#(I have a back yard also. it is Very Shaded. I love trees!!)

[elainemorisi]

due to Circumstances, I now have a persimmon seedling and a quince tree, and I am pretty enthused about this

[inf3ct3dd]

HARD WORK.

summary: your grandmas retirement to hawaii finally let you escape the annoying city life. but as it turns out, being a country girl aint easy work. luckily a hot stranger with a truck full of rakes and hoes has taken a liking to you.

gardener abby x black!oc

warnings: I AM A FREAK FOR GARDENER ABBY. little bit of creepy perv behavior, stalking, SEX

wc: 4.6k

authors note: heyyy guys miss u 😈 if anyone gaf i’ll post a part 2 cuz yk how i be… ts long as hell

abby noticed your presence about a week after you had moved.

she had recognized the yellow house, a familiar sight when she went on her drives to clear her head. it was certainly a sight for sore eyes. it was one of only three houses on the block, recognizable by the pale paint and the burnt orange front porch. she often wondered how the owners maintained it, as it was full of plants and trees. a big front yard with wildflowers, a cherry tree by the garage, and flower pots galore. its gorgeous. she also dreamed of what was behind the big door to the backyard, but she could see the faint sight of green trees from the top of it. its a beautiful house, no doubt. and the foliage was always kept perfect. bushes trimmed, lawn mowed, and the trees left the perfect shade for the summer time. she’d love to work there, but it seemed that the owners had it under control.

until you moved in.

after a while, she noticed the lawn becoming slightly overgrown, the bushes losing their shape, and the tree was dropping cherries all over the adorable pink slug bug in the driveway. she had taken that the original owners had moved out, but she had no idea who had replaced them. and clearly, that replacement had no idea how to tend to that house.

and then, she finally caught sight of you.

it was around about 3:30, if she remembered correctly. give or take five minutes. she was on her usual drive, exhausted and irritated from having to tell a woman that her grass would take at least a month to grow back from its butchered state. a bad raccoon problem left the entire yard torn, holes and dead yellow grass everywhere. but she had that off her mind now. she turned on her car stereo, old dad rock silencing her thoughts as she drove. the road you have to take to drive by the house is basically inside the forest. big, green trees on each side, a bumpy gravel road, and big hills. it was always a smooth ride, and the cool breeze from her window was a relief after sweating for 5 hours straight. she always hung her left arm out of the window, so much so that its slightly tanner than the other.

when she finally got to the house, she forgot everything she was thinking about. she even forgot where she was for a moment, making her stop the car.

she finally caught gaze of .. you. bent over the grass, seemingly trying to weed the garden. all she could see of you was your ass, and she wasn’t exactly complaining about the view. the denim shorts you were wearing left absolutely nothing to the imagination. along with the booty shorts, (the name very fitting), you had on a green spaghetti strap that clung to you like a wet suit. you had clearly been out there for a while, sweat pooling on the shirt and a drop sliding down the obvious cleavage in your shirt. she tried so hard to pull away, to leave you alone and not be a creep, but she couldn’t. it was like everything was moving in slow motion as she was eyeing you, and she slowly made her way up to your face after staring at your tits for an inappropriate amount of time. you had thick, black curls, that were pulled up haphazardly into a high ponytail. probably to get it out of your way while you worked. its clear you take advantage of how remote your house is, sitting in the yard looking like that. its unsafe, what if a weird freak comes over and stares at you from his truck?

abby quickly realized that she was the weird freak in question. even with the headphones in your ears, you noticed the presence behind you. you felt the rumbling of the truck through the ground, given the fact you were barefoot. you turned around to look at her, moving a curl out of your eyes and behind your ear. you raised a brow at the truck, confused. you couldn’t make out the person inside, with your glasses resting on the porch. you squinted and saw a rough image of some..blond person? you stared for a while longer, almost considering walking up to them . what’re they looking at? were you that bad at gardening?

abby was frozen the second you turned around. she definitely stared longer than she should have, not even noticing that you were staring as well. you had a confused look on your face as you squinted over at her. it was almost as if you couldn’t see her. when she thought the two of you made eye contact, she instantly started driving away. she tried to pull away slowly, to not be suspicious, but she zoomed down the road like a derby horse.

fuck. did she see me?

almost as soon as you saw the car, it drove away. they must’ve noticed you caught them and got embarrassed. who is that? you had seen a blob that sort of looked like blonde hair, but not much else. it was hard to discern anything from that, so you focused on what you did see. you felt like you had seen the car before, but then again, so many people have black pickup trucks around here. and its not like it had any significant details you’d remember it by, it was just a plain truck. not even a funny bumper sticker or something! its like the exact opposite of your car, the back of your beetle is covered in cute stickers, and you even got heart shaped rims. their car was different. it was so…rugged. whoever it is probably does some sort of hard job, like construction or something.

you shrugged off the whole thing, getting a bit too sweaty for your liking and heading inside. you wondered to yourself if they’d stop by again, maybe you should keep an eye on your window!

while you were pondering over who the mysterious figure in the truck was, the figure herself was freaking out. she couldn’t stop imagining you on that lawn, seeing your confused face and glossy pout as you stared at her. did you even realize someone was looking at you? did you feel weird and scared now? was that the absolute most pervy thing she could’ve done?? and most importantly, would you notice if she did it again? she shook the thought as soon as it came. she was practically berating herself, mumbling “don’t be weird” under her breath. she tried to think about other things. the smell of the trees lining the road. the tree in your front yard. fuck, this is difficult.

eventually, she settled on thinking about your yard. she tried not to focus on the image of you bent over in front of it, and her behind you, and she slowly remembered something. you could not garden for shit. you had missed a bunch of huge strips mowing, the bushes were lopsided, and you were knee deep in weeds. it was obvious you had no idea what you were doing, and she knew it would be so easy to fix it.

“looks like you need some help.” she uttered from behind you on the front yard, and you turned around, puzzled.

“you think so?” you stared up at her, doe eyes nearly punching her in the chest. you were still sweaty, in the same tank top.

“yeah, you look hot. let me cool you off.” and with that, she grabbed at the bottom of the shirt. “can i”-

“abby. cut it out.” she pulled herself out of the daydream, realizing she had stopped her car once again. thankfully, the road was completely empty, so she kept driving. there wasn’t anything worth staring at over here, so she kept it pushing. freak.

she tried to push whatever happened earlier to the back of her mind all day. but its like she got hypnotized. she drove up to her house, and she stupidly expected to see you in her front yard. she went inside, and she wondered what the inside of your house looked like. does she have carpet? what color are her walls?

she quickly shut down the thought of “walls” as an…untasteful image appeared in her head. she took a shower, a near freezing one, and she imagined what type of showers you like. or if you were even a shower person, maybe you liked baths. you’d probably shriek if you stepped into the shower and it was the wrong temperature. she imagined you sitting on the edge of the tub, letting the water run over your fingers until it was justtt right. she imagined you sitting down in the tub, and - nothing. she didn’t imagine anything else.

she cooked herself some pasta for dinner, and sat down on her couch to eat. do you like spaghetti? she started thinking about that scene in the lady and the tramp, except you and her replaced the dogs. once again, she shut that down right after she started. she ate her food and threw her dishes in the sink, almost running to her bedroom. because she was tired. no other reason.

you had gotten a call from your grandma a little while after you went inside. you didn’t necessarily want to talk to anyone right now, but you owed it to her after she basically gave her house to you for free. she talked for what felt like forever, about her new house, the beach, everything. and after a million “really”s and “oh wow”s, she asked you to show her the house.

you showed her around the inside first, panning around the living room, kitchen, and all the rooms, she was very satisfied with how clean you kept the house. its easy to take care of when its just you making the messes, and not an aggravating messy roomate. you felt like a lonely housewife who’s husband left for war.

afterwards, you went out into the backyard. her smiling face turned into a confused grimace within seconds.

“honey, who did the lawn?” she asked, so much concern in her voice you’d assume she just walked in on a crime scene.

“i did! doesn’t it look good?” you chimed, confused on why she sounds like you’ve just killed a man.

“…no. it looks like a hot mess. you missed like, three spots! and lord, what did you do to my bushes?” she let out a loud sigh.

“…i trimmed them?” your pride was wiped off your face, a small frown replacing it.

“i don’t even wanna see the front. you know what, you need to find a gardener. someone. as long as its not you. ill pay for it myself, just…don’t touch anything.”

“at least my plants aren’t dead and the grass is still green.” she mumbled under her breath, hanging up the phone.

where the hell are you gonna find a gardener?

with your spirits crushed, you sat with your computer and your glasses resting on your nose, “how to fix a messed up lawn” reflecting on the glass. r/lawncare said to leave it and let it re-grow before mowing it again, evenly. wait at least a week or two and keep watering it. but don’t touch it.

so, you decided to listen. the gardener hunt could wait till later, you were sleepy. you ended up dozing off on the couch watching chopped, and you had forgotten all about it by the morning.

abby however, can’t forget anything.

after a long, sleepless night, abby was running out of things to distract herself. why was she going borderline insane over some random girl? she’s seen hot girls before. were you a witch or something?

she went through her day with the same irritating questions going through her head. what does she listen to when she drives? what does she order at the coffee shop? whats her name?

she realized by the time she was on her lunch break she needed to answer at least one of her questions. she already knew where you lived, whats the harm in knowing your name?

she had slightly known your grandma, only the fact that they owned the farm that was down the road from the house. and that it was named after their last name. small town advantage, am i right?

after googling the last name, a facebook profile showed up. presumably exactly who she thought it was. she scrolled through pictures of her at the beach, on family vacation, unfunny memes,and a post that made her chuckle for a whole minute.

she knew she was in the right place now.

after scrolling for a while longer, she found exactly what she was looking for: a picture of you and the woman, your arm slung around her shoulder. you looked like you were at a wedding, all dolled up in a green satin dress with your hair down. you were wearing glasses, too.

“so she probably didn’t see me.”

you looked just as gorgeous as yesterday, and the picture was captioned “my beautiful granddaughter r ♥️💐😘🥰” and there was many more of her old lady friends and relatives calling you gorgeous. didn’t she know it.

she typed the name , your name, into facebook yet again, and there you were. the profile picture was of you as a baby, little black curls pulled into two pigtails as you grabbed at the camera with a cheesy smile. albeit, you only had two teeth, but it was definitely a smile. you’ve just always been cute, huh?

she looked down at the bio, and found everything else she needed to know. whos idea was it to make people give facebook all their personal information?

it was obvious this account was just for family, as it was mostly just reposts of your relatives posts and pictures she would deem “family friendly.” but the pictures were mostly of things other than you, like cats and pretty buildings you saw. it gave off the perfect, innocent impression to anyone who’d come across it.

but after finding your facebook, it didn’t take her much longer to find your instagram. and your tiktok. and your tumblr from when you were in highschool? maybe she was digging a little too deep.

your instagram wasn’t that stark of a contrast to your facebook. add a little more cleavage, and a much more active..social life, and it was basically the same. you hadn’t posted much with your friends in a while though, only stills of your plane and you relaxing in your new home. tough time making friends over here?

she snooped even more into your following, and at first there wasn’t anything really interesting. some music artists you liked, random cat accounts, and baking accounts. cute. but, after a while, she recognized something. the name of the place you worked at that she saw on your facebook. a veterinary office. the profile mostly had pictures of cats and dogs and some smaller animals, but when she saw a post about the offices pet fundraiser, she immediately recognized your face. cheesy smile, holding up a small kitten to your cheek. it was adorable.

she looked up the address in the account’s bio, and she saw that it was a 5 minute drive from her house. perfect coincidence. alice would love to take a walk after work today, wouldn’t she?

her snooping was interrupted by the alarm she had set for the end of her break. startled, she slightly jumped out of her seat before swinging her door open and plopping her phone in her back pocket. she knew what her plans for this afternoon were.

while abby was scheming up her stalkerish plans, you were just.. bored. you sat at the front desk, doodling one of the dogs you saw come in earlier with one earbud in your ear, fleetwood mac giving you soft background music to the emptiness of the lobby. with it being tuesday and all, it wasn’t very busy. your shift didn’t end for a few hours though, and you would rather be bored than busy.

you decided to people watch outside the window for a bit. you saw an old lady walking around with another old lady, holding coffee cups from the cafe down the street. they were engrossed in conversation, and you tried to lip read, but could only make up a few nonsensical words before they disappeared out of your view. a man walked by with his disgruntled teen daughter, headphones pulled over her ears with an annoyed grimace. once again, it looked like the father was saying something, but you had no idea what.

after a few more people walked past, you saw someone who actually…caught your eye. it was a tall blonde woman, hair weaved neatly into a braid that rested on her right shoulder. she had on a black tshirt that showed of her toned arms, and grey cargo pants with green grass stains on them. you tried to glance at her face, but she was facing the side. all you could really see was the outline of her curved nose, and the soft shape of her lips. her side profile looked perfectly carved, like a statue. she had on black over the ear headphones too, and she was holding a leash to a big german shepherd. shes hot, and she has a dog? you subconsciously started fixing your hair, just in case she was walking in here. she stopped near the door, and you nearly pounced to greet her. but your excitement was cut short when you saw her walk slightly further, and pull out a small stack of papers and a roll of tape. was she putting up fliers?

you watched her place one on the light post outside your building, holding the tape in her mouth as she did so. you tried hard not to drool all over your desk as you watched her. you couldnt make out what the paper said as she walked away, and you wasted no time going outside to see what it was.

and when you finally approached it, you felt as god himself was giving you an offering. the flier read "abby anderson gardening services.” there was a small graphic of a pretty flower, and an even more captivating image of the woman who had put up the flier. abby, that’s a sweet name.

you quickly ripped off one of the small pieces of paper on the bottom of the flier, placing it in your sweater pocket before skipping back into your work gleefully. a hot girl who was gonna save you from your gardening dilemma? somebody pinch you.

abby hadn’t had the smallest confidence her plan had worked. her heart was practically beating out of her chest, and the questions kept on pouring in. did she even see? will she even notice? what if she did see, and she recognized me as the freak who was ogling her outside her house? she planned all this perfectly. she spent 3 hours last night making those stupid fliers. scrolling through a million different fonts, searching through her camera roll for good pictures, she needed it to be as believable as possible. she had parked her truck well out of view a few blocks away, carried extra fliers, and brought alice with her to try and hide her true intentions. normal gardener walking her dog and putting up fliers, thats all she was. definitely not a weirdo that saw a girl pruning her front yard and got so hot and bothered that she devised a whole plan that would maybe get her to call her.

she shook her head, practically trying to shake away her thoughts, and she kept on walking.

you were telling yourself that you’d call her right when you got off work.

and after sitting on your bed for 5 minutes staring at her number typed into your phone, it was tomorrow.

and then tomorrow, it was the day after that.

the fear made absolutely no sense to you. you’re calling a gardener! whats the worst shes gonna say? ‘oh no, im not gardening for you because you’re stupid and also im going to run you over with my lawn mower.’ its her job to do this!! you had even saved her number in your phone as “hot gardener” so you wouldn’t forget her.

