#the only ones i have r really floral and fruity | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

currywaifu · 5 years ago

Text

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: damask rose 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: yukishiro azuma/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 1.2k words 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: ruri <3

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: azuma and reader make perfume together 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: this work is a part of the flower shop event, a series of unconnected flower shop AU one-shots

“Azuma, which one of these smell nicer?”

Atop the palm of your hand, two white petals of different varieties resided. He wasted no time plucking them from you one by one, drawing the delicate pads closer to his face as he caught a whiff of their scents. Expectedly, the manner of which his already lidded eyes drooped to a full close had more than just a semblance to the flowers that closed up at night. He was probably just closing his eyes to assemble his thoughts properly, but it was hard not to find the simple action gentle and graceful.

When his eyes opened again, his lips parted to let you know his thoughts.

“Go with the jasmine— it’ll work better with the peony than the magnolia,” Azuma said, taking hold of your hand once more as he gently returned the petals back to their original placements.

Oh, he was right!

“Honestly, I think you’re doing better at my job than I am!” you joked, unfortunately having to look away from him to jot down the different plants you were planning to distill and extract oil from.

First, the Base Notes— the scent that lingers the longest… perhaps something woodsy, like blond wood, maybe several drops of patchouli?

“Fufufu~ I just enjoy perfume is all,” Azuma replied with a chuckle, “and I’m quite pleased your store decided to start selling perfume as well~”

Next, the Middle Notes— the heart, the scent that makes itself known second. Jasmine, peony, maybe even water lily? To be decided later. 10-15 drops each.

“I’m glad you think so! We decided it was finally time to expand our horizons,” you explained, mulling over your options for Top Notes. They were what the customer would smell first, after all, and first impressions were incredibly important.

“It’s actually quite cheap to produce perfume, but the market pricing…” you trailed off, your mind going back to the task at hand. There were several fruits and leaves you could use for the Top Note, but what would match the rest of the components?

“It won’t be that interesting if you keep it purely floral. Maybe add tea leaves, or something like cranberry or lemon,” Azuma suddenly suggested.

Tea leaves to give it a fresh feeling, while the cranberry and lemon would give it a fruity scent… it’d work really well, actually, especially in this season.

You whipped your head around to meet his gaze, the upwards quirk of your lips matching with his own.

“Honestly, I’m so glad you visited me during work today,” you said, not failing to miss the way his eyes crinkled slightly. “Your opinions really helped me, as in I would’ve been stuck here choosing between two flowers for 20 minutes if it wasn’t for you.”

“I just wanted to see my lover hard at work, is all.”

You had expected him to chuckle in response, but instead his voice turns just a tad sultrier, a change quite small but just enough for you to pick up on, then he hits you with that “my lover” like… how was that fair to you at all? First and foremost, of all the terms you could use for a significant other he really just had to go with lover? Second— it was only three in the afternoon…

“Azuma,” honestly, you weren’t sure if you were going to attempt scolding him, or if you were just going to whine, or if you were going to try responding in kind. Luckily, your boyfriend decided to save you from making that decision by yourself.

“And I’m happy you let me make my own perfume, too,” he said, interrupting your current train of thought, “I’ve never tried it before, but it’s been fun so far~”

You looked at his side of the table. Since he was already making something instead of merely conceptualising, he had minimal choices for the scents— the tiny bottles of essential oils you’ve distilled from beforehand being his only choices.

Dragging your seat next to his, you began resting your head against his shoulder as soon as you plopped down on the chair to observe him. It’s not like you were slacking off or anything, you were just… gaining inspiration.

Hahaha, definitely.

“I can smell roses,” you said, the smell strong enough that you wouldn’t need to put it too close to your face, “it’s a bit different from cabbage roses… so these are damask then, right?”

He hummed, and you quietly watched him as he carefully put drops of bergamot into the spray bottle, making sure he’d put the correct amount only.

One, two, three… you counted in your head alongside every press his fingers made on the pipette’s rubber bulb, admiring his precision to somehow have exactly one drop of oil come out with each press.

On the eight count, he asked you a question, breaking the sudden quietude the two of you took part in.

“Do you have a name yet for your perfume?”

Normally people named their creations after its creation, right?

That didn’t stop you from pondering on the possibilities.

As you thought of ideas, you found yourself observing Azuma (as if you ever looked away from him in the first place) as he rationed how many tablespoons of vodka to add to the perfume. Without meaning to, your eyes went from watching him work to his silky hair, silvery hue not unlike the snow that kisses the land and blankets it during winter time;

the name “Snow Prince” flickered in your mind, and with a faint blush that rivalled the champagne pink of Azuma’s perfume bottle you pushed the thought away.

The scent was clearly leaning towards being a spring or summer day perfume, so wouldn’t a name like “snow prince” be incredibly misleading? Not to mention, this would probably be targeted towards women so having “prince” in the title would be weird, right?

It was becoming clear to you that having him in your workplace in all of his beauty, even piping in with his own opinions and helping you conceptualise, was oh so distracting. It was hard not to think of Azuma though, especially with you still resting against his shoulder.

You still can’t believe your first thought was to name a perfume after him though!

“Oh? It looks like a rose just bloomed beside me,” his comment only worsens your embarrassment, and before he could question why you were suddenly so flustered you steered the direction of the conversation elsewhere.

“W-what about you? Do you have a name for your perfume?”

He swivelled on his seat to face you, and you’re unable to read his facial expression as he quickly lowered his lips, now beside your ear.

Without warning his voice drops to a sultry whisper, the only word coming out of his throat being your name.

As soon as you realised what he meant, your brain could only handle so much before it began malfunctioning. As overused devices had a tendency to do, you found yourself heating up. Though you averted your eyes from the man, you knew he was watching his effect on you— most likely the reddening of your cheeks.

His soft but mischievous laughter did nothing to quell your current feelings.

“What should I do with you? Should I just admire you from afar? Should I pluck you from your garden? Or should I be a good gardener and make you nice and wet?”

“ thank you for your hard work today at the flower shop! here, feel free to take home this damask rose with you~ ”

【 rose 】 love and passion, trust and unity 【 damask rose 】 beauty and love. formally known as Rosa × damascena (a type of hybrid rose commonly used in perfumery).

“ maybe you’d like some more flowers before heading home? ”

-ˋˏflower shop masterlistˎˊ- | -ˋˏfic masterlistˎˊ-

𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨: my friend gifted me some perfume recently. the bottle was golden and had rose embellishments. the yellow gold reminding me of azuma’s eyes + that one R story of his = this fic.

also, the perfume reader was conceptualising is based on Givenchy’s Ange ou Demon Le Secret (2009) and while vague, i based azuma’s perfume on Chloe’s Roses de Chloe, which is said to be delicate, graceful, and subtle.

