#catching some rays mojitos in hand

[skeine]

So the Tree of Atrophy's vision implies that Exandria will survive Predathos's release and abandonment as it chases the gods: "left below, the blue waters and green of the world lay bare". Implying left uncorrupted, but no longer protected by higher powers from greater threats. But what's to prevent new gods from sliding into the vacuum left behind? Or new elder evils from razing the world? Or other planar threats like mind flayers or githyanki or demon hordes?

I wonder if Ludinus accounted for this in his plan. Because according to Ira, the Malleus Key was designed to moor the moon. We're assuming that was for long enough to use the solstice to break the cage around Ruidus, but what if it was also designed to do exactly what it's doing now? Open a crack and just hold it?

The leyline disruption Keyleth and Imogen are sensing suggests that, much like Moleasmyr's spreading corruption, Predathos's power could be infecting the whole leyline network and spreading its influence across the world.

Ludinus's notes went on about his admiration of Ruidisborn and their power, its source something intrinsically antithetical to the gods. How many children have been born near a Ruidis-infected leyline or nexus in the last couple weeks? How many regular folks living their lives near a leyline or nexus have been continuously exposed to Ruidus's flare through it for days on end now? This could be creating a massive new cohort of Ruidis-touched, maybe even Exaltants, all across Exandria.

I wonder if this extended solstice isn't just due to the Bells Hells' interference, but was actually part of Ludinus's plan all along—his gift to the world. A massive part of the population now manifesting powers that brand them, willingly or not, as enemies of the gods. Who pass this inheritance on to their children and grandchildren. A new breed of mortals beholden to no divinity, with the power to defend their independence from any threat that comes in the wake of the gods' abandonment. With the power to challenge the dominance of the gods' chosen, should Ludinus's plans fail, or if he succeeds, to defend themselves against new gods and new planar threats that may rise from the void left behind.

After all, why rely on a capricious eldritch horror to save the people when you can give them the means to save themselves?

I love the possibilities this could open up for the future of Exandria. Ordinary people with these strange new abilities popping up across the land, challenging the social order, threatening vested interests fighting to hold onto their position and influence, being conscripted by the powers that be to prop up their rule, trying to just live their lives and realizing that power also means those who will try to exploit it...

Yeah, very interested what this could mean for campaign 4

[blowflyfag]

A Diamond Exchange Kind of Party

Diamond Studd x Male Reader

THIS FIC IS 18+

ok so what if i have a big crush on Diamond Studd sue me. I was working on this one for quiet a while I was struggling with it a bit but I finally got it done... 

Masterlist      AO3

Being close to the Diamond exchange had its benefits… while you weren’t in the same league as the Diamond Dolls Page often paraded himself around with. The two liked to keep you around because you were decent with bartending. You could make fancy little drinks for them that had them feeling like high society even in a shitty hotel room. You aimed to please, and you did, happily serving them, and the diamond dolls they’d bring by. Who were you to deny the benefits? 

 Money, glitz, good sex, and most importantly going on with whatever rich people shenanigans they wanted. Those were the benefits rolling around with The Diamonds. Lucky enough Studd and Page weren’t the golfing or tennis types of rich. Though you could imagine them next to Scotty Flamingo and his shit eating grin. 

 But this wasn’t about Scotty Flamingo. Scotty Flamingo wasn’t the one on a yacht sitting in the sun, sipping on a Mojitos and getting some much-needed sun. What was the point of the trip? Hell if you know. Page and Studd liked to show off. Maybe they were just showing off once again. You wouldn’t complain, sat out on the deck, hands behind your head as you relaxed under the sun's rays. Miami was pretty nice, at least what you had seen so far with the Glitz and Glam of the Diamonds. So why not enjoy the waters as well… well. Dallas was enjoying the waters with some dolls, you didn’t know the girls personally, but they were sweet enough to you. They’d coo thanks when you provided drinks and gush about how sweet you are, and you’d always smile and accept the praise.

 You lowered your shades as you looked up to the man now standing in front of your sunlight. 

“Studd.” You began and Diamond only smirked.

“(Y/N).” They offered back with a smirk as he rolled the toothpick to the other side of his mouth.

“Is there something you need?” You asked with a quirked brow. “Or are you just blocking my light on purpose.” You pushed your glasses back down as you heard Studd chuckle.

“What? Can't a guy come visit his friend?” 

“Oh, we’re friends now?” You asked with a snicker. “Cmon what do you need? Shouldn’t you be swimming down there with Page?” 

“I’ve had enough swimming on the trip. More fun to have up here anyways don’t you think?” He smirked your way. You could only assume he meant what happened, a wild night with the guys the ship had picked up. Your face reddening a bit at the memory of the night.

“You had fun. I was working.” You rebutted, folding up the tanning screen you were using. 

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself even with your… work.” You could only scoff. “Say. Looks like you're burning up Chico. You might wanna reapply.” 

You looked Down to your arms and sighed. Might as well. Better to be safe than sorry. You reached over to the bottle and began to reapply to your arms before looking over. Still seeing Studd’s gaze on you. A smirk grew on your face. “You know.” You began catching Studd’s attention. “Since we’re friends now… you wouldn’t mind doing my back right?” 

 You should’ve expected the grin that grew on Diamond’s face.  “More than happy too.” You turned to lay on your stomach. Tossing the bottle for him to catch as you let out a small sigh. Finally, Some proper treatment around here. Sure, you were paid handsomely but you deserved to be pampered too sometimes.

You closed your eyes. Arms resting under your head. You felt the large hands press against your back and you let out a small sigh. His hands slowly rubbed the sunscreen into your warm skin. He was taking his sweet time with it. Hands rubbing into your shoulder blades. Letting out tension you didn’t even realize was stored there. “Fuck Studd…” you breathed out. Once you heard the chuckle from above you looked back to shoot a glare towards him.

“Hey hey. I’m taking care of you here. You should learn to be grateful.” Studd rebutted as his hand went to lay on your lower back. You shook your head before relaxing once again against your arms. However, as his hand didn’t move… just staying there rubbing small circles into your hips you glanced back. 

“What’re you trying now, Studd.” You lowered your sunglasses and Studd simply offered a wolfish grin. His other hand going to your other hip and simply giving it a small squeeze. You let out a small sigh. Shaking your head and looking forward once again you huffed. “You’re a pervert Studd you know that?” Your eyes closed shut as you felt his hands move from your hips. Finally, just back to normal. No funny business. 

You felt the hands travel to the middle of your back, slowly traveling down more and more under you felt them hook to your swim bottoms. Your eyes shot open and just as he was about to tug them down you grabbed his wrist. Squeezing it harshly. “Not here. Are you insane?!” You whisper hissed between your teeth, however Diamond’s smile just remained on his face as he leaned close to yours. Whispering back, “Then where Chico.” the way he enunciated his words causing your chest to bump at his teasing tone. You gulped as you looked around. You could still hear the splashing from wherever Dallas and the dolls were. You met Studd’s gaze again before motioning your head to the interior of the yacht. 

                                                             —

 As soon as the door closed for the room, you felt your wrist get grabbed and you were turned on your heel as Studd pressed rough lips against yours. Your eyes fluttered with the kiss as your hands went to wrap around his neck, hands digging into the black curls. You were quick to indulge, wrapping your one arm around his neck while the other found a comfortable spot in his slicked back hair. You groaned as you fell back onto the bed, you looked up to him before grinning, reaching over to the hem of his pants to quickly pull them down. Were you even shocked to see he was commando…? You didn’t give it much thought before taking his cock down your throat. Your head quickly bobbed as your hands found a place on those incredible thighs. So maybe he had gotten under your skin and gotten you riled up. You’d get him back for it. You had too. You pulled away after a bit and batted your lashes up at him. 

“This what you wanted?” You asked with a cocked brow and Studd only grinned down. 

“Oh, it’s more than what I wanted.” “You’re terrible.” You said with an eye roll before getting on your hands and knees. “You going to finish what you started earlier?” You asked with a quirked brow and a smirk on your lips. Studd let out a hearty laugh as he reached one of the side tables. 

“Impatient are we now?” “Well, you got me all worked up so the least you could do is help me out.” You huffed before gasping out as you felt one of his lubed-up fingers enter you. You shuddered and pressed your head against your arms. It wasn’t long until another entered… and then another. You were halfway sure you were about to cum on his fingers before he pulled out. You let out a shaky sigh and looked back at him. “Good…?” 

“You’re all good don’t worry.” he said as he patted your ass before aligning himself. You felt him prod a few times before sliding in. 

 You let out a small whine as Diamond Studd was finally inside you. Causing your back to arch ever so slightly as you pressed your face against the sheets. The silk blanket wringing slightly under your grasp. You felt his one hand wrapped tightly around your waist while the other found the back of your head to keep you pressed down. Hot skin and ice-cold a/c was the perfect mixture. A cocktail of sensation as you felt the warmth of your sun kissed skin occasionally touched by the small gusts of cool air from the a/c above. “Fuck... fuck fuck Studd oh my god.” You let out in a shaky voice and the man chuckled above you. “Already Chico? What happened to your little attitude huh?” He jerked his hips forward a bit and you let out a strangled cry. 

“Oh fuck…” he moaned as he bottomed out inside of you. Your eyes rolling back for a moment before looking behind you to take in Studd. The Enigma. Twisted Steel and Sex appeal. God Dallas wasn’t lying about that. His hand went to give your hip a small squeeze and you reached back to grab his wrist. “Fucking Christ Studd.” His hand squeezed your hip in a way to assure you perhaps. “Let me take care of you.” He said as he steadied his pace to fast thrusts. Though they weren’t shallow thrusts that you’d have with cheap drunken hookups that left you feeling disappointed. No. These were deep thrusts that had you seeing stars with each one and your legs shaking. His hands gripped firm on your hips added to the butterflies fluttering in your stomach. Your eyes gazed back.  It was so… nice to see. You managed to look up a bit and see the blissed out expression on Studd’s face. Always the cocky one, too confident for his own good, the guy who knew he was stunning, now looking blissed out inside of you. It caused a swell of pride almost. A few loose strands of hair getting into his face, you smirked at him, and he met your gaze with a smirk on his own. You leaned up a bit, he seemed to pick up the message as he met you halfway to capture you into another passionate bruising kiss, his free hand going to trail up your chest before coming back down to hold you close as his thrusts began to grow sloppy. 

“Fucking Christ don’t give up on me yet.” You said quickly as you grabbed his hand to place it on your cock, he got the message, quickly rubbing his hand up and down. It didn’t take long for you to cry out as your chest lurched forward as you came. Studd’s face buried in your neck as he himself finished inside of you. The two of you collapsed on top of each other, your hands quickly darting to wrap around Studd. Just to keep him around a bit longer. You just wanted a little longer. 

Studd’s own arms pulled you closer if that was even possible. “This make us friends now…?” He whispered into your skin, and you were quiet for a moment before shoving his shoulder. “Yeah… sure we are. Friends.” You joked with a snicker as you pressed your forehead against his. “This mean I can have the night off?” Studd’s eyes widened. “What?! And have Page make drinks, are you insane?” You could only burst out laughing as you buried your face into his neck. 

[glenncoco4]

Doctors and Detectives Part 2

Thursday

Katie opens the door without peaking, knowing exactly who's on the other side. As the brunette slowly appears, she looks a bit frazzled as if she was in a hurry to get here. "Hey, I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show."

Kensi steps into the foyer, finally able to catch her breath for the first time today. "Yeah, sorry about that, we were slammed today."

As the two women walk down the hall towards the kitchen, Kensi catches a glimpse of the shaggy blonde that she met the other day, noticing he looks a bit frazzled himself as he mixes a drink.

The nurse can't help the small smile from rising to her lips as she watches her husband's partner perform the task, his brow furrowed in concentration. "He's been remaking your mojito over and over again."

"Why?"

"He said he wants to get it perfect." The redhead turns towards her friend with knowing smile as she watches the blush slowly creep up the doctor's neck towards her cheeks. Oh this is gonna be good.

XXXX

Dinner had been amazing and as usual Kensi didn't let her hearty appetite suffer because of Deeks' appearance at dinner. As they finished up dessert, Katie brought out Pictionary in hopes to get the doctor and detective to loosen up a bit and let their guards down.

A few hours and some choice words later...

As the last bit of sand slowly trickles down, Kensi and Deeks eye the other pair, who are stalled when it comes to the last answer...the winning answer. Both Jake and Katie look at each other as they continue to talk it out but just as the answer comes to them the last grain of sand falls into the lower chamber signaling their defeat.

The doctor and detective both stand, exchanging double high fives victoriously. "Yes! D squared is victorious!"

"Champions of the world!"

After their laughter dies down and Jake and Katie admit defeat, Deeks takes a look at his watch stunned at how late it actually is. "Alright, guys, I better head out. The waves are suppose to be great in the morning."

The doctor shares a look with him, almost sad that the night is coming to an end. "Yeah, I better go too. I'm beat."

Making their way towards the front door, Kensi and Deeks step out onto the small porch and briefly exchange hugs with their friends. As they say their last goodbyes, the doctor and detective walk down the driveway, both noticing the other's slightly slower strides.

Once they reach his truck, he pauses, nervously running his fingers through his golden locks as he works up the courage to look at her beautiful mismatched eyes again. "Hey, so uh-would uh...you wanna go for a walk or grab some ice cream?"

She looks at him curiously, trying to not put too much thought into his actions tonight. "I thought you needed to whip out your sex wax and prep for tomorrow morning?"

"Nah, I just said that because that's my go to excuse to leave."

There's a beat of silence as a look of contemplation crosses her face before she nods with a smile, making his heart flutter.

"Okay, I could go for some ice cream.

"I know just the place."

XXXX

The red Dodge pulls into the retro parking area, neon glow illuminating the darkness around them. There are young teens on skates as they carry food out to other cars that are enjoying the atmosphere. High school kids hanging out, a few families along with a few couples.

Kensi takes in the environment as a whole, loving the vibe and surprised by this hidden gem right in the center of her city. "Wow, this place is amazing."

Deeks smiles, mentally giving himself a high five, as he shifts the truck's gear into park. "I thought you might like it."

They both roll down their windows, enjoying the brisk summer air before one of the car hops skates up to Deeks' side of the vehicle.

"Hi, welcome to Charlie's. What can I get you?'

"Can we get a chocolate malt with extra whipped cream, Rocky Road milkshake with extra whipped cream and an order of chili cheese fries?"

"Sure thing. That'll be 10 dollars even."

The detective pulls out his wallet, handing the young girl a twenty. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, sir." The young blonde quickly skates off with a smile on her face.

He places his wallet back into his pocket all the while feeling her eyes on him. Maneuvering himself, Deeks turns his body so now that he's facing her, and once his eyes lock with her's again he realizes he finally has the opportunity to know more about her. "So have you always worked at Cedars?"

"No, actually right out of med school I decided to up and go to Africa and work with Doctors without Borders."

"Wow. That's...wow." If he wasn't left in awe over her before he most definitely is now.

"It was one of the best experiences of my life. Everything was so slow over there, I could catch my breath and just enjoy life while helping others." The doctor shakes her head, smiling as she thinks back to the dance challenges she would have with the local tribe kids every evening before sun down. There's a part of her that misses that life, back when things were simpler and the people she was around were actually genuine, not that the people in her life now aren't, it was just...different.

He notices the glimmer of yearning in her features and he can't help but wonder. "So why'd you decide to come back to LA?"

"Honestly, I was tired of moving around all the time. I wanted to put down some roots. Maybe start a family some day."

There's something in her eyes, he's not sure how to read. Loss maybe?

"So what about you?"

"What about me?" His brow furrows, caught off guard at how quickly she turned the tables, clearly not wanting to talk about herself anymore.

"What made you decide to become a cop?"

He can feel his body tense, more so about his answer than her question. His thumb rubs back and forth across the skin of his wrist, a coping mechanism that he's become used to any time his past is brought up. "My home life wasn't the best. Dad was a drunk...he uh-he beat me and my mom pretty good." Taking a deep breath he looks up at her, cerulean blues locking with mismatched chocolate orbs full of sadness and understanding, and immediately feels a calmness wash over him. "She tried her best to protect me from it and take the brunt of it all. It wasn't until a few years later that I finally realized that it was never gonna end. So late after school one day my friend Ray gave me his dad's gun for protection. I was so worried that I wouldn't have a place to hide it but it turns out I didn't need one because I used it that night. The cops came and the last time I saw my dad, he was laying in a pool of his own blood."

Her heart breaks as she watches the tears roll down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I kinda got carried away." He sniffles, wiping away his tears, almost afraid to look back up at her with what he can assume would be pity in her eyes.

A sad smile crosses her face before her hand finds his, knowing just how vulnerable you can feel when talking about your past. "Hey, I'm glad you told me."

There's a beat of silence as the pair gather themselves both reviling in the comfortableness of the moment.

"Do you want to have a family some day?"

The sadness that was in his eyes just a few minutes ago is now replaced by a spark along with a smirk playing at his lips as he looks up at her. "Why, Dr. Blye, are you asking for my hand in marriage?"

She shakes her head and playfully swatting his shoulder, trying to play off the spark of electricity that jolts through her body at the implication.

"Yeah, I think if I find the right woman I'd like to settle down and have a few kids, but it's hard you know? Having the job I do and making time for someone else."

"I know exactly what you mean. I've had like 5 dates since I moved back to the states and that was four years ago."

"Wow. Now that's a crime."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?"

"Yes. Maybe? I don't know. You're-uh, look! Ice cream's here!" He quickly diverts the conversation as their car hop rolls up to the side of the truck once again, this time with a tray full of food.

There's a brief moment of silence yet again as the pair enjoy the first taste of their sweet cold desserts, sneaking a glance at the other as they do.

As she pulls her lips away from the straw, the brunette lets out a small laugh at the unaware detective who has a smudge of whipped cream on his lip. Before she realizes what she's doing her thumb finds the corner of his mouth, wiping away the remnants of the white foam.

The smile that was playing at his lips immediately shifts to shock as he's left completely stunned at her touch.

