board set up so Belle and Hades can play here too.

On the main dresser at the top, there is a jewelry stand for Hades’ various necklaces and bracelets. There is also a watch stand.

The walk-in closet is also extremely neat; Hades has an entire shelf for shoes which is neat of him.

The door that looks like it goes to nowhere? Oh, yeah. That’s Belle and Hades’ secret office. More on that in the section below. ~~

12. Master Bathroom

This only gets its own shout out because a) it is where Opal was born, b) I wanted the secret office to be #13, lol, c) I have a few headcanons about it. Mostly that Belle still uses it to do most of her nighttime routine stuff, because I feel like her and Hades probably have a groove going at this point and I think it’s cute. Also, she takes a lot of baths, so she’s in there all the time. She gets ready in the hallway bathroom in the morning though, since she gets up before Hades.

It is ALSO very neat, very clean counters lol and there are lots of skin products neatly arranged in drawers. He probably cleans up every morning after Belle from the night before, lmao. (Though, she DOES respect the bathroom as His Space and cleans up after herself, just...not to his standards.)

13. Belle and Hades’ Secret Office

It has a special rune on it that locks it unless you know the way in and can disappear if you want to hide it. Inside, Belle and Hades have hidden some of their more precious artifacts and books, things that they don’t want to get into the wrong hands.

The tan couch from the living room has been brought up to it, since it was getting far too small for the space downstairs and Belle didn’t want to get rid of it since it held so much sentimental value to them. The window looks out over the garden below, though it doesn’t actually exist to be looking out into the garden. From the outside, you cannot see it at all. It simply doesn’t exist.

Most everything in it is new. There is a lovely circular oak table in the middle, with matching chairs, and bookshelves surrounding all available walls. The desk labeled A is Hades and the desk labeled B is Belle’s, and they are both oak to match the table and custom fitted to the room. There is also a cabinet next to the couch that has a vault-like magic’ed drawer where they can hide things.

14. Bellamy’s Room

Eventually, this room will be Bellamy’s when the twins stop sharing a room by the time they’re about 13/14. Until then, it will be used The smallest of the three upstairs rooms. Some people might assume that Bellamy got it by default because he is technically the youngest, but he’s actually quite fine with it. He is the most like his mother when it comes to his living spaces. AKA -- he is a squirrel and likes his cozy little nest that is much messier than either of his siblings. He’s that person that puts clothes in drawers with one hand while reading with the other.

15. Opal’s Room

Eventually, this room will be Opal’s. She’ll probably move up there when she’s like five or six, idk whatever the appropriate age would be for a kid to be more or less self-sufficient in the regard of going to sleep/getting up. In the meantime, it will probably be Lou’s because it looks out over the garden. Which means she will probably get a lot of leftover plants from him because he won’t want to disturb them.

It is probably like a nice soft purple color or something right now. Opal constantly changes it. She repaints the room at least once a year and gets yelled at by her parents for rearranging her furniture at 2am sometimes. Also, the armchair in her room is the rocking chair that was in her nursery.

16. Aidan’s Room

At first, this room will be both Bellamy and Aidan’s because it is the biggest of the three upstairs rooms. The bed with the book on it is Bellamy’s and the one that is empty is Aidan’s. They don’t mind sharing really and I imagine won’t get in lots of arguments about things.

Because they are mediums, they both stay up late though they know not to disturb their parents or they’ll earn their wrath so they learn early on how to solve their own problems if they are getting on each other’s nerves. Their room is probably painted a nice pale yellow. Their biggest argument is probably closet space, because I could see Aidan being a fashionista and encroaching on Bellamy’s space and him getting annoyed about it.

17. Children’s Bathroom

It’s a bathroom? I don’t know. There are probably lots of fights about who gets to use it first in the mornings and people taking too long. Though, there are other bathrooms that people can use. I imagine there are mornings where one of the kids just marches into Hades’ room like ALL THE BATHROOMS ARE TAKEN, I’M USING YOURS!

What I’m saying is that privacy is an issue in this house, lmao. Yes, they expanded, but everyone is still living on top of each other.

18. Library

What? I thought there were books all over the house? Why do they need a library?

Because there will always be more books in the house! Also, they needed another room to escape for anyone in the family who might need it. Feel like Bellamy will haunt it most often as he grows older, but Belle will go there too rather frequently. She likes to be surrounded by books. There is another chess table here (yes, that makes three.) Sometimes, Hades and Belle will sneak off to the library just to play a game of chess without being disturbed, because they don’t keep one in the office. (The office is for working, the library is for relaxation.)

It is probably quite small actually and with a low, gabled ceiling. Floor to ceiling bookshelves all the way around the walls.

19. Toulouse’s Studio

Unattached to the rest of the house and above Hades’ garage, is Toulouse’s art studio. To get in you have to climb a spiral iron staircase. On the west side of the studio are floor to ceiling windows that look out over the forest. On the south side of the studio is another large window (though, not floor to ceiling), that looks towards the house/the garden/the horse pastures beyond. Beneath this window is his desk. To the left of his desk is a long workbench with several stools where his woodworking and other projects will be.

His favorite spot to paint is the place with the stool and empty easel, near the large floor-to-ceiling windows. There are also multiple plants in the room, scattered throughout. The couch actually pulls out into a bed, though it is rarely used. Sometimes, if Lou is in one of his moods, or if he just gets stuck on a project, he will stay the night in his studio.

This is Lou’s space and Belle/Hades rarely go in it, except to fetch him for dinner or whatnot. Sometimes, though, Opal will join him in it. She is the only one brave enough to put up with Lou when he’s in a bad mood and doesn’t want to be disturbed. It is also where she goes when she gets in fights with Belle and Hades, lol. Lou is the indulgent parent and everyone would rather she ran away to Lou’s art studio than to like...the wilds.

#the acheron cottage #swynlake's burrow #:)))#y'all i cannot tell you #how much i love this magical house #i love it SO much #inspiration #floorplan

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lou-bonfightme · 5 years

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The Bonfamille Manor

This is the third in a series that one day may be complete but also may never be complete. As most of you know I’m like a huge #spatial person in my writing, so all my character’s houses/apartments/living spaces are really well mapped out in my brain? And I thought it’d be fun for people to see. (And a good reference for those who may RP in those spaces at some point.)

Overview:

The Bonfamille Manor is a 7 bedroom, 5 1/2 bath house in the richest neighborhood in Swynlake. Newly renovated before the Bonfamilles moved in, it was built originally in the 1920s, when there was an expansion of the neighborhood. It boasts a lovely manicure property of one acre and views of the forest of Enchantra from its northern side. The driveway is rather large with a manicured lawn and horseshoe driveway, the house settled back slightly from the main road. Complete with marble and polished wood, three floors, a basement and attic space, it is a fabulous home, built for large families, guests, and throwing lavish parties.

**note: pictures in the aesthetic are to give an overall #feel of the house, but don’t necessarily indicate the exact furniture/decorations/floorplan. the floorplan, on the otherhand is not quite to scale but i did the best i could.

@ber-bonfamille-lyons, @marie-a-bonfamille

1. The Grand Foyer

The Bonfamille home is impressive from the moment you walk in. The marble floors are always sparkling, the walls are painted a lovely pale taupe that is neutral enough to compliment the whirligig decor which flits in and out of the manor as the seasons change, following the latest Parisian fashions. There is always a fresh bouquet on a table between the two staircases, so you are greeted with the lovely scent of whichever flowers are in season--often imported from around the world, and in the spring and summer, occasionally the flowers are from the Bonfamille’s very own garden, which is surely to be remarked upon when guests arrive for tea. The staircase which leads to the second floor has an imposing, regal presence. To the left of the entrance is a door which leads to the kitchen, this is almost always closed, except in rare circumstance. Guests are funneled to the side of the left staircase and into the sitting room before rounding into the dining room if they are coming over for a meal. However, it has a practical application of allowing the residents of the manor (usually the housekeeper) to answer the door swiftly.

