#drinking wine and eating homemade bread

[pisces-sunset]

for someone who does not believe in the divinity of christ, it sure is sus that I stayed up until 3am praying the rosary and thinking about jesus.

[lostloveletters]

Something Borrowed (Michael Corleone x Reader)

Summary: Michael Corleone is the last person you expect to see at your best friend Connie’s wedding, and the last thing you expect to happen upon seeing him again after so many years is spending the night together. Maybe, it'll turn into something more.

Note: Female reader, but no other descriptors are used. No hate to Kay, she’s my girl, but wedding scene Michael drives me crazy🤭 She’s off living her best life elsewhere in this. Also, it was a lot of fun writing pre-everything Michael. Do not interact if you’re under 18, terf or radfem, or post thinspo/ED content.

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: Sexually explicit content involving unprotected sex. Light play fighting.

Champagne and giggles overflowed at Connie Corleone’s wedding to Carlo Rizzi. Plenty of red wine was passed around in pitchers for the old guard, of course. For you and the other women conscious of not staining the rainbow of cocktail dresses and flowing gowns that dotted the backyard, you opted for lighter fare in tall flutes that sparkled in the early autumn sun. 

Perhaps you were a bit too enthusiastic about the drink offerings, having already exchanged three empty champagne glasses for ones filled to the brim with glittering gold when the bride engulfed you in a hug. With a delighted laugh, you returned the gesture, kissing her cheek.

“I wanted to say thank you one more time for coming!” Connie exclaimed, her cheeks flushed pink from the excitement of the day. “God, it breaks my heart we couldn’t have gotten you a bridesmaid dress in time, but you look gorgeous.”

“Me? Connie, you look like a princess.”

“I feel like one,” she giggled.

“When you see your gift from me—I’m sorry it’s not more, I haven’t—”

“Stop it!” she scolded. “You came all the way from Europe just to be at my wedding. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

You didn’t bother correcting her. Her version of events sounded much nicer than you just got lucky with when the Red Cross put you on a boat home. “Anything for you.”

“I won’t keep you. This is probably the first time you’re eating real food in years. Mama, Sandra, and Theresa made most of it.”

Connie was right. You tried to savor your plate, packed with pasta drowned in homemade sauce, antipasto and crusty bread, and sandwiches that towered with fresh cold cuts. The Corleones knew a thing or two about good food, and had the means to pull the strings for the unfathomable ration books such a feast required.

A familiar yet unexpected voice startled you when your fork pierced a piece of mozzarella. “Is this seat taken?”

“Michael,” you practically gasped, taken aback by his even attending the wedding in the first place, but also how good he looked in his uniform. Cap tucked under his arm, medals and decorations on his chest, the photos you’d seen in the magazine didn’t do him justice. Finding yourself again, you gestured to the empty seat across from you. “Go ahead.”

“I can’t remember the last time I saw you, but you look great,” he said, his gaze fixed on you as he set his plate and glass down. He took you in, the girl he’d grown up seeing around the house and at school, now, without a doubt, a woman.

“You too, Captain,” you said, nodding toward the double bars on his uniform.

He snickered at your little joke, making you feel a bit more at ease in his presence. “I’m surprised you aren’t in the wedding party.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I was going to make it until a few days ago. I only just got back to New York on Thursday,” you said.

“You volunteered with the Red Cross, didn’t you?”

You nodded. “I was in England, and then France after the liberation.”

“Clubmobile, right?”

“Did Connie tell you?”

He shook his head, smiling the slightest bit. “All the pretty girls worked the Clubmobile.”

A mortifyingly girlish giggle escaped your lips. You quickly brought your glass to your mouth, though the champagne in it was likely the culprit of your embarrassing reaction to Michael’s compliment. Averting your eyes to the dancing guests, you tried to ignore the warmth that spread across your face.

You allowed yourself to look at him again a few moments later, relieved to find he was still sitting in front of you, amused, maybe even endeared, by you.

“You’re such a jerk, Michael,” you mumbled, only because he was your friend’s older brother, and when you were younger and starry-eyed and figuring out what it meant when your heart wouldn’t quite beat right around a boy, it was him who those tender emotions were kindled in secret toward—until you had your first real boyfriend.

He grinned at your remark, and the two of you ate and caught up in between his various family members stopping by the table to say hello. You weren’t sure what to make of his seeing you before any of them—flattered, a bit confused as well, but he laughed at your jokes and moved his seat closer to yours, so you must have been doing something right when he finally asked, “Do you want to dance?”

“I’d love to,” you said.

The chaos from Johnny Fontaine’s unexpected arrival and impromptu performance subsided when Michael led you out to dance. He held you close, the way soldiers had at the dances the Red Cross put on for servicemen, all to boost morale, or, as the war went on, to offer a break from reality. Among the many rules meant to be followed—and typically broken in one way or another in the haze of war—was to keep some emotional distance from the enlisted men, for your sake and their own, but with bodies so close together, tender touches and soft whispers over songs of twilight and moonbeams, it was tough not to be caught up in romance’s alluring snare.

Even then, with the war behind both of you, something about being in Michael’s arms made you truly understand why some girls risked their assignments for a man. There was something in how he looked at you, different from your childhood together, even from a few minutes prior. You felt breathless despite the slow song you swayed along to.

“Did you like Paris?” he asked quietly, throwing you for a loop.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Paris?”

“You were in France, weren’t you?”

“Not Paris.”

“Where in France were you slinging doughnuts, then?”

“Little villages a few miles out from the front, mostly. More cows than people, but nice enough once the fighting stopped, and it was finally quiet—as quiet as it could get, anyway,” you said. “When Connie wrote you’d been wounded, I couldn’t help but think the worst. Plenty of guys out there—well, that article sure put me at ease. All the girls were jealous when I said I knew you.” You smiled. “I’m glad you’re alright, Michael.”

He glanced at your lips, and for an aching moment you were sure he was going to kiss you, but instead he gave you a smile, one that was real and made your heart flutter nevertheless, but left you disappointed.

“Where are you staying since you’ve been back?” he asked.

He seemed familiar with the hotel you were staying in when you mentioned it, offering to drive you back after the reception ended, and Connie and Carlo left for their honeymoon. 

“It’s only until I can find a boarding hotel that has space,” you said. “I mean, it doesn’t have to be the Barbizon, but I’m not moving back in with my parents.”

“Here’s to that.”

The rest of the day and into the evening, Michael hung around you, unless he was pulled away by members of his family, each instance an annoyance to him. You knew they weren’t exactly supportive of his enlisting, but the situation couldn’t have been that bad, not since he was home, safe and sound at his sister’s wedding.

The Corleones, though endlessly kind to you, always been an odd family, and you learned through your friendship with Connie not to ask too many questions.

But Genco Abbandando was dying, and Vito insisted Michael go with the rest of the Corleone men to pay his respects to the elder. When you offered to take a cab back to your hotel, Michael promised the visit wouldn’t be long, suggesting you wait at the house with his mother until he returned to drive you into the city.

Your foolish desire to spend more time with him led to your waiting in the Corleones’ kitchen for a little over an hour, when you likely would’ve been showered and in bed in your hotel room by the time he arrived back for you, in one hell of a hurry to get you into his car and presumably get away from his family.

“Do you ever think about leaving New York?” he asked when the house was out of view.

You laughed. “Michael, I only just got back.”

“That’s not what I mean. The war—it wasn’t going to be forever, but it let you see what life could be like away from all of this, didn’t it?”

“Of course it did. I’m honestly not sure what I’m going to do with myself now,” you said. “How about you? Are you going back to school? Dartmouth, I mean.”

He nodded. “I start again the spring semester.” At a red light, he glanced over at you. “New England’s nice. Better than French cow country.”

“And do you suppose I could study in the department of pouring coffee and serving doughnuts?”

“You’re smart. I think you have a real future,” he said, the sincerity in his voice startling you. “All of that back there, that’s not for us. It never has been.”

You were silent for a few moments. “I guess you’re right.”

The city lights twinkling in the distance took the place of the stars they blocked out from the sky, growing larger as Michael crossed the bridge into Manhattan, the center of the universe. You’d never tell a soul how you cried just a few days prior upon seeing it again for the first time in years.

Besides his talk of the future, Michael kept the conversation light, and you could’ve sworn he was flirting with you. Working the Clubmobile, you learned quickly how to pick up on it, some men laying it on thick while others were irresistibly smooth. Michael could’ve easily just been teasing you, the way a friend’s older brother would, but when he pulled up to your hotel, either your ego or curiosity prompted you to invite him up for a drink.

You sobered up on the drive into the city, enough to remember you didn’t have any drinks in your room. The two of you would have to go to the hotel bar for that, but then you and Michael wouldn’t be alone, not how you wanted, anyway.

To your relief, he agreed.

With Michael in uniform, few questions would be asked by hotel staff as to why you suddenly had a man with you when you checked in on your own. It would have been easy to lie, claim he was your fiance who had only just gotten back Stateside. But you supposed you and Michael already looked the part, walking arm-in-arm through the lobby without an issue.

Your confidence soared on the elevator ride up to your modest room, which you let Michael into, knowing he wouldn’t judge the state of your accommodations.

