#or something that is the wrong colour or size or flavour

[theflyingfeeling]

...🙃

[torpublishinggroup]

This advertisement is for Swordcrossed by Freya Marske.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Mattinesh Jay is the chronically responsible eldest son and dutiful heir striving to keep his family’s business running. Luca Piere is a menace of a con artist desperately trying to escape his past by taking up the blade. When the pair meet, swords clash, and sparks fly. Soon, they’re entangled in a conspiracy that may bring Matti’s house to ruin if they don’t work together.

Want to see if it’s to your liking? We’ve included an excerpt from chapter one below.

Chapter 1 Matti laid his fingers on the polished edge of the bar’s wooden surface and forced himself to stop counting sheep. And yards of twill. And looms in need of repair, and outstanding debts.

Instead, he counted today’s collection of ink smudges, bruise-black on the brown skin of his hands: six. He counted the number of blue dyes that would have been used in the fabric of the bartender’s layered skirt: four, possibly five if the palest shade was true dimflower and not just the result of fading.

The tense throb of pain like a fist clenched in his hair eased, grudgingly, to a quiet ache. Bearable. Normal.

It was busy in the drinking house, the post-dinner hour that usually found Matti heading back to his study to finish the paperwork that a member of his family had tugged him away from in order to eat. Matti counted the number of flavoured jenever bottles on the shelf behind the bar—fifteen—in the time it took Audry to finish serving her current customer and sweep her sky-coloured skirts to stand in front of Matti. “And here’s a face we haven’t seen in a while! Something tells me you’re here for a celebration, Mr. Jay.”

Matti hoped the smile he’d pulled onto his face wasn’t the wrong size, or the wrong shade of abashed. “News travels fast.”

“Mattinesh Jay and Sofia Cooper. A match surprising exactly no one.”

Matti kept the smile going. There was a silence in which Audry politely didn’t say, Pity she’s in love with someone else, and so Matti didn’t have to say, Yes, isn’t it?Audry said, “Wait here a moment. I’ve got something in the back that I think will do nicely.”

Matti cast a glance over the room as Audry disappeared. His cousin Roland made an extravagant sighing motion and pretended to check his watch when Matti’s eyes landed on their table. A burst of laughter came from a dark-skinned woman nearby; she was wearing a dress that rode high at the knee to reveal a fall of lace like frothing water, a northern style of garment that Matti’s own northerner mother seldom wore these days.

At the closest table the Mason Guildmaster, Lysbette Martens, was deep in conversation with a senior member of the Guild of Engineers. Martens met Matti’s gaze with her own and nodded brief acknowledgement. He was sure she was weighing his presence as consciously as he was weighing hers. This was a place to be seen, after all.

“Here you are. Red wine for young lovers.”

Matti turned around again. Audry named the price for the bottle as she uncorked it and set it on the bar. Matti paid her, ignoring the lurch like a fishhook in his stomach at the amount on the credit notes he was so casually handing over. Mattinesh Jay, firstborn of his distinguished House, had no reason not to indulge in one of the finest bottles of wine that money could buy.

No reason that anyone here would know about, anyway.

Matti took the bottle in one hand and hooked three glasses with the other. Making his way over to the table, his mind circled back to dwell on the wrong sort of numbers. The money in Matti’s purse was painstakingly calculated: enough for the first round of engagement drinks, and enough for him to hire a top-of-the-range duellist who would step forward in the awkwardly likely event of someone challenging for Sofia’s hand at the wedding itself.

Matti’s skin prickled cold at the very thought of what might happen if Adrean Vane challenged against Matti’s marriage to Sofia and won. His family’s last hope would be gone. Matti would have failed them in this, the most useful thing he could do for them.

He was so caught up in this uneasy imagining as he wove through the room that he collided, hard, with another person’s shoulder. Matti was both tall and broad, not easily unbalanced; the unfortunate other member of the collision made a grab for Matti’s coat, couldn’t get a good grip, and tripped to the ground with a caught-back “Fu—”

Matti tried to step backwards. They were crammed into a small space between tables and there were people moving around them. His first panicked instinct had been to keep the wine bottle upright and the glasses safe, so he didn’t have a hand free to steady himself on a chair.

He wasn’t quite sure what happened next, except that he ended up wobbling and stepping forward instead, and he felt his boot come down on something that was not the floorboards. A small, pathetic, grinding mechanical sound crawled up Matti’s nerves, heel to head, and reached his ears even amidst the noise of the busy room.

“Sorry!” he said at once. “I’m sorry. Was that—Oh, Huna’s teeth.”

The man on the floor jerked his head up, staring at Matti, and Matti stared back.

For a moment all that Matti could see was the wide, straight line of the man’s mouth, set beneath an equally straight nose, and the frame that set off the whole: the dark, luminous copper-red hair that seemed to be trying to grow in about ten different directions.

The man’s tongue darted out in a nervous mannerism, wetting his lower lip. Something in Matti’s own mouth tried to happen in a yearning echo.

“Would you please lift,” the man said precisely, “your godsdamned foot?” Heat flooded Matti’s face. He snatched his foot backwards with enough force that his heel collided with a chair leg.

The redheaded man stood, his fingers closed convulsively tight around a small velvet bag. His brown coat was shabby and made of a coarsely woven fabric, though his shirt was good and his trousers had probably been equally so before they’d been overwashed into a patchy shine.

“Fuck fuck shitting—fuck,” the man said in tones of despair, with a lilt to his accent that placed him at least one city-state farther east: Cienne, or possibly Sanoy. He shook the contents of the bag into his palm and ventured into new realms of inappropriate language as he did so.

Enough people had witnessed their collision, or had their heads turned by the stream of expletives, that there were a fair few necks craning to see what was in the man’s hand. Matti, at whom the shaking fingers of this hand were pointed most directly, couldn’t help seeing for himself the ragged, glinting pile of cogs and jewels and glass. Only the intact cover—monogrammed in a swirling, engraved H—spoke of this pile’s previous existence as a pocket watch. A very expensive pocket watch, by the look of it.

The man’s breath hissed out through his teeth. “Guildmaster Havelot is going to use my arm bones as a fucking lathe. He only had it made to order, and he only trusted me to pick it up, didn’t he? Two hundred gold. Fucking fuck.”

“I’m so sorry,” Matti said again. He recognised the name: Havelot was the Woodworker Guildmaster in Cienne. “Truly. I can—” He stopped. The abrupt lack of his words created a silence that seemed to suck noise into itself, as conversations died to murmurs and the onlookers sensed something interesting.

The man looked straight at Matti with a stubborn lift of his chin. His brows, the same absurd colour as the rest of his hair, had sprung up into the beginnings of hope; as Matti’s silence grew longer, they lowered again. And then lowered farther. He swept a look down and then slowly up Matti’s own outfit, and now pride warred with scorn in the way those maddening lips pressed together.

Matti felt sick. His own coat was made of the finest wool, a midnight blue cut perfectly to his figure, and the rest of his clothes were of the same quality. He was holding a bottle of extremely good wine. Anybody looking at him would make immediate assumptions about the amount of ready money that Matti might have, and the ease with which he would be able to reimburse a poor clerk, if he’d just ruined a pricey piece of artificer’s skill that the man’s employer had trusted him to travel all the way to Glassport to collect.

Of course they would make these assumptions. That was the point.

Matti swallowed and felt the burning heaviness of his purse redouble. He’d be left with enough to a hire a duellist, yes, but not one of the highest skill. It wouldn’t buy himself and his family the absolute security they needed.

His friends were looking at him. It seemed like every pair of eyes in the drinking house was looking, and in another moment the murmurs of curiosity would turn to murmurs of disapprobation. I thought Matti Jay had more honour than that, they would say. What’s two hundred gold to someone like him?

Besides, the plain fact of the matter was that Matti had broken the watch. And he couldn’t pretend that he and this man with his proud mouth and poor coat, patched at one elbow, were on an equal footing. Even if he were left without a bronze, Matti would still have influence, connections, the weight of his family’s name. That was still worth something. For now.

So that was that.

“I—I really am sorry.” Matti set the wine and glasses down on the corner of the nearest table and pulled his purse from inside his coat. He kept his gaze on the man’s face, on a pair of eyes that were either grey or brown—impossible to tell from this angle—and urgently willed them not to look away. To a degree that seemed irrational, he wanted to banish the judgemental expression from the man’s face. “Of course I’ll cover the cost. Two hundred gold. Who did the work?”

The man glanced down at the metal scraps in his hand, as though the answer might be hidden in the pile. “Speck,” he said at last. “Frans Speck, in Amber Lane.”

“He’s a fair man. Tell him what happened and he’ll rush through the repair job,” Matti said. He held out the century notes.

The man tipped the wreckage of the watch back into the bag and closed his hand around the money, slow and wary. His fingertips had rough patches that scraped against Matti’s own, sending a tingle up Matti’s arm.

“I appreciate it,” the man said. He looked less cold now, though still nowhere near warm. “You’ve saved my life. Really.”

Matti forced himself to smile. Forced himself to say, “It’s nothing,” as though it really were nothing.

The man nodded awkwardly at Matti and tucked both money and bag into a pocket. Then he turned and was gone, headed for the door.

