#muse: nikolas hwangmok

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHIS ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing in the entire world was to cook, and most people knew that. whenever he didn't know how to process his emotions, he was bored, or needed anything to distract his head in any sense, nik could be found in the kitchen. at the moment, he was just really hungry. he wasn't craving anything specific, but just wanted to experiment with some of the dusk court flavors. very early on, nik had befriended the cooks, and now, they allowed him to spend time in there if he wanted. on this day, he was feeling particularly loosey goosey, meaning the flavors couldn't been just about anything, but it was very similar to food from back home, lamb with spices, a delicious rice and some yogurt to dip it in. nik hadn't expected anyone else to be in there, but he always loved sharing his food. "hungry? it's a dish from back home, as close as i could get it with the spices we have. basically kebabs and rice with a little cacik, which is a cucumber yogurt."

@liuyan

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟCOOKING FOR PEOPLE was one thing, but sharing the whole experience always made him happy. he liked when others watched and gave their opinions as he cooked. there was something about the radiating smells while you were cooking that made an environment so wonderful and warm. just the whole act of being in a kitchen with someone that you could talk to while you cooked made nik happy. he liked being around people while he cooked.

"i'd love that actually. there's so many spices that i just don't know! do you have any favorite dishes that we can start with?" nik asked. he wanted to know if he could compare it to recipes that he knew to get an idea of what other courts liked to cook.

scratching his head, nik honestly didn't know where to start. he looked at all of the books in front of the two of them, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "oh goodness. i don't know. something simple, not too complicated. 'cause i want to be able to... read it."

ARA WASN'T a good cook. She's let things burn more times than she could remember. Her mind would wander off & then she'd follow after it, completely forgetting the stew she was attempting to make, cooking over the fire.

it was a shame.

She liked the idea of it, just not the practice. Her mind had been too occupied by other things to truly pay attention to it, but she would like to learn how to cook. This little chef could help - if she asked nicely. But, it had seemed as if he'd already been open to the idea of shared experiences & so maybe he wouldn't be opposed to letting her tag along to the kitchens & observe how he did everything cooking-wise.

"I can definitely give you advice on Autumn's spices & everything concerning out cuisine." she offered, then smiled wider ;

"I'd be happy to help! Do you want a generic cookbook or something targeted, like sweets, drinks, roasts or marinated dishes? I hear there's a special cookbook for all of those things, as well a generic ones that already have some of those dishes integrated in them."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟSTICKING A SMALL spoon into the sauce, nik tasted it, huffing softly. he sprinkled a little more salt in and stirred before tasting it again, feeling satisfied. grabbing a bowl, he grabbed a pasta spoon and grabbed some of the homemade cavatappi pasta and dumped it into the sauce, ensuring he coated everything. this was one of his favorite combination of flavors, making this sauce absolutely delicious. for some reason, he hadn't made it for eldar and now, he needed his opinion. fluffing the pasta in the sauce, nik took a deep breath and inhaled the beautiful scent of the food. grabbing a plate for himself as well, he brought them to the kitchen table and placed it in front of eldar. "honestly, i'm surprised i haven't made this for you before. it's one of my favorite sauces, and a pretty popular one around here. opinions?"

@feathcrcd - for eldar

[sparkledcrowns]

‘ mark “markiplier” fischbach, cismale, he/him, 32 / 320 , high fae ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems nikolas hwangmok has been teleported to the dusk court, the chef & owner of a tavern from the night court is said to be creative and is said to describe themselves with reckless adventures resulting in stories that should be in history books, elegant meals under the candlelight, loud booming laughter that helps overcome insecurities, dorky jokes that make no sense half the time and with all of this in mind their impulsive nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time.

full name: nikolas jung hwangmok nicknames: nik age: 32/320 date of birth: february 8th gender: cismale pronouns: he/him sexual orientation: unknown faceclaim: mark fischbach hair color: black/brown eye color: dark brown height: 5'10 signature scent: lemon & poppyseed

background:

nik was born in the night court and spent most of his life there. his parents weren't around enough to take proper care of him, but he didn't mind. he became very close to the cooks his parents constantly had around to make sure he was fed. from a very early age, nik was a fan of food. he liked knowing how it was made, what was in it, and how it tasted. the chefs started teaching him food and before they knew it, he was making different recipes for the whole family. his parents didn't seem to mind because it kept them out of their way. in all honesty, they were worried about their son. he wasn't the smartest out of the bunch when it came to intellectual things, but he knew how to fight, how to take care of himself, how to protect those around him, and damn, he knew how to cook.

