#syrup is specifically based on the syrup used in drinks rather than the one used in ice cream and waffles

[theboxfort]

So there's this AU on twitter called the Inanimate Sweets AU where you turn II characters into dessert/candy/sweets and...

I decided to join in with my designs :]

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

It's time for Step 4 Cove's posts, and first up is what choices change his look!

As before, my first post on Step 2 Cove's appearance modifiers will tell you a lot of what you need to know if you haven't already read it, but to summarize:

The things that your MC notices/favors/picks up/focuses on influence Cove's look, though there are some exceptions.

In some cases (though there are none in this step), a choice that changes Cove's appearance may also affect his coldness/warmness as well as his studiousness/sportiness. This is coincidental, so Cove's personality doesn't largely impact his look.

If you want a different Cove without using the Cove Creator, try choosing different aesthetic/taste-based options.

Specific to Step 4, however, there are a few key things to note.

Firstly, similar to Step 3 where some earrings would not be visible on Cove depending on what hairstyle he has, the same applies here. The black stud earrings will not be visible with the fluffy hair and the silver huggie earrings will not be visible with the tied-back hair. Ergo, Cove could be wearing earrings in one of your playthroughs if you have either hairstyle on him, but you just might not see them.

Also, the dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with the white anchor symbol and the yellow shirt with the orange flower pattern hide the silver ring necklace, so that's another thing to keep in mind.

Secondly, and I'll have to rip off the bandage for any poor person who wants their Cove to have a tattoo, but there are no choices that will give Cove a tattoo. It's something you can do only with the Cove Creator, which I imagine may be because one of Cove's tattoos can trigger people's trypophobia.

Third, it appears that the modifiers for Step 4 Cove's pants in Step 3 are not the ones actually used in Step 4. In all of my tests, Cove's pants always defaulted to the tan shorts with the gray trim and blue polka dots. If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, then I can test them out, but it appears that the plan was originally for Cove to have six different pairs of pants rather than four - with two of the pairs having color variation like Step 2 and 3 Cove have - but it was changed by the time Step 4 was made.

Below is what you would get if what I presume to be the original intent was kept in place:

Hang (Cove's Version)

If the MC decides to have a drink:

base flavor

An iced green tea. [Pants #4]

A black tea. [Pants #2]

A milk tea. [Pants #2 (Alternate Color)]

An iced coffee. [Pants #1]

A strawberry smoothie. [Pants #2]

A banana smoothie. [Pants #3]

A mango smoothie. [Pants #4]

A coffee frappe. [Pants #1 (Alternate Color)]

A vanilla milkshake. [Pants #1]

A chocolate milkshake. [Pants #1 (Alternate Color)]

mix ins & toppings

You chose to add whipped cream. [Pants #2 (Alternate Color)]

You chose to add chocolate syrup. [Pants #4]

You chose to add caramel syrup. [Pants #1]

You chose to add boba pearls. [Pants #3]

You chose to add condensed milk. [Pants #2]

-

There are two other types of pants - an alternate color version of both Pants #3 and #4 - but these aren't attached to any choices so they may have been scrapped even earlier.

In addition to this, though this is nothing the player themself needs to worry about, there is unused code in the game for Step 4 Cove's swimming trunks. This may have been for the scene where Cove strips down to his boxers to take a swim in the ocean, though he would've had swimming trunks on instead.

These are the choices that would've changed them:

Boating

If the MC was sick/scared and was brought downstairs by Cove, who asks if they want a drink (if non-Indifferent):

"Water?" [Swimming Trunks #2]

"Juice?" [Swimming Trunks #1]

"Seltzer water?" [Swimming Trunks #2]

"I don't want anything." [Swimming Trunks #1]

"I don't want you to go." [Swimming Trunks #2]

If the MC stepped up to make drinks for the group:

if the MC put only one ingredient in the drink

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC's drink is "berry dominant" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and all are berry - grape/cranberry/strawberry/mixed berry - juices, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and more than two are berry juices)

[Swimming Trunks #2]

if the MC's drink is "common" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and all are common - apple/orange/pineapple/mango - juices, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and more than two are common juices)

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC's drink is "uncommon/mixed" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and there is only one or zero each of berry juice and common juice, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and there are no more than three each of either berry or common juice)

[Swimming Trunks #2]

if the MC's drink has more than five ingredients but less than ten

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC used all the ingredients in the drink

[Swimming Trunks #2]

-

There are additional unused articles of clothing for Step 4 Cove, but these weren't attached to any choices (similar to the two pairs of pants mentioned above): two pajamas shirts and two pairs of pajama pants, as well as two formal shirts.

Cove also has code for a fourth pair of earrings, wristwear (for both wrists), and glasses, the latter two being connected to choices, but the game will simply change it to nothing. Cove's hair doesn't have an extra option exactly, but weirdly there are options to disable all of his hair (this won't give you a bald Cove, but default to the tied-back hair). I wanted to mark these just for the sake of being thorough, so if there's anything that says "[nothing]" rather than "[no change]" then just note that it's because the code is different for those options for the reasons above (so they might be calling for all hair to be disabled, for the fourth wristwear accessory, or fourth pair of glasses).

Keep all that in mind while checking out this list of chances you have to change Cove's look:

Step 3 Intro

After the MC's initial thoughts on Cove having to go away for a while almost every year (if not Indifferent by Step 1/2):

You sent him letters the entire time he was away. [rainbow shapes necklace]

Your moms helped you ship out care packages to him and his mom. [silver ring necklace]

You gave him special treasures to take with him before he left. [no necklace]

You kept an eye on his house for him while he wasn't there. [rainbow shapes necklace]

You were incapable of doing anything until he was back. [silver ring necklace]

If the MC decides that they want further education:

Attend a community college. [slim body type]

Attend a public university. [buff body type]

Go to a private college. [buff body type]

Join a trade school. [slim body type]

Take online classes. [slim body type]

If the MC decides that they want to work:

Find a company to work at. [buff body type]

Work online. [slim body type]

Do contract work. [slim body type]

Start your own business. [buff body type]

If the MC wants to do something that isn't school nor work:

Work on self-improvement on your own. [buff body type]

Take some time just to relax. [slim body type]

Try to figure out what you truly want. [buff body type]

When the MC can decide where they want to go when they move out:

Stay local. [buff body type]

Go to a different part of the state. [slim body type]

Go out of state. [slim body type]

Go abroad. [slim body type]

Travel around to different places. [buff body type]

Hang (Cove's Version)

If the MC decides to have a crepe:

base flavor

Plain. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Strawberry. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Chocolate. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Green tea. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Lemon. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

fillings & toppings

Whipped cream. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Condensed milk. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Cream cheese. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Chocolate chips. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Chocolate syrup. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Caramel syrup. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Powdered sugar. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Strawberries. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Mango slices. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Mixed berries. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Banana slices. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Errands

When the MC spots a fudge stall at the market:

You got closer to the stall. [no change]

But soon your gaze drifted elsewhere. [sideswept hair]

(following above choice) If the MC chose to approach the fudge stall:

You didn't want to get any. [nothing (this will default to the tied-back hair in Step 4)]

You wanted to get yourself a box. [no change]

You wanted to get a box to share with everyone. [no change]

You wanted to get a box just for Cove. (if non-Indifferent) [no change]

And that was all. [no change]

If the MC chooses to get fudge for anyone:

Milk Chocolate. [sideswept hair]

Dark Chocolate. [middle-parted hair]

White Chocolate. [fluffy hair]

Cookies and Cream. [tied-back hair]

Caramel swirl. [fluffy hair]

Chocolate Peanut butter. [fluffy hair]

Dark Chocolate Mint.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [tied-back hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Red Velvet.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [middle-parted hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Maple Walnut.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [nothing (this will default to the tied-back hair in Step 4)]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

White Chocolate Peppermint.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [tied-back hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Chocolate Toffee.

○ (if buying for self/everyone) [middle-parted hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Key Lime.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [sideswept hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

When the MC can buy groceries:

Apples. [average red glasses]

Oranges. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Peaches. [no glasses]

Strawberries. [rounded gray glasses]

Onions. [rectangular brown glasses]

Peppers. [no glasses]

Lettuce. [average red glasses]

Tomatoes. [rounded gray glasses]

Cucumbers. [no glasses]

Carrots. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Lemons. [rounded gray glasses]

Limes. [rectangular brown glasses]

Spinach. [average red glasses]

Potatoes. [no glasses]

You didn't get anything. [no glasses]

When the MC can buy honey and/or jam:

Clover Honey. [rectangular brown glasses]

Orange Blossom Honey. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Spring Wildflower Honey. [no glasses]

Honey Butter. [average red glasses]

Strawberry Jam. [rounded gray glasses]

Raspberry Jam. [rectangular brown glasses]

Blackberry Jam. [no glasses]

Apricot Jam. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Blueberry Jam. [rounded gray glasses]

Plum Jam. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Rhubarb Jam. [rectangular brown glasses]

You didn't get anything. [no change]

Talks

[NONE]

Charity

[NONE]

Drive

[NONE]

Reflection

[NONE]

Late Shift

When the MC can order at the fast food place:

A hamburger. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, or pollotarian) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

○ With cheese. [no change]

○ With no cheese. [no change]

A vegan veggieburger. [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

A chicken sandwich. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [black bracelet on right wrist]

A spicy chicken sandwich. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [no change]

French fries. [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the right wrist in Step 4)]

Onion rings. (if the MC is not vegan) [no change]

A salad. [no wristwear on the right wrist]

Chicken nuggets. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

Jalapeno poppers. [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

A soda. [black bracelet on right wrist]

A milkshake. (if the MC is not vegan) [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the right wrist in Step 4)]

A soft serve sundae. (if the MC is not vegan) [no wristwear on the right wrist]

A chocolate chip cookie. (if the MC is not vegan) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

An apple pie. (if the MC is not vegan) [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

Nothing. [no wristwear on the right wrist]

Serendipity

When everyone is discussing their plans for what sweet treat they want:

"A popsicle." [silver huggie earrings]

"An ice cream cone." [black stud & silver huggie earrings]

"An ice cream sandwich, too." [black stud earrings]

Boating

[NONE]

Happiness

If the MC decided to make food for Cove (if Shopping happened, Growing happened, or the MC bought fudge for Cove in Errands):

You chose to bake cinnamon rolls. (if Shopping happened) [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the left wrist in Step 4)]

You were going to make banana, peanut butter, and honey sandwiches. (if Growing happened) [pale yellow watch on the left wrist]

You'd make him homemade fudge. (if the MC bought fudge for Cove in Errands) [ridged slate gray bracelet on the left wrist]

If the MC decided to get food for Cove that didn't require preparation:

(if Drive happened) [thick brown and tan bracelet with white helm on the left wrist]

(if Drive did not happen) [no wristwear on the left wrist]

Step 3 Ending

If the MC chose to make jewelry with Lee and the others:

"I wanna find some sea glass too." [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the left wrist in Step 4)]

"I'm gonna hunt for a handful of shells to pick from." [pale yellow watch on the left wrist]

"I'm gonna look for some driftwood." [ridged slate gray bracelet on the left wrist]

"I wanna use some stones." [thick brown and tan bracelet with white helm on the left wrist]

"I'll just wait and see. I don't have a plan." [no wristwear on the left wrist]

-

Aaaand that's everything! It's really a shame about Cove's tattoos and pants, and I can't help being curious about the potential unused content (there aren't image files or anything for them, unfortunately), but I hope this helped anyway!

[inaconstantstateofchange]

back at you though, drinks edition? a type of drink you couldn't do without, that is your go to for any occasion? give us the specific deets, recipe if needed

oh no you've activated my trap card i love drinks

okay so special occasion drink: brown sugar boba (50% ice 50% sweet) but specifically from the tea shop close-ish to my house. it's expensive so i don't go often but holy shit. they use actual proper tea and fresh-as-hell boba and it's just. it's so good, i think anything from there would be insanely worth it (but i've never bothered to branch out from perfection).

my daily bev: i can't be too specific on brand without lowkey doxxing myself a tad, but there's a local company that does this flavored black tea with cornflower, raspberry, red plum petals, and blueberry, and it's just. it's incredible. mellow and rich and lightly (but not overwhelmingly) floral and fruity. i have it every single day and i'm convinced it is the perfect tea.

and two other faves because you asked for recipes:

strawberry (cheong) lemonade: okay so this is more effort than truly necessary, but i went to one of those u-pick strawberry places last summer and then the cultivar fucking sucked so they weren't even good, so i made cheong with them, which is a korean fruit syrup/preserve you make by layering equal amounts of fruit and sugar in a jar and letting them sit (i put them in the fridge just to be safe) for a few weeks.

the end result is preserves that you can blend into a bangin' spread and a fruit syrup that is like the nectar of the fucking gods. i didn't think it would make a huge difference doing it that way rather than a typical heat-based reduction, but it tastes like fresh strawberries. you don't lose any of that to it breaking down via heat treatment, so similar to the difference between a cold brew and a heat-based one.

anyway those mixed with lemonade (i make a concentrate using half lemons and half regular lemon juice, and include some lemon zest) makes one of the best summer drinks i've ever had.

i'm adding a cut for the last one because i can't/won't stop now but i have some self-awareness. okay, last one:

vanilla chai: i haven't made this in a bit, because when i moved here i ended up using up my stock of cardamom, and the local brand available here is just... not it, and i'm still trying to work out the most cost-effective way to order them online. which is devastating, because cardamom is the flavor most beloved to me in chai. anyway-

the thing that rocks about chai is that it is not actually all that hard, and you can customize it so specifically to your taste. my go-to add-ins are cardamom (5-6 pods, crushed open), cloves (2-3), cinnamon (about half a stick, crushed a lil), fresh ginger (idk how to measure this one, like an inch or two?), and vanilla. i used to use vanilla bean paste i got ages ago as a gift, but that is too rich for the world we live in nowadays, so it's whatever vanilla i have.

technically there's a specific kind of tea you're supposed to use, but i prefer it with regular loose-leaf black tea (which i always have on hand anyway). so you basically get a small pot, and bring your water (about half to 3/4 of your mug) to a boil. once it does, add your tea leaves and spices (not vanilla tho) and let them vibe out there for 5-10 minutes.

then, add your milk (about half of your mug) and vanilla, and warm to desired temp, but don't let it boil (this is my personal preference). add desired amount of sugar to your mug (i usually do a small spoonful of white and a small spoonful of brown sugar) and pour the chai into the mug through a fine mesh sieve (to get out the spice bits). if you have a milk frother, i like to aerate it a bit before drinking (improves flavor and also makes it less likely to burn your tongue).

[jonathankatwhatever]

Oh good, we have a conversation going. Topic seems to be the assertion that my understandings need to be reduced to simplicity, where simplicity is only achieved through a complicated understanding. That’s the difference between comprehension in D-structure and naive comprehension. By naive comprehension, I mean fitting together Complications rather than Ends and Pathways, the words indicating the induction generating true or false, count this way or that way, log2 choice, etc. is running in 1-0-1, assuming the 0 Between fills to whatever 1 generates the necessary End 1. Is that clear? Other than the overuse of 1, I thought that was well put. This invokes the entire fCM and SBE apparatus.

Let’s see. I said conversation and assertion. What? I need to grasp that apparatus idea because that’s the connecting idea. The words are slippery. The connecting idea is that 0-1-0 occurs and that generates gs into that gsSpace, which thus fits with other gsSpaces to make a larger one. I’m using gsSpace here to emphasize the generation within D-structure of this actual reality, whether occurring in nature, like in a fluid, or in one’s mind or in a projection onto a surface, like in a drawing.

This connecting idea is why we have so many questions which ask whether there are smooth or otherwise some sort of continuous solutions across flows or what fills a hole or what makes a hole.

I’m seeing shapes form. It’s much easier to get this thinking about gsSpace generating because we always have Observer within the D-structure. I’m trying to get across that seeing actual objects and all their attendant complications and potentials, meaning their physical and abstract selves, that seeing these generate means to see them take shape, literally and figuratively, and to come alive.

See? You started to say ‘accretion’ and realized that’s a complication: you intend it to come out as 1 and hope that Pathway exists. Word usage. I had to make something to drink and lost a lot of great material. I’ve been trying to add a bit of caffeine into my life because I keep reading about its association with better outcomes. I made a half-calf latte with whole milk and chocolate syrup. I’m not crazy about this syrup. I prefer Fox’s: the chocolate is not so milky and that blends differently with the coffee and milk.

