#anyways a more winter themed piece for the most famous winter month

[smolcatpilot]

Huevember - Cyan!

[cloveroctobers]

Richie Jerimovich — summer prompts 🍋

A/N: Love that most of y’all are coming around when it comes to Richie but what’s understood doesn’t need to be explained! Anyways after watching this eye-opening season, it was easy to be inspired for this piece so I hope you enjoy this.

SYNOPSIS: Richie’s found his purpose and doesn’t want to reflect on the past (much) but is looking towards a better future…which may include baby steps to outsiders but it means everything to him.

WARNINGS: language ofc it’s the bear & me we’re talking about, mentions of drugs & anxiety, mentions of slight sexual themes, and a little heaviness but mostly two goof balls expressing their love for each together.

Decided to throw a prompt into the mix as well so I’m using: “can we make cookies?” “it is 92 degrees outside, no!” 

*GIF BELONGS TO: @p3iyin9 *

꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱**

[July 10th]

[4 months, 14 days later…]

It’s her birthday and she’s here.

She’s not alone and Richie’s half expecting her to be here with some new guy, some guy that’s more around her age and has their shit together. It’s a bitter thought to have but he can’t lie and say that it didn’t occur, the constant insecurity of not being good enough.

He knows it’s his own fault, he’s the one who pushed her away not long after she welcomed him between her thighs during a brutal winter. The details were vivid even with his eyes wide open, burning into space. He wanted to be angry being so intimate with someone else when there was always the thought of his first love on his mind.

Tiffany.

His ex-wife.

He was still hurting from being officially divorced for about a year now (separated for three) and she was moving on he learned. It was bound to happen, a woman with a heart like her’s? Richie wasn’t sure why he was still holding on to hope for them to rekindle their relationship. He wanted it to work but he was the constant screw up and Tiffany deserved better…he just didn’t expect it to be with some construction owning guy named Frank.

Richie already didn’t trust him.

It was the common tale of curing a broken heart, trying to get underneath someone else to get over someone, to feel anything else but the continuing ache that sat on the left side of his chest.

Freya Mazari was someone Richie met not long after “the thing with Tiff,” happened, outside of a bar that was famous for bourbon and risqué wall art. He spotted her outside at the start of summer on a surprisingly quiet sidewalk cracking her knuckles—out of a possible bad habit, blue bruise the side of an apple on her cheek, and a unlit spliff tapping against her thigh afterwards as she seemed to be mumbling some lyrics to a Busta Rhymes song.

That was the first thing that had him sold on their soon growing friendship.

Freya’s surrounded by a group of diverse women who are laughing it up over drinks while Freya is standing; embracing Sugar and falling into smile-filled chatter with the blonde. Richie instantly feels a pull to head over there himself but be figures he can just get entail from Sugar later. Carmy’s been over to Freya’s table already, handing out a, “it’s on the house,” birthday special but they still weren’t on the best terms really. It was strictly business now and that was something Richie never wanted to be part of.

A strict relationship with a family member—except for uncle Jimmy of course, he really had no choice with that one. That night back on opening day in May, seemed to be something they couldn’t get pass just yet and that was another hard pill for Richie to swallow.

Carmy messing up something good on the surface level and taking it out on everybody else with his mouth, changed the trajectory of their relationship.

Would it be forever? Richie couldn’t tell you.

Nonetheless he wasn’t here at the bear to talk about need-a-diaper carmy. Right now? He needed to figure out how to handle this…this distance with the woman he considered his close friend.

He’ll deal with that family shit in due time, don’t worry.

“Who are we hiding from?” A familiar voice causes Richie to clench his eyes shut.

He doesn’t have to peer down at the shorter tatted man who’s behind him as he says, “I’m not hiding from nobody.”

“Really? Because it looks like you’re creeping on…Freya! Yeah Freya over there. Do you know it’s her birthday today? We had the best birthday hug, she may even be a better hugger than me.” Fak informs the taller blue eyed tux wearing man.

Richie pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, “of course I know its her—what did I tell you about touching things that don’t belong to you?”

He battled with himself countless of times this entire morning to call her up but ultimately fought against himself to just do it.

Fak hummed, “hey, she’s my friend too! And doesn’t belong to either of us but we’re included in her life and it’s her birthday! I’m sure she’ll be happy to receive a birthday wish from you too.”

“I can’t say I agree with you on that.”

“Why not? Oh…it’s because you guys did the dance with no pants—

Richie’s hands immediately slaps over the animated man’s mouth and starts talking to him calmly, “what did I say? To not ever mention that shit here at the original bear.”

That’s Richie’s new spin on the restaurant name, yes there are shirts on the way!

Patience is key.

Fak hummed as Richie scolded him. It wasn’t that big of a deal in the first place on Fak’s side of things. He was just thrilled that Richie was involved in being intimate with someone he cared about for once…compared to the others that shall not be named. Fak thought Freya and Richie could be something great but he wasn’t aware what Richie was so scared of.

“Yuck! Did you just lick my hand you—

Richie shook his hand about, halting himself from saying something insulting. Sometimes it just slipped out but he was doing much better and it was usually a place out of love when it came to Fak. He was like a puppy in training, always excited and doing whatever came to mind but most of the time you had to lure him to take a fucking nap.

“Yeah I did! Just go talk to her! Make her dreams come true.”

“Fuck are you talking about? Do I look like Hall & Oates to you? Like I’m her dream guy or somethin’?”

“Hey, I thought we weren’t doing this. I don’t like you talking down on yourself buddy! You need to go into the restroom and give yourself a quick pep talk in the mirror.” Fak ordered, pointing in the direction of the restrooms.

Richie blew out a raspberry at Fak’s encouragement. He didn’t take him serious but once the man started shoving him about, Richie was all elbows flying and slap-fight inflicting between the two.

Sydney calls from the kitchen, “Hey! What’re you two doing? Aren’t you supposed to be up front?”

“Sugar’s up front.” Richie informs with a slight turn to face the braided woman.

Fak immediately straightens up, not providing much answers, “Yes ma’am! I mean chef.”

Sydney blinks at the two, wondering why they’re not moving, leaving Fak to take a few deep breaths before slapping Richie on the chest as he mutters, “Taking one for the team again! You’re welcome and get it together!”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Fak.”

Fak shrugs his shoulders and spins to leave the entry way of the kitchen, while the pace of the kitchen has started to slow down the movements are still precise. It’s late, after ten pm and there’s about three to five parties left, which means closing time should be wrapping up within the next thirty to forty-five minutes.

Business was booming still almost two months later but the rush always seemed to slow down once the late nights arrived. The Bear was formerly known as mainly a lunch or late lunch spot but after this new reno, dinner became much more important.

“Richie,” Sydney steps away from her spot behind the stand, “Everything good?”

Richie exhales as he mutters, “Freya’s out there.”

“I heard.”

He fidgets then.

“Have you talked to her? It’s her birthday.”

“I’m aware, I put in the word for Marcus to give her a little piece of home since I also hear she’s a little homesick. Mkhabez.” Sydney tells Richie, as she eyes the jittery man.

Richie chews on his fingernail in thought, “right that’s some type of cookie. Almond cookie? She told me about how her uh, Jidda used to make them for her as a little girl with her siblings back in Algeria.”

Sydney nodded her head, “yeah…are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“Not to be an asshole but you look like you’re gonna pass out or hurl and if you are, please give me a fair warning so you don’t ruin my coat.” Sydney cautiously took a step back as Richie used the back of his hand to wipe at the beads of sweat on his forehead and not because of the heat in the kitchen.

Richie scoffs, “No need to worry, Chef. I’m not gonna empty my belly or pop a smooth criminal lean. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I probably need to pop another xan.”

“Uh, that’s probably something you shouldn’t mention to me.”

“Why? You’re not gonna snitch on me, are you?”

“No…but I might snoop through your stuff and fry them all in a pan.” Sydney honestly says while she folds her arms as Richie peers at her.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I could,” Sydney challenged, “if you need a minute take it but you can’t run forever.”

“Who says I’m runnin’?”

“It’s pretty obvious,” Sydney states, “and you just need to rip whatever this is off like a band aid, you’ll feel better afterwards.”

“And what if I don’t?”

Sydney pauses with her arms still folded before she peeks around at the remaining chefs in the kitchen, Carmy not in sight before she whispers back up at him, “then fuck it, at least you tried.”

Richie can’t help but to snort out some laughter before he claps two hands down on Sydney’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze, “Well thanks for that, Syd.”

“Sure, whatever. Now get out of my kitchen.”

“Our!” Richie points.

Sydney nods her head from side to side with a playful roll of her eyes as Richie clicks his tongue at her. Down the hall he goes in search of the bathroom to in fact, give himself a pep talk but most importantly to calm down.

Richie’s disappeared for over half an hour. He didn’t realize it until Carmy barged in to see him sitting on the bathroom sink.

“I said I’m in here!”

“Yeah, with your ass in the sink.” Carmy’s tone is monotone but quick to point out, “which is unsanitary by the way.”

Richie can’t help but to roll his eyes as he hops off then, fixing his tux before he slaps his face, bringing himself out his daze. He spins back around, getting another good look at his reflection for what felt like the thousandth time but he exhales and quietly excuses himself from around Carmy who appears as if he wants to say more.

But he doesn’t.

Richie’s steps echo in his ears as he circles around to the dining area. He hasn’t realized how long he locked himself away until he’s in the room, half of the chairs flipped up onto the tables with lofi music playing through the speakers.

He can only guess who picked this shit.

A blonde pregnant lady probably.

“Damn.” Richie rubs at his mouth in frustration, briefly noticing the booth Freya previously sat in was now empty.

That didn’t lift the weight to now know that she was gone for the night. In fact it made him feel worse, that he didn’t have the nerve to just walk up to her and talk.

You know? like friends were supposed to be able to do.

His skin is red as he pinches at it in aggravation, until he picks up on the sound of heels slowly clacking against the floor. His breathing hitches as he lifts his head to meet Freya’s dark sharp eyes.

“Hey,” Richie chest feels tight but he breathes, “I thought you scrammed outta here with your girls.”

She shakes her head as she keeps some distance between the two, “some of them have early mornings tomorrow and the rest I told to just go home. I was hoping to run into you actually.”

Richie swallows as she steps forward, “why? To smash some cake in my face?”

“Now there’s an idea.” She lightly laughs and it sounds like Christmas bells, “but no, I wanted to see you.”

Richie quirked up a brow as he carefully moved out of the way so Freya could grab her things, “…really?”

“Yeah, we have some things to talk about.” Freya slips her bag over her shoulder, “Like you ghosting me for one.”

Richie rolls his head up to the ceiling, “yeah, about that—

“Let’s go for a late night walk.”

“How about a late night drive since I know your feet are hurting or about to be soon,” Richie looks at Freya’s fit, knowing she wasn’t much of a heels wearing woman (although she wears them very well) preferring sneakers more than anything on her feet.

Freya laughs as she sways a bit, probably a little tipsy, “you’re not wrong about that…so get your keys and take me to yours.”

“Mine,” Richie questions while pointing to himself, “I dunno what kinda guy you take me for—

“Oh Shut up, I’m not giving you any of this birthday cake.” She poses in her fitted dress, “I’m only propositioning a conversation between Richard and the birthday girl.”

“Yeah you giving this a whole title isn’t helping the innuendo, baby.”

“And neither are you in that tux,” Freya smoothes down the arm of it before placing her hands back on the strap of her bag, “Didn’t get the chance to tell you last time face to face but you clean up very nice, Richard.”

Richie gives a grin as he says, “Give me two minutes.”

Which leads to the pair pulling up to Richie’s condo/apartment. It’s normally too quiet at night for his liking, especially when he’s not jamming out with Eva here. After unlocking the front door, he holds his arm out for Freya to lead the way, which she has no issue doing, a natural sway in her steps as she walks down the foyer bare footed now.

“I’ll put the AC on.” Richie rushes out as Freya makes herself at home, placing her shoes against the couch and plopping down on the couch with a sigh.

He messes around with the finicky thermostat until it chokes out some cool air from the vents in the ceiling above, battling against the humidity in his two bedroom home.

“What can I get you? I’ve got beer, Gatorade, tap and—

“Orange juice?” Freya asks as she lays down on the couch, one arm is held up and over her head, eyes closed for a moment.

“Yeah I’ve got that too,” Richie responds from around the corner in his kitchen.

It’s about ten minutes until eleven and Freya is all yawns as Richie arrives back into the living room, holding two red cups, one filled with ice and OJ just how Freya likes it and one just filled with the orange liquid. He sits down beside her as she sits up and moves over to give the man some room in his own house.

She’s gulping the cold juice down and licks at the top of her lip before placing it down on the side table, “you need coasters.”

“Ah, just use some toilet paper.”

Freya crinkles her nose, pressing her fist into the side of her head as she rests back against the couch, just eyeing Richie who is looking forward at everything else but her. The cold air is wheezing but there’s relief filling the room, in contrast to what Richie maybe feeling.

“This silence is killing me, Richard!” Freya pokes his thigh with her seashell painted toe, “just talk to me already, will you?”

“Okay…how’s the birthday going?”

Freya honestly says, “I’m a little sad my mum didn’t call.”

That gets Richie to look at Freya then. Although their friendship was still fairly new, he knew that seemed unlikely for Freya’s mother out in North London to forget her eldest’ birthday. Of course it was possible, Richie didn’t have the best relationship with his own neglectful mother, hasn’t spoken to her in years or knows where she even fucked off to but it seemed like Freya at least communicated with her mother across the ocean on a daily basis.

“Has your brother or sister been in contact with her?”

“Oh yeah, she was in the background on FaceTime with my sister. Not even a hello but it’s probably because I told her I couldn’t send her any money a few weeks ago. Whatever.” Freya shrugs her shoulders.

She was a dental hygienist assistant and didn’t care for her job much but the pay and benefits were decent enough in this economy.

Freya was originally born in Algiers to a father that worked in labor and manufacturing while her mother was a stay at home mom, mostly due to a disability she faced as a child. Money wasn’t the best growing up so it wasn’t until Freya was about twelve when her father moved her, her mother, and her baby sister to London where they stayed with Freya’s maternal aunt for a few months until they got into their own flat. Her brother stayed with her father for awhile until they soon started making their visits.

Eventually her father decided to let the brother stay there while he continued making money and hoping for better work in London. However there were a few opportunities but it seemed like Freya’s father kept turning it down, just to find out he was participating in extramarital affairs behind her mother’s back. Not long after that, her mother stepped up to work with aching joints at a sporting goods store to provide for her three kids.

Freya as the eldest was also used to working underneath the table so it was no different in the UK. She learned quickly how to provide for her family too.

After that they learned her father had fallen ill due to his diabetes and needed his leg amputated. When Freya was twenty-one and living in Toronto with a boyfriend, he was living in London with his sister-in-law and died from congestive heart failure. Freya’s upbringing wasn’t always so cloudy, there were sweet moments with her parents that she liked to hold dear to her heart but the reality is, you’ll always bring something from your childhood into your adulthood good or bad.

“I’m sorry. That sucks ass forreal.” Richie comments and Freya just deeply inhales.

“You know what else sucks?” She exhales, “Not having you around to talk to.”

Richie presses his elbows into his knees in thought, “I uh—I’m sorry about that too. I didn’t mean to, what did you say back at the spot? Ghost you? Yeah. I didn’t mean to do that, I was just dealing with some shit inside that didn’t really have anything to do with you.”

“So the sex wasn’t trash and I didn’t scare you off?”

