#hannah is a farmer in a small town

[official-deified-defiled]

Something that's fun to write into this is that none of these assholes have internet. None of them are remotely close to an area that can get internet. The absolute fucking havoc they would pull of they had internet would make them OP. They're not allowed to have that power. MJ has a singular flip phone for work and nobody wants to call him

[wed-in-the-apocalypse]

New towns, new faces.

Cairo Sweet x fem!reader

Warnings: Mentions of student-teacher affairs. Daddy and mommy issues for Cairo. Your mom died when you were young? I guess. Author's note: Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but I really hope you like this, and come back for more while actually enjoying yourself in my God awful writing. "I am eighteen, and entire unremarkable." She'd written in her book, though the very name, 'Cairo Sweet', suggests otherwise.

... You had never stepped outside of Southern California in your 18 years on this earth; it was all too new. It was exciting of course, but what did you know about Tennessee? Or where you were supposedly moving to?

You had asked your father about it as you two packed your last bags for an early flight the next morning at a motel.

"Where we're going..." He started, finding the words. "It'll be good for us. The town is small, but it's quiet and really quite beautiful. There's even a small forest next to our new house that I think you'll like."

You nodded along, not entirely listening.

You loved your father, you really did, and you were grateful for his efforts to give you a better life. But you would miss your city, your friends, and your best friend, your cousin Hannah. Whom you've known since before you could recite your ABCs.

"Glued to the hip, those two," your aunt would chuckle to your father at the mischief you'd get into. You'd miss her too.

"--Y/N?"

Your head snapped to your father, who was now zipping up his suitcase. That amused, worn smile adorning his tired face he got every time he caught you zoning out.

You had been so consumed in your self-pity you forgot to pay attention. You tried for a sorry smile. "Sorry... You were saying?"

He sighed, moving the case so he could sit on the bed.

"Nothing of interest it seems," He smiled, then turned to a more serious tone, "But I do want you to know something about the school you'll be going to."

Now were you interested. "What is it? Is it bad?"

He nodded, "It is, mostly. There was a recent student-teacher affair. Some English teacher engaged in inappropriate conversations with an 18-year-old girl, and apparently more."

"Oh."

"I just want you to know," he reassured, "And I need to know that if anything like that happens, if any teacher asks you questions or makes you do things that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, tell me. Or anyone. Getting pressured to do something wrong doesn't make you a bad person. Just... promise me you'll be smart?"

You smiled. "I promise. And I know that." He sighed, at least a little relieved. "Good, I'm trusting your instinct."

---

That was four weeks ago, and you're now starting to become accustomed to the ways of this town. The wilds of nowhere, Tennessee. People here are nice, tight-knit. It was a small town, and most of the people knew each other. It was cozy, you could reach a farmer's market in just a mile or two, and finally, your father let you get a cat.

So that was where you were currently, at a pet store.

You were walking across the store, cooing and wanting to squeal at all the cute furry faces. You were a bit of an animal person. And your father was asking the employees about every animal you seemed to like a little more than normal.

You bumped into someone as you passed by a particularly adorable kitten, and immediately apologized. "Oh my God I'm so sorry, I should've looked where I was going."

"No, no it's all right," She chuckled, her voice smooth and soothing. Her smile was charming and beautiful and had a slight accent. You wanted to stare but didn't. "Well, I'm sorry anyways. Were you looking at this cat too?"

"I was," She confirmed, a light smile on her lips as she looked back at the kitten staring curiously at them. "It's adorable, isn't it? I'm Cairo, by the way. Cairo Sweet."

"Y/N L/N." You shook her hand when she offered it, smiling kindly. "I was thinking of getting one, my dad finally let me," You chuckled.

"Really? I came here since, well, it's a little lonely in my home," Her voice was a little distant, but it quickly disappeared.

"And I think I could use the company." She put her hand to the glass of the enclosure, smiling as the kitten pressed its face to her hand over the glass. "I don't want to steal it from you, so I suppose if you want, it's yours."

"I don't really think of it as mine," Your nose scrunched up ever so slightly at the thought. "It.. oh, how do I explain it?"

"It dehumanizes them?" Cairo tilted her head, smiling.

"Yes. Exactly," You agreed. "I've never liked how people think they own them, per se. Pets are companions, not objects."

"That's an interesting take," She remarked, hands in her coat pockets. "You're very empathetic." "Y/N," You heard your name and turned to see your father

"Have you chosen one yet?"

"I think I have," You smiled, glancing at Cairo who had an unreadable expression on her face. "Can we get this one?" You asked, motioning to the kitten licking it's white paw. It was black, with it's paws and ears white.

"All right," He sighed, relieved to be done with this. "Excuse me? Can we have this one?" He asked one of the employees, and Cairo turned back to you.

"Is that your father?" She asked.

"Yeah. And I guess I have to go now. It was nice meeting you." You gave her a smile, then began to go with your father as he now held the cat to sign the paperwork. Before she called to you.

"Y/N," She beckoned calmly, steady.

You turned, seeing her still with her hands in her coat pockets, no expression on her face but you could swear you saw curiosity in her eyes. You waited for her to speak.

"Can I have your number?" That surprised you. "I would like to keep talking to you, you give good company."

"Oh. Um, yeah, okay," You managed to get out, taking her phone when she held it out and typed in your phone number, handing it back.

She stared at it, then smiled and put it back in her purse. "I'll see you around." "I guess so," A small smile formed on your lips, and you gave her one last look before leaving with your father to the counter.

Soon you were out the store, a kitten in your arms, your father carrying some cat feed and a small list of things about the cat, and a new friend. You could say it was a surprisingly pleasant day.

--- So I want to know what anyone thinks of this. I think I've gotten better at writing, and I hope you enjoyed it. It actually took me a while, I had writer's block for a hot minute :/

[creaturefeaster]

I was wondering about the cq guys, did they have jobs before the disaster??, Personally, I see Rachel working in a beauty salon or doing nails in a salon. And what if mimes could have professional careers?,Could REDE be a mathematics teacher who likes to torment his students? What do you think about that?

A good chunk of them did have jobs, yes! And I think there are definitely some jobs the mimes would love/excell at, too, were they ever to need to work.

I'll go into depth about some of these jobs :3...

Hannah had a lot of commissioners for her robotics expertise, would be funded by various organizations of the state to help develop robotic aids or other useful things of the sort-- she was a busy gal before the Fault!

Gary had a middle man, or a plug of sorts, through which he would occasionally offload personal art through to sell locally within a farmer's market. He did this less than occasionally because he preferred to maintain his solitude.

Lauren sells single-use spells and other magical tools and compounds (They had other people help distribute these goods). They also taught classes on historic magic, when they had the spare time.

Elliot worked as a bookstore clerk, organizing books and other goods. He additionally found work through Lauren to help manufacture her products alongside her, through which he eventually became her apprentice, and gained many more tasks as a result.

Tanner was a hunter, partially for town game and partially to defend against opportunistic predators. You'd find him stationed out around the outskirts of town often, chilling with a gun and a drink.

April would help with hunting occasionally, but primarily worked as a nurse for Lystrike's very small, very dinky hospital.

Leon was not working at the time, but he did occasionally play solo gigs for the bar and other venues in Lystrike.

Rachel was actually a royal medic at the time of the Fault. As in, technically within the Dominion's higher military, but not a fighter. She was not on duty when it hit, but immediately went into the front lines anyways to try and help people with her healing oriented magic.

Samantha was a tailor typically selling her custom clothes remotely, though she didn't have much success in pulling customers in. Debbie advocated vocally for her on several occasions though.

Michael was about to get his first job just before the Fault, working at a comic shop, a position he lucked into by being at the store at the right time. (Then got lucked out of, due to the world ending 💔 )

~☆~

As for the mimes...

TyV would be a journalist. Ching is already an actor. Foxglove would enjoy a bartender position, for the wrong reasons I think. El Ganso is technically a bounty hunter of sorts and takes pride in it. Rede probably wouldn't be the best teacher, he'd get too frustrated with people who don't understand right away, but he would be an excellent astrophysicist. Holly would thrive as a model, Twiddle would just want to be the boss of anybody, Chickenstab would be great in any field involving animals. Atrox would be most content as a quiet maid. Jarna would love to be in a band, and Uppsulka I think would be a great counselor. Calamea would be the town nuisance.

These are just what I think would work for them, not necessarily what they'd end up doing if they did have to get jobs. Like, Rede would be great in astrophysics but he'd get stuck as like. A clerk or something that'd drive him up the wall.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

please support this blog

🦇 The Pumpkin Spice Cafe Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's your go-to autumn beverage & sweet treat? 🦇 When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job. There, she meets Logan, a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. When Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine, he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Meanwhile, accidents keep happening at the cafe. Can Logan help Jeanie uncover the culprit, all while trying not to get too close?

