#spendy spice

[docholligay]

NOW FOR PART 2, WHICH YOU CARE EVEN LESS ABOUT BUT YOU LITERALLY ASKED: The Overwatch gals.

Hana: I had to actually do research (ugh) for this one, because I know she'd be into whatever young people are wearing, because despite her best efforts and calculated marketing and overwhelming responsibility, she actually is a Young People. Young people in the US and Europe overwhelmingly wear vanillas and gourmands, but young people in Korea have much more affection for florals, which are considered more 'mature' in the western markets.* So. I wanted to find something floral but softer and with a bit of the sweet brightness that is identified with a lot of 'young' perfumes. Finally got to smell my frontrunners in Harrods this winter.

La Tulipe by Byredo. Byredo makes some FANTASTIC stuff but by God are they expensive (she wouldn't have to care anyhow) so it took me a long while to get a chance to smell this one. Even buying a decant, how I normally do perfume, was spendy. But it is exactly what I want, almost a top jammy note with this gorgeous subtle floral. It's young, but 'grown up' and composed. (the second frontrunner was Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell, but after smelling both, I think La Tulipe is right)

Fareeha. In much the same way, Fareeha's tastes are influenced by the middle east, though I know enough about that to not need to seek out stuff. She was actually extremely easy. I knew it the second I smelled it, as in, I was walking by and had to walk back because I knew it.

Oud Wood by Tom Ford. It's masculine and commanding. This is a leader's perfume. It's a very well balanced oud fragrance, appropriate for Cairo or London. It really strikes that balance between Western and Arabic perfumery in a way only a handful of perfumes do, and the other ones I can think of have spice or floral notes I don't think Fareeha would like. The wood and amber notes really come through, and lend this air of mystery and purpose to the whole thing. it's a great perfume honestly.

Angela I see as only wearing perfume for special occasions not even in a "not like the other girls' way, but in a 'she struggles to prioritize and take care of herself' way that i see a lot of her 'sloppiness' coming out of. I think if she did have one, she would pick something sweet and warm and very 'comforting'. There are so so many choices in this vein that it was genuinely difficult for me, but I think I like what I ended up with.

Apple Brandy on the Rocks by Killian. Funnily enough, I thought I would like this for me, but i absolutely do not. It's giving boozy apple pie, which fits so well with my concept of Angela at her greatest and highest that I'm annoyed I didn't think of it years ago. It should have been a Fareeha-type situation.

Lena. I have had an idea of what Lena smells like for YEARS, but I could never find it. It's young but masculine leaning, the smell of citrus brightness and an old leather jacket. For years I was layering perfumes to sort of get there but was never happy with it, and then one day I sampled something offhand just in case and there it was.

Sicilian Leather by Memo Paris. Honestly, everything i have smelled in their leather line has been killer even if it's not for me to wear, so I didn't think it would be a waste. (I absolutely recommend trying some of their stuff) But the second i smelled this, it was THANK GOD FINALLY. It's so hard to find something that uses leather that is also bright and cheerful and young, but this is it. Orange oil and Cedar, and laying under that, a gorgeous leather accord. It's perfect.

OKAY SORRY TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME

*I love a floral, and not even a subtle young floral. Give me an old-money, faded debutante floral. Call me Buffy and set the table for six, Alice

[supermaks]

Merc and RBR are almost the exact same in mentality the only difference is how they present it like Merc tries to hide who they are behind a fake victim complex while RBR embraces who they are to the point of cockiness i guess same thing in different fonts