"You had some whipped cream."

He notices the blush rise to her cheeks and feels his heart rate pick up speed but its her next actions that leave him completely caught off guard.

She leans over the console, feeling a magnetic pull towards him as her lips find his. The moan that escapes her mouth is brought on by the feel of his hand finding her jaw and his fingers massaging the back of her neck.

When air becomes scarce the pair reluctantly pulls back from each other, both trying to catch their breaths. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

All she can do is smile.

[bbrandy2002]

Wacky Drabble #16: What Goes Around

Part 2 of Something Flubbed…

This is part of @emceesynonymroll #wackydrabbles

Liam x Riley

Catch up with Part 1

A/N: What started as a crack drabble about tumblr reblogs, of all things, has somehow morphed into a semi-actual story. I'm still scratching my head on how I did it and have just decided to let my Liam and Riley tell the story. Its still mostly crack yo!

Prompt: Was I not supposed to

Word count: 1322

Liam’s right eye was twitching as he shot her a look of pure hell and contention. He stammered for words, unsure of what to say or even think. The last thing he ever expected from Riley was infidelity, believing their marriage was something special, something sacred, something she respected and was devoted to as much as he was. That she had written, in a mediocre fashion, the details of a courtyard tryst with Drake, his best friend of all people, and even relished in the fact that she was doing so, was next to unforgiveable in his mind.

Riley approached her husband apprehensively, wanting to explain herself, if she even could. She clasped her hands together firmly, attempting to control the visible trembling. She knew this was bad, but, was hopeful it could be cleared up quickly. At this point, the truth had to be better than what she assumed he was thinking. Before she was able to inch too close, he held his hand up to stop her. With his mist filled eyes, the ones that were breaking her apart, he began his scathing remarks. “First off…..your friend here just sent you a message asking if some girl named Alyssa should fuck me at Drake’s funeral”.

“Aww, she’s killing Drake off”, her posture slumped as she shook her head disappointingly. Her gaze met his again; realizing he really was in no mood for banter. “Liam, It’s not what you think ”

“Secondly”, he continued with a raised voice, cutting her explanation off, “Did you fuck Drake in a courtyard in Fydelia, writing….and I quote, “his cock is much larger than Liam’s”.

Riley swallowed hard, searching for the right words, ones that were truthful, yet, not so hurtful. She inhaled deeply, preparing to come clean of her offense, "Sweetheart, its just fanfiction and all that Drake stuff was just a really, really bad bet I lost. I swear, I have never, ever been with Drake."

Liam quirked his brow, "a really bad bet, huh?"

"Yes", she answered, tugging nervously at the tie on her robe. " I bet Burnsy I knew Drake better than she knew you, and...."

"Burnsy?"

"...but, when I took Anitah's quiz..."

"Quiz?"

"I didn't know about the mojitos and bears and a bunch of other shit and then Beeps had to make..."

"Beeps?"

"those monster Drake kids that are on my blog and I had to write smut, but, I didn't know how to write smut, so I had to watch porn....oh my god, there was so much porn, and ritachacha wanted to read it and...Im no ritachacha...so I drank and cried and binged on porn and bananas for two weeks solid and I attempted to hide the post but these turmblr girls are thristy and can sniff out smut, even the bad ones and Im so sorry Liam, Im so.....so sorry", she inhaled deeply trying to catch her breath from her long winded tangent.

"I have no idea what the hell you just said", he bit back, completely dumbfounded and baffled by her explanation.

"You don't understand what I said?"

"Do you?", he yelped.

Riley watched with trepidation as Liam tossed the laptop on the bed and eased himself up from the floor, wincing at the shooting pain in his back from the fall, rubbing and massaging the sore spot above his ass.

Riley moved towards him in an attempt to help, concerned about his injuries and wellbeing, but, he jerked away, hobbling to the other side of the room, keeping his back to her.

"Liam", her voice cracking as tears of shame began to fall. "Liam, please look at me....none of that is real..none of it...it was just a dumb bet".

He shot a glance sideways, still not completely looking at her, "so you wrote that you rode Drake's...collosus dick, harder than Seattle Slew because of a bet?".

She chuckled a little, amused by her husband's analogy, before quickly composing herself, "Was I not supposed to?", she replied innocently, "it was a bet, Liam...everyone knows you can't take back a bet".

Liam spun around to face her, shocked at the words that just spewed from her lips, "I see", he nodded, tapping the front of his chin. With a clenched jaw, he breathed deeply through his nose and exhaled sharply, his eyes speaking for him, full of disdain and hurt.

He strolled forward in her direction, stopping just shy of her petite frame. He leaned over until his reddened face was directly in front of hers and just inches apart, his voice clear and firm, "Then I bet your ass won't mind sleeping elsewhere tonight".

Riley's eyes widened, her mouth falling open, unable to find words. She watched in astonishment as he reached across the bed, retrieving her pillow before holding it out to her.

"You can't be serious?"

"Oh, I'm very serious", he stated matter-of-factly, "and if you want back in this bed anytime soon....or my "not as enormous as Drake's" cock, you will delete that fucking blog".

"I don't accept that bet, Your Majesty", she seethed, tossing the pillow back on the bed, sitting herself on the edge with her legs crossed and her hands folded on them. "I'm not going anywhere and I'm not deleting that blog".

Liam perched his lips, gliding his tongue along the inside of his cheek. Realizing she called his bluff, "Fine..", he yanked his pillow up and tucked it firmly under his arm, "I'll be in my study"

"Fine", she shrugged.

"Fine!"

Liam hastily exited the bedroom, slamming the door and did what he said he would do. He opened his desk drawer searching for anything that would take away the pounding in his head and the throb in his backside. He opened the bottle of Aleve and found it empty before throwing it across the room. He kept Riley's Midol in there too for when he needed to quell her bitchiness during certain times of the month. Helps with cramps, bloating, tension, backpain, headaches, irritablity, muscle aches and water weight gain, he had all of them.

Liam unloaded three into his mouth, washing them down with the bottle of whiskey he reserved for when Drake would drop by for a quick drink. He slumped down into his desk chair, still reeling from the audacity and nerve of his wife. He wanted her to feel as bad as he did at this moment, to see how her actions made him feel. It didn't matter if it was real or not, she wrote it. He knew in his heart she and Drake wouldn't betray him that way, but, did she want to? Did she really think his dick was small and that he was an asshole?

He thought to himself as he continued sipping on his drink, how could he make her see and feel exactly the way he does? He contemplated his options for several minutes, when, like a spark igniting, it came to him....two can play this game.

Liam's lips curled into a sinister grin, his eyes lighting up, as he pulled his chair closer to his desk, turning the computer on. He downed the rest of the bottle, tossing it aside, as he cracked his knuckles, preparing to give Riley a little taste of her own medicine.

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

It was early Saturday morning when the sun just started to brighten the morning sky. A bright, warm ray shining through the balcony doors and landing squarely on Riley's face, her darkened complexion glowing more than usual. She yawned and stretched, feeling content from a good nights sleep.

Reaching her arm across the bed, she felt the emptiness of where Liam usually slept. Did she care that he was pissed off with her, of course. She loved him and never wanted to hurt him, but, she wouldn't be controlled, nor, intimidated by him. She was hopeful that by him sleeping in the study last night and a little time away from each other, it would cool him down and they could discuss this rationally.

With another big stretch and yawn, she noticed her laptop still sitting in the same spot on the bed Liam had left it last night. She lunged over and scooped the device into her arms.

Plugging in the charger, she fired up the app and immediately took note of the numerous tags she had from several of her mutuals for the same story. Curious, she clicked on the link taking her to a rather peculiar title:

"Liam Fucks Hana Five Ways From Sunday With His Enormous Dick"

A new collaborative drabble by @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore and newcomer @inyourfacerileybrooks-love-liam

NSFW 🍋🍋🍋

He had bamboozled her, and in doing so, somehow convinced Bleakmore to join into his scheme; she knew it was him.

"I'm going to slaughter him...LIAM!!!!!!!!"

Wacky Drabblers and Permatags: @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @jessiembruno @sirbeepsalot @dcbbw @romanticatheart-posts @stopforamoment @katedrakeohd @pedudley @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @drakesensworld @ao719 @janezillow @eileendannie @texaskitten30 @glaimtruelovealways @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @eileendannie @hopefulmoonobject

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

Kira (12)

CHAPTER 12: Truth Lies in The Eyes

Loki x fem!Reader (Kira)

Series: Will contain fluff, smut, bloodshed, violence, anxiety, tears and the cries of my wilted soul.

Chapter content: okay. So...this is both happy and sad. This is haad.

Warnings: Flirtation. Confessions. Blood.

Word count: I went back to office today and clearly it’s going to take some time time to go back to normal. I’m more concerned about mom though. SHe had her entire day set around grandma. I really need to find something where she can invest her time but I’m not able to think of something

MASTERLIST & Taglist in bio, my love

It is not always that you wake in the morning with the feeling of having experienced a luxurious sleep in not the softest but clean-smelling sheets, not the most expensive but a snug mattress, sounds of birds chirping outside the window, a warm arm resting over your chest, the warmth of the comforter keeping the cold currents at bay while dust bunnies float in the sun rays blessing the room with the most delicate glo-

Now, wait a second.

Loki tries to stir and open his eyes before pausing dead where he lays when he feels your arm rest over his chest while your head lies insufferably close to his own arm, clinging to it. Within the intoxication of sleep, he is reminded of the nights when he would cling to his mother as a child whenever there was a nightmare that prevented him from sleeping. That thought brings out a tender afterglow on his face when he takes the opportunity to wonder if you think him as your safe space- even if it's unconsciously so.

He watches your light breaths, your brows devoid of that unspoken stress you always seem to carry around with you. It's an upgrade for him to watch you sleep in a thunderstorm to waking up to you sleeping in the most peaceful morning. That heavy snoring that's building up reassures him that you are having a trouble-free sleep till a loud thud jerks you awake and forces Loki to pretend to still be sleeping.

"Kira! I'm headin' out. Jane's here!"

Your slumber-laden eyes try to find anything that can tell you what time of day it is and who called out your name before slamming the door so loud. But all you get is the surprise of finding yourself almost lying over Loki- your one arm resting on him while the other arm latches onto his, drool all over his bicep- thankfully covered by his t-shirt- where you lay with your mouth open.

Cursing yourself, you try to wipe away the wetness as discreetly as possible, slowly freeing your hand from under his arm, mouthing a sorry and getting up from the bed to tiptoe to the bathroom, shutting the door and cursing 'shit' loud enough for Loki to hear and smile with his eyes still closed.

.

"So, you know she's out on a date?"

"Mm-hmm."

"With Billy Russo?"

"Hmm."

"And you are...?"

"...eating my brunch?"

Solaris thwacks Loki with the newspaper, making him give out a sarcastic 'ouch' without even twitching while she tries to burn him alive with her stare.

"How thick can you be?" She snaps.

Loki wrinkles his brows at her before going back to his newspaper. "I don't know what you're talking about, Solaris," he simply states, relaxing into his chair.

"Do not 'I don't know what you're talking about me', Loki. I've seen the way you look at her. I'm just surprised someone as meticulous as you has to be shown that you have a thing for her." Solaris throws her napkin on the table and takes one good sip of her wine.

Loki's eyes go away from his paper to her. He sighs and folds the paper neatly before picking up his glass of wine. "What makes you think I don't know what I'm going through?"

Solaris can't help but cock a brow at him. She is contemplating her thoughts but everything is ending up in her hitting him with a newspaper again. "Then what the fuck are you doing sitting here?"

Loki takes in one measured sip of the juice. "Solaris, it's not for me to choose who she likes. I cannot decide for her."

This makes her tilt her head with a faint smile and narrowed eyes. "Really? And what assurance can you give me that you will be fine once she makes Russo her choice."

The juice is twirled a bit as those ocean eyes are fixated on them before contents are gulped down. "I've been fine till now, haven't I?"

Solaris chuckles. "Oh, Loki."

"What?" He is genuinely confused at the humour she's finding in this context.

"Why do you think I left Wakanda when I decided to be your ally?"

.

"I thought you changed your mind."

The glow on Billy's face melts you a little. It is heart-warming to see him light up when he sees you walk into the cafe that oddly seems to be deserted for a place that's housing thousands of people on the last day of the expo. Billy takes you to the table by the lake, drawing out the seat for you before settling down opposite you.

"Best seat in the house. With an equally amazing view. Though clearly not as beautiful as the one sitting in front of me," he declares, making you let out an uncomfortable smile.

A violin plays a sombre melody at a distance on the platform by the lake- you're guessing just for you. Waiters bring out entrées, setting them down the table and disappearing just as they came. Not at all creepy.

"I took a little liberty in deciding the menu. Really wanted you to try the best," he mentions before getting up to open the wine.

"Oh, no. I don't-I don't drink wine," you state quickly, not wanting him to waste something so seemingly expensive on you who didn't even know the first thing about them.

"Something else, then? Mojito? Caipiroska? A long Island?"

"I'm good. Thanks. Really."

Minutes pass as Billy pulls you in his conversation, making you giggle- and eventually laugh- as he narrates his past days and the horribly humourous decisions he made.

"Wow," you chortle, "I am surprised you are even alive right now, Russo!"

"Trust me, so am I," he chuckles.

You pick at your ravioli, the smile still plastered on your face while Billy is studying you intently.

"I really wish I had more time to get to know you, Kira. I've never seen someone sit through my stories as you did today," he giggles.

"Well, I'm sure we'll meet on another such expo or big event soon," you add with a smirk.

His head now rests on his fist, his dark eyes staring at you with some melancholic emotion till you ask what he is looking at.

"What do you think of me, Kira?"

You stop chewing to gulp down your food, having not really expected that question. "I think you're charming, Billy. You really know your way around people. And you certainly know how to treat a woman good. Which comes to me thanking you for lunch today. It was amazing but you didn't have to put so much effort into it. Though I'm guessing this is quite normal for you."

That's when you see him blush.

"I-It's not," he stutters, moving his hands through his hair, catching your eyes by the nervous movements. "This is the...erm...first time. For me."

"Oh." You don't have much to say to that.

"Well, if it helps, it's the first time for me too," you simply shrug.

"No," he exclaims.

"Yeah, no need to pretend."

"No, I am serious! How have you been single till now?" Billy is genuinely interested to know.

"Well, clearly I can't ever think of teaming up with Loki for a business," he states, making you furrow your brows and scoff, "he simply does not know what he's missing out on."

"Hey, I'm still is assistant!"

"My point exactly!"

"W-no! You idiot! That's not what I meant! Oh, my-I'm sorry for calling you an idiot."

"I appreciate the honesty, darling," he asserts before both of you burst into giggles.

"So..." Billy continues once the laughter dies down, "have you ever considered working anywhere else?"

"Hm?"

"Working with something else. I'm sure you had something in your mind before you ended up at Sun Corp."

You take a swig of your juice to avert your gaze. "Not really. No. I just had a few hobbies. But that's what they're. Hobbies."

"So, you like it there? At Sun Corp?" Now Billy is trying to avoid your gaze.

"Mm. It's g-"

"Would you like to come with me?"

The eye-lock is momentary but you know what he is trying to say. And you, on the other hand, sit there mouth agape, processing his words and all the possible scenarios inside your head.

"Billy...I-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt the lunch, Mr Russo," a familiar voice calls out from behind you. You turn around to watch Robert giving you his signature smile. He clearly has no idea what timing he has. "May I have a word with you, ma'am?"

You're scraping the legs of the chair before he has even finished his sentence. You excuse yourself and walk away, knowing Robert would never interfere with your personal time if it wasn't something very important.

"Everything okay?" You ask him with genuine concern. Robert doesn't stop walking. So, clearly neither can you. He takes out a folder from his jacket pocket and gestures you to have it.

"The Adachis are clear. They're an honest business. Showered with respect even from the Yakuza."

You open the file and look through the findings; which are as normal as a family with constant scrutiny and wealth can be.  "That's amazing. But why are you running by me? I'm sure you have a direct line with Loki."

Robert wets his lips and analyses the surroundings out of habit. "This is your project. I'm just contributing. My work is to dig up dirt and hand over the worms to the person who knows what to do with them."

You raise your brow at him. "...okay. Weird analogy but okay."

Robert's phone chimes and he takes it out to see the incoming message.

Call it a stroke of luck or misfortune, for you see the screen open to find a picture of the man- too familiar to go unnoticed- with the caption 'the job's done', right before Robert taps it close and returns his attention towards you.

"Why don't take the file and go over to the chalet? I'll meet Loki there in...five minutes?"

Robert nods and turns around to walk away, leaving you with a million questions inside your head.

"Everything alright, Kira?"

Billy's voice is too close to you, and if that's not enough, you feel his breath right on the hairs on your ears, forcing you to turn around and look him directly in those heavy pupils.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just have to go take care of something," you state as casually as you can.

"Is it necessary to go?"

You blink and open your mouth to speak but then your eyes get stuck to his. The crisp blackness of those eyes wanting to engulf you inside them and keep you here forever; wanting to play with you more, already hearing you call out his name.

And something hits you at that moment.

"Yes. It is... necessary to go," you hear yourself saying, "Goodbye Mr Russo."

.

"What about those two companies you were looking at earlier? Anvil Corp and-"

"Kira hit a dead end with those two. Though we could consider investing in-"

"Don't invest in Anvil Corp."

Your sudden announcement through the front door is a surprise for both Solaris and Loki who sit on the breakfast table discussing their potential market as well as investors.

"Kira," Solaris turns to you, "why do you think that? Russo has a gold star business."

You try to catch your breath all the while trying to stay poised. Your eyes catch the confusion in Loki's before going back to Solaris. "I don't trust that man. I wouldn't want you to trust any part of your hard-earned business with him."

The faint brakes in your voice are clear to Loki's ears. His instincts are broiling up, knowing something happened.

"The Adachis on the other hand-"

Your words are interrupted as Heimdall walks in and stops to stand by you.

"What." Loki isn't very happy to see him for he usually is the bearer of bad news.

