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gladiatorcunt · 3 months ago

Text

- JOYRIDE / VIII.

i drink the honey inside your hive

cw: kinktober prompt (daddy kink), southern florist president’s secret child!reader x secret service agent!toji, reader has a vagina, tits used to refer to your chest, age gap (toji is 47 and reader’s early-mid 20’s), dad bf type shit, willing to expand on this, hints of political intrigue and fictional plots, toji x your mom mention, implied and eventual betrayal (not of reader), typical politician behavior, parental neglect & it’s consequences, anal & lack of proper anal prep, dirty talk, light pet play, arguable one sided incest role play & possible actual incest, plus sized!reader, gun play mention, underlying mental health issues, mention of itafushi, flower language, dead dove do not eat

please do not repost, translate, or feed this work to ai

kinktober 2024

“There. After nearly breaking my back, the seeds are all planted, finally.”

You'd like to be buried under this magnolia tree, it would be a pretty funeral. Black outfits against the white backdrop of rare winter snow. You have big dreams for this sapling, clearly, as unassuming and drab as it appears freshly planted in the soil of your garden. The ones you’re mom took care of are all gone, maybe they got up and walked after her to somewhere on the horizon. If it doesn’t get so hot the state gets put under another burn ban next summer, this little thing should grow into a beautiful thing that obviously showcases how not depressed you are.

Could a depressed person cope with grief by growing a new life? Well, you wouldn’t know, coping isn’t on your to-do list for a long time if ever. What’s the point of getting better when you’re just going to feel bad again?

Whatever, you shake your head and head back into the shop, you have bills to pay and moping around won’t do anything to help with them. Since you live in a pretty small town, it’s a slow day like always. That is until a tough looking man steps in through the door, opening it and making the bell ding.

His loud sports car is still on and roaring outside, a bright yellow Alfa Romeo 4C.

The man notices your wandering eye and smirks, “You like it, doll? Didn’t take you for someone who’d be interested in cars.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s cool. Must have cost you a lot.”

“Nah. I bought it off one of my buddies at work, fixed it up myself. Well, me and my son’s boyfriend that is. You lookin’ to get somethin’ like that for yourself?”

You’re not really on the market for one, no, because it’s loud as hell and practically rumbling in your ear. You rub it off and ask him what he wants, forgetting some of your politeness, but this man doesn’t seem like he’d care if you spit in his face and kicked him in the balls.

“I’m not from around here.” He rasps and adjusts his sunglasses, leaning one heavy arm on the counter and cocking his hip out, “DC, actually. I’m lookin’ for somebody. You could call it confidential business.”

You hum and narrow your eyes, “Unless that confidential business involves a funeral or getting out of the doghouse with somebody, I can’t help you.”

Suddenly you remember your mother telling you about a big shot politician that knocked her up with you, how he hid you both away when she told him she was pregnant. Your mother was down on her luck 16 year old diner girl, and apparently the politician knew all too well how to use and discard her. The money was enough for your mom to give up her dreams and keep you in this town. When you’ve lived so long without what you think you should, you’re fine to obsessively make sure you never go without again.

He’s the president now anyway, even more reason to make sure you’re the bug that stays squashed under the rock.

The man with the mouth scar notices and decides to drop the act, sighing and taking out his gun. He doesn’t shoot you, just scratches underneath his chin with the puzzle and pointedly makes eye contact with you.

“Okay, let’s cut the shit. My name’s Toji Fushiguro, and I know that you’re who I'm after just as much as you know why i’m here, so why don’t ya just appreciate that y’r old man wants you back and come with me?”

You grit your teeth but you know there’s only one way this interaction is going to end is with you getting in the passenger seat of this nutjob’s car. He watches you shut everything off in the shop and leave a message for the only other employee, asking them to take over until you can come back. He’s a gigantic wolf, tall and silent in the corner, keeping his eyes constantly on his prey. Toji’s never let a bunny or prickly house cat out of his sight in his entire career, but in his current line of work it’s at least legal. Essentially.

“Pretty flowers ya got here.” He says, prolonging your unease. “Maybe his office could use some of these, dull ass beige box that it is.”

Your lips quirk up despite the awful situation, “Yeah I guess. The camellias are new, but hellebores are my favorites, I think. Not many people are into flowers this time of year, but I don’t have anything else to do.”

Toji nods, leading you out of the shop with a hand at the small of your back and oddly content to let you stress babble.

“I’m nowhere near good enough to do arrangements for the White House anyway, regardless of who’s sitting all cozy in it.” You spit and bite one of your nails, nipping at a piece of a hangnail. “Probably’d just throw some buttercups, yellow carnations, orange lillies on the floor, a bit of aconite in there too.”

You know that the agent corralling you into his car doesn’t have a damn clue what you’re talking about, but he seems at ease the more you relax into the leather car seat.

You make yourself fall asleep when he puts the car into drive and speeds down the street.

You’ve been in DC for about a week now, without ever actually meeting your dad of course but you’ve met plenty of his staff after Toji introduced you. He’s a secret service agent, who was given the special task of watching over the president’s only child, you can tell he’s not that happy about it.

Probably not as much action as there’d be in his usual position, you’re very willing to go with their plans of you laying low and staying inside most of the time. You’re still so confused, none of this makes any sense at all. You’ve lived your whole life without being involved in any of this but it’s only when your mother’s dead and your father can’t ignore you anymore that he wants to claim you?

It’s all another move in the game towards the re-election. At least he’s a better president than a father, but that’s not by much. Promises to address climate change and the country’s oil dependance getting pushed to the side, worsening class issues and trickle down economics, putting up more anti-homeless measures. You wish you felt like you could leave, but the tiny sliver of hope that by some weird miracle you could do something keeps you from being bold.

There’s nothing you could actually do anyway, you’re never going to be a part of the groups that their agendas support. You’ll always be the small town reject who saw meth addicts at the local gas station more than your own father.

You and Toji have gotten closer, by necessity and the sheer oddity of being polar opposites. You’re both equally as prickly though in different ways, birds of a molted feather. He’s there when you wake up, there during your mundane day, and there outside your door when you go to sleep. Even if you wouldn’t have liked your “bodyguard”, and you’re not sure you do, the distance between the two of you decreasing was inevitable.

He delivers you food, opens your jars, fixes the pipes in your penthouse, drives you everywhere you want to go in the city, carries your books for you in a bookstore, kneels down beside you in the dirt so he can help you with weeding out your garden, and keeps an itemized list of period supplies and your favorite things.

Your favorite minor holiday is national cherry day, he puts a reminder on his phone with the help of his son to always stop by the supermarket and get you some.

You feel like Whitney Houston right now, and if late at night you listen to her albums more than your mom did growing up, fantasizing about a 40+ year old man who treats you like a bug he has to keep alive, then no one has to know.

But no other man’s gonna do

So i’m saving all my love for you

You also think he’s going to assassinate your father. Sometimes you’ll hear hushed whispers late at night between Toji and someone on the phone, he’ll break protocol and leave you alone to duck into another person’s office and end up leaving with a grim look on his face.

You’ve seen the logs he keeps of your father’s whereabouts, which he should have anyway. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but you get the most awful storm in your gut when you see them under a gun that’s never been fired, like it has a special purpose.

You only speak to your father briefly, tense hellos and goodbyes exchanged over the bridge of a too tight handshake. You immediately expressed your distaste for being involved in his political career and he accepted that, letting you galavant on your merry way around town with his most dangerous agent. Ahead of Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Nanami Kento, and Sukuna Ryomen, your father’s closest gaggle of hyenas.

You call them that because you could easily imagine drool dripping from their jowls if they felt so inclined to attack, to devour.

They give Toji their own versions of the same look when you pass them in the halls or they need to meet to give security updates, watching and waiting.

They only give you smiles, of every shape and size.

It’s easy to get a closer look at what your father does, the lives he ruins. Peace can only be an option for so long before other courses of action have to be considered. You don’t know Toji’s motives, this could just be another murder for hire paid for by one of your father’s political rivals. You doubt his heart is that deeply invested in those sorts of things, he’s made himself too apathetic, but you can tell that he still cared a little bit. He told you once that he’s had children who grew up starving before he got the job he has now.

They’re your age now, but he’d still do anything to keep it, to support them.

And then you think that maybe someone who’s only ever been abandoned knows what it’s like to hoard any good thing you can get your grubby hands on.

You give him own little bouquet of flowers one day, half because you’re going stir crazy as the weeks go by with Toji being all you know and half because you think you do want him to kill your father.

Purple Orchid.

Red Lily.

Red Anemone.

Gloriosa.

Red Delphinium.

Red Clematis.

Genista.

The next day, he’s barking at you to get packed for a stay at one of the out of the state safe houses. Don’t ask questions, protocol means you heed his warning and hop back in that canary yellow mid life crisis status symbol.

The tension was bound to be cut with a knife, the whole ride to the safe house is filled with sideways glances and slipknot blaring from the speakers. You have the same uneasy feeling that you do anytime Toji even hints at something being wrong, but something seems especially wrong this time. It’s not your job to worry about it though, and the older man tells you as much.

“Shut y’r trap, alright? You never have to get your panties in a twist when y’r with me, sorta.”

The safe house is as boring as expected, something out of a kindergartener's drawing. One story cube shaped, small roof, faded brown door.

You're only in the tiny kitchen for a second when Toji locks the door and comes to prop himself up on the counter, licking his scar.

