#roselle leaves

[nohkalikai]

local fruits and vegetables in stalls along the highway from guwahati to shillong

[beautiful-rainyday]

Burmese Coconut Rice This easy Burmese coconut rice is simmered in a fragrant, sweet and savory mixture to impart tons of flavor.

[twst-drabbles]

Heartslabyul 6

Summary: While you didn’t go out trick-or-treating like Crowley wanted to, you did get a bucket full of candy. A little too much candy. You decided to throw some of the excess to the plant nymphs.

(Hehehehe, I made a neocities website right here. I’ll be loading all my writings up there eventually for safe keeping. But yeah, check it out!)

“Alright, ready for the next round?” You asked from your lawn chair, fingers drumming against the big and overly fancy black pumpkin bucket you got from Crowley for Halloween, “I think the next layer is white chocolate.”

Ace jumped up high, shaking his arms and legs, almost screaming in impatience that you won’t just start already. Deuce was stomping around in excitement, ready and revving to catch some candies and added them to their combined pile.

“Don’t scream, you’ll blast my ears out,” you deliberately slowed yourself down as you rubbed at your ear, dropping your scoop of candy right back into the basket just to annoy Ace further, “though, I am getting sleepy. Maybe we should do this another day.”

Then, you heard something else fall into the candy treasure trove you have. Looking over, you saw a pair of leafy legs wiggling about. Righting himself up, Trey presented the wrapped sweets high above his head before throwing it towards Ace and Deuce. Trey turned towards you with the sweetest look on his face, giving a little determined chirp before patting a little fist against his chest.

Leave it to me, he’s probably trying to convey. Adorable. He thinks you’re actually falling asleep in your chair and is trying to take up your duty for you.

“That’s alright Trey, I was just kidding,” you gently grabbed him before setting him down, “Go on. Grab some candy of your own before Ace and Deuce make themselves sick with it.”

As Trey walked to the candy zone with a nod, you shot your arms out and captured the basket that was in the process of being carried away by Cater and his clones.

“Stop that Cater,” you flicked one of the clones legs. It tripped and puffed into smoke, “I know you hate sweets but you can’t destroy them yet. Wait until the game’s over.”

The true Cater planted his butt on the table, kicking his legs out in annoyance. You patted his head.

“I’ll get you something nice later, alright? So stop with the tantrum just because I only have candy right now.”

Cater turned his head away from you, as though that wasn’t enough.

You tucked a finger under his chin, guiding him to look at you. “How does that new spicy ramen I found sound?”

Only then did Cater perk up and clap his hands with a trill of chirps escaping him. He hopped right up, dusted the dirt off his knees and ran off towards Ace and Deuce, probably to mess with them.

“You want to join in, Riddle?” You looked to your shoulder as soon as you felt a weight press upon it. You had a scoopful of small candies in your palm. “Those roots of yours will throw better then my hands ever could.”

Riddle’s little face creased with curiosity. He bent down and grabbed a candy, turning it this way and that before commanding a root to wrap around it and throw it over the heads of Ace and Deuce. Deuce decided to be a little menace and tripped Ace before speeding off towards the candy.

You snorted and Riddle gave a soft laughing trill of his own. A rope of roots grabbed each individual candy from your hands and threw them in high and wide arcs. Trey spotted something he liked bounce on the ground and slide under a tree’s roots. He slid right there with it, getting his butt stuck.

Cater had his clones at the ready to grab as many candies as possible, but one heavy lollipop bounced on his head, then onto the heads of the rest of his clones in succession.

“Whoops,” you said with a sigh, “threw it a little too well, Riddle.”

Just to ease the worried look on your Roseling’s face, you unwrapped a strawberry cream candy and held it to his face. He only took one sniff before practically wretched it from your hold.

Adorable. They’re all adorable.

[respectthepetty]

So much to write about from the second episode of Love is Better the Second Time Around because the boys kept up the dark x light dynamic.

But love entered the mix!

Because Hiro tried to use his girlfriend to replace Takashi, not only in love, but also in color. She is now the dark to his light, but thankfully, she swiftly rejects him.

So he calls the actual yin to his yang.

But unlike before with his girlfriend, the lighting is muted on Hiro's side,

Yet lit up on Takashi's side.

But also, instead of being across from each other like Hiro was with his girlfriend, and formally with Takashi in their previous confrontation about Takashi's recklessness with Hiro's feelings,

Takashi is right next to Hiro.

And tells Hiro that he will take responsibility for his feelings by basically proposing to him, which was the original purpose of this entire dinner with Hiro's girlfriend - taking responsibility for feelings and making a commitment.

Hiro is not keen on this idea and the colors around them dull even more.

So Hiro leaves, and Takashi is left to now take the place of Hiro in the seat of rejection.

But Hiro wasn't the only one try to fill the spot of his former love with another person. Takashi also tried to find the yang to his yin.

So after reinforcing that there is only ONE light to his dark, he tricks Hiro into experiencing several dates with him so they can further examine their light x dark color scheme.

But also so Takashi can put the love color back between them by being a true plant daddy: Red poinsettias symbolize good will, hopes for success, and sacrifice.

Red roses represent deep love and passion.

Oh, and the tea colors remind me of another plant daddy trying to win his man over with trickery!

Hidden Agenda's Joke and Zo:

Yellow chrysanthemum, the tea Zo drank and possibly the one Hiro has, represents slighted or neglected love and the taste of its tea is sweet.