💜 I've heard multiple people refer to this as an AI's combined version of Hallmark films and Gilmore Girls. Honestly, I can't think of a more succinct explanation than that. While the story starts with cute, cozy potential, it quickly unravels into a repetitive mess. The prose fails to spark all five senses (the main setting is a cafe AND it's fall, so that should have been easy), choosing to tell readers everything instead of inviting them to live in the story.

💙 The insta love doesn't leave much room for tension or romance, despite both characters claiming to have no interest in a relationship. While a slow, undeniable burn would have suited the MCs better, the story quickly becomes led by smut and that good old miscommunication trouble instead. Unfortunately, that leaves for unlikeable characters, an unnecessary third act breakup, and a mystery anyone could have solved if they just kept it in their pants.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Legends & Lattes, Hannah Grace, and Gilmore Girls.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🍂 Small Town Romance 🌦 Grumpy vs Sunshine (ish) 🧣 Cozy Mystery 🍁 Fall Vibes (Obviously) ❤ Insta Love 📚 First in a Series

[laresearchette]

Sunday, October 08, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: 90 DAY FIANCÉ (TLC Canada) 8:00pm THE CIRCUS (Crave) 8:30pm LAST STOP LARRIMAH: MURDER DOWN UNDER (HBO Canada) 9:00pm 90 DAY FIANCÉ: PILLOW TALK (TLC Canada) 11:00pm THE TURNING POINT: MARTHA'S VINEYARD V. DESANTIS (MSNBC) 11:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: ICE AIRPORT ALASKA (TBD - Smithsonian Channel) THE VENICE MURDERS (TBD - Lifetime Canada) THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL (TBD)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ARODON DIAMOND IN THE SKY LISTENING EARS SURVIVAL OF JELILI

CRAVE TV LAST STOP LARRIMAH

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN4) 9:30am: Jaguars vs. Bills (TSN/TSN4) 1:00pm: Giants vs. Dolphins (TSN/TSN4) 4:00pm: Eagles vs. Rams (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 8:20pm: Cowboys vs. 49ers

MEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP (TSN2) 11:45am: Tonga vs. Romania

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 1:00pm: Bulls vs. Bucks (SN1) 8:00pm: Kings vs. Raptors (SN Now) 8:00pm: Pacers vs. Grizzlies

WNBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 3:00pm: Liberty vs. Aces - Game #1

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 4:00pm: ALDS - Rangers vs. Orioles - Game #2 (SN) 3:00pm: ALDS - Twins vs. Astros - Game #2

HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: Amy and Jack retrain Edwin's horse for carriage racing, bringing Amy and Edwin closer; Logan takes on his first client horse; election night arrives for Lou just as the family faces a difficult loss…OH NO! SAVE YOURSELF HORSIE!

THE BIG BAKE (Food Network Canada) 7:00pm: Fun and games turn to frights as host Brad Smith challenges the baking teams to sew up a win with a dangerous doll cake that toys with judges Ron Ben-Israel, Eddie Jackson and Danni Rose.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW (CBC) 8:00pm: It's Bread Week once again, and the nine remaining bakers knead to prove their bread-iness.

CRUELLA (CTV2) 8:00pm: Estella is a young and clever grifter who's determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. However, when Estella befriends fashion legend Baroness von Hellman, she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella.

BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm: Young mother Rachel frantically searches for her teen daughter, Hannah, after their car crashes outside a small town; people die mysteriously in Rachel's wake as she gets closer to finding out that the local doctor kidnapped her daughter.

SKYMED (CBC) 9:00pm: As the SkyMed crew wait for their fallen team member to wake up, Crystal starts to find her feet as a medical student, and a secret from the past threatens Nowak and Tristan's relationship.

BRYAN'S ALL IN (HGTV Canada) 9:00pm/10:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): City slickers turned country boys, Ryan and Taylor, need Bryan's help to transform their live-and-work farm into a show-stopping distillery and bar; they need to create a venue that stands apart from the competition. In Episode Two, new-generation farmers, Samantha and Paul, have big dreams for their rural business; they want to create a farm stand to sell their home-grown products, but also to give local artisans a place to sell their goods.

EUROPE’S HIDDEN WONDERS (Nat Geo Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The filmmaker showcases the natural wonders of Germany, from the peaks of the Bavarian Alps to the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas.

WHEN CALLS THE HEART (Super Channel Heart and Home) 9:00pm: Lucas is the talk of Hope Valley; Elizabeth and the whole town rally around him, but everyone still worries it won't be enough to stop the governor.

CLEAN SWEEP (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: The pressure builds on all fronts as Shelly is identified as the mysterious woman at the crime scene; she considers fleeing, but she would never leave her kids.

BELLE COLLECTIVE (OWN Canada) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Latrice, Lateshia, Gucci and Tambra confront their relationship issues head on.

THE WINTER KING (Crave) 11:00pm: Arthur and the tribe kings enter peace talks; Arthur meets Guinevere, Ceinwyn's lady-in-waiting, while traveling.

[thelarriefics]

FARM FIC REC: Below you’ll find fics that have a farm theme. 

📖 Wild And Unruly by @gloriaandrews & @100percentsassy (123k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

📖 Baby, I think we might be too cold to float by @forreveries (81k)

Harry is a journalist that goes to Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, to look into a girl’s disappearance after a year of no movement from police. What he finds instead is his ex boyfriend Louis, who, six years earlier, ghosted him after five months of dating in university. A story of trauma, secrets, and the power of finally letting people in.

📖 across city skyline (and straight through my heart) by @halohamilton (76k)

The one where Louis owns a small bakery that's well known in his town and Harry Styles is an actor who comes to town to film a new movie. Louis is endeared by him, but that doesn’t seem to matter since Harry Styles is already taken.

📖 Right Beside You is Where I Belong by @chloehl10 (46k)

Harry lives on his farm in the British countryside with his two children, loving the peace and quiet of his surroundings.

Louis is a writer who lives in the city, and decides it is time to take a break, to recharge and find some inspiration for his next book.

When Harry's daughter is left heartbroken by the unkindness of strangers, Louis decides it is time to right some wrongs, but doesn't expect to be reunited with the one who got away...

📖 An Invincible Summer by @twopoppies (44k)

Never content to stay in one place for long, a few months down south researching for his novel seemed like an idyllic, slow-paced summer to Louis. He wasn't ready for the blistering heat, the backbreaking work of watermelon picking, or how stifling the attitudes in rural Georgia would feel. And he definitely hadn’t anticipated falling in love with the farmer’s son.

The summer of 1946 would turn out to be everything worth writing about.

📖 Caves End by @jacaranda-bloom (39k)

When a recurring injury cuts short Harry’s time as the Captain of the English Football Team, he needs to rethink his career and his future. His best mate and manager, Niall, decides that what Harry really needs is a change of scenery, time to relax, and to get some perspective on his life. What Harry doesn’t expect is for them to end up in Australia, on a farm, with the most gorgeous man he’s ever laid eyes on.

OR the one where Harry has lost his future, Louis has lost his past, but maybe together, they can find a way through the dark.

📖 Until by @allwaswell16 (38k)

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

📖 It's the Climb by @lululawrence (25k)

The Hannah Montana AU where Louis is a world famous punk rock singer with a stage name of William and Jay drags him back to Tennessee for the summer. In her attempt for Louis to get back to his roots, he just so happens to reconnect with Harry, and things never go quite as Louis expects them to.

📖 Lambing Season by @helloamhere (24k)

“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”

//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.

📖 Naked & Proud by @icanhazzalou (18k)

In which Harry runs an organic store, not a nudist colony, and Louis doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

📖 Love and Other Antidotes by @haztobegood (16k)

Arrogant pop star Harry Styles is transformed into a cow by his bandmate Amy Z after a heated argument. Left in the back of a truck, Harry finds himself at a rural farm hours away from his band. Harry has three days to make it back to London and turn back into a human before his next show. His only chance to reclaim his glamorous life rests with a kind farmer named Louis. They must work together to find the antidote before Amy Z finishes him off and takes over the band.

📖 Leave Your Damage Behind and Gone by @becomeawendybird (15k)

It's the spring of 1882 and Sir Louis Tomlinson is a simple man with simple needs. Money. Running an old estate and dairy farm costs money, and he would much rather focus on his science experiments than take a trip to the Exposició Universal de Barcelona to beg for funding especially when everyone there is English anyway. He's taking a walk one night to clear his head when he comes upon something mysterious on the beach that may or may not change his life forever.

📖 Won't Let You Down by @noellehenryfics (15k)

Harry inherits his beloved eccentric great-aunt Lucille's business, which includes a B&B, a farm, unlabeled bottles, illegal trading and a whole lot more...

On top of that, his everlasting crush has returned to town.

📖 A Light Illuminated (Calling You Home) by @londonfoginacup (14k)

Louis has inherited a farm from an uncle he barely knew. It's not in the best state, and he's facing the reality of having to let some of the workers go if profits don't drastically improve. It's not a nice idea.