"The Adachis want to talk business with you."

Loki, Solaris and you look at Heimdall as if they heard it wrong the first time. "Apparently Megumi loved something about you two. So she's willing to get into business with you...two."

"Him and Kira?" Solaris wants to be clear. Heimdall nods.

"Wow. No mention about me?" Solaris asks sarcastically, to which Heimdall simply shrugs.

Everyone looks at Loki and he simply shares a thoughtful look with them before taking in a lungful of breath, turning everyone to the metaphorical edges of their seats.

"Alright. Let's talk to the Adachis today and sign it," he declares, getting up and buttoning his jacket.

Everyone seems delighted with the idea. Everyone except you. Loki seems to notice it better than anyone. You seem happy but the joy does not seem to reach your eyes.

"What do you think?" Loki asks you once everyone's gone to pack up their stuff and the two of your remain to get your things in order.

"About what?" you ask him. You truly seem to be missing in the room.

"The business deal."

"Oh! I think it's great. I don't think there would be a better company to tie up with. Except the Stark Industries, of course."

"Kira I-"

"Yeah, I know you have your issues with Tony. I get it," you raise your hands in defeat.

Loki smiles and goes back to putting your jacket- the one he wore- into your bag, while you stand there with your back to him, contemplating your next few words all the while trying to fold your trousers.

"I have a question to ask."

Loki looks up from your luggage. "Shoot."

"Will you ever let me know before you make a decision that affects me in some way?"

Now he's confused.

"Like affects you and me in some way. Our work relationship...in some way."

Loki does not know what you're thinking, but all he can think about is this morning when he made the choice of letting you sleep over his arm while he enjoyed the unspoken comfort you brought him. Was that creepy of him?

"Of course."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Something inside you cracks.

"Thank you for being honest with me."

.

"Everything okay?"

The meeting with the Adachis where Tony and Pepper where present seems like a trance. Everything had gone smoothly. Now, you sat in the jet on your way back home.

Loki's home, you found yourself correcting your own thoughts.

"Yeah," you whisper, never turning to Loki, instead looking out the window at the orange and pink hues that dusk was painting on the clouds, "everything's fine."

"You have been quiet through the entire trip," Loki states, his hands busying themselves in the magazine in front of him in order to pull up a nonchalant pretence. He even noticed how you'd not touched your meal nor caught a shut-eye throughout the flight.

The captain announces over the speaker to fasten the seatbelts for the landing

"Why does that bother you so much?"

The sting in your voice reaches Heimdall and Robert in the back, who share a look with each other before turning towards an equally confused Loki.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Harrison Wardwell."

The name brings a torrent of realisation over the three faces, like washing away a mask of intimacy for you.

"I'm guessing by the looks on all of your faces, you know exactly what I'm talking about. What did you do with him? Got him demoted? Sacked? Or something worse?"

The plane tilts for the landing. What is worse than the fear of the height right now is the fact that your voice does not rise even once.

Neither of the men speaks.

"None of you have the right to avenge me. None of you. And you, Loki Odinson, have no right to make decisions for me. I hope you understand that by the time this plane lands."

The plane hits the tarmac and goes the length of the runway before coming to a halt- the runway journey seeming like an eternity for these men- when you're the first one to unfasten yourself from your seat and get up.

"Kira, listen to me," Loki nearly commands, taking your arm in his light grasp.

"What did you do with him?" Is all you ask him.

He cannot look away from your eyes because you are holding him there, forcing the truth out of him. And for all he knows, he's already lost you.

"He's been fired."

"And?"

"..."

"And!"

"He will be charged before the end of the day."

Your arm slips away from his grasp and he watches you walk away, not knowing what to do.

"Kira!"

His voice falls on deaf ears.

"Robert," he declares, sending the man down to escort you. Anger rages through his blood at the chutzpah you display by walking away from him.

How dare she?!

You walk out the exit.

I am above her.

Your strut shows no sign of doubt.

She is supposed to do as I say. She is supposed to live as I tell her to!

You disappear from his view, leaving him standing there with Heimdall telling him to do the same.

Then why does it hurt?

.

"I need to go to the office."

Robert looks in the rearview mirror at your face looking out the window. He is waiting for you to ask him or say something that would indicate how mad you are at him.

You do look at him finally. "I can take a cab if you don't feel like it."

Maybe not yet.

The car is driven to the office building devoid of conversation. You get out without any word about when you might come back. Robert gets out to escort you in but you refuse. He tries to reason with you but the request is just words in the wind as you walk inside the building.

The night has already fallen and the summer loo has turned into a full-blown chilly fall wind. Robert waits in the parking lot, pacing to and fro-not really bothered by the chill- looking at his watch and his surroundings. You were not supposed to know. This was not supposed to go this way. No matter what reason he comes up with, in no scenario are you content with the outcome till he realises it really was not their decision to make.

A tired sigh leaves his lips and his eyes close in a small prayer. The faintest sound from one direction catches his attention. He looks at that side of the parking lot but is disappointed that it's not you. It's no one really. The corner is dark, dimly lit by the lamps in the centre of the lot. Your reaction really has him on edge right now.

He takes in a lungful and starts to walk in the direction of the sound to see if there's anyone there. But the clack of your boots is easily recognised by him, forcing him to turn in your direction and escort you back to the vehicle.

"Kira," he calls out for you softly, watching your six- well, the entire three-sixty, really- while trying to get you to talk to him, "I beg you to please listen to me just this once."

"I think enough's been said and done, Robert," you spew back, never turning around or slowing down your pace.

"Kira, please. If you've ever considered me a well-wisher, a friend, you need to know it wasn't Loki's fault. He just wanted t-"

You do turn around. You turn around enough for Robert to see the faint crisp dust bunnies of the chilly night lined up right to face your chest and later your back in a faded red hue.

"Is that what you people do? Protect him fr-"

You turn around for him to not let you finish your words when he is looking at you with an expression you cannot place within the next few seconds while he grabs you in an unbreakable hold, forcing you down with him. You turn around to fall down when you hear something like a cracker going off in the silent night as Robert lands over you, his arms still securing you.

You can feel the gravel scrape your arm and leg. You can hear the sirens go off around you. You can feel the floodlights sting your blurred eyes. You can sense the heaviness upon you as you try to get up and move Robert to help him up.

But nothing in the world readies you for the wetness over your chest that comes from the red colouring Robert's shirt before gathering into a pool below the two of you.

[thecleverdame]

East of Nowhere - Year Four

Sam x Reader

Series Masterlist

Summary:  You and Sam are strangers trapped in a desolate mountain town where you live alone, isolated from the outside world, for five years.

Warnings: language, violence, smut, talk of past trauma

Beta:  ilikaicalie  

This story is complete (44k) and available now on Patreon for a pledge of 2.50. >>CLICK HERE<<

-

YEAR FOUR

Three Years, Three Weeks

You twist in sweat-soaked sheets, your body writhing next to Sam as a dream flickers to life behind your closed eyes.

The bunsen burner is a polished silver and far larger than any you’ve ever seen before, the flames a brilliant blue and strong as they lick upward. You reach over to turn the base, to feed it with oxygen. At once, the fire becomes golden and takes the shape of a flower head. You watch the many petals became more distinct, folding outward, radiating light and warmth. It’s the most beautiful flower you’ve ever seen, more fleeting than any other, yet seemingly eternal.

This looks exactly like your college biology lab, right down to the lopsided stool that rocked when you sat on it. Despite the similarities, you know this is a different place, the anxiety rising as the edges of your vision ebb and flow.

Then you’re outside, standing in the street in front of the house that you and Sam share. It’s as if God has adjusted the colors of the world in the night, like it’s as easy as twisting one of those old plastic dials on a television set. Everything is brighter than it should be; the trees aren’t just green but radiant virescent hues that burn themselves into your sleepy retinas. The houses are as vibrant as if they've been repainted by moonlight and now stand vivid in the golden rays that fall unfettered through the clear sky. The road that should be black asphalt is a sleek river of gray with perfect paint lines and the street-lamps are blue. But, they’ve never been blue, not ever. Everything is so right it’s wrong - really wrong. The front yards that had been disheveled with the decay of late winter just yesterday were a riot of colorful blooms. You turn back to look at the house, the curtain twitches. Someone’s inside and you inherently know it’s not Sam. You hurry to the front door only to find that it is locked. You beat on the hardwood of the door, calling for Sam as a face appears at the window...your face...but with darker eyes and a smile that makes you want to cry.

“Go away,” dark you hiss through the glass, “we don’t need you anymore.”

“He’ll know,” you yell back, “Sam will know that you’re not the real me.”

“What makes you so sure?” dark you smirks, “he hasn’t been able to tell so far.”

Three Years, Four Months

“I’ll go first,” you smile and inch closer until your knees are touching his. You’re both cross-legged on a tattered flannel blanket in the middle of a sun-soaked clearing, surrounded by an ocean of white dandelions. It’s past mid-day, but it’s still warm enough to put a flush in Sam’s cheeks. He smiles bashfully, his teeth catching his bottom lip. Leaning toward him you whisper, “Are you nervous?”

“Yes,” he admits rubbing a hand at the nape of his neck, “but the good kind.”

“Me too.” You grab his hand with two of yours and pull it toward your chest, speaking as you trace the veins of his palm with your thumb. “You probably don’t even remember…”

“Try me,” he urges, reaching out to grab a lock of your hair. He twists it around his finger, his eyes never leaving yours.

“We’d been here a year maybe and we were running out on Miller’s trail. You veered off at full speed, on that skinny dirt footpath, the one right past that huge downed pine and all the roots?” Sam nods affirmatively. “I could barely keep up with you and you just kept looking back at me with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and yelling at me: ‘Come on Y/N, I know you’ve got it in you.’”

“I’ve never seen you run that fast,” Sam chuckles, watching as you trace your index finger up his wrist.

“Shhh, it’s my turn to talk,” Sam mouths a quick ‘sorry’ and you continue.

“I chased you all the way to that pond at the north end of the woods and I lost you toward the end. When I rounded that last corner, you were just standing there waiting for me by the water’s edge. I ran up to you, I was going to push you in but instead, you picked me up and hugged me like it was the most natural thing in the world. At that moment, I knew how I felt about you. I don’t know if it was the feeling of you holding me or how happy you seemed to be, but it was the trigger. I wanted a thousand more of those moments. Nothing was the same after that.”

“I remember that day,” Sam expounds, “I even remember what I said to you.”

“No way,” you scoff.

“I told you that no one ever made me want to push that hard, that I move faster when you’re chasing me.”

“I’m still not sure how I feel about that,” chuckling you drop your gaze, but only for a moment because Sam isn’t done.

“That’s not the only thing I remember. Your hair smelled like that eucalyptus shampoo you used to use and the hair tie you were using broke half-way through the run, so it was down and wild from the wind on the trail.” Sam breathes looking at you as if he’s still in that moment.

“Well,” you blush, constantly amazed by the details he’s able to recall. Reaching to the blanket you pick up a thin, silver ring and slip it onto his finger. “That was the moment I knew I loved you.”

He holds his hand up to the light, thumbing at the ring at the base of his finger. Then closes his eyes momentarily, breathing once, in and out, before looking back at you. He takes both your hands in his, turning them palm up just as you did with him. His line of sight shifts away from yours to where his thumbs are pressing into your wrists. “It’s not just one moment for me...and there are some things I haven’t said, things that I need to tell you.”

“Okay,” you’re not sure where this is headed.

“I dreamt about you, a long time before I met you. I used to have this recurring dream when I was in college. It was before I met Jess. I used to dream about a woman, I could never remember the details, just feelings. She made me feel like this; safe and happy. She helped me understand that life could be more than blood and sacrifice. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen...she was you. When I first saw you I tried to convince myself that it was just a coincidence, that you were just similar. But I don’t think that’s it, I think I saw my future and it was you.”

Sam’s told you about premonitions and latent powers, so this doesn’t come as a complete surprise. You want to speak, due to the whole series of alternating questions and comments racing through your brain, but you remain silent. This is his turn.

“Am I making you reconsider?” Sam’s only half joking, you both know it. You shake your head no and he squeezes your forearms in response. “Do you remember when we were still living at the motel, that night when we drank half the lobby bar? You were mixing Mojitos, which for the record were awful, and I can’t even remember exactly what we were talking about but it was something about Dean and family. You didn’t even look up from what you were doing and you said: ‘Well you’re my family now and you will be, even when we get out of here, so you’re going to have to explain that to Dean because I’m not giving you back.’”

You remember that moment well, you’d been a little drunk and had spoken without thinking. Sure, you meant the words, but at the time, it felt like too vulnerable of a confession.

“I’d told you things about my life that must have sounded crazy and terrifying, but none of it phased you. You saw through all of it and somehow found me. Not Sam the hunter, or the son of John Winchester or the guy who almost ended the world. Under all of that, you found me. I don’t think anyone’s ever known the truth and managed not to let it change how they see me. Not until you. That’s when I knew.” He looks up to you, just to make sure that this is real and you’re not backing out. You lean forward, pressing a fleeting kiss to his lips in confirmation. He clears his throat, picking up your ring and slips it delicately onto your finger.

When he’s finished, you interlace your hands, the rings on each of your respective hands rubbing together. There’s a soft breeze that’s blowing in from the east, swirling rogue hair around your face as the sparse clouds above you part. A tingle, hardly noticeable, begins to climb up your spine. The wind is electric as if it’s carrying with it a thousand different emotions: love, sorrow, joy.

“Something’s happening,” your voice is almost nonexistent, only a fragile whisper. Tears fall from your eyes as feelings bubble up from your gut and spill out in fat tears down your cheek.

“I feel it, too,” Sam’s crying with you as he stands and reaches for your hand. You rise to your feet and, for a split second, time seems to stop. Then, in tandem, every white pom-pom of every dandelion in the field bursts into a million small, white explosions around you. The wind picks up and carries the spinning seedlings into the air.

“What is this?” you mutter in awe.

“I think it’s confirmation,” Sam laughs, pulling you into this arms, “I think this moment, finding each other, it’s why we’re here.”

Three Years, Six Months

Considering the general lack of purpose and abundance of free time, it’s surprising that there are still places in Shadow Hill where neither you nor Sam has ventured. However, The Tattoomb is an aptly named tattoo shop that you honestly can’t remember setting foot in before today. It’s nestled between The Sweet Shop and Cool’s Pharmacy near the end of main street.

The name proves accurate, for as the door shuts, you have a vivid flash of being sealed in a sarcophagus. The tall windows facing the street have been painted over black and you blink as the overhead fluorescent lights flicker to life. A thick layer of dust seems suspended in the air, as the light bulbs hum electric in the background.

“Tell me, just one more time,” Sam urges. He’s squatting, sorting through supplies in one of the lower cupboards.

“Not again,” you whine, dropping onto of the reclining chairs. “I know it like the back of my hand, I swear.”

“Humor me, once more and I’ll stop.” He looks up, hitting you with a full-on serious stare until you concede with a roll of your eyes.

“Fine. If I wake up back in the real world, the first thing I do is call Dean.”

“What’s the number?”

You rattle off the phone number without hesitation. “If I can’t reach him I try the other two numbers, for the angel and the sheriff. If I still can’t reach anyone and I have a way to get there, I go to Kansas where I find the Lebanon Community Library and I wait for you.”

“That’s right. If for some reason none of that works, just wait, I’ll find you.” Sam looks at you thoughtfully. He raises a tattoo gun and gestures for your to take off your shoe.

“And these in case we forget each other,” you squirm, visibly displeased with what is about to transpire.

“We don’t have to do this Y/N,” Sam offers, but neither of you are backing out.

You shake your head, “Let’s say we, one day wake up and have no memory of each other. There’d be nothing tying me to you...and...I can’t stand the thought of that.”

“I know, me neither.” He sighs clutching your thigh, “You ready for this?” He’s used the temporary tattoo stencil to create the outline of your new permanent tattoo. He presses it onto the inside of your foot, near the heel. Wetting it just enough to soak through the thin paper, you both wait.

“No, but when have I ever let that stop me. You do know what you’re doing, right?” You trust Sam, but this is a whole new level of commitment.

“I read the instruction manual, twice. With the outline, it’s like paint by numbers.” He winks at you, flipping his hair back.

“You’re instilling so much confidence in me right now.”

You sit through the process with surprising restraint. The topical anesthetic he applied prior helps, but it still doesn’t completely numb the pain. Thankfully, it doesn’t take him long; twenty minutes later, you’re looking down at small black letters reading:

Find Sam Winchester

39.809734, -98.55562

It’s simple and to the point. It took the better part of two days to find the perfect words, just enough information to make sense without turning into Memento. The two of you quibbled over several variations until agreeing on the simple turn of phrase. You’re not entirely thrilled with having the coordinates to an underground bunker permanently inked into your skin, but it’s better than the alternative.

Sam covers your heel with a bandage, “I think this is my cue.”

“Please tell me I don’t have to do it,” you squirm.

“I’ll manage,” he assures you, slipping off his shoe and sock before crossing his left calf over his right knee. From what you can tell, he doesn’t even seem to feel it, unflinching as he etches your first and last name into his skin, followed by the coordinates of your hometown.

“You think that’ll be enough?” you ask, handing him the container of Tattoo Goo.

“I know myself well enough to know that I if I wake up with a girl’s name on my body, I’m gonna want to know why. That’s all I’d need. I’ll find a way to remember and I’ll have help.”

Three Years, Eight Months

It’s a frigid morning, icy wind is whipping at breakneck speeds, howling past the windows. The snow stays late this year, starting as gently falling flakes from above and morphing into a snowstorm that hasn't seemed to stop. But, the blustery outdoors is no concern to you or Sam as he turns the knob and the shower sprays down warm water over both of you. Dipping under the stream, you wet your hair and then give him a turn. There’s a series of slow kisses, just the lazy touch of lips while his nose rubs into yours, his tongue slipping easily into your mouth.

You had a fight the night before, a knockdown, drag out, go-to-bed-angry-fight about a grilled cheese sandwich, of all things. Sam was pushing your buttons, insisting that the burner wasn’t high enough, the bread had too much butter, the cheese was cut too thick. You wanted to slap him.