I have these weird moments when it’s like you’re so in my head that you’re in the room and you’re talking to me like I’m next to you. It’s when you sound most like George or when George sounds like you, which is to be expected if the identification process works as described. I can hear him saying there are 2 Things, 2 separate tangible Things and they share an intangible Thing which not only is at the core of each of those 2 Things, forming the basis for how they operate and thus are - yes, and basis translates into a vector basis in which we treat the grid sheet as a vector space we can then expand into a box, and thus into higher dimensions through the specific act of generating the entire local set at each level.

You’ll need to explain that. But first, while you let idea wash over you, this shared Thing exists in Triangular to both the physical Things, so each has a Triangular of outer and inner, tObject and iObject perspectives to this Triangular End. Slow down. I’m not done. This Triangular entangles the 2 physical objects through pairings. So that models affiliations or dating as entanglements. Tangled in the sheets. Oh, so you inhabit a yK based frame as an xK and that enables you to see the metaphors and other layerings, like you’re seeing the tree views. That’s really fascinating.

The nearness of that was like being in a WWII submarine movie with the depth charges going off. I ended up drinking my latte and staring at my phone until you came up and I thought why am I looking at this crap? Really, why?

So we were talking about entanglements, which naturally leads to romance, which made me think about Fourier transforms and how they become important because frequency and the composition of the composite is such a great way to see generation of grid squares and of objects having effects across grid squares as those generate.

So my understandings need to be reduced to simplicity by adding the counting details which come from your perspective of xK within yK overlaying, ring by ring, completion by completion, count by count, over my yK within xK. That as the torsion End identifies each pairing in the same way we described b10 earlier - or was that last night? - as 0 and 1 where IC substitutes as 0 in each perspective. I’ve been trying to articulate it better but this means all other pairings fit to as 0 to 1 from each direction. The deeper and more expansive these pairings, the better the fit, the more true the statement.

This is where tangible versus intangible rears its head. I walked away for a moment, came back and: D-structure generates from the infinite to the finite, from uncountably to countably infinite to finite. You see this specifically when you see how something as basic as D5 ‘looks’: imagine the idealized structure - forgot the notation - made of 1-0Segments and see how that generates Triangulars and gs, and then that these don’t fit together along the grid lines of gs but rather require other shapes made of partial gs to fill the gap. Or the other way around: the extra dimensional space is squeezed out when and as D-structure resolves to D4.

Oh right, an n-gon. Not the best label but whatever.

It’s not just an n-gon. It’s a construction of 1-0Segments along with their associated sheets in Triangular, gs, Hexagonal, etc. All connecting into that segment which exists with any n. I see: change it to K-gun and that makes more sense because K means along a grid line and along the szK. That last leads to the unexpected that we substitute actual, meaning 0Space measures, to the szK count. What does that mean? Is it trivial? Is it profound? Is it true love? Tell me, dearest, what I am blathering about.

Okay. Sub in 0Space because an idealized K-gon, like a 5K-gon is the idealized pentagonal because that combines 5 perspectives in all their meanings, and these perspectives are squeezed out or expanded into. Very nice.

I was thinking yesterday about Quincy Jones and how his memory has already been simplified to producing a track for charity because that connects to images of people the public recognizes. The scope of fame and how it changes. Who built that fancy house? Only known now because that connects to another. It’s nicely close to the cartoon about the dead set in Mexico in which the dead fade away when they’re not remembered. That in turn connects to the concepts of heaven and hell. It even connects to the nihilistic urge to destroy all because that hastens the day when no trace of you remains. Isn’t that interesting?

So far, I’ve realized that the 1 and 0 with IC substitution is profound and counts b10 as well as b2, which is better notation than referring to log2 and choice. That is, the concept of bwhatever is that it’s not just a count but is gsProcess so 1 and 0 lead to 1 and 0, and so on, so the concepts of choice and freedom or constraint of choice within contexts, within gsSpaces, all can and do operate. It’s a wonderful feeling to have this fit together so well.

And I’ve realized how a K-gon constructs in D-structure, and note that the images of the little hats appearing and disappearing through rotations were entirely correct. There’s been more, but I need a break. My little brain is tired and needs to stop processing math for a bit.

Forgot to say it’s 5 Nov 2024.

[ourceliumnetwork]

because i need to talk about a Good Thing for a second and get my mind out of the Negative Spiral, let's talk about how my attempts at managing all my various ailments is going

very specifically just the one where i'm trying to add in a regular, high-content source of both iron and potassium. On the recommendation of a dear mutual, I have begun adding black strap molasses into my day - generally by mixing it with some sort of Sweet Treat, like hot cocoa, or ice cream. Just like a spoonful drizzled on top of ice cream and then the rest of it consumed as quickly as possible out of the bowl of the spoon with the correct ratio of ice cream instead, because it's like chocolate syrup except it tastes not as good.

listen. the fact that i enjoy the taste of it as much as i am really says something to how i'm missing several vital components that it is providing me, cause look. Molasses tastes just ever so slightly always like it smells and it smells like BAD. it's burnt, essentially, and that's like part of the whole thing of it. It's supposed to be like that, or else it's not as full of nutrients or something. I looked it up when I was researching this, i can't be arsed to remember details and shit right now.

it's more hidden in the hot cocoa (especially if you use the actual real amount of hot cocoa mix you're supposed to, instead of like half that like i was doing and it still tasted alright) and as the days cool i'll probably end up doing more and more hot drink based options rather than frozen treat based options.

but all that to say, you know I think it might be working.

Now, admittedly, I did start this most in depth right before and then all throughout my period - which is when I need it the most, honestly so like. A+ timing for that part of it, but maybe a C on the timing as relates to actual data. But! i'm relatively sure my dark circles under my eyes (almost assuredly caused by low iron, which i knew at one point, but like. i'm without more than i'm with so a guy forgets, y'know?) are way less dark than they were about a week, week and a half ago when I started this journey. I don't have evidence of this, because i didn't think to take a before picture specifically, and also all the pictures i've taken of myself today have me wearing really dark under-eye makeup to hide the dark circles on purpose, so like. y'know. grains of salt (necessary for handling my POTS), etc.

like. my period was rough (per my metrics), don't get me wrong. It sucked and it hurt the whole time, and still does because i'm just one day off it, let's not get ahead of ourselves. but like, in other ways it was abnormally smooth? like it was pretty standard, maybe a little more focused in the cramp and full body pain zones, but like, in a way that is anticipateable for me. but like. While i was zonkered as usual i was maybe less zonkered shortly after my potion of make-more-blood (molasses addition to foodstuffs), and like over all kind of in good levels of fatigue? like yes fatigued but not as bad as it's been sometimes.

i'm gonna keep up with it (i am FLYIN through this molasses y'all - 1tbs a day is a lot actually) and see how it does. my dark circles are my main metric for measuring how well my iron levels are doing and i'm gonna be real with you guys, it's been a minute since i've had a noticable difference in the darkness of them and the fact that i feel like there's already a change maybe is something.

as soon as the molassess stops tasting kinda good, i'll know i've figured out my iron levels lol. until then, looks like me and Grandma's Molasses are getting cozy this winter.

[timetraveltasting]

BACHELOR'S ROSE COCKTAIL (1910)

To celebrate the first sunny day in a while, I brought the ingredients for the next Tasting History (or rather, Drinking History) creation - the Bachelor's Rose cocktail from 1910 - to my friend's garden. The recipe for the Bachelor's Rose cocktail was published in 'Jack’s Manual', a book of cocktail recipes by J.A. Grohusko, an American bartender. Max chose this specific cocktail in order to embody the spirit of a Valentine-themed cocktail. In the late Victorian and early 20th century era, valentines were sent not only from admirers to their crush or love, but to their enemies in the form of 'vinegar valentines', which would mock the receiver - their appearance, personality, or bad traits. These were not done in jest, either! Luckily, this cocktail would more likely be prepared for a true, sweet valentine as a sign of love, as it does not taste like vinegar! I chose to make this recipe because I love a gin-based cocktail, I'd never tried sloe gin before (sloe is a berry which flavours the gin), and Max seemed to enjoy it. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

The gin I used for this cocktail was Kehl's Sloe Gin, a German sloe gin from the town of Niederkassel, near Cologne. Unfortunately, I didn't have any fancy coupe cocktail glasses, so we used our beloved SolidAHRität wine glasses (wine glasses we bought to support the rebuilding of the Ahr valley wine area in Germany, which experienced devastating floods in 2021 and is still rebuilding - I definitely recommend a visit to the area!).

The process to make a Bachelor's Rose was very easy. I was a bit worried about using egg whites for the cocktail, since I'd never done that before, but the process was a lot simpler than expected! For our first cocktails, I followed the recipe exactly. My friend juiced the lemon, lime, and orange while I added the egg white, gin, raspberry syrup, and ice to the cocktail shaker. We then added the citrus juice, and I gave it a good shake. I strained it out into the glass, and watched as the egg whites did their work to create a lovely separated foam on top. The colour of the cocktail was really lovely, a kind of cloudy rose pink colour. We were so excited to taste the cocktail that I forgot to add a garnish! For our second round of cocktails, we added more gin than raspberry syrup in order to taste the sloe a little better, and we harvested our own little wildflowers from the garden for a garnish - the cherry on top.

My experience tasting it:

The first round of cocktails were really delicious. Fairly sweet, and some forward sour notes from the citrus. I was kind of surprised this cocktail recipe was from 1910; when I imagine older cocktails, I somehow usually assume that alcohol will be the main flavour, as a lot of older cocktail recipes that we still enjoy today, like an Old-Fashioned, a Sazerac, or a Manhattan are all fairly alcohol-forward. The Bachelor's Rose, however, tasted like something I could find on a happy hour menu - it had so much sweet and sour flavour, that the taste of gin was almost hard to detect. Very delicious, but because I like the taste of gin, I was hoping to taste the sloe gin a little more in this cocktail. While we both very much enjoyed the first cocktail, we decided that in the second, we would add a little less raspberry syrup, and a little more sloe gin. When we tried the second round of cocktails, we were happy to discover that our change had, in fact, made the cocktail taste even more complex than before - less like a sweet and sour berry candy and more like it may have some wild-foraged fresh berries in it. You could taste the sloe gin a bit more in this one, but it was still balanced nicely by the citrus. Because the Bachelor's Rose cocktail is easy to make and tastes delicious, I would definitely recommend making it on a summery day for some friends. I surely will again! If you end up making it, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Sloe Gin

Raspberry Syrup

Bachelor's Rose original recipe (1910)

Sourced from Jack's Manual by J. A. Grohusko, 1910.

Bachelor’s Rose: Juice of a half a lemon Juice of half a lime Juice of half orange White of egg 25% raspberry syrup 75% Sloe gin Fill glass with cracked ice. Shake well, strain, and serve.

Modern Recipe

Based on Jack's Manual by J. A. Grohusko and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Half a lemon

Half a lime

Half an orange

1 egg white

1/2 ounce raspberry syrup

1 1/2 ounces sloe gin

Ice

Method:

Squeeze the citrus into a shaker.

Add the egg white, raspberry syrup, sloe gin, and ice.

Shake well, strain, and serve it forth.

[little-pondhead]

[ohhhhh sHIT. This is like my dream question. I hope you know what you're getting into.

I don’t drink alcohol, but boy, do I have Opinions™ on what flavor and color people would be, especially for drinks. I literally work at a pizza and soda shop for my second job; I adore making mixed drinks.

This isn't in any particular order, and I'm not going off what best represents a character. I'm just going by the Vibes I get. I'll also stick with mainly berries and flowers since I think they have a simpler flavor profile that's easier to adjust (In my experience). Feel free to argue with me if you think I'm wrong :)]

-

IMMEDIATELY my mind jumps to Damian, who’s dark purple or red. He’s also angry, brooding, and a scary assassin child who screams dark berry to me. While there is a wide selection of dark-colored berries to choose from, mulberries just seem right to me. I heard they also make excellent fruit wines?

-

Duke is bright yellow, but I think that’s obvious. He's a little hard to nail down as a flavor since I don't know him that well as a character. I like to think that golden raspberries fit him as a hero, and dandelions fit him as a person. Not that I've ever seen golden raspberries in my life, but it was either that or gold kiwis (the fruit, not the bird).

-

Tim was a doozy. He's Red Robin; red should be obvious, right? Well, yes, he's red, but he can also be another color. I just can't figure out WHICH color. Being Red Robin is such a massive part of his character that it's really hard to separate that from him in my head. So here's where I deviate from the color/flavor association. Rather than choose a red fruit or flower, he'd be blueberry coffee. And while blueberries don't fit him by themselves and he's more fond of energy drinks, this is a good balance.

-

Cranberry, pomegranate, and Geraniums. Jason is cranberry, pomegranate, and geraniums, but he's the color of marigolds. Sue me, I said I wouldn't go off what represents the character. But marigolds and pomegranates just have me in a chokehold! The symbolism! The colors! He's not exactly solid red like Tim, but he's not a weird in-between color like Dick. He's marigold, and you can pry that from my cold, dead hands. If you want to make a drink based on marigolds, I won't be upset about it.

-

Dick is, very specifically, the color of a peacock. You know that weird green-blue color that is the base for any and all peacock designs, art pieces, or merchandise? That color. I've taken a liking to using blue curaçao and vanilla syrup in Mountain Dew drinks at work, so I'm going to go ahead and assign those two specific flavors to him as well, just to make things complicated. Lime also works wonders with that drink, but it's not a flavor I would associate directly with Dick.

-

Stephanie, believe it or not, isn't purple to me. Like, in terms of character design, purple is an obvious choice. But I always get Spring vibes from her, like the literal season. It’s hard to nail down a specific color, but it HAS to be pastel. She'd be really good with flower flavors, I think. Lavender, pansies, peach roses, colored daisies, carnations, Queen Anne's lace, etc. It might depend on what kind of alcohol or drink you're pairing it with.

-

Barbara IS purple. Royal purple. It's HER color. (Sorry Steph) She was the most iconic Batgirl, and now she's Oracle. She's just...purple?? One of a kind?? Has her shit together?? She'd probably be a bigger fruit, like passion fruit or plums. Or purple grapes if you want to really lean into the color meaning.

EXTRA: My mother would like to input her opinion that Batgirl is strawberry peach. I did not tell her which Batgirl I was talking about, but I'm putting it here anyway.

-

Cass is blue. Literally any shade of blue, it does not matter. In my mind, she's just Blue. Powder blue during ballet, midnight blue as Orphan, etc. She's so delicate yet intense that I can only think of butterfly pea flower tea. There are probably other fruits or flowers that fit her better, but I've actually tried this tea, and it just-it just works? In my head??

-

My sister @cactusblossom09 insists that Bruce is blackberry and blue raspberry. I like that train of thought but want to replace blue raspberry with currants or elderberry. Blue raspberry is too much of a fun kid's flavor. He'd definitely carry blue raspberry lollipops in his belt, though. And they'd be Nightwing's favorite flavor to steal. >:)

-

Alfred is a flower. I just know it. He seems like a soft grey character to me, but not many foods and plants are grey in color. So I'll allow white as well. My knee-jerk reaction is elderflower, which might be a little on the nose. Chamomile will also work, although I'm not sure which flavor is stronger. I use elderflower syrup as a way to tie together a drink based on one of my coworkers, and it seems right since Alfred does the same for the Wayne family. The base drink needs to be strong as fuck, though. He deserves it for all the shit he puts up with.

-

Danny is literally changing all the time. It's his thing. That's the whole point of his character, so it's only fair he gets more than one color and flavor. Cartoon characters are so heavily coded that it's hard to separate them from their color palette, so I will go with the classic baby blue and bright fucking green for Danny. As a human, blue borage flowers will do nicely. As a ghost, I can't give him battery acid, unfortunately. But I can tell you that honeyberries come to mind. If you really want the whole ectoplasm experience, however, might I suggest Toxic Waste candy?

-

Sam is the purple character of the show. Truly, she'd probably be something cliche like Nightshade or Foxglove, but in the spirit of not killing OP, I'd like to redirect your attention to sweet violets or huckleberry. Personally, I adore huckleberry. I know many people who will put it in every dessert possible, and I have been trying to expand our drink list at work to include more huckleberry syrup. (Not only is it delicious, but we also have fucking fifty bottles of this shit in the Cupboard of Shame.)

-

Is Tucker a red or yellow character? I'm not sure, but I'll go with yellow again. I'm going off the script of fruits and flowers to say he's mainly a walnut flavor to me. I can't physically explain it. I know walnut liqueur exists, but that's not what I'm talking about. Like, he's just a walnut. You can use walnut wood to add smoke or crush a nut and rim a glass with it. I do not care. He's walnut.