“Mind if I make myself comfortable?” You didn’t wait for his answer, pulling your blouse from where it’d been tucked in your skirt. Slipping out of your heels, you sighed softly in relief.

“It’s your place,” he said, setting his coat over the chair in the corner and loosening his tie.

You grabbed his cap from where he set it down and placed it on your head, tilting the brim over your face a bit and posing in front of him with a hand on your hip. “How do I look?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed, giving you a once over, “I swear I saw you pinned up in some guy’s tent looking just like that.”

You laughed, taking the cap off and flinging it aside. “Oh, I don’t even know why I invited you up here!” Your laughter faded as something in your stomach turned sour, the situation feeling achingly too good to be true. Alone in a hotel room with Michael, the two of you entirely capable of making your own mistakes on the off chance he wanted you too. “Or why you even agreed to come up.”

“I didn’t come up here to drink.”

“No, you did it to be nice, because we’ve known each other for so long…” You sighed, sitting next to him. “I always figured you thought of me as your kid sister’s annoying little friend or something.”

He shook his head, saying your name softly in either protest or reassurance. His hand cupped your face as he turned it toward him, his thumb rubbing soft circles in your cheek. “Not for a long time. Especially not tonight.”

You kissed him, hands gripping his shoulders, closing your eyes as you melted in his embrace. Your skin feverish at his touch, you shuddered when his hand slipped up your untucked blouse until his fingertips reached your bra.

To say you hadn’t fantasized about Michael would have been an unconvincing lie to anyone who dared ask, but even in your wildest dreams, it was never quite like this, so bold and irreverent in the face of the tradition the two of you had just spent the day celebrating.

“I came up here because you’re beautiful,” he confessed against your lips, “because you’re the only familiar face I saw at my sister’s wedding that didn’t make me wish I were somewhere else.”

Silencing him with another kiss, your fingers raked through his soft black hair as your body pressed flush against his, unsure if you could withstand hearing more of his tender words without falling to pieces. You couldn’t, not so early in the night, but his desire grew difficult to ignore when he pulled you onto his lap. The pressure against your pussy made you moan, and with a hasty desperation, you shimmied out of your panties as he unbuckled his belt, freeing his hard cock within a few moments.

You slipped a hand between the two of you, pumping his length, feeling the way it twitched at your touch and gasping when Michael’s hips bucked. His teeth grazed your bottom lip, a whisper of an intent to devour you.

“I need you, sweetheart,” he groaned. “Need to feel you.”

Lifting your hips, you whimpered upon feeling his head brush your clit as you positioned yourself, slowly lowering as he filled you, cock throbbing against your walls that clenched around him. He assuaged the pain of taking all of him with a gentle kiss and soft praises, urging you to take your time, that you had all night together.

All night. The promise he would stay, at least until the morning, sent a teasing wave of pleasure through you. Gripping his shoulders, you tried to keep a steady pace as you rode him, wanted to show him that staying would be worth his while. He’d been right in the car, you wouldn’t be a virginal, wedding white bride. The both of you had seen and experienced too much to be considered innocent any longer, but it was something you shared, that no one else from that day would have understood.

Your thighs ached as you neared your climax, desperately chasing it despite the exhaustion that was creeping up on you. Crying out in frustration, you buried your face in the crook of Michael’s neck.

“I’m close,” you whined. “Michael, I—”

“I’ve got you,” he assured you, his hands making their home on your hips. 

Your eyes fluttered shut as you let him guide your body, his thrusts doing most of the work while you rocked against him, seeking the friction against your clit that would bring you to release. It caught in your throat, a broken groan from your lips to his ears as you came, clenching around him, pleasure rolling through you, rattling your body like thunder. You barely caught your breath when he came, shuddering against you, practically cradling you against him as he filled you.

With a whimper, you lifted yourself off of him and rolled back onto the bed. Placing your hand on your chest, you felt your rapidly beating heart beneath your fingertips, focusing on it as it slowed the following minute or so and ignoring the stickiness between your legs, the evidence you slept with your best friend’s older brother. 

Michael leaned over, brushing back the hair that stuck to your face. “What are your plans tomorrow?”

“Looking through the classifieds for a job,” you said honestly.

“Wanna put it off for a day?”

“With what money, Michael?”

“I’ll give you a line of credit.”

You grabbed one of the pillows from behind you, throwing it at him with a laugh. “Jerk!”

He grinned, pushing it aside to grab for one of your arms. You put up a weak fight, your breathless laughter giving away his almost certain win.

Having pinned you down beneath him, he pressed you for an answer. “So?” He kissed you. “What do you say, sweetheart?”

You rolled your eyes, smiling despite yourself. “I guess I can clear my schedule for a dashing war hero like you.”

“Dashing, I like the sound of that,” he murmured, bringing his lips to yours again, softly, with a tenderness that promised more for tomorrow, and even the day after, if you’d have him. 

You smiled. “Me too.”

[aloysiavirgata]

Unremarkable house, Brother Bill, rooster

Mulder is in the big hammock out back, sprawled like a Roman Emperor. The chickens are out, pecking for bugs among the goat droppings. He has a lemon shandy in a frosty glass. He has a tomato sandwich with tomatoes from their garden and homemade bread. He has Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell next to him.

He has misgivings.

Scully enters his field of view, stage left, “Mulder, you’d better put those damn chickens away before he gets here, especially Francisco. That rooster is a complete menace.”

She glares at the enormous bird. They’ve had a few scuffles, she and Francisco. There have been Band-Aids and three stitches.

He slurps at his drink. “You don’t think your brother wants to see my big cock?”

She is silent for a long moment. Then, “I swear to God I will literally kill you, Mulder. I will shoot you and I will bury you out here and I will put a big gazebo over your grave and every time I sit in it I will think about how much you had it coming.”

She stalks back to the house.

“Jesus,” Mulder says to the chickens. “Someone is in a mood.”

***

It’s an awkward greeting, but not as awkward as he’d imagined. He and Bill have always hated each other, which makes it easy to pick up where they’d left off, like two enemy pirate captains running into one another at a bar in Tortuga.

Bill, per usual, looks like he was waiting for the Dulcolax to kick in. Douchebag plaid shorts that Rob Petrie wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot golf club.

He sweeps his sister up in a massive hug and she got rather teary and Bill, to his credit, looks a bit pink around the eyes and nose as well. He puts his sister down after a moment, smoothing her hair.

Bill and Mulder then acknowledge one another’s undeniable existence on the material plane. Shake hands like sulky but well-mannered children after a baseball game.

***

Now they’re on the deck while Mulder tends the grill, three gorgeous steaks from a neighbor’s cow before him.

“It’s beautiful out here, Dana,” Bill says.

“Mostly Mulder’s doing,” Scully replies, sipping at the wine her brother had brought. “He’s honestly a wizard with this property.” She glances at him when she says it and he smiles back.

“Really?” Bill says. “Well, color me impressed. Mulder, I had no idea you were such an adept little homemaker.”

Mulder moves the steaks to a serving platter. “Oh, sure. Dana just uses me for cooking, yardwork, and sex.”

Bill chokes on his beer and Scully closes her eyes for a beat the way Anne Boleyn must have when they led her from the Tower.

Mulder sets the platter on the table, uncovers the potato salad and the asparagus. Sourdough rolls and goat-milk butter.

“Now Bill,” he says, “you tell me if that steak is too rare and I’ll pop it right in the microwave for you. Let me know if you need anything else, some A-1 or ketchup or anything at all. I want you to feel at home.”

Absolute daggers in Scully’s eyes.

Bill coughs lightly. “Everything looks fantastic, thank you both.”

“It was good of you to make the drive, Bill,” Scully says, loading up plates with food. “I know it’s a bit of a haul.”

Bill smiles indulgently. “Couldn’t be this close to my kid sister after so long and not swing by!”

“Though we would have understood,” Mulder says, warmly. He butters a roll and passes it to his brother in law. “Never feel obligated.”

Bill narrows his eyes as he accepts the bread. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to need some new pictures of the kids,” Scully says brightly. “Matthew must have grown six inches since that school photo you sent, Bill! And Mom says Claire has lost two teeth.”

“I’ll tell Tara to send some,” Bill says, puffing up.

They eat in silence for a time. Knives cutting through the tender steaks and stabbing into waxy potatoes and young asparagus. Butter dripping down chins.

“It’s a shame William isn’t growing up here,” Bill says, wiping his plate with another roll. “Dana, how could-“

Her fork clatters to her plate and he shuts up.

A roaring silence like an event horizon.

“Bill,” Scully says, sweetly. “We have the most beautiful rooster to show you.”

[writtenbyshama]

Long Way Home [Part II]

[Azriel x Reader fanfic]

Synopsis: Y/n is the daughter of a healer in the city of Velaris. After a small incident, she moves to the House of the Wind to work for the High Lord, Rhysand. Everyone in the house seems to welcome her except Azriel, the second in command. Even though he is just blankly polite and does not acknowledge her much, she can't help but fall for him. Does Azriel return her feelings or remain unfeelingly aloof?

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Read Part 1 here.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Part II

I started noticing that I got stared at more than usual whenever I came to visit father. Apparently, he had proudly told everyone who came to be treated that his daughter now studied in the House of the Wind and worked for the High Lord himself. I was happy to see him happy, but at the same time embarrassed when I was in the spotlight of attention. 