as he got older, his parents had him trained in all aspects of fighting styles to make sure he would be alright. but they never cared about his opinions or what he wanted to do. nik did what they asked and he'd be difficult to beat in a fight, but that's not what he wanted. instead, he wanted to feed the world. he wanted to share his gift with everyone and ultimately wound up buying a small tavern to start cooking. he created the entire menu and absolutely adores it. food is what keeps him sane.

as he started working in the night court, he met aydin, and they clicked, ultimately sending nik into their group. he fits in weirdly well, and he's just such a derp in serious matters but he'll do whatever it takes to make sure his friends are alright. he's the friend that always has food with him to feed his friend so no one ever starves.

tdlr: he fights great and feeds you...

personality:

he's a derp honestly, but he's kind, loyal and will feed you, so what more do you need? he's strong willed and will always fight for what he wants, especially if it deals in food.

tdlr: big food loving himbo

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟaoife's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

aoife is torn about her feelings towards everything that has happened. while she doesn't believe that the solar and season courts have in the past aligned well, it doesn't mean she won't entertain the idea. she wants there to at least be peace between all courts. even if it's not necessarily a full alliance, at least an understanding would help. due to her job, she simply wants to be able to have civil discussions that don't result in fights or chaotic events.

so far, she doesn't mind the dusk court fae, but she's hesitant about getting close to them. she knows that something is off about it and that's why she's keeping herself guarded.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟdamon's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

damon isn't completely on board with the change. he feels like he's known kabir his whole life and knows that this isn't him. it isn't who he is and he's not alright with it. being close to sitara, he feels like he should've known this was coming, but with her not knowing either, damon almost feels betrayed by kabir. he's done so much for their court and none of this feels right to him. while he wants to support kabir, he's also worried about what'll happen to him.

he isn't really a fan of the dusk court fae, because right now they're not being very welcoming. but to be fair, he doesn't like a lot of people all that much.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟelias's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

elias believes it would be a good idea to maintain a decent relationship with the dusk court for any future endeavors. he wants to believe that there is good in them and that they can prove to be good allies. elias wants to learn as much as he can about their tactics, for both sides of the coin, if he needs to be on their bad side, or if he does need to align with them. however, above everything, he is a general, so he will do what is best for his court. if that is to be an ally, then he will. if it's not, well, he knows how to take a court down.

he's trying to be as kind as he possibly can, but he's still very unsure of them and wonders what could possibly happen from here if they're not even sure of the presence. elias wants to believe that there is good in them and that things will all work out, but he isn't sure that they will, so he remains quiet about his opinions.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟcalista's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

cali is afraid of an alliance, afraid of what it might do the court. she knows how precious the court is to her high lady and how much she adores everything about it. even when they considered one with the day court, cali herself was unsure about it. she understands the value of bonding with other courts, herself being from autumn originally. but now with the summer being her home, she wants to do everything to protect it. she's scared and terrified of what will happen now that their king has gained this new power. she worries for the future of prythian. while she will support anything her high lady decides, cali isn't sure she wants to go through with anything that aligns them without a proper explanation and good reason.

but she's got no issues with the dusk court and their fae. they've been kind and welcoming. that doesn't stop her from being worried that they don't necessarily trust any of the other courts, so she's treading lightly.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟellie's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

elile honestly has no idea what is even going on. she's heard the rumors and knows that the king has more power and that he's supposedly not the same. because she doesn't know a lot of the politics, she doesn't know why it might become an issue or a problem. honestly, she wants the king to be happy and if this makes him happy, she will support him. but she also knows that she has to support whatever her brothers do and she just wants everyone to be okay and safe and happy, so really she's confused. but in all reality, she's enjoyed the dusk court fae so far and they've been really kind to her.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟnik's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

he honestly doesn't care. he's just so focused on trying to feed everyone. right now, he's still trying to learn about the court and their food as much as he can, and isn't really too focused on the politics of it all, which sounds ridiculous. he doesn't mind as long as he gets to cook.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟhaoyu's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

he doesn't want these other fae here. this isn't their home and he doesn't like that they're all here. but he knows that right now, this is where they need to be. and it frustrates him. but he doesn't know what to do and how to react. his emotions are already difficult for him, so this isn't making anything any better. haoyu is honestly frustrated and wants all of this to be over.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟsienna's reaction ☆ﾟ*·ﾟ

she doesn't have any real issues. while she doesn't appreciate that they aren't so welcoming, she understands. they've been there for so long in their own world, that she understands why. it does bug her that they don't like to talk about anything, but sienna tries not to let it bother her too much. with everything else, she tries not to think about it and just live her life because that's what's most important right now.