Then Harry comes into the picture. A prince in need of a place to lay low for a while. It's a little awkward, and a lot unconventional, but he's paying well and Louis can't turn down the opportunity.

If only he didn't give Louis such conflicting feelings.

📖 A Fateful Snow by @parmahamlarrie (13k)

Christmas can be the busiest time of year for small business owners. Louis Tomlinson, owner of Tomlinson’s Tree Farm, and Harry Styles, owner of A Bashful Taste bakery, know this all too well.

The busyness of the season can lead to - well, quite literally missing the subtle (and not so subtle) nudges fate gives you.

Will Harry allow a simple misunderstanding keep him from the hottest alpha he’s ever seen? Or will a bit of snow and the magic of Christmas bring the two together?

📖 No One Needs To Know by @tommokat (2k)

Am I dreamin' or stupid? I think I've been hit by cupid But no one needs to know right now

[haztobegood]

UNITED STATES OF FANFICTION - PART 2

📍 Louisiana - Lonesome When You Go by 13ways Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 158k, E Surgery Residency AU, Jazz Music

📍 Maine - promise you'll remember (when the sky is grey) by Anonymous Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 32k, M Summer, Lakehouse

📍 Maryland - ride back to me by orphan_account Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 7k, G Growing Up, Angst

📍 Massachusetts - Always Darkest before the Sunrise by LadyLondonderry @londonfoginacup​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 8k, NR Historical AU, Salem Witch Trials, Fae & Fairies

📍 Michigan - Crawling on Your Shores by @juliusschmidt​​ Liam Payne/Harry Styles, 67k, E Small Town AU, Aliens, Mental Health Issues

📍 Minnesota - Apples Always Fall (As I Do For You) by rainbowsandgucci @queereightiesheartthrob​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 55k, M Apple Orchard AU, Fluff and Angst

📍 Mississippi - Restless Lane by @jaerie​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 15k, E Hannah Montana inspired AU, A/B/O Dynamics

📍 Missouri - can't you feel it rolling off your lips (c'mon say it) by nirvanas Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson, 3k, E Canon Compliant, OTRA Tour, Kansas City, PWP

📍 Montana - Good Directions by @femstyles​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 3k, T Farmer AU, Meet Cute

📍 Nebraska - Manifest Destiny by @casuallyhl​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 15k, E Historical AU, Pony Express

📍 Nevada - Alien Roadtrip! by @helloamhere​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 16k, E Desert Roadtrip, Supernatural Elements

📍 New Hampshire - The Recklessness in Water by LarryOn @larryonsimon​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 51k, E Summer Romance, Lake Cabin

📍 New Jersey - love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever by theamazingpeterparker Niall Horan/Zayn Malik, 5k, G Girl Direction, Summer Romance

📍 New Mexico - boom, boom, boom, supernova by exhibit @monsterexhibit​​ Zayn Malik/Louis Tomlinson, 8k, E High School AU, Aliens

📍 New York - Mine Would Be You by @crinkle-eyed-boo​​ Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 115k, E Exes to Lovers, Artist Harry, Writer Louis Tomlinson

📍 North Carolina - Cool and Quiet by musiclily88 Niall Horan/Liam Payne, 4k, NR High School AU, Small Town AU, Meet Cute

📍 North Dakota - Only God (And A Panel Of Alphas) Can Judge Me by orphan_account Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings, 7k, NR Werewolves, Pack Dynamics

🗺️ PART 1 | PART 3

[spaceaceathena]

nancy drew name meanings

so this is the work i’ve been doing over the past couple days, I want to give you guys a heads up that list will contain spoilers for some of the characters/games so please be aware of all of that. if this garners interest, i’ll do maybe the penvellyn family tree (that thing could not fit in here) or last name origins!

Main Cast

Nancy Drew: Grace (Hebrew)

Bess Marvin: god of plenty (English)

Georgia “George” Fayne: farmer (English)

Edward “Ned” Nickerson: wealth, fortune, prosperous OR guardian, protector (English)

Joe Hardy: god will increase (English)

Frank “Franklin” Hardy: free landowner (English)

SCK/SCKR

Jacob “Jake” Rogers: supplanter (Hebrew)

Daryl Gray: open, from Airelle (English, French)

Connie Watson: strong willed, wise (Irish)

Hal Tanaka: army ruler (English)

Hector “Hulk” Sanchez: holding fast (Greek)

Mitch Dillon: Who is like God, gift from god (Hebrew)

Detective “Steve” Beech: crown, garland (Greek)

STFD

Mattie Jensen: lady, mistress of the house, might in battle (Aramaic or German)

Richard “Rick” Arlen: brave ruler (English)

Dwayne Powers: swarthy (Irish, Gaelic)

Lillian Weiss: lily, a flower (English)

Millie Strathorn: industrious (German)

William Pappas: resolute protector, strong willed warrior (German)

Ralph Guardino: counsel wolf, famous wolf (Norse, English)

MHM

Rose Green: rose, a flower (English)

Abby Sideris: father’s joy (Hebrew)

Charlie Murphy: free man (Charlie)

Louis Chandler: fame, warrior, famous in battle (French)

Hannah Gruen: favor, grace (Hebrew)

Emily Foxworth: rival, wily, persuasive (Latin, Greek)

TRT

Professor Beatrice Hotchkiss: she who makes happy, bringer of joy, blessings (Italian, French, Latin)

Dexter Egan: right handed, fortunate, one who dyes (Latin)

Lisa Ostrum: God’s promise (English, Hebrew)

Jacques Brunais: supplanter (French)

FIN

Brady Armstrong: spirited, broad (Irish)

Joseph Hughes: he will add (Hebrew)

Nicholas Falcone: victory of the people (Greek)

Simone Mueller: god has heard (Hebrew)

Maya Nguyen: good mother (Greek)

Eustacia Andropov: fruitful, productive (Greek)

Sherman Trout: shearer of woolen garments (English)

SSH

Joanna Riggs: god is gracious (Greek/Hebrew)

Alejandro Del Rio: defender of mankind (Spanish)

Taylor Sinclair: tailor (French)

Henrik Van Der Hune: ruler of the home, lord of the house (Swedish, Danish)

Franklin Rose: free landowner (English)

Poppy “Penelope” Dada: weaver (Greek)

Prudence Rutherford: prudence, good judgement (Latin)

DOG

Red Knott: person with red hair (English)

Jeff Akers: pledge of peace (English)

Emily Griffin: rival, persuasive, wily (Latin, Greek)

Sally McDonald: princess (Hebrew)

Vivian Whitmore: lively (Latin)

Mickey Malone: who is like god (Hebrew)

Lucy: as of light (English, French)

Iggy: fiery (Latin)

Vitus: lively (Latin)

Xander: defender of man (Greek)

Yogi: one who performs yoga (Indian, Hindu)

CAR

Harlan Bishop: army land (English)

Ingrid Corey: beloved, beautiful (Norse, German)

Elliot Chen: with strength and right, bravely and truly, boldly and rightly (English, Breton)

Joy Trent: joy, happiness (Latin)

Paula Santos: small (Latin)

K.J Perris: Petros-> the rock (Greek)

Tink Obermeier: love (English)

DDI

Jenna Deblin: white shadow, white wave (English, Welsh)

Katie Firestone: pure (English, Greek)

Andy Jason: manlike, brave (Greek)

Holt Scotto: woods, forest (English)

Casey Porterfield: vigilant, watchful (Irish, Gaelic)

Dr. Irina Predoviciu: peace (Greek)

Hilda Swenson: battle (Norse)

SHA

Dave Gregory: beloved (English)

Tex Britten: from Texas (American)

Mary Yazzie: bitter, beloved, rebelliousness, wished for child, marine, drop of the sea (Aramaic, Hebrew via Latin and Greek)

Shorty Thurmond: a short person (American)

Bet Rawley: god is my oath (Hebrew)

Ed Rawley: wealthy spear, protector, guard, frend (English)

Sheriff Hernandez: son of Hernando (Spanish)

Dirk Valentine: famous ruler (German)

France Humber: free one (French, English)

Meryl Humber: shining sea (English)

CUR

Linda Penvellyn: beautiful, pretty, cute OR clean (Spanish/Portugeuse, Italian)

Mrs. Leticia Drake: joy, gladness (Latin)

Jane Penvellyn: god is gracious/merciful (English)

Nigel Mookerjee: champion (Irish, Gaelic)

Ethel Bossiny: noble (English)

Hugh Penvellyn: mind, spirit (English)

Mrs. Petrov: petros-> rock (Greek to Russian)

CLK

Emily Crandall: rival, wily, persuasive (Latin, Greek)

Jane Willoughby: god is gracious/merciful (English)

Richard Topham: strong in rule (English, French, German, Czech)

Jim Archer: supplanter (English)

Carson Drew: son of marsh dwellers (Scandinavian)

Gloria Crandall: glory, fame, renown, praise, honor (Latin)

