#restaurant freebies

[restauranthistorian]

Free birthday cake!

A trip to Maine to celebrate two birthdays (not mine) got me thinking about how restaurants observe these events with customers. [above: at Wolfie’s, Miami, 1986] The custom of restaurants recognizing birthdays with songs, cakes, fancy drinks, free dinners, and serenades took hold in the 1960s. It’s unclear whether it had anything to do with an IRS decision ca. 1959 not to charge a cabaret tax…

[clownboybebop]

the federal government should beg my unmerciful dick/balls for the previlege of providing a generous lifelong stipend so I can hone my untamed stallion intellect and my tasteful yet classic “mad libs” approach to human communication and work all day thinking of ideas that no one else in the world could or would want to possibly conceptualize, in the hopes that I someday I’ll start planning an elaborate bit that will just happen to be the key to fixing (joker voice) society.

[creaturepower]

Supposed to be doing this reading chart for my research methods class and i am straight up not. I decided instead to order garlic noodles and sit on this fucking website

[perfectlyironpeach]

Ultimate Birthday Freebies 🎂List - Must Watch & Save

[peepshow321]

TaskRaccoon Premium: Chapter 1

Josh was at a dead end. For years he had put his entire focus and energy on his education and studies, above his social life, his health, and his finances. He came top of his class in History and Classics and so in his head all that hard l work had paid off, but now that he had graduated... what was next? His classmates had swanned off into internships and graduate programmes, but Josh found himself in the summer after graduating with no job, no prospects and, most importantly, no money.

Josh's parents had supported him throughout his further education, but now that he was back home they decided to treat Josh like an adult. And that meant rent. Josh balked at the suggestion, but his parents were adamant and so Josh found himself on the job hunt.

This proved trickier than Josh anticipated. Turns out the local libraries and bookshops didn't care about his top degree; they wanted experience. And as Josh lowered his sights to restaurants, cafes, even the bowling alley, he found himself receiving the same feedback.

Needing to save making cash quick, a sympathetic interviewer told Josh to pick up the odd job on TaskRaccoon - an app where Josh could choose to help people with tasks like moving furniture, watering plants, doing shopping in exchange for a small fee. It wasn't perfect, especially as Josh didn't really have the build or inclination for manual jobs, and Josh often found himself doing jobs he never expected while at school. But over time Josh felt an unexpected satisfaction with earning a buck and paying his parents. So much so that Josh had bigger aspirations - moving out of his parents place.

That, of course, required money. And while Josh worked hard with the TaskRaccoon jobs he was given, he needed something more.

On a random Tuesday afternoon, a solution seemed to land out of nowhere on Josh's TaskRaccoon app: TaskRaccoon Premium. Out of nowhere, Josh's app pop-up with a link to a Premium version of the app. It was an additional service where workers such as Josh would get a boosted fee for the same types of tasks plus, according to the app, receive "all the skills and know-how to complete the task to perfection." Josh figured that last bit was maybe the app providing how-to guides on how to complete the more common tasks, which he took as a nice freebie.

To lure users in, there was even an offer - sign-up to TaskRaccoon Premium, perform a randomly assigned task, and receive double the boosted fee. Josh had done his fair share of the most common tasks on the app already (walk my dog, assemble my shelves, do my groceries) so figured it was well worth his while to take the gamble. And so Josh bit the bullet, sign up for a Premium account, and waited to be given his first random task.

Without any pause and without any fanfare, Josh's first random task appeared: "I need someone to clean my pool". Josh groaned; it wasn't the first time he had seen a pool cleaning request but it was one he always chose to ignore because he felt he didn't have any of the right equipment and would have no idea where to start. And while this new Premium version had offered access to "skills and know-how", there only thing on the app was an address. Josh couldn't even see an option to cancel.

Josh wavered, but as he saw the blue sky outside and remembered the promise of a doubled fee, he decided to go for it. He could rake some leaves out of a pool easily enough. The address was only a 15 minute drive away, so Josh grabbed the keys to his mum's sedan and got going.

It felt good to be outside and Josh enjoyed the sunny drive. So much so that he didn't notice his mum's humble car begin to change. The front section became blockier and more basic, her touchscreen sat nav becoming an older model. The seats and interior decor became faded, and Josh had to readjust his seating position as the car seemed to somehow lift off the ground. The steering wheel grew in size and, to match it, bizarrely, so did Josh's hands. Without warning, Josh's pale hands began to darken in complexion and as they grasped the now-rough wheel Josh didn't notice the veins that ran down with now lean and well-rounded hands.

Josh pulled up to a red light, momentarily confused about how he seemed to sit above the surrounding cars. He also felt cramped in the car and realised that his seat was pushed up way too far. He, a bit embarrassingly, was the same height as his mum so he never normally had to adjust the seat, but as he pushed the seat back he realised just how much he needed to stretch out his legs. As the light turned to green, he was oblivious to his jeans riding up and becoming a loose pair of swimming shorts, revealing his now lengthy and toned legs, feathered with dark hair.

Josh pulled up at the designated address shortly after, a sizeable house in a nice neighbourhood. As he got of the car, he was for a moment confused by his need to climb out of the car and then felt off balance when he landed on the tarmac. Before he could interrogate any further though, he looked in surprise at the pick-up truck boot filled with pool cleaning gear. A voice in the back of Josh's mind told him to panic - why the hell did he suddenly have all this gear - but remembering that he had a job to do Josh collected the gear and approached the house. Josh stopped en route to take his jumper off to enjoy the warm sun, not noticing the way his new well-fitted tank top which hung closely to his chest and showed off his slightly more toned arms or the darker shade of his skin...