-

Again, is Jazz blue or orange? I'll stick with orange because Jazz is so orange blossom-coded that it's not even funny. Like with Tucker, I can't explain it. She just is. I don't care about the symbolism or even remember when it blooms. But Jazz is such a simple yet complex character, just like orange blossoms. The flowers look so delicate and pure in nature, but the actual taste of the oranges can be overwhelming if it's not in moderation. Just like Jazz! :)

-

[Okay, I'm done, I promise. I chose the most popular characters used in the crossovers, and I imagine that a drink based on a specific ship would mix two characters' flavors. Like, Dead Serious could be mulberries and honeyberries or blue borage flowers.

ALSO I'M DYING AT THE BURGER VODKA PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED (>▽<)]

Weird association game for you

What FLAVORS do you associate with DPxDC?

Could be something that makes you think of a character, or a ship

Why?

Kind of want to make some DPxDC themed hooch. Combine my hobby of wine making and infusing with fandom

[thedisneychef]

Can You Substitute Sherry For Vermouth In A Recipe

Are you planning to whip up a cocktail or two this weekend? If so, it's important to make sure you have all the right ingredients on hand. One key ingredient in many recipes is vermouth – but what if you don't have any? Can you substitute sherry for vermouth instead? In this article, we'll be looking at the differences between these two wine-based ingredients and discussing whether or not swapping one for the other will work in your recipe. Let's dive in! Maybe You Also Like: - Can You Skip Vanilla Extract In A Recipe - Can You Use A Cupcake Recipe To Make A Cake - Can You Use Any Recipe In A Bread Machine Understanding Vermouth And Sherry I'm always looking for ways to switch up my recipes and, lately, I've been wondering if I can substitute sherry for vermouth in a recipe. To really understand the differences between these two products and make an informed decision, let's take a look at some key attributes of each. Sherry is made from white grapes that are grown near Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. It has sweet, nutty flavors and comes in three main types: fino, amontillado, and oloroso. Fino is lightest in color and flavor; amontillado is darker with more pronounced flavors; while oloroso is dark brown or black and has stronger aromas. Food pairings like tapas work well with sherry because it balances out the saltiness of those dishes. Vermouth also starts off as wine but gets flavored with herbs, spices, barks, fruits, roots, etc., depending on the brand you buy. This product can be either dry or sweet but tends to be lower in alcohol than most wines (15-20%). Having said that, vermouth works best when mixed into cocktails rather than being served by itself. The Flavor Differences Vermouth and sherry differ greatly in terms of flavor profiles. Vermouth is an herbal, savory wine with a slight touch of sweetness to it. Meanwhile, sherry is a sweet fortified wine that has notes of dried fruits and nuts. Depending on the type of vermouth and sherry used, their differences can be more or less pronounced. For instance, dry vermouth will have more herbaceous qualities than sweet vermouth which has a much sweeter taste profile due to added sugar syrup. Sherry also ranges from light and dry varieties like fino all the way up to dark and thick syrupy versions such as Pedro Ximénez. All these types have different levels of acidity as well as varying degrees of savoury sweetness depending on what kind you are using for your recipes. When it comes down to substituting one for another, both wines offer specific flavors that may not always mesh perfectly with the recipe at hand. For example, if you were making a classic Manhattan cocktail you would need some sort of bittersweet element but neither sherries nor vermouths could provide this particular balance without extra ingredients thrown into the mix. Therefore, it’s best to familiarize yourself with each before deciding whether or not they are suitable replacements for one another in cooking applications. Sherry Substitutions In Cocktails I can confidently say that sherry is a great substitution for vermouth in cocktails and other recipes. As a fortified wine, it provides the same level of flavor complexity as its counterpart while also providing unique characteristics that enhance the overall flavor profile of your drink or dish. Plus, there are plenty of food pairings to consider when using sherry, making it an even more versatile ingredient than vermouth. Sherry comes in many different sub-styles and variations; from light straw colors to deep amber hues, you have options when selecting which type to use in your recipe. Fino Sherry is one of the most popular types due to its crisp acidity and delicate nutty aromas. Amontillado Sherry offers distinct flavors of dried fruits and nuts with a slightly higher alcohol content compared to Fino varieties. Oloroso Sherry has a rich body and intense flavors such as raisins, dates, figs, and almonds. And Cream Sherry features sweet caramel notes with hints of spice on the finish adding layers of sweetness without being overpowering. Each style has its own set of attributes so take some time to experiment with each type before deciding which works best for your recipe. In addition to these general styles, you might want to try out some special editions like Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherries known for their dark mahogany color, velvety texture, intense sweetness and strong raisin notes on the palate – perfect for desserts! All in all, sherry adds depth and dimensionality regardless if used in savory dishes or sweet concoctions - just be sure to choose wisely depending on what kind of end result you’re looking for! Sherry Substitutions In Cooking I'm often asked if sherry can be substituted for vermouth in a recipe. While the two wines have some similarities, they are definitely not interchangeable. Sherry is typically much sweeter than vermouth and has its own distinct flavor profile that will alter your dish significantly. When substituting one of these wines for the other, it's best to consider the overall flavor profiles and wine pairings you're hoping to achieve with the finished product. Sherry makes an excellent addition to many dishes because it adds sweetness without overwhelming complexity or richness. Its unique nutty, caramel-like notes provide both depth and sweetness while also highlighting subtle flavors like lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, and even chocolate. Because of this balance between sweet and savory elements, sherry is great when used as a marinade or sauce base. For recipes that call for dryness instead of sweetness though, swapping out vermouth for sherry won't give you the desired results. Vermouth provides a nuanced herbal bitterness that enhances various types of foods, especially those featuring bold spices such as rosemary or thyme. It pairs well with citrus fruits too; adding brightness and zestiness to any dish without being overpowering or cloyingly sweet like sherry could be. Using either one of these ingredients incorrectly in a recipe can throw off the entire dish so it's important to understand how each one works in order to get successful results every time. Considerations When Substituting Sherry For Vermouth When it comes to substituting sherry for vermouth in a recipe, there are several things that you should consider. Firstly, portion size is an important factor as sherry has a much stronger flavor than vermouth and can overpower the other ingredients if used too liberally. Secondly, food pairing plays a role when deciding which type of substitution will work best with your recipe; sweet sherry may pair better with desserts or dishes that have sweetness while dry sherry could be more suited to savory dishes. Finally, always taste test any substitute before adding it to the dish so you know how much of the ingredient needs to be added and how its flavors will affect the overall outcome. Frequently Asked Questions What Is The Alcohol Content Of Sherry Compared To Vermouth? When it comes to the alcohol content of sherry compared to vermouth, there's a big difference. Vermouth typically has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 15-18%, while sherries come in at around 17-20% ABV. This means that if you're substituting one for the other in your recipe, you'll need to adjust the amount used accordingly. Flavor wise, they have different profiles too - sherry is slightly sweeter than vermouth and can be used as a great food pairing with many dishes due to its complex flavor profile. Are Sherry And Vermouth Interchangeable In All Recipes? The short answer is no, sherry and vermouth are not interchangeable in all recipes. While both liquors have similar alcohol content levels, they differ greatly when it comes to flavor profiles and cooking methods. Vermouth has a mild, herbal flavor that can add complexity to dishes like martinis or other cocktails. Sherry on the other hand is sweet and nutty with a slight acidic aftertaste that works best as an accompaniment for desserts or savory sauces. So while you can substitute sherry for vermouth in some recipes, it's important to take into consideration the characteristics of each liquor before making any substitutions. How Do Sherry And Vermouth Differ In Terms Of Their Sweetness? Sherry and vermouth are both popular ingredients in recipes, but they do have differences when it comes to sweetness. Sherry is typically sweeter than vermouth, with a richness that can bring out the flavor of dishes. Vermouth tends to be less sweet and more subtle in its flavors, which makes it ideal for drinks like martinis where you don't want too much sweetness or overpowering flavors. Both sherry and vermouth offer unique cooking methods and flavor profiles for your recipes, so it's important to understand how each one differs before deciding whether or not to substitute them in a recipe. Are There Any Health Benefits Associated With Drinking Sherry? When it comes to using sherry in cooking or as an alternative to vermouth, you may be wondering if there are any health benefits associated with drinking it. While the amount of alcohol content can vary depending on what type of sherry you’re drinking and how much is consumed, some studies have found that moderate consumption could offer certain health benefits like improved heart health and cognitive function. Additionally, other studies suggest that sherry has antioxidant properties due to its high concentration of polyphenols which might also help reduce inflammation. Ultimately though, whether or not you choose to drink sherry should depend on your overall dietary goals and needs. Can You Substitute Sherry For Vermouth In A Martini? Yes, you can substitute sherry for vermouth in a martini. It all depends on your flavor profiles and cooking ratios. If you're looking to add some richer flavors without increasing the alcohol content too much then sherry is an excellent choice. Plus, substituting sherry will give you a unique twist on the classic cocktail that's sure to impress your friends! Conclusion In conclusion, while sherry and vermouth have many similarities in terms of their alcohol content, sweetness and potential health benefits, they are not interchangeable in all recipes. Using sherry instead of vermouth can drastically change the flavor of a dish or drink. For example, substituting sherry for vermouth in a martini would create an entirely different taste than what is expected from this classic cocktail. My advice? If you're looking to substitute sherry for vermouth in your recipe, use it with caution! If you're looking for more delicious recipes to try, be sure to check out The Disney Chef's recipe categories! Whether you're in the mood for something sweet like a cake recipe, something savory like a chicken or pork recipe, or something fresh like a vegetable or seafood recipe, there's something for everyone. And if you're a meat-lover, don't forget to check out the beef recipes category for hearty and satisfying meals. With so many options to choose from, you're sure to find a new favorite recipe to add to your collection. Read the full article

[agent-cupcake]

Garreg Mach Café Episode Two: Lucky Seven (Yuri x Reader)

The first thing you learned about him —one of the very few things you knew about him— was that he liked sugar. A lot. You didn’t work the counter most of the time, you just made the drinks. So, you didn’t know who had ordered the heart attack inducing Ruined Sky Strawberry Frappe, only that someone was looking for a cavity. Vanilla bean coffee, three pumps of vanilla syrup, and strawberry puree with ice blended and topped with whipped cream, hazelnut drizzle, strawberry drizzle, and red sprinkles.

The second thing you learned about him was his name. Or, more accurately, his lack thereof. People regularly used dumb names. It didn’t really bug you, there was no shame in entertaining someone who thought making a barista call out a drink for Phun E. Monki was the peak of modern entertainment. Not so surprisingly, you saw a lot of hipster and nerd traffic through the café so references and jokes weren’t at all unheard of. Really, this one wasn’t even that bad. Comparatively.

“Ruined Sky Strawberry Frappe for Arsène Lupin,” you called, turning around.

“That’s mine,” the waiting customer responded. Shockingly, it was not the top-hat wearing gentleman thief who stood at the counter waiting for his drink. Neither was it the dweeb you expected. Your Arsène Lupin —that is, the man standing on the other side of the glistening lacquered wood countertop— certainly wasn’t normal, but not in the way you had initially assumed.

The third thing you learned about him was that he was disarmingly beautiful. He stood casually; his arms crossed with one of his hands resting lightly on his chin as he watched with a half-smile that you would have sworn had a mischievous glint. Waiting to see if the little joke got a reaction, you figured.

Well, who were you to deny him that? Pushing down the instinctual nerves of talking to someone who belonged more in the technicolor light of your two-past-midnight Instagram escapades rather than the academia chic café, you smiled back. “Here you go, Monsieur Lupin.”

That made his lips twitch in amusement, which shouldn’t have been as gratifying as it was. “Thanks,” Arsène said warmly, wrapping his fingers around the cup. It wasn’t like you were intentionally trying to notice, but his fingers were long and thin, the nails neat and manicured. Pretty hands. Attractive hands. You wondered if they were soft, or as strong as they looked, or what they might feel like-

Nope. No. You needed God.

Or Tinder

“I hope you enjoy,” you said, trying to act like you hadn’t just committed some obscene thought crime. He was supposed to leave after that. People got their drinks and either sat down or left. But he didn’t, meeting your eyes with an even gaze. Their violet coloring was striking, drawn out by the purple eyeshadow smoked out over his pale eyelids. The makeup should have been off-putting, you were less than uninterested in the pierced hoard of e-boys that had saturated the modern alternative dating market, but it wasn’t. Not on him, at least.

“This is a cute place,” Arsène said. But he wasn’t looking around the cafe, he was staring directly at you. Which… you weren’t sure if you were to buy into your ego telling you he was flirting or your paranoia that he was laughing at you. “Is it usually this busy?”

Flirting was better, for your sanity’s sake if nothing else, so you smiled, doing a quick check to make sure you weren’t missing any customers. The guy working the register was looking at his phone under the counter.

“You know, you shouldn’t pick such an obvious pseudonym when you’re canvassing a business,” you said playfully. “Charm will only get you so far.”

That made him laugh, his appraising eyes sparkling with amusement as he stabbed a straw past the whipped cream of his drink. “In my experience, charm will get you anywhere.”

“For you, maybe,” you allowed, feeling a little more emboldened by that response. Lowering your voice slightly, you leaned in as if to conspire. “I guess the real question is what you’re stealing, Monsieur Lupin, hearts or jewels?”

“Jewels, usually,” Arsène told you without missing a beat. “I have no need to steal the hearts.” He shrugged one shoulder carelessly, casually. “I collect enough of them as it is.”

A corny, over-confident line like that should have made you laugh. Unfortunately, you kind of believed it. So you raised a skeptical eyebrow. “That goes against the spirit of being a Phantom Thief, doesn’t it?”

“Why, do you want me to steal your heart?” Arsène asked. He didn’t sound serious, exactly, but neither was the question joking enough to keep a flush from crawling up your cheeks.

“Baristas don’t have hearts,” you told him theatrically, rejecting your silly reaction. “It’s a void of caffeine, student debt, and the disappointment of our parents.”

Arsène was about to respond when you heard the door jingle open. You turned, looking over your shoulder at the customers who had stepped up to the register. “It looks like you’re needed,” he said, following your eye line.

“Yeah,” you said, feeling a strange stab of disappointment. Which was dumb. A little bit of banter with a handsome stranger was nice, but it shouldn’t have been anything else.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” Arsène said, smirking in a way that made you think he’d seen your dismayed reaction. “Thanks for the drink.”

He raised the cup like a toast goodbye, and you wished him a good day. It was completely ridiculous, but that quick and strange interaction played on loop in your head for the rest of the day. You went from embarrassed, to amused, to insecure, and back again dozens of times. By the next day, you weren’t sure what to think about it and you hated to think that you were watching for him, but-

Well, you were.

The fourth thing you learned about him was that he had a schedule, a specific time slot that seemed to be allocated to getting an overly sugary drink at your little cafe.

“Noa Fruit and Caramel Macchiato for Mr Pink,” you called, already expecting to see his smile based on the name alone. Not that the preparation did a whole lot in lessening the effects. Today Arsène, or Mr Pink, wore a dark striped button up tucked into black pants. The top buttons were undone, showing off the elegant column of his neck and the framing lines of his collarbones. His skin was so pale, like it had never seen the sun, the color perfectly even and milky.

“That’s mine,” he said. Redundantly. Of course it was his.

To think that you’d done your makeup with more care than usual today was embarrassing, but you were glad for it as you passed the drink to him. “Reservoir Dogs, right?” you asked, forcing yourself to not be flustered.

“Very good,” he said in a voice that was borderline condescending.

“You thought I wouldn’t know? I serve coffee in downtown, knowing Tarantino is practically a job requirement,” you said. Arsène laughed warmly, a sound that was somewhere between amusement and mocking, a sound that invited a mess of fluttery nerves to dance around in your stomach which you covered with a smile. “Mr Pink, though… he’s a long way off from being a gentleman thief.”

“Let’s just say that I’ve fallen from grace,” Arsène said, his smile an odd combination of mirth and mystery. “Lupin is... more of an ideal. Reality is hardly ever so romantic.”

“Cheers to that,” you said wryly.

“Although if I had to emulate one of them, I’d far prefer it to be the gentleman,” he said, dropping a few dollars in your tip jar. Cheeky. “Thanks for the treat.”

“Oh… Yeah,” you said, not even thinking to point out that it was your job. Unless he wasn’t talking about the coffee, which was even more baffling. “Have a nice day.”

After that came a lineup of sugary drink orders under the names of famous thieves. Some references you knew immediately, others you had to google later. And always, always, he just about made your heart stop with that smile.

It was… Maybe a week later? Your Arsène had become something like an expectation. Which was ridiculous. And stupid. But it was true, and he hadn’t been in the day before which affected you far more than you dared admit. Seeing the familiar purple head in the lineup of waiting customers was more relieving than it should have been.  

