#cremes des mains

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Liqueurs

Liqueurs

Also known as cordials.

Distilled spirits that feature flavorings such as fruits, herbs, and spices.

Heavy, sweet, and complexly flavored drinks.

These sweet alcoholic beverages are used to make cocktails, or can be served alone as aperitifs or digestifs.

Making Liqueurs

Involves adding fruits, sugar, cream, spices, herbs, nuts, and flavorings to a liquor base at a distillery.

The sweetness of liqueurs is their most common feature.

Although, they can range widely in sugar content.

Popular types of liqueurs: orange liqueurs, herbal liqueurs, and coffee liqueurs.

Liqueur vs. Liquor

Both are drinks with high alcohol content and similar-sounding names.

However, there are essential differences between these two categories:

Fermentation: Liquor—also known as hard alcohol, spirits, or distilled spirits—is a category of alcoholic beverages that ferment and undergo distillation. In the distillation process, heat and condensation increase the alcohol content, and a significant portion of the water boils off, concentrating the alcohol and particular compounds. Liquors usually starting with a grain base (distillers occasionally use fruits). The six main categories are whiskey, brandy, rum, vodka, gin, and tequila.

Flavorings: Most liqueurs begin with liquor as a base; then, distillers add herbs, spices, and other flavorings. Bartenders can serve liqueurs as-is or add them in small amounts to a liquor base to form mixed drinks.

Sugar: The main difference between liquor and liqueur is sweetness. Liqueurs are intensely flavored with the most predominant note usually being sweetness. Flavoring herbs and oils and added sugar provide flavor and texture.

Alcohol content: Both liqueurs and liquors have a range of alcohol content. Most liquor is in the 40 to 55 percent range of Alcohol by Volume (ABV), or 80 to 110 proof. Liqueurs typically contain more ingredients, so the alcohol content is generally lower, from 15 to 30 percent ABV or 30 to 60 proof.

15 Popular Types of Liqueurs

There is a wide range of liqueurs, from cream-based cordials to proprietary recipes.

Amaretto: An Italian liqueur made from apricot kernels, which give the liquor a distinctly bitter almond flavor. Its name comes from amaro, the Italian word for “bitter.” Sweeter notes of brown sugar temper the bitterness of the apricot pits. It contains 21 to 28% ABV and can be sipped alone or added to cocktails.

Amaro: A broad category of regional Italian bitters. Made from either a neutral spirit or brandy, this bitter liqueur is a staple in the Italian lifestyle. A curated blend of botanical ingredients—typically an inherited recipe that includes herbs, spices, and flowers, as well as barks and roots like gentian root, cinchona, and wormwood—gives each variety of amaro its unique flavor. Campari, Cynar, Fernet Branca, and Aperol are popular amaro liqueur brands.

Anise liqueurs: Anice, the primary flavoring agent in black licorice, is a popular ingredient in alcoholic drinks in many countries and cultures: Ouzo in Greece, Sambuca and Galliano in Italy, Pernod Absinthe in France, and Raki in Turkey, among others.

Chambord: A popular brand of raspberry-flavored liqueur. The ingredients are red and black raspberries, honey, vanilla, and cognac. Chambord is great for making Raspberry Mojitos and Raspberry Margaritas.

Cream liqueurs: Thick, sweet liqueurs made with the addition of milk or a milk substitute, along with sweetener, to provide a creamy sweetness to the drink. Baileys Irish Cream liqueur and Amarula are two examples of cream liqueurs.

Creme liqueurs: Creme liqueurs are thick, sweet, syrup-like beverages. Unlike cream liqueurs, creme liqueurs do not contain dairy. Instead, added sugar provides a thick consistency. Crème de cassis (made from blackcurrants), crème de cacao, (a chocolate liqueur) and crème de menthe are different flavors of this category.

Coffee liqueurs: These liqueurs contain caffeine, and the predominant flavor is coffee. Coffee liqueurs, such as Kahlúa from Mexico or Irish Sheridan, are generally served with cream and sugar.

Elderflower liqueurs: These herbal liqueurs provide a light, floral note to cocktail recipes. St. Germain is a popular brand of elderflower liqueur.

Limoncello: A liqueur flavored with lemon peel. Limoncello is strong, sweet, and bright yellow.

Medicinal: Some liqueurs, such as Chartreuse and Benedictine, were initially used for medicinal purposes. These liqueurs tend to be floral and highly complex, with an ingredient list that remains secretive.

Orange liqueurs: These liqueurs feature predominant orange flavors, and are broadly known under the labels curaçao or Triple Sec. Popular brands include Cointreau and Grand Marnier.

Schnapps: Some varieties of schnapps do not classify as liqueurs, but those with added sweetness and flavoring agents, such as peach schnapps and peppermint schnapps, are liqueurs.

Drambuie: This Scottish liqueur has a base spirit of Scotch whiskey and a proprietary blend of herbs and spices.

Frangelico: Italian liqueur flavored with roasted hazelnuts; comes in a uniquely shaped bottle, modeled after a Christian monk, complete with a rope belt.

Strega: Italian herbal liqueur that gets its name from the Italian word for witch. The distinctive yellow color comes from saffron, imparting flavor to the liqueur.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food History Wine-tasting ⚜ Drunkenness ⚜ Drinking ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails

[sassenach77yle]

||COUNTDOWN ||SEASON 3 EPISODE 07 || CREME DE MENTHE ||

#83daysofoutlander☆

The city glowed all around us, as though sharing our happiness.