Marion Aborn: star of the sea (French)

Mrs Farthingham: a house supplying food (Scottish)

Josiah Crowley: god has healed (Hebrew)

TRN

Lori Girard: bay laurel (English)

Tino Balducci: little, junior (Italian)

Charleena Purcell: free man (German)

John Gray: graced by god (Hebrew)

Jake Hurley: supplanter (Hebrew)

Camille Hurley: helper to the priest (French)

Fatima: captivating, shining one (Arabic)

DAN

Minette: star of the sea, love, will helmet, protection (French)

Heather McKay: evergreen flowering plant (Middle English)

Jing Jing Ling: perfect essence (Chinese)

Dieter von Schwesterkrank: army of the people (German)

Jean-Michel Traquenard: god remits (Hebrew)

Lynn Manrique: pond, lake, pool, waterfall (Welsh)

Hugo Butterly: mind (German)

Zu: knowledgeable and voracious reader (French)

Tammy Barnes (Minette): palm tree (Hebrew)

Noisette Tornade: hazelnut (French)

the n*zi will not be appearing on this list

CRE

Pua Mapu: flower (Hawaiian)

Big Island Mike Mapu: who is like god, gift from god (Hebrew)

Dr. Quigley Kim: descendant of Coigleach or maybe messy hair (Irish)

Dr. Malachi Craven: messenger of god (Hebrew)

ICE

Ollie Randall: olive tree (Latin)

Yanni Volkstaia: god is gracious (Greek)

Bill Kessler: resolute protection (English)

Lou Talbot: renowned warrior (French)

Guadalupe Comillo: river of the wolf (Spanish)

Chantal Moique: stone (French)

Elsa Sibblehoth: pledged to god (German)

Freddie Randall: elf, magical counsel, peaceful ruler (English, German)

Isis: throne (Egyptian)

CRY

Henry Bolet Jr.: house ruler (French)

Dr. Gilbert Buford: bright pledge/promise (French)

Lamont Warrick: the mountain (French)

Renee Amande: reborn, born again (French)

Summer: season, half-year (German)

Bruno Bolet: brown (German)

Bernie: strong and brave bear (German, French)

Iggy: fiery (Latin)

VEN

Colin Baxter: whelp, cub, young creature (Irish, Scottish, Gaelic)

Margherita Faubourg: daisy (Italian)

Helena Berg: light/bright (Greek)

Enrico Tazza: homeowner, king (Italian)

Antonio Fango: priceless one (Spanish, Italian)

Sophia Leporace: wisdom (Greek)

HAU

Kyler Mallory: bowman, archer (Dutch)

Matt Simmons: gift of god (Hebrew)

Kit Foley: bearing Christ (Greek)

Donal Delany: world leader (Scottish)

Alan Payne: precious (German)

Fiona Malloy: white, fair (Gaelic)

RAN - Her Interactive refuses to acknowledge this game and so will I.

WAC

Corine Myers: maiden (American)

Danielle Hayes: god is my judge (Latin)

Mel Corbalis: council protector (English)

Megan Vargas: pearl (Greek)

Izzy Romero: god’s promise (Hebrew)

Leela Yadav: play OR night beauty (Sanskrit or Arabic)

Rachel Hubbard: ewe, one with purity (Hebrew)

Kim Hubbard: of the clearing of the royal fortress (Old English)

Rebecca Sawyer (Nancy): join, tie, snare (Hebrew)

Rita Hallowell: pearl (Spanish)

TOT

Scott Varnell: from Scotland, a Scotsman (old English)

Debbie Kircum: bee (Hebrew)

Tobias “Frosty” Harlow: god is good (Hebrew)

Chase Releford: to hunt (French)

SAW

Shimizu Yumi: reason/cause, beauty; abundant, beauty; evening, fruit; tenderness, beauty (Japanese)

Shimizu Miwako: child of beautiful harmony (Japanese)

Shimizu Kasumi: mist, clear, pure (Japanese)

Nagai Takae: filial piety, obedience and large river (Japanese)

Aihara Rentaro: dependant on kanji used (Japanese)

Savannah Woodham: treeless plain (Spanish)

CAP

Karl Weschler: free man, strong man, man, manly (German)

Anja Mittelmeier: grace (German, Russian)

Lukas Mittelmeier: man from Lucanus (German, Greek, Swedish)

Renate Stoller: Reborn (Latin)

Markus Boehm: dedicated to Mars (Latin)

ASH

Chief McGinnis: son of Angus (Irish)

Deirdre Shannon: broken hearted, sorrowful (Irish, Gaelic)

Brenda Carlton: sword (Norse)

Alexei Markovic: defender (Russian)

Antonia “Toni” Scallari: priceless, praiseworthy, beautiful (Roman)

TMB

Abdullah Bakhoum: servant of Allah (Arabic)

Lily Crewe: lily, a flower

Jamila El-Dine: beauty (Arabic)

Dylan Carter: son of the sea, son of the wave, born from the ocean (Welsh)

Jon Boyle: God is gracious, gift of Jehovah (Hebrew)

DED

Victor Lossett: winner, conqueror (Latin)

Ryan Kilpatrick: descendant of the king, little king (Irish, Gaelic)

Mason Quinto: one who works with stone (English)

Ellie York: shining light (Greek)

Gray Cortright: color, black mixed with white (English)

Niko Jovic: people of victory (Greek, English, Slavic)

GTH

Jessalyn Thornton: he sees (Hebrew)

Clara Thornton: clear, bright, famous (Latin)

Wade Thornton: to go, ford (Anglo-Saxon English)

Harper Thornton: harp, son of the harper (Scottish, Irish, English)

Colton Birchfield: swarthy person, coal town, settlement (Old English)

Charlotte Thornton: free man, petite (French)

Addison Hammond: son of Adam, son of Addi (Old English, Scottish)

SPY

Alec Fell: defender of the people (English)

Bridget Shaw: power, strength, virtue, vigor, noble or exalted one (Gaelic, Irish)

Ewan Macleod: born of the mountain (Scottish, Gaelic)

Moira Chisholm: destiny, share, fate (English)

Kate Drew: pure (English)

Samantha Quick: listens well, as told by god (Aramaic, Hebrew)

MED

Sonny Joon: son (English)

Patrick Dowsett: nobleman, patrician (Latin)

Leena Patel: young palm tree, tender, delicate (Qunaric Arabic)

Kiri Nind: skin, bark, rind (Māori)

Jin Seung: rise, ascent, victory, excel, inherit (Sino-Korean)

LIE

Xenia Doukas: foreigner, outlander, welcomed guest, hospitality (Greek)

Niobe Papadaki: fern (Greek)

Thanos Ganas: immortal (Greek)

Grigor Karakinos: vigilant (Greek)

Melina Rosi: honey, god’s gift (Greek)

SEA

Soren Bergursson: severe (Scandinavian) 

Dagny Silva: new day (Old Norse)

Elisabet Grimursdottir: pledged to god (Hebrew)

Magnus Kiljansson: great (Latin)

Gunnar Tonnisson: fighter, soldier, attacker, brave and bold warrior (Nordic)

Burt Eddleton: bright, glorious (Old English)

Alex Trang: man’s defender, warrior (Greek)

MID

Mei Parry: beautiful (Chinese)

Teegan Parry: special thing, little poet (Cornish, Gaelic)

Olivia Ravencraft: olive, olive tree (Latin)

Judge Danforth: hidden ford (Old English) [Last name]

Lauren Corey: laurel tree, sweet of honor, wisdom (English, french)

Alicia Cole: noble natured (Germanic)

Jason Danforth: healer (Greek)

[queerpyracy]

Asmall, 20-horsepower Kubota tractor inches forward in a sea of John Deeres, with a sticker saying “queerest farm around.” It’s the 2019 Pride Parade in Decorah, Iowa, and this tractor belongs to Humble Hands Harvest, a women-worker-owned farm nestled on 22 acres. The farm’s aim is to present an alternative to industrial agriculture.

“Our farm is queer because it’s really different from the normal farm,” says Hannah Breckbill, one of the farm’s three worker-owners. For one, the farm prioritizes sustainable perennial crops, which regrow year after year, in contrast to the vast majority of global croplands that are dedicated to annual crops, which require planting each year. She says that her farm’s emphasis on community also stands in stark contrast to out-of-town commodity crop growers. As a vegetable farmer on small acreage, Breckbill isn’t considered a “real” farmer by many other farmers in the area.

“Day in and day out we’re growing food for people,” she says of herself and her fellow worker-owners. “We’re bringing people out onto the land and into connection with what’s going on.”

That access to land is a critical component of this work. It’s an effort to overcome the centuries of systemic discrimination that have prevented marginalized groups from owning farms or homes, as well as the economic freedom and mobility they can provide.