@ofcourtfablesarchive

[sparkledcrowns]

tag dump of new characters

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟTHE COMFORTS OF home tugged at nik's heart strings, making him wish he wouldn't constantly be interrupted by other fae coming into the kitchen. but what could he do? he tried his best to deal with and even embrace it with the barrage of knew flavors and foods that he could experiment with in this court. having kyson sitting at the table with him was comforting, special, and even a little exciting. see, nik had a thing for kyson, but he didn't know he did. it was the kind of feeling where you got butterflies in your stomach but had no idea why. so he wouldn't admit anything, because he had no clue. all he knew was that spending time with the younger fae made him happy, perhaps a little too much. "they've been coming over the past few days. but today's just for you. i thought we could even make your favorite dessert together, if they have all the stuff here," nik responded, a smirk and a slight blush resting on his face. was he flirting? is this what that was?

relying   on   the   older   male   to   feed   him   had   become   such   a   staple   in   kyson's   life   that   it   had   been   his   first   thought   the   moment   that   he   had   even   begun   to   think   that   he   was   hungry.   dusk's   food   sufficed   to   keep   him   satisfied,   but   nik's   was   what   he   believed   to   be   exceptional.   thankful   for   the   dusk   court   for   even   allowing   the   other   to   use   their   kitchens   so   he   could   cook   for   each   of   them.   barely   catching   the   flush   spreading   over   the   older   fae's   cheeks   as   he   entered   the   kitchen   space.   "good."   smile   forming   over   his   face   as   the   other   winks   at   him.   ignoring   the   flutter   in   his   stomach   at   both   the   comment   and   the   wink.   "have   the   others   been   here   already?   or   will   they   be   showing   up   later?"

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟNIK CHUCKLED, NODDING along with his friend. "and not just drinks man, they helped me make those icy cones! i have no clue what they're called, but mother, they're good!" he stated excitedly. he was referring to snow cones, but did anyone really expect nikolas hwangmok to know what they were called? he couldn't even read the instructions on how to make it, but you could bet that he could find the coolest flavors to put on the snow cones. "rose flavor doesn't taste great though. it's like eating a flower."

closed for the heathens: @sparkledcrowns @ethercvl

his  brother's  words  still  linger  in  his  mind,  but  aydin  doesn't  bring  them  up  now.  he  just  seeks  out  his  friends,  aiming  for  a  distraction  as  well  as  checking  up  on  them.  it  was  hardly  a  surprise,  he  was  always  more  social  when  he  had  a  lot  on  his  mind.  "  i'm  just  saying,  having  the  winter  fae  around  to  chill  a  drink  has  been  nice.  "  aydin  insists,  sipping  on  the  cool  ale  that  had  surprisingly  become  something  he  was  enjoying.  could  he  convince  a  winter  fae  to  come  live  in  the  hewn  city  ?  it  would  be  a  busy  establishment.

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟONE OF HIS favorite places in the dusk court was their markets. they were full of so many delicious vegetables and spices that nik was finding himself familiar with as of late. he'd been trying to befriend as many dusk court members as possible, including the chefs to find the best dishes that he could. bundled up in his coat, he stood in front of one of his favorite stalls, leaning over, sniffing the spices. hearing a familiar voice, he turned with a bright smile at the presence of the high lady. "oh, my lady! it's wonderful to see you! they have the best spices here. i'm trying to find some good flavors to cook with. does anything smell good to you?"

closed starter for nikolas hwangmok — @sparkledcrowns

Sera hardly ever strayed too far away from the night court chambers where her son was protected by their court, both sera and her husband had agreed their boy could only leave the area if they were both present. but as she grew restless her ladies had convinced her to take a walk in the markets while they cared for the little lord, and she had agreed, she could feel her magic prickling under her skin with the anxiety of their enclosure. although the cold breeze and the crunch of the snow did do wonders to appease her. the green hues scan the surroundings, spotting a familiar face she hadn't spoken in a long while, "nikolas," she calls as she approaches. "fancy meeting you here."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟNIK'S EYES WIDEN as he laughs, a little too loudly perhaps. he's never thought of actually kidnapping anyone. was that even something that he was capable of? he wasn't even sure. leaning closer, he tilted his head to the side. "but would they give me icees if i did kidnap them or would they ban me from them forever?" nik's face looked pitiful, like a child that would be upset if he was banned from a candy store. shaking his head, he stuck out his tongue. "if you're going to flavor a dessert, give it flavor. it's like if i made kebabs with rose water. you would all throw me off a cliff."

