#i love you a bushel and a peck

[geezerwench]

Math

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

Could you make spooky pfpf for me?

-washington

of course, dearest countryverse sibling

we shall match :3

[inkstars1138]

So uh, @vintageandroid and I like to do RPs with each other, telling cool/weird stories. Orville Peck is clearly a cryptid (whom we love), so we decided it would be cool to base a demon guy off him. Or really, kind of hilarious. Imagine a massive powerful demon stuck with leather, rhinestones, spikes... it's great. And well, who doesn't love a fish out of water story? Except this one's weird. (We all love those, too, don't we?) Usually I don't draw these, but I was having way too much fun.

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

Disclaimer: I love and use the Metric system and am in NO WAY advocating for its abolition

However,

I really fucking love old, bizarre, hard-to-calculate measurement systems. Sometimes they're fairly simple, and sometimes they evoke a world for me where people got very into one particular realm of expertise and did not worry much about the minutiae of others. Because if they did that profession's guild would send around enforcers to stop them from encroaching onto their turf.

Practical example: Eggs! I've always bought eggs in the dozen. But the dozen is itself a unit of measurement, and it blew my mind when I first learned of places that sold eggs in units of 10.

Meanwhile, horses only make sense in Horse. They're measured in hands, half-hands, and quarter-hands. One hand is 4 inches. The decimal system works in base four, so 14.2 hands means 14 hands and 2 inches. (That's 58 inches, measured from the hump just before a horse's neck begins. It's also about the size of a large pony or small horse.)

Carats. In ye oldey dayes, a troy ounce (1/12 of a troy pound) was made up of 24 ounce carats, which were divisible into 20 grains troy, or, four ounce grains (a totally different thing from grain grains) which could then make four ounce quarters of 1.5 grains each. What the fuck. Wheels within wheels.

(Yes, that's why we talk about "24 carat gold", meaning that as close as is humanly possible, all 24 carats of the ounce are pure gold. It's a great fineness for a ring that will get the absolute shit beaten out of it if you work with your hands.)

Nautical miles should bother me more but honestly they make way more sense than the other miles do because I've read Longitude. It's 1/60 of 1/360 of the circumference of the earth. The earth is a giant sundial. I can't explain it any more clearly than that.

Bushels. Bushels don't make sense anymore but we still pretend they do. "A bushel of oats weighs 34 pounds," we say. "A bushel of barley is 48." Back in MY day, a bushel was 8 dry gallons, 4 pecks, or 2 kennings, and that's the way we LIKED it.

Board feet. My brother handles lumber for a living and he's explained it to me half a dozen times but I still don't and maybe never will understand board feet.

[dawnrider]

OTP Prompt Challenge request:

9. Morning Routine: InuKag

(I’d love to read some fluffy, domestic married Inukag morning routine bliss, but please write if/ as you feel so inspired ❤️)

Hello @xanthippe-writes ! Thanks for the prompt from this list.

This felt like it fit into my Bushel and a Peck universe so have some domestic morning routine. While not blissful, per se, it's fluffy and happy. And hopefully a bit real...

Fancy Cheese and Size Threes

“Don’t forget to grab diapers,” Kagome called from Sara’s room, the sounds of an angry baby not wanting their diaper changed following her words.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in the mirror as his toothbrush hung out of the side of his mouth. He was trying to simultaneously wrangle curls into pigtails – Izzy’s current style of choice – and brush his own teeth while not dribbling on his shirt. “There,” he declared with a sigh, tugging on each one to pull them tight. “Go get your bag and your sweater.” Grasping the handle of his toothbrush, he got back to brushing.

“But I’m not cooooold,” Izayoi whined. Inuyasha paused in his brushing and gave his daughter a sharp look in the reflection of the mirror. She pouted, then turned on her heel to do as asked. He heard his wife cooing to Sara in order to distract her while trying to dress her. She’d hit the stage where she hated being changed in any capacity and tried to escape the changing table while you fought leggings onto her chunky little legs. “Daddy! I can’t find my sweater!”

“Nice try, pup. It’s on the chair,” he called back, spitting out the last of his toothpaste.

“Oh.”

“Uh huh.” He stepped out of the bathroom just in time to be handed an armful of squirming baby. “Well good morning to you too,” he muttered, dropping a kiss on top of her head. She squealed angrily at being restrained, little arms flailing.

