#rooibos city

[melu-07]

Me encantó demasiado como me quedó mi fondito de William cream:'D

Dibujos hechos por @nicecarito

William cream 💞

[katia0708]

Un nuevo personaje de Rooibos Lifes en Gacha life 2! Wuju! ✨✨

(ya me había tardado 💦)

Esta vez le toco a mi arbusto favorito! 🌿

🌿 Branch Minto 🌿

Un arbusto de Menta muuuy alto y guapo 💕

El compañero de Willy y un gran amigo también! ✨🌸

Branch sin duda es de mis personajes favoritos, da ganas a uno de ser su amigo y darle palmaditas en su espalda ya que te da penita que su crush no se de cuenta todo lo que siente por él TT (William es inocente solo cuando se lo propone -n-).

Siendo totalmente sincera y arriesgandome a que una taza me asesina... Branch y Willy harían una bella pareja, una menos conflictiva eso por seguro xD

Créditos a la creadora de este mundo Webcomic y sus hermosos personajes @nicecarito 💕

Hasta una proxima vez! (espero no tardarme tanto la siguiente ").

[andycastle]

MI DULCE JUGLAR (Fanfic Medieval) - PRÓLOGO: Entre las Sombras

Este audio es entretenido, escuche lo y si les gusta denle mucho cariño

[cuppa-and-a-view]

A cuppa after a trip to the Barras, chilling out in Rose & Grant's cafe on Trongate.

Tea: Shibui tea blueberry rooibos

Snack: mini party rings.

View: St Luke's (great music venue on Gallowgate in Glasgow), and wonderful crochet dim sum at the Glasgow Hong Kong Street Market at the Barras. Artist: threemeowstore https://instagram.com/threemeowstore

I also bought some curious snacks and colourful scrunchies, and picked up some free pride badges! The Hong Kong Market was extremely popular, the queue went almost all the way around the building. Hopefully they'll do it again.

[nicecarito]

Some people asked for Human Branch, here is a concept <3 A Brazilian human who migrated to Rooibos City. He's gentle, a plant lover and very handsome 🥰

[coldxperience]

Emperor's Smile | 天子笑

How could I not make a post regarding Wei Wuxian's love for alcohol, more precisely about the iconic Emperor's Smile.

What is the Emperor's Smile:

Emperor's Smile (天子笑, Tiānzǐ Xiào) is a liquor sold in the city of Gusu where the Lan Sect is located.

The Wei Wuxian's Emperor Smile Tea is a black tea infused with Burbon, Rooibos, Ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cornflowers, calendula, and vanilla. It has a very faint smoky flavor and when you drink it, it takes you to the burial grounds. Lan Wangji describes the taste as fragrant and mellow.

Emperor's Smile history in MDZS:

Although liquor is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, as a student Wei Wuxian repeatedly breaks curfew to smuggle Emperor's Smile into the residence to share with his friends (Jiang Cheng & Nie Huaisang).

At the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian and Uncle Four agree that Emperor's Smile is indisputably the best wine they have tasted.

After Wei Wuxian's death, Lan Wangji purchases Emperor's Smile and drinks it for the first time. Though he does not like the taste, he understands why Wei Wuxian does.

Lan Wangji then keeps seven or eight jars of Emperor's Smile hidden beneath a floorboard in his room. However, upon his return to the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian promptly discovers and drinks two jars of the wine, and refills them with water as a prank. This turns ironic later when Lan Wangji fetches Wei Wuxian two jars to drink, yet the two jars are water-filled jars. Lan Xichen, notably, sees the alcohol and allows it despite the rule against drinking.

After returning to the Cloud Recesses as a married couple, Lan Wangji keeps Emperor's Smile in the Jingshi for Wei Wuxian to drink.

Equivalents:

I somehow want to assume Emperor’s Smile is Baijiu (白酒), a Chinese liquor (or grain spirits). It is a colorless liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV).

It is distilled from various grains like sorghum, rice, wheat, corn, and/or millet. Every kind of baijiu uses its own type of qū for fermentation to create a distinct and characteristic flavor profile.

The four main "types" are defined as the rice aroma (a floral, light flavor), light aroma (a sweet, floral taste), sauce aroma (a sharp taste akin to soy sauce), and strong aroma (spicy and fruity).

Prices vary a lot depending on where you live and the brand, it can go as cheap as a can of beer up to thousands.

Note: I don’t have that much knowledge of alcohol as I rarely drink, so I tried my best by doing research.

▷MDZS Home Page

[ completed ; 13/07/2024 ]

★ ⁺. ໒꒰ྀི｡- ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა ˖⁺‧₊˚

[mysteryshoptls]

R Vil Schoenheit Beastly Garb Personal Story

"I completely regret thinking that!"

[Sunset Savanna – Sunset Villa]

Leona: Yaaaawn…

Vil: Good morning, Leona. You've taken your sweet time waking up. I've been waiting.

Leona: You've been waiting?