But, last night seems like a distant memory as he climbs into the shower and slides the door shut.

When he finally pulls away from your mouth, he moves to slip behind you. He washes your hair, massaging as you close your eyes, enjoying the sensation of his strong fingers rubbing your scalp, slow deep circles that send a tingle down your spine. Once he’s done with your hair, he moves on to the rest. He rolls soap between his hands until it lathers, then rubs his sudsy hands over your rib cage and up under each breast. He teases for a moment before giving in and cupping each one, kneading and clutching as you squirm back into his chest.

The water washes the soap away, but his hands don’t leave. Instead, fingers tug at your nipples as he lowers his mouth to the back of your neck, kissing and sucking as he pulls harder at your tits. You whine as he twists your nipples, applying just the right amount of pressure to awaken other parts of your body. Sam’s become an expert at all the places that get you going; he’s spent countless hours experimenting with touches- gentle here, harder there.

One hand stays on your breast while the other trails down your stomach. His hand spreads wide as it sweeps over your belly and then further. Large fingers sweep over your mound as the pad of his index finger finds your clit, and with expert precision, begins slow measured circles as you whimper.

“You like that?” Sam grins at the sound you make, nipping under your ear.

“Yessss..” you hiss, letting your head fall back onto his chest. As his mouth latches onto the skin of your neck, his hands don’t stop the well-rehearsed movements. His finger moving firm and steady over the little bundle of nerves at the apex of your legs controls your whole body. The insistent rhythm of his hand between your legs and tugging on your nipples work in conjunction as your pussy begins to betray you, slick sliding down your thighs where the water washes it away.

You grind back into his embrace, his cock firmly pressing against your butt cheek. He ruts forward as you push back, relieving pressure, but not enough.  

“I’m gonna come, baby,” you moan as your legs start to grow weak. Sam wraps his arm around your torso, holding you up. The hand between your legs hooks under as two of his long fingers push inside your cunt, his thumb goes right back to your clit. He knows you don’t like to come without something inside you. He knows you hate that feeling of your pussy clutching at nothing. You reach back and above you, running your hand up his neck and knotting a fist of his hair.

“God, you’re wet this morning, this all for me?” he sucks your earlobe into his mouth as his thumb grazes your sweet spot and your orgasm rips through your body.

“Sam!” you call his name when you come, twitching in his grasp as your eyes roll back into your head. His thumb stills, but his fingers don’t budge, still shoved knuckle deep inside where you’re tight, clenching in frantic, repeating pulses.

When he does pull his fingers from you, it’s only to turn you toward the shower door. Still behind you, he takes each of your hands, one at a time, placing them on the glass of the door. You bow forward, breasts pressing into the cold glass. Back arched, ass out, Sam saddles up to your backside, one hand on your waist, the other guiding the head of his cock between your legs. You feel him, sliding over your slit and then pushing inside, one smooth push until his balls smash against your sex, leaving you unbelievably full. From this angle, he can push deeper than normal, reaching a place inside that makes your entire body quiver, shaking like jello from a mold.

“Sam, I can’t,” in lieu of finishing your sentence you make a desperate sound, one hand fisting as it pounds the door as he pulls out and shoves back in fast, begins a steady rhythm.

“I’ve got you,” he grunts, both hands on your hips, supporting your weight. “Fuck, Y/N, I’m not gonna last long like this.”

One of his hands snakes around your hips, pressing your stomach where there’s a faint swell in your belly with each thrust, his cock making your stomach bulge as he fucks you from behind.

“So deep,” you pant, pressing the side of your face into the glass, searching for some kind of stability. Sam moves his finger down, searching for your clit, but instead, you bat his hand away, the angle is just right, making you see stars with every stroke of his manhood, “I can come just like this.”

“Shit,” Sam grits as he almost shoots his load right then. The idea of you coming from just his cock makes his balls tight. You raise up a little, mustering every last ounce of energy you have standing on your tiptoes and suddenly the angle goes from just right to sweet-mother-fuck. He slides home once, twice, and that’s all she wrote.

If it weren’t for Sam’s support, you’d be on the ground, instead of suspended mid-air as he pushes inside again and again. It doesn’t take long before he’s coming, too, with a grunt and a stutter of his hips, spilling inside you.

Afterwards he holds you, wraps his arms tighter until you feel his thumping heart pressed into your shoulder blade. There are more of those lazy kisses accompanied by gentle touches as he washes your skin for a second time.

Three Years, Eleven Months, One Week

You stand next to Sam at your dining room table, the surface littered with dry herbs, open books, and at the center, a brass bowl. He’s grinding lavender while you read over the list of ingredients. This spell has been a long time coming, Sam stored it away on a whim when he first came across it four years ago, and he assumed you’d never be able to collect everything needed to make it work, but things are different now.

You’ve grown most of the herbs, collecting others from the forest, which is how you found the missing piece of the puzzle, the Olivine gemstone. The smokey green rock was nestled among the larger chunks of stone and granite near the north end of the town. He could hardly believe it when you pulled it from your pocket three days ago.

He sets down the mortar and pestle, spilling the mix of pummeled herbs into the center of the bowl, where it joins a complicated mix of gems and crystals. You check off the list as he adds each one.

“So, we still need the beak of a raven,” you curl a lip in disdain.

“Got it.” Sam’s holding the tiny piece of bone between his fingers, “he died for a good cause.”

You nod, grateful Sam’s willing to do all the dirty work. “That’s it, I mean except for the next part.”

The blood of true love. Apparently old world magic doesn’t work without hemoglobin. He takes your hand in his, “Sorry,” he winces, using the tip of his blade to cut the flesh of your palm. Wet and warm, the blood pours from the wound and Sam moves it over the bowl, squeezing until he’s satisfied it’s enough. He picks up a cloth from the table, wrapping it several times around your palm, the dark stain seeping through. “My turn.”

Now, it’s time for you to get your hands dirty. The spell was explicit in its instruction; the blood has to be drawn by the lover. Taking the knife from him, you draw in a sharp breath, it’s now or never. Pressing down, you drag the blade, the feeling of his skin splitting makes your stomach turn. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move, but he remains stoic for your benefit.

“That’s good, you did it,” he praises, taking the knife from you and holds his hand over the bowl, offering his half of the sacrifice. Wiping his hand on his jeans, he looks down at the leather-bound book. Next, he pulls out his wallet, removes a photo of him and Dean when they were kids. It’s as old as it looks, tattered around the edges. He’s about to burn the last thing in his possession tying him to the outside world. He scribbles a message on the back:

Dean,

Shadow Hill. Trapped. Two of us. I’m alive.

Sam

“I think that’s it.” He’s trying something new with this spell. No summoning or teleportation, he’s simply going to communicate, attempting to open a window through the fabric of space and time to push a message through.

Picking up the box of matches, he strikes one on the side of the box. His eyes dance from the flame to you as he drops it into the bowl. There’s a spark, a flash of light, then multicolored smoke twisting upward. There’s deafening silence, a stillness as you both stare at the dissipating smoke.

Then, chaos.

The walls of the house violently shake, as if the earth below is moving the very foundation. There’s a horrifying sound reverberating all around you, painfully loud like the scream of a thousand trumpets.

“Sam,” you reach for him but he’s already moving. Both hands on your arms, pushing you in front of him.

“We gotta get out of the house.” The sliding door that leads to the back deck shatters like it’s been hit with a missile, glass, and wood exploding in all directions. You feel it hit your face, but continue moving as Sam tries to cover your body with his. He guides you through the now empty doorway and down the trembling stairs of the deck.

Your feet hit the grass and you fall to your knees, the very earth undulating in savage tremors. Sam scoops his hands under your armpits and lifts you back up, dragging you away from the house and into the middle of the backyard where you both collapse.  You watch in terror as the entire neighborhood shakes and rattles, akin to the feeling of teeth clanking together in your mouth.

There’s a sound like the tearing of fabric, only at a brutal volume that makes you both cover your ears. Above the house, a hundred feet in the air, a sliver of white light begins to appear. It begins to expand, the chorus of sounds reaching a potent crescendo as shiny beams stream out in all directions like a star exploding in the daytime sky.

Just when you think your eardrums will pop, the shimmering tear begins to collapse in on itself, sucking in sound and life like the cousin of a black hole folding inwards until there’s nothing left.

With a bright flash, it’s gone just as quick as it came.

The two of you sit side by side, stunned as the world returns to normal.

“I think it worked,” Sam whispers looking to you. His optimism is tempered as he gets a view of your face, “Jesus, baby, you’re bleeding.”

“What? Where?” you don’t feel pain with the adrenaline still pumping, your heart still thumping wildly in your chest.

“Your head,” he reaches up and wipes his finger across your hairline. Tiny shards of glass still lodged in your skin catch under the pads of his fingers.

“Oh,” bewildered you bring a hand to your face to check, but it’s the wide splotch of blood on your palm that steals the attention. You turn your hand over, staring, but unable to make sense of it.

“Where is that from?” There’s a catch in his voice, an octave higher than normal as he grabs your wrist for inspection.

“I don’t know,” simultaneously you both took down, Sam gasping in horror at the jagged piece of wood protruding from the right side of your stomach. You wrap a hand around it, moving in slow motion because there’s a buzzing in your brain that’s muting everything else. You look up to him, offering casually, “I think I got hurt.”

“Fuck,” he bats your hand away, “don’t pull on it okay? It could make it worse.” You’re conflicted as to what is more troubling, the sight of your impaled stomach or the expression of sheer terror on his face.

Nodding agreeably you lay back. He lifts your shirt up, exposing the wound, and hisses when he gets the first look. The Sam that remains calm, cool and collected is not the man hovering over you. Instead, he’s panicking. “It doesn’t hurt, it just feels warm….although, I do feel kinda funny.”

The edges of your vision blur as a tingling sensation spreads outward from the gash, snaking through extremities until it reaches your fingertips. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, much like your foot falling asleep, except this is everywhere.

What you can’t see, is the amount blood that’s pouring from your belly, staining the green grass, and soaking through the denim of Sam’s jeans where he’s kneeling beside you. One moment you’re looking at him and the next, your eyes are rolling back into your head, lids fluttering shut.

“Nononono,” he shakes your shoulders but you remain limp. “Come on, please don’t let this be happening. I don’t know what to do, baby.” He cries, blinking back tears.

Sitting back on his haunches, he takes a deep breath, separating action from emotion. He does know what to do, he’s been through his before, countless times with Dean and others. He makes a decision, taking you into his arms and jogging around the house and through the side door leading to the garage. Inside, there’s an old Toyota 4Runner he fixed up last year. He places you in the passenger seat, but the maneuver twists the wood stuck in your gut, pain jolting you awake with a scream.

“It’s okay, you’re gonna be alright,” Sam places a shaky hand momentarily at the side of your face before closing your door and running to the driver’s side. Laid over the seat, you lean against his shoulder as he pulls out of the driveway and onto the road.

“I don’t have what I need here,” Sam assures you.

“Where are we….” you choke out, clutching the open wound as you slip back into the dark.

“The hospital,” Sam mutters.

--

He pulls the car up to the emergency entrance, throwing the car into park with a jerk. He plucks you from the vehicle and scurries through the wide, automatic sliding doors then down the hallway of the abandoned Shadow Hill Community Hospital.

He knows the layout because when you first arrived, you searched this hospital from top to bottom. It’s just like everything else here, it resets every night, which means there are fresh medications and sterile instruments every morning.

Backing through the swinging doors of operating room one, Sam places you carefully on the gurney, then he goes to work. Flipping every switch on the wall, the fluorescent lights flicker to life while he pulls open drawers, collecting everything he can: forceps, clamps, needles, adhesive tape.

Next, he moves to the small locked cabinet, breaking the glass to get inside. He reads each vial until he finds the lidocaine. Moving back to the table, he presses two fingers to the pulse point at your neck where he can feel a faint pulse. He fills a syringe and tries to numb the area around the wound as best he can.

And then, he does the most difficult thing he’s ever done in his entire life. He tries to save yours.

--

You hear the gentle blip of a heart monitor before anything else. It takes every ounce of strength you can muster up just to blink and once you do, you wish you hadn’t. Your eyeballs feel like sandpaper, as does your mouth.

Turning your head, you’re greeted with the sight of Sam. He’s asleep on the adjacent hospital bed, mouth hanging open and belly down. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and blue scrubs, instead of jeans. His normal five o’clock shadow is thicker than normal making you wonder exactly how long you’ve been asleep.

“Sam,” you call, your voice little more than a scratchy whisper. He doesn’t budge.

Like an ancient computer coming online, sections of your body are waking up, one after the other. You wiggle toes, then fingers, just testing the basics. It’s when you try to sit up that every nerve lights up, pain so great that it’s hard to get a handle on. Your breathing is labored and placing a hand on your chest, you wince, pulling down the neckline to reveal twin burn marks above each breast.

“What the hell,” you murmur, touching one of the blisters carefully. The realization dawns on you, these are the residual imprints from a defibrillator; your heart must have stopped.

“Sorry about those, I had the voltage up too high. In my defense, the lower settings weren’t getting the job done,” Sam’s voice is thick from sleep as he sits up, sliding from the bed and into the chair next you. He looks somewhere between relief and exhaustion. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”  

“It’s good to be here,” you counter, then cough. The pain in your stomach surges as the muscles contract and you howl.

His brow furrows in concern as he takes a cup from the bedside table and holds it up to your lips. “Drink something.”

You swallow, then sputter, before shooing him away. Even swallowing hurts. “It was bad?”

“It still is bad,” Sam’s mouth twists, his eyes flicking down the floor and back up to you. He reaches out, taking your hand and squeezing. “For a while, I didn’t know if you were gonna survive, then I didn’t know if you’d wake up. I stitched you up as best as I could, but you’re gonna have one hell of a scar, it’s not pretty.”

“You have more than your fair share,  so, now we match.” Offering a weak smile you watch him watch you. “How long was I out?”

“Four days.” He’s trying to stay positive, but the look in his eyes is telling a different story.

“What’s wrong?”

He releases your hand, rubbing his palms on his knees, “It’s infected. You were running a fever until this morning.”

“That’s good, right? That the fever’s gone?”

“Yeah, I just...I didn’t know what I was doing Y/N. I was just trying to stop the bleeding…” he stops himself from telling you what he’s really thinking: that you could have internal damage, slowly killing you from the inside and there’s no way to know.

He doesn’t tell you that when your heart stopped and the screech of the flat line filled the room, he screamed along with it. He came this close to losing you. He doesn’t tell you that he stayed awake for two days, crying next to your bed and begging that someone would hear him. He tried bargaining with whatever silent force was watching over this place, pleading for the God he knows exists to intervene and save you.

But, there was no relief. Nothing. The two of you are nothing more than a forgotten experiment left to self destruct.

It was all on him.

--

Recovery is slow. You wonder if you’ll ever fully heal because the pain is an ever-present companion, haunting every move from morning until night. You struggle to sit up, then stand, then walk.  It’s three weeks before Sam allows you to go home, still protesting as he drives you the four minutes from the hospital to your house. After that, it’s long days in bed, reading and eating meals brought to you on a tray until you think you’re going burst from the boredom of it all. But, you don’t complain, you just grin and bear it.

Yes, healing is a long and involved process for you both. For Sam, it’s the brutal realization that there is no safety net. It’s a simple fact he knew before but now he feels it, the desperation sinks in, right down to his bones. This place might repair itself every night, but that same magic doesn't work on flesh and bone. There’s no one to fall back on, no one to reach out to. The love he feels for you should make him happy, but it’s tempered with a sense of dread because eventually there will come a situation he can’t fix.

It’s only a matter of time.

-

Tags:  @smallgirlbigpersonality @mereka18 @gryffindorable713 @trainlikeawinchester @winchesterprincessbride @bamby0304 @saxxxology @notyourtypicalrose @mariekoukie6661 @little-big-mac @emoryhemsworth @mystriee @atc74 @holyfuckloueh @bunnybaby121115 @mogaruke @darkmystress00 @jaspesangriento @kazuha159 @mirandaaustin93 @crispychrissy @schilj79 @wilde-abandon @hennessy0274-blog @bojabee @miss-samantha-winchester @impalaimagining @andkatiethings @astephez @ladycynthia @mrswhozeewhatsis @lenawiinchester @feelmyroarrrr @mrs-meghan-winchester @har-rystyles @mistressofallthingsgeeky @theamuz @maui137 @stars-and-seas @vale0413 @impala67trenchcoat @curly-haired-disaster @ericaprice2008 @livelikeawinchester @althehufflepuff @itsthesamegametoday @bohowitch @spnwoman @just-a-normal-eccentric @gallifreyansass @StoneyGGirl @lonely-skys @81mysteriouslyme @missrandomista @soupornatural @stars-and-seas @natura1phenomenon @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @81mysteriouslyme @likhelbentin @mrooks0205 @zombiewerewolfqueen @winchesterprincessbride @squirrel-moose-winchester @fortisetgloriosusinarduis @closetspngirl @dominodoll @rainflowermoon @cleighwrites @camelotandastronauts @imarockstar45 @thebeastinside19 @courtney-padalecki @itsthesamegametoday @virtualgirlfriendsan @daisymoder72 @fandom-is-my-middle-name @mysticmcu @luciferseclipse @malinda1997 @sunlight-dean @rockhoochie @collette04 @sandlee44 @ohnowin-chester @maddiepants @fandom-princess-forevermore @geeksareunique @femdeni314 @lazinessisalliknow @samwinchesterssexyface @the-yellow-girl96 @that67chevy @that-weird-asian-gorl @lmitchell78 @snffbeebee @sandlee44 @fandom-is-my-middle-name @calaofnoldor @prettyinplaid94 @squirrelnotsam @spnwoman @luciferseclipse @daddys-littlewhitegirl @fanfictionjunkie1112 @immafangirlmess

[blaineandsamevanderson]

Title: Love Will Keep Us Together

Author: @blaineandsamevanderson

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow with The Flash, Supergirl and Arrow

Ship: Captain Canary

Rating: G

Summary: During a little post mission multi team gathering, a certain song is played….