Matti somehow made his way to his table and sat down. His heart was pounding so loudly that he could barely hear anything else, and he wanted to shout at his own blood to be quiet and let him think. He needed to be alone in his study. He needed to contemplate his options, and make lists, and pore over the accounts for the thousandth time, in case they transmuted themselves into a picture of prosperity instead of the ugly, desperate reality that nobody outside of Matti’s immediate family knew about.

“Two hundred gold,” he said, before he could stop himself. “Two hundred.”

“We saw. Hard luck,” his cousin Roland said, making a face.

Perhaps it was stretching the term to call Roland and Wynn his friends, but they were the closest thing Matti had to members of that category, and the only people he’d been able to think of to form his wedding party. At least the three of them never found it too hard to pick up their acquaintanceship again, even if it had been months since their last conversation.

Wynn turned the bottle of wine to inspect the yellow butterfly on the label. “How appropriate that we’re drinking wine from your betrothed’s own winery.”

“Audry’s idea of a joke, I think,” Matti said. The word betrothed had landed in his ears like a piece of music played in an unfamiliar key; his mind was still turning it over, trying to decide how it felt about the melody. His hand was shaking as he poured the first glass, sending the stream of dark wine shivering and slipping. He’d steadied it by the time he poured the second.

“Huna smile,” he said, opening the toasts by lifting his own glass. “Thanks for agreeing to stand up with me, you two.”

“Drown your sorrows in this one, and by the time we hit the next bottle you’ll remember that you’re here to celebrate. And that once you’re married to Sofia Cooper,” Roland went on, lowering his voice sympathetically, “Jay House will be rolling in enough money to replace a hundred watches.”

Except that Matti had to get himself successfully married in the first place. And he’d just lost his best guarantee of doing so.

He let the old, gorgeous wine flood down his throat until a good third of his glass had vanished. He felt lightheaded; it had to be panic, because the wine couldn’t be working that fast. Panic and a sense of becoming unmoored. And the image of the man’s face, pale and sharply beautiful, gazing up from where he was kneeling at Matti’s feet.

“A fair effort,” Wynn said, when Matti put the glass down. “But I’ll show you children of Huna how it’s done.” He raised his own glass. “Agar fill your plates and cups.”

Matti smiled and drank again, accepting the toast. Maybe the wine was working after all. He could still feel his panic, the wound-up watch of his worry, but he shoved it away into a recess of his mind: its own small, dark velvet bag. It would be safe enough there. It would last until tomorrow. Matti’s ability to worry was shatterproof.

For now, he was going to drink.

[gyllenhaalstories]

Hi Laurie! Very important ice cream questions are delievered right to your doorstep:

For your top 3 favourite characters at the moment: What is their favourite ice cream? Do they like to try new flavours or do they stick to the classics? Best occasion to eat it and best way to eat it? Coup, cone, fancy cone, out of the tub?

Kisses, love and spaghetti ice cream for you, byeeee 💖🍝

thank you for exposing my poor knowledge of ice cream flavours (i'm a simple girl, i like my soft serve vanilla & chocolate swirl). i have about 8 tabs open of lists of popular flavours, i'm putting in all the work and research because this is an important question! thank you for sending it back to me! i'm craving ice cream now! 💖🍦

divider credits: @/firefly-graphics (i've always wanted to use this cute ice cream truck divider, thank you for giving me the best opportunity to use it!)

RUSTY SABICH

cherry something. ben & jerry's cherry garcia, cherry cheesecake, just cherry related ice cream. or a very good quality vanilla bean ice cream, the one with tons of vanilla specks in it. he has his designated bowl in the cupboards, he never waits enough for the ice cream to chill a bit so it's always too hard and he always gets frustrated when he scrapes some off the top and it goes flying on his face. rusty is not known for his patience. i think barbara would appreciate pistachio or a good dark chocolate ice cream, so he steals some from hers but he never tells her. he mostly eats ice cream at home, sitting in the couch with his family or in the sun room on a rainy day that prevented him to go out for a swim.

i love how we both agree on the fact cherry ice cream is for cheaters (he probably genuinely enjoys maraschino cherries, there's truly something wrong with that man). yeah of course he's my top current fave character right now because i'm pathetic just like him. sigh.

ELWOOD DALTON

sorbet, specifically mango. i don't know what kind of fruits grow in the florida keys. if the university of florida says mango can grow in the keys, then mango can grow in the keys. i think coup is best with sorbet and i believe dalton would love to stick to the pure flavours of the fruit (similar to the dark cuban coffee), but he secretly likes to pick the tiny colourful plastic scoop that matches the funky shirt he is wearing.

i don't see dalton as much of a dessert guy anyway, he doesn't go out of his way to get some but he'll happily eat whatever dessert you buy or bake for him. i like to think that laura invited him to go out for ice cream the same way she offered him a ride and he said no the first time but then she teased him the next day about how yummy the ice cream was and then he was like :) okay :) and she invited him again and he accepted (this time it was only the two of them) and he had mango sorbet, he didn't really care what he was getting anyway. laura probably told him it was good, fresh local fruit and everything, and it became his favourite after the first bite. mostly because she seemed happy he liked her suggestion. he's very nice and charming with the workers so he always gets an upscale, whether it be an extra scoop or he gets offered the large size even if he paid for the small.

TOMMY CAHILL

cookie dough or cookies and cream. he's definitely the most likely out of this list to try new flavours, he just wants to try them all at least once in his life. these two are his favourite. if he's out and about, stopped at an ice cream truck or a proper creamery, he gets the normal sugar cone (with extra napkins, he always makes a mess). he can go for a dipped cone as well if he's feeling fancy. if he's eating at home, he definitely stirs his ice cream until it turns into a milkshake.

most of his ice cream related memories involve his nieces, isabelle and maggie. he takes them out for a swim at the pool or out at the park where he pushes their swings extra high (in the safest way possible) or even goes down the slide with them and their reward is an all you can eat ice cream buffet aka one cup they can fill with whatever toppings they want. grace and sam absolutely hate him for it, he brings back two hyper kiddos on a sugar high but tommy is just happy to have fulfilled his uncle duties. he made it into some kind of game as to who can make the craziest concoction. the kids would go for gummy bears with strawberry ice cream and sprinkles convinced that they won the contest, but then tommy would show up with a mountain of crushed oreos, mini m&ms, choco chips, drizzled with all the sauces they had and he would easily win. he'd get sick afterwards (probably because the girls ended up sharing his ice cream and he had to eat theirs instead) but it would be their favourite way to celebrate the end of summertime before school starts again.

DANNY SHARP (bonus teehee)

salted caramel. waffle cone. topped with a waffle cookie on top. danny strikes me as a caramel syrup person for some reason, so he probably asks for extra drizzle of it on top when he needs an even bigger pick me up. he has to eat it in secret, go to the creamery alone, so he doesn't hear castro begging to tag along (he will go out for ice cream with castro every once in a while and he will pay for his three scoops sugar extravaganza and he will complain about it although he secretly likes to make his employee/friend/flamingo zookeeper happy).

my first thought was neapolitan because he wouldn't need to choose so he could have a bit of all flavours (less anxiety inducing). that was probably his favourite as a kid, he could share with will and let his brother have his fave flavour. my second thought was distinguished ice cream to enjoy while wearing a cashmere sweater so that's why i switched my answer.

[flock-talk]

That last anon answer has me wondering, what in your opinion is the best pellet out there?

At the present moment I don’t believe there is a best pellet. With current research we don’t even know what exact foods wild parrots we keep as pets eat. what vitamins and minerals are actually needed in what quantities for optimal health. Most of the data used to formulate diets for captive parrots is based off studies done on chickens. Pellets don’t run feeding trials and the singular one that claims they do won’t publish any data for consumers to make educated decisions.

We don’t have any of the data necessary to be able to say that there is one that checks the boxes better than another. Currently when selecting pellets the knowledge you’re using is as primal as “is this toxic” and “will this cause harm to the body over time” which is where we are able to make statements on fillers, dyes, and sugars.

I feed three different pellets currently for various reasons

TOPs - the ingredients are wholesome foods, no real fillers or additives, no synthetic vitamins (there’s no studies on whether or not a parrot can actually absorb and utilize synthetic vitamins currently, hypothetically they should and there’s nothing wrong with synthetic vitamins, we just do not have proper peer reviewed knowledge on how they interact in a parrot body) however there’s loads of concern over whether TOPs on its own supplies enough nutrients to be a full diet on its own.

Harrisons - it is formulated by a veterinarian (say about that what you will *cough* science diet debacles *cough*), does primarily use fillers but does also have slightly more hearty things like oats and barley, packed with vitamins that may be lacking in other formulations. Have flavour varieties, tougher texture, and much more varied sizes that can benefit more picky eaters. Frequently recommended by other vets, same company also creates liquid formulas for sick and ill birds. Overall does seem like they know what they’re doing.

Caitec - I primarily started feeding this because Newt is allergic to soy and this has very low soy and doesn’t yield a reaction from him. Has some filler but primarily uses oats, quinoa, millet, sunflower. Then you move in to the added vitamins and minerals. Unique crunchy texture, very palatable to my birds, very large size variety which is great for enrichment.

My choice to feed multiples is because of a safety fallback in case of recalls, I won’t be left feeding seeds trying to quickly do a pellet conversion if I have two other backups they can eat. But also to cover nutritional bases. We do not know what they need and I don’t wish to rely on one specific company to be doing everything just right to be providing optimal health for my birds, serving several will hopefully make it so if one pellet is lacking something one of the others will have it. And lastly is enrichment- various flavours, colours, textures and pellet size make meals more interesting and really liven up mealtimes.

