#Blake Seltzer

[villageidiotlove]

I indulged myself

Look behind the curtain for the first bit of an Alex/You RPF. And tell me if it should go on my Lenten confession list *g*

Today's the day you meet your co-star for your first lead movie role, which also happens to be your first big onscreen nudity role. Your co-star? Alexander Skarsgard.

You've done your "research", and the grapevine says he's a safe guy, not the kind to take advantage of his partners in a sex scene. Still, you can't help but be nervous. You have more than enough experience as an actress to have worked with some really asshole actors, even if nobody has tried to pull any Justin Baldoni tricks on your Blake Lively. Today you're going to sit down and talk to a man you'll have to get naked with in front of lights, cameras, and crew. How can this not be awkward?

You're early for the meeting, because you're always early when you're nervous. You get settled in the private room of the hotel lounge and indulge in a glass of (very good) wine before Skarsgard shows up, with someone else in tow.

The someone else is the intimacy coordinator for the movie, a Latina woman with a motherly air and a hairstyle worthy of Frida Kahlo. She says she's worked with Alex before, and there he is: Alexander Skarsgard, in the flesh.

He's taller than you expected but much less bulky, although he has big hands and broad shoulders. He offers you a warm hand, not trying for a hug, and that's already a point in his favor. He's casually dressed, neatly shaven, smells nice: attractive, but attractive men can be skeevy, too. You sip a little more wine, order a second glass, and note that he asks only for seltzer water.

Marina, the intimacy coordinator, explains what her job entails as you munch on a small Greek salad and Alex inhales a roast beef sandwich. She'll be onset during your sex scenes, available in case either of you need to call time out, call a halt, call for help. Alex is not saying much, just nodding. You're wondering whether to eat dessert when Marina asks, "Do you have some hard limits? What is definitely a no for you?"

You look at your co-star. He has pushed aside his empty plate and is taking out a small notebook and a pen. When you don't say anything, he looks at you expectantly. Neutrally.

"No choking me or touching my throat," you tell him. His fingers flit across the notebook. "Touching my face is okay. I guess. No choking is the main thing."

He nods. "We can talk more about it later. We should." He writes something else, but you can't read the words upside down. Maybe he's writing in Swedish?

Marina seems ready to wrap things up and take Alex with her, so you don't order dessert, only a cup of coffee that you finish after they've left the table. Alex shook your hand again and offered you his phone number, saying you should let him know when you can have dinner or something, get to know each other. It sounds like a straightforward request; there's no wink, no smirk, no subtext that you can discern. You have to admit, however, that you're still nervous.

[covington-shenanigans]

cat names

so I'm in an a cappella group which is part of a queer community chorus and one of our members works at an animal shelter. today she posted in the a cappella discord: "About to have to name forty cats for the next hour I’ll be collecting wherever unhinged names you can think of"

this was two hours ago. we are still coming up with cat names. the list (SO FAR) is under the cut. tag yourself, I'm Permanently Exhausted Pigeon

we think many of these would be excellent baby names also. as one of our sopranos said, "what is a cat but a baby with claws?"

(note: stuff in parentheses after the cat name is commentary from the person who came up with the name)

Permanently Exhausted Pigeon

Xena: Warrior Princess

Deke Sharon

George Foreman ("and name the next five George Foreman Jr")

Samantha the Evil Twin

Magical Mr. Mistofelees

Stephen

Kelsey Hightower ("this is not a celebrity, but he is well-known in my industry, and his name is a fuckin banger")

John Cena

The Onceler

Pig

Madison

Nancy

Olivia Newton-John

Blake Carrington

The Purple Principessa

Rubik's Cube

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Owl

Fido

Rover

Mystery Incorporated

Quark

Agatha

Vetinari

Evil Grand Vizier

Horatio

Juno

Bob Loblaw

Juniper

Mrs. Shirley Jenkins

Michael Scott

Spot

Jermaine

Churu

Tia and Tamera Meowry

Soup Spoon

Kleenex

Mug

32-Inch Curved Monitor

Shitty Fourthhand Dell Laptop

Taco Bell Hot Sauce Packet

Don't Worry About What Number of Coffee That Is

Hot Sauce

Harrowhark Nonagesimus

Gideon Nav

John

Pussalitus

Shell Script

Bob the Drag Cat

Slay

Right Meow

Pawl McCartney

Fuzzmeister ("something my ex-roommate used to call my cat")

Fuzzbucket ("another thing my ex-roommate used to call my cat")

Furry Bastard ("ibid")

Jessica! [ed. note: yes, with the exclamation point. I asked]

William Shakespeare

Thursday

Laura Jane Grace

Billy the Kitten

Cat 5 ("I CRACK MYSELF UP LOLOLOL this is a nerd joke don't worry about it")

Pixel

The Child

We're Calling About Your Cat's Extended Warranty

Ibid

Ketzeleh

Absolutely not stop eating toilet paper ("Or just TP for short")