**

**

After fishing a very disgruntled Leonard Snart out of the time stream, Team Legends decided to head back to Central City for a little R&R.  Of course, given their luck, they popped up in the middle of another battle, Teams Flash, Arrow & Supergirl vs some particularly nasty meta-humans.  Because, well what else would they do, they joined in and the battle was wrapped up in fairly short order.

Overwhelming force for the win.

Post battle, all 4 teams gathered at S.T.A.R. Labs, sharing a beer and catching up. During the middle of a story Cisco was telling about Barry’s early attempts to push the limits of his speed, Mick suddenly bellowed, “Ah ha!  Yes!”

Everyone turned to look over to where he was tapping at one of the cortex’s computers.  There was some confusion and nervous gazes exchanged by Team Flash, because what was HeatWave doing with their computers?

“Okay, what was…?” Cisco began, but then music began to pour out of the lab’s speakers.  The opening keyboard tones of Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille filled the air and Mick shuffled to the music, baffling most of the gathered crowd.

Leonard took a sip of his beer before raising his brows at Sara. “Assassin.”

She returned his expression.  “Thief.”

Love Love will keep us together Think of me babe, whenever Some sweet-talking girl comes along, singing her song Don't mess around, you've just got to be strong, just stop 'Cause I really love you, stop I'll be thinking of you Look in my heart and let love keep us together

That seemed to be all the communication either of them needed as he pushed himself out of his chair and offered her a hand.  Sara sipped her drink, eyes twinkling before she set down her bottle and accepted his hand, wrapping her small, strong fingers around his and letting him draw her out of her chair.

You You belong to me now Ain't gonna set you free now When those girl start hanging around talking me down Hear with your heart and you won't hear a sound, just stop (stop) 'Cause I really love you, stop (stop) I'll be thinking of you Look in my heart and let love keep us together

The rest of the Legends exchanged smiles and nods, not seeming surprised. Mick grinned proudly before pulling a laughing Felicity up to dance.  Surprisingly (to some), the Firestarter got along well with Team Arrow.

“What in the…is that….?” Cisco said, baffled that a Lance sister wass dancing with Leonard Snart. “Is Captain Cold dancing with the White Canary or –and I’m hoping this is the case – did someone drug my blackberry mojito?”

Quentin turned to Joe and waved a finger to where Sara and Leonard were having a moment, moving in synch on the dance floor.  “Is this a thing?”

“No idea.  Frankly, I thought his thing was money, but…,” he let his voice trail off as Snart tucked a lock of Sara’s hair behind her ear, then let the hand stroke slowly along her neck.

Whatever Young and beautiful But someday your looks will be gone When the others turn you off Who'll be turning you on?

“They’re definitely a thing,” Jax informed the two older men.  “They’ll both deny it till…well, no, they’ll just roll their eyes and flounce off if you confront them about it.”

“Captain Canary,” Ray agreed, snickering into his own drink, but ducking down when the two in question looked over at him from the dance floor, brows raised.

Kara and James and Winn were up on their feet by that point too, dancing in a little circle, laughing amongst themselves, happy and free.

I will, I will, I will I will be there to share forever Love will keep us together I said it before and I'll say it again while others pretend I need you now and I'll need you then, just stop (stop) 'Cause I really love you, stop (stop) I'll be thinking of you Look in my heart and let love keep us together

Watching the Sara dancing with the older thief, Quentin sighed.  Leonard Snart was definitely not the type of person he pictured his daughter being with, but, if records were to be believed, he had killed less people than Sara’s ex’s and she looked…happy.

That was really all he wanted for his girls.  If she found that happiness in an unusual person, well…that made finding it all the more important.

Whatever, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, whatever I will, I will, I will, I will

You better stop 'Cause I really love you, stop (stop) I'll be thinking of you Look in my heart and let love keep us together Whatever, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, whatever I will, I will, I will, I will….

[weightloss441posts]

Working Day in the Life: 21 Months Old

Hi friends! It has been ages since I did a day in the life post – especially a day in the life post on one of my work days vs. mom life days!

We have childcare twice a week – on Mondays from 10 to 4 and Wednesdays from 10 to 6. I can get a little work done on my mom days during naptime as well, but Mondays and Wednesdays are my days to get more focused work done, to take AnneTheRD nutrition client meetings or calls, and occasionally to go to appointments or attend to other stuff that’s not toddler-friendly. :) 

So – here’s what I was up to this week on Wednesday!

6:15 a.m. – I always seem to wake up right around this time which is annoying if Riese isn’t up yet and if I’m not trying to do an early workout! I usually do early morning workouts (6 or 6:30 a.m.) 2 or 3 days a week, but this is not one of those days, so I try to fall back asleep. 

6:45 a.m. – No dice, can’t fall back asleep, and I hear Riese waking up anyway. Matt is in the shower so I get myself up and going and head in to get her up, change her diaper, etc. 

7:15 a.m. – Come downstairs and start breakfast! This basically entails Riese flipping out and refusing to be put down, so I do everything one handed. Usually I’ll get her started in her high chair with some fruit before I give her the rest of her breakfast, especially if I need two hands to make whatever else I’m making! 

I have some leftover Veggie Egg Casserole and some fruit and muesli, plus yogurt that Riese feeds to me. ;) Sidenote – Riese LOVES banana and I’ve been giving it to her with a little nut butter on each bite – helps keep her full longer than just the banana alone… especially if it’s a day where she only wants to eat the banana and nothing else. 

 We say bye to Matt at 7:20 – he has an early meeting to get to. 

7:45 – 9:20 a.m. Bumble around the house cleaning up from breakfast, playing with the dog and cat and various toys, feeding the dog and cat, and getting myself and Riese ready for the day. 

I love that our sitter doesn’t come until 10 a.m. – our previous nanny used to arrive at 8 a.m., and while the extra hands were helpful, I love our new routine and am grateful to get to spend morning time with Riese every day of the week now. :) 

9:25 a.m. – We finally make it out the door! Every weekday morning Riese and I take the dog for a walk or a jog. I’m always proud when we finally get out the door because it’s so many logistics… getting dressed and ready for me and Riese, getting the (outrageously excited and jumping all over us) dog ready and waiting by the door with her leash, collar, poop bags, etc., getting a snack for Riese ready and both of our water bottles ready, grabbing (/trying to find) my phone and hat, getting Riese in the stroller while the dog waits inside, THEN bringing the dog out and attaching her leash to the stroller, then putting sunscreen on both of us… OMG so much. Ha. I can only imagine this with more than 1 child… (not pregnant, just a comment)!

Sidenote – thank you for all your helpful comments on Monday’s blog post about bribery and strong toddler opinions… I’ve been reframing things with the morning stroller and now instead of “please just get in the stroller and I will give you a snack” – I’ve been talking it up and saying “Let’s get dressed, and then you can enjoy your snack in the stroller when we walk the dog.” Same outcome, but framed more positively for both of us. :)

(Another sidenote – if you also have a very strong willed child, check out this article that a blog reader shared – I found it helpful! Peaceful Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child)

9:30 – 10 a.m. – Stroller run with Riese and the dog! It’s pretty hot out already but I was craving a workout and our dog is always super happy if we run vs. walk. ;)

We probably cover about 1.5 to 2 miles, which is about my max when the stroller is in the mix. That ish is hard!

10 a.m. – Arrive back home just as the sitter arrives – perfect timing! I always try to time it like this so that Riese is still in the stroller and I can quickly show our nanny the food situation for Riese for the day and then send them right off to the playground, vs. Riese coming inside first, clinging to my legs and crying, etc.

She’s still sad when I say bye, but if she’s still in the stroller at least it’s easy to quickly get her distracted and off to their adventure. 

10:10 a.m. – Hop in the shower and get ready for the day. 

10:40 a.m. – Head out the door with my work stuff in tow. #WetHairDontCare

I take a bit of a roundabout route to avoid going by the playground or down the street where Riese and our sitter could be walking around… if Riese sees me she’ll get really sad all over again (and so will I)!

I also eat a snack while I’m walking – a peanut butter oatmeal ball from Stomping Ground in Del Ray + an Oatmeal Banana Coconut Cookie (

I packed two of each so I save the other two for the afternoon!

10:50 a.m. – Grab a quick iced latte because I realize I forgot to have coffee this morning and I’m dragging. 

11 a.m. – Tour a co-working space in Del Ray! I mentioned last week that I tried one out in Old Town, Alexandria that I really liked, but I discovered there’s one walking distance to our house so I wanted to give it a shot too because not having to drive (and deal with expensive/annoying Old Town parking) would be ideal. 

11:05 a.m. – It’s a small space so it was a quick tour! They let me stay and work for the day to test it out, which is what I was hoping, so I set up shop and get going. It’s SUPER quiet (only one other person around) which I actually don’t love because I’d rather have more life/action going on, but the convenience may mean I go with this place over the Old Town one even though I liked the more lively vibe better in Old Town… we’ll see. 

My blog post for the day (my Watermelon Mojito Sorbet) is already live (I wrote it and pre-published it on Monday so it would appear on Wednesday morning – I usually do this nowadays since I’m not actively online as early as I used to be), so I spend some time sharing it around on social media, sending the links to the client, and then catching up on emails and blog comments. 

12:40 p.m. – Break for lunch! I walk over to Stomping Ground and order their beet salad with roasted chicken added. 

It’s really delicious!

While I eat, I listen to an episode of Janet Lansbury’s parenting podcast “Unruffled” that a bunch of you recommended to me in the comments section of Monday’s post. I love that the episodes are mostly only about 20 minutes – perfect!

I listen to the January 22 episode about how to set limits with children (even those as young as Riese). It’s really interesting and helpful! I also got her book (“No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame“). Matt downloaded it on Audible and is going to listen to it in the car on his commute so we are on the same page. 

1 p.m. – Take a quick walk around the block (technology free) to reset and get some fresh air. 

1:15 p.m. – Back to my desk! 

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on emails, working ahead on some blog stuff (like starting this post, and another recipe post that’s in the works), and working on some blog redesign to-do items (reviewing old recipe blog posts to see which ones I want to keep/feature – they sent me a massive spreadsheet of links to go through, oof).

At some point I get tired of sitting and set up this makeshift standing desk using a filing cabinet. ;)

Around 4, I eat the rest of my snack from the morning. I probably should have brought something savory and crunchy with me as well because I’m still a little hungry and craving something not sweet or chewy, but oh well!

5 p.m. – AnneTheRD nutrition client call. 

5:30 p.m. – Send my client a follow up email, wrap up a few other loose end emails, and pack up and head out the door. 

5:55 p.m. – Arrive home – yay! It’s always so fun to come home to Riese – she gets SO excited and runs towards me. It’s the best. :)

6 p.m. – Say farewell to our sitter and go upstairs to play with Riese. 

6:45 p.m. – Riese starts getting a little manic (throwing heavy wood toys down the stairs, and when I ask her to please keep the toys upstairs with us, she instead starts throwing them at me… ahh, toddlers) so I decide it’s time to get her ready for bed. Usually Matt gets home between 6:30 and 7 but he texted that it would be a late one, so I know I’m not trying to keep Riese up to see him!

7:15 p.m. – Finally get Riese wrangled into her jammies, drinking some milk, and reading a book/singing with me to try to calmmmm things down a bit before bed. 

7:30 p.m. – Lights out for Riese. Night, night!

I come downstairs and snack on some crackers and guac while trying to decide if I feel up for making an elaborate dinner. ;)

I eventually decide to throw together a simple rice, beans, and fish situation.

I pan sear some fish rubbed with a little Mexican-themed seasoning…

And then serve it with 90 second brown rice, microwave string beans, and some canned black beans. Easy and fast! Enjoyed with a magazine. :)

8:30 p.m. – Clean up the kitchen, tidy up downstairs, and then sort through some mail and packages.

My new purse came – cute, right? Less than $20 on Amazon and comes in a ton of color options, too! I needed a new everyday purse that would match everything – I had two I alternated between but both were basically falling apart after many years of use. I was nerdy excited to put all my stuff away in this. I like the size – not too big, but big enough to fit a water bottle, phone, wallet, etc. 

9 p.m. – Head upstairs and get ready for bed. 

9:15 p.m. – In bed! Getting in bed early to read is my fave. I start reading the “No Bad Kids” book – interesting, although I wish she went into a little more detail about how to carry out her advice… 

9:30 p.m. – Matt is home! Wow, that was a late one. Poor guy! We catch up on our days and relax. 

10 p.m. – Lights out! I’m wiped and I have my alarm set for 5:33 am (yes, those 3 minutes matter) to hit a yoga class – oof!

—

Feel free to play along in the comments – what’s a typical day in the life like for you? 

In other news, I’m off to Monterey, California tomorrow! I’m attending a press trip that takes place Monday to Thursday, but decided to head out early to see my friend Lauren from grad school. I’m excited! I’ll pop back in on Monday with some travel adventures, so stay tuned – or see what I’m up to on Instagram in the meantime. :)

—

Please note there are affiliate links in this post. 

from https://www.fannetasticfood.com/working-day-in-the-life-21-months-old/ from https://myfunweightloss.blogspot.com/2019/08/working-day-in-life-21-months-old.html

[weightlos6]

Working Day in the Life: 21 Months Old

Working Day in the Life: 21 Months Old:

Hi friends! It has been ages since I did a day in the life post – especially a day in the life post on one of my work days vs. mom life days!

We have childcare twice a week – on Mondays from 10 to 4 and Wednesdays from 10 to 6. I can get a little work done on my mom days during naptime as well, but Mondays and Wednesdays are my days to get more focused work done, to take AnneTheRD nutrition client meetings or calls, and occasionally to go to appointments or attend to other stuff that’s not toddler-friendly. :) 

So – here’s what I was up to this week on Wednesday!

6:15 a.m. – I always seem to wake up right around this time which is annoying if Riese isn’t up yet and if I’m not trying to do an early workout! I usually do early morning workouts (6 or 6:30 a.m.) 2 or 3 days a week, but this is not one of those days, so I try to fall back asleep. 

6:45 a.m. – No dice, can’t fall back asleep, and I hear Riese waking up anyway. Matt is in the shower so I get myself up and going and head in to get her up, change her diaper, etc. 

7:15 a.m. – Come downstairs and start breakfast! This basically entails Riese flipping out and refusing to be put down, so I do everything one handed. Usually I’ll get her started in her high chair with some fruit before I give her the rest of her breakfast, especially if I need two hands to make whatever else I’m making! 

I have some leftover Veggie Egg Casserole and some fruit and muesli, plus yogurt that Riese feeds to me. ;) Sidenote – Riese LOVES banana and I’ve been giving it to her with a little nut butter on each bite – helps keep her full longer than just the banana alone… especially if it’s a day where she only wants to eat the banana and nothing else. 

  We say bye to Matt at 7:20 – he has an early meeting to get to. 

7:45 – 9:20 a.m. Bumble around the house cleaning up from breakfast, playing with the dog and cat and various toys, feeding the dog and cat, and getting myself and Riese ready for the day. 

I love that our sitter doesn’t come until 10 a.m. – our previous nanny used to arrive at 8 a.m., and while the extra hands were helpful, I love our new routine and am grateful to get to spend morning time with Riese every day of the week now. :) 

9:25 a.m. – We finally make it out the door! Every weekday morning Riese and I take the dog for a walk or a jog. I’m always proud when we finally get out the door because it’s so many logistics… getting dressed and ready for me and Riese, getting the (outrageously excited and jumping all over us) dog ready and waiting by the door with her leash, collar, poop bags, etc., getting a snack for Riese ready and both of our water bottles ready, grabbing (/trying to find) my phone and hat, getting Riese in the stroller while the dog waits inside, THEN bringing the dog out and attaching her leash to the stroller, then putting sunscreen on both of us… OMG so much. Ha. I can only imagine this with more than 1 child… (not pregnant, just a comment)!

Sidenote – thank you for all your helpful comments on Monday’s blog post about bribery and strong toddler opinions… I’ve been reframing things with the morning stroller and now instead of “please just get in the stroller and I will give you a snack” – I’ve been talking it up and saying “Let’s get dressed, and then you can enjoy your snack in the stroller when we walk the dog.” Same outcome, but framed more positively for both of us. :)

(Another sidenote – if you also have a very strong willed child, check out this article that a blog reader shared – I found it helpful! Peaceful Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child)

9:30 – 10 a.m. – Stroller run with Riese and the dog! It’s pretty hot out already but I was craving a workout and our dog is always super happy if we run vs. walk. ;)

We probably cover about 1.5 to 2 miles, which is about my max when the stroller is in the mix. That ish is hard!

10 a.m. – Arrive back home just as the sitter arrives – perfect timing! I always try to time it like this so that Riese is still in the stroller and I can quickly show our nanny the food situation for Riese for the day and then send them right off to the playground, vs. Riese coming inside first, clinging to my legs and crying, etc.

She’s still sad when I say bye, but if she’s still in the stroller at least it’s easy to quickly get her distracted and off to their adventure. 

10:10 a.m. – Hop in the shower and get ready for the day. 

10:40 a.m. – Head out the door with my work stuff in tow. #WetHairDontCare

I take a bit of a roundabout route to avoid going by the playground or down the street where Riese and our sitter could be walking around… if Riese sees me she’ll get really sad all over again (and so will I)!

I also eat a snack while I’m walking – a peanut butter oatmeal ball from Stomping Ground in Del Ray + an Oatmeal Banana Coconut Cookie (

I packed two of each so I save the other two for the afternoon!

10:50 a.m. – Grab a quick iced latte because I realize I forgot to have coffee this morning and I’m dragging. 

11 a.m. – Tour a co-working space in Del Ray! I mentioned last week that I tried one out in Old Town, Alexandria that I really liked, but I discovered there’s one walking distance to our house so I wanted to give it a shot too because not having to drive (and deal with expensive/annoying Old Town parking) would be ideal. 

