#though i do enjoy iced strawberry tea. One local place has iced strawberry green tea w fresh strawberries too

[lilac-melody]

The only part I hate about making a good pot of tea is waiting for it to brew stronger...

[goo-d-tama]

My Flop Era: Is Lowkey Serving | Act 1, Entry #6

21 July 2022

    I slept early yesternight, so now I'm wide awake. It's only 5:24AM but the sun looks like the 8AM sun my Filipino circadian rhythm is used to.     I forgot to tell you but last night we took a walk around and ate at a local shogun (they're like a grill+beer houses) for dinner. We ate different kinds of grilled meat and internal organs and all. I can't remember everything we had since it was Tia Fei and Capt cakKe who took care of the ordering (and the bill), but what I do remember is all of them were SOOO good!     Capt cakKe ordered me a glass of local beer, which is actually customary. Meifei was ordered a cocktail. And I.. didn't like the beer. It tastes like when a SanMig (a beer in the PH) had been watered down by lots of ice cubes. It's gross and heavy on the stomach. That glass of beer has zero ice in it but tasted like it has a hundred. I don't recommend.     I got mistaken as a local about four times now (is that a flex? Am I flexing?) as well as Chinese and Korean. They tried to strike a conversation so Tia Fei taught me the phrase, "Nihonggo wakarimasen" which means "I don't know Japanese" and "Gaijin desu" which means "I'm foreigner".     Locals like bar hopping . And that's what we are doing today.     The first one that we went to is more of a resto-pub. We were served grilled tuna and salmon, sashimi, and... I don't know what the other dishes are called but they were good. Lol. They also served me beer that this time I liked named Asahi. I think that beer is also available in the PH but this is my first time trying it.     At the second pub I got mistaken as A GIRL! xox I'm not offended though. I was served highball for a drink. I didn't like it. It smelled like piss. Tia Fei said highball is an acquired taste and got me peach soju instead. That I liked. I finished the whole big bottle.     Although the "staff" didn't speak any English, I had so much fun. They didn't make us (Meifei and I) feel out of place and tried to always include us in the conversation. They even invited us to come back for some drinks there before we go back to the PH. FOR FREE!!! [PS: We never got the chance to come back. It's always either we have other plans or they're closed.]     And for the third bar we went to where Meifei (possibly me too) will be working. Let's just call it the Pink Pony Club. We drank a lot. We were served different drinks. To "get familiarized with the drinks being served," they said. They made me try three different flavors of chuhai (a traditional cocktail-ish liquor): lime, grapes, and strawberry. I was also served beer (again, it's customary for a "hajime mashite kanpai"). I learned my lesson and asked for Asahi. Lol. [PS: "Hajime mashite" means "nice to meet you for the first time"; sometimes this can also mean "nice to meet you again after a long time". "Kanpai" means "to toast; cheers".]     I was on my second bottle when all the drinks since noon had caught up. I was served a cold green tea to come back to my senses.     I also made a Japanese friend at the Pink Pony Club today named Momo. We exchanged socials. He's really nice. He looks young. I thought he is only in his late 20s but is actually already in his 40s! He said his secret is just being happy and not stressing over anything. I am taking notes. Lol.     The manager of Pink Pony Club also gave us some sort of a "welcome treat" to an udon shop called Westo Udon. Actually it's ウェストうどん but you get the idea. I ordered udon with tempura but was not able to fully enjoy the meal because of everything we have had since noon.       Shoot I forgot to take pictures since Pink Pony Club. It was "undocumented". Lol.     Right now as I write this entry, I am waiting for Meifei so I can use the wash room. I just puked from all the drinks. She is taking so long in the wash room. The toilet, btw, is different from the shower, which the locals call the wash room. I can smell the vomit and the alcohol on my hair and clothes. I badly need a wash.

[PS: We were with Tia Fei's Japanese friend earlier when we did the bar hopping. We call him now Okadada-San. So the first beer was the "hajime mashite" kanpai for him; and then the one at the Pink Pony Club was for Momo. Usually a drink is served and you toast with them.]

Read the whole thing here.

[svchengss]

hey barista! | l.dh

summary | befriending the barista from your local cafe doesn’t seem too bad

pairing | lee donghyuck x fem!reader ft. jaemin who’s a rlly cute side character in this :(

genre | fluff, angst, slight humour (?)

warnings | a kiss?? i don’t think there’s any but if i missed anything do lmk !!

word count | 3k+

s. tg | @hyuckefi [my apologies since i didn’t release a proper teaser for this 🙏🏻]

author’s note | this is my first fic exceeding 1k words so if u enjoyed reading this, please leave some feedbacks !! rb’s are also appreciated :D ALSO I SUCK AT SUMMARIES LMAO PLS IGNORE THAT

just another day of working at palm coffee, the same old routine. cleaning the countertop and tables before opening up the cafe, prepping the ingredients - more for top favourites! - and examining the machines to make sure they’re working properly. that’s some of hyuck’s daily routines as a barista. he didn’t mind them though, he loved his job. he couldn’t specify the reason why but all these tasks are genuinely interesting to him.

seeing you drop by the cafe is a normal occurrence for him. since you are a regular customer after all, the rest of the staff already know you well. heck, they’re even good friends with you. jaemin hangs out with you more than he does despite being jaemin’s childhood friend. except for him, he doesn’t really know why. he’s not really shy, considering the fact that he’s a social butterfly. he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything to you, the only times he did so was to take your orders when the rest of the workers were busy in the store.

upon hearing the doorbell chime which signals a new customer entering the cafe, hyuck blurted out the usual line. “hello, welcome to palm coffee! how can i help-“, looking up from the cash register only to find you in a disheveled state. “-you?” he eyes you up and down, noting how a few strands of your hair were out of place, the nude lipstick smeared on the left corner of your mouth and your outfit looks really rushed. 

“sorry, what was your name again, hyuck right?” you quickly glanced at the nametag hanging nicely on his apron. “i’m in a rush right now, can i get a,” you scanned over the menu behind him, “uh, white coffee, please?”. 

“that will be six dollars. you can use the restroom in the meantime to, you know, touch up your makeup and stuff,” he takes the bills from your hand, putting them in the machine in front of him before flashing you with that warm smile of his. you wished him a quick thanks before disappearing into the back of the place.

now that was embarrassing.

your eyes scanned over the hall to find your friend before hearing her shout your name from across. damn, why does she have to be so loud? stares were directed towards you as you walked up the stairs to your designated seat. all the chatter going on in the lecture hall became quiet as soon as your professor placed her things on the desk, which means class has started. 

after hearing a two-hour lecture and writing some notes - where suddenly song lyrics and scribbles appear - the words you’ve been waiting to hear finally echoed through the speakers. 

“class is dismissed, thank you everyone for listening,” mrs. hui’s voice later being flushed out by the buzzing voices of the students walking out the hall, determined to finish their own activities. you stuffed your ipad and papers into your light yellow jansport backpack before going out to meet vic who’s waiting for you outside. 