2. Music Room

To the right of the front entrance is the music room. It is plainly decorated, with a cushioned window seat and an 1800th century Erard piano in sparkling, mint condition. The doors to this room are double paned windows, though they are usually left open, except in the evenings when they are closed as the residents retire for bed. In the springtime, the window which looks out towards the street is often left open and occasionally music can be heard down the street. It is a small room, but still has the tasteful Bonfamille touch, with a beautiful watercolor portrait of the Siene in summer hanging along the wall one would first observe upon entering, painted, as Adelaide will delightfully boast, by her eldest son.

3. Library

The library is a private space which usually remains closed, with the exception being during parties, where guests are free to roam the bottom floor of the manor. It is next door to the music room, though tucked slightly behind the stairs and across the foyer from the sitting room. Inside, the room is a delicious wine colour, with cherry bookshelves set into the wall, customized to the room. One wall boasts a framed family tree of the LaBlancs, tracing their lineage back to Parisian aristoc(r)ats. Around this frame are three plaques, which establish the fairy gifts of the Bonfamille children: extra cones in the eye, pitch perfect tune, and a crystal clear singing voice. These are used as talking points during parties. The collection of books is mostly in French, though English, German, and Latin can also be found. Many are family heirlooms, passed down through the generations.

4. Downstairs Restroom

Located at the back of the house on the right side, the downstairs restroom is always immaculate, with embroidered hand towels and imported luxurious hand soaps and lotion. This bathroom is used almost exclusively by guests. It is the only bathroom in the house that is not a full. It has a sign, in French, designating it as the restroom.

5. Washroom

A door kept strictly closed at all times, it has a sign on the door designating it as the washroom, so guests do not accidentally wander into it in search of the restroom. Tucked into the back of the house, next to the restroom, this room is out of the way, though if the door opens, it always smells like fresh linen and one can spot that even this room is clean and tidy, despite the constant flow of laundry.

6. Sitting Room

It is a rare guest who visits the Bonfamille manor sitting room frequently enough to grow familiar with the furniture and decor. Changing once every few months, it is constantly in flux. The only constants are the photos that line the hearth. However, as new accomplishments are performed by the talented Bonfamilles, the photos may be rearranged to display the newest editions. Artwork decorates the walls here as well, both by the eldest Bonfamille alongside other modern works, all from France. Otherwise, the couches and chairs and table and carpet are often changed in both layout and composition. (But, nothing is really that comfortable, as the sitting room is not for lounging, but for socializing with guests.)

There is a sliding glass door which looks out over the back patio and down into the picturesque garden, often tended to by the housekeeper, occasionally with the help of the mistress of the house and the Bonfamille children. There is a practical element to the garden, where vegetables and fruits suitable to the English climate are grown, as well as a more aesthetic element which boasts beautiful and often exotic flowers. The patio is large, but rarely used.

7. Dining Room

Another room in the manor that is constantly in flux, the dining room boasts a table of fine mahogany that seats twelve comfortably, though extra chairs are stored elsewhere for use in the event of a larger dinner party. While the living room furniture often changes, the dining room table is a family hierloom that was a wedding gift from the mistress of the house’s family. However, the upholstery does frequently change to compliment the living room. It is painted a similar colour to the foyer. Artwork decorates the walls here as well, both by the eldest Bonfamille alongside other modern works, all from France. It also houses a large cabinet of porcelian serving dishes, used for only the most special of occasions, such as births, engagements, weddings, and graduations, or when important visitors arrive for dinner. Notable guests include members of the British royal family, the British ambassador to France, the French ambassador to England, other political figures from both France and England, as well as several other prominent high society members.

8. Kitchen

The kitchen is large and state of the art, with a much different aesthetic than the rest of the house. It is very modern in appearance, both sleek and more monochrome. The kitchen is rarely seen by guests. There is no decor on the walls such that characterizes the rest of the manor. It is the domaine of the housekeeper. It has a door that exists to the grand foyer, as well as one on the opposite wall that opens into the dining room. The door to the basement is also here.

9. Berlioz’s Studio

The basement has been converted to a studio for the middle Bonfamille, who is a musician, composer, and producer. Although he has, within recent years, moved in with his long-time partner, the vestibules of his studio remain. A fold out couch and a few chairs are scattered about the middle of the room. In one corner is a customized recording booth with velvet maroon interior that matches the throw pillows on the couch and chairs. There is also a mixing station, computer table, and state of the art sound. The room is mostly soundproof, however, there is a sliding glass door along the side of the house that opens out to the backyard.

10. Berlioz’s Bedroom

Berlioz’s room has been emptied out considerably since he moved in with Simba. His bed is still there with simple gray comforter/sheets. The walls are all white. There is a pretty large stair-step bookcase on the opposite wall, where most of his records and books are stored. There used to be guitars and posters on the walls, but he’s moved those to Simba’s place. But impressively, his desk still manages to have lots of old papers from secondary, including notebooks full of very old lyrics. They’re hidden away though since Nounou keeps the desk clear and the room tidy.

11. Toulouse’s Bedroom

The eldest Bonfamille’s room is on the right from the top of the stairs and to the left. It has one window that faces out towards the main street and one that faces towards the neighbor’s, though with enough room between houses to provide privacy. Filled with two amply stocked bookshelves and a large wardrobe, which betrays the eldest son’s affinity for fashion (some of the overflow is housed in the middle Bonfamille’s closet, which was the case before the middle Bonfamille moved out, but has become even more true in the years following.) The bedsheets are a simple stone-grey, with ample amounts of throw pillows. A tidy desk sits near the door and a book normally graces the nightsand, obviously in the process of being read. The room is filled with exotic plants, that both sit atop the wardrobe, bookshelves, desk, and nightstands, but also hang from the ceiling, giving the impression the room is much smaller than in actuality.

12. Berlioz and Toulouse’s Restroom

The Bonfamille brothers share a bathroom that can be seen from the top of the stairs if you stand to the left and look up. It is next to the eldest Bonfamille’s room and diagonally across the hall from the middle Bonfamille’s room. Despite being owned by two young men, it is more or less always spotless, with grooming utensils housed beneath the cabinet. It boasts a full tub and shower, and is spacious in design.

13. Billiards Room

If you didn’t need enough of a reminder that the Bonfamilles were rich and posh as fuck, they have a billiards room.

14. Marie’s Room

The youngest Bonfamille’s room, situated opposite her mother’s, is a room that any young woman would envy. The room is outfitted in white and shades of pink, everything made to look delicate and, of course, expensive. The bed, pushed against the right hand wall, is layered in blankets and cushions to give it a cozy feel, with a few stuffed animals tucked in next to the pillows. Next to the bed, a desk for working and assignments stands against the wall, whilst a dressing table, completed by an illuminated mirror, sits at the foot of the bed against the left-most wall. Both desks are kept well organised and neatly set out so that everything is to hand when she needs it, and above the work desk are various past designs and photographs from her childhood, and occasionally, flowers are left in a vase on the corner of the desk (though now flowers tend to be a rarity thanks to the arrival of the cat). Dauphine, of course, is not forgotten; she has her own cat bed next to Marie’s, and by the window, so she can watch the birds.

15. Adelaide’s Room

The Bonfamille matriarch, of course, enhabits the master (or in this case, mistress) bedroom. The largest of the four second floor bedrooms, it is located to the left of the staircase and along the left wall, across from the singular Bonfamille daughter’s room. Inside is a lavish four-poster bed with fresh flowers always on the nightstand. There is also a sitting area, with a settee, chairs, and a table. This room is ornately decorated. It also features a large bathroom, complete with a roomy tub, separate shower, and large walk-in closet.

16. Guest Bedroom #1

This room was most recently used as a nursery for Claude and is one of the smaller rooms in the house. It is currently still outfitted as a nursery, but will one day be converted back into a guest room.

17. Guest Restroom

The guest rooms are Jack-and-Jill style, with a full bathroom between. A shower is available here, though if a guest prefers a bath, they are welcome to the roomy tub across the hall in the guest restroom. The door closes between the toilet/shower and the sinks, allowing for private access to these facilities, allowing for continued access to the sinks whilst the bathroom is in use.

