#slightly based on me eating a popsicle at 1 am

[06strawberrylemonade28]

jack would be a midnight snacker and elsa would be tf r u doing its the middle of the night LOL

[serendipitous-magic]

⭐️

(For the “Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines.  Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!” post)

Okay, okay, okay - so this is in Ch 1 of TRS3, and I’m gonna chatter a tad about a section near the beginning, in Dustin’s POV. 

-_-_-_-

“You’ve been away a whole month, honeybun, maybe they just...” She wiggled her shoulders with a tilt of her head. “Forgot.”

She didn’t mean him. Of course she didn’t mean that they forgot him. She meant the radios; she meant they forgot what channel they’re supposed to be on. Or that they forgot what day he was coming home. She didn’t mean that they forgot about Dustin himself.

It’s just, it’s not exactly reassuring, you know? It’s the middle of summer already. All the roads are lined with tall, dark weeds. In a few days, everything will smell like sparkler smoke and kettle corn from the annual 4th of July fair. When he left it was barely June, and the weeds along the roadside were little more than sprouts. What else has happened since he left? What else has changed?

Okay so this is the first time I’ve written from Dustin’s POV, so this opening scene with him was a bit of a trial run. I had to establish several things, specifically for Dustin’s character in this story and where his arc starts out.

In this story, Dustin is starting out his arc in a place where he’s a little uncertain of his worth. Here, that specifically means within the Party. As we’ve seen, the Party in general has kind of started drifting apart this summer. Oh, they still hang out all the time, but they’re starting to push more towards “teenage” activities, most of them in a hurry to grow up and leave behind what happened to them as kids (except for Will, who’s clinging to the childhood that was stolen from him, but that’s another discussion). This push to “move on,” combined with the fact that Dustin has been away at summer camp for a whole month, leaves him a little worried that they may have moved on without him. 

Lately - probably ever since the Snow Ball, actually - it’s felt like everything has been changing, and not necessarily in a good way. So when Dustin goes away for a month and comes back and it’s like the whole summer has been going on without him (which... it has, really), he’s not feeling great about it.

Secondly: this scene is lifted nearly straight from the trailer we got (since for this fic I’m considering most S3 trailer/promo material “canon,” and then picking and choosing from the show). So, it’s not exactly how the scene in the show went down, but it’s pretty close to how I expected it to go down based on that one trailer we got. So that was fun to kind of re-imagine a little bit (although I think it ended up fairly close to the Netflix version, thus far).

A muffled little tink draws his attention to the vivarium on his left, where Yurtle is bumping against the side, stumpy little legs flailing as he fails to comprehend glass. Dustin grins at him.

“At least someone’s happy to see me.”

Yurtle continues his mission to pass through the solid glass wall, unperturbed by his complete lack of success. Determined little guy. Never gets very far, but he tries.

I love Yurtle. 

Dustin isn’t worried about it - the Party, that is. Honestly, he’s not. It’s not like they’ve all been acting weird for the past few months anyway. It’s not like ever since El reappeared Mike has been MIA more often than not, visiting her at the cabin for as long as Hopper will allow. It’s not like Max and Lucas have developed their own little language and routine together - not just boyfriend and girlfriend, but best friends. It’s not like Will has been a slightly different person since... well, since everything. It’s not like he misses how the Party used to be.

And here’s more of Dustin feeling a little insecure about the Party moving on without him - but more than that, I also needed to establish, in this first chapter, where the Party starts out in this story. Recap style. “Last time on: Hawkins, December through June.” What do we need to know to jump right into the story and have all the information we need? Mike has been hanging with El constantly. The Party is being a little weird (as discussed above). Everyone is kind of paired off except for Will and Dustin (until Suzie). Will is having Struggles (TM). Boom, boom, boom. We know what we need to; now on to the plot.

But Dustin doesn’t like to mope. He slaps his thighs and stands up, reaching into the vivarium to turn Yurtle around. Yurtle lumbers off towards his pool, apparently assured that his ability to move is due to his own success, and Dustin hums along with the radio as he unzips his duffel bag with a flourish. Who is he to complain? He just got back from possibly the most amazing summer camp ever. He’s got the whole rest of the summer ahead of him. He’s got things to do. Places to go. Popsicles to eat. (You know what they don’t have at Camp Know Where? Otter pops. Unbelievable, right? Three hundred acres, over five hundred campers and dozens of counselors, and not a single person could produce even one pack of sugary, brightly colored frozen goodness.)

He’s got plans. Specifically, an invention to get up and running - and he has the perfect place in mind. He bets he can get the gang to help him set it up - if they’d just answer.

Dustin is a fairly optimistic and resourceful person. We’ve seen that in seasons 1 and 2. He’s often underestimated, because he seems a little goofy at first glance - which he is, to be fair. But he’s also a problem-solver. He’s smart, and he doesn’t like to just sit and watch a problem get worse. He takes action. He’ll go to the library before school to check out extra books against the rules so he can identify the creature he found in his garbage. He’ll send his mom out of the house by having a fake one-person conversation on the phone, and then armor up in sports gear and single-handedly lure a baby demogorgon into the cellar. He’s not one to laze around and mope about his problems. 

So this ^ here is an example of me trying to feel out how this character thinks and acts, and portray it accurately (because, again, I’ve never written Dustin’s POV before.)

Okay, maybe he’s a little unsettled. The Party doesn’t just go radio silent on each other, okay? Because when a Party member goes radio-silent, it usually means that something is wrong. Really wrong.

His eyes slide over the stain in his carpet. It’s a barely-perceptible rusty brown, now, blending in with the striped carpet unless you know just where to look. He had to tell his mom it was spaghetti sauce.

Will wasn’t the only member of the Party who was scarred by what happened last fall. Everyone in the Party went through some shit, to varying degrees. Maybe Dustin wasn’t possessed by a shadow monster, but he did witness his cat being disemboweled and eaten by a baby demogorgon, and then he had to face said baby demogorgon, and scrub cat blood out of his carpet, and all the while make sure his mom wasn’t gonna be around to get hurt, and that would be pretty rough to go through for an adult - and Dustin was thirteen. (And that’s not even to mention the whole fighting-demodogs-with-Steve and infiltrating-the-Mind-Flayer’s-tunnels business.) 

His toy robot starts marching out of the corner just as Dustin turns away, chattering unintelligibly in its perpetual-low-battery fizzle, red eyes glowing.

Wait.

What.

Dustin turns back, slowly, and this time the robot is joined by a toy tank and R2D2.

Now, he’s no expert, but in Dustin’s fourteen years of experience on earth, toys don’t come alive.

I just love that little bit. 

Also, I REALLY REALLY WANTED TO FIND A WORD THAT MEANT “TOY EXPERT” BUT I COULDN’T FIND ONE. Like, the same way you might say, “Now, I’m no  podiatrist, but in my experience that’s too many toes for one foot.” That kind of tone. But apparently there’s not a word for “toy expert,” at least not that I could find. Everything google gave me when I typed that in was sex toy related lol. Not what I was going for. 

-_-_-_-

And that’s that little bit! It was fun doing Dustin’s POV, and this fic will be a fun challenge in that I usually write (at least in this fandom) nearly exclusively from Mike or Will’s POV, and in TRS3 we’re gonna get Dustin, Joyce, Nancy, Hop, Billy, the Mind Flayer... So, that’ll be a fresh challenge for me!