And red roselle (or hibiscus), the juice Joke drinks and possibly the one Takashi is drinking, represents romantic love or passion and the taste of its juice is sour.

So yeah, Hiro is still feeling the previous rejection with his lightness, while Takisha is deeply in love in his darkness.

Excellent.

[vvvvivi567890]

Chinese LoTM Gen Fic Recs (II)

<<< Part I | ★☆★☆★ |

Last Updated: July. 31. 2024

COI:

Those Who Want to Be Mr. Fool's Dog by moyaozi

Under the instructions of Madam Magician, Lumian comes into contact with an organization in which all of the members wanted to be Mr. Fool's dog

A Holiday by k70296

Takes place during the 4th vol of COI; Klein briefly wakes up and sends an avatar to spend time with friends in order to increase his humanity

The Church's Redemption Angel God Descends in Chasel by siriuss12

Moretti:

Extraordinary Benson Wants to Live an Ordinary Life by kaiyi965

Benson becomes a beyonder (s6 lawyer) before Zhou Mingrui transmigrates

Everyone is Worried About Their Family by hanpeiwen

Klein goes home and Melissa is extremely over-protective of him

Wait Until They Die by aizhuangkudexiaocainiao497

That Rainy Afternoon by bimoqingtian

Benson's 3650 Days by bimoqingtian: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, (Last Updated: Mar. 17. 2024)

The Sun is Shining Brightly on a Beautiful Day by ilymb

Melissa's One Wish by nanrong44064

Klein-Centered:

Loneliness Can’t Kill the Cat by fucaoweiying70209

Required read tbh; Zhou Mingrui meets himself from the future

Help, Make Trouble by luoyunshengya: Preface 1, Preface 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, (Last Updated: Sept. 10. 2023)

Blackthorn Security Company:

Will Klein Miss Blackthorn Security Company? by jinxuan44061: 1, 2 (Lasted Updated: Mar. 24. 2024)

LoTM Klein splits into two post-doomsday, one of them lands in the past at Blackthorn Security Company

About the Future, Future Klein by xinjinjumin4545033: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, (Last Updated: May. 06. 2024)

Tingen nighthawks meet future Klein; chapter 5 is LeoKlein but I'm not sure if it will be present for the rest of the fic (i'll move it to another post later if it is)

Tarot Club:

How Many Steps Does it Take to Put a Cat On the Bed? by benguodeniunai

Reaction | Mr. Fool Read His Holy Scripture by amusitelangdeaima

Homecoming Group (kinda ig):

The Oracle Prohibits Illegal Outsourcing by langduzhe023

Organizing the Church of the Fool's sealed artifacts with Roselle and Amanises

3 Protagonists Gather Together by nenesis17

Leonard's portable grandpa is Roselle not Pallez

3 Protagonists Are a Bit Too Many: 1, 2 (END)

A Room Where You Can’t Leave Without Saying Something Embarrassing by anice526

Others:

Hall of Truth Trio | ”The Fool,” “Justice,” and “Stars” are In the Face by moranheixuan: 1, (Last Updated: May. 13. 2024)

Martime Group | Whose Child is This??? by chuyue12737: 1, 2, 3 (END)

gehrman turns into a 6 year old zmr with fragments of klein’s memory

[captain-facepatch]

Yes, Ms. Thorne.

Just... my tea...

hm perhaps violence is okay sometimes

[loregoddess]

Found this in my drafts while going through it to move stuff into the queue, and honestly this is just an outline for a proper analysis post but I’d need to replay TriStrat a couple of times to finish polishing it, and I dunno when I’m gonna get around to that so, here, have a 2-year old outline that still reads mostly clearly instead.

---------------------

Mirrors (narrative device for characters who are the same but also opposite), Anna and Avlora as Narrative Parallels

early childhood -Anna taken in (explicitly by the person who killed her parents) and “given a place” in House Wolffort as its future steward; very close to father figure -Avlora’s parents’ fate unknown, taken in by Svarog, but still had to fight her way and earn her place as Aesfrost’s general; no apparent attachment to father figure

combat style -Anna specializes in stealth, reconnaissance, spying, etc., rouge-like fighter, WILL fight dirty (evasion heavy) -Avlora is the face of the army, no trickery to her fighting, very up-front and “honest” and “honorable” (can inflict damage to self, deals more damage at lower health)

mentors -Anna’s mentor was Archbald (former Hyzante Saint and general) who betrayed Hyzante and forfeited his sainthood by freeing the Roselle, a long-range archer, finds new “family” in House Wolffort -Avlora’s mentor is Groma (former Aesfrost general), who is wracked with guilt due to the belief that she was responsible for killing innocents (specifically the Roselle in the fort where Archibald had freed them from), leaves Aesfrost of her own volition after becoming disillusioned with its values, a close-range martial artist who (until joining House Wolffort) leads a seemingly solitary life

present -Anna remains steadfastly loyal to House Wolffort, following Serenoa to whatever ends he chooses to lead the house to (although she would have remained by Benedict’s side in the Frederica ending, except that Benedict asked her to leave), and despite being known more or less as Wolffort’s spy, she is basically well-liked and accepted by the people, also shown to be good with children; notably willing to diverge away from Benedict’s judgments and plans -Despite her loyalty as a knight, Avlora looses faith in Gustadolph’s rule and swears her loyalty to Cordelia (Avlora sees herself in Cordelia, and admires Cordelia’s blooming strength and resolve), chooses to sacrifice herself for Cordelia (but survives and joins House Wolffort on the golden route to end the war and return to Cordelia’s service), is despised by the people of Glenbrook but resolves to atone and continue forward (notably a child is who helps adults see that Avlora is willing to commit to atoning; Cordelia is also put in a poor light due to the peoples’ lost faith in the royal family and has to similarly regain their respect and trust through her actions), willing to stand by Cordelia’s side no matter what (despite raising her, Avlora doesn’t seem too attached to Svarog or interesting in following after him, not the way Anna literally inherits Benedict’s role)

[creativepawsworld]

Silence - Chapter 56

Pairing = Thomas Shelby x OC

Summary = Tommy is once again distracted by something leaving Ana wondering what's he up to now? She visits her parents who have a surprise for her.