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: i just meant to do a quick research about perfume but i got so invested that i spent two days researching- i watched two documentaries, learned how to make perfume, did research on the industry, on what common ingredients they used- now i have a bunch of random info about perfume taking up brain space.

#a3!#a3! act! addict! actors!#azuma yukishiro #yukishiro azuma #a3! azuma #cafe: dessert menu #nathya's flower shop #a3! x reader #a3! imagines

61 notes · View notes

starkeristheendgame · 5 years ago

Text

Complicated Boyfriends and Cute Waiters

Just a little something for @starkerchemistry for all the love she threw at Complicated Boyfriends and Kidnapping. Also, pls reminds Chems of how amazing her work is bc the lil shit disagrees >:( Also for @starkerintheparker because I keep converting her to WinterSpider >;D WinterIronSpider.

Tony takes one look at his waiter and sighs heavily.

Not because there’s anything wrong; no. In fact, the plush lips and the shaped jaw and the mop of curls desperately styled into something resembling purposeful mess is actually quite pleasing. The large, honey eyes that widen in recognition don’t hurt either.

No. It’s because Tony knows Bucky is going to take one look at this twinky little slip in his smart shirt and his tie and he’s going to want.

And Tony so had been looking forwards to a quiet evening. A little wine, some $80 salmon and perhaps even getting dicked down into the next fortnight by his boyfriend. The standard casual night in.

“Mr. Iron Stark” the boy whelped, and immediately flushed scarlet at his mishap. Tony could only smile quietly into his book, endeared if a little mollified.

“I think ‘Tony’ would suffice” he responded demurely, sliding the bookmark into place and setting his book aside. The boy was now stood bolt upright, and had obviously steeled himself into giving the Best Service Ever, though he looked a little like he might crumble if Tony so much as looked at him for too long.

“Oh, god. Right. Yes. Mr - I mean, Tony. Of course. I’m sorry, I’ve only just started this job and I’m not used to...” The boy trailed off, clearly trying to think of a way to say ‘people like you’ without it coming across as a little insulting. Tony flashed him an easy, warm smile.

“Breathe, kid. I’m just like anyone else in person, I promise. How about you start me off with a nice, fruity red bottle and two double Presidential 25′s, if that’s okay? Take your time; Lord knows my boyfriend certainly is” he teased, head tipping as he disarmed the boy with another dazzling smile.

His waiter could only gape, before he shut his mouth with a painful sounding clack and spun on his heel, fleeing to the nether-regions of the employee zone. Tony gave an amused sound as he checked his phone. It wasn’t like Bucky to run late; that was Tony’s thing.

And then, like Beetlejuice and undoubtedly because Tony had been thinking of him, Bucky came sauntering into the restaurant like some sort of underwear model. His suit was a deep, silken black with a slightly lighter floral pattern in the fabric, the jacket hanging artfully off his shoulders as he swept the room for his lover.

His hair was styled neatly, and Tony still loved the more modernised cut that he’d opted for; longer on one side, layered and fluffy with bangs that fell over one eye constantly. His stubble was a neat shadow on his jaw, and his eyes focused on Tony with such intensity as he approached that Tony lifted a brow.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to out-do me” Tony greeted as he leaned back in his seat, enough that Bucky could duck down and suck his lower lip into his mouth for a brief but promising kiss.

“Actually, I’m just trying to do you” Bucky shot back shamelessly as he slid into his seat, one leg immediately finding Tony’s under the table to press against. Tony gave an indignant sound, because it was both a truth and a lie, but let it go as movement caught the corner of his eye. Much as he wanted to watch the boy approach, he turned back to Bucky.

Storm-grey eyes slid away, following the path his own had left, and oh, yes. There it was. The subtle up-down of Bucky’s lashes as he sized up the boy, the curl of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. Bucky’s gaze drifted back to Tony in an undeniable stake of predator-prey. Tony could only tip his head in response, smirking slowly.

“H-here. I’m so sorry it took a while” the boy fretted, balancing a tray neatly on one hand as he set a tumbler of whiskey opposite each man, complete with artful glass freezer cubes and an empty, polished wine glass besides that, setting the bottle of red - freshly corked - in the centre of the table. He had to lean over a little to do so, and you would have had to be blind to miss the way that Bucky leaned back to sweep over his body.

“What did I say, darling? Treat me like any other rich shmuck in this place. And don’t mind him, he only bites if you ask nicely” Tony hummed, gesturing to his boyfriend, who eyed him both like he wanted to throttle him and kiss him senseless. In Tony’s experience they often came one with the other regardless.

“I - Sorry?” It came out as a question, but the boy was flushed from hairline to shirt collar and fumbled with his notepad, hands a little shaky as he produced a pen from his breast pocket. “Um, are you ready to order? Or would you like me to give you another minute?” He asked, and it was impossible to miss the way his gaze flit between them, eyes raking their bodies like they were two cuts of steak he was trying to decide between.

“Oh, I think Bucky knows what he wants, alright” Tony purred in obvious, gleeful amusement. Bucky smiled at him in a flash of canine, but didn’t miss a beat as he tipped his head back, eyeing the waiter with a charming smile.

“I’ll settle for the stripped, gold-crust steak served rare, and your name, since this moron was clearly too impolite to ask”. And ooohhhh, wasn’t that a low blow to gain favour? Tony pressed the toes of his Louboutin’s into Bucky’s own none too gently.

“Peter” the waiter blurted, eyes flitting between them as he scribbled down Bucky’s order in impressive short-hand, gaze drifting to Tony, who only smiled serenely at his boyfriend.

“You’re so predictable. Always going for the tender, high-class meat. Always liking it raw” Tony purred, and they both knew he wasn’t talking about the steak. Bucky only gave an elegant shrug in response; at a loss to deny it. Peter was looking between them again, vaguely like he might know they were talking about sex, but unable to address it.

“What can I say? I like something solid to sink my teeth into. I like a little juice to lick at and taste. And you of all people know I prefer it raw” Bucky replied steadily, gaze not leaving Tony’s.

“I’ll have the salmon, please, Peter.” Tony hummed, gaze leaving Bucky to look sweetly up at the boy, who nodded and turned, striding away like he was desperate to run away. Tony let his gaze drop back to Bucky. “Less wolf, more fox. He’s a skittish young thing. Haven’t I taught you anything about hunting?” He sighed in mock admonishment and Bucky reached across the table to cup his jaw, smirking.