18. Guest Bedroom #2

The Bonfamilles do not skimp when it comes to decorating their guest rooms. Complete with goose-feathered pillows, down comforters, and delightfully comfortable (and expensive mattresses), the care the Bonfamilles have for their guests is immediately clear. Decorated with fine art, the room also is provided with fresh flowers when occupied. These rooms are located up a staircase at the left side of the second floor corridor, and then to the right, along the right wall.

19. Children’s Playroom

Envisioned as a third bedroom on the third floor, perhaps even the original Master bedroom, this room is the largest in the house. The Bonfamilles converted it into a playroom for when the three children were very young. Here, there were play tables, comfortable mats for napping, a chest full of toys, as well as easels for painting, a keyboard for playing music, and a shelf full of books. However, now that all the children are young adults, the room has been packed up and is mostly used as storage.

20. Third Floor Restroom

Originally used, perhaps, as the Master bath, this restroom is now off the playroom. It is available for use by guests, who so choose, as it has a wonderful jacuzzi tub. It is occasionally used as a dark room by the eldest Bonfamille, in order to develop photographs. The door to this bathroom which leads to the hall was the one of the only major layout feature that the Bonfamilles added after buying the house, otherwise, most of the plan is congruent with the original 1920s plan. The other exceptions exist in the basement and attic.

21. Toulouse’s Studio

Directly at the top of the stairs on the third floor is a door that leads up into the attic space, converted for the eldest Bonfamille son as an art studio. This is the only part of the house with exposed wood, instead of drywall and paint. The floor, also, is unfinished and now covered in a layer of paint splatters. The walls have a shelf at working-height that spans the perimeter of the studio, for someone to stand or sit at a tall stool and comfortably use them as workspace. The north wall and the east wall boast beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows which are cleaned by professional cleaners once a month. This allows for a view of both the garden below and the forest beyond. The room is crowded with half-finished, finished, and blank canvases, as well as other art projects in various mediums (most frequently wood working), in stages of completion.

#the bonfamille manor #interior: the bonfamille manor #exterior: the bonfamille manor #headcanons #inspiration #in case y'all forgot how extra i am #this has been sitting waiting for like 2 years #at LEAST

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the-sweetest-dragon · 5 years

Text

Souls Uniting

Part Two: Time Flies

Pairing: Peter Parker x Phoenix Graves

Reminder: Soulmate AU

Word Count: 2.5k

AN: I really like writing this series and I have a lot of plans for it (It’s already like 20 pages...) so I’m hoping it picks up a little more. I love the character and I want to explore her a little more. The next one will probably be from Peter’s POV because... well you’ll see.

Tags: @audder17 my favorite Spider-Man nerd

Character Sheet Part One

______________________________________________________

“I want to be your soulmate, even if I don’t believe in them.” – Colleen Hoover

10:37 A.M., Thursday, June 20th, 2019

I groan as my curtains are pulled open, sunshine bearing down on me.

“Rise and shine sleepyhead! Today’s the day!” I groan again. Mom was super excited for this farmer’s market that she had heard about a few days after we had moved in. She was dragging me along with her, something about exploring the city, even though we had to make a half hour drive OUTSIDE of the city just to get to this market.

I cover my head with my blanket. Maybe if she can’t see me, then she’ll leave me be. Ha, that’s a funny joke Phee. You should know better than that. I peek outside my blanket cover to see Mom standing at my desk, my sketchbook in her hands. I sigh and throw the blanket off me.

“You do realize that sometimes my sketchbooks are private, right?” Mom gives me a guilty smile and I shake my head at her.

“I was just looking at your designs for the kitchen.” She sets the sketch book down. “You had bought a lot of blue paint and I was curious.”

“Well, you know what they say.” I sit up in bed and stretch. “Curiosity killed the cat.” I smile and get up out of bed, disturbing both Salem and Sabrina. They both stare at me with unnerving yellow eyes. “Sorry kids.”

“Ah, but satisfaction brought it back.” Mom smiles and gives both cats a quick pet. “Get dressed. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.” I groan but listen to her, knowing that’ll be the best for me if I just do as she says. I pull on the first outfit I find, which happens to be a paint splattered, black tank top and a pair of shorts. Parting my hair into two little space buns on the top of my head, I pause to brush my teeth quickly before hurrying to the kitchen.

I notice the new doodle before my mom does this time. A smile comes across my face; whoever this was had to be very into memes, because on my arm was a surprised Pikachu face. I couldn’t help but laugh softly. I just had to get stuck with a nerd huh?

“Whatcha laughing at Phee?” I turn to find Mom smiling behind me, a to-go coffee mug in her hands. I sigh and show her, making her laugh as well. “Well, whoever it is, sure isn’t an artist.” She pats my arm and gathers up her purse, double checking that her keys are in them before opening our door. “Ready for an adventure?”

Laughing, I head out the door, not realizing that at that very moment, I would run into someone. I run head first into a guy that I had seen only in passing; he lived up a floor with his aunt. Didn’t know much about him other than there wasn’t anyone else living with them. He was around my age, if not a year older, and fairly cute.

I ran into him, making both of us trip over each other’s feet. He recovers before me and holds onto my biceps to steady me. I notice how gently he holds my arms, like he may break them. A spark travels through my body, like he shocked me or something. I regain my balance and shake myself out of his hold. I don’t need anyone holding me up.

“You good?” I nod, making an ‘ok’ gesture with my hands. He smiles, knocking me off guard a little. “I’m Peter.” He sticks out his hand for me to shake. I narrow my eyes at his hand but shake it anyways, feeling that shock again. I’m not big on shaking hands; it’s almost too formal but a hug is too familiar so I’m stuck with a handshake.

“Phoenix.” I try to smile, I really do, but I’ve noticed his face and I can’t seem to look away. He’s got these big brown doe eyes that make you want to spill all your secrets. It’s quite frustrating actually. I shake myself out of it. Get a grip Phee. “Nice to meet you Peter. I’ve got to get going.”

I wave awkwardly goodbye and head downstairs to wait for Mom. God, could I get anymore awkward? I sigh and turn my head up to the ceiling, praying to any god that would listen to just let me die. Apparently, I could not be trusted around cute boys anymore. I rub the Pikachu face absentmindedly, wishing I hadn’t of knocked into the kid. It couldn’t get anymore embarrassing.

12:13 P.M., Thursday, June 20th, 2019

As it turns out, I could always get more embarrassed by Mom. She had this power, that only parents could possibly have. Mom can make an awkward, one time situation, into a full length discussion. On the car ride to the farmer’s market, we talked about how that Peter guy could have been my soulmate, did you look at his arms, was he cute, do you want to invite him for dinner one night. The more questions she asked, the farther I sunk into my seat. Being stuck in the car certainly didn’t help matters; Mom is not a good navigator, so after an hour of searching for this mysterious farmer’s market we headed home. Which took even longer than before because we had managed to get lost. Story of our lives.

Back home, Mom ordered some lunch and I worked on my design for the kitchen. What I really wanted to do was make a beach scene that started over the sink in the kitchen and carried out into the living room. I start sketching the idea out more thoroughly, making it less detailed than the final product. The painting process would take me a lot longer than I had originally anticipated but I was up to the challenge and had the entire summer to work on it.

I sit back in my chair, thinking again about the art on my arms. Should I draw something on them just to see? Mom would say yes, of course I should. I nibble on a hangnail, thinking about my options. I could do it, figure out right away if that Peter guy was my soulmate, and be somewhat freaked out over how easy it was. Or I could relax and enjoy this time without a soulmate. I, being the selfish being that I am, decide to not do anything. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

“How’s the sketch coming honey?” I sigh and get up from my chair in the living room to find Mom in the kitchen taping off counters and cabinets in preparation for tomorrow. She shoots me a smile when I walk in.

“It’s coming okay. I’m not entirely happy with how it’s looking but by the time I paint it, it should be pretty good.” Mom nods and turns back to the walls. I study her for a moment, thinking I may do some portraits for her birthday next month. I’m sure she would love them but faces are hard to master, especially the eyes. I sigh and go back to my chair in the living room.