“Here,” Kagome murmured. Her fingers swiped something from his face, then grabbed a towel just inside the door. “Toothpaste,” she clarified with a grin when he gave her a confused look. He sighed dramatically, then chuckled when she went up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. “Diapers.”

“I heard you the first time.” Inuyasha adjusted Sara in his hold to keep her from climbing over his shoulder. “She still in a size three?” Kagome nodded as she pulled socks from the top drawer and tried to balance on one foot to put each of them on before giving up and plopping onto the floor. “Anything else we need? The C word?” he whispered the last, glancing toward the doorway. Izayoi was in her room, presumably struggling her way into her sweater based on the sounds she was making.

Kagome grinned wryly. “Probably not a bad idea. Just don’t get the soft kind. She doesn’t like those anymore.” He nodded. No string cheese, only the sticks. Got it. “Can you grab a bottle of wine too?” He knew if he asked her what kind she would say anything was fine, but he would end up grabbing two and hope one of them was serviceable.

“I’ll even get us some of the fancy stuff and the you-know-whats you like.”

Kagome’s eyes glowed. “Can we watch that movie I’ve had saved for later?” Inuyasha pretended to hate the idea, but nodded anyway, a sly smile lifting his lips. Fancy cheese and cracker night was a long-standing tradition. Especially now with both girls, they rarely got the chance to get out for an actual date night, so an old romance adventure movie on the couch with “fancy” grocery store cheese and crackers was about as much of a date night as they could reasonably expect.

“Am I gonna be late, Daddy?” Izayoi called from her room. She had only minimal understanding of the clock, but knew that time was a factor in their day. Inuyasha glanced at his watch and swore under his breath. “That’s a bad word!” Izayoi scolded, sounding scandalized.

“Yea, yea. Just don’t repeat it. Bye. I love you,” he murmured, kissing Sara’s squishy cheek and handing her to Kagome. “You too.”

Kagome grinned as he pressed a kiss to her lips, snatching his collar for a moment to keep him there. “Love you. Fancy date night.”

“And diapers. I know.” He grinned, kissing her one last time, then went to scoop up the four year old. Despite her protests, she’d put on her sweater and had her little backpack strapped on her back, the clip done in front. “You’re gonna have to take that off in the car, you know.”

“I know. I don’t wanna lose it!”

“Kid, that would be some kinda skill to lose your bag between here and the car,” he said with a chuckle. Despite his teasing, he wouldn’t put it past her to set it down somewhere and get distracted. He asked her about what she planned to do at preschool today and she told him elaborately the picture she planned to color and the tower she wanted to build in the block corner because Joey – another hanyou child she seemed to have a love-rivalry relationship with – had knocked over her last one before it was finished.

As he was backing down the driveway, he looked up and spotted Kagome holding Sara, chubby baby hands banging on the window glass and a face that told him she was squealing with laughter.

“Wave bye to your sister.”

“Bye Baby! Bye Mama,” Izayoi called as she waved back. Inuyasha grinned and gave a little wave too, making Sara screech and smack the glass again. Kagome was barely holding in laughter and she wiggled her fingers to say goodbye as well. “Daddy?”

“Yea, pup.”

“When I’m bigger, can I eat fancy cheese too?”

Inuyasha nearly choked, then smothered a laugh so he could look at her seriously in the rearview. “Sure, pup. You can eat fancy cheese when you get older.”

“Good. I wanna know what’s so great about it. You and Mama never share.”

“Trust me, Iz. When you get older, you’ll understand.”

“You alllllways say that.”

“Yup. And it’s pretty much always true.” He shook his head and smiled, seeing the slight pout on her face. “Guess what.” Her ears perked up, her pigtails quivering behind them. “We have to stop at the store on the way home from school later. You want to pick out a treat for you and Sara?”

Her eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open. “Really?!” He nodded. She squealed in excitement, then stopped almost immediately as both their ears flattened at the noise. “Sorry, Daddy.” Inuyasha only reached back behind his seat and patted her leg. She still had a lot to learn about being hanyou, but she was learning, and he couldn’t be more proud.