“Doll, I was fucking people in back-alleys long before you were born. You taught me nothing, old man”. And, well. Rude. “You’re right, though. We might spook him off at this rate. Last time I saw someone that red it was Clint, and he was choking on a mint”. Bucky leaned back, picking up his whiskey and taking an indulgent sip.

They made comfortable small-talk over the time it took for their meals to arrive, Tony lamenting the boredom he’d faced at the quarterly performance review and Bucky noting the progress he and Steve were making with their veteran programs. Tony was proud of his man, really. He’d come so far since Steve had shown up at the Tower with him, both sopping wet and bloodied.

Peter came back no longer than ten minutes later, a plate upon each hand. He delivered Tony’s first, bending down to slide the plate onto the table, and Tony couldn’t resist leaning over, flashing a sweet smile at the boy up close, where he could see flacks of green in his eyes. “Thank you, darling” he murmured, and Peter’s cheeks went red yet again, like Tony simply speaking to him was an activation button for a blush.

Bucky, the brat, had to go one extra. Instead of giving Peter room when the boy bent down he crowded in close, practically licking the shell of the boy’s ear as he whispered a sultry "Thanks, Doll”. Peter’s gaze jerked to Tony, alarmed, but Tony only half-rolled his eyes and picked up a delicate mouthful of smoked salmon.

“You’re a pest” he noted, once Peter had stammered his way into retreating once more. “I had a quiet evening planned” he added, as though it mattered. It didn’t. This practically was his quiet evening, he just now had two desserts instead of one. By the way Bucky eyed him, he knew that, too.

“Shut up and eat your fish” Bucky drawled, popping a cut of dripping steak with tiny flecks of gold powder into his mouth. Obnoxious prat.

But Tony did as told, polishing off the salmon and whiskey both, and filling their wine glasses with a generous serving. It was sweet and rich, just his taste, and he wondered if another waiter hadn’t advised Peter on which choice to bring. “So. The choice is yours” he announced after a pause, when Bucky had finished his own meal and was sniffing daintily at the wine.

“You wanna play sheepdog, or am I?” Bucky asks in answer, lips curving into a wicked smirk that has Tony grinning in response, leg twisting around Bucky’s in a hidden touch. Tony shifted his wine glass in response, allowing a few measly drops to fall onto the edge of his jacket. Good thing he wore grey and hated this suit anyway, because that red wasn’t gonna come out.

Bucky only rolled his eyes, because they’d played this game before, and pushed to his feet. “Woof woof, bitch” Bucky murmured, low into Tony’s ear as he passed, and Tony resisted the urge to drag him back by his hair, to put him on his knees right then. Largely because of he had one more PR disaster this month Pepper got his custom Audi, and he only had four days to go.

It took another short collection of minutes for Peter to come practically skipping over; during which Tony had splashed a few more drops for good measure. “Oh, Peter. D’you think you could help a clumsy old man out? Buck’s gone on a phonecall and I tipped my wine” Tony pouted, putting on his best helpless, sweet aura. Peter’s eyes zeroed in on the red splashed at his hips, tongue peeking out like the solution was to lick it clean.

“Of course! I can - I’ll see if there’s any stuff behind the bar? I can be right back” Peter breathed, but Tony shook his head, pushing to stand. Peter’s eyes are wide now, like a startled deer. They’re stood close enough for Tony to note he has almost a full head on the boy. For a man who’s boyfriend towered over him, it made him rather smug.

“Oh, no need for all of that. Just come to the men’s with me to help me dab the wet patches, hm? At least I won’t reek like a wine cellar on the way home”. He added a charming smile for good measure, turning on his heel. He didn’t need to look to know Peter would follow obediently. Refusing Tony Stark wasn’t good for business, after-all.

Bucky is perfectly concealed when he swings the door open, shrugging out of his jacket and listening to the clack of another polished shoe on the tiles as Peter steps in after him, practically vibrating with nervous energy. Tony carelessly draped his jacket over the edge of the sink and begun to run the tap, because what was a story without details?

Peter hovered closer, clearly unsure of why it would take two men to wash a jacket. “I - What do you need me to do, Mr. Stark?” The boy asks not a moment later, and Tony can’t bite back a grin. Peter has wandered around to his right, which means when Bucky makes his dramatic entrance, it’s gonna be behind the kid.

“Oh, nothing you don’t want to, darling. But if you do want to, then just stand there and let me make you feel good, hm?” He asked, head tilting as he turned off the tap and took a step closer. The hitch of Peter’s breath is audible.

He doesn’t step away, though. Interesting.

“Y-You’re here with your boyfriend” Peter whimpered, even as Tony’s hands came up to his shoulders and chest, petting gently. He trembled under the touch, but didn’t back away, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. Over Peter’s shoulder Tony can see Bucky swing around the edge of a stall door, prowling quietly closer, but he doesn’t dare look up, doesn’t dare alert Peter of the predator at his heels.

“I wouldn’t worry about hurting my feelings, Doll” Bucky purred, low and raspy in Peter’s ear as he pressed up against Peter’s back, until the boy was a pretty little sandwich filler. Peter actually yelped, driving forwards into Tony’s chest, and Tony let his hands fall to slim hips, holding him steady.

“Now, Bucky” he chided, voice softening. “What do we do before we play?” He asked, arching a brow as Peter panted between them. Bucky cast him a pouty but gentle look.

“We ask for consent” he hummed, metal hand reaching up to gently brush aside a curl when Peter whipped around to face him, lips parted.

“Good boy” Tony murmured, gaze dropping back to Peter. They take a step away from him in unison, giving the poor thing some room to breathe. “So. That means you can tell us to stop, and we’ll walk out, pay our bill, and we won’t approach you this way again. Or...You can say yes, and we’ll be gentle, but we’ll make you feel good” he continued.

Peter shifted between them, looking cautious but also like he was two breaths away from sinking to his knees. His voice is small, rough when he finally speaks. “If...What will you do? To make me feel good?” He whispered, and Tony and Bucky wore matching, slow smirks.

“Well. I’m more of a practical person” Tony drawled, eyes roaming Peter’s face for confirmation. He found it in a weak nod, the boy’s pupils blowing as he advanced closer and reached out, him and Bucky closing Peter between them once again. Peter was small between them, lips bitten and eyes wild as Bucky reached down, sliding metal fingers along the curve of his ass and between his thighs, rubbing there like you’d finger a girl, his other hand winding around to press flat over Peter’s stomach.

A wrecked, torn sound slips from Peter’s throat, practically collapsing against Bucky as Tony’s hand dripped down, palming over the half-hard bulge there none too teasingly, the other hand cupping his jaw and tipping his head.

“We’ve maybe got five minutes or less” Tony breathed, licking into the corner of Peter’s plush, pink mouth as Bucky pressed up against him, dropping to mouth at his neck. “I can think of a few things to do”.