closed for @sparkledcrowns (nik); continued for here

he  knows  his  friend  is  always  on  the  hunt  for  a  way  to  better  his  own  tavern,  and  aydin  half  wonders  if  he'll  try  to  convince  a  winter  fae  to  move  to  the  hewn  city.  "  do  not  kidnap  a  winter  fae,  nik.  "  he  says  with  a  chuckle  and  a  shake  of  his  head.  in  truth,  he  didn't  put  much  past  his  friend.  the  other  was  obsessed  with  anything  food  related  and  then  forcing  that  upon  those  near  him.  aydin  was  certain  the  only  reason  he  never  missed  a  meal  was  because  of  the  other  fae.  "  oh,  that  does  not  sound  appetizing.  "  he  says  with  a  wrinkle  of  his  nose.

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟONE OF THE traits of being a good chef was being able to take criticism and listen. he always loved listening to other people while he cooked. not only did it occupy his brain, but it helped him find inspiration for what to cook them. it allowed him to learn about what kind of people they were. shaking his head, nik wasn't sure how to answer that question. he didn't want to deter anyone from talking about something they liked, but he couldn't promise that he would know the subject.

"oh, you can talk about what makes you happy. i like learning about people," nik explained, flashing her a bright smile. the most important part was that they were happy.

one of the things nik really wanted to learn during his time spent with other courts was their cuisine. every court had such interesting food and he wanted to know what everyone ate, what there favorites were, and what ways he could improve his own food with some of their favorite flavors. he hadn't done enough traveling to the other courts to know too much.

sighing softly, nik let his mind wander, thinking about all of the delicious meats, the way you could smoke them, roast them, or soak them. and now, he wanted to invite her into the kitchen to share some flavors with him. he could do that, couldn't he? "oh that sounds delicious. i'd love to talk about the flavors and maybe try to make one of your dishes one day." letting his head drop, he played with his sleeves. "i really want to be able to cook something from each court, so everyone can have food from back home."

nik nodded, searching through the books, looking for the word cook, because he knew that. most of the words he did know, had to do with food, and she was right. that would be the best place to start. "oh! that's a good idea. there might still be some words i don't know, but i think i'll know enough. do you mind helping me find a good one?"

A MATCH made in Cauldron heaven, then. She could use a friend whose ear she talk right off. The Autumn fae were all so very dull & familiar, she lost interest in interacting with them - what would they talk about, anyway? The shades of leaves? Please.

"Boy, do I like to talk. Is there a topic you particularly like to listen to?" she laughed.

Hearing him talk only made her laugh harder. Eating dirt? As if! No one but maybe earth worms or pigs ate dirt - or, well, pieces of dirt that stuck to food. Animals did not wash their edibles, but maybe they were smarter for it. Eating a part of the world they were was bound to generate some kind of homey magic in them.

though she really shouldn't get any ideas.

"What? No, of course not." she snorted in amusement. "We are actually rather famous for our roasted pig. We like various meats, smoked, soaked in wine or vinegar, seasoned, roasted or cooked. We are very carnivorous, but we also really like our vegetable, especially those having an earthy taste. So, lentils, beans, mushroom & everything in between." Ara explained.

she took reading abilities for granted.

There were so many people, mortal & immortal, who struggled with reading & written words ( & thus writing as well ), but she only offered him a kind smile, & added ;

"You can always start with cookbooks. They're fairly easy."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟNIK COULDN'T HELP but laugh. he was always glad to help people in any way he possibly could. while he didn't understand a lot about books, reading, and anything that required knowledge of any kind, but he like to think he was more street smart than anything else. people were important and nik wanted everyone to know that they were worth something. he hoped that his advice would make her smile.