He chuckles, “You’re a lot different than I thought you'd be, ya know that?

“I could say the same about you, I mean not really, but there are things I was surprised by.” You retort and sort through the cabinets, picking what cereal you’re going to stress eat tonight.

He comes around the counter and his hands slide from the tile to grip your waist.

“Yeah? Like what, doll?” Is cooed right in front of your mouth when Toji leans down.

You’re not immune to the proximity, your heart does a factory reset. “I never knew you could be so sweet, Toji.”

You’re not supposed to refer to him by his name, but you can’t let the word you secretly want to say slip out. You’d have to tell the employee back at your flower shop to be ready to claim the insurance policy on it after you go back and set yourself on fire.

But God, the miserable man looming over your bunny-tense figure really is sweet, distantly warm in the way a generally emotionally unavailable father is. But Toji’s the kind that would actually give you something to hold close to your heart over his long stretches of being absent until months go by and he tries to be better again.

You’re glad Sigmeund Freud isn’t an immortal vampire who would still be around to psychoanalyze you to shreds.

“Sweet to you maybe, ‘cause I have to be.”

“My dad couldn’t care less if you beat me silly.”

“I know.”

He never once said it was your father that compelled him to be as gentle with you as he is. A woman he met decades one, shacking up with an up and coming politician who he didn’t even try and pretend to be better then. They hooked up once and then he met his late wife, but months later the woman from his one night stand swore the baby in her belly wasn’t his. He never asked for a paternity test.

He never will, he’s already enough like your Daddy anyway, there’s no point in getting a confirmation or a denial to what his soul (and his cock) knows is good enough for a rat bastard like him.

You come out of your shame spiral as he splays one of his beefy gigantic hands out on the counter so you don’t get cold when he pushes your head down.

“I’d kill your old man if he kept me from this ass pussy, but it ain’t like he could if he tried.” Toji grunts, pendulous balls slapping your ass like a couple of grapefruits with every rough thrust in your puckered hole.

You gave up on being shy as soon as he clamped a hand around your throat to direct the first kiss you’d share. “Daddy- ngh, you’re gonna break me”.

His hand is so warm, your cheek squishes against the grooves and minor cracks in his skin as your head bobs forward. Despite you already being pressed down into the kitchen counter as much as humanly possible, Toji seems determined to force you to become one with it.

He gropes your thick ass cheeks, watching them bounce and jiggle as his burly hips slam against you continuously. Performance art in its truest form, whiney little baby pushing their hips back to take him even deeper in their fat ass. He didn’t have the means to properly prep you, just spit on his hand and massaged it into your already wet rim and called it a day. No condom either, but he can probably save the pussy job and it's obvious consequences until after your old man’s been made to lie face down in the dirt.

“I like the way your cunt sits under your squishy belly, ‘s pouting, baby. Both you and your pussy are clingy as fuck, huh?” He laughs deeply, reaching the hand that’s not under your face to smack your clit.

Your empty cunt gets wetter at the teasing, clenching around nothing because Toji likes to play pretend that he can be halfway considerate to the poor thing until he can’t. You want it too much right now, when you’re all loopy from his mean pounding in your ass is the moment he’ll regretfully have to pull himself out to sheath his hung length in your chubby pussy.

You moan, thought it gets precariously close to a wail the longer it goes on. “Daddyyyyyyy, oh fuck, shit- ‘m gonna tear.”

Your words end in a squeal of delight, your off the cuff rambling driving Toji to speed up his thrusts to piston his fat cock harder into your ass. Like he almost wants it to tear, your biological daddy gave you some nasty emotional scars, let your real one leave you with a couple physical ones. That’s what good daddies do, they take care of their babies and always give them something to remember them by when they won’t like their ancient relic of a father so much.

“Now don’t get mad at me, but- Oh, fuck- i was gonna kill ya, that was the plan. Take ya back, blow your brains out in front of your dad, make ‘im piss his pants because he knows he’s next.” He smiles knowingly when his hand on your clit feels it throb at his dark thinking-out-loud musings, wishing he could scrunch his fingers all up in your scalp and roughly pet you. “You like it like that, baby bunny? Daddy gets you gooey and syrupy sweet when he touches you, huh? Could just gobble you up whole, bones and all.”

Fuckin’ hell, you’re more precious than diamonds or gold or any loot he could’ve swiped from your old man’s crib. He’ll have to remember to slide his cock between your slick girls later, soap them up in the freestanding bathtub and spill his thick off white load all over them. You’ll lick up what you can but cleaning you up is obviously Daddy’s job, slurping up his own jizz like a wolf smoothing his rowdy pup’s fur down, nuzzling his nose in the valley of your tits and in the crook of your armpits.

“Daddy-” Your mouth gapes, little punched out ‘unh-unh-unh’s fly out of your mouth as your ass ripples. A few of your hairs stick to your forehead and you look over your shoulder, flushed and overwhelmed.

He just said he was going to kill you, you couldn’t even say when he changed his mind if he’s even telling the truth. But all you can focus on is that you really hope no other security personnel arrive at the safe house to check on you, whatever the fuck you’re doing definitely isn’t protocol.

Toji leans forward and scruffs the back of your neck with his canines, nipping the skin and leaving a mark as he slams his hips forward again. His grip on your love handles becomes iron clad and binding, wishing on a shooting star for bruises to form. He plunges in to the hilt with every thrust and gnaws at your sloped shoulder, he’s gonna cum and fill your cute little butt up. Pump your backdoor so full of cump it bulges and trickles down your trembling thighs.

You keen brokenly, floating up and away into his kiss. Which is basically more of an affectionate bite, but his tongue is mapping out your teeth and your cherry chapstick lips glide against his cold weather chapped ones. So it can be technically considered a kiss, but it leaves you reeling, someone just smashed a rock into your face and you’re collapsed on the ground unable to walk it off.

You try to squirm away from the earth shattering pleasure.

“What i’d say about givin’ me a chance, doll? Anyway, you were good as dead until I actually laid eyes on ya. Pretty thing, soft heart with a softer touch, ripe for the picking and left all alone…”

He can feel you getting close, you’re humping back against him like a bunny in heat as his thumb does a frenzied dance on your clit. He slides his big hand up your body to strum your nipples, his soft as a butterfly’s wing touch contrasting deliciously with his diabolically rough strokes.

In the fantasy he coos in your ear and asks if you agree that he did such a good job making this body, didn’t he? He twists his wrist on your pert bud, timing his ministrations with the upwards angled stroke of his cock. Your whimpering, his thick tip hitting the sensitive place you’ve never been able to reach with your fingers or your extra large toys.

“Fill me up, Daddy, please.” You beg, tears streaming down your face and sticking to his hand cushioning you. You turn your head the tiniest bit to wetly smack your lips together, kissing the rugged appendage. “It’s so hungry, I need it, give it up to me already. Not goin’ anywhere.”

Your cock-crazed eyes widen in panic whenever he acts like he’s gonna pull out, allowing you only the tip before grinning and sliding all the way home once again.

“Don’t worry, baby. I fixed it, didn't i? Got you all plugged up and owned doll, would sooner ride the muzzle of Shiu’s gun than kill ya now. Y’r soakin’ my balls so goddamn good.”

“Thank you, Daddy. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you-“

Holy fuck, you can’t breathe. You can’t fucking breathe because how can you when all the air in your lungs is beaten out of you by some 47 year olds’s massive cock. The coarseness of his body is so right for you, abrasive where you’re soft and riddled with signs of being battleworn where your body’s only enemy is you. You feel split right down the middle and you’re half afraid that when Toji eventually pulls out, you’ll fall apart and actually become two bleeding halves of a whole fucked out person.

Your clit throbs at the mental image of his hairy swallowing the muzzle of a gun, Toji licks his lips and mercifully lets you reach behind yourself to claw at his rippling muscular glutes as he fucks you. Your ass squeezes his cock in a vice like grip as you shoot your load onto the pale wood laminated floor below. Your ass cheeks jiggle as your hips jump forward, grinding against the air as you get it all out. Riding that lightning off to who knows where.

“Jesus, oh, Jesus- You’re so fucking insane, Jesus Christ!”

At least Daddy will be there, because you’re certain you’re gonna crave keeping him inside and Toji seems like a terrible guy to try to do cockwarming with.

“Shit, baby bunny, this bouncy cottontail is gonna milk me dry, take me for all my money, isn’t that right honey bunny?” His voice is coated with sickenly toe curling condescension.

He roars a guttural groan, his nails forming crescent shaped indents in your hips as he pushes his cock as far as it can go and spurts his hot cum into your ass with a gruff grunt. He can feel your walls spasm around his dick, the sensation hurtles him further over the edge and his hips jerk and the joints begin to creak from the effort.

He’s not the wild and reckless young man who fucked your mother anymore, but you have him all wrong if you think he’s going to roughouse your shit any differently.

When you’ve both calmed down, his salt and pepper stubble gives you beard burn between the fleshy globes, punctuated by a breathless snicker and a barely there peck to your ass hole.

“Sleep in tomorrow, baby bunny” He says abruptly, his tone dropping to become startlingly serious. “I’ll bring back some breakfast for ya, give you a massage. I better come back and find your adorable ass right where I put it to bed, ya hear me?.”

“Yes, Daddy. ‘Said I wasn’t going anywhere.”