Get Down From There You Little Shit

Stop Eating Plastic You Fucking Gremlin

Feather Boa

Matilda

Nectarine

The Trunchbull

Blender

Vlad the Impaler

Jackie Daytona

Zoom Call

Scrungle

Synthwave

Shoegaze

Disco

Sandstorm

Pancake

Cursed Skull

None Pizza With Left Beef

Regular Skull with no Otherworldly Implications

Sardine

Doggo

Blobfish

Monarch Butterfly

Wage Theft

Hidden Fees

Labor Solidarity

Tax Fraud

McNugget

Class Action Lawsuit

Daniel Tiger

Tony Hawk

Treacherous Knave

Simone Biles

Sodium Bicarbonate

Unflavored Seltzer

Francesca

Strawberry With A Flat Battery

Boop

The Thong Song

Eurovision

Queen of the Underhill

Beaver Nug

POSSUM

Space Lollipop

Chocolate Napoleon

Dessert Drop

Madame Iris

Happy Tartan

Tiny Assistant Antonia

Biscuit

Rim Tim Taggi Dim

Fortinbras

Baby Lasagna

Elderly Lasagne

Duck

Middle-Aged Shark ("doo-doo")

Batman

Greek Chorus

Bertie Wooster

Jasper

Gomez Addams

Morticia Addams

Beeswax

and the sibling of Beeswax: Mind Your Beeswax

Roomba

Particle Board

FYP

Mr. Murderbritches

Baked Potato

Delulu

Ampersand ("'&' for short")

Your Mom

Booticall McStuffins

Munch

Shoelace

Bubba

Bye Felinecia

Sillybutt

Charles

Christofur Walken

Train Heist

Doc

Oscar The Crouch

Elmo ("for a ginger cat")

Furmit the Crog

Shrek

Beck

Pauline

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia

Soleil Moon Fry

Moon Unit Zappa

Trout

Unholy Bargain

Rick Astley

Comic Sans, Ariel Bold, Dingbats

Professor Scrungle McDingus

Bumoley

Dante’s Inferno

Chairman Meow

Pride and Prejudice

2 Factor Authentication

Blue Wheel of Death

Clippy

Circle back

A Meeting The Should Have Been An Email

Chat Offline

I Need To Speak With You In My Office

Wild Thing

Doofus McGroofus

Thneed

Meowzart

Thelonious Meownk

Turnip Face

Dumpster Fire

Santa Claws

Munchkin (Munch for short)

Parsnip

Illegal Pete

Petit Francois

Neck Pillow

Error404

Itty Bitty Kitty (Committee)

Freddie Kruegpurr

Jason

Chad

Chadwick

Silly William (Billy)

Goose

No-Nonsense Billy ("prefers William")

Experimental Jazz

Sibling of Thelonious Meownk

Gulf of Meowxico

Lake Meowchigan

Meownica Lewinsky

Meowchigan State Spurrtans

Buffalo Pam

Cat-herine

University of Meowchigan Wolferines

Bad Band Name

Meowtallica

Joan Pett

Cat Activation Noise

Alanis Meowissette

Petty LaPone

Mayonnaise

The Sauce

Farrah Pawcet

Burger

Topo Chico

Buns ("brother of Burger")

Onion Ring ("sister of Burger and Buns")

Catsup

A Dish Best Served Cold

Revenge ("short for A Dish Best Served Cold")

Small Forestry Man ("or just Small Man")

Helen of Troy

Trojan Cat

Bean

Spatula

Aunt Irmintrude

Worm Off The String

Worm On A String

What Crimes Will He Commit?

Crimini Mushroom

Saffron

Garbage Truck

Louise

Hashbrown

Sir Violence Fourth Of Their Name

PhD

We Can't Afford That

Euphonium

Spork

Doctor Zhivago

Antoine-Joseph Sax

Lump Sum

Chiquitita

Mothman

The Winner Takes It All ("That one the person doesn’t pay for the adoption they win a wet tee shirt contest")

Catniss Neverseen

MacGruber

This Is The Skin Of A Killer Bella

Loca

Haskell

COBOL

Theodore

Rewrite It In Rust

Rock Lobster

Love Shack

Trampoline

Peas Turnip The Beet

Subarubarubaru

Crime

April Showers Kill The Flowers

Ford Fiesta

Sharon

Rodrick

Felony

Jaywalking

Dipthong

Fun With Phonics

LMNOP

RFTM

Quilt

AEIO

AEIOU and Sometimes Y

Consonant

Verb

O R B

Gandalf's Big Naturals

OA

Refrigerator

CatGPT

Feral Beast

Feral Pawcet

Air Filter

Antithesis

Synthesis

Onomatopee-er

California Pizza Kitten

Floor Wax

Shamalamadingdong

Murphey’s Oil Soap

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

Mysterious Figure

Mouse ("And her sister Shady Character")

Trackball

The Real Slim Shady

Recessive Jean

[friedmoose]

Oh. Millie Bobby Brown made a canned coffee drink I guess and is selling it now. My initial thought: "oh no, capitalism." But 🤷‍♀️ if I can get excited about The Rock's Tequila or Blake Lively's alcohol seltzer drink, why not canned coffee as well, what's the difference. Not like the average consumer or coffee drinker is having a canned coffee everyday like they might a can of seltzer water (oop 😳). Plus it's kind of popular in Japanese/East Asian culture, the canned coffees, idk maybe she likes those drinks and wanted to have an American (wait, she's British isn't she?) version. Probably would try it, you never know. Not on the top of my list (neither are the other celebrity beverages) but doesn't mean I could never get around to it. Even Uncle Rodger has a special celebrity food product that I'd try once (more than that and I think I'm being a lazy chef cause I could probably make something similar without the box set if I just learned better cooking and seafood buying)

[ginanddonuts]

It’s been a minute since I did one of these, but in a year that started with the death of a legend , and saw music infrastructure fracture even further into hyper-niche corners, I found myself more engaged than I’ve been in a while with new rap. Maybe the sheer impossibility of staying on top of everything freed me up to just hear what I hear and rock with what I like, or maybe I just finally burnt myself out playing Starlito tapes on repeat and needed something to switch it up with, but picking 50 was actually kinda tricky. Who knew?