Yup yup exactly. The idea that rbr is some evil organization and Merc is like, a beacon of integrity in the sport is not just laughable, it’s actually insulting to its core values. Merc is a ruthless team with a ruthless environment and a ruthless, super aggressive tp who encourages his employees to print and hang photos of their direct red bull rivals in their workplace, as ‘motivation’. Like we’re talking about serious and intelligent engineers engaging in burn book activities. Toto literally calls it ‘enemy building’ 😐. Mercs title sponsor has been accused of helping the Sudanese gov commit war crimes by giving them vehicles, infrastructure and money. Like just from a branding standpoint merc is very much A Business led by a Businessman. Lew humanizes merc because he’s Lewis, but don’t get it twisted he’s also a perfect reflection of what merc is: hyperfocused excellency and a total unwillingness to be anything except the best. Merc is a serious team bro. And it’s funny because this season u saw them playing a role they haven’t in a very long time, the underdogs, the runner ups, and they flopped at every turn. w13 did turn into a race winning car eventually, but only after the TD honker, and the costcap nothingness, and by the time torger tried that lil team up with binotto to ‘take rbr down’ the other bro was already drafting his resignation letter. Meanwhile in rbr, spendy spice and the bad bitches who can’t count have apparently decided to just fully lean into their cunt era, from Hannah’s newfound visibility to boycotting British media, calum nicholas being an icon on twt, and Max’s Still Dre moment in Brazil. Rbr has more of a band of brothers type of vibe imo. Horner is not like the most sophisticated man around and Max .. please. So they come across a lot more grittier and in a way, a lot less competent and precise than they actually are. Rbr is a machine tuned to perfection by a body of remarkably skilled individuals and rn it follows the compass of someone who put real 22k gold leaf in his helmet and had 5 years worth of experience in f1 when he turned 22. That’s a recipe for cunt yk. Merc is usually times new Roman, rn they’re kinda leaning more into Trebuchet, and rbr is impact. Ferrari is comic sans. Thank u for coming to my ted talk

[princemick-archive]

i have red bull racing filtered lol so whenever you or some other blog comes up on my dash with an rbr post i’m immediately like. whomst the fuck. need to cleanse my eyes. and my dash of this shit. and when i go to unfollow you it’s just you lol and the post is some cute gif of rbr dan or rbr seb. just gives me a random shock cos i’m always like why am i following this person??? and i realise it’s not about mv00 or spendy spice.

why is this like, the perfect explanation of my blog. horrid on the surface kinda fun funky fresh if u poke at it. thats my blog, just like, the other way around.

when u first look at it its like fun oh cool and then you stay and the rose tinted glasses come off and realise its actually like a burning room but you're already stuck so what r u gonna do.

[sedicisantidote]

Ignoring the fact that ferrari is self destructive and that will buxton is the one who made the point BUT I read this one article today and he said that firing mattia doesn't make sense unless elkann already had the replacement planned and ready and i have to agree a little

Like we already know that elkann had been going around trying to find replacements since atleast last summer when he approached seidl and spendy spice who both said no. So why would he force mattia to resign, because whatever replacement he gets in a rush is going to be key for next season and on cementing their future as they need to persuade charles to stay. I get that Mattia lost their trust completely, but even they can't deny he was talented in the technical department and firing the head of the project a couple of months before next season is an extreme choice unless he had something up his sleeve.

If he has been doing this replacement finding for months, he can't still be empty handed and have to rely on plan b which is vasseur surely? And I also get that being ferrari's tp is like being on the hot seat, pressure from all sides, being the face for an entire nation's wrath etc but it is still a great thing to brag about if you "make it" and a lot of people would still think they can "fix" ferrari single handedly. Imagine the TP who will help charles win a wdc, he will also be solidified into a legend and all sorts of doors would open for him, that is a great thing.

It is the media's job to create narratives, spread rumors etc but they're not always right. It is believed ferrari is without a tp & a td but it's not certain or proven.

Plus the news of mattia leaving and juventus' board resigning came within 12 hours of each other, it implies that there is some plan on elkann's part

[quidam-sirenae]

The nice thing is no matter how many photos I post from my trip I’m in a new place every night so you can’t find me (also rare lettuce face reveal)

Anyway what I’ve learned is I was literally meant to live in a manor house and be filthy rich and spend all my time studying classics (mostly I was meant to be filthy rich I think and it’s homophobic I’m not) and also that compared to the rest of my group I travel REALLY lavish. I’m like “I think I might go find a laundromat” and “oh tonight I might grab something to eat at a local pub” and this is quite odd to them who are cooking for themselves and washing their own clothes on vacation which is really what is odd to me.