[Continue Reading]

[rockislandadultreads]

Eat, Drink, & Read: Adult Fiction 

Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

The popular Beijing Duck House in Rockville, Maryland has been serving devoted regulars for decades, but behind the staff's professional smiles simmer tensions, heartaches and grudges from decades of bustling restaurant life. Owner Jimmy Han has ambitions for a new high-end fusion place, hoping to eclipse his late father's homely establishment. Jimmy's older brother, Johnny, is more concerned with restoring the dignity of the family name than his faltering relationship with his own teenage daughter, Annie. Nan and Ah-Jack, longtime Duck House employees, yearn to turn their thirty-year friendship into something more, while Nan's son, Pat, struggles to stay out of trouble. When disaster strikes and Pat and Annie find themselves in a dangerous game that means tragedy for the Duck House, their families must finally confront the conflicts and loyalties simmering beneath the red and gold lanterns.

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

A full-hearted novel about a big-city baker who discovers the true meaning of home—and that sometimes the best things are found when you didn’t even know you were looking When Olivia Rawlings—pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club—sets not just her flambéed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of—the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts. Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest. With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought. But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her—feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it. Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up. When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. But then, an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly?

The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell'Antonia

Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster. In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . . The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda's sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, Food Wars becomes her chance to step back into the limelight. Mae is certain she can make the fading Mimi's look good--even if that pits her against Amanda and Frannie's. With a greedy producer stoking the flames, their friendly rivalry quickly turns into a game of chicken. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?

[broadwayandnetflix]

It’s Always Been You - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Language

Theme: Fluff, Pining, Semi-Angst

Summary: Being the youngest princess in a wealthy kingdom definitely has its ups and downs, especially when your father is trying to court you away to some wealthy prince. 

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: This was made for @bucky-smiles​ Secret Santa Writing Challenge, and I wrote this for the lovely @delicatelyherdreams​. I really do hope that you enjoy this, even with its late arrival. I feel as though this story went in a million different ways, but I tried to do you justice. I also hope you enjoy my very creative way of coming up with kingdoms. (no sarcasm here)

You sat upright on your mattress, eyes closed, and knees tucked underneath you, a faint smile gracing your lips. The air of your bedroom peaceful, quiet minus the soft sound of your record player playing in the background, calm and serene.

Rarely if ever, you had moments like these to yourself. Periods where you can just relax and not have to help your family tend the Kingdom.

Where you could simply pop open a book, wear more comfortable clothes, do nothing, go out, and not have Barnes check up on your every move. Well, you could let that last one slide.

For the last 19 years, your existence has been claimed by your family’s royal history. From the first day of your life, you were titled as one thing and one thing only.

Y/N Y/L/N, Princess of Starkonia.

You were to be polite, flexible, and accepting of those around you, you had to be presentable and prepared at your father’s beck and call. You needed to be present during ceremonies, and get prepared for what seemed to be your most significant task, marriage.

Even the mention of the word tasted bitter on your tongue, the prospect of being wedded to a man you barely knew was revolting. Yet, just like your sisters did before you, you too would have to get married at some point.

Savannah was first, marrying some big wig from a neighboring country. Juliet was next, getting married at only nineteen to one of the richest princes from Rogeria. Shortly after followed Hannah, who conveniently married Juliet’s husband’s brother.

Growing up, marriage was all your sisters could talk about. Often dreaming of what they would wear on their wedding day, or how they would soon one day become queen, conjuring up the royal subjects that they would lead and inspire over.

You would listen, of course, with an eager grin, but whenever they would ask for your input, you’d often draw a blank. Even during your early teenage years, you couldn’t really imagine your future starting off with marriage. Which, of course, was unusual regarding your sister’s childhood, so you often became alienated from discussions.

So you found refuge in the likes of one of your father’s young knights, James Buchanan Barnes. Or Bucky to you and you only. Despite his dedication and serious attitude to his job, you’d often find time to sweep him away.

The two of you frequently met in secret within the palace’s gigantic library, reading side by side, eating stolen pastries from the boisterous and clattering kitchen.

Underneath the full bookshelves of the library was where the two of you let your guard’s down. Both of you share secrets that you’d tell no one else, read books from the tallest shelves, and chatter on about the latest palace gossip.

The library was where you learned that Bucky was an aspiring writer, but became a knight to make a living and impress his father. He was thoughtful, quiet, but also quite humorous, always seeming to tickle you with his quips and comments.

In response, you shared your distaste of marriage and how you desired a more straightforward career that didn’t require so much attention. Instead of being judgmental and critical of your complaints, Bucky, to your delight, welcomed them with considerate eyes, and a listening ear.

Bucky made your days meaningful, always giving you something to look forward to, an escape if you will. So when your father, unbeknownst to your growing duo, made Bucky be your personal guard, the two of you were ecstatic.

Of course, you knew the reasoning behind this, your father valued your safety, being the youngest of your family meant that you were the last to be scooped up. Given your family’s rich lineage, courting, you would be a satisfying compromise for growing countries and their princes.

Bucky would often find himself falling subject to your long, and constant complaints about your potential suitors.

Nobody ever seemed to meet your fancy. Thor of Asgard was too self-absorbed, Bruce of Bannaria was too quirky, or worst of all, Samuel of Willaria was way to forthcoming.

Oh, how they all gave you quite a headache!

You could tell that your father was becoming quite frustrated with your lack of progress. Day by day would pass with to no avail, you’d always find some way to shoot each of them down.

Dinner’s would be filled with short tempers and argumentative quips that’d send you to sleep angry and exhausted. Unless you found a suitor that satisfied your father over yourself, then you could make him proud.

Yet through thick and thin, Bucky remained a constant in your life, even if he technically had to be. The two of you would often explore the little village outside of the palace. Complete with bustling vendors within the local farmer’s market that sold ripened fruit, pastries, linens, and fresh honey from the town’s apiaries.

You always found joy in seeing the many vendors that always greet you with a smile. Or seeing the kids that would run around trying not to trip over themselves to see the royal horses. Days like these were your escape as they were Bucky’s who could always be found in the town’s small bookstore.

Days where you don't have to prove yourself to anyone or focus on whomever you were going to marry. These days were your favorite, like this one, in particular, your mother and father out for a gathering with a neighboring kingdom.

Despite the flurry of servants and staff that resided in the palace, you were technically by yourself for the day. That was until you hear a knock on your door, open your eyes, and swing your legs forward to stand up from your bed.

“Come in!” you called out before rushing over to lower the sound on your record player.

The door opened with a swing and in stormed Bucky with a sour disposition, a scowl planted firmly on his lips. You gaped wide-eyed at the sight in front of you, never had you seen Bucky so angry.

“What’s wrong?” you asked quickly, watching as he simply paced your room, ignoring you.

That is until he stopped abruptly before focusing his gaze onto you, his shoulders sagging almost immediately. He stood in his uniform minus the exception of his gloves, his metal fingers reflecting in the light that streamed through your window.

“My father,” he huffed, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes tightly, “My father found my novel and went fucking ballistic.” he seethed.

Concern flooding your senses, you move forward to comfort him but ultimately decided against it, taking a step back to give him some space. Bucky’s father had always been tough on him, especially after the loss of Bucky’s mother.

Bucky, more often than not, had to take control of the house to protect himself and his little sisters while his father went out and got drunk at the local taverns. Hence why he had this job in the first place, ultimately crushing any dreams that Bucky had for writing.

“How could I be so stupid? I shouldn’t have left it in plain sight! Or, more specifically, a place where I should’ve known that Rebecca would’ve found it!” he exclaimed, cursing himself quietly, eyes widened like saucers.

“Bucky, you aren’t stupid, and there was no way you could’ve known that she would’ve found it,” you replied quietly, catching his gaze just for a second before he focused it elsewhere.

He exhaled heavily clamping his eyes shut, despite the way he held himself up, you could still see the slight tremble between his legs.

“I’m sorry that your father reacted the way he did. Buck, you don’t deserve that kind of treatment from your father.” you continued on before sitting down on the bed, his eyes opening warily at the sound of you falling against the cushions.

He watched you sit momentarily before joining you without a second thought, his much taller figure slumping onto the bed, before resting his head against yours.

You grew rigid at his touch, trying to fight the pounding in your heart that seemed to echo painstakingly loud in your chest. His arms snaking their way around to your side before he let out a shaking sigh, his metal armor cool to the touch on your skin.

Why do you feel so sweaty all of a sudden? You two had never been this close before, so why does this feel oddly comfortable? Is that cologne? Bucky smells..nice.

“Thank you.” he murmured ever so quietly so only you could hear.

“Anytime Buck, anytime.” you exhale promising yourself that you’d hold him as long as he deemed necessary.

-

One Week Later

“Come on, sister! Is there really nobody that you fancy nowadays?” Savannah, your oldest sister, exclaimed one evening as the two of you caught up as of your monthly tradition. Her eyes all giddy, hands on her hips in a way too over dramatic manner.