“i’m exhausted, what did she even teach just now?” vic sighed to her heart’s content. you can’t blame her, today’s topic was quite complicated. circuits analysis or something? you can’t really wrap your head around it, your brain being stuffed with all the information. vic kept on ranting  about the problems she faced from the moment she woke up, making you giggle at some comments she made. 

“wait for me, i’m almost done,” he folded his apron neatly before shoving it into the drawer and grabbing his bag from the counter to join jaemin, who’s waiting at the front door with the keycard. hyuck accepted jaemin’s request to help him with some shopping for his sister’s birthday party next week. obviously, the rest of the staff were also invited. 

jaemin divided the shopping list into two, allowing hyuck to find the rest of the things with ease.

“now where are the streamers…” he muttered out loud enough for himself to hear, crouching down to browse through the party decorations on the shelf. or he thought so, as you could hear him sighing clearly in dire need of the certain decoration, that you decided to help him out. 

“um, hyuck? i think the party streamers are in the aisle beside this one? you look a bit troubled there,” you chuckled lightly. the heat flushed to his cheeks, feeling dumbfounded. 

“really? uh, thank you for the help,” he gave you a small grin that could hardly be seen if you didn’t spot the corner of his lips. and with that, he’s long gone with his shopping basket.

you are fond of the atmosphere you’re in right now. the decorations left you in awe - white and pink silk hanging from the wall with silver letter balloons spelling out happy birthday stitched onto them. you can see jaemin’s sister, eun-ji, being carried out of her room with a small flowy white dress and wearing a golden bow on her head, her brunette hair being tied into ponytails. the na family really adore their youngest girl.

meanwhile, there are only a couple of adults your age attending the party -  jaemin’s co-workers, some of his other friends which you aren’t familiar with and hyuck. he looked rather chill, with an oversized beige sweater and white jeans to suit the party’s theme. you’re not quite bad as well, your hair combed nicely and kept neat with a headband, a white sundress with strawberry patterns on it fit nicely on your figure, complemented with a heart-locket necklace placed on your collarbones. before reaching jaemin’s house, you made sure to drop by a local store to get some gifts for eun-ji. she’s a very well-mannered kid which made you adore her very much.

“y/n? very glad to see you here,” hyuck said as he approached you, offering you a plate of cake which he cut.

“i could say the same to you too, mr. lee,” you let out a soft laugh. he made sure to keep a mental note over how pretty you looked today.

“y/n, hyuck! glad you two broke the ice, did you know how hurt i was seeing you two act like strangers whenever y/n came by the cafe?” jaemin enveloping you into a small hug before fake pouting. you can only laugh at the fake debate the two guys in front of you were having. after conversing with hyuck and jaemin for quite some time, you realised that he’s a cool person to talk to, where all this time, you thought he hated you for some reason. before leaving, you made sure to thank mrs. na for hosting the party and off you went home. 

following the previous encounters, hyuck felt much more comfortable around you - even hanging out with you during his shift where you would do your assignments at the cafe he’s working at. every now and then, he would also invite you to hang out with him and jaemin. however, what he didn’t realise was how he slowly pent up feelings - romantically. 

ding dong!

he pressed on the doorbell button with a box of doughnuts in his left hand. the three of you were supposed to be having a movie night, but jaemin got caught up with his groupwork which leaves the two of you alone. 

“hey hyuck! come in,” you gestured, arranging the cushions on your sofa to make it look more organized. the interior of your rented apartment is calming, the light grey walls suiting the navy blue sofa and furniture with darker undertones. the walls are also not left empty, with modern art portraits hanging from it. 

“i brought donuts, your favourite, right?” he opened the box, placing it on the coffee table while you set up the television. you wished him a quick thank you before grabbing two canned drinks from the refrigerator, handing one to him and pressing play on the remote control. you two weren’t quiet throughout the whole movie, with snarky comments on how hot the actors were or how stupid they were being were made. 

he didn’t know you were sleepy though as all of a sudden, he could feel the weight of your head on top of his shoulder. it was a rather awkward situation as he didn’t move at all so you could sleep comfortably. before long, he joined you and dozed off to wonderland. the next morning, you were more than embarrassed to find yourself cuddling up to him, with the next movie still playing on the screen.

seeing your figure outside the front door made hyuck more excited to greet you today. after making a quick order for a green tea latte, you fished out your purse from your handbag, feeling frantic if you’ve lost it outside. luckily, you were the only customer in line as the rest of them were already seated and carrying out their own businesses.

“sorry, but i think this might be yours,” you turned around to find a tall-looking guy handing out your black purse. a wave of relief washed over your soul, thanking the latter profusely.

“mind if i buy you a drink? i hate feeling like i owe someone,” you offered, which he gladly accepted. 

“i’d like a double espresso, please,” he kept his hands into his pockets. 

“and your name, sir?” hyuck looked mildly bothered.

“yukhei,” he ran his slightly blonde hair through the slender fingers. hyuck hated how cocky he looked, feeling more annoyed than ever over the scene that was played in front of him just now. he hated how yukhei looked at you. 

why should he get jealous? he’s just a mere friend to you, that’s all. you have to stop overreacting, hyuck. 

those words kept running through his mind all day.

“dude, are you okay? you looked-” jaemin opened the staff room, interrupting him from the self-talk he was having, “-distracted,” finishing up his sentence. 

“nope, i’m just fine,” he said, bringing the honey smile back onto his face. jaemin nodded before disappearing back to the front to serve the customers. 

stop being so jealous, hyuck. you’re just a friend. not more, not less. 

“jaemin, how do you know if you like someone?” that question is kind of shocking to him, especially if it’s coming from hyuck. of course, he’s had a crush before but it was during middle school. just a silly, little crush. growing up, he’s never had one - not even in high school.

“you’ve asked the right person,” jaemin managed to do his obnoxious voice, even while driving the car. he’s right, he is the matchmaker of the friend group, just how many relationships worked out because of him? eyes still focused on the road - he’s a responsible driver of course, he began to explain the feeling to hyuck, making his points loud and clear.

“first of all, you start feeling a little too happy whenever you’re around them. and no, this is not the oh-we’re-best-friends-forever type of happy, it’s the i’ll-make-you-the-happiest-person-on-earth one. not to forget, you will also experience some kind of turbulence in your heart, expect them to be jumping around a bit. or a lot, whichever suits you the best.

you also tend to feel nervous around that person. like, stuttering your words in obvious or non-obvious ways, feeling faster heartbeats than usual, you name it. oh! if you’ve ever felt jealous whenever they are around someone else, i mean, in affectionate ways, you might have one. however, my tip is for you not to act out of your mind. you don’t want to ruin whatever relationship you have currently, do you?” even when driving, he still managed to deliver his points with full precision and accuracy. 

nodding his head, hyuck took some mental notes to be thought through when he gets home. 

hyuck stared at you, whose figure is snoring soundly on his lap. he assumed you must be feeling exhausted, mid-terms just ended after all. while threading his fingers through your hair, he remembered what jaemin said to him weeks earlier.

1. being happy around them

like jaemin said, it is normal to be happy around your friends. but being with you, it kind of gave more joy for him. not to mention that he started to catch himself smiling over your texts and being reminded of you over small things - your favorite donut topping, the name of that one stray puppy you gave. 

