#if it’s not a farm it’s a vineyard I swear

[mimiteyy]

lol this weeks job application sweep is just 3 places and two of them are wine bars/tasting rooms

the other is a two day gig working an event for dogs 🐶

[thecandywrites]

Kinktober Day 12 Creampie

Yeah, I know, just as I try to make progress, life kicks me in the gut with yet another potential loss because hospice got called in for a grandparent (husband's side but we're close and they might as well be one of my own). And not the one of the ones I have been hoping and praying for- for the last year and a half (my actual maternal grandparents, very long story, I love them dearly but at this point, they're suffering by continuing to live and I just want the suffering to end)

So, how I'm dealing with potential death number 10? Sweet fluff with some satisfying lemony smut. Because it's the only thing that's filling my heart and soul with positive comfort to offset all the grief and loss of the previous 9 deaths while I also prepare myself to dish out more comfort for my family at the potential for possible but eventual death number 10. I swear to chocolate and all that is holy- this is the only thing that is my lifeline for getting through all this.

Again, a billion thanks to @starsandskies for her kinktober prompts. Although at this rate I think it'll be fucking DECEMBER by the time I get through them all. So, bear with me.

Also, with creampie as a prompt? You know me. You know I had to go tongue in cheek- cheesy, korney, cliche and go with actual pie. Lemon meriingue pie with extra zest at that. Which is both figurative and literal. Hehe. Enjoy.

Kinktober Day 12- Creampie 

Cody’s face lit up as he followed the other guys in their work trucks to the best diner, that was, in his opinion, the world. 

It was Rose’s Diner. Owned by Richard and Rose Landers, since Rose was actually the granddaughter of the original Rose, and this was Rose’s parent’s diner who they opened with her grandmother, by the name of Rose, who she herself was named after. 

But their secret? The first Rose’s best friend, Annabelle, was a prolific baker and had the best pies and other baked goods. Recognized by the county, region, state and national levels to. And were always either gold or at the very least top five pies in every competition they were entered into. And the tradition of Annabelle’s family, passing down their own secret family recipes to provide Rose’s diner with those same amazing award winning pies and other baked goods, continued on for four generations. Because the current Rose’s daughter Delilah was best friends with Annabelle’s great granddaughter Annie, also named Annabelle after her great grandmother. 

Annabelle’s family had one of the last few remaining ancestral heritage and homesteading farms. The kind that had it’s own orchards and a vineyard and all kinds of animals. The many fruits of which, went into the very pies, cakes and other pastries that were supplied to Rose’s Diner. And Annie’s vintage truck that was her grandfather’s truck was in the parking lot and Annie was herself getting out of it and, carrying in cases of fresh pies and Cody about bounced in his seat in excitement and happiness to see her.

Annie, was just as sweet as the pies and other baked goods she loved making with her mother and grandmother that had been passed down in the family. And Annie, while honoring the old traditions, was coming up new twists on the older classics. And was branching out into more desserts. To the point that Rose’s Diner was now Rose’s Diner and Bakery. Where Annie and her family ran the bakery side of it and kept a fresh supply of the best pies for miles and probably states around. Along with suppling more than just pies, but cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies, pastries, doughnuts and Annie’s latest obsession, macarons which were like the best of the best of the flavors only in bite sized forms and were usually the first to sell out the moment they were put into the case.

Cody had gone to school with both Delilah and Annabelle and the two were practically like sisters even though they weren’t really related. And while they were both amazing young women, Delilah was always seen as the prettier and more popular one because she was the new “face” of the diner. Which her parents were trying to make into a franchise. While Annabelle was happy to be in the background and let her amazing works of art in the form of perfectly delectable pastries speak for themselves. 

“Hey Annie.” Cody greeted happily as he readily got out of his truck and hurried over to catch up to Annie to hold the door open for her so she could bring in the last of her current offerings without having to worry about the doors.

“Hey Cody, how are you? How’s the job treating you? The guys still giving you a rough time because you're the boss' son or have you earned their place among them yet?” Annie asked him sweetly, as she passed him and brought the new pies over behind the counter to put them into the display case right away. While keeping a second case behind her since it was her test case. Because Annie was always out to try to improve what most would consider already perfection. 

“It’s going great and yeah, they finally accepted me as one of their own especially since I haven't asked for any special treatment. How about you? How have you been?” Cody asked in return. 

“Good, very busy. Trying to iron out a wrinkle in a new recipe I’m making.” She answered. 

“Oh? What’s that?” He asked. 

“Well you know our classic lemon meringue pie?” She asked. 

“Oh yeah, one of my favorites.” Cody readily nodded. 

“Cody every pie we make is your favorite.” Annie laughed as she put the pies in their refrigerated display case, complete with the names on the little tags beside the pies themselves. 

“Well I have yet to eat a bad one.” Cody shrugged as he flushed and smiled a bit bashfully. 

“Well, we try really hard so that this diner never sees the bad ones we do or the disasters when we try to fine tune or experiment with the recipes, so that it’s much more consistent. So anyway, I was looking back through one of those old cookbooks from my great grandmother had that she got from like the late 1800’s. And I found one for a lemon silk pie. And when I followed the recipe, it was actually really good. But when I made it a second time it was a disaster, the third time it was only ok. And now I’m trying to figure out what I did the first time that made it good and I’m still trying to iron out which of my ingredients are off. But I think I finally nailed it down. And I made a set of the flavor profiles that I wanted Delilah and her parents to try. But since you always take practically a whole lemon meringue pie home with you when you eat here on the weekends, along with practically one of everything through the week. Maybe you could try it and give me some feedback?” Annie asked hopefully.

Cody felt like he had died and gone to heaven before he grabbed a roll of silverware and pulled the fork out of it and simply stood there, like a soldier about ready to go into war with an eager smile which got Annie to laugh again. 

“Ok, come on back Cody.” Annie invited before he followed her and he got back into the kitchen where Annie got Delilah’s attention and brought her and the others in her family over to try it. 

“Ok. So this is actually a very old recipe for a lemon silk pie which was like a predecessor to our modern lemon meringue. And I wanted to get your guys’ thoughts.” Annie began before she pulled the lid off of the rather simple, pie that was already pre-sliced as Annie put the various tiny slivers of slices on small plates so that everyone got a taste but not before she pulled several piping bags out and put a dollop of each one on each plate so they could taste what it would taste like with the variety of toppings she had made for it. As she simply had the piping bags numbered so she would know what to go with first, second, third and so on.

“This tastes like it came from Victorian Mansion. Like it’s really good, and really elegant and refined." Rose praised as she took the first bite and chewed it thoughtfully on it's own.

“It tastes like you used Meyer lemons.” Cody offered. 

“Good taste buds Cody! I did!” Annie beamed. 

"And so the toppings are, the first pink one is strawberry, the second is chocolate, the third is blueberry, the fourth is a whipped cream and cool whip mix with just a touch of marshmellow, then the fifth is blackberry, the sixth is coconut and seventh is raspberry." Annie supplied as everyone tried it with each one. As each person called out their favorite numbers but the majority was for topping number four that went best with it which Annie happily smiled and then decorated the extra pie with that topping to be put into the display case.

“Well good, so that was pie, same flavor but as a cupcake.” She said before she pulled out a tray of mini cupcakes and passed out one to everyone as the sounds of moaning and keening as they all ate their mini cupcakes was practically music to Annie's ears. 

“Love the sugared lemon zest on top of the frosting and the pool of custard in the middle is perfect.” Cody was the first to praise as the others agreed to that. 

“I love the moist crumb of the cake and the filling in the center is almost like a marmalade and the frosting, with the sugared lemon zest mixed in and topped is perfect, not too sweet, not too tart, not too sour, but it's really balanced and very good.” Rose noted. 

“That’s because the center is a marmalade from the Meyer lemons that Cody noticed.” Annie smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"Best lemon cupcake ever." Cody praised as he covered his mouth to keep from anyone seeing the half eaten cupcake but had to say that because the words were trying to eat their way out of his throat.

“Awesome, glad to hear it. So this is the cheesecake version.” Annie said before she pulled out the cheesecake and gave everyone a little sample of it.

"Dear sweet baby Jesus." Cody groaned as he was about to cry as he practically inhaled that too.  

“Now this is where the silk is. The texture is perfect, not too heavy but not too light. Just right, as usual Annie.” Del praised.

“Agreed.” Cody readily agreed as did everyone else.

“And finally, the macaron.” Annie said just as everyone finished before she pulled out a special tray of the white and yellow macarons as Cody waited until everyone else got one before he got one and ate it one bite and nearly fell to his knees and started crying and was ready to go ahead and propose to her, even though he had yet to even ask her out on a date, at least yet, anyway.

“The best thing yet. I would eat a tray of these like popcorn.” Cody praised. 

“And I’d gain about 50 lbs in a heartbeat doing the same.” Delilah teased with a laugh which got everyone to laugh and agree.

“Awesome, then let me get the set out of the truck then and we’ll find room in the display case for them then.” Annie smiled. 

“I’ll help you.” Cody was the first to offer before Annie smiled and nodded and blushed bashfully when he opened all the doors for her.

Cody was half tempted to take the cooled cases to his own truck- that Annie handed to him out of the cooler bags that she had in the bed of her truck that she used to cart all of the pies and baked goods to the diner. 

“Annie, you are one hell of a talented baker. That lemon silk- everything was phenomenal.” Cody praised. 

“Aww, thanks Cody.” Annie smiled appreciatively and happily all the same. 

“So did you have to order in- the Meyer lemons?” He asked. 

“I did, but I also planted a grove of them with our orangery, so hopefully we’ll have a good supply of them both when we grow them ourselves when they have their season and when we can ship them in.” Annie admitted. 

“Well if you ever need any help building another greenhouse or anything else on that farm, you let me know.” Cody offered since he helped build the gigantic greenhouse that they used to house their more “exotic” fruits to give them the climate they needed to grow in the area.

“Actually, we do need help. You see, we actually need a new coop for the chickens. Because while the older hens who are passed their prime for eggs- are happy to be mamas for the new chicks. Well, you know how chicken math works, we now have more chickens than the previous little chicken coop can hold and that coop is practically as old as the farm itself. But we need all the eggs for all the cakes and pies and such. So now I think we need to turn the chicken coop into an actual chicken barn. So how much would you charge to do something like that?” She asked him. 

“Well how big do you want the barn?” He asked before she told him more of the particulars while he happily still opened all the doors for her like the proper gentleman his parents raised him and his other brothers to be. 

So Cody, thanks to some quick math on a blank piece of receipt paper for the materials and then handed her the total. 

“Cody you’re missing where your labor should be in this bid.” Annie pointed out. 

“Well, you can pay me in a set of the new lemon silk line you just made. It would take me like a weekend to knock that out and I’d be using my little brothers to help me on the job. So just tell me when I should get started.” Cody answered. 

“You got plans for this weekend?” Annie asked. 

“I do, I’ll be building that chicken barn for you this weekend if you need me to start that early.” Cody answered which made Annie practically melt and smiled so adoringly and brightly at him that Cody couldn’t help but return it. 

“Fine, but only if I can add in lunch and dinner for both days for you and your crew, even if it’s your little siblings.” Annie decided before she wrote him a check for the supplies he’d need to buy for the chicken barn. 

“Deal.” Cody grinned before he ordered his lunch to go since the rest of his crew were about done eating their own meal back at the table since he had been using his lunch time to help Annie before Annie comped his lunch. 

“Annie, I can still pay for my lunch.” Cody tried to argue when Annie herself handed his to go order over to him without charging him a penny for it. 

“Don’t you dare. You’re doing me a huge favor with the chicken barn and you missed out on actually resting and eating with your crew for lunch. It’s the least I can do. Plus I put in one of everything from the lemon silk line in there anyway as my special thanks for your help and feedback with it, which I really appreciate. Rose and their family are always a bit biased, but I really appreciated your keen sense of taste and constructive criticism, so now I know to rope you in for future tastings.” Annie waived off before Cody fished out a twenty and put it in the tip jar anyway which made Annie smile at his still so generous nature. 

“Which I would be happy and honored to do.” Cody readily answered as he took his sacks of to go orders, one that had his lunch, and one just for his desserts.  

“Have a good day at work Cody. I’ll see you this weekend then.” Annie offered. 

“Yup, see you then.” Cody smiled just as his work mates came over to check out while Delilah herself checked them out.

Especially since she had been standing back at a respectful distance to let Annie and Cody have their “private” conversation as she rolled more rolls of silverware. But she kept an ear open and a sly eye on them and a scheming smile on her lips while she did so. Because she could see the sparks fly between them.

Delilah was used to most guys flirting with her and was used to turning them down because she was actually dating Annie’s older brother Charlie.

But that wasn’t to say that Annie didn’t get guys flirting with her too, mostly the sons and grandsons of the other baking competiters out to get the secret family recipes. And while Annie had learned to be weary of them, Delilah knew that Cody had no such intentions. And it was extremely obvious Cody adored Annie, had adored her all through school but was always too shy to say or do much about it.

But Delilah was happy to see Cody finally get the confidence to at least gently try to show his interest without coming on too strong for Annie’s sake.

And once Cody left Delilah bumped Annie’s hip with her own. 

“What?” Annie asked. 

“Let me see the bid Cody gave you for your chicken barn.” Delilah asked before Annie handed it over to her. 

“Annie, I have watched Cody have a crush on you since practically kindergarten. But because of his own shyness, he never did much of anything about it in school. If he’s going to be building that chicken barn that would double as a chicken palace- and the only payment for such hard work is a few meals with your family- if that doesn’t scream his romantic interest and good intentions, I don’t know what would.” Delilah insisted. 

“But Cody’s never said…” Annie tried to excuse as she blushed but seemed unsure to say much more. 

“But Cody is shy and kind of quiet. But he- like most men- are men of action. And his actions are saying he would bend over backwards and go to the moon and back for you. I know you’ve been weary of every other guys just out to get your recipes but it’s clear that he’s not out for the recipes. He genuinely likes you as a person. And while he does love your cooking, and everything you make- I think he’s more interested in your company more than anything." Del insisted as Annie gave her friend a curious look.

"I’m just saying, if by the time that chicken palace of a barn is done and he hasn’t asked you out on a date, you should ask him out. You know he’s shy. But even if I was blind I can see that you two like each other. Plus he’s so your type. Big strong, linebacker, protective, but sweet and a perfect gentleman type. Plus he has that dad bod going for him. Which I know you prefer to the jacked six pack abs because that’s all about looks and not about real strength. And Cody is all about real strength. Not just in body, but of mind and especially character. I’ve heard from the other guys that he works with that he works just as hard as everyone else, if not harder. Even though he’s the boss’ son. Just to prove himself and earn their respct. He doesn’t want or ask for any special treatment and he’s happy to start from the bottom and work his way up. Which shows humility, which I know you really like and admire. Plus, you are totally his type.” Delilah murmured quietly to Annie to keep anyone else from overhearing their conversations. 

“But he’s never…” Annie tried to argue. 

“I know he’s never dated, because he’s most likely been saving himself for you. You haven’t seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is looking at him and espcially when you're not looking. He looks at you like you hung the stars and moon in the sky. He adores you." Del insisted.

"And I know I’ve always been really protective of you, just like your brothers and your whole family has always been because it’s you who is responsible for half, hell or even three quarters of the business here at the diner. You’re their golden goose so of course everyone is extra protective of you." Delilah pointed out as Annie could only nod in agreement to that sentiment.

"Plus, you are the epitome of the soft mother type which is what- he strikes me as the kind of guy who’s into that type and only that type. I watched him as he ate that lemon silk line of goods you had us try. The man was about ready to fall to his knees and propose and cry while doing so. You’ve found his heart through his stomach for years now. He would probably follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked him. And if you offered to give him a taste of your own personal cream pie, or hell, if you gave him half a chance to put his own cream in your pie, he’d either respectfully decline until he could and would date you proper. Or he’d rock the all the stars of the heavens into your eyes and blow your back out fucking you so good that your legs are practically like jello that hasn’t set up fully yet.” Delilah predicted which made Annie blush scarlet but the small hopeful smile was so damn precious Delilah wanted to just pinch and squish her best friends cheeks over before she did.

"You know he would." Delilah insisted.

"Well, if he offered, I wouldn't say no." Annie admitted lowly, as it seemed almost too much to hope for.

“Let him build that chicken palace for you. Let your brothers work with him and his little brothers or your dad, because they’ll feel him out for you. Because I know you value their opinions. And if all of them give him their stamps of approval, then go for it Annie." Del insisted as she grabbed Annie by the shoulders and squeezed as she stared into her best friend's beautiful brown eyes.