“What? Are you kidding?!” Richie’s wide-eyed as he quickly looks back at Freya, who’s face is full of a smirk, that it makes the dent on the center of her chin more prominent.

He soon laughs, “you’re fucken annoying you know that?”

“I’m supposed to be. You’ve met your match,” Freya winks.

“It—I’m gonna be real with you. I panicked because it was you on top of—it was you—and not just some random one night stand. With those I never really felt anything unfortunately for me but with you—

“It was like the Fourth of July-ly-ly.”

Richie scoffs and rolls his eyes, “I’m all here for your confidence in my skills truly but shut up.”

Who was being annoying now? She was clearly talking about herself but whatever floats this man’s boat—which she already knew—BUT she’ll save you guys the details.

“I’ve been quiet for months and I’m just trying to help fill in the gaps, sheesh!” Freya flicks her black parted hair back over her shoulders.

Richie shakes his head at the thirty something year old woman who didn’t mind rambling even when she wasn’t tipsy.

“It’s just you know, I didn’t think I would ever feel something again after the d—the thing with tiff.”

Richie still couldn’t say it, although Tiffany was officially steering her life in the direction of a another man. He still couldn’t say “divorce” because then that would mean he would have to start his own healing of a end of a special era with a woman he deeply loved and created a precious life with.

It just fizzled out and damn it hurt.

“And you did with me,” Freya voiced and was understanding, “glad to know that wasn’t only one sided.”

Richie finds himself asking, “Did you tell that no good locked up son of a bitch about it?”

Freya’s ex was some abusive guy that landed himself in jail right after New Years and it wasn’t for him stalking, harassing, or hitting Freya. It was from attempted armed robbery and now he was serving time for it and Freya finally felt like she could breathe for once.

Richie knew the feeling of being held back.

Counting your breaths are actually helpful, shout-out to anger management!

“No. Did you?”

“That jagoff can choke!”

“I mean, did you tell Tiffany?”

“Fuck no! I needed to see how we were feeling about it first and it’s not like she tells me her every move—besides her getting engaged to some other guy.” Richie’s almost glaring now at the fact of the matter before fixing his tone some, “Which I guess she gets points for letting me know and if the bastard is gonna be around my kid full-time.”

Freya spoke, “You just never thought there would be someone else. I get it.”

“Never! For either of us, then you came along and then came Frank and it’s a constant loop of emotions but I’m happy to be in Eva’s life and to feel something other than dread when I step into the original bear.” Richie’s plucking his nail against the plastic cup, slightly anxious at being this vulnerable.

However Freya wasn’t one to judge much, sure she had her opinions and can get loud from time to time when she’s pissed off or passionate but she was usually open to hearing all perspectives before she said her peace. Richie’s view was not one she spoke much on, she listened, really listened like he needed someone to and offered words when it was time for him to hear them.

“That’s something to look forward to.”

“Yeah but I still miss you.” Richie rubbed at his face before saying, “I miss our friendship and I don’t know what to do about us after what we did…yet somethin’ inside is telling me that nows not really the time to be jumping into anything. I’m just figuring things out and I know that’s gotta count for something.”

“Which is fine, richie!” Freya says with a light shove to his shoulder, “I wasn’t chasing you down to force you to be with me or anything! I gave you the space you clearly needed. I know we both got our own shit to deal with but being with you helps put that on pause for awhile …even if it’s as friends. I’m here whenever you need me, you wanna vent and scream about shit, have at it. You don’t wanna talk? Let’s have a dance party instead. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ve got two, take your pick!”

Richie snorts at this but he honestly appreciates it. He almost forgot what it felt like to have a friend.

“Just don’t cancel me out for months at a time, and expect things to be normal without a conversation, you hear me you prick? I’m your friend, you can talk to me ya know? I want you to feel safe with me, confide in me.” Freya holds Richie’s navy eyes against her ink colored ones and Richie has to slap a hand over his mouth to hold back a sob.

Richie chokes out, “ugh! Why are you making me feel things?!”

“Because it’s cancer season and I love and respect our friendship. You held me down in my lowest and I’m gonna keep uplifting you during yours and your growth.” Freya places a hand over the one that’s resting on Richie’s own knee.

Freya goes on, “It’s not our time to be romantically involved and I’m quite okay with that but that doesn’t mean I suddenly stop caring for you.”

Richie pressed his chin into his shoulder, staring at her underneath his lashes, “Wow…you sure you don’t wanna make-out just to confirm that?”

“I knew you liked how I look in this dress.” Freya playfully runs her nails through his buzzed hair, “say it back though, tell me you care just as much.”

There’s that “words of affirmation” shit people talk about right? Garrett would probably find this amusing.

He gently rests a rough hand against her cheek, “You know I do but I’m gonna say it anyways since you wanna be mushy as fuck right now. Thanks for everything and coming into my life, I care a lot about you and us. Your heart is beautiful and you’re my friend who also happens to be a total smoke show! I know you must feel amazing in that dress, you wear it well.”

“Thanks, good looking!” She winks.

“Act like you know,” Richie smirks.

“Oh, please!”

Richie hyped himself up with a roll of his shoulders, “Look good, feel good.”

They share a laugh staring at each other with Freya balled up beside him and Richie just enjoying her company. He wasn’t sure what to make of this but he didn’t have to have all the answers tonight. This Freya also confirmed.

He was just happy to be around her again and to have her be part of his journey.

She pops up then, “Can we make cookies?”

“Didn’t you just have some back at the restaurant?” Richie asks before saying, “It’s 92 degrees outside, no!”

“That was much earlier, though.” Freya argues, eyes darting to the side as she thinks about it.

It really was a lovely day to spend her birthday, although she wasn’t on a boat somewhere in Monaco or Miami…it was a somewhat chill day.

“Didn’t you already have some cookies at the restaurant?”

He knew she was a hungry drunk but she was nowhere near drunk, shockingly on her day.

“So? If you don’t know how to make some basic chocolate chip cookies just say that.”

Richie scoffed, “What?! Who said that? I make the best got damn cookies ever, just ask Eva.”

“She’s probably sleeping?”

“…fuck, you’re right.”

He definitely would have called her up if it wasn’t passed her bedtime.

“Well? What’re you waiting for?” She kicks his thigh again.

Richie pressed his forehead against Freya’s as he hollered, “Game on, Queen Elizabeth!”

“Don’t you ever!” She tapped his jaw and pointed at him.

Richie moved his jaw along blinking, “I’m sorry! I forgot.”

Thats how the late night evening included making homemade cookies, with Richie hovering over his phone trying to read off ingredients to Freya as they made a mess of his kitchen.

“Where’s the dark chocolate?” Freya searched Richie’s cabinets and drawers while Richie tried to keep his eyes away from the kitchen door, where he had Freya propped up against with him down on his knees.

“What? I said salt?” Richie’s eyes followed the woman as she moved around the kitchen as if she were being timed, “I dunno where the hell you got dark chocolate from.”

“We can do dark chocolate since it’s superior and a pinch of sea salt?”

Lines appeared against the skin of Richie’s forehead as he raised his brows, “How about hell no, Betty Crocker?”

“Who made you the number one cookie critic?” Freya gibed as she gently closed the drawers shut with her hips.

Richie taunts, “your mother!”

Middle fingers and a sarcastic smile later were handed right over to the 6’1 man, “Piss off, Richard!”

“Well…whadda want to do? Eva and I ate up all the last of the candy I had here. She might be coming to see you soon actually but don’t tell tiff that if you happen to see her, alright?” Richie slaps the palms of his hands against his kitchen counter.

Freya let’s out a dramatic sigh as she begins pacing on her side of the counter. She stops to lean her elbows against the counter and looks at the plastic large bowl in front of richie. Still sighing Freya reaches over to use the smaller spoon that was off to the side to dip into the batter.

Hey, Freya was no baker or chef but she liked looking at the consistency and details of things. Turning it to show to Richie, she takes one finger and flicks the spoon back so the batter can fling forward and stick right on Richie’s nose.

She’s cackling at the image of Richie closing his eyes shut in disbelief. His tongue goes out then to lick some of it off before swiping it away with his fingertips. He stares hard at a laughing Freya, who has her head thrown back, hugging herself while Richie is focused on his next move.

He’s carefully taking his jacket off now, smoothing it down before using his long limbs to toss it over at the dining table top on his right. Freya doesn’t notice this as she’s wiping the corners of her wing-lined eyes, still closed as she’s almost snorting now, skin of her nostrils sinking in a bit, like she’s squidward or some shit as she carries on laughing.

“You think you’re so funny don’t you?” Richie asks with a palm full of flour now.

She’s still laughing as she nods her head, too full of giggles to get any words out.

Instead of Richie sprinkling some salt, he throws flour across the counter right to the side of Freya’s face, “Well I’m funnier, asshole!”

That gets Freya to stop laughing then. She stands up straight and it’s Richie’s turn to fail to cover his own laughter with his fist.

It was on then.

A flour fight began between the two friends, coating most of the kitchen with white powder.

“I think you threw salt in my eye you turd?!” Freya’s holding her eye now, after this has gone on for at least ten minutes.

“Shit, I’m sorry! Everything is starting to look the same.” Richie’s coming to her aide now, fanning the air as he steps to her, hands reaching for her forearms, “let me see.”

Freya fools him, “Gotcha!” Before whacking him in the neck with a whisk.

“Ow! Hey you’re fighting dirty, Frey!” Richie scolds before snatching a wooden spoon making Freya eye him wildly, “uh huh let me see you try to win this battle now.”

“I’m definitely gonna win, whether you like it not, Richy Rich.” Freya got low, ready to aim at Richie’s torso since she had that to her advantage being shorter than him.

Richie blows a raspberry, tapping the wooden spoon against the palm of his hand, “you must not know the strength of a wooden spoon and my wrestling skills, sweetheart. I got the team to championships!”

“When? In 1948?”

Richie tightens his eyes at this before they’re in a fencing match now. Which doesn’t last long as one of the two lost their footing due to the flour covered floor.

“I think I broke my ass.” Richie groans holding his back.

Freya’s laughing again as she’s resting right on top of Richie, “I’m glad I don’t have that problem, flat ass.”

“I don’t appreciate you slandering what I lack, some of us weren’t blessed okay?” Richie sasses as he wraps a hand around Freya’s waist to sit them both up.

Freya cooed at him, pinching his cheeks while Richie rolls his eyes. They sit in silence with freya on his lap as they take in the sight of his kitchen now. Flour on the upper cabinets, flour even on Eva’s personal drawing table, flour of course covering the counter, flour all over the floor, hair, face and their clothes.

“Great…now I gotta clean this up!”

“Eh, maybe later yeah?”

“Later? Well what else do you have in mind since we didn’t actually make those cookies you wanted so bad?” Richie waved his hands about.

Freya makes an explosion in front of Richie’s face, his round eyes following her fingertips for a moment before she says close to his face, “I have a better idea, it’s actually a good one.”

Richie was half expecting Freya to get him to break out into a dance routine like last time to Madonna’s, “Material girl,” but he was sure the man above was probably tired of their shenanigans tonight.

So that’s how he ended up here, covered in flour with him watching as Freya made herself comfortable on his couch again, head pressed against her folded up hands.

One eye pops open almost like a jumpscare, “are you gonna stand there the entire night like a creeper and just watch me sleep or are you going to join me, Richie Lawrence?”

Richie scratches at his head in confusion, “stop with the whole middle-name name drop, you’re making me think of my bastard dad. And I’m not sure what you want me to do here?”

“Make yourself comfortable, it’s your house.”

“There’s a bed on the other side and a shower…”

“So you’re gonna make more suggestions on my birthday but then say respectfully a romantic relationship isn’t what you want out of this on my birthday? It sounds like you want to give me a certain gift on my birthday to end this birthday party.” Freya rambles, now sitting up on her elbow.

Richie squints, “how many times did you just say birthday?”

“Get over here!”

“God, you’re getting bossy in your old age.” Richie jokes as he sits down by Freya’s legs, who swings them to the floor so Richie can scoot in behind her.

He keeps his hands and feet where he can see them, staring at the back of Freya’s head and he can smell her sweet but floral scent. Richie takes the time to digest how this feels, with Freya in front of him radiating off a comforting warmth even when she snatches his arm to rest against her waist.

Richie is just waiting then for the anxiety to kick in but it doesn’t arrive for the rest of the night. Which makes him sink further into the couch, tightening his hold of Freya. His nose then presses down into her bare soft shoulder blade, right where her round mole sits and exhales.

“I’m proud of you.” Freya croaks out, ready for sleep, “and you should be too.”

And that makes Richie’s heart swell. He always wanted to be good at something but wasn’t sure how to make a career out of it. He had to find his footing in this world constantly and slowly he felt like he was beginning to locate it. They say it’s in your daily routine if you’re unsure and engaging with all sorts of people was something richie didn’t mind being part of.

It felt natural to him.

Holding Freya felt just the same but she didn’t need to know that just yet. He loved physical touch whether you were his family or not, it was the best form of love Richie wanted to give and receive.

He didn’t realize he squeezed her tighter against him at her words before he presses a kiss to the back of her head, “Happy birthday.”

A smile graces her lips.

In the early hours of July 11th, the sky a faded dim blue begins to peak through Richie’s living room curtains, revealing that a new day was among them.

Richie’s always been a early riser since sleep hardly existed according to the bags underneath his eyes. It had to be around 5 in the morning and he knew he would be ready for some coffee soon but this time he enjoys the silence. He feels Freya roll back against him, arm looping around his neck as she stretches in her sleep.

“Morning to you too,” Richie greets, “Question for ya, how’s bell-pep the iguana doin’?”

You heard that right, Freya was a “Guana-momma,” who she named after a vegetable specifically and Richie was ready to baby sit the guy at any time—as long as it didn’t freak Eva out too much but he doubted that. She had his blood in her veins.

Freya shushed him straight away, removing her arm from around his neck to curl that same arm to press the back of her fingers against his lips, “When I step up in the place, ayo, I step correct.” She starts before moving those fingers to create a wave up in the air.

It only made sense to Richie for her to be rounding off lyrics early in the morning, especially when he was asking questions and she wasn’t sure if she even knew her name just yet.

“Woo-hah, got them all in check.” Richie proceeds, head lifting a little to see if Freya’s eyes were even open as she rounded off lyrics.

Freya concludes, “Go to sleep.”

Enough said.

“I’ll try.”

The sight of flour sticky limbs entangled between two reconnected friends on another summer’s day went like this: cheek pressed against her’s, his facial hair pricking her skin which she didn’t seem to mind as snores actually escaped Richie’s lips, with his hand gripping Freya’s that was clutched to her own chest as their bodies gently rose in deep slumber.

The cares of the outside world were put on hold once more and Richie envisioned that this must be what heaven felt like. Nothing but a bit of light right in front of his eyes or in his arms to lead the way.

Cheers to some fucking clarity!

Sorry for the foul language dude or person or divine power up there…but Richie was thankful for it all.

꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱** ༉‧₊˚✧ ↝ ꒰ ° ꒱**

Continue along with my summer anthology prompts here.

-> Part two!

[swiftgronmasterpost]

Winter 2013 - The Beginning of the End and Dianna’s Private Tumblr

January 4, 2013 - Haylor Breakup

Taylor and Harry publicly split and leave us with this iconic picture:

January 10, 2013 - People’s Choice Awards

Haylor is done, Harry is back in the UK, but Taylor shows up with a hickey anyway.  (Dianna is in LA at this time.)

Some time this month Taylor writes How You Get The Girl which is about obviously someone who comes back to get the girl.  She references “standing in the rain” and “a long six months.”  It’s hard to know if these details are more “fanfic” or actual autobiographical details.