403 notes · View notes

jrenvs3000 · 4 years ago

Text

Nature and Science - houseplants 🌿

Since this week is a free week, I wanted to talk about something that I am passionate about – plants!

I started collecting houseplants quite a few years ago, but my passion for it really exploded over the last few years as I really got the hang of their care. I’m sure many of you can relate, as the houseplant trend has really exploded over the past year or so due to people taking up new hobbies during Covid-19! I wanted to focus on a small part of my collection, linking nature interpretation to the science and explaining a bit about how the genus hoya has grown into an ever-expanding cross breeding frenzy for collectors.

A photograph of a Hoya carnosa taken by Doug Chamberlain (n.d.) taken from Vermont Hoyas.

The plant seen above is called a Hoya carnosa, and is one may remember trailing around their grandparent’s house, as it has been widely available and popular for decades. Hoyas can be identified by their thick, waxy leaves, and their unique flowers that emit a variety of scents depending on the species ranging from floral to fruity to musty. The flowers erupt from the tips of pedicels from the spur on a peduncle, into an umbel shape. Hold on…what do all these words mean??

A photograph of a peduncle (L) and a spur (R) taken by Summer Rayne Oakes from Homestead Brooklyn.

A peduncle is a stalk that bears a fruit or a flower – you may have heard people refer to the pumpkin “handle” as a peduncle – because that’s what it is!

A spur is the part of the hoya where the new blooms erupt from

A pedicel is a small stem that attaches the actual flower structure to the rest of itself

An umbel shape is a flower shape where all the pedicels attach at a common point and spread out like an umbrella – if you’ve ever seen common milkweed, this firework like shape is an “umbel” shape.

A photograph of Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed) showing the umbel shape, taken from Wikimedia Commons. Fun fact - despite hoyas originating largely in tropical areas and milkweed being found even here in North America, they share this structure because they are part of the same taxonomical family (Apocynaceae).

A photograph taken by Dave Chamberlain from Vermont Hoyas showing a Hoya serpens (L) and a Hoya ‘mathilde’ (R).

Now onto the interesting part. Hoyas are an enormous genus, with a huge variety of species that vary in size, shape, colour (both for the leaves and the flowers), and care requirements. Many of the species have been purposefully cultivated to maintain a certain look, but many have also cross pollinated naturally in the wild. One example of this is Hoya ‘Mathilde’ (seen above on the right) which is a cross between a H. carnosa and a H. serpens, resulting in the thick green carnosa leaves and the attractive round shape of serpens.

A photograph of a hoya flower cluster, individual flower, and cross section of a flower taken from Mochizuki et al. (2017) showing the structure of a flower and the location of the pollen.

Despite being a long-loved genus, little is fully understood about the pollination of hoyas, and many new species born from cross-pollination occur by accident by insects. The flowers on hoyas are complex and specialized, as seen in two studies by Mochizuki et al. (2017) and Landrein et al (2020), where H. carnosa and H. pottsii were found to be pollinated almost exclusively at night by a select few large species of moth. Furthermore, Landrein et al. (2020) attempted to hand pollinate their hoyas but found it to be difficult and required a microscope. The trouble with these plants is that the pollen is not readily exposed but is actually hidden within the flower in little sacs that need to be fully removed (as seen below marked with “po”).

A photograph of part of my hoya collection (L) and a newly forming bloom (R) on a Hoya lacunosa.

Seen above is a sample of my little collection of hoya, including a bloom starting on my H. lacunosa. I am hoping to try and get some seeds from it by using the same techniques used in the paper mentioned above! Since it is the only bloom coming right now, there isn’t a way for me to cross pollinate to try and make a new species, but I am hoping that in the future this will be a possibility. I would love to hear from anyone else who keeps plants from this awesome genus, or anyone else’s plant stories from quarantine! Works Cited:

Chamberlain, D. (n.d.). Hoya Carnosa. Retrieved from Vermont Hoyas:

https://vermonthoyas.com/hoyas-c-d/hoya-carnosa/

Chamberlain, D. (n.d.). Hoya Serpens. Retrieved from Vermont Hoyas:

https://vermonthoyas.com/hoyas-s-z/hoya-serpens/

Chamberlain, D. (n.d.). Hoya Mathilde. Retrieved from Vermont Hoyas:

https://vermonthoyas.com/hoya-cultivars/hoya-cv-mathilde/

Landrein, S., Zhou, Z.-Y., & Song, S.-J. (2020). Pollinators of Hoya pottsii: Are the strongest the most effective? Flora, 1-10.

Mochizuki, K., Furukawa, S., & Kawakita, A. (2017). Pollinia transfer on moth legs in Hoya carnosa (Apocynaceae). American Journal of Botany, 953-960.

Oakes, S. R. (2019, April 11). The Ultimate Hoya Care Guide. Retrieved from Homestead Brooklyn: https://homesteadbrooklyn.com/all/2019/4/8/the-ultimate-hoya-care-guide#:~:text=The%20flowers%20of%20hoya%2C%20which,)%20or%20flat%2Dtopped%20surface.

#week5

4 notes · View notes

talltalesandbedtimestories · 5 years ago

Text

A View To A Winchester (Part 14)

Series Page

Summary: Julie’s starting a new life after divorce in a home with a very nice view.

A Dean X OFC story. I got this idea staring out the view of my home office window and thinking how nice it would be to have Dean Winchester to ogle.