"Even if it’s just for a single date. I know he’s not the most handsome guy, but he’s a really good guy. I can tell. Which those are becoming fewer and father between nowadays. Which I know that you know- that looks fade over time but the secret person of the heart is what matters most to you. And honestly? Cody has that in spades. He was always a great linebacker when he played football and he turned down a sports scholarship to the university to stay local and stay in the family business and he is just taking business classes at the local college so he can make sure his own family business stays in business for at least a few more generations." Del reminded Annie.

"Just, give him a chance. And if he comes Friday night to scope out where to lay the foundations, feed him some of that apple wood BBQ your family should open their own BBQ joint for. And on Saturday, go for the whole classic Brubaker family dinner. And on Sunday, go for Sunday Pastor Feast. And if he doesn’t ask you out either between meals or at the very least at the end of the night on Sunday night, ask him out. Because while he is a big guy- he can be intimidating but he may also be intimidated by your family too and he may feel like he's not good enough for the national champion that you are." Del pleaded.

"But I know he would treat you right. He’s never been anything but the perfect customer. e’s never flirted with any of our waitresses. He’s always been a very generous tipper and super polite and even understanding when the waitress is covering more than her fair share of tables. And I’m calling it right now, he would never raise a hand to you in anger. Hell he’d never probably say a mean thing to you either. And he’d give you all the praise and positive constructive criticism you could ask for and then even more praise on top of it. Because his parents raised him and his brothers to be proper gentlemen and his sisters are just as sweet and kind as you are. And I know his parents already think the world of you. Hell, everyone does. Because your cooking speaks for itself. And his family would never push for the secret family recipes. And they’d never use them against you either. Hell, they’d happily let you hyphen your name if it came right down to it." Del predicted.

"And I’ll bet you a thousand dollars right now, that if you gave him the chance of going on a date with you, it would be the last first date you’d ever go on and he’d build you your own dream house with his own two hands, right next to your family’s farm so you can stay close to your family which I know is important to you. And he makes good and decent money and will continue to do so. Even if he had to pull in odd jobs to do it. Come on Annie, you know I can read guys better than most. And that’s what I’ve read him to be and that's what my gut tells me. And if there was ever a match made in heaven, it’s probably going to be you and Cody.” Delilah insisted. 

“Ok, ok. Fine, but not a literal thousand dollars. Just a hundred.” Annie caved.

"Deal." Del offered her hand for Annie to shake before they shook on it before Del pulled her best friend in for a tight hug.

Then Annie left to go to the store and get the ingredients for the feast she’d be making that weekend and when she came home and told her family what Del had told her, they all agreed. Even her brothers agreed that if Cody were to ever express an interest, he’d be welcome into the fold, because your brothers had played football with him and Cody was always a great sportsman and knew how to control his own strength. And the ones who took weights with him knew he was a super strong guy but supremely gentle in personality and they all readily agreed that if Cody worked up the courage to ask Annie out, that they’d all practically give him his blessing, if she felt the same about him which Annie had to admit she did. 

So that Friday, when Cody came after work to measure and make ready to build the foundations, not only did he bring his own dad and his own little brothers, he brought his whole family who insisted that they should make this a family job. And Cody, his dad and his brothers all happily dug up the proper foundations for the new chicken barn and actually poured in quick concrete for it too. And they made it even bigger than what Annie originally asked for.

All while Cody’s mom and sisters came and did what they could to help out around the farm while Annie’s family were happy to have the help. Especially since it was lambing season and Cody’s littlest siblings  got right in there and helped with the birthing of the lambs while his mom and his other sisters helped Annie and her mom and her other sisters in the kitchen to make all the fixins that would go along with the BBQ that was still smoking in the smoker. While Annie and the rest of her family were grateful they had gotten enough to feed everyone that came very well. 

“You know Cody’s been sweet on you since kindergarten.” Cody’s mom Martha hinted to Annie as she helped her mash the potatoes to make mashed potatoes. 

“Has he?” Annie asked. 

“Oh yeah. You’re the reason he took home ec, too.” Martha added. 

“He really likes you, but he’s really shy and he doesn’t feel he’s good enough to try to ask you out. And he’d be mortified if he knew we were even bringing this up with you.” His sister Lynn added on the other side of her as she stirred the onions that were caramelizing. 

“I know you’re a national champion when it comes to your baked goods. And please know that none of us are out to get your recipes or use them to compete against you. But Cody’s always had a soft spot for you. It’s why he’s never dated anyone, because he’s been saving himself for you, Just in case he ever worked up the courage to ask. But you’ve always had your baking competitions for all the school dances.” Martha admitted. 

“I wish he would have said something.” Annie said. 

“Well, he’s seen how others tried to shamelessly flirt with you at their mother’s and grandmother’s insistence and he didn’t want to be one of them.” Lynn admitted. 

“And we’re not trying to push this either, we just wanted you to know, just in case you were interested and Cody chickens out again.” Martha insisted. 

“Well, actually yeah. Cody’s always been wonderful and super sweet and helpful and my brothers say he’s probably the model for sportsmanlike conduct when he played football. And while I’m sorry he didn’t go to a better university. At least he’s in community college.” Annie admitted. 

“Then at least hint that you’re interested then. Because Cody, for all his talents and work ethic, he’s shy and he’s always felt that he’s not much of a prize himself. Especially for you." Lynn insisted.

“But he is! I don’t care if he was the ugliest guy in town. HIs personality and character and actions have proven what kind of guy he is, which matters more to me than his looks. I just didn’t want you guys to think I was taking advantage of his generosity. Especially when he’s doing this practically for free, except for the cost of the supplies.” You offered. 

“Honey, the fact that you even asked him is a big step because he was honored that he had earned your trust and confidence enough that you’d knew he would give you an honest and fair price for the materials. And that you trusted him to do a good job with the chicken barn. Which in all honesty, he’s trying to make it into more of a palace than a barn.” Martha explained as Annie could only laugh through her nose. 

“You know, my friend Del told me the exact same thing.” Annie revealed. 

“Well Del’s always been protective of you, like a big sister, even though you two are the same age. And if Del said so, then that’s the highest praise I think Cody could ever hope for.” Lynn appraised before she offered Annie a taste of the caramelized onions. 

“So do you think he’d ever work up the courage to ask me out or should I ask him out?” Annie asked. 

“Honey, he’ll ask you. And if you want to accept, we’d be honored to show you and your family the same hospitality as you've shown us. But he’ll only ask, if that coop he’s building with his Dad and his brothers meets your approval and the approval of the rest of your family. And he’ll continue to work on it until you deem it’s good enough for your chickens. Which we know you’ve named them all and hold all of them near and dear to your heart. Even as many as you have. He’s already building it up to the same code most houses we build and work on are held to.” Martha revealed. 

“Ok. When do you think he’ll be done?” Annie asked. 

“Sunday night. That concrete should set by tomorrow morning and we’ll all come with breakfast so you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to make us breakfast too and we’ll help as much or as little with the food as you want.” Martha insisted. 

“Really?” Annie asked, touched by that.

“Of course. It’s clear you’ve put your foot into all this food and I can already tell it’ll be some of the best food we’ve ever had. It’s the least we can do. And for lunch and dinner, we’ll be bringing our own family favorites and specialties. So you don’t have to tire yourself out by cooking a literal feast for all of us for lunch and dinner all weekend. Besides, we have a few of our own family recipes that we’ve been wanting to share with you and your family too.” Martha insisted. 

“I would love and really appreciate that.” Annie smiled appreciatively before Martha gave her a hug from the side as did Lynn.

“Honestly, Cody couldn’t have picked a bigger or better sweetheart than you to set his sights on. And if all you are interested in- is one date, than that’s more than enough.” Martha insisted. 

“But what if I want more than that?” Annie asked. 

“Then Honey you name when and where and Cody will be there. Hell give Cody your ring size and he’ll court you proper and propose as soon as you’re willing and wanting him to.” Martha answered which got Annie to laugh in delight. 

“I’m a size seven and a half for rings.” Annie whispered. 

“Good to know.” Martha murmured happily as her smile was practically beaming before she finished with the mashed potatoes and gave Annie a quick taste to make sure they were good.

And sure enough, by Sunday, Del and her family were invited over too and by now the barn was up and done and loaded up and all that was left to do was to paint it. Which Cody surprised Annie with huge buckets of bright yellow paint that Annie insisted that she help him paint the barn with. It was the exact same bright yellow that the Meyer lemons were since Cody had brought one into the store to match the paint to.

Annie of course thought that it was actually extremely sweet and so adorable, that he'd go that far. As she helped him paint the yellow chicken barn- all trimmed in white while her mom and his and everyone else went back inside and were cooking up a proper Sunday feast while Del made sure to pull everyone else inside to give Cody “privacy” to ask Annie out. 

“Thank you for all your hard work Cody. You didn’t have to go out and buy paint too.” Annie offered. 

“Well, lemon meringue was already my favorite pie before you came out with that Meyer lemon silk line of desserts. And I thought yellow would be a good color for it. Sorry if you wanted a different color though, I guess I should have asked.” Cody apologized. 

“No, I think the color is perfect. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but all the other outbuildings are different colors because each one has its own distinct purpose. It’s why the mower shed is green and yellow because it has a John Deer mowers in it. The greenhouse is emerald green and the barn is the classic red. While the different pens for all the different animals are distinctly different colors. And the fact that you got me a lemon key chain for the key ring to lock it up with is beyond adorable. I love the color. Especially since you’ve told me why you picked it. It’s perfect Cody. I know I owe you more for materials because you probably poured twice as much money just in materials than I’ve paid you for.” Annie grinned as she helped paint the white of the trim while he painted the sides with a paint roller. 

“But is it what you wanted?” Cody asked. 

“The barn? Oh yeah, you really went above and beyond. It’s practically a chicken palace as opposed to just a chicken barn. I can tell you went on Pintrist to get all kinds of ideas about how to make the perfect chicken coop. And it’ll be perfect for them in every season. And the fact that you even built a good and proper runner for the chickens is the icing on the cake for me. I can tell you really put your heart and soul into this. And I couldn’t be more happy or grateful for it.” Annie praised as she tried to wait patiently for Cody to work up the courage to ask her the one question she had tried to wait patiently all weekend for him to ask.

“Well I was just honored that you trusted me enough to ask for my help with it to begin with.” Cody admitted.

“So about that extra for the supplies…” Annie finally circled back around as her patience for him to finally ask him was wearing thin. 

“Don’t you worry about it. You don’t owe me or my family’s business or anyone else- another penny. It’s been my honor and privilege to build this for you. And between the amazing food you’ve fed my whole family, we’re more than even.” Cody insisted as he finished with that wall before he moved the paint bucket over to the back of the barn while Annie finished painting the trim on that corner and moved to the other one that would be on the backside so they could stay together.

“Not quite.” Annie gently argued. 

“No? What did I miss?” Cody asked as he stopped with the painting to look at her with anxious eyes and a worried expression that he had somehow missed something. But her smile was just a bit too mischievous, which made made him fear to hope for what she could possibly be implying. 

“This.” Annie insisted before she took ahold of his overall straps and pulled him down to kiss her and smiled into the kiss when he readily and eagerly grabbed her up into his arms and then picked her up to be level with him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders as the kiss deepened and thankfully they were outside where everyone else was inside and snooping through the windows and loudly cheering to see the little bit they could see. 

“Go out on a date with me.” Cody managed to ask when they broke for air. 

“Finally! Yes! When?!” Annie cheered as she happily let him continue to hold her up as he held her as if she weighed nothing, even though she was a fuller figured woman. 

“Whenever you want and wherever you want.” Cody answered. 

“Well I drop off my pies at the diner every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning and then work at the counter to take in orders for the bakery on those days too. I’d happily take lunch or dinner or whatever with you any or all of those days.” Annie admitted. 

“Yes Ma’am. All of them or any of them that you want- if you’ll have me.” Cody volunteered before Annie initiated another kiss and was happy when he could hold her up with one arm under her butt as she readily wrapped her legs around his waist while his other hand reverently went to cradle the back of her head and neck. 

“Deal, Monday and Wednesday for lunch, Friday for dinner.” Cody offered. 

“You got it.” Annie readily and happily accepted before he initiated a third kiss and this time, had to pin her to the back of the chicken barn that was thankfully unpainted.

Which Annie found hotter than the fourth of July as they both seemed to finally let all the pent up sexual tension they had built up between them finally let loose.

But not before Cody remembered his manners and reluctantly pulled away to catch his breath and put her back down when they broke for air the third time and they barely had that barn painted before Annie got all the chickens moved from the old coop to the new one as they chickens were happy to explore it and lay claim to their new preferred spots in it.

Annie shut the door but kept the lights on in the coop and hugged Cody from the side and sighed happily to see her beloved chickens move into their new home and eagerly eat from the new feeders and treat blocks and drink from the waterers that Cody had thoughtfully installed and explored the new runner too. 

“Thank you Sweetheart. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Annie ventured which earned her a hug since Cody’s arm was resting around her shoulders and a kiss to the crown of her head. 

“You’re welcome. And if there is anything else you want or need from me. You just let me know Darlin.” He offered, happy that they could immediately move into the pet names.

“Ok.” Annie pulled him to where the bales of hay were and sat on a stack of them that put her more or less at his height and pulled him into the circle of her own embrace and started making out with him again. And it was immediately apparent, she meant business this time as her kisses were passionate and wanting and practically lustful. 

“Woah, wait, wait, I can’t, I don’t want to go too far. We haven’t even…” Cody tried to put on the breaks even though his body was screaming at him for more. 

“Do you not want to go farther?” Annie asked with her big brown Bambi eyes that Cody found as warm and beautiful as the perfect autumn day. 

“No! I do! I just want to go proper with you because you deserve to be courted right. Believe me I’ve wanted to ask you out since kindergarten and wanted this for as long as I can remember but I also want to do right by you. And you deserve better than just a roll in the hay in the chicken barn, surrounded by chickens.” Cody tried to explain.

“While I appreciate the sentiment, can I try to convince you to go for both?” Annie asked hopefully as she tantalizingly started to unbutton her flannel shirt with a searing gaze of desire.

And that seemed to be Cody’s breaking point and the temptation beyond what he could bear because in a flash he was kissing her hungrily again as she unclicked the overalls and smiled when they practically fell to his ankles as she used her own sweater to put down on the hay before Cody hungrily unbuttoned her flannel shirt before he put it back behind her as she readily ripped off her own shirt. And when Cody, bravely unhooked her bra, he was delighted when she had shimmied out of her pants and underwear and was rewarded by the sight of her body being bared for him.

And Annie was rewarded by finally seeing that the subtle hints that Cody had been always been packing and was “proportional” in all and every aspect of his body. And all Annie could do was giggle like a loon when it was trying to escape his boxer briefs because tighty whites could never hold such a magnificent cock. And she thankfully was wetter than a slip and slide and while it took a bit for such a glorious cock to finally fit in her, Annie realized Del was right, such a thing would blow her back out in the best way possible. 

“Sorry.” Cody winced and grimaced when it finally broke her maidenhood. 

“Honey, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, if anything you should be very proud for what the Lord graced you with.” Annie purred before she pulled him to bend over her as Cody tried to go slow for her sake before he remembered himself.

“Wait, I need a condom.” Cody realized just as he wanted to get into a good rhythm. 

“Cody, I know for a fact you’re a virgin, as I obviously am. So I ain’t worried you’re gonna give me anything that would ever hurt me. But I’m on birth control and if you don’t stuff me full of your own cream, I’m not gonna be a happy camper.” Annie insisted as she crossed her legs around his waist behind his back and held him there with her strong legs so he couldn’t be pull away. 

Cody was awestruck yet incredibly turned on by her declaration. And soon after, before he knew it he had gotten back into the groove. And thanks to some gentle instruction from Annie, he got to learn how to rub her clit the way she wanted and needed him to and she came. Which was both a great relief for him and a point of pride too. But after that, he didn’t hold back and pounded into her as hard as he dared while Annie was grateful that her sweater and flannel shirt was between her and the itchy hay as she flet like her soul was about to leave her for how good he pouring his love into her as her voice reached a fevered pitch as she hung onto his forearms because her legs were simply splayed as wide as they could go while her back arched as another orgasm was about to approach her.

His grip on her wide hips almost bruising and definitely dimpling in their supremely gorgeous softness as he feasted on the soft plumpbess of her breasts and chest and neck and kiss her all over her face, and kissed her like a man starved. He poured his heart and soul into her before he finally poured his seed into her womb just as she got to her second climax. Cody was actually proud, happy and relieved that he could give her- her due pleasure. While he was also relieved that such seed wouldn’t take root before it should. He picked his overalls up just enough to be between his knees and the bale of hay as he knelt on another bale of hay that he pulled to the floor so he didn’t have to keep standing and bending at the waist. While also feeling a sense of pride to see his own cream drip from her as he pulled away to do so, before he just knelt down and hugged her while not letting too much of his own weight on her just in case he she would find it smothering. 