In my most recent visit, there were only a few patients to take care of, and none to stay the night in the infirmary room. Father cooked a deliciously smelling vegetable soup with mouth watering garlic bread for dinner. We carried the food along with a bottle of homemade wine to the terrace of our building. We did this often, sitting under the magnificent sky of the City of Starlight. It kind of became our ritual after mother died, where after all the eating and drinking, I'd lie down with my head on father's lap like I used to do as a small child, and he narrated stories of her. 

Our family history was a bit strange. My father was a proud, handsome descendant of the Illyrians, but my mother had been a high fae from the Summer Court. I've heard that most of my ancestors' pairing is similar to that. 

Your mother, she had this alluring green eyes, the colour which you see in the depths of a still pond, never letting go once you are pulled into. I can still see how the soft wind caressed her pinkish hair against her skin. He loved to describe her, and repeated over and over again the story of how they met. 

The story of how she died was only told once, and he never repeated it again. When I had been two years old, mother was pregnant with my sister. There was an internal bleeding which didn't stop, and sadly, both mother and child succumbed to it.

According to one of my neighbours, father was completely devastated after her death. He even stopped selling his services for a while. He didn't talk to anyone and sulked alone, which was completely opposite to his usual extrovert nature. I don't remember any of this, though. Even with sadness in his heart, he never forgot that he had a living daughter and my childhood was full of happy memories. 

Well, mostly. 

That night, he was telling me the story of how he used to paint my mother's toenails with colour when she was pregnant and couldn't do it herself—his personal favourite which I listened to every time like I was hearing it for the first time—when a shadow flew across the starry sky and landed in front of us. 

It was Azriel. 

I pushed myself into a sitting position, squinting at the cloth wrapped parcel which he held in both hands. When my father stood up to greet him, he extended it forward. 

"Greetings, sir. The High Lord and Lady send their compliments," he then turned to me. "Hello, y/n."

I nodded while father conveyed his thanks and accepted the parcel. Azriel was about to leave right then, but father insisted on him having dinner before he did so. He hesitated, his gaze dropping at our empty dining plates and wine bottle, but eventually agreed. They went down the stairs into the warmth of the kitchen and I followed. 

Father was already making cheery conversation, and Azriel joined after a while. They knew some mutual fae and some members of the Illyrian clan, and began having an earnest discussion. 

Azriel was ushered to sit while I set the table and father heated up the food. He always made extra portions because someone could unexpectedly stopped by for a chat and had to be welcomed with delicious food every time. While Azriel ate and they talked, I silently listened from a chair nearby. I felt the familiar squeezing ache in my chest as I watched them, because I could tell that Azriel was not humouring my father out of mere politeness and genuinely wanted to converse. He was never like that with me in the few months I've spent in the House. 

I felt prickling behind my eyes, and I excused myself to my room before it turned into tears. Once underneath my warm covers, I let the tears fall and fell into a tired slumber. 

I was jerked back into consciousness when I heard the sound of my bedroom door being opened. My eyes were swollen shut from all the crying and I had to fight to open them a bit and see who came in. 

It was father. He sat on the side of my bed and gently caressed my hair, noticing that I was awake. 

"Azriel left just now. We talked for a long time."

I closed my eyes and sighed, trying very hard not to cry again. "Hmm."

"Has he hurt you?" He asked, his voice low.

I blinked open my eyes in confusion. "Who?"

"Azriel."

I scoffed and shook my head. "I don't even know him that well to be hurt, papa."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's why you cried yourself to sleep, huh?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, not answering. He knew everything anyway.

He stood up and fetched a cold compress for my eyes. I felt fresh tears threatening to spill, and pushed the compress deeper onto my eyelids. 

"Does he have a mate already?"

"No. It doesn't matter. They'll feel the bond towards each other soon, anyway. The High Lady's sister might be the one."

"I see."

He was silent for a while. The swelling eased down and I could open my eyes wider. When the compress wasn't so cold anymore, I put it on the nightstand and wriggled back to a comfortable position. Father gently patted my head in a rhythm to help me sleep. 

"You'll find a deserving mate too, don't worry," he whispered. "A heart has to eventually find its home."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Read Part 3 here.

This fanfic can also be found in Wattpad, along with other exclusive parts like playlists and pictures. Here's the link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/358573037-long-way-home

Happy reading! <3

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts (27) Jealousy

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter27)

Summary: Rosie and Timothy travel the Greek islands. An intriguing experience on Santorini, puzzles and irks Rosie immensely. When Timothy doesn't react to her liking, there's only one option on how to move forward.

Twenty-Seven Years Old

To celebrate my birthday and my new fulltime job as a political risk analyst, Timothy and I went island-hopping in Greece. Liwia and her girlfriend had done it last year, and it appealed to us both. Having nothing but the flights planned, made me feel a bit reckless but it was quite freeing as well.

The only thing we’d decided on was to stick to the Cyclades and we started our journey by taking a ferry to the small island Antiparos. Several people who let out rooms stood waiting on the quay as we disembarked. An elderly and friendly looking man caught our attention, and the room he had to offer was more than sufficient.

Our first breakfast is one I’ll remember forever. The small restaurant was situated by the seafront where the fishing boats came in with their catch. Faded coloured fishing nets hung to dry in the sun, the scent of salt weaving its way to our nostrils.

Freshly pressed orange juice and the fluffiest omelette I’d ever come across, ensured the perfect start of our day.

We hired a moped to explore a little. The trip took us through a landscape of olive trees and flowers we didn’t have in the UK. Our destination was the famous cave with stalagmites and stalactites. The stalagmite at the entrance is apparently 45 million years old, the oldest in Europe. 

We were warm and a bit sweaty after standing out in the sun, while we waited for our guide. The air inside was pleasantly chill and got even colder as we descended the 411 steps to the heart of the cave. It was a mesmerising sight, and knowing that this was the nature’s own doing, left me amazed and humble.

At a cosy taverna we ate the best Greek salad to date. The ripe tomatoes paired with the salty feta cheese, olives, onions, the rich olive oil and the homemade bread, almost made me religious for a moment.

The beach close to our quarters, was small, secluded and blessedly free of crowds. We had taken a boat to a famous beach the day before, but we’d barely found a free space to lay down our blankets, so this felt like paradise in comparison. 

Another short boat ride away was the bigger island Paros. We took the bus to the other side of the island. I don’t remember anything else from that trip than the hours we spent in Naoussa. Several boats painted in bright colours lay bobbing in the water close to the restaurants that encircled the bay. It may sound simple, but it was the most beautiful view, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. We sat there for hours, eating seafood and drinking Greek white wine. 

***

So far, it had been a “normal” vacation, or tedious as Papa would’ve called it. That all ended when we sat foot on Santorini. Getting a room was easy enough, and relieved of our heavy rucksacks we went for a stroll in the main street of Fira. Every other shop was a jewellery shop, and the necklaces displayed bore the resemblance to what pharaohs and Cleopatra wore. Heavy, massive and ridiculously expensive. For each shop they seemed to grow bigger and uglier. We had quite a laugh at that.

The most peculiar thing happened at the restaurant we had lunch. It was a terrace with a breathtaking view over the Aegean Sea. We’d decided to stay for a while and ordered more iced tea, making ourselves comfortable under the big parasol. We had both brought a book, and for a while we read in silence. A repetitive sound of paper being ripped, caught my attention.

An elderly woman had taken up residence at the table next to ours. She had short frizzy hair, more grey than brown now, her glasses were round with a white frame. The summer dress she wore had big patterns in green, red, white, and orange. On her feet were white flip-flops. 

“Stop staring,” Timothy whispered.

He startled me and I looked annoyed at him, but averted my eyes and took a sip of my drink. The moment the sound of ripped paper reached my ears again, my eyes were drawn to the spectacle at the other table.

The woman read a book too. A paperback. The curious thing I almost couldn’t fathom, was that whenever she finished a page, she ripped it out and placed it in a pile under her plate. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? What if you needed to go back some pages to look up something you’ve missed. It could never be read by another person, since she apparently left pages wherever she sat down to read. It bore no logic, and it irked me.

“Aren’t you curious about why she does it?” I whispered to Timothy.

“Not particularly. My book is far too interesting, and you won’t get an answer unless you ask her, and I guess you aren’t inclined to do that,” was his phlegmatic answer.

Timothy’s ability to turn off the world and disappear into his reading or writing, was admirable, but now it almost made me jealous of his book. I wanted to speculate with someone, solve this odd conundrum. There would be no more reading on my part after this, so I took out my phone instead.

Want to solve a mystery for me?

Pray tell! I’m bored to death and about to shoot the wall. P

Also available on AO3

Friendly warning: after 25 years the mystery is still unsolved. Don’t be shy about suggesting what the meaning of this appalling behaviour could be 🤭

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @helloliriels @raina-at

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[night-market-if]

Hello hope you’re having a good day !

I would like to ask what would be the Ros’ favorite food/drink

Bella: MC

Gabriel: Loves a good ghost wine and any food as long as he can find the time to eat.

Hazel: She loves soups. Especially homemade soups with fresh baked bread. And she loves her tea. Sweet tea on those really hot days.

Milo: Street food. He is constantly looking for some sort of new cuisine that is sold in the little carts and vendors. And he's a whisky kind of guy.