This six months may actually refer to the end of bearding for a while (because it seems like Swiftgron did reunite in Paris in early October.)  Exactly six months after Taylor started dating Conor Kennedy would be January 25th, 2013.

As for the rain...

It rained twice in LA this month according to weather reports on the 21st and on the 23rd:

Dianna is in LA at this point and has started a private Tumblr blog under the name whosirmesir (we verified it was hers over on @swiftgron-get-married - and you can click here for more on that if you’re curious and actually I did an entire podcast episode walking people through it if you’re like like to listen to an in depth breakdown of it click here for apple OR click here for spotify OR click here for google.  

I also recommend searching the whosirmesir tag on @swiftgron-get-married​ because we’ve logged a lot of interesting moments and connections to Taylor (quotes, art, and other items that tie DIanna and Taylor together.)

On the private tumblr on January 25th Dianna reblogs this:

It reads “i think we’re just gonna have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that...”

This is also the time period it is rumored that Dianna proposed to Taylor.  I’m not sure what to make of these rumors.  I have not been able to get anywhere near confirming them.  It’s entirely unsubstantiated - but I explored the rumor further in this blog post (click for link.)  And also on the podcast (will link just a bit down in this post because it relates to something else we’re about to discuss.)

February 4, 2013 - Dianna recommends “Far Nearer” by Jaime on twitter:

The lyrics are essentially:

“I feel better when I, you feel better when I I feel better when I have you near me

You Me You I do, I do, I do“

repeated over and over again

February 9, 2013 - Neruda quote on Tumblr from Dianna

Dianna posts a quote to Tumblr.  The translation is, “I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”

It’s worth noting that Taylor namechecked Neruda in the Red album booklet.

February 10, 2013 - The Grammys

Dianna wants to make sure everyone is watching:

And Taylor posts:

“Look what happened! :)”

She won for Safe and Sound:

And she performs her circus themed rendition of WANEGBT (where she mocks Harry Styles on stage making fun of his accent when she sings the “so he calls me up on the phone” part of the song even though this song was written before she was even with him.)

The only other time Dianna tweeted about the Grammys was when Glee was involved the year before.

February 14, 2013 - Achele breakfast and The Inside Source at Glee Tweet

According to a Facebook user Cory, Dianna, and Lea have breakfast this morning (or around this time):

Later that day Taylor posts the infamous tweet:

The Glee Episode “I Do” airs and there is no Taylor song included.  However Dianna and Naya’s characters hook up:

After the episode airs Taylor deletes her tweet.

As always I’m not entirely sure what to make of this but to me it boils down to three possibilities:

1.  The fandom seems to think this proves that Dianna purposefully tricked Taylor into watching her “hook up” with Naya on screen.  It’s completely possible that that’s the case but I think the next two options make a bit more sense.

2.  It was a simple misunderstanding or a joke gone wrong.  Taylor had a song earlier on that season of glee (Mine sung as a breakup song by Naya) and I have been told another song of Taylor’s was marketed for another glee episode later that spring.  Perhaps someone got their wires crossed and misinformed Taylor.  

3.  Other nefarious parties:  

a.  It’s possible that Lea was behind this - she publicly had beef with Taylor at one point and she had been with Dianna that morning.  Maybe she met up with DIanna, heard about Swiftgron being happy and back together and got a little jealous and decided to prank Taylor.  

b.  Ryan Murphy also seemed to despise both Dianna and Taylor around this time.  He was also famous for stirring up drama with Gleeks on twitter and generally sewing discontent (particularly surrounding wlw ships and fans).  Ryan seems to have a problem with women/lesbians in general.  He treated Brittana as a couple horribly on Glee as well as their shippers.

He very publicly shaded Taylor in season one of Scream Queens and said in an interview that Dianna ruined Quinn for him because he said she made her sympathetic. 

Not only that but in season 3 he destroyed her character - he made her have a mental breakdown - he had her try and steal a baby - he had her get hit by a car - and a huge plotline in season 3 was Quinn begging Rachel (Lea’s character so Dianna’s irl ex) not to marry Finn (played by Cory - literally the guy Lea chose Dianna over - this is like...emotionally abusive if you ask me.)  After season 3 Dianna only appeared in 8 episodes of the remaining 55 after being in every episode and the top third billed of the cast in the first three seasons.

Furthermore in a show called The New Normal there was a bitchy actress character named Brynn who he wrote as high maintenance and unpleasant and then killed off.

So yeah...seems fair to at least consider that Ryan or Lea who publicly had problems with both Taylor and Dianna may have been trying to create problems for Swiftgron.  One last note about Lea - there was not a single Achele interaction for the entire year of 2013.  The most we got was Dianna liking a tweet about Lea’s album in December 2013 and when asked about one another in interviews they would vaguely say they were still friends.  No tweets to one another, no birthday messages, no candids, no hang outs.  Lea’s book was also written around this time and does not make a single mention of Dianna - her former roommate and “best friend” even though she spends plenty of time talking about others on the Glee cast.

I did a podcast episode on both the proposal rumors and the inside source at Glee tweet if you want more extensive takes on that!

While I’m not entirely sure Dianna had anything to do with this tweet Taylor references this date (2-14-13) by putting it on a dollar bill as a serial number in The Man music video:

At any rate Taylor deletes the tweet and replaces it with one about her dancers:

Dianna tweets 9 hearts that day (I don’t know if that’s significant but if they were together from March 2012 to July 2012 and then October 2012 to this point it would mean 9 months together...)

February 19, 2013 - Sad Charlie Brown Tumblr post from Dianna:

February 27, 2013 - Fitzgerald quote

Taylor listed this as a quote to live by in an interview with Marie Claire a few months later.

I’m not sure if it’s important but Dianna is very quiet this winter and spring in terms of showing up at events, parties, even being papped out on the street compared to other years around this time.  She seems to disappear a bit.

February 27, 2013 - Taylor gives a bday shoutout to her Fiddle player Caitlin:

“Happy Birthday to my magical friend, fiddle extraordinaire @/caitlinbird” 

March 12, 2013 - Weird tweets from Dianna “One of those days.”

March 13, 2013 - It’s the first day of the Red tour (is that why Dianna had questions?)

About the Red Tour - the last act of the tour seems to be circus themed which may have been inspired by Dianna’s 26th birthday the previous year and really interestingly Taylor has a white rabbit, which is a reference to Alice in Wonderland (Dianna’s favorite piece of media ever) follows Taylor around stage during the WANEGBT performance as she’s dressed up like a circus ringleader:

March 18, 2013 - Dianna goes on a Girls HBO rant (we know who also loved Girls the show and its creator Lena Dunham (Taylor))

End of March - Lena and Ashley show up at the Red Tour backstage

Conclusion - Swiftgron is on but completely underground.  Dianna is blogging and tweeting romantic things about missing girls, Taylor’s interests, and secret love, all while watching Taylor perform at the Grammys and encouraging others to tune in.  Something weird happened with the inside source at Glee tweet but who knows what.  Dianna seems a bit restless and emo while Taylor leaves to go on tour.

Click here to keep reading!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #444

“the monster you made is wearing the crown  /  i’ll be the king, and you’ll be the clown”

Do you take off from school, or work for your birthday? Ha, I used to try to talk Mom into letting me stay home from school... It only sometimes worked. Have you ever created ‘open when’ letters for someone? No. That'd be cute for an s/o, though. What is the best thing about being in the relationship you’re in right now or about being single? Not having to fear my partner leaving because of the struggles I'm going through. Not having to worry about not being enough for another person, because I'm not even enough for myself. Do you have a favourite painting? Not by a historical artist, no, but there is a piece by a deviantART artist called "Denialism" (by NukeRooster/Tatchit, if you're interested) that I adore so much I've actually gotten her permission to get it tattooed one day when I can afford a brilliant artist to do it. What are some of the best life hacks you know? /shrug What makes you smile without fail? MARK LAUGHING laj;sdkafjwlk;erj Do you know what you’ll be getting your loved ones for the holidays this winter? No clue. That's still a whiles off. What is your biggest short-term goal (within the next month)? Just lose a decent amount of weight for a month's time. What will your next tattoo be of? It depends on what cash I have available, really. As much as it sucks, I think my next tat is a whiles off because I just have more pressing things to pay for. Has anyone very close to you ever died? Besides pets, the closest human to me that's ever died was Jason's mom. If you were throwing your significant other/best friend a themed party, what would the theme be? Uh, Frieza-related, obviously. Do you feel prepared for the apocalypse? I don't believe in the apocalypse in the biblical sense of it being determined by an ultimate power, so this isn't something I really think about. Whenever humanity ends, it ends. I don't have a say, so I may as well not obsess over it. Do you think you will have children naturally, adopt, or forgo having children altogether? I'm not having kids, but if I did, I know that either I'd have to give birth to them or my hypothetical wife would for me to feel *properly* connected to them as a mother should. Oh, or if my male partner had a kid from a previous relationship, but I'd have to be REALLY in love with him to feel like that child is also my own. Do you take pictures of yourself on a daily basis? Oh god no. Do you believe in angels? No, but rather just spirits. Is there anything in your past that you used to regret, but now you don’t? Hm, maybe? Does your knee hurt? My knees always hurt. Has anyone ever called you sexy? Yes. Do you like raisins? omg nooooo What is your favorite bug? Butterflies! :') Do you like Scrabble? Sure, it's fun for a board game. Do you have a printer? Yes. What is your favorite food? Cheeseburgers or pizza, probably. I know, so American. Have you ever overheard a conversation you weren’t supposed to? Yes. Do you like ants? They are very fascinating when you really think about it, but I still find them incredibly annoying. Did you like the movie Antz? I loved it as a kid. Have you ever drank goat milk? No, I don't believe so. What’s your favorite video game? Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus. Do you like cats? I love kitties!!! :') Are goldfish your favorite fish? No. I think my favorite is probably the lionfish. Do you like vanilla pudding? No. I only like chocolate pudding. What is your opinion on gay marriage? I 100% support it and would fight to the death for it. What is your opinion on gay adoption? Don't even fucking look at me if you see a problem with a parentless child finding a home with two people in love. Who was the last person you had a crush on? Sara. What’s the most expensive piece of clothing you own? I have zero clue. Why do you drive the car you have right now? I don't have my own car. Have you ever seen your best friend cry? Omg yes and it sucks. Are you friends with your neighbors? No. What is your current desktop picture? One of my favorite pictures of my late pup, Teddy. What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen out the window of an airplane? Mountains! Does your neighbor have any pets? *shrug* Have you ever swam in a mountain lake? No, but that sounds VIBIN'. Has a cat/dog ever thrown up on your bed? alksdjflk;a;jdfalwe yes Have you ever had a concussion? One or two. Do you know anyone who has a pet gecko? Not currently, I think? I want a fat-tailed gecko, though. :( Would you ever go bear hunting? I wouldn't dare hunt ANY animal. Have you ever seen two movies at the theater in a row? I have not. How many teenagers do you know who have babies? I know no teen personally that has a child, but there were some pregnant students in high school. If you could keep your parents or trade them for other parents, which would you pick? I would NEVER change my parents. Is there a piggy bank in the room you’re in? It's not a "piggy" bank, per se, but my sister got me a skull one that she says is for my tattoo funds. :') How many sets of twins do you know? Two, off the very top of my head. If you have younger siblings, are you very protective of them? Yes. No one fucks with her for as long as I live. If you have older siblings, are they very protective of you? Not especially. Who is your favorite Disney Channel person? Uhhh, maybe Raven Symone? How many pets do you have? Just two. Do you think you will be successful in life? No. :/ What do you have pierced? My earlobes, twice, and my bottom lip. I have been dyinnnnggg for some new ones lately. :/ Does techno annoy you as much as it annoys me? No, I actually enjoy quite a bit of techno. What’s your comfort food? Ice cream. Do you like paranormal stuff? YES. Do you have a favorite stuffed toy? Rebel, my adorable meerkat plush from Jason, and Brownie, my moose from Cabela's. What’s the most exciting project you were given? In a way, my senior project since you got to choose your own topic, but I dreaded the presentation. Do you have a good sense of direction? Not at ALL. What are your favorite colour for a cat? Orange! If you had to live your life carrying a shield, what would its design be? This is gonna sound super, super cheesy, but probably a heart to symbolize how love should and could block the effects of hate and general evil and that we should pursue that instead of violence. Out of all the cancers, which one do you think needs to find a cure first? Oh god, they all do. If I had to pick one though, it'd be one of the inevitably fatal kinds, like pancreatic. What are your general afterthoughts when you’ve finished a book? I feel accomplished for actually reading to a story's completion. How many pairs of glasses (not sunglasses) have you owned? Two, I think? What color is your flash-drive? Hot pink. Have you ever built a sand castle? Yeah. How many houses have you lived in? Six. One I have no memory of. Do you shut off the water while you brush your teeth? Yes. What video game should everybody play at least once? Amnesia: A Machine for PIgs for the symbolism. It blows my mind how most horror fans hate it; it's like they totally miss the point. 100 years from now, what modern things will people look back on and say, “WTF?” Hopefully things like homophobia, racism, misogyny, concepts like those. What is impossible to understand until it happens to you? Mental illness, to name only one thing. What fictional food item from a television show, cartoon, movie, or video game have you always wanted to try? Hm. There's a lot that has looked super good, really. What’s something that gets much more hate than it deserves? Nickelback, lmao. What phrases or sayings drive you crazy? "Everything happens for a reason," "it could be worse/some people have it worse," "it's all part of God's plan," "just think positive"... a lot of stuff. Do you have a deviantART? I do, even though Eclipse made it fucking suck. I only really stay because I cling to the dying hope of being at least somewhat successful on there, and I enjoy keeping tabs on the artwork of the hundreds of people I watch there. Who is your favorite character in your favorite movie? Mufasa, even if he doesn't last long in the movie. :''''''( Have you ever been to Germany? No, but I'd love to! What is your favorite holiday? Christmas. Have you ever been ice skating? No. The blades on the skates scare me. Have you ever taken a karate class? No. Do you have any nieces or nephews? I have a lot, if you include my half-siblings' kids. Do you own an Xbox? Nah, I've always been a PlayStation gal. Would you date someone who’s well-known for cheating? Nope. Would you break up with someone your parents didn’t approve of? No. I'd consider their reasons, but ultimately, it's about me loving the person. Could you be in a relationship without sex? Yeah, sure. It's not ideal, but I mean if the other person is just very opposed, I'm certainly not forcing them. Emotional intimacy is more important to me, anyway. Have you ever been “friendzoned”? Yep. :') Briefly, anyway. Jason tried for my sake, but it was VERY short-lived by no one's fault but my own because all I know how to do is fuck shit up when it comes to him. Which “famous couple” is your favorite? LOOK Mark and Amy are FUCKIN GEMS Have you ever “destroyed” a relationship? Pretty fucking much. Are you the “dominant” or the “submissive” part in a relationship? I'm submissive by nature. Do you think Valentine’s Day is overrated? No, I think it's a cute holiday. Which do you feel is worse of the two to smoke: weed or tobacco? Well, weed has more carcinogens, but at least it has actual health benefits. Who did you last see that you haven’t seen in ages? *shrug* Are you photogenic at all? God no.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #470

Top Ten Films to Watch on Star on Disney+

We’ve been watching a lot of Disney+ lately. This is partly due to the fact that our family movie nights have become, almost accidentally, a quest to watch every bit of Star Wars content on the service; so far, we’ve watched the entire Skywalker Saga and are now moving onto the spin-off movies. The younglings have become addicted: Daughter #1 is getting stuck into The Clone Wars, whilst Daughter #2 is demanding we jump straight into The Mandalorian. As for the Princess to my Scoundrel, well, she and I have been thoroughly enjoying WandaVision, which by the time you read this, will have finished. Sob! Nothing to do but gird our loins until the arrival of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in a couple of weeks! At least this excellent TV programme appears to have whetted my wife’s appetite for watching more of the MCU movies. Maybe soon I can make oblique references to Mary Poppins, y’all, and someone else in the house will actually know what the hell I’m on about.