Vil: Are you still half-asleep? I'll have you do your job as our tour guide once more today.

Leona: Hah? Your guide? I already did enough of that yesterday.

Vil: Wow. You said you'd "provide quality hospitality," but was that it?

Leona: I even brought you to the specially reserved section of the Elephant Legacy hot spring… You saying there's more you want to do?

Vil: Of course. I came all this way to the Sunset Savanna and applied my UV protection perfectly.

Vil: …Well, if you'd like to take it all back, I don't mind.

Vil: However, in that case, I'll no longer be obligated to participate in Catch the Tail.

Leona: …Tch, fine. May I enquire as to what the great Vil Schoenheit-sama would like to see?

Vil: Oh, you would actually consider what I would like to do? If that's the case, then I would like to request a tour focused on beautification.

Leona: Beautification, huh… Then you should go to the beauty salon here at the hotel.

Leona: Their body treatments made from the plants found here in Sunset Savanna are pretty well known.

Vil: I see… I just looked it up, and it seems to have a wonderfully soothing effect on the skin as well.

Vil: Yesterday, I was running around outside all day, so I would love to focus on self-care today. I'll head there now.

Vil: Fufu, how is it? Do you not think my already beautiful self has gotten even more beautiful?

Leona: Yeah, yeah. Good for you.

Vil: I'm curious about the black soap that they used during the treatment. There wasn't much of a lather, and the scent wasn't too terrible.

Vil: The salon at the hotel didn't have any to provide me… Can it be bought anywhere?

Leona: So you want that black soap next. …There's a store I know. Follow me.

[Sunset Savanna – Sunrise City]

Leona: This beauty store here in the heart of Sunrise City deals with orders from the royal household.

Vil: Oho. This seems promising.

Vil: Skin care items made from plants grown in such a sunny region tend to be very invaluable, since they have a greater moisturizing effect.

Vil: In addition, there are many products that help in clearing the skin here… I wonder which one should I get. It's so difficult to decide.

Leona: Isn't this the black soap thing you were talking about earlier?

Leona: It's made of 100% natural plant products that are native to Sunset Savanna.

Leona: The black coloring seems to come from the ash of burned banana peels. Other ingredients include palm oil and cacao pods.

Vil: Bar soap like this usually gives a soft feel after washing. It's nice to use for delicate dry or sensitive skin.

Vil: I'm sure that I'll be exposed to a lot of UV rays during today's match, so… I should definitely purchase this soap.

Vil: These other skin care products are also all natural cosmetics. This country sincerely does put a lot of emphasis on nature.

Leona: ‘Cause they can't think of anything else to use. …There's other stores that have cosmetics you can take a look at. Once you finish paying, I'll take you to the next one.

Vil: …Despite all his protests, he's doing a pretty good job escorting me around to suit my likes.

Vil: Fufufu, it's not too terrible a feeling using Leona like this.

[Sunset Savanna – Market]

Leona: The stuff that's sold in the Raintree Market are mostly lower cost.

Leona: That store over there has merch made from wild plants like rooibos and baobab.

Vil: They have body lotion, oil, shower gel… Ah, and also lip balms.

Leona: In the next store over, they sell solidified resin. That's a natural fragrance that's been used here forever.

Vil: What an unusual shape. It smells smoky and spicy. And yet at the same time, it has a sweet aroma, like fruit.

Leona: If you want fragrances, they also sell a ton of essential oils.

Vil: I see resin perfumes, as well as herbal and citrus fragrances… There really are a plethora of different products.

Vil: There's much more variety here than I expected. I may run out of time if I try to examine them all.

Storekeep A: Hey, isn't that the top model Vil Schoenheit?

Storekeep B: You're right! I hear if he uses your product, sales just go through the roof!

Storekeep C: VIL-SAN! PLEASE TAKE THIS! THERE'S NO NEED TO PAY FOR IT!

Vil: W-Wait! I make it a point to not accept these kinds of things!

Vil: Leona, you say something too.

Leona: Hey, lucky you, you're so popular.

Leona: You should get the storekeepers to show you around now. I'm gonna head back to the hotel. See ya.

Vil: LEONA!!!

Vil: That man… He ran away as soon as it got troublesome! I completely regret thinking that he was even the slightest bit reliable!

[Pomefiore Dorm – Lounge]

Vil: …was something that occurred there.

Epel: Oh wow. I'm... a little surprised that Sunset Savanna had so much make-up for sale?

Rook: Sunset Savanna's beauty brings such joy and grace to everyone, yes.

Rook: Fufu, I'm so pleased that Vil was able to see just how wondrous that country is.

Vil: Ah, that's right. Since the two of you invited yourselves to my room like this, I'll give you a special gift.

Epel: I mean, we all got a souvenir from the Elephant Legacy hot springs earlier with everyone else in the dorm, though…

Vil: This is separate from that. I'll prepare it right away, so wait right there.

Rook: Merci, Vil! I cannot wait!