Malcolm: He's up for trying anything. Loves his tea like his sister. But does like fish a lot.

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Seven (Part 3)

The sun has already begun its descent behind the horizon when we all sit down to eat at three o’clock. These later December days are so short that sometimes I wonder why the sun bothers to show up at all, and why not just give up its teasing and go away altogether until it’s ready to stay and commit to a decent amount of daylight. 

The candles in the centre of the table flicker and dance in the fading light and the lights on the christmas tree twinkle, and the sight is so cosy and festive that I suppose I don’t really mind all that much about the dusk. Uncle Sean sails out of the kitchen carrying the huge roasted turkey fit for ten, and everyone applauds with delight as he smiles as though he’s the one who slaved over it all morning. He places it right in the middle of the table surrounded by the roasted carrot batons and the crispy roast potatoes, parsnips, mash, brussels sprouts, homemade yorkshire puddings, ham studded with cloves, gallons of gravy and bread sauce, so much food that one might think it’ll last for days, but it will be gone in an hour.

Granny makes us say a prayer in thanks for the food, and the minute we’ve finished Conor and Decky start lunging for it, taking heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, great big hacks of meat and drowning it all in gravy while Aunty Catriona stares at them like they’re wild animals at the zoo. 

“Leave some for the rest of us, please.” she says to them and Uncle Sean laughs. “Sure they’re growing boys, Cat, leave them at it.”

“They’re gone past growing, sure they’re twenty six and twenty three.”

“G’way, Catriona.” Says Conor with a mouthful of honey roasted ham. “There’s plenty for us all.”

Sean turns to Fabiana next to him as the food makes the rounds of the table. “Bread sauce, love?” He says, holding up the jug, and she pulls a disgusted face and shakes her head, and as he passes it over her to granny, Fabiana looks over at me with a little, secretive smile. I grin back, pleased that she’s chosen me as an ally among the chaos of this family dinner. 

Somebody opens a bottle of red wine and she reaches for it and then bends over the table and starts pouring it into my crystal glass, the ones that only come out of the cabinet on Christmas day. I feel my mam’s eyes on me as I have a drink from it. 

It’s a while before anyone tries to speak, our mouths all full of food as we ravage what’s on the table. I’m so hungry now that I can’t think of anything else, the food tasting a thousand times more delicious because of how long I’ve waited for it. 

“So Michael, how’s the new job going?” Catriona says to my dad eventually, once her plate is about three quarters of the way finished. “I know you were let go from your previous one recently.”

“Going grand.” He says, patting the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin, his movement a little bit slow and sloppy. “I work nights now in the factory, worse conditions, I suppose, but better money. No big change from the last place to be honest… we make catheters now.”

“Ah, I suppose you’ll take what you can get. That’s how the economy is these days.”

A pause. “And how’s the love life, Cat?”

“Well actually I amn’t seeing anyone at the moment.”

“Oh right. What happened to yer man?”

“Who?” Says Sean, and my dad waves his fork around at aunty Catriona, searching for the right name. 

“The fella from accounting at her work.” He settles on eventually, and she rolls her eyes and goes back to her food. 

“Not seeing anyone.” She repeats. I take a large glug of the red wine. 

“That’s a pity, sure we were all hoping for some news about more grandkids.” My mam elbows him in the arm, and he looks at her in surprise. “What?” 

“Dad and Fabiana are already having another baby, did you not know that?” Says Decky. “She’s seven months pregnant, like.” 

“Ah yeah but sure like…” He trails off, and I feel hot with embarrassment of him already, as clearly he’s already had a few drinks too many. His eyes are watery and heavy. I drain the end of my wine glass and Fabiana immediately fills it again. 

“Anyone tried the brussels sprouts?” Says granny. “They’re especially delicious this year.” 

“No, brussels sprouts are sick.” Says Conor. 

“They’re very healthy for you.” Attempts Fabiana and he immediately rolls his eyes at her. 

“Yeah, alright. Can we talk about something else?” I stiffen and look from Conor to Decky, Fabiola to Sean. Clearly something is not right in their family this Christmas, and I wonder how the boys really feel about their father dating a woman young enough to be their sister. I watch her face fall and the way that she goes back to picking at her food with a bent head. 

“Tell your granny about school.” Sean says to his youngest son then, and Conor regards him with total incredulity.

“I’m graduated, dad.” 

“Are you? Weren’t we at that yoke in your university only last month?”

“Yeah. My graduation ceremony.”

“Oh right, yeah.” 

“I’m working with the county council now.”

“Forgot about that.”

The only sounds at the table are the scraping of silverware against the plates. I take another long drink from my glass and instantly Fabiana is wielding the bottle again. I have a feeling she’s going to have me drink the whole thing, wishing it could be her instead. 

“Fabiana.” I say softly. “You’ve got to slow down. I have a hard time saying no to people.” 

“Just a bit.” She says, and then to my horror, all eyes are on me as my mam starts a fresh tirade. 

“Since when do you drink?” She says accusingly into the silence. 

“Um. I don’t know.” I say feebly, feeling like a child caught rotten doing something against the rules. 

“She’s drank for years.” Decky pipes up unhelpfully. “Remember I saw you drinking cans of cider outside Kennedy’s pub in town after you and your friends weren’t allowed in. What age were you then? Must have been fifteen.” He’s laughing because he thinks he’s told a funny anecdote, but he has no idea how tone deaf it is. I stare at him in disbelief. What is going on at this dinner table? How did he think that was an okay thing to say? My mother’s eyes narrow at me. 

“I’m eighteen.” I squeak. “I can drink if I want to.”

“Is this what you’re doing up there in Dublin?” She demands. “Up in those pubs drinking away all of your money?”

“No, mam. I’m not like that.”

“I’m disappointed.” She says, and then looks from me to my father with a resigned look on her face, and I know what she’s thinking. That I’m going to end up just like him, stuck to the bar in some pub all weekend until I get carried out by the bouncers and tossed into a taxi only to crash into the house at two in the morning and fall asleep on the couch until noon. Going from work to the drink and then back again in this endless, drunken spiral. 

“There’s something about women who drink.” She announces to the table. “I think there’s nothing worse, nothing less attractive than that. You know, when you see a man, messy drunk, stumbling on the streets, it’s bad enough, but when it’s a woman it’s a hundred times worse.”

“That’s sexist.” I say to her. 

“It isn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t the same, and I don’t appreciate this new bolshy attitude you have. Where are you picking up all these notions?”

“You can’t just say ‘it isn’t’ and then not have any reason why. That’s the definition of a double standard.”

“Well it’s my opinion. What do you lads think when you see drunk women out on the street on a Saturday night?” She closes in on my cousins who look at each other and shrug, mumbling incoherencies. 

“You wouldn’t go out with someone who did that, would you?” 

“Uh I dunno.” Decky says. “Depends.” 

I feel a horrible lump in my throat and my chest hurts. I hurt. I take a steadying breath before I speak in case I cry. “Are you saying that’s the reason you think that I…” I trail off, too humiliated to finish my sentence. 

She looks into my face then, wavering slightly but not backing down. “Boys don’t like girls who drink.”

I look at my father, drunk at three in the afternoon, lazily eating his dinner without bothering to close his mouth all the way. “So they like girls who enable their drinking instead, right?” I say and when her face falls I realise it’s too late to take the words back. They’re out there, filling the room with this dreadful, grim weight, but I continue anyway, throwing my hand up in the direction of my dad. “Is this what you want for me?” I ask her. There isn’t a sound from anyone at the table, not even a clink of glass against the delft, and my mother just opens her mouth and closes it again. I get up from the table in a hurry, the chair scraping against the floor. I throw my napkin onto my plate and rush out of the room and up the stairs towards the bedroom that granny has made up for me. 

“Does anyone want the Christmas pudding?” I hear her murmur to the table, before I shut the door behind me. 

Prev // Next

[imlivinginyourtrashcan]

Hi hello im a dirty American heres some friendsgiving headcannons for the sp character

Cartman:

That man aint bringing shit

Only there for the food

The type of mf to steal ingrediants while youre cooking something

Dives RIGHT for the pumpkin pie

Nobody is happy

He denies it but its do obvious hes stealing shit 🤬

Does not wait for a toast

Bro just dives in

Getting seconds, thirds, fourths

When hes done theres no left overs

If he were to bring something id be pie

His moms recipe

BUT THIS LITTLE FUCK EATS IT IN THE CAR

Kyle:

Sometimes hosts the friendsgiving at his house

Brings the sparkling grape juice/apple juice

And also the Kosher things

Only has one helping, tries to get leftovers for the family or for kenny

Helps his mom cook when hes hosting

Setting the table always

Tries to toast but ends up yelling at Cartman for eating before hes done

Helps Ike pack for those little kindergarten thanksgivings?

Yknow when you dressed as a pilgrim and ate food?

Was I the only one who did that??

Stan:

He panicks and brings what he can find

"Hey dude! What you bring?"

"Uhhh... leftover mash potatos?"