11:05 a.m. – It’s a small space so it was a quick tour! They let me stay and work for the day to test it out, which is what I was hoping, so I set up shop and get going. It’s SUPER quiet (only one other person around) which I actually don’t love because I’d rather have more life/action going on, but the convenience may mean I go with this place over the Old Town one even though I liked the more lively vibe better in Old Town… we’ll see. 

My blog post for the day (my Watermelon Mojito Sorbet) is already live (I wrote it and pre-published it on Monday so it would appear on Wednesday morning – I usually do this nowadays since I’m not actively online as early as I used to be), so I spend some time sharing it around on social media, sending the links to the client, and then catching up on emails and blog comments. 

12:40 p.m. – Break for lunch! I walk over to Stomping Ground and order their beet salad with roasted chicken added. 

It’s really delicious!

While I eat, I listen to an episode of Janet Lansbury’s parenting podcast “Unruffled” that a bunch of you recommended to me in the comments section of Monday’s post. I love that the episodes are mostly only about 20 minutes – perfect!

I listen to the January 22 episode about how to set limits with children (even those as young as Riese). It’s really interesting and helpful! I also got her book (“No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame“). Matt downloaded it on Audible and is going to listen to it in the car on his commute so we are on the same page. 

1 p.m. – Take a quick walk around the block (technology free) to reset and get some fresh air. 

1:15 p.m. – Back to my desk! 

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on emails, working ahead on some blog stuff (like starting this post, and another recipe post that’s in the works), and working on some blog redesign to-do items (reviewing old recipe blog posts to see which ones I want to keep/feature – they sent me a massive spreadsheet of links to go through, oof).

At some point I get tired of sitting and set up this makeshift standing desk using a filing cabinet. ;)

Around 4, I eat the rest of my snack from the morning. I probably should have brought something savory and crunchy with me as well because I’m still a little hungry and craving something not sweet or chewy, but oh well!

5 p.m. – AnneTheRD nutrition client call. 

5:30 p.m. – Send my client a follow up email, wrap up a few other loose end emails, and pack up and head out the door. 

5:55 p.m. – Arrive home – yay! It’s always so fun to come home to Riese – she gets SO excited and runs towards me. It’s the best. :)

6 p.m. – Say farewell to our sitter and go upstairs to play with Riese. 

6:45 p.m. – Riese starts getting a little manic (throwing heavy wood toys down the stairs, and when I ask her to please keep the toys upstairs with us, she instead starts throwing them at me… ahh, toddlers) so I decide it’s time to get her ready for bed. Usually Matt gets home between 6:30 and 7 but he texted that it would be a late one, so I know I’m not trying to keep Riese up to see him!

7:15 p.m. – Finally get Riese wrangled into her jammies, drinking some milk, and reading a book/singing with me to try to calmmmm things down a bit before bed. 

7:30 p.m. – Lights out for Riese. Night, night!

I come downstairs and snack on some crackers and guac while trying to decide if I feel up for making an elaborate dinner. ;)

I eventually decide to throw together a simple rice, beans, and fish situation.

I pan sear some fish rubbed with a little Mexican-themed seasoning…

And then serve it with 90 second brown rice, microwave string beans, and some canned black beans. Easy and fast! Enjoyed with a magazine. :)

8:30 p.m. – Clean up the kitchen, tidy up downstairs, and then sort through some mail and packages.

My new purse came – cute, right? Less than $20 on Amazon and comes in a ton of color options, too! I needed a new everyday purse that would match everything – I had two I alternated between but both were basically falling apart after many years of use. I was nerdy excited to put all my stuff away in this. I like the size – not too big, but big enough to fit a water bottle, phone, wallet, etc. 

9 p.m. – Head upstairs and get ready for bed. 

9:15 p.m. – In bed! Getting in bed early to read is my fave. I start reading the “No Bad Kids” book – interesting, although I wish she went into a little more detail about how to carry out her advice… 

9:30 p.m. – Matt is home! Wow, that was a late one. Poor guy! We catch up on our days and relax. 

10 p.m. – Lights out! I’m wiped and I have my alarm set for 5:33 am (yes, those 3 minutes matter) to hit a yoga class – oof!

—

Feel free to play along in the comments – what’s a typical day in the life like for you? 

In other news, I’m off to Monterey, California tomorrow! I’m attending a press trip that takes place Monday to Thursday, but decided to head out early to see my friend Lauren from grad school. I’m excited! I’ll pop back in on Monday with some travel adventures, so stay tuned – or see what I’m up to on Instagram in the meantime. :)

—

Please note there are affiliate links in this post. 

from https://www.fannetasticfood.com/working-day-in-the-life-21-months-old/ from https://myfunweightloss.tumblr.com/post/187050447532

[myfunweightloss]

Hi friends! It has been ages since I did a day in the life post – especially a day in the life post on one of my work days vs. mom life days!

We have childcare twice a week – on Mondays from 10 to 4 and Wednesdays from 10 to 6. I can get a little work done on my mom days during naptime as well, but Mondays and Wednesdays are my days to get more focused work done, to take AnneTheRD nutrition client meetings or calls, and occasionally to go to appointments or attend to other stuff that’s not toddler-friendly. :) 

So – here’s what I was up to this week on Wednesday!

6:15 a.m. – I always seem to wake up right around this time which is annoying if Riese isn’t up yet and if I’m not trying to do an early workout! I usually do early morning workouts (6 or 6:30 a.m.) 2 or 3 days a week, but this is not one of those days, so I try to fall back asleep. 

6:45 a.m. – No dice, can’t fall back asleep, and I hear Riese waking up anyway. Matt is in the shower so I get myself up and going and head in to get her up, change her diaper, etc. 

7:15 a.m. – Come downstairs and start breakfast! This basically entails Riese flipping out and refusing to be put down, so I do everything one handed. Usually I’ll get her started in her high chair with some fruit before I give her the rest of her breakfast, especially if I need two hands to make whatever else I’m making! 

I have some leftover Veggie Egg Casserole and some fruit and muesli, plus yogurt that Riese feeds to me. ;) Sidenote – Riese LOVES banana and I’ve been giving it to her with a little nut butter on each bite – helps keep her full longer than just the banana alone… especially if it’s a day where she only wants to eat the banana and nothing else. 

  We say bye to Matt at 7:20 – he has an early meeting to get to. 

7:45 – 9:20 a.m. Bumble around the house cleaning up from breakfast, playing with the dog and cat and various toys, feeding the dog and cat, and getting myself and Riese ready for the day. 

I love that our sitter doesn’t come until 10 a.m. – our previous nanny used to arrive at 8 a.m., and while the extra hands were helpful, I love our new routine and am grateful to get to spend morning time with Riese every day of the week now. :) 

9:25 a.m. – We finally make it out the door! Every weekday morning Riese and I take the dog for a walk or a jog. I’m always proud when we finally get out the door because it’s so many logistics… getting dressed and ready for me and Riese, getting the (outrageously excited and jumping all over us) dog ready and waiting by the door with her leash, collar, poop bags, etc., getting a snack for Riese ready and both of our water bottles ready, grabbing (/trying to find) my phone and hat, getting Riese in the stroller while the dog waits inside, THEN bringing the dog out and attaching her leash to the stroller, then putting sunscreen on both of us… OMG so much. Ha. I can only imagine this with more than 1 child… (not pregnant, just a comment)!

Sidenote – thank you for all your helpful comments on Monday’s blog post about bribery and strong toddler opinions… I’ve been reframing things with the morning stroller and now instead of “please just get in the stroller and I will give you a snack” – I’ve been talking it up and saying “Let’s get dressed, and then you can enjoy your snack in the stroller when we walk the dog.” Same outcome, but framed more positively for both of us. :)

(Another sidenote – if you also have a very strong willed child, check out this article that a blog reader shared – I found it helpful! Peaceful Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child)

9:30 – 10 a.m. – Stroller run with Riese and the dog! It’s pretty hot out already but I was craving a workout and our dog is always super happy if we run vs. walk. ;)

We probably cover about 1.5 to 2 miles, which is about my max when the stroller is in the mix. That ish is hard!

10 a.m. – Arrive back home just as the sitter arrives – perfect timing! I always try to time it like this so that Riese is still in the stroller and I can quickly show our nanny the food situation for Riese for the day and then send them right off to the playground, vs. Riese coming inside first, clinging to my legs and crying, etc.

She’s still sad when I say bye, but if she’s still in the stroller at least it’s easy to quickly get her distracted and off to their adventure. 

10:10 a.m. – Hop in the shower and get ready for the day. 

10:40 a.m. – Head out the door with my work stuff in tow. #WetHairDontCare

I take a bit of a roundabout route to avoid going by the playground or down the street where Riese and our sitter could be walking around… if Riese sees me she’ll get really sad all over again (and so will I)!

I also eat a snack while I’m walking – a peanut butter oatmeal ball from Stomping Ground in Del Ray + an Oatmeal Banana Coconut Cookie (

I packed two of each so I save the other two for the afternoon!

10:50 a.m. – Grab a quick iced latte because I realize I forgot to have coffee this morning and I’m dragging. 

11 a.m. – Tour a co-working space in Del Ray! I mentioned last week that I tried one out in Old Town, Alexandria that I really liked, but I discovered there’s one walking distance to our house so I wanted to give it a shot too because not having to drive (and deal with expensive/annoying Old Town parking) would be ideal. 

11:05 a.m. – It’s a small space so it was a quick tour! They let me stay and work for the day to test it out, which is what I was hoping, so I set up shop and get going. It’s SUPER quiet (only one other person around) which I actually don’t love because I’d rather have more life/action going on, but the convenience may mean I go with this place over the Old Town one even though I liked the more lively vibe better in Old Town… we’ll see. 

My blog post for the day (my Watermelon Mojito Sorbet) is already live (I wrote it and pre-published it on Monday so it would appear on Wednesday morning – I usually do this nowadays since I’m not actively online as early as I used to be), so I spend some time sharing it around on social media, sending the links to the client, and then catching up on emails and blog comments. 

12:40 p.m. – Break for lunch! I walk over to Stomping Ground and order their beet salad with roasted chicken added. 

It’s really delicious!

While I eat, I listen to an episode of Janet Lansbury’s parenting podcast “Unruffled” that a bunch of you recommended to me in the comments section of Monday’s post. I love that the episodes are mostly only about 20 minutes – perfect!

I listen to the January 22 episode about how to set limits with children (even those as young as Riese). It’s really interesting and helpful! I also got her book (“No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame“). Matt downloaded it on Audible and is going to listen to it in the car on his commute so we are on the same page. 

1 p.m. – Take a quick walk around the block (technology free) to reset and get some fresh air. 

1:15 p.m. – Back to my desk! 

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on emails, working ahead on some blog stuff (like starting this post, and another recipe post that’s in the works), and working on some blog redesign to-do items (reviewing old recipe blog posts to see which ones I want to keep/feature – they sent me a massive spreadsheet of links to go through, oof).

At some point I get tired of sitting and set up this makeshift standing desk using a filing cabinet. ;)

Around 4, I eat the rest of my snack from the morning. I probably should have brought something savory and crunchy with me as well because I’m still a little hungry and craving something not sweet or chewy, but oh well!

5 p.m. – AnneTheRD nutrition client call. 

5:30 p.m. – Send my client a follow up email, wrap up a few other loose end emails, and pack up and head out the door. 

5:55 p.m. – Arrive home – yay! It’s always so fun to come home to Riese – she gets SO excited and runs towards me. It’s the best. :)

6 p.m. – Say farewell to our sitter and go upstairs to play with Riese. 

6:45 p.m. – Riese starts getting a little manic (throwing heavy wood toys down the stairs, and when I ask her to please keep the toys upstairs with us, she instead starts throwing them at me… ahh, toddlers) so I decide it’s time to get her ready for bed. Usually Matt gets home between 6:30 and 7 but he texted that it would be a late one, so I know I’m not trying to keep Riese up to see him!

7:15 p.m. – Finally get Riese wrangled into her jammies, drinking some milk, and reading a book/singing with me to try to calmmmm things down a bit before bed. 

7:30 p.m. – Lights out for Riese. Night, night!

I come downstairs and snack on some crackers and guac while trying to decide if I feel up for making an elaborate dinner. ;)

I eventually decide to throw together a simple rice, beans, and fish situation.

I pan sear some fish rubbed with a little Mexican-themed seasoning…

And then serve it with 90 second brown rice, microwave string beans, and some canned black beans. Easy and fast! Enjoyed with a magazine. :)

8:30 p.m. – Clean up the kitchen, tidy up downstairs, and then sort through some mail and packages.

My new purse came – cute, right? Less than $20 on Amazon and comes in a ton of color options, too! I needed a new everyday purse that would match everything – I had two I alternated between but both were basically falling apart after many years of use. I was nerdy excited to put all my stuff away in this. I like the size – not too big, but big enough to fit a water bottle, phone, wallet, etc. 

9 p.m. – Head upstairs and get ready for bed. 

9:15 p.m. – In bed! Getting in bed early to read is my fave. I start reading the “No Bad Kids” book – interesting, although I wish she went into a little more detail about how to carry out her advice… 

9:30 p.m. – Matt is home! Wow, that was a late one. Poor guy! We catch up on our days and relax. 

10 p.m. – Lights out! I’m wiped and I have my alarm set for 5:33 am (yes, those 3 minutes matter) to hit a yoga class – oof!

—

Feel free to play along in the comments – what’s a typical day in the life like for you? 

In other news, I’m off to Monterey, California tomorrow! I’m attending a press trip that takes place Monday to Thursday, but decided to head out early to see my friend Lauren from grad school. I’m excited! I’ll pop back in on Monday with some travel adventures, so stay tuned – or see what I’m up to on Instagram in the meantime. :)

—

Please note there are affiliate links in this post. 

from https://www.fannetasticfood.com/working-day-in-the-life-21-months-old/

[jenmedsbookreviews]

My view this week. Well… Not strictly true as I didn’t make it anywhere near Brixton or Victoria. But I was in London for a very flying visit to look at some industrial units. What a truly glamorous life I lead right? My Thursday consisted of – drive to Ponders End (via Starbucks) – spend five minutes looking at an industrial unit. Spend an hour driving to Kingsbury, in NW London (via Costa Coffee) – spend five minutes looking at an industrial unit. Drive to Hayes – spend five minutes looking at an industrial unit. Drive home (via Starbucks). Exciting stuff huh?

The only real benefit of driving around aimlessly, apart from being able to stock up on copious amounts of coffee and blackberry mojito green tea lemonade (non alcoholic), is that I also get to listen to audio books. As I was driving for around seven hours I managed to get most of the way through a whole book, which I finished off by reading when I got home. Tidy.

I’m just starting to get into my major project now with the first training sessions for our ‘super users’ next week. I forgot to tell them that they need to wear their underpants over their trousers so I guess that’s something we’ll have to cover off in housekeeping before the session starts…

Three days of that and then I get a very long weekend off because I am going to Harrogate. Right now I am neither excited or nervous about this fact. I am kind of apathetic. I think because I am so damned busy I have no time, thankfully, to be anything but. I still have the sort of feeling of dread buried somewhere deep inside, but I’ll worry about that surfacing again on Thursday morning as I say goodbye to the poochie. Or rather as I am packing as I probably won’t get round to it much before then… It’s just four days at a book festival. It is going to be fine. I think.

So. Bookwise, this week I’ve been quite productive. Sort of. Didn’t get much reading done until Wednesday as I had blog posts to catch up on, reviews to write, and that pesky chapter three in my thriller spoof – Killer – to complete. Even so, I’ve managed to get through four books thanks to my impromptu road trip on Thursday so it could be worse. I even got book post! Yup. I am loved once more. Two fabulous little parcels winging their way to me courtesy of Penguin and Head of Zeus. First up was The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond. I also received Behind Her Back by Jane Lythell.

Purchase wise I’ve been quite restrained. Sort of. I did a cheeky pre-order of Patricia Gibney’s third Lottie Parker novel, The Lost Child, as well as ordering a bit of a curve ball book, Wicked Grind by J Kenner (one of my guilty pleasures). Inspired by Emma Mitchell, I made a random purchase of the following: Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang, Oxford Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. Maybe I can inject a little more variety into my ‘thriller’. Or then again, perhaps not. And it was only while I was reading the ARC that I realised I hadn’t actually pre-ordered All The Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker, which I have since remedied.

Only one ARC downloaded from Netgalley, The Lost Wife by Anna Mansell and no new audible this week so that, ladies and gents, was it.

…

Books I have read

The Lost Wife by Anna Mansell

Fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Amanda Prowse and Kelly Rimmer will love The Lost Wife, the compelling story of a woman’s deepest secrets, and the friends and family who must learn to live without her.

‘An incredible, beautiful story of loss, love, forgiveness, moving on, overcoming grief, redemption and above all, hope.’ Renita D’Silva

When Ellie Moran passes away, she leaves her newborn son and husband Ed behind her. Their marriage was perfect, their lives everything they had hoped for. So why was Ellie keeping secrets from Ed?

Knowing he can never ask his wife the truth, Ed is struggling to cope. When the secrets threaten to tear his whole family apart, Ed turns to Rachel, the one person who sees him as more than just Ellie’s widower.

But then Rachel discovers something Ellie was hiding, something that would break Ed’s heart. Can Rachel help Ed to find peace without the wife he lost – and a second chance at happiness?

This was a last minute pick as I am taking part in the blog tour but an absolute cracking read. His family torn apart by loss and suspicion, Ed Moran really needs a friend which he finds in nursery worker Rachel. But in trying to help Ed come to terms with what happened, Rachel makes a grave error, one which may be unforgivable. Occasionally heart wrenching and often tender this book was a welcome break from my usual crime and thriller spree. I’ll be sharing my thoughts at the end of the month, but in the meantime you can pre-order the book here.

…

The One by John Marrs

How far would you go to find THE ONE?

One simple mouth swab is all it takes. A quick DNA test to find your perfect partner – the one you’re genetically made for.