2. feeling nervous around them

his heart would beat a lot faster whenever you get closer towards him, whether accidentally or to mess with him. 

3. getting jealous over someone else

he shouldn’t be jealous of how yukhei looked at you. but he seriously can’t help it. and the way he’s always there during your hangouts. he doesn’t care if he seems petty, yukhei just isn’t in his favour.

his deep thoughts came to a halt when you called out his name, eyes still half-closed, attempting to open them a bit more. 

“did i interrupt you or something? gosh, i’m so sorry,” you quickly stood up but he pulls your body back onto his lap, asking for you to stay.

“what are we?” that question caught you off-guard. the same one that has been at debate in the back of your mind these days. 

i don’t know hyuck, it’s complicated. 

“what do you think we are, hyuck?” you shot the question back at him, your gaze piercing through his soul.

“i don’t know. it’s just-” 

“are you sure?” a deep sigh left your lips. have you been interpreting his body languages wrong? did he only see you as a normal friend, nothing more? 

“sorry, i’m not feeling well. see you later hyuck, bye,” you tried your best to shoot the sweet smile of yours but only a faint one seemed to appear. once you stepped out of the room, he buried his face into his hands. 

god, what have i done?

“don’t feel too down, y/n. maybe there’s something more that he couldn’t bring himself to say?” vic suggested, handing you some tissue.

“i don’t know, i seriously have no idea. why can’t he just say it?” you continued to sob into her arms, she pitied you, especially in your condition right now. but she can’t do anything to help you, other than consoling and listening. 

jaemin knew something was wrong, from your rare visits to the cafe to hyuck not being himself lately. something was definitely wrong and it’s between the both of you. sure, hyuck might be saying that he’s fine again and again, but his expressions can’t lie. the sweet smile of his is long gone and his jokes are no longer heard. whatever it is, jaemin is determined to solve it. he just wants his best friends back. 

looks of dismay can be read all over hyuck’s face when the person facing him is no other than the guy himself, yukhei. still, he tried to control his composure, not making his inner feelings any more obvious.

“so what brings you here?” he took a sip of the mineral water, still making his throat rough from the tension hanging in the air. 

“look, i’m not here for any fights. i know you like y/n, everybody can see it. and honestly, you were oblivious to your own feelings,” he rubbed his hands together. the latter’s puzzled face made him continue his words.

“i’m not trying to make her like me, or whatever you’ve been assuming. sorry if i gave the wrong message but you are the one who should make a move. i can see from the way she looks at you, the feelings are mutual,” he straightened up the denim jacket outside the white shirt wrapping his figure. 

letting out a heavy sigh, hyuck’s face begins to soften up. “no, i should be the one who’s sorry. i’ve been such a prick to everyone around me lately, especially you,” he took of the cap from his head, messing up his hair. 

“no problem, bro. it’s understandable, i guess. now good luck with her, please treat her well,” the two guys exchanged a fist bump for the problem solved. jaemin leaned his back against the wall, smiling and feeling satisfied.

you called out jaemin’s name but to no avail. he invited you to his apartment but seeing that the lights are out, it’s clear enough that he hasn’t finished whatever he was doing yet. just as you were about to leave, you saw hyuck at the other side of it, both your faces mirroring the same look of confusion.

“so, uh, how have you been doing these days? it’s been a while since we talked,” he chose to break the silence. now, you two were sitting facing each other by the balcony. inhaling the breeze, you paused for a moment before responding to his question.

“i’ve been feeling, not as usual. definitely not happy but not that sad,” you pushed some of the loose hair strands hanging on your forehead behind your ears before asking about his.

“you know what, i’m just going to be direct with you. i, lee donghyuck have been holding feelings for you since i don’t know when. yeah sure, i wasn’t really sure at first about what i was going through. i guess i was just scared of how you would react,” he scratched his ears which are not feeling itchy at all, but rather an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming emotions deep inside him. 

not wanting to waste time any longer, you placed your right hand onto his cheek, standing on the heels of your feet to bring your two lips together. the kiss was short before he pulls you back in for another, this time a more passionate one. he could feel you smile against his lips before enveloping your body into his arms.

“i’ve missed you, you know?” he whispered, his voice tender, directing right into your ears before you replied with how you missed him more. the both of you continued to whisper sweet nothings while embracing each other’s presence. 

jaemin looked at the both of you from a distance, his heart swelling with pride. 

— another pair of lovers matched, cupid jaemin signing out.

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Love at First Bite

Rayla is taken by a client to eat at the Italian-Korean fusion place in town and falls in love with the food, and later, the chef.

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

Rayla smiled at her client as they waited for their server to come.  Her boss had told her that they had to keep the contract with the client’s company no matter what, and if that meant going to a Korean-Italian fusion restaurant that would probably be too spicy for Rayla’s Scottish, fried-food-loving taste buds, so be it.  The client, Ms. Danvers, had been hyping the restaurant up all evening.  “You said you like potatoes?  This place as amazing kimchi-style potatoes and potato pancakes.”

Rayla nodded.  “My grandmother is Irish and there are always potatoes cooking in her house.”  Rayla subtly looked around the dining room. The walls were mostly white with a few panels a beautiful red.  There was artwork on the walls, ranging from sceneries to portraits.  They all looked to be done by the same artist but Rayla couldn’t place a name to them.  The air was warm and smelled of spices and herbs and cheese.  Rayla could see a row of cheeses on one of the shelves.  “Do they use a lot of cheese here?”

“Korean food pairs wonderfully with cheese.  There’s a rumor that all the vegetables here are from the local farmer’s market as are most of the cheeses.  It’s fusion, but it’s as domestic as possible, too.”

“You’ve really been talking this place up.”

Ms. Danvers flushed.  “It’s my favorite restaurant.  I come here for lunch once a week and get take-away whenever I’m having a bad day.  This place is known for Korean-Italian fusion, but they make a delicious Thai laksa and a vegetarian Tom Yum that is to die for.”

“Really?”  Rayla didn’t know that much about Asian food, but she knew that Tom Yum was common in Thai eateries.

“The chef is a quarter-Thai and a quarter-Korean, his grandparents being from Thailand and South Korea.  He knows the flavors well and plays with them, but when he goes authentic, he’s the best in town.  He will also make almost any dish vegetarian if you request it.”

“How accommodating.”

A server came up, a smile on their face.  “Good evening and welcome to Sarai’s Place.  Any wine to start this evening?”  Rayla shook her head, surprised when Ms. Danvers asked for Thai iced tea for the both of them.  “And what can I get started for you?”

“Ms. Burrows?”

Rayla looked down at the menu again.  “Hmm.  I’m not sure what to get.  I don’t have a very high spice tolerance.”

The server nodded.  “Scale of 1 to 10?”

“Maybe a three.”

“Do you like kimchi?”

“Never had it.”