Thanks for the ask! I am also working on the others, I just completely forgot what the stars meant because I’m dumb lol

[i-kaiwen]

Thank You For Being My Hero

BakuDeku Positivity Week - Day 3 Worth ★ Winter Hero Costume ★ Vigilante Link to AO3 Post WC: 1658  | Chapter(s): 1/1 [Complete] “Tell me something... why the fuck do you look like you are about to take a one-way ticket to the North Pole?” The weather had been turning colder lately; snow was on the verge of falling any day now. With the cooler temperature, Heroes in the city without quirks to help regulate their body temperature were advised to dress warmly to prevent illness and the possibility of injury. Certain people, like Katsuki and Todoroki, ran like furnaces due to their particular quirks. Others just learned to adapt and upgraded little parts of their outfits to keep the chill out.Izuku however... “It's really cold out! What else am I supposed to do?” “You look like a damn Eskimo! If you were bundled up anymore, you'd be making friggin' Eraserhead run for his money with that get up. His fucking sleeping bag doesn't cover as much as your new 'Hero Costume' does,” Kacchan snorted.

“Deku?”

“Hm? What is it, Kacchan?”

“Tell me something... why the fuck do you look like you are about to take a one-way ticket to the North Pole?”

The weather had been turning colder lately; snow was on the verge of falling any day now. With the cooler temperature, Heroes in the city without quirks to help regulate their body temperature were advised to dress warmly to prevent illness and the possibility of injury. Certain people, like Katsuki and Todoroki, ran like furnaces due to their particular quirks. Others just learned to adapt and upgraded little parts of their outfits to keep the chill out.

Izuku however...

“It's really cold out! What else am I supposed to do?”

“You look like a damn Eskimo! If you were bundled up anymore, you'd be making friggin' Eraserhead run for his money with that get up. His fucking sleeping bag doesn't cover as much as your new 'Hero Costume' does,” Katsuki snorted.

Izuku frowned at that, maneuvering around to try and shrug himself out of his winter costume. “Just because you generate the heat of a thousand suns, Kacchan, doesn't mean that the rest of us do. Some of us have to create our own heat so that we don't have to turn popsicles.”

Katsuki chuckled lowly, making his way closer to Izuku in a way that looked similar to one hunting prey. “I can show you how I create heat...”

“Eh?!” Izuku blushed, one leg still stuck inside the warm material as he tried to shuffle away from the approaching blond. “K-Kacchan! We have to leave for work soon!”

Snickering, Katsuki jumped, quite literally, at the opportunity to get into Izuku's pants while he was distracted and they had a little bit of time. Wriggling the other free of his confines, he ran warm hands up his white t-shirt with a shit-eating grin, feeling the abs the other had been lacking in their younger years.

Izuku squeaked, barely attempting to push Katsuki away as the other latched onto his neck with warm lips.“L-last time this happened, we were both late and got written up!”

“Then hurry up and it won't be a problem this time!”                                                                                                                                 

They hadn't been on the field for long that day before they encountered a villain with a lovely snow quirk, already amplifying the cold weather and making it ten-times worse for the Heroes. Katsuki had been handling it on his own for a few, having been unintentionally separated from the others when more villains had shown up, causing chaos with explosions that shook the foundations of buildings. However, he was caught off guard as the snow fell heavier for a brief moment, leaving him blind. He didn't see the villain coming at him from behind. He didn't see her wielding the snow around them into a massive ball that would knock him down like a lone pin in a bowling alley.

He hadn't seen Deku coming from out of nowhere, pushing him aside and being thrown across the way with a resounding crash as the massive elemental attack crashed into his back.

After that, and realizing just what had happened as he picked himself off the pavement, Ground Zero was able to quickly take the female down with a power he hadn't even been completely aware he had, knocking her back to the ground with a roar that left her out cold.

He ran faster than he ever had to where Izuku had been thrown. Slamming into the snow on his hands and knees, he wasn't even aware of the frigid ice as he tried to search through the snow-pile for the One For All user. It took everything in him not to just try and melt the snow with his quirk, afraid he'd accidentally harm Deku in the process. Finally seeing a flash of green after what seemed like hours, he dug faster as he pulled the unconscious boy out of the cold, his skin already tinting a shade of blue.

“Deku! Deku, come on, wake – wake the fuck up! Look at me, you idiot!” Katsuki stammered, something he would never admit to doing in this lifetime. He pulled the younger teen close to him and cradled him to his chest. His palm met a pale freckled cheek, slapping it lightly as he tried to wake the fallen Hero. “Open your eyes!”

The teen was silent, unmoving in the other boy's arms.

Was he even breathing...?

“Shit, shit, shit – Deku!” Ground Zero tried to feel for a pulse on the shorter boy's neck, but was unable to do so due to the material of his gloves. Quickly reaching up, he ripped the material off with his teeth, gauntlets long since discarded. He tried to feel at the base of his ice-cold throat for something, anything to show that Izuku was still alive – still in there somewhere. When he couldn't feel a beat, he moved his now-numb fingers over teeth-bitten lips, hovering, trying to feel something. A small puff of air. As gasp of breath. Anything.

But there was nothing.

“No...No! You can't- You can't be! Stop messing with me, shitty Deku! This isn't funny anymore!” He shook the slighter boy again, now beginning to feel the vaguely unfamiliar sting of tears welling up within his eyes. He didn't cry. He never cried. But if Izuku was actually dead, then...

“No...” He sniffed brokenly, burying his face into green-curly locks as he clutched the cold body closer to his own trembling form; hoping against hope that he would wake up.

This couldn't be the end. They had only just gotten started. They were only nineteen, for fuck's sake. They hadn't lived long enough – hadn't been together long enough – for it to end just like this from a stupid mistake. They weren't even official Heroes yet. They had only gotten their own place a month ago. He was supposed to have a lifetime to make up for all the stupid shit he had pulled when they were kids. He was supposed to have Izuku here with him!

They still should have had so much time...

“Izuku... please,” he whimpered, voice breaking. Tears were making hot twin trails down his face as he bit his lip to the point of injury. “I need you...”

“You said my name...”

Head whipping up from where it was buried in snow covered hair, anxious crimson met tired emerald and a smile that shouldn't seem so blinding with how weak it was.

It was the best damn thing he had ever fucking seen in his short life.

“Oh, thank fuck, you're alive,” Katsuki muttered, quickly drawing Izuku closer again to try and share as much of his blazing body heat as he could with the younger, lips coming to meet the cold skin on his forehead as his arms rubbed the green material of the other's bodysuit. “Don't you fucking do that again! I don't need you to save me, you asshole!”

“Heh,” Izuku chuckled lowly, coughing as he closed his eyes again. “Told you b-before... My legs just sort of move on their own...”

“Yeah, well next time they can just move down the street and back the fuck home. I told you I had it. You never fucking listen to me.”

“Hmm, I listen sometimes,” Izuku hummed quietly, eyebrows drawing together as a shudder ran through him.

Katsuki snorted, forcing himself to be angry at this point so that it wouldn't show just how thankful he was that his boyfriend was even alive to have this conversation with him. His own fingers must have been too cold when he tried to feel for breathing. Which, speaking of cold... “And where the fuck is your winter outfit?! You probably wouldn't have frozen half as badly if you had worn the stupid thing!”

“Y-you said... that it looked ridiculous.”

“Oh my fucking – that's the one time you listen to me?! I hate you so fucking much,” the blond raged, muttering under his breath about 'stupid morons' and 'why the fuck do I even bother with you?'.