But Annie was happy and grateful for it. Because she found his weight a comfort and a grounding force as she continued to back in the afterglow with him. 

“You ok Beautiful?” Cody asked. 

“I’m great Hun, like, over the moon good. Like, that was better than- anything, ever? Like better than a blue ribbon at a national championship good.” Annie reassured as she scratched the areas of his broad back she could reach. 

“What about you?” She asked. 

“I don’t even have the words. So I’m not gonna try to compare the incomparable and priceless to anything else.” Cody praised which got Annie to smile even wider and brighter. 

“So how come you are just now asking me out?” Annie asked. 

“Oh, fear of rejection, fear of me not being good enough or fear that I wasn’t your type. And plus every time you went to a competition, you complained about the other guys- at the insistance of their mothers and grandmothers in the competition flirting with you and I didn’t want you think I was one of them.” Cody admitted. 

“And now?” Annie asked. 

“Oh it’s gonna take hell and high water and beyond for me to ever think about anyone else but you. Unless you lose interest in me, then I’d respectfully…” He tried to reassure her before she pulled him down to kiss her again. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about the latter.” She readily offered. 

“But I don’t want you to think I’m only interested because of what you’ve done, let alone because you’re the son of the…” She began before Cody took her cue and cut her off with another kiss. 

“Nope, don’t worry about it. If anything you’re the last person I would ever suspect of that.” Cody readily reassured her as he pulled one his hands that he had pillowed behind her to gently stroke her face which he felt was the prettiest and most beautiful face in the world. 

“God you’re too beautiful, both in body, but mostly in heart, mind and soul.” Cody praised. 

“Likewise. I don’t care what you look like or what anyone else thinks about you either. You’ve proven with your actions what kind of man you are. I know that appearances can be deceiving. But the secret person of the heart, is who I care about. And frankly, you’re the best of the best in that department. At least in my opinion.” Annie praised. 

“No I’m not.” Cody shook his head. 

“Yes you are, take the damn compliment Hun. Because I mean every word of it. And I’m dead serious.” Annie insisted which got Cody to start laughing. 

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Cody teased. 

“Yeah, and I’ll kiss you and yours with it too.” Annie smiled before she kissed him soundly before Cody urged them to at least try to get them straightened up before they got caught and when Annie tried to stand she started laughing hysterically when she couldn't.

“What’s so funny?” Cody asked as she sunk down ot the floor as she sat on her lower legs and had to brace herself up by her hands. 

“Del, she warned me that if I let you "give me your cream in my pie", that 'you’d turn my legs into jello'. She was right.” Annie cackled as the chickens and their chicks came over to check her out and check on her as she reached over and pet Dottie, one of her favorite chickens along with her brood of chicks Annie had gotten for her this year. 

“Oh,” Cody chuckled as his cheeks flushed before helped her at least sit up on the bale of hay that he had knelt on while he worked on getting all the hay off of her and her clothes so it didn’t look like they had been rolling around in the very hay they had made love to each other on. While Annie was happy to try do the same with his overalls at least as the jeans of his overalls were much easier to brush off than the flannel of her shirt as she happily just picked up the chicks to make sure they got handled properly so they’d be tame enough to handle in the future. 

Finally Del came and knocked on the barn door. 

“Come on in.” Annie called as Del looked a little disappointed that they hadn’t been in a slightly more compromising position. 

“Dinner’s ready.” She informed them. 

“Awesome, we’re coming.” Annie answered as she put the chicks down as Cody did the same. 

“So?” Annie’s mother asked when they came inside as it seemed everyone was eager to learn if Cody finally asked her out.

“Our first date is tomorrow for lunch.” Annie informed them and laughed when everyone there cheered happily and congratulated them, especially Cody as Annie felt like she just announced that they had gotten engaged or something. 

And for dessert, Annie revealed her own personal favorite, a raspberry lemon cake with a lemon cheesecake frosting and raspberry puree for the middle layers with razzberries sprinkled in with the lemon cake and topped with fresh raspberries too. Which Cody had to admit was his new favorite. Because if that Meyer lemon silk line of pastries had been good, this was epic and amazing and he counted himself as a very, very lucky man. 

But it wasn’t even six months later before he did propose before she happily accepted his engagement ring. But only to immediately take out the deed show that she actually had received twenty acres of land that was coincidentally right across the street from where her parents ancestral farm house was, even though they had rebuilt it several years prior since the old farmhouse across the street had been abandoned but her family had bought the lot and it’s many acres for their various crops, but left the house alone. 

“So, what kind of house did you want to build? Because that house is more trouble than it’s worth to restore. And I want us to have a fresh new start.” Annie asked him.

“Whatever you want. You already know what I have in my savings account. It won’t take much for me to get a loan to bulldoze that house and build a new one.” Cody grinned happily.

“Ok. Well then our next stop should be the bank to get that to happen. Because I may or may not have been browsing floor plans and I narrowed them down to five that I want you to pick your favorite from.” Annie offered before she brought up the plans that she had saved on her phone. 

“Which of these is your favorite?” Cody asked as he looked them over thoughtfully. 

“Well that’s the thing. There are huge parts of all five that I really love. But a massive kitchen with a huge pantry is obviously going to be a must. And a good mudroom, because we need one. Not only because you’re in construction, but because having a farm is dirty enough work as it is.” She insisted. 

“Ok, then tell me which parts of which ones are your favorite, and I’ll make it happen. Whatever you want, that’s what you’ll get. Because like the saying goes, ‘happy wife, happy life’. So whatever will make you the most happy. That’s what we’ll go with. Because otherwise, you know me, as long as you’re happy and content, I am too. I’m not a hard man to please.” Cody vowed before Annie told him exactly what she liked about each one as Cody made notes and sent the plans to himself so that he would be able to draw up and design her dream home from the bits and pieces of the five most popular designs she had picked out as he was already working out in his head exactly how he was going to make this happen for her, and then give her what she wanted and asked for- and then some. Like always.

“Well in that case, I want you to try these and tell me what you think.” Annie beamed as she pulled out a series of mini cupcakes for him to try which he happily did before he didn’t hold back his moans and keens of delight. 

“I don’t care if I go into a diabetic coma or replace my heart with one from a pig. All of these are amazing.” Cody praised.

“So which ones did you want for our wedding cake?” Annie asked happily as she ate her favorites since she made two of each. 

“Darlin, why do you have to make me choose? It's your wedding cake too, I know your Mama and Grandma will probably make it anway. But you should get whatever flavors you like the best." Cody insisted.

“Ok, ok, all of them it is. And we’ll have a cupcake wedding cake so we can have all the flavors.” Annie giggled. 

“Perfect. But make extra of the razzberry lemon ones.” Cody insisted which got Annie to out right laugh even harder. 

“Yes Sir.” She beamed happily.

And while it took a whole year and a half for Cody, and his family and his friends and his dad's crews as well as Annie and her family to work on the house. By the time the wedding came, Cody had Annie's dream house waiting for them to come home to as they made that house their home and made that twenty acre farm, a new homestead for themselves. With another yellow chicken palace just for Annie's chickens and practically a whole lemon orchard to go with it.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for September 16, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living Devotional Scripture: Proverbs 24:27 (KJV): 27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Proverbs 24:27 (AMP): 27 (Put first things first.) Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house and establish a home.

Thought for the Day

The Bible has a great deal to say about business and finances. In this verse we are given wise instruction to build our business before we build our house. Since farming was the main occupation in Biblical times, much of its advice is expressed in agricultural terms, but the principles are applicable to any business today. Today's verse instructs us to invest our resources in establishing our livelihood before buying a house. The success of so many Jewish immigrants is attributed to their adherence to this principle. Upon arriving in a new country, they bought or rented storefronts with small apartments behind or over the store and directed all their income into building up their businesses. Later, after establishing their firms, they had enough revenue to build a home elsewhere. Many American farmers also followed this principle. They started out by building barns and simple living quarters, and reinvesting all monies in the farm until it was well established. Later, when it brought in enough profit, they built larger houses.

Ignorant of good business principles, many young couples today go bankrupt. They start out by buying big homes and creating such high monthly overhead that they are unable to support the companies they begin. If they would start by renting a small place until the business did well, they would be able to buy the big house later. The American Dream usually slips through the grasp of those who pursue it without establishing a foundation of hard work and sacrifice. God desires to bless us with material things, but He does not want us to be so consumed with life's cares that we do not make time for Him. Not having time to pray with our families, read our Bibles, or fellowship with believers gives Satan an opening to destroy our homes and finances.

"And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 6:10-15).

Prayer Devotional for the Day Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for all of Your provision for us. We do appreciate Your goodness and love to furnish all our needs each and every day. We are looking to You to guide us in the financial affairs of our lives. Lord, we resist greed and materialism and ask for contentment with the things that we own today. We know that You will bless us more and more as we learn of Your ways and follow You. Help us to be a good steward over our finances, home and all of the things that You have given to us. We do appreciate material blessings You have given us but most of all, we appreciate the spiritual blessings that are ours that riches can't buy I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

[tae-cup]

The Investigators | Night Terrors (3)

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Summary: The prestigious department of police and investigations in Seoul, Korea, is called to the small town of Cape Springs in rural California. Nothing is quite what it seems here.

Warnings: Blood, violence, you know crime stuff? Fluffy stuff somehow

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Angst, a lil humor, sexual innuendos

Word Count: 3.8k Words (It’s so short this time, but next chapter will be longer!) 

A/N: I swear to you, I have a story plan! Let me know if you want to be tagged. I apologize for not updating very fast, I hope this makes up for it? But I did just deliver about a thousand years of angst so who knows? School has sorta been kicking my ass so...

Thank you so much to @kingbewwy for helping with my story planning and ideas!!

Beautiful header by the wonderful @dnrequests

Other:

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                 Chung-hee’s house was obviously meant for a family, yet the entire two story affair seemed lonely. It had the air of grief that only happened when a loved one has passed. The mood was heavy as you arrived at the sprawling estate. Rows of swaying corn and vineyards rolled into the hills. 

               The boys didn’t have enough room in their van for both you and Hae-won, so you were driving her to the farm. Sadly, you were a little late because Hae-won refused for the longest time. The boys had given up on the fight and left long before you. You really had no reason to keep arguing with her, you didn’t care, but the boys did. In the beginning, she had seemed genuinely concerned about being a burden to you, but then it morphed into straight refusal. You managed to wrangle her into the car while she complained half-heartedly about not wanting to be a bother. So now the girl sat quietly beside you, staring blankly out the window. 

             You gripped the steering wheel, wondering if you should start a conversation or not. Your eyes slid over to look at her briefly. She didn’t seem to make a move to get out, so you unbuckled. 

“Let’s get inside. The boys are already here.” You gestured to the van outside. She seemed like a nice girl, you almost felt the need to mother her, despite most likely being around the same age. 

            You stepped outside the car, waiting for her to follow. Hae-won looked distant, not entirely there, as she followed your lead. She just stood, staring at the house. She was acting oddly, you just didn’t believe that she barely knew Joo-eun. Something wasn’t adding up. You pushed it off, instead remembering the small smiles she had and the light conversation she had with the boys. 

“You coming?” You asked, walking up to the front door. Before you could knock, the door swung open. 

“Y/N! Thank god you’re here!” Jin cried, pulling you into a hug. He rarely showed any physical affections so it took you by surprise. You jumped slightly at his touch and he let go quickly. He looked around outside, head turning left and right before pulling you inside and shutting the door. 

“Oh, Hae-won is still-” 

“Shush shush! We need to-” Jin let out a little squeak as the sound of a plate smashing echoed through the home. 

           You were standing in the front room, stairs to your right and a short hallway in front. To your left was a doorway that led to a dining room and you guessed the kitchen would be next to that. You heard the shouts of the six other men and Taehyung tumbled out of the doorway further down the hall. 

“What happened?” You narrowed your eyes, long strides carrying to the second doorway. Taehyung groaned, leaning against the wall. You walked by. You walked straight into the room and tried not to gawk at the sight. 

             A sweaty man wearing overalls and a red plaid shirt held up a dish. He held it above Jimin’s head who was trying to get away, grasping Yoongi’s hand. Namjoon stood in the corner, trying to shout over the angry farmer’s screaming. Hoseok stood beside Namjoon, eyes darting around the room. Pillows were thrown on the floor among scattered shards of glass. 

“What is going on here?” You tapped your foot impatiently against the wood floor, voice cutting through the air. 

          The farmer stopped mid-swing, plate dangerously close to cracking over Jimin’s head, Taehyung stumbled through the doorway and grabbed onto Jin, making the older man cry out as he was sent to the ground. Namjoon stopped yelling, mouth open, Hoseok looked guiltily at you while Yoongi pulled Jimin towards him harshly. 

“I already told you boys that I gave my statements to the local police!” The man shouted. 

“We looked through all the files! We couldn’t find anything and we have significant evidence to take you in, so please just let us talk to you!” Taehyung cried. Yoongi shot him a steel glare that shut up the younger. His jaw snapped shut quickly. 

“Sir,” You interrupted what was soon to be another fight. “Please, we just want to talk.” You coax. Then you shoot Yoongi a this is supposed to be your job look. 

“I’ve spoken for long enough, but you police never know when to stop, dammit.” He lurched for the nearest unbroken plate, but then stopped. 

            His hands hovered over the intricately painted plate and with a swift motion, he scooped it up and gently placed it on a high shelf. Chung-hee stared at the round plate for a long time, his eyes searching the surface as if looking for a hidden treasure. He found nothing. The man let out a long sigh and turned to face the room of detectives and police. He gestured haphazardly to the couch, motioning for you to sit down with the others. His boots crunched against the broken ceramic as he eased himself onto a leather chair. 

“Fine. I’ll tell you all I know.” He said carefully, seeming to struggle to get the words out. 

            Taehyung retrieved a small notebook from his back pocket and plopped onto the long sofa. Yoongi took a place beside him and you sat next to Yoongi. Namjoon took the spot to your right and Jin pulled up a chair. Jungkook, Hoseok, and Jimin sat on the edge of the fireplace. 

“I was home all night, my wife was at work.” Chung-hee grimaced as he said ‘wife’. Taehyung noted what he was saying, but you noticed him underline the word ‘wife’ and write a couple more comments. “She’s my...my ex wife.” The old man cleared his throat. “Anyway, I-”

“Why did you divorce?” Taehyung piped up, earning a hard jab in the ribs by Yoongi. 

“You can’t just ask that.” Yoongi drawled. 

“She grew tired of me. Kept telling me to move on.” Chung-hee looked at the space between you and Namjoon’s head. His eyes were dull. “But she was at work. She didn’t find her, she didn’t see the blood.” His fingers curled around the armrest. “I did.” The words cut through the still air, a pain evident. 

“I stayed up all night to see if Joo-eun was coming back from that party. It was after curfew, but I was more concerned about her safety than anything else.” He explained. 

“So there was no one there to vouch that you were home at the time?” Yoongi asked. 

“If you’re suggesting that I murdered my own daughter, you’re sorely mistaken.” Chung-hee’s voice was steely and his jaw clenched. 

         You placed a hand on Yoongi’s thigh to let him know to take it easy. You noticed the way the older man loosened up to your touch, but you didn’t dwell on it, focused instead on the task at hand. 

“Apologies, I was just making sure.” 

“Anyway, I found her at early light. It was like she had never left. Her car was still parked in the driveway, in the exact same spot as always. I went out to check and I knocked on the window a couple times. I thought maybe she fell asleep. Then I walked around to the front and saw the blood.” He paused, eyes glancing at the expressions you guys were wearing. 

            Yoongi was impassive, as always. Taehyung had his eyebrows furrowed together as he jotted down notes. Hoseok was listening intently, his lips pulled into a frown, while Jimin and Jungkook whispered a couple things to each other. Namjoon and Jin remained focused on the man, just like you. You urged him to continue with a nod. 

“I called 911 immediately.” 

“Dispatch claims that the call was received at noon, not early in the morning.” Namjoon stated smoothly. 

“Well they lied.” Chung-hee said factually as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “Everyone in this town lies, they just wanted to put this behind them.” 

           Namjoon and Jin exchanged worried looks. Before they could speak, you opened your mouth. Your brain was moving at a million miles a minute. Is he suggesting a systemic injustice? Is he purposefully trying to frame himself? Is he guilty, is he innocent? Question upon question built on each other in your mind. 