A decade after scientists discover everyone has a gene they share with just one other person, millions have taken the test, desperate to find true love. Now, five more people meet their Match. But even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking – and deadlier – than others…

So. I’m way behind the curve on this one. It’s one I’ve had on my Netgalley TBR for a long time and I thought I may as well make the most of my road trip and start to clear some of that backlog. So, I downloaded the audio and off I went. Now this was an intriguing read for me. I am overwhelmingly sceptical about the concept of people finding ‘the one’. Of there being that super spark which goes beyond anything experienced with any other partner, so this book kind of tapped into that scepticism and kept be suitably entertained. You’ll have to wait a while for my thoughts on the book but you can bag yourself a copy right here.

…

All The Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker

‘Raine sometimes complains that nothing exciting is ever gonna happen in Grace again. Daddy told her careful what you wish for.’

Everyone loves Summer Ryan. A model student and musical prodigy, she’s a ray of light in the struggling small town of Grace, Alabama – especially compared to her troubled sister, Raine. Then Summer goes missing.

Grace is already simmering, and with this new tragedy the police have their hands full keeping the peace. Only Raine throws herself into the search, supported by a most unlikely ally.

But perhaps there was always more to Summer than met the eye . . .

For fans of The Roanoke Girls and Fargo, All the Wicked Girls is a gripping crime novel with a huge heart from an exceptional talent.

Now it is no secret that I really loved Chris Whitaker’s debut novel, Tall Oaks. It was my top read of 2016 and is one I recommend to anyone who asks me which books they absolutely must read. So book two had a lot to live up to. And did it? Well I’m not going to say too much as my review will be out closer to publication but Mr Whitaker truly does have a talent for capturing the spirit of small town America, for creating a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere alongside a compelling and consuming story. And characterisations… You don;t get the full on Manny experience, but the friendship between Noah, Purv and Raine was brilliantly observed. So yeah. I liked it. You can pre-order your own copy here.

…

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan

One man is dead.

But thousands were his victims.

Can a single murder avenge that of many?

Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto: the body of Christopher Drayton is found at the foot of the cliffs. Muslim Detective Esa Khattak, head of the Community Policing Unit, and his partner Rachel Getty are called in to investigate. As the secrets of Drayton’s role in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide of Bosnian Muslims surface, the harrowing significance of his death makes it difficult to remain objective. In a community haunted by the atrocities of war, anyone could be a suspect. And when the victim is a man with so many deaths to his name, could it be that justice has at long last been served?

In this important debut novel, Ausma Zehanat Khan has written a compelling and provocative mystery exploring the complexities of identity, loss, and redemption.

Winner of the Barry Award, Arthur Ellis Award, and Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Novel.

I’ve been itching to read this book since receiving it from No Exit Press last month. I’m on the blog tour next week so you won’t have long to wait for my thoughts. Not always a comfortable subject to read about, it touches upon one of the darkest periods in recent European history. As I’ve literally only just finished reading, I’m going to sit and digest it a little while before writing my review. In the meantime, order yourself a copy of the book here.

…

So that’s it. Four books. Not too shabby. Not sure this will be as productive a week as Harrogate is likely to impinge on my reading a touch… I’ll give it a shot though and the travel means valuable audio book time so perhaps I can squeeze in at least a couple of titles by Sunday….

Busy week on the blog with a mix of reviews, book love and blog tours as per the norm.

Review: Cragside by L.J. Ross

#BlogTour Guest Post: Spark Out by Nick Rippington

#BookLove: Linda Hill

Killer: Chapter Three (or ‘I did warn you – these are actually getting worse…’)

#Blogtour review: The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney

#BlogTour Review: Dying To Live by Michael Stanley

Guest Review: Bored of the Rings by Rich Amooi

#BookLove: Catherine Kullman

Review: Nowhere Child by Rachel Abbott

The week ahead is once more pretty busy. I have more book love, blog tours and reviews to share. I start the week with a guest post from Malcolm Hollingdrake as part of the Dying Art blog tour. On Wednesday I’m finally able to share my review of The Other Twin by Lucy V Hay and on Friday I am thrilled to be opening the blog tour for Chris Curran’s new book, Her Deadly Secret. I have a little book love from Katherine Sunderland and Jane Cable and if I get time, maybe an update or two from Harrogate (but don’t hold your breath…)

And that’s it. Have a fabulous week of bookishness all. See you next week.

JL

Rewind, recap: weekly update w/e 16/07/17 My view this week. Well... Not strictly true as I didn't make it anywhere near Brixton or Victoria.

[male-emporium]

Our Full 5 Day Tulum Travel Guide

When we were offered the one of a kind opportunity of dining at noma Tulum with American Express, we knew we couldn’t pass it up. We had heard such great things about Tulum, the incredible beach, the cenotes, the Mayan ruins and most importantly, the food. So we decided to add on a few extra days before the event in order to really experience Tulum. As soon as we arrived, we hit the ground running, more like, we hit the ground bicycling. We cruised up and down the hotel strip along the beach that’s filled with restaurants, shops and hotels that range from luxury clean aesthetics to open aired beach huts and everything in between. Since I’m cramming an entire trip into one blogpost, I’ve document each day with where we stayed, what we ate, the activities we did and what I wore.

  DAY 1.

Wearing: Free People Top, Joie Pants (old similar here), Cuyana Hat, Mar Y Sol Tote, Carrie Forbes Sandals (old, similar here)

  We stayed at Sanara which had come recommended by a friend of ours. We arrived into Tulum around 2pm. I actually had no idea that our flight from Atlanta would be so short (another reason to head back down soon). I guess I’m used to flying to Europe where the flights are so long and you lose hours. The drive from Cancun Airport to Tulum is around 1:45.

  Arriving at lunchtime we were quite hungry. We’d avoided airplane snacking in order to hold out for the guacamole at the end of the Mexican rainbow.  After checking into our room, we made our way to have lunch at the restaurant at Sanara, called The Real Coconut. Everything on the menu has some kind of coconut in it and it’s all incredibly healthy and delicious. A great start to our first afternoon and was followed by some sun on the beach and bodysurfing in the warm, blue ocean.

    We weren’t too hungry for dinner, so we rode our bicycles to Nomade and had margaritas and mojitos on a beach swing while we watched the sunset. Finally, when it was pitch black, we rode back to our hotel and sat down to make plans for the rest of the trip. When we are on trips, we like to use the first day to get a taste of what the possibilities are. While we could research more about activities and restaurants before arriving to our locations, there’s no substitute for actually being there.

    DAY 2.

Wearing:

Day- J.Crew Swimsuit (worn as top), Miguelina Skirt (old, last seen here, similar here and here), Indego Africa Bag, Cuyana Hat, Carrie Forbes Sandals (old, similar here)

Night- Reformation Dress, Jack Rogers Sandals, Preston & Olivia Hat, Kayu Bag

  We woke up early for sunrise. Even though we were pretty tired from staying up late working, we always get that excitement of being somewhere new that gets us out of bed at the crack of dawn…

    After the sun was fully up and the restaurants started trickling open, we got back on our bikes to head to breakfast at RawLove. Thomas and I both went for their bowls- I ordered one with papaya, ginger, turmeric, passionfruit and banana, while Thomas got the classic acai. The star of the show, in my opinion, was the matcha green tea latte with coconut milk! One of the things we liked the most about Tulum, which is hard to say the same thing about when traveling elsewhere, is the large variety of healthier food options. Even if you aren’t a health nut that only eats raw food, you’ll still appreciate not feeling weighed down by every meal. 

    After doing some exploring around the shops in the area, we hit the beach at our hotel. I’m not very good at relaxing on the beach, although I wish I was. After about 15 minutes of reading, I’m ready to get up and do something. Thomas loves being in the water, so we spent a good hour body surfing, which felt so amazing in the warm water of Tulum. We worked up quite the appetite and ordered some smoothies and guacamole while we dried off.

    For a late(ish) lunch, we headed to Posada Margherita. You might be thinking, ‘Why would you eat Italian food in Mexico?’. We were thinking the same thing when we followed a million recommendations to go here, but we totally get why now. The fresh pasta was incredible and the snapper (which was the catch of the day) was absolutely delicious. Totally worth the break from Mexican food (which is not something we say lightly). The space is also really beautiful and sits looking out at the ocean.

    We ended the evening with dinner at Gitano. Originally recommended for drinks, we wound up here after discovering we’d have no chance of getting into Hartwood, everyone’s hands down favorite dinner spot in Tulum (but requires a few hours wait before opening to put your name on reservation list, which we did not do). Gitano turned out to be wonderful. We ordered the full fish with taco sides (fresh tortillas, salsa trio and cabbage) and sides of sweet potatoes and cauliflower in mole sauce. The meal was unforgettable and one that Thomas swears he will try and recreate someday.

DAY 3.

Outfit Details:

Day- Miguelina Top & Skirt, Bosom Buddy Bag (similar here), Carrie Forbes Sandals, Ray Ban Sunglasses

Beach- Karla Coletto Swimsuit, Frame Shorts, Crochet Kimono (old, similar here), Cuyana Hat

Night- Rixo London Dress (on sale), Indego Africa Bag

We’ve said it before and we will say it again, the best time to see the most touristy places are as soon as they opened. We woke up early to a few rain showers but decided to hop in a taxi in order to arrive at the Tulum Mayan Ruins right at opening time (8am). Luckily, as soon as we arrived, the rain clouds departed and we had the ruins nearly all to ourselves. In fact, we spent about an hour at the ruins, and when we left, people were coming in by the hundreds via buses. The ruins are definitely an impressive site, every time we visit these ancient cities we can’t help but wonder what life would have been like back then, with a little bit of imagination it’s fun to picture these ruins during the height of the Mayan civilization.

    Hungry from our walk around the ruins, we set course for breakfast at Nomade. The decor at Nomade was probably my favorite of any hotel that we wandered onto. I loved the Moroccan vibes with the rugs, low tables and bean bags for sitting in the restaurant. Our breakfast did not disappoint, there’s nothing quite like a fruit platter when visiting somewhere tropical like Mexico.

    Having made our way back and forth to Nomade a few times we noticed a drink stand called Matcha Mama. Later that day we slipped into our swimsuits and headed back out for a couple cold Matcha concoctions in order to cool off from the heat and humidity before heading back to the beach for the afternoon.

  While enjoying our teas, we asked for lunch recommendations. The lovely woman working there mentioned Casa Violeta as her favorite spot by far. Feeling not too hungry, but unwilling to skip a meal in this culinary wonderland, we took a chance on her recommendation. We walked along the beach to Casa Violeta, not far from Sanara and perched up at the best seat in the house, our own little cabana on the beach. With too many options to choose from, we did what anyone would do, we ordered way too much food. We got chips and guac, ceviche, two orders of fish tacos, quesadillas and margaritas. Let’s just say, this time our eyes were exactly the same size as our stomachs…we polished everything off and wished there was room for more!

    Later that evening we got dressed up and grabbed drinks at Be Tulum. We got lucky because they had a fabulous jazz singer performing on the beach at sunset. It was such a peaceful way to end the day. Afterwards we decided to end the night early and order room service instead of going out. Sometimes that’s the best option!

  DAY 4.

Wearing:

Day- J.Crew Swimsuit, Levi’s Shorts, Preston & Olivia Hat, Carrie Forbes Sandals (old, similar here)

  Night- Figue Dress (old, similar here and white version on sale here)

We woke up early with plans to do some cenote swimming. After scouting some locations the night before, we asked if the front desk could help us pick between Gran Cenote, Dos Ojos Cenote and Cenote Cristal. After confirming our #1, Cenote Cristal, we jumped in a cab and set off. It was 8:15 when we arrived at Cenote Cristal, the sign read “Abierto” and the opening hour said 8, yet the gate remained locked, with no one in sight. We decided to wait, at around 8:30 we grew discouraged and were ready to head to another cenote on our list. Luckily, our taxi driver jumped on the phone to a friend that informed us that it actually opens at 9, so we waited even more. Just as we were getting ready to call it off, the operators arrived at 9:05 to open the gates. And boy are we glad we waited! The cenote was like an oasis in a desert. Palm trees and tropical plants grew along the water’s edge, with clear blue water. On the opposite end of the cenote was the main attraction, a wooden diving platform. Standing up on the platform you could see clear through to the bottom of the cenote, with fish about the size of a shoe swimming around in small schools. Thomas braved the jump first, starting with a pencil dive, then graduating to flips. I worked up the courage, and went with the crowd-pleasing cannonball, met with 5s and 6s from the judges and a sore butt. (Thomas told me to say that FYI! ha!)

    We ended up spending about an hour and at half at the cenote and only saw one other couple that came for about ten minutes and then a group of guys who showed up just as we were leaving. It was a treat to have the whole place to ourselves that morning (and luckily the mornings are hot enough to want to get in the water!). Afterwards we jumped back in the taxi and we headed back to Raw Love for round two of smoothie bowls and matcha lattes.

    After washing off back at Sanara, we spent the rest of the morning/afternoon shopping in the town, which I shared in this post. We relaxed the rest of the afternoon and hung out with the Amex team, eating fish tacos on the beach and getting excited for the upcoming activities we had planned with them. 

    We ended the day with drinks at Casa Jaguar followed by a delicious vegan dinner at Restaurare, where we ate…..more tacos!

  DAY 5.

Wearing:

Day- Zimmermann Dress

Night- LoveShackFancy Dress (white version on sale here), Laura Mercier Lipstick in “French Kiss”

  Our final full day was the grand finale of what had been an incredible trip so far. In case you missed my Instagram’s and IG Stories, we spent the entire day with the team from noma. noma, in case you don’t know, is a restaurant based in Copenhagen, Denmark, that is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the world. Having won the top spot in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Their restaurant in Copenhagen was closed as they prepare to open in an all new space, so it’s chef, René Redzepi, decided to open a 7 week pop-up restaurant in Tulum. What seems like only a 2 month commitment, is actually a lot more than that. They spent over 9 months searching Mexico for the greatest ingredients they could find, sourcing things like wild fruit that’s too rare to be commercially cultivated or mezcal that’s made in such small quantities that it isn’t for sale! They built everything in the restaurant, tables, chairs, utensils, cups, you name it, they thought about it.

    We started off the day with an amazing brunch, which was followed by René sharing the story of noma Tulum. We had read all of the accolades the restaurant had received and spoken with a few people that dined nights before us, but it wasn’t until listening to René that I realized we were in for a real treat. Even if I didn’t like a single dish from the whole day, (which was not the case) it’s so rare to be in the presence of collective expertise that I knew I had to soak up as much as possible.

    After the speech, we met at the restaurant for what turned out to be my favorite part of the whole day.  We spent about an hour sampling mezcal and tasting the long list of unique ingredients that noma chefs would be using later that evening. The back stories behind each of the ingredients were fascinating. Naturally, my favorite was the chocolate made only from white cacao beans, which come from a variety of cacao, that produces a very small percentage of white beans. The final course during the dinner was a chile pepper filled with chocolate ice cream made with that special chocolate.

  After the ingredient tasting we met for tacos, because you have to have at least one meal with tacos per day in Mexico, and then we had a few hours to chill and relax before our dining experience that evening. 

    Finally, it was time for dinner and apparently, time for the thunderstorm to start. It poured rain but of course, noma had a back up plan. They sat us in the kitchen at the chef’s table. It was the perfect vantage point to enjoy our amazing 15 course dinner. I won’t go into detail of each dish and what we ate, because that could be a whole blog post on its own, but the entire experience was incredible. Actually seeing the chefs prepare and make each dish, with the tedious amounts of effort that go into the smallest of things, it made us sit in awe. It was a true art form. As lovers of Chefs Table, we felt like we were living in a real-life episode (if you’ve seen them, then you know what I mean!). 

    Sadly the next morning we were packed up and off to the airport. But alas, we already have another Mexico trip in the works….!

The post Our Full 5 Day Tulum Travel Guide appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

First found here: Our Full 5 Day Tulum Travel Guide

[themartinsguide]

Koh Samui and Krabi - a holiday within a holiday

17 - 30 March 2017

Our ferry from Koh Tao left early at 6.30am on the morning of 17 March. In hindsight, walking across the island at that time in the morning wasn’t the best idea we’ve ever had and we apologise to our fellow passengers for the sweaty messes we had become by the time the ferry actually departed. But even our poor personal hygiene levels couldn’t get us down because it was time for our holiday within a holiday.

We had recently come to the realisation that the last place we had spent more than 3 or 4 nights was Hoi An, which was over a month ago, and being constantly on the go was starting to take its toll; it was time to settle down for a bit and catch up on some serious holiday admin. Given that we had decided that visiting the islands on the east coast of Malaysia at the end of rainy season was a bit risky, particularly given the cost of getting there, Koh Samui seemed like the perfect place to stay for a while (cementing our self-appropriated title of Thailand backpacking specialists). As it turns out, this decision would come back to bite us. Read on.

Koh Samui is quite a large island which really does have something for everyone. We decided to divide our time between two areas and spent the first four nights in the area of Lamai Beach which is a sedentary town situated along a lengthy, sandy white beach. The beach was lovely and, as we came to discover, much less populated than some of the other beaches on the island (particularly the bustling Chaweng Beach). It was easy to find a spot in which to soak up some rays and sip on a cocktail or two but the sea itself was a bit rough and not great for swimming. However, there were many great beachfront dining options (the seafood BBQ’s are a must do) and a range of accommodation options for all budgets. There are a few landmarks dotted around but to be honest we spent the majority of our time in Lamai at the beach or at the gym (“Ultra Bodies” is a very cheap, well-equipped gym, although there is a lack of air conditioning and the equipment is slightly dated). Of particular note nearby is the “Grandmother and Grandfather Rock” named because of the rock has been shaped over time to resemble male and female genitalia. Go figure.

We arrived in Lamai on a Friday which also happened to be St Patrick’s Day. Thinking it would be rude not to go for at least one beer we found a nearby Irish Pub (they really are everywhere) with live music and ordered ourselves a beverage each. At 2am we stumbled home, after aggressively re-arranging tables to create an impromptu dance floor for ourselves, and wildly fist-pumping to butchered rock covers. It was 1 - 0 to St Patrick. The next day was spent recovering which was largely unsuccessful as we both woke up on Monday with killer head colds. We really are getting old.