Well it looks as if there’s going to be even more use out of our Disney+ sub as the months roll inexorably on, what with their new Star channel. This is where they’ve shoehorned all the mucky films they bought from the naughty boys and girls at Fox; sweary adult dramas, sexy bits, and scenes of explicit wrist-slapping abound. So now we have this toybox of grown-up content to savour! What to watch? What not to watch? I’ve already started at the most obvious place by diving into some vintage Arnie with Commando, one of the funniest action movies ever made. It did not disappoint.

So where to next? Re-watching semi-forgotten classics, films I’ve not seen in literally decades? Or checking out things that slipped me by (there’s an entire list to be made of “films I read about in Empire in the ‘90s, got really excited about, but never saw”). Do I watch the crappier Die Hard films, or cheesy action movies (er, like Commando, I guess)? Or dive deep into prestige fair? Or just watch Spy Hard for the Weird Al theme tune, practically the only bit of the film I remember? The options are virtually endless.

So that’s what this week’s list is: ten films I intend to watch on Disney+ very flipping soon. Or, y’know, just play Zelda until Falcon starts.

9 to 5 (1980): there was a lot of talk of Dolly around the New Year, and my wife and I even watched a documentary about her. As a result, I had a scoot around to see if it was possible to buy 9 to 5 as a birthday or Valentine’s gift for my better half; it’s a film neither of us have seen in years if not decades, and we’re both big Grace and Frankie fans too. Alas, it’s a difficult film to get a hold of; there doesn’t appear to be a Blu-ray readily available. Praise be, then, that it’s now on Disney+; a terrific comedy film, with a nice bit of feminist bite. I’m not sure if it’ll feel dated or – post-#MeToo – oddly prescient. But I’m really, really looking forward to watching it again.

Crimson Tide (1995): I do love a good tense thriller, and I seem to remember this as being a particularly great tense thriller. This feels like one of those “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” candidates; a claustrophobic two-hander with no real action, almost a theatrical chamber piece, but made with huge stars and a big-time director (the late, great Tony Scott). I saw it once, on video, when it came out, so it’ll be great to revisit.

The Color of Money (1986): another minor classic that I’ve not seen for decades, and a film I remember even less well than Crimson Tide. It’s cool to revisit (or discover for the first time!) films by great directors, and this is Scorsese we’re talking about. Cruise as a freshly-minted movie star, still taking risks; Newman as a great elder statesman. I’ve genuinely no idea what it’s like, it’s been so long, but I’d love to see it again. Just wish The Hustler was on D+ too!

Quiz Show (1994): I’d mentioned before that there are loads of films from the ‘90s that I read about as an eager young film fan but never saw; this is one of them. An apparently-great drama about corruption at a hugely popular TV show in ‘50s America, with Ralph Fiennes in a very early Hollywood role. I think I’d enjoy it.

Looking for Richard (1996): another of those ‘90s films…! This fascinated me as a teen, and I’d love to see it: a documentary about Richard III, made by Al Pacino, featuring people talking about Shakespeare (got a lot of time for that) and also scenes of the play performed and filmed. It’s a real curio; also weirdly came out around the same time as McKellen’s Richard III. Maybe something was in the water? We’re due another big Rich in my opinion.

Jennifer’s Body (2009): a follow-up from Juno writer Diablo Cody, a horror centred around high school and female sexuality, this has always seemed like it might be a dark, delicious delight; it wasn’t very well received at the time, but has grown in cult status; as has its star, Megan Fox, who I’d argue has not had the easiest time within Hollywood. Anyway, I really like the look of it, and it’ll be cool to check it out.

Tombstone (1993): I love a good Western, and I seem to remember that this is a very good Western. A story of Wyatt Earp that goes beyond the famous gunfight, my memories of this are very vague; I know that there’s a very good Val Kilmer performance as Doc Holliday, and of course Kurt Russell as Earp himself. I might try out that “watch along” feature and watch this, remotely, with my dad.

Romancing the Stone (1984): I probably haven’t seen this since the eighties so I’ve got no idea if it’s really any good, but I do remember enjoying its Indy-inspired adventurism and – in particular – Danny DeVito’s bad guy. Douglas is always great value as a leading man, although from what I’ve since read this is really Kathleen Turner’s show. It’ll be interesting to see if it holds up, but hopefully it’ll be a good stop-gap until they finally get the Indy films up on the service.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1988): another film that I want to revisit, even if I remember it a little better than others on this list. My memory is that it’s utterly fantastic, a really stark look at the realities of Vietnam during the time of the war, and also a phenomenal, very human performance from Williams. Also I remember it being very funny when he does let off some steam (sorry, bit of Commando creeping in there). And really, it’s Williams I want to see again; that earnest, real, pained but beautiful Williams we get in his very best performances. It’s very likely I’ll cry just watching him on screen. God, I miss him.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016): I needed some crappy sequel to talk about, and here it is. I can’t overstate how much I loved the first Independence Day in ’96, so the (apparent; I’ve not seen it) terribleness of this sequel hit me like a sledgehammer. It can’t be that bad, can it? Is it not at least so-bad-it’s-good? I mean, the trailer made it look atrocious, and it’s killed off Will Smith – the best character! – off-screen, so odds are not good that it’s a hidden gem. But I’ve got to know.

This was actually a pretty tough list, and I had to knock off some films that I’d love to rewatch (Conan the Barbarian, The War of the Roses), as well as stuff like Idiocracy and Office Space that I’ve never seen. Also Kingsman: The Secret Service, which is a fairly recent release that slipped me by, and I’m not sure why I’ve never gotten round to seeing; I blame the kids! Also, there was going to be some xenomorph or xeno-monkey action on here, but frustratingly all the Alien (and Predator!) movies are missing, and the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy – which I’ve also never seen! – is only served by its middle instalment. Yeah, I can watch the seminal ‘60s original again (and I may!) or the indecipherable and strange Tim Burton version, but what about, y’know, the trilogy that everyone raves about? I assume this is due to pre-existing deals keeping the films elsewhere (elusive…), but the sagas of Alien, Predator, and the complete Die Hard package are – I believe – being kept until most profitable (mark my works: Die Hard at Christmas). Anyway, it’s a bit frustrating, that, as I’ve never seen Covenant or The Predator, and I’d love to watch the whole lot from the start anyway.

I guess I can console myself by also watching the one Die Hard film I’ve never seen, namely the critically-acclaimed A Good Day to Die Hard. I mean, I’m assuming it’s critically acclaimed. I guess I’ll find out.

[badwolfwrites-sometimes]

Drawn Together: Chapter 16

I may or may not have forgotten to post this chapter here for a while... Anyway, there are 5 references to other pieces of Hetalia work, see if you can get them all right. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923374/chapters/57211975

♡~Feli~♡: Ludwig

Ludwig: Yes?

♡~Feli~♡: Im sad

Ludwig: Why are you sad?

♡~Feli~♡: Mirror me is ugly ♡~Feli~♡: I have these dumb fat cheeks and this stupid baby face and this fat body ♡~Feli~♡: No matter how hard i try i cant lose them ♡~Feli~♡: Ill never be manly enough for girls to like me

Ludwig: Feliciano are you crying?

♡~Feli~♡: Ofc im crying ♡~Feli~♡: I just look so dumb no wonder ppl call me stupid

Ludwig: Okay, take a deep breath Ludwig: You only look ugly to yourself because you are crying Ludwig: You aren't dumb and you aren't ugly Ludwig: And I am pretty sure there are some girls out there that will like you Ludwig: Have you eaten anything today?

♡~Feli~♡: No ♡~Feli~♡: Im already fat enough i dont deserve more food

Ludwig: Feliciano Ludwig: Losing weight isn't about not eating at all Ludwig: Not that you have any to lose, you look perfectly fit in your pictures Ludwig: Once you stop crying go eat something Ludwig: You will feel much better

♡~Feli~♡: But ill still be fat and ill still have this stupid baby face

Ludwig: They are alright Feliciano Ludwig: They are barely noticable Ludwig: Now will you please go eat something

♡~Feli~♡: Okay

Ludwig: Good Ludwig: I am worried about you, do you think we could have another video call?

♡~Feli~♡: Let me dry my tears first

Feliciano took his time calming down. He made himself some tea and grabbed the leftover pizza from the fridge. Today, he was alone in the house, a feeling that worsened his melancholy. There was no one to hold him and cuddle him and tell him that things are okay. There was no one to yell at him and tell him to pull himself together and do something useful in life before whispering to him that he's beautiful. Feliciano craved those moments today.

He didn't even warm up his pizza before eating it like it was straight out of a famous Italian restaurant. His tea left forgotten as he dined, only the soft smell of cinnamon strong enough to calm his nerves down. It wasn't the time to be depressed, he had Ludwig to talk to. Finishing off his pizza, he grabbed his tea and retreated to his room, turning on Skype.

♡~Feli~♡: Okay im calm you can skype me now

Ludwig: Alright, let me just turn on my laptop

A few minutes later, Feliciano got the Skype notification on his computer. Accepting the call, he was met with the usual Ludwig business, bringing a smile to his face.

Ludwig was dressed properly, nothing too fancy, but also not in pajamas like Feliciano was. His hair was neatly slicked back and his room as tidy as always. Same couldn't be said about Feliciano.

On top of wearing pj's all day everyday, Feliciano was tightly wrapped up in a thick blanket like it was in the middle of winter and not plain old May. His eyes were still noticeably red and puffy, but Ludwig wouldn't comment on that even if it killed him. To add to the sad wintery atmosphere Feliciano had going on, between his hands, he was cuddling a colorful cup covered in stars.

Said cup was the first thing Feliciano noticed Ludwig was staring at. "Do you like it? I made it myself when I was a kid." He smiled.

Ludwig nodded, clearing his throat. "Yes. It really fits you, I must admit."

Feliciano giggled, feeling a bit of a sting from his eyes. He will probably have a headache in the morning.

"Are you feeling better?" Ludwig continued. "Did you eat anything?"

Feliciano nodded. "I had some leftover pizza so I ate that. And now I'm drinking tea to feel good about myself."

"Good. That is good."

"I guess."

"Do you feel better now that you had something to eat?" Ludwig asked, his concern for Feliciano noticeable in his voice.

"Yeah, I think. Sorry I worried you like that."

"Don't be. If anything, I am glad that you spoke to me about it. I know how you feel. I was a chubby kid too."

"How did you lose weight?"

"I didn't. Growing up, my weight just transferred into muscles and I trained for a while. None of it went away."

"Well, that's comforting." Feliciano sighed sadly. "I can't keep a training schedule to save my life. Especially now that I am out of school and do nothing all day."

"You just need something to push you to do it." Ludwig said. "How about a dare?"

"A dare? Are we playing truth or dare?"

"We can if you want to."

"Okay. What's your dare?"

"I dare you to do 3 pushups every day for the next month."

Feliciano nearly spat out some of the tea he was drinking. "Three?! I can barely do 1!"

"It is a dare, you have to do it." Ludwig almost smirked.

"Only if you do something as well."

Ludwig was about to start regretting his decision. "What is it?"

Feliciano thought hard for a while, before coming up with a challenge long and hard enough for Ludwig to do it. "You told me once you weren't much of an artist."

"Yes." Ludwig was definitely regretting playing this game.

"I want you to paint me a picture of what made you happy that day. Every day. For the next month." Feliciano smirked.

"Does it have to be a painting?" Ludwig meekly asked. "You know how busy my schedule is."

"No, but it has to be colorful. And I want them sent to me by 11 p.m. ever day."

"You really like challenges, don't you?"

"You dared me first. Now you have to do it too."

"Fine." Ludwig relaxed in his chair. "It is my turn I believe." He took his time thinking about the perfect question. "If you could only see one color for the rest of your life, which one would it be?"

Taken a bit by surprise, Feliciano thought for a while, looking around to spot a color which stood out the most to him. The sea was calm today, that got his attention, so calm it was almost calling for him, so, so very... "Blue." He said out loud, without realizing it.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Ludwig's voice pulled Feliciano out of his trance. "I would like to see brown mostly."

Feliciano's face almost twisted at the word brown. Why brown? It doesn't even stand out that much in nature, it's just darker orange and an ugly mix of colors together. "Why?"

Ludwig smiled. "My dogs are mostly brown." Well that explained a lot.

"I should have expected that." Feliciano laughed. "My turn. Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

An awkward question to ask Ludwig, Feliciano noticed. His cheeks have gotten a shade or two darker than usual, something that would probably go unnoticeable if he wasn't so pale. Regardless, Feliciano just had to know.

Ludwig breathed in. "No. I don't even have a female friend that isn't family to me."

"You've never dated?" Feliciano asked in surprise. And Ludwig was so good looking?

Ludwig shook his head, slightly embarrassed. "I get it that I haven't, but you? Look," Feliciano started, "when I come to Germany, we'll go hunting for ladies so that neither of us are single ever again, okay?"

It was no use in arguing over girls with Feliciano, so Ludwig just gave in. "Why are you so obsessed with them anyway?"

"Is that the next question?" Feliciano asked.

"Yes."

Feliciano thought for a bit. "I think it's because I have multiple personalities living inside of me." He pointed to his chest. "One is your regular flirty Italian, the other is a sad bastard and the third one is just a huge lesbian."

Ludwig laughed, but Feliciano continued. "I think we all have a female part inside of us, mine just happens to like girls more than normal."

"Okay, if you say so." Ludwig still had to recover from his laughing fit.

"Also, lately I've been having these strange dreams. Like, one time I dreamed I was stuck in a dreamworld and it was all really beautiful and nice, but I would die if I stayed for too long. And you were coming to save me." Feliciano rambled. "Would you come save me from the dreamworld, Ludwig?"

"Of course I would." Truth to be told, Ludwig wasn't following Feliciano much.

"Aw, thank you. Anyway, that's not even the weirdest. I dreamed about this guy Steve one time, only he wasn't actually a guy but some alien creature. And he had this big mansion and I was stuck in there and I couldn't escape and it was so horrifying." Feliciano shivered at the memory of his dream.

"I must admit that it does sound horrifying. Especially if you happen to be claustrophobic." Ludwig said. "Now that you mention it, I've been having some strange dreams as well. And for some reason, you are always in them."

That peaked Feliciano's interest. Not that he wasn't interested in the first place. "Oh, I wanna hear! I wanna hear!"

"Well, one time I was a pilot during World War 2 and I was stationed in Italy and I met you, but then something happened and I had to leave. My plane crashed and I was imprisoned and you came to save me, then..." Ludwig stopped. "I don't recall what happened next, but it ended nicely, I think. I just remember flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109."

"Mrs. What?" Feliciano asked.

"Messerschmitt. It was a German fighter plane in World War 2. It was a rival plane to Spitfire and had a yellow nose."

Feliciano laughed. "I'll forget it's name, but at least I'll know it had a yellow nose."

"That is all you need to know." Ludwig continued. "Then I had another dream and it was poker themed. I was the king of hearts and you were my queen. That is pretty much all I remember from it."