Izuku's eyes blinked open slowly, almost as if he were hesitating to face the light of what was left of the day. Chapped lips curled upwards as he reached up with shaking fingers to stroke a warm cheek. “I love you. Thank you for always being my hero.”

Inhaling deeply, Katsuki clamped his eyes shut tightly before a moment as he tried to gather his scattered emotions back together. Reaching up to grasp the cold palm against his cheek, only noticing now that the smaller teen's gloves were torn to shreds, he turned his head slightly to leave a warm kiss on the bare skin, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. “Yeah... me, too.”

“Can we go home?”

Katsuki scoffed, pushing strands of green hair out of tired eyes. “You're funny if you think we aren't going to see Recovery Girl first.”

“But Kacchaaaaan,” Izuku whined.

“Don't 'Kacchan' me, dipshit, you have no say in this. If you hadn't fucked around, we could be home already. Now shut up.”

“You shut up,” Izuku slurred.

Shifting the frozen boy from his front to his back, Katsuki shuddered as he felt arms wrap weakly around his neck, his own hands coming to clench tightly to Izuku's knees around his hips. He knew he needed to get moving and soon, before the hypothermia really set it. He gave a gentle squeeze to his thighs as he felt a cold nose graze his neck, lips ghosting a cool trail along the way. He felt his own heart tug at the gesture, unconditional love for this stupid, brave boy resting there.

However, despite that love, that didn't mean he wasn't one to get the last word in.

“Next time we go anywhere, I swear to fuck, I will shove you so far into that snowsuit you will never see the light of day again.”

“That's nice, Kacchan.”

[recentanimenews]

You Mustn’t Run Away From This Evangelion-Themed Bar In Tokyo

When you first arrive at Evangelion Sakaba (bar), you're greeted by a huge picture of Gendo Ikari looming over you from above the door. Stoic and composed, he was bestowing a simple but important mission on everyone who entered the establishment, telling them to “Drink.” Seeing as I am not Shinji, I decided not to argue with the man and did as I was told.

     Evangelion Sakaba is located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, and serves drinks and bar food based on the popular anime. It’s actually the second time that Neon Genesis Evangelion has been brought to life in edible form, and this one also has a time limit on it, with a planned End of Evangelion (Bar) date of September 1, 2019.

    So if you’ve ever wanted to… drink Lilith’s blood or eat an Angel (which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t be that weird given the show’s subject matter), then you better hurry before it closes. But is the trip really worth it?

  I definitely thought so.

        At first glance, Evangelion Sakaba looks like a typical Japanese pub, with its simple décor, slightly dimmed lighting, and all the menu items being plastered on the walls on vertical signs in classic izakaya fashion. But it’s not like the Evangelion parts of it are hidden away. No matter where you turn to, you will always have Shinji, Asuka, or Rei staring at you from the random posters decorating the bar, or from the screens playing selected scenes from the anime. And if that’s not enough for you, there is always the bar menu.

  Evangelion Sakaba understands that it will take more than a few Evangelion pictures to bring in the fans, which is why they went all out on the food and drinks. Some items are beautifully creative in their simplicity, like the Second Impact Tomato Salad, served in a glass with a lit sparkler (a horrible cataclysm that wiped out 2 billion people has never seemed so festive.) Then there is the Grilled Chicken With the Spear of Longinus or the Itawasa (thinly cut slices of fish cake) in the shape of the Angel Sachiel.

        Sachiel is actually the one character you’ll see the most on the Evangelion Sakaba menu. He was the Angel with the Plague Doctor Mask face that could cause cross-shaped explosions and was almost torn apart by Shinji piloting the EVA-01. Well, you can similarly go to town on Sachiel’s likeness with such menu items like Sachiel Shumai Dumplings, Sachiel Meunière, or Chicken Wings Sachiel, which consists of two chicken wings and Sachiel’s face in the middle constructed out of a boiled egg. Sweet and a bit tangy, it was an incredibly fun treat that puts you in the mood to try out more of the menu.

    Other items were simply based on lines from the anime, like the “Position Target In The Center And Pull The Switch Tsukimi Tsukune,” a minced-chicken dish with an egg that kind of resembled a target being centered, or the “I Mustn’t Run Away Jjigae Stew,” which was named so because of how spicy it is. For something a bit lighter, you can always try the pickled eggplant and cucumber in the shape of the EVA-01, with eyes made from karashi mustard.

    The best dishes, though, were the ones with pun names, especially the “Anta, Bataa?!” butter corn dish, which was a pun on Asuka’s famous line “Anta, Baka?!” ("What are you, stupid?") because “bataa” is “butter” in Japanese and it sounds close to “baka.” Don’t give me that look, no explained joke has ever made anyone laugh. At least not while they’re sober. Thankfully, Evangelion Sakaba can help you with that thanks to their selection of themed drinks.

  I started out with the Mark.06 glass wine, named for the EVA unit introduced in Rebuild of Evangelion. It’s white wine dyed blue, and much like its namesake, it packs quite a punch. Even with a full stomach, this thing went straight to my head, which is kind of fitting if you know the unit’s entire story.

    Another interesting parts of the alcoholic drink menu was the Asuka-themed Shikinami Tomato Sour because she’s a redhead and tomatoes are red so it makes total sense because you can’t make sours from, let’s say, cherries? Though I guess cherries are sweet which isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Asuka. The Rei-themed Ayanami Soda Sour similarly tried to capture the essence of the seemingly cold, emotionless character with a drink with an entire popsicle inside it, for which the bar should probably win some kind of award.

  The non-alcoholic menu had some stand-outs as well, like the Kaworu Mojito but, to me, the highlight of the entire night was the LCL, which on the show is the blood of Lilith that allows pilots to sync up with their Eva units. It was one of the best things I ever tried.

    The drink comes in two parts: a glass of ginger ale mixed with pineapple and grapefruit juice, and a vial of orange and cranberry juice. You mix them together and the results are something else entirely. It first tastes a bit too sweet but before the sweetness can overwhelm you, you get hit with a sour wave that balances everything out and brings the entire thing home. If THIS is what all of humanity is going to turn to, then I’m switching over to the Angels’ side and helping them bring on the Third Impact because it is going to be delicious.

  * ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.

  Would you like to visit Evangelion Sakaba? If so, what’s the first thing you’d order there? Let us know in the comments!

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

  Cezary writes words on the internet. You should follow him on Twitter.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[evilpjm]

Shades Of Blue

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: None! Fluff 

Based on: au where your vision is shades of your soulmates eyecolor so if they have blue eyes you see shades of blue and it stays that way until you meet them but opposite. So if your soulmates eyes are blue you can see every color but blue and then you meet for the first time and look into their eyes and see this new color you have only heard of in the stories 

Also inspired by the song Liohn - Blue

_______________________________

He’s always sleeping; black hair fanning around his pale smooth skin as he rests his cushioned cheek against the window. His arms are always folded across his chest as the empty coffee cup sits in front of him beside the opened laptop. Most of the time his headphones are hanging loosely around his neck, but today they remain over his ears playing something with a loud beat even I can hear at the counter across from where he sits.