He pats your lower back, curling his thick digits around an invisible ball of fur.

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tanglepelt · 2 years ago

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Dc x dp idea 84

Jack and Maddie are legit crazy mad scientist.

They moved to amity before jazz was born. Prior to the justice league. Those who didn’t comply when the moved were swiftly taken care of.

All outside new sources come from them amity has only seen what the fentons want.

The Giw were hired by the Fentons. Both are bad. But who would the town rather deal with the shoot first supposed government. Or the wacky Fenton parents.

And how many parents can exactly actively stake out a school. How many times had they been inside the school during the school day.

That is until mr lancer comes into play. Somehow he managed to slip by and entered the town this year. Earning a position of vice principal right under their noses.

He actively promotes Danny doing better. Actually forcing him to do his work and learn.

He takes notes of Danny’s declining health. Falling asleep in class, the bruises and reports the fentons. Only for nothing to happen.

Lancer then takes notes of the eccentric actions of the fentons. The screaming of tearing the ghosts apart. He knows about the truth of the outside world. He knows this would go against the meta human protection acts. So he makes a mental note to contact the proper services of the need arises.

After the events of the town being yoinked into the infinite realms. He finally acts. Sending out an email and call to the justice league hotline. Unbeknownst to him both being stopped by the Fenton parents.

Obviously they plan to deal with him when the time is right.

The only reason he stays is because no other adult seems to care about the kids. He was the only one who event attempted to check in on them during the ghost flu.

He can’t stand by any longer when he sees the two Fenton parents hunting phantom. See them getting skilled shots in. Actively forcing phantom into Danny. But they don’t stop. Still shooting at Danny.

Mr. Lancer watches as Jazz, Sam and Tucker manage to get them away. He ushers them to his car the five hardly manages to make it out. Danny seriously injured.

It’s only then does the phone connect to the justice league helpline.

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liaromancewriter · 2 years ago

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Beautiful Stranger

Premise: Ethan Ramsey wasn’t looking forward to tonight, and then he met the woman of his dreams.

Book: Open Heart (AU) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Trope: Soulmates; Gala Words: 1,610

A/N: This fic is inspired by an ask from last year where I talked about AUs if Cassie wasn't a doctor. I'm using @choicesflashfics week 30, prompt 3 (in bold). Submission for @aprilchallenge prompt "dress".

The entryway to the Washington Hudson Hotel in DC’s Adams Morgan was lined with black town cars and limos. Passengers disembarked under the covered portico, posed for cameras on either side of the red carpet rolled out in welcome, and followed ushers to the Art Deco ballroom.

Security guards in severe black suits prevented anyone from entering without an invitation. Sweat beaded their foreheads, more from the spotlights than the late spring evening, but dark sunglasses hid any discomfort.

Dr. Ethan Ramsey waited impatiently to be let out of the black limo his mentor and friend, Dr. Naveen Banerji, had insisted on renting for the occasion.

“I’m the guest of honor, after all,” he’d said, a Zen-like smile on his face. “Can’t just roll up in a Jalopy.”

Ethan couldn’t fault him that logic, even if he privately thought it excessive to drive two blocks from their hotel. But, then, the man was literally a saint and deserved this minor luxury.

Naveen was being honored tonight with a Humanitarian Service Lifetime Achievement Award from the Valentine Foundation for his work in advancing medical care in developing countries.

The black-tie event was part of the National Medical Symposium’s festivities, where Ethan was invited to present a keynote. An incredible accomplishment, given he’d become an attending not quite a year ago.

Ethan enjoyed the education and dialogue at these conferences but preferred socializing at a bar over scotch. However, Naveen had taught him that these social events were essential for advancing his career and getting sponsors to fund research projects. A necessary evil in medicine.

Finally, the rear door opened from outside, and Ethan slid out of the backseat. Naveen followed, waving and smiling at the flashing cameras as if he was at the Oscars. Ethan ignored everyone, marching through the glass doors, invitation card in hand.

“You were in a hurry,” Naveen said pleasantly, joining Ethan in the soaring foyer outside the ballroom.

“They didn’t care about me.” Ethan rolled his eyes and smirked. “I’m not the guest of honor, after all.”

Naveen chuckled, bumping shoulders with Ethan. “No, but with your looks, they probably thought you were a reality TV star. Off to give your chosen lady a red rose. That’s how the story goes.”

Ethan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why reality TV? What story? And I’m not carrying a rose.”

Naveen shook his head in dismay. “You know, my friend. There’s more to life than medicine.”

Before Ethan could counter that remark, Naveen turned away to greet someone he knew. Left to his own devices, Ethan glanced around the room, recognizing some faces from the conference. But if he was going to schmooze, he needed a stiff drink first.

Almost an hour later, Ethan escaped the crowded ballroom through French doors leading to a moonlit balcony overlooking the dark gardens below. He needed a few minutes of respite from the politicking and socializing that was part of the Valentines’ world.

Ever since he’d learned about the award, Naveen hadn’t stopped talking about the family. Being a Rhodian, Ethan certainly knew of the Valentines of Newport, but they didn’t run in the same circles as the son of a cable repairman from Providence.

He suspected they were like the other donors he’d met inside that ballroom; insanely wealthy and spoiled with a sense of entitlement. The foundation was probably a vanity project for one of the trophy wives, he thought dismissively.

He strode to the wrought-iron balustrade, gripping the edge as he threw his head back and took a deep breath. A floral scent hit his senses before he heard the rustle of fabric.

He spun on his heels to see a beautiful young woman standing against the wall, the hem of her shimmering midnight blue dress hiked up to reveal one silken white thigh.

Her hand froze; a black lace garter strap caught between her fingers. Ethan’s eyes involuntarily followed as the top of a sheer black stocking slid down her skin, catching where her leg was bent at the knee.

His eyes snapped to her face, tracing the arch of her brows, the flushed cheekbones and red lips parted lightly. Long blonde hair fell to the side, past her shoulder, the ends curling softly.

A glittering hair clip on the left side of her head held back the rest. The style revealed diamonds and sapphires dripping from her earlobe, matching the necklace cradled between the valley of her breasts.

Her fragrance enveloped him, his nostrils flared, and all Ethan could think was, “Mine!”

She gasped, or he did. Maybe it was the moonlight, or perhaps it was fate. He hadn’t had enough top-shelf scotch to blame the alcohol. At this point, he wasn’t sure what was happening to him.

“A gentleman would look away. Or lend a hand.”

Ethan heard the amusement in her soft melodic voice and glimpsed the teasing sparkle in her eyes. He wondered if they were blue like his. A strong probability, given the color of her hair.

He took a step toward her and then another, closing the distance between them. His hand unthinkingly reached for the dangling garter strap in her hand but stopped at the warning look in her eyes. Up close, he saw they were green with flecks of blue or black.

Ethan held up his hands in a truce. “That was a rhetorical statement, wasn’t it?”

She scoffed, clearly deeming it unworthy of a response. She quickly reattached her loose stocking and adjusted her dress. The fabric covered her from top to bottom, the hem brushing the toes of her high heels.

The dress would’ve been modest except for how it hugged her curves, accentuating every part of her that his fingers ached to touch.

“You’re staring again,” she said huskily, her chest rising and falling with rapid, shallow breaths.

Appalled, Ethan blurted out an apology. “I’m sorry. I–– “

He felt his skin flush, and the tips of his ears turn red. If anyone from Edenbrook saw him now, they’d surely laugh at his expense. Frustrated, he stabbed his fingers into his hair.

The woman threw him a strange look, her brows twisting in a V shape. Without a word, she turned to walk away, but he wasn’t ready to let her go.

He instinctively tried to stop her, his fingers brushing the back of her hand. They both hissed as an electric current flashed and pulsed where their skin met.

She held her hand against her chest, stroking the sensitive area with her thumb as if trying to rub away their connection. But she didn’t leave, nibbling on her bottom lip as she regarded him with a perplexed expression.

“I have no excuse for my behavior,” he began, hesitating as he searched for the words that would make her want to stay. “This is not like me at all. I’m not a risk taker. I don’t gamble with my feelings. I don’t ogle strangers at parties, even if they are beautiful. I’m a doctor, a man of science and logic. I…”

“So, you expect me to believe that you don’t know who I am?” she asked in disbelief. “And your arrival on this balcony a few minutes after me was a pure coincidence?”

Ethan looked at her, bewildered. “Should I know you? Have we met before?”

She stared into his eyes, searching for some inner truth. She must have found it, for she nodded and smiled.

“Okay, doctor. I believe you. Since you’re a man of science, care to explain that?”

She pointed to their hands, now resting against their sides. But there were tiny vibrations under the skin, wanting to reach across the space and connect with its mate.

“It’s nothing,” he said warily.

He shoved his hands inside his pant pockets and rocked back on his heels. For some reason, that made her laugh, and a knowing look entered her eyes. It was too astute for his comfort, and he felt laid bare.

“A man of science should know that some things defy expectations,” she mused, tapping one finger against her lips. “And every scientific achievement in history was because someone decided it was worth the risk.”

The sound of a bell ringing in the distance reached their ears, breaking the uneasy silence that followed her words.

“I have to go back inside,” she sighed. “I would say it was a pleasure, but honestly, I don’t know what this was. And I suspect we’re both not ready to find out.”

Ethan watched her walk away, and his feet itched to follow. But he waited, needing a few minutes to collect himself.