"You must think so highly of me to make me your queen, I'm flattered." Feliciano giggled. "What do you think these dreams mean?"

"No idea, but I wish I knew. Maybe, they represent our bond with each other as friends."

"Maybe. Maybe they are telling us of our past lives and all that. Like your war one."

"I want to stop you because if you start talking like that, we will never leave the topic of dreams."

Feliciano laughed, glad that Ludwig was listening to him by stopping him from going too far with his talking. "When will you come to Italy, Ludwig? We could have so much fun."

"As soon as I have some more free time, I will pay you a visit."

"Yes! We can go on tour of Rome and I could show you the Colosseum and The Pantheon and Bocca della Verita and I could show you our beaches and we would have so much fun!"

"You sound like you have already planned everything out."

"That's just one possibility. I could give you a tour of all of Italy if you want. You just have to come here first."

Ludwig attempted his nicest smile. And failed. Feliciano was so excited about all of this. "Would you show me the Rialto Bridge as well?"

It would be a lie to say Feliciano's eyes didn't glow at this point. "Of course I would! And maybe you can bring your girlfriend, if you get one in time, and you can do the kiss scene from the book! You can even get married! Can I be your best man, please?"

"You will have to fight Gilbert for that position. I doubt he would just give it away."

"Gilbert, you are a worthy opponent. But I must take you down for the sake of providing myself the glorious Best Man position." Feliciano delivered the speech. "I can do best wedding speeches, I think Gilbert is already losing."

"We will see." Ludwig laughed. "But wouldn't you want to be your brother's best man?"

"I'm the odd one out, they got each other. Aside from you, I don't have much options on who else to have as my best man." Feliciano sighed.

"Well, that is really sad. I probably won't marry at all, so if you get married, I can still be your best man." Ludwig said.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yes."

"But what about Gilbert?"

"I admire you for believing that he would get married, but I doubt that would be the case."

"Harsh truth." Feliciano laughed. "I hope Lovi can get married. If not here, he could get married somewhere else."

"One day it might be possible."

"One day when the world isn't as hateful as now. I think he'll hate having to be married outside of Italy."

Silence fell upon them, just as the front door of Feliciano's house slammed shut. A soft, but loud voice could be heard. "Feli! I'm home!"

"Romeo is home. I'm not alone anymore." Feliciano commented.

"Do I suddenly not exist?" Ludwig asked, a bit offended by Feliciano's statement.

"No! I meant that I'm not home alone anymore. Don't go anywhere, I'd be sad if you stopped existing." Feliciano corrected himself.

A sound of footsteps coming up the stairs could be heard, but Feliciano failed to hear them.

"I won't be going anywhere then." Ludwig said, just as the door to Feliciano's room opened.

"Hi Feli." Romeo greeted. "Who are you talking to?"

Feliciano jumped slightly as the door opened, but smiled to his brother. "Ludwig. Come say hi."

Romeo did as he was told and greeted Ludwig. "Hi Lud."

"Hello." Came a response.

"Feli, nonno said he'll be coming home the day after tomorrow. We should probably prepare Lovi just in case." Romeo said.

"Good idea. I'll be down when we're done and we can plan the thing out." Feliciano responded and Romeo left him to wrap things up with Ludwig.

"So nonno is coming home soon. Which is bad. And we need to prepare Lovi for it. Which is worse." Feliciano explained the situation to Ludwig, seeing as the latter didn't know much Italian.

"I see. Basically, you get to be a pigeon again." Ludwig remarked.

Feliciano laughed, partially glad Ludwig still remembered that from a couple of months ago. "Probably. Maybe it works out okay in the end, but I doubt it."

"I am here whenever you need me. Except when I am at college or at work, but other than that..."

"Thanks." Feliciano laughed. "I gotta go. Me and Romeo have to plan this out carefully."

"Before you do, it is Romeo and I. Remember it."

"Yes, yes, Romeo and I, okay. Talk to you later, Ludwig!" Feliciano said, waving goodbye to Ludwig.

"Good luck!" Ludwig simply said and gave Feliciano a small wave before ending the call. They talked for good 3 hours, but to Feliciano it only felt like a couple of minutes.

He walked downstairs to discuss things with Romeo. Getting his brother and grandfather in the same room again won't be easy and Feliciano just hoped it would turn out okay in the end.

[jemej3m]

the spring-bringer

read on ao3

tw: canon-typical violence, bad representation of greek mythology

*

“Take the man of spring-time. The one that some call Persephone, some call Andrew.” His father commanded him, via dreams and whispered taunts. “Rid the world of reincarnation. Do this, and you will please me.”

Nathaniel—or, as he had grown more affectionate of—Neil sat up with a gasp.

His chambers were cold and lifeless.

He hated how Chronos held onto him in this way: he was the lord of the Underworld, for fuck’s sake. His father was obliterated into pieces almost intangible, yet he remained unsatisfied. It seemed to fall to Neil’s shoulders to satisfy the Titan, and whilst every fibre of his being recoiled at the memory of his father’s abrasiveness and cruelty, he could not deny his father his dying wish.

“Alright.” He whispered into the silence.

No one answered.

*

Andrew laid in the soft grass, letting it carry his weight. He was sure to brush his fingers across the swathes, appreciating every blade beneath him.

He understood his nature wasn’t exactly sensical for what he represented, but spring-time wasn’t merely Valentine’s day and blossoming gardens. It was perseverance. It was strength, an endurance of cold and brutal winters, only to return refreshed and anew.

And by the gods, did Andrew persevere.

There wasn’t a tribulation he hadn’t seemed to overcome. Past gods had taken advantage of him, his simpering mother went and offed herself, passing the title of Demeter to a young Spanish boy by the name of Nicky a few centuries ago. The man had deemed himself as Andrew’s substitute mother, he supposed, and certainly fucking acted like it.

Then there was his brother, the demigod Aaron, who rejected his godly half and became immortal anyway. Andrew wished they’d all just died and left him alone to appreciate his occupation, but no. They filled his time with meaningless pursuits and commented upon how easily he angered, how his violence was antithetical to his godly purpose, how his apathy was nothing like the warmth of springtime’s sun.

He merely reminded them with thorns in their palms that nature was nothing to take lightly. They would leave him alone for a few weeks, but they always came back.

Andrew let his head loll, watching as a butterfly with wings of acrylic drips rested upon a dandelion by his hand. His brother and cousin were returning from their travels to vineyards in the southern hemisphere. He’d enjoyed his two months of quiet, but, as always, they were promptly ending.

Spring was quiet, gentle and comforting for Andrew. He wasn’t sure that others would describe him that way, but it didn’t matter. He existed, and thus spring existed, and thus the cycle of life and death continued onwards.

The cycle. That was all Andrew represented.

“Take a meaningful glance at the sky, Persephone.” It wasn’t often someone called him by his proper name. “You may never see it again.”

Before he had even been granted a moment to thank the grass for taking his weight, his limbs were caught and restrained. Colour leaked from his vision, and he fell into an all-encompassing slumber.

*

When Andrew woke, it was cold. Dark. The surface he was resting upon was along the same theme, and he realised that he was sleeping on the stone-tiled floor. His wrists were chained together with what had to be obsidian, weighing upon his joints like hunger did to his stomach.

He wasn’t in a cell: He was simply chained to the floor of one’s bed chamber. It was extravagantly large but oddly empty, with only a bed and two candles of black flame upon either side. The bed was made, and Andrew realised that he was not alone.

“Good,” The man said. He was hideously tall, with three eyes and hair spiked towards the ceiling. “You are awake. It is regretful to chain you in such a way, but the Lord insisted, in case you were difficult. Shall we greet him?” He bowed slightly. “I am Cerberus, but most know me as Matt.”

Andrew rose an eyebrow. “Are you not meant to be a dog?”

Matt merely laughed. “Only when necessary. Quickly, up now.”

Unsure of how long he had remained unconscious, he took time to steady himself once upon his feet. The cuffs linking his wrists together were grossly heavy and his hands were almost numb when he finally arrived to the Lord’s Court.

Andrew had, of course, assumed it was Hades behind this barbaric capture. Andrew had never met, nor seen Chronos’ final and most fearsome son, but he had heard nothing good. He spoke with spitfire and fearlessness. He was reckless, often merciless. His reclusivity and lack of hospitality were somewhat famous within the murmurings of Olympus’ gossipers.

Andrew supposed one would be like that if they were stuck, ruling the Underworld.

Andrew had also supposed the man would be a little taller, but Andrew wasn’t known for his assumptions being correct. He, of all people, should understand height did not equate to power.

He sat in a tall throne, composed of skulls brushed by fire. He wore simple clothing: jeans from the Aboveworld, a grey t-shirt that had faded with time, and black boots. The only thing that connoted his worth was a black circlet, resting gently upon his fire-licks of auburn hair. A robe and helmet were hung carelessly on the back rivulets of his throne, and the black fire Hades was known for surrounded his chair like a halo.

“Hello,” Andrew said, tone betraying how he was exceedingly bored of the whole debacle. “Lord Hades of the Underworld.”

“Please,” He said, leaning forward. “I would prefer Neil.”

“I detest the word, please.” Andrew shifted on his feet: The chain between his wrists tinkled, reminding him of his position. “And I would prefer that I wasn’t captured, but we can’t all have what we want, can we?”

This man would kill him in a heartbeat. Andrew challenged him like he wanted to die.

Hades'—Neil’s—eyebrow arched.

“If you would be so kind,” Like gods were ever kind. “I’d like passage to the Aboveworld.”

“No.” Neil said. “You’re a man of my court now, Persephone. You obey me, and I have dictated your purpose already.”

“For how long?”

“A full circle of the sun. Then your release may be negotiate, if you are a respectable guest throughout your term.”

A year.

Andrew could almost consider it a vacation.

“Well,” He started. “You might as well begin by calling me Andrew. What is, exactly, the purpose you deigned for me?”

The Lord of the Underworld waved a hand: A second throne appeared, of golden armrests and soft red cushions, next to his own upon the dais where he sat. Simultaneously, the cuffs vanished from around his wrists, and his robes were refurbished. “Plea—Here. Sit. The Court session is about to commence.”

Andrew took a moment to survey the odd situation he had found himself in. He had a chance, perhaps, to flee now. But where would he go? No one had ever escaped the Underworld, not even a god. Andrew would not be the first to attempt it: Nor would he be the first to succeed.

Slowly, he climbed the steps and took his throne.

It was comfortable.

“Enjoying your kidnapping, thus far?” Matt smiled, taking his place at one end of the Court’s long table in preparation for other members to come wafting in.

Andrew didn’t answer, holding his chin high.

*

The first irritation Andrew discovered was obviously his inability to eat, or drink. Enormous, luxurious feasts were often spread out in front of him, but he couldn’t touch a thing. If he did, he would remain permanently trapped beneath the ground, most likely losing his title of Lord Hades’ pet and becoming the average idiot, meandering through the fields. It was a strange position to be in.

The second irritation was the lack of sun. It made it impossible to decipher the time, and Andrew couldn’t trust any of the clocks within Hades’ palace grounds. They all were slightly off from one another, and whilst the king of the underworld seemed to have a strict internal clock, experienced with a lack of sun, Andrew continually struggled with this shift.

The third, and most confronting irritation, was how careful Neil seemed to be.

Andrew made mild protest to sleeping in the same room as the god of the Underworld: The next day, he was granted a separate room of his own. He made an offhand comment about missing the flora of the Aboveworld, and within hours, Neil was guiding him to a private garden of luxuriously rare and exotic plants, where skeletal ravens perched in the branches and sung their haunting songs.

When it was cold, Andrew was provided with plenty of layers, none being derived of animal skins like that of the Underworld’s inhabitants, including Neil himself. When it was warm, Andrew was given cotton strips of fabric that he was able to wind around his forearms.

He wasn’t sure how Neil knew of his scars, but so long as he was not confronted, he would play along that everyone was none the wiser.

Whilst he hated the idea of being perceived as weak, or as insignificant, his strange, compulsory vacation was—

Not awful.

“Tell me of Nicholas.” Neil said, walking through his garden with Andrew at his side. “Of Aaron. You must truly despise them if you’ve found comfort here.”

Andrew held out his hand, and a withered crow landed upon his finger. “I do not despise them. They simply don’t understand the concept of personal space.”

Neil let out a small huff, which Andrew had come to learn was his laugh. He always made sure to smother it before it could unfold properly, just like he swiped away any smiles. It wasn’t characteristic, Andrew supposed, for the lord of hell to be joyful.

But it wasn’t characteristic of the god of springtime to commit matricide, so it wasn’t like Andrew was in a place to make judgement.

“Do you miss them?” Neil inquired.

“I tell myself I don’t.” The crow flew off. Andrew went back to brushing his hands across the trunks of wrinkled Aspen trees as they walked past, enjoying how they quivered fervently under his hand. Everything responded to him, warmed to him, in a way humans and gods simply couldn’t.

Except Neil, it seemed. He’d warmed quickly, and without question. It was almost endearing.

“I’m sure I’ll wish I’d damned myself down here as soon as I am forced to reunite with them,” Andrew muttered.

Neil’s shoulders seemed to draw upwards “Don’t joke of such things.”

Andrew slanted him a gaze. “Was your purpose in kidnapping me not to keep me for as long as deemed possible?”

“Right.” He nodded, most likely to himself. “Yes. Your fate still rests on your ability to withstand the temptations of the Underworld if you ever wish to return.”

“I know.” He grumbled. “What I wouldn’t do for a glass of water.”

Neil gazed at him pityingly.

They finally arrived to the centre of Neil’s garden, where Andrew rested himself against the trunk of the ever-fruitful pomegranate tree, the ripe fruits dangling from every branch. Andrew basked in the comfortable warmth of the day, the intoxicating scent of paper reducing to ash in a flame. Whilst never clear, like a Cornish breeze, the air down here was never foul. Tobacco, ash, molten rock, wood-fires and hearth-stones wafted daintily on the drafts that carried through the cavernous space.

Neil rested by him. In this garden he allowed himself to be unreserved, his expression relaxed from that typical furrow in his brow, closing his eyes and trusting the walls of his courtyard to protect him from vengeful spirits.

And vengeful spirits were there plenty. Andrew had witnessed Neil’s mercilessness time and time again, but it was always where it was deserved, and never more than what was necessary. He was diplomatic and logical in terms of justice, and it was one of the things Andrew had grown to appreciate the most.

Yet, it never seemed that Neil truly lived for himself.

“I do wish you’d tell me who asked you to bring me down here.” Andrew allowed his head to lean back against the tree.

Neil grew tense once more. “What lead you to that idea?”

“Neil,” Andrew sat up. “Do you take me for a fool? You claim me from the Aboveworld, and by the Old Creeds, I must stay and do your bidding for a full circle of the sun. But you have given me a throne, a room, a garden, and asked for nothing more than my company and occasional slithers of advice. It that how a true captor behaves?”

“You are a god, like myself, Persephone.” Neil reminded him.

“I am no god when compared to you, Hades.” Andrew shifted onto his knees, tipping Neil’s chin upwards with a finger. “Neil. Won’t you tell me?”

His head hung low once more, Andrew’s fingers slipping to hold the back of the man’s neck. They said nothing for a moment, until Neil moved to the stand.

“We must make ourselves presentable.” He straightened his clothes. “I’m afraid our months of peace have drawn to a close.”

“Who dares visit the Underworld?” Andrew demanded. “And don’t think I won’t have my answer, my lord.”