In alphabetic order. Got em’ in a YouTube and an Apple Music playlist for easy listenin'

Armand Hammer - Y'all Can't Stand Right Here (prod. Steel Tipped Dove & Messiah Musik) AyooLii - Shmackin Town (prod. 2PHONENOAH) Baby Osama - Only Girl in the NBA (prod. ?) Babyface Ray ft Los & Nutty - Luh Tyler Flow (prod. TanaFyeThatShitUp2) BabyTron ft Luh Tyler - Kai Cenat / Old Days (prod. Hokatiwi) billy woods - Rapper Weed (prod. Kenny Segal) Bobby Too Tact - Real Facts (WhoRunItNYC Performance) (prod. Lowkeymali) 2HUMPY x 2RARE - 2HUMPY Anthem (prod. 2HUMPY) Certified Trapper - Over Seas (prod. Certified Trapper) Christ Dillinger - Ima Go Out Fighting Like King Von (prod. Seepy) Connie Diiamond ft Jenn Carter - Ghetto & Ratchet (prod. DJAaronOnDaBeat & Milan Made It) CrackWhite - Black Pain (prod. RAN) Danny Brown ft Bruiser Wolf - Y.B.P. (prod. SKYWLKR, Kassa Overall) DJ Fresh ft E40, Larry June & Dreebo - Pop My Shit (prod. DJ Fresh) Earl Sweatshirt - Making the Band (Danity Kane) (prod. Evilgiane) FLEE - Hunnibun (prod. Natt Carlos) Gabe 'Nandez - Long Reach (prod. Argov) Ice Spice - Deli (prod. RiotUSA) IceColdBishop - Last Night (prod.BREGMA, Jeremy Uribe, David Emanuel & Bubbs) ICYTWAT - Black Card (prod. Rocco Roy) Jay Hound ft Jay5ive - Ukraine (prod. DoubleM) Kari Faux ft Devin the Dude - DOG (prod. Phoelix) KARRAHBOOO - Running Late (prod. Gentlebeatz & Yovng Blake) Key Glock - In And Outta Town (prod. BandPlay & Hitkidd) Killer Mike ft. Future, Andre 3000, Eryn Allen Kane - Scientists & Engineers (prod. André 3000, No I.D., DJ Paul, James Blake & TWhy) King Vision Ultra ft Lord Kayso - Media Training (prod. King Vision Ultra) Maiya The Don - Dusties (prod. Pliznaya & Derrick Milano) Maz G x AyooLii - Jack TAP (prod. AyooLii) Niontay ft Earl Sweatshirt, El Cousteau, & MIKE - Real hiphop (prod. Tony Seltzer & Vinny Fanta) Noname ft $ilkMoney & billy woods - gospel? (prod. Gaetan) NR Boor x OT7 Quanny - Body 4 Body (prod. Pyro-Z5) Oodaredevil - No Regular (prod. Cade, Giannii) Paris Texas ft Kenny Mason - DnD (prod. Paris Texas, Dilip, William J. Sullivan, Julian Ali, Romil Hemnani) Rent Check ft Baghead & Vazh - Full Court(prod. Baghead) RXKNephew - Matching moncler (prod. Warheart) Sexyy Red - Shake Yo Dreads (prod. Kat Lightning & AyoCBass) ShyBelligerent-Trynna Make It Out (prod. SheeeshJon) SieteGang Yabbie - Everybody Eats B (prod. 500K?) Smokingskul - Blue Zan (prod. Pdf) Stonedda5th - Changed (prod. CYOUNGBEATZ) That Mexican OT ft Paul Wall & Drodi - Johnny Dang (prod. TobiAli) Tisakorean ft Sunny Galactial - uHhH HuH.mP3 (prod. TisaKorean) TREE x Vic Spencer - Suede on the Roof (prod. CJ the Kid) Treety - "Making Love" (prod. Blaqnmild) Valee ft 03 Greedo (prod. Harry Fraud) Young Nudy - Pancake (prod. Coupe) Young Thug ft Slime & Lil Goth - Hoodie (prod. Southside & Metro Boomin) Zelooperz - 4Inju (prod. Carlo Anthony) 41 - Run That (prod. Touchamill, Jake Krumm, Kshawn Van Huner & Hunter Tomeo)

[lordelmelloi2]

You can try and be a casual drinker and pretend like you're being anti-pretentious by scoffing at dry red wines or hard liquors and etc. but sooner or later you'll face the fact that it's not Pretentiousness that is what surrounds alcohol it's the fact that there's a massive breadth of like, history and culture that is extremely linked with it... IMO, the actual root of pretentiousness in alcohol is celebrity name spirits and beverages, which lead to problematic production lines, I'm thinking about casamigos and 818 and teremana, I'm also thinking about those faux manly whiskies released by friends of fucking Joe Rogan like Tiger Thicc or whatever, or every influencer releasing a new alcoholic seltzer... that's where the pretentiousness starts. Wines and spirits usually have cultures and histories attached to them -- real pretention is when it's done solely for cash grabs because it's hip. I mean why are these non-drinkers releasing alcoholic beverages anyways? Why did JLO release Delola, she doesn't drink. Why did Blake Lively release Betty Booze, she also doesn't drink. I mean come on

[nwbeerguide]

Avid Cider announces cidery expansion into a 15000 square foot warehouse in Redmond Oregon.

image courtesy Avid Cider Co.