“Are you suggesting that there is a systemic injustice that has taken place?” You asked. 

“Yes!”

“And how do we know that you’re telling the truth and trying to justify the situation in your grief stricken state?” You tapped your foot against the wood floor. 

“I’m no longer grief stricken, I’m simply angered that this was allowed to happen.” Chung-hee stood. “I think that’s enough for today.” 

“I’m so sorry for your loss, please, don’t listen to them.” A new voice came from the doorway. Chung-hee whirled around, eyes widening in recognition. 

“Ah, Hae-won.” Namjoon beckoned her in and you resisted the unease in your stomach. You were beginning to get a headache, but you were too prideful to ask for a glass of water. 

“Do you know each other?” Jimin surveyed Hae-won and Chung-hee’s expressions. Hoseok’s eyes dragged between their body movements. 

“Only a little.” Hae-won murmured, but the sound was not fully committed. 

“Yes… only a bit.” Chung-hee seemed distant, his gaze straying to the far wall to his right. 

           You nodded with a small smile. As much as you’d like to beat your head in for having a headache at this exact moment, you could do no such thing. You resulted in massaging your temple with your left hand, trying to be as discreet as possible. Yoongi glanced suspiciously between the two but shrugged it off when you gently squeezed his thigh. 

“Chung-hee, where were you the night of Joo-eun’s murder?” Hae-won asked, taking a spot leaning against the wall. 

        Her face was blank, impassive, and in control. The 180 felt like whiplash. You could even see her as an interrogator, if she applied herself. The facade crumpled quickly 

“I was at my house, as always, waiting up for her to get home.” The man’s face fell, his hard exterior melting away. “I was praying my daughter was safe. Where were you?” The anguish in his tone did not go unnoticed. 

Hae-won visibly winced, her words devolving to a stutter. “I was at the party.” 

“Weren’t you the one that asked her to go?” 

“This isn’t my interrogation.” The young girl looked miserable. 

         You were really starting to disbelieve her story that they were simply 'acquaintances.’ The dark haired girl turned on her heel and ran out of the room. Whether the others wanted to believe it or not, it looked like a strong guilt burdened her shoulders. 

“That’s enough, Chung-hee.” Namjoon cleared his throat. “Can your wife vouch for you?”

“Ex wife, and no, that woman hates me to death.” 

“Why?”

“She thinks what you’re thinkin’. Thinks I killed her while she was out, or she thinks I’ve gone insane, up here.” He gestured to his temple. “But I haven’t, I swear.” 

          You pressed your lips into a thin line. He wasn’t giving any particularly stellar answers to these questions. He was just digging himself in deeper. You may not have noticed your hand still resting on the investigator’s thigh, but Yoongi did. 

           Yoongi had instinctually relaxed and now it seemed odd if he tensed once more. He didn’t particularly mind your hand on his upper thigh. In fact, your touch drove him wild. The pale man was resisting the urge to place his hand over yours. All seven men had discussed you, how they felt, and in some form or another, everyone had agreed they liked you...a lot. A lot more than a friend and possibly a lover. The issue with you being around for this case, was that it required all of his attention and you were distracting as hell. When you were around he couldn’t focus, none of them could. 

          So he settled on staring blankly, letting Taehyung take the lead. Hoseok watched him from his spot at the fireplace. His eyes raked down the man’s figure and landed on your hand on his thigh. A small smirk slipped onto the policeman’s face. The investigator just huffed a little and turned his attention back to Chung-hee. 

          You noticed your hand and withdrew, much to Yoongi’s dismay. Perhaps it would be better to focus on the case and less on you. Besides, he had six other amazing boyfriends. Was it selfish to want one more? 

          The others would disagree. They would happily indulge, except Jin and Namjoon might be apprehensive at first. It was a delicate balance between Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung’s foolishness and Hoseok, Namjoon, Jin, and his own maturity. He settled on focusing on the case. He’d get to you later. 

          Taehyung noted the last words of the farmer and then checked the time. It was almost dinner time. The day had gone by in a blink of an eye and you found yourself yawning a little. Your emotional energy was depleted after dealing with the farmer, Hae-won, and Yoongi. Luckily, you were allowed a break as Hae-won invited you back to her place for dinner. 

“It’s for protection, right?” She had said. 

           Hoseok switched with you and you somehow trusted him not to crash your car. He would drive Hae-won, since he was technically supposed to watch over her for the next 24 hours. You waved goodbye to them as they pulled out of the driveway. Then you turned to climb into the van with the other six remaining men. 

           It was only natural that they tried to shove you into the middle seat in the back. Like hell will I be doing that. You would not stoop so low! You shoved over into the corner seat and buckled up, abruptly ending any argument over your seating arrangements. This left an unhappy Jimin in the center. 

          so, now you were stuck in a van for an extended period of time with your coworkers. Coworkers that made you...extremely flustered. 

“So, that wasn’t very helpful.” Taehyung mumbled, awkwardly clearing his throat and turning to the window. 

         Namjoon sat in the passenger seat, Jin drove, Jimin was beside you and Taehyung was beside Jimin. Yoongi and Jungkook took the two seats in the middle of the van. 

“If anything, it made him more suspicious.” Yoongi added. 

“But we thought that way with Hak-kun and now he’s dead.” You pointed out. The atmosphere in the car tensed. “And what’s with Hae-won and Chung-hee?” 

“I don’t know, not really our business.” Jin said quickly to your surprise. Why was he...defending her? 

“She could be connected to a possible murder suspect.” You tried to glare at him through the rearview mirror but his eyes stayed planted on the road ahead. 

“Why are you so suspicious of her?” Namjoon turned in his seat. 

           This was a different kind of embarrassment. Were they accusing you of being jealous? Namjoon was someone you respected immensely. He was your boss, your secret crush, your mentor in many ways. You felt...ashamed. 

“I’m not, I’m asking the real questions.” You tried to defend yourself, but you were shaking to your core. The other boys avoided your gaze and turned to the windows. “Just forget I said anything.” You said softly, but in the silent car it felt like a shout. 

             Your heart felt like it was going to fall right out of your chest. The quiet of the car was suffocating, the tension rising. The uneasy feeling in your gut turned to anger. Why couldn’t they just believe you? Why can’t they just do their jobs? You tried your best to calm down, but Jimin seemed to feel your angered presence. The man slowly shifted away, pressing into Taehyung. The newbie investigator stayed staring at the window, yet he hooked an arm around Jimin’s waist to pull him in closer. 

            You weren’t entirely sure how the dynamics of the seven’s relationship worked, but it must be alright considering how long they’d been together. They would always believe and trust each other over you, that was a fact. Did you even matter to this team? You didn’t need to be here, they could have very well sent in the samples to the station, yet you dropped everything without a second thought to go see them. 

            How stupid. The dull ache of your head now pounded into a full on headache. It was painful and had you squeezing your eyes shut in an attempt to make it go away. The van pulled to a stop and the engine rumbled to a halt. In front of the van was your car, so Hoseok and Hae-won had already arrived. The lights in the kitchen were on. You massaged your temples and then moved to get out.

          Yoongi and Jungkook exited, then Jimin, then Taehyung. Namjoon and Jin stood outside as you emerged. They didn’t speak to you. The cold shoulder made your heart break, but you kept your discomfort inside. The car beeped as Jin locked it and pocketed the keys.

           You went up the couple steps and knocked on the door. Hoseok opened it with a smile, the smell of kimchi fried rice filling the air. Hae-won was humming and moving around the kitchen. The boys filed in behind you while Hoseok wordlessly handed you your car keys. The man may be a bit dense sometimes, but even he understood the tension hanging in the air. Only Hae-won didn’t seem bothered. She turned to greet you with a wide smile. She looked pretty, her hair messy but also framing her face perfectly. You subconsciously smoothed your own hair down. 

“Hello! Welcome welcome!” The girl had to shout over the sizzling from the kitchen. “Place your things down, make yourself comfortable! The food is almost ready.” She continued cheerfully, turning back to the stove. 

            You followed the others into the dining area. Yoongi and Taehyung were whispering back and forth, notepads out and pens pointing at various notes. Namjoon and Jin seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes. Yoongi jumped up to help Hae-won serve the dinner while Jungkook stared at you, his doe eyes holding a coldness that made you squirm. Hoseok frowned at the others, his brain clearly turning. He must have come to some conclusion because you felt his eyes settle on you. 

“Eat up!” Hae-won entered the room like a ball of sunshine, except it just made your head hurt more. The dishes were placed down and then the chatter kicked up. 

“Hae-won, where do you go to school?” Namjoon asked. 

“Well, I go to a university not far from here, but I’ve been content with the online courses while I do my work study here.” She explained, taking a large scoop of rice. When the bowl was passed to you, you placed the smallest portion into your bowl, but no one seemed to notice. 

          Yoongi noticed. He was observant and he knew despite the airhead personality of Taehyung, that he too was very observant. Was it because of what they said? Was that why the tension was palpable? The investigator was watching the analyst while trying not to seem suspicious. Something was going on and he wanted to know; as a coworker, right?

           Despite the agreement that they all sort of had a thing for their little forensic analyst, she had never shown much interest in them. He supposed it was a side effect of wanting things you couldn’t have. Yoongi took another bite of rice. You had a headache. He could tell from your body language. Should he ask if you were alright? No, that seemed too much right now. 

            You couldn’t take it anymore. The silence was strangling you. You couldn’t breathe. You could feel the panic attack coming. Your head pounded, worsened by being unable to draw a suitable amount of air in your lungs. 

“Are you alright?” Hae-won placed a hand on your arm, causing you to jump. She quickly withdrew her hand, staring at you with sympathetic eyes. 

“I’m-I’m fine.” You murmured, your breath short and labored. 

“Do you need anything? Aspirin? Water?” Hae-won stood while the other boys just looked elsewhere. 

“Aspirin is actually great.” You said quickly, “Where can I find that?”

“In the bathroom, I can go get it for you.” She said, but her smile was a little more forced. Her tone was harsher, but you paid it no mind. 

“No, no, I’m fine. I’ll get it. I need to freshen up a little too.” You said shakily, but your tone was firm. 

        She seemed to want to protest, an expression resembling anger or distraught flashing across the girl’s face. And just like that, it was gone. Her lips twisted back into a calming smile. 

“Of course. It’s in the medicine cabinet.” 

“Thank you.” You stood and rushed into the corridor towards the bathroom while Hae-won slowly sat down. 

          You could hear the conversation start back up, loud impersonations and even a couple waves of laughter. Were you lonely? You stared at yourself in the bathroom mirror. Just a little. You thought, turning on the faucet and splashing a handful of cold water onto your face. Get it together, Y/N. You dried off your face and opened the mirror. 

          It slowly swung out with a click. There were bandaids, gauze, various pill bottles, and facial cleansers. You rooted through the pill bottles before stumbling across an orange bottle labeled ASPIRIN. You shook it around, seeing it a little over half full. Your head was begging you to take one. You pressed down on the lid and twisted it open. You pursed your lips and then searched for a glass.

         You just had to get through this dinner and pretend everything was okay. Next to the sink was a glass holding a toothbrush. Okay, that’s too unsanitary. So you turned to leave and get a glass of water, your mind feeling hazy as you thought about walking back into that suffocating room. Wait, don't forget the aspirin. You turned and shook a pill out. You brought it to your lips, but stopped short. You didn’t get a degree in toxicology for nothing. Aren’t aspirin supposed to be round? 

         You frowned at the slim, green, tablet in hand. You pocketed it, not trusting the pill, and returned to the dinner. 

         They had all moved to the couch to watch a movie, but one look at Jungkook snuggled next to Hae-won made you halt. Fuck this. You thought to yourself. You didn’t deserve to punish yourself by staying. You just inhaled and left, slamming the door loudly behind you as you marched out. No one paid you a glance. 

Taglist: @lovelyseomin​

Previous | Next

[double-knots-archive]

Empty Cans - [ Shane X Ellery ]

Ellery blinks as she approaches the bench by Sophia’s vineyard. When Shane had asked her to come, she wasn’t sure what to expect after their last encounter. The cliff and the visit to Harvey’s... Shane had promised to go to counseling but— Ellery knew how little promises meant. 

She shifts, reaching up to tuck a lock of blue hair behind her ear, her eyes trailing over his stupid JoJa hoodie and landing on the six pack of beer next to him. Before she could speak, Shane held up his hands, as though he had been caught in the act. 

“I brought these for a reason, I swear.” He says softly, “this was the last I had in my room and I—… I wanted you to help me dump them.” 

“Dump them?” Ellery says, taking off her hat as she sits besides him on the bench. His hands fidget on his lap, and he nods, silence growing between them for a moment. 

When it seems the silence has become too much for him, he moves, ripping open the flimsy plastic holding the cans together. He hands one to Ellery, who takes it tentatively between her calloused and scarred hands. He taps the side of the can a few times anxiously, before standing and leaning on the railing between them and the cliff. 

Blue eyes stare emptily at his back for a few moments before she stands, tossing her braids over her shoulder, and standing besides him. She tosses the can lightly from hand to hand as she looks at his. 

Shane swallows, his eyes glancing from the beer to the woman besides him. His lips twitch into a smile, a shy anxious smile, one full of fear, but also hope. 

He pops open the can, the sound echoing off the cliff edge and down to the sea. “So, uh—“ he swallows, shrugging. “This one’s a promise to take better care of myself. Ya know? Less junk food, more exercise, all that shit .” He says, before turning the can upside down and letting the amber liquid drip out. He even gives it an extra shake for good measure. 

Ellery let’s out a small snort, “no more pizza rolls?”

“I said less, not none. I’m not gonna be cruel to myself.” Shane smirks, and Ellery giggles. He gestures, “your turn.” 

“Ah, oh- okay.” Ellery sighs, her lips twist into a small pout as she thinks before she pops it open. “This is a promise to- uh—“ she looks upwards for a second, her eyes partially crossing as she searches her brain for something. “Oh!” 

“Got it?” Shane asks, raising an eyebrow, leaning towards her a bit. She gently pushes her shoulder against his, as she clears her throat. 

“This is a promise to be sober with you. I won’t drink as long as you do. Won't even cook with wine.” Ellery nods, “We’ll do this together.” Before she goes to empty the can, but Shane’s hand comes and stops the can from spilling a drop. 

“That ain’t a promise you gotta keep,” Shane starts but gets shushed when a single finger presses against his lips. 

“Hush, my can, my promise, right?” Ellery smirks, “And I was gonna, anyway.” She shrugs, moving the cab away from his hand and dumping it out. Shane shakes his head, moving and grabbing the rest of the pack, setting it down between them as they stand there. He grabs a second beer, and hands another to her. 

“Okay, my turn again, I guess.” He coughs slightly, clearing his throat. “Uh-“ he stares at the unopened can for a moment. “I promise to do better for Jas. Give her a good life, earn a good wage for her, and stuff like that.” He nods, before popping it open and dumping it too.  “You?” 

“Right,” Ellery opens the can, and smiles. “I promise to try and take better care of myself too. More sleep, less three am nights, maybe hire some help on the farm or something.” Ellery shrugs, “ya know, just... stop falling asleep everytime I sit down,” she laughs before tilting the can and gently pouring it out into the emptiness below.

Shane smiles at her, before toying with his third and final can. “Shit, this is harder than I thought.” 

“And you had time to prepare for this!” Ellery laughs, picking up the final can for herself. “My turn, since I’m ready.” 

“Wait we were taking turns,” Shane argues and she sticks her tongue out at him: the small scar where her tongue piercing once sat is the only thing his eyes can land on. But they’re quick to flash back up to her own eyes. 

“Too bad,” she giggles, before turning her can upside down. “Cause I promise to do my grandpa proud. This farm is going to be more than anything he ever dreamed it would be. I’m going to live life to the fullest and I’m gonna make sure that no one in Pelican Town can ever forget me.” She grins, as the last few drops fall out. “I’m going to move on from Jamie. I'm gonna find love. I’m never gonna let my past define me, and I’m gonna be happy.” Ellery’s voice quiets as she speaks, her eyes softening too as small tears well in them. She laughs softly, reaching up to wipe them away. “I promise to be loved and to be happy. I promise to fall in love.” 

Shane stares at her, his eyes widening slightly, his breath catching in his throat. His mind and heart reached the same conclusion. Ellery blinks a few times, before offering him a smile. 

“Your turn,” she laughs breathlessly, gesturing towards the can in his hand. Shane looks at it, his eyebrows furrow for a moment. His Adam’s apple bobbing as he tries to will himself to speak. He slowly opens the can, and turns it upside down, pouring it out. Staring at the liquid as it falls. 