A couple of days later we decided to hire a car (the most bizarre experience ever as we were basically just handed the keys and sent on our merry way… No point wasting time signing contracts or checking licences) to fully explore Koh Samui and decide where we were going to stay for the second half of our “holiday”. Thankfully James had done a quick review of Thai driving laws and quickly became familiar with his horn. Oh, and by the way, if another vehicle is driving towards you in your lane you are required give way to them, irrespective of the fact that you are the one driving in the right lane and in the right direction. No shit. However, despite the bizarre road rules and the fact that we hadn’t driven a car since December, we made it through the day unscathed and enjoyed exploring the various parts of the island which are indescribably contrasted. From the largely uninhabited, third world west side to the very developed Chaweng Beach, to the touristy and expensive beaches of Bohput and Maenam, each has something different to offer. We would highly recommend Chaweng Beach and Fisherman’s Village in Bohput. Chaweng Beach is very busy and reminded us of of Waikiki Beach. It had a buzzing, lively atmosphere, great bars and restaurants and fantastic shopping. Fisherman’s Village could be in Noosa. And while that may not appeal to some people, it retains a distinct and relaxed Thai influence (outside of the very weird and largely abandoned open-air mall) with a splash of ultimate luxury throw into the mix. While food is more expensive, the establishments are first class and the beach one of the best by far. Plus, the weekly Friday night market which welcomes visitors from all over the island is excellent, particularly the double-strength mojitos (nothing by halves we say) and the HUGE homemade, chocolate brownies.

Although it was a tough decision, it may not surprise you to discover that we opted to stay in Bohput for the second half of our time in Koh Samui. As we were treating it as a holiday we decided to splash out a little on our accommodation and stayed in a small boutique hotel with a pool, situated a minutes walk to the beach. Again, we didn’t do much other than swim, sunbathe, workout (the nearby Go Kart track came complete with treadmills and a few weights) and do some planning. It was a fool proof way to get over our illnesses (which had reached “man flu” level of seriousness by this time). However, we did get pizza delivered to our room one night which we got irrationally excited about, and we also managed to attend a pub quiz. There were also some happy hour attendances thrown in for good measure.

We decided that our last morning in Koh Samui was a good a time as any to complete our monthly half marathon (as per the rules which, by the way, still play a regular part in our daily life). By 6am we were making our way up to the “Koh Samui Viewpoint” which James had opined “wouldn’t be that steep”. He was wrong. It was a slog. The heat was suffocating. Sweat was pouring of us. The dogs were particularly territorial. People were judging us. All in all, this particular half marathon effort may been one of our craziest. Hannah still isn’t convinced that the “views” were worth it. Still, we did it and next month we will be in much cooler temperatures. Hallelujah.

Later on that day we headed off to Krabi via minibus, ferry, bus, and another minibus. As luck would have it, this was the one time we didn’t pack any snacks and it was the first time neither one of the various methods of transport stopped for a drinks, food, toilet, delivery or dropoff, or smoking break. By the time we reached our hostel in Ao Nang Beach Hannah was at tipping point and we headed for the nearest restaurant. Fortunately, the duck curry was so delicious the wait was almost worth it. Almost.

Our four nights in Krabi were about as eventful as our time in Koh Samui (although the nearby gym was of a much higher standard) Opting to stay near Ao Nang Beach was a good decision and we would recommend a short stop over here or somewhere nearby. It is less popular than the nearby Railay Beach, to which large quantities of long tail boats ferry tourists every morning from Ao Nang. There is a range of accommodation and dining options and Hannah considers it to have some of the better shopping (in terms of range and price) that we have come across in Thailand. As we didn’t venture far we can’t provide any insight into Krabi Town itself but if the scenery is anything like that in Ao Nang we would suggest a visit there too. Krabi was a good place to end the South East Asia segment of our trip. We cannot believe how quickly 13 weeks have gone!

Due to an early flight to Kuala Lumpur we awoke at 4.15am on 30 March. There are not many things that are pleasant at that time in the morning but finding out that you have overstayed your Thai visa by 5 days is perhaps one of the worst possible occurrences. For the first time on this trip, divorce may have been a real possibility. To cut a long story short, we would like to thank: the shuttle driver for arriving early at the airport so that we missed the check in queue (which by 5.30am was out the main door) and were the first people in the line for immigration; the AirAsia check in lady who was unperturbed by our revelation and calmly told us to continue through immigration; the immigration lady who jokingly asked James if he would like to return to Thailand in the future; and the Thai government for excusing our indiscretion with the payment of a $200 fine.

The 30 minutes it took to process our fine (which was done with the assistance of carbon paper in plain view of every traveller leaving Krabi that morning) felt like a lifetime. There were certainly no complaints when we boarded the plane for Kuala Lumpur despite the rice which had been smeared into Hannah’s seat by the previous occupant, the minimal leg room, and the below average snacks. Still, you have to work to get our special ‘overstayers’ visa stamp.

[rayraylovesbuckybarnes-blog]

The Weird McCall Wolf Moon Part 2

After getting Showered i didn’t do anything with my hair all i did was tie it in a bushy tail i barley had time to do any kind of make up, Scott left like half a hour ago and that’s new for Scott he doesn’t usually care He was favoring his side when i saw him maybe it was from the fall or maybe it was from the one thing i don’t wanna think about “The Alpha” i whisper.

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It took a lot of begging but i managed to get my mum to drive me i just called her mummy and started sucking up to her and finally im in my first class English bleck. Scott’s acting weird and hes got his eye on the new girl as she comes in, someones got a crush then he passes her a pen and she is thinking ‘How did he know?’ so that’s even more reason to put a point on the Alpha theory.

Yay bell ooh Scott’s in his own world time to sneak attack, I tip toe behind him and just as im about to jump on him Stiles has to be there “Hey Raven”.

“I hate you” i glare at him and he looks at me confused They are watching the new girl Allison i think her name is and of course Lydia’s there sucking up because she has nice clothes then the jock freak Jackson Lydia’s boyfriend shows up and starts kissing her, Ugh Jackson and Lydia make me wanna throw up. “ Can someone explain to me how new girl is here all of five minutes and already hanging with Lydia’s cliq” Rebecca says curiously ** That’s her name in this story**.

“ Cause shes hot, beautiful people hurt together’'Stiles so smugly put while staring at Lydia. Scott’s staring at Allison again while Rebecca and stiles are arguing about Lydia never been around a ugly person, Its kinda creepy Scott’s staring i mean. Im reading Lydia’s thoughts and shes thinking about sex,Jackson and party on Friday or Sex with Jackson at the Party on Friday. Lacross practice is soon and Scott wants me to be there he’s convinced hes gonna make first line this year.

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” Ugh why must you drag me here you know i don’t do sporty stuff’’ i loudly complain And of course im ignored,“But if you play i won’t have anyone to talk to on the bench” Stiles was moaning about this from the time it took us to get here until now.“I can’t sit out again my whole life is sitting on the sidelines this year i make first line” Scott’s trying to get his positivity across. I turn around and i see coach throwing gear at Scott its hilarious.

“Anyway you wont be alone i’ll make sure i have a seat behind you so we can talk and you can complain about how you wanna be on the team but you’re not sure enough of yourself bla bla bla’'I say to Stiles trying to cheer him up. ’'yeah great nice speech not helping but its good to know i have your sarcastic company’'Stiles said smirking. ’'oooooooooh im offended” i joked but i know how to get to him wait for it, wait for it “OW WHAT THE HELL RAVEN!” Stiles yelled while rubbing his head where i just made a lacross ball hit him. “ Hey that’s what you get for OW!” he just slapped me upside the head’’ you are so gonna pay for that later’’ i say while smiling evilly he knows its bad when i do that. He looks terrified “ Please no pain physically mentally maybe physically no” he looks so scared i can’t help but smile “meh we’ll see”.

Me and stiles look over just it time to see Scott catching balls like crazy and not missing a single one its incredible.

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“EWWW! Really Scott you had to take the wet route” ignored’’ I don’t know what it was it was like i had all the time in the world to catch the ball, and that’s not the only weird thing i can hear stuff i shouldn’t be able to hear, smell things’’ Yup the Alpha got him “Smell things? Like what?” Stiles asks’’ Like the mint mojito gum in you’re pocket’’.

“ What i don’t even have any mint mojito-” then rest assured Stiles pulled out some gum “Ew dude how long has that been in there that you forgot about it?’'i asked disgusted ’'So all this started with the bite?” Stiles is still amazed about the gum, “ what if its like a infection like my body is flooding with adrenaline before i go into shock or something?” Scott asked worried. “ you know what i think I've actually heard of this its a specific kind of infection-”

“you have?”

“shhh” then he mouths follow my lead,i just nod “Are you serious?”

“Yeah yeah i think it called lycanthrope” I actually had to look away from laughing hey gotta play dumb right. “Whats that is that bad?” oh Scott you really need to get out more “ Yeah its the worst but only once a month on the night of the full moon” i say then me and Stiles start Howling like wolves. Scott then slaps us both and walks away “hey you’re the one who said you heard a wolf howling” Stiles says trying to defend himself. “There could be something seriously wrong with me”

“I know your a werewolf GRRR” Stiles really cant growl’' OK come on Scott you know we’re joking’’ I hope, i heard someones thoughts and tuned Scott and Stiles out 'Im guessing that’s one of the guys who lost the inhaler- Oh great the girls here to’ Its that same deep voice that carried me home “RAVEN!” Scott yelled “ huh, what” he pointed behind me and sure enough i turn around and someone there.

I got a proper look at him now hes about 6ft1,light stubble, black tousled hair and wearing mostly black and lets just say hes super hot. His eyes though i could have sworn they flashed bright blue, “psst” i turn back around to see Scott and Stiles doing hand movements l like come closer my child its weird. When i get over to them the guy finally speaks “ What are you doing here hm this is private property” he tells them not looking at me, “ sorry man we didn't know” Stiles is scared. “Yeah we were just looking for something but forget it’' Scott says annoyed then the guy throws something and again Scott catches it no problem when he opens his hand and the inhaler is there and the guys is walking off ’'Hey Scott i’ll be right back” i run off before he can protest.

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“Hey!” i yell the guy seemed to have heard me cause he turns around “What” he glares at me “You were kinda harsh back there don’t you think?’'he walks over to me ’'What of it”

“W-well uh”

“What hm what are you gonna do? You’re just a girl” he smirks and that sparks something inside me “ Well this girl could probably kick your ass” i stand up in front of him and look him dead in the eyes 'She’s brave I’ll give her that

“Well?’'he glares at me and walks back

’'WAIT!”

“what” his back is still turned to me

“What’s you’re name? Im Raven”

“Derek” and he walks off, Great now back to Scott.

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Im in bed watching G-force and as i look out my window i had to do a double take i see glowing blue eyes just like the ones i thought i saw on Derek. I look towards my door as someone knocks but when i look out the window again the eyes are gone, “ come in!” mum walks in looking tired as hell “ Hey just to let you know im gonna call it a night, um Scott has the late shift at the vet so don’t wait up” she says “ i wasn’t planning to but goodnight you look like you could use some rest” she comes over gives me a hug then shes off. And back into bed i go i turn off the TV and all i can think about is those Blue eyes Unfortunately my dreams are filled with the mass of fur and those red eyes.

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“Scott where are you?” Im in the boys locker room looking for my brother probably not a good idea but hey i need to talk to him.

( Dream/Flashback)

Im running in the woods and i hear the Alpha growling while chasing me 'You are mine Raven’

“No!” i continue to run its no use he jumps on me “ Please don’t hurt me”

He growls 'Will you be mine?’ I whimper “Yes” He moves his head down and bites my stomach.

“AWOOOH” (My version of a howl)

I wake up gasping for air why did i say yes to him? I shake my head rubbing my face, I look to my window and see Scott running into the woods “Scott!” no reaction i try to follow but hes long gone “Damn it”.

( End of Dream/flashback)

I hear something getting slammed against metal “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU MCCALL!” Jackson yelled “WHATS GOING ON WITH ME YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? WELL SO WOULD I, I CAN SEE, HEAR AND SMELL THINGS THAT I SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SEE HEAR AND SMELL. I DO THINGS THAT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IM SLEEP WALKING THREE MILES INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS AND IM PRETTY MUCH CONVINCED IM TOTALLY OUT OF MY FREAKING MIND! Scott yelled back Jackson’s not buying it good ’'Huh you think your funny don’t you McCall? i know your hiding something im gonna figure it out, And i don’t care how long it takes.” Then another slam of metal “Scott?” Aaand he’s gone brilliant(note the sarcasm).

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Now as the good sister i am i decide to go to the stupid lacross practice. “SCOTT!” Stiles voice really shouldn't go that high but hey it gives me a laugh. “ Im playing the first elimination man can it wait? Scott asks. ” No just hold on OK the lab results came back from the hairs on the body, it was animal hair-“

’'look i gotta go”

“ No Scott your not gonna believe what it was, it was a wolf”.

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“COME ON”! i yell as Jackson knocks down Scott. Scott right away gets up and starts kicking ass at this,WOAH he just did some kind of side/back flip, Stiles has his curious face on. OH NO.

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“OK keep calm for what your about to see” i whispered to myself. Knock,knock. “Ray-Ray” Stiles says excited. “ Stiles you know i hate that name.”

“exactly” he smiles evilly. “Anyway the reason i called you, look at this I've been up all night doing all this research and im pretty sure Scott's a werewolf” he looks at me expectantly. “A werewolf what come on Stiles that’s ridiculous” i suck at lying. “ HA! you believe it too, so what do we do?”.

“ OK well first we need to tell Scott and he’s not gonna believe us i mean come on would you?” i asked knowing the answer. “YES!” he yells. “yeah but your on the crazy train so you would” he looks at me with fake hurt “Fine i’ll call Scott”.

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About a half hour later Scott shows, “Get in here” me and Stiles yell “Ginyx you owe me a hot chocolate”. ignored “what is this about the body did they find out who did it? poor Scott he has no idea ’' No they’re still questioning people even Derek Hale” Stiles says and my heart jumps at the mention of Derek. “Oh yeah the guy in the woods” the hot guy in the woods ha good thing they cant read my mind. “Yeah yeah but that’s not it OK” Stiles is getting annoyed “what then?”

“ Remember the joke from the other day, not a joke anymore’' Scott looks lost ” the Wolf the bite in the woods’’ my mind flows back to the red eyes.

(Flashback)

'What a pretty little thing i have big plans for you’ That voice i know that voice, blurred images screaming people flames.

(End of flashback)

“WOAH! SCOTT STOP!” i scream as i see Scott holding Stiles up against the wall ready to punch him, “AAGH’' Scott screams as he lets Stiles go. I wait till Scott is gone before i speak ’'Stiles the chair” i whisper as i see claw marks “We are so screwed” we say together.

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“MOM” i hear Scott yell “Whats wrong?” and of course i run in and nothings wrong, ew except my brother in nothing but a towel. “Im just gonna go” i say as i run back to my room “what to wear, what to wear”. So i just go with Black skinny jeans, Dark purple tank that shows a little stomach, grey ankle boots about 4 inch heel and a little black swede shoulder jacket. Make up purple and silver smokey eye just a chap stick on the lips and no blush, Hair straight and just dyed the ends brighter red earlier. I look over my self in the mirror pleased with how i look i say “ Its go time”.

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Stiles picked me up about 20 minutes later. When i got in his geep he tried to act all James bond and i just lost it i couldn't stop laughing.

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We arrived at the party 15 minutes later and im kinda judgy when it comes to party's��so here’s my checks. Good music? Check, Lots of people? Check, And some sluttyness? Check. Jackson and Lydia are pretty much dry humping each other less than 5 feet from us. Stiles looks Disgusted/Upset, What he see’s in her i will never know.“Im gonna go look for Scott” I yell to Stiles “I’ll go look that way call me if you find him” Stiles yelled back.

After looking for a good bit Something strange or should i say someone strange shows up. “Derek!” He seemed to have heard me because he looked over at me. I walk halfway to him He walks the rest not looking pleased Geez does he ever smile. I stop and he just stares at me, Everything happens so quick after that his hands are on my waist and my arms are around the back of his neck “So crash high school party’s often?” i ask looking away could i be more geeky, “No” he almost growls. 'Why is she trying to talk to me? Shes here for the same reason as me’ Hes thinking “What reasons that?” Oops out loud, OUT LOUD! “What reason’s what” he asks, Quick just make something up “Um why don't you crash high school party s more often?” I giggled. He looks unimpressed “ALLISON!” i yell thankful for the distraction. “I gotta go” I turn around and hes gone “Raven right?” I nod “ Scott’s told me about you” she explains. “Where is he?” I ask “I don't know he just took off” she says upset. “ Hes not usually like this i promise and he really likes you, don't be too hard on him” By this time we're outside and our car is gone, “ Can i give you girls a ride?” OH OH i know that voice, OH NO i know that voice. I turn around and Derek's there,“ Um” Allison mumbles “ Sorry how rude of me im a friend of Scott's my names Derek”.

“No-” He cuts me off with a glare and gives me a shut up and play along look, “Yeah, Sure” i say to him and Allison.

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The car ride was awkward to say the least after we dropped Allison off, “My house is just round here” i say pointing to the left “I know” he says then mumbles to himself “great just great”.

“How do you know? And what the hell was that back there about being Scott's friend?” I ask annoyed, “Just drop it before i make you walk”. And i shut up its cold and i really don't wanna walk, 5 excruciating minutes later he drops me off and i barely get the door shut before he speeds of “Bye to you too” i grumble.

Wait the car is here I rush in looking for Scott but hes not here.“ You know what? Im going to bed i’ll deal with his ass tomorrow.” Again why must i talk to myself, Maybe im the one riding the crazy train not Stiles.

After Stripping down to my underwear and tank top i crawl into bed and drift off.

So that’s episode 1 finished. Derek’s a bit of a jerk huh.

-Ray