Press Release

Bend, OR: 6/26/23 — Avid Cider announced today that they will be relocating their production  facility to Redmond, Oregon. The move comes as part of Avid’s ongoing expansion efforts as a  result of the 2022 partnership with Blake's Hard Cider of Michigan. The Redmond production  facility is currently occupied by Silver Moon Brewing, with the transition expected to be  completed by November 2023. Avid Cider will take over the existing 15,000 square foot  production facility in Redmond, which includes a sizable tank farm to produce exciting new  products.  

"We're so excited to move into a fantastic new production facility," said Avid Cider's CEO and  Co-Founder, Samantha Roberts. "This move will allow us to increase our production capacity  and continue to meet the growing demand for our ciders and Seven Peaks Seltzer brand. We  look forward to working with the team at Silver Moon Brewing to ensure a smooth transition and  

continued success." she continued. Avid plans to keep all current production employees and will  plan to hire additional roles within the company as operations expand.  

The facility changes come at a perfect time for both organizations as Avid looks to ramp up  production capabilities and as Silver Moon focuses on better synergy and efficiencies with  operations at a single location. “Transitioning into a 15,000 sq ft production facility will not only  expand our capacity, but it allows us to elevate our quality, streamline efficiencies, and amplify  our overall production at Avid Cider Co.” said Avid Cider’s Operations Manager, Scott Krug.  “This will allow us to continue producing our high-quality cider for not only our friends and  followers in Central Oregon, but the Pacific Northwest and beyond.” he continued.  

The transition is expected to be completed by November of this year. The financial terms of the  deal were not disclosed. 

### 

Now in their 10th year as a cidery, Avid Cider was founded as a result of dissatisfaction with the  lack of variety and excessively dry or cloyingly sweet ciders available in the marketplace in  2013. They saw the opportunity to create hard cider that better balances the elements of a  flavor profile and satiates our thirst for a cider that is “just right.” They are on a mission to bring  out the best of the Northwest with their clean, natural, and locally sourced cider.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3D6ZkC9

[blake-michaels]

Blake laughs, "Let's not do that, babes. I like you in one piece." Her arm bends up at the elbow to pull Cora closer by the grip she has on her, determined to not lose her in the crowd. Sharky's isn't enormous by any means, but the crowd would prove it a difficult task to relocate Cora.

"I want a Long Island Tea, but you shouldn't be asking me my drink because I'm buying yours," Blake tuts, wagging a finger toward Cora when they break free of the crowd. She leads them to the bar near the exit to the smoker's porch. "What will it be, Elizabeth? Cocktail, beer, seltzer? A shot? Anything you want."

@coradeveraux

"Sounds like a deal then. I feel like I'm going to combust," she said, fanning herself despite her mother's old warning immediately popping into her mind. The effort of fanning yourself will only make you hotter, Coralie. She did her best to chase the thought away, forcing a smile in an attempt to cheer herself up. "Yeah, let's. I could do with a few drinks." Cora led the way, holding on to her friend's arm as they pushed their way through the crowd. "What will you have?" @blake-michaels

[transolar]

Albert Krueger, Vincent Edgeworth, and Victor Blake stimboard

o.x.x-x.o.x-x.x.o

requested by no one <3

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Brews News: April 6th 2021 Edition

GSN Brews News: April 6th 2021 Edition

Arkansas’ Smithworks, part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio, has launched a new hard seltzer lemonade in partnership with country singer and The Voice host Blake Shelton. The 5% abv malt-based seltzers come in four flavors—Classic Lemon, Ripe Strawberry, Southern Peach Tea, and Crisp Lime—and are available in 12-can variety packs, 6-packs of Classic Lemon, and 23-ounce tallboys of Classic Lemon and…

[musings-from-mars]

Welp, part 5 is a must now

Freelance Love Triangle AU - Part 5

Blake wasn’t sure why she’d been so curious about hard seltzer when she already knew she hated sparkling water. But here she was drinking what vaguely suggested that it might be cherry flavored, yet Ruby seemed to like hers, and Blake had already said she liked it. Gotta finish it now…

Cinder was right about it being quaint. Blake usually shied away from late night trips to the bar because the ones she’d been to were the “loud music, pick up chicks” types. This, however, was more easy going, softer music and people here to chat with friends more than anything else. And since it was a weekday evening, it wasn’t very busy (also a rare treat for a city like Vale).

The three of them sat at the bar, the bow tie and vest wearing barman leisurely drying a glass with a fiber cloth as he handed Cinder her cheap glass of red wine. Blake wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, maybe that Cinder would order something from higher in the big wooden cabinet behind the bar, perhaps to show off her sophisticated tastes. But no, it was just a glass from an already opened bottle of something dark and astringent. At least she was being seemingly authentic.

Blake needed the occasional reminders that Cinder wasn’t the highbrow, high class villainess she made her out to be in her head. She was Blake’s coworker and made no more than she did. Maybe Blake just had a complex, imagining her as an opponent. And Ruby was the prize she felt like they were warring over.

I’m a fucking piece of shit. And dumb. She took another sip of alcohol soda water, accepting it as her punishment.

“Want a taste?” Cinder asked Ruby, sliding her glass to her.