Epel: What does he mean he's going to prepare it…? Is it some kind of cosmetic he's making? What should I do if he starts a lecture on how to use it…?

Vil: Sorry to keep you waiting. Here you go, a specially-made smoothie from me made from fruits bought in Sunset Savanna.

Epel: …Eh, a smoothie?

Vil: In order to cultivate beauty, it is just as important as taking the right nutrition from the inside as well. That's why I bought an abundance of fresh fruit as well.

Vil: A vitamin-rich smoothie is not only good for a beauty regimen, but also for your health.

Vil: Enjoy.

Epel: Wow! Thank you very much! [gulp, gulp] …It's so good!

Rook: There's mango and papaya in this, I see. C'est bon!

Vil: As for the Catch the Tail match, it was a shame that I wasn't able to perform as I had hoped, but…

Vil: Other than that, I was able to refresh myself and have a bit of fun. From the perspective of a beauty-focused trip, I suppose it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Requested by Anonymous.

[hassedah]

Hey hey, maybe it’s a silly question but what are the boys favorite drinks (besides blood lol)

You know like tea, cola, coffee, juice, hot cocoa. water… stay hydrated everyone ☕️

What boys like to drink :

Hi! How are you? I hope you are well! ^^

I like these types of questions because they're usually pretty quick to answer ^^. Here's the headcanons you requested! I hope you enjoy it! ^^

Take care of yourself and have a nice day! ^^

Vladimir :

He doesn't always remember that he needs to drink to stay hydrated. Ethan and Beliath often remind him of this.

Vladimir mainly drinks tea, with a strong preference for green tea and rooibos, although he always puts a lot of sugar in it.

He'll tell you that he loves black tea and enjoys drinking Earl Grey, but in reality he hates it. Even as a child, he couldn't help but wince every time he drank it (although his parents would have supplied him with any other type of tea he could have asked for, but it was his father's favourite and he was determined to follow in his father's example). He continues to drink it to this day, much to the dismay of the other inhabitants of the manor.

He loves hot chocolate. It's his favourite drink in winter, even if he has a bit of trouble accepting it. He always feels like a child when he drinks it.

He also drinks a lot of hot apple juice when he goes to Christmas markets in winter.

He drinks a lot iced tea in summer. However, he remains fairly classic when it comes to flavours and drinks mainly green tea with peach.

His favourite fruit juice is orange juice, but orange juice without pulp. He'll never touch it if Beliath accidentally buys orange juice with the pulp.

Ivan has introduced him to bubble tea and he's having a bit of trouble deciding whether he likes it. On the one hand, tea with syrup is very good; on the other, he's always worried about choking on the tapioca pearls.

He hates the vast majority of sodas.

Béliath :

He's very careful to stay hydrated, especially since Ethan told him it's good for the skin. So he monitors his water intake to make sure he's drinking enough a day, and he constantly reminds the other members of the manor to remember to drink water (in fact he reminds Vladimir, Raphael and Aaron most of all).

He doesn't drink much tea, but he really likes black tea. In general, he drinks tea when Vladimir or Raphaël have made too much and he drinks it with them while chatting in front of the fireplace.

He rarely drinks hot chocolate, except on the coldest winter nights.

He is very fond of mulled wine, which he often drinks in winter when he wanders around the city during the Christmas market. However, he prefers it with lots of cinnamon.

He prefers to drink coffee, but he doesn't drink it as strong as Ethan does. He didn't like it at first, but since Ethan told him you could add a little milk to it, he drinks it much more often.

He loves most sodas. However, he has a clear preference for cherry cola. There's always some in the fridge at the manor.

He doesn't drink much fruit juice because he finds it a bit too sweet for him. However, he really likes pineapple juice and sometimes buys some for himself when he goes shopping.

Ivan :

Since being transformed into a vampire, he has lost a lot of sensation in his taste buds. However, he continues to take care to stay hydrated. He always has a bottle of fresh water in his room, which he makes sure to drink throughout the night.

He always puts syrup in the water he drinks, because even though Ethan insists that water has no taste, Ivan doesn't like the taste of water. He's tried many different flavours of syrup, but generally prefers grenadine or strawberry syrup.

He doesn't like tea. He tries hard to drink it, but he really doesn't like it. It tastes too bitter, despite the large amounts of sugar he uses.

He prefers to drink herbal tea, especially a candy tea that Béliath found in a small artisanal candy shop. He buys her some from time to time to please Ivan.

He often drinks hot chocolate (and he's Vladimir's excuse for drinking hot chocolate, after all, Ivan won't drink it alone). He likes to add marshmallows to his chocolate, whipped cream or chocolate coulis.

He's delighted to have given Vladimir and Raphaël a taste of bubble tea. He's even happier that Beliath has brought him some from his shopping.

He hardly ever drinks coffee, or only with a lot of milk. As with tea, he finds the taste far too bitter.

He loves sodas. He has a preference for Orangina and Coca-Cola.