“Then I recommend trying the kimchi potatoes, if you like potatoes, or the risotto, which features chopped kimchi, sesame oil, and garlic.  The chef makes two kinds of kimchi, one mild and one spicy, so he’ll use the mild for you.  For the main dish, if you enjoy cheese, a pasta dish that has mussels, a Korean chili paste and tomato sauce, and fresh parmesan.  Everything that can be local, is local and if you eat vegetarian, the mussels will be taken out and instead you will get mushrooms.”

“My grandmother is Irish so I’m very snobbish with my potatoes.”

“I would rate his potato pancakes a ten.  He takes the traditional Korean recipe and adds parmesan cheese and some rosemary and its cooked with the house chili oil, so when you cut into it, it’s cheesy and subtly spicy.  The house chili oil is made with both gochugaru and the type of dried chilis usually used to make olio di peperocino.”

“I’ll go with the pancakes and the mussels pasta you suggested.”

“Excellent choice.  And for you?”

Ms. Danvers smiled.  “Did he make Tom Yum or laksa today?”

“Laksa.”

“I will take a bowl of laksa while Ms. Burrows is eating her pancakes and I will also take the mussels pasta.  Can we also get an order of garlic bread?”

“Of course.  I’ll get your Thai iced teas ready.  Anything else today?”

“What’s the dessert of the week?”

“Since it’s summer, mango pudding, Thai coconut pudding, and strawberry-lime cheesecake.”

“We’ll each take a slice of the strawberry-lime cheesecake.”  The server nodded and walked away after reading back the list.  “I hope you don’t mind me ordering dessert for you, but he only makes that cheesecake when the strawberries are in their peak season and it’s worth it.”

Rayla nodded.  “No problem, Ms. Danvers.  I wouldn’t really know what to order otherwise.”

They chatted while they waited, pausing when the garlic bread came to the table.  Rayla had been expecting the kind of garlic bread Americans seemed to adore, buttery and almost artificially garlic-y.  Instead, they got small, fresh loaves that had pieces of roasted garlic and thyme baked into it, served with the house chili oil and garlic that had been cooked until it spread like butter on the bread.  Rayla was impressed with the flavor and how the pieces of garlic were not overpowering.

When the potato pancakes came, Rayla could smell the spice but trusted the server had not led her astray, eyeing her glass of Thai iced tea just in case.  One bite and she was in heaven.  The cheese and the heat from the chili only enhanced the potato flavor as did the light smattering of soy sauce and vinegar-based sauce.  Rayla almost ignored Ms. Danvers when the pasta came, inhaling the dish.  At the end of the meal, once the excellent cheesecake had been finished, Rayla was in love with the food.  “Well, Ms. Danvers, I suppose I should be thanking you for introducing me to my new favorite restaurant.”

Ms. Danvers chuckled.  “It’s good, isn’t it?”

“I would marry the chef in a heartbeat if I got to eat like this every day for the rest of my life.”

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

Rayla brought all her clients and her coworkers to Sarai’s Place in the following months.  She tried almost everything on the menu, though she was still mildly terrified of the spiciness of the laksa if the smell alone was anything to go by.  Every Monday and Thursday, she got take-away and ordered the dessert whenever she ate in on Saturdays.  She was thankful she was single or else she would have to come here every week with someone and she liked dining alone in the quiet restaurant.

Sometimes, they played classical music, other times K-pop, and Rayla would always remember the night they had played an opera medley when several people with the Katolis Opera Company had dined that night.  The chef seemed keenly aware of who came to his restaurants at what dates and times and played music to fit their tastes but also made sense with the theme.

It was a popular spot with not only Foodies and high school kids, but a lot of Asian-Americans dined there.  Rayla had looked up the reviews and had seen it was highly recommended by the Katolis Korean and Thai communities, the Katolis restaurant circles, and the Commission for the Promotion of Local Ingredients and Farmer’s Markets.  No one said anything bad about Sarai’s Place without at least ten people defending the restaurant’s choices.

And now Rayla was sitting with her boss, Ahling Patel, and having to stop herself from inhaling the food in front of her.  The risotto was so satisfying and paired with chicken breast stuffed with kimchi, perilla, and ricotta.  “What do you think, Mr. Ahling?”

“It’s delicious.  I’ve always felt that fusion was a gimmick, but I’m sold by this young man’s food.  Young lady,” Ahling called the server, smiling good-naturedly when she nodded at him and finished up with her current customer.  When she came up to their table, she greeted them again.  “Is there anyway we can speak to the chef?”

The server blinked before nodding.  “I’m sure I can arrange it.  Dinner service is almost over and there are only you and two other tables.  Can I bring you dessert while I’m talking to him?”

“What do you recommend?”

“Our pastry chef made yakgwa, which are little honey pastries made with pine nuts, ginger, and sesame oil and they also made a yuja polenta cake and a play on Italian lemon cake, but with yuja.”

Rayla ordered the yakgwa and Ahling got the polenta cake and waited for the news.  Rayla couldn’t recall having ever seen the chef even though she came there at least twice a week, closer to three.  She hadn’t seen any pictures of him, either, surprisingly enough.  He was said to keep to himself and shunned the limelight, which is why he never made TV appearances.

A few minutes later, it wasn’t their server, but a man who looked be about 26 arriving with their desserts.  His green eyes were striking, as were his cheekbones and sharp jawline.  He gave them both an awkward smile as Rayla noticed his ring finger was bare and didn’t seem to have a tan line.  Was this the chef?  His coat would seem to say so.  “Nice to meet you both.  I’m Callum Evans, the owner and executive chef here at Sarai’s Place.”

Ahling smiled.  “It’s nice to meet you, young man.  I’m Ahling Patel and this is my employee, Rayla Burrows.”  Rayla nodded her head in acknowledgement.  “Your food is delicious.  How on Earth do you even think of this?”

The young man flushed, looking down at his feet.  “Um, I’m not that special.  Many people before me found that Korean and Italian food go well together.  Most of my recipes are riffs on family recipes and all my Thai dishes are family recipes.  I was originally going to go traditional Korean or Thai but there were no fusion places in the area and I’m part Irish and German on top of being a quarter-Thai and a quarter-Korean.  It felt…right, I guess.  I’m mixed and grew up with a variety of food cultures in my house, so why not do fusion?  Korean and Italian just made the most sense, so…”  He looked embarrassed at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck.

Rayla leaned forward a bit.  “I’ve eaten here at least twice week for the past six months.  I can tell you, without a doubt, it’s my favorite place to eat.”

“Thank you.”

Ahling cleared his throat.  “Are you single, Mr. Evans?”

Callum flushed even deeper.  “Ah.  Yes.  Being a chef requires long hours and running a restraint requires even more.”

“You need a good partner to help you find balance in your life!”

Rayla remained quiet as she watched them talk.  The only thing going through her mind was ‘I’m going to marry this man for his food.  I’ll eat well for the rest of my life.’  She stayed when Ahling said good night and while the restaurant emptied out.  Callum stayed at the table, fidgeting under her gaze.  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“A date.”

Callum blinked.  “We have a sticky rice made with dates-”

“No.  A romantic excursion.  An outing.”

He gulped, looking her up and down.  “A date?  Really?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I fell in love with your food almost immediately after I tasted it and would like the chance to know the man who cooks it.”