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

hold on, I'm finishing my food, I have 6 tots and a piece of chicken left

I'll be there in a minute 🫡

Going live

[artisticlegshake]

THE DANCE AWARDS ORLANDO RESULTS 2024

HIGH SCORE BY PERFORMANCE DIVISION (MINI)

BALLET:

1st Tarantella - STARS

2nd Esmeralda - VLAD’S

3rd Another Polka - YOUNG 

4th H. Potter - CDC

5th Visions - CCJ

CONTEMPORARY:

1st I Am Here - IMPACT

2nd Stuck In Pause - VLAD’S

3rd Without You - STARS

4th Amen - RHYTHM

4th Turn To Stone - SPOTLITE

5th Le Moulin - G-FORCE

LYRICAL:

1st Beautiful - STARS

2nd Smile - MATHER

2nd Time Goes Slow - CLUB DANCE

3rd If Rain Must Fall - VLAD’S

4th Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer - SOUTH TULSA

5th All That We’ve Lost - WESTCHESTER

JAZZ:

1st Luck Be A Lady - VLAD’S

1st Pump Up The Jam - SPOTLITE

2nd Hey U - MATHER

3rd Schoolin Life - MATHER

4th Word Up - SPOTLITE

5th Hey Pachuco - CDC

5th Love Potion - G-FORCE

5th On Broadway - ART & SOUL

TAP:

1st Freedom - ART & SOUL

1st It Ain’t Funky - ART & SOUL

2nd Lucky Day - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

2nd Puttin’ On The Ritz - CDC

3rd Best Day Of My Life - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

4th Get Up Off Of That Thing - CDC

4th Reet Petite - ART & SOUL

5th Barbapapa’s Groove - DANCE SPECTRUM

5th Tequila! - UPPER

MUSICAL THEATRE:

1st All That Jazz - IMPACT 

2nd A Bushel And A Peck - VLAD’S

3rd Hot Note - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

4th Revolting Children - CCJ

4th Rise Of The Pink Ladies - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

5th Loathing - WEST FLORIDA

HIP-HOP:

1st Queen B - VLAD’S

2nd Brava! - IMPACT

3rd Hoops - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

3rd Multiplayer - CCJ

3rd Nascar - STUDIO 61

4th Fire - ART & SOUL

5th Shake The Floor - STARS

BALLROOM:

1st Get On The Floor - THE SOUTHERN STRUTT

2nd Gangman Style - STARS

ACRO:

1st Could It Be - VLAD’S

2nd Bowl Of Cherries - ART & SOUL

2nd Heaven - ART & SOUL

3rd Faith - DANCE SPECTRUM

SPECIALTY:

1st Rama - IMPACT

2nd Through The Rain - STARS

3rd Dream Of You - VLAD’S

4th What A Feeling - VLAD’S

5th Black Car - SPOTLITE

[freakoutgirl]

Yeah well I love you a bushel and two pecks.

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

ive been trapped under post limit jail so made an alt account

Also

Want to join hawaii and me in creating chaos?

welcome to alt account gang

...also I would, but I gtg to sleep soon ✊😔

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

y'all need help with that, sweetheart? ^^

Washington kisser

[Anon it's literally been confirmed on one of the blog posts here that they're siblings what the fuck]

[inappropriatewenning]

Okay, really niche AU time:

It's a production of Guys and Dolls.* Pretty amateur, maybe university level, and it's not good. I cannot stress enough how not good it is. Bear with me. Ignore gender for now, more or less.

Nie Huaisang is the director. Nie Huaisang does almost nothing, but his choice of WWX as Adelaide sets off the whole thing.

WWX auditions on a lark, singing Bushel And A Peck, very over the top, NHS thinks it's HILARIOUS and casts him on the spot over any objections. WWX and his buddy Wen Ning seem to have pretty good rapport, and NHS detects hidden comedy potential in Wen Ning, so there's your Nathan Detroit.

Jiang Cheng doesn't have time for this and isn't really much of an actor and refuses any kind of lead role. But he is in fact a highly competent singer, and ends up as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, carrying the weight in some tricky group pieces. Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli are the other Guys. Jiang Cheng finds that he does have time for this.

Lan Xichen is also a highly competent singer, good romantic lead voice, and is cast as Sky Masterson on the strength of it.

But who is Sarah? LWJ, who has been ignoring the whole thing because musical theater is beneath him and Huaisang is incompetent, finally, angrily, tries out on provocation from Wei Wuxian. Sarah Brown. Prim, uptight. Everyone is a little concerned: can the Lan brothers play opposite each other like this? Lan Wangji flatly points out that it's not like he's actually in love with anyone here, so why would it be harder to act with Xichen than with anyone else?