Ellery looks at him, waiting patiently for him to speak— whatever he had to say. No expectation in her eyes. But Shane smiles as he turns to her, and takes a deep breath.

“I promise that I’ll be a man worth your heart one day. And that from this day forward, I’ll make sure you always feel loved, Ellery Dixon.” He whispers, just loud enough for her to hear. Her cheeks tinge pink, as Shane simply moves to pick up the scattered empty cans. His voice lifting to it’s normal tone and volume, a teasing hint to his words: “Com’n, you gonna help clean up or just let this stuff litter the valley, Elle?”

[ghostking-wenning]

Radishes, Chapter 4

I wrote this all in one go last night, and I think it came together pretty good! So y’all get a lil two-fer today. This chapter is mostly dialogue, which is probably my specialty! Lemme know whatcha think. 

1900 words, rated T for drinking I guess, NingXian, modern au, first date, momentary angst but it’s resolved really quick!

Enjoy~!

“Thank you! We’re The Whatevers! We have stickers and T-shirts at the merch counter. Have a great night!” Wuxian waved as he and his bandmates gathered their things and left the stage. Their set was short, but it was easily the most exciting thing Qionglin had seen in … well, ever, probably. The host in the strappy dress came back, and thanked The Whatevers, chatting to fill time while the next band set up.

“Hey!” Wuxian suddenly appeared at his side. He’d shed his leather jacket, and a light sheen of sweat coated his skin.

“Hey!” Qionglin parroted back, hopping to his feet. “That was amazing! You really are a rockstar!” Wuxian had put on heeled boots for the show, and now towered a few inches over him. Qionglin had to tip his head further back to meet his eyes.

Wuxian laughed breezily. “Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it. It means a lot.”

“Of course! I um, I really like your s-singing. And the lyrics were really poetic and moving, but still cool and exciting! I-- I haven’t heard a lot of music like that before.” 

“Oh, gosh, thanks!” Wuxian gushed. “I didn’t know anyone actually listened to the lyrics, heh…”

“You asked me to,” Qionglin explained. “But I think I would’ve noticed them anyway, they’re…” He searched for the right word. “Beautiful.” 

Wuxian didn’t say anything for a while, just stared down at him intensely. Qionglin shuffled his feet and broke eye contact. 

“Do you wanna get out of here?” Wuxian eventually asked.

“Uh, out? Where?” Qionglin forced himself to look back at him, but his expression was still so piercing. Qionglin bit his lower lip, and his stomach flipped over when Wuxian’s gaze flicked downward. 

His face finally softened, a slight smile curling his lips. “I know a place. Let’s go.”

Qionglin followed him back through the greenroom, and out of the club. They walked a few blocks, to a quiet bar called the Lilypad. It was decorated in blues and greens and purples, live plants overflowing from handmade ceramic pots. Soft, traditional Chinese music lilted through the air.

“Wow,” Qionglin remarked. “This place is cute! Kind of a 180 from the Devil’s Den, huh?”

“Mhm!” Wuxian agreed. “It’s an old favorite. My dad took my brother and me here for our first drinks when we turned 18.”

They took their seats across from each other at a small round table. Brightly colored fish swam in an aquarium next to them. Wuxian perused the drink menu. They had a beautiful view of the river, glinting faintly in the twilight.

“What’s good here?” Qionglin wondered aloud. “This probably isn’t surprising, but I don’t drink very often. Pretty much just on holidays at family dinners or whatever.”

“Hmm… do you trust me?” Wuxian asked, peering over the menu, one eyebrow raised.

Qionglin looked at him, confused. “Yes…?” 

“Good!” Wuxian said decisively, tapping the side of his nose. “Wait right here.” And he whisked away.

“Okay…” Qionglin waited obediently. A couple of minutes later, Wuxian reappeared with two glasses of pale golden wine.

“This is one of the best things you’ll ever taste,” he promised, setting one glass in front of Qionglin. 

Qionglin raised his eyebrows. “Not what I was expecting…” he began, lifting the glass and sniffing curiously. The wine smelled of lotus blossoms and ripe plums. He took a tentative sip. The golden liquor warmed his lips, but didn’t burn as it slid down his throat. Its sweet aroma reminded him of summertime. “It’s delicious!”

“Right?” Wuxian effused. “It’s called Hefeng. It’s a specialty from my hometown. Also, I lied. It’s the second best thing you’ll ever taste. The first one is harder to find up here.” He drank happily from his glass, smiling fondly.

“Oh? What’s the first one?” 

“It’s called Emperor’s Smile. They only make it in Suzhou, though, and the vineyard that makes it doesn’t distribute it. Something about how it doesn’t taste right outside of Suzhou, I dunno. Sounds like bullshit to me, but it’s damn good wine.” He sighed wistfully. “If I get a bottle, I’ll save you a glass.” 

Qionglin felt heat rising to his face, and tried to hide it behind his wine glass. He took a long sip. 

“Pace yourself,” Wuxian warned. “It’s stronger than it tastes.” 

Indeed it was. Less than a quarter-hour later, Qionglin’s glass was empty and he was feeling quite buzzed. Oops, he thought faintly. Oh well!

“So tell me about yourself,” Wuxian prompted. He swirled the wine in his glass; he was on his second cup, but seemed thus far unaffected.

“Oof,” Qionglin muttered. “What’s there to tell? I’m … Just a farmer, I guess. I like plants and animals. I like to cook. That’s kind of it.” He shrugged. “I’m not exactly the most interesting guy around. I’m probably pretty boring, huh?”

“Don’t say that,” Wuxian chided. “If you were boring, we wouldn’t be here. Tell me about farming! How’d you get into that?”

Qionglin blinked. No one had ever asked. “Well, it’s a family thing. The farm’s been in our family for over a hundred years. My cousins and I are starting to take over the bulk of the work from our aunties and granny.” 

“What about your folks? What do they do?” 

“Oh… Um… They were doctors.”

“On the farm?”

“N-no, I mean… before they died.” Awkwardly, Qionglin glanced out the window. It was dark out now, but he could see city lights twinkling across the water.

“What? No way!” Wuxian blurted out.

“Uh… It’s not exactly unheard of…” Qionglin picked at his paper napkin.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Wuxian corrected. “I um. Lost my parents too. When I was really little.”

“Oh.” Qionglin looked back at him and offered an apologetic smile. “What a thing to have in common, huh? But I thought you mentioned your dad earlier?”

“Yeah, I was adopted. I was in the foster system for a few years, then a friend of my father’s found me and took me in. He’s been very kind to me. His kids are like my real siblings.” He cleared his throat. “So, what about you? Do you have siblings?”

“Yeah, a big sister!” Qionglin said, already forgetting the maudlin turn their conversation had taken. “Her name is Qing and she’s the coolest. She’s in medical school here in the city. What are your siblings like?” 

Wuxian smiled warmly. “I have a big sister too. She’s probably my favorite person ever. Her name’s Yanli, she’s a pastry chef. My brother, Wanyin, is… he’s my best friend, but he’s kind of an acquired taste. In other words, he’s a total dickhead, but I love him anyway!” His laughter was almost as beautiful as his singing.

Qionglin couldn’t help but laugh too. “They sound great,” he mused.

“Yeah…” Wuxian sighed. “Even my boyfriend likes them, and he doesn’t like anyone!”

Qionglin’s heart dropped like a stone. “... your what…?” He whispered, praying he’d heard wrong. Involuntarily, his hands curled into fists in his lap.

Wuxian blanched. “My-- my boyfriend? Don’t tell me-- did I never mention him?”

“No. You didn’t.” Qionglin said shortly. He couldn’t believe he’d been so naive. He must’ve misread his kindness and openness as flirting, and like a fool, fell for it. Maybe Wuxian was just like this to everyone he met. He felt hot from the inside out, like his bones had turned to molten lead. His skin prickled, and his breath hitched like suddenly there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. “I should go.” He stood abruptly, slapped a stack of small bills on the table, more than enough for one glass of wine, and hurried out of the bar. 

The shock sobered him up instantly. He walked briskly down the street, vision blurred with tears. He hoped he was walking back to his car, but the streets all looked the same, especially in the dark. Stupid! Of course he already has someone! Why would he ever waste his time on me? He roughly swiped the tears away with his shirtsleeves. Just my fucking luck, isn’t it? The first time I ever like someone and it goes like this. So much for new beginnings and taking chances, huh?

“Wait--!” Wuxian fumbled for his wallet, paid quickly and ran after him. “Qionglin! Wait, I can explain!” 

Qionglin walked faster and tried to ignore him, but he caught up easily and cut him off. Qionglin took a shaky breath. “Explain what?” He spat, refusing to look at him. “I … I thought you… ugh, never mind.” Words rarely came easily, but it was even harder to speak when he was so worked up. “God I’m an idiot…” he muttered.

“No, you’re not--! I didn’t mean to… to lead you on or anything. I-- my boyfriend and I-- we’re open. I’m polyamorous.”

Qionglin blinked a few times. He’d heard that word before, but wasn’t sure he understood. 

“It means I sometimes have feelings for more than one person.” Wuxian explained. “My boyfriend, Wangji -- he doesn’t feel the same way, but he understands that I do, we have an agreement and everything. I-- I swear I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I really just forgot I hadn’t already told you.” Qionglin still avoided looking at him, but his tone was gentle and sincere. 

Qionglin sniffed. “S-- so what?” 

“So… Can I have a do-over? A new first date, a proper one. A-anything you want to do! I know I don’t deserve it… but I like you. Will you let me try again?” Slowly, shyly, he reached for Qionglin’s hand. Qionglin flinched but didn’t pull away, letting Wuxian gently prise his fingers apart and twine them together. 

Qionglin’s head was spinning. Suddenly he felt tipsy again. “S-so…” he repeated slowly. “You do like me…?”

Wuxian chuckled softly. “Yeah, I do.” With his free hand he reached up and delicately dabbed the tears from the corners of Qionglin’s eyes. “I’m so sorry I upset you like that. That was my fault.” For someone so carefree and vivacious, he could be surprisingly mature when he wanted to be. “I won’t do it again.”

Qionglin swallowed hard. “Okay…” he whispered.

Wuxian stepped even closer. Their chests were nearly touching. “Okay? You mean it?” He asked hopefully.

Qionglin nodded. He looked up at Wuxian finally, and managed a shy smile. Wuxian pulled Qionglin into his arms, squeezing tightly. Qionglin wondered when was the last time anyone hugged him like this. Tentatively, he brought his arms up and wrapped them around Wuxian’s waist, leaning into the embrace and resting his forehead on his shoulder. He was still reeling a bit from the emotional whiplash, but Wuxian’s arms were warm, strong, and grounding. His heart rate slowed, and his breathing evened out. "So a do-over, huh? A proper… date?" He said, voice muffled in the collar of Wuxian's jacket.

Wuxian finally let go and stepped back, hands still lingering on Qionglin’s own. “Yes! Let me know what you want to do. Say the word and we’ll go, okay?” 

Qionglin thought for a moment, humming and tipping his head to the side. 

“You don’t have to think of it right now!” Wuxian clarified. “You can just text me when you decide.”

Qionglin shook his head. “No, no, I’ve got it. Let’s go to the zoo. I'm… free tomorrow! Or next Saturday. Every Saturday, actually…"

Wuxian smiled that sunshine smile. “Tomorrow is perfect.”

[justaramblingromantic]

promise

Characters/Pairing: Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi/EiRin

Type: Canon compliant, Post-series, Canon-divergent AU, Peerless-verse, Freestyle

Word Count: 1657

A/N #01: Been dreaming of Sicily again, and this was what came out of it. 

This is also a continuation of ‘mine’ and ‘favorite wild thing.’ Reckon there will be another three or four more loosely connected drabbles in this mini-series before I’m done. This couple just won’t leave me be, I swear.  

xXxXxXxXxX

That morning, she was all disgruntled and grumpy as they set off from Palermo. Wearing an oversized pair of shades and hunkered down on the passenger seat in an oversized hoodie, dark red hair tumbling down her back that was still not completely dry from her shower earlier, she looked rather miserable for someone who was on vacation.

Beside her, taking the wheel of the SUV that they had rented, Eishi briefly took his gaze off the road to glance at the miserable lump that was his girlfriend.

“Still hungover?”

She responded with an unintelligible mumble, hunching even further into her seat like an upset turtle.

“This is why you shouldn’t have drunk so much last night,” he scolded lightly, not entirely sympathetic with her misery since it wasn’t as if she was dying or anything of that sort. She turned towards him and sent him what was probably a gimlet stare from behind the darkened lens of her shades, but his response to her crankiness was to grab a baseball cap sitting on the dashboard of the car and place it on the top of her head, further shading her sensitive eyes from the bright morning sun.

“Rest. I’ll wake you at a pit stop.”

She was feeling a lot more like herself a couple of hours later, though still a bit quieter than usual. He had made sure that she was properly watered down and also had some food in her, so she was a lot less irritable, and was even beginning to gaze at their surroundings with renewed interest. Soon, they would arrive at the sprawling olive grove and vineyard where they would be spending the majority of this trip, nestled in the charming, rustic countryside of southeastern Sicily. As they got closer and closer to their destination, so grew Rindou’s interest and anticipation, and by the time they pulled into the massive, eighty-hectare farm of Pianogrillo, the redhead was already vibrating uncontrollably, beside herself with excitement.

“Tsukasa, look!” She turned to him with sparkling eyes and a giddy smile stretched across her face. “Isn’t this awesome? I can just smell all the adventures to be had here, already!!” She wound down the side window and stuck her head out of the car, taking deep lungfuls of the crisp country air as they drove past neat lines of olive groves and fruit orchards on a graveled road, an irrepressible grin growing.

A friend of a friend had recommended this place for a farmstay when Rindou had been researching for things to do in this region, and she was glad that she had taken up that suggestion and made a booking – the farm was even more gorgeous than what she had seen in the photos, with its sprawling vineyards that stretched out as far as the eye could see and that beautiful view of the majestic Sicilian mountain range in the distance. She could not wait to get out of the car and start exploring the grounds.

Eishi was bemused by her rousing enthusiasm. Undoubtedly she had been to even more exotic places than this for her work, but no matter where they went, she was always excited and happily marveling at the sights and, of course, exclaiming over the food. No wonder she was so well suited for her role on screen; she was so infectiously bubbly, he wanted to smile.

“Are you really that excited about this trip?” he asked.

She turned to him and peered at him incredulously, as if surprised that he even had to ask. “Of course, duh! I’m here and you’re here and we’re both at this very same place looking at the same views and sharing the same experiences! Don’t you think that’s special? I wonder what fun we’re gonna have here; we should go on more trips together, Tsukasa!”

He glanced briefly at her, lips twitching at her palpable exuberance as she chattered away a mile a minute. Her mood was definitely fully revived now, and it made him happy too, knowing that she wanted to visit all these faraway and foreign places with him and share her pleasure and delight with him.

“Yeah. Let’s travel together more from now on.”

They pulled into the front yard of the guesthouse and Rindou wasted no time climbing out of the car, grinning from ear to ear as she turned in a circle and gazed all around her. The actual working farmstead was a fair distance away and she thought that she could also see the stables just partially hidden up ahead along the road. There was even an infinity pool nestled right beside the guesthouse, and the 17th century architecture of all the holdings on the property had been painstakingly preserved and restored to exactly how they used to look in the past.

Eishi got out of the driver’s seat as well, pulling his shades up to rest on the top of his head as he looked curiously around too. There was farmland stretched out all the way to the horizon no matter which direction he turned; endless plots of orchards and vineyards cultivated upon gently undulating hills and rolling knolls, and it was almost disconcerting, all this amount of vast wide space that were utterly devoid of crowds and people, nothing but nature, flora and fauna all abound. It would take a bit of getting used to, but the white-haired man thought that it was already starting to feel like a peaceful, stress-free kind of vacation. Hopefully.

He turned to head to the back of the car to unload their bags when Rindou loped back to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him along in an entirely random direction.

“C’mon minion number two, let’s venture upon these virgin lands and go explore!”

“But our stuff-”

“Do that later, let’s go, let’s gooo! Ah! That’s the pig pasture over there, isn’t it! I’m pretty sure they are rearing free range Sicilian Black Pigs here; don’t you wanna go see-”

She was already salivating at the thought of those delicious, organic pork chops rooting about the woodlands, happy and plump. Eishi’s wilted determination was no match for that sort of motivation fueling her, and so he was promptly dragged along. They didn’t get too far though, for a horse with a rider approached them at leisurely canter from the farm, waving them to a stop as he neared. The steed was a tall, handsome equine with a sleek chestnut coat though Eishi was not familiar enough with horses to determine its breed, and its rider was a dark haired, goateed, middle aged man dressed casually in jeans, a plaid shirt and dusty riding boots.