Since the journey is so long everyday and I get very carsick I’ve had hardly any time to study welsh which is very disappointing since I bought a grammar book and it’s the most interesting thing in the world. Also my suitcase broke but everything in life is transitory so it matters not at all. I might buy a new one soon. Tea here tastes Bad. It is very herbal and not at all spiced for me who is a lover of Asian teas. Perhaps I will try a couple of teas and maybe I will find one I like. Right now we are out in the country in the middle of nowhere which is not super fun since I am forced to do my own laundry and eat food from tesco but soon we will be in a city and I can be as spendy as I want (pay someone to do my laundry, eat food not from tesco). I am very excited to be with my family again despite the fact that this is quite fun because there is one woman in our group that makes us seem like the stereotypical Americans and we all just kinda scoot away from her when she does that but she’s also very nice and keeps lending my one pound coins because I cannot get the atms to work here and I will try again when I’m in a city.

I met a very nice lady yesterday who complained about the nhs for a while and then asked me and the other girl from my group how healthcare was in America. We both immediately went off on our medical bills that we’re still paying off and how annoying it is and how much it costs to go in for a visit so we’re still just hoping so and so problem goes away and she asked some questions about how it worked and then stared at us with her mouth open and said “I’m never complaining about the nhs again”. She said that the labor party might fix up the nhs while they’re in power which is what she’s hoping for. I forgot how the nhs worked and asked how much she paid for healthcare and she said “nothing.” And that was very surreal I have a 700$ bill that luckily got subsidized from 3000$ by my insurance but I’m not allowed to have any medical emergencies for the next few years because I can’t afford them. Anyway I didn’t know the healthcare system in Britain was so good. I know she complained about it and it’s far from perfect but wow imagine not paying for healthcare.

This is a very long explanation of my life and I’m going to go eat breakfast now.

[linesonpages]

Stash Tea makes a few teas that I LOVE for lattes:

- ultra spice chai

- double bergamot earl gray

-super Irish breakfast

I usually use 2 tea bags, but with these blends I don’t have to! Definitely try a single bag and follow the steep times on the box the first time because it’ll probably be enough! Especially the chai. I have to order them on Amazon bc the grocery stores don’t carry them here but I love it.

I also love Twinings Lady Gray, especially in the summer. It’s nice as an iced tea as well, I brew it hot and then pour it over ice or stick it in the fridge overnight. But the lightness of Lady Gray doesn’t hold up as well in a latte imo.

For my birthday I usually get a few ounces of White Tip Earl Gray from Tea Source and it’s probably my fave, but it’s spendy so I don’t indulge often. I also really like their MN N’Ice Tea, it’s an herbal but really lovely hot or cold.

As far as brewing times and stuff, I just follow the box directions. Different teas need different things!

Unless it’s an herbal, I always steep those for absurdly long times. Just don’t take the bag out of the cup or let the pot steep for an hour. I’ve never had one go bitter and sometimes I end up with a really rich tea that is so much better!

Tea preferences

From what I've heard, people who drink hot tea feel very strongly about it, and so I am not making any kind of poll for this because I learned my lesson about polls two weeks ago, damn.

My Mountain Dew habit has resurfaced, right as my doctor also wants me to bring my blood sugar levels down. I have chronic fatigue issues because blah blah blah and I need caffeine mid-morning. So I've started drinking hot (black) tea again, and it gives me a mild lift with no sugar crash, so I'm interested in what y'all drink. Mostly I drink English breakfast with milk (around a latte proportion) and a spoonful of honey, because I like honey. I'm thinking of trying Irish breakfast to level up the caffeine. A maltier flavor, I know, but I think I've tried it before and it was fine.

(I like strong tea to go with all that milk, so I use two tea bags in a large cup for five minutes, which apparently horrified an online friend of my sister's--an Englishman who insisted that Proper Tea is meant to brew for about thirty seconds, even though I am following the instructions on the Twinings box, Arthur, and it doesn't come out bitter at all, how am I out here in Alabama drinking stronger tea than you? I don't even know what he thought about the honey.)