There simply isn’t a perfect pellet because nobody knows what that would even look like.

When looking for a food to feed your bird the ultimately best thing to do is ask yourself “is this product made for the birds or to draw human interest”. Flashy colours, silly shapes, and potent sugars will primarily be used to attract your eye- not your birds. The sugars will make it palatable which converts the bird quickly and make the human happy. But the dyes and sugars are not ideal for long term health.

And secondly “how do birds do on this food” in the dog industry you would just get the paperwork from a feeding trial but for birds this means reading forums or sampling it for yourself. you can tell pretty quickly whether a food is doing your specific bird any good. Dull plumage, inconsistent droppings, weird food intake fluctuations, lack of energy, feather destructive behaviour, would all be potential signs that a food isn’t working for your bird (also potential signs of illness so y’know, correlation is not causation)

I did a deep dive last year where I contacted major pellet brands and tried to get any basic info out of them, you may want to read in to that if you want continued reading!

[diejager]

i saw you repost the q&a thing, and don't feel pressured to respond at all !! :33 but i thought i'd take part 🌷

what’s your favorite candy?

how do you feel about cancel culture?

are you a clean or messy person?

Orla, the first question is the hardest out of everything…

17.I uhh…. Eat a lot of candy and chocolate, but I think I might favour caramels out of everything since it’s the flavour I eat the most like caramel flan, Werther’s Original and some caramel flavoured ice cream.

14. Cancel culture now, that’s not something I’m really familiar with (unlike everyone my age), but from what I understand, it’s a mass cancelling/reporting of someone or something. It has its pros and cons. Sure, it can help in some situations, but damage or worsen in others. I think people are quick to cancel and report someone or something without going in depth to see what the actual problem is and see which party is at fault here. I find that cancel culture is overused and taken to such bounds that I can’t really take it seriously, you know?

It might’ve been worth something if people didn’t use it so frequently and get swayed so easily into siding with one person despite them having little evidence or being in the wrong. But that’s my take, I don’t know much about it and that’s what I got from how little I know. If someone could explain it in better terms, then please, I need an explanation.

26. Now this depends on where and when. My desk is a mess, but it’s organised chaos because I know where everything is. Off my desk, however, is a real issue because I am slightly OCD so I like having things organised by size and colour. I would say that I’m a clean person, just not the cleanest and as clean as my mom would like me to be.

[missguomeiyun]

dinner @ Il Poom

Cozy dinner last month with Susan - at a (likely family-run) Korean restaurant in the south side called Il Poom.

Here, I'll give you a preview of our meal:

It has been a while since I've gone out for Korean food :') I really don't dine out much these days, which is why there has been a major shift in my posted content, esp since the pandemic. But more so now, 'post-'pandemic times, things just cost so much more! But anyway, once in a while is okay haha & I LOVE Korean food so I'd wanna try every new Korean restaurant that opens in Edm.

I believe they've been open since the last quarter of 2023. Correct me if I'm wrong! I've only heard about them/seen their posts on socials in January. Located in a small strip mall, I had high expectations!

The entrance had this chalkboard sign. .. "Dumplimg" soup haha

Got a table that was right in front of their semi-open kitchen. Definitely a diff kind of view at Korean restaurants here in Edm. However, this is a suual sight for casual family-style restaurants in Korea. So I actually enjoyed this =]

Not a lot of business fr a Friday evening but I didn't mind at all. There were a few other tables of customers that shared the space during the time we were there. Everyone was speaking Korean haha honestly, I felt like I was 'brought back' to Korea.

Now let's take a look at their menu.

Me being me, I had already browsed several times before arriving here but there were items that were no longer available.

A good selection of menu items. Korean restaurant menus aren't very extensive that usually cover a few categories. This place was no exception.

You're sure to find something for everybody.

Their drinks. We wanted to try the Mae Hwa Su but they sold out. The lady recommended the Bokbunja instead (the black raspberry wine).

Bokbunja with banchans: potato salad, radish kimchi, cabbage kimchi & stir-fried soy sauce fish cakes.

Their kimchi was so good! It's not very fermented so it's not sour. It was more savoury than spicy or sweet. Reminded me of the kimchis I had in Busan, where their kimchis were more salty.

As for the wine, I liked it! It was very sweet!

Doganitang: ox knee soup.

I've never had ox knee before.. . Personally, I am not a fan of tendon, cartilage. .. that kind of stuff. The texture is unattractive to me. Ox knee though. .. it's not a common item on menus here in Edm so Susan & I decided to give it a try. Broth was a creamy off-white colour & comes with a side of noodles. (1 small bowl of noodles with the soup; not per person at the table)

To my surprise, I did not think there would be too many pieces of whatever ox knee looks like in the soup lol there were about 8-10 pieces. I had 3 pieces - & you know what, it was tolerable! I wouldn't have gone for a 2nd & a 3rd piece if I didn't like it. Texture was soft; wasn't gooey, wasn't crunchy. It means they've boiled the heck out of it. The broth was quite bland though; however, that's what these broths are like. You have to add your own seasonings. I like the radish kimchi :P

Next up was the yookgaejang, spicy beef brisket soup. Guess what, it had intestines in it o_O I've never had yookgaejang with meat pieces other than beef brisket lol it was diff. Not only that, it also contained scant amounts of tripe. Although I didn't mind the extra stuff (I don't eat intestine but had 2 pieces bcos again, I thought it was okay), I do prefer the 'original' version of yookgaejang. I just want the beef brisket! Flavour & everything else was good though!

Last item: seafood pancake. YUMMMM! The size was large; plenty of seafood; exterior was crispy. .. delicious!

Would 100% go back!

[lazlohno]

safe foods

as an autistic person, i experience the common phenomena among us tistics that is safe foods.

i just felt like listing mine and why they’re safe. my blog, why not?

Blueberries - Round, have 3 different tiers of flavour that usually correspond to size. If they feel wrong, they ARE wrong. this rule ESPECIALLY goes for texture.

Grapes - Oblong, bite-sized. These ones ease me into drinking water when I’m having a rough day. Mostly water themselves, and have two colours, both of which are nice on the eye.

A specific brand of granola bars - Rectangles! Hand-sized. Grounding, for one reason or another. texturally a dream. Granola is only good in this form, fight me. Taste is ALWAYS consistent or something is HORRIBLY WRONG with the bar itself.

Kimchi ramen - The only thing I dislike are the mushrooms, which I just avoid. Never too many spice packets. Consistent, pasta, and can be prepared in two ways depending on how I’m feeling; Broth or no broth. The little vegetables are funny to me. Warm. When I cook it right, the ramen is very nice and consistent texturally.

Common patterns:

Roundness (?)

You can easily tell if something is wrong with the food

Easy to eat

Consistent texture and flavour

This is interesting information which I will now knowingly apply when assessing foods in the future. Fun

[thehype-au]

How to Choose the Right Restaurant Branding Agency to Enhance Your Marketing

Running a restaurant is not a simple task. From crafting the perfect menu to ensuring top-notch customer service, you have a lot on your plate. But let’s be honest—even the most amazing food won’t bring in customers if your branding doesn’t stand out.

That’s where a restaurant branding agency comes in. But wait—how do you even choose the right one? It’s not like there’s a “one-size-fits-all” agency out there. The wrong choice could leave you with cookie-cutter designs and marketing strategies that don’t speak to your vision. The right agency? Well, they’ll understand your story, build a killer brand, and make your marketing shine. Here’s how to find them.

1. Start with Their Experience in the Restaurant Industry

Not all branding agencies are created equal. Sure, there are great agencies that specialise in general branding, but the restaurant world? That’s a whole other beast. It’s not just about creating a pretty logo or content for you—it’s about creating a brand that connects with diners emotionally and visually.

Look for an agency that’s worked with restaurants before. Ask questions like:

What’s their portfolio like? Check if they’ve worked with restaurants similar to yours.

Do they understand food culture? Restaurants aren’t just businesses; they’re experiences.

Have they worked on successful restaurant marketing campaigns? A track record is your best friend here.

Pro tip: When you look at their previous work, don’t just check if it “looks good.” Ask yourself: Does it tell a story? Does it make you want to eat there?

2. Look at Their Full-Service Capabilities

A solid restaurant branding agency does more than creating content. They’re your partner in creating a cohesive brand experience—one that starts with your signage and spills over into your menus, website, and even social media.

Here’s what to look for:

Visual Branding: Logos, colour palettes, packaging design, interior themes—everything that makes your restaurant recognisable.

Restaurant Marketing: Do they know how to attract diners? From social media ads to influencer campaigns, they should know how to make your brand buzz.

Digital Expertise: Your online presence matters as much as your physical location. Can they build or improve your restaurant’s website? Optimise it for local search?

Strategy: The best agencies don’t just execute—they plan. Look for someone who can craft a clear brand and marketing strategy tailored to your goals.

3. Focus on Their Creativity and Storytelling Skills

What’s your restaurant’s story? Is it inspired by family recipes? Built on a love of global flavours? Rooted in sustainable practices? A great agency will pull those threads together to create a brand that feels uniquely you.

When you’re meeting with potential agencies, ask them:

How do you approach storytelling? This should be at the heart of every brand they build.