Hes TRYING

Downing the sparkling juices like no tomorrow

The eggnog too

Cartman encourages it

"CHUG CHUG CHUG"

Watching the football game

RESTRAINS himself when it comes to food

Like, he wants it but knows Kyles gonna be pissed

Plays catch with everyone else

Or pingpong

Doesnt give a fuck about the Macys parade

Kenny:

Brings canned stuff he got from the food drive

Like cranberry sauce

Sneaking leftovers for his family

Plays catch with the boys

Died from a football lodged in his eye

Oh and from the

"Macys parade"

Incident

You dont want to know

Butters:

Brings the sweet potatos

Suggest christmas music/movies be played

Cartman called him gay immediately

So that got shut down

Brings the extra pies and everything since Cartman eats his

Lover of cranberry sauce and other things most people hate on thanksgiving

"Oh that was good! Could I have more please?"

"Butters what the fuck who likes CRANBERRY SAUCE???"

"I do!"

Doer of the toast

Often gets hit in the face when they play catch and cries

Can't stay for long cuz his parents are strict but hes there on video call rest of the time

Craig:

The type of mf when you ask what he brought he says

"My presence"

MF-

No!!!

You need to bring FOOD

They have to kick him out

He comes back with bread rolls or crackers, cheese and olives

So hes aloud back in

Doesnt care abt the parades or catch or anything

Just kinda there for Tweek

If someone asks him to do sonething he'll do it though

Hes limited by meals thanks to his braces

He doesnt care

Thats future craigs problem

Flips someone off if they beat him in a sport

Or flips off the tv when someone does something stupid in football

Has restraint when it comes to food

Bro will just wait

Wait

Wait

Wait

And then devour his plate in seconds

Tweek:

Brings homemade cider or pumpkin spice

Panicked the whole time

Hiding upstairs half the time

At least until food

He looks like a sopping wet cat

Doesnt really eat that much

Convinced the food is poison

Dont try to reassure him either he doesnt trust you

Has to check a million times though

"Is this poison???"

"No???"

"GAHH!! I dont believe you!!"

Leaves after feasting

He can only handle so much

Arrives super late too which is ironic

Jimmy:

Brings the food over and makes a puns

Like puts devil horns on eggs

"Jimmy what is that?"

"D-d-d-deviled Eggs"

Bro is telling thanksgiving jokes every second

Does the toast some years

Its like a stand up comedy routine tho

He lets you eat during that

Sneaking food

Mischievous little bastard

Puts on family fued when he realizes the boys are too pissed at football

Also has brace limits

But does he follow them ever? Nope

Drinks sparkling juice from a wine glass

Able to keep the party going for a WHILE he has ENERGY

Card playing KING

Winning at Crazy 8s left and RRRRIGHTTTTTT

Clyde:

Brought mac and cheese

Either that or bread

Food sneaker

Thinks hes good at sports

Hes not

He gets hit in the face so often

And cries

Tried Tweeks coffee

Started coughing and gagging immediately

Hes a picky eater im calling it now

Like will not eat if he doesnt think he'll like it

Me too Clyde i get it

Likes the Macys parade

Fucking weirdass

Arrives a bit before Tweek but is still late

The mf to get seconds

Wont eat before the event either

Saving his stomach for yum yums

Tolkien:

Also hosts

Helps his parents with food

Makes the dinner table look like a whole buffet

When hes not hosting he brings stuffing or some expensive good food

Or like

Homemade dip?

Casserole?

Idk

Seems like itd change every year

Great at sports

Helps clean up too

Toasts sometimes

Very generic toast

Doesnt seem like someone who has much to say

[rabbitcruiser]

National Pasta Day

Life is too short, and I’m Italian. I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0. -  Sophia Bush

Picture this….a warm steaming pile of spaghetti in a rich red sauce, littered with seasoned sausage, black olives, and mushrooms served with crusty garlic bread on the side.

Or, perhaps the idea of a rich Chicken Fettuccine in a creamy garlic white sauce is more likely to be what blows your mind.

Pasta comes in over 600 shapes known to mankind, and their names are usually Italian words that are delightfully descriptive of their shapes. Spaghetti (‘cord’), vermicelli (‘little worms’), rotini (‘spirals’), fusilli (‘spindles’), tortellini (‘little cakes’), linguini (‘little tongues’), conchiglie (‘shells’), fettuccine (‘small ribbons’), penne (‘quills’) and capellini (‘fine hairs’) are the savory little goodies that are essential to any pantry.

While Italian food made it famous, that was actually only a gateway to pasta. Chinese Chow Mein and German Spaetzle are just a couple of the ways the world has taken pasta and fallen in love with it all over again.

And World Pasta Day is the perfect time to celebrate this love!

History of World Pasta Day

World Pasta Day was brought into existence as part of the World Pasta Congress on the 25th of October in 1995. Experts from all over the world came together to discuss the glories of the noodle, with particular emphasis on the importance of spreading knowledge of the world’s panorama of pasta. This organization uses World Pasta Day to promote the eating of pasta, along with its cultural and culinary importance.

The World Pasta Congress engages in everything from encouraging consumers to try new pasta to providing important information to institutions and promotions of this increasingly popular food. Every country is encouraged to celebrate the day in its own way while sharing the logo of the official organization and participating in the global strategy of World Pasta Day.

How to Celebrate World Pasta Day

Food days are simple and easy to celebrate, but they can come with a variety of layers as well. Look to these ideas for inspiration, then create your own ways to celebrate World Pasta Day:

Eat Pasta–and Lots of It!

One of the best ways to celebrate World Pasta Day is by preparing a favorite dish and enjoying the delicious flavors and textures that come along with that noodly goodness. There’s no better way to renew a deep appreciation for it than by wolfing down this healthy and semi-nutritious food.

Most people don’t enjoy eating pasta without any sauce, but the options for what to put on it range from the simple to the complex. Try it with a little melted butter and garlic. Cheese sauce (such as alfredo), tomato sauce (bolognese or marinara), and pesto are traditional options. But some people like to get super creative with unique flavors like butternut squash carbonara, avocado and mango sauce, or herbed white wine sauce. The options are virtually endless!

Host a World Pasta Day Party

Folks who are feeling like they want to share the day can go all out and host a World Pasta day party. This is a great way for everyone to come together to share their favorite pasta dish, or exchange recipe ideas with other guests to help the love of the noodle spread. Be sure to be prepared for one momentous night of rich and creamy carbohydrate overload. It may be that naps will be mandatory, but stomachs will most definitely be full!

For the truly daring, enhance the party by having participants only bring pasta dishes that they have never tried before. Try new noodle types, or even making your own pasta. Experiment with sauces and flavors that may be outside of the normal palate.

Try Making Homemade Pasta

Some people find it a little difficult and time-consuming, but the benefits of making fresh, homemade pasta are absolutely worth it! The easiest way to make it is by using an at-home pasta maker, which can be a little bulky to store in the kitchen but turns pasta-making into a breeze.

The recipe for pasta is fairly simple, using just a few ingredients. Basic pasta will consist of semolina wheat flour, eggs, olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Some pasta recipes don’t include eggs, while others might have a more unique flavor, such as spinach, sun-dried tomato, saffron, roasted red pepper and more.

Those who don’t have a pasta maker can certainly make it by hand, as it was done for hundreds of years in every home in Italy! It takes a little more work in the rolling, but it’s a fun, adventurous project in the kitchen. A food processor and stand mixer will help this process immensely, and a pasta drying rack is also a useful tool.

Try Something New (Or Very Old) In Pasta

This is the ideal day to get creative and experiment with different flavors and dishes. For instance, many people don’t know that Spaetzle was traditionally served with a sour sauce/gravy for Sauerbraten. It’s amazing! Imagine what else could unfold into the culinary world for those who will take World Pasta Day to broaden their horizons!

Attend World Pasta Day Events

All over the world, in various communities, people are celebrating pasta on this day. Get online or check out a local announcements board to find out which events might be happening in the area. For instance, some folks might have a pasta cook-off, while others might create a pasta festival. Those who can’t find a World Pasta Day event in their local area could certainly consider creating one! After all, it’s for the love of pasta.

Source

[shefanispeculator]

C&I: So, in a perfect Oklahoma world, there would be no hogs, and just a day spent at home fishing and hunting. What else would be part of that perfect day? Shelton: Gwen [Stefani] would be cooking for everyone. But I eat terribly. I have to figure out how to get better. I’ll usually sit down at dinner time, and Gwen will make this big dinner, like she’ll make a piece of salmon and a salad for us. And then there are her three little boys [Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo] there, and so there’s macaroni and cheese and all those other things for them. I’ll look at her plate and she’ll have the salmon and salad, and I’ll look at my plate and it’s all the s--- she made for the boys: chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, those little pretzel bread rolls. I’ve got to get better at that one of these days.

C&I: Your music isn’t always about this country life you’ve been living. But there are a few that seem like they were pulled right from your upbringing, with gravel roads, screen doors, hollers, blue collars, homemade wine, drinking from the hose, being raised on love, and how it all makes you truly backwoods legit. There was “That’s What I Call Home” in 2001, “My Neck of the Woods” in 2003, “Boys ’Round Here” in 2013, and, more recently, “I Lived It.” Do songs like that matter more to you? Shelton: I can’t sit here and say it’s important for me to only sing songs like that about my life. But then again, isn’t it strange that I go back to that without even meaning to sometimes? I don’t go, “Oh, I have to have a song about what it’s like down home.” And yet, I gravitate toward that. Those are the songs I like right away when I hear them.