A Vanilla Wyvern Wing Latte for Danny Ocean, this time. Unfortunately, there was a swath of customer’s orders that needed filling so you couldn’t give it to him personally, sliding it across the counter before rushing back to the blender. That kind of disappointed you, especially since you hadn’t seen him the day before, until you realized that he had taken a seat along the bar, writing something in a notebook and sipping on the creamy white latte.

Waiting for you? Pushing down the spark of excitement you felt about that, you finished up the orders. After that, you took a breath, grabbing a rag to at least seem productive as you inched towards him.

“You’re awfully far from Vegas, Mr Ocean,” you said. Although you called him that, you still thought of him as Arsène Lupin. Your Arsène.

He looked up from his notebook, the end of his pen pushed against his lip in a distracting way. They were so pink. And shapely, his top lip curved by a perfectly symmetrical cupids bow that no amount of lip kits could falsify. And… And you were staring. Again. He obviously noticed, what with the way he grinned when you forced your eyes up to his, but he gracefully didn’t point it out.

“Casinos are nothing more than a party trick,” he told you lightly, flipping his pen through his fingers before letting it drop to the paper. “I’ve got my eye on something far more valuable.” His eyes were burning into yours as he spoke.

That was the fifth thing you learned about him. Arsène could make anything sound like a double entendre. You thought of yourself as being somewhat difficult to ruffle, but even the most innocuous of comments from him could make your cheeks warm. It was the tone of his smooth, lovely voice. Always speaking under his breath, or low enough that you found yourself leaning in.

“Jewels, right?” you asked, playing it cool because you refused to fall prey to what you knew was a purposeful attempt to throw you off balance.  “I heard there was an exhibit coming to town.”

“I’m not really interested in that sort of thing,” Arsène said with a little wave of his elegant hand. “You know the reprehensible means they use to get them, don’t you? So beautiful... but stained with blood. Not too dissimilar from myself, I suppose.”

That momentarily tripped you up. He sounded so genuine, even with the little quip of a joke. Most people couldn’t pull off saying something so nakedly edgy. Maybe it only worked because he was pretty, and you were a fool. So you just smiled. “You really ought to work on this whole subterfuge thing.”

Arsène’s eyes met yours. So intense.  “And how would you recommend I do that?”

“Misdirection,” you told him, refocusing on wiping up the counter to avoid his gaze. “The names are bad enough. You’ve gotta at least pretend to be an upstanding member of society, right?”

“Do you think I’m not?” he asked lightly, his head falling to the side, hand braced against his cheek casually. “And here I thought I was perfectly amicable.”

“Oh,” you said. Did he sound offended? You quickly backtracked. “I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t think you are, it’s just that what you said-”

“I’m kidding,” Arsène said, the slightly concerned expression slipping from his face like an easily discarded mask.

You winced, internally kicking yourself. “Ah, sorry.”

“Don’t worry. That was cute,” Arsène said with that oddly infuriating unreadable grin and shutting his notebook to stand up.

“You’re leaving?” you asked, almost confused that he’d wait only to cut the conversation short.

“Haven’t you realized? I’m a wanted man. As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I’ve got things to do,” he said. “Speaking of that, I hope you didn’t miss me too much yesterday. This project is more difficult than I anticipated.”

“That’s fine, it’s not like I expect you to come by,” you said. You lied.

“No?” Arsène asked. He didn’t believe you, that much was obvious. “Fine, then. I’m not afraid to admit that I missed you. I’ll definitely see you tomorrow, though.”

“Can’t wait,” you said. And, despite the half-sarcastic affect you tried to put on, you meant it.

It only settled after he’d already left what he really had said. Missed you. Not for the first time, you toyed with the idea of giving him your number. Then again, maybe you were misreading the situation. After all, you didn’t even know his name.

Still, true to his word, he came around the same time the next day.

This time, it was a Cinnamon Dust Frappe for Garrett. Arsène, or Garrett, was wearing a sweater today in a nod to the rainy weather. Just like everything else he wore, it was entirely in service of his allure, a dark knit with leather elbow patches. White clips kept a section of his hair out of his face, which was curling at the ends. From the humidity? Or perhaps he usually straightened it?

“It took me a minute,” you admitted as you handed him his drink, “Garrett. That’s Thief, right? I have to be honest; you don’t really strike me as the gamer type.”

“I’m full of surprises,” he responded. After a moment, he added, “I haven’t got much time for games these days, but I have some fond memories from when I was a kid.”

“Probably why you’re a criminal,” you said.

If you weren’t mistaken, his eyes widened for a fraction of a second in something like surprise before that was composed into something else, his laughter driving it away. “You might be on to something with that. Video games do make kids violent, after all.”

“So, tomorrow, will it be Ezio? Or Corvo… He’s got a bit of thievery under his belt.”

Arsène scoffed. “I’d never do the same trick twice.”

That made you smile. “I look forward to it.”

After he left, you realized that you’d learned the sixth thing about him. It was such a small and mundane detail, but there was something charming and oddly intimate to imagine Arsène as a kid playing video games.  

The next day, you were working register while helping to train the newbie in making drinks. It was cold. Slushy snow half-heartedly sprinkled down outside, and the heater was desperately trying, and failing, to keep the cafe warm. The repairman wouldn’t come until the following morning. All in all, your mood was rather poor.

Until the door opened and a familiar face stepped up to the counter.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you up here,” Arsène said.

“Desperate times,” you said with a shrug. He smiled at that, looking up at the menu contemplatively.

“I’ll have…” he said, “a Mockingbird Mocha Hot Chocolate. Medium.”

“And who might you be today?” you asked professionally, the Sharpie point poised over the side of the cardboard hot drinks cup.

“Prometheus,” he said without hesitation.

You blinked, caught off guard for a second as you tried to figure out the reference. That was… clever. The original thief. You couldn’t help but shake your head in amusement as you scribbled that on the side of the cup. The newbie already knew how to make the drink, leaving you with nothing to do. The cafe was quiet today, a rarity. It was the poor weather. People dropped in to get hot drinks, but you didn’t blame them for not sticking around. Arsène was dressed for the cold, wearing a white cape coat that was either incredibly trendy or strangely fringe. Of course, it worked perfectly on him. He looked ready to hop into a new age fashion catalog for outerwear.

“From gentleman thief to a gangster to god… Moving up in the world, are we?” you asked to fill the silence.

“On the contrary,” Arsène told you “There’s no power in being a god nobody believes in.”

“I’d definitely believe in you if you could warm it up in here,” you told him. “I’ve been freezing all day.”

“I’m sure I could think of a few ways to warm you up,” Arsène said, smirking, his eyes dancing with mischievous amusement. “After all, I’m the one who stole the first flame.”

A shaky exhale left your mouth, becoming something like an awkward laugh because he definitely had you going for a second and you knew it was on purpose but still. “That’s what you meant. Right.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What did you think I was talking about?”

“Here you go,” the newbie said with absolutely perfect timing, handing Arsène his drink. At least your blush was keeping you warm.

“Thank you,” Arsène said, meeting her eyes. You were pretty sure you saw her swoon, which made sense. That was the most practical response to him, after all. He looked back to you. “Try to keep warm, I’d hate for you to be calling in sick.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you said. He grinned, wishing the both of you a good day. And you did warm up. By thinking of all the ways he could keep you warm. At this point, even God Himself probably couldn’t do much about your sinful thoughts.

The next day was another cold one, meaning that it was slow. Because of that, your boss had decided that only one person was needed, and you didn’t mind if that was you. Paid hours were always welcome. More than that, and you hated yourself for it, you hoped to see your Arsène. You’d been scrolling on your phone under the register when the door opened. Winter rushed in like it had been chomping at the bit for the chance, called forth with the jingling of bells. Arsène had arrived right on time, wearing that white cloak coat and tall white heeled boots. Snowflakes shined in his hair, quick to melt in the warmth of the repaired heater. By now, you should have been immune. But you weren’t.

“Alone today?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Eerie, isn’t it?” you replied, gesturing to the empty cafe. “Not that I mind, now that the heater is fixed… What will you be having today?”

“A medium Caramel Leclair Latte,” he said.

“And your name…?”

“Yuri,” he said, which you scribbled onto the cardboard.

“All right… Just gimme a second,” you said. The drink was oddly tame for him, and a lot easier to make. You were pretty sure you could whip up a latte in your sleep. He waited without saying anything, but you could feel him watching. The music was too quiet to be a distraction and you were incredibly aware that it was just the two of you which was stupid because the counter practically put you in a different realm of reality, but-

You forced your thoughts to focus on something else, considering the name he’d given you. It was oddly unassuming, at least by the standards of other names he’d given you. You couldn’t recognize it as anything in particular, either. It was Russian. Or Japanese. It being the name of a Russian thief probably made the most sense contextually, but you were drawing a blank as to the specific reference.

“I can’t figure it out,” you admitted when you finished the drink and set it on the counter between you, “who are you impersonating today?”

Arsène blinked, a second of confusion passing before his lips quirked up just a bit. “Myself, actually. I figured it was time to give you my name. You can call me Yuri. Yuri Leclerc, to be precise.”

That was the seventh thing you learned about him. Your stomach clenched. Out of nerves or excitement or happiness, you couldn’t tell. You smiled, feeling something giddy fuzz in your head. “Well... It... It’s good to meet you, Yuri Leclerc.” Yes, you liked that name. It was better than all the others, even better than Arsène.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Yuri replied smoothly.

“So… Is there a reason for this momentous revelation?” you asked.

Some of the mirth drained from his eyes as he slid two of the little coffee straws into the lid. “I’m leaving town.”

The disappointment that struck you was beyond silly, it wasn’t like you had any claim to him. You’d only just learned his name for God’s sake. “Did the police finally catch up with you?” you asked with a smile, trying to be playful.  

“Not yet,” Yuri said. “I prefer to leave before they catch wise.”

“I can never tell if you’re joking or not,” you told him, shaking your head. Sure, he was smiling, but, well, he smiled a lot. It was always unreadable. Amusement at something. Life itself, maybe.

“For your own sake,” Yuri said, his eyes fixing on yours, “you should always assume I am.”

Because that really cleared it up. You decided not to worry about it too much. “But you are leaving, that’s not pretend?”

“Yeah.”

Your heart sank all over again. Stupid, stupid. At least you finally knew his name.

That made for seven things you knew about him. That was enough, wasn’t it? Lucky sevens and all that? Without thinking too hard about it, you grabbed one of the embossed café cards and a pen, scribbling your name and phone number on the back. “If you’re ever back in town or whatever, this is me,” you told him, handing it over. “Or I dunno, I get vacation time. Maybe it’d be fun to take a trip to Almyra or Albinea or wherever gentleman thieves go until the heat dies down.”

Yuri looked at the card for a long moment before tucking it into his wallet, smiling. You felt like you could read this smile, it was warm and friendly. More real than his others, the emotion catching in his eyes, too. “I wonder, do you mean that?”

“Do you want me to?”

“I might.”

“Then I do,” you said with a shrug, like it was easy as that and unsure exactly how much of what you said was strictly playful. It didn’t really matter because it made Yuri smile all over again and the look was fond enough to make your heart seize.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Until then, do you by any chance watch the news?”

“The news?” you asked, confused by the shift in topic. “Not if I can help it.”

“Well, you should, at least for a few days.”

“Am I gonna turn it on and see your mugshot slapped all over some headline about a bank robbery or something?” you asked, mostly joking. Mostly.

“What would have ever given you the impression that I’d do something like that?” he asked, feigning a tone of offense.

“Steal something?” you asked.

“Get caught,” he corrected.

You laughed, thinking of something clever to respond with. Unfortunately, the door opened to admit a trio of bundled up students, killing the moment before you spoke.

“That’s my cue,” Yuri said, picking up his coffee. “Don’t miss me too much until we meet again, yeah?”

“Only as long as you promise not to forget me,” you told him.

“It’s a deal, then.”

“Goodbye, Yuri.”

“Goodbye,” he echoed, his eyes meeting yours and voice gentle. Intimate, almost. Then he was gone, a flash of violet and white disappearing into the winter cold.

It was silly, but you kept an eye on the news like he told you, curious to know if anything would come of it or if you’d just fallen for a cute guy’s ruse. But, no, something did happen. A huge theft. The jewel exhibit that had been about to roll out downtown had been robbed. Such a feat was meant to be impossible, there was seemingly no way it could have been done. But it had and there were no suspects, no public leads. And, not surprisingly, no mugshots.

[steelcirclecosplay]

Nuka-Cola Orange

Nuka-Cola Orange is an interesting little piece of de-regulated vulture capitalistic lore, insofar as it contains pear brandy (?) and arsenic (!).

How we made it: We made this in several variations. 1) One was straight the Pixelated Provisions recipe, using cara cara oranges in specific and 5.3 oz of honey instead of 1 cup sugar. 2) Was 1 oz pear brandy, 2.5 oz Nuka-Cola Orange concentrate syrup, 4 oz water, 1/4 teaspoon citric acid, stir. 3) We used 1 oz of brandy, 10 oz of Orangina, ⅓ tsp minced ginger, and 3 drops of neon orange food colouring. 

Reactions: The pear brandy is not strongly detectable, which makes the drink all the more insidious, in-universe. You could easily not realize that this contains alcohol and either get way more drunk than intended or give it to children by mistake. It's orange soda with a bit of ginger, which does give it something of an alternate universe feel. If using the pear brandy, it does give the drink a bit of fruity crispness. @slyjinks likes the doctored Orangina version a little bit better but thinks the Pixelated Provisions version is fine. I feel like this is a deconstructed and reconstructed mimosa in some sense.

Would we make this again: Maybe.

Does this taste like something that matches the write-up: No, because real Nuka-Cola Orange contains arsenic, and arsenic tastes like garlic, and garlic-orange soft drink would be gross.

Product Code: NCO-O22R

Product Codename: Fur Seal

Version: .86

Public Facing Name: Nuka-Cola Orange

Current Variant Notes: Use Pear Brandy as a flavor base; cut intense aftertaste with trace Arsenic

Nuka-Lixir

Insofar as Med-X is morphine, and this is supposed to contain Med-X, I would have to get into serious trouble at work to make this accurately.

How we made it: 1:1 Nuka-Cola:Nuka-Cola Orange and a dash of Hella Bitters citrus. And then we each took a Tylenol.

Reactions: Actually quite tasty. Would not be tasty if it actually contained morphine. Morphine tastes extremely bitter. I suspect there is some sort of joke related the cocktail “Painkiller” going on? Why is this just about the only Nuka-Mix to contain a chem?

Would we make this again: Maybe, if we had all the component ingredients available.

Nuka-Sunrise

How we made it: 1:1 ratio of Nuka-Cherry and Nuka-Orange.

Reactions: It's an appropriate colour. It's pretty good. Slightly better than Nuka-Ray.

Would we make this again: It's a lot of work to make the component soft drinks, but maybe.

Nuka-Cola Cranberry

How we made it: 1 oz of Nuka-Cola concentrate mixed into 4 oz of Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry, similarly to how the Nuka-Cola Cherry is constructed. Of note, the canon Nuka-Cola Cranberry was inspired by celery-flavoured sparkling waters and mixing artificial flavours with package design and marketing to trick people into think that nutritionally bereft beverages had health benefits. We did not include any celery flavour in this.

Reactions: It's quite good. The Nuka-Cola concentrate gives the sparkling cranberry some body and dimension, which is good, because otherwise, the sparkling cranberry is rather light and thin, and the cranberry keeps the drink from being too sweet.

Would we make this again: Maybe!