I started out drinking Earl Grey because I like bergamot (I may do a Bergamot in Perfume post at some point), but ultimately, I think I like my Basic Black Tea Latte setup. If you drink hot black tea, what brand do you drink, what do you put in it, how long do you steep it, are you horrified by my methods (I stand defiant)?

[letusrollon]

saw a tweet where someone referred to horner as "spendy spice" 😂😂 brilliant

[takemetoasummereve]

Every time something dodgy happens with Red Bull the FIA and that team works so hard to minimize the damage… WE KNOW YOU CHEATED own it hoe

[lowspoonsfood]

Dumb question but can someone tell me how to know which ramen packets / cup noodles are good? There are so many kinds in the store, it’s overwhelming and I don’t know which ones to try. I’m sure some of them are bad - so what do I look for?

hi! this is a very subjective question, so i’ll just tell you some of our household favorites & then let followers chime in as well. the ramen we eat the most of is mike’s mighty good ramen. it’s more spendy, but often on sale. it has a very rich broth & comes with a delicious oil packet. they have it in cups where you can just add hot water, or in larger packets where you can make it on the stove. 

but my general advice to you would be to just buy 1 packet of ramen at a time to try. you can get a handle on what flavor profile you like, how much salt you like, spice or no spice, etc. one of the great things about ramen is that you can buy packs individually. it definitely can be overwhelming when there are tons of choices, so hopefully seeing other people’s favorites can give you some ideas :) good luck out there!

[pacinothot]

spendy spice still has me cackling

[queercodedlewis]

Every time I see that rotted cunt J*s Ver’s face I lose a little more sanity. But keep chatting shit about mental health spendy spice

[killa-trav]

Spendy spice was very vocal about not going over but look at the facts

no like he kept saying oh we didn’t go over we didn’t go over n yet

[uswnt5]

christens house looks so gorgeous from just the organizers

what do they have all those spices for they don't cook!

wow nice house. spendy.

[wejustvibing]

it's baffling to me that people have faith in binotto of all people. wasn't he all up on spendy spice until like yesterday?

I don't even have faith in toto

Lewis needs a good car so he can drive his heart out and win. that's all he can do.

everything else is just words

all of this. lewis dominance is the only answer 🥲

[bbcf1sundays]

All of us seeing checo leaving a whole straight between him and the SC

Spendy spice: idk why he’s being investigated

[tungstenb]

WIP Weekend Whenever

Tagged by @rpgwarrior4824, @ljandersen, @natsora, and @inquartata30. Thanks for the mentions, everyone!

Inq and Nat asked for fluff, so that's what I'm gonna try. I don't think my writing style is suited for fluff. But! An attempt was made. ^_-

I'm planning a bit of an intermission between SAtS and BODS — a series of vignettes from the trip to Thessia first referenced in "Cardamom and Cloves" — so here's a snippet from that (~2,500 words).

Enjoy!

Thessia: Day 2

Something's wrong.

It wasn't so much a thought but a feeling, an instinct. A surge of adrenaline to rouse her from sleep, to tense her slack muscles and propel her to act. One short intake of breath and she shot upright. Eyes keen. Mind ready.

Stillness. Early dawn.

Not wrong, only different. She'd forgotten.

Armali.

Shepard sank back down onto the plush bed, her sigh lost in the breeze rumbling with the crashing surf. Beyond the vast bedroom windows and billowing sheer curtains, new light tinted the scenery outside in a cool muted grayscale, the sky dilutely inky, the ocean mercurial, the scattered islands and jutting rock formations awaiting the colors of day, just beginning to come to life with swaying trees and flocks of birds. She sighed again. Allowed the last of her hypervigilance to bleed away. And as she shifted, turning to her left, she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

Beside her, Liara slept soundly, facing away, curled up comfortably under a drape of sheets. The relaxed curve of her shoulder rose and fell slightly with her steady breathing, the gentle sheen of microscales still somehow catching the dim early light. She glowed, even in the gray.

Shaking her head, Shepard barely suppressed a quiet breathy laugh, all amazement and relief and disbelief. She never thought she could have this. Never thought her heart could feel so full. She reached out, stopping just short of running her knuckles gently over Liara's arm, or sweeping the fallen strap of her nightgown back up over her shoulder.