Warnings = Language...Grammar...Death mentioned....violence implied...fluff...cute moments

Word Count = 1931

Note = Okay so here we are baby name revealed. I don't know if anyone reading this remembers the poll we did in regards to the names but it has been used as this story is for you guys and all your overwhelming support. Hope you Enjoy this cuteness overload 💙

Wasn’t it crazy how your life could change all in one night? All in a matter of hours because of a small, innocent baby. The pain I had felt during childbirth had completely subsided the moment I held my daughter in my hands. Ever since that night, I threw myself completely into motherhood. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. It felt right, this was meant for me.

Roselle Penelope Shelby became the light of my universe. Despite all the pain that occurred over the years, she made everything so much better. Roselle even had my mother smiling which was a rarity after her vicious attack. My mother had returned to tailoring making the most beautiful dresses and sleepsuits for her granddaughter. It was like the light had returned for her. She now had a purpose in life again. At least that’s how she was seeing Roselle.

As for Tommy, I had never seen him so devoted before. But this remained mostly behind closed doors. All of his men became aware Tommy was now a father. A few of the lower-ranked men believed it made him soft. Tommy was quick to shoot down any of that talk of that notion. He wouldn’t tell me exactly how it was dealt with, in fact, all he said was he had a word with them but there was a darkness in his eyes when he would talk about it. Any further meeting I witnessed he had with his men, the younger of them all seemed a lot more terrified.

The message was delivered, Tommy was not to be messed with nor was Roselle or I and he made that perfectly clear to every one of his men.

I pushed my daughter in her pram along the street of Small Heath towards my parent's home. I was in deep thought, Tommy was up to something. He wouldn’t tell me what, he was once again secretive which annoyed me. But deep down I knew I trusted him, I trusted that he would tell me in his own time. I push Roselle in her pram, she slept soundly under a little blanket her uncle Arthur had purchased for her a few days after she was born.

He was another man who had the coldest look in his eyes if he felt like someone was threatening his niece. Before getting to know Arthur, I would have never said he was a child-friendly man. In fact, I always would have said he hated children and didn’t have time for them. But seeing him around John’s kids and now Roselle I could admit I was wrong. He was the perfect uncle.

Walking past my parent's home I was in shock to see they had the tailor shop opened for business. I couldn’t believe it. People were coming and going dropping off garments or collecting them. I felt like time had stopped as I was hit with the memories of happier times. It felt like life was finally moving in the right direction. Pushing my pram into the shop I stood next to my former desk, looking around my family’s tailor shop.

I look over to the table opposite mine, formerly my brother James’ table and a sad smile crosses my face. I looked down at my daughter, he would have loved to meet her. I would have loved for him to meet her. It was conversations we used to have together, especially when he got with Martha and me with Tommy. We planned out these play dates with our children that now would never happen. The thought brought a tear to my eye, my heart felt tight. It had been a few years since he died trying to save me and I missed him every single day.

Inhaling softly I turned away from my brother’s table, looking at my own. This was where I started to come into my own person and not just a follower of my parents. This was where I made my first full suit for John Shelby and multiple dresses and skirts for Polly. But my favourite memory was the night Tommy came into the shop, kneeling before me to place the boots he purchased on my feet. It was the first time he ever got on bended knee for me. A fond memory for sure, I couldn’t help but feel giddy.

I was so lost in my thoughts, that my father had to make a noise behind me to bring my attention towards him and my mother who were both standing with big grinning smiles. I eyed them carefully as my mother rushed forward to see my daughter, smiling softly as she placed a hand on my shoulder. She still couldn’t bring herself to speak but I could see it in her eyes. She was proud of me. Finally.

“A….na” My father spoke slowly, his voice still rusty and low due to the lack of movement of his tongue. But he never gave up. He was even more determined now Roselle was born. Like my mother, she had given him a new lease of life. A new want to keep going and stick around.

“Hi father, Mother” I smiled at them both. My mother looked up from looking at Roselle and ushered me towards my father. The pair were acting suspiciously.

I walked into the back of the shop, and my mother wheeled my daughter closer to me towards the back of the shop and away from the door. Not much had changed back here either except that my mother’s desk was hidden behind the room divider we used to offer our clients to change behind to get some privacy.

“Is everything okay?” I asked softly looking up, I noticed a piece of white lace on my father’s table but didn’t think anything of it. He was a tailor, after all, we used a multitude of fabrics to create different garments for people.

“y….yes,” My father nodded, a proud smile on his face. “T…Tommy talk…” He tried to talk only to spot and wince in pain before pointing at me to finish his question.

