#the day after is like a picnic/barbecue

[thursdayg1rl]

i have no idea what I’m going to wear on this holiday btw..

[upsidedownwithsteve]

CH10. Cheque, Please! | The Menu [2.2K] Eddie Munson x shy fem!reader: a line cook au.

ONE YEAR LATER

The diner was packed. 

Tables were full, the large room a buzz of chatter and music, the speakers playing an old sixties bop. It was a familiar sight, one that happened more often than not since Jim sold the diner. The new owner ripped the place apart, down to its old bones before he put his life savings into it. 

New floors, new tables and chairs, artwork on the walls that were signed by Argyle, a photo of the whole staff taken and framed by Jonathan, Jim Hopper at the forefront, a wide smile on his face on the last day before his retirement. The bulbs in the neon sign outside had been replaced so it no longer flickered, the green and blue glow of it now announcing the diner’s new name, proud and bright for everyone to see. 

Eddie’s Slice Of Chicago. 

“Door! Behind!” You yelled out as you entered the kitchen empty plates piled high in your arms and Jonathan took them from you with practised ease. 

Steve was on the grill, still hesitant and not as fast as Argyle, but he was flipping burgers quicker than he had last week. His chef whites were brand new, his name badge shiny and his front of house position taken over by Nancy. Everyone was in new uniforms, freshly pressed and a sage green, aprons still without stains and a pocketful of pens that didn’t run out of ink too quickly. Robin was taking orders, laughing with a family from out of town, letting their toddler grab at her finger as she promised them to return soon with their pizzas and shakes. Dustin was helping Max run a large order to a table of backpackers, a border collie under the table at their feet, getting its ears scratched by the new start, Mike. 

There was a sign on the staff notice board, up beside the employee of the month, a piece of ripped paper with the words “SIXTY FOUR DAYS SINCE THE LAST FREEZER BREAKDOWN.” The rest of the space was filled with staff photos, polaroids and prints of the group at a fourth of July picnic, a barbecue at Jim’s in the summer, huddled around the kitchens countertops in the winter, drinking from mugs filled with Argyle’s homemade horchata, the frame that held Billy’s scrawled termination letter, an old napkin that held a small conversation in pen. 

It felt more like home than ever. Even when Eddie wasn’t there. 

Everyone answered to you in his absence, unofficially in charge when the boss wasn’t here. It had taken some getting used to, hell, you’d even tried to pawn off the responsibility to Nancy, or Steve, anyone who’d been at the grill longer than you had. But Nancy was part time, back at college during the week, taking Robin on dates in the evenings and Steve was too busy being trained as a new prep chef to worry about invoices and deliveries. 

So you stepped into the role cautiously, softening to the idea when Eddie kissed you something fierce and told you that there wasn’t anyone else he trusted to do the job. His acceptance letter had come the month after taking over the diner. A thick, white envelope that lay heavy on your doormat because he’d finally moved in, sharing your small apartment with you like he did everything else. 

Clothes. Jewellery. Books. Records. Food. Kisses. 

Vincennes University offered Eddie the chance to do what he hadn’t been able to before. Refining his craft, learning new skills, working in a state of the art kitchen with equipment he’d come home and gush to you about. The diner was doing well enough that tuition wasn’t a worry anymore and suddenly, the long commute into Indianapolis for classes four days a week seemed worth it. Eddie was passing with flying colours, receiving accolades and opportunities at every given moment and when he came home, exhausted but happy, he came home to you. 

Bone tired, he’d slip into the apartment, socked feet padding gently over the floorboards, Tupperware full of something delicious to be stacked in the fridge. He’d find you curled up somewhere, a black cat called Basil in the nook of your bent legs. He’d kiss you sweet, he’d kiss you soft, warming you up to a simmer until you forgot how much you’d missed him that day. 

It was all worth it. 

“Table eighteen wants extra hash browns and booth six needs two pepperoni’s and the Hawkins special, chefs,” you called to Steve as you slapped the orders onto the bar. 

“Got it,” Steve and Argyle called back, one a little more nervously than the other but it was okay, ‘cause Eddie was home soon. 

Eddie was home soon. 

He’d called from a pay phone outside of the school, voice buzzing with excitement, with pride, and yours mirrored his back. He’d be on the train soon, he’d meet you at the apartment, if you could get away early. So you handed your keys to Nancy and she grinned, knowing there was a cause for celebration waiting at home for you. You drove Eddie’s van back along the road, coming into town on the familiar stretch, passing Wayne’s, the trailer park you both visited every Sunday for dinner. 

The apartment door was unlocked, dimly lit in the early fall gloom, already smelling like garlic and tomatoes, like fresh bread and the scent of Eddie cologne that lingered on his jacket that hung in the hallway. Eddie’s records were in the shelves by your books, his guitar hanging from a hook in the tiny office room, his shoes on the bench by the door. He’d transformed your kitchen when he’d moved in, a decision that had been all too easy to make. There were  pots and pans hanging from the rack, shiny, sharp knives that he was scared of you using without him there, jars and tubs of ingredients stacked high in the fridge and the pantry. There were fresh herbs in planters on the window sill. The radio always played. 

The kitchen always felt like the heart of the home. 

That’s where you found Eddie, sweater sleeves rolled up and grinning at you from the stove top, a large spoon in hand as he mixed in some fresh rosemary to the pot of sauce. He greeted you with a glass of wine, the cheap stuff that you liked best, catching you in a kiss before you could bring the cup to your lips. 

He kissed you soft, kissed you sweet, humming when you laughed into his mouth, his free hand slipping inside of your shirt to ghost his fingers over your ribs. 

“Hi,” you whispered. You’d never tire of this. This warmth, this kind of greeting, this feeling of coming home. “Good day?”

Eddie nodded, stealing another kiss, catching the corner of your mouth. He gazed at you, eyes shining with excitement and you could practically feel the buzz in his bones for what he was about to say. 

“I got it.”

You blinked, once, before your smile turned into a grin and it stretched wide. You barely had the common sense to place your wine on the countertop before you launched yourself at the boy, your arms wound round his neck as your crushed your face into his curls. Eddie whooped, a joyful thing as he lifted you off your feet and grinned against your throat. 

“You got it,” you whispered back to him, everything in you frilled with awe and pride. 

“I got it,” he repeated again. His voice sounded thick. 

The internship with Chef Emmelie was something that everyone in Eddie’s class was vying for. Eddie had spent an insane amount of time on his application, using you as his own personal taste tester in both work and home. New recipes were concocted, old dishes were reworked and it had all paid off. Eddie had been hand picked to work alongside one of the country’s greats, assisting in setting up a new restaurant, a fine dining establishment that promised to deliver nothing but the best cuisine to the masses. Eddie would help create the menu, and hopefully, maybe, eventually, take over as head chef. 

It was another level of surreal. 

“I knew you would,” you mumbled into his neck, pulling back only to crush Eddie’s cheeks in the palms of your hands and give him a kiss that ducked his breath away. His lips tasted salty, but perhaps that was your own tears you could taste. Eddie just held onto you tighter, his stew mix bubbling away without any attention. “Where is it? Have they told you where you’re setting up?”

You’d held Eddie’s hand as he clutched his application letter and promised him that no matter where they sent him, you’d follow. The only thing that tied you to Hawkins, was the boy and Basil was easy enough to smuggle into a cat carrier, once you could catch him. Wayne had squashed any hesitancy from Eddie immediately, waving him off and saying that there would be private jets for each of you once he hit the big time as the new celebrity chef. And of course, there was the diner. 

Eddie laughed then, a breathy, disbelieving thing and he finally shuffled to settle you onto the small dining table that sat in the corner of the kitchen. He nudged his way in between your legs, sniffling when Basil appeared to wind around his own ankles and the only sounds were the purring of the cat and the simmering of dinner. You held your breath, brows raised, expectant. 

London? Dubai? Paris? Los Angeles?

“They wanna set up in Chicago.”

—————

Going back to the city you left was a lot less daunting with Eddie by your side. 

Wayne moved out of the trailer park and into your apartment, something that made leaving a little easier for Eddie. He still owned the diner, and promised to stop by at least a few times a month if scheduling around the new restaurant would allow. He’d found a new manager, a woman from town called Joyce who loved to bake and knew enough about taxes and accounting that she didn’t fuck up order and invoices. She loved the place like Eddie did, promised she’d do it proud. 

(She met Jim on Sunday in summer and after she served him her famous cherry cheesecake, one date in the park had turned into three, into five and now they were inseparable. They spent most of their time walking around town, visiting farmers and Jim enjoyed his retirement by helping Joyce create new desserts for the diner.)

Eddie’s internship came with an apartment in the suburbs, a small townhouse that was far enough from the hustle of the city that you felt more at home than before. It was less bright, less loud and Basil had a garden to roam in, a bench beside a vegetable patch he could bathe in the sun from. 