The photographer eyed the dark red liquid skeptically, but she grabbed the stem of the glass anyway. “I’ll try.” She took the smallest of sips, then came away with an expression like she had just bitten into a lemon. “Heghhh…”

Cinder giggled, seeming to be genuinely amused. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Blake reached over, but looked to Cinder for permission to try. Cinder noticed, and for half a second seemed surprised, but then she smiled and nodded. Blake took a sip, and yep, it felt like all the moisture had been zapped from her mouth the moment the wine passed her tongue. She slid the glass back to Cinder. “I don’t think I’ll acquire it.”

Cinder rolled her eye, but continued to smile. Blake took a drink of her seltzer. At least now she knew it could be worse.

“So, uhm…” Ruby began, pausing to sip her drink. “When did you two, like…how’d you become writers.”

Blake looked across to Cinder, and Cinder went first. “It wasn’t my plan initially, but I eventually figured out that I wanted to write for a living. But I didn’t figure that out until I was a third year physics student at my university. Had an identity crisis, had a financial crisis, had a crisis crisis, I’m a journalist now.” She punctuated that with a sip of wine, and both Ruby and Blake laughed. “Blake had a slightly less stressful go at it, if I remember correctly.”

Blake blushed at that, but nodded in agreement. “College was the easy part. It was the after college part that was hard. Urban Valean is, like, the fifth publication I’ve written for in the past two years and it’s the first one I’ve actually enjoyed.”

“I can agree with that,” Cinder added.

“Huh.” Ruby bowed her head a bit. “So I kinda got lucky, huh?”

“Got lucky because of the magazine you’re working for? Or lucky because you’re working with us?” Cinder asked. Blake felt her face warm, both because of Cinder’s obvious flirting, but also because of her use of the word “us.”

Ruby chuckled bashfully and shrugged. Cute. “Both, I guess. You two are really cool, and…nowhere near as mean as I was worried you would be.”

“You thought we’d be mean?” Blake asked, concerned.

Ruby’s back straightened and she shook her head. “I mean, uhh…not you two specifically! I just mean, like, I always imagined I’d get teased, or like, not taken seriously at my first gig. But I liked you both pretty much right away. I’m really enjoying working on this project.” She smiled genuinely, and it made Blake’s heart soar.

“Yeah, you are pretty lucky to be working with us,” Cinder assured her with a chuckle. “And that’s not me being an ass, I mean that. There are a lot of high-strung jerks out there.”

“Yeah,” Blake agreed, then felt her breath catch in her throat. Was she talking about her?

“Blake and I are the types who…you know, we enjoy what we do, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. At least, most of the time.” And then she winked at Blake. It was a little hard to tell at first because, well, one eye, but that was definitely a wink. She tipped her head in her direction and everything.

At least Blake wasn’t one of those high-strung jerks, then.

“Thank you both, seriously,” Ruby told them, then took the last sip of her drink. “I was so scared when I graduated, because I didn’t know what to do, but…now I feel like I’m on a good track, of some sort. I…” She paused and flinched a bit, then she pulled out her phone, and she went a bit paler. “Oh, shit! I totally forgot!”

“What?” Blake asked.

“Did you leave your other laptop in the oven?” Cinder joked.

“No no, it’s my sister. She invited me over tonight and I completely forgot. I…” She suddenly got to her feet and started fumbling around in her pockets. She finally pulled out her wallet and left a few Lien on the bar. “I am so sorry that I’m leaving so quick, I really would love to stay, but…”

“Don’t worry about it, Ruby. This won’t be our last time hanging out,” Cinder assured her. “We’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

Ruby sighed and nodded. “Thanks.” She turned towards Blake and grinned as she began to leave. “Bye! Thanks again!”

Blake and Cinder both watched her leave, and then a relative silence fell over them, with an awkward empty seat now separating the two.

Blake heard Cinder take in a deep breath, then hopped into the seat Ruby had just vacated. “Blake, can I ask you something?”

Blake’s heart was suddenly hammering in her chest, both due to the open-ended question, and the sudden reduction in distance between them. “Uhh…you just did.”

Cinder huffed the faintest laugh. “Blake, I feel like we should probably talk about this like a couple of adults.”

“Talk about what?” Blake asked, apparently deciding to play dumb.

“About Ruby,” Cinder deadpanned. “About how obviously we both seem to like her. Unless I’m misreading things horribly.”

Blake sighed and shook her head. “No, you’re just about spot on,” she admitted.

“I figured. I can’t help but feel like you view this as us both competing for her affections, but as much as I’d normally appreciate drama like that, when I’m involved, I’d prefer we handle it like real people rather than like rom-com characters.”

Cinder’s eloquence got on Blake’s nerves as usual, only now she was beginning to examine why. Cinder was so irritatingly attractive, and yet she was exactly right about the whole competing thing. Why did Blake have to view her as an opponent all the time, when they had just told Ruby how they were both just a couple of stressed out freelance writers? She took another sip of hard seltzer, realized her glass was empty, and despite her disdain for the taste, signaled the bartender for a refill.

“I am most concerned about Ruby herself,” Cinder continued. “Whether she’s even interested in either of us in that way, or if she is interested in such a relationship at all. So I believe that’s our most important concern right now. Let’s be upfront with her as well, right?”

“You want us to tell her that we both fancy her,” Blake asked, as a statement rather than as a question. The bartender slid another pint glass of fresh-from-the-can hard seltzer. “I can’t imagine that going well.” Nor could she imagine her blood pressure handling such a situation well.