When he returned to the ballroom, he scanned the vast room for any sign of Naveen. His height gave him an advantage, and he spotted the other man in an animated conversation with someone, gesticulating excitedly.

Ethan swiftly navigated through throngs of people, slowing down as he neared Naveen. The person ahead of him moved away, and his steps faltered when he saw her.

She must have sensed him too, because she suddenly looked over her shoulder, her green eyes registering surprise as they locked into his shocked blue ones.

“Ah, Ethan, there you are,” Naveen called out. “Come meet my benefactor. Cassie Valentine is the head of the Valentine Foundation and the person who nominated me for tonight’s award. Cassie, meet Dr. Ethan Ramsey, my protégé and one of the most gifted diagnosticians of his generation.”

Ethan Ramsey did not believe in moonlight madness or fate. But for one brief moment, he had, and now his world was turned upside down. What’s more? Cassie’s amused smirk told him she knew it too.

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

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smurphyse · 2 years ago

Text

The Thunderbird Inn | Spencer Reid

Smurph's Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 2 of Routine Maintenance

Warnings: mentions of death, romantic tension, arguments, BAU talk

Summary: Spencer spends his first night in his hotel room. Honey makes him an offer to get involved in the town events.

Spencer rubbed his temples on the edge of the bed for a while, contemplating his life choices. Eventually he poured himself a drink from the bottle he kept in his suitcase, straight into one of the plastic mouthwash cups, and laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. Instead of driving straight off toward Oregon, he’d stopped in this stupid town for coffee and a morning at the beach. If he’d just kept going, he wouldn't be in this mess.

A month of sitting still was sure to kill him. Spencer hadn’t stayed in a place longer than three days since he left DC two years ago, and he hadn’t gone back either. See a town, maybe see a sight, then off into the night he drove… over and over again. Stupid, stupid. He should have just taken his coffee and left Thunderbird when he had the chance.

Knowing that if the team couldn’t reach him they’d scour the country until they did, he leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed the phone. The cord tangled and nearly pulled the base from the tabletop, and a quick hand on it stopped the damned thing from flying across the room. He dialed a number he knew by heart and held the ancient phone to his ear as it rang.

It took one brrup for her to answer. “This is Prentiss.”

“Emily, hey,” he murmured, trying to steady the slurring of his voice. He’d had a few since sitting there. “It’s me.”

“Spence!” she said excitedly, making him wince and pull the phone away from his ear. “Is everything okay? This isn’t your phone number an-.”

“I’m fine,” he cut her off sharply. Spencer sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. “I’m having some car trouble and there’s no service. You’ll be able to reach me here at the inn I’m staying at.”

“What is this; a California area code? We’re in LA, we can come get you.” Emily’s nerves took over far quicker than Spencer’s limited patience had capacity for, and he rolled his eyes as she rambled on. “I can wire you some cash.”

“I’m. Fine,” he gritted out. “Look, I just… I might be here a while, and I don’t need you guys putting me on a milk carton when you can’t get a hold of me.”

“Well, forgive us for loving you!” Rossi’s voice came, and Spencer groaned.

“Yeah, man. We just wanna make sure you’re taken care of.” Luke this time, no doubt with that lopsided grin on his face.

“Am I on a conference call?” he asked irritably, nearly fuming. Spencer wasn’t even sure why he was so angry… but he was, all the time, and more so when he talked to the BAU.

“Well, when I said we were in LA I meant we’re on our way to LA,” Emily said sheepishly. Her voice turned hopeful as she continued. “I think we’re over the Dakotas right now. You wanna hear about it? We could always use your input.”

“No.” His voice was firm, final. As always, they didn’t seem to care.

“You sure, Spence?” JJ’s voice filtered through, and Henry and Michael’s faces popped into his mind. A part of him wanted to ask how they were, if Henry had picked a good college yet, but the other wanted to forget about them and the BAU forever so he could move on. “We’ve got ten bodies, all mu-.” “No! I don’t want to hear about it.” Spencer groaned and pulled the phone away from his ear to breathe smoke out through his nose. He rubbed his face and put it back. “I’m just letting you know where I am, okay?”

Knock knock knock!

“Hold on.” Spencer turned to look at the sticky door, spotting the shadow of two small feet underneath. He licked his lips and let out another breath, “Give me a second, guys.”

He got slowly to his feet, setting the phone on the bed. His legs were jello from laying down so long and drinking without moving, but he ambled his way to the door. Spencer turned the knob and tugged, then cursed when it didn't open. He pulled up and it cracked open to reveal Honey on the other side with a covered tray.

He couldn’t help the way his eyes flickered down to her chest, the tops of her breasts happily bouncing as she seemed to jump in her spot with the tray in her hands. She’d swapped out her jeans for a pair of tight small shorts and heels, and the old tank for a tighter going out top that glittered under the lights. She still wore the gold band tied up with leather, the only item she hadn’t swapped out for something nicer. It must mean something to her, but at the moment Spencer didn’t care.

"Soups up," she said cheerily, holding out to him. "Fried green tomatoes on wheat with ham and cheese."

Spencer squinted at her, but made no move to take the food even though he was starving. "I thought dinner was at six."

She frowned, "It's six thirty. I'm late."

Spencer lifted his wrist to check his watch, and sure enough she was right. He'd wasted the day away drinking and wallowing, something he'd rather have done in a town far away from this one. He pulled out his wallet to tip her but she shook her head.

"Don't need to tip someone for being nice,” she told him seriously. “I always make more than I can eat. Might as well give it to you.”

“How quaint,” he mumbled, stuffing his wallet back in his pocket as she glared at him. He took the tray and went to close the door, but she stayed put. He leaned on one hip and cocked his head at her, “What?”

Honey bounced on the balls of her feet and linked her hands behind her back. “We’re having a bonfire tonight on the beach. Some drinks, some of Rose’s barbeque. Y’know… if you’re interested.”

“No offense, but that doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time.”

“You really are no fun, huh, Spencer?”

“You know, I’m starting to rethink you not calling me ‘Mr. Reid,’” he told her sternly, but she just chuckled lightly and nodded.

“How’s about this for a nickname? ‘Mr. Dreary.’” Her eyes lit up as she thought of another one. “No, ‘Stick-in-the-mud,’ ‘Stick’ for short!”

“You’re not making me want to go to a bonfire with you.”

“Shame,” she quipped back with a grin. “I’ll have to find someone else to be the life of the party.”

“You do that,” he replied, and with that shut the door in her face. He heard her little harrumph on the other side, but paid it little mind.

Spencer carried the tray over to the bed and settled with it on his lap. The two legs rested easily on the blanket underneath him as he picked the phone back up and held it between his ear and his shoulder.

“I’m back. Sorry about that.”

“She sounds cute, Reid!” Tara called into the receiver. “Is that why you don’t want us to come? You’re shacking up with some girl?”

Spencer scoffed and shook his head, a smile finding its way across his cheeks. “No… the front desk girl brought me dinner.”

A chorus of ooohs made him roll his eyes. “She’s like fifteen years younger than me. She’s not interested.”

“Oh, come on,” Penelope chimed in happily. “You’re forty three! That’s a perfectly acceptable age difference at your age.”

Spencer gave a noncommittal hum and lifted the lid from the tray. His mouth watered at the smell, and he’d never had fried green tomatoes, let alone on a sandwich. He nearly dropped the phone when he spotted a pair of noise canceling headphones on the tray next to the plate. Honey and Mattie May had even given him a bag of chips and a can of soda.

“Next thing we know we’ll be doing Christmas in Thunderbird, then,” Luke grumbled, and it got Spencer’s attention.

“How do you guys kno-? Garcia looked up the phone number when I was talking to Honey, didn’t she?”

“I couldn’t help myself! I wanted to make sure you were safe!”

“Her name is Honey?” Rossi asked, amusement dripping in his tone. “Kid, as a red-blooded American male, you have to sleep with the cute front desk girl if her name is Honey.”

“I never said she was cute,” he grunted. All he wanted to do was eat and go to sleep.

“You didn’t deny it, either,” JJ pointed out.

Spencer had had enough, so he toed off his boots and swiped a hand down his face to quell some of his irritation with their interrogation. “Look guys, I’m exhausted and it’s been a long day. I’ll talk to you later.”

“We miss you!” Penelope called, and it made Spencer want to crumble into a million pieces. He stared at the hardwood flooring, watched the ends of the curtains sway in time with the air conditioning as his heart tried to build better walls around itself, failing as usual.

“Yeah,” he said, then slammed the phone back in the cradle.

Sitting up against the headboard, Spencer slipped the headphones on and closed his eyes. Blessed silence washed over him as he took in a deep breath, counted to five, then let it out.

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

I woke up on the beach with the worst hangover of my life, rivaled only by last weekend’s hangover and the one before that. I needed to stop going out… but I said that every weekend and failed by Tuesday.

Rico’s arm was slung over my waist, his morning wood pressing into my back. I pushed at him until I could sit up, swiping the sand off my clothes and glaring out at the dark ocean with the sun at my back.

I used to love it out there, on the water. Ernie and I would spend days on the boat, lounging on the deck and watching the sun set. If I close my eyes I can still feel the spray of the ocean dusting my skin, Ernie reading beside me as I soaked up the sun. It's been years now since I've stepped foot in the water, and sometimes all I want is to walk into it and disappear into the seafoam.