Aaron :

He almost constantly forgets to drink water and it's even worse in summer. It's not his fault, he tries really hard to remember, but every time he does he ends up with a massive headache without understanding why, and it takes Ethan or Beliath pointing out that he hasn't drunk water for a long time to get him to think about it. He thinks it's a bit ridiculous, but as he's not the only one in the manor with this problem, he assumes it's to do with the fact that he's a vampire.

He never puts syrup in his water, but often drinks sparkling water.

He prefers herbal tea to tea, and prefers white tea to green and black tea.

He loves coffee, but he doesn't drink black coffee like Ethan, preferring Latte and Cappucino (especially Cappucino).

He is also very fond of Irish coffee, sometimes making it for himself and Ethan and more rarely for Béliath and Raphaël.

He rarely drinks hot chocolate. When he does, he always adds a little cinnamon or vanilla, and if he drinks one with Ivan, he always accepts a few marshmallows.

He quite likes fruit juices, but he prefers to make them himself rather than buy them ready-made. It allows him to mix the fruit he wants and he also finds it much less sweet that way.

Raphaël :

He often forgets to drink water, it's not deliberate on his part, he just can't remember. It was even worse when he lived alone and had to remember without anyone to remind him. Now that he lives at the manor it's easier for him.

He loves water, but he loves it even more with syrup. Ivan has introduced him to lots of different syrup flavours and he wouldn't be able to choose just one as his favourite. He loves lemon, grenadine, strawberry or mint syrup (especially in summer), kiwi, pineapple, blackcurrant or cherry syrup. Béliath is careful to vary his purchases so that there's always a different syrup to drink.

He drinks a lot of tea, but he doesn't have a favourite type. The only thing that matters to him is being able to add sugar.

He really loves lemonade.

He likes coffee, it's not his favourite drink, but he never turns down a cup, especially if he can add milk and sugar.

He loves hot chocolate at least as much as Ivan does. The stronger the taste of the chocolate, the better he likes it. He prefers hot chocolate made with real squares of chocolate and milk to powdered chocolate.

He often drinks soda, mainly because they're generally very sweet, so he really likes Coca-Cola, Fanta and Orangina.

Ethan :

He has noticed from observing vampires that the vast majority of them have difficulty feeling thirst. As a result, they are easily dehydrated. So he takes great care to stay well hydrated and often reminds the others to drink during the night. A small part of him thinks that doing this is ridiculous, but the other part constantly reminds him that he's a doctor, and if one of his friends were to fall ill he couldn't help but blame himself.

He really doesn't like tea. No matter what type of tea or how much sugar he puts in it, he really doesn't like it. The only thing that could persuade him to drink tea is a sore throat and even then, he'd put a lot of honey in his tea.

He loves coffee, and the stronger and more bitter the coffee, the more he likes it. He's the only one who can drink it like that in the manor, and the worst thing, according to Raphaël, is that he doesn't even put sugar or milk in his coffee. Ethan doesn't really understand what his friends have against the coffee he likes to drink - after all, it keeps him awake longer and he finds the smell really reassuring.

He also really likes the Irish coffee that Aaron makes from time to time.

He doesn't like hot chocolate. It's always too sweet for him.

He almost never drinks fruit juice, unless it's made by Aaron.

He doesn't like the vast majority of soda either, he often finds them too sweet for him.

Neil :

He's been feeling a bit out of sorts since he got out of the cellar. He's been so used to feeling thirsty for months that he doesn't really feel it now, and it always takes him a while to realise that he needs to drink water.

The beverage he drinks most often is tea. He has a slight preference for black tea. Depending on his mood, hhe may add sugar, but this is not always the case, as he generally prefers to drink his tea without sugar. He generally likes citrus-flavoured tea, with a preference for lemon.

He'll tell you he doesn't like hot chocolate, and in most cases that's true: he doesn't really like it. However, there is one exception. Neil really likes hot chocolate when it's served with marshmallows, whipped cream and a caramel coulis (he especially likes it for the caramel coulis).

He doesn't drink much coffee, although he does enjoy it. Like hot chocolate, he loves coffee with a touch of caramel, so he's unlikely to turn down a cup of coffee like that.

He really likes iced tea in summer. Neil's not too fussy about flavours, he's less keen on red fruit, but he'll always go for a citrus iced tea.

He drinks very little soda because he finds it too sweet. He might enjoy a glass of lemon cola from time to time, but he certainly wouldn't drink a whole bottle.

Léandra :

She needs to drink less water than a human, but never forgets to stay hydrated.

She always prefers a little syrup with her water because she finds the taste of water boring. She really likes strawberry syrup and mint syrup, but her favourite is still aniseed syrup.

She really likes hot apple juice. In fact, she knows how to make it very well and makes it very regularly in winter. She finds it very pleasant to drink it while sitting in front of a window watching the snow fall.