[sourcreammachine]

reyt

i’ve been using the placeholder name Root or Root’s until i think of something better, but that name does kinda get to the point. we have kola nut, and sarsaparilla root, and ginger, but no other major soda leans into that rooty, nutty, full-bodied vibe that kola-based soda really dominated the market with. this product line really leans into that vibe, exploring a different blend of roots and nuts with each can

we got eight members of the non-rotating product line, one for each colour of the rainbow and also brown and black. seasonal or promotional blends can rotate in every now and then, and there are variations of the actual eight (ie, blended with cherry etc), and the company sells other drinks entirely (like fruit sodas, energy drinks, tonic, cordial etc), these are the core eight rooty, nutty beverages

all eight are sugarfree, carbonated and have an average amount of caffeine. again ‘Root’ is a placeholder until i think of owt better

originally available in glass bottles, those have been retired on account of heightened production costs. the ~500ml placky bottles that replaced them have recently been ditched for environmental reasons. they’re only available in 330ml aluminium cans, which now have a working airtight resealable little doodad on top of them, and the 1L and 2L placky bottles. they also do kegs and syrups for hospitality

🤎Root Cola: blend based around kola nut. rather than the sweetness of pebsi or the mellowness of conk, the flagship blend needs to emphasise the full-bodied nature of the nut. refreshing and tasty, works excellent alongside a meal

🖤Root Dark: ever been to a fast food place, but the soda machine for some reason gives you way more syrup than should be normal? yeah. regular Root Cola is refreshing more than anything, but Root Dark absolutely goes down on the kola. it’s strong and it’s loud. it’s reinforced with other nuts and spices to make drinking it much more of the main event, rather than complementing a meal like regular Cola would

❤️Root Velvet: the blend based around beet from earlier. luxury is the taste i’m going for, like you’re licking a red carpet. very caramel, very sweet. slightly vanilla as well perchance

🧡Root Fire: blend based around cinnamon. we can get ginger beer offa ginger, yeah? well here’s cinnamon. the goal is to refresh, not overwhelm, so it’s not like strong strong, you can wrap your taste buds around it and have a good time. we’ll need some sort of mellowing in there, but i can’t really think of any specific ingredient that’ll do the job properly

💛Root Sarsaparilla: it’s sarsaparilla. what more do you want from me

💚Root Something: big dr pebba vibes with this one. fruits and spices blended together to make something bold and full-bodied, in the vein of cola or sarsaparilla rather than a fruit soda. dunno what to call it. my placeholder was Root Pepper lmao

💙Root Iron: irn bru, yeah, does have a little bit of a ferrous tang to it. so let’s lean in. i don’t know how we can do it, but i wanna be drinking a can of ground up pennies. or blood. refreshing, smooth, blood soda

💜Root Dandy: a good old dandelion and burdock, but somehow blended to make it more rooty than fruity. idk how, you figure it out

uuuuuh the lore? yeah they were founded by the entrepreneur ummmm fucking Prangus McSandwich in the 1920s in [COUNTRY] and have become a bit of a national icon for people from [COUNTRY]. tourists are encouraged to drink them and choose a favourite. the Lead Chancellor recently presented a novelty oldstyle bottle of Dark as a formal gift to the visiting US President, in an attempt to reinvigorate the export market. naturally, they were both mocked relentlessly about it

gotten to the point where i’m worldbuilding a fictional soft drink company and im getting sad that i can’t drink all of my wonderful creations :(

[tl-notes]

Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon S2 Episode 10 Notes

I’m extremely not an expert in birds, but I tried to look these up to see if they were a species native to New York (since they’re similar to the sparrows we usually see around Kobayashi’s place). Apparently there are few similar-looking species in New York? My totally uninformed guess is that they may be house sparrows.

The sun sets in Japan relatively early (probably around 6:30pm when this episode takes place), which would make it entirely plausible that if she just flew east (with a slight northward angle) she’d find herself over New York in the early morning while most of the rest of the country is still dark.

These bumpy grey pads at the pedestrian part of the intersection here are known as (among other things) tactile paving; they’re to assist people who can’t fully rely on eyesight to get around.

Interestingly (imo), they were actually invented in Japan in the 60s (by a Miyake Seiichi), where today they’re extremely ubiquitous. They even show up later this episode!

They’re often referred to in Japan as 点字ブロック, tenji (Braille) blocks, and they tend to come in two types: the “dot” design, which indicates a place to stop (or an angle change, or more generally “caution”), and the “line” design which indicates you can safely keep going. They’re generally colored yellow in Japan, ideally making them stand out more to help people with impaired vision find them, and are mandated by law in most places public transport can be found (among others).

Not really a translation note, but “deer cola” felt especially funny in the context of all the horse medicine stuff. 

I guess “[animal] [drink]” is a common branding device in-universe, given the crab beer Kobayashi’s always drinking.

Also not really a translation note, but the difference between how “hard” Kanna and Chloe are running to be at the same speed was a nice animation touch.

遊んだ遊んだ！ asonda asonda!

One feature of the Japanese language is a very heavy use of repetition. This includes “reduplication,” a linguistic term for creating words by repeating a root (e.g. a “boo-boo” in English or the dara-dara example below in Japanese), but also just like… saying the same word multiple times, as Chloe does here.

Typically this is done for emphasis or to help increase clarity: if you’ve worked in a Japanese office, you’ve likely heard someone in a phone conversation say desu desu in response to someone asking for confirmation. 

This acceptance of repetition sort of extends beyond the obvious uses like this as well: for example, personal pronouns are much less common; instead (if the subject isn’t dropped) you’ll often just use the person’s name again. You’ll notice similar trends with other types of words as well.

Not to mention the ubiquity of things like otsukare.

This often ends up being a challenge for translators, because reusing words in English (when it’s not for an obvious reason) tends to stick out rather unflatteringly, even if they aren’t that close together. 

(Like when I overuse “hence” in these notes.)

This “Christ” in the Japanese was “ったく” (short for 全く mattaku, but just used as a semi-generic exclamation). I mostly bring this up because it’s a good example of a word that doesn’t work out of its cultural context; e.g. it wouldn’t make any sense for a fantasy character to say “Christ,” but since this is an American speaker it works just fine (and helps distinguish that fact, even). 

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but English uses a lot of “explicit reference” words like this, that can break immersion if put in the mouths of characters who wouldn’t have exposure to said reference—which can be annoyingly limiting when trying to write dialogue sometimes.

As a bit of a culture shock for a lot of Americans I’ve met, most Japanese homes tend to have wall mounted air conditioning units, like this one, that are only for heating/cooling the one room they’re in. (Many also have a “Dry” setting that makes them act kind of like a dehumidifier as well.) It’s common to not have them in every room, like bedrooms, however.

This is in contrast to the central air conditioning system used by a majority of homes in the US (though type/use of AC in the US varies a lot by region; less common in the north for example)—and places like the UK where apparently residential AC units of any kind are quite rare.

You may have noticed that the doors between rooms always seem closed in Kobayashi’s apartment. That’s not just to make the backgrounds simpler, it’s also a good habit to keep if you’re going to be running the AC!

“Kobayashi, are you お休み today?” 

“Yeah, お休み.”

お休み o-yasumi, is a noun form of the 休む yasumu, to rest. The word has a variety of applications, as we see here. A day off work/school, i.e. a rest day? お休み. Want to say “good night” to someone before bed? Also お休み.

In this case, it’s not even necessarily clear it’s being said as a pun; as mentioned earlier, repetition is a common feature of the language, so despite the yawn there wouldn’t really be any reason for Kanna to think Kobayashi was about to go to nap or anything.

“Laze about” here is だらだら dara-dara, another phenomime (擬態語 gitaigo in Japanese)—one of those words that mimics the “sound” of an idea/concept/state, which don’t actually make a sound per se.

These phrases aren’t necessarily childish or anything (overuse of them can be, but you can find them even in news articles and political speeches for example). They are, however, used frequently by children, and by adults talking to children, as they’re very “easy” words: they’re expressive, they capture useful daily-life concepts, and they usually roll off the tongue. You’ll notice, for example, that Kanna uses them a lot.

Kanna has a very interesting way of talking actually, which I’ll touch on a bit more later.

Kobayashi’s “bean jam” here is あんみつ anmitsu, a traditional Japanese dessert (technically a spinoff of mitsumame). It typically is a mix of red beans (and/or red peas), agar (an algae-based gelatin equivalent), some fruit, some variety of rice flour product (shiratama in this case, similar to mochi), and a syrup (often black sugar based).

You can find it year-round, but it has a strong summer association and is even used as a summer season word. (It’s typically chilled and you can often get it with ice cream as an ingredient.)

It’s also sometimes paired with a green-tea flavored something as well (e.g. ice cream, agar, or syrup). The trinity of green tea, red beans (aka azuki), and shiratama makes what I like to think of as the “Japanese S’mores Flavor (for Adults)”. No I will not elaborate on this.

I will though point out the shaved ice flavor Kobayashi ordered later in the episode:

え？今スイカ様子あった？

A word of note here for language learners is 様子 yousu, which has a lot of definitions, but in cases like this where it’s attached to a noun or phrase means roughly “the appearance of __” or “an indication of ___” etc. In actual use, it typically means something that makes you think of whatever ___ is—or the lack of something that would make you think ___.

For example here, it’s like “Watermelon? Where’d that come from?” (since the TV was talking about a different dessert-y food entirely). 

Or an unrelated example: “I think that guy is hiding something” → “Really? I haven’t seen any yousu of that.” In other words, it can be a lot like “sign,” as in “I’ve seen no sign of ___.”

These color-bordered envelopes (originally colored based on the flag of the country of origin) used to be the standard for air mail, domestic or international, though they haven’t been required for several decades.

That said, they’re still popular for that “ooh, international mail!” feel (at least in Japan) and you can buy them at most places that sell stuff like envelopes. As here, they’re often used in media to immediately convey that a letter came from outside Japan.

Kanna (and Kobayashi) says エアメール, lit. “air mail” in English, which is used colloquially for international mail specifically, rather than “mail sent by plane.”

They’re having what’s called 冷やしそうめん hiyashi soumen, chilled/cold soumen for lunch here. (Soumen being a thin wheat noodle; udon but thinner.) As Kanna says, it’s very easy to make!

Basically you just boil it, wash it in cold water, add ice, get some sort of sauce to dip it in, and you’re done! It’s a popular quick meal in summer, and much easier than the more involved nagashi soumen setups you may have seen elsewhere, where they slide the noodles down a chute for you to try to grab and eat. (It’s basically the same meal aside from that though.)

(You can of course add more to it, but as we see here, you don’t really have to.)

The type of tea here, for the curious, is 麦茶 mugicha, barley tea. Mugi is the general name for cereals/grains including wheat (komugi), barley (oomugi), rye (kuromugi or rye mugi), and oats (enbaku or oat mugi). It’s incredibly common in Japan (and much of East Asia), where it's the household summer drink.

It has no caffeine like many other teas, and has a bunch of various nutritional benefits, so it’s considered a good way to stay hydrated as you’re sweating buckets in the muggy Japanese summer weather.

帽子した？  boushi shita? した！ shita!

I thought this was a cute way of phrasing this question/answer, and a good example of the “parent and their young child” way these two talk.

The suru (past tense shita) verb used here is the ultimate in “generic verb,” and it basically doesn’t get any simpler grammar-wise to phrase something as “noun+suru” like Kobayashi does here (even the particles are dropped). 

Kanna, for her part, doesn’t respond with a “yes” or etc, but instead just repeats back the verb itself in confirmation.

Just to note another one of those words like dara-dara: bura-bura, used for things like wandering around, doing something (or nothing) casually/aimlessly, or (with one bura) for something dangling/swinging in a more literal sense, like a spider, slack yo-yo, or wind chime.

These booklets are a common homework assignment for practicing kanji; you can see along the left side there it shows the stroke order, with the first block giving an example to trace over & showing where to start each stroke.

Each character is made up of radicals (e.g. “hot” above: 日 and 耂), which each have a standard way to write them. There’s 214 such radicals (though many are pretty niche; only about ~50 of them are needed to make most characters), and once you get a hang of them it makes learning new characters much easier (not too different from learning word spellings in English imo).

Kanna is repeating out loud the reading for the “hot” character as she writes it.

In addition to the above workbooks (which usually involve both kanji and math problems at Kanna’s grade), elementary school summer homework in Japan typically involves doing an illustrated diary (not a daily one necessarily) and some sort of research project about a subject of your choice. (Think kind of like a small science fair project).

The “research” project part is pretty expansive, and you can typically even do something more arts & craftsy for it.

Manhole covers in a lot of Japanese municipalities feature art representative of the area. For example, the city of Chofu, where the author of GeGeGe no Kitaro lived most of his life, has several with art of that series.

(Photo from https://www.gotokyo.org/jp/spot/1734/index.html)

I mentioned earlier that Kanna has an interesting way of speaking. Probably a better way to put it is that she has a pretty convincingly childish way of speaking (despite the monotone). That is, she uses simple grammar and “easy” words most of the time, but then throws out random big words and fancy idioms from time to time that make you go “...where did you learn that?”

In this case, the phrase she uses is 巷で人気 chimata de ninki. Chimata originally means like a fork (in the road), and since those are often places with lots of people passing through, it expanded to mean “the undefined place where people talk about ~stuff~.” So it’s used for “many people are saying~” or “word on the street is~” types of situations (or “talk of the town,” as here).  

It’s kind of an “adult” word though; for example the character for it isn’t included in the jouyou kanji (the 2000+ that are taught in elementary through high school). Hence Kobayashi’s reaction here.

The word she uses for “protected” here is 死守 shishu. The word is the combination of the characters for “death” and “protect,” ~meaning to protect something even at risk to one’s life (to the death, as it were).

It's a word that you learn in third grade in the Japanese education system—the same grade Kanna is in!

Both of these types of signs are common sights in residential areas like this: depending on where you live, it can feel like there’s always some sort of construction project going on, and Japan’s many family/individually-owned businesses like this tend to be closed on various extra days during the summer (and certain other times) to allow for time off.  

In this case, them being closed August 12th~16th implies they’re taking off for Obon (and probably leaving town to visit family).

The word Kobayashi uses here is 風物詩 fuubutsu-shi. Fuubutsu refers to something that makes up part of the “scenery” of a place or season, in a pretty broad sense. This shi typically means “poem.”

So fuubutsu-shi is originally a type of poem celebrating a season or a scene of natural beauty, that sort of thing. From that, it’s also now (more popularly) used to describe things that are representative of a season; the kind of stuff you say “it’s not winter until…” about, or “you know it’s summer when…” (It can also be used for places + seasons, like the ice sculptures of Hokkaido winters, or even summer Comiket in Tokyo.)

They’re very similar to the season words I’ve mentioned previously, though they’re far less strict about what counts as one. Here, Kobayashi’s could be referring to the whole package experience of “having to take cover and wait out a sudden heavy rain, despite it being mostly clear skies a few minutes ago,” which you could call fuubutsu-shi (summed up probably as like 夏の雨宿り etc.)

In contrast the relevant season word here would probably be yuudachi (or niwaka-ame), a word referring to the short, sudden bouts of rain that tend to fall (from cumulonimbus clouds, the makings of which are noticeable in the backgrounds before this) on summer evenings.

Feels like in season one she woulda eaten it. Three cheers for character growth!

The parentheticals there are just the “English” in hiragana/katakana.

Kobayashi’s comment (nihongo de ok, roughly “you can just use Japanese”) is an internet-born term people originally would use to reply to someone who said something that didn’t make any sense, had terrible grammar, or was so full of katakana loanwords it was hard to read etc.

Kanna says this line in English, and while I have no proof at all, my guess is that the specific choice of “wicked” was taken from the translation of “maji yabakune?” used in season one.

[duchessfics]

Business and Pleasure Part 3

Billie x Fem!Reader

Warning(s): NSFW, Cunninlingus, Fingering, D/s Dynamics, Some Language

Summary: This is the first time seeing Billie since having sex with her, but how do you navigate your working obligations and your feelings for Billie? And does she even feel the same way or are you expendable? 

Word Count: 6210

A/n: Here’s part 3! I have a family gathering so if there’s errors I’m sorry! I’m trying to post this really fast. 😬 This one is less fluffy, but I still think it’s not too angsty. Definitely not as angsty as A Lasting Mark pt. 4. 😅 I hope you enjoy! 

Part 2

After having Saturday off, on Sunday morning you wake up at 7:00 in the morning to get ready for the day and find yourself putting a little more effort into your makeup and hair. It’s not that you didn’t before, but it feels different when you see a person who you like and realize the feelings are reciprocated.

By 8:00 you’re out the door and driving over to Billie’s house. However, on the way there you stop at a nearby Starbucks to get her usual order: a grande nitro cold brew in a venti cup with two shots of espresso, two pumps hazelnut syrup, one pump vanilla syrup, a splash of almond milk, and a light sprinkling of cinnamon on top. You just order an iced coffee with an extra shot of espresso to keep you going. But you’re not finished yet.

Next you drive to McDonalds and buy the medium’s guilty pleasure: a sausage biscuit with hash browns. There weren’t many details in the NDA you signed when hired by Billie, but one of them was not disclosing her favorite breakfast choice or how much she ate it.

After purchasing the items, you speed over to the medium’s house so the items are fresh and before you get out of the car, you put the sausage biscuit and hash browns into a Starbucks bag you specifically requested to partially conceal her meal of choice, leaving the discarded fast food bag in your car. Because you’re working today, you let yourself in and hear Billie speaking from the nearby sunroom.