“Bon vinutu! Welcome to Pianogrillo!” he called out in a heavily accented English as he drew to a halt in front of them. Flashing a smile, his gleaming white teeth stood out against his tanned, olive complexion.  

“Ciau~!” Rindou greeted back cheerfully, her ears perking at the familiar voice. “Are you signore Lorenzo?”

The man dismounted from his horse and turned to them. “Se, I most certainly am! And you must be the newlyweds! Congratulations, my dears. How was your drive here? I hope it was nice and uneventful.” Lorenzo unhooked a ring of keys from his belt loop and jingled them merrily. “Come; let us go first to the guest house and then I’ll show you around. We’ve prepared the most beautiful honeymoon suite for you lovebirds, I promise you’ll fall in love here all over again! Then we shall open a nice bottle of sweet wine to toast to your happiness!”

Eishi did a small, gaping double take as Lorenzo herded them back towards the guesthouse. Then he stared at Rindou, bewildered.

…Newlyweds…?

To his wonder, Rindou happily, gamely, accepted the offer. “Thanks for the hospitality, Lorenzo-san! We’re in your care!”

“So. We’re…married now?” Eishi asked his beaming ‘wife’ drolly while they were waiting for their gregarious host to tether his horse to a nearby hitching post.

The redhead grinned. “Why not? You don’t wanna?”

“I did not say that,” he was quick to refute. “Though it’d be nice if you can give me some warning next time since apparently I’ve missed my own wedding.”

She petted his arm consolingly, amused that he was playing along. “S’okay! Your beautiful, patient and considerate bride understands that you were busy with work. But feel free to make it up to me during our honeymoon…or I may just run off with some handsome Italian stallion when you aren’t looking~”

He gave her a deadpan stare…and then he glanced pointedly at their surroundings, where there was nothing but farmland all around.

“…Where in this countryside, pray tell, are you planning to wrangle a ‘handsome Italian stallion,’ my wayward, runaway bride?” he asked politely.

She coughed to mask a laugh at his deceptively mild question. She widened her eyes earnestly. “When there’s a will, there’s a way. And I’m a very determined woman, as you know!”

“I’ll paddle your backside,” he muttered in response, and she snickered.

“Is that a bribe~?” she asked innocuously, gold slit gaze sparkling with mirth and anticipation, and he groaned.

“You’re terribly unruly,” he chided.

“But you married me anyway,” she reminded him cheekily. “S’too late for returns now~!”  

He grabbed her hand and tugged her close before she could skip off in her excitement like she tended to do sometimes. “Who says I’m returning you?” he retorted. “You may be a handful but I know how to handle you.”

His bossiness was intriguing to her, and so she obediently stayed close, also partially pleased by his confidence when it came to being with her. She sidled over, tiptoed, and pecked his cheek, pleased to enjoy the thrilling luxury of his undivided attention, especially since they had both been so busy with work lately.

“Is that a threat?”

His lavender gaze settled on her, quietly darkening at her happy affection.  

“It’s a promise.”

xXxXxXxXxX

A/N #02: Pianogrillo Organic Winery and Olive Groves is a legit farmstay in Sicily and you can check their listing out on Airbnb. Yah, sometimes when I have nothing to do I like to go and look at listings on Airbnb in different countries, haha.

[missvalerietanner]

tagged by @jmhwriterblog​ and yeah, ‘course I’m gonna do writing stuff ;p

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag as many writers as there are questions answered (or as many as you can) to spread the positivity! Even if these questions are not explicitly brought up in the novel, they are still good to keep in mind when writing.

FIRST LOOK

(using The Seven Kings, ‘cause that’s what I’m wrapped up in right now)

1. Describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch)

The brutal assassination of a king sparks the partnership between a hated half-breed hungry for revenge and a well-educated prince whose father arranged said assassination. 

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

Editing the first book right now. Still need to finish its ending. And I was so excited, I might have already started to write the sequel... ‘bout two solid chapters in so far. AND there’s enough happening that it’d probably be a trilogy. 

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

I... suck at this question every time I see it.

I guess... I’mma have to go with redemption. 

4. What other stories inspire your novel?

Legend of Zelda for sure, mainly inspiration for the diverse kingdoms and people. And then, I dunno, there’s probably a little bit of every fantasy movie and book I’ve ever seen/read tucked in this story somewhere. 

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel

clicky - takes you to WeHeartIt

MAIN CHARACTER

6. Who is your protagonist?

Valerie Tanner and Eli Orphesis (named him during my Greek obsession)

7. Who is their closest ally?

They gain several throughout the story, but the main two are Roderick, a rancher and old friend of Valerie’s (practically a second father to her), and Elyn, one of the queen’s handmaidens who joins them on their journey. Oh and then Aaron pops up later, and he’s an old ally of Valerie’s as well. 

8. Who is their enemy?

Mainly: Darrean Orphesis (yep, Eli’s dad)

9. What do they want more than anything?

Valerie wants revenge for Garrett’s death, and Eli wants to forge a path to his own future, a future not doomed to exist in the shadow of his father.

10. Why can’t they have it?

Valerie: gaining revenge changes nothing; Garrett’s still dead, and she’s still an outsider

Eli: he has to grow up and learn who he is without his father’s title protecting him, and there are a LOT of tough lessons on the road ahead for my boy. 

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

Valerie believes she’s completely alone and useless. She believes her life is worth little, and that spending her life in service to better people/better men is the best she can do.

Eli ... is pretty arrogant, so his are kinda negative. He believes he’s untouchable, that he’s immune to certain feelings (like pity and loss). He thinks he has all the answers.

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

Valerie: 28, 5′8″ (172 CM), weighs 135 pounds (yes, I did), lean and muscular, smaller-than-average bust size, wavy brown hair that ends between her shoulder blades, deep/dark brown eyes, Caucasian, Ossa tattoo on her upper left arm (all black ink), muscular stomach, narrow hips, fit legs, covered in old/faded scars from battle and/or training, wears: black trousers that fit tight, knee-high boots, a fit undershirt to keep the girls pinned down and covered (;p), and a loose white overshirt to keep her cool. 

Eli: ~26, 6′2″ (188 CM - people of his race are tall as fuck), blue skin (similar to Oxford blue but a hair lighter), black hair that is a bit shorter than shoulder-length and he keeps it in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck (sexy!), bright golden eyes, muscular and well-built, hands lack callouses (only trained, never fought), no scars or wounds, wears proper royal clothes like a prince should (tunic, trousers, knee-high boots, waistcoat, the works)

PLOT POINTS

13. What is the internal conflict?

Learning to accept help, realizing that people are more than their pasts or their titles and especially their race

14. What is the external conflict?

A power-hungry king and his massive army of well-trained, well-armed soldiers who are all purebloods, so they all have magical abilities.

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

For Valerie, losing the people she loves who she tries to protect. She’s watched so many die. She tends to be pretty self-sacrificing because she’d rather jump in harm’s way and die if it means saving someone else. (She has some self-esteem issues as well, so wanting to be someone’s shield makes her feel useful, and therefore, good. She also values others’ lives over her own.)

For Eli... Failure’s a big one for him. He’s probably afraid to die, but I’d say failing and letting down those around him is worse. His mother went to great lengths to make sure he was cultured and well-educated, so with all his knowledge, if he fails, yeah, that’d probably be what would crush him more than anything. 

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?

Probably the reveal of Eli’s power. He was never trained as a child like he should’ve been (for reasons!), and so since he’s a pureblood, his powers developed on their own. He’s powerful but uncontrolled, so his abilities start leaking out, so to speak, on their own.

The reveal of what his power actually is, is a good moment. It’s subtle, but as each of the other characters begin to realize just how much power he wields, they also start to realize how REAL everything is becoming: like the war, their chances of survival, etc.  

17. Do you know how it ends?

Yes. I know the jist. I know what I’m aiming for. How I get there, I dunno, and what’s said or done when we get there, I dunno. 

I know which port I want to dock in. Just not what it looks like. 

;p

(I swear I am not drinking.)

BITS AND BOBS

18. What is the theme?

Hmm... unity for sure, redemption’s a big one, some focus on equality, but I’d say mostly it’s about people finding their place in the world by following their own intuitions rather than falling into the role provided for them or forced upon them. 

[cue Disney music]

19. What is a reoccurring symbol?

Valerie has a tattoo on her upper left arm that marks her as a member of Ossa, so basically an outsider. After what happens in the opening chapters, she keeps the tattoo hidden whenever possible. But its meaning causes some tension with... basically everyone she meets. 

...there’s probably others, but I can’t think of any that don’t require a lot of explaining... and I was pretty vague on the tattoo for reasons.

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description)

In the country of Nubrya (hate the name, can’t find one yet to replace it). It’s the border country on a massive continent and is encircled by three (possibly four or five... haven’t finished plotting the map) other countries to its east, west, and north. The south of Nubrya is open to the water. Its eastern edge rises into steep cliffs overlooking coves dug into the mountain side to house the nation’s ships during the winter. The western border levels off into desert. The north is rocky terrain, isolated, and sitting on a raised plateau, so every step from the heart of Nubrya upward is a hike. And to the northeast, there is a massive mountain range, upon which one of the Seven Kingdoms sits. And to the east/southeast (before the cliffs) are the farms and vineyards of the country.

Every type of landscape and temperature zone and climate is represented. 

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?

Since the first book’s finished except for a few scenes and the final fight leading up to the already-written ending, most of the scenes are already down on paper. The second book, however, oh, boy! I have SO much planned and cannot wait for the willingness to write it down. XD

22. What excited you about this story?

I originally wrote this story back in high school. As you can tell by my username, I’ve kept the characters with me through the years. :] Recently (meaning last year, I think), I got to thinking about the original story from high school (titled: “The Unknown Soldier,” I think), and I missed it. So I dug out the original copy, started reading it, and by about, oh I dunno, page 2, I was ready to hang myself ‘cause the writing was THAT BAD.

But the plot was a good one. The characters were half-developed, but they had the potential to be so much better. So I remolded them, fleshed them out, added a ton more characters, revamped the settings, added MORE settings, dumped in a whole bunch of emotional turmoil, updated some names, increased the stakes tenfold, added more magical/fantasy elements, and landed these characters in a MUCH better story. 

A lot about the story excites me, but to know I revitalized an old story, pried it off the gurney, and zapped it back to life--a life better than the one it had before--that excites me. :]

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!

Frantic. Messy.

I write scenes as they come to me. Stitch them together later with transitions, and edit to fix any time lapses or to plug in missing information. I do outline, but they look like this:

Guy does this thing. it’s cool, but not too cool. Then girl finds out. And note for later: the girl’s really a guy. OH! And remember by scene five to put in a live rooster or else the whole chicken joke won’t make ANY SENSE. End with badass scene with knives. RESEARCH: knives.

Hey, I just made that up on the spot. Welcome to my brain.

But that’s the basic idea behind what my outlines look like. XD Except, I do usually write my outlines in ALL CAPS and important items are bolded or highlighted. But that’s a minor detail.

Rooster.

...

Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

NOW GO WRITE! (or tag yourself and do this. T’was fun.)

[paso-robles-wineries]

Rubbing elbows + working w/ some of the world’s prestigious wine directors + somms at NYC Nobu, Tribecca Grill + Bâtard could have made for a pretentious, highbrow of a woman. Ha! Anything but, Anita co-owner of @copiavineyards w/ Varinder, her hub, are genuinely warm, fun, inviting, totally legit, passionate peeps. As for Varinder (an electrical engineer + developer who hails from the farming community Punjab, India at the base of the Himalayas), his love for fine wines developed as Corp life exposed him to Silver Oak, Caymus, etc. No lower shelf wine for him, hey we all get it, right? Not settling for merely drinking fine wines, Varinder, ever curious, yearned to learn the art of farming + crafting of fine wines. This led him to launch on a journey of self-exploration + learning that included travel to different wine regions all while earning his winemaking certification from UC Davis. How cool is this, he did a 180! As part of Varinder’s studies at Davis, he was offered to be part of an educational tour group visiting Paso Wine Country. Anita, while loving fine wines tagged along, not thinking much of it as Paso had never been on her radar. "We had very minor exposure to this part of CA. It was 3 days filled with meeting 11 winemakers + vineyard managers. Basically, lightning struck. Paso, w/ its maverick spirit, world class wine + community of genuine people, had our hearts.” Ever one to follow their passions, they returned a year later + signed up to be Booker’s interns for 4 mos under the care of winemaker, Eric Jensen, who is known to say it as it is, peppered w/ a dose of swear words. And you know what interns do, right? They do everything the boss says, including scrubbing tanks + floors. Luckily, their chores also included working alongside Eric as he farmed + made wine. A year later, they found the stunning property that is Copia Vineyards in the prestigious Willow Creek district. "Paso Robles, for us, is all about the terroir + the people, in equal measure. The rest is history + we are living in our own personal postcard. There is such a feeling of gratitude when we start each day.” + I have gratitude for meeting them + their fine wines. (at Copia Vineyards) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLNCpoqJByH/?igshid=1kub3rt68k9o5

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for September 16, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living Devotional Scripture: Proverbs 24:27 (KJV): 27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Proverbs 24:27 (AMP): 27 (Put first things first.) Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house and establish a home.

Thought for the Day

The Bible has a great deal to say about business and finances. In this verse we are given wise instruction to build our business before we build our house. Since farming was the main occupation in Biblical times, much of its advice is expressed in agricultural terms, but the principles are applicable to any business today. Today's verse instructs us to invest our resources in establishing our livelihood before buying a house. The success of so many Jewish immigrants is attributed to their adherence to this principle. Upon arriving in a new country, they bought or rented storefronts with small apartments behind or over the store and directed all their income into building up their businesses. Later, after establishing their firms, they had enough revenue to build a home elsewhere. Many American farmers also followed this principle. They started out by building barns and simple living quarters, and reinvesting all monies in the farm until it was well established. Later, when it brought in enough profit, they built larger houses.

Ignorant of good business principles, many young couples today go bankrupt. They start out by buying big homes and creating such high monthly overhead that they are unable to support the companies they begin. If they would start by renting a small place until the business did well, they would be able to buy the big house later. The American Dream usually slips through the grasp of those who pursue it without establishing a foundation of hard work and sacrifice. God desires to bless us with material things, but He does not want us to be so consumed with life's cares that we do not make time for Him. Not having time to pray with our families, read our Bibles, or fellowship with believers gives Satan an opening to destroy our homes and finances.

"And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee and destroy thee from off the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 6:10-15).