you were silently hoping that youd see her around somewhere. she’d approach you, start some dumb conversation, suddenly bring up the fact that shes a gardener, and then you get your “really? i’ve been looking for one!” moment. perfect meet cute.

but its like she vanished into thin air.

every time you went to work, or even out shopping, you were dolled up for no reason. wearing shirts with extra cleavage, making sure you have on lipgloss constantly, you were not taking any chances. even when you were doing the most mundane activities, you swiped on a layer of mascara before you left the house. just in case. but your luck wasn’t striking you at all. does she not live in the neighborhood?

abby definitely lived in the neighborhood. after checking her flier and seeing a missing phone number, she spent the whole night waiting for her phone to ring. she did anything and everything to try and keep her busy, which included cleaning her entire apartment and stalking your instagram. you had posted a picture of your cat on your story. cute.

after almost 5 hours of waiting around, she was pacing around her living room like a tiger in captivity. every notification she got she pounced at her phone, but she was continuously disappointed. no manny, i don’t want to go out tonight. dont ever text my phone again and also i hate you.

it was around 12:45 when her phone finally rang. she picked up instantly, barely letting it ring. she cleared her throat and tried to feign nonchalance in her voice. but instead of your sweet voice asking about her lawn, it was a telemarketer. she threw her phone on the couch and collapsed on her floor. it was gonna be a long night..

the next day, she knew she needed to check on you. what if something had happened? or, worse, what if you weren’t even the one who took the phone number? she came back the same way she did the first time she saw you, driving a liiiittle too slow past the vet office. and low and behold, you were perfectly fine. sat at the front desk talking to some girl with a cat. and when she looked at the flier, there was still only one slip missing. maybe you forgot?

she drove away, a childish pout on her face. it was pathetic , really.

when she was at the grocery store on the second day of waiting , that she definitely didn’t drive an extra five minutes to because it was close to you, she nearly had a heart attack when she saw you in the cereal aisle. cute hoodie and shorts on with your hair down. you seemed like you were having a hard time deciding between two cereals, holding the boxes next to each other and squinting. she imagined herself going up to you and delivering some smooth one liner about cereal that she was still trying to come up with, and carrying your groceries and you to your car. but as much as she wanted to, she kept her distance. heavily. she was looking around every five minutes like a shoplifter so she wouldn’t bump into you.

but not touching didn’t mean she couldn’t look. she saw you finally chuck the fruity pebbles into your basket, squeeze half the mangos on the display before picking one, and you last minute deciding to buy a pack of gum when you were checking out. she tried her hardest to not be jealous of the scrawny bag boy you smiled at, and when she finally saw you check out, she remembered she was supposed to be getting stuff for dinner. shit.

and the day after that, when she stopped at the gas station by your street because it was ‘cheaper’, she recognized your beetle in two seconds. she watched you step into the little mini market, clad in a pair of jean shorts and a random t shirt from a theme park , and she watched you walk out with a bag of hot cheetos as she pumped her gas. she had gotten a closer look at your bumper stickers, and she saw a small heart with a sunset flag. she couldn’t help but do a little fist pump when she got in her car.

none of her research was giving her any clarity though. she kept driving past her flier, day after day, and not a single other person had picked up a slip. was it even you who took it? are you gonna hire some other stupid gardener you found on your phone?

and on the third day, she had stayed home. she was beginning to give up hope you’d ever call, and she would never make a move first. especially if you had accidentally seen her on one of her little ventures. so, she cleaned her house again. she even dusted, thats how bored she was. the thoughts of you were constantly plaguing her. she almost took up mannys offer to go out tonight, try and get her mind off things.

but her mind stayed in the exact same place. her mind replayed the memory of you in the lawn yet again. she remembered the sweat dripping down your chest, the way your shorts were riding right up your thighs. she shoved her hand down her pants and imagined that they were yours.

she remembered how nice and smooth your voice sounded on the videos she saw. even though you never said much, even her imagining it made her even wetter. she kept rubbing her middle finger up and down her clit, picturing you whispering in her ear.

“you’re such a fucking creep. you keep watching me at work, following me around, and now you’re fucking yourself to me? we’ve never even met. you’re acting like a desperate slut for some random girl, you’re not embarrassed?”

the dialogue she was imagining in her head was getting her further and further. she almost imagined you saying it, the voice being strange and inconsistent to her. still, she moved faster, hearing the noise her slick covered fingers made as she moved. she kept letting out heavy breaths, flexing her hips upwards onto her hand.

“you know, you could’ve just come up to talk to me. how pathetic are you? can’t even talk to a girl?”

she imagined your breath on her neck, watching her. if she focused enough, she could feel the indent in her bed of you next to her. she started moving even faster, letting out loud moans as she pressed down on her clit even harder. she arched her back as she did, pushing her head against her headboard. she could feel the pressure building in her lower stomach, and she was practically humping her hand. she got sweatier and sweatier, the blanket covering her lower half not making it any better.

“are you really this desperate? you could-“

abbys fantasy was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing next to her. right when she was close. fuck. she nearly abandoned the phone call, but then the thought crossed her hazy mind. what if it was you?

so she wiped her hands on her boxers , took a deep breath, and answered her phone.

she tried not to get her hopes up, worried it might be another telemarketer. annoyed at the fact that she gave up cumming for some random person.

“hello? is this..-abby?”

[rainbow-rebellion]

I said I wasn’t doing supercorptober this year and then my hand slipped... oops

*content warning: implied abuse*

fly away on the breeze to freedom [ao3 here] (Prompts 1-5: Leaves, Courage, Dress, Garden, Alone)

“There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling, What if you fly?” -- Erin Hanson

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

Thick fog swirls soft and gray along the edge of the yard, long fingers slowly snaking their way through a maze of trunks and branches to settle in a heavy blanket above the multi-colored treetops. A blue ceramic mug gripped tightly between her hands, she savors its warmth in the chill of the early morning. Wisps of steam curl off the hot liquid to dissipate in the crisp autumn air, and the rich aroma of hot chocolate wraps itself around her like a gentle hug, always her comfort drink of choice on a dreary day.

She thinks about the dress hanging in her closet, silken white, skirt layered with tulle to make it full and fluffy, bodice overlaid with intricate lace and beadwork.

She thinks about the suit in the closet opposite hers, a classic black tux with a silver vest and shiny black shoes. She thinks about the man who will be wearing it.

She almost didn’t buy the dress. It had been a rare moment of bravery that had risen from within her, but then had dissipated as quickly as the steam from her cocoa.

Her sister had pleaded with her, tried to convince her she’d be safe, that all of Kara’s family and friends would be there to protect her if she could just find the courage to walk away. But she was too scared of the consequences, too scared of ending up alone. It was something her fiancé liked to remind her of, how sad and inconsequential her life would be without him. For some reason she always believed him.

That was before though, before a dear friendship blossomed into something that promised the possibility of more. Before kind words and patient company began to heal her shattered sense of self and slowly rebuild the confidence she had lost somewhere along the way. (Not surprisingly it was a friendship he never approved of). She’s still scared of course, she’s always scared these days, but she’s also so very tired of it all, and doesn’t know how much more she can take.

The morning sun peeks through the haze to cast pockets of golden light on the changing leaves - varying shades of orange, red, yellow and green - setting the trees ablaze in a magical show of color and glowing light. The sun’s rays catch a lone leaf as it falls, floating on the breeze to land softly on the dewy grass below. She wonders if it could be that easy - if she lets go, will she land as gently? She thinks about how the trees shed their old leaves and bare their branches to the winter’s fury, comforted by the assurance of warm spring days and new life ahead of them.

A determination settles in her soul, solid and resolute. She thinks about her sister and her mother, their pleas and their promises. Maybe it’s time to finally trust them. She thinks about someone else, piercing green eyes looking deep into her own and asking Kara to think about what she wants - not what anyone else wanted or what she thinks she’s supposed to want, but what she actually wants. A whispered oath swearing to always be there for her, no matter the answer.

But she thinks she knows the answer now - she’s known it for a while if she’s being honest with herself. It’s just now she’s finally finding the courage to take the leap, knowing there will be somebody to catch her. Someone who will love her the way he never could, with soft words and gentle hands.

A cold breeze has her pulling her cardigan tighter around her body, but she can’t help the quiet smile that appears on her weary face.

When she goes back inside she stands in the living room and looks around a house that has never felt like a home. A place that should have been a safe haven, but often felt more like a prison than anything else. Four walls and a roof that she’ll be happy to be free from.

Mike is still asleep on their bed, face down, snoring in his deep baritone. With the alcohol still in his system from last night, he’ll be out until at least noon. She gathers a few of her belongings in a small bag, only the really important things that can’t be replaced. She leaves her ring on the kitchen table with a short note, even though he doesn’t deserve her explanation. He’ll be angry no matter what, but she’s done letting him intimidate her.

She drives on autopilot to the other side of the city, to a quaint little white house with a blue door, her heart knowing exactly where it needs to be right now. She doesn’t bother with the doorbell, instead she walks around to let herself in the wooden gate to the garden in the back. That's where Kara knows she’ll find her, kneeling on the ground with her hands in the soil. Lena had bought this house in a quiet suburb after semi-retiring from her high-stress corporate career, and had taken prolifically to gardening. The multitude of flowers and abundant greenery evidence of her green thumb, all thriving, vibrant and full of life just like Lena.

She looks up when Kara enters the garden, the warm dappled light accentuating the hint of auburn in her dark brown hair, and falling across her face in a way that highlights the slight difference of color in her eyes, one a jade green, the other a hint more blue. Her gaze is soft and welcoming, but curious, tilting her head in question at the bag slung over Kara’s shoulder.

“I thought about what you asked me.”

Lena simply nods and waits patiently, though she can’t help the way her heart involuntarily skips a beat and her stomach flutters in anticipation.

“I know what I want now.” Kara takes a deep breath in, letting the tension drop out of her body when she exhales. Then a little more quietly, but steady and full of certainty, “I know who I want.”

Lena doesn’t say anything right away, but the smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes says everything. She pats the ground next to her with a gloved hand. “Come sit with me.”

So Kara drops her bag on the small stone patio and sits down in the dirt next to her. Lena slips an arm around her and pulls her close, so Kara’s head is resting on her shoulder. She nuzzles her nose in golden blonde hair and places a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. Humming in contentment, Kara relishes the warmth of Lena’s body and breathes in her calming scent, allowing herself to finally relax and to be loved in this tender way.

Lena eventually pulls away to gaze at her, eyes full of adoration, achingly gentle but also fiercely protective, promising a hundred tomorrows each better than the next, and never one of them alone. She reaches out to grab a small plastic pot filled with orange and yellow flowers, and holds it up so Kara can see them.

“Did you know that chrysanthemums symbolize rebirth and new beginnings? They're actually revered in many cultures as a reminder of the beauty of change and transformation.” She pauses, dimples forming in her cheeks as her smile grows. Reaching out with her free hand she takes Kara’s in hers and squeezes. “Would you like to plant them with me?”

Kara can’t help but feel as light as the leaf she saw that morning, as if she herself had been carried here by the breeze, landing soft and sure, exactly where she needed to be. For the first time in a long time, when she smiles, it reaches all the way to her eyes and makes them crinkle at the corners.

“I’d like that very much.”

And as she sits side by side with Lena, working together in a little garden grown from love and filled with life, she feels the warmth of the sun break through and lift the fog from her soul.

[southernsolarpunk]

so since I've basically seen all the seasons at my house now I've got a decent understanding of the micro-climate of my yard, and i need to document it somewhere so here goes:

front yard gets scorched. straight up. it doesn't really let up until 2-3 pm so i need full sun drought tolerant plants in the front area. (i dug some swales to redirect runoff from the foundation of the house, so its a little more moist than it was when we first moved in) this can be slightly mitigated by planting a couple dwarf trees in the very front area of the yard but that'll only help a little. i got a hardy hibiscus 'dark mystery' (Hibiscus Moscheutos, native perennial) that i plant to take cuttings of next year that has been loving the heat. This area i also plan to plant a bunch of milkweed (current varieties I'm planning to get are sandhill milkweed [asclepias Humistrata] green milkweed [Asclepias Viridis] Purple milkweed [Asclepias Purpurascens]) I'm also planning to get some native ornamental grasses to place around the entire property (including the front yard) some other plants i planning to plant are cardinal flower (Lobelia Cardinalis), liatris (liatris Spicata), Gaillardia (Gaillardia Pulchella), prairie sage (artemisia Ludoviciana), mountain mint (pycnanthemum muticum). more to be decided after i put this wave in. (definitely want some bee balm)

right side of the yard (by the house) is dark, cool, wooded, and wet. the rhododendron i put in was doing great until my brother in law took a lawnmower to it. :( but at least i can replace it. this is also where i have my feijoas (he also ran over them but they bounced back). probably will just add some rhododendrons & hydrangeas. i need to look up some more native shade plants for this area.

left side of the yard (by the house) gets even more sun than the front yard. i want to get a green house eventually (i have to replace all the windows in my house so I'll repurpose those for it) so this is probably the best place to do it.

backyard is large, part is dry and sunny, and towards the back is wooded. this is where i plan to put the fruit & nut trees i want. i need to thin out some of the less mature trees because they're extremely dense at the moment. (got a battery-powered chainsaw. i would have just borrowed my stepdads tools but hes convinced i would break them if i used them. :/ but at least now my father-in-law can borrow mine if he needs it) in the center of the backyard is where i have 2 12x4 gardens beds, and in the future i plan to add 2 more. this is where i have a lot of passionflower maypop plants, i transplanted some to the fenceline but i want an archway trellis as well. (i have watched probably over a hundred gulf fritillary caterpillars turn into butterflies, they're everywhere) the right side of the yard is where i plan to put the taller fruit & nut trees, (wont block sunlight) but i also want to get some dwarf fruit trees to place around as well. also this summer i saw lightning bugs in the backyard (!!!!!!!) so i plan to put in some grasses around an area that's like 12x12 ft across that dips down a few feet. (this area literally looks like a dried up small pond) i looked up how to use clay to create a natural lining for a pond, so this area will be good for lightning bugs, frogs, toads, salamanders, etc. this is in the lowest part of the yard, so its an optimal place for it.

this is just some basic plans for the future- i got a lot of seeds online so its not too break-the-bank expensive, and i get a lot of bushes and trees from etsy which can be great for saving money, despite the slight increased risk for mislabeled plants. i save money with this so i can get some nicer varieties of fruit trees that i really want (fuji apples, hosui pears, bing & rainier cherry trees).

my father-in-law really enjoys canning and preserving so I'm growing all the trees so i can give him some fruit to preserve (he lives in a very low-laying area, and a lot of it is swamp so he doesn't have as much room for fruit trees, his blackberry jam is amazing) also a guy my partner works with is into gardening as well (dudes he gave us so many peppers literally pounds of them) so i want to be able to return the favor with fruit. :) my mom and stepdad also have some fruit trees but I'm hoping to grow some that they don't have so we can trade.

ultimately i just want to grow as much food as possible and give it away to everyone who wants it, while also hosting the ultimate butterfly rest stop.

if you read this and enjoyed it, I'm glad! I'll post about these projects as i do them (which will be slowly) so i hope maybe this will inspire some of you :)

[riversimmone]

In the Heat of the Moment

In The Heat of The Moment

RiverOfTheSand

Summary:

AU. This is what happens when the SasuSaku in my head is interrupted by Naruto and this alternate universe version of Team 7 get down and dirty on a hot day. Rated M for a reason. It is NOT REMOTELY YAOI OR YURI. It also has a SasuSaku moment...