Callum blushed.  “OK.”  They exchanged info and Rayla smirked as she left with his number in her cellphone.  There was no way she would be letting this one go.

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

After four months of dating, Rayla could confidently say that she was now just as in love with Callum the man as she was with his cooking.  Learning that his restaurant was named after his mother who died when he was in high school had endeared him to her, as had the knowledge that all the art on the walls were his paintings.  Was there anything he couldn’t do?

They were currently in Callum’s kitchen, him developing a new recipe while Rayla took down notes for him.  Even on his days off, he was always thinking about what he would do next and Rayla admired his passion to his craft.  When he brought her up to try the dish, she groaned.  “I will marry this man if it’s the last thing I do,” she muttered.

“I can hear you, you know,” Callum chuckled.

Rayla raised a brow.  “Then why haven’t you accepted my proposal?”

“Because you proposed to my food?”

“I hardly see the difference.”  Callum laughed at her, shaking his head.  “Hey, move in with me.”

“We’ve been together for four months.”

“Is that a problem?  Too short?”

Callum stared at her.  “You’re serious.”

“I told you; I fully plan on marrying you to eat your cooking ‘til the day I die.”

“So, it’s my cooking you love?”

“When have I hidden this?”  Rayla reached for his hand, pulling him closer.  “I’m serious.  Move in with me.”

“Why?”

Rayla shrugged.  “I’m happy when we wake up next to each other.  I like the idea of coming home to you or you coming home to me.  I don’t like sleeping alone, and, for the past month, the two of us have been alternating sleeping at each other’s places and it doesn’t make sense to pay rent on two places when we could be happy together?”

“That and I’m the only person willing to put up with your stubborn ass.”

Rayla gave him a mock offended looking, giving his arm a playful smack.  “You love my stubborn ass.”

“I do.”  Callum leaned down and captured her lips, letting her taste the dish he had been working on for the past hour.  When they pulled apart, he looked down into her eyes with his bright green ones.  “I think I love you.”

“That’s good, because I think I love you, too.”

Rayla would take that for now.  And in two years, when she would be standing next to him in front of their new house, matching rings on their fingers, and a very pregnant belly, she would remind him that he had his food to thank for their relationship.  “I fell in love with your food first.”

“I’m glad you did, because you kept coming back.”

“Lucky you.”

“Lucky me.”        

[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. 

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Saturday, 7th July 2018 – York, Raskelf

Saturday morning was just as warm as Friday so we were quite pleased to have a variety of things indoors or at least undercover to do, starting with a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre  that we’d pre-booked to avoid having to queue. As we were ready a bit too early, we crossed the road from the hotel to Walmgate, one of the main entrances to medieval York, where you can find the only barbican still attached to a city gate outside of Krakow. It sometimes seems as if all of our historical obsessions are coming together, and they certainly were right now, between the Roman connections on Friday to Trier and now this. We decided that rather than take a direct route to Jorvik, we’d walk the section of the walls from Walmgate round to Piccadilly, and then wander to Coppergate that way.

The barbican also has a small Elizabethan structure abutting it, and it looked as if it might have been a coffee shop at some point (though it was firmly shut now). The section of wall we were on overlooked a lot of council houses and small gardens, and doesn’t provide the amazing views you can get from some of the other parts that remain, built on top of the Roman walls.

Once the vikings settled in York, they pretty much covered all the extant Roman walls with an earth bank, and what we see now are the remains of the later medieval walls, that were built on top of those walls and banks.

From Walmgate we made our way along the walkway to Fishergate Bar, which opens out onto the area that used to be known as the King’s Fishpond. It was created when William the Conqueror arrived and the newcomers needed a reliable supply of water to fill the defensive ditches around their eastern motte and bailey castle where Clifford’s Tower is now. To achieve that they built a dam across the River Foss, close to its confluence with the Ouse, raising the water level and creating a lake which extended for around half a mile along the south-eastern edge of the city. The King’s Pool resulted in the loss of two new mills worth twenty shillings a year and flooded 120 acres of arable land, meadows and gardens, so it wasn’t too popular with the locals at the time.

In addition to filling up the moat, the King’s Pool became the King’s Fishpond, and was used as a royal fishery. The King appointed keepers to maintain and protect it and granted licenses authorising the favoured few to catch pike, bream and other fish. However, the lake gradually started to silt up, making it unsuitable for defensive purposes, and work done in 1608 to deepen the main channel apparently just made things worse, so much so that when the Parliamentarians laid siege to the city in 1644, their commander was able to give serious thought to sending a detachment across on foot.

Later the lake became a series of marshy islands known (Foss Islands), and was generally insanitary. In Victorian times the dam was demolished and the Foss was canalised, leaving one small marsh-fringed island as a refuge for wildlife, while the remaining area was drained and reclaimed for housing. It’s certainly rich in wildlife now, and also features a massive flood barrier, the Foss Barrier, built as a defence against the serious floods that have repeatedly made life in York rather more precarious than it should be.

However, we were heading away from the water and into the town centre, with Coppergate in view. A coffee was needed though, so we stopped off at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, where tables were out in the garden and there was a sign promising teas and coffees. It is a medieval guildhall, built in 1357 by the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1430 they were granted a royal charter by Henry VI and renamed The Mistry of Mercers, eventually becoming the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York under Queen Elizabeth I.

The main part of the building, the Great Hall and the undercroft, was originally an almshouse for the poor of York. It’s a lovely timber-framed structure that is in fact still owned by the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York, who still exist as a charitable membership group. They also do mighty fine macarons to go with your coffee!

From there we scooted round to Coppergate and were delighted to find they’d put the bunting up for us!

We were a little too early for entry to the centre, so a quick stop off to buy some sun lotion seemed like a good idea, before we came back and were allowed in. The centre itself is an interesting mix of the somewhat simplistic (the actual “ride”) with some splendidly informative stuff (the films in the foyer about the actual excavations that took place in Coppergate), and the just wonderful (the selection of objects in the galleries post-ride). The ride itself is fine, it gives you a useful picture to carry in your head of what the city outside was like around a millenia ago. It didn’t teach me much I didn’t already know, but it was absorbing enough in its own way. Oh, and it has a very good bookshop which meant I came out much lighter in pocket than I’d gone in! And having learned that Canute (or Cnut if you’d prefer) was of Polish as well as Danish heritage, so they did tell me something I didn’t already know!

From there we scooted off to the nearest Hop On Hop Off bus stop to complete our tour (started the previous afternoon), with the intention of bailing out near to the hotel so we could change before heading off to the theatre for the afternoon. As is so often the case, the tour was informative and fun, and if it had been needed, a handy way of getting ones bearings in a tourist destination. We’ve used them in Helsinki, in Monte Carlo, in Krakow, in Bordeaux, and generally enjoy their tours. The only time we’ve been let down by them was in Krakow where we ended up standing around in the freezing cold in Kazimierz for 45 minutes waiting for a bus that never showed up. In York, in July, they run approximately every 12 minutes, so no problem there!