She wouldn't wake her.

Hand sinking into the pillowy mattress, Shepard propped herself up and swung her legs over the bed, taking a deep breath, rolling out the residual soreness and tension in her shoulders, stretching her neck, massaging her bad leg. She stood. Breathed. Stretched again. The woven rugs were soft beneath her feet and the stonework cool as she made her way to the kitchen. Priority: coffee. Leave it to the asari to perfect the tech even for that. She hummed as she scooped the fragrant grounds into the machine, tapping a few buttons to start it brewing.

By habit she brought up her omni-tool before remembering she'd decided to ditch her usual early-morning reading for the week, her daily newsfeeds and all but the highest-priority messages muted, their pinned widgets grayed-out and transparent on her homepage. She clicked her tongue over the whirring and dribbling of the coffee maker, then wandered to the refrigerator, idly appraising its contents.

The rental house had been stocked with essentials before their arrival — maybe standard Armalian fare, maybe items a bit more suited to human tastes, maybe things Liara had requested specifically, Shepard couldn't be sure. Two large glass bottles, one green juice, the other milk (or something milk-adjacent). A variety of eggs cradled in a basket, some small and pastel, some larger, textured and mottled with bluish spots. A package of dense, doughy bread, sliced, cylindrical in shape. Small blocks of what appeared to be cheese, or butter, or another sort of cultured or aged dairy product, wrapped in decorated waxy paper. Assorted vegetables in crisper compartments. A bowl of shiny berries. A jar of… whatever the hell. She grabbed it, unscrewed the top, took a whiff. Fishy.

Best wait for Liara to wake before attempting to cook. Bit out of her element, at least with these ingredients. Chances were she'd fuck it up, Liara would wake up laughing at her and her sad burnt breakfast lump, and they'd have to go out to eat. And maybe Liara'd prefer to go out anyway, head to a quaint little cafe on the waterfront that starched its cloth napkins and served fancy drinks with like, olives and celery sticks or whatever the garnish for socially acceptable breakfast/brunch booze was here. Probably best to defer to her judgment; this was her home, after all. But she could, at the very least, have tea ready for her when she woke.

Taking the milk-like bottle and setting it on the counter, she readied and leveled her translation overlay. Tapped for an audio sample. Melikhratun, said a silvery voice in her earpiece. She poured some in a glass and tasted it. It was reminiscent of melted vanilla ice cream, even in thickness, and it coated the interior of the glass. Kinda weird, oddly tasty. She shrugged and set the glass aside, skimming through the article.

Melikhratun: a sweet liquid cream/yogurt made from haavi milk, rich in… well, everything. Fat, sugar, protein, vitamins, sometimes probiotics; eezo content variable, generally ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 ppm, depending on livestock origin and feed. Ideal for the energy needs of those who make ample use of biotics. Many regional versions, cultured and uncultured, in a multitude of flavors, some seasonal, some staples, some festive varieties only making brief appearances for annual holidays, most notably porfuranq flavor, for Janiris. Either drunk straight, used in recipes, mixed with other beverages — and essential for serving arwamaasi, a tea made famous in Serrice.

She tapped the link to arwamaasi, the article popping up beside the one for melikhratun, humming a tune as she shuffled over to the pantry.

Arwamaasi, arwamaasi… that one also sounded familiar.

The hinge squeaked as she opened the pantry door, and she turned. In the sliver of the bedroom still visible from the kitchen, she found Liara still sleeping soundly, face serene, arm relaxed resting before her. Thankfully undisturbed by the squeal of oxidized hardware needing oiling — constant humidity and salty sea air would do that. With a quiet breathy chuckle — and a mental note to tend to it later — she turned back to her search.

Translation overlay active she scanned the labels, looking for a match among the tins and boxes and jars lining the shelves. The pantry was well-stocked — nonperishables left by previous guests — and she scanned over the bubbles of transliterated text that popped up in real-time.

Arwamaasi, arwamaasi, arwamaasi, she repeated, silently. Liara had said the word before, back on the Normandy, the syllables rolling off her tongue as sweetly as the scent of spice that permeated the air and lingered on her lips after she'd drunk cup after cup, counting on the kick of caffeine to keep her awake and alert long after staring at her terminal had strained her eyes and made her mind weary.