My eyes can’t help but wander over his features each day. There’s something about him I admire rather it be his soft pink lips or the small button nose that scrunches up slightly while he shifts in the booth. Seeing as I work the evening shift into the late night, when I arrive he’s never awake.  Usually a friend of his comes in to grab him around 2 am and tugs at his sleeve until he stirs into consciousness. However, my shift ends at 1:45 meaning by the time I gather my things to go, the next worker takes shift at the 24 hour café while I leave through the glass door just as the unknown man goes to open his eyes.

I’ve grown accustomed to this cycle. I sleep all morning into the afternoon where I lazily get up to ready myself and clock in at 6pm. It’s the same thing each day considering I dropped out of college meanwhile in order to save up enough money. My parents aren’t fond of this lifestyle I have, but what else am I supposed to do? I know I’m the disappointment to this family even if everyone tries to sugarcoat it. My sister obtained a scholarship through her swimming team to attend a great college and compete all over the place. At the young age of 18, she has already found her soulmate, one of her competitors from a rival school. She had never seen green before until looking into his eyes under the water. She could only describe it as a fairytale moment where everything seemed to fall into place; my sister had always been jealous of me for seeing the crisp green color as we grew up but now she viewed the world in all of it’s glory.

My mother described the summer sky as something marvelous. She admired the soft color that surrounded her gaze, complementing the grass. I’d become accustomed to the color green; it holds comfort as it is the same shade of my mother’s eyes.  I spent my younger years gazing at her face to memorize every speck and shade of emerald there was. It was fascinating. My father simply held grey eyes that gave no interest to me. Yet, my mother always spoke fondly of them explaining he brought her the prettiest shade of blue.

Blue. What is blue? Is it like orange, but deeper? Does it match the yellow sun or perhaps stand out like the bright pink of my sisters room? I tried to imagine it but it’s impossible to imagine a color you’ve never seen before.  I was often confused when I was younger. I tried to let my parents explain the shade but there was no way to catch on. They told me I had to wait until I was older, seeing as the lack of shade only meant my soulmate would bring it to me to see when the time was right. My parents saw their colors at 17 and fell into a fairytale life.

Now here I am, age 21 and still lacking the most important color according to those around me. I’m missing the water, the sky, the bright lights during Christmas time and the sweet designs laced on the popsicles I eat every year on my birthday. I often find myself dreaming of the day I find my soulmate, but what if they never show up? I’ve heard stories of those who never crossed paths with the one they were destined to be with and while not common, it would be just my luck. I can tell my parents are worried; usually everyone is paired up between the ages of 16 and 20. I’m only a year late, but I guess a year feels like 10 in this type of situation.

Eye contact is a dangerous, dangerous thing. But lovely. Oh, so lovely.

My stare lingers on every handsome face that orders a drink from my register, but no color ever appears. I’m left with the aching reminder inside that I may see every day as a rainy one for as long as I shall live. It’s why I prefer to take the night shift. If I can sleep through most of the day, I don’t have to be reminded that the sky is just a deep grey.

-

The bell on the door chimed as soon as the clock struck midnight, making me jump from the intrusion on my thoughts. Looking up, I recognized the familiar tall figure that strode over to the sleeping boy. I’d seen him often, as he was the one who usually picked up the unknown man; if not him, I briefly could image two other boys who’d come in to bring him out of dreamland. What confused me is that it was 2 hours earlier than usual this time.  

I was in the midst of wiping the counter down of any sticky spilled drinks from the day when I saw him shake the pale boy lightly.

“Yoongi hyung, wake up.”

Yoongi. His name danced around my tongue as I mumbled it to myself. I liked the taste.

I heard an obnoxiously loud groan coming from his parted lips, making me giggle perhaps a bit too loudly as the taller figure turned to face my direction. My eyes widened for a split second before I snapped my stare back down to the counter to continue wiping.

This time, he whispered words into the elder’s ear, causing the veiny hand to swat him away as he stretched in his seat, moving to stand up. However, he was blocked from my view by the other stranger.

“Why are you waking me at this time?”

I nearly gasped; not expecting such a deep and gruff voice to come out of his frail figure. He seemed so soft and simple, yet his tone was intriguing and filled with mystery.

“We have an early flight tomorrow, you still need to pack.”

The boy simply let out a small ‘hpmh’ sound, slamming his laptop shut and shoving it into the bag swung around the back of his chair. Finally, the tall figure moved away and towards the door leaving Yoongi to gather his things quickly by himself. I peeked from under my lashes, watching each small movement. Why was I so eager to see his every step? There was nothing interesting going on, yet it felt like an intense movie I couldn’t look away from or else I’d miss the most important clue to the plot.  

He reached out to grab his cup, walking towards the counter I stood behind as the trashcan was in front of where I remained. Throwing in the cup, he looked up into my eyes to wish me a good night, but his words stopped short.

I gasped aloud, looking at his gaze as I grew still. His eyes were a marvelous shade I had never seen before, but somehow it matched the descriptions my parents offered me perfectly. It’s the calm feeling in the pit of your stomach after you let out all your sobs and worries. It’s the aroma of the sweetest treats baked on a winters night. It’s the soul of the music that blared in your ears night after night. I looked at him and I was terrified. Terrified of what I’d do for him. I’d give up the entire world at the snap of his fingers if it meant keeping him happy. I ached to be the cause of his sweet gummy smile, and I craved to see the sparkle in his eyes. His blue eyes.  

We didn’t speak a word, but just stared. With small breaths and parting lips. Our cheeks both flushed a light pink, but before I could think what to do next, he was being tugged out of shop by the younger friend.

-

As the days followed, I eagerly walked into work with a bright smile in preparation to see him sitting in his usual spot, but instead I was left with an empty seat. I briefly remembered his friend mentioning their “early flight” and panic ensued at the idea of him moving away. What if I was to never see him again?

I’d never properly spoken a word to him, yet the idea of never seeing him again tugged so hard at my heart it felt as if I would break down.

The work days felt longer as time went on. Instead of having him to look at, I was forced to rearrange the napkins over and over until the stand was overflowing. I scrubbed every cup clean, restocked all the ingredients and coffee filters. I baked new treats to display in the case, and also ones to shove in my face. Despite the overwhelmingly full feeling, I still felt empty.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since I last looked into his beautiful eyes. Instead of waking up early to glance at the sky, or revisit memories with old beach photos, I turned away from every shade of blue I caught a glance of as it only left the reminder of him.

Why does blue have to be so beautiful? It’s like an itch I can never reach. I crave to admire each shade there is, but I also want to go back to the basic grey I’ve grown used to.

I felt a whoosh of air beside me, indicating my manager had stepped closer, placing his hands over my own that fumbled with the jar of stirring sticks. I glanced up and out of my own thoughts to see his face of sympathy.

“Please, take a break. You look exhausted.” He spoke quietly, making me offer a small smile. I was exhausted. Instead of sleeping away the day, I instead sat for hours staring at my ceiling after work and into the morning. He was on my mind. How dare he take away my precious, precious sleep? The thing I love most in this entire world? Yet, I don’t feel anger towards him like I do with anyone else who dares to disrupt me. If anything I feel for him as I feel for my shut eye time. How can I admire someone whom I’ve never spoken to? Is this what a soulmate feels like?

I moved from around the counter, untying my apron and tossing it over the hook by the entrance. The café was nearly empty, besides one or two customers sipping lightly as they worked in the corner of the medium sized room. Soft music played overhead only lulling me further into a tired state.