Can you show us examples of creative campaigns? A good campaign does more than look cool—it brings people to your tables.

Remember, your restaurant’s brand is more than just visuals. It’s how people feel about your business. Find an agency that can translate your vision into something unforgettable.

4. Ask About Their Process

Building or revamping a brand is a journey—and a good agency will walk you through every step. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure you understand their process.

Key questions to ask:

How do you gather insights about my restaurant? They should want to get to know your business, your market, and your competition.

What’s the timeline? Branding and marketing take time. Make sure their timeline matches your expectations.

How involved will I be? The best branding projects are collaborative. Find out how they’ll involve you in the process.

A clear process not only ensures great results but also makes the experience less overwhelming for you.

5. Check for Compatibility

Here’s the thing—working with an agency isn’t a one-and-done deal. You’ll likely be collaborating with them over weeks or months, so it’s important that you click.

During initial meetings, ask yourself:

Do they listen to your ideas?

Are they excited about your vision?

Can you see yourself working with them long-term?

A great restaurant branding agency will feel like an extension of your team. Trust your gut—it’s the same instinct that helps you create the perfect menu, after all.

6. Budget Matters—But Don’t Just Go for the Cheapest Option

We get it—branding and marketing can be expensive. But think of it this way: your brand is an investment, not a cost. The right branding agency can help you attract more customers, grow your revenue, and build a loyal following.

That said, make sure you’re clear about:

What’s included in their pricing? Do they offer a package or charge per project?

What results can you expect? A good agency will be transparent about ROI.

It’s okay to shop around, but don’t make price the only factor. Sometimes, paying a bit more upfront can save you headaches (and money) in the long run.

7. Think Long-Term

Branding isn’t just about what your restaurant looks like today—it’s about where you’re headed. The right restaurant branding agency will help you build a brand that grows with you.

Ask yourself:

Will this agency help me stay relevant in a competitive market?

Can they adapt to my future marketing needs?

Your restaurant deserves a brand that stands the test of time—and the right agency will make sure of it.

In as few words as possible...

Choosing the right restaurant branding agency isn’t just about picking someone who makes things look pretty. It’s about finding a partner who understands your vision, tells your story, and helps you connect with your customers in meaningful ways.

When you find the right fit, you’ll know it. They’ll make your brand shine, bring more diners through your doors, and turn your restaurant marketing into a recipe for success.

So, what’s next? Start researching, ask the right questions, and don’t settle for anything less than the perfect partner. Your brand—and your customers—deserve it.

[candy-floss-crazy]

Gourmet Hot Dog Carts

Gourmet Hot Dog Cart Hire   Either you love hot dogs, or you're wrong. Dive into the deliciousness of our perfectly grilled hot dogs, a timeless favourite that never fails to satisfy. Experience the perfect blend of flavours that make our hot dogs a go-to choice for a quick and delightful meal. What Do You Get When You Hire A Hot Dog Cart? •Regular Or Gourmet Menu •Range Of Condiments & Onions •Can Be Supplied With Fries •Quality Frankfurters •Personalised Service From traditional toppings like mustard and ketchup to gourmet options like caramelized onions and spicy jalapeños, our hot dogs are fully customizable, allowing you to create the perfect combination that suits your taste buds and cravings. Our dawgs don't bite, ask for details. Mobile Hot Dog Stand Hire. You can tailor a hot dog service to any size event, from a private party with 50 guests, to a university ball or corporate events with 2000 attendees. Your options include a standard range of genuine hot dogs. Vegetarian options are available for you on request and you can now even have Halal dogs as well. This is a classic dish, check out it's history here. You have the perfect fast snack for any sort of event. These go down a storm at weddings, but are equally delicious at your company sales days or exhibitions and promotions. Layered with fresh crispy onions then slathered in mustard, ketchup or one of the myriad of other condiments you fancy. Onions come as standard and you have a full range of condiments on offer including; •Heinz Ketchup. •HP Brown Sauce. •English Mustard. •French Mustard. •Chilli Sauce. •Mayo. •Barbeque Sauce.Optional Toppings. We also give you the option of extras such as cheese toppings, chilli and jalapeno,. If you have a particular requirement let us know, we can probably supply that. This is the perfect street food for all events. Including birthday parties, weddings and corporate fun days, they are quick, easy to prepare and serve, and go down a treat. In addition to our American cart above we have a range of fun and quirky carts for rental.   Branding Options. We can custom brand any of our services with; •Custom Printed Napkins. •Printed Plates. •Personalised Signage. •Branded Panels. •Full Cart Colour Change. •Ribbons and Other Decor. You can choose from our range of carts or we can even design and build a one off cart to your precise requirements. With your corporate events branding incorporated. Your selection of catering services can include food and drinks to complement your hire. In addition to our Franks, we also offer other great savoury options, why dont you check out;  Jacket Potatoes, Chipstix and Nachos. More Hot Dog FactsCAN I HAVE VEGGY HOT DOGS; Yes we can provide vegetarian sausages, or a mixture of both. CAN I HAVE TOPPINGS; As standard onions, mustard, ketchup, chilli sauce, brown sauce, sweet chilli. If you want something special let us know and we can source it. WHERE CAN I HIRE HOT DOGS NEAR ME; We provide a hot dog cart hire service throughout the full U.K. so can cover all of your needs. HOW MANY GUESTS CAN YOU SERVE; We have multiple carts and machines so can cover a small private party, right through to a major exhibition or company fun day. ARE HOT DOGS GLUTEN FREE; We can provide gluten free if required. ARE HOT DOGS BAD FOR YOU; Like many things in moderate consumption no, but over excessive consumption can lead to the same issues as red meat. CAN YOU EAT RAW HOT DOGS; Technically they are precooked so as long as they have been handled correctly it would be OK. But we always heat them thoroughly. Our range of mobile hot frankfurter cart hire services are available throughout the FULL U.K. and Europe. Including Lancashire, hot dogs Yorkshire, hot dogs Midlands, The North East, London and Scotland, these are perfect for any type of event including military balls, company fundays, exhibitions, weddings, parties, university and college balls, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, perfect street food for corporate events or private parties. We no longer provide chocolate fountains. Read the full article

[pterribledinosaurdrawings]

Could you please share the recipe for the soup you made with the bug noodles? That looks amazing and I want it in my tummy.

Sure!

The ingredients always include onions, garlic, and carrots. Usually potatoes too. It depends on what I have in the fridge, but it can also include celery, parsnip, grated turnip, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, or zucchini.

I suppose corn would also be soup compatible, or perhaps bell pepper, though I can't recall ever putting those things in this kind of soup. All vegetables are friends when you boil them up together so it's probably hard to go wrong here.

I can't really give specific amounts because it will depend on the size of your pot, and I don't measure soup ingredients.

I chop up my vegetables and garlic and put them in a big pot with a little olive oil, and cook them on medium heat until the onions have gone clear and things are starting to look a tiny bit brownish on the edges. Or maybe not quite that long if there's a lot of stuff in the pot and it's taking a while and I'm feeling impatient.

Then I add water, or perhaps meat or vegetable stock, just until they're covered, leaving some room for the tomatoes. Sometimes when I boil parsnips and carrots together in the same pot (which is very good and better than having either vegetable individually) I save the water to use for soup because it's so dang flavourful and sweet.

At this point the salt and pepper also go in, and some Herbes de Provence, or something similar. I'm currently out of the blended H de P so for this soup I think I added thyme, basil, parsley, and dried chives. Might have put some ground coriander seed too?

The little noodles also go in now, or sometimes I do barley, or sometimes neither. I got these bug shaped noodles at the Bulk Barn, but that's only in Canada so I have no idea where people in other countries should look for bug noodles.

Then I bring it to a boil, and after it has boiled I turn it down and add a can of diced tomatoes and let it simmer for a while. If it has noodles or barley or something like that then it simmers until they're cooked.

Very shortly before it's done simmering I add some frozen peas, because they really don't need boiling, just to be heated up. If they boil then the colour and texture won't be as nice.

Then I eat soup for 2 or 3 days and it's nice! I like to have it with some buttered bread or rolls.

Usually I end up with so much vegetable stuff in the pot that there isn't much room for liquid, but that's ok, I like it when there's lots of soup in my soup.

I wish you a very good soup!

[buckys-little-belle]

Do you thing Bub and Bug would have play dates together once they get settled into their relationships with Steve and Bucky? Maybe Bug would show Bub a bunch of cool facts about bugs and flowers and Bub would color pictures and make flower crowns for Bug? They’re just so cute and sweet that my brain just supplies nothing but fluffy thoughts for them. I love them so much 🥹

I’m just going to do a few head-cannons for now, because I do want to write a full fic of this when the right time comes!

Bub definitely brings a bunch of her colouring books, the original my little pony one, and a few new ones Bucky got her. She gives a page to Bug and he immediately starts listing off the different plant names and facts of the ones on his page. Getting a crayon that’s “Fern Green” and going on a little rant about the different ferns and how “Fern Green” is too broad a term for one shade of green.

Bug and Steve definitely bring a set of matching Pins for everyone, maybe a pin representing both Bucky and Steve, the shield in the colour way of Bucky’s new arm. (Black and Gold.) Bub putting the pin on her backpack, starting a collection of pins Bug gives her.