Her favourite hot drink is coffee. She has tasted all kinds of coffee, although she always prefers black coffee. She also likes espresso, or espresso romano, and Viennese coffee, which she loves to have with speculos.

She rarely drinks hot chocolate; in fact, it's usually coffee with a little chocolate that she drinks rather than real hot chocolate.

In summer, she likes to drink lemonade.

As with ice cream, she loves ginger tea, whether hot or cold. She often accompanies it with a little lemon and, more rarely, orange. She also likes to add a little honey, especially in winter.

Farah :

She takes great care to stay hydrated and to ensure that all the members of her pack always have water available. Farah always carries at least one full bottle of water in her rucksack.

She likes water without needing to add syrup, and she doesn't like sparkling water. She does, however, know how to make her own syrup, having learnt centuries ago, and is always happy to show new pack members how.

She's not a big fan of tea, she doesn't hate it, but she doesn't like it either.

She loves drinking hot chocolate, especially in winter. It's a time of year when she often stops with members of her pack in cafés to warm up. She's tasted lots of different hot chocolates because of this and she always has a preference for Viennese chocolate or any hot chocolate with either a little hazelnut or a little coconut or vanilla.

She loves hazelnut coffee. If she could, she'd keep a thermos of hazelnut coffee in her rucksack, but unfortunately that's not really possible, so instead she waits for a break near a town so she can go and buy some in a café as soon as the opportunity arises.

[capsensislagamoprh]

CHA 3

“When you said I could come along, I didn’t know I would be carrying your gear and moving lights,” Victor groused.

“How else was I supposed to get you in,” Christophe grinned. “It’s not like anyone can just wander on and off the set.”

“Outdoor setting is a location, not a set,” Victor mumbled, trying to be right about something. His morning had been pretty basic. Rise. Skin care, hair care. Two hours - one for each. Beauty is upkeep! Dressing, forty five minutes. One must accessorize properly! His look doesn't just create itself! Then breakfast of a decadent croissant from the most delightful bakery by the apartment, washed down with a vanilla latte`. Christoph washed his pastry down with rooibos, sturing in a touch of honey to sweeten it up. They then got into the Miata and drove. Today’s shoot was for children’s clothes, taking advantage of the whimsical nature of Paris’ many highlights. Wrot iron, the Eiffel Tower, Lurve, streets made of old stone, and niche locations. All within a few blocks of each other whenever possible. 

It was an interesting side of the fashion world. Most were concerned with avant garde, couture, or stage costumes for high end productions. Victor wanted to see his designs out there, making people feel beautiful, special, even on the worst days. He wanted someone to reach into their wardrobe, pull out that one special piece and know the feel of it on their body would get them through the roughest day because they knew they were not only comfortable, but fashionable. There was just something about how the touch of cashmere or the pull of silk could change the way one thinks. But first he had to pay his dues.

Christophe had some of the best assistants twitching lighting, fixing props, lining up markers. Paris itself seemed to adjust to him. Crowds dissipated, birds flew at artful angels, and the sun kissed just the right part of every model. Victor was amazed by the way he managed to walk casually through any scene, clicking his camera until the city noises were overwritten by the sound of another moment being captured in time. They looked over the shots between changes of clothes and models, keeping the children busy so as to avoid boredom and antsy guardians.

The street-wear line was fun, playful, full of youthful vigor. When they changed over to the more elegant, formal designs, the models did too. Dark haired girls with luminous eyes, boys with elegant cuts mocking adult slide backs, slick at the sides and tapered to look upscale. Accessories changed to watches that were less Swatch and more metallic. Some seemed to be casually dressed as tinny ideals, while others were fantastical. Few stood out, being nervous or a little too full of themselves.

Christophe watched the world through his lens, waiting to strike. Victor saw a few potential stars starting to shine, caught in the flair of his lens, but only one seemed to carry that shimmering quality that would take them from childhood through the cruelty of puberty and into adulthood with all their beauty intact. A fairy-like boy, very young and very serious. When asked to turn, he turned. When asked to be whimsical, he stood tall, arms stretched to the sky before doing a jeté with ease. He leaned against a lamp post, the billowing sleeves of his cooler colored shirt, polka dotted with puffs of thread a sheer overlay for the thin undershirt pressed into his thin frame, white shorts cut in an arch at the thigh, white tights tucked into ballet flats. His golden hair picked up the echoes of sunset as he looked towards the Tower. Victor could almost see the fairy wings that were not there. Christophe must have seen it too. He took more pictures of the boy in his many outfits than the others. He just pulled them off better, seeming to look at home in anything they threw at him. The casual play line clothes earlier were tried on him. As he darted about the darkening streets, arms thrown behind him in a playful run, eyes to the sky, his smile just a little melancholic, Victor felt what Christophe saw. Ethereal took a lot of work, but when you came across it naturally, you worked with it until it could do no more.

The boy wore what was asked, changed as many times as needed. He went through hair style after hair style, make-up touches, and did not complain when he received little to no break for four hours of grueling activity. But those smiles. Those melancholic smiles. No filter in the world could make that smile true.