Josh carried the gear with surprising ease to the front door, and was warmly welcomed by a middle-aged women who introduced herself as Beth. Beth showed Josh to her garden where a medium-sized pool sat, clearly long overdue a clean. Josh thanked Beth, pausing a little at the vague lilt coming out of his month. Was it just him, or just his voice sound deeper...

Josh got to work. The pool needed much more than just some leaves removed but with every task, Josh found himself instinctively knowing what to do. Which pump to use, when to apply chemicals, how to get the pH levels perfect, it all just flooded into Josh's mind. And he was surprised at how flexible he was at reaching all the right places - Josh didn't love manual jobs but he almost felt like his reach had gotten better. It was hot work though and Josh removed his baseball hat and towelled his brow and face, briefly feeling unfamiliar stubble on his face and thick short locks of hair on his scalp.

It wasn't long before Josh has completed his job, a sense of pride sweeping over him as he stared into the now pristine waters. That pride however quickly morphed into confusion as he gazed at the reflection in the shimmering water. Maybe it was distorted, but there was no way that that tall, dark reflection could be him. He was shirt, slender, pale, wasn't he?

He dropped his net and stared at his hands. His suddenly thick, dark hands. Josh began to breath sharply as he noticed just how high up he was, that he was in an outfit that he had never bought, and that his short, pale self had seemingly been replaced with a tanned, lean body.

As Josh was clutching at his newly stubbled face and grasping at the space where his small paunch should be, Beth came out with a pitcher of cool lemonade. Josh spun around in panic, and before Beth could say anything he muttered "lo siento" and ran back to his car.

Josh stopped sharply outside as he stared at the beaten up pick up truck outside Beth's drive, a truck that sat where he thought his mum's sedan should be. A truck that keys in his pocket unlocked. Breathing deeply, and trying his best not to panic, he clampered into the car and pulled down the mirror, staring at the unfamiliar dark eyes that stared back at him. Dark eyes amongst a handsome face, with a strong chin covered in thick but trimmed stubble and framed by dark, tightly curled locks. "What the fuck" Josh uttered, eyes widening at the accented deep voice that emerged.

Josh explored his tightly muscled body now covered in a light sweat when his phone pinged. He unlocked it - the phone recognised his face even if Josh didn't - and the TaskRaccoon app popped up, showing a task completed and $500 dollars deposited in his account.

But what kept Josh's eye though were the other task options appearing. There were more pool cleaning jobs, but also other tasks ranging from moving furniture, plumbing, and even covering people's work shifts. Josh noted that there was an option to cancel his "Premium" membership, but some of the fees weren't to be sniffed at. His breathing calmed down and Josh sat into his car seat, and pondered his options.

To be continued...

****

Hi all!

Some of you may have seen this story on other sites, but I'm bringing it to Tumblr for the first time and with pics! There will also be some small tweaks as I post over the next few weeks.

As always, welcome any feedback or chats!

[cup1d-7]

thinking about dilf!osamu as always :(

just imagine, dilf!osamu who has his eyes set on one particular pretty little regular, who always finds their way into onigiri miya every saturday night like clockwork. coming in before the masses of drunkards just so they we can have a chat with him before the chaos ensues. not that he minds, oh god no, how could he?

dilf!osamu would close the shop early if it meant you would sit in that barstool by the counter, your tits pushed together by your arms, and bat those innocent eyes at him. (he also would close it to shove his cock down your throat)

dilf!osamu who knows your order off by heart, and always throws in a little freebie weather it be a flavor you’ve never tried or a small mochi his daughter made for him.

dilf!osamu who eventually gets tired of the back and forth, desperately needing to fuck you see you outside of the restaurant! so he makes a plan, the next time you come into the restaurant he’ll throw his number in the bag too…or he’ll just ask straight out?

dilf!osamu who nearly keels over when he sees you walk into the restaurant the following saturday, in a tiny little outfit that leaves next to nothing to the imagination. he swallows hard as he looks you up and down, his voice coming out a lot more hoarse then he wanted it to.

“hey osamu~” you purred at him, and he genuinely thinks he creamed his pants a little like a pathetic teenager. for crying out loud the man is twice your age, you shouldn’t be having this effect on him!

but…when you sit down in your usual spot, leaning over the counter to talk to him, it clicks. you knew exactly what you were doing.

dilf!osamu who listens to you chatter on and on about your night, everything going in one ear and out the other. he doesn’t mean to! really he doesn’t..it’s just so hard when your talking to animatedly..and your tits keep jumping at him, basically calling him to his doom like a siren.

dilf!osamu who only snaps out of it when you call his name, tilting your head to the side with an innocent look on your face, if he was paying attention he would notice the small smirk forming.

you have him right where you want him.

dilf!osamu who says fuck it and leans over, smashing his lips against yours in a all too messy, yet very heated, kiss. the sheer desperation behind the kiss is enough to let a whimper slip through your lips as you grip osamu like he’s your life line, practically climbing over the counter to be impossibly closer to him.

dilf!osamu breaks the kiss first, both of you panting slightly as your eyes mirror each other, lust blown and hungry.

“fuck, m’sorry.. i got carried away i should’ve-”

you cut him off swiftly with a giggle, a sound that causes osamus hips to buck into the air, his cock twitching in his pants.

“i was hopin’ you’d do it before i had to”

you grin up at him, spreading your legs slightly as you fix your position, sitting on the edge of the counter facing him.

oh he is so fucked.

—

pt 2

an, i literally wrote this for my bsf because we’re mourning this one osamu fic we read, so i had to try lift out moods!

[ioniansunsets]

I'm so curious how Christmas would go with each one of the heartsteel and what they would give us!