"you're welcome, glad to help somewhat? i can also stand in certain places if you need too, to block her view. i'm kinda tall-ish," nik explained, laughing lightly then tilted his head to the side. "oh? you like to talk. i like to listen."

nik shrugged his shoulders. he knew a lot about a lot of food, but every chef has foods that they don't like. "it's the texture of it. there's something that's just wrong. plus, they're too small and i want to be able to see my food." raising his eyebrows, he was incredibly curious what kind of food they ate in the autumn court if she wanted to eat dirt. "wait wait, what are you eating in the autumn court? please for the love of calabrian chilis, tell me that you're not eating actual dirt."

looking down at the book, he tried to figure out what they could possibly be doing to the books, but he didn't even know what would be different in any sense. "oh uhm, i'm not sure. i'm not the best at... reading," nik explained, his voice soft and gentle. "i might need something easier than these."

ARA found herself chuckling at the man's idea. Of course, she could turn her back to the shopkeeper, but then the light would hit the book wrong & it would be difficult to flip thought it - the paper here had a weird golden shimmer that made her eyes uncomfortable. Or maybe the Dusk fae laced their books with a weird magic? She wouldn't put it past them.

"I am known to multitask, so in fact I could be reading & talking at the same time. Thanks for the idea. Now I won't shut up." she chuckled.

Hearing his words, Ara tilted her head. "What's wrong with quinoia? I find the earthy taste so rich & wonderful. But, then again I'm Autumn, so I might be earth biased. I'd eat the soil if it was edible." she grinned.

"Well, back home they do! The Dusk fae have a strange way of binding their books & the ink is a bit different from ours." Ara mused, but then her smile grew, "If you need any recommendations, I'd be happy to help."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟNIK WATCHED HER very carefully, hoping that he could determine her reaction from her expressions before she said anything. but admittedly, he wasn't very good at that. emotions weren't always easy and nik didn't notice things as easily as other people did. that was just part of who he was. most of the time, people had to directly tell him if they were feeling a certain way. when she started talking, he beamed, his smile reaching his ears. "oh, i'm so glad you like it! the spices definitely help make it better! yes! technically it's called koobideh. the rice is just saffron rice. and if you want some more flavor, you can sprinkle this on it, it's called sumac! i personally think it adds a more fun citrusy flavor!"

one of his favorite things about cooking was the ability to experiment with many different types of foods. when he was able to use different ingredients from different places and combine them into something new and different, it was more exciting! "we can definitely try! what does it usually pair well with? we can experiment and make a new delicious dish and come up with a name!"

YANYAN tilted her head, listening to the chef attentively, before taking her portion of the food to taste it. Taking a bite, she narrowed her eyes in savouring the taste, trying out whether she had enjoyed it or not. The taste had been interesting, but not in a bad way. It was fragrant & beckoned for more, so she lightly hummed in appreciation & took a larger bite.

"It is very fragrant & expertly cooked. I quite enjoy it. Is it the most popular specialty of your court?" she asked, slowly munching on food to avoid speaking with her mouth full.

Her lips stretched into a smile & she nodded ; "I'm glad you like it. You can cook with it of course. The alcohol evaporates, but the spices remain & it does give an interesting flavour to food. I like cooking with it, but I know some of the fae just prefer cooking on ordinary red or white wine. I think it all comes down to one's personal preference." Yan responded.

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHAVING SOMEONE NEW try his food was always a whirlwind of emotions and sometimes, nik wasn't good at hiding his facial expressions. he needed to know what people thought about his food. if someone didn't like something, he'd bend over backwards to change it and make it better. and showing a new person, that was even worse. because then what if they didn't want to be his friend because his food was bad? that was an absolute nightmare and something he didn't want to think about.

"please tell me what you think! i'm always curious to hear opinions from other courts, 'cause this is one of our signature dishes." this dish was one of nik's absolute favorites to make, especially now, being away from home. the smells reminded him of his own kitchen and of his best friends.

nik poured a glass of wine for both of them and placed it in front of her. he made his own plate of food and took a sip of the wine. humming softly, he looked down at it and then inspected it. "oh! that's a really interesting flavor. you're right, it's got that warm spice flavor. it'd probably be really good to cook with as well, if that's allowed."

CONTRARY to popular belief - & by popular she meant mainland fae - she really, really liked food. She loved trying new things, new flavours, so it wasn't hard for her to sit down with the chef & just... enjoy the leisurely time spent in sharing food &, as far as she can tell, good company.

"oh,I can't wait to try it." she offered with a friendly smile, the kind of smile she only ever graced another foodie fae with, the Winter's young commander, Aoife.