“We talk but he hasn’t told me anything. He didn’t mention speaking with you or mother either” I shook my head, tilting it to the right slightly in confusion.

“Ahh,” My father nodded, looking at my mother with a grin. It quickly became clear that whatever Tommy was planning, he included my parents in it.

That thought made me smile. Not only did it mean that Tommy wasn’t doing anything dangerous or life-threatening but it meant he was more accepting of my parents. Trying to include them in our lives more. It felt like he understood that, despite my rocky past with my parents, I still needed them. I didn’t want our daughter to grow up and not know who her family was. Especially with the business her father was in. Family was important and may not always be around, so she needed all the support she could get.

“What’s going on?” I asked, “What has Tommy told you?”

My parents smiled both walking to either side of the room divider and moving it off to the side to reveal a beautifully made wedding dress. It was a cold shoulder style, with a delicate, lace, floral design all over the bodice. There were more lace flowers around the waist creating a belt around my waist. The silhouette of the dress was layered chiffon, with a satin underskirt. The hemline just graced the wooden floor, it was honestly the most beautiful dress I had ever laid my eyes on.

“For, you” My father spoke, a tear in his eye as he took in my reaction to the dress. I looked at my mother who was crying, her hands placed over her nose and mouth in a triangle shape at the reveal.

“M…My wedding dress?” I asked breathlessly. My emotions were all over the place I couldn’t believe it. This dress was much more than I could ever imagine. It was more than ever expected. I don’t think I could have found a better dress in a shop. This was everything.

“G…g…good?” My father asked softly stepping forward.

“Amazing” I whispered rushing forward to hug him tightly, crying into his chest. I ushered my mother over with my arm hugging them both tightly. “Thank you, thank you so much”

I stayed in the arms of my parents for a good five minutes before pulling away and wiping the tears from my eyes. Laughing softly. This was a complete 180-degree change in our dynamic. I couldn’t get over the changes and it was all down to me meeting Thomas Shelby for the first time four years previous.

“Wait, wait does that mean? Has Tommy spoken to you about our wedding?” I asked my parents, the realisation hitting me. Why else had my parents made a wedding dress for me unless Tommy had mentioned something? Did he mention something?

“A…ask him” My father chuckled peering into the pram. Roselle was awake, cooing away. Her small chubby little fingers grabbed at the air and then my father’s finger. I noticed my father’s eyes on me silently asking if he could lift her out which I agreed to. My mind wandered to my potential wedding. Was that in fact what Tommy was planning?

******

Later that evening I was home alone with Roselle, singing softly to her as I stared out the window of my apartment. The dark night had now taken over and I had yet to see Tommy all day, whatever he was doing kept him busy. Just as the thought entered my head I heard the front door open, looking over my shoulder I noticed Tommy walking in removing his peaked cap and fluffing out his hair.

“Everythin alrigh love?” Tommy asked shrugging off his coat and hanging it up. In a few long strides, he was over next to us, softly caressing the back of Roselle’s head. “How’s me girls tonight eh?”

“We went and visited her grandma and papa this afternoon” I answered, my eyebrows slightly raised as I looked at him, waiting for him to divulge some information on what was going on.

“Is that right? And how was that visit?” Tommy smirked not giving anything away. His blue eyes held a mischievous glint as he looked down into my eyes.

“Very good, they made me a wedding dress” I answered smiling up at him before handing over our daughter. Almost instantly she cuddled into the lapel of his suit jacket, she was only a few weeks old and already she was a daddy’s girl.

“Tha right? That’s good, you’ll need it” Tommy chuckled holding our daughter close. Every so often his eyes would move down towards her and then back towards me.

“For when?” I asked licking my lips as I moved into the kitchen to make some tea.

“Tomorrow” Tommy chuckled, his index finger gently caressing the side of Roselle’s face. I dropped the teaspoon I was going to use to make the tea once the teapot boiled to the floor. The noise stirred Roselle but not too much as she inhaled her father’s scent and settled once again.

“I’m sorry what?”

“I told ya, once I had the soldier dealt with we were getting married,” Tommy explained looking up at me

“This soon though?” I asked surprised

“I’m not waiting another day” He answered with a smile that lit up his eyes. I chuckle nervously looking at him and shaking my head softly.

I am getting married tomorrow.

Taglist

@shelbyteller @seleneshelby @forgottenpeakywriter @babayaga67 @sweetmilkshakeluminary @slutforcoffein @sydneyyyya @happysparklingshadows @margew76   @midnightmagpiemama  @pierre-gasssllyy  @duckybird101 @muhahaha303 @thenattitude  @dolllol2405 @citylights31

Anyone wanting on or off the tag list please just let me know💙

[lavendertvgirl]

Another Story I made

Chief Clockman and Alarm Clockman were on a boat ride, not knowing that before them was a large siren and her mermaid daughter swimming through the ocean.

Unfortunately The boat hit some floating debris and Chief Clockman was accidentally knocked off the boat and into the sea, leaving Alarm Clockman panicked and worried for Chief’s safety.

Roselle ended up finding Chief unconscious but still alive at the bottom of the ocean, curious about what she’s seeing, she took the unconscious clock back to her lair.

When Chief regained consciousness he saw that he was now inside a large bubble and then he saw her, she swam around him and observed him.Chief was a little scared at first but after realising that Roselle saved his life and wasn’t going to harm him he calmed down and let this gentle siren take care of him for the time being.