Edinburgh lay under a haze that would soon thicken to rain again, but for now, the light of the setting sun hung gold and pink and red in the clouds, and shone in the wet patina of the cobbled street, so that the gray stones of the buildings softened and streamed with reflected light, echoing the glow that warmed my cheeks and shone in Jamie’s eyes when he looked at me. Drifting down the street in this state of softheaded self-absorption, it was several minutes before I noticed anything amiss. A man, impatient of our meandering progress, stepped briskly around us, and then came to a dead stop just in front of me, making me trip on the wet stones and throw a shoe. He flung up his head and stared skyward for a moment, then hurried off down the street, not running, but walking as fast as he could go. “What’s the matter with him?” I said, stooping to retrieve my shoe. Suddenly I noticed that all around us, folk were stopping, staring up, and then starting to rush down the street. “What do you think—?” I began, but when I turned to Jamie, he too was staring intently upward. I looked up, too, and it took only a moment to see that the red glow in the clouds above was a good deal deeper than the general color of the sunset sky, and seemed to flicker in an uneasy fashion most uncharacteristic of sunsets. “Fire,” he said. “God, I think it’s in Leith Wynd!”

At the same moment, someone farther down the street raised the cry of “Fire!” and as though this official diagnosis had given them leave to run at last, the hurrying figures below broke loose and cascaded down the street like a herd of lemmings, anxious to fling themselves into the pyre. A few saner souls ran upwards, past us, also shouting “Fire!” but presumably with the intent of alerting whatever passed for a fire department. Jamie was already in motion, tugging me along as I hopped awkwardly on one foot. Rather than stop, I kicked the other shoe off, and followed him, slipping and stubbing my toes on the cold wet cobbles as I ran. The fire was not in Leith Wynd, but next door, in Carfax Close. The mouth of the close was choked with excited onlookers, shoving and craning in an effort to see, shouting incoherent questions at one another. The smell of smoke struck hot and pungent through the damp evening air, and waves of crackling heat beat against my face as I ducked into the close. Jamie didn’t hesitate, but plunged into the crowd, making a path by main force. I pressed close behind him before the human waves could close again, and elbowed my way through, unable to see anything but Jamie’s broad back ahead of me. Then we popped out in the front of the crowd, and I could see all too well. Dense clouds of gray smoke rolled out of both the printshop’s lower windows, and I could hear a whispering, crackling noise that rose above the noise of the spectators as though the fire were talking to itself. “My press!” With a cry of anguish, Jamie darted up the front step and kicked in the door. A cloud of smoke rolled out of the open doorway and engulfed him like a hungry beast. I caught a brief glimpse of him, staggering from the impact of the smoke; then he dropped to his knees and crawled into the building.[...]

I couldn’t think that the efforts of the bucket brigade, valiant as they were, would have much effect on what was obviously a fire well underway.[...]

Edinburgh is a stone city, but with so many buildings crammed cheek by jowl, all equipped with multiple hearths and chimneys, fire must be still a frequent occurrence. Evidently so, for a fresh commotion behind me betokened the belated arrival of the fire engine. The waves of people parted like the Red Sea, to allow passage of the engine, drawn by a team of men rather than horses, which could not have negotiated the tight quarters of the wynds. The engine was a marvel of brass, glowing like a coal itself in the reflected flames. The heat was becoming more intense; I could feel my lungs dry and labor with each gulp of hot air, and was terrified for Jamie. How long could he breathe, in that hellish fog of smoke and heat, let alone the danger of the flames themselves? “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Ian, forcing his way through the crowd despite his wooden leg, had appeared suddenly by my elbow. He grabbed my arm to keep his balance as another rain of objects forced the people around us back again. “Where’s Jamie?” he shouted in my ear. “In there!” I bellowed back, pointing. There was a sudden bustle and commotion at the door of the printshop, with a confused shouting that rose even over the sound of the fire. Several sets of legs appeared, shuffling to and fro beneath the emergent plume of smoke that billowed from the door. Six men emerged, Jamie among them, staggering under the weight of a huge piece of bulky machinery—Jamie’s precious printing press. They eased it down the step and pushed it well into the crowd, then turned back to the printshop. Too late for any more rescue maneuvers; there was a crash from inside, a fresh blast of heat that sent the crowd scuttling backward, and suddenly the windows of the upper story were lit with dancing flames inside. A small stream of men issued from the building, coughing and choking, some of them crawling, blackened with soot and dampened with the sweat of their efforts. The engine crew pumped madly, but the thick stream of water from their hose made not the slightest impression on the fire. Ian’s hand clamped down on my arm like the jaws of a trap. “Ian!” he shrieked, loud enough to be heard above the noises of crowd and fire alike. I looked up in the direction of his gaze, and saw a wraithlike shape at the second-story window. It seemed to struggle briefly with the sash, and then to fall back or be enveloped in the smoke. My heart leapt into my mouth. There was no telling whether the shape was indeed Young Ian, but it was certainly a human form. Ian had lost no time in gaping, but was stumping toward the door of the printshop with all the speed his leg would allow. “Wait!” I shouted, running after him. Jamie was leaning on the printing press, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath and thank his assistants at the same time. “Jamie!” I snatched at his sleeve, ruthlessly jerking him away from a red-faced barber, who kept excitedly wiping sooty hands on his apron, leaving long black streaks among the smears of dried soap and the spots of blood. “Up there!” I shouted, pointing. “Young Ian’s upstairs!” Jamie stepped back, swiping a sleeve across his blackened face, and stared wildly at the upper windows. Nothing was to be seen but the roiling shimmer of the fire against the panes.[...]

I felt Jamie draw breath, gulping air as deep as he could with his seared lungs, and then he was up the steps as well, and had Ian round the waist, dragging him back. “Come down, man!” he shouted hoarsely. “Ye’ll no manage—the stair is gone!” He glanced round, saw me, and thrust Ian bodily backward, off-balance and staggering, into my arms. “Hold him,” he shouted, over the roar of the flames. “I’ll fetch down the lad!” With that, he turned and dashed up the steps of the adjoining building, pushing his way through the patrons of the ground-floor chocolate shop, who had emerged onto the pavement to gawk at the excitement, pewter cups still clutched in their hands.Following Jamie’s example, I locked my arms tight around Ian’s waist and didn’t let go. He made an abortive attempt to follow Jamie, but then stopped and stood rigid in my arms, his heart beating wildly just under my cheek. “Don’t worry,” I said, pointlessly. “He’ll do it; he’ll get him out. He will. I know he will.”[...]