"Absolutely." she filled them both a hefty glass, then smelled the steaming liquid.

"The kind of spices that are put in warmed red wine are usually complimentary to all kinds of roasts. I quite wonder what you'll think of it."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟ IN ALL HONESTY, a bookstore wasn't a place that nik would regularly find himself and he couldn't tell you why he thought this was a good idea. because truthfully, he wasn't sure he could properly read. but he wasn't going to tell anyone this. it wasn't that he didn't know the words, because he did, but it was more that pronouncing them was a little bit more difficult. he knew what a lot of the food words were, for the most part, but he didn't want anyone to know. and most of the time, he'd make up his own titles for things to make it sound fancy, just so no one would really know that he didn't know. and yet, he found himself in a book shop, mostly looking for new recipes, because he could always use inspiration.

as he looked through the titles of the books, he whispered to himself, trying to find the right vibe. he heard someone next to him and couldn't help but chuckle. the shop keeper had done a similar thing to him earlier. "i've found that if you turn your back to her and pretend like you're talking she can't see what you're doing," nik explained, having grabbed a cookbook, starting to flip thorugh it. his body was turned from the shop keeper, actively trying to look like he was deep in conversation. "eww, i don't like this one. it has kwin-oah and that stuff is not good."

nik put the book back, looking for another one. "most books do, don't they? i don't read much," he admitted softly.

location: dusk court. bookshop. time: early afternoon. status: open to all.

ARA has been on the hunt. For books, that is. She wasn't the one to deal with all the blood & everything else an actual hunt required, but how else would one call an - almost - frenzied search for new novels, dramas, epics &, dare she admit, romances. The upside of being a creture filled with magic was that there was always a way for her to transport the mountain of books she'd undoubtedly purchase, withough having to actually heave all that pile up the stairs herself.

that, or she'll find some poor sucker - she mean's helper - to lend a hand or a tendron of power.

Strolling down the seemingly endless isles of bookshelves & bookstands, Ara found herself in personal Heaven - if one believed in such things. She only hoped The Mother had romance novel & pretty fiction involving something obscure & terrifying called 'a train'. Whatever was a steam engine? Who in their minds came up with something like that? It was so fantastical, but perhaps the Day fae with their tinkering could do something like that. The author of that particular genre was Day fae, after all.

The only downside to this library? It was no-seater. She couldn't just pick a book up like in a library or book-café she visited back home, she barely had the time to flip through a few pages before the shop keeper would side eye her.

"This is ridiculous." she muttered beneath her breath, "How can I know if I like it, if I can't see what is it about? I don't have seer powers." she huffed & put the book back on it's stand.

"I strongly believe books should have a summary written on them somewhere, like we do back home."

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟWATCHING PEOPLE EAT his food brought nik more joy than he could ever imagine. it was the one thing that he knew he was actually good at. and to share that passion with his friends was even better. all his life, he wanted to feel like he was good enough, and providing people with food gave him that comfort. waiting patiently for eldar to taste the food, nik was sitting on the edge of his seat, practically shaking. he valued their opinions, and wanted to always make sure that every single dish was as perfect as he could make it. "this isn't the only thing i haven't made you. el, i've got a whole list, you've just got to let me know when you're hungry in advance." leaning over, nik breathed deeply, his chest moving up and down, worrying. "that goo-" he stopped halfway through his sentence to narrow his eyes, staring at him. "wait, how can..." it took him a minute to process the words eldar said. "has anything i made gotten a rating of ten?" nik still didn't process it properly. he was confused. how could something be so amazing that you wanted it every day but only rate it out of five?

it was truly a wonder how it became so that whenever he was hungry or bored or needed a drink he ended up staring at that back of niklaus, who was happy to meet those needs of his. perhaps eldar made truly a great customer. he definitely thought that to be true himself, choosing to ignore the multiple times that he's been dragged out of a booth blackout drunk by one of his mates or had to show up the next morning to take care of his tab for the previous night. the illyrian male rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the meal and stared at the plate while it travelled to the table in front of him. " it smells amazing, but let's see what you've been keeping from me, " he responded and dug in the pasta, nodding his head and savoring the taste. it was amazing, as was expected of nik. " i want to eat this every day for the rest of my life, " he spoke with his mouth full. " but if i were to rate it, i would say 5 out of 10. " he was joking, of course.