At the theatre site, on the Castle green, in addition to “Europe’s first pop-up Shakespearean theatre”, there was what the organizers described as an Elizabethan village, with some impromptu theatre performances going on to one side, some merchandise on sale alongside a well organised cloakroom and several food and drink options which caught our attention as a way of getting lunch before the performance. There was a pretty impressive range of choices under the circumstances, which was how Lynne ended up having strawberries and cream, and a Pimms:

And I had a very tasty (and rather more substantial than it looked at first glance) Waygu beef burger and mozzarella��Yorkshire pudding pie with chips and gravy! The chips were excellent too, very crisp on the outside and soft inside, just as they should be but so often aren’t.

We then spent the best part of four hours in the theatre being greatly entertained, as well a grateful that we had seats and had not opted to be groundlings! Post the performance, we made our way back to the hotel freshened up quickly, and then collected the car to drive to one of our favourite restaurants, Rascills, where we were made very welcome by Lindsey and Richard (front of house and chef respectively), before being incredibly well fed in what was an unusually quiet restaurant – everyone was apparently too busy watching football to go out to eat.

We started the evening on the sun terrace with a couple of Blackberry fizzes and some of Richard’s delicious cheese straws.

The bread was as good as ever too, and we needed to stop ourselves eating it all at once. For a one man kitchen I still have no idea how Richard does what he does, given there are only so many hours in a day, but I’d like him to keep on doing it!

As an amuses bouche, there was a rich, deep butternut squash veloute, which was one good reason for hanging onto some bread. There was a major need to mop up the leftover soup that we couldn’t get with the soup.

Next up – and the ideal choice given the weather – was a salad of various heritage tomatoes, with a helping of Whitby crab, a crunchy, cheesy Parmesan crisp, compressed watermelon and the currently very trendy tomato essence. It was cool and tasty and reminded me of why I love crab meat so much.

For the main course we were served a portion of honey glazed Goosnargh duck breast, on a glorious bed of black truffle scented, herbs, Puy lentils, baby onions and mushrooms, with a fondant potato, and carrot puree, the whole accompanied by a red wine sauce.

We were starting to slow down now, so we went for one portion of cheese between us, and the white chocolate, vanilla and orange pannacotta, which came with the requisite degree of wobble, as well as strawberries and a white chocolate soil. It was lovely and creamy and tasted of summer.

As did the cherry ice cream that Lindsey insisted we try. It was good!

And after that we decanted back out onto the terrace, where Lindsey and Richard joined us, and we sat around putting the world to rights, before heading back into York some time after midnight.

  Travel/Food 2018 – York, Raskelf, Day 2 Saturday, 7th July 2018 - York, Raskelf Saturday morning was just as warm as Friday so we were quite pleased to have a variety of things indoors or at least undercover to do, starting with a visit to the…

[murmredmusings]

It was just a little trip. Just three nights, four days. But it was bloody perfect and very much needed.

Trying to match time off with someone else can be a pain in the ass but getting a much-needed escape with your best friend overrules all. And we managed to make it work. We decided to meet up in Portland, Maine for a little best friend trip. To escape the worries of our lives back home. Mine being school about to start again and work picking up. Her’s being work stress mostly.

I managed to fly out that week’s Thursday evening and got all tucked in and cozied up in the Airbnb we booked before Caitlyn drove up that night. It was in a perfect location with a view of the water from the living room window.

View from our Airbnb

We had sort of planned out what we were going to try and do when she was visiting for the Harry Styles concert in June. It mainly revolved around food. We literally had a list of just coffee shops and restaurants we wanted to try. Gosh, I love food.

Our first breakfast at Aurora Provisions, a Gourmet Grocery Store.

Ham and swill croissant from Aurora Provisions.

A ‘light’ snack break at Local Sprouts Cooperative. The side dishes here are deceptive but delicious.

The highlight of the trip, no questions asked. Half priced dumplings from Bao Bao Dumpling House.

Caitlyn’s top pick Shao Mai. So so good.

And of course some Bulgogi Beef fried dumplings.

After dinner snack, one strawberry mochi with red bean paste from the local Asian Market.

My Saturday morning breakfast! A divine blueberry muffin and an iced fruit tea. Both from Hilltop Coffee Shop.

The final breakfast! A spam and egg sandwich with an iced coffee From Ohno Cafe.

We also knew that we had to go to the Portland Museum of Art. I mean we are both massive art lovers. So why wouldn’t we stop in and fall in love with some art?

My new favorite piece.

I was completely entranced by their collection. I found a new favorite piece and I still can’t say exactly why, but I just love it.

The first night I was there, I explored the neighborhood we were staying in. I was enthralled with the architecture there. A not so well known interest of my is architecture, and I do love a good east coast style house. And some felt like way out there and I loved it. And there were quite a few surprise ones as well.

Weird shot I know. But it’s a yellow door!

One amazing thing we got to experience was the water. we went to two different beaches and each was drastically different. Early Saturday morning we headed to East End Beach to do a bit of exploring before taking the ferry across to Peaks Island. And as one does when their best friend has a habit of trying to find the highest point, you take lots of photos of them roaming around.

Thinking…

She found it.

Wondering

And wondering.

Still wondering.

And you take some of the water. Cause it is peaceful and calming. And that is why we are here. To relax and enjoy ourselves. Even though I was dying cause I was stupid and wore all black.

Classic Shoes only in shot.

Meet Squish! My travel companion.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

Arriving on Peaks Island, we did what we do best and wandered around like lost puppies trying to figure out which way we should go. But we found an amazing little beach and spent a solid hour or so there just enjoying it all.

Arrive on the Island!

Cute little nook Caitlyn spotted.

Photo by: Caitlyn S

Photo by: Caitlyn S

When you really enjoy yourself you forget everything and don’t take any photos.

One of Caitlyn and I’s main objectives for this trip was to explore the used bookstores in downtown. We found three that we were interested in visiting and so it was dubbed the ‘Bookshoppe Tour!’ I captured this tour on my Snapchat and Instagram stories (cause I’m basic).

First Stop! Yes Books

Long hallways of bookshelves literally overflowing.

Some areas where so dark you needed a flashlight.

Second stop! Green Hand Bookshop

Final stop! Longfellow Books!

I found some really great Agatha Christie’s to add to my collection and one Korean-English Dictionary. If you are ever in the area I seriously recommend visiting at least one of these amazing places.

Here is a fun story for you. Caitlyn and I went to visit the Portland Observatory early Saturday morning. We got there right when it opened and opted to skip the tour and just go straight to the top. And when I say that I mean we basically sprinted to the top. Lots of stairs. Lots of f’ing stairs. But it was well worth it. We basically got a private talk with the lady tucked up at the top and it was amazing. The view was incredible.

It was a wonderful trip. An amazing experience. I can’t wait to take another trip and just explore.

Thanks to my best friend for sharing this experience with me. Sharing all the absurdly early mornings and wondering why the hell we couldn’t sleep in. Sitting and talking with Netflix playing in the background. A nice relaxing trip for us both to just unwind and enjoy life.

Photo by: Caitlyn S

~Chelsea

A Little Vacation A new post is up! It was just a little trip. Just three nights, four days. But it was bloody perfect and very much needed.