A buzz is heard throughout the apartment. The food must be here. I hop up and grab some money from my purse to pay before opening the door. The delivery boy smiles and my heart does a little skip. He’s really good looking; vibrant auburn hair and green eyes. Kinda crooked nose and a thin mouth. I check his arm subconsciously, knowing without seeing that there’s no doodles on his arms, but wanting to make sure. I hand him the money and he hands us our food. Closing the door, I sigh, somewhat disappointed. As much as I hate the idea of having a soulmate, it bugs me that I don’t know who it is.

“Food is here!” I can hear Mom laugh and a soft thud as she drops down onto the floor. I set the food containers on our small wooden table, which is covered in paintings of flowers and other small things. I did those when I was first learning to paint and this table has traveled with us for many years.

I open one box and am met with the delicious scent of fried rice and sweet chicken. Mom hands me our chopsticks while she tries to find clean plates. I continue to open boxes as she looks. She comes back in with plates and we both dig into our respective dishes; sweet and sour chicken for me and teriyaki chicken for her.

“You know, when I was growing up, your grandmother refused to let us eat Chinese food. Said it wasn’t real Chinese food and then proceeded to make some of the most disgusting food I’ve ever eaten.” Mom shakes her head with a smile. “She wasn’t much of a cook but when she put her mind to something, nothing would stop her.” She smiles softly at me. “You remind me of her. She would have loved you.” I bite my lip and nod.

My grandmother was deported when I was just a few months old. Grandfather had passed away a year before that, and since she wasn’t an American citizen, she was sent back to China. She passed away a few months after that, brokenhearted and alone. Mom never forgave herself for allowing it to happen but there hadn’t been anything she could do. Now, all Mom had were memories of her kind mother and a legacy to protect.

We finished our meal is comfortable silence. I got back to work on my project, finally finishing and setting it aside for tomorrow.

11:22 P.M., Thursday, June 20th 2019

I really loved my room but had no ideas for how to paint it. Mom had suggested cherry blossoms but I’m not really the flowery type anymore. My sketchbook is filled to the brim with ideas but I’m not a hundred percent on any of them. Absentmindedly, I turn my pens to my arm, drawing out constellations and small dragons that float through clouds. Too late, I realize I didn’t want to draw on my arm but something was pushing me to do so. I huff, irritated with whatever gods that were pushing me to try and find my soulmate. Throwing my pens to my desk, I set my sketchbook down on the floor. Maybe some yoga will help me relax and find some new ideas.

I have access to the fire escape, where I’ve set up my yoga mat and a few plants on the windowsill. Before going out, I make sure to lock my door; Mom had told me that the fire escape was off limits but I couldn’t help myself. It was quiet out there, and I could almost make out the stars.

Changing into some comfortable clothes, I quickly make my way out onto the fire escape only to find someone else already there. A man, or what I assume is a man, in a red and blue spandex suit is perched on the railing of my fire escape. I clear my throat and watch as he nearly slips off the rails. He quickly rights himself and turns towards me and my heart stops in my chest. A soft gasp escapes my mouth and the eyes on his suit widen in shock.

“Holy shit.” I hear softly from the man. He must feel it too, this feeling of not being able to breathe. I back up into my plants and my heart screams at me to go towards him, not away, but my mind wants me out of there and quickly. He holds his hands out, trying to get me to stop moving but I just freak out a little more. I trip over a potted plant and my whole world tips.

In a blur, his fingers are clasped around my wrist and a small spark travels through my body. The eyes of his mask are trained on my arm and I pull my wrist out of his grasp, quickly pulling down my sleeves to cover my doodles.

“Why are you on my fire escape?” I narrow my eyes at him. Of course I know why he’s on my fire escape but I want to hear it from him. Having an Avenger sitting on my fire escape was something I’d have to paint, I decide. I make a mental note of how the street lights reflect off the eyes in his mask and the spider design on his suit curves over the muscles in his arms. I allow myself to admire his form for a few moments before shaking myself out of it and crossing my arms over my chest. I raise myself to my full height, a whopping five feet and three inches, hoping to intimidate him into telling me the truth.

“I was uh… resting?” I can hear the lie in his voice and narrow my eyes at him. He sighs, which sounds odd when someone’s mouth is mostly covered. Spider-Man pulls up the bottom part of his mask to reveal his mouth. My mind instantly goes to what the rest of his face may look like and I have to forcibly tell myself to not freak out over this man’s mouth. He could be a gross old man for Christ’s sake!

“I was watching out for something exciting to happen,” he admits. I can’t help but laugh; a hero waiting for something bad to happen? Especially in New York? That was rich. Spider-Man’s mouth frowns slightly. “What’s so funny?”

“You-” a snort interrupts my sentence and I have to pause to compose myself. “You’re a hero in New York. There’s crime everywhere to be stopped.” He sighs and plops down onto the solid part of the fire escape. I join him, slipping my legs in between the bars of the railings.

I take a closer look at the part of his face I can see and decide that he’s not bad looking. His mouth is thin but he has a strong jawline and a bit of a butt chin. My fingers itch to draw this as well. There’s just something about him that is drawing me in, almost like a magnet. We sit in silence for what could be minutes or hours, the time passing by like water in a stream. Before I realize it, my arm is being held in his hands again, the material of his suit causing goosebumps to appear on my skin.

“Did you draw these?” he asks. I take my arm back from him, somewhat upset that he’d even ask such a question. But I can tell his eyes are focusing on the faded Pikachu and he’s suddenly standing up. “Sorry, I gotta head out! There's a, uh, robbery happening!” He points down the street and I cock my head to the side, confused. “Have a good night!” And with that he swings into the night, leaving an empty feeling in my chest and many questions.

#peter parker #souls uniting #spiderman #marvel #peter parker x oc #phoenix graves #avengers #i love them already #part two #soulmate au

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magzoso-tech · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/best-tech-of-2019-our-favourite-purchases-from-zomato-gold-to-realme-earbuds/

Best Tech of 2019: Our Favourite Purchases, From Zomato Gold to Realme Earbuds

Being a consumer is like a job, as a disgraced comedian once rightly said. We spend hours poring over the options at our disposal, looking at the features, going through reviews — a culture we at Gadgets 360 contribute to — and wondering what’s best suited for our needs. Sure, it seems crazy, but it also makes sense. After all, you work hard to earn that money. As you scroll below, you’ll find that some of us didn’t find anything worthwhile to spend said hard-earned money on in 2019. Meanwhile, most others found joy in new phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, subscriptions, or gaming consoles. Thus, in this Best Tech of 2019 article, we detail our favourite purchases from the world of technology this year.

Abhinav Lal: Zomato Gold

I’m going to nominate my Zomato Gold subscription as my tech purchase of the year. You may say, “Hey, that’s not really tech, is it?”, and I’d mostly agree with you. But, hey, it’s a premium offering by a consumer tech platform and seeing that I’ve reaped benefits several times over its cost already, I’m nominating it.

If you’d recall, Zomato earlier this year started Gold on delivery as well, making it rather decent value for money as long as you have participating restaurants in your neighbourhood. I got a 12-month subscription for Rs. 1,800, and since this was during Zomato’s anniversary celebrations, I also got five Rs. 200 cashbacks on delivery orders, bringing its cost down to Rs. 800. I recouped that in two dine outs — and have been using it for delivery as well.

As for my wishlist last year, it included a virtual reality headset, but I’ve been unable to convince myself to take the plunge on a mid-level offering. Maybe this year we will see a reduction in prices as the tech becomes more mainstream.

Buy: Zomato Gold

Aditya Shenoy: Nothing

At the start of the year, I was looking to buy a Sena 30K for my daily + weekend rides. After some thorough research found out that it won’t be able to survive the monsoons here. So dropped plans of picking one up. Surprisingly I haven’t bought a single new tech product this year. I did buy a V6 Communicator since the one I had got drenched in the rains and conked off.

An Android Auto head-unit for my car is still on my wishlist, but I think I’ll look for it next year.