Now. You are saying to yourself: but inappropriatewenning, most of this casting is terrible. And that's the beauty of it:

Jiang Cheng is surprisingly intense working with Wei Wuxian on bringing real emotion to the (Semi-) Scorned Woman part. No you don’t fucking get it Wei Wuxian, they DO love each other and of course she’s not going to just find someone else! And yes she’s also angry! People can be angry and loving! People can care about each other and still have problems!

Lan Xichen doesn't really bring a lot of...energy? dare I say chemistry?...to the role, but as he works with director's assistant Meng Yao one begins to see glimmers.

Things of course unravel. Wen Ning is too scared, and Wen Qing takes his place after stepping in with Jiang Cheng in rehearsal to show WWX what he means about the emotional shift that makes Sue Me work. Jin Zixuan takes over her initial role. He and Jiang Yanli are engaged by the end of the last show.

Adelaide and Sarah barely interact--until their surprisingly sexy Marry The Man Today. Were the characters supposed to sound like they’re fighting? ……..Were they supposed to, uh, “practice kissing” at the end?

Nie Huaisang is in fact a lousy director. Meng Yao does most of the work and Lan Xichen finds time to help him. There’s an awkward moment when Nie Mingjue (crew) walks in on them and doesn’t quite understand the vibe.

(* actually thematically appropriate because this is the jianghu, this is the otherworld of people living outside of regulated society)

Right okay my bus is almost at my workplace so I gotta leave you all with this.

[txemrn]

A Bushel and a Peck

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam Rys x Riley Brooks-Rys

Word Count: ~3160

Warning: For mature audiences only; TW: major character deaths; mention of cancer, declining health, miscarriages; depiction of an afterlife

A/N: This is a follow-up to Wounded (you don't need to read it to understand this fic). I was asked to "fix it," and I think I did--I mean, I tried... but in a non-traditional way, that still leads to a true HEA. In a way, this is fairly fluffy, but sad fluffy.

A/N 2: Some of these characters, plot points and dialogue belong to our friends at Pixelberry. This was not beta'd; please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

"Can you show us another one?"

"Please, Auntie Ri? Just one more?"

Riley chuckles under her breath before a dry cough robs her titters. "You two aren't tired of those yet?"

Seven-year-old Monie grabs another leather-bound photo album as her five-year-old sister Ginny finishes a snack. The two girls visit with their great-great aunt every Thursday afternoon during the summer months while their mother runs errands.

"How about this one?" Monie passes the scrapbook to Riley, her frail, old hands gripping tightly to the heavy collection of photographs.

"Oh!" Riley squeals, a gravel to her voice, "you picked one of my favorite ones–"

"You say that about every album," Ginny retorts.

"Shhh, your manners!" Monie shakes her finger at her little sister.

Riley smiles warmly. "You're right; I do say that about my photo albums because I just love all of them." She pauses, licking her lined lips. "But this one…" her breath catches in adoration as she opens the front cover. "This one is very special. Here," she pats the empty spaces next to her on the bed, "let me show you."

The nieces eagerly climb on to the bed, sitting close on either side of Riley.

"Who is that?" Ginny exclaims in shock, looking over her aunt's arms in awe. "She looks like a Disney princess!"  

Riley curls an arm around her petite body, giving the little girl a gentle kiss in her raven curls.

"He's cute!" Monie croons, "he looks like–like Ken!"

Riley lets out a heartfelt laugh before coughing into a handkerchief. "This," she points to the tall, broad-shouldered man, dressed in full regalia, "is King William the first of Cordonia."

"Whoa," both girls hum in unison, their eyes glittering in awe.

"And this woman?" She points to the bride in the picture, "is me."

Ginny gasps, staring up at Riley. "But, Auntie Ri," Ginny puts a finger to her mouth, "where's your crown? And–and why is your hair a different color–?"

"Ginny!" Monie scolds.

Riley coughs into her hand, clearing her throat. "Those are some good observation skills," she boops Ginny on the nose, the little girl then turning to stick out her tongue at her older sister. "This picture was taken on my wedding day, over seventy years ago."

"Wow, that's older than Daddy," Ginny announces.

"So, that's Uncle Liam?" Monie guesses hopefully, pointing to the blond groom. 

Riley hums approvingly. "That is your great-great-uncle Liam."

Monie sighs dreamily looking at the picture. "You're so beautiful, Auntie Ri. Did you love him with all of your heart?"