When Buck and Steve take the two littles to the park, it’s of course a crazy adventure, Bug running off to pick some wild flowers, Bub finding the swings immediately. Steve begins to get frustrated at Bug for picking flowers for no reason, but Bub steps in immediately. Pulling out all summer camp/craft skills she has. Creating flower crowns for the two of them. The two crowns as close to matching as possible.

The two littles definitely play dolls, both of them playing different storylines at the same time. Bug’s doll owns a museum/library, and talks in a botched british accent, because “The owl in animal crossing looks British Stevie, so I’m British too.” Bub playing ‘store’ instead, selling fake plants, and every doll shoe she can get her hands on. The two of them fighting over footwear, Bub insisting money, while Bug explains capitalism as best he can.

Bub and Bug definitely like different movies, though they both agree on the movie ‘Epic’, it has enough greenery for Bub, and enough adventure for Bug, the two of them holding each other close when it get’s scary, hiding behind pillows and each other when needed.

Sleepovers definitely also happen, the two are inseparable, sleeping side by side in the same bed, sharing stuffies and silly stories about their caregivers. Steve and Bucky sitting downstairs enjoying their quite time as their littles get up to no good on their own upstairs. Their super soldier hearing coming in handy when things go wrong.

Bub definitely makes her and Bug friendship bracelets, the beads random, but each one picked for a reason, whether it be the colour, shape, size, or sparkle level, it was chosen for a reason. The two of them definitely always wear them, never taking them off, except for in bath-time, because Bub didn’t take hers off once and it fell off, the bath filled with bubbles and her and Bucky unable to find it. She was so scared it would go down the drain, which it almost did, so she made Bug pinky promise to never wear his in the bath.

They definitely convince Bucky and Steve to buy silly things all the time. New juice box flavours, fun gummy snacks, random toys on the ends of aisles, everything, and they have such cute faces, how could Bucky and Steve say no?

Bug and Bub always get each other socks for their birthdays and christmas, they save up their own money and head to the stores, buying a fun pair of socks each time, always getting the colour and print right somehow. They just know their best friend well, always picking the right thing.

They also share toys like crazy, to the point Bucky and Steve have to put labels on the toys so they know who’s is who’s. Bug ended up with an entire collection of Littlest Pet Shops he didn’t have before, and Bug ended up having an entire set of lego star wars figures, something she also didn’t have before.

Basically they are two peas in a pod, and two menaces in the Avengers inner circle. The two of them together was basically a caution sign, in the best way possible.

[canmom]

It's a weird debate on some level because as you say, we can preserve both. We already do this with anime - on a torrent tracker like nyaa there are often multiple releases with different traits like different sources, different filter chains (whether or not to denoise is a big one), different encoding options, and of course different translations and subtitle typesetting. A restored re-white-balanced grade doesn't come at the expense of the pink grade. With physical media like a statue, there's only one 'original' and we have to make a decision about what to do with it, but of course there is nothing stopping someone using modern tools to make a reconstruction of the Venus statue as it probably was when it was made.

Notably, painting restorations are pretty common. It's a very technical discipline - there's a whole genre of youtube video showing time lapses of the process of brushing off dirt, carefully lifting off flakes of paint and replacing them, or even repainting parts of the original. In some cases, the changes accumulated by an artwork can become part of the fixed form we want to preserve, but in other cases they aren't, and which one is preferable is circumstantial. One thing we're very lucky about in digital media is that it is trivial to make perfect copies of things, so there's no real risk of it 'going wrong' and destroying the original.

Anyway I also think it's interesting how long we've been fighting this battle with colour. Colour, whether analogue or digital, is something that's very hard to preserve through the process of encoding and decoding. I've already talked at length on here about the problem of matching colour between monitors. That side of things is theoretically 'solved', in that we can measure and compensate in software for the differences between screens, but in practice it's fiddly and most people don't care to have colour accuracy.

But even beyond that - the surrounding lighting has an effect on how you perceive colour. Size of the visual field too. A dark image that is perfectly readable fullscreen can feel dingy and indistinct when viewed small. Colour grading is usually done in a dark room with a relatively dim screen, since this is considered the best way to avoid distortions and create an authoritative grade, but that usually isn't the situation it's viewed in. You kind of aim to get it right in the most controlled situation, make the best use you can of the available data range, and throw up your hands for the rest - and let people who are invested make their own artistic decisions with the data you've put out.

It can be maddening thinking about all this, but tbh on some level the fact that we get any degree of consistent colour is pretty cool. I can look at a thing, send an electronic signal across continents, and rely on you seeing pretty much the same thing - that's rather miraculous.

And thinking about all this kinda stuff is generative of new art - as the video mentioned with the idea that this controversy would inspire more thoughtful grading. Similarly, much is made of how pixel art doesn't look how it did on CRTs, but that's led to people aiming to recreate that effect with shaders, and now we have another flavour of pixel art living alongside the sharp kind.

The new Sailor Moon grade is not an exact recreation of what it would have been like to watch the show on 90s TVs, or on film in the offices at Toei - it can't be, that information is lost to history. It's an approximation. But it's a valuable interpretation that tells us more about Sailor Moon, 90s anime, film preservation etc. etc.

We're going to be facing a lot more of this kind of question now that AI upscaling is going to be offering increasingly convincing simulacra of what a high quality print might have looked like given just SD video as input. (Incidentally, in that example, notice there's a different grade between the DVD and BD versions - the BD is more saturated...)

But it's not the original, it's a reconstruction. Information is added that was not in the original. So how do we treat this kind of thing?

In general from an archival perspective, the answer is pretty simple: preserve everything we can, provide proper metadata on how each version was made, provide what information we have about how it would have been 'originally', and let people decide how they want to experience it. Right now, with an abundance of storage space, it's not zero-sum. Hopefully that will remain true in the future.

There's certainly no moral reason to prefer to enjoy any given version of Sailor Moon.

[simpforanyanimeguywithdarkhair]

HAIKYUU BOYS IDEAL DATE

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

#Includes: Ushijima, Kageyama, Sakusa and Bokuto

#genre: pure fluff

#note: this is my first time writing … anything lmao so sorry if it sucks but decided I’d finally give this a go !! All feedback is welcome :)) NOT EDITED

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI

Ushijima’s ideal date would definitely be something outdoorsy, like going to a garden (something like the botanical gardens).

He spends most of his time in a stuffy gym working hard so he’d want to do something fresh and relaxing for a date, so visiting a garden would be perfect.

I can image him walking around with his arm securely around your waist or fingers interlaced as you both admire the pretty flowers around you.

He’d take note of all the flowers that catch your eye or flowers you make comments about like “they’re so pretty”, “these smell amazing”, “look look ! They’re the same colour as your eyes Toshi”. He’d do this so he can make sure to go out and buy you some because he wants to remember this day and the way your eyes sparkled as you took in everything around you.

He’d find himself admiring you most of the date because in his eyes you’re the prettiest thing there. The way your smile stretches across your face when you see a practically unique flower, the way you squeeze his hand when you get excited and especially the way you look at him when you thank him for bringing you here.

“Thanks for taking me here Toshi, I know how busy you are with training so it means a lot that you take one of your off days to spend it with me here”

“I didn’t do anything special sweetheart, but if taking you on more dates gets you to keep looking at me like that , then you bet that’s what I’m going to be doing my love”

He would end the date of with dropping you of home and before you walk inside slip a flower (that he slyly stole , naughty naughty) behind your ear and bring you in for a sweet kiss that he hopes conveys how happy he is, because he may not be the best with words but he makes sure you never forget how much he cares for you.

KAGEYAMA TOBIO

I was struggling to find an ideal date for Kags because I think it would be a miracle if he managed to successfully ask someone out without being a stuttering red mess lol.

However , when he managed to secure a date I think he’d like to do something simple and low-key like a coffee date or lunch at a cute bakery.

While I think he’d appreciate the intimacy of it, he’d also be pretty shy because he’s new to this so please bare with him!. He’d be a total sweet heart and push in your chair for you and order you whatever you want because he wants you to enjoy yourself to the fullest.

The serine and calm atmosphere of the dainty family owned bakery puts him at ease a little so he manages to open up and answer all your questions while maintaining eye contact. Don’t get me wrong he loves talking about volleyball and his journey but he’d really want to get to know you , so asks so many and albeit random questions.

“So, what’s your favourite colour?” “Favourite dessert?” “Shoe size” “most importantly what’s your favourite flavour of milk?” He’s on the edge of his seat for the last one.

And while you find some of his questions a bit weird , it’s also really endearing to see him so interested in you and everything to do with you.

He’d end the date with hesitantly holding your hand, swinging them lightly in front of you and basking in the comfortable silence. When you get to your destination he’d peck your cheek and ask when you’re next free because he can’t wait to see you again !

SAKUSA KIYOOMI

Sakusa’s ideal date would probably be something indoors, like a movie date ! Everyone’s got him pegged as a massive germaphobe but I think he’d prefer something indoors with the two of you because it’s more intimate and allows himself to be openly affectionate and at ease and sometimes crowds can give him anxiety.

But best believe you will have the BEST movie dates with this man. He’d set everything up : comfy pillows and throw blankets on the sofa in a fort style, all the best snacks and drinks and the TV or projector (whatever mood you’re in) set up. He’ll have all the possible movies lined up and he always lets you chose what you guys watch because he’s genuinely okay with anything as long as you’re content.