From the October 2018 issue.

[taysdorothea13]

okay what does tay do when wren wren turns 13!

if it were up to taylor, she'd fly to like paris and they'd have the most lavish expensive day ever. like she would pull out all the stops. but, wren's a little homebody at her core so instead they opt for a party at home in new york. she and wren stay up until midnight baking their birthday cake, and since she finalized the adoption she knows wren's specific birthday time, so she wakes her up at 7:14 in the morning and they eat said birthday cake in bed, definitely watching christmas movies or tangled... honestly probably both. she got wren thirteen presents because anything and everything taylor can do to remind wren she's thirteen.. she's doing it. honestly, its a lot of normal presents. new pencils, another sketchbook, a couple outfits, just typical teenager things. then of course they have lunch, but travis is in the picture and he's always opted to sit out on cake decorating and baking because that's taylor and wrens special birthday tradition and he recognizes the importance of having that remain just them, but he wants to make his girls lunch (hence why they eat breakfast in wrens bedroom because he kicked them out of the kitchen to make something special). its just wrens favorite pasta dish that he makes but he also cut and breaded his own chicken breasts to make them homemade chicken tenders for taylor. after they eat, travis takes wren out for a 'drive', but really he's taking her to get her second holes pierced because she's been asking taylor for weeks but there just hasn't really been a good time to go get it. taylor of course knows this is happening, so when they get home she's waiting on the couch smiling from ear to ear because wren is absolutely beaming and the earrings she got as a present make a lot more sense now. and then they spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the party. its not anything ridiculously big, but it is a good mix of taylors friends and wrens friends (which.. are just taylors friends kids... but the point stands) and there is definitely more drinking going on than anybody really likes to admit, but it has such a nice buzz to the room that everybody just kind of overlooks how selena and jason are trying to outdrink each other in beers and wine coolers. taylor hadn't wanted to celebrate herself at the party, but wren had been insistent so they have a dual theme but its also not really themed at all. like they're just two different vibes and thats obvious in the decor but nobody cares because taylor and wren are having the times of their lives. taylors cake has a picture of her and wren on it from the first night they spent together, and wren's cake is just a collage of hayley and gracie pics because... well.... she's a thirteen year old girl and that's what she's into and hayley and gracie are absolutely dying because she did it to be a little shit and they know that. and once the party dies down and its just friends and family left, they just sit around and talk until like three in the morning when wren passes out on taylors lap with her feet in travis's.

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

melda tâe, pray tell: what are the ojv!style/starsev's favorite foods? <3

HELLO MELMË!!! Oooo this is such a fun ask ilysm and I love any excuse to be Incredibly Annoying abt the OrangeJuiceVerse so YEP HERE WE GO!!!

Kyle- Kyle SO has a sweet tooth!!! (I love that that’s a universal Kyle hc btw) that boy is THERE for any baked goods deadass even those shitty gas station packaged muffins (Stan is scribbling out the nutritional information (or as he calls it, Food Lore, well into their 30s)) and Kyle def consumes anything sugary. As for actual real food, he likes Italian a lot which works very well bc pasta is a general hit w everyone. Favorite fast food place is subway and he ALWAYS rearranges the sandwich components to make sure the distribution is right (he claims he doesn’t have obsessive compulsive tendencies) (he does) so this guy is THE reason the ojv is called the ojv, his favorite beverage is orange juice with seven ice cubes and a pinch of salt bc he’s picky even when he claims to not be, he’s also a red wine enjoyer

STAN!!! Oh my god he and Cartman and Kenny are bottomless pits!!! Stan is a big boi and he’s packing away everything he eats bc 1) he hates waste, and 2) he’s just hungry. BUT he’s really more of a savory guy. Veggie king, ofc, and he’s at every fast food place in town ordering any vegetarian option, ALSO!!! This man LOVES spicy food but his stomach doesn’t. He’ll get a couple crunchwraps sub refried beans and slather that shit in Diablo sauce, but there’s a pretty good chance he’s gonna be nauseous a few hours later. Also he loves Kyle’s cooking!!! Bc Ky likes to cook when he’s stressed and Stan likes Kyle, and Kyle makes this really kickass homemade bread (jalapeño cheese bread oh my god I really want some now) Stan is also SO bad at drinking water but he is in fact a soda enjoyer. Miller Lite and the cheapest vodka known to man (before he stopped drinking) are a staple, also he frequents the local smoothie king and gets a chocolate hulk. For most of their life style has been ordering an olive and pineapple pizza. Stan always dips it in extra marinara.

Tweek- he is seriously just a snacker. Like Girl Dinner has nothing on Tweek Dinner. His meals look like a Charlie Brown thanksgiving. If he even remembers food is a thing. But like Craig will come home and be like “what do u want for dinner” and Tweek’s like “oh I ate a whole jar of pickles” the amount of half eaten granola bars in that house smh. BUT he can decimate so much garlic bread. A very big lemonade fan.

Craig! He’ll eat whatever, nonchalant KING unless!!!! He’s having a bad day and is already on the cusp of a meltdown. If he’s overstimulated it’s a sprite and an uncrustable. A grape uncrustable. Also I just feel like he likes seafood? I cannot explain why, but he does. Also he’s really good about hydration, he likes routine and he has one of those bottles w the time markers lmao. And he’s weirdly pretentious abt craft beers like when he and Kyle take their lil excursions to their spot he’s drinking an ipa that’s lowkey gross but then he’s just shrugging at Kyle and being all “idk the citrus hits in the aftertaste” like an asshole.

KENNY ok Kenny is also not picky in the slightest, how could he be with how he grew up, but I feel like he’s especially fond of easy meals like casseroles, frozen pizza, that kind of stuff. When he starts actually making a stable living off his art he hits up ALL the local food trucks and small businesses and broadens his food knowledge, and he’s keeping the smaller struggling businesses going just by his support. He is another example of ojv losers not drinking enough water, thinks Mountain Dew counts, literally he would’ve developed scurvy in college if left to his own devices. SMH ily kenneth also he and Stan have both thrown up bc they tried to one up each other doing shots of hot sauce

Marj my queen! She, like Kyle, likes sugar, if the homies are going to a diner she’s getting pancakes, and she takes her coffee ALL dressed up. Also kenny is the grillmaster and Marj is making the BEST sides for the bbq!!! Omg she loves her some pasta salad and a lil shrimp shishkabab moment like put this girl on the cover of a southern living magazine with her sweet iced tea (she makes the best sweet tea) marj my goddess pls quit causing problems on the internet and just use ur hospitality degree to run a b&b and make the best biscuits and gravy ever

Cartman. Bruh. Eric Cartman. He has THE most expensive taste known to man when he’s older but until he gets into the Rich People scene he doesn’t really care about what he’s eating or if it’s of good quality. In college he dragged the m5 to some shitty steakhouse bc he heard it was a good deal, and also bc he was mad at Stan for belting As Long As You’re Mine from Wicked and he knew Stan wouldn’t have any food options there lmfao that asshole (he did have to put a dollar in the Fuckwad Jar). He will also eat the weirdest combination of things. Who is putting whipped cream and chocolate syrup on fried chicken? This man. He is a Diet Coke enjoyer lmfao also he drinks martinis with olives bc “it makes me look sexy and kewl” he doesn’t like olives btw he’s just an asshole

I HAD TOO MUCH FUN WITH THIS!!! The ask is always open for ANY of my AU’s or if ur just bored or want fic recs I’m a huge loser and my sp obsession is ever ridiculous.

[guardianreadersofthegalaxy]

If I were on the Off Menu podcast:

Still or sparkling water: Still, obviously. Sparkling water tastes rank. One time when I was a kid, a friend's mum gave me sparkling water that had gone flat so I couldn't tell it was sparkling. I couldn't swallow it so I just spat it out all over my pizza.

POPPADOMS OR BREAD?!?!?!?!: Usually I'd say bread - something a bit oily with olives in it and big flakes of sea salt - but I've got a big meal planned and I don't want to fill up. So i'll have a single poppadom and some mango chutney.

Your dream starter: This is kind of academic because I'm ordering small plates, but the first proper dish I want going in my mouth is boquerones en vinagre. It's fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar and oil and seasoned with garlic and parsley and the best boquerones are made in Cambio De Tercio, a tapas restaurant in South Kensington. And to accompany that, I'd like a cold glass of gazpacho (cold tomato soup). I had this a lot in Cádiz and it's the most refreshing thing.

Your dream main course: Ok, deep breath... I want the crunchy prawns we had at my wedding, the potatoes with aioli I ate in Valencia, an Insalata Caprese (tomatoes, mozarella & basil) made by my dad, deep fried courgette flowers, a small ramekin of my partner's courgette carbonara w. homemade linguini, grilled halloumi from Bar Mezze (a greek restaurant in Muswell Hill my family used to go to before it closed), taramasalata, tzatziki, baba ghanoush (cod roe dip, yoghurt/cucumber dip & smoked aubergine dip) and a big Turkish flatbread for dipping and sauce moppage.

Your dream side dish: Again, academic because of the small plates but I'll go for the broccoli w. garlic and chilli from Boulangerie Bon Matin in Finsbury park. The broccoli's nicely grilled and not too oily or salty and the chilli gives it a real zing. Also, in my fantasy, my partner's sat across from me eating the wood roasted chicken from Moro in Islington and she's giving me little forkfuls to try.