✖ Heartsteel Gifts + Christmas Date ✖

✖ Word Count: 1.5k

✖ Tags: Established R/S

✖ A/N: This year there's a party at the Riot Music HQ and all the boys are invited to join with their partners heheheh its 8am did I spend the last 12h brainstorming and writing this? Yes. Not proofread. I am closing my eyes and enjoying my x'mas date and party wwwww ---- Shieda Kayn

The only time he wakes up bright and early. The second the sun rises he is up and waking You up as well.

Excited man child. Kayn would be the kind of guy that might dye his hair red and green instead just to enjoy the festivities. Paired with a full black Santa outfit that matches yours (he bought it for you).

Bringing you out to have a nice lunch with his dad before going on a shopping spree with you in town. Kayn’s Christmas plans for you both are non-stop activities from snowball fights to ice skating, before ending with a nice gathering at the main studio with the Heartsteel members, other Riot Music stars and some staff.

Kayn wouldn’t really have Christmas gifts planned for you, an impulsive lover he would just buy and give you whatever the moment he sees it. So when it came to Christmas itself, it was more on a gift that he spotted a little over a week ago that he thought would be perfect for you.

Wrapped surprisingly well in fancy paper and a cute bow he’d hand you a small box. It was matching rings with him. Not like fancy marriage or anything. Just fashion jewelry that had gems in your favourite color. Not to mention it might…have been something…he stole from his stylists last photoshoot… Let’s not make eye contact with them over by the snack table yeah?

Ezreal

Ez wakes up at a reasonable time around breakfast. But spends at least an hour just snuggling with you in his arms as he uses his phone to check up on social media. Humming Christmas tunes as he presses his cheek into you.

When he finally gets up, he drags you up along with him, getting ready by finding fashionable matching outfits for a date out in town. He was Ezreal after all. It was a day full of influencer brand deal Christmas parties that he was fully intending to milk for their freebies.

Branded bags, perfume, fancy lunch at a restaurant, caroling and then even more free facial products and clothes. Both your hands were full of PR goodie bags by the time you two had to leave for the Riot Music party.

Ezreal would have entirely forgotten about your present. Not that he forgot to buy it. But he forgot to bring it. Awkward laughing as he gives you shitty excuse after shitty excuse to try and slip away from you before the party. He finally manages to sprint/blink back home to pick up the fancy paper bag he had hidden under the bed for over a month.

Handing it to you with a smile as sweat drips down his brow. Ezreal sheepishly laughs as he watches you open it. A pair of sunglasses that not only match his but have both your names engraved on each arm. A unique and expensive gift that will no doubt remind you of him and tell others just who your boyfriend is.

Sett

Sett would be up early. Wanting to cook some of Ma’s signature family recipes. Making things to bring to Christmas dinner for the party with the Riot Music idols and staff later at night. He’d tries his best not to wake you though, so it is the warm smell of delicious food that pulls you out of bed after him shortly after.

He wouldn’t have planned a super eventful day, going to gym early before you woke, cooking things and packing them, getting dressed before going out with you. Hanging out at the studio with you in his arms as the two of you chat and catch up with friends. Its warm and homey the kind of feeling where old friends are just catching up with each other after a hectic year.

Helping to set up the party, Sett would pick you up to reach the top of the tree. Putting the star up. Decorating the walls and doors. Sneaking you off into the break room to snack on a homemade meal he made just for the two of you for lunch.

When it comes to gifts, Sett has this planned for months. Asking mom for help as he worked on it himself slowly in his free time between shows. Smiling proud as he hands it to you over lunch. He spent countless hours making a hand-bound scrapbook of all your dates for the year, receipts, memories, polaroids, ticket stubs, handwritten reviews on what he loved about each date as well as cute memos on your outfits too. Messy drawings and loving hearts drawn around you two. It was a sweet summary of the year to keep as memories for you both.

Aphelios

Staying up late the previous night, Aphelios would sleep in on Christmas morning, a soft mumble as he hugs you close in the cool weather. Pulling the sheets up high, making sure the two of you stayed warm in bed.

Only as hunger starts to catch up does he finally languidly get up from bed. The hustle and bustle outside from Sett cooking something paired with screams of kids in the streets finally forces him to wake. Pouting the whole time as he holds you tight

Disgruntled murmurs, all Aphelios wants to do on the holiday is to rest. Always up late working he just wanted to hold you in his arms as he lazes around until obligations catch up to him and that’s what he does. Offering to have a movie marathon with you. Raspy laughter as he wraps the both of you up in blankets. Inviting you to get comfy as he goes out to make the both of you hot chocolate.

Aphelios’ gift was something he spent a long time stressing over. It had to be perfect. It had to be something that you wouldn’t get for yourself. And so this is what he ended up with. A pair of headphones the exact same as his with the nifty little ability to share the same audio source he was listening to. Placing them gently on your head as he turns on the movie for the day.

When the two of you left for the party. It was his arm around your side his head resting gently against yours in the cab as Aphelios’ music gently plays in your ears. His fingers tapping on your side in beat as the two of you listen in together.

Yone

It was one of the few times that Yone actually gets to spend time at home with his brother, so when Christmas rolls around you were invited to come live with him at his old place in the suburbs. Chilling with him in the comfort of his old room as he shows you things around his place.

His Christmas plans included more mundane things, spending breakfast with you and Yasuo. Going out for a walk in the nearby park to see the Christmas decorations, bringing you out for lunch at places he used to frequent in his youth. As the sun begins to set the two of you set off for the party.

Showing up with drinks and gifts for everyone in Heartsteel. Yone ushers you in and settles his commitments before returning to your side shortly after. Holding up a small fancy gift bag, Yone awkwardly hands you the gift.

Pulling it out you see a wooden beaded bracelet made of a few different colored woods. Alternating into a beautiful pattern. As Yone helps put it around your wrist he brings up how he spent the time away from you hand carving each beat himself. Wanting to give you something to show how he is always thinking of you and how dedicated he was to his one and only lover.