Rico and I ended up talking on the beach all night, which is not how I wanted to spend it. I’d hoped Spencer would come, as all the pressure on my shoulders would be trained on him for at least one night. I supposed I should feel bad about making a stranger the object of everyone’s interest, but I was tired of it being me. As a consequence, I drank to the point that Rico would stop asking me that damned question.

“You gonna marry me, or what, Honey?” his voice came from behind. He sat up and pressed a kiss to my cheek, his arm snaking around my waist.

I turned enough to look at him, those dark eyes sweet and full of love for me that I can’t return. I want to return it, but I just can’t. It would make things so much easier if I could.

I cocked my head at him and gave him my best smile though my head was pounding. “I already gave you my answer, Rico.”

“I just don’t get why,” he said quietly. I know I’m hurting him, but I’d hurt him more if I did what he wanted. I’d make him miserable because I’d be miserable, and he was too good of a man to do that to. “You love me, I love you. We have a good time together…”

His hand palmed up my bare thigh, smooth and firm. He wasn’t wrong. Naked, we had a great time together. Toe-curling, shouting the roof off kind of a great time. But it wasn’t what I wanted.

I placed my hand on his cheek and leaned my forehead against his, running my fingertips along his coarse curls. “I have love for you, Rico. I’m not in love with you. It’s not the same.”

“I’d be good to you, Hon. I swear it. Just give me a chance,” he pleaded gently. It felt wrong to have this conversation when both of our breaths smelled like a boozy kiss of death, so I got to my feet and held out my hand.

As he took it he squeezed my fingers lightly, refusing to catch my eye. We walked hand-in-hand down the road and back to The Thunderbird Inn, all in silence as Rico chewed on my words. He’d ask me again soon, like he had been for the last few days, and I’d say no. For now, it was time to stop talking.

Rico held the door for me as we stepped inside, and the gentleman he was he walked me to my door. I unlocked the Management door and pushed it open, then leaned against the frame and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m sorry,” I said. It’s true. I really was.

Rico stuffed his hands in his pockets, staring down as he shuffled his feet. “I get it. It’s okay.”

Rico’s eyes came up just enough to land on my necklace, and a shock of pain flashed behind his chocolate eyes. He sucked in a wavering breath and bit his bottom lip as I watched him. Finally, he flashed me his trademark grin and leaned against the other side of the frame.

“I miss him too.”

“It’s not that.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Look,” I sighed, “I’m hungover as shit, so I’m gonna go take a shower and die.”

Rico pushed himself off the door until he was nearly chest to chest with me, smiling down and making me smile back. I couldn’t help it, not when he looked like that. He leaned in and brushed his nose against mine, “You want me to help you clean up? Give you a good send off before you shuffle off this mortal coil?”

I was just about to answer when the door across the hall cracked open sharply, and Spencer stepped out, almost running into us before coming up short. I pulled back a bit from Rico, feeling very caught even though I wasn’t doing anything wrong. At least it wasn’t Rose who saw us.

He looked better than the day before. Freshly washed hair hung just past his shoulders, his beard more closely cropped than the tumbleweed mess it had been. He wore a white tee, a red flannel tossed over his shoulder as his eyes widened.

Rico leaned an elbow on the frame behind my head and sighed in annoyance. He turned to Spencer and let out a grunt, “You need something?”

Spencer squinted at him and shook his head, “I was gonna get breakfast.”

“I’ll make you something,” I offered, pointing up the stairs to my apartment above the inn. “I was just gonna shower real quick.”

Spencer’s gaze flicked up and down my disheveled frame with a hardly disguised look of judgment. “I’ll be fine. A shower might do you good. Take a breather."

He chuckled to himself as he waltzed down the hallway, fiddling with his room key. I glared after him and his stupid khaki jeans and converse. They were tighter than he probably realized, showing off a perky backside I hadn't gotten a look at the day before.

Rico’s hand under my chin brought me back to him, and he pressed his lips to mine before I could protest. I let myself melt into it, my eyes fluttering shut for a split second of peace. When his body pressed against mine I had to pull away.

"We shouldn't," I told him softly, but all I really wanted was for him to pound me into that mattress until I couldn't move for the rest of the day. His muscles rippled beneath his shirt and he smelled like sweat and cologne… I shook my head, "I think it's too confusing."

"I asked you to marry me, not explain astrophysics," he murmured against my lips, smirking. "What's confusing about me relaxing you?"

I laughed lightly, but I pressed my palms against his chest to push him back. "You asked me to marry you and I said no. If I sleep with you, you'll think you have a chance."

"You gonna leave me for the cracked axle hipster?" he snarked, jerking his head toward the direction Spencer went.

"Rico, come on," I sighed. "I don't want to get married, okay? I've been married-."

"And he died. You're not married anymore." Rico’s fingers stretched out to brush against my belly, the only reason he asked me in the first place. "We can have a family, buy that house on the beach."

"I said no," I told him firmly, swatting away his hands. "It was just a scare. I'm not pregnant and you don't have to marry me just because you thought I was."

I turned to go up the stairs, but Rico’s hand lashed out and gripped my wrist. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to piss me off as I ripped it away from him. His dark eyes were full of love and devotion, but a pained rage as well.

"You know that's not the only reason I asked," he said lowly, wracked with anguish. He took a step out of the doorway and ran a hand through his hair, "Just think about it. I know you said you would, but I know you. You're so stubborn sometimes you'll let something go completely by because you want to do it all on your own. I'm just asking to do it with you, to have you live this life with me too."

I watched him for a long moment, a part of me wanting to just say yes and move on with my life. It would be beautiful, and Rico would treat me right. We'd have a house and kids and run the shops in town together…but I'm restless. His love felt like chains, and it gutted me to have that thought run through my head.

"I'll think about it," I relented quietly. "I promise, I'll really think about it."

He nodded once, then headed for the door. I groaned in frustration and stomped my foot on the bottom stair before heading up.

My apartment above the inn was as big as the downstairs. Broad windows made up the walls on all sides, a kitchen in one corner and the bathroom in the center. My bed sat in the center of one wall, facing the far off ocean. I spend too many nights leaning against the sill and thinking about Ernie. I wish we still lived in our boat together… I’d rather be there than here.

A few weeks ago I started feeling faint and nauseous. Worried I might be pregnant, I took a test. It was positive, and when I told Rico he proposed on the spot. After saying no we had a long talk, then a trip to the doctor’s, who told me it was a false positive. Turns out it was anxiety, as the tenth anniversary of Ernie’s death was coming up. Since then he hasn’t stopped pestering me with proposals and declarations of love… it was suffocating, and he deserved so much better than I could ever give him.

I’d been in Thunderbird since I was eighteen, and sometimes I was so scared to leave I just stayed still in bed, terrified and clinging to the sheets for safety. I haven’t known anything else in twelve years, and for a long time I didn’t need anything else. How could I leave the place that gave me so much? I found a husband here, a family, a home to grow in… and only a few parts of that are gone now.

Unbeknownst to Rico and his good intentions, I’ve got one foot out the door.

Spencer squinted through the sunlight as he read the sign above him, Collie’s Cafe. It was a brightly painted brick-faced building. A mural of an Afrolatino man in a boat was painted on the side, his long dark curls and sideways smirk eyeing Spencer as he came up the street. Flowers adorned his hair and ‘Sigue viviendo, Ernesto’ was written in an arch above his head.

The bell above the door chimed to announce his arrival, and all eyes turned to him as he stepped inside. Spencer gave a polite nod to the gawking onlookers and made his way toward the counter.

Collie’s was an espresso bar and bakery of sorts, the scent of freshly baked goods and hand-ground beans flooding his nose. There were some computers along the windows and ported tables in the center of the room. Spencer spotted a lone table in the back as he adjusted his satchel on his shoulder, and decided that was where he wanted to go, with his back facing the wall and all the patrons in sight.

“You must be Spencer,” a woman with a heavy accent smiled as he came up. Her dark salt and pepper curls piled in a bun on top of her head, a few errant coils framing her face. Her skin was tanned deep, lined with years and friendly smiles, the lines of which ran up to her bright green eyes. She wore a brightly colored dress with varying lines striped through it, tied tightly around her ample waist and bosom.

Spencer ran a heavy hand over the back of his neck sheepishly, “You heard about me, I take it.”

“A cracked ardatza, is what I hear,” she replied smoothly. “A traveling man like you must not like being stuck in a place, small like this.”

“It hasn’t been so bad,” he said softly, shrugging. He squinted at her, “Who told you my name?”

She leaned over the counter with a coy smile and the scent of fresh bread, “The wonderful thing about Thunderbird, is it is a place to both lose and find yourself. For someone who lives on the road, I assume you try to do one or the other, no?”

Spencer smirked back at her, unable to pull back the smile on his cheeks. “I’m just enjoying the journey and alone time.”

The woman laughed heartily, clutching her chest. She stuck out a hand for him to take, “My name is Collette, but everyone calls me Collie.”

Spencer shook her hand with a grin and a nod. He cocked his head at her, “Are you Basque, by any chance? Your accent… it’s not quite French, not quite Spanish.”

She made a pleasant humming noise and blushed, “Guipúzcoa, maitea.”

“Bay of Biscay,” Spencer said, and she nodded sweetly. “I’ve never been to Spain, but I spent some time in Paris. I’d like to see it someday.”

Collie beamed at him and squeezed his hand with both of hers before letting go, "It is beautiful. I miss it there sometimes."