Notes:

Cross-posting: I wrote this in 2011 so please forgive the weirdness and naivety of it. I don't think this needs the 'multi' category but if you disagree please let me know. Original fanfiction.net author note: AU one-shot. Okay, so for reference, it says on my profile that lately every time I try to write SasuSaku, Naruto pops into my head, looking for a threesome. Well, this is the result. Don't get confused, I'm not into reading or writing SasuNaru, nor writing NaruSaku, (the storyline has to be good enough for a NaruSaku for me to consider reading it), and this is NOT EVEN REMOTELY YAOI. Also: apologies for any and all OOCness. It is AU after all. This has come out more smut than I intended, but anyway… There's a threesome Sasuke/Sakura/Naruto and a SasuSaku lemon. Read, love, and review! :) Rated M. I hope you all enjoy. :)

Sakura Haruno fanned herself, cursing the sun and the humidity. Why oh why did it have to be so fucking hot? She had just had a cold shower to try to cool down, and was bloody hot again! Not to mention horny! She'd broken up with Sasori a week ago for cheating on her and was currently single. A part of her suddenly wished he would waltz up to her house right now and beg to fuck her one last time. She needed a scratch, so bad.

'Well there's always Sasuke,' she thought, staring over at him across the road; he was mowing his front yard, shirtless.

Sitting on the lounge chair on the front patio of her house, she was shaded, but hot, and very aware of the man hunk across the road.

She bit her bottom lip. 'Yeah right, like he would ever fuck me.'

Sasuke Uchiha was incredibly popular, despite his superiority complex. Hot, gorgeous and right now, very single! Sakura's eyes flickered over his nicely toned body as he worked away. That dark hair, those penetrating eyes, that glistening skin… The sound of a mocking voice drew her attention to the blonde sitting in the shadow of Sasuke's house, on the front patio and barely visible to her around the large tree in the front yard.

"Come on Sasuke!" Naruto Uzumaki cooed. "Put some effort into it!"

He stood and leant over the wooden railing of the patio and Sakura noticed that Sasuke wasn't the only one shirtless. She had to admit, his body was hot; that well toned, but lean body had her feeling as moist as the one that belonged to Sasuke.

'Stop fantasizing!' She snapped at herself. 'He's almost as popular as Sasuke!'

'And just as single,' a second voice in her head pointed out.

Groaning softly, Sakura stood as Sasuke started to berate his best friend, and stalked back into her house. She had only lived in Konoha for six weeks, having dated Sasori for two, and had yet to even speak to the hot, raven haired boy who lived across the road. The day her parents had forced her to move with them into this boring little town, she had been sulking quietly about taking this trip. When they'd arrived, she noticed Sasuke right away, sitting on his front porch and staring at her intently. Then Naruto had driven into the Uchiha driveway, and after a long, inaudible discussion on the patio (not to mention several glances in her direction), the boys had disappeared around the Uchiha house and into the backyard. Apparently, she wasn't worth their time. The oldest Uchiha sibling, Itachi, had come over to say hello, and even helped them move some of the heavier furniture. He was so sweet, so helpful, and soooo hot! But she quickly discovered he already had a girlfriend. Sakura had another cold shower and daydreamed about the air conditioner her parents had been promising for a week now. The holidays were killing her!

She watched television, surfed on the net, and then rang her new friend Ino Yamanaka to see if she was busy, realising too late that she had just interrupted her, mid-coitus.

Having hung up the phone, Sakura groaned. Everyone but her was getting laid. Then she jumped, startled as the cordless phone in her hand suddenly rang. It was her mother, reminding her to water the garden. She always worried about that, and Sakura always needed reminding.

The pinkette rolled her eyes. 'You and your shrubs, mother.'

Her parents were visiting friends for a few days, which at least gave Sakura some freedom for a while. So, she left the house and walked around the side to grab the hose. She was wearing short shorts and a small singlet, showing off her shape. She never tanned easily, just burnt in the sun. In the corner of her eye, she noted that Sasuke and Naruto were still in the Uchiha front yard, now both staring at her. They did this quite often. Naruto leant against the patio railing, while Sasuke stood rigidly in the shadow of the tree – both just watching her. She did not appreciate being turned into a spectacle, especially by two hot guys who didn't have the decency to speak to her instead of ogling!

But despite her annoyance at their stares, she had never once gone over there and berated them for it. Was she scared of them? They were both so popular at school that one bad word out of her mouth would send an army of fan girls to her house with pitchforks and flame torches. She shivered involuntarily.

But they wouldn't stop staring. Sakura hosed down the carnations and sunflowers (or whatever flower that was, that her mother was into this month) and spun around to face her audience. Sasuke's face remained impassive but even from this distance she could see the grin spreading across Naruto's.

'That is it!'

Fuming, Sakura stalked over to them. "What the hell do you two think you're staring at?"

"You," Sasuke said, nonchalantly and Naruto chuckled.

"Well, stop it!"

"No." The raven haired boy did not look intimidated by her, or offended. Naruto continued to grin at her.

She frowned. "Why not?"

Sasuke sighed and the blonde answered for him. "Because you're so fucking hot."

She felt her jaw drop. 'W-what did you say?"

Naruto jumped over the patio railing and landed lithely on the ground next to his friend. "I said you're hot. Only an idiot wouldn't want to fuck you."

That inner voice of hers flared up.

'Oh really, then why have neither of you tried?'

But outside of her head, she didn't know what to say. She was frustrated at their behaviour and a little turned on by the expressions they were both now casting her way, but the strongest sensation was the dancing butterflies forming in her stomach.

Sasuke saved her. "Naruto and I are best friends. We have been since before we could pronounce the words properly. So when we both saw you when you first moved in and both wanted to fuck you, we couldn't. Do you see the dilemma?"

Slowly, she nodded her head, mute and in shock.

'The bonds of friendship are more important to them than a contest to get laid.'

So, he was saying that he and Naruto don't ever compete with each other over girls. Most male friends entered these kinds of contests with each other. Sakura had learnt this the hard way at her old school, having lost her virginity to a guy who just wanted to win a bet with his friends. And even though Sasori hadn't made a bet with his friends to sleep with her (that she knew of), she had fucked him enough times to know that life was just plain cruel. It had just been sex for him, anyway.

But because of her natural tendency toward secrecy and respect for her own private life, people thought she was less experienced than she really was.

"Normally," Naruto said seriously, "teme and I have entirely different tastes in girls. This makes it easier not to ruin our friendship. We've never wanted to fuck the same girl like this before."

Sakura's eyes widened. 'Like what?'

She swallowed heavily, struggling to control her breathing under the intense glare of them both. They looked so collected, yet ravenous at the same time.

"And me?" She asked, only half-heartedly wanting to know the answer.

Sasuke smiled. She had yet to see him do that. It was always boredom, irritation or a smirk on his face. "It seems we've reached an impasse," he stated. "And there's only one option left, other than pretending from here on out, that you don't exist."

"Which is very difficult," Naruto added, his eyes raking her body. "Especially when you're dressed like that." He indicated to her skimpy clothes and she narrowed her eyes at him warningly.

He grinned. "All we're saying is this needs an immediate resolution."

Sakura felt suddenly wary. "What kind of resolution?"

"A three-way," Sasuke said matter-of-factly, making the pinkette blush profusely.

"Or one at a time," Naruto interjected, "if the idea of a threesome creeps you out."

Sakura was having trouble breathing. The two hottest guys in school were both attracted to her, and wanted her AT THE SAME TIME! She forced herself to calm down, not wanting to give herself a stroke. It was hot enough already, even though she was shaded under the large tree that stood in Sasuke's front yard.

While Sasuke looked his usual, aloof self, Naruto's face conveyed hope and just a hint of concern. It was incredibly cute.

'Oh my god girl, they both want to fuck you! Calm the fuck down and just jump them already!'

She knew she wanted to, and that just the thought of sliding naked between them was getting her hot, but she worried all the same. What would happen after? Would they just go back to staring at her from across the road anyway? Or would they revert to their first option and decide to pretend she didn't exist? She really didn't want to be used again. It was an old song for her.

Sakura inhaled deeply, and they waited patiently, noting her concern. But neither attempted to alleviate her worries – they wanted her to make this decision herself, no pressure. Still, in some small, twisted way, that inner voice of hers was right. And with that thought, she decided, holding herself straight and taking a deep breath before speaking.

"I've had a threesome before. They don't scare me."

Both boys were surprised by her audacity, but Sasuke hid it well.

Naruto grinned at her. "So you're all for it?"

She nodded and both of them inhaled softly, as if in anticipation.

"Sure," she said, "as long as this isn't some trick to humiliate me."

"Why would we do that?"

She pulled a face at the blonde and he chuckled. Sasuke stood straight; he had been leaning against the tree. He smirked.

"Your place or mine?"

Naruto burst out laughing and Sakura giggled. "Do you have air-conditioning?"

The Uchiha nodded.

"You don't?" Naruto asked. "In this heat?"

She sighed. "My parents are lazy asses."

"Come on," Naruto took her hand, "let's get you inside."

Sakura was nervous yes, considering whose house this was and what they were about to do. That threesome she had had was with Sasori and a girl who lived down the road from him, called Karin. Sakura knew her from Sasuke's fan club, but had had no idea that she'd had her eyes on Sasori as well.

'That should've been my first hint,' she thought.

Sakura noted how much nicer the Uchiha house was compared to hers – not just the sweet cool air from the air con, but the more expensive furniture, the uncluttered wall cabinets that hinted they had a professional cleaner, but also the glass back patio doors and the bone white walls and fixtures. She was glad she hadn't invited the boys back to her place.

"Teme's room is upstairs," Naruto said, after Sakura declined their offer of 'nourishments' in the kitchen.

He led the way, with the pinkette in the middle. She smirked at that. Sasuke's room was a surprise to Sakura. There were no posters of naked or half naked women, and he had an adjoining bathroom. But the bed covers were a dark blue and he had his own entertainment system – a HD TV, surround sound, desktop computer (and a laptop sitting next to it), and with stereo system hooked up that could shake the furniture.

Sasuke noticed her approval and smirked. "You should see Itachi's room."

Sakura turned toward the bed. It was king sized. Naruto and Sasuke were already shirtless, and she sighed at their intrigued expressions. They were waiting for her to even the playing field. This gave her a boost of confidence.

She giggled. "You two are so typical."

She lifted her singlet over her head, revealing the white, lacy bra underneath, and dumped it on the floor. Sakura then sat on the edge of the bed, undid her shorts, and slipped them off. The boys were clearly every excited, by both her barely covered breasts and the slight shape under her white and pink knickers.

Sakura giggled again. "Come on, don't leave a girl hanging."

They undid their respective pants, pulling down their underwear and climbed onto the bed – Sasuke on the right, Naruto on the left. She realised suddenly that they'd had threesomes with girls before – well perhaps with four of them. There was this rumour shortly after Sakura had arrived in Konoha, that Sasuke and Naruto had been caught on school grounds having sex with two girls. It had been a very erotic rumour.

She wondered briefly if it had had less to do with their friendship, and more to do with actual girlfriends, or something like that. The rumours never did say for sure, but it was implied.

Sakura licked her lips, eyeing them off. They were both well endowed, though Sasuke looked about half an inch longer. She tore her eyes away from their limp organs and pushed herself backwards on the bed. She wanted a little foreplay first. They both grinned at her – though Sasuke's was more like a smirk – clearly seeing who she would choose first. A little teasing was in order. She wanted to fuck Sasuke more than Naruto, but didn't want the blonde to realise this, so she summoned him over to her with a wiggle of her finger. She gave him permission to remove her bra, and then as Naruto lowered his lips to her hardened nipples, she shifted her right leg to indicate without words for Sasuke to move. He repositioned himself and slid his fingers under her panties, pulling them off of her in one swift movement.

Sakura moaned, her left hand playing with Naruto's hair as Sasuke spread her legs. She was already wet from the attention so far. He noticed this and ran his fingers along the inside of her thighs before dipping his head between them. Sasuke's tongue played with her clitoris and she sighed with contentment. He nibbled it softly for a moment and then moved his exploration to her wet sex, parting her folds with his fingers.

Sasuke tongue fucked her roughly, and she arched her back, her body shuddering uncontrollably. At the sound of her cries, Naruto moved his mouth off of her breasts (his left hand continued to squeeze them alternatively) and travelled up to her throat, her jaw line, her cheek and then finally, she parted her lips to let him in. His kiss was tantalising, his tongue on fire as she wrapped an arm around the back of his head, pulling him to her to deepen the kiss. And boy did Naruto know how to kiss!

She was on sensory overdrive; Sasuke's thrusting sending involuntary shivers of warmth upward through her body, as Naruto occupied her nipples and mouth in a wave of groans emanating from them both.

She bit Naruto's bottom lip as Sasuke grinded her pussy. It was all too much to bear, and letting the shudder of her body take control, she came into Sasuke's mouth. Sakura tried to control her breathing as both boys pulled away. She was so blissful right then, not quite recovered when they switched places. After Naruto made her come again, she realised that he was better at the kissing, while Sasuke was better at getting the juices flowing.

She sat up with great effort, and noticed that both boys were almost erect. Just the sight of her, flustered, flushed and naked was enough to give their dicks a 'leg up', but turning her on had taken them so much higher. It was her turn. She grabbed both their dicks gently, Naruto's in her left hand, Sasuke's in her right, and started to rub them softly, making both of their faces glaze over as the pleasure took hold.

She sucked on Naruto first, giving him throbbing, before moving onto Sasuke's. Sakura was enjoying herself. For the first time since she had walked in on Sasori and Karin fucking in his living room, the pinkette was actually having fun. She licked, caressed, and sucked their dicks, letting the full lengths of their shafts enter her mouth, but once they were both sufficiently hard, the muscles aching to release, she pulled away.

So far, Sakura had played nice, giving them equal attention. But her urge to fuck Sasuke was the strongest and she no longer intended on ignoring this. Still, the deal had been that she fucked them both, at the same time, and if she was going to let Naruto fuck her arse, she was going to do it right. The walls inside there were easier to tear, as there was no cum to moisten it.

She cleared her throat. "Sasuke, do you have any kind of lubricant?"

"Hn."

The boys realised what she was up to when she squirted the lubricant Sasuke had handed her onto her hands and started to lather Naruto's penis. He was quite enjoying it, she could tell. He didn't seem to mind that she wanted Sasuke at the front. His endearing smile and pleasant temperament had her bedazzled. If she was up to it after, she would let him in the front after, but Sakura had never had a three-way like this before, and wasn't about to make a promise to herself that she would not be too exhausted to keep.