Section Word Count: 6,000

Section Content: fluff, flirting, angst, smut, PTSD, R-rated language, oral sex

~~~~~

Turns out being kidnapped and exsanguinated by a psycho is what totally puts me out of commission. Good to know what the breaking point is for future reference.

Julie sat under the covered patio. It was a bright, sunny day. The sky was that cornflower blue shade that she would have loved. Before. Everything now felt a little duller, muted. It was hard to explain, even to her therapist over their video sessions.

Co-workers called and left messages, wishing her well and begging her to come back to the bank as soon as she was able. When will I be able? Her fuse shortened more as each day ticked off the calendar. Comments she could usually keep in her head spilled out with ease. Talkative Wes had resorted to small waves when he spotted Julie in the yard or outside. The ill-temper and crankiness even wore on her long-suffering mother. Brigida had finally given up and headed back home yesterday. No amount of pasta was going to fix Giulia.

Her eyes narrowed, alone under the patio, inspecting the Impala parked in Dean’s driveway. Julie had even been bitchy to Baby’s owner over the past two weeks. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Any time he called or stopped by, the conversations were short and stilted. She wanted to be left alone. By everyone. Even the man of her dreams. Literally.

Out of everyone who had been blessed to experience her wrath, Dean had seemed the least unphased by it. He’d do his check-ins daily, leaving a voicemail if she didn’t pick up. A long string text conversation he’d been having with himself was more proof on her phone of his continuous efforts to reach out. The bad jokes didn’t stop in person, either, it turned out. Every time she ushered him out a door he’d spin around and flash her the smile that had curled her toes. Before.

The therapist defined what Julie was doing as emotional avoidance. She didn’t want reminders of what had happened, which was understandable and the way most people tried to cope after a traumatic event. Unfortunately, Dean was the very walking reminder of the event in question since he’d been the one to save her. Numbness was avoidance’s partner in crime. And, all the effort she was putting into circumventing everything was exhausting. No energy. No interest. She felt like a flat soda with a pitiful fizzle when you twisted the cap.

And then, there was the other thing gnawing at Julie. The other reason she’d been avoiding Dean. The thing that she hesitated to mention to her therapist until her second follow up session.

She’d dreamed of Dean while she was unconscious. No. Dreamed wasn’t really an accurate description. Because none of the dreams she’d ever had before compared to what she’d experienced.

I lived my life with Dean. For what felt like months.

That life was a technicolor masterpiece. A 70mm film on an IMAX screen. It was bright and vivid. Every frame, aspect of her Director’s cut only put this real life to shame; it was a grainy indie film at best. And most especially, Dean had been in almost every scene. Well, Dean but not really Dean. A perfect archetype had formed in her head of this man. He was loving, affectionate, caring, funny, understanding, thrilling, sexy, fulfilling, and made sure she orgasmed every goddamn time. And there had been many orgasms in that film. Definitely Rated M for Mature. How was she supposed to reconcile all of that with the actual man who had to have some damn flaw?

To be fair, he’d already given me way too much to build up in my head. It’s all his fault. Yeah, the man rescues me and it’s all his fault. Perfect sense there, Jules.

And, maybe even more important - she had felt absolutely no fear in that other life. She’d been safe with Dean. That was something she knew was an impossibility in the here and now. Kidnappers and psychos aside, there would always be that fear, deep down, that Julie wouldn’t be good enough for anyone to love. Not for very long, anyway, and especially not for forever. And especially not by Dean.

What was she supposed to do? Exposure to things that made her happy, or used to make her happy, was the therapist’s suggestion. Constant exposure. And, blocking Dean out of her life because of the possibility he might disappoint her? Would she really be alright with never knowing how things might turn out with him? Did she really never want to take a chance on love again? Was that a well-rounded life or living in constant defense mode? That was the question the therapist left her with at the end of their session that morning.

She sighed and stared at the computer screen after the call. Being clean made her happy, so she forced herself under the shower sprays and then dressed in a comfy pair of leggings and light sweater. Wavy long hair left loose to air dry after a quick comb through with a hair pick. A spritz of her favorite perfume filled her nose with a mix of fruity and floral scents. She decided some natural source of Vitamin D could only help. Grabbing a blueberry muffin, Julie wandered around in the yard munching away on the snack. The sun warmed her head and shoulders. She even tried not to scare Wes away and let him ramble about his garden.

So, now she sat, staring at Baby through her chain link fence. Thinking about her owner. The thoughts weren’t enough to bring her joy. Which is the craziest shit. All I had to do before was picture the man and… boom… ear to ear smile.

A ringing from her phone got her attention. Dean. She hesitated. The fear flooded into her veins and she was unable to push it away. Constant exposure. She swallowed. And answered.

“Julie?” The shock in his voice was obvious.

“Yeah.”

“I-I didn’t think you’d pick up. Was going to leave a knock knock joke on your voicemail.” He chuckled, hesitant.

She sighed. “Let’s hear it.”

Silence. Then, throat clearing. “Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Tank.”

“Tank who?”

“You’re welcome.”

She cringed. “That’s so bad. It’s almost good.” She could feel the right side of her lip twitch up in… Jesus, could it be a smile?

“I thought it was pretty good. How are you?”

The dreaded question. “I don’t know.”

“Hm. That’s good.”

“Good?” She felt her nose wrinkle up.

“Better than you saying fine when it’s obvious you aren’t. I mean, you always look…”

Julie cut him off. “You shouldn’t have to try and dig yourself out of a hole you didn’t create, Dean. This reaction I’ve been having... It’s all me.”

He was quiet for a few seconds. “We all cope differently. I hit the bottle more than I should. I don’t suggest that by the way. I’m hardly the poster child for emotional stability.”

She laughed, surprising herself. She felt lighter in that moment.

“It’s nice to hear that, sweetheart.” His voice deepened, even more than she thought was possible, at the last word.

Her insides vibrated, like she was a guitar string he’d plucked at with his fingers. Those fingers, those hands. The things you’ve done to me with those hands. Well, not you, actually. Dammit, Jules! “I really like that nickname.” She confessed.

“Yeah? Well, I’ll try and use it more often, then.” He sighed. “You are, though. A sweetheart. Even when you’re bitchy.”

Julie chuckled. “Thanks, hot stuff.”

He clicked his tongue. “I’m still on the fence about that one.” Movement in one of Dean’s windows got her attention. There he stood perfectly framed like a picture from the torso up. The filtering of the screen hazed up her view more than she liked. His gaze wandered over to the patio, landed on her, and surprise washed over his face. “You’re outside?”

She shrugged, staring at him as they continued to talk on the phone. “Figured I’d try and snap out of this funk.”

“But, you’re outside. The only time I’ve seen you out is when you’ve been spying on me.” She could still make out the smirk through the screen.