“I hate it when you call me that,” Neil said, smoothing away that smile once more as he directed Andrew back towards their connected chambers. “Is there truly anyone else who dares visit hell, Andrew of springtime? It’s my brothers, of course.”

*

Andrew gazed upon himself in the mirror, which he did not often use. It had been a long while since he’d truly considered his own appearance, content to let his hair grow long and simply braid it, complacent to allow a Shade to shave his jaw and neck, wearing the same style of garments day after day.

He shouldered a black cloak, dressing in solidarity of Neil, and donning a crown of black-thorned roses atop of his hair, which he had trimmed properly once more. He slid his feet into sandals, another rare occurrence, and he checked his brooches were secure before making haste from his chambers.

He was the last to arrive at the Court, but the visitors had yet to grace themselves with their presence, so he swept by the members of Neil’s advisory to sit upon his throne. It had changed considerably in the approximate six months after his arrival: Flowering vines and thorns twisted around the golden legs and arms, often reaching out and crawling across his skin as he sat.

It was comfortable. It felt natural, to sit at Neil’s side.

Andrew didn’t know what that meant, so naturally, he ignored it.

“Did you cut your hair?” Neil asked, absently.

Andrew arched an eyebrow, and the man’s cheeks pinked.

“It’s very elegant.” He said, before looking forward with anticipation.

The doors burst open with a flourish of wind, and the King of Gods stormed in to address his brother with a ferocious anger, palpable in the electricity and ozone in the air.

“Nathaniel, your attention-seeking continues to out-do itself.” Zeus, the god of the skies, pointed a finger at his brother where Neil sat upon his throne.

It was Zeus and Poseidon that looked alike. Both were tall, and rather strapping, with waves of black hair. Whilst Poseidon was tanned, more lithe, and had astonishing grey eyes, Zeus’s irises of green and broad shoulders defined his menacing presence.

They only shared a mother, after all. Neil’s father was not someone to mention, lest you wished to elicit Neil’s wrath.

The god of the skies, the god of the sea and the god of the dead all stood in one room. Or, more commonly referred as, between the gods, Kevin, Jean and Neil. Nathaniel.

Andrew had never heard someone of Neil’s court call the god that name. He imagined it wouldn’t go too kindly.

“Welcome, Kevin, Jean.” Neil said dryly, bottling up his irritation. “I hope your journey was comfortable.”

All members of the Court arose out of respect of the two visitors. Andrew stayed seated, and Neil snuck him a knowing glance.

“This is ludicrous, Neil.” Kevin snapped. “What on earth were you thinking?”

“I have no time for your childlike petulance.” Neil flapped his hand lazily.

“We have come all this way.” Jean said, quieter. Cautious. “Rather than send Hermes—Allison. Though she does seem to enjoy your company. Could you not spare us a moment free of your scathing tongue?”

“A moment.” Neil promised. “You banished me here and you come here of your own volition: Thus, I dictate every fibre of existence that surrounds you. Don’t test me.”

“Demeter has caused such pernicious droughts with his worrying and fretting that many a human are dying.” Kevin came forward. Nicky, Andrew thought. “He is unable to console himself without Andrew. You took him unlawfully—“

“And there is nothing to undo that. It’s a year, Kevin. Demeter will learn not to take springtime for granted. Gods can die too.”

“You are insufferable.” His brother claimed. “Have I mentioned that?”

“Repeatedly.” Neil said flatly. “Andrew stays and completes his sunless year.”

“I still don’t understand why.” Jean said, calm enough to ask the proper questions.

“Am I not allowed to act of my own volition? He demanded. “Am I so grossly incapable that you deem all my actions of someone else’s?”

“Yes,” Kevin growled, just as Poseidon urged “Sometimes.” They both looked at each other.

“He had six more cycles of the moon until he may free himself, if he lasts.” Neil sighed, cracking his knuckles. Members of his Court winced.

“What has Nicholas done?” Andrew inquired.

“Locked himself away and vowed to not return until you have.” Jean said.

“It’s very dramatic.” Kevin added.

“Obviously. Nicky has a flair for the dramatic.” Andrew crossed his legs upon his throne. “Tell him I’m well.”

“You are?” Kevin remarked.

“Truly.”

Neil’s brothers eyed him with trepidation.

“If that is all,” Neil said icily. “You’re dismissed.”

Kevin bristled at this dismissal, but couldn’t do anything as Matt chaperoned them from the Courtroom. Neil seemed to relax, slumping into the skulls that built the back of his throne.

“Being the object of hatred must be exhausting.” Andrew murmured.

“You’re telling me.” Neil said, reaching out absent-mindedly. “Yes?”

Andrew paused, before nodding. Neil’s obvious request for consent was as perplexing as it was necessary, and a strange and unfamiliar warmth began curling in his chest. Neil reached out once he had been granted permission and brushed a lock of Andrew’s hair away from his eyes, tucking it behind his ear.

It was so oddly affectionate that Andrew found himself frozen. The members of Neil’s Court had turned away out of respect.

When Andrew had first been captured, he’d had a glimmering fear that he would act as Hades’ concubine for a year, that the god heard of Drake’s adventures and took similar action. Andrew was equally frustrated by the thought of having to comply, regardless of his wishes, simply because he was a patron of Hades’ house, and he was unable to deny the lord of his wishes.

Then Neil went and made him an equal, and had not touched him barring the fleeting moments of a hand across the shoulder, at the wrist, across his hip.

Perhaps Andrew had imagined Neil’s affections. The king himself didn’t seem too aware of his own behaviours, afterall.

“Dismissed,” The god called, adjourning the council. Andrew didn’t move.

“Neil,” He tried again, when all was quiet. “Why did you bring me here?”

Neil closed his eyes, hand dropping from where it caressed the shell of Andrew’s ear. Without an answer, he stood, and left Andrew alone, sitting upon his makeshift throne and wondering why destiny had plagued his existence with such ridiculous complexities.

*

Water was rare in the Underworld, but what Andrew wanted, Andrew got. It lead him and Neil to adventure through the Crevasse, searching for a waterfall that would perfectly capture the light.

It wasn’t long that they found the pool Neil remembered, walking in companionable silence. Andrew passed the drachma from one hand to the other before tossing it through the water.

Renee’s image appeared.

“Iris.” He called. “It’s me.”

She sighed with relief. “I was wondering when you’d call.” She nodded, somewhat apprehensively but respectful all the same. “Lord Hades.”

“Iris.” Neil echoed. “I hope you’re well.”

“And I, you.” She smiled.

“Is it true?” Andrew asked. “Kevin came dicking around about Nicky. Has he truly isolated himself?”

Neil paced slightly away from the conversation, brushing his fingers across the stiffened layers of igneous rock that painted layers of time across the Crevasse’s walls.

“Unfortunately. He is a little better than he was after your capture—an inconsolable wreck for weeks, he was—but he is still rather reluctant. It’s a work in progress.”

Andrew muttered profanities under his breath.

“It’s just his flair for dramatics, Andrew.” Renee assured. “He’s alright, so long as you are. And you are alright.”

“Yes,” He said, glancing towards where Neil had a black fire lit in his palm as he observed small details by his feet. “I am.”

“I am glad.” She said. “I will pass on the message.”

Andrew nodded: Her image faded from the water’s spray.

“Shall we return?” He asked.

Neil glanced at him before ducking his gaze, nodding silently.

Andrew didn’t pay it any mind.

*

He stood at Tartarus’s edge and felt anger simmering beneath his skin. It was an ancient anger that Andrew was unable to rid himself of, something that defined him and every one of his decisions.

He remembered being younger, a child, an unknowing child, and letting Drake woo him with malicious smiles and hungry eyes. Andrew hadn’t understood mutual consent, and thus he obeyed every word that the man spun, adhered by every tale’s warning, and never fought the man when he demanded Andrew to satisfy his sexual desires.

Hands wrapped around his neck. Aching back. Bloodied sheets. Aaron would care for him, confused by Andrew’s newfound abrasiveness and isolationist tendencies.

Then Andrew had attempted to take his own life, tearing at the skin upon his wrists and forearms with hate-fuelled ferocity, and plummeted the earth into a years-long winter whilst he recovered in seclusion, fearful and angry and ashamed.

Drake was sent into Tartarus’ sprawling pit by his own demand, a necessary end to a horrific childhood.

Whispers drew Andrew closer to the edge. If he had been in a period of his self-loathing, perhaps he would feel compelled to throw himself into the abyss.

As it was, he had merely four months until his untimely return to the Aboveworld. It seemed like a waste to have endured the thirst and starvation, the sunlessness, the enticing and amiable company of the lord of the Underworld, just to damn himself even further.

As if summoned by thought, Neil approached him with slow, careful steps.

“You were very close to the edge.” Neil murmured.

“It reminds me of what fear feels like.”

Neil looked at him. “I thought I would see you here earlier that this. As a spirit, rather than a hostage.”

“As did I.” The scars were hidden beneath their cotton strappings, as usual, but Neil looked to them and understood, without question nor demand.

Neil was most perplexing like that.

He took Andrew’s hand by the wrist, and gently pressed it up beneath the thin layer of his cotton t-shirt. Beneath it was the hideous landscape of someone tormented and tortured.

“I understand,” Neil said. “I know. You don’t have to hide your past here.”

It made sense, then, to fold into Neil’s open embrace. But he was the god of the afterlife, and Andrew was the god of reincarnation. It couldn’t make sense. It wouldn’t make sense.

And yet, Andrew let himself savour in the fleeting moment, eyes closed as he pulled Neil’s head to the crook of his shoulder.

*

“Persephone,” Matt called, rapping a knuckle upon Andrew’s door. “Lord Hades requests your audience.”

Andrew craned his neck to gaze upon the door, curious. It was late in the Underworld’s form of evening and he was beginning to settle himself into bed, stretching out across his linen sheets and ridding himself of his thoughts.

It was rare that anyone disturbed him after he retreated to his room. In fact, this would be the first moment.

Matt knocked again, so Andrew hauled himself upright and drew on a robe, answering the door.

“Tell him I’ll be a minute.” He muttered, rubbing his eye.

Matt grinned in that wolf-like manner of his. “Don’t keep the king of the Underworld waiting.” And with that, he left, sauntering down the corridor with a tune coming from his puckered lips.

Andrew redressed himself, pinning his drapery with the brooches Nicky had gifted him eons ago, before slipping free of his chambers and shifting down the dimmed corridors.

Neil’s room was unlocked, but Andrew knocked before entering, so as to warn the man of his arrival. Neil was sat upon the edge of his bed, fiddling with a small charm that hung from a silver chain. It was his black fire, contained by impenetrable glass, the perfect elliptical shape for resting at the hollow of someone’s throat.

Neil stood at Andrew’s appearance.

“You called?” He inquired.

“I—well, yes. Here.” He held up the necklace. “For you. No curse, nor debt attached. It’s a gift.”

Andrew’s very own black-flamed hearth. Andrew let him attach the clasp, fingers brushing gently against the exposed skin of his neck.

Andrew’s fingertips flitted across his exquisite jawbone, tilting his head down.

“I hate you.” He decided, resolutely.

Neil was unfazed. “As one should hate their captor, yes.”

But was Neil truly his captor?

Andrew kissed the man. He couldn't help it.

He was more lively than his kingdom in every sense of the word, skin hot, sucking in a quivering gasp as his hands fisted themselves in his own garments, avoiding touching Andrew with such perfect restraint that it caused Andrew’s heart to ache.

He had never met a god of such caliber. One that responded perfectly to Andrew’s every ministration, one that understood suffering so acutely, one that regarded Andrew with utmost respect.

When they parted, Neil’s cheeks had gained a high flush and his eyes—his glorious, ice-blue eyes—revealed his dazed composure.

“Attend to me.” He whispered.

Andrew was bound by old creeds to obey Neil’s every word, but he would be lying to himself if he insisted he didn’t want to. Neil wore, as usual, his simple shirt and simple trousers, and whilst Andrew enjoyed relieving him of these garments, he entertained the fantasy of ridding Neil of his royal robes, a pulled tie causing swathes of fabric to drop to the ground.

His silk sheets were decadent under Andrew’s fingertips, and Neil let him bow over his exposed body whilst fully dressed, like Andrew held any semblance of power, like he wasn’t trapped in the Underworld as a victim.

Neil made it so easy to forget that.

Andrew was pretty sure he was the only man to have ever conquered Neil’s bed, and lavished in the way his lean body arched and elongated after the fact. His scars were faded with time, distorted by muscular development and growth. The smatterings of freckles, the trail of hair down his navel, the irresistibly delicate wrists and fingers culminated to something so beautiful that Andrew almost couldn’t bear to look at it.

Neil didn’t dare touch him, but his ghosts’ hands felt like slick oil upon his skin. He couldn’t bear Neil’s presence any longer. As he retreated, Neil only gave him a quizzical look, not questioning Andrew’s reluctance aloud.

“Good night, Hades.” He said.

Neil settled into his pillows, looking marvellously ravished. I did that. Andrew reminded himself.

“Good night, Persephone.”

With his gifted black hearth, and Neil’s desperate kisses upon his lips, he retreated.

*

It continued like that for weeks. Months, perhaps. Andrew lost track of time again, simply because he couldn’t care for it. He took Neil to bed every night and let the images satisfy himself afterwards in the privacy of his own chambers. He let Neil’s fingertip trace the cuff of his ear, and took to grasping Neil by the wrist, by the back of his neck. Often, he found himself sitting beneath the decadent pomegranate tree with Neil’s head pillowed in his lap, letting his fingers comb through those infernal curls.

Andrew had not brought up who had cajoled Neil into capturing him, so long as Neil did not bring up his departure. It was cruel that as soon as Andrew had found a rhythm, had found peace, that he would be torn from it to continue his duties Aboveground.

Even worse was the knowledge that his Hades would be criticised and punished for his capture, when it couldn’t have been Neil’s desire to do so.

He didn’t want to leave, but if Neil were to force him to stay, the retaliation would be unjust and cruel. It was best that Andrew returned, for both of them.

His favourite crow wandered over, nuzzling like a cat against Neil’s cheek with a titter of its song.

“It senses your sadness.” Andrew said. “Your exhaustion.”

“Sleep doesn’t come easily, now.” Neil admitted. “It never did, but—now more than ever. Prophecies and visions and disorder and needless suffering jolt me from my weak dozes.”

“You are withholding the truth from me.” Andrew frowned.

Neil sighed. “I try not to.”

Andrew brushed his fingers across the sharp curve of Neil’s cheekbone, and wondered when their peace would be sullied.

“You should not have brought me here.” He said.

Neil closed his eyes, as if to prevent tears spilling from the corners of his eyes. “I know.”

*

It was the eve of Andrew’s departure. His fate had been decided: His behaviour had granted him his freedom. He’d not savoured in a morsel of food, a droplet of drink. He would walk free from the Underworld in the morning, greet his brother and his cousin, and never see the fields of lost souls, the black-lit candles that lined the palace corridors, the ghastly beautiful branches of the trees in Neil’s garden, or the blackbirds that perched upon them.

He was sorry to leave. He had relearned many a different emotion and state of self in Neil’s subterranean kingdom. Tranquility, sorrow, empathy and censure.

He continued like it was any other day, but there was a tinge of desperation to their kisses as they fell into Neil’s bed. It was the same dance they’d done every day, but Andrew was astounded to discover it never grew old, that the caress of Neil’s knuckle and his cries of ecstasy sent shivers down Andrew’s spine every time.

Andrew lingered a little longer, sighing into Neil’s feeble kisses and relaxing into the careful hands upon his shoulders, in his hair.