Sasuke had also collected a box of condoms from his bedside drawer and Sakura waited as he put one on. He and Naruto sat on their calves – facing each other – with Sakura between them, facing Sasuke. With Sasuke sheathed and Naruto lubricated, Sakura lifted herself over the best friends, using Sasuke for support as Naruto held his hands to her hips to steady her balance. The bulbous tips of their lengths lifted up to meet her wet sex as the boys rose to their knees and Sakura let out an involuntary half-scream as they both entered her.

'Kami, that is good…'

It was so different as well. With her legs apart as far as they could go in this position, Sasuke and Naruto both helped to support her. She moved with them, moaning in delight with every thrust, every grind that sent her senses into overdrive once more. Her body trembled without permission and she barely noticed that Naruto was using his left hands to fondle her breasts from behind while Sasuke had taken to fiddling with her clitoris, his fingers rubbing circles around the bud. Kami, this was heaven!

While Naruto pressed up against her and kissed her left earlobe every time his dick dug deeper, she held tightly to Sasuke's shoulders as he stared intently into her eyes, their foreheads pressed together. He seemed unable to speak, only exhaling deep moans that coincided with his own, thrusts.

Sakura barely had to move her own hips, being pounded so deeply from both ends, but she kept the momentum going nonetheless, not wanting to let the boys do all the work. The look on Sasuke's face showed that he appreciated it, and Naruto started to whisper his dirty thoughts to her, his warm breath tickling her ear.

Sakura could feel herself starting to climax.

"I'm… almost… there.."

She mewled, the words erupting out of her in between half-screaming groans, and the boys moaned their agreement. They pushed harder, grinding faster and her breasts were bouncing up and down now, her body rising and falling with greater speed. After a few minutes, they pressed themselves tightly to her, so much so that Sasuke's chest was now inhibiting the bobbing of her breasts. His head rested on her right shoulder, Naruto's on her left.

Three… two… one…

Sakura cried out as she came, and then groaned with a tremble of her body as both boys let looses inside of her. Except that Naruto's cum filled the passage in her arse, while Sasuke leaked into the condom he was still wearing. God, she was buggered. She didn't move, trying to regain some energy before separating herself from the boys. They didn't seem to want to move either, both still resting inside of her. Sakura closed her heavy eyelids, intending on just resting for a moment.

Sasuke realised she was falling asleep from the exhaustion and lifted her head up. "Naruto, we better move before she passes out."

Sakura made a soft, mewl of complaint as they pulled out of her that was greeted by satisfied smirks as they laid her back against the pillows on Sasuke's bed.

"I think we wore her out, teme."

"Fuck Naruto, what was your first clue?"

"No need to get snappy… is she asleep?"

Sasuke looked down at the pinkette, whose eyes were now tightly shut. "Yeah, I think so."

"Damn, she was good."

Sasuke smiled at that. "Yeah, I was surprised too."

"But…" The blonde trailed off.

Sasuke knew his friend too well. "You want a frontal fuck."

It wasn't a question.

Naruto sighed, his eyes trailed down Sakura's body, from those full, glistening breasts, down to that delicious pussy of hers. He was an unusual creature, one moment wanting to push his raw shaft into her sex hard and fast, the next satisfied with the arse fuck and ready to leave. Sasuke smirked at him, knowing he had no intention of asking any more of the pinkette.

"Where are you going, teme?"

"To have a shower, dobe. Stay with her in case she wakes up."

Sakura didn't feel Naruto lay down next to her, or his fingers brushing the hair out of her eyes. He continued to rape her with his eyes however, sighing as he knew also that nothing more was going to happen here. She also didn't hear the ring tone on his mobile or his cussing as he jumped off the bed and answered his phone. It was his mother and he was expected home.

"Yeah, I'm at teme's place, alright, I'm coming home."

He hung up on her. Naruto dressed and shook Sakura softly. She was under deep, so he let her be and exited the house. Sasuke knew him well enough to know he'd have left under protest, so he didn't concern himself. Teme wouldn't be rousing on him anytime soon.

Sakura woke up a little while later, alone in Sasuke's bed, naked but under the covers. Someone had made sure she felt comfortable when she woke up. She waited for a minute, then realised that she was indeed alone. Annoyed, she got out of the bed and found her clothes, dressing absentmindedly. But more than annoyed, she was embarrassed. She still couldn't believe she had just had sex with both Sasuke and Naruto at the same time. She heard a sound coming from the kitchen when her feet touched the bottom of the internal staircase a few minutes later. She was torn between her desire to just run for it, and the scent in the air of food cooking. The overwhelming smell of sex lingering in Sasuke's bedroom had driven her out of there as she'd hurriedly dressed, and even though she was now decent and had recovered from her 'encounter', she was suddenly wary about facing Sasuke again.

That was a different kind of threesome, where she had been the centre of attention, so she still felt uneasy about it. She'd felt her insides pressed from both ends to an extreme she couldn't put into words. It made her giddy just thinking about it. Once upon a time, she worried if she ever had a threesome that she'd become some kind of slut, which she now knew had nothing to do with it, but one more time in that position, pressed against two hot and very male bodies and it was likely to push her over the edge. And despite how horny this unusual heatwave in Konoha had made her feel, she still valued relationships more than sex.

'But not by much.'

'Shut up!'

That was so not true.

'I hate you, inner Sakura.'

"Sakura?"

She mentally slapped herself. She'd let out a soft gasp at the strange thoughts going through her head, and now Sasuke's voice was acting like a magnet and she was being pulled into the kitchen.

"You don't have to run off in shame," he said.

She noticed Naruto was nowhere to be seen. "I'm not ashamed of what we did."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Pickles."

She couldn't help the giggles. "What?"

He looked serious. "I like pickles. What about you? You can help yourself to anything you want."

"Why?"

"Sex makes me hungry," he said blandly.

"I have food at my house I can eat."

"But you don't have air-conditioning."

Sakura frowned at him. "If you want me to stay and eat your food, then just come right out and say it."

"I want you to stay and eat my food."

"Alright, but I hate pickles."

He smirked. "So you'd prefer something a bit more sweet?"

"Yep."

"I can't stand anything too sweet," he said, watching her raid his fridge, expressionless.

His eyes trailed over her body instinctively, but what was taking centre stage in his mind was the fluttering of his heart. Naruto had clearly left, but had sent Sasuke a text that he'd scratched his itch. It meant that he was returning to trying to seduce Hinata Hyuuga. The girl was virginal, beautiful and had favourably sized breasts. The downside? She was high society, and for Naruto, 'untouchable'. Sasuke had never seen Naruto and Hinata in the same room together, so he wasn't sure if the Hyuuga would go for his friend or not. Still, he wished his best mate good luck.

'He's gonna need it.'

And of course, that meant that if he wanted to, Sasuke could have Sakura all to himself. He really wanted to. He couldn't explain his need for her with words. Until now, he'd thought that all it was was that he wanted to fuck her. But he had just done that, and this strange feeling was still there. He wasn't a complete idiot. He knew now that he had feelings for her. But how deep could they possibly run? After all, he didn't actually know her all that well, if at all.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked realising the Uchiha was deep in thought.

He just nodded, so she ate her meal quietly. He kept his eyes on her the whole time, and she was reminded of how he and Naruto had been staring at her outside this house. She pushed her plate away.

"So, it's back to the whole staring thing again, huh?" She asked, pouting but not actually annoyed.

Sasuke smirked. "Hn. You're still wearing that outfit."

"It's a singlet and shorts Sasuke, it's hardly an outfit."

"Well, it's turning me on, either way."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not fucking you again."

He sighed, disappointed. "While sleeping with you again, is definitely on my mind, there's something else I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?"

"My father's hosting the policeman's ball this weekend –"

"And what, you want me to be your date?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then what –"

"I never go to those stupid dances," he said matter-of-factly. "Itachi does. I wanted to know if you'll go out with me, somewhere far, far away from the ridiculous ball."

Sakura stood up, walked over to him, and stopped only a few inches away. "You want me to be your girlfriend?"

"Forget it!" He snapped. "If you're going to be sarcastic about it –"

She cut him off with a kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and hesitating only for a moment, Sasuke returned the kiss, his hands falling to her waist. She tantalized him with her tongue, sending shivers down his spine. Okay, he was falling for her, but these emotions were still confusing to him. He had never been in love before….

Sakura pulled out of the kiss and rested her forehead on his. "What about that speech you and Naruto gave me about how friends come first?"

"Well, Naruto's gone back to trying to seduce Hinata Hyuuga."

"Really?"

"Hn."

"Who's Hinata Hyuuga?"

Sasuke laughed softly. "I forgot you're new in town. You haven't heard about the Hyuuga family?"

"The family yes, but not Hinata. None of their names are familiar to me."

"Well anyway," he said, not wanting to dwell on that. "Will you go out with me?"

"Oh yes Sasuke-kun, most definitely, yes."

He leant in to kiss her again and lifted her up to sit on the kitchen table. Despite her earlier comment, Sasuke was suddenly hard, and lowered his hand to caress her clothed breasts. She moaned into his mouth, her lips parted to let him in. He really wanted it, right now, so to coax her he rubbed her nipples with both thumbs, in circular motions. This elicited a soft mewl of appreciation from her mouth. He pressed his erection against her and her eyes widened, realising how much he wanted from her.

But before she could stop him, he unzipped his jeans to release his readied flesh. He pulled her shorts down to her ankles, spread her legs, parted her knickers at her wet sex, and slammed into her core without a moment's hesitation. She half-screamed, both shocked, and excited by the sudden penetration. He groaned as her hands flew out, knocking kitchen utensils onto the floor.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Okay, so she was fucking him again after all. He was incorrigible. It had to be that Uchiha dominating streak she'd heard so much about. She leant backward against the table with her hands for support and cried out, moving her hips down to meet his.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Harder! Aah!"

He groaned. "Fucking hell."

His hands lifted her singlet and pulled the straps of her bra down to expose her breasts without removing any articles of clothing. He cupped her breasts, thrusting harder now, and biting her bottom lip softly. He hadn't given her time to moisten, but she was already partway there, feeling his erection and his hands on her. Sakura called out Sasuke's name, swearing and moaning her pleasure at the top of her lungs, writhing under his grasp.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" He grunted in time with every plunge.

Sasuke grabbed her ass cheeks and pulled her toward him with every thrust heightening the sensation. The table shook dangerously underneath them but they ignored it. He continued to grind her, and a few minutes later, they both came together. Sasuke rested his head on her shoulders, still nestled inside of her, and she ran her hands through his dark hair lovingly. It was so exhausting; he couldn't believe he'd gotten it all out so easily. He knew from experience that he couldn't handle too much sex in one day. But this was close to the last time and he planned to take the rest of the day to recuperate.

Sakura lifted his head to look in his eyes. "That's what you get for not asking for permission first."

She'd noted his extreme fatigue and laced her words with sarcasm, but her mouth twitched into a seductive smile and he returned the affection.

"Come on," he said, kissing her swiftly and pulling away. "Let's go up to my room."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, trying to figure out what he was planning, as she slid off the table and fixed her clothes.

Sasuke smirked. "Don't worry, I won't be trying that again for today. But my house has air-conditioning, and better yet, my bed still smells of sex."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, but just keep her hands and… other things where they should be."

He grinned at her wickedly and having turned away from him, she didn't notice the mischievous glint in his eyes.

X X X

[pokemoncaretips]

Any tips on the Deerling line? I see them wandering around in the woods near my house pretty often, and I love the way their coats change color- but I’m hesitant to commit to catching and training one since I’m unfamiliar with their needs.

A shy and nervous pokemon with a sweet nature underneath.

General notes: Deerling are fairly widespread pokemon, though with how shy they are you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. However, they do have a reputation as pests.

General care: Deerling are better for people in rural areas, as they need a good sized paddock to roam around in. This paddock should have a warm dry stable, a source of fresh water, and a source of shade, ideally trees. You'll need very high fencing, as deerling and sawsbuck are capable of jumping very high. Many supply shops sell deerling fences that are around 2 metres high. So there's a fair set up cost involved in securing the enclosure.

And you'll have to, because deerling are considered pests for a good reason. They'll descend on gardens and paddocks and strip them bare. Even a small herd can be destructive. And as many farmers have lycanrocs for herd defence, it's in your best interest and the deerlings to keep them under lock and key, as it isn't illegal for farmers to, uh..."deal with" deerling that are damaging their property.

You'll need other pokemon around, as deerling get anxious alone. Other deerling are best, but other farm pokemon such as miltank, wooloo, mudsdale etc can make good friends with them.

If you have just a back yard, don't despair. You can still set up fences, but the smaller space will need more toys and enrichment, and you'll have to supplement with pellets. A backyard deerling also benefits from being harness trained and taken for walks. You'll only be able to keep one deerling, so long as you have other pokemon in your team.

Bonding with them isn't hard, they're food orientated, and a few weeks of treats and head scratches will have them friendly as anything. Be prepared, though, as they headbutt those they like. And it hurts.

If you see them near you in the woods, you can get quite friendly with them. But secure your property if you don't want them following you and destroying your garden en masse.

Sawsbuck need more food, but as well they have different tempers in each season. If you want to tame a sawsbuck, the winter form is calmer. Do not, under any circumstances, approach the males in autumn. Care rating: Orange.

Training: Deerling can be obstinate. They aren't exactly the smartest pokemon around, as well, but they aren't impossible to train, and respond well to food as an incentive. Training rating: Green.

Safety: When I said do not approach the male sawsbuck in autumn, I meant it. This is the season they fight for mates, and their hormones run rampant. People have died.

Deerling themselves are fairly safe for people. They may headbutt when playful or annoyed, but despite it being a little painful, they can't really do much damage. Safety rating: Green (red in autumn)

Overall ranking. Like many livestock pokemon, deerling require a fair amount of work and space. They're often sweet natured once you get past their shyness, but they're the living embodiment of the phrase "good fences make good neighbours".

[somediyprojects]

DIY Copper + Branch Floor Lamp

Project by Kate Pruitt:

We have this very annoying tree right outside our apartment that blocks all light from our windows, thwarting the sun’s attempts to warm us with its golden rays of energy. Damn you, tree! Recently I begged our landlord to at least consider trimming it back, and he finally relented, which left me with both a modicum of precious sunlight and some great large branches to use for projects! One of the felled limbs was especially long and solid and had a wonderful, gentle arc that just seemed so lamplike; I couldn’t resist. “I’ve lost my purpose. Make me a light!” it cried. Not really.

With autumn upon us, I decided to pair the branch with rich, warm copper and used a lovely sap-green color on the base to complement the season. Personally, I like the wonky bare-bones style of this little lamp, but if you wanted to dress it up a bit (my boyfriend said the copper part looked like a shower head . . . not cool dude), you could easily make or buy a solid cylindrical shade to place over the bulb. Now, don’t go hacking down trees like I did, but if you happen upon a fallen branch, I hope you’ll try this simple lighting project. Happy crafting! — Kate

Materials

large branch (Look for one that isn’t too perfectly straight or too twisty but has a slight arc to it and is at least 1.5″ thick at its base to ensure it’s sturdy enough.)

log stump slice (Mine is prop from a friend’s wedding, but you can ask around at lumber yards for these, or you could buy several thinner ones from craft stores like Michael’s and glue a stack together to make a thick base. If all else fails, try searching for firewood sellers on Craigslist, and ask if they have any stumps they could cut for you.)