“But at least then we’d know early on whether our feelings are misplaced or not,” Cinder pointed out, and finished off her glass. She signaled for another, probably mirroring Blake’s failure to adhere to her “only one drink” declaration from earlier. “It would save us the anxiety.”

“For you, maybe,” Blake said with a dry laugh. “I can’t imagine telling her something like that, especially since we’re supposed to be keeping things professional. Imagine if she freaks out and tells Robyn? She’d be in the right if she did.”

“I doubt she would, I have a good feeling, if I’m being honest,” Cinder admitted as the bartender finished refilling her glass.

“I don’t!” Blake said, an incredulous smile on her face.

“It’s up to you, Blake,” Cinder assured her and took a sip of her wine. Blake noticed a faint red tint to her cheeks. “I won’t make a move without your…input?”

“What, like, some sort of bro code?” Blake asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She took a few hasty sips from her drink, as if that would calm her down at all. “We’re not frat boys.”

“As I said, I want us to handle this like adults,” Cinder reiterated, eying Blake’s glass with faint concern. “And I think going behind your back, undercutting you…” She let that linger.

Blake sighed, her shoulders slumping a bit. “Would be shitty, yeah, I got that.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Blake.”

Blake held her breath and looked at her, studying her face as she drank more wine. That came out of nowhere. “What do you mean?”

“You compare yourself to others, or most notably, to me all too often,” Cinder told her, setting her glass back down. “You are a woman of merit, and you shouldn’t hamper yourself with the expectations that other people already deal with. You are just one person. You need to do what you can, and less of what you feel like I can. You’ll stress yourself out far less once you do.”

Blake tried to take in all of that, but at this point, her head was a little too foggy to accept new information for archiving. This hard seltzer wash was more potent than she expected. Or maybe she was more of a lightweight than she thought. “Easy for you to say. You get cover so often…”

“I’ve also been doing this longer than you have,” Cinder pointed out. “You’re putting the expectations I deal with on top of your own by comparing yourself to me. I used to do that all the time, hence the crisis crisis I mentioned earlier? Once I stopped giving two fucks about everyone else, life got easier.”

Blake shook her head. She knew Cinder had a point, but she just couldn’t fathom the full breadth of her testimony. “Well, I guess I’ll start working on giving fewer fucks moving forward.” She finished her second glass all too soon. She shook her head when the bartender asked if she wanted another as he took her glass.

Cinder laughed, which weirdly made Blake feel a little better. “Everyone starts somewhere.”

“Yeah.” It certainly sounded nice, no longer caring what other people thought, or even ignoring her own head and just doing what felt right. But how did that relate to the Ruby situation? The thing that would feel right would be to go find wherever she was right now and proclaim her affections, but even that felt like too much right now. The alcohol wasn’t helping.

Cinder seemed to recognize that and took a few more sips of wine before sliding the almost-empty glass away and pushed herself off of the barstool. “Just put it on my tab, thanks.”

“Are we leaving?” Blake asked, not noticing Cinder had gotten up until she’d gently taken her by the wrist.

“You are, anyway. You need to get home.” Cinder told her as she helped her off her stool. “Lightweight.”

Blake would have argued if standing didn’t make her even woozier. She was in that odd in-betweenness of buzzed and drunk. She felt completely aware of her surroundings but felt like she was controlling all of her body’s movements manually, as if letting something go unnoticed would result in her falling over. Thankfully, Cinder kept ahold of her, though the feeling of her faintly cold hand on Blake’s wrist proved to be a distraction all on its own.

They started down the street. Blake walked as normally as she could, save for the occasional sway that Cinder would correct for her. She felt so stupid for having more than one drink despite what she said before. At least Cinder was being nice. “Wait…”

“Hm?” Cinder asked.

“My laptop,” Blake said. “I left my laptop at the office.”

“It’ll be there where you get there in the morning.”

“No, I need it tonight. I gotta take down my notes and do some preliminary searching for contact information for the artists.”

“It can wait, hun,” Cinder assured her.

“It’s on the way,” Blake half-lied. It wasn’t tremendously out of the way, but going straight home would be quicker and easier, not that Cinder knew that.

Cinder sighed and shook her head. “Fine, dumbass, let’s go to the office.”

Blake might have taken offense, but felt too victorious at successfully convincing her.

Cinder buzzed them both in with her ID card, and sure enough, Blake’s laptop bag was still on her chair. They were the only ones at the office at this late an hour. It felt eerily quiet, considering how noisy it could be during the day. In Blake’s slightly intoxicated state, it was especially surreal.

“Do you…do you need to sit down for a moment?” Cinder asked, her voice lulling.

Blake hadn’t put her bag over her shoulder yet, instead holding the shoulder strap as it rested on the floor. She considered Cinder’s suggestion, then shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just tired.” Then she swayed a little too far in one direction, overcorrected in the other, and began to stumble. “Huh-!”

Cinder stepped forward quickly and caught her, wrapping her arms securely around Blake’s shoulders in an awkward embrace. “Careful!”

Blake groaned in annoyance, then held her breath when she fully recognized her position, held tightly in Cinder’s arms, face-to-face with her. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I just lost my balance for a bit, I’m fine.”

Cinder shook her head at her. She licked her lips before speaking, as if it was difficult to find the words. “No, you need to sit down.”

“Why?” Blake asked, finding herself unable to look away from Cinder’s lips.

“You’re not fit to walk home yet,” Cinder told her, her voice quieter than before, almost a whisper. She began to slowly lead Blake to her desk chair without letting go of her. “Just sit until you feel better.”