Don’t leave, Neil mouthed silently into Andrew’s jaw.

And for the first time, Andrew didn’t want to. Didn’t feel the need to. He relaxed downwards till he found himself laid beside Neil’s languid form, letting his fingers trail up and down Neil’s side. A cold draft swept into the room, so Neil fumbled into a soft robe before nestling against Andrew’s side once more. Andrew let Neil’s head rest upon his chest, and watched with unreservedness as the king of hell fell asleep to the unruly palpitations of his heart.

He couldn’t sleep like this, but he was the furthest thing from tired. Instead, he combed Neil’s hair and gazed into space, content to ignore the fact of his departure.

In the early hours of the morning, he dozed off: An impossible but true occurrence. He would have dwelled upon it for hours upon wakening, except he found himself in Neil’s bed, cold and without the man himself present.

Andrew placed an up-turned hand onto Neil’s pillow, onto where his body had curled amongst his sheets. All warmth had leaked from it, and the lifeless mattress and its silken sheets suddenly revolted him.

He clambered to his feet before marching back to his room with a strange urgency. It wasn’t the first time guards had witnessed Andrew come from Neil’s room—nor were they allowed to judge the behaviour of two gods—but the time that had passed and Andrew’s sleep-rumpled state suggested something far more intimate, in every way, shape and form.

He quickly dressed himself and went in search of Neil, to question why he’d left, to see if he had gotten himself into trouble, to say goodbye—it didn’t matter. Andrew had such a burning need to see the man that his hands shook with the urge, the black hearth within his necklace pendant pulsating like that of a second heart.

The throne room was empty, not a single guard nor advisor milling about. It was early, but there was never an empty room in the Underworld. Matt, the hound who could sense one’s confusion a mile away, did not appear. Andrew grit his teeth and, not for the first time, wished he had his knives to arm himself properly.

He found himself, as always, wandering through the garden. It always took a little while to reach its centre, but Andrew carried on with a quick pace, sensing the garden’s fear. The birds were silent and the leaves shook with apprehension.

“Finally, he joins us.”

Andrew’s anger rose in his chest like bile to the throat.

The foul Malcom monster was stood above Neil’s figure menacingly, a ferocious grin upon one face and cool indifference upon the other. At their feet lay Hades, a crumpled heap, and for a moment Andrew thought he was dead.

Neil’s hands were chained behind his back, linking his wrists and ankles together. He seemed otherwise unharmed. His head rose up at the presence of another being and distorted with agony. “Andrew, no. Leave. You must—!”

“Absolutely not.” Lola said as she kicked his limp frame, her lips stained red with blood. “I always play with my food before I consume it. Savour every bite, you know. Isn’t your pathetic little spring-bringer cute, Nathaniel?”

Romero let out a cold laugh. The two-headed being stepped over Neil’s lifeless form—what was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he fighting?—to approach Andrew. He ducked and avoided their clumsy swings, nipping through the garden’s nooks and crannies. He knew every blade of grass in this garden. He had the upper hand.

Neil let out a blood-curdling scream where he was curled upon the floor.

“What are you doing to him?” Andrew demanded as the Malcom monster charged towards him.

“Us? Nothing.” Romero sneered. “His father’s very disappointed in his failure to comply with his wishes. Useless runt. Brought you down here, ensnared you for a year as your father wished, but didn’t have the heart to finish the job.”

With a careless flick of their hand, Andrew was flung into the trunk of the pomegranate tree. He slumped down, and the Malcoms assumed he was subdued enough to turn their attention onto Neil. Neil cried out for Andrew, but couldn’t control his own body with his father controlling his mind.

“Useless runt.” Lola echoed. “I will savour it when our Lord possesses us and finally rids the world of little Junior. Caused enough hassle, haven’t you, Nathaniel? Cleaning up, you call it. You’re simply throwing the most resourceful of us into Tartarus to rot.” Andrew was sure that when she said resourceful, she meant the most sadistic.

“Good.” Neil gasped, struggling onto his knees once more. “That’s where they’ll stay.”

“Not if I can help it.”

Andrew watched with thinly-veiled horror as the two heads of the Malcom monster began talking simultaneously with a haunting, echoing quality. Their eyes were emblazoned by red fire, the veins beneath their skin running gold.

“Father,” Neil murmured. “You’ve returned.”

“Not quite. I will eviscerate this body to ashes in a matter of minutes: They are loyal servants, the Malcoms, but too weak.” He said. “You certainly strung the fibres of my being far enough that I will never be able to regain my true form. However, I will most certainly take pleasure in replacing you within yours.”

“No,” Neil croaked.

“I asked one thing of you, son.” Nathan bent down to tilt Neil’s chin upwards. “Rid the world of reincarnation. Of spring. And you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You, the god of the defeat, couldn’t defeat your own desires. Pathetic.”

Neil’s head flung back as he shrieked. Welts formed on his cheeks as blood spilled from cuts on his arms, his wrists. Andrew could not see a weapon in the Titan’s hand, and yet he was carving Neil to pieces regardless.

Neil’s scream dug into Andrew’s chest: He pulled himself to his feet, grasping onto the branches of the pomegranate tree. Neither Hades nor his father noticed his movements.

A supple fruit was pulled from its branch: With shaking hands, Andrew tore it open, and fisted the first pocket of seeds that he could.

Nothing had ever tasted so sweet, so divine, as those seeds. He dropped the fruit to the floor, garnering the attention of both Nathan and his ruined son.

“He didn’t fail.” Andrew said, spitting six seeds out into his palm and offering them to Nathan. “The Aboveworld has been ridded of springtime. Now, leave.”

“Andrew, no. No!” Neil croaked. “You didn’t—“

“It’s too late.” Nathan laughed, grinning across two faces and speaking with two voices. “You’ve done well, my son.”

With that, the body off the Malcom monster and Neil’s restraints spontaneously combusted, leaving nothing but a smoking pile of ash that was carried off in the warm breeze.

“Oh, Persephone,” Neil whispered. “What have you done?”

*

“Andrew!” Nicholas cried, a weeping mess of eccentricities and dramatics. Despite being on opposing sides of the River Styx, Andrew could smell him: The slick scent of rain after a summer storm, the crisp wheat harvests of late July. He wore his characteristic jean overalls and his straw hat, and clutched at Andrew’s brother with desperate hands.

“Hades,” Kevin called. “What is the meaning of this? What happened to your face?” The scars had faded with the god-like tendency to heal within moments, but the remnants of Neil’s father would stay visible forevermore.

“Neil didn’t call you here.” Andrew said, stepping forward. “I did.”

Kevin glanced at Jean as they shared a frown.

“Neil didn’t take me unjustly. He’s still under the ministrations of Chronos.”

There was a collective pause at the name.

“Chronos no longer exists.” Athena said slowly, stepping forward from where she stood beside Iris. Danielle and Renee were their commoner names, but neither were particularly fussed about it.

Andrew always forgot how much he missed Iris until he saw her again, her pastel hair, her gentle smiles and the subliminal didactic purpose of every visit.

“Almost,” Neil said, almost too quiet to hear. “I did my very best to obliterate his being, but he had some sort of grasp upon me. I struggle to fight it.”

“And he told you to capture Persephone.” Hermes guessed, her interest captured long enough to neglect fixing her nails, her hair.

“And kill him.” Neil agreed. “But I wouldn’t. Couldn’t. So he possessed the form of the Malcom monster to rid me.”

There was a collective discomfort at the mention of the two-headed beast.

“It was my sacrifice or Neil’s.” Andrew said. “So I consumed six pomegranate seeds. The old fucker vanished as soon as his purpose was complete.”

“You what?” Nicky shrieked. “Andrew!”

“No springtime?” Hermes pondered. “No, that won’t work. It simply won’t.”

The gods of the three realms gazed upon one another. It was them who orchestrated the creeds, the rules by which all gods and men lived by, but if one exception was made, then others would follow, and chaos would ensue.

“Neil,” Andrew murmured. “The law is the law.”

“I can’t let you stay.” He whispered.

It was tragic. Neil had come to clung onto Andrew, had truly learned to care for him and favour him above all else. It was why he had to let Andrew go.

“He simply cannot escape without consequence.” Kevin argued. “There would be chaos. Debts and sentences must paid to keep order. To make an exception for Persephone would lead to the destruction of our existence.”

Andrew gazed upon Nicky, who finally opened his eyes. He was such a sorrowful man that Andrew had to look away: The pain in his gaze was simply too potent to withstand.

“But to have him stay is to play into my father’s ploy.” Neil argued.

“It’s chaos either way.” Dan advised. “Neither option is strategic, nor viable.”

“Commentary is not a solution.” Jean said wryly.

“A compromise,” Matt suggested, winking his third eye at Andrew. “He ate six seeds, one for every month he should stay in the Underworld.”

“Yes,” Dan murmured, gazing at Cerberus with newfound appreciation. “Yes. The seasons will fluctuate with his presence, and it is neither complete freedom nor complete absence.” She looked between Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. “I agree with the mutt. It is the most logical compromise.”

“It’s Matt.” Matt supplied. Athena made a face. “But thanks.”

“So it is decided.” Nicky made a squeal of relief, clapping his hands together at Zeus’ proclaimed acceptance. “Andrew will split his time between the Aboveworld and the Underworld and foil Chronos’ meddling plans for chaos and destruction.” Zeus stood straight once more. “Shall we agree upon it, brother?”

“This is the most cordial agreement we have ever decided upon.” Neil said, with a hint of laughter to his tone, as he composed a bridge to meet with Kevin in the middle. They shook hands.

Jean looked to Andrew with an offered hand. “Come, now. You must be desperate for some fresh air.”

“Not quite.” Andrew said. “I believe my coronation is to be scheduled soon, is it not?”

Neil looked at him, baffled. “What?”

“You didn’t think I would stick around to meander by your side, did you?” Andrew shook his head. “I already have my throne and my crown. All I need is my title.”

“Quite.” Neil’s smile was blindly and Andrew's heart faltered. Yes, this is how I would like to spend eternity. Basking in the light of that smile. “Well, husband-to-be. Shall we?” He offered his arm. Andrew nestled his hand into the crook of Neil’s elbow as the crowd watched, baffled.

“We shall.” Andrew said.

What a compromise indeed.

*

what a mess lol 

[smart-tech]

Timing Is Everything: Best Honeymoon Destinations by Season

our wedding ceremony trip is your first huge vacation with your new mate. It ought to stunning, sentimental, and to bite the dust for, so absolutely, you want to select the first-rate aim! but, have you ever at any point taken into consideration how the season may additionally flip a get-far from “meh” to “mysterious”. Your timing can impact the entirety from value and weather to great sights you could skip up a chief opportunity for something else! We’ve collaborated with Disney’s Fairy tale Weddings and Honeymoons to make a rundown of a part of the best unique night time goals to take into account contingent upon your tour season.

Spring Japan

continuously amid spring, the Land of the growing sun blasts into shading with the sprouting of the cherry bloom timber. it is a widely acclaimed find that several image takers have headed out an exceptional many mile to get on film, and it's one that you shouldn't go away behind! Be careful, as the blossoming season can shift every yr due to climate conditions; deliver cautious consideration to the projections assessed online before your time out for arranging. See renowned ancient points, for example, Japan's Golden Pavilion and Osaka mansion, and flavor valid eastern cooking whilst encompassed by way of the distinction of spring.

Those timber supply a stunning sprouting surroundings even in Japan's capital city of Tokyo, so don't go away for a visit! look at the town's famend areas and after that arrangement a skip to investigate your environment. just in the direction of the east of the town is Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, two stops that provide a splendid turn on Disney's exemplary hobby. Or, then again tour southwest and remain in the shadow of the heavenly Mt. Fuji.

Costa Rica

Tropical areas are mainstream for special night time dreams, yet as spring and summer time getaways control the price of extra open doorways for families to travel, tourism and fees increment. So rather than taking a gander at a greater conventional get-away package deal to Hawaii, strive Costa Rica. even as this state still observes a springtime spike in tourism and cost, regardless it offers all the regular marvels you'd assume from a tropical getaway with a less pricey decal price than what you will find out for a more traditional intention.

Costa Rica adventure In some sections of the sector, spring is considered because the wettest time of yr as ordinary downpours take plant life returned to the scene. in any case, in Costa Rica, spring is in fact nevertheless inside the dry season, so that you can zip line via lavish rainforests, move whitewater boating, and cross snorkeling off of the Gold Coast on an Adventures by Disney getaway with out agonizing as significantly over the climate.

Paris

Like Japan, the everyday excellence of spring loans a ton to the town of lighting fixtures. Paris has several well-known greenery enclosures just like the Luxembourg Gardens, the garden of plants, the Jardin des Tuileries, the Parc Monceau, and so on., and each one in all they is in complete sprout this season of the yr! appreciate sunlit walks round your new companion in a standout among the most sentimental city groups on the earth encompassed via the beautiful heady scent of nature.

Paris Honestly, arranging a getaway to Paris implies going to the majority of the great visitor areas: the Eiffel Tower, the Arc De Triomphe, and the Louvre. within the occasion which you can not get enough of Paris' exhibition halls, however, recall a day out in may additionally when they open their entryways for the long night time of Museums. This loose occasion simply happens as soon as consistent with yr, so don't bypass up the first-rate opportunity. France and Japan sincerely have one all of the greater aspect in like the way for companions of Disney: some other resort. Disneyland Paris gives some other possibility for honeymooners to appreciate great consumer benefit in Disney accommodations, eateries, and two amusement parks for a paranormal affair overseas.

Summer Northern Europe

Take advantage of the hotter temperatures and longer days to visit a few cooler get-away spots you can prevent different circumstances of the 12 months. desires like Ireland, England, and Scotland are famous for horrible winters brimming with rain. anyways, their milder summers supply a great chance to peer bounty without smothering warm temperature. Chateau visits from Europe's Golden Age, popular factors of interest like Edinburgh fort and the Tower of London, and lovely normal locales like Stonehenge and sheer ocean bluffs for miles.

Northern Europe Additionally, don't just look; Association! Northern European countries in like manner offer various remarkable open entryways these that will truly splash you in the lifestyle and history of your objective. Endeavor your hand at learning bolt based weaponry like the prominent English longbowmen, and take in the insider certainties of scone-generation and customary Irish developing.

Iceland

Iceland has been expanded tourism recently by offering low rates on flights to and from the country and trust us, it's unquestionably defended paying little mind to the excursion! This island nation offers various trademark contemplates, for instance, lethargic wellsprings of fluid magma to visit, colossal falling waterfalls, and loosening up typical showers, yet a lot of tourists are unnerved off by the likelihood of the sporadic atmosphere and setting frosty Iceland can persevere. Go in summer! Acknowledge delicate temperatures use those extra long days to press in everything from freezing walks and boat visits to horseback riding! Likewise, with a proficient travel association like Adventures by Disney as your escort, you can see a great deal of what this amazing spot conveys to the table without agonizing over whether your plans will fall through in light of abnormal conditions. Their refined specialists have seen it all and know unequivocally what to do.

Iceland

Fall Hawaii

Atmosphere shrewd, there's not by any extent of the creative ability a dreadful season to visit Hawaii; regardless, most voyagers still plan to go to the islands in the late spring. Skip it and hold up until fall! Adventure the off-season costs and more diminutive gathering and genuinely take advantage of your alone time with your new mate. Make an effort not to stretch; the atmosphere will, regardless, be awesome.