It was no more than a minute before the window above the chocolate shop opened and Jamie’s head and shoulders appeared, red hair glowing like a stray tongue of flame escaped from the main fire. He climbed out onto the sill, and cautiously turned, squatting, until he faced the building. Rising to his stockinged feet, he grasped the gutter of the roof overhead and pulled, slowly raising himself by the strength of his arms, long toes scrabbling for a grip in the crevices between the mortared stones of the housefront. With a grunt audible even over the sound of fire and crowd, he eeled over the edge of the roof and disappeared behind the gable. A shorter man could not have managed. Neither could Ian, with his wooden leg. I heard Ian say something under his breath; a prayer I thought, but when I glanced at him, his jaw was clenched, face set in lines of fear.“What in hell is he going to do up there?” I thought, and was unaware that I had spoken aloud until the barber, shading his eyes next to me, replied. “There’s a trapdoor built in the roof o’ the printshop, ma’am. Nay doubt Mr. Malcolm means to gain access to the upper story so. Is it his ’prentice up there, d’ye know?” “No!” Ian snapped, hearing this. “It’s my son!” The barber shrank back before Ian’s glare, murmuring “Oh, aye, just so, sir, just so!” and crossing himself. A shout from the crowd grew into a roar as two figures appeared on the roof of the chocolate shop, and Ian dropped my hand, springing forward. Jamie had his arm round Young Ian, who was bent and reeling from the smoke he had swallowed. It was reasonably obvious that neither of them was going to be able to negotiate a return through the adjoining building in his present condition. Just then, Jamie spotted Ian below. Cupping his hand around his mouth, he bellowed “Rope!” Rope there was; the Town Guard had come equipped. Ian snatched the coil from an approaching Guardsman, leaving that worthy blinking in indignation, and turned to face the house. I caught the gleam of Jamie’s teeth as he grinned down at his brother-in-law, and the look of answering wryness on Ian’s face. How many times had they thrown a rope between them, to raise hay to the barn loft, or bind a load to the wagon for carrying?The crowd fell back from the whirl of Ian’s arm, and the heavy coil flew up in a smooth parabola, unwinding as it went, landing on Jamie’s outstretched arm with the precision of a bumblebee lighting on a flower. Jamie hauled in the dangling tail, and disappeared momentarily, to anchor the rope about the base of the building’s chimney. A few precarious moments’ work, and the two smoke-blackened figures had come to a safe landing on the pavement below. Young Ian, rope slung under his arms and round his chest, stood upright for a moment, then, as the tension of the rope slackened, his knees buckled and he slid into a gangling heap on the cobbles. “Are ye all right? A bhalaich, speak to me!” Ian fell to his knees beside his son, anxiously trying to unknot the rope round Young Ian’s chest, while simultaneously trying to lift up the lad’s lolling head. Jamie was leaning against the railing of the chocolate shop, black in the face and coughing his lungs out, but otherwise apparently unharmed. I sat down on the boy’s other side, and took his head on my lap.[...]

“Is he all right?” Ian’s hands instinctively grabbed his son beneath the armpits and sat him up. His head wobbled to and fro, and he pitched forward into my arms. “I think so; I can’t tell for sure.” The boy was still coughing, but not fully conscious; I held him against my shoulder like an enormous baby, patting his back futilely as he retched and gagged. “Is he all right?” This time it was Jamie, squatting breathless alongside me. His voice was so hoarse I wouldn’t have recognized it, roughened as it was by smoke.

“I think so. What about you? You look like Malcolm X,” I said, peering at him over Young Ian’s heaving shoulder. “I do?” He put a hand to his face, looking startled, then grinned reassuringly. “Nay, I canna say how I look, but I’m no an ex-Malcolm yet; only a wee bit singed round the edges.”

“Get back, get back!” The Guard captain was at my side, gray beard bristling with anxiety, plucking at my sleeve. “Move yourself, ma’am, the roof’s going!” Sure enough, as we scrambled to safety, the roof of the printshop fell in, and an awed sound rose from the watching crowd as an enormous fountain of sparks whirled skyward, brilliant against the darkening sky.

27 UP IN FLAMES ~voyager

[veliseraptor]

Top five beverages?

I feel like I may have answered this one before somewhere in the mists of time, but that doesn't mean I can't do it again.

1. Hot chocolate. I tend toward liking a more milky hot chocolate than a richer one closer to drinking chocolate, which I feel like is unpopular, but my main strong hot chocolate opinion is that hot chocolate made with water is invalid. Very much looking forward to winter so I can have an excuse to make hot chocolate again.

2. Hot apple cider. It's got to be the really spicy stuff, though; if it's too sweet I can't accept it. Even when I get stuff from the store that's pretty good I usually still steep it with extra spices anyway.

3. Creme de la Earl Grey tea from Portal Tea. Very specific but very important to me. I drink at least two cups of this pretty much daily. It's delicious.

4. These have all been hot beverages (which is because I really like hot beverages) but to shake it up a little - I've gotten really into Fever Tree's Sicilian Lemonade mixer/soda. It's nice and tart and I just drink it straight (as opposed to using it for a mixer, which I think is possibly the original intent). It also comes in nice small bottles, which is convenient, if only in sets of four, which is less convenient and not terribly cost effective.

5. To put one alcoholic one on here, I'm going to cheat and say herbal cocktails with gin. It's a wide range, though I'm particularly fond of ones with lavender or rosemary. But there's a very easy elderflower gin and tonic that I really like. I should make myself one of those. Or possibly not, considering the current state of the mood.

[feelmyskinonyourskin]

Amore Mio [Secret Trope]

Pairing: Frank Castle x Female Reader

Trope de Sept Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Secret situation 1. Character A is keeping a secret from Character B, until it comes out in a dramatic moment. "Frank has been keeping something from you."

Warnings: No use of Y/N. Female Reader. FLUFF. Based on a wonderful request from @xxdrixx . I hope my Italian is not shit, but I know just a little bit from singing opera and kinda went off what I know from that.