“But…no,” Blake said, almost a mumble.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want you to let go of me yet.”

Blake didn’t realize what she said until noticing the look on Cinder’s face, her eye wide and her mouth hanging open slightly. Blake’s face got so hot she thought she might break out into a sweat.

“You want me to keep holding you?” Cinder asked quietly.

Blake couldn’t meet her face, instead staring at the collar of Cinder’s jacket. At first she wanted to double back and correct herself, but then again…

She let her head drift forward until her forehead rested on Cinder’s shoulder, and she did her best to wrap her arms around her despite Cinder pinning them to her sides. Cinder felt tense, but Blake let herself relax within her embrace, letting out a slow sigh.

“Blake?” Cinder whispered to her, but didn’t continue.

“Just hold me,” Blake said back, voice muffled by Cinder’s jacket.

“Do you like it when I hold you?” Cinder asked.

“Yeah.”

Cinder let out a shaky breath, then chuckled softly. She shook her head as she allowed Blake to sink further into the embrace. “Yeah. I like it too.”

[shefanispeculator]

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A post shared by R Clayton Williams (@claymakescakes)

claymakescakes

Happiest of Birthdays to Smithworks Best Bud Blake Shelton!

I'm so overjoyed to be given the honor to help Smithworks surprise Blake with this awesome giant cooler cake on his birthday!

Layers of chocolate fudge cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate French buttercream are hidden in the bottom and layers of velvet vanilla bean cake with vanilla Franco-Italian buttercream on top. Sugar "ice" and Rice Krispy filled hard seltzer lemonade cans bring the whole cake to life!

Scroll through for behind the scenes!

Thanks again to

@smithworksvodka

and Happy Birthday

@blakeshelton

you are one classy guy!

[wherewhereare]

Blake Shelton Reveals the Advice He'd Give His Younger Self: 'The Mullet's Not as Cool as You Think'

Blake Shelton — who just launched a new line of hard seltzer lemonade — is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his hit debut single, "Austin," this month

By

Melody Chiu

April 07, 2021 01:00 PM

After Winning The Voice 7 Times, Blake Shelton Hilariously Compares Himself to Tom Brady×

From mullet man to Sexiest Man Alive!

As Blake Shelton approaches the 20th anniversary of his No. 1 debut single, "Austin," on April 16, the star is looking back on his road to superstardom — and the fashion faux pas he's made along the way.

"I would have told that kid, 'Hey man, the mullet's not as cool as you think it is,'" the 44-year-old country singer — who just launched a new line of hard seltzer lemonade with his company Smithworks — tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue. "And I would have told myself to get more rest back then. When I started I was 24 and lived life to the max back then. It's probably why I ran out of battery so soon."

Released in April 2001, "Austin" was Shelton's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and catapulted him to stardom. Since then he's released 11 studio albums (his twelth, Body Language, is set for release in May) and embarked on nine headlining tours.

"These days I'm just kind of a slow slug," quips Shelton, who's performing a mashup of "Austin" and his latest hit, "Minimum Wage," at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18. "Luckily I got the job on The Voice and I get to sit in the red chair most of the time for a living."

Jokes aside, Shelton spent the last two years hard at work on his upcoming album, which he says is a departure from his previous work.

"I'm really happy The Swon Brothers, who were on my team on The Voice in season four, wrote [the title track] and sent it to me. It's such a different sounding song," he says. "I'm to the point in my career where I always want to try to reinvent myself. I keep one foot in traditional country but at the same time ... find new sounds and new music."

Over the last few years, Shelton has teamed up with his future wife, Gwen Stefani, on several hit songs. Their first — 2016's "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" — holds a special place in his heart, and the star says it's been incredible to find success together.

For more on Blake Shelton, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton | CREDIT: NBC

"I've been lucky enough to have won my share of those things over the years and so has she, just not country music awards," Shelton says of racking up nominations and awards with their duets. (He and Stefani won a CMT Award in October.)

Nominated for an ACM award together this month for their hit "Nobody But You," the couple are still "so excited," he says. "Gwen's so blown away. She's just shocked and so happy to be welcomed into [the country] family."

Still, don't expect either to make permanent moves into each other's musical worlds. "One of the things that she's adamant about is she wants people to know that she's not making a country album or trying to just step into that area," he says. "She just likes to make records with me. And if you're going to make a record with me, whether you like it or not, it's going to end up country. I can't help it!"

Over the last year, Shelton also tapped Stefani, 51, for her help as he put the finishing touches on his new hard seltzer.

RELATED: Look Back at What Blake Shelton Had to Say About The Voice 10 Years Ago Compared to Today

RELATED: Blake Shelton Was Shocked Gwen Stefani Drove a 'Minivan to Work,' Says Adam Levine 'Owes' Wedding Performance

"For me, it's something you throw in the ice chest when you go out to the lake — and we definitely spend a lot of time on the lake every year," he says.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Shelton's taste testers weren't as readily available. Luckily, he had Stefani more than willing to pitch in.

"The things that I like, for instance, the pickle juice flavor, didn't come to light for some reason," he jokes. "I really lean on the team there at the company and even people on my team. There was a time or two where I even asked Gwen, like 'What do you think of this? What would you do differently?' There's something for everybody in there."

As he gears up for a jam-packed future, Shelton is amazed at all he's been able to accomplish in the last two decades.

"Here I am sitting here talking to you 20 years later after 'Austin' came out — not only talking to you but talking about new music that's still coming out," he says. "I don't know how this happened to me, but I thank God every day. I've just been super blessed and super lucky. It's unbelievable."