Buy: Nothing

Akhil Arora: Nothing

True to what I’d predicted over 300 days ago, my tech wishlist stayed empty for all of 2019. Of course, I cheated and browsed through sales like any bargain-loving human, but I was never enticed to hit the buy button. That doesn’t mean I didn’t purchase anything. I picked up an iRobot Roomba 600 series at the start of the year and a Mi Air Purifier 3 towards the end of the year. One was a present, and the other a necessity — have you seen the data?

But I wouldn’t say I’d recommend either. If you’re looking for a robot vacuum or an air purifier, I’ve realised it’s best to stay away from entry-level products.

The Roomba is good at cleaning, but it’s very dumb. I live in a 3BHK and given how frequently I’ve to interact with it during cleaning, it really stretches the definition of the word “robot”. As for the Xiaomi one, it seems to do the job, but I don’t trust its AQI readings even though it has a new sensor. So without a separate air quality monitor, there’s no way to tell how good a job it’s doing.

My favourite tech product for 2019 then? 404 Not Found. Sorry for wasting your time, …again.

Buy: Nothing

Akshay Jadhav: Google Home Mini

This year I got a decent deal on the Google Home Mini during the Big Billion Day Sale on Flipkart. It was available for Rs. 2,299. I bought it just for casually listening to music at home. However, now my parents listen to their old playlists the entire day on it and they love the Home Mini’s ease of use with voice commands. Also, the fact that it can work as a Bluetooth Speaker is a cherry on top for me. It has certainly been the best purchase in 2019.

Buy: Google Home Mini

Ali Pardiwala: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

I’ve made a couple of big purchases this year, but the one device I’ve found more useful than anything else is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Considering how many televisions I’ve reviewed this past year, this device is an invaluable tool of my trade. And of course, it’s helped me get access to a wide range of TV shows, movies, and videos across various streaming services up to 4K and HDR.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is, quite easily, one of the best streaming devices you can buy today. It’s the best Rs. 5,999 I’ve spent this year, and has made my television viewing experience far more entertaining and easy.

Buy: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Aman Rashid: iPhone 11 Pro

I am a die-hard smartphone enthusiast, which is why I like to upgrade to a new smartphone every year. And for many people around me, it is a waste of money to upgrading to a new phone every year, but this has become somewhat of a hobby which I am unable to ignore. So my favourite tech purchase of 2019 is the iPhone 11 Pro.

To recap, I haven’t had great experiences using an iPhone. I have had two iPhones in the past, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 7 Plus. And with the iPhone 11 Pro, I was a bit skeptical before purchasing it because of my experiences with iPhones and the exorbitant prices the current Apple phones come with. But I was simply swayed away by the looks of the device. Unlike many people out there, I really like the triple-camera design at the back which makes it stand out from every other phone out there. And, the stainless-steel frame which you don’t get to see in flagships from other manufacturers. Moreover, the phone’s performance is top-notch, battery life is great, and the cameras are also a step-up from the last generation.

It has been almost 3 months since I purchased the iPhone 11 Pro, and I have to say I am really enjoying the iOS experience on this device. Looking forward to the iPhone 12 Pro or whatever Apple decides to name it.

Buy: iPhone 11 Pro (256GB)

Gaurav Shukla: LG G7 ThinQ

Even though smartphone prices have continued to go up with each passing year, I am yet to increase the budget that I had set for my smartphone purchases years ago. Hence, with just Rs. 30,000 to spare for my new smartphone, LG G7 ThinQ caught my eye. LG isn’t the most popular smartphone maker around; in fact, you will be hard-pressed to find LG smartphone owners these days. But, in my opinion, the company’s flagships are often some of the best value-for-money phones around if you are fine with waiting for a few months after the phone’s launch in India and don’t want to go for a Chinese smartphone brand.

Bought in the start of this year, the LG G7 is yet to disappoint me. The phone packs some impressive specifications for an older smartphone and is very easily going to last me another year. Having said that I do hate the massive screen but sadly that is a reality of the Android smartphone market right now, and the phone’s cameras aren’t great.

With Mi LED 10W smart bulb as my only other tech purchase, there is little competition for LG G7 ThinQ for my favourite tech purchase this year.

Buy: LG G7 ThinQ

Harpreet Singh: iPhone XR

I didn’t spend a lot of money on tech products this year, I’m going to end 2019 with a lot still left on my wishlist. But I did upgrade my smartphone this year. I switched from an iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone XR, after spotting a decent deal online.

It seems like a decent upgrade to me. I like the battery life on the iPhone XR, but I miss the physical home button and Touch ID. I like the fact that it has support for an eSIM as a secondary connection even though I don’t really need one. I do love the camera though, nothing Pixel-like but since I only capture photos for Instagram and Snapchat, it gets the job done.

Buy: iPhone XR

Jagmeet Singh: Microsoft Surface Go

I often do some work while commuting. Checking for new emails or responding them while on-the-move is quite feasible through a smartphone. But I usually spend my travel time in writing new feature pieces or transcribing recent interviews that both a compact PC-like machine. I do carry my work laptop, but in the recent past, I observed the need for an even smaller device that I can take with me in most of the places. I found the iPad as an early solution. However, I ended up purchasing a Microsoft Surface Go.

Since the Surface Go provides me with the full Windows experience, I can not just open apps that are limited to iOS (read iPadOS) but also access all major software packages that I used to have on my desktop or work laptop. The portable design of the Surface Go also makes it an easy-to-carry machine and the optional keyboard adds productivity. Likewise, the touchscreen experience on the device is also on par with my iPhone. The only thing that lacks here is the battery life that gets exhausted in five-six hours of regular use. Nevertheless, there is a USB Type-C port that supports the Power Delivery (PD). So I use a compatible power bank for charging on-the-go.

Buy: Microsoft Surface Go

Jamshed Avari: iPad Pro

After promising myself that I wouldn’t buy anything unnecessary this year, I stumbled across a ridiculously good deal on a second-hand previous-gen iPad Pro that I simply couldn’t pass up. Did I actually need it? Not at all. Was it a good impulse buy? Absolutely! My previous iPad no longer receives iOS updates, I get to play high-end games, and the huge screen is just glorious. You can have a full-sized A4 page up, which is great for reading and especially for sheet music. Creative apps such as Synth One really feel transformed on the bigger screen and the stereo speakers are a revelation too. Moreover, it’s so light that I can just take it anywhere. Now to find an equally good deal on a keyboard cover…

Buy: 12.9-in iPad Pro (2nd Gen)

Nadeem Sarwar: Samsung Wireless Powerbank

2019 was the year I shelled out the most when it comes to purchasing tech goodies. I got myself the Acer KG241QP gaming monitor that offers 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time at a sweet discount on Amazon. I also burnt my earnings on a Redgear MK881 Invador mechanical keyboard with the Kailh Blue switches, and of course, RGB lighting effects. But my favourite tech purchase of the year was the Samsung Wireless Powerbank (EB-U1200CPNGIN).

This one’s not your average, blocky power bank. Aside from a USB Type-A port and a USB Type-C port, it also has a circular Qi-certified wireless charging pad that supports the in-house Wireless Fast Charge tech. It lets me simultaneously charge a phone and a wearable device (or another wireless charging compatible phone, which happens to be the Pixel 3 in my case). The 10,000mAh battery is enough to juice up the phone’s battery thrice, and the build quality is also top notch. It comes at a premium over rival 10,000Ah power banks, but the versatility it offers is unmatched.

Buy: Samsung Wireless Powerbank 10000mAh

Prabhakar Thakur: Amazon Fire TV Stick

Amazon Fire TV Stick was my favourite purchase this year, though I did not really “buy” it. It came with a Samsung TV that I bought (not a smart TV). It has changed my TV viewing experience for good. With Fire TV Stick’s clean UI and decent voice remote, I don’t have many complaints about the device.

This one doesn’t support 4K videos, but I have no qualms about it because of the expense of the amount of data that will be needed should I raise the video quality that much.