Riley smiles, a sudden twinkle in her stormy blue eyes as she softly caresses her niece's cheek. "I still do."

After receiving Liam's grim test results for his cancer treatment, the young royal couple was advised by the Council to seek a second opinion. And then a third. But, the conclusion was always the same. Liam was dying. 

With the uncertainty of his time left, he made the difficult decision to step down as king. Cordonia was finally stable and strong enough that it could–and it would– thrive with the sudden change. 

But, once the choice was made, Liam never looked back to the country he loved so dearly. He couldn't. All he could see now was his wife, the woman that held his heart, the woman who wholly and bravely kept her vows…

… for worse…

… in sickness…

Liam and Riley savored every last moment they had with one another during his final eight weeks, laughing and revisiting old memories of their seven years of marriage. They enjoyed one last private waltz before he was confined to a wheelchair, one last café and baklava at their favorite late night bistro before he was restricted to the palace walls.  They held each other close at night, whispering prayers of love over one another, for just one more day, for just one more chance to say, 'I love you.'

And then he went.

Olivia Nevrakis assumed the throne as queen of Cordonia. Liam's short reign will always be celebrated in history as a time of rebuilding, as a time of peace, as a time that set the small country up for success. 

Though not reigning, Riley is still revered as a queen, but shortly after Liam's death, she returned to New York to be near family. She did return to Cordonia for visits, but otherwise, her life resumed back in the states. 

She never remarried. And after the four pregnancy losses she had with Liam, Riley had lost all hope and interest in ever becoming a mother. 

But even though her heart was shattered, she discovered abundant joy in a different familial role: being an aunt.  After the first generation of nieces and nephews had grown up, Riley quickly became the cornerstone of the Brooks family, highly regarded and respected. And loved. She was known as the fun aunt, the one with the best stories, the one that remembered birthdays and sporting events and recitals. She made sure every child in the family felt seen, heard, and above all else, loved.

Lost in the memories of her former life, a knock on the door interrupts Riley from her daydream. "Come in," she calls out, her soft timbre strained and gruff.

A young woman with dark hair bounds into the room, bracing her heavily pregnant belly. Monie and Ginny jump up from the bed, running to her with arms wide open. "Mommy!" They crash into her legs, nuzzling sweetly into their mother's sides.

"Hey, sweet girls," she croons, before she looks towards Riley, raising an eyebrow. "At least… I hope you two were sweet girls for Auntie Ri today."

"Oh, Jamie," Riley titters. "You know they are always perfect angels with me." She winks at her great-niece, hugging her daughters.

"Girls, Daddy is right outside. Can you go hold his hand? I need to talk with Auntie Ri for just a minute." 

Nodding their heads, the two young girls run back to their great-great aunt to give her hugs and kisses goodbye. 

"I love you–" Riley singsongs, giving them a knowing grin. Monie and Ginny chime in with her as they all sing in unison, "a bushel and a peck."

The girls raced to the hallway, instantly meeting their father. Jamie closes the door, letting out a sigh before turning her sad, glistening attention to her great aunt.

"Aunti Ri," a lump grows in her throat, "the doctors said you're refusing your heart cath."

Riley straightens out her posture, firming her jaw. "That's right, dear."

"Why?" The young woman whispers, wiping away a tear.

"Because what difference will it make?" Riley carefully grabs her walker, slowly making her way to her niece. "I'm almost 98-years-old, baby girl," she grabs Jamie's hand, comforting her as she watches her begin to cry. "It's time. I'm… ready to go home."

"But," Jamie exhales a trembling sob, "what about us? What if I'm not ready for you to go?"

Riley grins endearingly, "I know that feeling all too well." She gently rubs her thumb over her niece's fingers. "Did I ever tell you what my Liam said to me the night before he passed?"

Jamie dabs away her tears, shaking her head.

"We would stay up late into the night, dreaming of the life we could've had if it wasn't for, y'know, the cancer. But," Riley licks her lips, "that night. Our last night… Liam was quiet. There were no more what ifs or discussions of what could have been. Instead, he just smiled. Completely at peace." Riley's eyes flutter as she recounts the distant memory. "He simply said, 'I'm ready, love.'" Riley shrugs.

"Do you think he knew?" Jamie sniffles, "you think he was ready to die?"