It had a pantry and old oak floors, a huge window that looked out onto the street that was lined with cherry trees, and a nook in the living room that you liked to read in. You found a job, pretty easily, a vintage bookstore on the edge of town that smelled like coffee and cinnamon, old pages and older stories. It was owned by an old man who let his dog sleep under the front desk, who brought in pastries for breakfast and made you sweet tea in the summer. 

The restaurant opened in the spring. Hit headlines the following day, praising the special on the menu made by newcomer chef, Edward Munson. By the summer, the heat was climbing and so was Eddie’s popularity. He was running the restaurant, got to create a new menu every six weeks and the waitlist was booked out until Christmas. He told you he loved you every time you paid him a visit, on your lunch break, a whisper between a kiss hello and goodbye in the kitchen, coy whistles from his staff that he burned pink at. 

And when you both drove back to Hawkins for long weekends and holiday stays, you crammed yourselves and Basil into your old apartment with Wayne, packed his freezer full of food and tried to convince him to take in one (maybe two) of the strays from the trailer park to keep him company. 

You spent the Fourth of July with the diner crew, in the backyard of Jim and Joyce’s new home, sharing Polaroids and newspaper clippings of the restaurant, of your new home, Eddie’s menu. Steve was in awe but nothing could beat the look of pride on your boyfriend’s face when Steve told him he’d mastered a French omelette. Argyle was running the kitchen, Nancy had been promoted to assistant manager, part time or not, and Robin had helped Jonathan in running a Sunday morning coffee club, where Hawkins residents got to taste test new bean flavours over a pastry breakfast and some town gossip. 

Eddie didn’t scowl much, not anymore. 

And when you next bumped into Chrissy, you waved at her from under the tuck of Eddie’s arm, diamond ring glinting on your left hand in the sun. She didn’t have much to say to you, not after that. 

[likebreadandwine]

don't mind me, I'm just daydreaming about summer picnics and ice cream... 🏖️🍦

but really—there's a rhythm to summer days, and I want to plan your meals around it.

sunrise looks like cotton candy: pink skies and wisps of cloud. I convince you to join me for a walk while there's still dew on the grass, and yes, I'm hoping you work up an appetite. I'll reward you with breakfast when we get back: toast and eggs and bacon and fresh fruit, muffins that are practically cake, strawberries and whipped cream.

we're off to the beach next. I pack us a picnic. we claim a spot in the shade. after sunscreen has been applied (forgive my extra squeezes, you're just getting so soft), we are content to lounge and bask in the warmth of the day.

my carefully-packed cooler gets emptier and emptier as things steadily disappear: thick sandwiches and juicy slices of watermelon, cans of cool soda, bags of chips, decadent homemade brownies. by the time I glance up from my book, you're looking beached and more than a little rosy. time to get you in the water. they say not to swim after eating but that's just a myth, and besides, you aren't so much swimming as floating. hot and overstuffed on land, you are cool and buoyant in the water.

alas, all things must end. back out we come. you're heavy, sleepy, and warm, so we pack up and head home for an afternoon nap while the hottest part of the day passes. well, you nap. I'm needed elsewhere; I have plans for dinner.

it's grilling season, after all, so you know what that means: skewers of beef, bell peppers and zucchini; grilled corn, smokey and sweet; barbecue ribs, roasted potatoes, and garlic bread…is it too much? but what better way to spend a lazy, hazy summer evening than with dinner straight from the barbecue and a drink in hand?

there is one thing that could make it better, if you want. before I even tell you what it is, you're nodding at me. yes, please. aren't you full? so full. I want more.

and so, from the depths of the freezer, I retrieve a carton of vanilla bean ice cream. this is the good stuff, the artisan shit that reminds you vanilla is not plain, vanilla has depth; it is floral, earthy, rich, almost like caramel. combined with sugar and cream, chilled and churned and frozen, I might as well be spooning bites of ambrosia into your mouth. you'd think I was, based on the indecent sounds you're making.

in fairness, it's not just the ice cream. it's the ice cream on top of a whole day of eating. once you've finished the carton and my hands are free, they both go straight to your belly, and wow. you are round and stuffed to your limit. no wonder you're squirming, it must ache. you let me get too carried away. I like when you get carried away. the words come out breathy and soft. you did so good.

I like you like this: breathless and big, dazed and contented, the taste of vanilla still on your lips.

[rileyslibrary]

Your opinion isn’t part of the recipe, Sergeant.

Synopsis: After a successful mission, you and the boys decide to spend a day at the park, celebrating with a picnic. Ghost is barbecuing with Price while Soap and Gaz are annoying the living hell out of them. You? You’re looking at the havoc taking place in front of you.

Relationships: 141 x GN!Reader / Simon “Ghost” Riley x GN!Reader (brief and near the end)

Word count: 1,176

Notes:

I’ve had this image in my head for quite a while, and I wanted to put it in writing.

There’s a scene involving a sausage. If any of you filthy minds associate it with anything other than what it really is, I swear to Freud, I’ll grab you by the ear and drag you to the naughty corner. 

Platonic and fluffy

Want more?

———————————————————————

It’s amazing how they haven’t ripped each other’s heads off yet. 

You all get along so well on missions, that you wonder if it’s the military institution that makes you so well-behaved and orderly. Because what you’re witnessing right now is nothing more than a circus.

You’re sitting on the picnic bench, sipping an ice-cold beer and munching on some thinly sliced carrots you prepared at home. You sprained your ankle on the last mission, and it’s making it difficult for you to participate in anything happening around you. Thank God, you think to yourself.

Soap and Gaz are playing football about twenty metres away from you, which is dangerously close, given the velocity with which they kick the ball to each other. They’ve already hit the table once, launching empty beer cans into the air and shouting “STRIKE!” as if they invented foot bowling. Ghost gave them the death stare and Price politely asked them to keep “the fuck away from anything alive, especially when it’s already injured.”

Ghost is barbecuing. He’s wearing that stupid birthday present you all got him—a tactical vest shaped like an apron with the word “chef” written at the top. It had the same loops a conventional military vest had for attaching pouches for bullets, knives, and walkie-talkies. The loops on that apron, however, were used for organising one’s tools, sauces, and spices while barbecuing. It was a funny gift, and he smiled when he opened it, but you never expected him to wear it. Look at him now, rocking that bad boy as if he was the one who chose it.

Price is standing next to him with a beer and a cigar in his hands. He’s looking at the grill but not touching anything. Ghost clarified that if anyone else touches it, we will eat their fingers along with the sausages. And, even if he didn’t mean the threat, you wouldn’t dare to put his abilities to the test. Especially after seeing what he’s capable of doing at work.

You try to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Soap and Gaz’s shouts drown it out. An F-16 would pass over your head right now, and you’d still hear Soap screaming, “That didn’t count; it was out!”. But, despite the chaos, you can make out some words. They’re reminiscing about the good old days, talking about their first deployment together, their comrades, and only using salt and pepper on steaks.

Price is Ghost’s companion throughout... everything. Whether that’s on a mission or a day out. He can’t seem to bear the entropy that the other two are causing, and he’s not comfortable talking to you yet. Price is as calm and talkative as Ghost desires. Or, perhaps, Price knows what Ghost wants.

Soap and Gaz appear exhausted from football and return to the picnic area. Gaz sits across from you, apologising for being “too sweaty,” and you start laughing. You’ve wiped the blood off of that guy during an enemy attack, and yet, he worries about sweat. 

Soap, on the other hand, isn’t much of an etiquette expert. He’s creeping up on the grill, and Ghost threatens to mark him with the spatula if he gets closer. “I’ve already salted the steaks; I don’t need your sweat,” he says.

Soap ignores his warnings and stands there, hands on the sides of his hips, looking at the grill. He gives unsolicited advice about the cooking time and when to flip the pork chops. Ghost tells him his opinion isn’t part of the recipe but turns the pork chops anyway.

Gaz murmurs that he’s hungry, and you offer him a carrot. He makes a disgusted face and asks Ghost—who is taking his sweet time with cooking—when the food will be ready. Ghost then turns to Price, warning him to get a grip of him before he does, and dares Gaz to come close to see for himself. You smirk and nudge him to go, but he shakes his head, telling you he hasn’t gone crazy just yet.

At some point, Ghost becomes distracted by something Price says and leaves the spatula next to the grill. Soap seizes the opportunity and uses the spatula to poke at the meat. Ghost notices him, but as Soap attempts to run away, he catches him by his maw-hawk and draws him closer. Instead of hazing him, he gently touches his shoulder. He explains why pressing on meat while cooking drains it of its juices. Soap crosses his arms in front of his chest and nods like a student.

Price takes up the football and challenges the two sergeants to a game so they’d leave Ghost alone. He says two against himself, and they make a snide remark about his age, saying he smoked an entire cigar and drank five cans of beer. In response, he throws the ball up and shoots it midair with his foot, demonstrating his abilities. Soap and Gaz run after it like dogs playing fetch, and Price joins them.