You frowned at the comment presented in front of you, of course, you did not ‘fancy’ any of the young princes offered to you. Yet, there did appear to be someone who did cross your mind more than often nowadays.

Bucky.

No, that didn’t mean you fancied him. Of course not, Bucky was … well, Bucky. He was your best friend, best friends don’t date. Princesses most certainly don’t marry knights either that was just fairy tale nonsense. Father would never approve either.

“Well?” Savannah quipped, her body tilting as she shifted all of her weight onto one foot.

You swallowed sheepishly, glancing down at your feet, flinching at the excited squeal that your sister let out as the realization sunk in.

“Oh my gosh! Y/N! Tell me everything? Who is he? Is he cute? Oh, tell me he’s cute!?” Savannah cried out, nearly tripping over her dress to pull you into a bone-crushing hug.

“Savannah!” you gasped, squirming your way out of her hold, looking at her all bewildered.

“Sorry, It’s just, my baby sister finally found someone,” she replied before taking a seat on your bed, looking at you expectantly.

“Okay, well, for starters, I don’t even know if I like him. I’m friends with him, but he’s just been very touchy lately,” you admit before plopping down beside her lying down on your bed.

“Define touchy,” she questioned while following your actions, her hair now brushing up against yours.

You glanced at her perplexed, the two-year history between you and Bucky swirling around in your mind. Why now? Why were you questioning it now?

“I don’t know, he’s just been a lot closer than he used to be.” you murmur as you rub your face in frustration.

“Don’t tell me this is that young knight that always follows you around like a lovesick puppy?” Savannah exclaimed as she sat upright, looking at you wide-eyed.

“He does not!” you retort back.

“Oh, it so is! You have to tell him!” her voice reaching a pitch that you didn’t think was possible.

“I don’t think I could even stomach that, what if he rejects me?” you sigh, sitting upright only to notice your bedroom cracked open slightly ajar.

“I’m sorry, is this a wrong time?” a voice calls out as the door pushes forward to reveal Bucky.

You have the hold back the gasp that threatened to escape your lips. Bucky catches your gaze, noting the tension in the air between you three before adjusting it onto your sister, who was just as surprised as you.

“I’m guessing this is the wrong time,” Bucky stammers awkwardly before turning around to go.

“Wait!” you cry out, causing him to turn back around, eyeing you curiously.

“I, I need to talk to you about something,” you stammer anxiety pricking at your skin. You felt hot and heavy, the bed dipping as Savannah slipped out the door.

Bucky letting the door close behind him, before walking over to sit beside you on the bed, just as you did for him not so very long ago. He looked at you with an expression that you couldn’t quite decipher, his eyes searching yours for what you were saying.

“You know I don’t know why it hasn’t hit me sooner,” you start trying to hide the shakiness of your words.

“No one ever seemed right, or just worth my time, not even if my parent’s approval was on the line.” he nods to himself slightly at that, chuckling softly.

“I’d be so disappointed with myself, and then I would turn around, and you would be there. Bucky, you have always been there for me,” you admit swallowing before mustering up the courage to meet his eyes.

“It’s been you, Buck, it’s always been you. You are the one I want, I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner.” the words fall from your lips, and just like that, it’s as if time stops for just a second.

The room that felt heavy and thick with hesitation or the anxiety that clung to your skin evaporated. All you could see was Bucky and the soft smile that complimented his features. The way his hand slipped into yours, the way he didn’t look away from you as he inched closer.

The way his hand caressed your check sending shivers down your spine, or the way he kissed you with a longing that had never felt so good. Who knew someone could taste so good, or smell so good.

It was perfect, it was long overdue, and it was brand new all at once. And you couldn’t wait to see where it takes you next.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

please support this blog

🦇 The Pumpkin Spice Cafe Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's your go-to autumn beverage & sweet treat? 🦇 When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job. There, she meets Logan, a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. When Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine, he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Meanwhile, accidents keep happening at the cafe. Can Logan help Jeanie uncover the culprit, all while trying not to get too close?

💜 I've heard multiple people refer to this as an AI's combined version of Hallmark films and Gilmore Girls. Honestly, I can't think of a more succinct explanation than that. While the story starts with cute, cozy potential, it quickly unravels into a repetitive mess. The prose fails to spark all five senses (the main setting is a cafe AND it's fall, so that should have been easy), choosing to tell readers everything instead of inviting them to live in the story.

💙 The insta love doesn't leave much room for tension or romance, despite both characters claiming to have no interest in a relationship. While a slow, undeniable burn would have suited the MCs better, the story quickly becomes led by smut and that good old miscommunication trouble instead. Unfortunately, that leaves for unlikeable characters, an unnecessary third act breakup, and a mystery anyone could have solved if they just kept it in their pants.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Legends & Lattes, Hannah Grace, and Gilmore Girls.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🍂 Small Town Romance 🌦 Grumpy vs Sunshine (ish) 🧣 Cozy Mystery 🍁 Fall Vibes (Obviously) ❤ Insta Love 📚 First in a Series

[allwaswell16]