So you walk to the room that’s always so sunny and warm because of the expansive windows that span from floor to ceiling along the length of one of the walls. This is one of your favorite rooms in Billie’s home because you can see her polished backyard and it never fails to impress anyone who sees this gorgeous view, including yourself.

Billie sits in one of her cushioned chairs facing the windows so the natural light illuminates her face while one person does her makeup and another person fixes her hair. When she sees you walking in, a smile forms on her lips making your cheeks warm.

Fuck. Keep cool. Just like you practiced: calm, cool and collected.

“Morning, sweetheart.” She greets you. You give her a smile back but try not to act out of the ordinary since there’s others around. It’s not like the stylists take much notice. They’re used to you being around and are busy working on Billie. But honestly…you want to tread carefully. You sport a polite smile when you reply, “Good morning, Miss Howard. I got a small breakfast for you.” Then you hand her the coffee and paper bag with her food items.

That makes her eyes light up and she tells you, “Thank you.” letting her fingers linger on yours for a second longer than necessary. Before you can get too flustered you back up take out your legal pad filled with notes from your tote bag and say, “While you eat and get your hair and makeup done, I can tell you what to expect for the interview.” After finishing your sentence, you glance up and she says, “Go on.” Waving her hand as an emphasis.

You look to your notes and try to hide how your hands tremble in nerves. It feels like it’s your first day with her all over again. Then you clear your throat and begin, “The person interviewing you will be Robin Harker. She works in the television and film section of the New York Times and has interviewed Jennifer Aniston and Chris Evans in the past year.”

You venture to look up again and her response is to nod you on with a casual smile while throwing her hash brown packet in the bag.

What did you expect? For her to drop everything and proclaim her love for you? Get real. This is Hollywood.

So you continue with your notes, “I read through those interviews to get an idea of what to expect for questions and came up with some possibilities.”

“In both interviews she asked about how they got started and I’m sure she’ll ask you too. A couple ideas for responses are to explain the first time you saw an apparition and what that felt like. Or you could explain what inspired you to start a TV show documenting something so intimate. Those reading won’t be interested in the production details of a tv show. Something that will keep their attention is reading about the phenomenon of capturing the paranormal on camera. Sensory terms always keep people interested.

“I would also expect a question about what a typical day on you tv show is like. People will want to know things like if you see ghosts every day, how you prepare and protect yourself, and what happens after the cameras shut off. Basically, how you decompress. My suggestion would be to use more general terms. Crystals and stones are very popular at the moment so you could mention that. On the other hand, I would stay away from talking about essential oils, perhaps choosing incense or sage instead. There could also be a certain tea you drink or a bath product you use. 

“I don’t mean to repeat myself, but the key is incorporating the five senses. For example, with your white light of protection you could explain how that feels both physically and mentally. Maybe you feel an electricity to it. The reader wants to feel a special connection and resonate with your words. The happy middle is sounding exclusive enough to stand out, but also relatable.”

You pause for a moment, knowing this is a lot. But this time you don’t look up before speaking, 

“I promise I’m almost done. The final thing I would expect is a question about the validity of communicating with the paranormal. Rather than trying to reason with science, it will be more effective to take the angle of how much we don’t know. And how the concept of communicating with ancestors or non-human beings is not new and has been around that for thousands if not millions of years. You’re just using the tools available in the 21st century to provide insight and more information.

“There is also a chance that she’ll mention the influx of phony mediums out to make money on people’s grief. But if you bring up the large amount of people who claim to be doctors, psychologists, lawyers, and other professionals and base their knowledge off of google searches it should be sufficient. You can also remind her that viewers can take as much or as little as they want from the show. But don’t put it on them too much. People don’t like being blamed even if it’s the truth.”

You take a deep breath and pause a moment before slowly asking, “Does that make sense?” When you look up from your notes her face is partially obscured by the make up artist applying finishing touches. But she hesitantly replies, “I think so.” You back up a little to keep out of the way and assure her, “In case you forget something, I put the basics of what I said on a couple of post-it notes.”

Right away the medium lets out a sigh of relief and tells you, “Oh, thank you, sweetheart.” Your body warms at the praise and you’re glad you don’t have to look at her directly in this moment. Instead you calmly reply, “You’re welcome. I’ll plug in an extension cord with your charger so there won’t be a risk of your computer shutting down. And I’ll set up the post-it notes so you’ll be ready to go.”

When you begin to walk away, you hear Billie praise, “You really are an angel.” You smile and look back to thank her. However, it feels like a punch to your gut when you see she looks at her reflection and speaks to the makeup artist.

Shit. That hurt more than it should. You should’ve never done anything. There’s a reason for professional boundaries.

Before anyone can take notice, you step over to the formal sitting room that’s set up to look casual without being used.

Fortunately, the laptop and table are already set up so you begin your search for an extension cord, a sun filter to make her look well-lit, her wireless headphones, a box of tissues, and a water bottle. Finding all of those items is a job in itself. Then you start to set up, placing the laptop so it’s able to keep connected to the charging cable and you use the laptop’s camera on yourself to find the best angle.

It’s much quicker to complete the tasks of setting the water bottle and tissue box nearby but out of frame. Next you place the sticky notes along the top border of her laptop screen, but not obscuring the camera. So if she needs to reference them, she won’t have to look down. 

Finally, you position the filter and set her fully charged wireless ear buds that are still in their case right beside the laptop’s keyboard. Once you’re finished you stand back to admire the set-up, feeling proud of yourself.

You may have screwed up in fucking your boss, but you’re a damn good assistant.

“Well look at this.”

You whip around and hate the fact that your heart flutters when you hear Billie’s voice. This time she’s alone and saunters up to you with a familiar smirk. Before you can make direct eye contact with her eyes and melt into a puddle of affection, you back up and gesture to the table while saying, “I think this should be everything you need.” She looks to the table and lets out a satisfied hum, but quickly returns her gaze to yours before purring, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, y/n.”

Then she moves to take your hand, but in your panic and self-preservation you back away, stammering, “I-I actually need to make a couple phone calls. And emails. Plus, I-I wouldn’t want to mess up your make up.”

For the first time you actually see her suave expression crack and you feel horrible right away. You know she needs to go into this interview feeling good, so you take both of her hands with your own and soothe, “I’m sorry, Billie. I didn’t mean to come off harsh. After this I’ll have lunch all ready for us to eat.”

Her lips return a half smile, but her brown eyes still flicker with doubt. So you continue and genuinely mean it when you say, “I know you’ll knock this interview out of the park. She’ll love you.” Then you place a light kiss to her cheek, taking care to not disrupt her makeup.

By now her confident demeanor is restored and you ask, “Do you need anything else before the interview?” She smirks and lowly teases while squeezing your hands, “I can think of a couple things, but we wouldn’t have the time.” You roll your eyes at the comment, but smile and ask, “Well would you like anything specific for lunch?” 

Billie pauses for a moment before answering, “I’ll take some…Mexican food. I’ll say a taco salad.” You nod and tell her, “One taco salad will be out there for you when you’re done.” Then you release her hands and say, “I have your phone so there won’t be any interruptions, but if you need anything at all I have your messages set up on your laptop. And I told housekeeping to not do anything too loud or come around to clean this part of the house for the next two hours. So you should be good to go.”

Her eyebrows raise and she comments, “You’ve really thought about everything, haven’t you?” The compliment makes you look down and stammer, “Well I—I try to.” She chuckles at your bashful demeanor and murmurs, “I should thank you for getting all of this ready for me, sweetheart.” 

You dare to look at her face and reply, “I’m just doing my job. But I’m glad you’re happy with it. I’ll see you at lunch.” Then you wish her luck one more time before walking out. After closing the door, you lean back against it, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath to re-center yourself.

Stop overthinking this. Pull yourself together and move on. You can look for another client after these two weeks. That’s it and you can make it two weeks. You’ve got this. You can handle anything for two weeks…

An hour and a half later Billie enters the kitchen to see you setting up her requested lunch with a freshly made strawberry lemonade to drink. She struts over and takes a seat at the island while saying, “Thank god. I’m starving.” You smile at her hyperbolic statement and watch her begin to eat. Then you return to your seat at the island next to the blonde to finish the remnants of your burrito.

Not wanting to stir up anything between you two, you ask, “Did the interview go alright?” She nods and replies after swallowing her bite, “It went exactly as your notes said. Of course there were some additional questions, but they were manageable.” Then the medium turns to face you and teases with grin, “It’s almost like you know what you’re doing.”

Your cheeks warm at the compliment and you look down to your plate, resting your chin on one of your hands as you twirl your fork in the remnants and murmur, “I only write down some tips. It’s your charisma that makes it good.” Billie chuckles and comments, “We make a good team.” For a moment you still your movements and glance at her out of the corner of your eye. But she’s looking to her salad. However, her gaze meets yours and she compliments, “Your hair and makeup look good today, sweetheart.”

She noticed. Billie Dean Howard noticed.

You can’t contain your smile but look back down to your plate before meekly saying, “Thank you.”

Billie continues to eat her meal while you throw away your takeout plate and utensils. Then you empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher. However she breaks the silence by asking, “Did anything come up while I was in the interview?” You shake your head, finishing up as you respond, “Nothing for you to worry about. Just some requests for you to promote different products or companies.”

So she picks up her halfway finished beverage and tells you, “In that case I’m going to start packing things. But I’ll have my phone on me if you need me.” You automatically nod and try to conceal the crack in your voice when you reply, “Of course. And don’t worry about your trash. I’ve got it covered.” The blonde gives you her devastating smile and purrs, “You’re the best.” The butterflies in your stomach make a reappearance and you shyly tell her thank you before she steps out of the room.

After making sure she’s gone you let out a breath and lose the façade of being perfectly okay with everything. You try not to take it personally, but her distance affects your replies to phone calls and emails you respond to. Of course, you don’t sound upset or disgruntled. You remain professional, but don’t have the zeal and passion you usually have.

By late afternoon, you’ve contacted everyone who contacted you on her behalf. So you go onto google and search for PA openings. If nothing else you can leave at the height of her tv premier and make a clean break. However, before you can get to the second page, Billie texts you, “Could you come upstairs to my bedroom for a minute?”

Knowing her needs are your first priority, you exit out of the website and quickly reply, “Of course. Headed there now.” Then you trudge up the stairs, trying not to have any expectations.

When you enter her bedroom, she has numerous different clothing items laid out on the bed and you hear her rustling around in her massive closet that’s a room in itself. But she must hear you enter because she walks into the main room and says with a smile, “Y/n, just who I wanted to see.”

She sets the clothes that were draped over her arm onto the bed as she says, “I need some advice.” You step a little closer and reply, “I’ll try to help.” So she holds up one hanger that holds a silky, floral blouse and another that has a simple ivory undershirt with a dusty pink cardigan over it. Then she looks to you and asks, “Which one do you think looks better?”

You bite your lip and look between the tops, hoping this isn’t a test. Then you slowly answer, “I think they both look good…but the cardigan and shirt would be more conducive to the cooler temperatures in New York.” Billie grins and takes your advice right away, setting it next to her suitcase, however you hold up your hands and tell her, “Wait, I’m no fashion expert or anything. I can call your stylist to come over.” 

The blonde chuckles and purrs, “Sweetheart, the only opinion I care about is yours. Now help me out with these other shirt options.”

The choices start off innocent enough, but soon she’s having you choose her sleepwear and intimates. While the whole thing feels a little arousing, you keep to the other side of her California king bed trying to be extra cautious. But she foils that plan by suggesting, “How about I try these dresses on and you can tell me which one looks better.” That makes you pause, but you can’t deny your curiosity to see her after she’s seen all of you.

And if she really didn’t want you to see her, she could change in her bathroom or closet.

So you nod and rasp with your suddenly dry throat, “Ok.” But her smile grows, and she asks in a voice dripping with innocence, “Y/n, would you be a dear and unzip me?”

You know exactly what she’s doing. But are you really upset? You’re finally getting what you’ve wanted since this morning.

At this point your throat feels too dry to speak so you dumbly nod and walk over to her side.

The medium’s eyes sparkle in lust and mischief when she purrs, “Thank you, sweetheart.” Then she turns so her back is to you and you walk up, feeling like you’re in a trance as so many emotions run through you at once.

The first thing you do is gather her silky smooth hair in your hand and drape it over one of her shoulders so most of it is out of the way, save for a few stray curls. Immediately her jasmine perfume envelops you and she doesn’t miss your deep inhale of the intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. Then your trembling fingers come up to the top of her dress and you take the zipper between your thumb and pointer finger, struggling to keep a grip of it with your shaky hands.

The room is quiet enough to hear the zipper slide down the back of her dress, stopping at the small of her back. You look to the well-endowed swell of her ass but flick your eyes up before she can catch you. 

Billie twists her head to look back at you and once again your faces are inches apart from each other. Rather than saying anything, she leans towards you with hooded eyes and presses a light, questioning kiss. Then her eyes look to see your reaction and you reciprocate, slowly brushing your lips against hers.

Both of you move slowly while Billie fully turns around to face you and places her hands on the small of your back. The way you both take your time cautiously opening up to each other makes it seem like it’s your first kiss. But it feels nice to slow down and savor the moment. 

This time when you smooth your hands up the exposed skin of her back she doesn’t protest. Rather she presses up against your body even more to get closer. So you work on the clasp of her bra and somehow undo on the first try.

Your lips part from each other and she helps you shrug off her dress and bra so the only items she wears are her panties and her pearl necklace. You pause and look over every part, trying to take in every detail. Meanwhile the blonde just smiles and tucks a piece of your hair behind your ear while crooning, “You like what you see, sweetheart?” Your eyes scan up her toned middle, briefly pausing at her rounded, perky breasts, before ascending past the string of pearls on her neck to her proud face.

You’re practically drooling when you whimper, “Yes. Billie you look…god you look perfect.” Her cheeks threaten to turn red while her smile expands and she murmurs, “Just like you do.”

Automatically you shake your head and look down so your hair falls forward to guard your face. But her hands cup your face and guide you to look back at her. Her palms feel smooth against the sides of your face when she kisses your lips and affirms, “You are perfect, honey. Now, how about you make yourself more comfortable and take off those clothes for me.”

In the far reaches of your mind, the thought of confronting her about everything passes through. But Billie Dean Howard is here, completely exposed to you and you don’t want to stop.

Your eyes flick down and you grin as you reply, “O-ok.” So she backs up to let you pull off your shirt and bra. But when you move close, she places a finger on your sternum in the valley between your breasts and says, “Ah, ah, ah, pants too.” You bite your lip to conceal your demure smile, ducking your head as you tug your pants down. After kicking them aside you come back up to the medium and being to kiss her again.

While it felt nice to kiss Billie the other day, actually feeling her flesh brush and meld against yours makes it even better. Every time you think you’ve peaked; she takes you higher than before. When you break to catch your breath, Billie breathes, “Where do you want me, sweetheart?” 

Your brows furrow and she grins before asking the same question. The thought of ordering her around sends a thrill through you and you look around the room before hesitantly saying, “On the edge of the bed.” The medium nods and playfully answers with a wicked grin, “Yes, mistress.”

Now that makes you laugh and tell her, “If anyone is a mistress it’s you.” You move her clothes that were laid out on the bed to the side so they won’t get in the way and the blonde helps while teasing, “I’ll grant you the title of mistress for one day.”

Without thinking you roll your eyes at the supposed ‘generosity,’ making Billie raise her eyebrow and say, “Unless you don’t want to do this?” You place your hands on her shoulders and push her to sit on the bed while quickly answering, “I do!”

Your intense reaction makes her chuckle and purr, “Well your wish is my command, sweetheart.” Your body simmers with arousal and you guide her legs apart enough to step between them. Then you look down at Billie’s face and your hands come up to cup her face. In response she slides her hands up to rest on the swell of your hips. 

However, you raise your eyebrow and mimic her when you ask, “Did I give you permission to touch me?” Billie takes her hands away and looks up to you through her long lashes when she says, “Sorry, mistress.” Letting her lower lip jut out enough to give a perfect pout before biting down on it. The way she worries her lower lip drives you wild.

But you want to tease her more. Why not take this opportunity all the way?

So you lean in to kiss her lips, but when she leans up to meet you, you back up to kiss the tip of her nose.

Her darkened eyes glow and the blonde chuckles before murmuring, “Such a tease, y/n.” That makes you giggle and this time when you lean down to kiss her, you meet her desired location. And even though your lips and tongues intertwine with each other, Billie stays true to her word and lets you lead her along. So you keep going, and don’t move her hands back when she smooths them up your thighs and pulls you closer to her after gripping your hips.