"Then how'd you end up here?"

She waved her hands in front of her face, "A story for another time. How about I make you something you like and bring it to you, my treat."

"No, please. Let me pay-."

She cut him off with a tut and a pointed finger, "You're a guest. Go, go sit. I bring you something good."

Spencer nodded in thanks and headed over to the coveted corner seat. There was no use in arguing with a maternal figure like Collie. There was an ethernet port and a charging station, so he plugged in his laptop and went to work checking emails and texts he'd missed from the team. They sent him updates of their lives every few days, and he sent them pictures of his travels.

He'd taken some pictures on his phone when he first came to town of the beaches and buildings, so he plugged in his phone to the laptop and loaded them up to send. JJ always sent him pictures of Henry and Michael, and a group photo of him and his godsons served as his desktop wallpaper.

“Ughh, Collie!” a familiar voice burst in with the chime of the front door. Spencer watched with chagrin as Honey stomped into the cafe and saluted the Basque woman at the counter. “I need as much liquid cocaine as you got today. All espresso, regular coffee from Michelle ain’t gonna do it.”

She wore another pair of tiny denim shorts and a flowy tank top that showed off the shape of her bosom, that ring pendant resting between them like they were pillows. A pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head and espadrilles on her feet as she made her way up to Collie, looking exhausted after the long night he supposed she had.

Collie set her hands on her hips and watched her pointedly, “I saw you with Rico on the beach last night, maitea. Is this why you are so tired?”

Honey leaned on the counter and made a face, “We were just talking, Col. That’s it.”

“That boy really wants to marry you. Why say no to such a pretty face?”

Honey smirked, “With a first husband like yours, you really want to ask me that?”

Collie’s face lit up, and she glanced Spencer’s way before rounding the corner and snatching Honey’s arm. She dragged the girl over to his table and pushed her into the seat across from him. Honey landed heavily with a oof, gripping the table and nearly knocking his laptop off in the process.

“Two maitean at one table, how sweet!” Collie squealed happily as Honey and Spencer watched her in confusion. “You do not want to marry Rico for your restless soul, and here is another one. A perfect match!”

“Collie!” Honey hissed, her lip nearly curling in irritation and embarrassment. “You can’t set me up with some random drifter-.”

“Hey,” Spencer snapped, but she just stuck out her tongue at him.

“Nonsense, I do not set up. You are not pins in the bowling game,” Collie hushed her with a waving hand. “You want coffee? You sit here, speak to the man.”

It seemed coffee was all Honey needed to be willingly held hostage by him, and her shoulders deflated as she relented. Collie turned and called off toward the kitchen, “Oye! Augustin!”

She rattled off something in Euskara, and the non-visible Augustin hollered back in Spanish. Spencer tapped the table to get Honey’s attention as she hung her arm on the back of the chair dejectedly.

“What does maitea mean?” he asked, completely butchering the pronunciation.

Honey rolled her eyes, “My love. Maitean means in love.”

“Oh,” he nodded. Heat rushed to his cheeks as she glared across the table at him, "That Rico kid proposed and you said no, huh?"

Her eyes turned dark and fierce, "Mind your business."

Spencer shrugged, "Everyone's minding yours, why not join in?"

Honey sighed and leaned back in her chair. She fiddled with her fingers, staring down at them like they were her enemy, "I don't want to get married."

"Might as well. What else are you gonna do around here?"

"Fuck you."

"I don't sleep with women who are otherwise engaged with others, but thanks for the offer."

"Charming," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. Honey set her elbows on the table and leaned forward, "How has no woman scooped up such a catch?"

Spencer smirked at her, knowing how much of an ass he was being and not caring, "I've got better things to do, Honey Bear."

"Like be away from your kids?" she snarked right back, not missing a beat. When his brows furrowed she pointed at his slightly askew laptop where a picture of Henry, Michael and a well-groomed Spencer sat on the desktop.

He snapped the computer shut and pulled it close, "They're my godsons. I'm not some absent father."

"If you've got family waiting for you somewhere, what the hell are you doing all the way out here? What do you even do for work?"

"I'm retired," he grumbled. He didn't like this woman very much, nor did he like how his jesting turned right back to himself.

"Yeah, you look like one of those Silicon Valley tech dicks. Lemme guess, you sold your share of a company and hit the road for 'adventure' to post on your Instagram, but found alcoholism is your one true love?"

Spencer glared at her like a bothered little kid, crossing his arms over his chest. Honey didn't know him or what he'd been through, and he had no need to tell her. Luckily, he didn’t have to bitch back at her as Collie swept up with a tray of drinks of sweets.

“Karouga and my own espresso blend cappuccino,” she announced proudly as she dispersed them around. “Enjoy!”

With that she was gone tending to other customers and flitting about the tables. Spencer took the small white cup and chanced a sip, his brows raising in pleasant surprise. “I’ll say this about Thunderbird- you guys make great coffee. Y’know, it’s rich coming from someone who looked like you this morning to lecture me on alcoholism.”

“Oh, please,” she snarled dangerously, “I could see the bourbon swimming in your eyeballs last night and the scent of it wafting from your dumb mouth. I just had one too many at a party.”

Spencer poked at his karouga and smiled to himself, “Funny how you knew it was bourbon by smell alone.”

“Are you like this to everyone or am I just special?”

“You’ve just caught my eye is all, what with those low cut tops and tiny shorts.”

Even though her jaw set tightly and she looked like she wanted to punch a hole through him, she glanced down at her lap as heat rushed to her cheeks. Honey ran an awkward hand through her hair before meeting his gaze again.

"Tonight everyone's going to Tooky's if you're interested," she muttered irritably. "I'm tending bar, there'll be live music and food. It's a good time out on the beach."

"Doesn't really sound like my idea of a good time."

"Okay, Mr. Buzzkill, enjoy your night drinking alone in your room then."

With that she snatched her coffee and one of his karouga and stomped out the front door. Spencer watched her long legs with a smirk as he sipped from his cup, enjoying the jiggle of her backside as she angrily walked away from him.

Maybe he could use a night out. After all, the next day was the Fourth of July and he already knew he'd be spending that curled up under the covers with the headphones Mattie May gave him.

He cocked his head as he thought. Maybe Honey would wear another pair of those shorts and tight tees. That he wouldn't mind seeing at all. It would give him something to think about when he was holed up in his room all night tomorrow.

And maybe he could get her to yell at him again. He didn't quite know why, but he was enjoying their snarky banter. It was nice to have something to chew on and look forward to.

A long night of irritating the front desk girl might be exactly what he needed.

Smurph's Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Notes: PLEASE tell me what you think... Also please don't hate on Rico haha, I love him and you will too! What do you think of Collie and how do you think the next chapter at Tooky's will go?? Have you listened to the albums that are on the Masterlist?

CM Forever Tag:

@thedancingcostumeyoungadult @muffin-cup @simplyparker @spencerreidsmommy @hotchandspencearedilfs @gspenc @kbakery @nomajdetective @givemeth @hoshihiime @halloween-is-my-nationality @reidselle @thisiscalmanditsdoctorreid @dreatine @thebloomingeagle @fortheloveofwonderland @theforgottenwinter @parkerreidnorth @reidselle @randomhoex @scargarcia-magshotchner @stitchwrites @pygmygoat-bicyclehelmet @cle13 @aysixdy @elhotchner @directioner5life @elhotchner @loveeee2134 @preciousbabypeter @la-stuffs @stories-you-wont-hear @hotchlover @fortheloveofwonderland @lokiandhisdagger @bellanutellababyyy @dark-night-sky-99 @straightforbuckybutgayfornatasha @maltamurdock @charelletjee @kansas-reid @zephyrmonkey @spencer-reid-wonderland @spencersprettyslut @im-sure-its-fine @tvdstelenaforever @teddylupintonks @lilibet261 @kneelforloki @dirtytissuebox @almostgenerallyalways @whovian378 @cl0udyqu33n @thegettingbyp2 @averagestudent03 @the-sun-died-out @squishycalumxo @sebastiansstanswhore

@louderfortheback @pandabiiissh @calebye

@dottirose @lfaewrites @padsfirewhisky @wheels-upin-thirty @f-me-reid @justanothercmblog

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somethingusefulfromflorida · 2 years ago

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I want to go to Ohio next April to view the total solar eclipse, but I haven't booked a hotel yet because I haven't finalized my itinerary. This was a mistake, because every single hotel in the city I was planning to visit is already booked solid. I wouldn't be surprised if every hotel in the path of totality is booked. I'll have to look for one a few hours away.

Columbus and Cincinnati are probably booked up, so maybe I'll try Louisville or Lexington down in Kentucky, or Detroit up in Michigan. Or maybe I should avoid big cities all together and look for a hotel in a small town instead.

Before I finalize anything, I want to know if any of my mutuals are planning on coming out for the eclipse. I've been banking on Ohio this whole time because it's a straight shot up the I-75 from where I'll be at, and I wanted to visit the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta (Neil's childhood home, directly in the path of totality), but I'm willing to travel anywhere in the path

Mutuals, if you guys live in or near this grey band or are planning to travel there on April 8, 2024, let me know if you want to meet up. I was planning a big road trip up from Florida, with tentative stops at amusement parks along the way (Six Flags Over Georgia, Dollywood, King's Island, maybe Cedar Point or Hersheypark because I don't know the next time I'll be up north, so I may as well cast a wide net).