Hawaii Plan your wedding trip at a far reaching resort like Disney's acclaimed Aulani! Dinners, trip offerings, offices, it's great there before you with Disney's Mark guest organization to boot. Essentially book the trip and show up. By then, you can really loosen up in bona fide Hawaii outline at one of the resort's many pools or snorkeling in their private salt water lagoon.

Walt Disney World

The begin of November signifies the start of a short offseason in Orlando, Florida, yet one you should take full favored angle for an exceptional night! Are swarms humbler, and you can hit the last piece of the shocking Epcot International Food and Wine Festival that continues experiencing mid-November? Set up a cash registry and let your wedding guests empower you to go out on the town your way around the world with Disney's existence class culinary staff.

Walt Disney World Likewise, over that, you may even have the ability to commence your Christmas season early! In case you time your outing meticulously, you can get the essential week of Walt Disney World's Christmas improvements and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, similarly beginning around appropriate on time to mid-November. Focused on your journey may not feel adequately nostalgic? Do whatever it takes not to stretch! Disney is educated in the claim to fame of making you feel like one of a kind. For example, an uncommon travel package called the Enchanted Evening Honeymoon Option (open briefly) offers an intriguing sparklers audit and baked good gathering at the Plaza Garden, and furthermore one of a kind themed Magic Bands and apparatus names for the cheery couple. Whatever you have to do, the staff at Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons will guarantee it's extraordinary.

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is another objective that experiences generous tourism in the late spring with understudies and families abusing their break from school. The blend of warmth and culture is too much luring for most, making it difficult to dismiss, nevertheless, there's nothing lost by getting a charge out of this bit of the world in the midst of the fall. Like most warm atmosphere territories, the Mediterranean doesn't lose much steam in September and October, yet it loses vacationers. Acknowledge wine country or the leftovers of out of date municipal foundations with to some degree less contention and lower costs! While the ranges will even now be excellent paying little heed to the period of the year, they'll be more pleased with a heavier wallet.

Mediterranean There are a couple of decisions for how you can research this scope of the world while exploiting it. Mediterranean ventures are exceptionally ordinary and a phenomenal way to deal with have a broad excursion while in the meantime keeping an all the more unassuming spending design. A 7-night travel like the options Disney Cruise Line offers docks in various countries, giving you satisfactory opportunity to see a little piece of everything! Every country along the shoreline of the Mediterranean has the abundance to offer isolated, so don't falter to plan a more drew in the journey in one area like Italy. Contribute your vitality crawling all over the float to places like Sorrento and Florence with Adventures by Disney and never ignore anything.

Winter the Tropics

Winter is one of the best conditions to consider an outing in the tropics, paying little mind to where you're going. Various well-known objectives get a spike in their tourism in the midst of the more sultry months, which can make for pressed shorelines and goals, so avoid most of this and escape the chilly in the midst of December or January!

That being expressed, a voyage to the Caribbean is constantly a worthwhile commendable. The warm sea breeze and tropical ranges are as of late excessively incredible, making it impossible to desert. Acknowledge seven days long voyage through this dynamic piece of the world, experiencing pieces of culture as you dock in places like Jamaica. Additionally, while all journeys are dumbfounding, they can be tiring if whatever you do is go! Ventures have worked in order to loosen up and release up without scarcely lifting a finger your stress on board the ship. In case you are considering a voyage, look not any more removed than what Disney Cruise Line conveys to the table. Since it's Disney doesn't mean it's only for kids (or your inner character). First class organization and objectives (like Disney's own specific private island in the Bahamas—Castaway Cay) are large bits of the package, paying little mind to how old you are! Australia Our winter doesn't mean cold atmosphere wherever on the planet. To make tracks in an opposite direction from the fresh temperatures on the northern side of the equator, travel south for the Australian summer! Spend your exceptional first night exploring Sydney's world prestigious water-front. Ring in the New Year with fireworks over the water, and after that stay a brief time frame to acknowledge appears plays, and events at the Sydney Festival, heading toward the start of January.

Australia Remember that Australia has no absence of customary offerings either. Go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, see Gold Coast's praised surfing shorelines and rainforest, and catch a gander at some of Australia's amazing national parks. Make an effort not to stop at the surface either! Value most of this and more with immersive experiences like a day break camel ride and a visit to research Australia's most prepared social orders.

South Africa

Right when various animals are mulling over the northern side of the equator, you can escape toward the south and take a three-day African safari! In the event that you're pondering a winter exceptional first night, and South Africa to your once-over of possible results. While the atmosphere is warm this period of the year (as it is summer on the southern side of the equator), some light rains will make a rich green scene for you to acknowledge while you're watching common life. Tourism can in like manner drop in the midst of this period of the year seeing that you avoid school events.

South Africa South Africa isn't seen as a standard journey objective, so it might be questionable to acknowledge what to do. Give the coordinators at Adventures by Disney an opportunity to plan the purposes of intrigue! They'll take you to get some answers concerning South Africa's questionable history at the District Six Museum in Cape Town or to meet penguins at the Cape of Good Hope! An outing like this one will truly give you something exceptional to talk about when you return home. Timing can genuinely add something to your extraordinary first-night experience, dependent upon how attentive you are. While you should constantly spend this uncommon outing in an objective of your picking, there's nothing wrong with putting off to guarantee you get the best contribution to the best cost or considering another objective completely. Whatever you pick, basically guarantee that your unique first-night organizing goes as effortlessly as could sensibly be normal. Nothing can pulverize an amazing escape exceptionally like bombshell visiting designs. In case the general idea of dealing with such a noteworthy journey stresses you, by then contact Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons! Their expert travel coordinators and Disney's wide arrangement of trip packs can make the whole system a breeze. They will guarantee you get decisively what you require out of your wedding trip and empower you to make the registry that will get you there. Trips like these are dumbfounding, yet are that immeasurably enhanced with a guiding hand to take away your tension and powerlessness.   Click to Post

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Now on to the Good Stuff!

It’s no secret that Martha Stewart inspired many of us way back when the internet did not exist, when we marveled on the beautiful books she published, superbly giving us tips on cooking and decorating for family celebrations.

For someone living in far off Argentina, these books were treasures.  I would linger over them with a nice cup of coffee, dreamily planning my family gatherings around them.

Many years ago, I read a wonderful idea by Martha Stewart in her book Good Things (Best of Martha Stewart Living), suggesting her readers use egg ornaments for Easter, showing a beautiful egg topiary, and also hinting that they could also be hung on a “tree” made with a branch.

About that time I had the rare opportunity to see the wonderful Forbes Fabergé collection, the largest private collection of Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs, owned by the Forbes family before it was sold privately to the Russian oil and gas magnate, Victor Vekselberg.  In the end of this post I put together a description of these jewels.

Mr. Forbes exhibited these eggs at his own museum of art and collectibles, annexed to the offices of Forbes Magazine at 60 Fifth Avenue.  This building is now owned by NYU (New York University).

Coincidentally I found this video made by Martha Stewart, describing the beautiful eggs!

Anyway, I decided to start my own collection of Easter Eggs, with idealistic imaginings of imitating the Fabergé eggs.

    There were sooo many eggs, that I took Martha Stewart’s suggestion, and started what is now a full flung Rossetti tradition!  We started hanging the eggs on a tree, a poplar branch which my daughter dragged home when she was about 5 years old.  Years later we spray painted it white, but at first we enjoyed it natural.

First with my daughter Sabrina, and then also with my nieces, Isabel and Antonia, we decorated quaint quasi jewel-like eggs, and so our egg collection grew.  My two nephews, Sebastian and Philip, and Pablo, my brother, joined in the creativity and I now have rabbits, eggs, and baskets made by my whole family, which I proudly display every Easter.

  Another great idea for Easter is to use the cold porcelain and a bunny cookie cutter to make these quaint bunny magnets for your refrigerator!

  The Eggs:

To make these colorful eggs, we use “Cold Porcelain”, with an inset of small styrofoam balls to make the center.  Of course, I like to make the eggs vary in sizes, which makes the tree even more interesting!

We painted these cold porcelain eggs with acrylic paints and decorated with 3D Color Glitter Glue, sequins, pearls and all sorts of bling that we found around the house.

Cold Porcelain:

At first I tried working with Salt Dough, but the high humidity here in Ingeniero Maschwitz made that project a disaster.  The dough never hardened, and it actually became softer as the days went by!

Cold porcelain is an inexpensive, non-toxic, very easy-to-work-with material. Despite its name it is not porcelain, its main components are cornstarch and white craft glue.  Cold porcelain has a much finer finish than salt dough, and it hardens dry, even in very humid climates.  It air dries overnight, so it is ideal for weekend projects!

It can be purchased commercially or can be made at home.  Here’s the Cold Porcelain link to purchase my favorite on Amazon.  Cold porcelain is known by many different names, such as as porcelana fria here in Argentina.

If you prefer to make your own, you can find many different recipes for cold porcelain.  The paste is prepared by cooking on the stove or in the microwave for a brief time and then kneaded until smooth.  I prefer the stove top method, because I always fret that I’ll overcook the dough in the microwave.

My favorite recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 cc) cornstarch (sifted, with no lumps)

1 cup (250 cc) white craft glue

2 Tbsp (30cc) baby oil or liquid Vaseline, for the sheen

2 Tbsp (30 cc) vinegar used as preservative

Procedure:

Mix the ingredients in a saucepan.

Stir over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat once it starts pulling away from the side of the pan.  Cool slightly.

Put some baby oil or liquid vaseline (whatever you used for the dough) on your hands, and knead continually until the dough reaches room temperature.

Using a Ziploc Storage Quart Bags or plastic wrap, store the dough for 24 hours in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.

The dough will be ready to use after this 24 hour rest. After that point you can adjust the consistency by kneading in additional oil to correct overly dry dough, or with cornstarch to correct sticky dough.

If you’d like to make colored porcelain, knead the color of your choice in thoroughly before you begin.  You can add acrylic paint during the initial kneading while making the cold porcelain.  I have also successfully colored it with food coloring.  My favorite method is to paint with acrylic paint after the eggs dry.

Shaping:

Knead each piece before you shape it. Every time you use a new piece of clay, knead it first to increase its elasticity.

Shape the clay into the desired shape. I used the Styrofoam balls so that I didn’t have to use too much dough, and so it would dry faster.  Use such a base for large pieces. Cold porcelain shrinks significantly as it dries, and a large piece may not dry sufficiently all the way through.

I attached 8mm eyelet pins while the dough was moist.  These will be used to hang the ornaments.

If you want to add pieces of dough, they can be glued together using ordinary white craft glue.

Leave the eggs to dry. Cold porcelain requires no additional cooking and will harden simply when exposed to air.

How long this takes depends greatly on the size of your eggs, the overall weather temperature, and the humidity of the air. Keep checking until it is hard.

Once dry, have an egg decorating party!  Every guest can bring their own bling to decorate the eggs.

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Fabergé Imperial Eggs… their story:

The jeweled Fabergé eggs, possibly numbering as many as 69, were created by the House of Fabergé. Most of them were manufactured under the supervision of the goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé between 1885 and 1917. The most famous are those made for the Russian Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers. The House of Fabergé made 50 such “Imperial” Easter eggs, of which 43 still survive. Two planned for Easter 1917 were not delivered because of the Russian Revolution in which the Romanov Dynasty was overthrown and all the members of the imperial family executed.

The Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs are certainly the most celebrated and awe-inspiring of all Fabergé works of art.

The story began in 1885, when Emperor Alexander III decided to give a gold Easter egg to his wife the Empress Marie Fedorovna, possibly to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. The Emperor gave detailed instructions regarding the design of the egg, making further suggestions to Fabergé as the project progressed.

Easter is the most important occasion of the year in the Russian Orthodox Church, equivalent to Christmas in the West. A centuries-old tradition of bringing hand-colored eggs to Church to be blessed and then presented to friends and family, had evolved through the years and, among the highest echelons of St. Petersburg society, the custom developed of presenting valuable bejeweled Easter gifts.

The first Imperial Easter egg was born.

Known as the Hen Egg, it is crafted from gold, its opaque white enameled “shell” opening to reveal its first surprise, a matte yellow gold yolk. This in turn opens to reveal a multi-colored, superbly chased gold hen that also opens. Originally, this contained a minute diamond replica of the Imperial Crown from which a small ruby pendant egg was suspended. Unfortunately these last two surprises have been lost.

Photos ©FabergeThePerfectGift.com

The Empress’s delight at this intriguing gift with its hidden jeweled surprises was the starting point for the yearly Imperial tradition that continued for 32 years until 1917 and produced the most opulent and captivating Easter gifts the world has ever seen.

Each egg, an artistic work of art, took a year or more to make, involving a team of highly skilled craftsmen, who worked in the greatest secrecy. From 1887 Fabergé was given complete freedom in the design and execution, with the only prerequisite being that there had to be surprise within each creation. Dreaming up each complex concept, Fabergé often drew on family ties, events in Imperial Court life, or the milestones and achievements of the Romanov dynasty, as in the Fifteenth Anniversary Egg of 1911, commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of Nicholas II’s accession to the throne, or the Romanov Tercentenary Egg of 1913 that celebrated 300 years of the House of Romanov.

Although the theme of the Easter eggs changed annually, the element of surprise remained a constant link between them. The surprises ranged from a perfect miniature replica of the Coronation carriage, that took 15 months to make working 16-hour days, through a mechanical swan and an ivory elephant, to a heart-shaped frame on an easel with 11 miniature portraits of members of the Imperial family.

One of the most expensive was the 1913 Winter Egg, which was invoiced at 24,600 rubles (then £2,460), equivalent to approximately usd 3,5 million in today’s money.

Photo credit: Miek’s Fabergé Eggs

The Winter Egg, designed by Alma Pihl, famed for her series of diamond snowflakes, is made of carved rock crystal as thin as glass. This is embellished with engraving, and ornamented with platinum and diamonds, to resemble frost. The egg rests on a rock-crystal base designed as a block of melting ice. Its surprise is a magnificent and platinum basket of exuberant wood anemones. The flowers are made from white quartz, nephrite, gold and demantoid garnets and they emerge from moss made of green gold. Its overall height is 14.2cm (5.5″). It is set with 3,246 diamonds. The egg sold at Christie’s in New York in 2002 for US$9.6 million.

One of my favorite is the Lillies of the Valley Egg. It was presented by Czar Nicholas II to his wife, Alexandra.  This egg’s surprise is “elevated” out of the egg by twisting a gold-mounted pearl button. When fully raised, three portraits are visible under the Imperial crown set with a ruby: Czar Nicholas II and his two oldest daughters, Olga and Tatiana, painted on ivory. The portraits are framed in rose diamonds and backed with gold panels engraved with the presentation date of July 31, 1898.

The Quick 10: 10 Faberge Egg Surprises by Stacy Conradt

My other favorite is the The Bay Tree Egg. It’s 30cm (12″) high, and is made of diamonds, citrines, amethysts, rubies, agate and pearls, and, of course, gold and enamel.

Tsar Nicholas gave this egg to his widowed mother in 1911.  Hidden between the leaves on the tree egg was a little gold winding mechanism tucked inside. Turning it, the top part of the egg rose up and a tiny little feathered nightingale popped out to sing, flap its wings and move its beak. When he was done singing, the bird and the top of the egg all descended back down.

photo credit: Gatchino Jewelers

  Our first family egg hunt with my nephew Sebastian and daughter Sabrina was organized by Alejandra, my sister, in my parents’ house and wonderful garden, which is actually where I still live.  This garden has given me years of memories and comfort, with wonderful nature encompassing me.

Sebastian and Pablo, Easter 2016

DIY Fabergé Easter Eggs As always, I like to remind you that this blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.