Meanwhile Alarm Clockman drove the boat around in a panicked state looking for Chief, praying that he was still alive, eventually he found Chief, alive and well on a nearby island, looking a lot happier than he was before the trip.Alarm Clockman helped Chief back onto the boat and they went back to the base.

[beemynumberone]

All The Colours (7/7)

-> In which Idol!Minghao and Actress!OC convey their heartfelt messages through colours.

-> slowwwwburn romance. friends to lovers. no smut.

-> constructive feedback is always appreciated!

All pictures are from Pinterest, I do not own them.

Writer’s note: Hi! I am writing these scenarios to placate my active imagination and hopefully make someone’s day/night. I do not intend to hurt anyone/anything through this fic.

Thank you for picking up my story and happy reading!

Masterlist

*btw, Yile is pronounced as Yi Le (in Chinese pronunciation), it is not supposed to rhyme with Kyle

Part 7: Blue

You had me at um, hi

The morning chill blew through the air. Minghao wrapped his denim jacket around him tightly. Yile had told him to wear blue. After looking through his closet, he realised a denim jacket would be the least flashy blue garment he could find. It suited this “meet-up” after all. It blended in with the population and was casual, no sincere feelings on either end, amirite?

His bandmates were all telling him to “man up” and “confess already”. But Minghao wasn’t sure of Yile’s feelings and if there was a risk he didn’t want to take, it would be this. This meet was definitely a between-friends thing right? He didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon.

He stood in front of the address Yile had sent him. The café looked like it came out of a garden, with an assortment of flowers decorating its door frame. Warm lights from inside the shop lit the tranquil ambience indoors and Minghao eagerly stepped in.

He was instantly hit by a sweet and earthy aroma of tea leaves. Yile had chosen a place that she knew he would like. Minghao couldn’t be more grateful for her consideration. It was still early so the café was mostly empty, except for the familiar figure sat at the back of the shop. He walked over to her, opening his mouth to call her name out.

“Yi-” Wait. Should he call her name? Would the café staff start spreading news that he and Yile were on a date or whatever-they-wanted-to-call-it? Was this safe for her?

“Hey, Minghao.” Yile waved him over. Noticing his apprehension, Yile explained. “I’m close with the staff here. Nothing will be leaked, don’t worry.” Minghao slid into the plush deep blue sofa opposite Yile and took in their surroundings. They were seated at the last booth in the café, with partitions between each booth, providing privacy for each table.

“I heard from Junhui that you liked all things tea, so I decided to introduce you to this café. It was started by a good high school friend of mine, specialising in herbal tea and confectionery.” Yile picked up the menu. “I’ve taste tested everything here and I can assure you nothing tastes bad.” Minghao browsed through the selection. He had tasted most of the tea flavours, except for blue pea. He asked Yile on her opinion.

“I like roselle tea the best — it’s a deep magenta flower. But I prefer blue pea for the milder days. Y’know, the cold, lazy mornings. That’s what I’m getting, actually.”

In the end, they decided to share a pot of blue pea and some fruit tarts. A waiter took their orders and left them to converse with each other.

Soon, the waiter reappeared with a tray of their orders. A transparent glass pot filled with hot water and a small dish containing dried blue pea flowers.

Minghao reached out to start making the tea. Yile stopped him, insisting that she wanted to do the honours. Minghao complied, setting the fruit tarts in the middle of the table. Lemon slices, dried dark pink petals and another glass cup sat neatly on a dish. Minghao didn’t know why they were there. He distinctly remembered not ordering roselle tea.

Yile sensed Minghao’s curious gaze on the additional items. She steeled her nerves and efficiently stirred the blue pea flowers in the teapot. Minghao couldn’t tear his eyes away, mesmerised at the saturated colour of the water. Yile set two glass cups in front of her, pouring the blue liquid out. To Minghao’s surprise, the tea didn’t smell of much, just an earthy whiff.

Then, Yile spoke. “Did you know, blue pea tea changes colour based on pH level?”

Yile squeezed some lemon juice into one of the cups. The previously blue tea turned purple. Yile took a deep breath. Be direct and pointed, Xinhui had advised. “Minghao, I’ve overthinked and weighed the pros and cons and everything on this. I want to know if you would like to be friends or something more?”

Yile sprinkled some pink petals into the other cup of tea, stirring so the solution turned a fiery red. Red like the graphic liner on Yile’s face the first time they met, Minghao realised. Red for love, red for passion, red for fortune.

Then he looked at Yile’s earnest expression, purple tea on her left, red on her right. Purple meant a mix. A limbo, if you will. A delicate balance of red and blue, friendship and romance. Of a precarious area of no rest and constant struggle.

He took the red cup. “Fortune favours the brave.” He smirked and downed the cup.

Bad idea, Minghao scolded himself. His tongue stung from the scalding pain of hot tea. Even though his tongue was in pain, he felt happy. A weight had rolled off his shoulders and he could now laugh freely with his girlfriend about his dumb decision.

[stickmarionette]

Marti Perarnau (Pep's authorised biographer) got the details on his aborted reunion with Messi and oh my god

It all starts with a WhatsApp sent by Sergio Aguero to the City squad. 'Something big might be happening. Leo's just asked me how long Pep has left on his contract.'

Everyone back in Manchester is immediately buzzing but Pep, on a flight back from Lisbon, doesn't see the message for several hours.

..