“My therapist has suggested doing things that make me happy.”

“Good advice.” He nodded, serious. “Hm.”

Julie watched him thinking.

“So, I’ve um, got to take care of something out back. You gonna be around for a bit?”

“Yes.” She dragged out the word.

“Good.” He ended the call and gave her a wink before disappearing.

She stared at the empty window. Out back. She inventoried both their lawns, which he’d mowed only yesterday. A frown formed and she berated herself for missing that show. Hey, being upset that I missed drooling over the man, in real life, is a good sign. A swipe of her phone’s screen had her reading through Dean’s incoherent messaging over the past few days. My hero. It sounded super corny even in her head. But it was true. She couldn’t deny it.

I’ve got you. You’re safe with me, Jules. She thought back to the night when they’d begun to explore each other. Before. The things he did to her body. The Real Dean. The naughty commands he eagerly followed and the sexual directives he’d wanted, but never got the chance to dole out. This man, who made her throb and ache, wanted to make her feel safe through all of it. Everything. Point, Real Dean.

A sound she identified as Dean’s front door closing broke her out of her heated reminiscing. His tall figure appeared, strolled over to Baby, and dropped a red bucket by one of her wheel rims. He rubbed his hands together and turned his back to where Julie was sitting. He crossed arms over his chest and inspected the car from hood to trunk with a slow, methodical stare. There was the tell tale squeak of Baby’s driver side door when he opened it.

Julie watched, a bit perplexed that he hadn’t even looked over to where she was sitting when he came out. It’s almost like he’s… Julie grinned and noted the way Dean leaned into the interior of the car. He widened his bowleg stance, then bent down so the denim hugged the curves of his perfect ass. She heard the key turn in the ignition. Baby’s stereo played a song from his extensive playlist at a respectable volume.

He stood up, closed the car door and stretched, arms raised high above his head. Only a flimsy white t-shirt covered his torso. And it was short enough that when he stretched and then scratched at his side, she got a nice long look at his muscled belly. He smiled to himself and walked into the shed. Julie’s eyes widened in revelation. He’s putting on a goddam show for me. Point, Real Dean.

“Hey, Julie.” She gasped at the unexpected interruption by Wes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

She placed a hand to her cheek and felt the warmth. “Yeah. I’m good. No apology necessary.”

Wes nodded. “I was- I was wondering if Mamma might need another couple tomato plants for her garden. We bought way too many to plant and…” He placed a bedding tray with two starter plants left inside.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure she can do…”

“Mornin’ Wes.” Dean’s voice had them both turn in his direction. He gave Wes a salute, a neatly wrapped hose draped over his shoulder. Something about the scene felt very Deja Vu to Julie. Holy shit. This happened with Fake Dean. Except, I ended up helping him wash the car. There was water and suds and… Her mouth dried up. He made me cum in Baby’s backseat.

“Oh, hey, Dean. What’s goin’ on?” Wes waved.

Fucking tease. He’s really full on ignoring me.

“Great day to wash a car.” He offered a smile.

“It is.” Wes and his obliviousness to social cues kind of reminded her of Cas, now that she thought about it. The fact that Dean had not spoken to Julie didn’t even seem to register to him. Wes turned back to Julie. “Well, I’ll just leave these with you.”

Julie side-eyed Dean, now crouched down attaching the hose to the spigot by the side of the house. “Thanks. I’ll try not to kill them in the short amount of time they’re in my care.” She smiled.

Wes smiled and walked off. Samuel must have told him to make the visit short and sweet.

Dean raised up and wiped a palm on his ass, leaving a wet handprint on the light colored denim. He grabbed the nozzle and shot a steady stream of water in Baby’s direction. There was that beautiful profile, serious and down to business, soaking his precious car in sheets of water.

Julie smiled. I’ve died and gone to heaven.

After about thirty minutes of delightful torture, Dean’s intentional avoidance (of which the irony only irked Julie more), and the increasing summer heat, she’d had about enough. She couldn’t say what made her finally snap. Maybe it happened when his entire upper body ended up drenched. His shirt stuck and clung to his body in x-rated ways. Samuel would be all about judging this wet t-shirt contest. Maybe it happened when he sponged and sudsed all of Baby up with long, languid strokes. Bending and reaching, muscles and all his pretty parts on full display.

No. I’m pretty sure it happened when he lifted up his t-shirt to wipe his face and gave me the chance to see that chest of his.

Julie stood up and marched over to the fence, twisting her now dry hair with one hand and tossing it behind her shoulder. She waited, patient as she could, while Dean wiped off the last little bit of water from Baby’s rims. He took his time, knelt and focused on the task, and made her shine.

“Hey.” She threw the call out to him. But he didn’t hear her. Or at least pretended he didn’t. She tried again, a little louder. “Dean!” He stood up, opened the driver’s side door, then clicked off the music. The door clicked shut and he strolled over to the spigot. She sighed and tried one more time. “Hot stuff!”

He froze in mid-step at that. His neck cocked in her direction along with an eyebrow.

She grinned and crossed arms over her chest. “Do you have a second?”

Dean tilted his head and walked over. Her insides crumbled the closer he got. Sunshine glistened off his skin from the combination of water and sweat. He flashed her a smile. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if I could get your help with something.” She pursed her lips.

“Sure.” He rubbed his hands together. “What do you need?”

She pointed a thumb behind her. “In the house?”

He looked downright intrigued at the question. “Alright.” He cleared his throat and pried the wet shirt a few inches off his chest with both hands. “Give me, like, five minutes so I can clean up out here and get out of these…”

“Can’t wait.” She shook her head.

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “Sure, sweetheart.” His hands tightened over the fence rail.

Julie anticipated his next move and stepped backward. She didn’t wait to see him hop over and quickstepped her body to the sliding door. The sound of him landing on the ground and his strides along the yard sped up her heart. The reaction wasn’t fear. She was… happy.

She opened the door and stepped inside. “Julie.” The call of her name was hesitant. A turn caught him near the entryway. “I don’t want to track a whole bunch of mess into your clean house. Brigida would kill me.”

Thoughtful and sexy, with a side of self-preservation. Smart man. “Leave your shoes outside?” She offered and slipped out of her own flats, sweeping them out of the way with a bare foot. “You aren’t going to need them.”

Dean smirked. “I just don’t want to get in trouble later.” He toed off the sneakers and hopped up into the living room. The door slid shut.

“Does that mean you want to get in trouble now?”

He chuckled and marched closer. “Feeling better, I take it?”

“A little. You helped take my mind off certain things.”

“Good.” He held out an open palm.

She slid her fingers over the damp, pink skin and commented, “You’re all wet.”

“That’s my line.” She laughed at his retort. “And, I wanted to change. But, someone was insistent that they needed my help with... something.” Sock-covered toes curled into the area rug. His fingers threaded in between hers. “What do you need, sweetheart?”

Her breath hitched and the sobbing erupted out of nowhere, without warning.