For once she’s the one who gasps for air and you take the opportunity to place slow, deliberate kisses along her jawline down to her neck. Your lips gently kiss and suck at the delicate skin of her neck, but pause when Billie moans, “Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart, this feels amazing. But I don’t know if the makeup artist will appreciate having to cover multiple hickeys for filming tomorrow.”

On no. You completely forgot about that.

You automatically back up and stammer, “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Billie. I never even though about that.” She silences you with a kiss and soothes, “It’s ok, sweetheart.” But the medium can tell you’re pulled out of the immersion so her thumbs brush along the swell of your hips and she purrs with a smile, “Now what do you want me to do, mistress?” 

Her reassuring smile makes you smile and respond, “Stay.” Then you gently kiss down her neck to her collarbone. Along the way your lips brush against her pearl necklace, but when she moves to take it off you command, “No.” Her eyebrows raise, but she grins and answers, “Yes mistress.” Those words send shivers down your spine and by the low hum of amusement emitted from her throat you can tell she knows.

Then you resume your descent starting at her collarbones down to the swell of her luscious breasts. The medium gasps when you take one of her nipples in your mouth and tease her by sucking and nibbling at her sensitive bud. You look up to her face to see she closely watches you use your mouth on her one nipple while you tease the other with your fingers. 

Then you switch sides and by the time you’re finished with her buds they are peaked and stiff. The sound of breathy moans and whimpers is unfamiliar to your ears, but progressively gets louder when you continue down to her navel. After teasing it with your tongue enough to make her gasp, you back up and pull off her lacy, cream-colored thong.

Once the garment is cast aside you take a moment to look at her most intimate area practically dripping with arousal. Then you look up to Billie with wide eyes and your mouth slightly gaped in shock. Before you can ask, she smiles and croons, “That’s all for you, baby.”

That’s all you. She gets that aroused because of you.

Your eyes gloss over with a concoction of happiness and unbridled lust and rather than taking the time to instruct, you grasp her legs and place them over your shoulders. Then you lean close and inhale her sweetness before delving your tongue into her velvety folds.

Her muscled calves flex against your back and she moans, “Oh god.” as your mouth sucks and licks at every part of her. But she lets out a guttural moan when you find her clit. Her low sounds of pleasure go straight to your own soaked pussy and you can’t help but squeeze your thighs in need. You look up to her face while you continue to tease her sensitive pearl and see she watches you with lust-blown eyes and her lower lip worried between her teeth. 

You grin and back away before taunting, “Now don’t hold back, Billie. I want to hear all of those pretty little sounds you make.” That makes the blonde toss her head back in laughter before breathily praising, “Wow, you’re pretty good at this whole dominatrix role.” Even now her praise drives you wild. You grin up at her and reply, “I learned from the best.” Before diving back in.

This time her head falls back for an entirely different reason and she groans, “Fuck, sweetheart, that feels so good.” Her words make your stomach warm in arousal and you increase your movements driven by her praises in words and moans of pleasure.

Before long Billie crosses her ankles behind your back, effectively pulling you close to her pussy and unable to back up like before. But you couldn’t care less. Eating her out feels like everything you want and more. Your mouth mercilessly sucks and nips at her sensitive nub and she whimpers in a higher tone than even her regular tone, “Just like that, baby. I’m almost there.”

You happily listen to her request and within a minute her legs lock up, keeping you in a vice-like grip while she gasps. Then she cries out and unravels before your eyes, moaning and whimpering in a way that sounds like music to your ears while you lick up all of the sweet nectar she provides.

Before you get the chance to rile her up, she takes her legs off of you and scoots further back on the bed as she breathes, “C’mere sweetheart.” You whine at leaving her sweet core but listen and she guides you to straddle her lap so you face each other again.

You cross your legs behind the blonde so your ankles rest against the small of her back and wrap your arms around her neck before dipping your head to kiss Billie’s lips. She smiles against you and slides her hands up your back while kissing back, not afraid of getting a taste of herself. Even though you wished to remain buried in the juncture of her thighs a moment ago, being held close in her embrace as she takes your breath away is nowhere near a downgrade.

When you pause to catch your breath, you still keep your forehead down against hers and ask, “I take it you liked it?” She gives that warm chuckle that feels like an embrace in itself and purrs, “Oh I loved it, sweetheart.” Then you let out a squeak of surprise at her hand sliding beneath the elastic band of your panties.

How did she sneak her hand around to your front without you even noticing?

Your small sound causes her to smirk and she says with a dramatically innocent voice, “Let’s see how you’re doing.” And that smirk on her lips morphs into a shit-eating grin when her fingers slide down to find your core practically dripping with slick.

Your hips roll of their own accord when the pads of her two fingers brush against your clit. The instinctual reaction prompts Billie’s eyebrows to raise and she begins to make torturously slow circles over your sensitive bud. Meanwhile your arms shift so your hands can grip her shoulders while whimpering, “I’m not going to last long.”

The blonde giggles at your claim and leans up to kiss your lips, gradually moving her hand faster. Then she gets closer so she’s right beside your ear when she murmurs, ‘Are you all worked up from telling me what to do?”

Oh, you are definitely not going to last long at all.

A gasp leaves your lips and you shift in her lap responding, “Yes.” Now she moves her fingers in a steady motion and purrs, “But I think you liked something else too. I think you liked licking my pussy until I came. Is that what’s got you all hot and bothered, sweetheart? Acting so dirty and eating me out has you nearly creaming yourself?” 

Her words prompt you to cry out, “Oh god, yes!” squeezing her shoulders and letting your head fall forward.

Her pearls feel cool against your perspiring forehead and her fingers speed up to the point of making you get those pre-orgasm twitches as Billie taunts, “Are you gonna cum, y/n?” Your eyes slam shut and you moan, “Yes!” 

However somewhere in the recesses of your mind you remember her comment about good girls and whip your head up to look at Billie before blurting out, “Wait! I mean, can I please cum Billie?” The golden flecks in her darkened orbs spark in approval and with a satisfied smirk she responds, “Good girl. Go ahead and cum for me, baby.”

Your eyes slam shut just before a burst of white light shows up and you desperately cling to the medium, toes curling as high-pitched moans and whimpers fall out of you.

This time your aftershocks pass sooner and when she withdraws her two coated fingers you watch her languidly suck off any remnants of your juices. You’re still in a daze when she asks, “Do you wanna know what you taste like?” 

Your brows furrow, but…you can’t deny that you are a little curious. And Billie had no problem indulging in herself. So you nod, albeit hesitantly. She chuckles at your timid behavior and teases, “I promise it’s good.” Then she takes your chin by her thumb and index finger to tilt your head down to meet her lips.

The taste has a tangy bite to it but also a subtle sweetness similar to the blonde, but not quite the same. Before you even realize it, your tongues are tangling with each other and your lips search and press for one another.

It feels so nice to be so close to Billie without all of the glitz and glamour. You’re together, unguarded, and sharing a passionate exchange for both parties. All that has stock in the world is you and her. However, eventually you have to breathe.

So you reluctantly break from her lips and come closer to tuck your head into the crook of her neck. At the same time your hands move to her back so you can hug her close. Her lips come down to rest on the crown of your head and you feel her lips curve into a smile. Then she shifts so her cheek rests against you, softly teasing, “I still need to try those dresses on.” 

However she makes no move to get up.

So you snuggle further in, tightening your arms and legs around her and murmur into her hair, “Pack the red one.” She chuckles and smoothes her hands along the length of your back while asking, “What about the other one?” 

You let out a sigh of contentment and bury your face further into the bend of her neck to conceal your embarrassment as you reply, “Than one looks good…But the red one…it’s flattering at all angles…and it hugs your form well…Trust me the red one will turn heads.”

She laughs and leans close to your ear when she murmurs, “I’ll pack it for you, baby.” Her voice immediately calms your nerves and you feel at home in her arms. After sitting in silence for a moment, you mumble against her neck, “What would you like for dinner?” 

She slides her hands down to grip your ass as she replies, “You.” And that provokes your higher-toned schoolgirl giggle. Then you say, “Ok besides that.” Her lips trail down the side of your face until she reaches your jawline and murmurs, “How about…Italian.”

You feel her hands massaging your butt and before things get too heated you ease into sitting up straight to see her brown eyes slowly scanning over you. But you cup her face with your hands and guide her to look at your face, saying, “I’ll get dinner ready and you can finish packing. Ok?” 

She grins and turns her face to kiss one of your palms before she teases, “As long as you can be dessert.” Then she moves further up to kiss the pulse point on your wrist and purrs, “And an evening snack.” Then she kisses the inside of your forearm, looking to you with a mischievous grin as she continues, “And a midnight treat.”

You shake your head at her behavior, but chuckle and respond, “Ok.” The medium smirks in victory and releases you from her hold. You slowly stand up, making sure to not lose your balance and throw on your clothes. 

Before you walk out, Billie takes your shoulder and turns you to face her. You look to her with a questioning gaze and she pecks your lips, but keeps close when she purrs, “I’ll see you in a bit. Oh, and be warned, my stamina is insatiable.” That makes you giggle, and you assure her, “I think I’m up for the challenge.” Then Billie releases you with a smile and you walk out to the kitchen, not regretting spending the night here whatsoever.

Tagged:  @marilynroselleprentiss, @saviorinsilk, @chokemepaulson, @versonstar, @find-me-a-constellation, @cordwliagoode, @psychobitchtess, @midnight-lestrange, @mysweetdelia, @venablesbitch, @peachesandlesbians, @nerdaroo, @cordeliafoxxe, @leskaksel, @lovelymspaulson, @grilledcheeseandguavajelly, @whatabluddymess​, @natasha-danvers​

Let me know if you would like to be tagged in later works!

[howdyfriend]

wheee thank you june!! haven't done one of these in a while :)

Hi! I'm Howdy!

What's something you're really passionate about, and how did you discover it?

Forensic science, specifically forensic taphonomy and entomology. I first discovered it after taking a forensics course online in high school, and fell in love with the science of the above fields. I love how they work together and what they can tell you about the deceased in an investigation. Super fascinating.

What's your favourite way to spend your weekend or free time?

Recently it's been hopping on criticality acclaimed mmorpg Final Fantasy XIV lol. I have a free company full of people who are lots of fun to chat and play with so I'm usually there hanging out with them :) If not I'm trying to schedule hanging out with friends, going to the library, baking, drawing, reading, playing with my dog, or listening to music.

What's a piece of advice or quote that has stuck with you throughout the years?

I can't say there's any singular bit of advice that sticks with me. I am a collection of a lot of advice given in a lot of different directions. It's hard picking out just one 😅.

What's your go-to comfort food or drink when you're feeling down?(Bonus points if you include a recipe)

Spaghetti and meatballs and a London fog :)

I make everything from scratch for my spaghetti (sometimes even the pasta itself!), so that's a bit too complex for one post. London fog is easy tho.

1. Steam some milk

2. Steep earl grey tea in a small amount of water (about a quarter cup)

3. Combine in mug of choice. Leave bag in mug for extra steeping.

4. Add sweetener, I use a spoon of vanilla syrup.

5. Froth milk and done!

What's the most meaningful gift you've ever given or received?

I'm going to pick based on objective use rather than sentimentality because if I get into that I start feeling guilty about picking one gift over another lol. In terms of objective use, my laptop. It's been great for school and games and connecting with friends :). I'm learning a lot on how to fix it myself as well, so I feel like im fighting back against things like planned obsolescence in my own little way.

BONUS: What's one little fun fact about you that most people don't know about?

hmmmmmm. swallowed a toonie once. don't do that it's not fun. I had to go to the ER. idk I share a lot. I don't have much else, lol

tagging no one cause im lazy <3 thank you june, love you and miss you lots, let me know when your free days are id love to come up and visit.

Tag Game!!

I thought it'd be fun to make a tag game for everyone, so here's my version!!

alongside this picrew, and 2 pictures you think describes you, answer some questions about yourself.

What’s something you’re really passionate about, and how did you discover it?

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or free time?

What’s a piece of advice or a quote that has stuck with you over the years?

What’s your go-to comfort food or drink when you’re feeling down? (Bonus points if you can give a recipe)

What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve ever given or received

Bonus: What’s a random fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know?

i'll go first

I'm Alyssa!

What’s something you’re really passionate about, and how did you discover it?

Mythology! I've been super into mythology in general since I was in middle school, and i can just talk about it for hours. I first discovered it when my friend forced me to read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, and it spiraled from there.

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or free time?

Most of the time I have to take extra classes during weekends, but other than that I read whenever I can! Be it a physical copy, a pdf or even fanfiction I spend most of my time reading. But when I can find some time for myself I either write or make bracelets. Sometimes I work on my ocs' lore with my friend, so it really depends on how busy I am at that moment.

What’s a piece of advice or a quote that has stuck with you over the years?

My mom once told me "If someone isn't willing to value you or your efforts, don't waste your time on them. Don't give your all to people who won't do the same." And while it sounds mean at first, it's actually helped me over the years.

What’s your go-to comfort food or drink when you’re feeling down? (Bonus points if you can give a recipe)

Sütlaç has been one of my top comfort foods for years now. It's a Turkish dessert made with rice, milk and sugar (and cinnamon, honey or nuts if i'm feeling fancy) Though sometimes i make cookies instead!

What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve ever given or received?

I made over 300 paper stars in a sitting for my friend, each star representing a day i'd have known her on her birthday. I chose paper stars because they meant a lot to her. I also got her a (plastic) rose because she told me she thought she'd never get flowers from anyone.

Bonus: What’s a random fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know?

I used to be afraid of dogs when I was younger. The reason was because my granddad had a little dog that loved running around. Whenever we went to visit my grandparents the little thing would chase me around the garden until one of us dropped because of exhaustion. I think this was my first childhood trauma.

Tagging (no pressure!) : @romaritimeharbor , @kopivie , @ruruumin , @strxnged , @femivi +

@mlkbwunnies , @aureusveill , @milk-violet , @camvrin , @strryskys + anyone who would like to join!

[tipsycad147]

The Art of Potion Making

Magical Potions, Brews, and Other Concoctions

 Potion, brew, philter, bath, infusion, sachet, charm or mojo bag, Witch’s bottles and jars—there are so many different kinds of things Witches seem to make, aren't there? Well, they don’t call it “The Craft” for nothing.

Witchcraft and spells often involve actually crafting and enchanting different types of items. Here’s a little guide to help you learn what many of these things are, what the difference is, and how you generally go about making them.

Infusion

An infusion is essentially a tea—it’s when you steep something (usually herbs and plants) in liquids. You can use water as the base of your infusion or you can use other liquids—wine, juice or even oil.

Some people will tell you to never make an infusion in a metal pot, as it disrupts the energy of the herbs. I have to say, I disagree. I have a lot of great results making all kinds of infusions in my cast iron pots (cauldrons). It seems to me that the iron practically vibrates and reverberates the energies within, and lend the grounding of the Element of Earth.

I find stainless steel fairly neutral when it comes to brews, and copper seems to infuse any infusion with a boost of energy, which I guess it gets from the Element of Fire (the Element associated with copper).

You just have to keep in mind that certain acidic ingredients will react with metal—so if I’m including anything acidic, such as citrus slices, I will use a glass, enamel or ceramic.

I do avoid non-stick-coated pots, aluminium, and pewter—I won’t use pots or vessels made of these materials at all. This is particularly true of pewter, because toxins can be leached from it.

Infusions are used for drinking, bathing, or washing things.

Potion

A potion is an enchanted infusion that can be drank or used topically in a variety of ways..

It’s usually (but not always) made of herbs. Usually it’s made in a base of liquids like wine or juice.

Sometimes non-edible elements are added to potions to lend them power, then removed before drinking. For example, you might put a crystal in the potion while making it, then remove the crystal before drinking (please make sure your crystal won’t leach toxins into the liquid.

Philter

A potion; usually a love potion specifically.

Draught

Pronounced draft, it’s synonymous with potion. This version of the word is more often found in video games and fiction, however.

Brew

Potion and brew are often used interchangeably because potions are brewed. Brews can be enchanted infusions or mixtures meant to be consumed. Usually when you’re talking about something very thick, or something fermented, you would use the term brew rather than potion. So a brew can essentially be a drink or a food. For example, your coffee is a brew, beer is a brew, and stews are brews.

Elixir

Elixirs refer to drinks meant to give health and vitality, only they are not infused. Rather, powders and extracts are dissolved in a water and/or alcohol base, and it’s usually sweetened with honey, syrup, mashed fruits or other sweeteners.

Elixirs can be enchanted—and of course, if you’re practicing Witchcraft, why not, right? But a lot of non-magical health-conscious people make elixirs.