Prayer Devotional for the Day Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for all of Your provision for us. We do appreciate Your goodness and love to furnish all our needs each and every day. We are looking to You to guide us in the financial affairs of our lives. Lord, we resist greed and materialism and ask for contentment with the things that we own today. We know that You will bless us more and more as we learn of Your ways and follow You. Help us to be a good steward over our finances, home and all of the things that You have given to us. We do appreciate material blessings You have given us but most of all, we appreciate the spiritual blessings that are ours that riches can't buy I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

[karenkarento]

FARM LIFE IT’S HARD BUT EASY MONEY WHEN THEY PAY GOOD MONEY. ANY JOB I’M WILLING TO DO EVEN IT WILL HURT MY BODY, LOTS OF ACHES. I’M STILL LEARNING IN VINEYARDS MAINTENANCE BUT IF I DON’T TRY NOW, WHEN? HERE IS FREEZING COLD EVERYDAY I WORK SLOW WITH GLOVES ON SO I WENT BARE HAND. I SWEAR I DON’T FEEL MY HAND WHEN WORK BECAUSE IT FROZE BUT SEEING OTHERS CAN DO. I MOTIVATE MYSELF! #farmlife #selfmotivated #blessed #hardlife (at Glenroy, South Australia, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzEFuu_ACjFucAF7KcAIw3GF-bdJgn1bmBxuLo0/?igshid=19qf3fwwd597v

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

I'm coming for you, Denali... Alpha's War by Renee Rose & Lee Savino is coming on MAY 8th! also from the co-branded series Bad Alpha Dads ✓ ADD TO GR SHELF → http://bit.ly/2HwhySm Nash I’ve survived suicide missions in war zones. Shifter prison labs. The worst torture imaginable. Nothing knocked me off my feet... until the beautiful lioness they threw in my cage. We shared one night before our captors ripped us apart. Now I’m free, and my lion is going insane. He’ll destroy me from the inside out if I don’t find my mate. I don’t know who she is. I don’t know where she lives. All I have is a video of her. But I’ll die if I don’t find her, and make her mine. I’m coming for you, Denali. Denali They took me from my home, they killed my pride, they locked me up and forced me to breed. They took everything from me and still I survived. But one night with a lion shifter destroyed me. Nash took the one thing my captors couldn’t touch—my heart. Somehow I escaped, and live in fear that they will come for me. It’s killing my lioness, but I’ve got to hide--even from Nash. I’ve got to protect the one thing I have left to lose: our cub. Excerpt: Denali I still dream of him at night. The deep rasp of his voice. The sense of quiet command, even as a prisoner. The giant bulge of his muscles when he moved. When he shook and sweat above me, his thick manhood filling me, satisfying me. Sometimes I swear I feel the gentleness of his touch just before I wake. But then I always hear the nightmare voice. The rough snarl of a lion in pain. Denali, I’m coming for you. I bolt upright in bed, gasping. Just a dream. A dream, a dream, a dream, a dream. Another dream. Not real. It doesn’t take a psychotherapist to know what the dream means. I shove back the memories of the lion who marked me, ignoring the familiar twist in the pit of my stomach. Nash. Did he ever make it out? Or did he die in there and it’s his ghost who visits me in the night? Will the guilt over not going back to try to save him ever run dry? Doubtful. I throw off the covers and pad silently to the kitchen, careful not to make any noise to wake Nolan. I make coffee and wave through the window at my portly neighbor and landlady, Mrs. Davenfield, who is out early weeding her garden. She’s the reason I ended up settling here. After I escaped, I stayed off the radar. Took only under the table cash jobs--gardening and migrant farm work. I ended up in Temecula--wine country--working the vineyards during harvest season. Mrs. Davenfield was willing to take cash and skip the credit check to let me rent the little cottage on her property. She took one look at my swollen belly and decided I must be escaping domestic abuse. I never corrected her, because hell, she seems to love the drama and feeling like she’s my secret-keeper. And I needed her help. And in a way, I was escaping domestic abuse. Just not the way she imagined it. Not some baby-daddy I had to get away from. No. Nolan’s father is the only part of my horrifying ordeal worth remembering. I guess that’s why he’s the one who haunts me most. Because I got away. And I left him there to rot.

[ginnyzero]

Completely Harmless Ch. 18

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Eighteen The Silverglade Farmer’s Market

The next morning, they were up early and eating toast on the run as they ran around the Manor doing maintenance chores and getting ready. Even Linda was excited. She was going to cover it all on her social media. Antonia had ingredients that needed to be taken down to her outdoor kitchen at the pavilion where she’d be making a smaller version of the menu, mostly the lunch and dessert items with the chicken soup.

They loaded all the boxes up on their horses with the items for their display, choosing the most loyal of ducks to go with them and made quite the parade to Silverglade with Antonia riding ahead of them on her scooter like a pacer. (Linda got several pictures.)

Sally met them with a clipboard. “The Silver Glade Fine Dining is in the food pavilion. We have had to put up three pavilions!” Her eyes got big. “This has been amazing. There’s a card with your name on it for your spot, Chef Antonia.”

Antonia nodded and the girls with the boxes of food went with her.

“And we’ve set up an entire section for the Clubs in Pavilion two with the crafters,” Sally said and checked her clipboard.

“Got it!” Lily saluted.

“Pavilion one is the farmers,” Sally said. “And Andy has put in a petting zoo.”

“Good of him,” Regina grinned. “We’ll go get set up.”

“Oh, and while Loretta and Tan didn’t have anything to do with the planning, they’re more than willing to take advantage of the publicity,” Sally curled her lip. “So, they’re here too. Just a warning. But so is Justin with a display about Camp.”

They made faces and nodded at her before heading inside tent two. They set up their display, a big board about the Silverglade Equestrian Center with pictures of everything underway and everything they hoped to accomplish.

The ducks settled into a barrel full of straw they’d brought with them. They had big bows around their necks similar to the one that the Baroness had on the back of her dress.

Lily went around and shook all the President’s hands, including Loretta’s, and thanked them for coming. The others gushed. Except Loretta, she sniffed.

Across the way, Lily could see Ferdinand’s Horse Market, though there was a farmer’s wall and a couple fields between them. You didn’t need binoculars to see their horses. “I’m going to go over, say hi, and see if they want to send someone over to direct tourists to check them out.” She got on her horse, waved, rode over.

“Morning!” She called out to the older couple who were getting some horses settled.

“Morning,” the older and somewhat portly man smiled at her.

“I’m Lily of the Silver Drakes Riding Club,” she slid off her horse. “And um, I’m sure Pia has been by to tell you that today we’re having a Farmer’s Market by the Golden Fields. And, you’re more than welcome to send someone to direct them down here to check out your beautiful horses.”

Ferdinand beamed at her. “Pia did tell us that was going on. We’ve been watching those pavilions going up with quite a bit of interest.”

Eddie nodded. “Thank you for riding over to tell us what’s going on. Oye! Goofy Lars!” She raised her voice only slightly. She didn’t want to scare the horses. “You go with this young lady and tell folks about our horse market, you hear?”

“Sure thing, Eddie,” Goofy grinned. He chose one of the horses and tacked it up.

Lily smiled. “Pia might be by later to tell you again, or Kate, the leader of the Summer Chipmunks.”

“We’ll be just as appreciative of them as of you. Might want to go take a gander myself later,” Eddie said. “But can’t leave the horses by themselves.”

“I’ll mention it to the other clubs. We can spell you for a bit so you can check it out. Course, they might want to buy your horses after,” Lily said with a sly smile and twinkling eyes.

Ferdinand laughed.

Eddie smirked.

Lily tugged on her hat. She mounted her horse and joined Goofy Lars. “So, is there a reason they call you Goofy?”

He shrugged and pretended to fall off his horse.

“Right,” Lily giggled and they rode off together.

People other than the vendors were beginning to arrive when they returned. The chefs were meeting each other and shaking hands talking about their menus for the day and where they were situated.

There was a blonde man with a mustache named Mario who claimed he was from the observatory. He was dreadfully French. He wanted to put in an eatery and a store up there. But the only way anyone could get up there was if there was a reliable lift to get there. Melissa reassured him that they were working on it. Lily said she might have the perfect chef for him. Did he like bouillabaisse?

He adored bouillabaisse.

Lily gave him the French chef’s number. She hadn’t gotten five feet before Mario was on the phone and grilling them about their different French dishes and if they wanted a job.

Melissa tapped her shoulder. “Thank you. We had no idea who to ask.”

Lily smiled. “Not a problem. That chef’s nose is probably out of joint since the Baroness hired Antonia. He’ll probably leap at the chance to have a restaurant in the sky so to speak. Maybe you can get Franz’ restaurant plans he had before taking up with Courtney out of him.”

“Which one is Franz?” Melissa asked. “And Courtney?”

“Courtney Summers, big girl in the farmer’s cap,” Lily tugged her over to the restaurant tent and pointed Courtney out. “She probably has a bunch of sandwiches and is doing fried chicken wings.”

“Oh, her,” Melissa said.

“Real snooty attitude, better deal with him.”

Melissa nodded and trotted off to chat up Franz.

Lily went to check out the farmer’s tent. Each of the farmer’s had made up a display or the different clubs had help them make up displays. Lily wasn’t sure. There were pictures and they all had produce and finished products on their tables.

The first farmer was Steve’s Farm and Stable. Steve was a grain farmer. He grew wheat, oats, and corn. His fallow fields were full of alfalfa and hay that he used to help feed the Tinker Horses he kept at the stable. The other farmers paid him to rent the horses to plow their fields. They were cheaper, sort of, than tractors. Though, they did have some smaller tractors they could use if the horses got stubborn.

And horses could get stubborn.

Steve was the reason why there was the grist mill on top of the hill. Most of the places around got flour to make bread and such from Will’s Mill that was supplied with grain from Steve!

Steve also, along with the Baroness, and the Camp, supplied a lot of the fertilizer that the farmers put out on their fields to keep them nitrogen rich. Horse manure was richer than cattle manure.

He was the leader of the little farming cooperative around Silverglade.

Landon was a sheep farmer. And his sheep provided milk, meat, and wool. He tended them out on the Everwind Fields. It could be lonely. The sheep helped the grass stay short though. But sheep could be delicate and they got bugs and things. They were constantly wandering off too. That’s why he was grateful to have the Summer Chipmunks around. They were farm girls and knew the signs. They also had a good knack for finding strays.

Barney and Marley Summers were brothers. (They were related to Carney and Courtney. Lily sensed a theme.) They both had produce farms. They grew things like potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, turnips, peas, beans, onions, garlic, spinach, and the like. They sold a lot of their produce to Jorvik City high end restaurants and were thrilled that more restaurants like that would be coming to the area.

While the Vineyard wasn’t really a farm, there was a small display about it with grapes and flats of duck eggs that had been brought down by Godfrey in his car. (No one really wanted to trust eggs to horses.) The Silver Drakes had help him unload it.

In Valedale, there was a dairy farmer. However, every day they shipped their milk off to the Sunfield Creamery over by Jarlaheim. Their cattle were free range cattle that wandered about the oaks of the Hollow Woods. They supplemented their feed with alfalfa and the cows were heavy creamers. They made a decent living off of this.

Andy, he who had set up the petting zoo, had a sheep farm in Firgrove. Or, he had sheep and no farm. He wasn’t really old enough to own a farm yet. He had some chickens but not enough to do more than supply the local cafes and his grandmother’s pancake cakes. He mentioned that there was an abandoned farm out by the mountains he had his eye on for when he was older. But, he had to beware of wolves and the bear who saw his sheep as easy meals.

There was also a large apple orchard in Firgrove run by a rather boisterous family. They’d tried other trees, but apples had liked the area best. They too sold a lot of their apples to Jorvik City. Though the stables did buy their fair share as treats for the horses.

And that was the main Silverglade area farms.

Lily hugged Maya. “I’m so glad you came.”

“So am I,” Maya said and she brandished a sheaf of papers. “Look at all these orders,” she looked ready to cry. “When we said we were an animal farm for eggs, milk, and meat, they almost overwhelmed me with things they needed.”

“That’s wonderful, Maya.”

“And, your Chef Antonia gave me shillings to cover the olives she’s been taking from the farm. I can’t believe it. It’s working. You were right.”

Lily beamed at her. “That’s great. Antonia is really mad about what G.E.D. is doing to your family. We all are. In fact, where is Luciana?”

Luciana was deep in talks with Anastasia Silverglade.

“Anastasia,” Lily said and tugged Maya forward. “This is Maya Dew of the Epona Dew family.”

“Yes, my darling, Luciana and I were just talking about your family’s little predicament.” Anastasia gushed. “With the right publicity, we will be able to wrap this up before summer is over and get your family back where they belong.” She kissed Maya’s cheeks. “You leave it to us.”

Maya blinked. “I don’t understand.”

“We are doing a charity event to help your get your farm back,” Luciana explained. “Organized trail rides that riders will get sponsors for, the more trails they do, the more their sponsors will pay them! Anastasia has friends in the city that will match the amount of the private donations. We’re all very excited.”

Maya’s face slackened. “You, you’d do that for us, but, we’re nobodies.”

“You are an integral part of this county,” Anastasia said. “And we aren’t going to let the G.E.D. bully our people into hiding.” She stamped her foot. “My mother is going to hear about this, I swear it.”

“Hear about what, Anastasia dear,” Annabella Silverglade said in her bland but frosty tone.

Anastasia put her arm around Maya’s shoulder. “Mother, please meet Maya Dew of the Dew family. They had a lovely olive farm in Eastern Epona, but that wretched Ms. Drake and Mr. Kemball of the G.E.D. have run them out. They’re now hiding somewhere in shame.” Anastasia glared at her mother. “We can’t let them control our lands.”

“Of course not,” Annabella said. “They should have come to me immediately.”

“Well, they own the land now, but we have plans mother,” Anastasia raised her chin.

“I’m more than willing to hear them.”

“Ms. Luciana, these are your ideas, please explain,” Anastasia said, her tone imperious.

Luciana explained the idea to the Baroness as best she could.

Annabella nodded along. “Put down our Winery for one of the corporate backers.” She said to Anastasia. “We’ll get your farm back, young lady and run that horrible corporation out of my county for good.”

Maya nodded pale and her eyes wide.

“Silverglades know how to get things done,” Annabella declared and then moved off.

Thomas Moorland moved over. “And put down the Moorland Summer Camp as well. We support you, young missy.”

Maya burst into tears.

Thomas reached out, grabbed her into a big hug. “Oh, don’t be like that. I knew things were bad. I didn’t know they were that bad. You should have said something.”

“I wanted to. I didn’t know how,” Maya wailed.

Thomas rubbed her back. “That’s a good girl. We’ll get this all settled. You heard the Baroness. Not in her territory.”

Maya nodded. She returned to her table sniffling and wiping her eyes. The other farmers came around and gave her supporting hugs and shoulder squeezes. “Scary thing.” “Could be any of us, really.” “We’re here for you.”

Lily continued to learn about the farms. In the Harvest District, the Goldspurs had a large grist mill. They were also grain farmers like Steve. And they’d raided the Greendale forest for strawberry and blueberry plants, turning a couple fields of their farm into berry fields.

The Sunfield Farm was a dairy farm. They had a creamery. They kept chickens but only for themselves and a few local businesses. They grew grain and alfalfa to feed their cows and any extra they sent to the Goldspurs to make into flour.

The Jarlsson’s Farm was another produce farm.

Jasper in the Golden Hills may have called his farm a pumpkin farm, but he was another produce farmer. He grew mostly pumpkins and other squashes. His farm was really popular in the autumn months as he set up displays of carved and joined together pumpkins to be toured for a small fee and he had so many pumpkins that ranged from the size of his hand to bigger than your average toddler in height, it was great fun to look at them all. But an old man such as himself couldn’t live off the profits of pumpkins alone.

The Storm Garden display was as full of plans as the Silver Drake’s and Silverglade Winery display. They were another vineyard and they also had a maple orchard. Though, all of Western Epona was a big maple forest and they had permission to tap those trees as well. So, they made maple syrup and wine. Their wine cave was an actual cave that had an exit in the New Storm Garden’s house cellar.

This amused Lily and Ami. Both were making syrups and wine. It was silly. The other farm in the Epona area was the Rockwell Farm. They were quite a large farm as they were the primary tenant farmers for the Winterwell family. They did everything from having sheep wandering about Sunset Islands, to growing produce and growing grains. They didn’t keep chickens or have cows however.

The Buttergoods grew cotton and flax.

Ginny pulled Lily aside and whispered to her that the Buttergoods were in league with G.E.D. That didn’t sound good at all. They had an inside man in the family, Robert Buttergood who was sabotaging the G.E.D. equipment. And the middle brother seemed like a good enough fellow, it was the eldest brother who was in charge that was the problem.

Pamela Moonriver had beehives and her honey was really quite delicious. She was looking to expand her operation if at all possible.

Lily put her into contact with Agnetha (who was wandering around looking at the displays herself.) And with the family who ran the Firgrove Apple Orchard, apple trees needed pollinating too! Mrs. Holdsworth wandered by and got into a conversation with Pamela about checking up on Mrs. Holdsworth hives. She was an old lady and wasn’t as spry as she used to be and bees made honey, lots of honey. (Hers was Dandelion honey or so she claimed.)

Birk’s Grange was a new farm, or well, an old farm under new management. Most the farming in Dundull was small family operations. Luciana though had encouraged the woman to come out and see what she could grow if she wanted to sell things like eggs and milk or extra produce out of her farm.

The South Hoof Farm was another family farm run by the Hightowers. They worked a rescue ranch for sick horses and so a lot of their produce went to feeding and taking care of their rescues. They didn’t always have a lot left over.

“Why not import some Highland cattle for the moors?” Lily asked.

“Highland Cattle?” Erik Hightower sounded dubious.

Lily showed him a picture on her phone. “They’re from Scotland. They’d do well on your land.”

He hemmed and hawed.

Lily took the idea to Kelsey.

“Oh it’s useless to ask him to do anything,” she rolled her eyes. “I know who to take that information to, it’s not like the younger two really know anything about farming or, care about it that much.”

Lily winced.

“I swear, the place runs on hopes, dreams, and Madison’s sugar high.”

Lily winced more.

Kelsey bit her lip. “I was also going to encourage sheep.”

“We might be over inundated with sheep.”

“Too true,” Kelsey nodded.

Deciding she’d seen everything, and that she was hungry, Lily jogged over to the restaurant tent to get some food. Out of loyalty to Antonia, she got a Gyro and some baklava. “Going well?” She asked after she swallowed.