Perhaps a short nap wouldn’t hurt. I thought to myself as I looked for a place to rest. Immediately, my eyes shifted towards his seat; the cozy booth that seemed to have his imprint from where he sat each day. The smile wouldn’t wipe from my lips as I slid into the red cushions, leaning my side against the window as my legs curled up beside me. I felt a sense of comfort at the idea of staying in a place to close to him. Oddly enough, I felt myself drift into the best sleep I’d had in the past two weeks.

-

All I felt was the cool touch of skin against mine causing goosebumps to appear. I snuggled further into my own arms that wrapped around myself from the chilly air. I heard a bit of shuffling and seconds later something warm was wrapped around my shoulders and side making me slip further into dreamland; a blue paradise inside my own mind.

-

I stirred awake to the feeling of a weight against my shoulder. With a confused stare, I opened my eyes slowly and adjusted to the dim lights overhead. Turning my head, I only let out a gasp at the sight of a sleeping figure leaning on me. Not just any figure, but my sweet blue eyed beauty. I couldn’t tear myself away. His soft skin looked even sweeter up close and I felt the urge to gently trace my own fingertips across his cheek. Those long eyelashes still framed his eyes in the best way and the black hair fell over his forehead messily with soft waves instead of his usual straight style. I don’t know how long I was staring, but he must have sensed it seeing as his face scrunched before he opened his eyes, making me widen my own once more. He slowly moved off my shoulder to sit up straight, gazing down at me with admiration.

So beautiful.

I found myself staring just as I did to my mother; desperately trying to memorize every spec and shade of blue. It seemed he thought the same as he stared at my own golden brown eyes; a color I never found to hold beauty but the way he stared made me feel the opposite.

We were only broken out of our stares when someone dropped a mug from behind the counter causing us both to jump out of the mesmerized state we remained. I wasn’t sure what to say to him, but we didn’t need words to communicate. I felt the connection swelling deep inside my heart as it grew larger and larger with each passing second.

He took my hand in his, and with that sweet gummy smile, I just knew everything was going to be okay.

This was lame. And my first post here on tumblr :’) But I needed a stress reliever aka I took a break from writing my Hoseok angst to come up with this little idea.

I really would love to take requests. Send me a member(s) and an idea. Song. Sentence. Anything and I’ll write it :)

MASTERLIST

[northernscruffycat]

Tagged by @ishidoshuuji! Thank you for tagging me, because I so rarely get an excuse to talk about Inazuma, even though I love it a lot. Original meme/quiz/whatever they call these now by @revivedandabandonedkids

Also, please forgive me if I slip into the dub names, as I've only actually played the English games and seen the English dub of the anime, not the Japanese original. I'm lame, I know.

- Heya what’s your name :

I'm Sam, with usernames that are variations of three words because apparently that's my thing.

- Favorite character :

Natsumi is my favourite from IE and Kirino is my favourite from GO.

- Favorite arc :

The first games of each IE and GO have a special place in my heart, though as more time goes on the more I appreciate IE2 a lot as well.

- OTP :

Endou/Natsumi, Fubuki/Someoka and Kirino/Shindou are my main three ships. There are others that I like as well, but those are the ones I spend the most time thinking about. Oh yeah, and I secretly ship Kageyama/Hibiki a lot too, but don't tell people. 8D

- BroTP :

Everyone who Endou has ever made friends with x Endou is the best BroTP. Also, any combination of the managers is where I'm at.

- Any ships that everyone ships but you surprisingly don’t (please remember the little // in the ship names so it won’t show up in the tags) :

Gouenji//Fubuki (omg Heather, I thought I was the only person who didn't care for that ship!), Endou//Aki and for some reason I can't seem to get into Endou//Kazemaru as a romantic ship either.

- Favorite hissatsu :

Utter Gutsiness Catch, because I am a five year old apparently. But for real, any special move that Fubuki does will probably be my favourite because they're so pretty.

- What about combination hissatsu :

Wyvern Blizzard, because it's my OTP's special move together! But also Dead Future is weirdly pretty.

- Favorite Keishin:

I have a soft spot for Sousha Maestro, but I don't think I actually have a favourite yet.

- Favorite Mixi-max (I bet you were expecting this) :

A tie between Kirino & Joan and Kinako & Master Dragon

- Favorite Soul (you’re right I don’t have any excuses for this ) :

Since Galaxy was never realised in the UK and I haven't gotten that far in the anime yet I haven't seen any of the souls, so I can't answer this one. ;_;

- Favorite forward (LOL THERE’S MORE) :

There's so many good ones! But I guess if I had to pick just one it'd probably be Tsurugi. Though of course I love Gouenji and Shindou as well.

- Favorite mid-fielder (I know this is getting old okay) :

Kidou and Tenma.

- Favorite defender (Almost done…):

Kirino, Fubuki, Touko and Kabeyama.

- Favorite goalkeeper (Not my fault there are so many positions) :

Well, Endou is a given of course, but I grew to like Tachimukai a lot when I watched the anime as well.

- Favorite manager/girl player (actually, all girls in general) :

Natsumi is my all time favourite, but I basically love all of the girls. If I had to pick out just a few of them then I'd also say Rika, Touko, Akane and, oh yeah, Kazeaki Yone is an unsung hero.

- Favorite team :

All of the main teams are my precious babies, especially when Someoka is there.

- Favorite team uniform :

The one where they're basically just dressed as school girls. You can be damn sure that whenever I unlock that uniform in any of the games I switch them into it as soon as possible.

- Which movie is the best :

I haven't seen any of the movies yet. But I do mean to! Right now I'm rewatching Digimon Adventure 01 & 02 (maybe Tamers as well), but I hope to eventually get back to where I left off with watching Inazuma.

- Prettiest character :

They are all too pretty, it wouldn't be fair for me to- ...okay, Kageyama, because no one can compete with him. 8D

- Most handsome :

Someoka~!

- Best hairstyle:

Natsumi and Kirino. I'm sorry, but I'm biased towards my faves.

- Do you think it takes more hairgel to style Tenma’s, Alpha’s, or Tobitaka’s hair :

Tobitaka, because he's obviously using so many products all the time, given how much he cares about his hair. Also, I believe that Tenma just wakes up in the morning with his hair looking like that and I don't know how he does it.

- Whose hair takes the most time to manage :

I've never put any thought into it, but given how much we see Tobitaka actually managing his hair I'll go for him again.

- Who would you most want to see with their hair down (sorry for all the hair-relatedness) :

Anyone, because I like seeing characters with their hair down.

- That OP/ED that keeps replaying over and over again in your mind :

I've only seen the dub. You understand my pain.

- That character song that is way too catchy for its own good :

Oh cool, I should listen to some of these one day.

- Raimon or Teikoku :

Raimon, because it's Endou's base of operations where he adopts preferred members of other teams into his friendship harem.

- Ultimate Shining or Ancient Dark :

Ancient Dark as a team, but I prefer Shine as a game because it has EnNatsu and also I'm slightly more interested in Hiroto than Kazemaru.

- IE or IE GO:

Honestly, I like both a lot.

- Taiyou or Taiyou (hint: The answer is Taiyou):

Taiyou is amazing! I love his Irish accent in the English games and he's completely the reason why I played Wildfire first out of those two versions.

- Fubuki post-personality-disorder or merged:

Post, because he's happier and at peace with himself. Though I do admit that I found the whole situation leading up to it interesting.

- Hang out with Rika or Touko :

I assume that if you hang out with one then you'll probably end up hanging out with the other anyway, but if I had to pick just one then I'd probably go with Touko. I love Rika, but she seems like a lot of work to hang out with.