My car can fit four comfortably (and I do mean comfortably, it's big, lots of leg room), five max, so if anyone wants to fly out I can pick you up and we can carpool/caravan.

This is my tentative route from Gainesville on up, but I'm willing to deviate. I could take the I-10 west to Texas instead, or I could overshoot the path and meet up in Detroit or Chicago or as far out as St Louis.

It doesn't matter where I end up just so long as it's in the path of totality; come hell or high water I am going to see this eclipse.

DM me if you want to join in!

If enough people are interested, I'll set up a discord server so we can all talk together and finalize our plans by committee. I'll leave this pinned until August 1st, and if there are no takers I'll go with my original plan; head out in late March, hit up Six Flags, visit the Smokeys for a couple days, mull around in Kentucky or Ohio until the eclipse, afterwards maybe head east to Pennsylvania, maybe visit some Civil War sites, maybe visit some relatives in the DC area, definitely hit up Dollywood on the way back (besides the eclipse, the theme parks are my main focus; hitting Six Flags and Dollywood both on the way up would be exhausting, so one up and one down works perfect)

This is a major undertaking, a trip of a lifetime for me, so I want to make it special. Spending a week with friends would be nice, before, during or after the eclipse, whatever boats your float.

Once I know who all I'm dealing with, then I'll start booking rooms and buying tickets. I want to explore, I want to see the country, I want to have a real tourist vacation experience (I've been on the customer service end of things for too long, I need a break).

#eclipse #total eclipse #total solar eclipse #april 8 #road trip #vacation #mutuals #hit me up #dms open

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brookstonalmanac · 11 months ago

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Events 3.4 (after 1900)

1901 – McKinley inaugurated president for second time; Theodore Roosevelt is vice president. 1908 – The Collinwood school fire, Collinwood near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174 people. 1909 – U.S. President William Taft used what became known as a Saxbe fix, a mechanism to avoid the restriction of the U.S. Constitution's Ineligibility Clause, to appoint Philander C. Knox as U.S. Secretary of State. 1913 – First Balkan War: The Greek army engages the Turks at Bizani, resulting in victory two days later. 1913 – The United States Department of Labor is formed. 1917 – Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives. 1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States. He was the last president to be inaugurated on March 4. 1933 – Frances Perkins becomes United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet. 1933 – The Parliament of Austria is suspended because of a quibble over procedure – Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss initiates an authoritarian rule by decree. 1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom launches Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands; the first large scale British Commando raid. 1943 – World War II: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the south-west Pacific comes to an end. 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, begins. It ends on 6 March with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion and the liberation of the town of Grevena. 1944 – World War II: After the success of Big Week, the USAAF begins a daylight bombing campaign of Berlin. 1946 – Field Marshal C. G. E. Mannerheim, the 6th president of Finland, resigns from his position for health reasons. 1955 – An order to protect the endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is legalized. 1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90. 1960 – The French freighter La Coubre explodes in Havana, Cuba, killing 100. 1962 – A Caledonian Airways Douglas DC-7 crashes shortly after takeoff from Cameroon, killing 111 – the worst crash of a DC-7. 1966 – A Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-8-43 explodes on landing at Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 people. 1966 – In an interview in the London Evening Standard, The Beatles' John Lennon declares that the band is "more popular than Jesus now". 1970 – French submarine Eurydice explodes underwater, resulting in the loss of the entire 57-man crew. 1976 – The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament. 1977 – The 1977 Vrancea earthquake in eastern and southern Europe kills more than 1,500, mostly in Bucharest, Romania. 1980 – Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe's first black prime minister. 1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for HIV infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States. 1986 – The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley's Comet and the first images of its nucleus. 1990 – American basketball player Hank Gathers dies after collapsing during the semifinals of a West Coast Conference tournament game. 1990 – Lennox Sebe, President for life of the South African Bantustan of Ciskei, is ousted from power in a bloodless military coup led by Brigadier Oupa Gqozo. 1994 – Space Shuttle program: the Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-62. 1996 – A derailed train in Weyauwega, Wisconsin (USA) causes the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 16 days. 1998 – Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex. 2001 – BBC bombing: A massive car bomb explodes in front of the BBC Television Centre in London, seriously injuring one person; the attack was attributed to the Real IRA.

#Events

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transit-fag · 2 years ago

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Chicago anon here—I love the city!! I grew up there!! but it’s not the most liveable city w/o a car, and even with the metra taking you out to suburbs some of those schedules are pure nonsense (anecdotal evidence: three-ish months ago I was in town and ended up sitting for hours at OTC because there was a 5+ hour gap between the train I would’ve needed to take to get to my location and the next b/c I’d missed the first by five minutes).

Comparatively, I’ve had far fewer lapses in service/schedules from some of these other cities (eg DC, Boston, NY) and more of my own poor time management damaging my travel ability lol

Chicago is literally killing the competition. it isn't even funny.

#asks #urbanist cities competition #chicago

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dccarserviceandlimo · 2 years ago

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reblogthiscrapkay · 2 years ago

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Travel Tips

In talking to people I realize that I have some really specific things I do while traveling that make my life easier that people don’t seem to know about. Here’s a list of those things. Planning: Plug everything into Google Maps beforehand. Whether you’re driving, walking, or taking public transport, when you plan a daily itinerary, always check how long it’s going to take to get from place to place. You may have vastly overestimated how much you can actually do in the time you have. Leave a little space. I’m a habitual overplanner so I frequently have to remind myself that I should make sure that after I have the couple things I really want to do properly fit into the day, I should just leave some wiggle room. This is especially true if you are doing anything involving nature. Maybe you’ll not want to rush off the beach. Maybe you’ll take a little detour on your hike that seems fun. Have backups for weather. Depending on the trip, the weather can really mess with your plans. On a recent Nevada/Utah trip, our plans to see Bryce Canyon full of snow were thwarted by thick fog. Thankfully, we were leaving out of Vegas and we had plenty we could do there instead. Always have an alternative.

Food: Buy a little extra food with breakfast. I suggested to students on my DC trip that when we went to Dunkin’ in the morning they didn’t just think about what they needed right there, but also that they pick up an extra bagel or doughnut for when they need a snack before or after lunch. Apparently this was genius. Act like restaurants will all be closed by 6PM and plan accordingly. I recently messed up on this one and arrived at 8:30PM in a town in Nevada with two restaurants that both close at 8. Needlessly to say, breakfast was incredible. This is less important if you are going to a big city on a day that isn’t Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday but still worth considering. Just bring some bars. Granola, Clif, Luna, whatever. Just bring a few for emergencies. Packing: Don’t overpack!!! Everyone always does but I’m so serious about this. If your trip is 1-3 nights, you just need a backpack. If it’s a week, you can take something more like a duffel. You only need a small suitcase if it’s over a week, and if you crawl into your suitcase you better be going somewhere for over a month. Create a standard packing list. To save myself the stress of creating a new one each time and also to make sure I can cull things or add things with experience, I have one standard list. It has the categories of “toiletries” and “technology” which are universal for any overnight, “cold weather” and “hot weather” depending on the time, and a section called “circumstantial” which has some generic items I may need depending on the trip (like a book, a bathing suit, or feminine hygiene products) and two subcategories of “international” and “car travel” for if I’m going overseas or if I’m road tripping in my own car. Even in confusing situations like Iceland in the summer where I needed both a bathing suit and a rain jacket, it’s super helpful. If road tripping, bring an empty backpack. One of the more brilliant tactics I have came from a four week long road trip across the west and southwest. Obviously I needed a full suitcase for the journey but we were staying at different hotels almost every night. Instead of bringing in the suitcase every day, I could just keep my toiletries, chargers, and PJs in the backpack and add a new outfit every day. Then in the morning, I would put my old clothes in my dirty clothes bag in the suitcase and replace the outfit with tomorrow’s. Do laundry. I don’t even mean pay for laundry services. When I did a Greece and Turkey trip that lasted three weeks I only packed half that amount in clothes and just washed things in the hotel sinks. I got so sweaty every day anyway that I did it almost daily. Travel size shampoo, conditioner, and soap are necessary for international travel. Unless you are staying in nice accommodations (and I often am not), bringing little bottles of these things is really good to have as they are not always provided. I also steal them from nicer hotels I stay at to have a little supply at home.

#i should be packing for morocco right now but I accidentally set a fire and now I'm at the library while the smoke clears #personal #travel #life hacks

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dcpartyandcharterbusrental · 2 years ago

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becomingkatie · 2 years ago

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Monday Coffee Date

I'm sipping cold brew and just cleared my inbox and I thought I'd chat a little here before actually digging into the to-dos for the day.

Ken and I went to look for Indian clothes for him for our friend's wedding over the weekend. The wedding is about three weeks away, and I had ordered clothes for myself but didn't love them in person, so I was open to finding something else for me, too. We found him a kurta that fits okay - we tried so many sizes and they're just not built for his broad-shouldered body type. But ultimately we were both happy enough with it. And I bought a stunning lehenga set that I like so much better than what I ordered online. The beading and construction make it so it can't really be hemmed. I'm sure a super-skilled seamstress could do it, but it would take a long time and be very pricey. So instead I bought some platform shoes that are super high without being uncomfortable.