"It's just not the same without melikhratun," she'd explained to Shepard, but assured her she enjoyed it even without the rich, sweet Thessian dairy product. Not practical to keep it aboard: perishable, spendy, difficult to acquire without eezo contamination. I'll see what I can do, regardless, Shepard had thought. Errands on the Citadel. What's that stuff called again? Alone, she'd detoured on Tayseri Ward and ordered coffee from an asari-owned cafe, hoping to jog her memory. Thought to ask for something nice to put in tea, a specific kind of tea, what's-it-called? Stopped. No, just the coffee. But… god, no. The gesture would be too forward. Her omni-tool chimed as she finalized the transaction and rocked, agitated, on her heels.

Pull yourself together.

It had ached, hurt like hell back then. Soft freckled cheeks and supple lips and spiced tea and she'd punched the Normandy's elevator console just a bit too hard, because it wasn't right, all these impure thoughts she couldn't shake, but what could she do but go run on the treadmill for half an hour and blow off that steam and longing and frustration because fuck, Liara had to know what she was doing to her when she talked so smart and sucked on her teeth and licked her lips and smiled like that.

No fucking way in hell should she even think about making the first move.

But if Shepard swiveled to her left — and she did, then — there, only meters away, Liara slept, that placid comfort clear on her face in the early light, and that sight ached too, but it ached so good. Warm and full and perfect and — god, how did she get so lucky? Bouncing on her heels, she quietly hummed while her nose and her eyes crinkled in a grin she couldn't fight, and she shook her head, scoffing in disbelief.

Shepard turned back toward the pantry, peering through the hovering transparency over her forearm. And a match. She waved the translation app away, tin in hand, flicking back to the article.

Arwamaasi: developed by tea artisans in Serrice. Made with leaves soaked in concentrated spices, then expertly woven into packed shapes designed to bloom when steeped; then fermented, where they grow in pungency; and then aged, where they condense into pellets as they dessicate. High in caffeine, this tea is treasured for its distinctive flavor, heightened with the addition of melikhratun.

Making it would be simple enough, and she collected the rest of what she needed — the melikhratun already sitting out — and switched the electric kettle on. The dry, compact tea pellets rattled in the tin as she pried off the top, then stuck her nose inside. Sniffed once and pulled back at the pungent sting. Punchy. Smells like a concussion but probably tastes real good. Gingerly, she plopped a pellet into a glass teapot.

Shepard poured a mug of coffee and drank, leaning against the counter as the tea kettle heated. It was good coffee. Really good, actually. Even better in the quiet, with the gentle humid air, the soothing rhythmic crash of the waves, the incredible view. She smiled, eyes lingering on Liara, still fast asleep —

The kettle beeped shrilly and Shepard spun to turn it off, shushing and admonishing it for its disruption, and quickly poured the boiling water into the glass teapot while sneaking glances toward the bedroom.

Stupid noisy thing. Hopefully it didn't — nope, still sleeping.

The packed cluster in the teapot unfurled lazily like some sort of sea creature, releasing amber swirls as its delicate leafy arms swayed in the steaming water. Shepard sipped at her coffee, waiting for the tea to finish steeping, tapping her fingers against the countertop as she sang soundlessly. She topped off her own mug before finishing Liara's tea preparation.

Coffee in one hand, tea in the other, she returned to the bedroom, setting the tea cup down on the nightstand. And as she lingered there, smiling, the sweet scent of arwamaasi spices wafted on the humid breeze. She leaned over, kissing Liara lightly on the cheek. When she pulled back, though Liara's eyes remained closed, a sleepy smile warmed her face.

⁂

Something warm and sweet tinged Liara's fading dreams. She stirred. Yawned. Stretched, breathing deeply as she sat upright, spilling out of a loose cocoon of soft sheets. Before her, on the nightstand, was the steaming source of that familiar scent, sweetly spicy and full as it mingled with the fresh air and tickled her nose. She picked up the cup and swiveled to look behind her.