One of the main reasons he loves movie dates is because he can cuddle you. Whatever position you want. His favourite is him on his back with you lying on his chest , legs tangled. He welcomes the weight on top of him because it makes him feel secure and like you’re not going anywhere. He’ll stroke your back and arms throughout the movie (and he always questions why you fall asleep) and place soft kisses on your forehead once in a while.

Once he realises you’ve fallen asleep, he’ll quietly tease you.

“My pretty baby’s already asleep” while softly stroking your hair . “My plan to keep you here is working as expected” he chuckles to himself.

And once you eventually wake up, he’ll convince you to spend the night and you give in when he brings out the soft pout and sad eyes. “But baby it’s already dark, you might aswell just stay tonight” “see I’m already getting cold without you love”

And of course you end up staying the night, curled up in bed with him, head on his chest with his arms wrapped around you as he tells you his plans for the following day.

BOKUTO KOUTAROU

If you’re going on a date with this beefy boy you’ll probably be doing some sort of activity like bowling, mini golf, laser tag, whatever you guys are in the mood for.

He lives for these dates because he’ll take every and any opportunity to show off for you and for you to praise him which he loves. He loves knowing you’re proud of him for doing even the simplest things like making a hole in golf or getting a strike in bowling. He’ll make a big show and have the biggest grin on his face.

“BABY BABY , did you see that !!?!? You have the coolest boyfriend don’t ya?”, “Are you proud of me baby? That one was all for you , that’s why I done so well “ he’ll tell you proudly with his hand s on his hips.

If you guys are playing together , he’ll be your biggest hype man and supporter , cheering you on and making sure you do your best and even if you don’t he’ll be there to reassure you , like the best boy he is.

But if you’re playing against each other he’ll welcome the competition. If you’re doing better than him he’ll low-key sulk and be all pouty because he’s supposed to be the one showing off but he’ll definitely be happy and proud of you and think he’s the luckiest guy ever. However, if you aren’t doing too well, he’ll be super supportive and try to cheer you up. He might even purposefully screw up (which you notice but don’t say anything) or offer to teach you and show you his ways and it’ll turn into one of those cliche scenes with the guy behind the girl , helping her , you know those ones ? Yeah that’s him and you but he ain’t as smooth so you end up missing and doing worse.

He’ll buy you consolation ice cream after though so don’t worry and he’ll give you loads of kisses all over your face because he doesn’t want to see his pretty baby all upset because of him :(

The date will end with you guys taking those really cute photo booth pictures and he makes sure to put one in his wallet or phone case because he always wants to see your pretty face. Will spend a few minutes just standing and admiring the photos with a silly smile and flushed cheeks because he can’t believe he’s all yours.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Note : feel free if any one would like to give me writing prompts, i think that would be fun. I’m just doing this for fun and when I have free time or when I feel like it so I’ll be writing In my own time but would love some ideas on what to write going forward. Thank you :))

(I also feel like I’m talking to like a brick wall because what happens if no one sees this lmao 😭)

;)

© property of simpforanyanimeguywithdarkhair

[ashiemochi]

aphrotitty - xxxix (ii)

✠ Aphrotitty ↳ Don’t do anything stupid ↳↳ does something stupid

~~ pairing: OC x Leon S(exy) Kennedy. ~~ genre: fluff, a slice of life, angst, gore at some point, smut/suggestive themes ~~ word count: no

NOTE: ✠ = time skip ✠✠ = switching povs/characters

prev -> next

“Oh.”

Having woken up alone, the only things So Ah felt was utter wooziness from her last night’s meds and a pounding headache – followed by more emotional numbness of course.

The memories of last night were vague, pieces of them slowly settling down into a completed puzzle picture. It all felt like she was thrown into a mental blender and pumped that shit up to high-radioactive speed then just poured her back out like a smoothie of attachment issues and nearly Bob Ross’s skills for art.

With all that had happened yesterday, she expected to wake up and see that it was just a dream – but boy, oh, boy was she wrong.

Right there on the kitchen’s counter was a plastic bag with a WAFFLE HOUSE logo branded on it along with a folded note next to it and on the other side, sat her potted mint; visibly been watered with the fresh green leaves still dripping with said water.

To say she was in disbelief was an underestimation – not to mention her mind refusing to believe the kind things Leon had said and done yesterday. It was... Nice.

Unfolding the note, she saw a handwriting she had never seen before but could just guess who it belonged to. It was all capitalized and disconnected, a bit messy but still very coherent – also that wink at the end was a signature thing at this point.

GOT CALLED IN FOR WORK, HOPE YOU LIKE WAFFLES THOUGH

DON’T WORRY, I DIDN’T WATERBOARD YOUR PLANT

CALL YA WHEN I CAN

PS. YOU LOOK CUTE WHEN YOU’RE ASLEEP ;)

-LEON

Okay, she was already feeling sick when she woke up but now, butterflies fluttered in her, making her feel more than sick – but in a good kind. The kind you find... Pleasant; and she sighed.

“Thank you for the meal...” So Ah murmured to the Leon in her mind with a faint smile before taking out the white box from inside and bringing out her fork and knife; digging into the cinnamon-vanilla flavoured chocolate-chip-waffles.

One thing for sure is that Leon knew how to annoy her by making her feel all lovey-dovey over the bare minimum.

Either that or the bar was set too low – either way, she did not want to let him go and made damn sure to return the favour in some way or another; but with what? And how?

✠

Having taken a shower, which was complicated with that wound in her foot, and gotten herself a hot Mocha drink, So Ah decided instead of slumping on the couch and watching family-based movies for masochistic torture, she’d recoil into her safe space to slowly climb her way up and out of the never-ending sinkhole.

And with that, she pulled her chair up to her easel and stared at the awaiting blank canvas. Her calming playlist filled the room along with the essence of the coconut scented candle. She didn’t know what to paint or draw – nothing up in that little Mr Brain of hers other than resentment and emptiness.

Maybe she could draw that – for an artist, anything can be created and she didn’t study abstract art at some point in her life for nothing; her mom loves abstract art.

Having said that, her wide brush was dipped into her pale­paleblue then she proceeded to coat the canvas in said paint; it wasn’t that big – the canvas. It was definitely an A4 sized canvas, probably a bit wider; all in all didn’t need much paint to have it perfectly covered in the light colour.

Not like she’d know with how close-to-white this paint was.

And just like that, her mind trailed away as she switched to a different small brush, dipping the tip into soft orange – close to peach – paint. Her brush moved eloquently against the wet canvas, not even bothering to wait for the paint to dry a little.

It drew a pair of hands, a relaxed pair of hands. Bodily features or any specific physical appearance wasn’t there – all covered in that one peach tint. Pair of hands seemed to cling over nothing, desperately wanting– no, craving – something.

Pair of hands had a wobbly string across their palm, not gripping it, afraid to snap it; and so it lied gently there, waiting. Having switched to classic rose-red for said string, that same red added bruises to knuckles and more colour to the pair of soft hands. White filled the distant top background.

Switching brushes again, this time a medium one – she moved to add orange-pink for shading and defining the shapes of each finger. Then her playlist was abruptly stopped, followed by her ringtone and snapped her out of her space.

So Ah glanced down in annoyance but that was instantly replaced with new-found excited butterflies and adoration; Leon was calling her.

“Leon, hi!” Her voice came out way more overjoyed than she had intended and she was going to curse at herself but his warm laughter stopped her mean train of thought – and instead chose to blush.

“Hey, buttercup, how are you feeling?”

Man, if he was smiling right now and she wasn’t there to see it, she’d fucking fight the universe–

“Uh, better... Much better than yesterday, I guess...” She grabbed her headphones and slipped the buds in, picking up her brush to resume painting.

“You guess?” Leon questioned with an obvious precarious tone and an obvious raise of an eyebrow.

“Well... It’s not something you recover fast from, you know?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s understandable.” He hummed, “How did you like your waffles? The bakery was out of cinnamon buns today.”

A smile reached her lips as an immediate reaction to his consideration.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She shrugged as she feigned disappointment, watching how the red blended in with the skin colour she was using, “The chocolate chips were a lot less than how I’d make ‘em.”

“Are you serious? I asked for extra chocolate chips. What; didn’t satisfy your addiction?”

God damn since when did his teasing become bearable?

“It is an addiction, Leon.” She snickered at his incredulous tone, “Nothing is ever enough.”

And he laughed – which led to her covering her mouth to cage back her high-school giggles.

“Okay, okay, I – hm? Yeah, just put them there on the desk, I’ll look over them in a bit.” Leon was talking to someone else and she blinked; realizing he was at work.

“Still with me, buttercup?”

“Yeah, uhm, am I interrupting you from your work or something?” Her brush halted on the painting, anxiety beginning to ride up her back but his voice stopped it.

“No, why would you be interrupting me? I’m the one who called.” He chuckled and she could just imagine that handsome smile on his handsome face.

“Besides, I’m on my coffee break and between you and me; it’s damn boring here.”

“Oh?” She giggled, nearly letting out a sigh of relief and her brush went back to work; “More reports to fill?”

“Even worse, paperwork.” He scoffed and she knew he was rolling his eyes – who wouldn’t; “Just glad I got you now to make this more bearable.”

She laughed a little at that, red coating her cheeks but didn’t say anything, hearing back his light chuckles followed by distant squeaking chair. For a moment, no one had said anything, just finding comfort in being aware of each other’s phone presence – nowhere as good as physical ones, but it’ll do till he’s back home.