"I think," Riley removes her bifocals, letting them hang around her neck as she draws closer to her niece. "He was ready to live again. He was ready for the next adventure that life has to offer."

Jamie tilts her head. "What's that?"

"Eternity," Riley chuckles, gripping tight to her great niece's arm. "He's been waiting for me a long time." She sighs with contempt, "You kids?" She chuckles to herself, "you are so strong. You all are. My presence isn't what makes you strong. It was our time together… and sure, you'll be sad. But this life?" Riley shakes her head. "It's not the end of the road. And as for me… I'm ready to live again. I'm ready for my next adventure." A tear rolls down Riley's cheek as she smiles brightly. "I'm ready for eternity."

Jamie helped Riley into her favorite rocking chair for her afternoon nap before dinner, covering her up with her favorite knitted blankets. The women hugged each other close before they finally said their goodbyes. 

Turning to leave, Riley calls Jamie back to her side.

"Baby girl?" Riley titters before she begins to sing. "I love you–"

Jamie lets out a heartfelt laugh, wiping away the last of her tears. "--a bushel and a peck."

----------

Warm beams of light crawl across Riley's skin, stirring her awake from her deep slumber. She sits up, rubbing the remainder of her sleepiness from her eyes when suddenly, she freezes. She blinks a few more times as confusion--and fear–billows through her veins.

Her room. It's different. The space was large, filled with the gorgeous scent of pink Cordonian hydrangeas, fresh picked rubies… and something else. Someone else.

Riley takes in the soft gray hue of the walls, accented by the navy toile window treatments. Everything beautiful in its place, everything perfectly neat, everything… oddly familiar. Like a distant dream, like the memory of another life.

Cautiously taking in her new surroundings, Riley begins to mindlessly fumble with the intricate stitching of a throw pillow, the threading comforting to her fingertips.

Then she stops. 

She holds up her hand, her ocean eyes growing wide with wonder. Her skin. It is pure like the first Lythikos snow. No blemishes, no creases. It's perfectly smooth, perfectly pink and supple. Speechless, she reaches up to touch her own flushed cheeks. 

And she gasps, the lines of the past century remarkably gone. Her face. It feels impossibly soft. Like velvet.

A thread of panic unfurls in her stomach as she throws the covers off her body, retreating to the en suite bathroom. Riley has had dreams like this before–many times, actually. Fantasies about her younger years, about her life in Cordonia, about the precious moments she had with the love of her life.

But there was something strange about this one. Something life-like. Something real.

Riley stares at her reflection in the mirror, her hands curiously exploring her body. Espresso tresses. Slender slopes of her waist and hips. She swivels to the left, then to the right, chuckling at her age-rewind. If she could only tell herself then what she knows now…

As she pretends to pin her hair up in different regal styles, the whisper of a melody floats into the room. Startled by the accompaniment, Riley twirls around, listening more intently. She takes a step forward. Then another. She cranes her neck towards the bedroom door, her only exit.

It was a guitar. Someone was playing it.

Riley carefully opens the door, and pads softly down the hallways, through the kitchen and to the foyer. She presses her ear to the front door of her quarters, the music crescendoing through the air.

Swiftly exiting the quarters, Riley tiptoes through the halls down to the main corridor, following the strumming of notes. She finally comes to a set of double doors, one of them sitting ajar as a heavenly light pours out.

Placing her fingertips on the ornate wood,  the vibrations of each chord stirs the wings of butterflies in her heart. Taking a deep breath, she pokes her head into the room.

A woman–an older woman–sits casually in a chair, her fingers meticulously plucking the strings. Riley focuses on her kind face and soft features. Her wavy blonde hair is pinned back into a low bun, exposing the brilliance of her crystal blue eyes.  Though expressionless as she played, the curves of her rosy lips are pleasant, friendly.

"Oh!" She exclaims, noticing Riley. "You're finally here!"

Riley's eyes grow into saucers. Does she know this woman? 

She watches the older woman set down her instrument before bounding towards where Riley stood.

"We have been waiting for you," she smiles sincerely, taking Riley's hands endearingly into her own. “We have so much to talk about–”

"Grandma!"

"Oh!" She lets out a hearty laugh as four small children file into the room, dashing quickly to her side. She bends over and greets each one with a tight hug and a kiss. "How are my darlings?"

Riley smiles at the interaction, admiring the love this woman has for her beautiful grandchildren.  She then casually surveys the room; are their parents nearby?