Unsurprisingly, Shepard's absence on the bed meant she was out on the balcony. There, she sat, ankle on the opposite knee, coffee in hand, staring out at the ocean.

For a moment Liara just waited, watching her, one leg tucked up on the bed as she drank her tea. She'd never seen her look so relaxed. Never had her heart felt so full.

Eventually she slid off the bed, greeting Shepard with a light brush of her hand on her shoulder and a playful tousle of her hair.

"Mornin'. How's the tea?" she asked, scooting over in her chair to make room.

"Perfect." Liara sat, their shoulders brushing.

They didn't speak for some time, Shepard resting her head on Liara's shoulder, both watching the birds and boats and waves as the sky continued to lighten and the comfort of closeness was enough. Shepard set her mug on the table first, hopping off the chair and heading down the balcony stairs before Liara could ask where she was going. Reluctantly, setting aside her own tea, she followed.

The bottom tier, at water level, served as a dock. As Shepard leaned against the partial railing, taking in the scenery, Liara nestled up beside her. "Did you see something?" she asked.

"Something?" Shepard scoffed in amazement. Gazed back out at the ocean. "Everything," she said, awed.

Liara only chuckled softly in response, the warming breeze tickling her crest and her affection leaving her speechless. Pausing, she traced the curve of Shepard's cheek, her skin soft and slightly — as she'd recently learned to say — peach-fuzzy. "What did you want to do today?"

"That's such an open-ended question." She took Liara's hand and cupped it in both her own, running her thumb over her knuckles. "Dunno. This's your home. Anything. Surprise me. I'll even close my eyes the whole way there, if you want."

Liara shook her head, amused. "I would be willing to wager a significant credit sum that you couldn't manage to keep your eyes off me for a minute," she teased.

"Oho. Oh. One whole minute."

"An entire minute." Liara smirked. Lowered her hand from her grasp. "Okay. Let's practice."

"Okay." Shepard's gaze was unwavering as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, hands at her sides.

"I'm starting a timer," Liara warned, and brought up her 'tool.

Shepard closed her eyes, the hint of her smile still there, as she took Liara's hands in her own.

Hands occupied as they were, Liara couldn't reach out and cup Shepard's cheek, run her fingertip over the scar on her brow, trace the stubbly texture of the buzzed hairs on the sides of her head. But she could, in this moment, lean forward and kiss her.

"Five seconds," Liara announced smugly, pulling away.

"Hey — uh, no!" Shepard sputtered. "Sabotage. Doesn't count."

Liara flicked up her brows. "Try again, then?"

"I have a feeling by 'try again' you mean — ahhh…"

Liara kissed her again, pulling her close. Suddenly, she gasped and staggered back — and not because Shepard's fingertips had found pressure along the ridges on her spine.

A trio of maidens skipped by on a motorized skiff, squealing and hollering their delight at the show while triumphantly waving protective hats and fishing gear. Liara clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.

Shepard, shoulders rocking with silent laughter, cleared her throat. "Uh, where were we?"

"Day plans," Liara said, removing her hand from her mouth just enough to speak.

Shepard continued to rock with laughter. "Right," she deadpanned.

"Hmm." Liara gazed upward, sucking on the inside of her cheek as she thought. Looked back to Shepard, raising her brows. "Armali Natural History Museum?"

"Oh shit, dinosaurs!"

"Excuse me?"

Shepard, expectantly wide-eyed, mouth excitedly open, burst into actual laughter.

"Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?" Liara pressed.

"It's a 'whatever you want to do today, Li.'"

"Petraaa."

That earned Liara a nose-wrinkle. "Nobody calls me that."

Liara tapped the end of Shepard's nose and shrugged, grinning. "I do."

"At the very least," Shepard said, playfully swatting the arm attached to Liara's nose-bopping-hand away, "we should talk breakfast first." She took Liara in her arm, pulled her close, kissed her shoulder. "There's some weird-ass eggs in the fridge if you know how to cook those. Or we could eat out… hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Her grin turned devious. "I think I'd like that," she said, and she grabbed Shepard's hand and pulled her up the stairs.