WC: 734

*I never give permission for my fics, manips, or any other original creation I post on this site to be copied, posted elsewhere, translated, or fed into any AI program. The only platform I currently post anything on is Tumblr. Thanks!*

Frank’s phone went flying across the room, landing with a plonk in the armchair.

You looked at him curiously, having just come back from making popcorn in the kitchen.

“What was– ?” you asked

“Picture of a snake. Fuckin scared me.” Frank responded

You rolled your eyes at the thought of the Big Bad Punisher getting spooked at a photo of a snake popping up on whatever app he was on, but you sat beside him and started the movie, the incident soon leaving your mind.

But several more times over the next few months, situations like this would happen. You’d walk into the room and Frank would suddenly get nervous and find an excuse to close his phone quickly.

If it were any other man, you might find it suspicious, but Frank was too loyal and honest for you to ever suspect anything nefarious.

Then came date night. Frank had taken you to an unusually nice restaurant, having even put on a pair of pants that weren’t jeans just to spoil you with a romantic evening.

Except his mind seemed a million miles away and he kept picking up his phone, reading something while muttering to himself, then putting it down suddenly when he noticed you staring.

You were about to ask just what the hell was up, when the waitress came over to take your order.

“Hi, my name is Francesca. I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you guys started with some drinks?”

Your face lit up hearing her speak, recognizing a familiar accent in her voice.

“Sei Italiana?”

“SÌ!” she responded

You talked for a few minutes, reminiscing in Italian about where you were from. Frank watched the two of you, smile on his face as he knew how much you loved speaking in your first language and meeting people from your home.

The waitress was so excited to connect with you, she even brought you and Frank free dessert at the end of the meal, delicious creme brulee the perfect way to end the evening.

“Wanna take the scenic route home?” he asked, offering his hand out to you

You nodded with a smile, happy to have a date night with Frank that didn’t involve him rushing off halfway through to go deal with ‘business’.

There was a chill in the air as you walked hand in hand along the pier of Hudson River Park.

Frank’s jacket was draped across your shoulders, ever the gentleman keeping you warm when you prioritized your outfit over dressing for comfort and the weather. 

You stopped walking after a while, leaning side by side on a railing and watching the lights of New Jersey sparkle across the water. Frank’s hand was splayed across your lower back, a quiet gesture of affection and protection.

After a few minutes basking in the comfortable silence of each other's presence, Frank finally spoke.

“Amore mio. My love.” he whispered in your ear

Your spine went rigid and goosebumps crawled along your skin. You’d never heard Frank speak Italian before. 

“Hai cambiato la mia vita. You have changed my life.” he continued, voice trembling from nerves “Non riesco a immaginare un futuro senza di te. I cannot imagine a future without you.”

Was this really happening? Had Frank learned your native tongue just to use it for the most romantic proposal ever?

His familiar touch disappeared from your side as he knelt down on one knee beside you, pulling a velvet box from his pocket.

“Vuoi sposarmi? Will you marry me?”

You could feel the tears coming on as his big brown eyes stared up at you, waiting for your answer.

“SÌ” you responded with a shaky voice, too overcome with emotion to manage much else.

A grin like you’d never seen spread across his face as rose to his feet and kissed you deeply.

After he slid the ring on your finger, you knew you had to ask.

“How long have you been learning Italian, mio caro?”

“Bout six months. Wanted to get it good enough to do this. Maybe we can do our vows in Italian too?” Frank responded sheepishly, pulling out his phone and tapping the icon with the green owl to show you just how much he’d progressed on his own.

Now you understood what he had been hiding on his phone from you.

“Perfetto. Perfect.” you said, kissing him once more 

[hpowellsmith]

End of 2023 roundup

Thank you so much for all the messages, asks, reblogs, and comments I've had over the year. This year was my first year of mostly working with Choice of Games (I had some other contract work but CoG was the main work thing going on). I was very nervous going into it, but it's been more successful than I could have possibly hoped even in an awful year for the field of games at large. And I've written... so much. What I did on Honor Bound, the tail-end of the Royal Affairs beta back in January, and the Royal Affairs epilogue alone was over 330,000 words, and I can't easily count up what I did on Elite Status. It's been a huge year!

Every reblog, every recommendation, and every review spreads the word about my work and means I can keep doing this for longer, and I appreciate it so, so much.

Creme de la Creme and Blood Money now both have hints and cheats to help you find the obscure paths you really want;

Creme de la Creme, Blood Money, and Noblesse Oblige now all have save and restore points (so do Elite Status and Royal Affairs, but they had it from launch);

Elite Status: Platinum Concierge, for which I wrote and edited additional content, came out after being dormant for many years;

King of the Castle, the brilliant medieval monarch multiplayer game I worked on last year, came out and got 4 stars in NME;

I started and wrote seven chapters of Honor Bound which has been a total treasure to work on, and I've been learning huge amounts from it and falling in love with the setting and characters;

and of course Royal Affairs, having been in progress for three years, came out into the world. I'm absolutely overwhelmed by all the love: it was such a long journey, through such tumultuous times personally and historically, but making Royal Affairs was a joy and I was so overjoyed to be able to finally share it. I've really enjoyed revisiting the characters for the expanded epilogue that's coming soon in 2024, and I hope you do too!

Best of wishes for the new year, everyone!

[vilevexedvixen]

Inscryption cocktails

Each Scrybe would have a menu reflecting their three minions (increasing in size - a shot, a squat drink, then a tall drink) and then the main cocktail based off of the menu's titular Scrybe.

Each scrybe also has a dish relating to them and how they play their cards.

Thank you @dariusblake for your suggestions on different flavour profiles and placemat details.

Leshy's menu:

"The prospector"

A caramel whisky shot rimmed with golden nugget cereal crumbs. Modelled after the gold nuggets the prospector can transform cards into.