K'Sante

K’Sante wakes up bright and early, excitedly waking you too. Telling you he has a day full of surprises planned and wants to make sure you’re ready for it. Breakfast in bed, fancy new outfit picked out for you already in your favorite colors. A secret schedule and cheeky smile as he leads you out to town.

Bringing you to the Christmas market, everything is on him. He tells you to buy what you want, eat what you want, he’d pay for it all. Pampering you with snacks and trinkets. Also assuring you that this isn’t his Christmas gift for you. It was simply something he felt like you deserved this holiday.

So when it came time to leave for the dinner party, the two of your were parked outside the studio for a little while. Finally, he uncovers the huge, well wrapped, present that had been sitting in the back the whole time.

A Christmas gift? More like Christmas gifts. K’Sante went all out giving you a whole hamper of things he thought of buying for you over the months. Fluffy bath robes, a silk mask, new skincare, a spa voucher, lotions, a new wallet and bag, tickets to a concert the two of you wanted to go as well as a matching reservation for dinner during the new years. He was your man, and no partner of his was going to not get a full self care package.

----

BONUS

Alune

A manager through and through. Alune would have a fun day of activities planned out for the two of you. Laughing happily as she helps tie a scarf around your neck that suspiciously looks not only hand knitted but also exactly like the one she has around her neck right now that you may or may not have mentioned finding it cute a while back when winter first rolled around.

The day is filled with cute things, ornament making, ice skating, a snowball fight with her brother and the kids in the neighborhood that ends in her laughing and hiding behind you as you get pelted with snow. All sweet winter memories that you two look back on.

As it nears lunch, you and Alune go on a double date lunch with Aphelios and his partner at a small cafe a few streets down. Reserving a specially ordered mini log cake that she takes photos of excitedly before sharing it with you.

Leaving for party later the two of you dress up in matching winter coats. Alune bashfully admitting to you finally that she spent the past month learning how to knit to make you a scarf. Hiding her face in hers slowly as she speaks, telling you how she wasn’t always the best at crafts and stuff but wanted to get you something that would smell like her and remind you of her so she ended up with this.

Reaching out to hold the back edge of the scarf up to your face, ignoring the slightly misaligned stitches, you see a heart with your initials next to hers. Giggling softly yet again as she looks at you, Alune tells you how she knows its kinda cheesy, but stuff like that were back in trend now anyways right?

[vintagelasvegas]

State Line Chevron & Bar, c. 1960s Whiskey Pete's restaurant, State Line (Primm), Nevada, 1983

 When U.S. Route 91 was established in the 1920s along the Nevada-California border, "Whiskey Pete" McIntyre opened the State Line service station. McIntyre was believed to be a bootlegger, he once shot a man at the station, spent time in a sanatorium, and was buried on the property when he died.

The property changed hands after McIntyre and was still just a gas station when it was bought by gaming pioneer Ernest Primm. Primm acquired 750 acres around the state border, some under the Federal Land Grant Act. He filed water rights with the Bureau of Land Management and tended barley fields on the property for three years to satisfy requirements for ownership.

Primm opened Whiskey Pete's in '77, a European castle-themed casino with a 12-room motel, and a coffee shop. A hotel tower was added in the 80s. The business passed on to son Gary, whose Primadonna Resorts (aka Primm Valley Resorts) opened Primadonna and Buffalo Bill’s casinos in the 90s.

The exact location of Whiskey Pete's burial had been lost. Workers grading a railroad track linking the resorts in '94 accidentally uncovered his coffin and remains.

"The tractor caught the edge of the box and the skull popped out," said the project manager Bruce Sedlacek. "There was Whiskey Pete staring at us."

The legend of Whiskey Pete says that on his deathbed Pete made a request: "Bury me up on the hill, standing up facing the valley so I can see all those sons of bitches goin' by." Sedlacek said the coffin was about 80 percent intact and buried at an angle to the highway, rather than "standing up." The remains were moved to another burial site on the property.

The name "State Line" was commonly used, but never an official designation. (Elsewhere in Nevada, “Stateline” in Douglas County had already a designated place for decades.) Board members for Primadonna Resorts Inc. lobbied the Nevada State Board of Geographical Names, and the U.S. Board, to change the name of the area to Primm. It officially became Primm on 10/10/96.

Postcard & photo from Felix Lenox, Nevada Armored Transport. Photo below, 2001, by Jeff Green.

“I remember as a kid visiting Whiskey Pete's grave site up on the hill. That would have been in the late '40s. A few of the old timers attended his burial. Many were railroaders and 31 Club. They would get together on Sunday for a drive and picnic. That would have been one of them. Whiskey Pete was a Bootlegger, no doubt about that. Some of the old time railroaders dropped whiskey off to him. They referred to the Federal Agents as ‘Pro Hi's.’” - Charles Musser to Vintage Las Vegas, 12/20/2024.

Note: Las Vegas Post 8 of the American Legion formed the "31 Club" circa '51, comprised of members who had lived in Las Vegas since '31 or prior.

Below: Unverified photo of Whiskey Pete's grave site, posted by Bill and Eileen to Findagrave.com on 11/08/2011.

Sources include: Whiskey Pete McIntyre faces charge. Review-Journal, 3/26/31; Whiskey Pete Is Freed of Insanity Count. Review-Journal, 10/15/32; Whiskey Pete Can Stand in Grave in Peace. Review-Journal, 2/10/41; Strip City Between Here, Los Angeles is Proposed. Review-Journal, 3/31/54; R. Cornett. Duel in the desert just a family feud. Review-Journal, 9/16/84 p1; D. Palermo. Remains of Whiskey Pete Found. Review-Journal, 2/5/94; Primadonna Resorts, Inc. and subsidiaries. SEC.; Ed Vogel. Primm is prime candidate for State Line name. Review-Journal, 1/18/96; John. L. Smith. Company calls Primm a proper name for State Line. Review-Journal, 1/19/96; Ed Vogel. Primm finally proper. Review-Journal, 10/11/96; Don Catlin. The Lottery Book: The Truth Behind the Numbers. Bonus Books, 2003; L. Benston. Primm's Lure: Freebies. Las Vegas Sun, 7/2/2009.