4–6 small eye hooks (depending on the length/height of your branch)

15–20′ black lamp cord

chandelier socket kit

6″ copper pipe (1/2″ diameter — you can have this cut for you, or buy a standard length and use a pipe cutter to cut yourself)

90-degree copper elbow (1/2″ diameter)

1/2″ to 3/4″ copper coupling

3/4″ copper coupling (NOTE: All the copper pipe and pieces can be found at larger hardware stores like Ace, OSH, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc., in the plumbing dept.)

high-gloss paint and foam paintbrush (any color you want, I chose sap green)

palm sander or sandpaper

drill with standard bit, 1.5″ boring bit (also known as a paddle bit) and a 1/2″ boring/paddle bit

25- to 40-watt chandelier-size lightbulb

Instructions

1. Sand your wood stump slice and cut the bottom edge of your branch with a saw to make a flat surface. Hold the branch over your wood stump to determine placement. I decided to set mine off-center for looks and to offset the arc of the lamp, but you could also place it in the center. Trace the branch with a pencil to mark the spot.

2. Use your 1.5″ boring bit to drill a circular hole in the center of where you traced the branch. Then switch to a small drill bit (1/8″ or smaller) to drill a small pilot hole directly through the center of the hole through the entire stump. This is the pilot hole for the screw or nail that you will embed from the bottom.

3. Place a good amount of wood glue onto the bottom of your branch and into the hole you made, then put the branch in place. Put tape around the base to secure it in place and set aside for the glue to dry. You may need to prop the branch against a wall to hold it in place while the glue dries.

4. Once the glue is dry, hammer a 2″ nail or screw a flathead screw into the base of the branch from the underside of the stump, using the pilot hole you pre-drilled. This is not necessarily needed, but I like to add it for extra stability on top of the glue.

5. Assemble your copper fittings and pipe together as shown below, and hold it up to the branch to determine where you want the pipe to extend. Mark the place on the branch where the pipe will come out, and also mark on the pipe where it hits the back of the branch to determine the correct length to cut the pipe.

6. Use your 1/2″ drill bit to drill straight through the branch. Drill slowly and carefully to avoid cracking the branch, and don’t go so far up the branch that the hole is almost the exact width of the branch; ideally, you want at least 1/4″ to 1/2″ clearance on the width. Use your pipe cutter to cut the pipe to length.

7a. Prepare your copper parts for assembly by removing stickers and cleaning them. Use scissors to gently strip 1″ of the lamp cord to expose the copper wires. If you examine your lamp cord, you will see that one of the cords has ridges and one side is completely smooth. You will also notice on your chandelier socket that one screw is brass/gold and the other is silver. Wrap the copper wire of the cord with ridges to the silver side, and wrap the copper wire of the smooth cord to the gold side (see second image below). Then slide the protective cardboard sleeve back over the socket.

7b. Now thread your 1/2″ to 3/4″ coupling onto the cord, with the larger side facing the socket, and slip it over the top of the socket. Slide your copper elbow onto the cord, as well, and fit the two copper pipes together. Then slide the last 3/4″ coupling over the cardboard sleeve so that the end of the copper coupling extends just a hair beyond the cardboard sleeve.

8. Slide your cord through the hole until the pipe reaches the branch, then wedge the pipe into the branch until it hits the back of the hole but does not extend out (see first image below). Then attach your small eye hooks so that the cord will match the curves of the branch. Thread the cord through the eye hooks.

9. Paint the top of your log with two to three even coats of high-gloss paint, allowing the paint to dry between coats. Tape up the cord during this process so it doesn’t get in the way.

10. Install the plug on the end of the lamp cord, using the same wiring technique from Step 7: Remove the rubber on the last 1″ to reveal copper wires and twist the copper around the screws, pairing the ridged cord with the silver screw and the smooth cord with the gold screw.

You’re done!

[nancypullen]

Nine Days Later...

Good grief, I posted about the powder room makeover and then disappeared.  We’ve been busy around here.  I’ve been doing lots of yard work and that makes me happy.  I have high hopes.  I’ve been cleaning up the tree line, raking fertilizer and soil into flowers beds, scattering zinnia seeds and sunflower seeds (cross your fingers) and generally getting ready for the blooming season.  It’s weird not having a plant nursery nearby.  There are a couple of small greenhouses, but right now they have mostly veggies, hanging baskets, and ferns.  I’m on the hunt for a flat of red vinca and maybe some speedwell.   Last week we drove into Dover to visit Home Depot.  It’s nearly an hour trip and it looks mostly like this.

Loads of farms and everything is looking green. Hello, spring! There’s a Lowe’s closer to us, but there’s no sales tax in Delaware.  Does it make sense to use extra gas to avoid sales tax?  I guess it depends on how large of a purchase you’re making.  For us, it’s fencing.  I just want a strip of pretty fence in the back yard between us and the woodsy area. If we can get it done soon I can create a pretty flower bed in front of it. I’ve done my part.  The mister bought me this little beauty and I spent two days taking out small trees and all manner of scrubby, weedy, bushes.

I have a fabulous chainsaw (it’s PINK!) but this was perfect for the job at hand.  It came with two batteries, so no gas or power cords are involved.  It’s lightweight but packs a punch.  It zipped through everything I needed to zip through and in no time at all I had piles of trunks and branches for the town to pick up.  It was a hot mess back there, and now it looks much tidier. I look like I fought off a mountain lion, but it’s done!  I’ll share pics when the fence is up.  Well, maybe sooner - as soon as the piles of tree remains get picked up.    One individual who is enjoying that tree line is Stanley.  He lounges under the birdfeeder and plays in the birdbath. He also drinks from the bird bath, but he spends a lot of time making ripples and chasing leaves around in the water.

That was pre-cleanup.  I snapped it through the kitchen window.  I don’t know Stanley’s real name, I just know that I worried about him all winter and then a couple of weeks ago he showed up wearing a collar bearing a last name and an address just two houses down.  I may be responsible for his pot belly.  I was just trying to get him through the cold months.  Oops. But back to the yard - my little Jane Magnolia bloomed like crazy, even though she’s barely a yard high.  I planted a lilac bush and a beauty berry bush (for the birdies). I put some Morning Glory seeds in the ground near the corner of the porch, hoping that it twines along the porch railings and offers pretty blue blooms.  Mickey hung a birdhouse in the Crape Myrtle tree for me, that’s also at the corner of the porch.  The front porch is in an L shape and I’ve claimed that short side as my own.  That’s where the tree is, that’s where I’ll hang a hummingbird feeder, that’s where the lilac is planted and where I hope the Morning Glory vines will bloom.  Mickey put a little wicker loveseat there for me and I can sit in the shade and listen to bird song and smell the gardens.  I’m finding my way home again.  It takes a lot of hard work to carve out a patch of paradise, but we’re getting there.  It’ll be years before most of what I’m planting matures, but by then I’ll be grateful.  Heck, I’m grateful now. I’m also very grateful for my sister.  She drove over last week and brought a car load of dolls and doll paraphernalia.  Her daughter was into all of the American Girl stuff and she no longer wanted any of it.  Two lovely dolls, beds, clothes, all manner of sports equipment (even a pup tent) , a salon chair for getting their hair done.  There are even books! I took some time to empty the closet in the grandgirl’s room to make way for all of this wonderful treasure.  While I was organizing the bounty a certain kitty claimed the bunk beds. 

She fell into a deep sleep, so I saved the beds for last. I should have poked her, gotten in her face, sat on her chest, and cried.  That’s what she does to me in the morning.  Anyway, I’m grateful for my very generous sister.  Our little miss will have a ball with all of this.

Did I mention how much fun the grandgirl had with the Egg-mazing?

You just pop a hard boiled egg into that egg-shaped spot and turn on the motor.  It spins the egg while you apply color.  These eggs were created by a 5 year old!

Prettiest eggs in town!  Easter already feels like a month ago. We’ve got a lot to look forward to - blooming season, grilling season, beach season, and more!  MY two sweet sons have planned a trip for July and will be flying off to Berlin and then to Prague.  I know they’ll have a blast.  They’ll probably visit plenty of spy museums and WWII sites.  I want them to go to the Lennon Wall in Prague and write, “My mom said to be nice.” Sorry for the boring post but I’ve been spending my days cutting down trees and digging in the dirt.  If it kills me I’m going to make every corner of this place beautiful.  Then I’ll sit on my little loveseat  on the porch, under the shade of a tree full of singing birds, and enjoy the heck out of it. Come sit with me! I’ll make lemonade and finger sandwiches and we’ll talk about nothing and everything. Doesn’t that sound nice? Alright, I’m calling it a night. I’ve got some crafty stuff in the works and I’ll share that with you tomorrow.  For now I’m off to a bubble bath and then I’m getting under the covers with a cat and a book. Livin’ on the edge. I hope that spring is filling your world with delight right now, wherever you are.  I know some areas are getting winter’s last blast, but I’ll bet that daffodils are right behind it.  Keep the faith! Stay safe, stay well, take good care.

XOXO, Nancy

[eviesessays]

40. What simple pleasures of life do you truly enjoy?

One of the greatest pleasures in life that I enjoyed for many years was travelling.  Now, at my advanced age I am too old, decrepit and compromised to be so adventuresome.  Changing planes in foreign airports terrifies me now.  Dealing with foreign currency was made  easier with the advent of the euro but still challenging.  Making myself understood with little command of the language spoken gave me moments of anxiety if not exasperation.  These days I have no such concerns.  My simple pleasure requires none of the aforementioned risks and is a pleasure I have enjoyed for many years and continue to enjoy.

I love gardening.  My home on Mountain Road has many trees and therefore much shade.  Gardening is a challenge.  My garden is confined to flowers.  there is inadequate sun   for growing vegetables.  I can garden for hours on my knees without worrying about falling due to my Parkinson’s.  

I bought the house on a cold January day.  A significant part of the yard was unkempt.  The previous owners said they used this section as a duping place for their used Christmas trees. The weeds and grass were adequate to hide most of the mess.  Many trees in this area were dead and Peter took them all down for me.  He cut them into twelve to fourteen inch pieces and with them I built a wall that separates the back lawn from the wooded area of the lot.  I bought a leaf shredder and began to attack the years of accumulated leaves, weeds and branches.

I have flower beds that separate the lawn from the treed area at the back and side of the lot.  The one thing I grow very successfully is moss but it is green and serves its purpose,

I have an eclectic garden where  i remember friends and family.  I have Rose of Sharon shrubs that came from Heather’s house on Carter Street.  They are prolific seeders and I have started shrubs for my neighbors and my granddaughter, Anne.  My wonderful neighbor, MaryJane gave me an aubergine clematis when my brother Carl died.  It is beautiful and climbs a trellis in front of the sun porch.  I brought two trellises with me from the Warner house and they are now covered with pink rambling roses given to me by a friend from the East Concord Garden Club to which  I had belonged.  Surrounding the base of a large oak and a maple tree is the pachysandra given to me by my elderly neighbor across the street, Mr Colby. All the forsythia was also gifts from his garden. He knew more Concord history than anyone else I knew and was glad to share it.  Once when I was out working in the garden he came over and we chatted a while.  He then said words I have quoted many times.  He said,”My Daddy once told me that if you have nothing to do, don’t go around bothering someone who does.”  He was a wonderful neighbor and I miss his sage stories and kind demeanor. 

On one of their visits from Scotland, my children’s cousin, Maurice and his wife Avril brought lily bulbs from his grandmother’s garden.  They were first planted in Warner and when my house was sold they were dug up and moved to Heather’s garden.  When Heather and John were moving to South Carolina, the lilies were dug up again and moved here. They had two good years and then were attacked by moles or voles or one of the many creatures that raise havoc with bulbs in this area.  Last year I was down to one rather sickly plant and I wait with baited breath to see if one wee shoot might appear.  

I have a red maple from Jaylyn’s yard in Harvard.  It thrives.  I have another that Will brought for my birthday  a few years ago.  It thrives.  A lavender azalea bush came with the house and is very visible from my kitchen window.  In summer the perennials will give color to the garden.  There are daisies in several places in the gardens.  The mullen pinks add vibrant color here and there.  The seeds of those were given to me more than twenty years ago my my coworker, Maggie.  This winter I am trying to winter over some fushia colored geraniums.  I hope I succeed.  The daffodils will be appearing soon along with the hyacinths and then the  tulips, not eaten will appear.  The Asian irises will come later.  My Stella Dora lilies will bloom in great profusion and remind me they need to be thinned.  

I cannot leave this subject without mentioning the garden on Wellington Street where I lived from the age of five til I went away to school at age seventeen.  We had a large vegetable garden in the back yard.  The green beans and wax beans had been   harvested and canned.  Every year when the potatoes were dug we had a potato roast.  My Dad set fire to the garden remnants and we were allowed to throw in the potatoes that were too small to be worth peeling.  The neighbor kids joined us for our annual potato roast.  We searched and found potatoes that we stabbed, added butter and salt and reveled in our annual feast.

I have no potatoes in this garden but I love gardening.  Maybe, I just love playing in the dirt.  One thing I do know is that my garden is where my heart soars and my spirit rests.

[rhondarossano]

Flora and Fauna

Since the daily temperatures have cooled a little bit -highs have been in the low to mid 70's- and the school has already begun Christmas break, I have been planting and transplanting trees and flowers around our property. I was excited to get my delivery of black dirt last Sunday so I cold get started.

Bromeliads- These were in the tree that fell. They are an air plant and are attached to a branch from the tree. They will produce a flower, but we will have to wait to see what color the flower will be. It most likely is a jumbie-pineapple or a pink quill.

Golden Showers Tree. A neighbor gave us this sapling. The first one she gave us died-the temperatures were just too hot and stressed the sapling out. Planting now will give the tree time to establish before the dry season starts. It will have hanging yellow flowers.

Pride of Barbados Tropical Milkweed

Pride of Barbados. These are quite plentiful in Belize. They, along with the Tropical Milkweed, attract butterflies, so I planted one on each side of the front of the house. I found a tropical milkweed near the river and moved it up to the back of the house. It spreads very quickly and is always full of flutterbies.

I had been looking for a small flowering bush to plant in front of the landing of our front staircase, and found this Bermuda thistle in the yard. Once it grows, I think it will look quite nice. I am told it will spread. It also has medicinal properties.

We have found several lilies growing in the yard, too. I can't wait to see what specific types they are. Once they flower, the mystery will be solved. More than likely they are beach spider lilies or swamp lilies. I have moved some of them to the bottom of our outdoor staircases.

Additionally, we have a few Stickpea trees on the property. We just have to decide where we want them to be located; they are too close to the house right now. They will be quite nice when they flower.

I was able to get a few Mother-of-thousands and Aloe vera pups from the succulents growing at the community center. They grow rather quickly, so I am hoping they will fill in this area. The pups sprout around the edges of the leaves and fall to the ground. They remind me how our children are nurtured by their parents, and then, hopefully, put down their own roots and thrive.