Feeling somewhat anxious about the whole wedding weekend, and I just realized we have Tuesday the 4th off but not Monday the 3rd, so I have to use a vacation day to travel home since the wedding is on Sunday. The bride also texted me over the weekend asking if I still want to give a speech. I had forgotten that we ever talked about speeches, so it was a nice reminder! And I wrote a draft of the speech this morning so I'm good to go.

Saturday a friend of ours was in town for work so we drove in to Arlington (lol when friends think we live way closer to DC than we do and then are shocked when we're like yeah we drove 45 minutes to get here) for a lovely dinner. The service was slow, but it ended up being a really nice couple of hours together.

I went to spin class yesterday and I knew it was going to be tight to do a 50 minute spin class at 9:30 and have a virtual therapy appointment at 11, but it was the only time I could get. I wanted to start back in therapy after a long time off because I just found that it was always really helpful, even if I wasn't working on something specific. I wouldn't have gone to spin, but it's the studio's 6th birthday and I wanted to go for the celebratory vibes. But then at the start of class the instructor announced that it would be a surprise 60-minute ride instead of 50. And then I got caught up after class and couldn't leave right away, so I ended up doing the therapy session from my car in the parking lot. It was okay. I haven't decided if I'm going to book another session with the same therapist or try another person. Her connection was bad (ironic, since I was the one doing it from a parking lot) so the session ended abruptly about five minutes early before we could talk about next steps/booking another session.

The spin studio had a little birthday party thing at a distillery/brewery waaaay out in the country (almost an hour drive!) and I wasn't going to go just because it's far and I was nervous that I don't know the other people that well. And going meant I didn't have time to do my normal weekend chores since I was out of the house all day. But Ken encouraged me to go and it was so nice! I keep avoiding the "beyond the bike" activities with spin peeps because I'm like "oh I only see them in spin, I don't really know them" but then I don't GET to know them since I don't go hang out. So this was really good, and I'm glad Ken encouraged me to go.

Then we watched the mountain bike world cup race while we ate dinner. I want Kate Courtney to have a better season because she's my fav but it was a pretty fun race to watch.

#personal #life update #coffee date

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oldsalempost-blog · 2 months ago

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The Old Salem Post

Our Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays Contact: [email protected] Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library. Volume 7 Issue 47 Week of November 18, 2024 https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog Lynne Martin Publishing EDITOR: God brings us together with food. Looking ahead to all the family gatherings, just think about the miracle that surrounds you: A table filled with bountiful blessings of food and family. God’s gifts bring us together in Love. LRM

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Closed 12-1 for lunch. We are collecting Toys for Tots and also accepting applications for those who need Toys for Tots. Mark your calendars for the Salem Christmas Parade, Sunday, December 8 at 4PM. Line up early if you want to be judged. Call the Town to register to be in the parade! 864-944-2819

FRIENDS OF JOCASSEE: November 23, 12PM-3:30PM Annual Meeting and Plan to meet Santa in the picnic area in front of Eclectic Sun. Guest speaker Heyward Douglass. Soups*Sweets*Crafts and * SANTA! Everyone Welcome!

HEALTH CARE COMES TO SALEM This Week: MOBILE PRIMARY CARE thru the Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit Next date is Nov 21 across from the Salem Fire Department. Offering comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care. Call 864-656-3076 to schedule an appointment.

Jottings from Miz Jeannie by Jeannie Barnwell Only at my friend's funeral, did family members reveal the truth about our sensitive, kind, friend, "Rachel." I am changing her name out of respect for the secret life that she lived. Rachel's lifelong career was in Espionage- - information gathering for the US government. After her retirement, she chose to leave Washington DC and led a quiet life in Oconee County. Our Central Intelligence Agency dates back to 1947. Before that, the US used different names for information gathering during times of war. President George Washington used spies to defeat the British during the Revolution. Ever heard of Pinkerton Detective Service? Allan Pinkerton gained his skills spying for the Union during the Civil War. But how could my darlin' Southern friend who liked to wear sandals and eat barbeque be a spy for the CIA without my ever suspecting? GOD BLESS YOU, Rachel and all the others who choose this dangerous line of work. Miz Jeannie Loves You! I leave you to ponder: Do You Ever Really Know Another Person? Are we always open to being surprised ? Miz Jeannie

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester TOXAWAY DAM BREAK CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN 1916 - (The following is the second of four installments of a story that was in the August 16, 1916 issue of the Keowee Courier). . .All along the rest of the line of the flood, the residents received notice of the coming of the waters in time to save themselves and their stock. . The main force of the flood reached the iron bridge over Keowee river at about 2 a.m. Monday, and by about 4 a.m. the Blue Ridge railroad bridge over Seneca river, near Cherry's, showed a water line about 14 feet above normal. . .Early in the evening Sunday, instructions were received here to send the freight engine down the line to gather up loaded coal cars, and similar instructions were carried out at Anderson, and these loaded coal cars were rushed to the high trestle, thus weighting it down to save it if possible. Fortunately the flood came with less force and volume than anticipated, and the trestle was left undamaged. . .The steel bridge over Keowee at the old Chapman Ford was swept away completely, there being nothing left even of the abutments. The road up the river from this bridge was also swept away, and it is said it can never be repaired. This bridge was a county-owned bridge and was owned jointly by Pickens and Oconee. It was built only a few years ago by special act of the general assembly. . .The steel bridge at Old Pickens stood the test with little or no damage, though the flood at this point raged furiously. The Cherry, Ravenel's and Lawrence bridges also stood the torrent. . .TO BE CONTINUED

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Hours: Wed–Sat 9am-9pm & Sunday 12pm-7pm. Events this week: Wed– 9AM-9PM Wed: Blue Ridge Grill with a lasagna special and more to celebrate Evan’s Big 40 birthday! Come by! Blue Grass Jam at 6:30PM. Thurs: No food truck. Bring your own and hear the Trail Talk Thursday hosted by the Palmetto Trail at 6PM. Fri: Food: SIMPLE SAMMIES 5PM Music: KIM PAUL at 6:30PM Sat: Food: FRESCO LUNA 5PM-8PM Music: MATT PHILLIPS & WHAT’s GOOD 6:30PM Sun: 12pm-7pm

FOR YOUR HEALTH— SRN News is a Christian broadcast heard on radio station WGN 96.7. A recent news report stated Diabetes has doubled since 1990. Education can help prevent or better manage this deadly chronic disease. Diets have changed. Life Styles have changed. Metabolisms are slower. Televisions are larger! LRM

Marking Private Land: I have a quest in finding out why a property owner needs to post “keep out” signs on your private property. In my search I found that Vertical Purple Stripes marked on trees or other immovable object is notice of “No Trespassing.”

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER located 4 Eagle Lane, Salem SC

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS Treasure Store open every Saturday 9AM-12PM! Drop off donations too! YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– Sign up for YAMs for an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost is $50 each month. 3rd grade through adult. INTERESTED IN TAKING PIANO LESSONS ? Call 864-280-1258 Eagles Nest Senior Exercise Program: Join friends to exercise at the Eagles Nest Art Center! Classes each Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30AM –10:30AM with Stretching and walking geared for 55 plus. Cost $2.50 each class you attend. OCONEE MOUNTAIN OPRY: November 23, 2024 at 7PM. Tickets $10 at the door or Ticketleap on the eaglesnestartcenter.org website. OPUS Trust will be offering a meal for $15 at 5:30PM prior to the show. Purchase early to ensure your dinner. Come hear the acoustic Appalachian blues of Scott Low on slide guitar, the acoustic rock, Americana sounds of Dog Day Blue Jay, the original and mountain tunes of Conservation Theory plus surprise guests! Come early to visit homemade concessions, the Keowee Krafters, the OpusTrust room of CCC artifacts, the memorabilia room of former students, and the Tamassee-Salem elementary student Christmas art project on display in the auditorium hall.

Christmas at Eagles Nest Art Center: Plan to view the Tamassee-Salem Elementary Christmas Art in the auditorium hall soon.

December 5,6,7, and 8 is the Annual Living Nativity Drive -Through at the Center, located 4 Eagle Lane, Salem. The drive - through presents the Christmas Story in "Bethlehem" from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Please call 864-280-1258 if inclement weather. A love offering will be gratefully accepted..

December 14 at 6:00 p.m. is the Christmas Talent Showcase. Showcase your family or friends with a friendly Christmas song, story or dance performance, or just come over and enjoy! Tickets $10 online or at the door. Call for more information 864-280-1258 or [email protected]. Come join the fun! Sign up by December 7. Rehearsal on Dec 13 at 6PM

December 21 at 7:00 p.m. features the Johnson Edition Christmas Show- bring the whole family out for a wonderful Christmas evening. Tickets$10 online at eaglesnestartcenter.org or at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy treasure shopping, home baked concessions, coffee, cocoa, soft drinks prior to each event .

CHURCH NEWS_____________________________________________________Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m. Mel Davis will give the Message 11/2, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 (not December 1) We will have a Candlelight service Christmas Eve at 7:00 PM

Prayers for United Methodist Churches: Many United Methodist Churches left the “United Methodist” Church last year when they had an opportunity to separate amicably. Many churches could not afford to separate because it cost a lot of money and could not consider leaving. Many churches now want to leave and have been going through steps to separate, but now they are not allowed. Pray for these churches that they might find a way to independence and freedom to worship. Pray for the United Methodist Council to allow the separation. LRM Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Everyone needs our prayers, even churches. LRMartin

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