- Yank Tsurugi’s ponytail or Fei’s :

Tsurugi’s because he deserves to suffer more.

- Kageyama Tobio Reiji or Kuroiwa Ryuusei :

MY SON IS PERFECT IN ALL HIS FORMS.

- Quick! Kiss Cliff Marry. Shindou, Kariya, Kinako :

I would rather just protect all three of them forever. They are my precious children.

- Which is more amazing, the fact that the ball doesn’t pop or the goal doesn’t get torn through :

The goal not getting torn through! In fact, I always feel a little disappointed that when I do a super powerful move that it doesn't show the goal just getting destroyed.

- Why don’t they ever get yellow/red cards????? :

Either because everyone is actually afraid of them or because no one really understands how the game works in this universe anyway.

- Eat a soda popsicle with Suzuno or plant a tulip with Nagumo :

Either? I'm not that fussed out these two if I'm honest.

- Be a forward with a defense technique or a defender with a shooting technique :

Defender with a long shot technique - stealing this answer, because yes.

- Who do you think Endou should really end up with :

I was totally shipping Endou with Natsumi ever since I finished the first game, because I thought they balanced each other out nicely. So when I found out he does get married to Natsumi in one universe I was pleasantly surprised, usually my OTPs never gets to be canon! But I do also support his marriage to Fuyuka in the other universe too. Other characters I'd be happy for Endou to end up with include Kidou, Gouenji and Touko.

- Yes or No, Afuro Terumi :

Sure?

- Sacca yarouze? :

I'm filthy English dub scum so I dunno what that means.

- Anything you wanna praise the series for :

The English dub of the games bringing in so many different UK regional accents that I rarely see in media is what makes me smile to my soul. But I'm also going to steal the answer that it made me care a lot for a series about a sport I have no interest in and also showed me that I can call many, many fictional characters my children in the same series.

- Anything you wanna complain about the series (don’t worry we all know it’s not real hate here) :

Eh, it has similar problems to a lot of kids' shonen series, but I love it anyway.

- Got any IE merch (yes I’m offering you bragging rights) :

I have a few of the small figure sets that included characters I like, but I did want to get more of them. Maybe I'll get more some day.

- What do you think about Ares no Tenbin :

Cautiously optimistic? On one hand I am a little sad that all the developments I liked are being erased, though I guess they'll still exist in the other universes. But on the other hand I am curious enough to pick up the game anyway, if it actually gets a UK release... I would have also rather that they went with an entirely new cast, but I am hopeful that maybe we might get some more SomeFubu interaction this way. Please let me have that much.  

- 3 things you love about the IE fandom :

Sadly, I've not experienced much of the fandom, but from what I have seen I love how creative the fans are, how good their sense of humour is about nothing in this series making sense and how they've held on after so many years - as a Layton fan I understand how difficult that can be!

- 1 thing you would like to say to the IE community (fandom,producers,etc.) :

Please don't bash Natsumi, she is my precious daughter and I love her. ;_;

- What do you think about the creator of this whole post (I know. I’m lame. I’m sorry.) :

You made a super fun ask meme that got me thinking about this series so much that I want to get back to watching the anime again as soon as I can!

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Top 10: Hoppechan!

⋆｡°✩ Ta-da! ⋆｡°✩

Here it is Cuties, my very first ever CUTIE TOP 10 list! Aren’t you excited?!

As you can see I’m in a better mood today and I’ve rid of all the stress and drama from last week. So here I am ready to make an ultra-fun post for everyone!

Or at least try ｡(*^▽^*)ゞ

Okay, so if you’re new here or forgot, I’ve been planning to do Top 10 list topics for quite a while now. I’ve only done one, based on the Top 10 Items I’d Like From Kawaii Box, or something like that. If you click that bold text you can go check it out :3 Ah, I should mention- number 7 and 2 on the list we actually did get from a Kawaii Box sometime after I made it. I was so surprised.

For now, head under the cut for brand new images and my top 10 list of Hoppe!

Before I start, I counted the Hoppechan I own, and I have a total of 16! It took me probably twenty minutes or so to sort them out and determine which ones I was going to include- then probably another twenty due to lingering doubts and double-checking.

If I had 20 of them, I probably would have done a top 10 list, or maybe a Top 10 Hoppechan I didn’t like (if even possible!) to balance this one out.

In this post I will be counting down, so the Hoppechan who takes 1st place is my absolutely favorite of them all! I’ll also be providing a small bit of information with each one, what I like about them, etc.

10: MT. FUJI HOPPECHAN

To celebrate 2017, Hoppechan dressed up like Mt. Fuji to celebrate Hatsuhinode; a special new years event where people gather on various mountain tops to witness the first sun rise of the new year.

A simple, light blue Hoppechan representing the mountain, with cream on top in place of white top. A miniature red Hoppe was even included, colored red to resemble the bright shining sun, and there’s even a tiny mountain on top! Both Hoppechan are made from silicone, along with the cream. The mountain and tiny Hoppe’s bow is made from plastic, while they both have black gems for eyes, and gem cheeks. The larger Hoppe has pink cheeks, while the red one has white.

In the about 2 years that I was getting Hoppechan, I realized that I really liked the smaller sized Hoppechan. They were so cute, I couldn’t resist them. So while overlooking my collection, I was instantly drawn to this one. I know it might not seem like much, but the well thought out details were also pleasing to the eye.

9: TANABATA ANGEL HOPPECHAN

Inspired by the Magpie forming a bridge for the separated lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, this Hoppechan takes flight for the holiday. It is recommended that the owners of this Hoppechan bring her along for July 7th, so that they can celebrate Tanabata and have their own wish come true; maybe even find true love. How dreamy~

This is another simple design, featuring a pale pink body and multicolored gem cheeks that alternate between light shades of pink and blue. She has a simple, glittery pair of white wings and an ultra-sparkly translucent star, giving her an angelic design.

As much as I enjoyed the elaborate looking Hoppechan, I also appreciated the simple and sweet looking ones like this. Pale pink is my favorite color, and I loved how her cheeks had a multicolored shine, her glittery wings and star just made this one all the more irresistible~

8: KAKIGORI HOPPECHAN

This slightly smaller than average Hoppechan is celebrating summer with a sunflower and some kakigori, or shaved ice. What makes this hoppechan special is that she GLOWS, and she came with three different “flavors“ of shaved ice: Ramune, Strawberry, and Melon- which are naturally Hoppechan’s favorites when she visits a summer festival.

This Hoppechan has a muted white body (made from glowing plastic) with basic eye and cheek gems. On her head is a plastic sunflower with a cute little translucent leaf charm. Her bowl is plastic and features a common design on most shaved ice cups. The shaved ice is clear silicone with a touch of color for that realistic ice effect.

I’m a strawberry girl, but my favorite popsicle/shaved ice/snow cones/etc have always been the blue ones. I’m not a huge summer season fan, but whenever I look at this Hoppechan, she reminds me of the fun times I’ll have anyway. Like going to all the fairs and festivals I look forward to, the shaved ice and sweets I’ll eat, the games I’ll play!

Yes, this Hoppechan does glow, if you were curious. Back when I reviewed it I tested it out under my desk. She glows a greenish color.

7. CHRISTMAS WREATH HOPPECHAN

Now this Hoppechan, I don’t have information on. She was the only one I couldn’t find the booklet for, but I do remember her being my second Christmas themed one. What makes this Hoppechan unique is that it’s also a PIN you can wear or attach to items.