I planted some Moses-in-the-cradle plants by our front stairs. These also grow rather easily here. I got a few small ones from the community center grounds.

I am very excited about the fruit trees that have just grown from seeds discarded by the workers who built our house and those given to us by other residents. We have 5 avocado, 2 mango, and 1 guave trees growing. I also have seeds for papaya.

Guave Mango Avocado

We have been growing pineapples from the crowns since we got here. I finally got them in the ground. Each plant will produce several small fruit. All but one will need to be removed to have an edible fruit for harvesting.

We have a very small date palm sapling that is in a pot right now. I hope it gets a large enough to plant in the ground within the month, so it has time to establish its roots before the dry season hits, but we may have to just grow it in a big pot for the next year.

Finally, our Rain Tree is looking lovely. It will grow and be a very nice shade tree in the front yard. It should flower in a few months.

There are so many colorful trees and flowering plants here. I wish I had room for at least one of each in the yard. We are hoping to plant some apple bananas when we create our terrace to the river. We should be in good shape to harvest our own fruits in a few years.

What gifts we have been given!

[konglindorm]

THIRD STORY: THE ENCHANTED FLOWER GARDEN

*edit: I have realized that this translation has excluded the section where the flowers tell their stories; I will post their piece later.*

(Over the next seven weeks, I’ll be posting both the text of the Snow Queen, and my thoughts on it. This is the text of the third section. All text comes from the public domain translation of Andersen’s works edited by J. H. Stickney and published in 1886. The illustrations, by Edna Hart, are from this edition as well.)

But how fared little Gerda in Kai's absence?

What had become of him no one knew, nor could any one give the slightest information, excepting the boys, who said that he had tied his sledge to another very large one, which had driven through the street and out at the town gate. No one knew where it went. Many tears were shed for him, and little Gerda wept bitterly for a long time. She said she knew he must be dead, that he was drowned in the river which flowed close by the school. The long winter days were very dreary. But at last spring came with warm sunshine.

"Kai is dead and gone," said little Gerda.

"I don't believe it," said the sunshine.

"He is dead and gone," she said to the sparrows.

"We don't believe it," they replied, and at last little Gerda began to doubt it herself."I will put on my new red shoes," she said one morning, "those that Kay has never seen, and then I will go down to the river and ask for him.

"It was quite early when she kissed her old grandmother, who was still asleep; then she put on her red shoes and went, quite alone, out of the town gate, toward the river.

"Is it true that you have taken my little playmate away from me?" she said to the river. "I will give you my red shoes if you will give him back to me."

And it seemed as if the waves nodded to her in a strange manner. Then she took off her red shoes, which she liked better than anything else, and threw them both into the river, but they fell near the bank, and the little waves carried them back to land just as if the river would not take from her what she loved best, because it could not give her back little Kai.

But she thought the shoes had not been thrown out far enough. Then she crept into a boat that lay among the reeds, and threw the shoes again from the farther end of the boat into the water; but it was not fastened, and her movement sent it gliding away from the land. When she saw this she hastened to reach the end of the boat, but before she could do so it was more than a yard from the bank and drifting away faster than ever.

Little Gerda was very much frightened. She began to cry, but no one heard her except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land, but they flew along by the shore and sang as if to comfort her: "Here we are! Here we are!"

The boat floated with the stream, and little Gerda sat quite still with only her stockings on her feet; the red shoes floated after her, but she could not reach them because the boat kept so much in advance.

The banks on either side of the river were very pretty. There were beautiful flowers, old trees, sloping fields in which cows and sheep were grazing, but not a human being to be seen.

"Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kai," thought Gerda, and then she became more cheerful, and raised her head and looked at the beautiful green banks; and so the boat sailed on for hours. At length she came to a large cherry orchard, in which stood a small house with strange red and blue windows. It had also a thatched roof, and outside were two wooden soldiers that presented arms to her as she sailed past. Gerda called out to them, for she thought they were alive; but of course they did not answer, and as the boat drifted nearer to the shore she saw what they really were.

Then Gerda called still louder, and there came a very old woman out of the house, leaning on a crutch. She wore a large hat to shade her from the sun, and on it were painted all sorts of pretty flowers.

"You poor little child," said the old woman, "how did you manage to come this long, long distance into the wide world on such a rapid, rolling stream?" And then the old woman walked into the water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to land, and lifted little Gerda out. And Gerda was glad to feel herself again on dry ground, although she was rather afraid of the strange old woman.

"Come and tell me who you are," said she, "and how you came here."

Then Gerda told her everything, while the old woman shook her head and said, "Hem-hem"; and when Gerda had finished she asked the old woman if she had not seen little Kai. She told her he had not passed that way, but he very likely would come. She told Gerda not to be sorrowful, but to taste the cherries and look at the flowers; they were better than any picture book, for each of them could tell a story. Then she took Gerda by the hand, and led her into the little house, and closed the door. The windows were very high, and as the panes were red, blue, and yellow, the daylight shone through them in all sorts of singular colors. On the table stood some beautiful cherries, and Gerda had permission to eat as many as she would. While she was eating them the old woman combed out her long flaxen ringlets with a golden comb, and the glossy curls hung down on each side of the little round, pleasant face, which looked fresh and blooming as a rose.

"I have long been wishing for a dear little maiden like you," said the old woman, "and now you must stay with me and see how happily we shall live together." And while she went on combing little Gerda's hair the child thought less and less about her adopted brother Kai, for the old woman was an enchantress, although she was not a wicked witch; she conjured only a little for her own amusement, and, now, because she wanted to keep Gerda. Therefore she went into the garden and stretched out her crutch toward all the rose trees, beautiful though they were, and they immediately sank into the dark earth, so that no one could tell where they had once stood. The old woman was afraid that if little Gerda saw roses, she would think of those at home and then remember little Kai and run away.

Then she took Gerda into the flower garden. How fragrant and beautiful it was! Every flower that could be thought of, for every season of the year, was here in full bloom; no picture book could have more beautiful colors. Gerda jumped for joy, and played till the sun went down behind the tall cherry trees; then she slept in an elegant bed, with red silk pillows embroidered with colored violets, and she dreamed as pleasantly as a queen on her wedding day.

The next day, and for many days after, Gerda played with the flowers in the warm sunshine. She knew every flower, and yet, although there were so many of them, it seemed as if one were missing, but what it was she could not tell. One day, however, as she sat looking at the old woman's hat with the painted flowers on it, she saw that the prettiest of them all was a rose. The old woman had forgotten to take it from her hat when she made all the roses sink into the earth. But it is difficult to keep the thoughts together in everything, and one little mistake upsets all our arrangements.

"What! are there no roses here?" cried Gerda, and she ran out into the garden and examined all the beds, and searched and searched. There was not one to be found. Then she sat down and wept, and her tears fell just on the place where one of the rose trees had sunk down. The warm tears moistened the earth, and the rose tree sprouted up at once, as blooming as when it had sunk; and Gerda embraced it, and kissed the roses, and thought of the beautiful roses at home, and, with them, of little Kai.

"Oh, how I have been detained!" said the little maiden. "I wanted to seek for little Kay. Do you know where he is?" she asked the roses; "do you think he is dead?"

And the roses answered: "No, he is not dead. We have been in the ground, where all the dead lie, but Kai is not there."

"Thank you," said little Gerda, and then she went to the other flowers and looked into their little cups and asked, "Do you know where little Kai is?" But each flower as it stood in the sunshine dreamed only of its own little fairy tale or history. Not one knew anything of Kai. Gerda heard many stories from the flowers, as she asked them one after another about him.

And then she ran to the other end of the garden. The door was fastened, but she pressed against the rusty latch, and it gave way. The door sprang open, and little Gerda ran out with bare feet into the wide world. She looked back three times, but no one seemed to be following her. At last she could run no longer, so she sat down to rest on a great stone, and when she looked around she saw that the summer was over and autumn very far advanced. She had known nothing of this in the beautiful garden where the sun shone and the flowers grew all the year round.

"Oh, how I have wasted my time!" said little Gerda. "It is autumn; I must not rest any longer," and she rose to go on. But her little feet were wounded and sore, and everything around her looked cold and bleak. The long willow leaves were quite yellow, the dewdrops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees; the sloe thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared!

[talusnegotiations]

An unusual gait in a familiar place

West End has, far back in my memory, had old, old houses with doors fancy as hell. Some are right on the street, hidden by shrubbery, shade-loving plants, or overgrown ivy. And others, in traditional Queenslander style, have doors visible from afar, across a yard with a waist-high fence (of some kind, be it metal chicken wire or white pickets). The doors stand, an homage to the passing of time.

Of course, as the suburb continues along its gentrification journey, the houses and properties adhere to a homogenous minimalistic, greyish, depressingly treeless fashion (where there are electronic speakers blaring out nondescript but grating music from tiered, tightly manicured garden beds*). But, when walking along the terribly kept, mostly narrow pathways (proverbial weeds; trees, roots sticking out of cracks in the concrete), you can still spot different doors every few houses or so.

-

Walking while disabled

Let me tell you, the newer pathways (corporate-sponsored) are no better for accessibility than the shitty but loveable old, narrow ones which have grown woefully uneven over decades of use.

It is so weird to me, to be the current version of myself, and to be thrust back into such an unsteady walking pattern again. That isn't very clear, is it? Okay.

When I was diagnosed at 4 years old, I was walking on my toes and only my toes. It had taken me a long time to get used to the upright bipedal way of life, but not for lack of trying. Then, as the years went on and I undertook rigorous physical therapy, I also had many operations to improve my gait and stability. There was a lot of physical pain, and a lot of falling onto the ground. I would give you an analogy, but right now that feels like a waste of time. Suffice to say, I always had scraped knees and bruised elbows. My Nonna kept iodine in the kitchen cupboard with the analgesics to disinfect the perpetual wounds on my palms. See, I'd use my hands to break my fall each time, and I had two symmetrical wounds in the hearts of my palms, left and right, like accidental stigmata. Unlike the simpler cuts and bruises, these wounds didn't close up for years, and eventually became infected; I had to go to the doctor for medicine to 'fix' the problem, but the doctor said that as long as I was using my hands to break my fall, it was unlikely that the infection would heal.

The problem was that, because I tripped on my toes a lot, I was always falling forwards, not backwards. And the only way to stop face-planting was to use my hands to break the fall. Childhood lasts a long time, doesn't it?^

Eventually, I was wearing these bulky bandages to cushion my hands during the day, and only took them off at night to sleep. The wounds had time to rest, no longer being directly assaulted by gravel, bitumen, concrete or dirt. Nonna kept the iodine just in case.

-

Oh how the times have changed

Did you know there are no pictures of West End at night (that are free for me to use on this blog)? I would go and take pictures myself, but I'd need a support worker to come with me, and I'd need confidence and maybe a different set of life experiences, but that's just life, isn't it.

As an adult, my walking was so good because of all the work that I'd done, alongside my parents and grandparents, surgeons and treating team, to improve my gait. I didn't fall often. But that's changed, because my ankle had other plans.

-

Grief is a funny thing. If I had a whole lifetime--and I do--there would not be enough time to unpack it.

Where were we? Ah. Yes, the recent days. So, I was in West End the other night for a thing with some friends, and a bunch of acquaintances as well. And, it's been years, literal years, since I have walked the streets of West End. Actually that's a lie. It's been 18 months (but 18 months and a car crash and a broken ankle will get you somewhere completely different to just 18 months and no bloody car crash; you'll feel it).

These friends of mine, they're not faint-hearted people. They've been around a while. We've gone through fashion trends, heartbreaks, dance battles, tragedy, birthdays, deathdays, highlights and lowlights, betrayal, survival, picnics, alcohol-fuelled love affairs etc. Just a lot, okay? But my walking in all those years was not what it is now.

We used to walk the river some days. We'd go all the way from the city across the bridge to South Bank and onto Boundary Street to go to the book store or the pub. We'd walk blocks and blocks of busy Brisbane streets, no worries. We'd walk from my house to the park and back to my house again. We'd go on the back streets to my favourite Vietnamese place, up the steepest incline in the suburb, and, tipsy after dinner or a gig, walk back the way we came. After all my childhood operations and consistent physical therapy and exercise, I'd fall a lot less. And, I'd fall mostly at home and never in front of people, unless I were drunk.

My stride was sure, and I was incredibly confident in my own abilities. And then the car crash. So, a few nights ago, in shoes that didn't feel that great but were incredibly sensible, and in the midst of a semi-cold Brisbane night, we walked along Boundary Street in the dark, with only streetlights and shoplights to guide the way. My steps painfully slow, my voice unsure, and my (well-cursed) thoughts in a pattern of self-recognition, self-hatred, and concentration. I haven't experienced that level of slowness in front of acquaintances in years, and it was the first time, ever, that I'd walked the main street of West End in such a state.

It brings to mind a level of loathing that would probably be hard to fathom for the average person. Indeed, it is hard to articulate (and very rarely acknowledged or understood by those around me when I talk about it openly--why, I don't know). My friends, God bless, are very patient and generous with their time, their support. But, only having met in adulthood, they've never really seen me struggle like this.

-

Get a taxi home or whatever

On the way back home from the evening, I was on the threshold of panic. What was wrong with me? Why was I so upset, embarrassed? The worry of walking, the literal worry, creates in me an anxiety and fear that is easier to conquer when I can have verbal reassurances form others that I'm doing well, that I'm not going to fall, and that they will be there to (literally, physically) help me.

Some months ago, when I was still using a wheelchair to mobilise, I had a lady, a near-stranger, tell me I was brave and sooo good to directly tell people what I needed (because, she said, she could never do that). We were at pottery, and I had asked a fellow student, Jan, if I could borrow her tools, and if she could bring me a mug of water. Everyone at pottery who knew me was explicit in their offers of assistance, but I was new to this group and the stranger (by way of being a stranger) didn't know me at all. I replied to the stranger, explaining that it was neither brave nor, as she put it, an indication of my confidence and 'goodness.' As if asking for things that you need--basic, essential needs--is a skill to be worked on. For me, it is a necessity of life.

When I was a child, my needs were unique in that they were the needs of a child with disability. Meaning that the average adult who hadn't come across a disabled kid had no idea what I needed or wanted. They had no idea why I was crying or if I were in pain. I learned to doggedly request things that I needed. I learned to ask 'why' a lot. I learned to speak loudly and often, because if I didn't, most adults would forget that I was slower, prone to falling, at greater risk of drowning. Some adults (and I won't name the ones I remember, because let's face it, it wasn't some adults; it was most adults) decided that I was asking for things just to be difficult, contrary, or selfishly divert attention away from other, less troublesome children. They actively denied me assistance, not to be cruel, but, as was the way for so many children, to teach me a lesson.

What did they teach me? I'm sure it was many things--too many to satisfy you at present. But, back to this lady at pottery. No, asking for things is not a luxury, I told her. She said she admired my outlook and wished that she could do the same. I didn't tell her that this approach of mine came only after ages of trying other things that failed, at the hand of a great and miserable mystery. That adults, teachers, relatives, and others (much older and stronger than me) went to great and ignorant lengths to reprimand me and publicly humiliate me so that I would learn the lesson.