"The Angler"

A salted liquorish cocktail using anise flavouried liquior and fish-shaped gummy salted liquorish hanging over the rim of a bucket shaped recepticle. Modelled after the Angler's bait bucket card.

"The Trapper/Trader"

A rich, blood-red velvet cocktail made with red grenadine and a chocolate liquior. Served in a stein with a fake bit of pelt padding embellishing the handle. More modelled after his trading role than how he plays cards.

"The Scrybe of Beasts"

A botanical gin-based cocktail comprised of rhubarb gin, elderflower tonic and red grenadine seeping in from the top like a drop of blood, garnished with a sprig of elderflower. Served in a tall tiki mask glass (ideally etched to look like his masks, but a normal tiki glass would work) Playing into his tree-like appearance, emphasis on blood sacrifice (thematically and mechanically), and because he's an old man (hence use of elderflower specifically).

"Eight Fucking Bears"

Technically more of a food challenge than a regular dish of eight very spicy pork ribs with a thick, blood-like sauce.

Grimora's menu:

"Royal Dominguez"

A limoncello and triple sec shot rimmed with crushed sherbert. Based on his death from scurvy at sea.

"Sawyer Patel"

A stout Sheep Dog peanut butter whisky and ginger ale drink served in a tumbler lined with a dash of peanut butter drizzle.

"Kaycee Hobbes"

A refreshing blueberry vodka and fireball slushy served in a tall glass and garnished with blueberries and cinammon caramel drizzle.

"The Scrybe of The Dead"

A black forest espresso martini made with Kaluha, cherry vodka, chocolate liquior and a shot of espresso. Served in a china teacup with a pitted black cherry skewered on the teacup's rim.

"The Lord of Bones"

Fried chicken drumsticks and wings served in a coffin-shaped basket.

Magnificus' menu:

"Goobert"

Lime jelly(jello) shot. The shot glass would have little googly eyes stuck to it and an edible paper wizard hat instead of an umbrella.

"The Pike Mage"

A sweet and spicy chipotle-orange syrup, bourbon and vanilla liquior cocktail served in a martini glass and garnished with a skewered glacie cherry donning an edible paper wizard hat.

"The Lonely Wizard"

Black Sangria (made with dark wine - blackberries, black grapes and black plums) imbued with green edible glitter. Served in a wine glass and garnished with a lime slice donning an edible paper wizard hat.

"The Scrybe of Magicks"

A colourful tie-dye milkshake of creme de menthe, mint ice cream and strawberry cream liquieur embellished with edible glitter. Served in a tall flute and garnished with a swirl of whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and a spherical marshmallow made to look like Magnificus' missing arcane eye in place of a cherry.

"Mox"

A dessert made of blue raspberry, orange and apple sorbet scoops. Sprinkled with crushed sherbert and gemstone-shaped hard candies.

Po3's menu:

"The Inspector"

A simple blue raspberry sour shot with a blue raspberry popping candy rim.

"The Melter"

A vibrantly fire-coloured chocolate orange spritz. Mixing chocolate liquieur with aperol and prosecco. Garnished with curled orange rind and dark chocolate shavings.

"The Dredger"

A boba blue gin fizz. Made of bombay sapphire gin, lemon juice blue curaçao and soda water with lemon boba. Served with a silver coloured straw.

"The Scrybe of Technology"

A bright blue bubblegum cocktail topped with sweet sparkling wine and lemonade. Served in a tall, angular glass. The most boring of the Scrybe cocktails tbh.

"Kilo-bites"

Byte-sized sharing platter of savoury pastries and square pizza slices made to look like floppy discs.

I'll be honest, I was drawing a blank for Po3's menu. Dude's Vox if Vox had self-control, which takes away a lot of vibrancy to bounce off of for flavour profiles and visual ideas.

Bonus Mycologist dish:

Roasted ox-tongue mushroom, stuffed with mushroom paté and blue cheese with a creamy but sharp cheese sauce.

Ngl, Leshy's is my favourite menu. Definitely tempted to make it, maybe for an Inscryption themed party?

[anitalianfrie]

some cyborg au i randomly wrote (tw: body horror) // 1,3k

After the crash, they have to cut the suit off his arm to access the fracture. Expert hands slice with scissors, quickly and careless, through the leathers while he's laying on a stretcher in the back of the ambulance. He refused to lay on it, in the beginning, but the paramedics insisted. Under his schorched suit, his arm is bloody and mangled, the humerus poking the skin, creating an ugly bulge, red and purple from blood. Exposed wires, broken and fused from the heat, come out from his busted forearm. His fingers are red, crushed, metal poking through the tendons of his wrist and his palm. Sparks are igniting at the level of his shoulder. The woman in front of him is barely quick enough to extinguish them.

In the hospital they tell him that, beside the immediate impact that completely busted the majority of his enhancements on his right side - the hand traction, the strengthner, even the support - the bone shattered through the wires and the metal sheets of his upper arm, causing an internal short circuit. The wires cought fire. His nervous system is for the majority, if not completely, damaged, and it will take time for it to recover, if to recover at all.

They present him with various options. He chooses the one that will allow him to race as soon as possible. It's a new technology, they tell him. Minimal hardware, almost all neurological. The creme de la creme of innovation. They are going to screw his bone back together with a metal plate and fuse some wires at it, made of a new metal, then inserting them in his nervous system. Impulses and wires are going to run through his arm, to activate the movements, and some reinforced plates are going to be placed on his upper arm and his forearm to assure stability. They are going to rewire his entire bike-control system, since it got destroyed in the crash, and substitute the older parts with new ones, more efficients.

It's still an experimental surgery, they say, but every other option includes too much hardware. Hardware that his body will need to get used to, before he will be able to control it perfectly, with the surgical precision he needs to ride. Before he'll able to be one with his bike again.

He accepts.

In Jerez, after free practice, he realizes he can't race. Something is wrong. The arm doesn't respond to his commands, keeps getting stuck. But that's not the problem. It wouldn't be the first time he raced with a malfuncioning arm.