Unbeknown to Pep, Messi is also struggling with a major headache of his own. For the past four days, he's been brooding over the 8-2 mauling handed out to Barcelona by Bayern Munich. Shame. Humiliation. Their worst result in living memory. It's all too painful and Messi has come to a decision. It's time to take the initiative. He needs to move on.

Perhaps Pep has a place in his squad for his former protege.

In another part of Barcelona, Pep's still feeling the effects of his sore head when his phone buzzes.

They meet the next day. Twelve o'clock at Pep's place. It's the second time they've met like this. The last time was in the summer of 2016 when Messi was facing a 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud and looking for a lifeline.

...

Four years on, the situation's very different. Messi's frustration with Barcelona has mounted with each Champions League elimination over the last few years. He's rapidly losing patience with his club. Which is why he's here, sitting on Pep's huge sofa, ready to talk. 'Boss, I just want to go as far as I possibly can. I still want to do great things.'

The pair of them are still talking six-and-a-half hours later.

They've never had this kind of long, intense conversation before. Back at Barca, whenever they chatted it was always about the game, the tactics to be used or their next opponent.

But they've both changed a lot since then. The quiet, reserved kid, who only seemed to come fully alive with a ball at his feet, is now a grown man. With a beard!

This is an adult who knows what he wants and has carefully considered everything he's about to say. A professional, with an exhaustive knowledge of football, who speaks with precision and intelligence. Pep's heard how much Messi's changed but now he's witnessing it for himself. And today, it's Leo who does most of the talking.

Messi has a very specific purpose. Sick and tired of the way he's been treated, and of the dishonesty and betrayal he feels he's had to put up with. He's ready to leave.

Pep can relate. He himself feels he had to put up with similar treatment as a player, meted out by then club president Josep Lluis Nunez, who had also seemed to take against Johan Cruyff and do everything he could to push the great Dutch coach out of the club. Pep, as a new coach, had similar problems under president Sandro Rosell.

In Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and Leo Messi, the club had three of their brightest and most brilliant sons, all of them skewered on the lance of mediocrity.

So no, Pep doesn't need the details. He understands exactly what Messi's saying.

'You do know that it rains a lot in Manchester?'

...

Today, Pep discovers in Messi a man who is surprisingly well-informed about world football. It's obvious that he has superb football vision and a precise grasp of the concepts, tactical variants and innovations they chat about. 

They discuss Liverpool and Bayern, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel, Kevin De Bruyne and Kalidou Koulibaly. Pep talks him through City's squad, their new signings and the defenders he's got his eye on. Leo has opinions on all of it.

...

'We train hard in Manchester…'

'Doesn't bother me. I'm ready for hard work.'

'And I still give long tactical talks. Maybe you'll get bored…'

'I'll cope, I can cope with anything you throw at me.'

'Leo, we're both much older than we were. Maybe we won't get on now.'

'Pep, I just want the chance to do great things, to feel like I'm ready to smash it again.'

At 6.30pm they say goodbye with a warm hug. It's not going to be easy but if they pull this off, there's no knowing what they can achieve.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

This was going to be a post only about shoes as a gift for @respectthepetty...but then Pet made this post about graphic designers understanding the assignment and my thoughts started spiralling. I'll come back to the title cards and colour-coding later...but first, SHOES!

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know I pretty much lose it when I see a Thai character wearing the Mustard yellow-soled shoes (I really need to buy myself a pair). It started with Pat, Pran, and Pa in Bad Buddy...

...but the shoes have also been worn by Win and Lin (in Cupid's Last Wish), Tinn and Gun (Our Skyy 2 x My School President), Jeng (Step By Step), and most recently, Zo in Hidden Agenda.

But this isn't the point of the post. No.

My gift to Pet is my recent discovery that Joke in Hidden Agenda has shoes with BLUE soles.

I have yet to find them online but I haven't given up yet. I mean, look at them (I need a pair of these as well):

I had noticed the little pop of red on the heel during the airing of the show and thought it was a nice little nod to the red and yellow theme, but the discovery of the blue and Pet's insightful post I mentioned earlier has got me questioning.

Because I know the red and yellow theme was emphasised with the roselle and chrysanthemum juices, and the stories of the red roses and yellow sunflowers...and I know Pet has already written an outstanding analysis of the use of these two colours plus the blue and how they connect to the triangular theory of love...BUT I can't help looking at this

and wonder if this graphic designer also really understood the assignment.

Like, really understood

Really

Definitely

Understood

Because despite the red, I wonder if we do have singular colour-coded characters, with Joke being a loyal blue boy and Zo a yellow yal.

On Zo's practice date, he's painting in yellow with the yellow water in front of him but Joke has blue water in front of him despite painting green (in their play-fighting Joke threatens to throw the blue water over Zo). Joke also wipes the green on his face - a combination of these two colours.

After the date-that's-not-a-date, Zo decides to leave for a few days and takes both these colours with him (and, he soon accepts, Joke as well).

And when they meet Uncle Yod the hotel owner he's wearing their merged colours.

To Joke, Zo's face looks like the sun. He feels comfortable and warm around him. Zo thinks Joke should learn to generate that warmth for himself. Warm and cold.

Zo struggles with Joke's sincerity (just like they struggle to get the blue bus moving), even whilst wearing the blue shirt (with the yellow detail below the collar).

And even though Zo wears red once (and pink a few times), he wears blue several times. (I don't think I remember seeing Joke in red at all). And we get a colour exchange, with both of them in front of green backgrounds.