Dean’s eyes widened. He pulled her forward, into his warm, wet embrace. She clutched at his back. “You’re okay now, Jules.” A soft and husky voice whispered through the kisses he placed on top of her head. “Nothing’s gonna hurt you like that again. Not while I’m around.”

“You can’t be around me 24/7.” She tossed out the fact when her breathing had normalized.

“Well, then, we give you some tools and tricks so you feel safer when I’m not. Little bit at a time. One step in front of the other, right?”

She shrugged into his arms and sniffled. “Dean?”

“That’s me.”

She smiled into the wet cotton. “There’s something else.”

“Okay.” There was that hesitancy in his voice again. She hadn’t remembered hearing that tone from his voice as often. Before.

The rumble and soft hiccups of breath from her mouth vibrated through the shirt to the warm skin. “I had every intention of having you... right here… in the middle of this living room… and, then…”

Those large hands circled along curves hidden under the thin sweater. The motion was soothing and arousing. “Then what?”

“Being this close to you... My body usually has a mind of its own and reacts in a very… pleasant way…”

“Mm-hmm.” He kissed her forehead.

“But, sometimes, now… there’s fear, too…”

His body tensed.

She held tight, feeling him pull away because of the statement. “No. No. It’s not you, or anything you’ve done.” Her lips tasted the cotton of his shirt, burrowing into his chest in defiance of his attempt to detach. “You were the only one that was there, that found me, when I was…” Her nails dragged down the fabric covering taut muscles. “If I ever ask you for the whole story, all that you saw, what you had to do to save me, would you tell me?”

The exhale from Dean over her head was drawn out, complicit. “If it was going to help you, yes.” She tapped his ass, innocent in the attempt and insistent on the need for a different answer. He whispered a comical gasp in surprise. “Hey now.”

“If I ask you, would you tell me? Regardless of how much you think you know what’s best for me, even more than I do? I already had ten years of that bullshit.” She pulled away to stare up at him. Needing to verify his words with the scales of truth hidden in fields of glowing grass. Those things he dared to convince others were merely eyes with the added cocky grin. “Would you tell me the truth just because I asked you to?”

His hands cupped her face. He smiled and searched every inch with his gaze. The eyes finally locked with hers. Her heart stumbled over a few beats. “Yes.”

“And will you tell me the truth, always, even without me having to ask?”

Fingers tightened their grip along her jawline. “Sweetheart, are you proposing to me?” He raised a brow, “Or, is this me proposing to you?”

Julie shook her head, fighting every cell in her body turning to jello at the charm and the words dripping from pompous, delectable, way too full of themselves lips. “Answer the question, Dean-ah.”

Dean’s voice and expression hitched back in surprise. “Did you just Brigida me?” She stomped a foot and he chuckled. “Yes, Julie.” The tone lost any jovial remnants. “I will always tell you the truth.”

Her heart lightened again.

Dean’s forehead pressed against hers. “Even if it hurts.” He sighed. “You enjoy the good stuff more when you go through pain to earn it. What I’ve come to learn, anyway.” Julie’s mouth tilted up, Dean’s mouth tilted down, their motions working in tandem like connected gears. She found his open lips, ready and willing to receive the something between lashing and adoration she was desperate to inflict.

Plump lips glided over hers. He moaned at the insistence of her tongue, licking and tasting the fleshy underside of his lips - those damn lips - along his teeth. Fingers hooked around the back of her neck and pulled her higher, elongating her frame. She lifted up onto tippy toes to maintain the glorious contact.

“Jules.” He groaned and peeled her mouth away with a soft tug at the base of her hairline. A small huff pushed through her open mouth. He licked his lips. “I’m super glad you want to try and work through this.” She smiled at his out of breath state. “Super glad.” He repeated and swiped the pad of a thumb along her bottom lip. “But, if it gets to be too much and you need to stop…”

“I’m not going to need to stop. I want to feel good with you.” She whispered.

A tiny whine escaped his throat. He dropped his brows. “Shit. Right now?”

She nodded.

He huffed but couldn’t hide his smile of anticipation. “Alright, sweetheart. But, you can’t order from the full Dean menu. Maybe just the Happy Meal. I’ve got to go and meet up with Cas and Jack in, like,” he glanced at his watch, “shit, in like a half hour.”

She shrugged. “Happy’s good. That usually comes with a toy, anyway.”

“Ah. So, I’m your toy now?” He clicked his teeth together, then licked her lips with a light stroke of his tongue. “First, it’s ‘hot stuff’.” Another lick. “Then, you’re spanking me.” A tiny shake of his head before another lick. “Now, I’m just some plaything.”

“I’d tell you to shut up... let me continue to objectify you... but I really do love that voice of yours.” Julie shot back between his licks.

His lips curled into a smile. “So, we doin’ this right here?” He nodded to the sliding doors and the open curtains. “Put on a little show for the neighbors?”

“Oh, I can’t put on as good a show like the one you gave me earlier.” Her heartbeat sped up.

“I doubt that. I’ve seen the previews.” He stepped backward and pulled at one hand. “Upstairs?” She nodded. He guided back to the bedroom. The door clicked closed. “So, where were we before?” He smirked. “Sit that cute ass on the bed.” He half-asked, half-commanded.

She did as told, tucking hands under the back of her thighs in wait. “I thought I was going to get to place an order.”

“If we had more time, sure.” He stalked toward her, pulling the damp shirt up and over his head. She swallowed and took in the bare skin of his chest, the ripples of muscle underneath. All of it in the glorious sunlight shafting through the windows. “But, if you want to feel good with me, right now, you’ll let me do what I’ve wanted to do since I first tasted your cobbler.” He leaned over her seated frame and captured her mouth in a heated kiss.

“Wait.” She moaned into his mouth. “Please.” Her hands pushed on his shoulders. He leaned up a little more at the silent direction.

She had to feel him, run her fingers over his arms, his chest. See how this Real Dean compared to the fake one she made up. She’d missed the many scars, one a sizable trench-like cut across his tummy. There were dimples and craters. Bullet holes? The hills and valleys were velvety and rough, steel and warmth. Alive and twitching under her fingers, there was even the slightest pudge and soft give to his midsection.

Damn, I didn’t do him justice. He’s got a roadmap of the life he’s lived on his skin.

His breath hitched above her as she explored with touch. So many questions flooded her mind. She wasn’t surprised to see the tattoo above his heart, right under the left side of his neck. Her fingers circled over the fading black ink. Never would her imagination have come up with the design - a sun with flaming rays, a star in the center. Hands slid along his sides up and around to the rigid blades of his back. A long sigh left his mouth. His eyes crinkled down at her. “You’ve gotta lie back for what I want to do.”

She acquiesced and released. The fluffy comforter billowed in the receipt. She leaned up on her elbows. “What have you wanted to do?” she asked. He straightened his posture and stepped back, unbuckled his belt, pulling it from the loops. The waistband of his jeans rode low over narrow hips when he unzipped. That sweet ass is the only thing keeping them on. Her gaze went lower. Shit. That hard-on might be helping, too. He cleared his throat and slid a palm along the denim over his lengthy excitement. Her mouth hung slack.