She looks back to the family when suddenly, she notices one of the blond boys with striking eyes like his grandmother is gazing up at her. He doesn't say a word, but his stare is friendly, warm and inviting.

Riley climbs onto her knees, her attention not leaving him as she soaks in his handsome mannerisms. Even for such a young boy, his hair was perfectly combed to the side. His collared shirt was properly tucked in, and he politely held his hands together behind his back. So precious, so refined and orderly, just like…

Riley gasps as a sea of tears gather in her eyes. She reaches out, combing her fingers through his short hair before stroking his freckled cheeks. And she lets out a silent whimper. "William?"

The young boy giggles, turning back to his brothers and sister. "I told you she would remember me!"

Wrapping her arms around his frame, Riley pulls him to herself tightly, his arms securing around her neck. "My–my baby boy…" One-by-one, each child approaches slowly, excitement written on their chubby faces. Riley caresses the cheeks of two more little boys: another blond and one with dark brunette hair like hers. "Henry?" She sniffles as he nods, chewing coyly on his fingernail. "Alexander?" The two boys join the embrace with their brother William, rivers cascading down their mother's face as she peppers them with kisses.

"Do you remember me, Mommy?"

Riley glances up to see a little girl with stormy blue eyes, her espresso waves tamed into two braids. Though she wore a pretty pink jumper with bows, she was wearing a pair of muddy galoshes. 

That's my girl. 

"My Eleanor," Riley whispers, extending her hand to join the fold with her brothers. She presses her lips into the little girl's temple as she holds her close. "Oh, my baby, I love you," she squeezes her grip around the boys, "all of you!" She snickers, "I love you."

"A bushel and a peck," Alexander pipes up. "Right, Mommy?"

New warm tears pour down Riley's reddened face as she lovingly dotes on her children. "That's right, baby," her breath quivers, "that's right. But… how did you–?"

"You used to sing that to me at night–"

"Me, too!" Henry exclaims while William nods in agreement.

"You and Daddy told me that over and over," Eleanor giggles, "until I woke up in Grandma's arms!" 

Riley freezes as she peers up at the older woman, now overcome with her own tears of joy. She slowly stands, her lips parting in awe. "Your majesty?"

"I haven't been called that in over 85 years!" The older woman shares a contagious laugh, “But, how about we just stick with ‘Eleanor’ for now?”  She quickly reaches out, pulling her daughter-in-law into a snug embrace. Riley quickly slinks her arms around the woman, holding her close as they both weep silently together. "You," Eleanor whispers, "were more than I ever dreamed for my Liam. You were–You are everything he deserves… and more.”

Riley suddenly lets go, staring into her mother-in-law's eyes. She bites her lip as she tilts her head curiously, almost in disbelief.

"Where… where is he?" She sobs into a smile.

Eleanor tucks Riley's hair behind her ear before resting her hands on her daughter-in-law's shoulders. "Where do you think, my dear?"

Riley stumbles backwards as a bright smile crawls across her face. She finally turns around, pushing through the double doors and out into the main corridor. After descending the grand staircase, she exits into the pure daylight, a gentle breeze greeting her.  She glances around the grounds, the fresh greenery invigorating her senses. Without thinking, she abruptly takes off down the steps, sprinting through the bushes, across the courtyard and around the fountain. Finally, she reaches a thick hedge of beautifully twisted vines and leaves. The garden maze.

Riley closes her eyes as she catches her breath, another gust of wind tangling in her hair. A tug on her heart beckons for her to keep going as she fumbles her way into the maze. She frantically runs around the corners and through the turns, her hands outstretched to catch her if she trips.

Making it around the last twist of the path, Riley spills into the center of the maze: the garden. Her eyes frantically search, scouring through the area, looking behind lattice work and dense pieces of foliage until finally, she gasps.

Around the corner along a private path, a tall, strongly-built man slowly paces next to a swing, his hands casually in his pockets. With his short locks of blond ruffling in the breeze, he glances at his watch before instantly feeling a pair of stormy blue eyes fixed on him.

As he peers over his shoulder, a smile tugs at his lips, his breath escaping his lungs as his eyes begin to shimmer.

"There you are, my love."

With reckless abandon, Riley dashes down the dirt path, gasping for air between her wails of disbelief. Leaping into the air, Liam's strong arms instantly catch her, pulling her close to his broad chest. His large hand cradles her intimately as his other fists tightly into her careless waves. She locks her legs around his waist, her fingers combing hungrily into his hair as she presses her face into his neck.