As they were wrapping up for the day, Christoph looked over the stills, picking and choosing with rapid efficiency. As he stretched his aching back, he turned to see how the clean up was going. The boy was crouched down, hand low, a street cat slowly approaching. Quickly he snapped some candids. These would be great for his school portfolio. He didn’t even need a release, as anything he took while working was free game, and since the boy was still wearing the hair and make up style from the last shoot, he figured that counted.

Soon, the boy was picked up. Christophe turned back to the dailies, while Victor stared for a moment. “I could get used to living here,” he sighed as the man in the ass hugging jeans took the boy's hand, leading him to a silver Lexus. Popping his head up, Christophe smiled.

“Ah, Paris! De tels trésors abondent dans la ville de l'amour.”

“I don’t know about l’amour, but definitely… how to say, strast'?” Victor tapped his temple a few times. “Passion!”

“There’s passion and there’s lasciveté. What you have, mon ami, is a need to release.”

Victor raised a brow, his lips twitching into a smile. “You can’t blame me for looking.”

“Can’t I?” Christophe purred.

“Heartless tease.”

_______

CHA 4

They sat together looking over stills, images caressed by just the right amount of light and ones born of miserable reflections captured in lens flares and ill timed background elements. “You could adjust them,” Victor offered quietly.

Christophe looked scandalized. “I will do no such thing. When making some elements it is fine, the amount of adjustment these images will need? Non. When creating art it is never a good idea to bring dishonesty to your piece. The human can tell, even if they don’t know what the lie is.”

Leaning against the wall in the antechamber between his bedroom and the bath, he sighed. “It’s not that hard, right? You have the skill, da?”

“I have the skill, but correcting these is … It’s like seeing a blurry, pixelated Monet and asking a toddler to make it better. You can’t replicate that look of melancholy, the way the sun caught his hair, the way the clothes seemed to float around him. I’m telling you, Vita, that kid is magic. There’s something about him.” Christophe threw himself backwards in his chair, sending both it and him sliding back a few feet. “Something special, and I almost captured it.”

“Comrad, you have so many other images of him. Look, in this one he’s even smiling.”

“It’s plastic, Vita. Can’t you see it? Here.” Christophe pulled himself back towards the computer. “Look at how there is no light in his eyes. Too many teeth, shoulders are tense.”

“You see all that?” Victor looked again, trying to find the signs the photographer noted. To him the child looked happy, well dressed and fed, other children surrounding him just as pleasant and cheerful. He saw children playing a game with chalked out squares and a rock. It seemed like the kind of thing all advertisers ached for. An air of youthful relevance combined with age old money. It practically commanded people to buy what was shown without being too obvious about it. At least not until the company plastered their brand on the page with a massive scrawl across the pleasant scene.

“I do. I see a lot of things through the lens. A lot of very secret things.”

“Voyeur.”

Christophe smiled. “Have you considered using those exceptional skills at flattery on that man with the tight ass?”

Victor blinked, his blue eyes vacant as he tried to recall who Christophe was talking about. When he remembered his cheeks turned pink, his eyes sparkling. “If he shows up again, I just might.”

“Flirt.”

Victor gasped. “You? Call me a flirt?” He grinned. “Flatterer.”

A deep chuckle mingled with the light, airy sounds of laughter as they felt tension leave them with the faint breath of gentle comradery. Finally, Christophe turned from the computer, having saved the files, ready to take them in the next day for approval and printing. “So,” he smiled, deep burr fairly purring the word, “What plans do you have for the evening?”

“Dinner, I suppose. I should work on that desk, and I need to get some more boxes unpacked…” Victor sighed. “I need to put together my start of semester portfolio.”

“Victor! You should already have that completed,” Christophe chided.

“I did, but then I moved, and I didn’t want things ruined, so I …” A vague gesture to the many tubes and flat pack boxes with reinforced edges stacked in various piles gave depth to the weight of the problem. “Now I have to find everything again.”

“Oh, min vän. You start sorting this,” Christophe stood, wiggling his fingers at the daunting task, “and I’ll order something. We can make a night of it.”

Victor’s shoulders dropped as his knees bent back. “Must we?”

“Min kärlek, vi måste. There is no time like last week. Today will have to do.” Slipping through the door to the bathroom, disappearing through another, the tall blond was off, leaving Victor to stare down the many packages wanting his attention.

By the time Christophe returned with lobster bisque, fresh salad, and the crispiest chunks of crackling bread Victor had the privilege to break diet for, he was more than ready for the wine that accompanied it. He’d found several of his more necessary sketches wrinkled by box shift during the move. A few of his fabrics were naked, ripped, or had holes that made it very clear what postal thought of the extra money he’d paid to have them expressed and marked ‘KHRUPKIY’. All those rubbles down the proverbial drain.

“Oh, Victor. These photos. Did you mean for them to be so…” Christophe tried not to wrinkle his nose, he really did. Victor looked over sharply.