The problem it's all the rest. Something must have broken somewhere else, because his whole body is twitchy. The fingers of his left hand keep glitching, like if there was a bug. The lights on his ribs keep flicking, advising him that something is wrong in his balance system. At one point, blood comes out of his right eye, the one he had to modify back in 2011.

It's too much. He retires from the race.

And then, one day, while he opens a window, his arms catches fire.

It's an interesting feeling, to have one's arm buring. To feel the flesh melting on your own bones. To smell your own fat burning.

He's rushed to the hospital by Alex while he screams in agony. His right hand is still twichy, his ribs keep flashing, blood keep coming out of his right eye. His arm is on fire.

The have to open him up, rewiring him completely once again. Apparently, something went wrong the first time: they don't know what, or why. The main hypothesis is that they got some detail of the wiring wrong, and since almost all his enhancement are neural-linked, it influenced them all. It would have probably had minimal effect on somebody with more mechanicals on. Somebody more old gen. Somebody like Valentino.

Then, while he opened the window, the bone shattered again, broke trough the wires and metal sheets again, and caused another short circuit. Only, this time it wasn't just a few sparks.

it doesn't get better. All the bugs his system was experiencing keep being there, and only get worse with time. They tell him it might be an imbalance of tecnology, his too new right arm interfering with the older softwares. They tell him it might be the materials used for the new wires. The truth is: they don't know.

In 2022, he realizes he can't race anymore like this. The sparks that keep igniting on his shoulder, the continous twitches, the blood that doesn't let him see. His jaw that keeps getting stuck.

He goes to a doctor, a new one, specialized in this kind of things. Sitting there, one on one with him in his study, white walls and rows and rows of books, he gets told that his right arm is no longer usable. That the tecnology that was implemented, almost all software and almost no hardware, wasn't feesable: it failed too much trials. It was dangerous. It fried the bones and the nerves. The small chances his arm had to recover its functionality are gone.

And not only: the material used for the hardware has an high percentage of rejection. At first, it gets immediately integrated in the body, allowing little to no refractory period, but soon after the majority of people start to have a reaction to it. They show him pictures of the inside of his arm. The bone is corroded, rotting along with the nerves and the muscles and the flash. His body, in an useless attempt of getting out what it percieves it shouldn't be there, has been trying to kill itself.

Of course, the doctors weren't aware of this downside, when they put it in him. It was a new tecnology, after all.

The doctor tells him, with a serious voice, both hands on the desk behind which he's seated, that the only option is amputation.

Marc looks down at his mangled arm, the muscles weak, reinforced with metal and wires to allow him to use it still, control lights blinking up and down for its whole lenght. The piece of metal they weren't able to get out, risking to compromise too much funcionality, that still goes through his wrist. His fingers, kept straight only by metal rods and small plates. It's been a couple of months since he's been able to move them fully. The wires getting out of his open forearm, where the bike control is supposed to be. They took it out when he stopped racing. It was too much of a risk to keep it there.

His arm. What's left of it. Rotten and dying.

He agrees to the surgery.

There's not much he can do about it anyway.

Three days later, fresh out of surgery, he looks at his new arm. It's not a marvel of tecnology: he insisted on having an older model, a mainly mechanical one, that couldn't interfere with his other systems. Even when they told him it wouldn't happen, that they would update all his softwares, he refused to change his mind. A new neurological path gets estabished, one apt to replace his nervous system. It has the same updates as the rest of him, the oldest ones he could get without risking major bugs.

The metal shines under the sterile lights, against the white sheets. he moves his fingers, and for the first time in God knows how long, they do exactly what he wants them to. They will need constant manteinance. System updates, eventual rewiring, oil in between the joints. That's the main problem of menichals: they need work. Old racers used to do it constatly, back then, up until the 2000s. But nobody ever had a whole limb replaced.

Marc looks at this new part of him, delicately sawn to his shoulder, wires white and red and blue inserted into his skin, connecting it to the rest of him, making him funcional again.

Marc looks at his new arm, and cries.

[undeadvinyls]

Eyeing you with my one singular eye

Cookie’s body? Hello? Looking? Staring? Observing?

IM SO SORRY IT TOO SO LONG TO ANSWER at first i wanted to answer with a drawing/couple of sketches but then i procrastinated which made me feel bad, because i RLLY wanted to share this lore.

okay so, let's just start with saying this off chest,

calamari cookie is the secret, land identity of Kraken Cookie, a legendary kraken-like sea creature which has roamed the seas around the Creme Republic.

I've been working on a story for it for a while now, so i'll share a quick timeline. Calamari/Kraken uses she/he/they pronouns in both identities.

The story happens somewhere after the events of A Mermaid's Tale, but in a different part of the sea. With the ongoing hunt for sea creature cookies, great kraken cookie was one of the main targets for hunting season, being called a "threat" to all the cookies of the republic, but because of Abalone's demise events prior, another crew of cookies was assigned with hunting her. These cookies were the family of Macadamia Cookie, the Macadamia Clan. It wasn't a powerful house like House Oyster, hell it was a simple Cookie Clan. But the republic knew these cookies were the creme de la creme of sailors, hardened by their bond and experiences.

The at the time head of the clan, which was macadamia's maternal ancestor, was assigned with hunting kraken cookie for good.

instead, what she saw was not a monster, not a dangerous sea creature, but a hurt cookie drowned in grief from all the pain that cookies like abalone has caused them and their friends. forming a friendship between the two, macadamia's ancestor came with an offer, that they will protect great kraken at any cost and will hide the truth, but he will have to dissappear from the public eye. and so, using magic, kraken cookie has taken the land identity of calamari cookie, as macadamia's family sworn protection of her.

it is now a family secret that the family clan has hidden the truth, saving the sea cookie instead of slaying it, like they were commissioned with. everyone believes that "the kraken is dead", yet no one knows the truth. that is the reason why macadamia cookie is calamari's cookie first mate and most trusted crew member, just as his ancestors were her most trusted cookies too.

after all these years, calamari is still grateful for the help, and thank to them, she learned that not all land cookies are evil, but was still hurt by the ones who were rotten inside, that is why, calamari never takes evil cookies lightly, especially those who dare threaten her found family - the kraken fortune crew.