Buy: Amazon Fire TV Stick

Roydon Cerejo: iPhone XR, Fire TV Stick, and PS4 Pro

I may have gone a little crazy this year with my tech purchases. My first one was an iPhone XR back in April, when the big discounts and cashback offers began. An excellent device with more than a day-long battery life which even rivalled the iPhone XS. Plus, the fact that it was available in India at an effective price which was even lower than what it was being sold for in the US, made it a no-brainer.

My second-best tech purchase has been the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. The reason it makes the list is because I managed to snag one during this year’s Black Friday sale, for just $25! (roughly Rs. 1,800). It’s also a lot faster than the standard version, supports faster Wi-Fi and of course, can do 4K streaming.

My last big tech purchase of this year is the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro. Yes, I’m aware that the PlayStation 5 (PS5) will be launching around this time, next year, but like every new console generation, the true potential of it will most probably only be realised till a few years in the console’s lifecycle. By then, we’ll also have newer revisions which may fix any teething issues of the launch models, possibly a Pro model and most importantly, more affordable prices out by then.

Pro tip: If you’re looking to get the PS4 Pro, keep in mind that the only official bundle with India warranty is the one with the extra controller. All other bundles on Amazon and Flipkart of the Pro that include free games, are direct imports and don’t have a valid Indian warranty.

Buy: iPhone XR, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, or PS4 Pro

Sumit Garg: Nothing

I have spent a lot of money this year. My biggest purchase has to be a new car, but did I make a tech purchase for myself? Well, no. Yes, I did buy two Redmi 8A smartphones, but those were gifts for my family members. Other than that, personally I did not find anything that amazed me in tech this year and because of that I didn’t make any tech purchase this year.

Buy: Nothing

Tasneem Akolawala: Amazon Echo

I didn’t make any big tech purchases this year, nothing that makes for a worthy mention. Although, I did make a tiny Amazon Echo purchase in January for the house. It’s proved to be quite handy, especially to satiate the growing curiosity of my kid. For those unaware, the Echo range of smart speakers from Amazon comes with Alexa voice assistant built in. It lets you ask questions, request songs, ask for recipes, and set reminders – and responds with voice-based answers. I’d recommend it as a nice addition to your home entertainment space. I bought the second-generation Echo, but it would be ideal to buy the third-generation speakers now. Amazon offers a slew of Echo speakers in different forms and functionalities.

Buy: Amazon Echo

Yousuf Jawed: Realme Earbuds 2

After using OnePlus wireless bullets for an year then getting back to old tech like wired headphones is tough but I did make a choice now and it is Realme Buds 2. These Realme earphones are good in terms of sound quality within the price bracket. The braided cable make you believe it is stronger and practically doesn’t get tangled. The length of the wire is very generous, and it comes with a rubber clip. I also appreciate the drivers and the chambers they are housed in, redesigned to give better sound quality. The magnetics snapping feature of the buds are very handy. So, yeah, this was my tech purchase on the year.

Buy: realme Earbuds 2 in-Ear Wired with mic

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#Miscellaneous

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risevessel4-blog · 5 years

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Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Not a day goes by when I don’t get a message requesting a restaurant recommendation in Paris. (Curiously, I also get asked for restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve never lived in, or even visited.) My promise to you is that I’ll only write up or recommend places I’ve been to, and with apologies to all who’ve asked for restaurant recommendations on social media, if I answered every request and message, I wouldn’t have time to write up this list for you. Or even go out to eat myself.

I do update my Paris restaurant list when I find a place I like. Similarly, when a restaurant or bistro isn’t what it used to be, I remove it. When I do a more extensive write up of a place, you’ll find it listed in my Paris restaurant categories. But other times, when I’m just going out to dinner, not toting my camera with me (and not remembering all the details the next day), I’ll give it a more general shout-out on my Paris restaurant page. But here’s a little more to add to that list, as well as some sweet shops and cocktail bars that are worthy of being on your radar.

Brasserie Bellanger (140, rue du Faubourg Poissonière, 10th) is one of the newest of the low-priced bistros that have popped up in Paris over the last few years. The young owners promise everything is fresh and fait maison (homemade), which was a criticism rightly leveled at some of the old-school bistros that lost their luster, noting that the brasserie sources things directly from producers, which allows them to keep prices modest. Our vegetable-centric pollack was perfectly cooked, served on a heap of vegetables. There were no fancy sauces or ornamentation. The frites we ordered alongside – because man cannot live by fish alone – were some of the best I’ve had in town. Often they’re soggy or soft, and these were cooked until bronzed and crispy. In short, the kind of fries that are worth polishing off. We finished with an Île flottante filled with mango puree and an excellent Paris-Brest. Super friendly staff and tables outside (although other diners waiting for tables may be smoking nearby), but still, the outside is a rather pleasant place.

Another place that I’ve been enjoying, where I’ve not taken a picture at, is Le Mermoz (16, rue Jean Mermoz, 8th). This starkly-decorated bistro allows you to focus on the food, which isn’t just beautifully-presented, but it’s perfectly prepared. A recent lunch started with a plate of lightly blanched green beans with fresh almonds and pickled apricots. Dessert was softly cooked cherries bathed in sabayon with cubes of Gâteau de Savoie and a sprinkling of fresh elderflowers. The focus is on quality of ingredients and preparation, rather than portion size, at least at lunch, when I’ve dined there. But it’s usually enough for me.

I’ve written about les routiers before, French truck stops known for serving honest, no-nonsense fare, hearty enough for truckers, who need a decent meal to break up the monotony of being on the road. Aux Bons Crus in Paris probably doesn’t get that many truckers, but locals like it because it serves honest French food without a lot of fuss. Recently three women next to us were thrilled to be able to get kidneys, while we shared a Frisée salad with lardons (bacon), rillettes (not my favorite dish on the menu), and œufs mayo, before digging into mains of straightforward French fare, everything intentionally priced to please camionneurs (truckers), and the rest of us.

Yup, I know it’s not called Bo Bun, but that’s what they call it in France. (And yes, in France, it’s also café express, not an espresso.) If you have a problem with the language, take it up with the Académie Française. Whatever you call it, Bo Bun has become as popular at the Apérol Spritz around town, especially with the twenty-something set. But the one at Lux Café (73, rue Saint-Maur, no website) is different than others. The grilled rolls and pork (although it’s available with fried tofu, and yes, with grilled pork the dish is traditionally referred to as Bun Cha) are on a bed of curled up sheets of noodles, rather than the traditional strands of vermicelli.

There’s only one thing on the menu and the prices are higher than the other places around town, but I think it’s worth it. If you want to walk up to Belleville, Dong Huong has a pretty good one, too. Actually, at Dong Huong I always get B12 on the menu, do-it-yourself rice paper rolls that you roll up with grilled chicken, fresh herbs, carrots, and rice noodles. It took me a while to get the hang of it; an older Vietnamese waiter saw me struggling the first time and came over to show me how it’s done. Now, I’m almost a pro, although when I was in Vietnam, when I saw how deftly everyone make their rice paper rolls, and realized how much I still have to learn.

Also on my radar has been Poulette, perhaps the prettiest restaurant in Paris. We went for lunch and started with asparagus bathed in a Chartreuse-tinged mousseline and œufs mayo, then moved on to an outstanding plate of quail in a sauce of d’Anjou white wine with green peppercorns and fingerling potatoes. Happily, Poulette has fresh fruit juices made to order at the bar, if you’re on lunch break and don’t want to drink wine, but if you come in the evening (or if you’re up for a little day-drinking), there’s an especially strong list of house-made cocktails.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Cravan (17, rue Jean de la Fontaine, 16th), so was happy to have a sip of one of the libations of Franck Audoux, the owner of this truly hole-in-the-wall café. But what a hole! Designed by Hector Guimard, who designed many of the art nouveau Paris métro stations, everything at Cravan is pretty, and perfect. I’ve not been during mealtime but I’ve tried a number of the small plates, which are a quite a change from the bowls of peanuts or potato chips served around town. (However, these aren’t free.) I’ve loved everything I’ve had here, from the straightforward cocktails that focus on French spirits, like the Cognac-forward Boulevardier I had last week, but the snacks have always been excellent. The café is rather cozy, but the expansive terrace is a gorgeous place to sit in the warmer months.