Ghost turns to face you. He asks if you’re okay, how’s your ankle, and if you’re enjoying the “rabbit food.” You tell him that everything is fine and smile at him. He drapes a towel over his shoulder and gets a fork and knife. He cuts a piece of sausage and hands it to you, whispering not to tell the others. You take the sausage off the fork, thank him, and pop it into your mouth. He looks at you with curiosity and concern as if trying to judge his creation based on your facial expressions.

“It’s delicious, Ghost.” You compliment him, and he puts his hand in his apron pocket, standing taller than before. When you ask him how he made it, he begins reciting every detail of the recipe as if it were a poem he wrote by heart.

He wipes his brow with a towel and whistles with his fingers for the three self-proclaimed MVPs to end their match because the food is ready. The sergeants bolt, and the captain pants in exhaustion. “It’s that fucking cigar,” Gaz says, and Price reminds him that he beat “the living shite” out of both of them in that match.

The four of you sit down and invite Ghost to join. But he refuses, claiming that the grime from the meat is still fresh and now’s the perfect time to clean it off the grill. He encourages you to begin without him.

You start eating, complimenting Ghost’s cooking as you go. He tries to be humble, but he looks so proud of himself. Proud of being able to provide in ways other than giving orders, shouting, pulling triggers, and hurling knives. He enjoys feeding others, even if it means cleaning up afterwards. He might not be full of food, but he’s full of joy, and that faint smile on his face is a dead giveaway, as he cleans the barbecue grill.

———————————————————————

[jogetsobsessed]

Little Life - Paul Lahote

It was a seasonably warm day as the sun shone through the canopy of the towering evergreens. The buzzing of honey bees darting from flower pot to flower pot and the rustling of squirrels running along tree branches. 

The small laughter and water splashing added to the forest's serenity. Hissing came from the grill as burgers and hot dogs were flipped. The sound of a soccer ball being passed back and forth and PG trash talk mixed with the Sunday afternoon melody. 

The creaking of the old porch swing, one that held so many core memories for so many different people creaked as your feet pushed against the old floorboards of Emily's front porch. 

Gazing out past the porch steps and into the vast front yard you couldn't help but smile when your daughter erupted into a fit of giggle as her dad cupped his hand and poured a small amount of water on her head. 

The wobbly water table was gifted to you and Paul from another young couple on the reservation after their son outgrew it. There was no doubt in your mind that it was gifted to them as well. You were probably the sixth or seventh family to own it. The years of usage were evident as the paint faded after spending long summers baking outside in the stuffy heat. But it didn't matter to your little girl. 

Since the rain had begun staying away and the temperatures started to pick up, the pack had gotten back into the routine of the weekly family-style barbecues. Today was the first day that it had been warm enough to break out the old water table and your daughter was jumping up and down with excitement when she saw Paul loading it up in the back of the pickup. 

You watched as she talked Jared and Kim's ears off and as they nodded along probably having no idea as to what the two-year-old was talking about. Paul pushed himself off the ground, leaving your daughter to talk about her nonsense, and strode towards you. 

Emily decided to go and find Sam at the grill to inquire about how much longer lunch was going to take, leaving the other half of the porch swing empty. She and Paul shared soft smiles as they passed each other on the front step. 

“Don't tell Em, but I think Kim has her beat for a favorite aunt,” you laughed at his statement. No matter how much your daughter loved Kim, she was always going to love Emily just a little bit more. Those two had been connected since you and Paul showed her off to the pack when she was just a few days old. Emily offered to be her babysitter when she found out you wanted to go back to work once your baby girl had hit eight months old. Which was an offer you and Paul gladly accepted, feeling at ease at the thought of your girl in the caring hands as special as someone like Emily. 

“Kim can butter her up all she wants but there is no way,” he laughed, this time wrapping his arm around your shoulder. His warmth brought you happiness and comfort even in the warm summer months. “What even is she talking about I don't know if I have ever seen Embry so confused". 

“I think she’s trying to tell them that story we read last night, but you know it's coming out of a two-year-old mind, one who fell asleep before she even heard the ending”. 

“Oh boy". 

-----------

“Sweetheart you need to come eat something”, you called over to where your daughter was still standing in the grass, playing with her toys in the shallow water of the play table. 

You saw her physically recoil at the thought of not playing so she could eat lunch and you couldn't help but roll your eyes. Why did toddlers have to be so defiant? 

After calling out to her a few more times you looked over at your husband who was standing at the grill with Sam, your pleading eyes burning holes into his. 

You watched as he pushed off the grill and waltzed over to the water table, crouching to your daughter's height. 

Everyone was invested in this battle between her and the two of you all of them turned from their spots at the picnic tables so they could see if Paul was going to be victorious. 

Your daughter seemed to be putting up a good fight, even cocking her hands on her hips as she tried to reason with her dad. But luckily, Paul knew how to resist the puppy dog eyes. 

After a long standoff, you could see your daughter starting to cave once she saw Emily come outside with a platter of freshly baked famous brownies. A few of the boys saw it, so they each grabbed a couple and threw them on their plates, talking loudly about how they wanted to eat the whole platter. 

That was enough for your little girl. She set her toys down and stretched her arms up towards Paul. Triumphantly, he picked her up and carried her towards the picnic tables, where you had a plate of pre-cut food waiting for her. 

“You need to eat your lunch, and then you can have a brownie that your aunt Emily just made. 

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

The day faded into night as the cotton candy sunset faded into darkness. The glow of the fire lit up the front yard at Emily’s and provided enough warmth to ward off the brisk early summer nights. 

With great force, you had convinced your daughter to trade her polka-dot swimsuit for a light sweatshirt and sweatpants. 

Now she was sitting on Emily's lap, Sam helping her make another s’more. You knew all that sugar was powering her awake since she had skipped her nap earlier in the day. She had to have been exhausted, you knew that more likely than not Paul was going to be carrying her inside once you got back home. 

“How’d we get so damn lucky?” you and Paul were snuggled under a blanket the log the two of you were sitting on was just perfect in size for the pair of you. The clear night sky had caught your eye so you only hummed in response. No matter how many years you lived in the great Pacific Northwest, you would never get tired of its beauty. “More importantly, what did I do to deserve this perfect little life? I've got the most drop-dead gorgeous wife on the plane and the most perfect daughter”. 

“Yeah, I don't know how you swung that how much did you have to bride the big guy upstairs”, you cackled at your joke as Paul chuckled and pulled you closer. 

“You know your something huh”. 

“Says you”. 

You shared a nice moment of comfortable silence as both of you watched your daughter bounce around from pack member to pack member victoriously showing off the s’more that she assembled with the help of her favored aunt. 

“You wanna know something”, you questioned, your eyes never leaving your daughter. 

“What”. 

“I'm glad I get to live this little life with you”. 

[novlr]

What are some ways to describe summer ?

Summer is not just a season; it’s a vibrant setting that can add life and color to your writing. Whether you’re crafting a sun-soaked romance or a beach thriller, the way you describe summer can immerse readers in your story. Let’s dive into how you can capture the essence of summer, focusing on the various senses and elements that make this season unique.

Sights

Sunsets that paint the sky in hues of orange, pink, and purple.

Children chasing ice cream trucks down suburban lanes.

Sunbathers dotting the coastline.

Sprinklers casting rainbows across freshly mowed lawns.

Flower gardens in full bloom, a riot of colours.

Sunglasses showing reflections of the bright world.

Sun hats and flip-flops scattered around pool decks.

Fireflies illuminating the night.

Street markets bustling with locals buying fresh produce.

Hikers on forest trails.

Sounds

The cacophony of cicadas in the late afternoon.

Waves crashing against the shore in a constant rhythm.

The sizzle and pop of barbecues in backyards.

Children’s laughter as they play outside.

Ice clinking in glasses of lemonade or cocktails.

The distant whirr of lawn mowers.

Splashes and shouts from swimming pools.

Chirping songbirds greeting the morning.

The crackle of bonfires during cool summer nights.

The melodic chimes of ice cream trucks roaming the streets.

Smells

The salty tang of sea air at the beach.

The overpowering scent of chlorinated pools.

Freshly cut grass after morning lawn care.

The scent of sunscreen and tanning oils on warm skin.

The smoky aroma of grills at a neighborhood cookout or family barbeque.

Fragrant blossoms like jasmine and roses in full bloom.

The earthy smell of rain on hot pavement.

The mix of fruits, vegetables, fried food, and flowers at an open-air market.

Melting tar with an accompanying heat shimmer on hot roads.

Campfire smoke clinging to clothes and hair during outdoor adventures.

Activities

Beach volleyball games, sand flying as players dive for the ball.

Leisurely picnics in the shade of ancient trees.