EDIT 22/05/2024: forgot about one small thing, so i'm copying this off a reblog of this post, so people who generally read original posts instead of reblogs, could also see it.

original text:

"i unfortunely forgot abt this nuance but calamari cookie has not entirely given up on her original identity!! she still, often even, transforms into kraken cookie to see how are underwater cookies doing. she sometimes spends a few days in her old form too, you could say that overtime, he found a balance between his life of piracy and his life of a sea cookie. they just do not emerge out of water too much, in fear of the truth coming out to light. she doesn't want her "return" to be marked as a point for "a new era of monster hunting".

the crew also knows abt this secret, and they've promised to never tell anyone. but sometimes you can see kraken cookie hugging the crew members near a deserted island and they love their sea monster captain so much. recently she also met sorbet shark and they are his baby"

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

SH -IG

Hugo Ensslin was the head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York City when he created the Aviation Cocktail. The recipe appears for the first time in his 1916 book, “Recipes for Mixed Drinks.”

You can use any London dry gin in the classic aviation cocktail, because the main liqueur in an Aviation cocktail, the key ingredient is creme de violette, (not gin) which is a violet flavoured liqueur that makes the cocktail unique.

This liqueur was one nearly extinct and, as such, many recipes for an Aviation describe this liqueur as being ``optional'' or calling for only the tiniest hint of it. Let me tell you that creme de violette is essential to this drink, giving it a soft floral sweetness and, of course, its unique blue hue.

Aviation Cocktail

1 1/2 oz London dry gin

1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

1/4 oz creme de violette (violet liqueur)

3/4 oz lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake until cold, about 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry (preferably a Luxardo cherry)🍒🍸

With its gorgeous purple color, the Aviation Cocktail is perfect for Halloween and a first 💜 birthday celebration for someone named Violet!

Posted 1st November 2024

[legon751]

working on a recipe. i need to dial back a few things, maybe drop a couple entirely or swap them for less intense versions

a bit less absinthe, swap the ground spices for angostura or just reduce them (or grind them fresh so theyre less fine and easier to strain the grit off). that might be enough to let me dial back the earl grey gin a touch. i think the vanilla wasnt necessary the creme de cacao is vanilla-y enough

rn the main flavors are earl grey, chocolate orange, and christmas spice

i need a name for it too

overall pretty good tho just needs refinement. working name is christmas on the enterprise

[exhausted-archivist]

Archi's Worldstate and OCs Masterlist

These are the personal worldstates I've built (or play with), going to link back to them when I do choice break-downs and such. Mostly wanted to get them in one place as well as my ocs I designed as companions or npcs.

First Playthrough

HoF: Thranduil Mahariel Champion: Marian Hawke Inquisitor: Everlinna Lavellan

Keep World State

HoF: Lyna Mahariel Champion: Garret Hawke Inquisitor: Evalyn Trevelyan

Main Canon

HoF: Brynne Varahel Tabris Champion: Elizabeth Hawke Inquisitor: Isala Revassan Lavellan

Tragic Lovers

HoF: Aenor Mahariel Champion: Verena Hawke Inquisitor: Pemma Lavellan

Salt and Burn

HoF: Katiana Cousland Champion: Garret Hawke Inquisitor: Trevelyan

Ambitchious

HoF: Atisha Surana Champion: Alessandra Hawke Inquisitor: Evelyn Trevelyan

Andrastian

HoF: Lancey Cousland Champion: Garret Hawke Inquisitor: Camillus Trevelyan

Recovery

HoF: Esha Amell Champion: Marian Hawke Inquisitor: Ramisa Trevelyan

Other OCs

Anea (Frostbacks Dalish)

Alsen De Fiedricis (Orlesian)

Anjou Baskar (Surface Dwarf)

Ashara Valmorte (Orlesian Elf)

Atisumis Anastasio (Nevarran)

Beatrice Butters (Nevarran Elf)

Caius Gaius (Anders)

Creme (Orlesian Elf)

Eshtarylin (Tevinter)

Inan Shalelan Lavellan (Fereldan Dalish)

Lichen Baskar (Surface Dwarf)

Marel (Frostback Dalish)

Milena "Greenie" Gundaar (Surface Dwarf)

Mooralya (Anders Elf)

Petunia Sataa (Markham Vashoth)

Rogelan Shalelan (Fereldan Dalish)

Tasi (Fereldan City Elf)

[piplupod]

the most beautiful piano song ever was in one of my nightmares a couple nights ago and I asked the person playing it what the song title was and they said it was called "creme de la morte" and when i woke up i immediately googled it to find out if it was real (i was so hoping) and ... unfortunately it is not. and i immediately forgot the main melody of it but i remember it started on C#m and did a descending chord progression in the left hand.... unfortunately i cannot remember the pretty little melody that was played in the right hand 😭😭

[quibbs126]

You know, I might as well throw my hat in the ring when it comes to what Ovenbreak Dragons I think will appear/be playable in Kingdom

First off, I don’t think all of them will be put into Kingdom, Longan especially. From the way I understand things, the good guys are going to the dragons to recruit them into helping against Dark Enchantress. Longan is an antagonist by themselves, and they’re very clearly shown to have no love for Cookies. Bringing them in is just guaranteeing another big antagonist when we should be dealing with DE. Even if by some miracle Longan chooses to help against Dark Enchantress, you know as soon as she’s dealt with, Longan would enact their plan, and I assume they’d want to end their main story with you know, an ending. As in we have time to bask in the fact that it’s over and there can be peace. You wouldn’t really get that with Longan, so I think they’re just gonna stay in Ovenbreak, at least for a good long while