This one has Hoppechan take a “back seat“ as the star- but that doesn’t mean she still won’t wear one✩ Hoppechan and the wreath are made out of silicone, while she has the same star from her Tanabata style. Three pearls, each one a unique color rest opposite of her, and on the top corner is a red polka-dot velvet bow. Hoppechan’s eyes are normal, while her small pink gem cheeks have a green shine in them.

Not only did I like the concept behind this one, but I love that it was also an accessory; it’d be perfect for any Hoppechan fans who wanted to bring her along.

6: Sakura Hoppechan

For the month of April, Hoppechan was preparing for Hanami, the cherry blossom viewing event. The inspiration behind her design is the water as petals land upon it. Be sure to take her with you when you go to visit the cherry trees!

(Admitting, I didn’t think to do that. We have some pink trees that she would have probably loved to have seen.)

Similar to the first Hoppechan on this list, this one has a very soft, baby blue body. What makes her unique is that rather than gem cheeks, she has pearls for an extra bit of elegance. On her head is a translucent pink sakura petal, along with a translucent pink and white flowers of different shapes and light glitter coating. The white flower has a tiny gem in the middle.

What I liked about this Hoppechan was her elegant and gentle design. As much as I love gems, I couldn’t resist her unique cheeks and her pretty decor. They go so well with her blue color but still stand out, bringing the eye straight to them.

5: HALLOWEEN HOPPECHAN

This was my second Hoppechan I ever received- and back then I thought she brought a lot to the party. Inspired by the Halloween elements she likes so much, this Hoppechan decked her ”hat” out with a jack-o-lantern, a big shiny star, a bat, and even some sweets in order to make it look like a Halloween Cupcake. She even spent the season decorating her shop for the holiday; she’s definitely a mood maker!

Making herself as Orange as a pumpkin, she has her normal gem eyes and cheeks. Her body and vibrant, unique purple cream/hat are silicone, while her decorations are all plastic.

To put it into words; this Hoppechan impressed me so much that I found it impossible to like the second Halloween inspired one we got- despite it being cute and sharing a few elements (it even came in a few different color options and had white gem cheeks!), but in comparison it looked so plain, I wasn’t interested. This is the only one I have that featured a different cream color, and I happen to like bats, as well as Halloween.

But, as much as I like this Hoppechan though, there is a reason why she isn’t closer to the #1 spot~

4: SWEET CAKE HOPPECHAN

As the Queen of Decoden Hoppechan has always dreamed of making delicious cakes and running a bakery (that’s also my dream x3 besides becoming an Idol- but that’s never going to happen). Here we have a bright, shinny gold serving tool with a delicious chocolate cake piece waiting to be served. On the very top is even a dollop of cream that looks like her! She was available in Chocolate cream, and Strawberry cream.

Or is it her playing a little joke?

This is an extremely elaborate Hoppechan composed of the gold utensil (and chain! The only time her chain changed color out of the ones I own!). The layered cake alternates between chocolate cream and cake, and on top are layers of chocolate and white cream decorated with a chocolate heart, a tiny gem heart, and a strawberry. The tiny pale pink Hoppechan has tiny gem eyes and cheeks, and wears a pink pearl flower-shaped ornament.

I admit, I was a tiny bit disappointed I didn’t get the strawberry cream one, but at the same time who could resist chocolate? Not only was I amazed to see Hoppechan that small, but I fell in love with the creative design inspiration behind this one. I had never seen anything like it! The detailing and quality put into the design blew me away- I’m also a sucker for realistic/detailed food looking things like the cake.

3: HISHIMOCHI HOPPECHAN

A girly and tiny Hoppechan charm focused on Hinamatsuri/Girls Day. Here, she sits on top of a Hishimochi, a special type of mochi that is only eaten on March 3rd to celebrate the health and happiness of all Japanese Girls.  

Featuring the three layers of a Hishimochi, a pile of cream rests on the corner, adorned with three colorful pearls and a single pink flower. The tiny Hoppechan is lilac colored with a peach-pink flower. She has normal eyes and cheeks.

Besides the general elegant design behind this one, I essentially liked her for things I’ve already mentioned. It’s all around small size is just precious, and it looks so deliciously cute with it’s sweet pastels~

2: CHRISTMAS HOPPECHAN

Hoppechan is all decorated for Christmas this year. She’s tended to the tree and got ready for her approaching date. She loves Christmas due to its lovely cake designs- and why wouldn’t she? She’s cream!

The inspiration behind this Hoppechan was not only a yummy looking cupcake, but the fresh, fallen, fluffy snow. The base is brown and made from plastic, along with her colorful tree, present, and translucent red bow. Her eyes are normal, while her pink cheeks are brightened considerably and have a colorful shine to accent the pearls and gems lining the glittering, translucent cream piled beneath her. A gem adorns her bow.

Honestly for a long time, I always though this Hoppechan was my favorite. I mean look at her! She’s super glittery and shiny! Not only that but the creative design and inspiration- if you ask me, this Hoppechan was made to spoil her beloved fans!

We’ve got one more now Cuties, are you ready to see my most Favorite Hoppechan?!

1: NEKO HOPPECHAN

As a fan of Cosplay and all things cats, Hoppechan was delighted to bust out her several pairs of nekomimi (cat ears) for her shop. She also adores Hello Kitty and did a collaboration with her in the form of various merchandise to celebrate her 40th anniversary. Squishy cats are her favorite, because they’re like her. 

Yes, here we are! Neko Hoppechan is my most favorite! Is that any surprise from a cat lover? But that isn’t my only reason, just look at her pink kitty parts, she even has a TAIL (and a bow on it but you can’t see it here), and a heart on her translucent glittery bow. She was made from several things I love!

She was also my very first Hoppechan, so she’s always been special to me.

Alright Cuties, I hope you enjoyed this kinda long dedication to Hoppechan! I love her so much, I really wish I could collect more. Maybe some day I’ll find a way to, and if I do I’ll be sure to show them off or make a brand new Top 10 featuring different Hoppechan. In a way, this topic brought me some closure, so while I still wish Hoppechan was included in the box, I’m more understanding of their decision now.

Meanwhile, I have at least 6 or so other ideas for Top 10 lists planned, but I’ll probably spread them out between Reviews and Box blogs. Tomorrow/later I plan on getting the next Review up, and on Wednesday or Thursday I’ll be posting my first “Crate Update/News” topic!

Until next time, stay Squishy Cute!

[alldayieat]

The Walled City of Cartagena

I’ve been wanting to visit Cartagena for many years. I was a little worried that it might be really touristy, especially since I read that cruise ships dock there.

But after visiting for 3 days, I can happily say that it was a very enjoyable place!

Cartagena has a lot of old world charm with a distinctly laidback atmosphere and colorful colonial architecture.

The weather while we were there was perfect, roughly 90-95 degrees without too much humidity. (I like warm weather :)

The streets weren’t overrun with tourists like they were in Venice, Italy and the city is very walkable with plenty to see and do for several days.

We stayed outside the walled city at an Airbnb in the residential area of Manga.

It was a leisurely 20 minute walk to get into the center of the walled city from there.

Below are some pictures from our visit as well as a synopsis of each of the places we ate at. Scroll all the way down for the pictures

Scroll all the way down for the pictures

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  Cartagena Restaurants and Food

La Mulata – not recommended

Although ranked #1 on Tripadvisor, this was the absolute worst meal I’ve eaten in a long time.