And finally, despite going home to his very red family, Joke has blue over his heart and Zo is finally embracing his yellow.

I'd very much like to posit that these are their true colours, that they've been carrying in their soles souls the whole time but maybe hiding them because they weren't fully sure of themselves or each other. Because when looked at like this, the graphic designers really did follow the assignment.

[shroudkeeper]

memorial - for the random word generator prompt!

The world before me slowly unravels with each footstep I take upon lands I have yet to explore; with each path I take, I am filled with wonder and try to document each tale I am regaled with. There are grandiose stories of heroism carved into history, made by mortal beings, that one may find in tomes and scrolls in every part of the world.

During spring, as the flowers awaken from their hibernation and journey to warmer climes, I have made an unexpected friend in what others call a beastkin. I felt their gentle nature, the benign spirit that radiated from them, and welcomed them into my company in my search for more stories to document.

We crossed into Eastern Thalanan, an area I did not frequent without the company of Mister Fitzgerald, however, I knew well of the cemetery there, though my companion sparked the interest of a cloaked gentleman, who hurriedly approached me and immediately became interested in her.

He told me a story, not one of mortal men and their great feats, but of a solitary gobbue, one whose voyage took them afar, as the world felt like it was becoming undone. For years it wandered, and though its life was being extinguished with each step, life gathered upon it. My companion listened quietly as the brooding man continued to weave its remarkable, tragic tale. I became interested in seeing this living memorial upon its back, to paint it into memory and share it with my clan upon my return.

With his brief directions, we both set towards the east where we may find it and give it our offerings. Even though we could not communicate verbally, they knew the silent language of gestures and guided me toward our destination to offer our respects.

In this field of flowers, we see the monumental form as we descended a hill and quietly approached the area where it forever laid dormant. Within me something stirred, despite being accustomed to death, the sight of the gobbue caused my heart to tighten in my chest as I felt sparks of life radiating from its hunched back in the form of lavenders, roselles, and moss which cushioned the blooms and carpeted the hunched mound.

Life and death are inseperable.

My companion gingerly pushed the thorned vines away from the maw left agape on the deceased, allowing us to see past the veil of greenery. Its limbs have long become part of the earth, rooting itself to help keep it upright, its empty eyes still looked forward, as one could imagine it had been doing for years on end, leaving the land of Coerthas.

With her assistance, I was lifted higher, and closer so I may properly glance upon them with respect; was there that I would quietly observe the details of its passing and the beauty which shrouded it.

In silence, I offered it a prayer, for one could only fathom its hardships and understand the loss it felt as its world crumbled at its feet.

Its spirit is long gone, for not even I can feel its presence lingering in this plane, despite such, I will honor where he finally rests, a living shrine that he has created upon its back, in hopes that where his spirit lies, it feels lighter in knowing that another has come to learn of their plight.

[twst-drabbles]

Riddle 16

Summary: Now the time comes for Riddle to hibernate. For whatever reason, the Roseling made it a habit to sleep last.

(Oh so gentle, oh so sweet. It's hilarious, how when I crave to write something horrible, I write fluff instead.)

Snow had been falling for a while now. It blankets your house in a smooth white sheet, only a few centimeters thick. Nothing really worth shoveling up or playing in. It’s more suiting to just recline back in a comfy chair and relax by the fire. With the birds leaving their nests empty, the trees long having retreated their vitality, there’s this odd feeling that somehow you were stuck in time.

Of course, that’s not the case, not with Riddle struggling to not fall asleep in your hands. You leaned down and exhaled a hot breath over his body. Sleepily, he smacked you on the chin through the fog.

“Sorry, sorry,” you chuckled, “forgot to brush my teeth this morning.”

Your breath probably smells horrible and you’d hope the cold would somehow dull it. Though, that’s not how scents work, huh?

As you walked through the garden, all bundled up in a nice coat and a blanket just because you could, Riddle was resisting the urge to sleep. He sits in your palm, grabbing your fingers to keep his balance, but you can see his head bobbing up and down.

“Really Riddle,” you said as you opened the door to the temporary greenhouse, “you don’t have to force yourself. You guys need to rest and it’s not like I’ll be lonely. I have plenty of company.”

Riddle’s rose, a rather large plant that continues to grow, now at shoulder height to you, was open and ready to accept its other very sleepy half. Below the large flowing petals were four other roses, all of them tightly closed with the other plant nymphs that couldn’t keep awake.

This place was certainly warmer compared to the sharp winds outside, but not enough to have them awaken early. You just needed some decent shelter in case a storm of any kind comes in.

You shrugged, “I suppose it’s my fault for entertaining you.” There was a mirth to your tone. “To sleep with you, Riddle.”

You stretched your hand to the center of the open rose, but no matter how gentle the motion was, it still causes Riddle to stumble forward and bump his head against your fingers. He shoved himself back, as though shocked away as he shook his head. He took a moment to look around, adjust the petals of his body before standing in all his glory.

“Well?” You said, subtly pushing his back with your thumb, “Get some shut eye. I’ll be here when you all wake up.”

The Roseling turned to you, face scrunched up in the way he does when being told what he has already set out to do. But there was no fire to it. Poor little guy was so sleepy, he looked like he could fall right over.

Riddle took a step down with a huff, but stopped. His head inclined down, then he turned to you, giving you a flash of puppy eyes before he caught himself and looked forward.