Updated 12/20/2024

[dewdrops-whammy-bar]

Tenth Drink Free

Chapter 1/10: Heart 1721 words

Dewdrop is a barista in a college town. He’s sworn off romance for the time being- he doesn’t have time for it. He’s an adult with a job, he doesn’t have time for dating and inevitable heartbreak. Until a hot nursing student with an ass to rival the gods walks in. Oh fuck. And he’s got puppy eyes. Oh FUCK. A story told in the space of nine coffee shop purchases and a freebie.

Behold, the quinessential (no pun intended) coffee shop au that every fanfic author writes eventually. I need hot nursing student Aether and pathetic sopping wet barista Dew to have gay t4t sex.

I don't have a set upload schedule but if you want to be added to a taglist lmk in the comments!

Read below or on AO3!

Dew cracks open his energy drink with his teeth as his other hand haphazardly pulls his apron over his head. The strap catches on the butterfly clip holding his hair back and yanks it out of place. Dew hisses in pain as it tugs on his hair and manages to catch it before it hits the floor.

“Hungover again?” Cirrus asks sympathetically as she passes with a tray of pastries. Dew grunts and shakes his head.

“Nah. Couldn’t sleep.” It’s only semi-true, he’d in fact been having a marathon of 80s horror movies. He’d awoken to Rain slinking out of his room at 11 to make coffee, leaving only thirty minutes to throw on clean clothes before he had to be at work. Luckily the little cafe tucked between a furniture store and a Mediterranean restaurant was only a fifteen minute walk from his apartment. The benefits of living in a college town, he supposes.

“I can let you off early so you can go home for a nap,” Cirrus offers. “Tuesdays are slow in the afternoons anyway.”

“That would be amazing, thanks Cir.” Dew sighs and takes a sip of his energy drink. He bends the tab of the can up, clamps it between his teeth, and pulls his hair back. Wrapping it into a loose bun, he secures it with the butterfly clip and retrieves his can from its precarious position.

“You’re gonna chip a tooth like that,” Swiss provides unhelpfully from his place at the sink. “And god knows if the dental insurance here will cover that.”

“I’ll be fine.” Dew rolls his eyes. “Focus on those muffin pans, dish boy.”

Swiss flips him a soapy middle finger, but Dew has turned and walked out of the kitchen by then. He downs about half of his red bull, stifles a burp behind his hand, and taps Aurora out at the register.

“Ohhh, thank god.” Rory sighs, dropping her customer service face. “There were two Karens half an hour ago. One right after the other. Fuckin’ exhausting.” Her bright pink lipstick is slightly smeared, evidence of her bad habit of chewing on her lips. “I need a drink…”

“It’s noon. Go steal a croissant from the kitchen instead. Thanks for putting me in the line of fire, by the way.” Dew rolls his eyes playfully. “Go smack Swiss’s ass for me.”

“Yessir!” Rory gives a two-finger salute before scurrying off into the kitchen. Dew sighs and resigns himself to the following hours of tedious interaction. A moment later, there’s a squawk from the kitchen followed by a squeal from Aurora.

A chai latte, a caramel macchiato, two vanilla lattes, two drip coffees, an Italian soda, and a needlessly complicated order that Dew can’t even begin to remember later, he’s only a quarter of the way through his shift. At least it’s a quiet day. The regulars from the local college usually come in before classes or on weekends to study.

Dew props his elbow on the counter and rests his chin in his hand, letting his mind wander. He’s been saving up for a cool guitar pedal and managed to find it on Ebay for half the price, but he is in a bidding war for it. He’d sneak a peek at the listing on his phone while the cafe was relatively quiet but he’d left it in his bag. Shit.

He straightens up, cracks his back, and begins reorganizing the supplies behind the bar. His fingers are getting twitchy from the caffeine kicking in. He curses his health insurance for not covering ADHD medication so he can actually function as a person. Or mood stabilizers. Or even therapy.

The door swings open again as Dew is cleaning the steam wand on the espresso machine. He sets the wet rag on the counter and turns to see- oh wow. His grumpy mood is instantly forgotten.

An absolute Greek god of a man stands near the doorway, scanning the drinks menu. He’s tall, built like a brick wall with just the right amount of chub, and- from what Dew can see- an ass to die for. If he were a slightly weaker man, he would vault over the counter, drop to his knees, and choke himself unconscious on that man’s dick.

He shifts his weight and bites his tongue in annoyance. Stupid fucking high libido. He doesn’t have time to be creaming his pants at work. He’s not above using his break to jerk off in the bathroom, though…

Someone clears their throat. Big Sexy (as he’s decided to call the man) stands before him, fidgeting with his fingers.

“Oh, are you ready to order?” Dew asks, hoping to any higher powers above and/or below that he hadn’t been staring.

“Yeah. Can I get a… actually, what do you recommend?” Big Sexy asks, cocking his head adorably. Dew feels hypnotized by his dark blue eyes. “This is my first time here, I’ve been meaning to check it out for a while but kept forgetting.” He shrugs apologetically.

“Oh- yeah,” Dew stammers a bit. “I, uh, my go-to is a cold brew with hazelnut syrup and about half of one of those creamer cups.” He points at the side counter where a small shelf holds straws, sugar packets, and other extras. “You could add more cream if you want, I just like it a little bitter.”