Hiking trips taking advantage of the long daylight hours.

Sailing and boating, the wind filling sails on sunlit waters.

Outdoor concerts, where music floats on the warm night air.

Road trips with car windows down, hair whipping in the wind.

Fruit picking in orchards and berry farms.

Camping under the stars, a tent and a sleeping bag for a home.

Water fights with hoses, water guns, and balloons.

Attending summer festivals full of food, music, and dance.

Character body language

Wiping sweat from the brow or fanning themselves to cool down.

Squinting against the harsh sunlight or seeking out spots of shade.

Sipping cold drinks, or gulping down water.

Lounging lazily, limbs relaxed and sprawled out.

Applying sunscreen meticulously.

Adjusting sunglasses or hats for better protection.

Dipping toes tentatively into the sea or a pool.

Tugging at clothes sticking to sweat-dampened skin.

Laughing with carefree abandon, a reflection of summer’s ease.

Turning pages of a paperback with fingers damp from pool water.

Positive descriptions

The liberating feeling of diving into cool water on a scorching day.

The tranquil peace of a sunrise beach yoga session.

The simple pleasure of ice cream melting on the tongue.

The bliss of a hammock nap swayed by a gentle breeze.

The joy of endless blue skies promising adventure.

The warmth of sun-kissed skin after a day outdoors.

The satisfaction of a well-tended garden coming to life.

The contentment of sharing a sunset with loved ones.

The thrill of catching the perfect wave while surfing.

The comfort of balmy evenings spent on porch swings.

Negative descriptions

The oppressive heat making the air feel thick and suffocating.

The relentless buzzing of mosquitoes on a muggy night.

The sting of sunburn after a day of neglecting sunscreen.

The frustration of packed tourist spots and overcrowded beaches.

The exhaustion induced by long days and sweltering heat.

The discomfort of air thick with humidity.

The annoyance of sand finding its way into every nook and cranny.

The disappointment of a rained-out picnic or canceled event.

The lethargy of a heatwave, energy sapped by the relentless sun.

The discomfort of trying to sleep in an overheated, uncooled room.

Helpful Adjectives

Scorching

Balmy

Sultry

Languid

Radiant

Dazzling

Parched

Breezy

Rippling

Sweltering

Sunny

Lush

Blistering

Tropical

Vibrant

Humid

Verdant

Golden

Glowing

Fragrant

Torrid

Tranquil

Crisp

Sizzling

Flaming

Steamy

Refreshing

Shimmering

Lazy

Stifling

Invigorating

Sparkling

Zesty

Fervent

Stuffy

Arid

Saturated

Juicy

Sunbaked

Fetid

[yourmomsawh0r3]

M A S T E R L I S T :

S E R I E S M A S T E R L I S T

dividers: @cafekitsune

PEDRO PASCAL:

✿ the oscars

✿ the after party

✿ the era’s tour

✿ espresso ✿ thunderstruck

Javier Peña: COMING SOON

Frankie Morales:

i’ve got you

ghost ✿ you’re home

Joel Miller:

✿ I love you

✿ You’re Mine

✿ Parenthood

✿ The Proposal

✿ Family Emergency ✿ haunted corn maze ✿ tiktok ✿ late night snack ✿ pampering day ✿ first date ✿ barbecue

BRIDGERTON:

Colin Bridgerton:

✿ Jealousy Jealousy

✿ Welcome Home

Anthony Bridgerton:

✿ Dual of wits

✿ Lost ✿ desire

Benedict Bridgerton:

✿ A Bridgerton Wedding

✿ Paint

✿ Picnic

✿ Knight and shining armor

✿ Steamy

✿ Family ✿ jealousy ✿ stargazing ✿ beautiful ✿ game night ✿ masquerade ✿ quality time ✿ sting

CILLIAN MURPHY: COMING SOON

Tommy Shelby:

✿ heated

✿ suprise

RILEY GREEN:

✿ you look like you love me

TYLER OWENS ✿ long time no see

[sweetsdereese]

When the darkness comes

summary: Maybe Leo isn't fine after all

pair: Leo Valdez x Jason Grace

warnings: ptsd, hurt, eventual comfort (in part 2), memories of character death, some angst, panic attack

genre: hurt/comfort

word count: 981

requested tag: @aspenii

part one | part two

               4th of July, in Leo’s opinion, is one of the best holidays. Not only could he show off his amazing pyrotechnics, but he could also stuff his face full of food. This year’s celebration is going to be bigger than ever as it will be a collaborative event between both camps. Leo was a bit hesitant when the joined event was first suggested since Camp Jupiter kids are so strict and rigid but hey, some of his best friends are from there so they can’t all be sticks in the mud.

               His day started off with a lecture meeting led by Reyna and Annabeth. Schedules and maps of each activities zoned areas had been handed out during it. It was times like these that Leo wished he kept a better track of things given to him, he thought as he and his team of fellow Hephaestus kids rush to set up the fireworks after a much-needed reminder of the time from Frank. Double-checking that the others were able to handle everything, he slipped away and ran towards where Festus was lounging.

               “Theres my favorite mechanical marvel, it’s almost showtime buddy” excitement clear in the tone of his views as he practically bounces in place.

               A puff of hot air comes from the mechanical dragon as it huffs in response.

               “Common don’t be like that. I’ll give you a good polishing and oiling if you do it” Leo negotiates as he pets Festus’s snout.

               All he receives is a small mechanical growl of irritation, but Festus relents and sits up, looking down at the giddy curly haired boy.

               “Thank you, thank you! Por eso eres mi favorito!” Leo exclaims as he hurriedly attaches the accessory to Festus’s abdomen.

               “When the eagle shaped firework goes off, you’ll fly over the crowd. This will open, dropping tons of patriotic confetti and a healthy amount of glitter down onto the crowd” Leo explains, ignoring the eye roll he gets from the dragon.

               Once the compartment is secured, Festus takes flight as to be closer to the event site. Meeting back up with the others, they set the timer before joining the celebration. Weaving through the dense crowd, Leo manages to find his group of friends.

               “No need to worry, the life of the party is here!” Leo exclaims as he comes to stand beside Piper.

               “The ‘life of the party’ almost missed out on his own firework display” Piper retorts back, playfully rolling her eyes.

               “Me? Late to something? Never. I’m going to snag some food, save me a spot on the blanket?” he asks while batting his eyes at her.

               “I’ll try but the good blanket real estate is getting snatched up fast by the love birds” she says gesturing towards the others.

               Frank and Hazel sat beside each other, talking about what happened at their respective booths. Off at one of the corners of the picnic blanket, Will is helping Nico put on protective ear covers. While in the center of the blanket Percy is trying to get Annabeth to stay and relax, assuring her that everything is going according to plan.

               “I’ll be quick, plus Jason isn’t here yet so as long as I’m back before him I should have a spot” he hurriedly says, already heading towards the food stalls.

               “And leave him out in the cold because you stole his spot?” Piper jokes.

               “Yet he’ll still love me” he quips back, sticking his tongue out at her.

               “Bring me back a drink while you’re at it!” Piper yells after him, getting a thumbs up from the shorter boy.

               Managing his way to the booths, Leo gets in line for some of that mouthwatering assortment of smoked barbecue pork. It felt like ages were passing by as he waits, barely having budged an inch since he first got in line. Tapping his foot as he fidgets with some gears he keeps on hand in his pocket. Leo jolts, fumbling as to not drop the gears he had just been mindlessly toying with as a loud explosion goes off. Panicked amber eyes searched around for distressed people and the source of the explosion, only to be met with awestruck faces looking up towards the sky. Bringing himself to look up, he catches sight of the dissipating colors of the fireworks. Relief had started to wash over him till another firework went off renewing that panic brewing in him.

               Leo flinches as more explosions fill the air, a tight feeling growing in his chest. Abandoning his place in line, Leo stumbles away from the loud, increasingly suffocating crowd. As the suffocating feeling grows, Leo soon breaks into a run towards his dorm building. Fighting for each breath as he forces himself up the seemingly infinite stairs. Fumbling to unlock his dorm as his hands shake like leaves, having dropped his keys on one of the attempts.

               Barreling into his dorm once the door opens, slamming it shut behind him as he staggers toward his bed. Mindlessly grabbing his blanket from his bed, he seeks refuge under his table. Leo cocoons himself in the blanket, trying to fight off the memories of countless pieces of shrapnel pierced into his skin. Rubbing the palms of his eyes to try and stop the flowing tears.

               Each loud bang brings him back to that day, his body broken and unable to move as he fell watching Festus try to reach him – try to save him. His hands moving to cover his ears as he screws his eyes shut, trying to ignore the sounds from outside. That voice that’s haunted him as long as he can remember whispers to him. You’re a child of Hephaestus, a pyromancer, why are you crying like a baby? Are you seriously scared of fireworks? You’re ruining this for everyone. People have gone through worse, and you don’t see them acting like babies.