You snorted but didn’t say a thing. Riddle took another step, then another, then finally hopped off your fingers like a diving board, landing safely and softly in the rose he was born from. The petals were so thick and fluffed up it nearly swallowed him. Only his head was visible.

“Have a good night, Riddle.”

Until spring comes, Roseling.

[respectthepetty]

@placetneplacet writing about Zo being resistant to Joke's advances because he truly believed it was all in his head due to Puen deceiving him has me DEEP in my feels because @placetneplacet is right. Rewatching the show with the knowledge of the trauma Puen caused Zo changes everything.

Really think about this, y'all.

THINK ABOUT IT!

Each time Zo felt any good feelings for Joke, he immediately stopped himself.

He shut down every single time because he couldn't trust himself. He didn't want to repeat his mistake of making someone else uncomfortable with his queerness.

When Joke touched him, he had to remind himself that it meant nothing.

So when he kissed Joke, he sat there that entire time believing Joke would tell him he was crazy for thinking the feeling was mutual.

He really tried to convince himself (and Joke) that nothing changed. That is meant nothing. Because he was afraid of losing a friend.

So when Joke said this, Zo panicked even more!

As @justafriend-ql wrote, once Joke spilled the Roselle juice on him, symbolizing his heart being on his sleeve, Zo thought he was exposed. He thought it was happening all over AGAIN!

And he sat there throughout that entire dinner with Joke in front of his mom, with that red stain, that scarlet letter, his heart on his sleeve FREAKING OUT!

So while Joke was hyping him up to his mom, Zo was getting more anxious telling himself IT WAS IN HIS HEAD! That it didn't mean what he thought it meant. That is was just a friend being a friend.

He was so cold to Joke because he didn't want to give Joke any evidence of his growing feelings. He didn't want Joke to feel uncomfortable, but he also didn't want to give Joke any ammunition to hurt him.

He didn't want to regret it like he did before.

Joke never said how he felt about the kiss because he didn't want to push Zo, but by him not saying anything, Zo went deeper into his head thinking about how he could salvage this without losing Joke.

So the next time he saw Joke, and Joke kept repeating that tongue twister about the fucking toads in love, ZO WAS REPEATING THAT IT WAS ALL IN HIS HEAD! That Joke was just teasing him like Puen had done!

THIS ENTIRE FUCKING CONVERSATION!

Zo was demanding that Joke tell him WHY he kept helping him. He needed to hear Joke say that they were "just friends" so he could finally confirm it was all in his head.

Zo kept calling himself an idiot because he let this happen again. He mixed up the signals. He read too much into it. He is going to destroy another friendship because HE IS THE PROBLEM for thinking the other person liked him.

He was confused because he couldn't stop caring, despite knowing it was one-sided. Even though he knew it was all in his head.

Look at his reaction to being hugged by Joke. LOOK AT IT! He was fighting himself this entire episode. Just like the kiss, he doesn't touch Joke. He stands there. HE IS PANICKING! Because if he hugs Joke, he is exposed. Joke will know how he feels.

It's not until the very end of this episode that Joke tells him that he likes him.

The very last moment, Joke tells Zo what he thought he had imagined was, in fact, real. And look at Zo's face.

That is the look of hope.

He still doesn't believe it.

But in spite of everything, he hopes this is real.

When Zo's friends are also "surprised" by Joke's feelings, it makes Zo doubt it more.

But even though Zo can't express himself because he is still terrified this is all a joke at his expense and believes Joke is going to leave him, Joke keeps showing up.

Joke keeps checking in.

Joke doesn't take Zo's silence as a rejection because he realizes Zo struggles to voice his feelings since he can't trust his feelings, but Joke follows up for his consent each time.

@stuffnonsenseandotherthings told us it's never been about food with them.

Because Puen made Zo doubt himself so much that he fought himself to the point of repression. Zo wasn't trying to quiet Joke's queerness; he was trying to convince himself that Joke wasn't gay. He was telling him it was all his imagination because Joke was simply being nice to him. He was telling him he didn't like Joke being nice to him because HE was getting it confused.

Zo knew who he was, yet Puen convinced him that was all a lie.

And I fucking hate him.

@bengiyo, add him to the list. He knew.

[sidorlss]

I think a lot about the ARR quest The Voyage of the Goobbue -

"When the Calamity struck, it sundered life everywhere—and not only among our races. Look around, and you will see how things have fallen apart. Feet, claws, roots—all have been torn from the earth they were planted on.

The dead goobbue was a child of Coerthas. The Calamity shattered its native mountains, and it fled before destruction as a caravan flies before a sandstorm. Years, it wandered. We found it dying and received its memories.

It had gathered seeds from every land it passed through, and they flower upon its corpse, a living map of its loss and exile. North to south, mountains to the desert...cloudberry and shooting stars, marybells and cliff roses, Althyk lavender from lower Thanalan, even roselles from Bloodshore.

To wander is a dream and a nightmare. Adventurers such as yourself must know it better than I, but I imagine there are days when the flame of adventure gutters, and you feel yourself to be as bereft as those in Lost Hope...and upon us, no flowers grow."

It's a piece of dialogue I come back to again and again, and even though it's about adventurers, it applies so strongly to later parts of the narrative that it aches. Such a strong running thread of FFXIV revolves around those in exile and people who can never go home or had to leave their homes and make a new one, and the strength it takes to continue on once everything is lost... though I'm sure whoever wrote this quest in Western Thanalan never anticipated it, it serves as an unintended touchstone to the main storyline time and time again.