{Recently Read Larry Fics}

June 2019

These are all fics I read and enjoyed in June! You can find my other fic recs here! There are 18 recs here in all and are in order by word count. Please let the writers know if you liked them by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

~~~*~~~

🌊 Leave Your Mark On Me, @kingsofeverything (E, 36k, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, restaurants, chef Harry, manager Louis, bonding, smut, black market bond, a very cool au with a great premise)

🌊 Sisterwives, @jaerie​ (E, 32k, a/b/o, omega Harry, omega Louis, dub con, religion, cult, polygamy, brainwashing, mpreg, mating, non con, optimistic ending, please check tags and author’s note before reading this fic, an incredibly powerful look at life in an FLDS like cult and Louis’ emotional journey, vividly written and intense)

🌊 It’s the Climb, @lululawrence (NR, 25k, Hannah Montana au, small town, Tennessee, famous/not famous, fluff, pining, secrets, secret identity, songwriting, farms, horses, singer Louis, farmer Harry, such fun to imagine this au and was really well done!)

🌊  Lambing Season, @helloamhere (E, 24k, farm au, comfort, fluff, sad boys, hurt/comfort, meet cute, strangers to lovers, lambs, animals, so sweet and lovely, this rescue farm rescues more than just animals IM FINE)

🌊 Better Not Pout, I’m Telling You Why, @runaway-train-works (E, 24k, Christmas fic, boss/employee relationship, workplace relationship, fluff and smut, Harry still believes in Santa lol, this fic was a fun, fluffy read!)

🌊 the sanctity of patience, @scrunchyharry (T, 22k, royal au, historical, Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany, Larry Abroad, royal Louis, King Louis, arranged marriage, a beautiful story with gorgeous writing that I absolutely adore)

🌊 just one look (and i fell so hard), @disgruntledkittenface (E, 15k, Broadway theatre au, New York City, Larry Abroad fic, strangers to lovers, banter, flirting, fluff and smut, light dom/sub, such a sweet meet cute!)

🌊 Can’t Help Falling, @reminiscingintherain (E, 15k, summer au, Ibiza, Larry Abroad, photographer Harry, bar owner Louis, alcohol, smut, open ending, a fun summer fic!)

🌊 A Long Way From The Top, @jaerie (E, 11k, vampire au, Mt. Everest, Larry Abroad, vampire Harry, climber Louis, death, blood, masturbation, check the tags but this fic showed the writer’s knowledge of mountaineering with a slightly depressed vampire Harry and was somehow humorous as well in a dark sort of way haha)

🌊 come together, @bottomlinsons (E, 11k, uni au, one night stand, miscommunication, group project, awkwardness, tension, pining, smut, oh how I loved these idiots finally getting it right haha)

🌊 i was getting kinda used to being someone you loved, @werebothstubborn (T, 8k, fake relationship au, student video, friends to lovers, pining, light angst, loved this beautifully written pining)

🌊 Talkeetna, At Three Rivers, @alakeeffectgirl (G, 5k, small town au, Alaska, Larry Abroad, banter, romance, I loved this slice of life fic!)

🌊 Stealing Flowers, @lululawrence (NR, 4k, strangers to lovers, meet cute, Brooklyn, Larry Abroad, subway, humor, bets, mutual pining, I absolutely adored this funny, sweet fic, one of my favs of the year so far)

🌊 Nothing Can Come Between, @ham-palpert (E, 4k, Wanker’s Day fic, uni au, flatmates, porn watching, masturbation, accidental voyeurism, embarrassment, oh goddddd this had me fanning myself for multiple reasons haha)

🌊 Thumbing My Way Back to You, @13ways-of-looking​ (E, 4k, Wanker’s Day fic, canon compliant, angst, phone sex, masturbation, melancholic, lovely and a bit sad)

🌊 Thank God for Good Directions, @justalittlelouislove​ (T, 3k, farmer Harry, out of town Louis, small town, Georgia, getting lost, inspired by a country song, so sweet!)

🌊 your eyes on me (make me), @gaycousinlarry (E, 3k, Wanker’s Day fic, masturbation, friends with benefits, dirty talk, sex toys, hot damn meeep)

🌊 Paul Higgins, Please Come Home, @londonfoginacup (T, 1k, Wanker’s Day fic, masturbation, mutual masturbation, canon compliant, pov Paul, humor, fluff, crack fic, this was hilarious and everything I never knew I always needed)

[jenthebug]

Taking some characters out for a test drive

I wrote what might become a scene in my novel, to give myself some practice with these new characters and this new setting.

The preacher’s son meets the witch at a farmer’s market, 1311 words.

A tall, muscular man with a crew cut approached a booth at the Bonny Farmer’s Market. He walked straight up to the proprietor, who was eyeing him suspiciously. “I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Cole Harlan, Don’s son.” He held out his hand for a handshake.

“Terra Moirai.” She gave him a quick, perfunctory handshake. “I’ve had a few conversations with your father,” she said coldly.

“Did he tell you that he’s leaving town for a few months? He’s going on a mission trip to Thailand to build homes for the homeless!” Cole beamed. “I’ll be preaching in his place on Sundays. You’re welcome to come to tomorrow’s service.”

“That...is not what I heard from Don,” she said. She tugged the hair tie out of the braid that hung over her shoulder, a tangle of green and brown curls, and unbraided it. “He explicitly told me that I am not welcome in church, not to speak to his family, and not to spread my wickedness in this town.” She piled her hair on top of her head and pulled it up in a messy bun. “I’m spreading my vegetables. Is that okay?” Her voice hit a sardonic note.

“That’s more than okay! I actually came over here because your greens look so good! And, Terra, please excuse my father.” His whole posture seemed to soften. “He is a man of the Baptist tradition. He’s very conservative. He wants his flock to adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message, live a lifestyle free of sin, and take the Bible as the final word.”

“You sound almost apologetic.”

Cole sighed. “I’ve only recently moved back to town. I’ve been away for four years, studying at seminary, and becoming an ordained minister myself. I’ll admit, I spent too much time doodling in my notebook and listening to secular music and staring out the window with my eyes glazed over. But one thing held my attention every time I studied it: The teachings of Jesus Christ. I’m not sure if you know this, but there are times that the Baptist Faith and Message seems to contradict the teachings of Christ, and there are many more times that the lifestyle we live contradicts those holy lessons.”

Terra raised an eyebrow.

“Have you read the Bible?”

“No.”

Cole seemed unfazed. A gentle smile spread across his face. “1 John 4:20 states that ‘Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For they who do not love brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.’ And while it’s easy for a person to say they hate the sin yet love the sinner, that statement is usually followed up with berating and punishments. That is not a loving way to treat a person. To love someone, one must act lovingly and kindly.” He opened up his cloth bag and began inspecting the bunches of spinach and kale piled up at Terra’s booth. “Church should be a hospital for the spirit, not a museum of how closely one can stick to doctrine and tradition, you know?”

For the first time since meeting Cole, a smile spread across Terra’s face. “Well said!”

Cole grabbed one bunch of spinach and one bunch of kale, examining them closely. “How on Earth do you get these to grow so well? I planted spinach, kale, and lettuce in the backyard this spring. The spinach was alright, but it was so small. The kale immediately bolted and went to seed, and the lettuce just died.”

Terra nodded knowingly. “The soil in eastern Colorado is just so sandy! I come from the foothills, where the soil is more dense, so I’ve had to learn a few things. Water often, it’s totally worth it to set up drip irrigation. Mix more compost into the soil than you think you need. With the heat out here, partial shade works better than full sun, despite what the seed packets say.”

Cole nodded. “Alright. Water, compost, partial shade.”

Terra stepped back and smirked. “You want to know if I put a spell on these things, right? Called up the Devil and asked for good veggies?”

Cole laughed nervously.

“I draw my energy from the earth, and return my energy to the earth. Everything I do is a reflection of the cycles of nature. My spirit communes with the spirits of the soil, the plants, the water, the insects, the animals. I am as much a part of nature as the seed that grew that spinach, and as much a part of the seed’s growth as it is a part of mine.”

Cole gave Terra a blank smile as he tried to wrap his head around her words.

“I did not call Satan, and I did not cast any magic spells on those vegetables.” She spoke simply and bluntly. “I’m just a really good gardener with a bit of an innate advantage. Call it a green thumb if that makes it easier for you.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll take two spinach bunches and one kale bunch, please.” He pulled three dollars out of his pocket and handed them to Terra.”

“Thanks, take your pick.”

“Hey! Cole!” Hannah, Cole’s sister, ran up to Terra’s booth. “There you are! I tried texting you!”

Cole gave Hannah an apologetic look. “Sorry, I got caught up talking to Ms. Terra. Have you met her?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve bought skin care stuff from her before. She makes a really good goat’s milk soap.”

“Is that what that stuff in the bathroom is?”

“The pink bar of soap? Yeah. Goat’s milk, rosewater, all kinds of good stuff.” Hannah pulled her blonde waterfall curls up into a bouncy ponytail and turned to Terra. “Hey, have you ever thought about making hair stuff?”

Terra laughed, pointing to the green and brown bundle on her head. “Maybe I should! But I never really do anything with my hair, except make sure it’s clean and untangle it…”

“And you dye it,” Hannah said. “That’s damaging, especially since you’re lifting brown.”

Terra shook her head. “Nope. No dye. This is just how it grows.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Cole said.

Without a word, Terra lifted her combat booted foot onto the table, behind the iPad that she used as a point of sale. She lifted her long, brown skirt to reveal that she hadn’t shaved in way too long. Along with the brown stubble that Cole and Hannah expected to see, there were little green hairs mixed in.

“Oh...kay. Now I don’t.” Cole pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a laugh.

Terra giggled and put her foot down. She sprayed down the table with a homemade cleaning spray, wiped it with a washcloth, and rang in Cole’s purchase.

“Cole, would you like a receipt?”

“No thank you.”

“Hannah, are you still okay on soap?”

“Yes, I am, but I was hoping for some of the rosewater toner that you had last time.”

“Oh no, I sold out of that!” Terra cringed. “Tell you what. I’m coming into town on Tuesday to get my oil changed. I’ll bring a bottle for you then, and only charge you $10 instead of the usual $12 for the inconvenience.”

“Sure! Thanks! Can we meet here at the park at 5:30? I’ll be on my way home from cheer practice.”

“Why not just meet at the school? It’s right by the garage.”

Hannah cringed. “Well…”

Terra sighed. “You know what? The park should be fine.”

“Thank you so much.” Hannah said.

“Yes, thank you,” Cole said. “It shouldn’t be like this...but it is.”

“Yep.” 

Cole held out his hand for another handshake. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Terra. I mean that.”

Terra smiled and shook his hand again. “And it was nice to meet you, too, Cole. I also mean that.”

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Prayer

by Leonard Ravenhill

The Gospel Of Prayer

There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer. People often ask, "Why do you insist on prayer so much?" The answer is very simple - because Jesus did. You could change the title of the Gospel according to St. Luke to the Gospel of Prayer. It's the prayer life of Jesus. The other evangelists say that Jesus was in the Jordan and the Spirit descended on Him as a dove - Luke says it was while He was praying that the Spirit descended on Him. The other evangelists say that Jesus chose 12 disciples - Luke says it was after He spent a night in prayer that He chose 12 disciples. The other evangelists say that Jesus died on a cross - Luke says that even when He was dying Jesus was praying for those who persecuted Him. The other evangelists say Jesus went on a mount and He was transfigured - Luke says it was while He was praying that He was transfigured. There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.