I wonder what his cream tastes like, his horny brain supplies helpfully. Dew gives that part of his brain a mental smack and turns his attention back to Big Sexy.

“Alright, I’ll have that. Medium, please.” Big Sexy reaches into his back pocket for his wallet. Dew enters the order into the register, glad to pull his eyes away from Big Sexy’s.

“That’s $4.25.” Dew grabs a clear cup from a stack and jots down the order as Big Sexy swipes his card. “And can I get a name for the order?”

“Oh- Aether. A-E-T-H-E-R.” Big Sexy- Aether replies, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Aether…” Dew mumbles to himself as he scribbles down the name. “Sick name. Your parents must’ve been cool.”

“Actually, I uh- I named myself. Had a weird phase when I was 15 and it kind of… stuck.” Aether seems a little embarrassed by this, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dew pauses for a moment to consider this information. Aether could just be a nickname, or… well, Dew had renamed himself at 13. There could be a possibility that Aether was trans, just like him, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Instead he turns to begin making the drink.

“I’ll have it for you in a minute,” he tells Aether, physically restraining himself from sneaking another glance at those pretty blue eyes. That would have been weird, and he really doesn’t want to scare this guy off.

Dew finishes making the coffee almost on autopilot. He wants to ask questions- was he a student at the local college? If yes, what did he study? Did he have a private dorm room? Would he be willing to fuck Dew until-

Good lord, get your shit together. Dew thinks, giving his head a shake. Your break’s in half an hour. You can fantasize then.

He slides the finished drink across the counter with a little creamer cup on top. “Aether? Here ya go.” He didn’t really need to call out the order name since there wasn’t anyone else waiting, but he liked saying it. Aether. Ay-ther. It was a cool name.

“Thanks, uh…” Aether’s eyes dart down to Dew’s nametag. “Dew. That’s, ah- that’s a cool name too.”

“Thanks. Picked it out myself.” Dew rarely genuinely smiles at customers, but the grin he gives Aether is 100% real. “You’ll never guess what it’s short for.”

“Hmm… Dewey? Dwight?” Aether cocks his head again, not unlike a puppy. Dew shakes his head.

“Nope.” Dew turns back to the machines, picking up his discarded cleaning rag. “You can keep trying, I doubt you’ll get it.”

“Guess I’ll have to keep coming back.” Aether chuckles. “Do you guys have a punch card by any chance?”

Dew sputters, left reeling by the comment. God, he’s pathetic. The mere suggestion that Aether might be coming back makes his heart flutter like a teen with their first crush. Oh fuck, was this a crush? He’s too old to be having those.

“Um- yeah, let me get one for you.” Dew turns back to the register to hopefully hide any blush he had and retrieves a punch card from the drawer under the counter. He remembers to grab the hole puncher too and clicks a hole in the first space on the card. It was a heart today, of all shapes. “Here.”

“Thanks so much.” Aether gives Dew a smile and poor Dew can do nothing but stare at his stupid, gorgeous puppy eyes. “I’ll make sure to come back.”

“Y-yeah, see you soon then.” Dew manages to say with a nod. He watches Aether leave- Good lord, that ass is a sight to behold- and decides to take his break early. He taps Swiss in and makes for the back door of the kitchen.

Leaning against the wall next to the dumpster, he lights up a cigarette and takes a long drag. His head tips back against the brick wall as he exhales the smoke. God… pull it together. You are twenty-four. You have a job and hobbies. You absolutely CANNOT be having a puppy crush on a CUSTOMER. Especially one you’ve only interacted with for five minutes. This is pathetic. Finish your cig and go do your job so you can get paid and be a functioning adult.

Dew does just that- smokes his cigarette down to the filter, stubs it out on the wall, tosses the butt into the dumpster, pops a mint in his mouth, and re-enters the kitchen. 

The rest of his shift goes… fine, he guesses. He downs another red bull, banters with Swiss, gets scolded by Cumulus for “using kitchen equipment unsafely” (closing an oven with his hip), and manages to interact with customers without accumulating an HR report.

On his walk home, the darkening autumn sky is remarkably close to a certain shade of blue. Dew grits his teeth and turns his gaze to the sidewalk.

kudos and comments on ao3 would make my day!

[lunamoonbby]

Cult!141 x Fem!Reader

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT MDNI

⚠️Warnings⚠️: Dark Content, Manipulation, allusions to past abuse very brief not in depth, female reader, swearing, pregnancy, birth, poly relationships, smut, Cult AU, the use of lord in terms to worship, Price being referred to as Father

If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, know that there is help, and please help anyone that you know to help them escape from that abuse.

⭐️Author's Note: The religion that the villagers follow is not defined, but it is NOT associated with Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other type of religion there is⭐️

Chapter 5: The Butcher

After y/n left, John phoned the tavern "hello this is Kyle speaking. How may I help you?" Kyle answered the phone. "Did you deal with the person who yelled at our darling?" John looking trought the window. "Yes, we're holding him in our basement, waiting for your instructions, anyways how was morning prayers with y/n?" John smiles, "it went really well she brought four wild flowers as an offering today, I told her that love will find her, silly little girl didn't even ask who or what we follow and give praise too, she's just the perfect devoted follower. She told me that she want to use your taverns kitchen to make a brisket pot pie, please let her use that kitchen, and don't worry she'll meet Simon too, cause I plan on buying the nicest brisket he has in the market and that he's welcomed in for our little feast that birdy is doing for us." Kyle loving the sound of that idea, "I'll be sure to tell Johnny about tonight's supper. We'll supply the rest of the ingredients." "Perfect. I'll see you and Johnny tonight, bye." Price hangs up the phone.