[between-two-fandoms]

A random assortment of Kinley hcs

They go on picnic dates a lot. Buck loves packing up a basket or a cooler with cold cut sandwiches, fruit, their favorite snacks, etc. He'll grab a blanket for the beach or the park and kidnaps his boyfriend after work. He loves spoiling Tommy with romantic moments like these as often as they can when their hours match up.

Drive-in dates!!!! Bucktommy at the drive-in sit in the back of Tommy's pickup truck (pretend he has one for the sake of this hc, I dont remember if they ever confirmed his car in canon) with the softest blankets, pillows, a popcorn bucket to share, and all the cuddles.

Buck will send Tommy random bursts of texts throughout the day. Research spirals, things that happen on calls, things that the 118 get up to. Tommy thinks the information is always interesting, and he loves that Evan feels comfortable to ramble on like this. He's even been able to use an Evan Fact to save a patient's life a couple of times.

Tommy has an open invintation to 118 family dinners at the station, and eventually gets invited to the Nash-Grant barbecues and family nights at Athena and Bobby's house.

While Tommy knows how to cook he doesn't like doing it because he was forced to learn how to take care of himself early on with his parents' divorce and only does it for the sake of not dying of starvation. When Buck finds out he claims he owes Tommy cooking lessons in exchange for the helicopter lessons with the hope he can help create new, happy, kitchen memories for Tommy.

It takes Tommy at least 1 1/2 months to start calling Bobby "Bobby" instead of Captain Nash.

[rubyroboticalt]

Minecrafters grab your pickaxes, and catch up on the QBLR QUATERLY!

That's right, due to the holiday there's a double feature today! We've got pages of new stuff to go over, so let me learn you a thing about all the events and mishaps that happened on the server this week!

Party in the Toxic Cave! That's a very safe place to have no protective equipment whatsoever.

A safer place is the brand new Playground! Mozzarella opens up a playground for creatures and carers to play in, complete with a treehouse and a conveyer belt rollercoaster! The rollercoaster is 100% safe, and child-tested.

The Void Sanctum held its initiation ceremony, welcoming Brie, Gem, Soup, Bombom, Jinx, and Pip into its folds. Experience the Void.

Following that was a White Baby attack! The Baby has learned some new moves, while swarms of Nightmare Stalkers are still in its arsenal it uses a cloud of slideshow!

At least, slideshow for those of us with lower-end PCs who have particles turned on. The News, while produced on a PC older than Five Nights at Freddy's, has particles off. Get on my level, scrub.

Next up, a series of screenshots all captioned "the cutest baby on the server!", none of which feature the same creature twice. Yes, these creatures are all cute and very baby, but to make claims like that we'll have to have a proper creature pageant. Everyone go catch up on Toddlers and Tiaras!

New builds pop up around the server, with many players building new and adventurous structures. Slanted rooves, windmills and towers, oh my! Unlike most architectural ventures, the people here think about wheelchair users when making bathrooms! This one is big enough for any power chair to fit.

The void begins to encroach on peoples' homes, though not through the sanctum this time. Despite a Tiny render distance enforced, chunkloading with an average of 50 players is difficult.

A community barbecue was held! Plenty of food and drinks for everyone, and plenty of fun games. Of course, a party can only hold off the angst for so Hima and Snowball make some devoted sacrifices. After this, Snowball celebrates a birthday! A lighthearted end to a long day.

Another white baby attack. These are becoming routine on the server, something that is horrifying when you think about it. Violent attacks by a seemingly immortal creature are normalizing. Christ alive. Residents have different ways of destressing after these attacks. Hanging out on rooves is a popular one.

Deep sea exploration sees an explosion of interest! Submersibles and whales and dive suits abound. Fancy clothes and gourmet foods are made, including some questionable rich-folk eats. A picnic is held at the pergola. Attendees bond over food and a lovely sunny day.

And now, the autistic minecraft behaviors

A beautiful little bakery opens up! Sweet treats abound here. And, of course, more base work from the residents. Some bases are incredibly ambitious, and all are beautiful. All bases! Yup, all of them. All… bases. Guys please. This is just the backrooms now. The broadcast has to end here.

[letsgetrowdy43]

Sunburns and Scrapped Knees ☆—

Request: can you write one for quinn where he's a dad and his kid like falls at the park or something, scraps their knees and is crying and how quinn would react and like put bandaids on them

Au Masterlist!!

Honey and Quinn packed their kids into their car filled with a weekends worth of camping essentials. Niagara Falls State Park wasn’t ready for the Hughes

The small family of four rented a tiny lot on a National Park near Niagara Falls for a family camping trip to start off their summer vacation following the Devils stretch in the playoffs.

Their weekend had been filled with days in the lake, fireworks, and an intense amount of bug repellent.

The two little ones hyped on adrenaline after two days in the sun, touring waterfalls and hiking for late morning picnics. Nights spent around the fire, aloe Vera covered babies in hoodies eating s’more for the first time as Honey and Quinn shared a drink surrounded by the quiet of the forest.

This was the greatness of off season.

“Mum” Warren pulled on his moms sleeve to get her attention, a little grin on his face as he caught his mothers attention, “park?” the four year old asked, pointing towards the park right next to their lot. “Can you ask daddy? I’m making lunch lovey” she bent down to her sons height to press a kiss to his sunscreen covered face as she pointed over to her husband who was helping Hayden change her sandals for a pair of sneakers.

Quinn smiled up as his daughter as she babbled about the bugs her and her brother had collected during their morning walk, his grin growing as he felt his sun lean up against his frame. “Park?” Warren asked again, a shy smile on his face as his sister erupted into a fit of excited squeals. “Of course Buddy” he took his children’s hands, admiring his wife in her sundress, the woman packing up their lunches to go as she watched her little family with adoration.

“Have fun you three!” she yelled out as she tossed the salad, Warren waving to his mum as he and Quinn were dragged to the park by the much smaller girl.

The park was nothing special but the two little ones were yelling out excitedly to one another as Quinn sat back on the bench and watched them play with other kids their age.

His gaze shifted back over to his wife who was tiding up the kids toys as she waited for the barbecue the heat up, a grin on her face as her attention who averted to a grinning Quinn. Honey's face warmed as she checked her husband out, taking in how effortlessly pretty he looked as the sun hit his face, slight sunburn dusting his cheeks.

He was sending her a knowing look right before he heard a loud wail leaving his daughters mouth, hopping up off of his seat to see the little blondie sat on the ground, her knee bloodied up from scrapped it against the wood chip covered ground, hot tears rolling down her face as Quinn sprung into action.

Scooping a crying Hayden up and into his arms, Quinn's thumbs wiped away her tears as he placed a kiss to her temple and sat her down on the bench where he was once sat. "What happened?" he asked while inspecting her minor injuries. The girls breath slowed down as she tried to hold back her tears, "my lace" she looked down at her sneaker lace that she tripped on.

Quinn's heart clenched at the sight of his distressed daughter, his hands making quick work to re-tie the lace as reach into his pocket to pull out a band-aid and a tiny antiseptic wipe. Warren made his way over to his sister and father, a smile on his face as he reached out and grabbed Hayden's hand, "here, make you feel better?" he said as he sat down next to her and leaned against her in support.

"Can daddy clean up your cuts?" Quinn asked softly as he looked up at his daughter who nodded, wincing at the upcoming pain, "Warren will hold your hand through all of it," he smiled pointing at their intertwined hands as the little boy nodded his head before squeezing it softly.

Quinn cleaned her cuts, trying to keep her calm through the stinging as Warren cheered her on. He pulled out a rainbow band-aid and placed it gently on her wounded knee before following it with a peck right next to her cut.

"All better?" the blonde asked her father as he smiled softly and pulled her into his chest. "Yes baby" he peppered kisses all over her face before picking her up and spinning her around, "you want to go play again?" he asked as he looked down at both her, giving her father slight nod, as she kissed him on both of his cheeks and nuzzling her face into his neck.

As he placed her down on the ground Warren reached out for her hand and motioned for him to join her on the slide once again.

"Thank daddy" she yelled out as she ran back to the metal park

-

-

[kellyvela]

Sophie's Hon Vol. VII Hot Girl Summer Edition 🔥🍹☀️

It's a Hot Girl Summer as Sophie's living an idyllic Summer with her Hon & best friends 😎

SPRITZ UP YOUR SUMMER

In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, while promoting St-Germain's Hugo Spritz, Sophie told us her recipe for a Hot Girl Summer:

“My recipe for a hot girl summer is pretty much playing with my kids [Willa, three, and Delphine, one], hanging out with my best friends, drinking some cocktails—you know, which ones—and enjoying the sun, long may it last. As long as the sun’s out, I’m a happy chap,” Turner says, looking, indeed, like a happy chap. —Harper's Bazaar

And that's precisely what she's doing this Summer, enjoying the sun at green polo lawns, presenting trophies to polo winners, having barbecues and lot of spritzes with her besties, and canoodling with her boyfriend in corners at music festivals. Let's see:

PIGGYBACK RIDE 🏇

Short after Sophie posted a few pics of her romantic picnic with Perry in the English countryside, the British & international press made public more pics from that day.