And on a similar note, Lychee I think also has low chances, because again, they can be seen as an antagonist with little care for Cookies. Yes possibly by the end of whatever story they begrudgingly agree to help, but we see that so far, Lychee has basically enthusiastically sided with Longan instead, so it feels unnecessary to even bother

Ananas I think has the best chance of being added (especially as I doubt they’ll only have one Ovenbreak Dragon join). The Tropical Soda Islands have already been established in Kingdom, and we see they have some level of compassion for Cookies, particularly the ones of their island, even if only because they praise and worship them. If Ananas sees Dark Enchantress as a threat to their islands, they probably would help out the Ancients. Not to mention, of the other dragons, they’re the only other one to precede Kingdom’s release, meaning they have the most likely chance of already being part of the planned story. While sure, that doesn’t necessarily mean the others aren’t planned parts of the lore and story, there’s a chance the writers of Kingdom didn’t have the knowledge to properly work them in (granted they could always have added them in to later drafts of the story, not everything has to have been planned out in advance. Am I making sense here? I dunno)

Also honestly, as far as I’m aware, it’d be easiest to recruit Ananas, because other than wanting the inhabitants of the Tropical Soda Islands to worship and praise them, and give them offerings, they don’t seem too villainous. And I mean, the inhabitants seem perfectly fine and happy doing so, and are in no way starving or destitute (writing this I realize Ananas and Golden Cheese sound very similar. Hm). I mean sure, Lotus doesn’t seem too far behind, but Ananas seems a bit higher on the moral scale, even if they are a bit of an ass

Anyways speaking of Lotus, honestly I’m genuinely not sure. I don’t know if the Lotus Paradise exists in Earthbread, since we don’t see it on the World Map like Dragon’s Valley. Granted that map could easily be outdated; after all the Creme Republic isn’t there and we know it exists. There’s also the fact that Lotus came after Kingdom’s release, which could mean that they weren’t planned to be in it, but that’s a potentially negligible point, since again, they don’t have to have everything planned out right at the beginning. But another reason I think they might not is that they have a lot of prominence now in the Ovenbreak story, leading the charge against Longan, and so that may mean they want to keep Lotus to just Ovenbreak, I’m not sure. But also it’s not ludicrous to include Lotus in Kingdom, with them having a similar plot line of trying to keep DE away from their domain, plus then you could have a trio with them, Pitaya and Ananas. But then again, it could run the risk of sounding to similar to the Ananas plot line, I’m not sure. In conclusion, I don’t know

But with that being said, I’m sure that they’ll add Kingdom original dragons to the game. If there were only 2-3, you could just make them Legendary, but given they’re their own Rarity, I’d imagine they’d make more. Plus they’ve made their own Legendaries, why not have their own Dragons? I mean I’m almost convinced the North and South Dragons will in some way be playable, and it’d be an interesting way to expand in the lore we know

[hpowellsmith]

this is a Blaise appreciation post. not a day goes by when i do not think of this cranky easily flustered nasty man who secretly just wants to be held and respected. about to replay creme de la creme for like the fourth time so i can rescue him from the mines again. are any of the love interests in your WIPs going to have enemies to lovers vibes? i love it when someone starts out terrible but turns out to be a sweetheart once they learn they can trust the main character! he/she/they is genuinely the best

O Blaise. Blaise! It's been a while since someone messaged me about Creme characters so this was lovely to see! I love to see Blaise appreciated. What a grouch they are. Did you play 73 Stretfield Park, my free Blaise point-of-view prologue?

Royal Affairs has Javi, a catty royal grouch, and Trevelyan, a passionate anti-monarchy firebrand, so they may catch your interest! Honor Bound has Denario: he's a guy who's a former friend/frenemy, now in a rough spot, no one wants him around (that's a lie, a couple of people want him around) and maybe you can kindle or rekindle something if you want...? But that's maybe not the smartest of ideas...?

[crazycatsiren]

(Tagged by @metzos-digital-shrine.)

Rules: Tag 10 people you want to know better!

Relationship status: Married

Favorite colour: Burgundy

Song stuck in head : "Levitating" by Dua Lipa

Last song I listened to: "Rumors" by Lizzo

Three favorite foods: Sushi, creme brulee, salmon

Last thing I googled: Madame de Pompadour

Dream trip: Greece

Anything I want right now : A wheelchair

Tagging: @caffeine-and-spells, @sororluna, @baembee-main, @trans-masc-druid, @blyth-thehuman, @crxptid-teeth, @gaywifestyle, @mamaangiwine, @pondering-the-kaiju, @coinandcandle

[starfyhero2]

Update on that CRK AU and that poll!

Okay, so for that WL poll I posted about a week ago, it seems that unless a miracle is pulled by the other team, I think we got a winner for which brozone member is gonna be taking the light of freedom! The AU is gonna be known as the Trolls Harmonic Heroes AU, a name that took me a hot minute to think about. More info under the cut!

Now, as yall can see from the attached doodle, Branch has been chosen to represent the Light of Truth. Something to keep in mind is that he is not gonna have his Soul Gem (instead of Jam for this AU) for the first chunk of this story for reasons that will be revealed in due time. Designing the costumes for the Harmonic Heroes has been really fun to do.

Now, what is the general plot points I'm planning to cover so far?:

-the first four kingdoms (represented in this au as the old Pop Kingdom, the thriving Techno Kingdom, the sheltered Country Kingdom, and the mysterious Funk Kingdom) (don't worry, Rock is gonna be making an appearance here :))

-Beastyeast (oooooo I have many ideas involving the tribe ancestors and classical trolls for this one!)

-Matcha and DE connection (this one is gonna be REALLY fun to do)

-Beast cookies

-Creme Republic (represented in this au as the Pop Republic, and also where Branch and the Snack Pack migrated to 20 years ago to escape the 'war'; 5 years prior to the events of the main story, they left the republic behind)

-clotted cream and financier (all I'm saying as of right now is that viva and creek are taking their places)

-Cooper and Darnell were both taken from their parents as eggs by the bird and Branch found their eggs just before they hatched; they consider each other to be like brothers