[opepin]

may: week three

15: i stayed in bed until i had to get up. i was so tired. kevin made me a breakfast sandwich and then headed to work. i ate it and then did some work and then at around 12 pm i decided to fit in my work out. it felt pretty good. there was sweat and only one rash appeared on my forehead. it wasn’t itchy or anything though. then i showered, worked a bit more, and hopped on stand up. oh, i also picked up our travel adapters and i got my medium-sized bombas gripper socks. they fit better than the small ones :) yay! thank you for awesome customer service! it was a pretty productive work day at home. i managed to get through a part of the work but i need some feedback before moving on. i did the second half of my exercise, showered, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen, and made rice with steamed egg. kevin came back from climbing and cooked himself some cabbage stir fry and finished off the steamed egg with oil and soy sauce. the steamed egg just tasted like the chinese broccoli that kevin has been making... lol this cookbook.

we ate and talked about random things. then we made time to cuddle and spend some time with each other -- it was nice :) then i played some bravely default to end the night. i ended up dying and i didn’t save so i lost all of my grinding progress -___- so i stayed up and got it back to about the same spot and then i slept at like 1:15 am. oops. i was gonna work form home tomorrow but i did want to get macarons and just enjoy the weather without being holed up at home or in the office.

16: it was a nice morning. i got up and did a hiit workout. then i showered while kevin ate breakfast. i took it easy this morning and commuted to south station with kevin (: he went to work and i walked over to tous le jour to get some macarons. the macarons were like $2.50 each but i i bought a few anyway. i got the pistachio, green tea, and grapefruit flavored ones. then i got a milk bread bun and a curry croquette for kevin. i realized that i’ve been to this store before in santa monica with toby, chris, and jeanne...and i got he same exact bun LOL. the bun is still good though. i walked back to south station and bought brioche buns for burgers and our favorite focaccia bread from a local bakery stand in dewey square (right outside of south station). then i got meimei’s for lunch. i got their chorizard market bowl without cheese. i was going to drop off the treats with kevin, but it was around lunch time so i just took the train home.

the chorizard bowl is interesting; i think kevin would like it tbh. it had an apple-ly vinegar dressing and it had pickled carrots in it too. you could smell the vinegar when you took off the lid. it contained chorizo and beans with leafy greens too. i couldn’t finish all of it because it was so filling. i finished the bun and the two macarons. they were delicious. then i worked on my project and just soaked in the nice weather. what a nice sunny day. i love it. i also ordered rothy’s flats because my size was back in stock and i didn’t know when they would restock again so i asked my mom to get it for me for my birthday and she did! haha. thanks, momma. <3 i worked until a little past 5:30 pm and then did my back exercises, showered, and washed the dishes. then i cut up half of the sweet potatoes, seasoned them, and popped them into the oven. with the three leftover ones, i poked holes into them and then put them into the oven as well.

i made one successful poached egg and melted cheese on top of the sweet potato discs and topped it with scallions. i made myself a non-cheese version of this with the separate poached yolk failure LOL. it was pretty good! then i took out the whole potatoes and halved one of them, scooped out the sweet potato, and then kevin and i put eggs in the holes, topped them off with cheese, and baked those. with the last two sweet potatoes, i took out all of the “meat”, mashed it, and froze it -- hoping to make sweet potato and banana ice cream tomorrow! so, i made sweet potato like 3-4 ways today for dinner and i completely forgot that i needed to save some for lunch tomorrow so i guess i’m going to get food from food trucks tomorrow. then i cleaned up a bit, kevin read, we cuddled, and then i washed the dishes while kevin showered. then i got into bed and went to sleep at like 11:45 am.

17: i was tired when i got up and during exercise but i felt pretty good when i got on the train. it was such a nice day! it was only me, mathew, and jim in the office today and it was pretty nice. i had a busy morning but i got through it and everything went swimmingly. then i waited in line for like 20 minutes for the moyzilla food truck. i got their pork dumpling plate and chose to garlic noodles, added on a spring roll, and got their oolong mango iced tea. i didn’t see the small text until after i paid with credit card but they added on a 7% tax for use of credit cards T___T i am pretty disappointed by the food too. the noodles just tasted like lo mein -- it wasn’t as garlicky as shaking crab, the spring roll was a damn egg roll (it was fried), and the slaw had a good dressing but it was just ok overall. the tea was nice and refreshing though. eh, wouldn’t come back here. the rest of the afternoon, i worked with mathew and phil and then got on stand up and continued working on creating icons ;D yassss. i stayed until around 5:15 pm taking damn surveys -- the site kept crashing. i also wanted to wait for kevin to get off work so we could train home together.

i made the decision to walk over to his workplace anyway and then i picked him up for work. my flats started killing my heels on the way there so i wore them like flip flops during the walk to south station. it was hot and both of us were thirsty and our eyes and noses were kinda dry hahaha. we got back home and ate delicious bread. i got real upset over my medical bill because i went in for a check up and then it turned into a physical and then i got blood work done and i got charged for that. my bill was $1000 without insurance, wtf. it was around $65 after but wth? i went into this hole of why america’s healthcare sucks and how patients are supposed to know how much each blood test costs and what is in their coverage and out of their coverage. wtf is this bullshit? anyway, kevin and i made sweet potato banana ice cream and it tasted like cold pumpkin pie filling haha. he liked it! then kevin fell asleep on me while we were on the couch and this is when i looked up all this stuff on healthcare. i got real upset and stressed about finances again and kevin calmed me down very patiently and gently <3 thanks, kevin :<<<< then he cooked while i did my workout. we had a very late dinner and then i showered and stayed up waiting for my hair to dry. i talked with jeanne for a bit and then slept at around 1 am?

18: it felt a bit humid in the apartment and i was tired because i slept late LOL, but i carried on and exercised, made some rice for dinner (we would be out he entire day), showered, curled my hair, and ate breakfast. i knew i was going to be later than usual (probably get to work at 9:30 am) but at that point, there was no point in rushing x__x; i got to work and the office was still pretty empty except most of the dev guys were there. i think not having haowei, dave, and the marketing crew makes the place feel a lot emptier? idk. well, i talked with cole for a bit and then started working on icons again~ it was a pretty quiet day and i was tired from not getting enough sleep. i worked on another project when i was done with the icons and then the guys had tech time so i microwaved my food and ate. then i got a craving for something sweet and looked to see if the zinnekin’s waffle food truck was nearby... AND IT WAS! so i asked cole if he wanted to go with me after tech time and away we went! it was pretty hot outside but there was no line and i was just so excited. cole got the chocolate banana liege waffle and i got speculoos, chocolate, and strawberries on mine.