The pics are from June 29, 2024, during a day of polo at Cowdray Park Polo Club, part of Perry's family estate in West Sussex.

In the pictures we can see Perry taking Sophie on a piggyback ride across the polo lawns, joined by one of Perry's sisters:

Ahhh the perks of having a very tall boyfriend . . . .

~~~

It's worth to note that the last picture went viral on social media!!! 👏👏👏

~~~

The lovebirds were also seen holding hands & hugging:

~~~

PAPA SALT

On July 10, 2024, Sophie and Perry were seen leaving Margot Robbie's launch party for her new Gin brand "Papa Salt" at Roof Gardens in London:

Perry's bestie & roomie Sascha von Bismarck and girlfriend Ella Richards were there too.

~~~

QUEEN OF LOVE AND BEAUTY 👑🏆🏇

Rowena had no sooner beheld him than she uttered a faint shriek; but at once summoning up the energy of her disposition, and compelling herself, as it were, to proceed, while her frame yet trembled with the violence of sudden emotion, she placed upon the drooping head of the victor the “splendid chaplet which was the destined reward of the day, and pronounced in a clear and distinct tone these words: “I bestow on thee this chaplet, Sir Knight, as the meed of valour assigned to this day’s victor.” Here she paused a moment, and then firmly added, “And upon brows more worthy could a wreath of chivalry never be placed!” The knight stooped his head and kissed the hand of the lovely Sovereign by whom his valour had been rewarded; and then, sinking yet farther forward, lay prostrate at her feet. —IVANHOE: A Romance

There are not medieval tourneys anymore, but I think a polo match is close enough!

On Sunday, July 21, 2024, Sophie and Perry were seen together again at Cowdray Park Polo Club, in West Sussex, attending the final match of the British Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup.

The event was so packed that Sophie had to sit on Perry's lap 🤭

A very comfortable seat it seems . . . . 😉

Which reminds me of a funny interaction I found on twitter about the last picture, where someone mentioned that Perry "is touching some sideboob" 😜😂 But they are right 👀🤭

~~~

During the half time the lovebirds were seen is high spirits and chatting with friends.

Here with Tabby Doherty:

Here with Taura Lamb, Rupert Gorst and Ella Richards:

Here with Taura Lamb and Ellie Johnson:

Here with Taura Lamb (*) and Tabby Doherty:

(*) Taura Lamb's fiancé, Jesse Burgess, was also there.

Also in attendance were some of Perry's closest friends since childhood.

~~~

At the end of the match Sophie and Perry approached the podium to watch the awards ceremony . . . .

~~~

. . . . And here came the biggest surprise of the day: Sophie was in charge of presenting the Gold Cup to the winners, as well as other prizes to all the players.

Indeed! Emulating the fair ladies awarding the jousting champions from medieval times, Sophie played the role of the Queen of Love and Beauty and presented the Gold Cup to the champion team:

~~~

Among the former female presenters of the Gold Cup we have:

The Viscountess Cowdray on duty, like Perry's mother and paternal grandmother.

Members of the Pearson Family like Eliza & Emily Pearson (Perry's sisters) and Amanda Pearson (Perry's sister in law).

Sarah (Ferguson), Duchess of York.

Diana (Spencer), Princess of Wales.

Elizabeth (Windsor) II, Queen of the United Kingdom.

Sansa Stark is proudly smiling somewhere!!!

~~~

After presenting the Gold Cup, Sophie and Perry stayed a bit longer watching the end of the prize-giving ceremony, and later left the green polo lawns hand in hand:

~~~

In these videos you can see the whole award ceremony:

The gentleman walking behind the lovebirds is Perry's father, Michael Pearson, the Viscount Cowdray.

Also in attendance were Perry's younger brother, as well as some of his auncles, aunts, cousins and nieces.

~~~

At the end of the previous video a fan runs to Sophie to ask her for a picture. In this one you can see the fan getting his picture with Sophie, while Perry waits for her:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Surrey Magazine (@surreymagazine)

I can't get over the hand holding 😍

~~~

Months later, Tatler Magazine reported about Sophie's presenting the Gold Cup Trophy in its November 2024 issue:

KNACK IN THE SADDLE ‘She brought the glamour,’ a socialite gossiped about Sophie Turner, who attended the Gold Cup Final at Cowdray in a chic Louis Vuitton shorts suit and heels alongside her boyfriend, Perry Pearson. Indeed, the Game of Thrones star was the talk of the town, the toast of which had gathered at the Pearson family seat to watch the Dubai polo team take the win. The great and good of West Sussex had turned out in force, including Clare Milford Haven and her newly married daughter, Louisa. Hedgefund billionaire Louis Bacon arrived in style, helicoptering in with his wife, Gabrielle, and his Alsatian. Meanwhile, Aidan Christofferson’s glass-bubble chopper had the polo set buzzing. But Turner stole the show, receiving a great whoop from the crowd as she presented the cup. Queen in the North? More like Queen of Cowdray. —Tatler UK

And thanks to the camera of Hubert Cecil we have a new pic of the lovebirds:

Queen of Cowdray, indeed!

~~~

A TOKEN OF LOVE ❤️

On a recent Q&A with The Cut, Sophie talked about having a Brat Girl Summer:

Are you having a hot-girl summer? I mean, I’d like to think I’m having a hot-girl summer. But I don’t know if you can say that about yourself. I feel like I am, though. Or maybe even a Brat-girl summer?  Yeah, I think I’m having more of a Brat-girl summer. I don’t fully understand what it means, but I am listening to the album. So I guess that counts as me having a Brat-girl summer. —The Cut

And indeed she's listening to Charli XCX's "Brat" Album: On Saturday, July 27, 2024, she posted an IG story titled "Brat Summer Unlocked," where we can see her dancing to the rhythm of Charli XCX's Apple with her besties:

~~~

I was super glad to know that Sophie was having quality time with her best friends, but what really caught my eyes was the long, gold necklace she was wearing in the video. Because I think that's Perry's Cowdray necklace, the one with his family estate sigil logo:

But the really cute detail about Sophie wearing her boyfriend's necklace is that, according to the tale a little bird told me, Perry wasn't in the UK that weekend, since he was staying with his family in another country. So he basically left his necklace with his girl as a token of love during his absence.

They are too sweet, I swear I can't 😭

~~~

A WEEKEND IN THE WILDERNESS

On the first weekend of August 2024, The Gentleman's Journal hosted a Summer event that started with a Lunch at Blenheim Palace, a visit to the Wilderness Festival, and accommodation at Estelle Manor.

There's no pictures of Sophie and Perry at Blenheim Palace, just a few pics of Perry with some of his friends, including Rupert Gorst and Sascha von Bismarck. But Rupert & Sascha are precisely the ones that Sophie captured on an IG Story at the Wilderness Festival:

~~~

Later, thanks to the Daily Mail, we got some pictures of Sophie at the IHG Hotels & Resorts “Into the Wild” bash at the Wilderness Festival:

~~~

And we may not have pictures of the lovebirds during that weekend, but thanks to British Vogue, The Standard and HELLO! UK, we have a few reports of them together at the Wilderness Festival:

Sophie Turner, for her part, picked a low-key combination of linen shirt, tiny shorts and trainers, her blonde hair thrown up in a claw clip. The former British Vogue cover star was keeping a low-profile at the festival with her boyfriend, Peregrine Pearson (“I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” Turner told Chioma Nnadi in June – and she looked it), but her denim Louis Vuitton shoulder bag was a dead giveaway. —Vogue

While cerebral literary talks and panels took place on one side of the festival, most celebs were to be found at an array of VIP events held by Wilderness sponsors. IHG Hotels threw a daytime bash on Saturday complete with a roving fortune teller, a silhouette artist and two tiny people dressed up as topiary hedges. Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner was canoodling her aristo boyfriend Peregrine Pearson in one corner, while Professor Green held court in another.  —The Standard

Other hot contenders for best celebrity spotting was Audi’s space, where James Norton, Professor Green and Millie Mackintosh bunkered down, as well as the IHG Hotels & Resorts “Into the Wild” bash, graced by Sophie Turner and her aristo boyfriend Peregrine “Perry” Pearson, Cara’s sister Chloe Delevigne, Jaimie Winstone and dancer Eric Underwood.  —The Standard

Stars embraced whimsical chic during a weekend of luxury escapism at the annual Wilderness Festival, held in Oxfordshire’s Cornbury Park. Actress Jaime Winstone, socialite Chloe Delevingne and Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, with her boyfriend Peregrine Pearson, were just some of the famous names enjoying music from Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless and Jessie Ware. (...) Guests later danced the night away at the festival’s music venues The Hustle and The Valley, as well as celebrity spot The Riddle, where Sophie and Peregrine were seen looking loved up among revellers including model Jodie Kidd and presenter Natalie Pinkham. —HELLO! UK

Keeping a low profile and canoodling in corners, huh? 👀🤭

Good for them!