I ask for things so directly because I need them, simple as that. After years of repeating myself, of being confused, being denied, and feeling ashamed of myself for needing extra things that non-disabled people don't necessarily see or understand, I have a habit of stubbornly ignoring the whitehot shame, guilt and grief I feel at having to ask my closest friends and loved ones for physical assistance. Now, people might tell me not to feel that way anymore, that they 'get me' or that I'm okay now and I'm allowed to have needs. Often they say they could never tell that I was having such a hard time navigating this endlessly inaccessible community (yay, narrow unkempt pathways).

Not enough love is given to the observant people who see that I need help, and do the task without drawing much attention to it. I'd much prefer to do things for myself, just so we're clear. But, when required (which is more often these days), I ask for what I need. Most of the time, it's something little that might seem inconsequential to you. The most obvious one is Can we please slow down? when we are walking together, or Can I hold your arm? when walking on uneven pathways, especially at night.

You might find this jarring and awkward at first. But, please don't. It's not special. It's part of life.

*electronic speakers! buried among plants! what have we come to? what about the plants' own language?

^whoever says they want to go back to being a child probably didn't experience much emotional turmoil when they were little (disclaimer: that's just a guess; i'm not the authority on other people or their life experiences)

[wytchwiz]

#7

This was genuinely fun to write and I will be snatching all of these at some point, it's also pretty short, but whatever.

I AM CRINGE BUT I AM FREE BABY!

My actual writing under the cut, I love this VERY SPECIFIC (non cannon) INTERPRETATION of my Mafia Bois

Wow I never fucking post what I write. Damn.

Final Word Count; 563

TW/CW(s); (FAKE) Guns (paintball guns), I curse like a sailor and it bleeds into most of my work.

Running, Aris was running. 

Fuck, shit, balls. 

Why had he agreed to this? Why does he keep agreeing to this? Honestly, he had no idea, still doesn’t, actually. He pushed those thoughts aside, suddenly very aware of the leaves crunching underneath his feet. Why did Rainer insist on doing this in the middle of the fucking woods? Because that shit was stupid as all hell! Aris quickly checked behind him, pointing his paintball rifle in the direction he was facing, scanning the visible trees.

Nothing.

He kept moving forwards, still crunching on leaves because his feet hated him. He hadn’t heard shots in a while, which could either be concerning or they’d ended in a draw. He wasn’t risking that second option, he was running out of breath now, so he skidded over behind a tree, pressing his back to the bark. Just for a minute, just to catch his breath, twigs snapping alerted Aris to a nearby presence, he quickly leveled the faux rifle, leaning down to look through the scope.

Shit, “and…Bang,” Aris tilted his head and frowned at the brunette in front of him, who notably, hadn’t fired. Instead, the man who Aris had come to know as Lukas held two fingers up, index and thumb, “honestly, I hadn’t expected you of all people to let your guard down!” He laughed -like actually laughed- at Aris.

After his little giggling fit, he rose up. Why did Aris wait this long? Simple, because Aris wanted to hit him right in the chest, “Lukas, I didn’t expect you to be so dramatic,” Aris smiled, not even having to aim the rifle, instead just blind firing. He did in fact, hit Lukas right in the chest, the brightest possible shade of pink spilling over his vest,  “seriously man, you should’ve fired,” Aris  sighed, faux pity lining his words. 

“Betrayal!” Lukas yelled, dropping to the ground, Aris stood over him for a moment, “how the fuck are you a revered criminal?” Lukas gasped in response, before his tone became more serious, “you know how,” Aris shrugged, extending his hand to the older, who graciously took it. Lukas steadied himself on Aris’s shoulder, “now get to the fuckin grave yard you moron,” Lukas tilted his head, “nah man, it’s over, I got Rao, Rainier, and I saw Mako walking over with like…Eight round on their vest.”

Aris shrugged, “what can I say?”

“That you’re an excellent marksman,” Lukas crossed his arms, “oh, stop it, anyone can hit a target with enough practice,” Aris shrugged, turning on a heel and walking back over to the three ‘dead’ contestants. Rao looked up first, “huh, I expected you to be walking here with green on your face,” Aris shrugged, “somebody didn’t fire,” Lukas rolled his eyes, “I got cocky.”

“Yeah you did.”

“Pride cometh before the fall, Ari,” Lukas warned, to which Aris waved him off entirely. Lukas crossed his arms, the five quickly dissolved into their regular banter. Rainer quickly finds new topics for them to speak about, with Mako cracking jokes of all kinds, and Rao snickering in the background. Lukas occasionally dropped in with facts and witty quips, while Aris just…Watched. He watched, and he was utterly content. 

Yep, this is how it was meant to be. All of them were right where they needed to be. It was beautiful. Aris just hoped it lasted.

Superhero / Villain month prompt list

1: Mentor and Apprentice

2: “Go ahead, hit me.”

3: Glowing Hands

4: “This is wrong.”

5: Thieves In The Night

6: “You’re not who I thought you were.”

7: Held At Finger-point

8: “Am I really the villain, or are you just lying to yourself?”

9: Switching sides

10: “Dodge first, monologue later!”

11: Three Against One

12: “I don’t need powers, I have science!”

13: New Suit

14: “Your a sad excuse for a villain.”

15: Final Stand

16: “I’m a villain but I’m not evil.”

17: Ability Swap

18: “Get down!”

19: Friendly Competition

20: “No more lives need to be lost.”

21: Sidekick vs Sidekick

22: “I think it’s time to retire.”

23: Stitches

24: “I… need help.”

25: Sleepless Nights

26: “Breath.”

27: A Day In The Life

28: “Please don’t leave me.”

29: To Much Blood

30: “You promised!

31: Peace

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hiiii!!! This is the first time I’m requesting so I hope I’m doing this right. If possible could you do a head cannon with S/o reader who sucks at cooking but tries to cook for the boys and excitedly gives them her very….. questionable food. With Leona, Malleus,Vil, Jack and Azul please. Thank you so much💕💕

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Surely the taste will be an improvement over the presentation, Malleus tells himself. He has had Lilia’s cooking many times over and managed to survive those near-death experiences—so this couldn’t possibly be as bad. These are the mantras he repeats in his mind to calm himself as he brings a forkful to his lips,

Malleus is at such a loss for words, he doesn’t quite know how to react—but one look at your eager face, and he knows if may crush you to be told the truth so brazenly. And so, he dons a mischievous smile and adopts a plot on the spot to pull the wool over your eyes.

The trick to being a great magician is knowing how to best utilize one’s abilities. In Malleus’s case, a simple teleportation spell creates the illusion of chewing and swallowing every last morsel of food you pile onto his plate. As soon as it disappears from your sight past his lips, poof—it’s gone likely reappearing in Leona’s lunch.

“It has an interesting flavor. Certainly unique, unlike anything I have ever had, even the dishes provided by my royal chef,” he declares with a croon, spooning another mouthful—and, naturally, magicking it away. Malleus is tactful with his wording, careful to not offend, but also offers his wisdom. “Fufu. With more practice and study, you have the capacity to improve even more.”

Was it wrong of him to trick you? Maybe. But did he spare your feelings? Definitely. You’ll continue on in blissful ignorance, your smile preserved thanks to Malleus’s clemency. And, with any luck, perhaps you’ll be able to hone your culinary skills over time, with Malleus there to push you in the right direction.

Leona outright rejects your food, and he is not graceful about it. It’s clear from the way he turns up his nose and scowls that he has no intention of even trying a bite, or of sparing your precious feelings. (And if you include vegetables in the dish? Well, then he’ll just catapult himself several yards away.)

“You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way I’m eating that,” Leona growls, inching away from the plate. “Despite how I may look, I’m a delicate prince with an even more delicate stomach,” he tells you—although his sarcastic, mocking tone doesn’t do him any favors. “Eating food that’s economy class is beneath me.”

Following his harsh rebuttal, he realizes that he’s still hasn’t had anything to eat. In a bout of cranky hangriness (that’s hungry and angry), Leona drags you with him to the NRC cafeteria. There, he tears through a crowd of mon students and returns (looking quite disheveled) with a coveted premium menchi-katsu sandwich in hand.

You sit in the shade of the courtyard’s apple tree as Leona tears his prize up and hands you half. He looks smug about it, as though you should be thanking him, the great and powerful predator, for his kindness and generosity. (If you don’t immediately accept the sandwich, Leona will just stuff it in your mouth himself and gruffly instruct you to “shut up and eat”.)

He reclines against the tree trunk with his own half of the sandwich. Leona tosses you an irritable look before muttering, “Oi. From now on, don’t bother cooking. It’s pointless to even try. Just sit back and let me do it. I’ll be the one to take cafe of you, got it?”

One look at your dish, and Vil gingerly pushes it away with the shake of his head. He’s not one to hold back when it comes to critique, so his comments, while fair, are also brutal and brimming with tough love.

“Stop, stop. I appreciate your efforts, but... efforts alone can only get you so far. I can tell at just a glance that you’ve yet to master the fundamentals.” Vil indicates various points on the platter. “Just how do you think you can pull off a dish this complex if you lack a solid foundation to build off of? You must begin with the basics first!”

It quickly becomes evident to him that you have no clue where to start. Fortunately for you, Vil’s willing to tie up his hair and guide you through some simple things, from kitchen safety to common cooking and cutting techniques. His focus is, of course, on simple, quick, and healthy recipes which suit his busy, on-the-go lifestyle (and are so foolproof that even you can’t mess them up).

Ever the perfectionist, Vil’s not going to let you quit midway through! He’ll give you skill drills and make you practice over and over until you’re entirely comfortable and confident with handling a knife, playing with fire, and seasoning. It’s partly for his own safety (and for the safety of anyone else you want to serve food to), but he also genuinely wants to see you grow and improve yourself.

He wears the most proud smile on his face when you really nail a test or make a considerable improvement. To Vil, it’s like watching the pieces of a puzzle slowly fall into place, finally making a coherent and beautiful image that is you at your full potential. He’s sure that, no matter what you make for him next, it will be something worth a standing ovation.

Every single one of his senses is screaming at him to not to eat your food. Taking a single whiff tells him that the dish is foul, something rotten, despite your best efforts to polish it up. Heck, the fur on his tail stands on end from just looking at it.

Jack brushes away his apprehension and pats down his fur. He refuses to back down from this! He won’t be defeated by food, especially since he knows you out your heart and soul into preparing this for him! Jack vows that he won’t let it go to waste!

He has to hype himself up like he’s doing warm-ups for an important track-meet! Deep breaths, stretches, jogging in place, even mumbling a pep talk to himself under his breath! Staring down at the (potentially) deadly dish only rips open a fresh can of fear in Jack, and only exercise can provide a rush of adrenaline strong enough to fight it off.

Jack tries to conceal the questionable taste and texture of your cooking by wolfing it down as fast as he can. The sooner it is down his throat and into his belly, the less of an opportunity his taste buds will have to fully process it all... right? (Well, that’s the logic Jack is running with.)

When the deed is done, Jack raises a fist in the air almost in slow motion, as though he is a champion proclaiming victory over a powerful adversary. He gives you a dazed grin, his head swimming from the sensory stimulation. “I... I did it. Are you proud of me? I—” aaaand he careens over, his exhausted, heavy body leaning against yours. “... Looks like I was’t as strong as I thought I was. S-Sorry. I’ll have to borrow you for a while...”

Azul understands the pain of putting your time, energy, and resources into making something new—so he wouldn’t want to waste them by rejecting your kind offer of free food. He decides to sample at least one bite out of pure courtesy... and he instantly regrets it.

To Azul’s credit, he hides his repulsion well enough. He covers his disgust by coughing and pretending that the food went down the wrong pipe, then washes out the taste with a considerable gulp of water (he drains almost the entire cup in a few gulps).

Azul has a way of twisting words to persuade others to act in his favor, and now is no different. He puts that silver tongue of his to use and manages to sweet talk you out of letting him off the hook for the rest of the meal! But what will you eat? you wonder—and with a smirk, Azul seats you where he once was.

Shedding his blazer and rolling his sleeves up, he enters the kitchen himself with your plate of food in hand. Not too long after, he exits with that same dish, modified and dressed up to look like a fancy menu item. Azul pulls up a chair across from you and gives you a smile so charming that it makes you forget that you had intended to cook for him in the first place.

“Let me be the one to treat you today,” he insists, offering a spoonful or a forkful. “and if you enjoy it, I can demonstrate exactly how I made this for you. In fact, consider my tutoring services at your disposal. No, no, please—it’s no trouble at all, really. Food is something that is simply better experienced when it is shared with someone you love.”

[mx-kay]

hiii!!! i just gotta tell you this scenario I’ve been thinking about!🥺

Dustin goes out into the woods (maybe to the picnic table Eddie was at with Chrissy) to clear his mind cause he misses Eddie so much. Dustin sits there crying out Eddie’s name, tears are pouring from his eyes as he thinks about Eddie, but poor Dustin is totally unaware that Eddie is alive and was turned into a giant, who of course is secretly watching Dustin from afar and his giant heart is breaking at the sight of Dustin crying😭

Hold On

Mini Giant!Eddie & Human!Dustin

Rating : T, SFW

Word Count : 2,621

TW : Several mentions of death, description of distorted body parts (not gore!!!), small mention of the Satanic Panic, very brief mention of self mutilation

Extra : I may have took a little creative liberty on this because I love vampire Eddie and also love when people give him a monstrous look that just happens to be mini giant sized. If you want one where he’s just a giant, send another ask in and I’ll write another version! Also, I apologize if this doesn’t flow very well. I wrote half of this while I was sick and Dustin was also really hard for me to write. Idk why, I think it’s because we’ve never really seen him grieve on screen so I had nothing to go off of. Hope he’s not too OOC. (Eddie’s design was inspired by l33chjar on TikTok, though more proportionate.)

———— 🦇 ————

It was around mid-April when the rumors started up.

Small towns were often known for how quickly gossip spread, and with Hawkins now dwindling population it was definitely no exception. The small handful of people who still dared to live there were quick to hear of the massive shadow now said to haunt the woodlands near the school. As if there wasn’t already reason enough to keep their kids locked indoors at all times.

As most rumors of this nature went, people couldn’t seem to come to an agreement on what it looked like. Some claimed it had an almost human appearance, despite its ink colored fur and ivory claws. Others would call it beastly, with sharp fangs and giant wings and glowing red eyes. Despite all the differing opinions though, one thing was always the same. The creature was massive. Easily over twelve feet standing upright. People claimed it was a sign that the devil was indeed in Hawkins, a few going as far as to say it was summoned by Eddie Munson through his ritual sacrifices.

Those who knew the truth about what laid beneath Hawkins were in just as much confusion on what it could possibly be. Demogorgons were definitely tall, but they weren’t that tall. The Mind Flayer was also a possibility, but even then there were details that didn’t add up. Other key details used to describe the creature were its glowing red eyes and giant pair of bat-like wings. Creatures of the Upside Down didn’t have faces, and the demobats were simply too small to be a possibility. Had they somehow evolved? Or was this an entirely new monstrosity they had yet to face?