“Amazingly. You wouldn’t believe all the corporate people Anastasia brought in who are raving about the countryside, the food, the hospitality. We’ve got an entire two busses of brides. It’s a madhouse.”

Lily grinned. “But that’s good for us.”

“You bet it is,” Antonia said as she rapidly sliced up the meat. “By this time next year, we’ll have weddings two to three times a week.”

Lily nodded and kept eating. She removed her gloves so the tzatziki sauce wouldn’t mess them up and she could lick her fingers. “You need anything, text me, and we’ll go get it for you.”

“Oh, Tracy came by half an hour ago, checked the stocks and ran off to the Manor before I could say boo.”

Lily grinned. “Good.”

“And that butler of the Baroness brought me more eggs without asking, Tracy helped him unload.” Antonia wiped her forehead with her sleeve. “You go be president of the club and make connections.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” Lily said as she finished her gyro, wiped her mouth and went to do just that. She was flagged down by Anastasia as soon as she got into the woman’s sight range and was introduced to Herman’s brother in the music business and soon all the names swam together.

She saw Conrad in the crafter tent. And a couple vendors from Silverglade she thought, a tailor and a baker. There was someone selling stuffed animals and riding vests at least. (nothing she would ever wear, far too many colors.) But Ingrid was talking to each of them and it sounded from what little Lily could hear (before Anastasia whisked her away) she was trying to set up a flea market in Firgrove.

That could be something.

It seemed to be a rousing success.

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

[thetravelbugbite]

Yesterday, on October 25th, 2019, Revival Brewing Company celebrated Halloween, their 8th anniversary and crew birthdays all at once. I had originally planned on having a quiet Friday in, but this was one event I just couldn’t miss.

I discovered the Revival Tasty Room & Brewery simply because it was one of the closest breweries to my house. I tried a flight of beers and immediately fell in love with their Pinky Swear Berliner Weisse beer! According the their description, “Combining kettle souring with tons of raspberries and blueberries to the tale end of fermentation creates this refreshing and tart drink of delightfulness. We swear!

While all beers taste best directly from the tap, Revival also sells cans for a reasonable price for such delicious craft beer! The great thing about this brewery is that they keep things fresh and keep creating new beers for clients to try. Right now there are 30 available beers varying from more classic brews to unique flavors including a great selection of sours which are my favorite. They have IPAs, ales, pilsners, lagers and wheat beers – basically, they have something for everyone.

Both times I went to the brewery I enjoyed the great atmosphere and attentive service. Yesterday at the Halloween party I finally got to try some of the food from the “Tasty Room,” which was amazing. My husband and I got Otis’s Vegan Tacos and the Tempura Portabello Tacos for $10 each (both vegan!)

The Otis’s Tacos were extremely spicy because I didn’t think to ask beforehand about it. Although I couldn’t enjoy them, Isaac said that the BBQ seitan was amazing. I ended up eating the Tempura Portabello Tacos after removing the jalapeño topping and they were absolutely amazing. Our server went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed the food and we will definitely be eating here again! 

But let’s get back to the beer… 

Revival’s first craft beer was the Double Black IPA that came out in November 17, 2011. While the brewery has grown in popularity, you still have to come to New England to enjoy it. Obviously, I recommend that you try it at the Rival Tasty Room in Cranston, RI if you can. But their canned beers are also avaialble at select stores in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Last night at the Halloween party, they debuted the Triple Black IPA as the anniversary beer! We had to try it and it was amazing, if you like dark beer. This 10.8% beer can definitely give Guinness a run for it’s money!

My drink of choice last night was the Rose IPA which was light and fruity.  They describe it as: Grapes from Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard Farm were used in collaboration with champagne yeast and cider yeast to create this dry, wicked aromatic, slightly hazy, yet bright ale. The hops shine, the taste is killer, this brew is a fairy tale come true.

For the Halloween party there was live music that started at 8 PM. The staff was dressed in costumes and there was an amazing Stranger Things photo booth! Since the event was Stranger Thing’s themed, they were also selling Eggos with Pinky Swear Ice Cream for dessert! Unfortunately,  I didn’t get to try it but it sounded delicious.

They also had special themed cocktails, one with ‘demodog essence’ as the final ingredient. One of my favorite things about Revival’s Tasty Room is that the owners and staff are so fun and easy-going which gives the place such a great vibe.

A few final things…

The brewery offers free tours every Saturday at 4 PM and I am definitely planning on going sometime in the near future! In addition to great food and drinks, they have a basketball arcade game and a pool table. You can follow their Facebook page and check out their blog on the official website. There is always something exciting going on, like brunch, karaoke, Meatless Mondays, movie screenings, football tailgating, live music and of course, Oktoberfest. They even have dog friendly events!

I think that’s enough raving on my part. Make sure to check them out if you’re ever in the area (or make a trip out of it) and let me know about your experience in the comment section below!

Revival Brewing Company: Delicious Craft Beer Yesterday, on October 25th, 2019, Revival Brewing Company celebrated Halloween, their 8th anniversary and crew birthdays all at once.

[gsquaredweddings]

When I spoke to Stephanie for the first time, it was obvious what kind of wedding this was going to be. Laid back, all about friends and family, and their own kind of traditions. When we arrived at their family farm wedding, we weren’t disappointed – in fact, I drive past this farm daily and have always wanted to stop and photograph there.

Stephanie and James answered a few questions for us about their love story and a bit more about their special venue.

How did you two meet? We met through our best man Alex in college! We went from hanging out with a group of friends, to gradually only in the company of three or four other friends, then eventually one on one in the woods of Saint Mary College. We happened to have classes together and spent more time alone over Sophomore semester. After an attempt to share his feelings with Stephanie going straight over her head, James gathered himself and bluntly asked her out!

Tell us the awesome proposal details.  Over the past nine years, we grew together and gone through thick and thin, small and large, together. The path wasn’t always straight or easy, but we walked it together. After eight years of laughing together, Stephanie decided to take the next step and ask James to marry her!

Originally, Stephanie envisioned popping the question in the Berkeley Botanical Garden’s Rose Quarter overlooking the Bay, champagne on ice and a half-hidden friend snagging photos discretely from a bush. After two months of quietly planning and internal panicking, the day came when Stephanie casually asked James if he felt up for a trip to the botanical garden. After careful consideration, he told me…. no.

Well, it turns out after all the careful planning, she forgot one crucial detail- checking if there was a Berkeley football game. Games effectively shut down the entire city, including the street leading to the gardens. Defeated, Stephanie went to her phone to cancel plans, internally cry, and curse the game that is football. James saw her go from a bubbly, sweaty-faced queen to a cursing, sweatier-faced madwoman. He asked what she wanted to do instead, she angrily responded “Whatever. Your call. I don’t know”.

So what does he do? He surprises her with a trip to Napa. What a man!! They went to the best brunch spot in Napa, and casually tour through St Helena. Before heading home, they visit a quaint and small vineyard and winery called Honig.

They strolled in, ordered a bottle of their best, and settled down to watch hawks glide across the vast sky. While chatting about the lovely surprise trip, brunch, and pretending to be wine savvy, Stephanie realizes this impromptu and wild moment from an abrupt change of plans was as close to perfect as one could ask for. So, with some stammering and nervous laughing (and a light amount of swearing) was out of the way, I gathered myself and… well, the rest is history!

Is there a special reason you chose your venue? This particular venue is the Schwarzmiller Farm, formerly Sleepy Hollow Farm. This location has been farmed by the Schwarzmiller family since 1903. Stephanie is part of the sixth generation of Schwarzmillers getting hitched at the 82-acre farm. Her brother and SIL married here a few years ago, as did their cousins, aunts, mother, and other relatives.

Any fun DIY pieces or special things planned? All of the beef being served was sourced at the family farm.

What is your most anticipated moment of your wedding day? Stephanie: Kissing James of course! Any excuse to is perfect for me! I am also so happy to have close family and friends come together from all around the state to celebrate our union and be with each other. James: Uhhhh, everything.

If we ran into you on a relaxed weekend, what would you be doing? James: Wandering a farmer’s market with a coffee in hand. Stephanie: Ditto. Making him hold my other hand.

Family Farm Wedding Vendor Team

Venue: Schwarzmiller Family Farm

Coordinator: Prudence & Sage

Floral: Paeonia Pines

Hair & Makeup: Bethany Yackel Beauty

Rentals: CORT

Catering & Bartending: Twelve Baskets Catering

Cake: Bridesmaid

Shortcake: Twelve Baskets Catering

  Family Farm Wedding Vendor Team

Venue: Schwarzmiller Family Farm

Coordinator: Prudence & Sage

Floral: Paeonia Pines

Hair & Makeup: Bethany Yackel Beauty

Rentals: CORT

Catering & Bartending: Twelve Baskets Catering

Cake: Bridesmaid

Shortcake: Twelve Baskets Catering

Photography: GSquared Weddings Photography

Down Home Kinda Love | Schwarzmiller Family Farm Wedding When I spoke to Stephanie for the first time, it was obvious what kind of wedding this was going to be.

[multipleforks]

Hamptons living – where to eat and drink out east this summer (hurry, before the summer ends!)

East Hampton: Easily one of the best villages in the Hamptons, East Hampton boasts a variety of dining options for all hours of the day from brunch to mid-day sugar filled snacks like ice cream and crepes to happy hour cocktails and fabulous dinners. Moreover, the main street in East Hampton has some of the cutest shops you have ever seen including Intermix, Restoration Hardware, Ralph Lauren and many others, everything looks so quaint and lovely. It’s so hard to window shop and not want to buy it all! (Luckily most of the shops close around dinner time so buzzed shopping is not a dangerous option!)

Anyway, some of the top crowd pleasers in this beautiful part of the Hamptons include:

1770 House: an excellent dining option attached to a boutique hotel that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time and are about to dine with Martha Washington at one of her many residences. (Back in the late 1700s bars were always connected to bunkers for men to retire to a bed after a few pints, but I digress). Whether you chose to sit at the tavern, in the main dining room or outside in the garden area, you won’t be disappointed. The wine list is excellent, and the menu boats many excellent local farm to table and sea to table options like local fluke and striped bass to Hudson Valley foie gras and a variety of local cheeses. Be sure to check out their dessert options too! (Pictured below: scallops and roasted natural chicken).

Other downtown options include: Serafina, East Hampton Grill, Nick & Toni’s and Rowdy Hall. (I cannot comment on these as I have never been, but I have heard great things about all of them!)

For happy hour, check out Blue Parrot. Their dirty bird margaritas will you on you ass. No joke. They come frozen and, on the rocks, and should also come with a side of an Uber ride home…their guacamole is fantastic too.

These others are not walkable to the downtown area, but only about a 5-minute drive:

Bostwick’s Chowder House: an excellent place for lunch or dinner, this place is always jam packed. Be prepared to wait at least 20-30 minutes on peak hours for a table, but it’s worth it! Hopefully the weather is nice, and you can sit outside on their high-top tables and enjoy some of their famous fish tacos, a delightful lobster roll, or a cup of their fantastic chowder. Their tacos are on the expensive side, but the fish is exceptionally fresh and the two tacos they give you per order are large and very filling. Apparently, they’re set up in the town as a take away only restaurant, so you must be your own waitress (so to speak) by writing everything down on a sheet of paper and handing it to the actual waitress. (At least you know they can’t possibly mess up the order!) Grab a beer and some tacos and plan to kick back, relax, and stay awhile!

11 Madison Park Summer House: this pop-up restaurant has bestowed its presence in the Hamptons the past two summers and we can only hope this amazing place continues to stay open next summer as well. The ambiance and service are outstanding, and the food and cocktails will knock your socks off. Furthermore, the restaurant really caters to everyone. If you’re looking to have a nice, romantic dinner, they have an upscale dining room towards the front of the restaurant. If relaxing and having a cocktail or two is on your agenda, they have a back room with couches and a more relaxed atmosphere; and if you’re looking to have a beer with friends and chill out, they have a fabulous, large backyard area with picnic tables, lawn chairs, and games like cornhole, and bocce. Many of the staff out here travels from the 11 Madison Park restaurant in NYC so you can expect superb cocktails, food, and service. Give their blueberry cobbler a go when you’re here, you could swear they sourced the blueberries from the closest farm a stone throws away.

East Hampton is also home to Citarella, the adorable NYC based grocery store that has a fabulous prepared foods section, beautiful fresh fish options and cheese from all over the world. One step in this store and you’ll be calling to cancel those dinner reservations!

Amagansett: a 5-7-minute drive East of East Hampton is Amagansett. Its downtown is small and quant, and includes a few dining options, bike rentals, local farmers market and the train station a clock away. Be sure to take a ride around as you will see some spectacular elaborate houses a few blocks from the beach. Here are a few worthwhile dining options in this adorable, upscale town.

Wolffer Kitchen (also located in Sag Harbor): if you’ve been to the vineyard (which should 100% be on your list of things to do when visiting the Hamptons), you should swing by this adorable eatery for brunch or dinner. The restaurant is in a cute courtyard and boasts shaded outdoor seating overlooking the square. The wine list features wines from Wolffer Estates and other local Long Island vineyards as well as other American producers. The menu has some delicious and unique options to choose from and the ambiance is both trendy, and casual with a summer ‘spunk’ to it. The New York Times said the restaurant had both style and substance and called their experience ‘quite impressive’.

Montauk: if you’ve never been to Montauk, you are clearly missing out! Montauk has this relaxed, chill, surfer-esque vibe similar to Long Beach California or Hawaii. The main town is a 5-minute walk from the beach and boasts casual dining options and picnic table seating in many establishments. It’s almost the anti-Hamptons area of the Hamptons. Although it’s the furthest point out in Long Island, it’s well worth the drive. Be sure to stop at the following place on Montauk Road on your way out…

Lobster Roll: an iconic, historic landmark that has been around since the 1960s and where they film the tv show, the Affair, this place is a must on your way to Montauk. Some people call it a tourist trap, but I say how the heck can you pass up a jam-packed lobster roll and a local beer or Pina Colada in the summer? The ambiance is casual and has a fun nautical 1960s feel to it. It’s also a wee-bit tacky, but that’s what gives it such character. Lobster roll prices are very reasonably priced overall and hey, if lobster isn’t your thing, they have a wide variety of other options to choose from.

Sag Harbor: on your way to/from Shelter Island and Greenport, be sure to check out this adorable town on the water. It’s well worth a stop for lunch or a quick glass of rose. Make sure to take a stroll past the dock and check out all the nice boats too!

Dockside Bar & Grill: nice, casual eatery located right on Bay Street that has outdoor tables for people watching or gazing off into the bay, a nice relaxed bar area and a casual indoor area for grabbing a quick sandwich or local beer. The staff is friendly, and the ambiance is not the least bit pretentious. Give the guacamole or lobster and avocado spring rolls a try!

Greenport: If you find yourself with some spare time and feel like exploring a bit (and you have a car), take the ferry to Shelter Island and Greenport. (Yes, your car, motorcycle and/or bus can all go on the ferry). Greenport has many shops and eateries right off the ferry, as well as a cute little vineyard about 1.5 miles from the ferry.

Port Restaurant: how can you go wrong with a restaurant that’s right on the water, has indoor and outdoor seating, an outdoor bar and happy hour from 5-7pm? Assuming you come with a group, give their spicy margarita or sparkling rose sangria pitchers a go. It’s quite a large pitcher and believe me, you won’t be disappointed. If lobster is your thing (who doesn’t love lobster)…get the lobster roll. They’re jam packed with meaty lobster and very filling!

Kontokosta Winery: less than a 2-mile ride from town is Kontokosta winery. It’s a small, but charming winery and the wine isn’t bad! They offer a variety of snacks from cheese to olives.

No Hamptons trip is complete without a trip to Sagaponack, especially if you’re a wine drinker. Wolffer Estate winery and wine shop should be #1 on everyone’s list when visiting the Hamptons. Wolffer Estates Rose is quite ubiquitous at this point. It seems almost every liquor store in New York and New Jersey carries this rose in the summer time. Anyway, make sure you make a reservation as tables fill up very quickly on the weekends. Inside you’ll find a massive room with ornate windows overlooking the vineyard and high ceilings with rustic chandeliers. There’s a small bar with high top tables and some couch seating along with a wine shop, which then leads out to a covered patio overlooking the vineyard. If the weather is nice, outdoor tables are also available right next to the extensive vineyard. The vineyard does select wine tours throughout the day. Another option if the vineyard is too crowded is their wine shop right down the road.

Hamptons living – where to eat and drink out east this summer (hurry, before the summer ends!) Hamptons living - where to eat and drink out east this summer (hurry, before the summer ends!)