~~~

And finally, a few days later thanks to Sophie's friend Taura Lamb's fiancé, we got a better picture of Sophie at Estelle Manor during that weekend:

~~~

Actress Nadia Parkes, another one of Sophie's best friends, was also at the Wilderness Festival with her boyfriend during that weekend.

I hope they all had a blast!

~~~

And this is all for this report. I will be updating this post as new Summer content appears!

~~~

You can read the previous editions here: Vol VI - Vol. V - Vol. IV (Appendix) - Vol. IV - Vol. III - Vol. II - Vol. I

Until the next report 👋

[popodoki]

Hey, teacher! Part. 7 (Catwin motorcycle au)

Warning: Esther Finch :'')

Getting dressed for a church picnic he does not want to attend, is easily the most depressing thing Edwin's done in a while. It feels like he's preparing for some sort of public execution. 

20 minutes into feeling sorry for himself, he resolves to snap out of it. There's nothing to say he even has to stay that long. He's a grown man, he can come up with an excuse to leave if he so chooses. Yes, he’s a grown man, so he needs to stop nodding at himself in the bathroom mirror. 

His nerves are getting the best of him, as they so often do, he massages his temples to expel the stress headache that's forming. He can feel his mood darkening with each passing moment, if he doesn't get it under control, he'll be miserable company for the entire day.   

The weather’s predicted to stay a bit chilly, so he dresses in charcoal slacks, paired with a deep navy dress shirt. No (bow)tie today, 5 days a week for school is enough. He matches a black pair of shoes with a grey overcoat, inspects the outfit in the mirror. Dark, yes. More suited for winter.  But he really only owns muted colors. Oranges, bright reds and light browns don't really make an appearance in his wardrobe, which probably contributes to his reputation as a cranky recluse.  Besides being reclusive and cranky, of course.  

He splashes a bit of hair treatment around to shape his hair, running a comb through it until he looks presentable. Well, he thinks, with a final nod. Now, or never.   

The Port Townsend Church is only two miles from his house, so Edwin opts for the method of getting there that will take the longest; walking. He barely remembers at the last second, to give a wave goodbye to Thomas in the driveway, the short motion of his hand as absent as the stray thought of how near domestic the quick action was. Edwin strides just a bit more briskly until he rounds the corner of the street. He walks more leisurely after, until he sees the church looming in the distance, tall, traditional, cold. It was built when the town was first settled all those years ago,  has remained a major landmark ever since. With every excuse they can feasibly come up with, the social and political elite file in and around, to see and more importantly be seen by others.  Esther Finch is very much recognized as holding a seat at the top of the hierarchy, though she has no official title to speak of.  

The church sits right in the center of town, in front of it a sprawling, meticulously maintained lawn, big enough to fit two whole soccer fields, or one extravagant picnic. Esther wasn't lying, the whole town has turned out for this event, en masse. The streets are lined with parked cars, the sidewalks crowded with those still arriving, the air smells of barbecued food, grease, and sugar from the cotton candy machine. 

Immediately, Edwin spots a few of his students, their parents. They greet him with warm smiles, some of them are even genuine.  

The picnic is quite loud and crowded, Edwin can feel a general unease settling in his gut. He was never extremely fond of crowds, in a town like this, a crowd tends to mean no escape: you just have to grin and bear it.  

In his peripheral vision, he spots a large, immaculate picnic table, clearly the one Esther has claimed for herself, surrounded by her group of disciples. They're all there, with cocktails, no food in sight, expensive handbags laid out on the table, in sight. They are all wearing the latest fashions, perfectly tailored, made up to an exquisite degree. Wax statues couldn’t peer with their skin. Esther perches in the middle of the nest, her blonde hair done up high, her makeup startling, violent. They all look to her with adoration, laughing when she laughs, leaning in close when she speaks, casting wary, judging eyes on all other attendants at the picnic.   

Oh God, she's spotted him. Edwin sees her faux-whisper to the table, and they all grin, eyeing him like a piece of meat, taking a synchronized sip from their respective drinks.   

“Edwin, darling!" Esther approaches, arms out, and he's forced into a half-hug, while she plants a kiss on each of his cheeks. "I'm so glad you could come, you really must join me at my table, the girls are just dying to talk to you." She insinuates an arm around his elbow, and begins to escort him across the green. 

"Mr. Payne, sir!"   

Oh thank God. 

Edwin stops in his tracks, probably too forcefully, because Esther stumbles a bit, though she manages to turn her sharp anger into a mildly perturbed look, all in a disturbing dangerously quick flash. Dashing across the field towards them, is none other than her own son, Monty Finch, so Edwin figures she’s hard pressed to show any real emotion, other than the perfectly palatable mix of proud and doting mother, beset by her beloved child, imploring her attention. 

"Mr. Payne, hello!" Monty practically chirps, a smile on his face. Edwin notes he barely glances at his mother. As such, the young man misses his mother’s exaggerated eye-roll, while he pulls out a familiar tome, but Edwin doesn’t need to be watching her face to know she’s displeased, with the way her nails dig into his elbow like talons. Undeterred, or simply used to surviving under extreme atmospheric pressure, Monty chatters on, his enthusiasm a very welcome distraction. Edwin leans over the boy’s shoulders, engages him, the most open interest he’s ever shown, as the teen asks him if he’s had a good day yesterday, while flipping through the pages of charts and notes, and did he notice any positive effect from Saturn’s position? When Edwin asks if Monty’d been so kind as to look up his horoscope, for the day, as he’s quite curious, the young man beams at him over his shoulder, nails prick deeper in Esther’s clenching grip, and Edwin ignores her prim tutting, waits for Monty to flip through to the prepared page with an encouraging smile. 

Things should go extremely well for you today, Capricorn, so don't shy away from anything. In fact, take this opportunity to shine as brightly as you can! Crank up your battery and project yourself into the world. You'll find that your smile is contagious, so feel free to use it often. There's a great deal of power behind your self-confidence, enabling you to tackle just about every job with energy. 

“Well, that’s a rather good one, isn’t it? Thank you, Monty, I appreciate it.” Edwin offers, bringing his free hand down on the teen’s shoulders in a gentle squeeze. "You’re welcome, sir! Oh! Have you heard? Jenny got a C+ on her last lit test, she showed me her flash cards, the ones you proposed she make, and it was just so clever, I even learned a little myself!" 

"Imagine that." Esther coos, patience obviously run out, with a barely veiled tone of condescension. She has never approved of Ms. Green, probably because of the rumored divorce she slapped her husband with. It was a well-known fact that Esther did not approve of divorce; it personally offended her on some deep, emotional level, no matter the cause. "I pity that girl, growing up without a real fatherly influence." She turns as she speaks, none too gently tugging on Edwin’s arm. “At least she doesn’t have any brothers, imagine.” 

"They seem to be doing well enough," Edwin offers, struggling to keep the disgust out of his voice. He directs a parting smile and wave to Monty as Esther drags his feet over the grass.  

"Oh yes, they seem fine now, but when they grow up… Again, for the best it’s a girl, at least. Well, you know what happens to boys raised without a strong, masculine influence."  She raises her eyebrows. "It's just a natural fact, they grow up funny. You know." She pats his arm, sighs. 

The queasy feeling in his stomach has increased ten-fold by now. This is far worse than he thought it would be. By God, this woman is like a cartoon: how can one person be so wrong about so many things, so quickly? She makes it look effortless, to be filled with this much casual contempt for good people. And Edwin's about to sit with her, at her table, pretend to be satisfied by her company. He's a coward. He hates himself.   

At first, he thinks he's imagining the drone of an engine. But as it gets louder, Edwin realizes with a jerk that he recognizes the particular pitch, and isn’t that a revelation. Yes, it's Thomas's motorcycle, over there in the road. Pulling up to the curb, parking.   

His cheek-wide smile is barely roped back into a more appropriate expression of mild amusement.   

He can't believe Thomas is here.  

[royal-chandler]

Hi! For the ficlet prompt, my three words are:

wine, tremble, lazy

🩷

Thank you for the prompt! I hope this is to your liking! ♥️

---

In March, they steal away to Paris. 

That’s the romantic narration of it, anyway. In reality, Alex had given the law firm months' notice of his plans to use up his vacation time on his and Henry’s birthdays and then worked practically non-stop until the day of their flight, weekends included. Henry’s first draft of his novel was sent to his editor via email while their plane smoked on the tarmac, also having predominantly spent the majority of the lead-up to their hop across the Atlantic working heavily, splitting his time between his office and the youth shelter. 

