Dark, Light & Between [multi]

四

terms you may need to know

po po
mandarin term for grandma, or a form of formality for elder women.

batik
cloth that has been dyed using the batik method (a method (originally used in Java) of producing coloured designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed).

apam balik
Apam balik ( lit. 'turnover pancake'), also known as terang bulan ( lit. 'bright moon'), martabak manis ( lit. 'sweet martabak') or mànjiānguǒ (Chinese: 曼煎粿), is a dessert common in many varieties at specialist roadside stalls throughout Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

beef rendang
flavourful West Sumatran dry curry that's made with beef, that's cooked together with a spice paste and coconut milk until fork-tender. It's then fried together with the remaining braising liquid until the liquid caramelizes around the beef, coating it with an insane amount of flavour.

THE RETURN OF ZHI HUI MADE HER HEART FLUTTER.

Verine's arm extended past her window, delicate fingertips reaching towards the clouds. Graceful wings soared through the misty evening, claws latching onto a roll of ancient parchment. With an elegant fall, the snowy owl threw the letter right into her mistress's hands and returned to her humble abode, a little house made of bark, lined with silver petals. Verine glided over to give her love a little peck on the head before twirling her fingers, commanding a stream of water towards the tired pet's beak. Zhi Hui gulped it down gratefully, bright yellow eyes gaping with wonder.

The princess's face lit up as she carefully read the words scrawled on the paper, cheeks turning delightfully rosy.

My love,

I hope you are doing well. Work is exhausting and retirement seems ages away.
I hope your sisters are good. I hear there is to be an event arriving.
Be cautious of other kingdoms and stay safe - but do not act rash.
I will be at the night market today, I hear there may be - an incident. Keep close watch.
I'm sorry for the terrible words, my writing is - inadequate, to say the least. Is that the right word? I do hope so.
See you soon.

- your love from the beyond

A small grunt snapped Verine out of her trance.

Looking down, the princess let out a stream of laughter, picking up her baby panda, Kun. The little angel yawned tiredly, snuggling into her arms as the sun fell behind a curtain of orange-purple clouds. A small figure zoomed past the gardens, alerting Verine's senses. She glanced down, seeing a shadow speed across the trimmed grass.