The Scriptures say that the disciples went to bed, but Jesus went to pray - as was His custom. It was His custom to pray. Now Jesus was the Son of God - He was definitely anointed for His ministry. If Jesus needed all that time in prayer, don't you and I need time in prayer? If Jesus needed it in every crisis, don't you and I need it in every crisis?

The story goes that a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village saw an old man sitting by a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one of the visitors asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" Without looking up the old man replied, "No, only babies." The greatest men were once babies. The greatest saints were once toddlers in the things of the Spirit.

C. H. Spurgeon was converted at the age of 16 and began preaching in London at the age of 19. When he was 27, they built him a tabernacle seating 6,000 which he packed twice on Sundays - that's 12,000 - and once on Thursday nights. How? He waited on God. He got alone with God. He studied...and he prayed.

Desperate Prayer

God makes all His best people in loneliness. Do you know what the secret of praying is? Praying in secret. "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door..." (Matt. 6:6). You can't show off when the door's shut and nobody's there. You can't display your gifts. You can impress others, but you can't impress God.

I Samuel 1:1-15 gives an account of the yearly trip Elkanah and his wife, Hannah, made to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord. During this time, Hannah had been distressed that she was not able to bear a son for her husband. This passage of Scripture gives quite a descriptive account of her time in prayer concerning the barrenness of her womb. It says that Hannah wept. More than this, she wept until she was sore. She poured out her soul before the Lord. Her heart was grieving; she was bitter of soul, provoked, and of a sorrowful spirit.

Now that's a pretty good list of afflictions - sorrow, hardship, and everything else that came upon this woman. But the key to the whole situation is that she was a praying woman. In verse 20 it says that she reaped her reward. "And it came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I have asked him of the Lord.'"

Now I say very often - and people don't like it - that God doesn't answer prayer. He answers desperate prayer! Your prayer life denotes how much you depend on your own ability, and how much you really believe in your heart when you sing, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling...." The more self- confidence you have, the less you pray. The less self-confidence you have, the more you have to pray.

What does the Scripture say? It says that God takes the lowly, the things that are not. Paul says in I Corinthians 1:28 that God takes the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. We need a bunch of "are nots" today.

The Language of the Poor

Prayer is the language of the poor. Over and over again David, the King of Israel, says, "Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy" (Psalm 86:1). And do you remember that one of the greatest psalms he wrote says, "This poor man cried and the Lord heard him..." (Psalm 34:6).

The apostle Paul overwhelms me with his spirituality, his pedigree, his colossal intellect. Yet he says that he's very conscious that when he's weak, he is strong. He was always trying to prove to himself and to others that he was a nobody.

True prayer is a two-way communication. I speak to God and God speaks to me. I don't know how the Spirit makes communication - or why God needs me to pray - but that's how God works.

"Get Up And Pray!"

One day I was at a conference with Dr. V. Raymond Edman of Wheaton College, one of the greatest Christian educators in this country. He told us of an experience he had while he was in Ecuador as a missionary. He hadn't been there long before he was sick and dying. He was so near death that they had already dug his grave. He had great beads of sweat on his brow and there was a death rattle in his throat. But suddenly he sat straight up in bed and said to his wife, "Bring me my clothes!" Nobody knew what had happened.

Many years later he was retelling the story in Boston. Afterward, a little old lady with a small, dog-eared, beaten-up book, approached him and asked, "What day did you say you were dying? What time was it in Ecuador? What time would it be in Boston?" When he answered her, her wrinkled face lit up. Pointing to her book, she said. "There it is, you see? At 2 a.m. God said to get up and pray - the devil's trying to kill Raymond Edman in Ecuador." And she'd gotten up and prayed.

Duncan Campbell told the story of hearing a farmer in his field who was praying. He was praying about Greece. Afterward, he asked him why he was praying. The man said, "I don't know. I had a burden in the spirit and God said, 'You pray; there's someone in Greece that is in a bad situation.' I prayed until I got a release." Two or three years later the farmer was in a meeting listening to a missionary. The man described a time when he was working in Greece. He had been in serious trouble. The time? Two or three years ago. The men compared notes and discovered that it was the very same day that God had burdened a farmer, on a little island off the coast of Scotland, to pray for a man in Greece whose name he didn't even know.

It may seem the Lord gives you strange things. I don't care. If the Lord tells you something, carry on with what the Lord tells you.

Who Shall Ascend to the Hill of the Lord?"

There's another experience Duncan Campbell told about when he was working in Scotland.

"I couldn't preach," he said. "I couldn't get through to God. The heavens were solid. It was as though there was a 10 ft. ceiling of steel." So he quit trying to preach. He asked a young man named John Cameron to pray. The boy stood up and said, "What's the use of praying if we're not right with God?" He quoted the 24th Psalm, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?"

You can't approach God unless your hands are clean, which means your relationships with others are clean and your heart is clean. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Psalm 24.3-4).

After the boy recited Psalm 24 he began to pray. He prayed 10, 15, 20 minutes. Then he suddenly said, "Excuse me, Lord, while I resist the devil." He turned around and began to tell the devil where to go and how to get there. He fought for all he was worth. You talk about having on the armor of God and resisting the devil! When he finished resisting the devil, he finished his prayer. He prayed for 45 minutes! When he finished praying it was just as though God had pulled a little switch in heaven. The Spirit of God came down on that church, that community, on the dance hall at the other end of town, and the tavern on this end of town. Revival was born in that prayer!

At the end of Malachi it says, "And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly (that's the word I like, suddenly) come to his temple" (Malachi 3:1). Remember what it says about the shepherds? They were watching their flocks by night when suddenly there was the sound of the heavenly host. Do you remember a bunch of men that had been waiting in the upper room? Suddenly the Holy Spirit came on them in that room.

There's a date in history that I love very much. It was Wednesday, August 13, 1737. A little group of people in Moravia were waiting in a prayer meeting. At 11:00 suddenly the Holy Spirit came. Do you know what happened? The prayer meeting that began at 11:00 lasted 100 years! That's right. That prayer room was not empty for a century! It's the longest prayer among men and women that I know of. Even children six and seven years old travailed in prayer for countries the names of which they couldn't even spell.

Why We Don't Have Revival

In an old town in Ireland they'll show you with reverence a place where four young men met night after night after night praying for revival. In Wales, there's a place in the hills where three or four young men only 18 or 19 years old met and prayed night after night. They wouldn't let God go; they would not take no for an answer. As far as humanly possible they prayed a revival into birth. If you're thinking of revival at your church without any inconvenience, forget it. Revival costs a lot.

I can give you one simple reason why we don't have revival in America. Because we're content to live without it. We're not seeking God - we're seeking miracles, we're seeking big crusades, we're seeking blessings. In Numbers 11, Moses said to God, "You're asking me to carry a burden I can't handle. Do something or kill me!" Do you love America enough to say, "God, send revival or kill me"? Do you think it's time we changed Patrick Henry's prayer from, "Give me liberty or give me death," to "Give me revival or let me die"?

In the 30th chapter of Genesis, Rachael goes to Jacob and throws herself down in despair. She says, "Give me children or else I die." Are you willing to throw yourself down before God to seek the spiritual birth of spiritual children in our country?

People say, "I'm filled with the Holy Spirit." If the coming of the Spirit didn't revolutionize your prayer life, you'd better check on it. I'm not so sure you got what God wanted you to get.

We've said that prayer changes things. No! Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people and they change things. We all want Gabriel to do the job. God says do it yourself - with My sufficiency and My strength.

We need to get like this woman, Hannah. What did she do? She wept, she was grieved, she said she had a complaint, she fasted - and she prayed.

Jesus, the anointed of God, made prayer His custom. Paul, with his background and intellect, depended on prayer because he said he was weak. David, the king, called himself a poor man and cried to the Lord. Hannah prayed for a son and gave birth to a prophet. The prayers of a handful of young men sparked revival.

There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.

[onhirel]

Table for Two

It was a Friday evening in Wedinburgh that found Hannah and Barbara sitting across from one another in a small booth in their favorite all-you-can eat Chinese Buffet in town. They were celebrating Barbara’s return from rural France, where a witch’s library from the High Middle Ages had been unearthed some three weeks ago. Barbara had represented the British Library and had worked hand-in-hand with archivists from the Bibliothèque nationale de France preserving the findings, and Hannah was so very glad her girlfriend was home. The two-and-a-half weeks had seemed like a small eternity...

“So, how’s Diana doing at school? She still working on those projects?” Barbara asked before tucking in to her beef lo mein, and Hannah shook her head with a grin.

“Nope, she turned those in and is still the top of her class. Well on her way to getting both doctorates. She’s a bit worried about her residency time, but she’ll do great. How was France?”

Barbara groaned dramatically at the question. “Ugh, why do these things have to keep happening in the middle of nowhere? I swear some of the people don’t even know what century it is! We had one French farmer keep showing up with a pitchfork and calling us ‘chiennes Anglais,’ and thank the Nine we had some of the Gendarmerie with us or he might have been an even bigger problem. The town we stayed in was also tiny, not even any fast food restaurants. I tell you, Hannah,” she said as she scooped up another good mouthful of noodles with her chopsticks, “I cannot be happier to be somewhere where everything isn’t smothered in garlic!” Then she paused, chopsticks raised halfway to her mouth as she noticed how Hannah’s chin was resting on her palm as she gazed at her girlfriend fondly, a warm, tender smile on her face. “What?”

Hannah’s loving expression never changed, nor did her hazel eyes leave Barbara’s face. “Nothing, love, it’s just...I’m terribly glad you’re home, is all.” Barbara smiled at that, a blush dusting her cheeks as she tucked dark hair behind her ear, and Hannah’s grin widened as the warmth in her heart burned all the brighter. Now, more than ever, she knew it was time, and anticipation thrummed through her veins at the thought of the rings and bottle of champagne waiting for them back at home.

Barbara was the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and tonight she would make it official. But that was later. Now? Now she was content to spend time with her love. The proposal would come, and it would be glorious when it did, but here and now, she couldn’t be happier. And so they continued to eat and talk, two lovers sharing a meal over a table for two.