Your dream dessert: I'm not much of a dessert person but I'd never say no to a slice of my mum's chocolate birthday cake. It's nothing fancy (though the layer of grated dark chocolate over the top is a classy touch), but it's as delicious now as it was when I was a kid.

Your dream drink: So before the meal even starts I'd like a Lychee Martini at the bar. Then with my boquerones, I'd like a glass of Pegoes, a Portuguese wine we had at my wedding that has an interesting banana-y taste. When the small plates arrive, I'll move on to a 3/4 pint of Mythos, a Greek beer perfect for hot days and oily food. Then with dessert I want a little glass of Sauternes, my favourite dessert wine. Then, if it's lunchtime I'll just have a homemade filter coffee, with plenty of milk.

Your dream restaurant: I'll stick with the Mediterranean theme and imagine myself in a seaside town, where it's hot but you're cooled by the breeze and you can see the boats bobbing in the bay. Occasionally a moped revs past but otherwise all you can hear are the other diners and the waves lapping against the harbour. That, but with comfortable chairs!

[explorethebest]

Explore The Best: A Culinary Adventure Through Cafes and Restaurants

Food is not just nutrition; it is an experience, a memory, and a culture in one bite. If you are a person who likes to try new cuisines, find off-the-beaten-track restaurants, and enjoy the best of the best, Explore The Best is your ideal companion. Whether you are a foodie, a traveler, or just a person who loves to eat, our site is created to help you discover the best restaurants and cafes to make every dining experience a pleasurable one.

Finding the Best Restaurants and Cafes

From friendly neighborhood cafes to upscale gourmet restaurants, Explore The Best is your one-stop guide to finding the most anticipated places to eat. Our carefully curated tips cover a wide range of restaurants that cater to diverse tastes and preferences. From the best brunch spots, late-night eats, or an Instagram-worthy cafe, we have it all.

Cozy Coffee Shops – The Ultimate Comfort Zone

Coffee shops aren’t just coffee establishments – they’re havens of comfort and incubators of creativity. From the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to the gentle hum of ambient music, a great coffee shop presents a welcoming atmosphere that inspires you to linger for hours.

Coffee Shop Experiences You Should Try

Artisan Coffee Shops – If you’re a coffee aficionado, look for specialty coffee shops that source high-quality beans and offer unique brewing methods like pour-over, siphon, and cold brew.

Themed Coffee Shops – Whether it’s a cat cafe, a book cafe, or a vintage-inspired one, these themed spaces provide a unique experience that goes beyond food and drink.

Hidden Gems – Sometimes the best coffee shops are those tucked away in a secluded alley, offering homemade pastries and personalized service.

Fine Dining Restaurants: The Culinary More Ambitious

For those who desire a superior dining experience, fine dining restaurants offer a delicate balance of ambiance, service and culinary pleasure. Michelin-starred restaurants, chef tasting menus and wine pairings provide a sophisticated experience for gourmets.

Top trends in fine dining restaurants:

Farm-to-table: fresh, local ingredients that add flavour and are sustainable.

Molecular gastronomy: experimental cooking methods that take classic dishes and turn them into works of art.

Fusion cuisine: a combination of culinary cultures that create new and exciting flavours.

Street Food and Casual Dining: Where Authenticity Meets Flavour

While fine dining has its own special experience, street food and casual dining offer unparalleled authenticity. Most of the world's best dishes have their roots in generations of street vendors who honed their skills.

Street food dishes you must try:

Tacos in Mexico – corn tortillas filled with juicy meats, salsa and lemon.

Banh Mi in Vietnam – combination of French baguette and Vietnamese ingredients such as grilled pork and pickled vegetables.

Shawarma in the Middle East – tender, spiced meat rolled in warm pita bread with creamy tahini sauce.

Churros in Spain – crispy fried dough covered in a rich chocolate sauce.

Vegan and health-conscious meals – a growing trend

The need for plant-based and health-conscious food has increased exponentially in recent years. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or just looking for healthy meals, there are numerous restaurants that serve this lifestyle.

Trendy places to eat healthy:

Plant-based cafes – offering dishes filled with fresh fruits, legumes and grains.

Juice and smoothie bars – serving nutritious, high-fiber drinks to rejuvenate.

Organic restaurants – focusing on making the most of natural, chemical-free foods.

Dessert havens – sweet treats worth discovering

Desserts are a must on any foodie odyssey. Dessert bars, bakeries – the possibilities are endless.

Dessert spots you can’t miss

Macaron cafes in France – delicate, vibrant treats with a perfect crunch.

Ice cream parlors in Italy – rich, creamy ice creams with fresh ingredients.

Cheesecake cafes in New York – famous for their thick, creamy texture and wonderful flavors.

Traditional confectioneries in Japan – selling mochi, matcha-flavored sweets, and more.

Read reviews and recommendations

Online reviews, food blogs, and social media posts are great resources for discovering new places and understanding the experiences of past visitors. Platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Instagram can provide valuable insights.

Try local specialties

When traveling, always look for regional specialties. Every city has its iconic dishes that define its culinary identity. Trying them at well-known local spots enhances the experience.

Follow food influencers

Many people share their findings online. Following celebrities and food bloggers, as well as social media influencers on the internet, can give you fantastic insider tips and secrets.

Don't be afraid to explore

Other times, the best meals are the result of impulsive decisions. Walking into a restaurant without doing any background research can lead to big surprises.

Ask locals for recommendations

Locals often know their city best. Whether it's a taxi driver, a hotel receptionist or a friendly local, asking where to eat can lead to the most amazing meals of your life.

Why Explore The Best?

With so many food blogs and travel websites available, Explore The Best is unique in offering genuine first-hand reviews and hand-picked lists that focus on quality, experience and customer satisfaction. From a sophisticated five-star restaurant to a humble family-run cafe, we make sure that every recommendation is of high standards of taste, ambiance and service.

Our food explorers travel far and wide, sampling food from around the world and sharing genuine reviews and detailed insights into the best dining experiences. We believe that every meal has a story to tell and our goal is to help you discover the most unforgettable ones.

Conclusion

Food discovery is a journey filled with fun, culture and memories that will last a lifetime. Whether it's enjoying a fancy meal at a fancy restaurant or a simple yet tasty bite of street food, every bite adds up to a rewarding culinary experience. With Explore The Best, you have the best guide to navigate the world of restaurants and cafes, so that every meal you eat is the best one yet.

So, whether you're a foodie or just a person who wants to have an amazing dining experience, let Explore The Best be your guide to finding the tastiest and most exciting restaurants to dine at. Bon appetit and happy exploring!

[toribookworm22]

Happy (late) STS!

What would your characters do on a night with friends over? Games, movies, food, etc?

--@oh-no-another-idea

Oh, yeah! The Escapade is hosting game night!

Through out timeline, I want my full cast, too.

We start off with a potluck. Bring your cooked dishes, finish up in the kitchen, or start from scratch there, too.

Edward is cooking all day in preparation, with Maybelle and Javon baking and helping where they can. We got three courses going at least.

When he's not helping in the kitchen, Javon helps Emerson find some games to play. They've got board games, card games, and a strange array of pieces that probably don't go together but most likely will by the end of the night.

Jade and Gwen set up the crate room with beanbags and blankets and pillows.

Cass and Daniel are on drink duty. First up is a sparkling punch, but the night will devolve into hot cocoa, tea, the bottles of wine, and whatever strange mixtures Daniel eventually cooks up.

Their guests arrive about 15 minutes late, Rolyn and Tomas with ingredients for salads and cookies. Wren and Lulu arrive with probably some stuffed animals and a case of sodas.

Everybody eats good with Rolyn's salads and Edward's cheesy bread, jalapeño poppers and garlic knots. Then they move on to homemade pizzas and pastas. There are way too many deserts and they are definitely moved with the group out of the dining room and into the crate room with all the drinks everyone can carry.

This group of nerds starts with mega Go Fish made out of like 5 decks of cards. Then they Uno or War or something else that heats things up way too much with this group of people.

Maybelle and Jade take card games very seriously. So when hands have been all but thrown, they decide to move onto board games.

This brings out just a whole new problem, because now Cass and Emerson are interested.

Monopoly devolves into a screaming match. Risk might be the thing to end friendships. Daniel offers to play someone in a round of chess and everyone yells no! before Emerson can agree.

Even with all the madness, cups of punch are passed around. Mugs of hot cocoa eith melted marshmallows dot every lap. And as people peel away into quieter, softer, and less violent games, the night is sweet and-- though filled with rolled eyes-- loving.

Of course, it ends in a mega sleepover. There's lots of cleanup for the morning, but that'll be after Cass convinces Edward to make pancakes for everyone, too.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Záchari (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Candymaster by the people of Olympius

Dad by Pandaisia

Zach by Oeno, his friends, and the others

Mr. Dulce by Dione

Age- 39 (immortal)

Location- Queenstown neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- He's an affable deity with an agreeable, friendly, & compassionate temperament. He's also creative, adventurous, and is always willing to try something new. He's single & is dating casually.