we ate them when we got back and boy, they were so delicious. it was hands down the most delicious waffle i’ve ever eaten. i went on a tangent from work and started looking up the best food truck cities and stuff like that. i would definitely get this again. i’m a fan. the rest of the day was hard because i kept dozing off (weather + waffle + lack of sleep baby). i got pulled into a meeting that was a bit confusing, but it happened and we’ll figure everything out tomorrow. then i did some outlining work and called it a day at around 4:45 pm. cole and i walked over to cvs and he got himself some sour patch kids gum??? and a drink LOL. then i walked over to fitbit because i was meeting up with kevin and matt to go to the rock climbing gym to do yoga! so apparently we were walking there and by the time i got to the office, my back was hella sweaty. i just took off my cardigan and we walked! i met mv, their other climbing buddy, and then we talked about random things like cat shows and our work day on the 30 minute walk there haha. kevin kind of regretted walking after realizing he could get a sunburn and it was super hot.

good thing the place has a/c! kevin paid $12 for me to attend the yoga class (wasn’t included in the bring someone here free for the first time promo that we thought i could use) and then we changed and cooled off and got in there. it was a different experience... it was definitely not as calming as the other times we’ve went. it was harder and more strength-based i would say. i almost hurt my wrists by doing a pose i knew i could not do but tried doing it anyway with the block...gg. the isntructor was rowdier than i’m used to but at the end of it all, it was a good yoga session with kevin <3 thanks for bringing me~ kevin did some problems after and both mv and matt had left already. we stopped by the doughnut store nearby and got a coconut doughnut and a cinnamon raisin crueller. they were pretty heavy doughnuts with subtle flavoring. we took the train home and then i went straight into doing my leg workout and then we showered and chilled for the rest of the night. i caught up on youtube videos while kevin read fanfic haha. we finished the loaf of bread and ate leftovers for a really late dinner. then i got on the phone with hillary and then me and kevin knocked out at like 1 am. zzz. what a long hot day.

19: i talked with hillary in the morning and then got up and made breakfast. then i did some internet errands and talked to phil and got a new project to work on. after that, i called cigna and asked about my medical bill and it cleared up a good amount of things. i called tufts to double-check and i figured out what i was actually billed for LOL. then i exercised a bit and worked on the new project. i felt bloated in the morning and realized i got my monthly gift today ahah. i spent the rest of the day working. then i talked with hillary on the phone for a bit and then did my 30 minute back workout for today while kevin made ketchup spaghetti for dinner. after i showered, we put on supernatural and then ate and watched. today was a crazy day @_@; i ended up falling asleep while waiting for kevin to shower and come back to watch the other new episode of supernatural. i think i just fell back asleep with him next to me while he read his fanfic. i woke up semi-grumpily and then brushed and moved to bed where i again fell asleep next to kevin while he read fanfic and/or watched a dota game (tournament is going on right now). i was exhausted.

20: i woke up at around 10 am and then bummed around in bed with kevin until he woke up. then i ate breakfast and watched some ‘jane the virgin’ and gamed a bit. i also threw in a good amount of youtube videos. kevin read fanfic and gamed for the day. we didn’t have anything planned except to relax and do nothing ahha. i ended up falling asleep on the couch two times. i woke up to pee and checked the time and i had enough time to sleep again. i thought kevin was going to wash the dishes at 5:30 pm but he didn’t so my body woke me up at 5:45 pm or something like that and i rushed to get up because i still needed to curl my hair and get ready for dinner. i held us up this time because i didn’t wake up in time T_T and then we had to take a shuttle to jfk/umass because the trains weren’t running today at our station. poop. i was grumpy from waking up from my nap and rushing into getting ready. i was liek half asleep awake and grumpy.

i called the restaurant to let them know we’d be around 20-30 minutes late but i got sent straight to voicemail every time. they did call me and i informed them and they said they’d do their best to get us seated asap but there was a line. it was no worry by then. the train ride was shorter than i expected but there were a lot of talkative groups of people and babies @_@; so i just put my earphones in and listened to music to zone them out. we got there and had to wait for a bit. kevin went into a grocery store that was selling cheap cuts of meat and seafood and i just waited outside. when we got our seats, kevin’s eyes went straight to the drink menu LOL. he got a lemon drink with bourbon in it and i got the summer melody which was raspberry wine with all these other fruity flavors. it was super light and refreshing! we ordered three appetizers: chili pork belly, scallion pancakes, and pumpkin croquettes. they were all pretty good. my favorites were the pancakes (so crispy) and the croquettes because of its sauces and just the subtle floral taste. 

i got the beef bibimbap and kevin got the steak ddukboki for our entrees. i think our server forgot about entering it in because we waited about 20 minutes until asking our server where our food was and she kind of freaked out and apologized. we waited another 10-15 minutes or so to get our food and they were just aiight. my bibimbap was bland af (because it was rushed?) and kevin’s dish was too saucy and needed rice. we weren’t really hangry or anything because we ordered another round of drinks in between. he got a fruity syrupy soju drink and i got a very nice cider. we obviously tipped less and then commuted home. my stomach hurt a lot the rest of the night ;( periods and alcohol don’t mix well -- it was a great date night with kevin though. <3 i think i ko’d again and got up and brushed my teeth and then went back to sleep after grumpily dealing with kevin reading fanfic and all the damn lights on in the room. he turned off all the lights and then left me alone in the room. still, i slept at around 3 am because the lights and everything just woke me up again.

21: merp. i woke up at 9 am and then went back to sleep and woke up at like 12:30 pm. x__x; then i got up and bothered kevin for a bit. i ate leftovers from yesterday and i made sure to put some salt and pepper on it lol. then i chilled by playing bravely default and watching some youtube videos while kevin read his fanfic... it’s been annoying me recently because kevin ends up just reading the entire day and ignoring the hell out of me and being unresponsive most of the time. i just don’t want to talk to him when he’s like that, but i do it anyway because it’s the weekend and i want to talk and spend more time with him. idk, ugh. we meal planned and then i ended up waiting for kevin to finish up his chapter of fanfic before we left to grocery shop. at this point i was annoyed af. we stopped by kam man and then roche bros. we bought three different types of jams at roche bros... and some pasta chips... LOL we always get snacks and stuff from there x_x; we got a cinnamon apple jam, tangerine cranberry marmalade, and a good old solid blackberry one. the pasta chips are aiight -- would not get again.

we got back, unpacked, and then kevin went straight to reading again and ignored me again when i was talking to him. so i just went off and cleaned angrily. then he finally got up and prepped to go grilling outside. he asked me if i was mad and i didn’t respond at first because it was super obvious and then i told him i was. i changed and left to the yoga studio to exercise, which i wasn’t planning on doing but i needed a release. i did 15 minutes or so of cardio and then came back to the apartment to do 15 minutes more (kevin was still outside grilling). i was planning on going out there but kevin came back and i was still waiting for the clothes to finish washing before transferring them to the dryer. i wanted go outside and lay on the hammock but a bunch of bros were sitting out there. oh well. i ate dinner with kevin and then we made up. he said sorry and i also apologized for being kind of needy and pms-y this week. x__X; i think it might have to do with not drinking the pms tea i bought (first week not drinking it since i got it). i just didn’t want to drink it this week because i felt nauseous just thinking about it. i wanted to drink fruity teas.

the rest of the night, i folded laundry and then showered and washed my hair~ i played some bravely default before going to sleep and i was right about who to the antagonist is LOL. i actually went to sleep at like 11:30 pm... i was super tired.