[ourpickwickclub]

Blake has a interview in Rolling Stone about the new hard seltzer line. After reading it I’m not convinced they actually even talked to him in person but maybe just a PR team paying RS for promotional considerations. 😂. Read it. Every answer basically draws back to promoting the seltzer. It’s hilarious.

I read that one. It was definitely a commercial dressed up as an article. 😆

— M

[dark-academia-tips]

The weed ask made me wonder - what about sober DA, at night specifically? My partner and I are giving up drinking for health reasons and, while (real) tea and coffee are very good in daytime, at caffeine-inappropriate hours there's just something very... Deeply unsexy and not aesthetic about La Croix at a gallery opening, seltzer and Shakespeare, or staying up late reading William Blake with a "sleepytime" herbal tisane.

my main tip for this would just be grape juice, honestly. it looks like wine without the alcohol, but it will of course shoot sugar-induced energy.

otherwise have you thought about decaffeinated coffee? it’s (surprise surprise) coffee but without the caffeine; basically you buy the beans and make it like you would a regular coffee and boom you have your coffee and your sleep schedule (do be careful about the technique used to remove the caffeine though; if you can i’d recommend the ones where they use only water)

also, a good, bitter, old-fashioned hot chocolate (made by actually melting dark chocolate in milk please); or alcohol free champagne for museum days.

alsopleasedontroasttisanesidrinkthemeverydayandifeltsosadreadingthis

tisane>tea

[bellamyblakru]

tag people that you want to know better!

thank you for tagging me @clarkesplaylist !! i’m guessing we have a lot of the same favorite characters 🥺 and @burninghoneyatdusk !! thank you so much for the tag :,) i posted mine a little while ago, and i was going to tag you on mine too but i didnt wanna double tag you since i saw you on the one i was tagged on🥺!! also, will herondale is a king!! love that boy

favorite color(s): light green!!

last song i listened too: patience sung by chris cornell (fucking amazing btw i recommend)

last film i watched: probably tangled tbh that’s my favorite movie to sleep to

last tv show i watched: roswell, new mexico. i gotta finish season two😩

favorite character(s): so many. Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake, Merlin, Mare Barrow, Aelin Galythinius, Rowan Whitethorn, Klaus Hargreeves, Sabrina Spellman, Dean Winchester..etc lmfao

pets: a couple pomeranians (winnie, tori (who are my pups) wicket, waffle, and willow) and two cats (dany and arya)

sweet, savory, or spicy food?: i gotta say spicy

sparkling water, tea, or coffee?: all good choices tbhh but ill say sparkling water as of late, i love seltzer🥺

favorite book(s): i love reading, and the ya fantasy books ive been reading are super interesting, but favorites are hard. ill say the hp and the order of the phoenix, king’s cage, and im currently reading heir of fire and it’s really fun to read so far.

favorite ice cream flavor: butter pecan but im allergic to pecans. it’s a sad paradox

one thing on your bucket list: ive always wanted to go to the UK and other countries away from the US. im a big history nerd and there is so much history there

favorite festival(s) you celebrate: i love christmas since my family is all together 🥺

tagging some lovely mutuals if you guys wanna do this💞: @twinsarekeepers @peggysousfan @clarkegriffinspants @alexmaanes @bellamyb-a-e @legioncursednaturalist

[bellyjcksn]

A beatsPill in one hand, arm extended above her head while a sad song remixed to an EDM beat pulsed into the air, Belly vibed while on a bench at the park. She was trashed at six p.m., a stolen variety pack of WhiteClaws open on the ground next to her while all the mango flavored and half the grapefruit cans lay empty next to the box, onto the bench, and a stray one had found its way across the path as if it were trying to escape. In her other hand was an automated megaphone, one she had jacked from the local high school’s football field one of the afternoons that she had walked home from the Aldi to her apartment complex. Belly, almost to the point of blacked out drunk and wiggling to the mix she had gotten from Jonny, was about to pour one out like Lara Jean. Where the fuck was her Peter when she needed one? A quick throat clear and- “To All The Boys I Loved Before-“ Belly almost yelled into the speaker, setting down the BeatsPill and cracking open another WhiteClaw. 

“Gather ‘round fuckers! This is an ode to the boys I can’t help but fuckin’ miss. To Samuel, the OG WhiteClaw partner in crime! Anyone around here remember him? No? I do! This one’s for you, SammyBoy! Miss you and I wish you coulda bent me over your couch! To Blake! Where the fuck did that overly aggressive broody motherfucker even jet off to anyway? Pour one out for him and my fantasies of his fingers in my mouth!” Belly pointed over to some passerby with her drink in her hand, “c’mon over! It’s like really shitty Spoken Word! For douchebag Tyler! I know it was just a fuck between friends but c’mon, totally wish you could been all up in my guts again. Derek who, amirite!?”

A sip of the seltzer and Bellamy poured some of it out to the pavement in honor. “To Xavier, my mesmerizing night time casanova! The bleached hair really worked and I’m sticking that on my resume in place of his name in my little black book. A shame really, I heard his dick was hot fire and not in a bad way. And ah, Short King Forever, my one and only love! Chase! Here’s to him, living his best tall life in Hobbitland! I miss you buddy! If you can hear me, get some international data so you can send me dick pics, I promise I won’t be upset! No one could ever DoorDash this pussy the way you did! Send Bob my regards!”