Suspension

A suspension is like an elixir in which the particles can’t fully dissolve. They should be shaken to disperse the ingredients before drinking.

Oil

An oil extraction is when you extract the natural oils from a plant. Essential oils are pure extracted oils with no other additives, hence they are more expensive. Fragrance oils or cosmetic oils contain additives, or can be outright artificial chemical creations.

An oil infusion is when you steep herbs in oils. An oil blend is when you blend essential oils, and usually dilute them in a base oil (olive oil, vegetable, jojoba or grape seed, for example).

Powder

A powder is a blend of ground herbs, woods, spices, perhaps even ground crystals or minerals. They are enchanted and their power is released by sprinkling them around. Always be careful not to inhale powders, or let them blow into your eyes. Powders are generally kept in a jar, or you might put them in a pouch to carry them with you.

I find powders great for outdoor use. Grab a handful, infuse it with your intent, then toss it into the wind. Sprinkle an area to purify it and cleanse it of negativity. Make a protective circle by sprinkling powder around. It’s very useful.

Sachet

A piece of porous fabric or netting that’s been filled with herbs and other aromatic ingredients so it emits a scent.

Sachets Are Great For...

Putting in drawers to scent clothes

Hang in rooms or closets to draw your desire

Keep with your magical tools to protect them

Create magical bahts (hang them to dangle below a running faucet)

Pillow

A sachet that’s a bit more tightly woven, but still emits scent. Place it over the head during meditation or for healing.

Bath

A bath into which an infusion or sachet has been added. Usually these would be enchanted for a magical bath, it can be done for the aromatherapy benefits, or just because it’s refreshing.

Tincture

Infusions using pure ethyl alcohol, which captures the scent of herbs. These can be added to other concoctions, such as baths and washes, or it’s used to anoint—this can be particularly great for people who have skin reactions to oils.

It’s not recommended that you drink tinctures. Don’t use rubbing alcohol, which is made from petroleum products; it should be 140 proof pure ethyl.

Charm Bag or Mojo Bag

Enchanted herbs and other items placed into a small pouch or bag and tied tight. It’s worn or carried as an amulet.

Ointment

A salve, or fatty-based lotion, that’s been made with enchanted herbs and other ingredients. It’s rubbed on for magical effect, usually used for healing purposes these days.

One of the most famous types of witch ointments is the flying ointment. There are many ancient sources found for these kinds of recipes, and folklore said that Witches used it to fly on their brooms to their Sabbath celebrations.

Flying ointments are now believed to have been hallucinagenic ointments made with powerful (often toxic) herbs to induce trance and astral projection.

Please do not make flying ointments, if you find recipes on the internet. They can be quite dangerous.

[thiswasinevitableid]

47 for OT4, SFW or NSFW I love your writing! :))

Thank you! I went SFW for this one.

47: you overhear me complaining to my coworker about your ridiculous daily coffee order, whoops

“Oh christ, here he comes.” Duck mutters to Indrid as he pumps hazelnut syrup into a cup, “the one I was tellin you about.”

Indrid, stationed at the counter, tilts his head as he watches the windows, “would he be the one that looks like a lumberjack or the one who looks like a secret agent?”

“The second one. I dunno what it is, but his order drives me fuckin nuts. It’s super specific; dark roast, single origin only, heavy cream until it turns about that color” he points to the wall, “with a half pump of caramel and a half pump of vanilla. You’re gonna be that specific, just make it at home.” He’s busy putting a lid on  the drink and therefore misses Indrid’s hand waving. 

“I do, and it’s not that hard.” A deep voice makes him turn; the lumberjack, looking more amused than annoyed.

“And since you know my order so well already” the other man, smile, tight lipped, at him before turning to Indrid, “one of those and one large, black coffee.”

Duck starts the drink, making it as fast as he can so he can slink off into the back room. Shit, if the guy rats on him he could get in trouble, he’s already on thin ice after throwing out some rich kid for harassing the staff. 

Indrid takes the drinks, mouths, “go” and heads around the counter while Duck makes a bee-line for the supply closet. 

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

Indrid sets the cups down in front of the two men, then slides a plate with a large, hot monster cookie on it between them. 

“On the house, as they say.”

“This an apology cookie or a ‘don’t give us a bad review’ cookie?” The lumberjack smirks.

“Both.” Indrid says mildly, smiling and returning to his post.

 As he walks away he hears the deep voice whisper, “wouldn’t kick that one outta bed for eating crackers.”

A soft laugh, “Agreed. Pity his friend is an ass.”

When Jake and Hollis arrive a few minutes later to take over for him and Duck, he finds his boyfriend clonking his head into the wall by the break room. 

“Don’t worry, love, I smoothed things over.”

“Thanks. Just feel like a dipshit. Both for gettin overheard and complainin in the first place.”

“I assumed it was stress from waiting on interview results.”

“Yeah.” Duck pulls on his jacket, “still feel shitty though.”

“Come, let’s go home. I have some ideas for relaxation.” He purrs, kissing Duck’s cheek. 

“How may of ‘em are fuckin’-based?”

“Half.”

“Good, gives us some variety just in case.”

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

“We’ve paired you with another duo, if that’s okay?”

“Sure” Duck smiles at the Escape Room employee, takes Indrid’s hand as they follow him down the hall, “Aubrey says these are more fun in a group.”

“I look forward to--oh dear.” 

Duck turns to see the pair from the coffee shop last week. The lumberjack looks about the same, but the secret agent is dressed more casually than usual. His black hair is loose rather than slicked back, and he’s in jeans and shirt that reads, “Champ” with a dark outline of sea monster on the front. He almost looks cute.

“You’ve been  trapped in the lair of hostile, highly intelligent space aliens. You have an hour to escape. Good luck” The employee shuts the door, leaving the pairs to stare at each other. 

“Uh, hi. Again.” Duck waves awkwardly

“Hey.” The lumberjack waves back, “so, uh, this is hella awkward, right?”

“Yes.” The other three respond.

“Cool. Look, I dunno about you but I don’t wanna get dissected by aliens. So, bygones?”

The others nods and he smiles, “I’m Barclay, this is Joseph. My, uh, my boyfriend.” It’s distinctly odd watching such a large man blush like a schoolgirl. Joseph smiles, kisses his cheek, then looks around the room.

“Alright, we need to find the four symbol code to enter onto that pad. Spread out and look for places symbols might be hidden.”

They find the first one easily. Indrid’s eye for color and patterns helps them locate the second, and when a clue points to the third being high up, instead of having to construct a makeshift ladder or step-stool, Barclay simply reaches up and grabs it. It does not escape Duck’s notice that both Indrid and Joseph get appreciative looks on their faces when Barclay then moves a “cloning pod” out of the way all by himself. 

“I suspect the last symbol is hidden one something that is in...that hole.” Joseph points to the newly revealed wall lined with several cubbies, one of which has danger signs written all around it.

“Not it. Too close to a garbage disposal, and I have nightmares about putting my hand down that at the wrong time.” Barclay shudders.

“I would also prefer not to be the one to reach in; such elements often have a loud noise gimmick and I do not enjoy that.”

Joseph glances at Duck, blue eyes glinting with a not-entirely-friendly challenge.

“Fuck it, I’ll do it.” Duck steps forward and cautiously slides his hand in. Indrid’s instinct was right, as the whole starts vibrating with a loud, grinding sound. Indrid yelps, grabbing the other two men, who in turn jump and scream  in surprise. Duck grits his teeth, fights the urge to pull back, and finds a smooth tile waiting for him. When he removes his hand the noise stops, and he grins, triumphant, as he shows off the last symbol. 

“WHOO!” Barclay cheers and high-fives Duck  as Joseph punches in the symbols, stopping the timer on the wall, “shit, that was wild man, scared the living hell outta me and I wasn’t even  the one doing it.”

“Mmmm, my brave hero.” Indrid drapes his arms over his shoulder, kissing him.

“Sap.” Duck teases, kissing him back.

“You know, we make a pretty good team.” Joseph brushes stray hair off his face.

“Yeah. Would, um, would you guys like to go grab coffee or something?” Barclay looks genuinely hopeful, which is why, ten minutes later, Duck is sitting across from Joseph in a dark-wood coffee shop. Indrid has excused himself to wash his hands and Barclay is outside taking a phone call from someone named Mama.

Duck sips his coffee (black) as he watches Joseph measure cream into his mug.

“That explains it; guys who drink black coffee are always weird about guys who don’t.”

“Don’t Barclay drink his black?”

“Only when we’re out, when we’re at home he’s always making fancy coffee. Trying out new recipes. It works well. Or, um, mostly well. There was a green tea cherry espresso that was not his finest.”

“Eech. Heh, that reminds me of the time ‘Drid was so groggy he poured strawberry syrup into his coffee instead of caramel. Didn’t phase him one bit, but I felt like I was kissin a berry patch the whole day. Swear the man’s half moth or some shit from how much sugar he drinks.”

Joseph snickers, “sorry, imagining Indrid as a mothman is a funny image.”

Duck pictures it and giggles, which makes Joseph laugh harder. When they recover, he scratches the back of his neck, “Look, I’m sorry I was a dick about your coffee order. Just havin one of those weeks where everythin got on my nerves.”

“It’s alright. I’m not all that bothered by it. Not intellectually, anyway. Being particular or precise is something people have been, um, less than kind to me about in the past.”

“Nothin wrong with knowin what you like.”

Joseph glances out the window at Barclay, “No, no there’s not.”

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

It becomes a weekly arrangement; the four of them meet for some kind of activity, then go to lunch or dinner. Duck learns many things over those weeks; that Barclay can figure out how to reverse engineer Indrid’s favorite cupcakes from a local bakery, that Joseph has a worryingly deep yet very endearing knowledge of bad horror movies. That while Joseph is terrifying during a trivia match, Duck can still wipe the floor with everyone when it comes to the science categories. He learns that Joseph is trans, like him, and that Barclay and Indrid actually went to the same high school but were two years apart and thus didn’t know each other. 

Right now, he’s learning that he’s not as good at laser tag as he thought he was. 

They went during the cheaper hours, mid-afternoon on a Sunday, and while all four of them are on the same team they’ve gotten separated in the neon-tinted darkness. 

He can tell the enemy team has spotted him, and is moving as fast as he can out of range, when a hand reaches out of a darkened turret and pulls him in.

“GAHoh, phew, scared the hell outta me Joe.”

“Sorry, it was safer than calling out.” The space is small, built for kids rather than two twenty-six year olds, and so Joe is pressed right up against him as he watches the door. He might be the only guy Duck knows who wears honest to god cologne, clean and minty smelling, and the scent wraps around him when Joe pulls him back against his chest to hide them from passing opponents. 

“Fuck, that was close.” He whispers.

“Don’t worry” Joe murmurs in his ear, voice huskier than normal, “you’ve got me to look out for you.” He breaks away as if nothing happened, pulls Duck’s body out into the glowing chaos, while his mind stays in the little room, wondering what the fuck that was.

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

 “Can’t believe we got our asses handed to us by a bunch of eleven year olds.” Duck groans as they sit, licking their wounds along with soft-serve from a tiny shack that Barclay swears by.

“That one blonde girl is gonna grow up to be a sniper.” Barclay offers his cone (chocolate and sour cherry) to Joseph, who takes a prim bite.

“It may run in the family; I think her dad was the one with the ‘Go Army’ shirt.” 

“Oh, were we not supposed to be going easy on them?” Indrid cocks his head. The others stare at him in mute shock. 

“I’m kidding; I was utterly outmatched in there.” He grins before dragging his tongue up his cone (pineapple and marshmallow). When he reaches the tip he opens his mouth wider, taking it all in with a satisfied moan. He pulls off, stray ice cream dribbling down his chin until Joe hands him a napkin. Indrid thanks him, then proceeds to do the exact same thing, over and over, and Duck realizes neither of the other men have looked away from his boyfriend. Barclay’s legs are now crossed, and Joe’s cheeks are pink. Duck can’t really blame them--he knows exactly what Indrid can do with that mouth--but what’s stranger is he doesn’t feel jealous or annoyed. He knows Indrid sometimes struggles with looking, in his own words, “offputting.” It’s nice to see two other people catch on to just how hot he is. 

Then again, he kind of wishes Joe would stop staring and eat his own cone; he wants to see what his tongue can do, too.

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

“Watcha drawin’?” Duck slides onto the couch next to Indrid.

“Just random images.”

“That us with Joe and Barclay?”

“I, ah, yes it is.”

“Like it a lot. Christ you’re talented, it’s like how much you like us is comin’ right off the page.”

“Is, ah, is that so? I hadn’t noticed, ah, oh dear, I just remembered I need to go call Jake about covering my shift.”

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

Duck: That new barcade is finally open, wanna come with us on Saturday?

Barclay: Wish we could, but we got a friends birthday that night.

Duck: No big, let us know if you want to catch a flick on Sunday

Barclay sets the phone down, not remembering it’s a group text until Joe pokes his head out of the bedroom.

“Shit, whose birthday is on Saturday? We need to get a gift.”

“Oh, uh, no, no one. Just, uh, didn’t feel like going out but didn’t want them to think I was, like, angry or something. Sorry, shoulda asked if you wanted to go without me, shit, that was rude.”

“It’s alright, I don’t mind time that’s just for us.” He crosses the living room, fiddles with Barclays hair, “but let me know if you want to see a movie Sunday, I’m happy either way.”

“Uhuh, will do.” Barclay nods, not really paying attention, as he imagines silvery hair in the dark theater and holding slender, cool fingers in his own.

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

“Why do I get the feeling you don’t actually have that DVD to loan me?”

“I do” Duck shuts the apartment door behind Joe, “but we got some things to discuss first.” He waits until Joe is sitting next to Barclay (lured here by the promise of cookies) and across from Indrid (lives here, not that hard to lure).

“Look, I don’t think I really gotta point out how weird it is that we went from hangin out every week to not seein’ each other for near a month. But what I do gotta point out is why it’s happenin’.”

“We’ve all been busy?” Joe hazards.

“Yeah, but we all were busy before and we made time for each other. Now we, myself included, are cancelin shit.” He takes a deep breath, “Barclay, Joe, you both got a thing for ‘Drid, don’t you?”

Joe nods while Barclay blushes and mutters, “yeah.”

“And ‘Drid, you got a thing for both of them?”

His boyfriend shifts nervously in his seat, but nods all the same. Barclay looks genuinely surprised. 

“Well, you three ain’t the only ones realizin’ you want more than you got. Joe, I, uh, I really like you. As in wanna date you. So, uh, that’s where we’re at.” He sits down next to Indrid, who instantly takes his hand. 

“That’s...wait, don’t we all want the same thing?” Joe looks between them, puzzled. 

“You’d really be okay with me dating Indrid?” Barclay asks softly. 

“We’d both be dating him. And I’d be dating Duck as well as you two. Assuming that was alright with Indrid?”

“....You know, I think it is.” Indrid squeezes Duck’s hand, “I was afraid to admit how I felt; I didn’t want to come between you and Barclay, because you clearly love each other, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Duck. But I’ve also seen how happy he is around you, Joseph; there is no reason we could not all work things out to be happy as a, ah, polycule? Is that the term?”

“Think so.” Barclay relaxes, “fuck, I felt so bad thinking that wanting Indrid would fuck everything up, don’t know what to do with my self now that I’m not stressing about it.”

“I propose we order dinner and just...talk.” Indrid rests his head on Duck’s shoulder, “I think that will help us sort out where to go from here.”

Duck orders takeout from the Chinese place down the block as Indrid and Joe arrange the living room into a place where they can all sit together comfortably and Barclay grab drinks. Soon they’re gathered on the floor, working out logistics and boundaries and hopes and fears between bites of fried rice and chow mein. Joe keeps notes, curling closer to Duck as the evening goes on. 

There’s a part of him that wants to jump straight to sex, to pin Joe to floor and fuck him while his other boyfriends do what they want to him, to Duck, to each other. But this thing between them is a new leaf in spring, vulnerable and just beginning to grow. 

So, after dinner, they cuddle up on the couch and floor to watch the midnight movie on local T.V, hands tentatively finding each other and bodies gradually resting closer together in new configurations. 

He falls asleep on the floor, Indrid spooning him and Joe resting his head on his belly. Wakes up with Joe curled around him and Barclay cuddled up to Indrid, snoring softly. 

Duck slips out of the configuration, pads into the kitchen to start coffee. When Joe sneaks up behind him he gasps, snickers as the taller man kisses him good morning. Then he grabs two mugs, smiling to himself at his luck as he opens the fridge. After all, he already knows just how his new boyfriend likes his coffee.