No one was quite sure, and it put them all on edge.

———— 🦇 ————

Dustin knew he shouldn’t be here. Especially not alone. Not only had his mother basically banned him from going, Steve had also had several fights with him over going back. The woods near the school were a no-go zone, a place he should be absolutely nowhere near until they knew exactly what they were up against. Whatever was in there would more than likely not hesitate to kill or seriously maim.

Despite all this, the countless hours of hearing the adults of the group repeat it over and over and over, here he stood. Maybe a yard away from the tree line. The sun was slowly sinking behind the trees, casting him in a dark shadow and causing him to shiver. The spring weather was still clinging to the air, meaning it was almost cold in the shade. Maple seeds laid scattered in the grass as the evening birds sang. It was peaceful.

God this was a bad idea, he knew it was, but he was here anyways. He had to be. Eddie’s memorial was here, one Dustin had set up himself. Were they really expecting to keep him from visiting? “I’m never going to hear the end of this,” he muttered, already picturing Steve’s rant when he got back. Honestly, they probably should have expected him to come here. He wasn’t quite known for his keen sense of judgement after the whole Dart incident.

Taking a deep breath and shaking out the nerves, Dustin took a step forward. “Into the Death Star.”

———— 🦇 ————

Never in his entire life did Eddie Munson think he would hate trees as much as he did right now.

Well, maybe life. Was he alive? He still didn’t quite know the answer to that one. He quite vividly remembered not being alive for a moment, of shaky hands gripping him tight as Dustin cried over him. Pretty soon after everything went black, though, he’d sat up in a terrible coughing fit and feeling like he was having the absolute worst hangover. His entire body felt as if it’s been pulled inside out or something of the like. For a moment he simply had to relearn how to breathe.

It was only after his brain seemed to finally reboot that he noticed the physical changes. He had thought the feeling of wrongness was just the thick air of the Upside Down surrounding him, not his entire fucking body now stretched out like a piece of taffy. His already gangly limbs were now abnormally long and ended in black fur and sharp claws. That wasn’t even as bad as the new appendages he now sported, the large pointed bat ears and massive wings and whipping tail.

He didn’t quite have a definite number for the amount of panic attacks he’s had since his “rebirth”.

After crawling his way out of one of the massive cracks now tearing through Hawkins, Eddie’s first instinct was to find the rest of his party. When something as big as this happened, it was never good to have the party separated. With a little trial and error — or just him figuring out his now heightened sense of hearing and smell — he found himself in the woods surrounding Hawkins High. It seems most of Hawkins was now situated in the gym after losing their homes to the “earthquake”. It took all of his willpower not to run out and hug his uncle when he first saw him exit the building, even more so when he saw the necklace currently around his neck. Eddie’s necklace, the one he used in the Upside Down. Dustin must have grabbed it from him specifically to give to Wayne. God, they probably told him he was dead. Everyone either thought he was a murderer or dead.

He wanted to tell everyone he was alright. Well, alright as he could be after coming back to life looking like the demon everyone thought he was. Point is, Eddie hated that he couldn’t tell them he was alive. There were just too many people that could see him. The close calls he’d already had were enough to keep him farther back from the school. There was just never a good chance to get anyone’s attention without alerting the whole town. So he kept to the woods.

Woods meant trees though, and branches that just loved to snag as his new pair of wings. They were cool in theory, but actually having them was torture. “I’m gonna start purposefully tearing off branches at this point,” he grumbled to himself, tail lashing slightly behind him and nearly hitting the picnic table. That was an odd feeling as well. It was like having a second, more flexible spine connected to his ass. Uncomfortable. He wondered if it would grow back like a lizard’s if he tore it off, but knew he really probably shouldn’t test that theory. He needed it for balance anyways, with his legs now far more resembling an animal’s than normal human ones. Jesus, he’d already had to deal with body dysphoria before the incident, this was not helping.

A branch snapped up the path leading to the picnic table.

Eddie froze mid-step in his pacing, ears swiveling as his head turned in the sound’s direction. Shit. Shit. He’d been so lost in his head that he hadn’t heard the approaching footfall. It was close too, a quick but heavy step that seemed to have a purpose. God, Jesus, he was so fucking screwed. What if it was a hunter? Someone who’d come specifically to see if they could take down the mighty beast lurking in the high school forest? What if they had a gun and shot at him? What if it didn’t miss? He couldn’t breathe, his brain fuzzy with panic. Turning, he scrambled into the woods, flattening himself to the forest floor and, for once in his life, praying to anything out there that he wouldn’t be spotted.

The person entered the clearing the moment he stilled.

———— 🦇 ————

Dropping his bag, Dustin sat at the table with a heavy sigh. There were only a few things scattered over the top, moved from their original spots by the forces of nature, but he quickly placed it all back in the center. It wasn’t much. A bag of DnD dice and a few figurines, a handful of guitar picks, a Hellfire shirt, and a few other things. Most of it was placed here himself. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could do in these circumstances. It hurt that he couldn’t do more.

“Hey Eddie.”

He liked to do this when he was alone here. Talk, act like nothing ever happened and Eddie was sitting right across from him. Pretend it was all ok.

“Sorry I haven’t been around. Steve went all mom mode and wouldn’t let me come. I think they’re all overreacting, we all know the Upside Down creatures hate fire. We could just burn whatever son of a bitch that’s in the woods.”

He looked back down at the backpack he’d brought with him. It wasn’t a flamethrower, but he had brought a lighter and a can of hairspray. He wasn’t stupid enough to not come at least somewhat prepared.

“Good news, Max is awake! She’s always complaining about how much her legs and arms hurt. Mostly just doing it to annoy us and boss us around, but everyone’s giving her a pass on that one. I think everyone’s just relieved she’s okay.”

He stopped for a moment, staring down at the pile laid out in front of him.

“She uh, she asked about you.”

The room had gone quiet as Max had questioned where Eddie was. Even if no one had immediately given her an answer, the silence said enough. They could tell it hurt her, even if she acted nonchalant about it. She wasn’t the only one. Everyone in the Hawkins group was mourning in their own way.

He could feel his eyes start to burn. “Jesus,” he sniffed, trying to wipe the tears away. It didn’t seem to help. “You know, I told Steve one time that if he died, I’d die. It was back in the secret Russian base I never got to tell you about. I think that-” he voice cracked. “I think that applied to you too.” He might not have physically died, but he didn’t feel alive either. Grief killed. He could feel something in him had died that day, was maybe still dying. His eyes burned, his throat burned, his chest burned. It burned and ached and ate him inside and left him feeling empty and hollow and dead.

He sobbed, “Why did you do it?” He’d asked himself that question so many times it felt like a personal mantra. “You could have climbed up and we could have covered the gate or hidden or something. We could have figured something out! Steve said don’t be a hero and you said you wouldn’t and then you did, and that’s bullshit! Bullshit! We have a rule in the party, friends don’t lie, and you broke it. You broke it and I hate you for it!” The yells tapered off into full body crying.

He was angry and hurt and almost missed the soft croaking sob from farther in the woods, “I deserve that.”

Dustin froze. He sniffed, trying to wipe his tears from his face. God, that voice. That voice, it sounded like … no, not it couldn’t be. There was no way. No possible way. “…Eddie?” The call was small and tentative, almost like he was afraid of being caught saying it. Like someone would jump out and laugh at him for even thinking of the possibility.

There was a moment of silence. Maybe he was just hearing things. Finally lost his mind from this.

“…Shit.”

There was a loud shuffling noise in the more shadowed part of the woods across the table from him. Dustin shot up from his seat, mouth gaping before he rushed to get around the bench. “Holy fucking shit, Eddie, is that you?!” he yelled, sprinting for the trees.

Something large snapped up in the shadows, quickly followed by Eddie’s voice, “Woah woah woah woah, hey, stop for a moment! Don’t come any closer!”

The frantic and frankly frightened sounding cry was confusing enough to stop him in his tracks. “Eddie, what…” The question went unfinished.

There was a sigh and a sniffle, “First off, you really need to watch your mouth. Don’t think Mama Harrington would like it too much if he caught you saying that.” Dustin rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off. “Second…second, is…” He paused for a moment, almost sounding choked. “I’m not the same, Henderson,” he finally let out, “I think those bats might have done a little more than take a bite out of me.”

The admission hung in the air for a moment. A frown crossed his face, “What do you mean? Like, what, you’re a zombie now? Are you an Upside Down zombie?”

Something about that was funny as Eddie let out a soft snort of laughter, but it was quickly shot down, “No, no new affinity for brains.” He paused again before speaking, “Try blood.”

Dustin seemed to think on that for a moment before looking back towards the shadow in the woods he was sure was Eddie. “You’re a vampire?” he asked as if to get affirmation, but shook his head before Eddie could speak. “You know what, I don’t care what you look like, I’m coming in.”

The shadow sunk down into the bushes, “Henderson, Henderson, that’s not a good idea man-“

“No!”

It was quiet again, besides his hiccuping breaths. Dustin shook his head, tears springing back up. “No, Eddie.” His voice was cracking again. “The last thing I saw you do was die. I watched you die and it’s been on repeat in the back of my mind ever since! So I don’t care what you look like, I just care about seeing you alive so I don’t have to keep seeing you dead in my arms!” The last sentence seemed to echo through the forest for a moment, clinging to whatever it hit. The silence was near deafening, the trees themselves seeming to hold their breath.

A watery laugh echoed back, “Glad to see you haven’t changed Dustin.” He took a breath, and followed with a much softer, “Just, don’t freak out. Please.” And then the forest seemed to move.

Dustin gaped at the now massive shape, instinctively taking a step back as it rose. “Holy shit,” he breathed out, his brain trying to process what exactly he was seeing. Two points stuck out from the top of the head, reminiscent of horns, as two wing-like shapes devoured the rest of the body in shadow. Red pupils seemed to glow from the depths of the curly halo of hair around its head. His head craned back as the form began to walk forward and oh shit that thing was huge and he couldn’t help a few more steps back and-

There was Eddie. Eddie, who he saw die and who was now here. Eddie, the closest person besides Steve that he’d ever considered a brother. Eddie, who now had wings and fur and claws and oh those were bat ears not horns and was that a tail and never mind it didn’t matter he was here and honestly looked like a kicked puppy and Dustin could help but let out a sob and reach up for a hug.

He instantly knelt down and pulled him close, though was careful of his sharper edges. He could feel Dustin shaking as he sobbed into him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. “I’m sorry,” Eddie whispered. He’d hurt the kid. Even if he’d been trying to save his life, he’d hurt him. “I’m so sorry.”

And for a moment, as the sun set, they simply held on.

[sinfulwrites]

Ooh... [PULL] for Tommy, pretty please? 👉👈

You already know I'm gonna do both, they were too good not to.

I know Thomas's said "pull down by their collar," but Thomas wears a necktie and pulling him down by his necktie... Does things for me. Plus, neckties rest near the shirt collar anyway, close enough lol

I also kinda wrote these as pre-established relationships, so there's no more awkwardness between our boys and their S/O. Things get a little goofy.

Hope you like these, Doots!

[PULL]

Hoyt was out of the house, and that meant everyone was free to do whatever they wished for a few hours. You and Thomas took advantage of this much-needed opportunity for quality time. If Thomas stayed in that basement a moment longer, he swore he was going to go nuts. You both met at the large metal door that he swung open with ease, and you both strolled out the front door like two high school love birds, arms swinging and everything. Who cares if it looked childish? Hoyt wasn’t around to chastise you two for it. Luda Mae couldn’t be happier at the sight.

The dried wheatgrass swayed along with the breeze, and so did Thomas’s bloody apron, which he just remembered now that he had on. Thomas looked back at the house for a brief moment, contemplating changing, but when he looked at him you simply shrugged.

“Ain’t the first time.”

And you were right. Thomas finally just shrugged with you and continued the walkout to the front yard of the Hewitt house, hand in hand with you. If you didn’t mind, he didn’t either.

Thomas walked you to the swinging bench under the property’s gorgeous trees, which provided ample shade from Texas’s merciless sun. Thomas’s large hand finally parted with yours so he could pull off a leftover box of empty beer bottles, most likely left by Monty. He had to bend over to place the box down, and you physically couldn’t stop yourself from playfully pinching his behind when it just looked so nice in those pants. You made him immediately jump but he just looked back at you with a hand on his hip.

“Aw, don’t give me that look…” You batted your eyes at him, but he only responded with a shake of the head and a cross of his arms. You stuck your bottom lip out while tiptoeing toward him. Thomas glanced down at you when you stepped into his line of vision, and even though he was pretending to be tough, you could see the smile spread on his lips behind his mask.

Your hand reached up to his crossed arms and gave his bicep a small tug, trying to urge him down, but he was keeping the game going a little longer. You decided to target his necktie instead, tugging it out of his shirt and using it to pull him down so you could give him a kiss, and this time he didn’t resist you. His arms uncrossed so he could hold your cheeks whose warm, loving hands of his while he gave you a gentle, but passionate, kiss on the lips.

The kiss ended when the pressure on his neck from your pulling disappeared and let him pull his head back up, letting you two pull each other into a hug. Once again, the bloody apron was forgotten, but that’s what soap and water were for. Which is what Thomas will guide you over to so you can clean up.

But not before he returns the favor and pinches you on your rear.

[MELT]

It was laundry day, and you were busy folding all day. Your laundry had been piling up, you had two full baskets to fold. Michael wasn’t very great at folding, he knew that. While he offers to help you with chores around the house if he was home, he knew he would just be in your way, so he lingered around the house in meantime. You didn’t mind, it was your laundry, after all, he didn’t have to help. You were more than fine turning on some music and jamming out while you folded your clothes.

Michael knew you had a lot of laundry, but he was not expecting it to take so long to fold. He wasn’t going to rush you, but he was hoping to be in bed with you again by now, but you were still folding. You were too distracted by folding and dancing along to the music pumping out of the radio to notice Michael sulking in the doorway. The longer he went unnoticed, the more sulked.

He reached his limit and finally began to approach you, sneaking behind you while you were none the wiser. His hands extended towards your swaying hips, his heavily used digits cracking as he caught your hips during their rhythm along with the song coming out of the radio. You gasped and dropped the pants you were folding, but immediately melted against him in relief when you realized it was him. You placed your hand over your now racing heart and met his apologetic glance with a playful huff.

“What’s up, Michael?” You asked while finally grabbing the pants you dropped so you could finish folding. His hands never left your hips, though they slowly snaked around to fold on your waist so he could pull you close while you folded. He pulled you away from the table and ruined your second attempt at folding these pants because they fell off the edge of the table.

“Michael.” You stroked his bicep and met his now bashful gaze as you finally submitted and leaned into him. “I’m almost done, please let me finish.”

He didn’t say no, but his tighter grip on your waist and his head now in your shoulder said it for him. Now you could only laugh and hang your hand in defeat, he wasn’t going to let you go. You knew that, so you just reached up and stroked his hair while your cheek rested on his head.

You just dropped the pants on the floor, you weren’t going to be folding anymore.