“Oh! Oh no! Net! Net, no, no, net, no!” Victor slipped between English and Russian in his frustration. The whole album was sticky, as if someone had spilt a sugar drink, carelessly pushing the package along without a care. His hands found his hairline, tugging great tufts of silver pale locks.  His whole fashion line from his previous collections was represented in those photos. Photos he would need for his classes, for reference, for the memories. “Christophe! Chris, comrade! Can they be saved?”

The Swedish man winced as he tried to unstick a few pages. Looking at the box of supplies they’d found earlier, Christophe rummaged until he found the pressure blade he’d spied earlier. Carefully he cut the picture free of its sheath, only for it to make a puckering, Velcro sound that caused every fiber of his being to shiver in distaste. Catching the pale cheeked face of his friend, his blue eyes so wide with the edge of desperation and hope, Christophe braced himself. Turning the photo to the light, the damage was clear. Colors peeled off, micro tears deformed some of the image. It was coated in what smelled like cola, which was clearly eating into the integrity of the paper. Victor’s throat dropped to his thighs, hands slack at his side. “What am I going to do?”

These photos were useless now. He’d not been able to get the originals, only prints. The photographer he’d worked with had refused to give up his claim, wanting exorbitant amounts of money Victor simply didn’t have. Someone’s carelessness cost him over a fourth of his portfolio.

“Do you still have the clothes?” Christophe asked, looking at the many unpacked boxes.

“I … yes, most of them. Some were sold to pay for my travel.”

“Bien. Here is what we’re going to do…”

cha 1&2

[caselaw-and-chai]

So I’ve moved abroad — living in a new country, new city, and studying new areas of law (sometimes in my second language, which is a little scary) . I’m studying international law, which I’ve only done briefly before, and I’m finding it really interesting so far.

It’s new and difficult, but I’m really enjoying my first few days of lectures. I’d like to post here more regularly 😅 and try and keep some motivation going through the semester, so hopefully that works out.

My tea of choice today (and this week) is a welshcake-flavoured rooibos tea (welsh cwtch from bird&blend) which is reminding me of home and keeping me warm as the weather gets cooler <33

[penmeetspage]

LotR Ladies Week (@lotrladiessource) - Day 4 - Prompts: Women of the South | Black & white | Courage | Typography | Parallels

What's in a southern woman's cup?

We don't know a whole lot about the people living in the south of Middle-Earth, aside from a few details about a few lands adjacent to southern Gondor, so I'm veering into oc territory here: after the war, the peacemaking process may start with military agreements and probably some alliance marriages, but making peacetime ties between ordinary common people is going to require travel and trade. So I'm picturing a woman of one of those seafaring lands (Umbar, maybe? who are the only mariner-people we see on the page in LotR besides a few elves, though a few other places are mentioned to be great seafarers) - a ship captain, maybe having reclaimed her vessel from having been requisitioned during the conflict, setting sail. Her ship is half crewed with shaken veterans of the recent fighting who can't bear to stay ashore and half with painfully green young men and women dreaming of adventure in far-off lands; it's loaded with any trade good she can get on short notice (that wasn't seized for the war effort or spoiled by sitting too long at dock with no vessels free to carry it) that she thinks might be new and interesting to the northern cities. Among other things, rooibos tea and cocoa - a cup she also enjoys herself from time to time.

[yumeniz]

Vi a este personaje al hacer scroll en Twitter y quise hacer su voz 😭💕

Se llama Regina Chess ♟️

El ex gobernante de Rooibos City. Ella quiere recuperar su trono y hará cualquier cosa para recuperarlo. Además, se ve muy hermosa y atractiva y ya la amo 😍

Character/Artwork by @nicecarito

[katia0708]

Tercera vez haciendo personajes de Rooibos lifes en Gacha life 2 y no pienso parar! ✨

Esta vez, toco hacer a una hermosa familia..

🍦💕 La familia Cream 💕🍦

Los padres de Willy: Lyncond Cream y Madame Duya Cream! Tal palo tal astilla xD, William y su padre les gustan grandes ✨

Y sus 3 hermanos: Wendy Cream, una orgullosa mujer trans y la hija mayor; Wendell Cream, típico adolescente gruñón y hermano menor de Willy; y Winnifred Cream, la bebe de la familia, una ternura 🌸 <3 (Si que los señores Cream no perdieron el tiempo '°¬°)

Los padres de William son grandes padres, aceptan a sus hijos y los aman tal y como son, muchos quisiéramos unos padres así 🥲

La vida de Willy dio un giro de 180° para mal, sin duda fue difícil para él abandonar su tierra natal, pero no había de otra. No obstante, su familia siempre lo apoyo en los malos momentos, ahora hace una nueva vida desde 0 y ellos están ahí para él 💕

Bueno, creo que estoy alargando este post! 💦 ¡Nos veremos una próxima vez con más personajes de este mundo creado por @nicecarito! ✨🌸

Gracias por ver! ✨✨

[queenofquestions]

for the ask game! 21, 23, & 2 please :)

Oh yay! Another ask!