“Hey, uhm, Leon?” So Ah’s voice came out hesitant and nearly quiet – but he heard her as clear as day anyway.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Thank you for yesterday – I mean, I’m sorry you had to witness that – but I’m – well, I’m sorry for not talking to you about it and I –”

Good going, you sure got your point across.

“Hey, calm down.” His tone was gentlegentle, instantly coaxing her rambles to a stop, “You have nothing to apologize for, okay? You’ve helped me before, now it’s my turn.”

She was nearly rendered speechless at that last bit; he was referencing the night she had taken him out of his nightmare. Cheeks flushing as her eyes stung with tears – fuck, why are we crying again for?

“Yeah... I guess it is...” She couldn’t hide how her voice had cracked and felt the sudden silence on his end.

“Talk to me next time, sweetheart. I’m here for you, aren’t I? Bottling it up won’t do you any good.” Damn, with the way he was speaking, he was very convincing – and sweet.

“Mhm... I will...”

“... Pinkie promise?”

She snorted at that, wiping away a fallen tear as she giggled, “Really? It doesn’t work through the phone like that, Leon.”

Leon made a sound, similar to a breathily chuckle and an exhale, “Humour me then.”

“Alright,” She set the brush down, picking up a thinner one for final touches of white, “I pinkie promise you.”

“That...?”

She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, “That I’ll talk to you if something’s bothering me.”

“There you go. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” He snickered when he heard her huff and mutter under her breath, mimicking his voice in a half-sarcastic half-amused way.

“Before I go; Diane’s hosting a New Year’s party and she invited us,” Leon spoke and she heard paper shuffling in the back, clearly planning on getting back to work.

“Oh, did she really?” So Ah blinked, surprised that Diane took her advice before smiling faintly; proud of you, Diane – and she asked, “Are you going?”

“Only if you are.” He cheekily said before it drops to a tender tone, “I can ask for a rain-check if you don’t want to go.”

“Rain-check till when? Next year?” She joked and felt a sense of achievement when he chuckled.

“So?”

“Well... I do need to get new clothes...”

“Then we go to the mall tomorrow, though I’m sure you’d still look as adorable if you went with what you got on right now.”

“Haha.” She sarcastically laughed blankly, glancing down at her painting attire.

Same sweater as the one she wore when she and Leon had painted the wall and fluffy pants for warmth; followed by mismatched socks that she was too lazy to find the other match.

“Maybe if it was a who-can-look-homeless-the-most contest.”

His laughter filled her head the moment she had heard it, and her heart fluttered at the happy sound.

“Okay, if it’s as bad as you say it is – which I don’t believe you – we can get you something new.” He grinned – how’d she know? From his cheeky tone and charming voice, it was easy to detect.

“Hey, I gotta go.” Leon’s voice became gentler – if that was even fucking possible – and more paper was heard, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

She blinked at that last teasing bit before chuckling, setting down her brush – her painting was done, “No promises.”

He laughed – oh how she will never be able to get used to it.

“Talk to you later, buttercup.”

[shortkingvi]

How was bumbleby's first time with a strapon?

you really do attract the energy you put out into the universe 😔😔

sxhsgvdgvsdchsdv but fine,,,,,,,,,,, i'm writing a little drabble just for u anon

edit: i was halfway through writing the first version of this and it got deleted so just know this is fuelled by SO MUCH ANGER right now

blake and yang find a... very interesting shop in vacuo and take full advantage of its wares:

Vacuo was different, that was the Yang's immediate thought when the group first made it to Shade. It was unlike any other continent she had seen; there were less rules here, less expectations, less concern for the decorum and appropriateness that had plagued them in Atlas. People were more open and free here and she understood why Sun spoke so highly of it back at Beacon. So yeah, different, but not bad, and maybe better than anywhere else Yang had seen so far.

Then again, that might have something to do with the dark haired woman to her left, currently searching through a clothing rack for a more weather appropriate pair of pants.

The island had been terrifying for all of them. Monsters, beasts, Neo, had snapped at their heels the entire time they were there. More than once, they found themselves facing down the very death they had miraculously avoided when they all fell off those narrow pathways. No one was sure if they'd make it out, and it took a toll on them all.

And yet, in the midst of the monstrous, beast-filled, Neo-ness of it all, Blake and Yang managed to find their way to each other. The island was terrifying, sure, but it had also given Yang so much at the same time. She now knew the taste of Blake's lips, the feel of her soft skin against Yang's hands, the sound of her quiet moans as Yang's fingers worked patiently inside of her.

Biting the inside of her cheek to break herself out of thoughts she most definitely should not be having in the middle of a clothing store, Yang settled her palm at the small of Blake's back, leaning in close.

"You almost done?" she whispered, her lips glancing against Blake's ear with every word. "I was thinking we could head back to the room, relax for the night."

Yang felt more than saw Blake's smirk, cheek pressed against hers in an attempt to feel every inch of her she could.

"Relax, huh?" Blake teased. "I was actually planning on getting some exercise in. A little cardio, if you're interested in helping out with that."

Nipping at Blake's ear, Yang sent her away and towards the storefront with a swat on her ass. Blake paid quickly, tossing some lien onto the counter without waiting for her change and pulling Yang out the door.

They walked through the main square quickly, tracing the increasingly familiar path back towards Shade in their haste and excitement. Yang found it hard to focus on much aside from Blake's swaying hips just a few steps ahead of her, but a brightly lit storefront suddenly caught her eye.

Yang came to a stop, reaching out and catching Blake's hand in her metal one before she could lose her in the crowd; The White Rabbit, the sign read, illuminated in neon reds and yellows. Yang studied the shop, chewing on the end of her nail as she peered through the window. It was covered by dark red velvet, hiding what was inside and making Yang want to find out.

"Yang, what are you doing?" Blake asked, squeezing her hand a couple of times to get her attention.

"Nothing, I just... I think Coco was telling me about this place. She didn't tell me what it was though, just that you and I might like it. I kinda wanna check it out."

"Yang, have you forgotten what we were all but running to go do just a minute ago?"

Yang sighed, weighing her options and somehow deciding on the one that wouldn't be getting her laid within the next half hour. "Yeah I know, but we still have plenty of time. Come on, just a quick stop. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

Looking up to the sky for a moment - probably wondering what gods had cursed her with such an infuriating girlfriend - Blake relented, letting Yang tug through the dark oak door and into the shop.

Stepping into the dimly lit space, it took Yang a moment to figure out where they were. Her first thought was that it was another clothing shop, with bras and panties and some very revealing nightwear lining the front of the store. Just as Yang turned to study the walls, she heard Blake let out a gasp and dropped her hand.

"Yang, are you kidding me? This is a sex shop!"

Feeling her face flush scarlet, Yang realized exactly what sinister trap Coco had joyfully let her walk into. Yang tried desperately to settle her eyes on something that would bring her temperature down, but it seemed that every place she looked was designed specifically to make her crave the sweet release of death.

There were things she had never seen before, in all shapes, sizes, and colours, and she didn't know where she would start even if she was familiar with... these kinds of wares.

"Blake," she started. "Nothing you can say to me in this moment will be any more torture than what I'm feeling myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the corner beating myself to death with my own arm."

Turning to finally make eye contact with her girlfriend, who she had pretending was invisible up to this moment, she found her a few paces away, studying a small bottle on a shelf.

Yang gaped. "Blake! You're browsing? Here?"

Turning to look over her shoulder, Blake bit her lip, any previous reservations she might have had completely gone, it seemed. "I mean, if we're here, and our earlier plans still stand, we might as well make the most out of an interesting situation. Look, they have flavoured lube!"

"Okay, first of all, I don't need any help getting you wet. Second, cherry is a horrible flavour. And third, you do realize Coco will never let us live this down right?"

"Relax, I wasn't buying it. And, respectfully, fuck Coco. If she wants to play ball like this, we're gonna make sure she hears it. Her room is connected to ours, isn't it?"

Running her hands over her face, Yang studied her girlfriend in disbelief. Blake was many things, but predictable was not one of them.

"Alright, fine." she said, slinging an arm over Blake's shoulder. "Lead the way, you."

Together, they walked further into the shop, waving off the clerk when she asked if they needed any help. They studied the walls, which boasted about every sex toy one could imagine. She was overwhelmed, if she was being honest, unsure where to start and not wanting to make the wrong decision for their first purchase as a couple.

Just as Yang was ready to give up and head home, make use of the hands and mouth that hadn't failed her yet, she heard Blake let out a gentle "oh!" from the next aisle over. Turning the corner, she found the dark haired girl holding a medium sized box in her hands. Yang stepped closer, hooking her chin over Blake's shoulder and peering at the words scrawled across the white surface.

Realfeel Dildo with Authentic Leather Harness, the label read. Yang's eyes widened with every word hands tightening against Blake's hips.

Finding her voice, Yang swallowed before beginning to speak. "Do you- is this the one?" Not trusting herself to say anything further, she looked to Blake for an answer.

"Yeah, I do." Blake replied, turning in Yang's grip so they were face to face. "It's... it's a strap on, but it's some new technology that'll let you feel everything that, um, that it feels."

"Oh, it'll let me feel everything? And why do you assume I'll be the one wearing it?"

"You've got the core strength for it. And you called me a pillow princess once so I'm cashing in on that, you bitch."