I went shortly after it opened and Double Dragon (52, rue Saint-Maur, 11th) had a few kinks to work out. They didn’t take reservations so we got there when they opened at 7pm, and there was already a line. The other was the music, which was pretty loud. Thankfully both have calmed down, however they still don’t take reservations, and Double Dragon offers up Asian fare quite a few steps above the other places around town. Opened by the two sisters that operate Le Servan down the street, you’ll find little pepper icons on the menu to let you know something is spicy. The server warned us against a few of those things on the menu, then heard my accent, and let me go ;)

The fritters (above) are tofu beignets lined with Comté cheese, served with a mayo-based XO sauce. The thrice-cooked beef with celery was very good, and the Sichuan noodles were, indeed, very spicy. But we both slurped them up.

An old favorite that I hope never changes is Le Petit Vendôme, known for having some of the best sandwiches in town. True, there are places to sit, but if you want to feel like a local, order a sandwich, saddle up the bar, order a glass of Burgundy, and enjoy the atmosphere…and le sandwich. The classic jambon-beurre here is renown.

On the other end of the spectrum is La Fontaine de Belleville, a spiffy, well-polished French café, owned by Belleville Brûlerie, pioneers of the quality coffee movement in Paris. It’s been restored and serving the legendary coffee that’s roasted not far from the café, and you can also get a classic jambon-beurre sandwich and a Croque Monsieur, then finish up with one of the excellent house-made desserts. The Pain d’épice, shown above, goes great with a p’tit crème.

Further up the hill in Belleville, is La Cave de Belleville, a natural wine bar. Often these kinds of wine bars attract a hip crowd, who seems more interested in jumping out of their seats to grab a smoke outside, or check their Likes, rather than doing any serious eating. (I’m always amazed when a server puts down plates of hot food in front of people, and at that moment, they run outside.) Here, everyone stays put as the plates of cheese and charcuterie are hard to walk away from. The one shown (above) was dinner for three of us, along with a plate of burrata that was better than most versions around town. Wines are available by the glass or bottle, and the wine prices are remarkably reasonable.

On the sweet side, I went to a launch party for Aqua Vitae chocolates from Edwart. Edwin, the owner and chocolatier, loves liqueurs and spirits and his new collection of chocolates brilliantly incorporates them. Sometimes when people add liqueurs, they can be too faint to fully appreciate. But each chocolate in this assortment, which includes one blended with Glenfiddish whisky aged in IPA barrels, Del Maguey mezcal and Venezuelan chocolate, and the elusive Chartreuse végétal elixir (unavailable in the U.S., but comes in a handy wooden box for travel), boldly go where few chocolates dare to go. The collection is available for a limited time only.

The sign outside says “Depuis Hier,” nothing that they’ve been open “since yesterday,” The French Bastards have arrived on the Paris pastry scene. There are babkas and cruffins, as well as a formidable lemon meringue tart (which is meant to be for one, but I think it’d feed four), but their regular vienoisserie, the croissants and pains au chocolat (above), are outstanding. One day the exceptionally friendly bâtards called me into the kitchen and sliced into a slew of trial batches, to taste. Their croissants are larger than others around town, but as buttery flakes and shards flew around while we sampled, I learned that they’ve hit their stride and this is a bold new addition to the pâtisseries of Paris.

Starting a meal with a drink is a French tradition, during l’heure de l’apéro, or apéritif hour. This Kiss & Fly (above) at Mino was a refreshing twist on the spritz, a blend of Pimm’s, lemon, ginger cordial, finished off with grapefruit soda and prosecco. While this is a very competent cocktail bar with friendly bartenders, the food is quite good, too. The menu changes frequently but the flavors (and decor) continue to be drawn from the Mediterranean.

Staying by the sea, the nautical theme at Copper Bay will take you away from being in a bustling city center, along with a line-up of seasonal cocktails shaken and stirred up by the friendly staff. There may be a Tipsy Tea, their interpretation of a Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, or a Tzatziki, made with dill-infused vodka, basil, cucumber, and mastic spirit. You can also get artisan sparkling apple cider or pastis (with or without orgeat syrup), served by the glass, carafe, or even frozen.

Considered the oldest cocktail bar in Paris, Gallopin has expanded to the space next door, for the more casual La Rôtisserie Gallopin featuring cocktails on tap, created by one of the best bartenders in Paris, Stan Jouenne. His coffee-fueled Negroni combines Grand Brûlot coffee-Cognac liqueur, Salers (gentian) and Dolin vermouth, all from France, as the bar only uses French spirits. I haven’t eaten at their rôtisserie yet (it just opened this week), but if this drink is any indication, we might both want to check out the food.

Someone requested the recipe for these Socca Chips on social media, which are available at the Fédération Française de l’Apéritif, which is like asking the recipe for Fritos. It’s not going to happen, at least in anyone’s home. (If you do have a recipe for Fritos, please forward it to me!) But as I often say, everything doesn’t need to be available everywhere, all the time. It’s often best just to go somewhere and enjoy it there, which holds especially true for the FFA, as this apéritif bar is called. Only French products line the shelves, including buckwheat galette (crêpe) chips, that are also “Recipe, please” worthy, and a changing selection of cheese and meats to go with whatever you’re drinking.

Combat may seem like an unusual name for a Parisan bar (in my next book, I explain why), but you don’t need to know why right now, you just need to go to what is one of my favorite cocktail bars in Paris. The drinks aren’t over-the-top (thank you…) but straightforward, and delicious. For some reason, the bar height and size works perfectly for me; I always feel like I’m dining (or drinking) in someone’s home, rather than in a bar. The cocktail I prefer is the Perfect Serve, above, with whiskey, dried pear, sherry, ume liqueur, and a touch of absinthe. The name is spot-on.

While I avoid the term “industry favorite,” a number of bartenders in Paris have told me they like Sherry Butt. They’ve got a beguiling list of drinks, which changes, but I recently enjoyed a Ronin (above), with Japanese whisky, madiera infused with pandan (a tropical plant), oloroso sherry, Champagne, smoked sea and – whew – black salt. It sounded more complicated than it was, and I’m always amazed when a bartender can add a curiously diverse list of ingredients to a glass, and make it taste like simple liquid. That’s a skill worth raising a glass to, which we did.

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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grassshrimp56-blog · 5 years

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Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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How K-ON! Helped Preserve the Small Town of Toyosato

This current anime season marks the 10th anniversary of the airing of the second season of Kyoto Animation classic K-ON!, entitled K-ON!! (with two exclamation marks denoting which is the second series). The TV anime series and subsequent anime film were at one point the most popular anime franchise in Japan, breaking home video records with each volume that was released and putting then-newbie director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue) on the map. Yamada, at 24 years old, won the Tokyo Anime Award for K-ON! in 2010 and 2011, making her the youngest anime director to do so, and is still — even a decade later — one of the youngest directors in anime at such a high level. You can learn more about her in a piece I wrote back in December.

But Yamada wasn’t the only aspect of K-ON! to be put on people’s radars. The small township of Toyosato (it’s the 20th smallest town in Japan, and of those 20 towns, has the 5th smallest population size) is the home to the Former Toyosato Elementary School, the real-life inspiration behind the iconic school from K-ON!.

The actual town in K-ON! is never named and is purposefully obscured. In Season 2, Episode 4, the girls go on a school trip to Kyoto by Shinkansen — where they pass by Mt. Fuji. Toyosato in real life doesn’t have a Shinkansen stop, it's far too rural — and is only around two hours away by the local line from Kyoto. Mt. Fuji is near Tokyo.

Mt. Fuji in K-ON!!

So today, let’s take a look at how K-ON! has helped preserve the small town of Toyosato, and how the influence of the popular series can still be felt in the region, even a decade later.