2) Definitely tea. Everyone in my entire city drinks coffee (thank you Starbucks) but I have always hated it! I usually drink tea plain but if it’s too bitter I’ll add sugar and if it’s a chai I might add some milk. My favorite tea is this cinnamon orange rooibos my friend gave me that I drink plain and super dark.

21) My day has actually been pretty good! I’m having some health problems and am on medical leave but today has been one of my good days :) My mom even bought bagels and cream cheese for me!

I played my mandolin, read a book, and worked on the golden girls fanfic I’m trying to write.

23) So it depends what you mean by aliens. If you mean life outside earth (from an independent origin of life), then I’m pretty optimistic that there is life out there somewhere. I took a class about astrobiology in college and it was brilliant! In particular, the idea that all creatures are just little entropy creators really resonated with me :) I would love to someday participate in origin of life research!

Intelligent life, well, there’s just so many things that have to go just right in order to get there. Pretty much everyone agrees that for intelligent life there are a bunch of steps that need to be completed including: origin of life, eukaryotic cell structure, multicellularity, etc all the way up to language. The universe is really really big but is it that big? I’m just not sure

[lsundarinfo]

Exploring the Rich Diversity of South Africa: A Guide to Culture, Cuisine, and Road Trips

South Africa, a land of vibrant cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and culinary delights, offers a plethora of experiences for travelers seeking adventure and discovery. From bustling cities to serene countryside, here’s a comprehensive guide to the best places to visit in South Africa, along with insights into its culture, food scene, and navigating the roads as a foreigner.

Culture: A Tapestry of Diversity

South Africa’s cultural landscape is as diverse as its geography. With 11 official languages and a melting pot of ethnicities, the country celebrates its rich heritage through art, music, and traditions. Explore the vibrant neighborhoods of Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, where you’ll encounter a fusion of cultures, from Zulu and Xhosa to Afrikaans and Indian influences.

Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in local traditions by attending cultural festivals, such as the vibrant Cape Town Carnival or the colorful Ndebele festivals in Mpumalanga. Visit historical sites like the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and Robben Island in Cape Town to gain deeper insights into the country’s complex past and its journey towards reconciliation.

Cuisine: A Gastronomic Adventure

South Africa’s culinary scene is a reflection of its diverse cultural heritage. Indulge in a culinary journey that tantalizes the taste buds with a fusion of flavors and influences. Sample traditional dishes like Bobotie, a savory minced meat dish with spices and egg topping, or Bunny Chow, a Durban specialty featuring curry served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread.

For seafood lovers, the coastal regions offer an abundance of fresh catches, including crayfish, snoek, and kingklip. Pair your meal with a glass of South African wine, renowned for its quality and variety, or savor a refreshing Rooibos tea, a local herbal infusion.

Best Motorways for Road Trips

Embark on an unforgettable road trip across South Africa’s scenic landscapes, where every bend in the road reveals a new adventure. The Garden Route, stretching from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, offers breathtaking views of lush forests, pristine beaches, and charming towns like Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.

For a taste of the wild, traverse the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, winding through dramatic mountain passes, cascading waterfalls, and the iconic Blyde River Canyon. Along the way, encounter diverse wildlife in Kruger National Park or explore the rugged beauty of the Drakensberg Mountains.

Driving as a Foreigner

Driving in South Africa offers the freedom to explore at your own pace, but it’s essential to familiarize yourself with local regulations and road conditions. Foreign visitors can drive in South Africa using their valid driver’s license from their home country, provided it’s printed in English or accompanied by an official English translation.

While not mandatory, it’s advisable to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) before arriving in South Africa, especially if your native license is not in English. The IDP serves as a translation of your license and can facilitate communication with law enforcement officials if needed.

Applying for an International Driving Permit (IDP) in South Africa

To apply for an International Driving Permit South Africa, follow these steps:

Visit the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) website or a local AA office.

Complete the IDP application form and provide the required documentation, including a valid passport, driver’s license, and passport-sized photographs.

Pay the applicable fee for the IDP issuance.

Once approved, you’ll receive your International Driving Permit, valid for one year.

With your International Driving Permit in hand, you’re ready to hit the road and embark on an unforgettable journey through the diverse landscapes and cultural wonders of South Africa.

Conclusion

From the vibrant streets of its cities to the untamed wilderness of its national parks, South Africa offers a captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and natural beauty. Whether you’re exploring the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg, savoring a traditional braai under the African sun, or embarking on a scenic road trip along the Garden Route, South Africa promises an adventure of a lifetime for travelers from around the world.

[nicecarito]

when Mr.Café immigrated to Rooibos City (USA) with his younger siblings, he set himself the task of learning english and above all to teach his siblings the language. Although he has a very strong mexican accent, his siblings were able to learn to speak English fluently and without a any accent.