Price lockes up the church and makes his way towards Simon's Butcher Shop. "Simon, good morning." Price enters the butcher shop. "Jonathan, I wasn't expecting to see you until later on tonight. Good morning." Simon puts down his meat cleaver and turns around, taking off his gloves, putting them in the sink, and washing his hands, "what can I do for you, my friend?" "I would like the best premium brisket you have to offer." Price said, looking at his display case. "Why would you need that you don't cook and you definitely don't to errands for Johnny and Kyle." Simon said while preparing the brisket to be packaged. John smiled, "you're right but there is this new little birdy in town she ran away from her abusive ex, and well she wants to make a brisket pot pie as a thank you and you're invited, I expect you to show up to Johnny and Kyle's tavern for this supper.

Simon hummed, "I'll be there." Simon handing John the brisket. John smiled, "Great, I'll see you tonight then." John left the butcher shop to go to the tavern to drop off the brisket. Simon going back to work, he hears his bells jingle and two people come in, one he's seen before, and the other a new face, a woman, must be the girl john talked about. The first customer got their order and they seemed to recognize who this new face is, "if you're expecting a hand-out from this shop then you better leave and don't come back until you have money." The customer said. "OI! don't tell me how to run my damn shop, the price is $100." A mask man spoke up. "But I dont have that kind of money, and you're charging $50 more than the actual price!" Exclaimed the customer. "If you can't buy it, then come back when you have the money for it." Simon said when he already packaged up the meat, "now what can I do for you, Lovie?" "I just needed directions to get to the Tavern Inn." Y/n said, looking down at her hands. "It's three buildings down from the Tavern Restaurant." "Ah, thank you, kind sir." Y/n leave the butcher shop to head back to the Inn, but before she does, she'll be making a quick visit to the tavern restaurant to ask Johnny and Kyle if she could use their kitchen.

"I'm just glad that she didn't ask for any freebies cause she got freebies at the tavern, and some guy spoke up about it, and he ended up paying for her drink." The customer said. Simon stalking towards the customer, "Is that so?" "Ye-" Simon knocks out the customer, ties them up, and draggs them to his basement. "Serves you right for yelling at my lovie and telling me how to run my shop." Simon looked at the unconscious customer and then left the basement to head back to the shop.

"Johnny, Kyle?" Y/n called out "bonnie!-" Johnny appeared. "AH, you scared me." Y/n clutching her chest looking at Johnny "ah sorry bonnie Lass didn't mean to. What can I do for ya?" Johnny said, wiping down the counters, "I would like to borrow your kitchen. I want to make you, Kyle, and Father Price a brisket pot pie as a thank you for helping me out." Y/n fiddling with her fingers. "Of course you can, finally something other than my own cooking or Kyle's." Johnny looked happy since he'll taste his bonnies cooking. "Great, thank you. I'll be back later on. I want to rest up before I start cooking." "Of course, see you later." Johnny waving goodbye.

Taglist is open comment if you would like to be added

@yourloverslost @tabbslouuformer @angelrissa @freefallingup13 @readingcatinacorner @sylvanasthebansheequeen @casualunknownrunaway @thatpersonnamedrook @rip-cod-brainrot @hoodiepandaninja16 @spacecrawllerr

[lifelikesimz]

Try my desserts at your restaurant for free!

[youngchronicpain]

My partner gave me these custom tcg sleeves for my birthday today, and I love them so much. I laughed out loud when I opened them. He took this picture of me in NYC last year in Central Park.

I am now 29. I am getting married this year. Life is weird and lovely. I still had a spiral yesterday because birthday and pain. But I bought a lot of plants at a local nursery and my partner made me biscuits and gravy for dinner. We are going to go thrift shopping and get my birthday freebies at various restaurants today. Life is good. ❤️

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

A freebie

Logan got out of the cab behind Wade and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Too late for the funeral, but not too late to make this so much fucking worse. He could still see you in his mind's eye yesterday. So fucking furious. At everyone. At him. At Wade. A wound torn open that was buried so deep you'd probably forgotten it was there.

Until he told you he was done sneaking around because he got what he wanted out of you. Not knowing THIS was about to happen.

It was- an okay restaurant. Lunch rush. He and Wade weren't exactly underdressed but in his Hawaiian shirt, Wade stuck out like a sore thumb at a table dressed in black. A family in mourning.

You're sitting at the end. Three half siblings and a stepmom you just fucking met talking about the man your father was. How kind and selfless. What a good dad. Stories of legendary Christmas mornings and silly things dads just do.

He and Wade watch for a moment as you smile politely and nod, "He could be... charming, that's for sure."

"Oh c'mon," Y/N the oldest boy- named Cody pushed, "You have to have some kind of story!"

"I didn't see dad much when I was little," you shrug, still politely smiling, "He was usually working-"

"Or cheating on our mom. Or gambling. Or doing a massive amount of drugs," Wade said pulling up a chair and sitting at the table. "Wade" he said introducing himself before looking at you, "You gonna eat this, it looks amazing?"

"Have at it," you murmur, "excuse me." You get up from the table unsteadily. You don't know these people but you can't watch this.And you can't stop Wade. He's about to Ruin the picture they have of their dad. THEIR dad. Not yours. And you can't- you don't want to have all those details laid out but you can't- it feels like you can't breathe as you stumble outside and lean against the building.

Logan looks from you to Wade. Not sure what to do. But the decision is made for him when he gets caught up listening to Wade as he tells stories- times your dad never showed up for you. Times he left you in the hospital alone and scared. The fighting. The ignored problems- before he finally just left when you were about five. Only bothering to call when he thought about it. but Oh! One time he sent a birthday card with no return address! That was fabulous! "So yeah," he finished. "She has a TON of great stories about our dad, Cody." He set down his fork and dropped a hundred-dollar bill on the table before walking out, "Great catching up. Fuck off."

"Mouth-"

"Where'd she go?" Logan asked, his voice uncharacteristically tense.