A Small History of Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture

Photo: Daryl Harding

Toyosato is situated in the closest neighboring prefecture to Kyoto, Shiga Prefecture, within the district of Inukami. Measuring at only 7.80 km2, it is the smallest town in the district and the smallest town in Shiga Prefecture. The town is known throughout Japan for its agriculture, sake, and the Former Toyosato Elementary School — which gained national attention in the 2000s when the then-mayor proposed demolishing the school building due to its age and lack of earthquake-prevention construction. He was ousted from his position due to the controversy (but later reelected). The school went through the reconstruction needed to bring it up to code, reopening in May 2009 — a month after K-ON! debuted on Japanese TV — as a cultural center and library for Toyosato.

Photo: Daryl Harding

Even now, the town is mostly just agriculture, with the true view out of the real-life Light Music Club windows being that of vegetables being grown across the road.

K-ON! in the Former Toyosato Elementary School

Since K-ON! aired, the Former Toyosato Elementary School, which was built in 1937, has undergone a slight transformation. The real-life room where the light music club would have been in the anime has been recreated to a tee, featuring cakes, cups (including Azunyan’s kitty cup), a Gibson Pre-'08 Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst (the same model used for Yui’s ‘Giita’), and even a perfect reaction of the name cards from the second opening theme from K-ON!!.

Photo: Daryl Harding

While Ton-chan was absent from the light music club room, the signature turtle and rabbit do exist and can be found on the railing of the school leading up the stairs. One has to imagine the painstaking process the background artists at Kyoto Animation went through in recreating the scenes in the school in flawless detail.

Photo: Daryl Harding

Even walking the halls, I was swept up in the nostalgia for a place I had never been to. I felt — because of my love for the series — that I knew every nook and cranny in the school, without ever having been there. I could picture Ritsu dragging Mio through these halls as I was walking through them myself. Though the school was a lot smaller than I had imagined. While it’s hard to think of how a full high school, in an area with a higher population, would be able to fit into the 2.5 leveled school, it made sense for a small town like Toyosato.

The halls of the Former Toyosato Elementary School with some K-ON! fans walking down them (Left photo: Daryl Harding)

Former Toyosato Elementary School’s Facilities

Other than being an anime pilgrimage site, the Former Toyosato Elementary School has its own facilities — including a museum on its own history that features an original phone (in the booth!) from the 1930s. As a cultural site, the school is home to a daycare center, a cafe (which features K-ON! themed drinks alongside beverages created with hometown products), the town’s library (which was closed on the day), and guided tours of the school, letting you learn more about the history of the school and area.

The closed, and dark, library (Photo: Daryl Harding)

The school can also be rented out for events, birthday parties, and even as a filming location. The live-action Haganai film used the school as a basis for the fictional school in the film, which made for some interesting juxtapositions between the sweet K-ON! girls and the slight raunchy nature of the gang from the Neighbors Club.

On a regular basis, the Former Toyosato Elementary School is used for K-ON! themed events. Every year a group called Toyosato Tea Time holds events for each of the main characters in the series in the school, where people travel from all over Japan to drink tea, eat cake, and reminisce over their love for the series. According to their website, while participant numbers are getting smaller, they were able to successfully hold events in early 2020 for Mio’s birthday in January and Ui’s birthday in February.

Photo: Daryl Harding

K-ON! in Toyosato Town

Outside of the school, little remnants of K-ON! can be seen throughout Toyosato Town. From the above poster being littered on windows of small businesses around the local train station to cut-outs of Ho-Kago Tea Time guiding you to the school, you can see how the town is thankful for the tourism the anime series has brought to it’s less than 7,500 residents.

Photo: Daryl Harding

A majority of the small businesses around the train station are just your usual small-town shops — it even lacks a convenience store, the closest is technically in the next town over! If you walk out from the Ohmi Railway Toyosato Train Station — which only has a train coming every hour and is usually just one carriage — you’ll find an unassuming closed shop during the day.

Image via Google Maps

Or, if you were like me and you spent literally all day at the Former Toyosato Elementary School, you’ll be greeted by a noren (warm curtain) featuring Yui and Azusa peering out the door. When you walk in, you soon learn that this place — which isn’t even on Google Maps — is a K-ON! themed bar and shrine, full of figures, memorabilia, and some of the biggest K-ON! fans in Toyosato.

Photo: Daryl Harding

As I walked into the bar, which was more just a large room filled with more K-ON! gear than they knew what to deal with, I was guided to a table that was full of K-ON! and other Kyoto Animation-related merchandise, with a 5th-anniversary train hidden under the shelving. Key animation sheets don the walls, making for an interesting wallpaper, and even in the toilet, posters from old magazines of the girls from K-ON! watch you. But most importantly, on the menu are K-ON! themed drinks.

Photo: Daryl Harding

As a fan of Mio, I had to try the Mio-themed drink (which can be seen above), and was pleasantly surprised by how sweet it was (and how much drink was put into it — especially after a full day of walking!). I spoke with the owners, who also worked at the bakery next door, and they had no idea what K-ON! was before the anime brought people to their town. So, they sat down, watched the series, and fell in love with everything about it, wanting to share that love with the townsfolk and travelers.

Photo: Daryl Harding

A few blocks over from Toyosato Train Station is Tamaya, which sadly, I didn’t get to visit. It’s a K-ON! themed udon restaurant where patrons are surrounded by more K-ON! merchandise.

K-ON! Helping Toyosato Across Japan

Photo: Daryl Harding

K-ON! doesn't just help boost Toyosato with tourism yen inside the town, but also brings in money using the series through the Furusato Nozei system. Furusato Nozei, or "Hometown Tax" in the closest English translation, is a system that lets anyone in Japan donate to any town/city/region in the country, and in return, they receive an item native to that region. What's more, due to how the system works, it’s fully tax-deductible come tax time, where the Japanese government will return the full amount you donated minus 2,000 yen (US$18) as an administration fee.

Usually, people receive local rice, or sake, maybe meat in return for their donation, but not in Toyosato, where you can get exclusive K-ON! merchandise. While the Furusato Nozei system is currently going through its yearly revamp after the end of the Japanese tax year in April, and no K-ON! gear is currently available, previously you were able to receive handmade K-ON! keyrings in two sets for around 30,000 yen (US$280).

Not only that, Japan Post — the national mail carrier — issued K-ON! themed stamped based on the school, which was sold both online and in stores around the country. According to reports, the first-run of stamps wasn’t exactly based on K-ON!, but used certain real-life shots of the school that mimicked those found in the anime. The second-run used images from the anime series.

This was the highest resolution I could find of a stamp set from 2010

In 2013, the Former Toyosato Elementary School was designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government, giving the building certain rights and hailed as a structure that has “social value” to the Japanese people. This means the owners of the school are able to easily get loans for repairs and gives it protection against being demolished or changed in any way. While K-ON! wasn’t likely a defining factor for the designation, being given more national attention in one of the most popular anime of all time probably helped the paperwork get pushed through.

The Lasting Legacy of K-ON! and Toyosato

Photo: Daryl Harding

The legacy of K-ON! and Toyosato is intimately linked, even ten years on. Walking around the town and school, I met many people who were there for the same reason I was, wanting the experience of walking the halls that inspired the team at Kyoto Animation for a series that I loved.

Waiting for the train at Toyostato Station (which as previously mentioned, only come every hour), I met with a couple from the United States who were visiting anime pilgrimage sites throughout Japan. We spoke for 20 minutes on what K-ON! meant to us, how we first saw the series, and who our favorite characters were. While K-ON! may have ended nearly ten years ago, the emotions, feelings, and economic impact it has had continue to drum along on the beat of time.

I traveled to Toyosato in March 2019 before the impact of what is happening in the world and the devastating attack on Kyoto Animation. Even then, I was overwhelmed with emotion walking into the light music room, unable to hold back my tears. While I didn’t get a photo of me ugly crying — thank Haruhi — I got to fulfill the dream of drinking tea in the Light Music Club room.

Photo: Daryl Harding

Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram — though he's not doing much traveling at the moment.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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starvinq-artist-blog · 7 years

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TracfoneReviewer

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