Things got off to a bad start when we ordered a green mango smoothie which was basically water flavored with a few drops of mango juice.

We then got our main course (we only ordered one since we weren’t that hungry and portions tend to be large). And it was terrible. The shrimp were definitely imported and probably frozen. The fish was some sort of white fish that also was probably frozen as it had no flavor with the texture of mush. And even the vegetables were frozen! We left our half-finished plate and set out to get another meal and dessert elsewhere.

Gelateria Tramonti – not recommended

We were in the mood for gelato after dinner one night and decided to try this place out. Unfortunately, it was pretty standard. Not good, not bad either.  I actually prefer the popsicle place (La Paleteria) just next door. The flavors there are more unique e.g. (tropical fruits) and ice cream better in my opinion.

Se Volvio Prispri Coffee Shop – recommended

We ended up stopping at this bakery twice. The first time we were going to get juice but the line was too long and we ended up going elsewhere. The second time was after our failed dinner at La Mulata. We were still hungry after not finishing our food and decided to order a ‘Posta’ lasagna. A fusion of Colombian and Italian.

Posta Negra or Posta Cartagenera is one of the beef dishes cooked over a long period of time and is one of the specialties from Cartagena. I saw it on some menus in Bogota, but decided to hold off eating it until we arrived in Cartagena. The lasagna here was a delicious and rich dish with a beef sauce slightly sweeter than what we ate at Restaurante 1533. I think I like my lasagnas on the savory side, so would probably try a different dish next time I come back here.

The funny thing we noticed here was that everyone wore facemasks for food hygiene. And there was even a diagram posted on the wall demonstrating how to wear the masks. Yet, each and every one of the employees (6 or 7 of them) were wearing them incorrectly. Picture a surgeon wearing a face mask, then picture them pulling it down so it rests on their chin with their nose and mouth completely exposed. That’s how they wore them. :)

Pezetarian – recommended

Having been eating a good amount of meat on our trip we wanted to switch things up and eat some lighter fare with fish. We thought we’d give this Colombian sushi place a try and it was pretty good for non-traditional sushi.

We got two rolls and a ceviche and that was plenty for two people. The fish was fresh and the flavors were light.

Sierva Maria – recommended

This was our favorite place to get fresh fruit juice. The reviews say the service is bad and it’s absolutely true.

The two times we went in there the cashier and the juice maker were both on their phone talking as they took our orders. They also took their time and didn’t really seem to care about their job. I was worried the first time the juices might not taste good, but they did! We had guanabana, lulo, guava, and maracuya. Guanabana with milk was my favorite!

Refresqueria La Estrella de la India – recommended

This was the best meal of our visit in Cartagena. It’s a locals place that I found when searching on google maps for fish.

It’s like an open air liquor store with a tiny kitchen on the side. So you get a nice view of the street and fresh warm ocean breeze blowing through.

There are only about 10 small tables and they offer a small menu of 5-7 choices.

You get a 2 course set lunch which includes soup for 12,000-16,000 pesos ($3-4) and you will leave stuffed. The fish was fresh and food good! It came with coconut rice, a little salad and plantains. When I go back I will definitely make sure to eat here.

Restaurante 1533 – recommended

There are hundreds of restaurants to choose from in Cartagena and I read the reviews of the top 100. I was on the fence for this place, but what helped us to decide to eat here was the comments describing it on another blog – practicalwanderlust

We came here for a set lunch and made sure to try the Posta Negra. (We walked by the night before and asked when they serve it, and it turned out to be the next day for lunch!) So we made sure to return.

The lunch was similar to the Refresqueria above, with soup as a started and then rice/salad with the main.

The posta negra was good. Like any beef stew that has been cooked for a long time, the beef flavor will be rich, dense and concentrated. The flavor was slightly sweet and very savory. It reminded me of soy sauce almost. But I don’t think they use soy sauce.

I read one recipe uses Coca Cola. Maybe that’s it! Just kidding I really don’t know what they put in it. I just know it tasted good and I would go back here if I wanted to eat it again!

Oh La La Bistrot – recommended

This is a French owned cafe that we passed each day and seemed to be promising based on the reviews and menu. We stopped by one morning to have breakfast.

We started with two fresh juices -tamarind and guava. Both were very good and naturally sweet.

Then came the arepas with egg. They were deep fried and crunch on the outside. Inside the corn shell was the egg. Although kind of heavy, it was very tasty. I wanted to come back for lunch/dinner, but as it was our last day we didn’t have time. :(

Crepes and Waffles – recommended

This is one of the major chain restaurants in Colombia. They have locations outside too in Europe and Central America, but it was my first time eating there.

We ordered flambeed crepes (since I just made Crepes Suzette before leaving) and wanted to see how they tasted down here.

Well, they were quite different. In fact, they came with a thick 1/4 inch layer of caramelized sugar. The sugar wasn’t exactly brown, but hard and clear.

The crepes were tender and vanilla ice cream not too sweet.

The alcohol flavor was still noticeable and overall brought everything together. Without the alcohol it might have been too sweet. Plus, I think I still like my Crepes Suzette more:)

Cartagena in 3 days

Looking back I think 3 days was just enough time to explore the old city of Cartagena.

Overall, we had a great time in Colombia and look forward to going back sometime in the next few years!

click pictures to enlarge

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looking at the back of Bocagrande

walled city on the right

Gitsemani

street art

just outside the old city

entrance

inside the city

refresqueria – soup course

refresqueria -snapper

refresqueria -sharp teeth!

refresqueria -mackerel

looking through the wall

walking around…

walking around…

walking around…

walking around…

walking around…

walking around…

walking around…

‘green’ mango with salt from the street

soft serve

random that we saw Miss Colombia!

pezetarian – Colombian style sushi

pezetarian – Colombian style sushi

pezetarian – ceviche

more popsicles

gelato

Cartagena sweets!

oh la la – fresh tamarind

oh la la – fresh guava

oh la la – arepa with egg

oh la la – arepa with egg inside

the fort

near La Matuna

near La Matuna

restaurante 1533 – posta negra

near La Matuna

near La Matuna

street empanada – carne was yum!

walking around on the walls

walking around on the walls

walking around on the walls

walking around on the walls

walking around on the walls

walking around on the walls

fruit like a grape, forgot the name tho :(

la mulata -watery mango smoothie

la mulata – worst meal of the year

cartagenera style lasagna!

crepes and waffles- flambeed crepe with ice cream

dancing in the square

sierva maria – maracuya and guanabana!

off to miami

airplane food. bleh!!

In case you missed it, here is the link to part 1 of my Colombia trip-

Colombia Trip March 2017 Part 1: Bogota Sights

Colombia Trip March 2017 Part 2: Bogota Food

Up next is Miami!

  –Here’s another plug for my new online course– 

If you are interested in traveling with points and miles, I am working on a paid online course that will guide you through the process start to finish.

If you’re interested, all you have to do is click for details and sign up for exclusive access to the pre-launch tomorrow May 1, 2017!

I am going to provide some consultative services with the course as a package and therefore, enrollment will be limited to the first 20 people.

Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for stopping by!

Colombia Trip March 2017 Part 3: Eating Cartagena The Walled City of Cartagena I've been wanting to visit Cartagena for many years. I was a little worried that it might be really touristy, especially since I read that cruise ships dock there.