"Outside," Logan said nodding to the door. He could smell you, pick that sweet aroma up anywhere. "Not too far."

Wade nodded and wound his way through tables deftly towards the door and Logan followed. His heart pounding. Over the traffic noise and the wind he could hear you. Trying not to cry. And however faintly, even at this distance, he could hear your heart pounding. Like hummingbird wings. Too much. This is all too much, he thought.

"Butterbean," Wade singsonged, skipping over, "I handled-"

"Don't," you warn. And the tone of your voice stops him short. It's low and almost dangerous. You're holding on to something by a very thin thread and it's fraying.

Logan recognizes a standoff when he sees one and the tension in the air is thick. Denser than the air in a dust storm. He finds himself calculating. You're human. You can't hurt them. But he knows with sudden, painful clarity that isn't the danger here.

And without looking at Wade, he knows that Wade knows it too. You're about to snap. The pressure and the pain are too jagged and too hungry.

"Cupcake," Wade said softly, "Come here?"

One wrong move. A calculated risk, he started forward with his arms out to hug you and you jerked, wheeling around to punch the wall.

And they both heard it. Bones fucking cracking. And the way you gasped, crumbling to your knees, cradling your wrist to your chest.

"Jesus," Logan breathed.

"You drive," Wade sighed, picking you up and jerking his head towards your purse. "I'm gonna pretend she didn't punch that bad on purpose."

[hils79]

Hils Watches Matz Travel Vlog - Part 1

It's been a very weird weekend.

I went to Manchester to visit my sister and it's the first time I've been back since I saw Ateez there a couple of weeks ago. Post-concert bues is definitely a thing, but I wasn't prepared for how hard being back would hit me emotionally. As soon as I got off the train the arena was right there. But there were no Atinys giving away freebies and no general buzz of anticipation and excitement.

I hopped on a tram and saw that the lunar new year lanterns that Wooyoung posed with were still up. Then I went past a bunch of the shops and restaurants we visited while we were there and I legit started tearing up.

I'm sure at least part of it was because shark week and general tiredness but I wasn't expecting to get so emotional over the whole experience.

And then while I was away, going back to the topic of this post, the Matz travel vlog dropped but I couldn't watch it because it's over an hour long and I was visiting family.

But I'm home now and ready to watch it. And because I need somewhere to scream about all my feelings I've decided to make this your problem and liveblog it.

I haven't been fussed about avoiding spoilers so I've seen a few screenshots and gifs but nothing major.

So lets accompany Hongjoong and Seonghwa on a trip to the Star Wars wedding location in Italy. I'm sure this won't be romantic and ridiculous at all.

FFS even the opening credits look like an old married couple's honeymoon home video

Hongjoong making sure we all know Seonghwa isn't late for their date

This is just reminding me of when @storkmuffin was doing commentary on the lego live and said Hongjoong kept praising himself. Yes, baby, you are very good at toast.

Seonghwa hasn't even sat down yet and Hongjoong is making sure he gets his coffee

Sweetie, you look like you were carved out of marble by Michaelangelo himself

You can tell from Hongjoong's amused smile that he is used to this nonsense

Orders coffee for Seonghwa without prompting. I'm fine.

I'm not going to dwell too much on their relationship with food because it honestly just makes me sad.

Aww Hongjoong saying he prefers to be around other people and he gets sad when he has to work in his studio alone. I remember him saying something similar on Fromm a few months back. I think they were flying somewhere as a group after some time off during which Hongjoong had done a bunch of solo projects. He was saying it was nice to be at the airport with the others instead of just by himself.

Oh, good. I thought Seonghwa was going to skip breakfast after saying he ate a lot the night before.

Haha! Seonghwa accidentally put sugar on his eggs.

Hongjoong admitting he did some research on where they could go for the day. We all knew!

This is the opposite of the Lego live where Hongjoong was like 'I didn't wear my glasses because I thought you'd wear yours'

Hongjoong really isn't a morning person. And it's not even that early. He said they'd arranged to meet at 10am

Oh we have noticed!

Hongjoong be like 'I'm happy to just watch you do your thing'

JFC Seonghwa

Apparently you're not allowed to say YouTube on a YouTube video

God, are they like this all the time? Just kidding I know they are.

Poor Hongjoong is stressed already and they haven't even got to the train station yet

This is honestly so fascinating. I imagine most of the time their staff arranges everything they want to do for them so they don't have to worry about things like standing on a train for an hour because there's no seats.

Just like me when I'm travelling, especially in a country where English isn't the main language.

It's funny because when we did our Ateez trip we had one extrovert who was always 'I'll just ask someone' and two introverts who were like 'we can look it up on our phones/figure it out without speaking to someone'

And yet you still look great

Aww! Seonghwa being able to relax because Hongjoong has planned everything. I can relate. Usually I'm the one doing the planning and organising so when I don't have to it's great.

Oops apparently I'm at the image limit already and I've only watched 20 mins of this. Oh well, see you in a bit for part 2!

Part 2

[kittywaffles97]

I have now decided that modern AU Mizu uses both he/him and she/her pronouns and that she affectionates kicking Taigen's ass at the dojo. She also stole Taigen's girlfriend once or twice and his best friend Ringo gives him freebies from his restaurant whenever she comes around to have a bowl of noodles.

[chocolate-salt]

What the fu€k is wrong with some "fans"?? Following them around Milan during their free time, while they are resting at their hotel...asking for an autograph while San is literally EATING in a restaurant and calling him “rude” because he didn't say "hi" to you?!?!?

You are real STALKERS!!! If those people have concert tickets they should NOT be allowed to take part to it!!

Shame on them!!

Honestly that's the best way to not have them touring in your country the next time they will have a World Tour...

And the "freebies" someone is givin' away...🤦‍♀️