They mimed passing ships in the night during those closing weeks—college-try handjobs in their morning showers, a conveyor belt of a la carte lunches and takeout dinners, and catch-up conversations that sped into snores under their blankets, against the kitchen island, and in front of the muted tv.  

At one embarrassingly low point, Alex had sluggishly hiked the steps of the brownstone, lost a battle with his set of keys, and called Henry to let him in because something was wrong with the lock. Stepping outside of the neighboring door, phone still pressed to his ear, Henry had laughed that their locks were actually just fine. 

All worth it, Alex decides, living to tell the tale and look over the cinematic heart of the city—the crowd of rooftops and warm shades of gold dotted from the streetlamps all the way to the Eiffel Tower—from his seat on their terrace as music spills from the hotel room.

A deviation from restaurant reservations and room service and at Henry’s insistence, it’s a Parisian picnic tonight. Alex doesn’t know how or when Henry had gotten it done, now that they’re in each other's pockets again but it’s a postcard setting. The round table is draped with the classic checkered cloth and topped with candles and a decanter of wine, and there’s an assortment of fresh breads, cheeses, fruits, and meats—including the chicken mousse that the Texan in Alex really hadn't wanted to like but is shamefully into.

He’s spreading it thick onto another pinch of bread when Henry comments, amused, “We’ll need to make some extra room in your suitcase to accommodate bringing a case of that back home.”

“Ugh yes,” Alex agrees, popping the bread in his mouth. Once he’s swallowed, he tacks on, “But we’ll have to hide it deep in our cabinets. Like not easily visible to our guests. I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”

“Think you're safe there,” Henry replies, rolling his eyes but his tone rings nothing less than charmed. “I truly doubt that anyone aside from you has ever uttered the words ‘a meat has no validity unless you can throw barbecue sauce on it.’”

“Okay, I’ll grant you maybe not in that exact syntax but the sentiment is out there. Trust me,” Alex insists before a sip of the wine he also wants to smuggle back to the States. 

Every single thing Henry has picked out for the night has been divine but Alex is most appreciative of the picture across from him. Henry is an academic stunner in his sweater, a soft earthy green that he fills out so perfectly with his broad shoulders and curved arms it’ll almost be a travesty when Alex hauls it off of him later. His hair is grown out and dark, partially swept back and behind an ear that’s now pierced with a circle of silver. Best of everything fucking wonderful, there's pretty crescent moons around Henry's mouth that rival the full one hanging above them.

“Whatever you say, love,” Henry says with his grin after waiting out Alex’s intake of him, wise to Alex as always.

“Whatever you say, love,” Alex parrots back, a second nature refrain. “Ooh speaking of, tomorrow’s your day, baby. Was there anything you had in mind?”

There’s a poignant change in Henry’s expression, his mouth so ready-set-go that Alex expects him to name drop another book store or museum with specific pursuits for wherever they go, to unburden an impassioned lecture on a literary figure or regale Alex with the lengthy history behind a painting they have to see and study. 

What Alex doesn’t expect is for Henry to come to his side and take a careful knee, to pull a square jewelry box from its hiding place in Henry’s pants pocket and for Henry’s hand to slightly tremble as it flips the box open before holding it out.

Alex doesn’t expect the gorgeous band of gold that shines in candle light and rings around his heart, claiming it.

“I’d love to enjoy the entire day with my fiancé if he would abide?” Henry offers simply.

“Yes,” Alex says, sure and within so slim a breath, his answer is merely a punctuation on Henry’s question.

Alex makes surprise wait until the ring has slipped on his finger, until he’s kissed Henry with the intent to do so for the rest of his life, until he’s got Henry underneath him and around him in their bed—lazy with love and then impatient with it. There, Alex will let surprise meet and then yield to the knowledge that tomorrow he’ll have a proposal of his own.

[petalruesimblr]

Sandy Shores Beach

Download Link: Sim File Share | MTS (for approval)

Description:

Welcome to Sandy Shores Beach, where sun-kissed sands meet the rhythm of crashing waves. Dive into relaxation as you sip on refreshing drinks at our outdoor bar, groove to the beats of Latin music and savor the taste of grilled delights from our outdoor grills. Challenge friends to a game of chess on our beachfront chessboards, or gather around our community picnic tables for some seaside fun!

Details:

Price: 23,915 Lot Size: 40x30 Lot Type: Beach Version: 1.42 Store Content: String of Inspiration (Wall) ⚠️ CC Used: None Packs Needed: The Sims 3, Ambitions (floor and wallpaper), Generations (wallpaper), Late Night (gothic column), Seasons File Type: Package ⚠️-Not included in the download

Hey everyone! It's a great day to share one of my earlier builds, Sandy Shores Beach, which I originally created for a small world that I typically prefer for gameplay. Initially placed on a smaller lot, I decided to move it instead to Sunset Valley and placed it at the Recurve Stand lot.

Click on the ’Keep Reading’ below for more information and pictures on this lot.

This beach lot features an outdoor bar with tables overlooking the beach, perfect for romantic dates, as well as picnic tables with barbecue grills for Sims who enjoy cooking their own food.

Additionally, there are outdoor chess tables for entertainment, picnic blankets to get away from the crowd, lounges and a sandbox for children to play in. There's plenty of space for activities like ball games, tag or just running around.

I have checked the empty or existing beach lots with other worlds I currently have and it can fit in Twinbrook (42x52) and Appaloosa Plains (40x55) though you may need to use the Soften Terrain tool to smooth it out a bit for easier Sim navigation.

📣Please be aware that there are spawners used on this lot thus I would advise to not rotate the Beach Lot to avoid duplicate spawners and remove spawners when the lot is deleted due to them remaining on the empty lot. To check and remove spawners, enable “testingcheatsenabled true” and “buydebug on” after.

I've also included Public Picnic Spots, which will appear when using the same cheat codes mentioned above. Feel free to use the dropper tool to copy and place more picnic spots on the lot.

📣Please also note the required expansions pack listed in the Lot Details above especially those that uses the build items such as floors, columns and wallpaper, the lot would not show up in your game if you don't have those unfortunately. For the rest ,they are mostly décor which will automatically be replaced in your game.

Spawners:

2 Metal Spawner - Iron/Silver/Gold

Outside:

3 Public Picnic Spots

3 Outdoor Chess Tables

Turtee the Turtle

6 Lounge chairs

2 Boardwalk Picnic Table

2 Park 'n Grille

Bar Area:

Professional Bar Dive Edition

2 Paddy’s Irish Pub Stand

6 Bar Stool

4 Tables

8 Chairs

Public Bathroom

[jungle-angel]

Waiting For Summer (Calvin Evans x Reader)

Summary: You and Calvin hate when the winter blues hit, but that doesn't mean you can't make plans for summer

Warnings: Seasonal depression, mentions of birth etc.

Tagging: @floydsmuse

It was like any other day at the college, but today felt particularly dreary and heavy. Nobody wanted to do anything and your usually enthusiastic students felt less than, well.......enthusiastic.

You made your way to the cafeteria which was surprisingly noisy, rubbing your tired eyes and feeling the weight of your emotions building. You spotted Cal sitting with Dr. Powers and Professor Broussard, both looking just as weary as your husband.

"Hi sweetpea," he yawned, pulling your chair out so you could sit close to him.

You hardly said a word as you rested against him. You could already feel him looking down at you. "Alright baby," he said. "Tell me what's up."

"I just hate this time of year," you croaked. "It's heavy, it's dreary.....God it's just awful. I have no motivation to do anything."

Calvin pressed a kiss to your forehead. "I know sweetpea," he mumbled. "M'tired too. Didn't wanna do anything today."

You two were grateful that you didn't have any more classes after the lunch hour and that you could go home. As soon as you were there and had gotten into the house, you were met by Six-Thirty and your daughter who clapped her chubby little hands and giggled like crazy from her playpen.

"Early day today?" Pat asked, emerging from the kitchen.

"We're exhausted Ma," Calvin replied, hugging his mother. "Can't find any motivation at all for anything."

"Just take a while and rest," Pat told you both. "I've had Ellen most of the day but I can give you both some extra time."

You and Cal both took a few minutes to relax, but you just couldn't resist taking your baby into your arms, her adorable little coos banishing some of the sadness you had been feeling. You brought her to the couch with you and Calvin, snuggling her between you both.

"Think we oughtta see about a trip somewhere?" he chuckled.

"Now where would we go?" you asked him.

"I hear our favorite honeymoon location is lovely this time of year," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

You laughed and soon found yourselves caught up in shooting ideas back and forth about plans for the coming summer, imagining all the barbecues, block parties and picnics by the lake that you were looking forward to. Even in the gloom of winter, it managed to brighten your day just a little bit.