And she weeps, deep groans escaping her chest as her body shudders in his arms. 

"Shhh," Liam gently croons, warm tears coursing down his chiseled cheeks. "It's alright now. Everything is alright now."

Quieting down, Riley looks up to her husband, his lips immediately finding hers. "Is this real?" She pants, claiming his mouth again. "Please tell me this is real life, baby."

Liam pulls her into another deep kiss, his tongue gently caressing her lips apart as he elicits soft mewls from her mouth. He pulls back, his crystal blue gaze meeting her hopeful, tear-stained eyes. "It's better, love." He pushes a wayward tendril from her face. "This is eternity."

~🖤~

Thank you so much for your support! Every like, comment and reblog means the world to me! 🖤

~🖤~

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~🖤~

[chiliger]

How did Peck, Flores and Carlos come about their names?

Oh, I’m glad you asked, anon!

Carlos was the simplest and most mundane. He was going over a roster that had some nat-born names on it and liked the look of the name. But he considered it more like a decoration until his CMO, San, said it in exasperation one day, and something clicked for Carlos where he officially is Carlos.

Peck is named for two reasons. One because I had the lyric “a bushel and a peck,” stuck in my head at the time I first drew her, and her beauty marks are basically little pecks 💖. But! It works perfectly in universe because she was the bottom of the pecking order as a cadet. Peck was signaled out by her peers because of her unusual height, which under different circumstances would have made her a valued asset, but not on Kamino. Her batchmates were bitter and sore losers, so they basically blamed her every time they scored low for the team exercises, even though she had the best scores when solo. A trainer had used the phrase “pecking order” once, and Peck decided to own the name because she was determined to prove her worth despite what others thought of her.

Flores got his name from a near death experience. He was still a Shiny on his first mission when he stumbled across an aggressive carnivorous plant that disguised itself as a flower. After a pretty good scare, getting rescued by General Epuna, and acid burns on his arms for the trouble, Flores’ love and fascination for plants grew tenfold. (He was already mildly interested beforehand but this solidified it for him.)

And that’s basically the gist for these three. Thank you so much for your interest! 🥰

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

augh, thank you, Idaho 🥺

Tbh I need to spookify some more tomorrow, maybe if I have time I could throw yours into the mix if you want

I have spoopy pfp

hmm perhaps i should spoopify mine aswell

[rhettabbotts]

my friends basically made me cancel my fucking birthday lol bc they responded too late so i was wondering if u could write something abt phoenix 🥹🥹🥹🥹 anything for her like plz i need the serotonin

oh my love i am so sorry :( i wish i could’ve been there to celebrate with you!!!! here’s fluffy phoenix as requested <3

You stirred in the bed early one morning, reaching out for Phoenix’s side. You frowned to yourself when you felt the cool sheets against your fingers instead of her soft skin. You called out to her with no response. You laid in bed for a couple of more minutes before getting up and doing your morning routine. The scent of freshly made coffee flooded your senses when you exited the bedroom, following the smell all the way down the stairs.

There Natasha stood with a small cupcake and a cup of coffee fixed just the way you liked it in her hands. A makeshift sign hung above the kitchen window that said ‘Happy B-Day’, clearly handmade by your partner. Tears welled up in your eyes as Nat made her way towards you, placing a small kiss to your lips before holding the cupcake out to you so you could blow the candle.

“Make a wish, baby,” Phoenix said in a hushed tone, a small smile on her face as she looked at you. You truly couldn’t think of anything else to wish for when you had the girl of your dreams standing in the kitchen of the house you owned with her. You puckered your lips and blowed out the flickering flame, smiling to yourself. You kissed Natasha again, this time letting it linger and deepen before you took some of the icing on your finger and placed it on the tip of her nose.

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, ‘Tasha.” You said, voice full of adoration. She wrapped her arms around you and pulled you close, slightly swaying the two of you.

“Love you a bushel and a peck, sweetheart. Happy birthday.”

A happy birthday, indeed.

[snom-in-space]

cc ^ )___\ 🎶I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck🎶

cc u )___\ 🎶A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck🎶

cc ^ )___\ 🎶Hug around the neck, and a barrel and a heap🎶

cc ^ )___\ 🎶A barrel and a heap and I'm talken in my sleep about you!🎶