Laughing quietly, Yang leaned in and caught Blake's lips in a gentle kiss. They drank each other in for a few moments, box held between them as their lips moved together, not in any of the rush they were in earlier.

Pulling away from each other - it could have been seconds, minutes, hours, longer even - they shared a smile.

"Then let's get it," Yang said, taking the box from Blake. "I can't wait to fuck up Coco's night with this one."

[kyotakumrau]

2021.04.06 a talk event at Meguro Rock-May-Kan film screening at Namba Hatch with Kyo and Shinya - PART 2

Report by とあ on twitter (topics are not reported in order things happened, I followed the order they posted, 1st and 2nd session are mixed)

"What is Shinya's hair colour called? Is it okay to copy you [and dye my hair the same colour]?"

Shinya: Violet rose.

Fujieda: How about copying?

Shinya: It's fine.

Kyo: ... Violet rose?! It's called violet rose? (laughing)

Fujieda: It's sounds like a song title.

Kyo: Like our next song? Doesn't sound exciting at all (laughing).

Kyo: Did you name it Violet rose yourself?

Shinya: No, when I requested pink shade I got this colour, when I asked what colour is it I got told it's Violet rose.

Kyo: It's not pink at all.

"Which place is painful to get tattooed on?"

Kyo: It's said that the hand's palm and back of the foot. The one on this hand was done by the person who did the tattoo on my back, but she lives in Germany. She told me it's easy for the colour to fade on the palm. That's why she told me she will use an ink that's not approved in Japan but will not fade, and she did it for me.

Fujieda: It's really not fading.

Kyo: That's why she used some weird ink. Suspicious one, with something bad for people in it.

There are four small tattoos on this hand

(during this talk Kyo was showing his palm almost all the time)

Shift of conversation to the topic of tattooing a giraffe on Fujieda's back.

Kyo: A giraffe going all over your back to your thighs.

Fujieda: And the head would be on the neck?

Kyo: No, on the shoulder. So when you move your arm the giraffe's head would move as well. If I had a machine I could do it on you.

Fujieda: When there's a chance.

Kyo: Eh, if there's a machine?

(*there's a brilliant word play here with 機械・machine and 機会・opportunity both being read as 'kikai'🤣)

Kyo: Then I'm going to get the machine and tattoo you. Using that not approved ink from Germany.

Fujieda: No no no, we're talking about different 'kikai'.

Fujieda: "I'm in trouble eating too much. What should I do?"

Kyo: Eat!

"What do you drink when you wake up?"

Shinya: Cola.

"What lip balm do you use?"

Kyo: Cola flavour.

"A drink you like"

Kyo: Ehm... Dekavita, Oronamin C, things like that. But it's not good to drink those too much.

"Favorite chocolate sweets"

Kyo: Ehm... there are too many. ...Ah, but I love cheap sweets.

"When you eating a candy do you suck it till the end or do you crunch it?

Kyo: I crunch it from the start.

"Your favorite Japanese sweets"

Shinya: Ichigo daifuku (rice cake with a strawberry)

"Anything special about Namba Hatch, first time in a while?"

Shinya: Not really. First time since we played here and not for a show. It's feels quite empty.

Kyo: I have something I buy every time I come to Osaka, but I'm annoyed because they weren't sold. Half of me is made of sweets! I always buy 3 or 4 flavours of Curl before going back but I couldn't find them.

(*Curl is a corn puff snack)

Kyo: I never talk to the shop clerk, but this time I checked the shop few times and couldn't find it so I asked. I got told they only have cheese flavour so I got it and left.

Kyo: But don't send me Curl. It'd be troublesome to start receiving so many Curl packs. I'd get them myself.

Before I bought 4 packs to take home but by the time I was home I only had one left.

"What type of dogs do you like?"

Kyo: It's a secret. You'll know eventually.

Shinya: small dogs.

"What colours do you like besides members colours?"

Takavayashi: How were those colours decided? By the hair colour?

Kyo: That's what I think?

Shinya: They were decided without my knowledge.

Takabayashi: it's pink for you, right? Although it doesn't really match you?

What colour do you like best?

Shinya: Black.

(two if them look at each other in silence and laugh)

Takabayashi: How about you Kyo?

Kyo: Pink!

"Merchandise item you like"

Shinya: I guess the travel pouch.

Fujieda: Are you using it?

Shinya: Today I brought a smaller one.

Fujieda: Eh? You use it...

Kyo: He said he doesn't. The size is wrong.

Fujieda: Btw where's your bag from?

Shinya: It's from MUJI.

Fujieda: How was the hot pack? It's warm!

Handed it to Kyo

Kyo: Yeah, it's warm... but it was supposed to be released last time.

Fujieda: Eh? Saying that does it mean it was your idea??!

Kyo: Yup. Actually I wanted to have it last year, last year end was cold right? But the design wasn't done in time.

That's why it didn't come that time, just now. Niw it's not needed anymore. ...I hope you can use it next winter.

(*aaaaah so that's why he was poking at Fujieda so much about it☹️ it'd have been great last December!😆 but it'd definitely be useful next winter!!😊)

Fujieda: That's true, let's use it next winter. And it can also be used as a power bank so that can be used now.

Power strip.

Fujieda: Before this event Shinya was using this backstage. There aren't enough outlets backstage.

Kyo: Lol... is there really that few outlets backstage?

Fujieda: Well... not that few. But he was using it.

Kyo: Huhm.

Kyo (looks at Shinya): what is that, drawn on it?

Shinya got the power strip in his hands.

Shinya: That is cats who got electrocuted.

Kyo: Those are cats? Why cats?

Shinya: Who knows.

Fujieda: But isn't it cute?

Kyo: Yup, ...I guess it is.

Kyo likes the hoodie.

Kyo: The design in the back was drawn by the person who is my tattoo artist after I asked.

Fujieda: Why a hoodie?

Kyo: Eh?If its something to use it at home... you can't use a heat pack at home. Only a loony would use a heat pack at home. It's better to just turn on the heating. So it'd be crazy to use heat packs at home.

Kyo: and then you also won't use the pass case. And no use for the travel pouch at home nor the sticker...

Fujieda: What about the tote bag? Shinya is using it, for his shoes etc.

Shinya: I'm using it. I didn't bring it today though.

"In an old interview you said that because you couldn't afford to stay in a hotel you slept in the car and thought of sleeping position like yoga, what kind of position was it?"

Kyo: I said that?

Takabayashi: In a magazine interview I think? Didn't you said you didn't stay in a hotel?

Kyo: Saying I slept in the car, it must have been when traveling?

Kyo: You're sitting, right? There's someone next to you so totally no space. Saying it's like yoga, so like this, your head goes down and your legs go up, kinda have to turn around

Shinya: I thought then Kyo had a great idea, when I tried it, it was comfortable.

Kyo: I've put a plastic box in the legs and used it for my head, rose my legs, like L shape.

Fujieda: Is that really comfortable?

Kyo: Yup.

Takabayashi: There won't be any swelling, if you raise your legs.

Kyo: But in the past, when we got to the venue I was in that position some fan suddenly opened our car's door. I was so upset she saw the L shape position.

Fujieda: It's also hard to believe someone would just suddenly open your car door.

"How do you like your meat cooked?"

Kyo: rary rare

Fujieda: You mean to grill it only a little bit? Like sizzle siz..done?

Kyo: Yup.

Fujieda: How about you Shinya?

Shinya: Medium rare.

Kyo: You don't eat Yukhoe? (*dish similar to tartare steak)

Kyo: Isn't it rary rare?

Shinya: But that's special.

"A song you just hum"

Kyo: the '♪gohan ga susumu gohan ga susumu♪' one

"Do you look at the needle when you get an injection?"

Kyo: Fixedly. I also watch when I'm getting tattooed.

"You should know that ZARAME DONUTS bacon donuts will come back, so don't worry."

Kyo: .......? What? How do you know that?

Fujieda: When we were in Nagoya we got told the same. That for now they are gone but they will be available again.

Kyo: Uhm... Who are they? Why do they know this? Are you the shop's spy or something??

"A vegetable you like"

Kyo: what spring veg are there?

Fujieda: Bamboo shoots and so on.

Kyo: Bamboo shoots!

"What are you into right now."

Kyo: Sneakers and Bugs Bunny.

Fujieda: Batsu Bani?!

Kyo: Batsu Bani lol

Fujieda: What's that? Batsu Bani?

Kyo: It's a character...

Fujieda: Eh? Do you know it?

Takabayashi: Of course.

Fujieda: Batsu Bani... I have no idea. I didn't bring my phone so I can't check... What kind of character is it?

Kyo: I said.

Fujieda: Baksu Bani?? ...ah! Bunny! It's a rabbit?

"What fabric softener do you use?"

Shinya: No preference. Something smooth

Takabayashi: Not the pods?

Shinya: No. Water... should rather say liquid.

Takabayashi: I'll look for it next time.

Kyo: Any softener would be okay for me, but there's Fafa, isn't the bear super cute? Have you seen that commercial? Where the bear falls on the towels. It's very cute. Watch it. It's on the net. It makes me feel better even when I'm irritated.

Fujieda: So at the moment you like two characters, FaFa bear and Bugs Bunny.... !!! Bugs Bunny! You meant Bugs Bunny!

Kyo: You finally got it 😆