He has the standard abilities of a god. As the god of confectionery his other powers/abilities include glucokinesis (sugar manipulation/generation), cocoakinesis (chocolate manipulation/generation), glycopoeia (is able to turn a being or object into candy), candy manipulation (is able to generate & manipulate various kinds of candies), as well as candy mimicry (is able to transform a part or his entire physical state completely or partially into candy).

His natural scent is that of powdered sugar.

Záchari has one child- a daughter Pandaisia (goddess of banquets). He used to be married to his daughter's mother Oeno (goddess of berries & wine)- one third of The Oenotropae.

He lives by himself on the eighth floor of The Khrysóthronos Building, a luxury apartment building in the Queenstown neighborhood of New Olympus. Záchari resides in apartment 8D. The interior design is very modern and classic with a color scheme of gray, nude, beige, chocolate brown, & black. There are minimalist pieces, leather and suede furniture, white oak flooring, as well as modern light fixtures. His favorite room (and biggest) is the kitchen. There's a grand black marble kitchen island, a wine bar with a sitting area, up-to-date appliances- including the most expensive stop top oven valued at half a million drachmas! Made by iCHOR Tech, the stove has exquiste craftsmanship & innovative technology. There's also a MASSIVE walk-in pantry that holds all of his favorite treats. The dining room has a crystal table with a mini chocolate fountain as its centerpiece along with lucite chairs.

Záchari has two pets- a girl, a poodle named Truffle and a beagle, a boy named Gummy.

He primarily gets around in his sleek glossy metallic brown car.

Záchari will typically start his mornings with a jog through Eaglepoint Park with his dogs. He'll then stop by at The Bread Box in his neighborhood for a croissant breakfast sandwich (made with scrambled eggs, green onions, ham, & shredded cheddar cheese).

When he's in the mood for something sweet to eat for breakfast, he'll make his favorites like chocolate belgian waffles (he adds cocoa powder to the flour) topped with powdered sugar, mixed berries, whipped cream, and fudge sauce, red velvet cinnamon rolls, his sweet egg omelette topped with plain yogurt, granola, & honey, and cherry berry oatmeal (hot cinnamon oatmeal topped with strawberry syrup, yogurt, chia seeds, black cherries, & maraschino cherries). Záchari will also enjoy a big bowl of Omega Lightning Flakes cereal.

He keeps in shape through working out in the gym and boxing.

A go-to drink for him is a strawberry daiquiri. He also likes red wine, piña coladas, New Olympus Iced Teas, buttery nipple shots, chocolate martinis, shirley temples, creme brulee martinis, spicy apple cider margaritas, beer punch, champagne, white wine, homemade red wine milkshakes, hot buttered rum, mimosa floats, red sangrias, mango juice, & rosé wine. Usuals from The Roasted Bean includes a medium fruit punch splash and an olympian sized mocha cookie crumble frappuccino (with extra chocolate drizzle).

His sweet tooth is notoriously known in the pantheon & in the public. Záchari has a deep love and appreciation for sugary foods. Cakes, cookies, custards, ice cream, it doesn't matter. There's no sweet treat he won't consider trying.

A guilty pleasure for him are sea salt chocolate thick cut potato chips.

Záchari adores his little girl. He was more than happy to put some of his money into the start up of Pandaisia's business that later became Cocoa Delights. They're always in touch and they hang out almost every weekend.

He enjoys listening to R&B, pop, hip-hop, dance, & rock music.

The romantic love he once had for his ex-wife transformed into a platonic friendship. Záchari and Oeno still keep in touch, talking on the phone once a week. Whenever she visits the city, they'll have dinner together with their daughter. He's currently planning a vacation for the three of them to go to the Underworld to try out authentic chthonic cuisine- especially the sweets.

Before the family trip, he's planning a little trip to Crete to see Karmanor compete in a bull riding competition.

From Olympic Chef, Záchari loves the honey barbeque wings. He gets a 10 piece along with olympian sized cajun fries.

He loves getting the avocado salad topped with glazed pecans & honey chipotle dressing from The Bread Box.

Záchari's main source of income comes from his business Confection Carousel, a candy shop. The business is mostly known for its saltwater taffy. It's said that the business has the largest production of saltwater taffy as well as popcorn. There's over 200 flavors and they also offer sugar free taffy. Other than the taffy, Confection Carousel also sells various novelty sodas (including soda flavors inspired by most deities) as well as various gourmet dessert popcorn (up to 100 different flavors). With Pandaisia's help, he came up with all the recipes & flavors of the novelty sodas- which are sold in glass bottles. There's an official website, fifteen locations throughout the city, and plans for a makeshift store in the Mall of Olympius as well as a new shop location in the state of Olympia. A new store location in the Underworld is also being planned!

From his shop Záchari's personal favorites include the chocolate cherry saltwater taffy, the ice cream cake flavored popcorn (which is served cold), the apple pie soda- which is inspired by his friend Hestia (goddess of the hearth), and the chocolate soda- which is inspired by his daughter.

He considers his all his employees of Confection Carousel to be extended members of his family.

Záchari enjoys the assorted macarons box along with the jumbo cinnamon roll cookie from Hollyhock's Bakery.

His other means of income comes from being a contributing writer of Kalí Órexi, the culinary magazine owned by Deipneus (god of cooking & breadmaking) and being the pastry chef for The Luxe, a high end eatery owned by Clymene (Titaness of fame & renown). Záchari was responsible for some of The Luxe's most hard-to-get sweet treats like the Golden Doughnut (a gold dusted edible chocolate doughnut with champagne creme filling topped with edible diamonds and a pure gold leaf) and the newest addition- the Golden Cannoli; a cannoli shell wrapped in a gold leaf with a base of rich dark chocolate and a whipped ricotta cheese filling mixed with candied lemon, chocolate, & lemon peel. It's priced at 25,000 drachmas. Their are plans for him to try to top the most expensive ice cream sundae on the menu with an even more extravagant frozen treat- ice cream made from the ice caps on Mt. Olympus!

In the pantheon Záchari is good friends with Trochilus (god of the mill wheel), Karmanor (demi-god of the harvest), Apólafsi (god of enjoyment), Triptolemus (god of farming), Pherusa (goddess of substance & farm estates), Karme (demi-goddess of the harvest), Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Kéfi (goddess of mirth), Argía (goddess of holidays), Priapus (god of fertility, vegetable gardens, livestock, sexuality, & masculinity), Eunostos (goddess of the flour mill), Philotes (goddess of sex, friendship, & affection), Leto (Titaness of demurity & motherhood), and Maia (one of The Pleiades).

He's also still close with his former sisters-in-law Elais (goddess of oil) and Spermo (goddess of grains).

Záchari LOVES making sweet treats and desserts for his friends, often times hand delivering it himself to them! He filled a decorative tin with sugar cookie gourmet popcorn which he gifted to Argía.

He was an official mentor towards Matton (god of meals).

A new business opportunity has fallen into Záchari's lap. With the completion of Deipneus' culinary TV network, He's been offered to host a reality TV baking show titled Glykó Dónti. The first episode is scheduled to premier very soon!

He recently rejected another business proposal from Clymene, a possibility of a dating reality TV show where 20 women vie for his affections produced by her production company. If he's gonna fall in love, it's going to happen for real and not in front of millions of beings every week. Though he'd be lying if he wasn't intrigued by the chance to meet beautiful & interesting women.

Záchari loves traveling to the state of Achaea to see his friends Trip & Troy, especially around the time of the state's annual beignet festival. It was there where he had is most recent hookup with a dryad named Primrose. One look at the confident swish of her curvy hips and backside & Záchari was hooked! They ended up hooking up near the back of her stall, a thick cloud of powdered sugar surrounding them.

His ultimate favorite frozen treat is his homemade overstuffed ice cream sundae. Záchari gets a giant bowl and fills it with various scoops of ice cream flavors- like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cherry, & red velvet. He then adds a load of toppings like white chocolate chips, pieces of cheesecake flavored saltwater taffy, pieces of chocolate chip cookies, sprinkles, bruleed banana slices, & caramel milk chocolate squares. He tops the sundae off with loads of whipped cream, strawberry syrup, fudge sauce, carmalized peanuts, and maraschino cherries.

Záchari enjoys the jars of habanero mango salsa Priapus sends to him.

He jokingly says that he upkeeps his sculpted hairstyle with the use of maple syrup.

Záchari has no expectations when it comes to dating. He's just enjoying himself and having a good time. He doesn't do hookups very often, actually enjoying the prospect of going out on a date. Záchari's last date was with a nephelai named Meghani where they went to an indoor ice skating rink in the Skyline neighborhood. They skated for three hours and enjoyed cups of hot chocolate & had a late time walk through Eaglepoint Park. When they kissed good night, Záchari noted how her lips tasted like powered sugar.

A few weeks ago he along with Eudaimonia, Kéfi, & Apólafsi went to Potè Tróei where they all shared the oversized chipwhich ice cream sandwich.

In the pantheon Záchari is also known for his fig crostadas, always dusted atop with a nice helping of powdered sugar!

In his free time he enjoys baking, cooking, watching TV, going to the movies, clubbing, dancing, basketball, football (soccer), and sunbathing.

His favorite meal is korma served with white rice and naan. He also likes his daughter's asparagus quiche.

"Dessert: the sweetest form of self-love."