He took his time and stroked the fabric. “Eyes up here, sweetheart.” An exaggerated frown matched the one she felt herself making. “I know, little miss nose crinkle. But, you’ll make me lose my train of thought if you keep staring down there. I already don’t have as much time as I want to really enjoy this.” He stepped close again. One of his legs wedged between both of hers. Hands skirted over legging-clad thighs and pushed her sweater up to brush over her stomach. Fingers hooked under the band at her waist and began to peel fabric down past her hips. Her cheeks warmed, realizing he’d caught her panties as well.

“Dean…” she groaned and fell back, lifting her hips to assist. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead and stared up at the ceiling. Embarrassment pumped through her along with arousal.

“Gonna make you feel so good. Promise.” Smoke and honey coated his voice. His fingers skimmed over her bare ass as he continued to undress her. She closed her eyes, bit her lip. He guided her legs up with his tugs. A soft swish of the leggings confirmed he’d balled and tossed them somewhere not within easy reach. “Open your eyes, sweetheart. Can’t act shy for me now.” His mouth pressed above her belly button. She gasped, opened her eyes and watched him snake his body over hers, kissing the sweater, eventually landing on her mouth again. His green eyes inventoried her face. “You like to watch me, right?”

She smiled and nodded.

“And I like it when you watch me.” He grinned and slid down. Her neck tilted to the side to track his descent. His chin grazed over her sweater and dipped into her belly button. “So, make sure you have a good view.” He licked his lips.

Holy shit. I mean, a girl can dream and imagine that a man as hot as this likes to… that whole oral fixation theory. It made for some great material to work with when I was unconscious and in LaLa Land. But, could he really? “You-” She started and lifted up on her elbows. Her mouth dried, and every ounce of liquid seemed to pool into her core. He was bent over, hovering inches above, and staring with great regard at her sex. On instinct her legs tried to shut, but they only managed to pinch around his sturdy, tree trunk thighs. His hands rubbed and soothed, prying her legs open.

“Relax.” He knelt next to the bedside, guided one leg over a shoulder. Warm fingers kneaded at the flesh of her thighs, edging closer to her pussy along with his mouth. He inhaled like he was identifying the subtle aromas in a glass of wine. “Damn, Jules. You smell good.” He smiled.

She was lightheaded. All of the blood was definitely traveling to one spot. “Are you telling me you really like doing this?”

He raised a brow. “You gotta be specific.”

She shook her head, swallowing the giggle of self-consciousness at the sight of him between her legs. “You like going down on women?”

A snarl twitched over his lips and she thought she heard him growl. His eyes closed as his nose buried into her brown curls, right above the slit. She snatched in breath at the feel of his tongue sliding along the edge of her folds. Slow and thorough as he licked. Holy shit. Licking me like an ice cream cone. He dipped inside and searched, nuzzling lower to the wetness he had created. “Hm.” He groaned. The vibrations skirting over her sex made her shiver.

Dean’s mouth worked Julie over. She became enthralled by the absolute bliss he was portraying. He was a damn good actor if he wasn’t enjoying it. There was no awkwardness or held breath. No need for constant reassurance that he was doing it right. No inner countdown working in his head to pay back whatever sexual act he thought she was owed in return. His closed lids showcased long, beautiful lashes. They fluttered open like butterfly wings when his name escaped her mouth. His bright green eyes, sparkling in the sunlight, locked onto her face. Gorgeous son of a bitch. He licked toward her clit. A warm forearm draped over her tummy. His palm pushed and maneuvered with gentle pressure so her lips literally opened up for him, like a blooming flower. He broke contact from her with his tongue. His gaze dropped. Now, a thumb and forefinger assisted, and even she could see hints of the pink, wet flesh of her walls and clit from her vantage. She was on absolute full fucking display. “Shit.” she whimpered.

He grinned. “You’re pretty everywhere, sweetheart.” The pad of his thumb brushed over her clit hood, peeling it back. She fell back and gasped. He blew on the sensitive collection of nerve endings. “I don’t have to ask you if it feels good. I can taste how good you feel.” Another gasp from Julie as the tip of his tongue delved down into the source of her wetness again. He spread the slick over her walls with a slow and languid lick. All the way up to her clit.

“Fuck, Dean.”

He hummed against her, then spoke. “Eyes on me, baby. You’re going to miss the show.”

She sighed, trying to lift herself up on forearms and biceps that quaked in response to every little thing he was doing. “You’re going to kill me.”

A large hand wrapped around the thigh draped over his shoulder. A deep chuckle rattled her insides. “I’m being gentle on you.”

“This is you being gentle?” She licked her lips, unconsciously mimicking him.

“You ready?” He grinned.

“No.” She shook her head. “But, don’t stop.”

“Famous last words.” He kissed her clit and her body arched up, or at least tried to under his palm and forceful restraint. “Need to hear you, watch you come undone.”

She moaned and nodded. His lips closed over the bud and began to suck with a steady, unyielding pressure. He gazed up, his cheeks hollowing at his ministrations. “Yes, Dean.” She whispered. Then his tongue got in on the action, licking the nub as he sucked. He was plucking some invisible nerve. Her entire body ticked and jerked. “Fuck.” Her voice whined and rose higher.

He moaned in approval, eyes never leaving her face. Narrowing lids encouraged her to let go. She bucked under him but he held her tight in place.

“Oh, God, Dean. I’m- I’m…”

He tore his mouth from her. “Are you gonna cum for me, sweetheart?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Say it.” He groaned. Her eyes widened as he walked his fingers along her folds, felt him circle one into her juices, and slathered her clit with the wetness. His thumb took over the assault. “Come on, baby.”

The ticking was back. “I’m gonna cum for you.”

He worked her faster. Her body tensed. He was on literal fire, his body so warm against her. She struggled to stare at him. His face full of lust and primal need, urging her to the edge with that commanding voice. “Yeah, that’s it. I wanna see how pretty you look when you cum for me. Gonna lick you clean. Come on, baby. All of it. Just for me.”

She whined, one last time. “Fuck!” Her brain snapped into a million pieces and a rush of electricity thundered through her entire body.

He moaned and let her ride out the wave, no longer torturing her clit. She watched, shuddering through the tension as he lapped at her release. “Hm. Taste so fucking good.”

She shivered. The inevitable over sensitivity washed over her. He sensed it. Of course he fucking did. Drew back on his knees, rocked up to stand, and then tumbled beside her on the bed. She tried to catch her breath.

He waited, perching himself on an elbow to stare down. He smiled.

“Jesus.” She managed.

“You really needed that.” He placed a hand on her hip. “And, I really liked that.”

Another shiver. “You can’t be real.”

“I’m misdirecting you with all my charm and expertise.” He shrugged.

She turned into him. Her eyes wandered over his chest and down to his jeans. The flap of his open zipper revealed some curly golden brown hair. His erection looked ready to spring out of the denim with the slightest shift of his body. She smiled. “Did you go commando?”

“I was washing Baby.” Another shrug. “Didn’t think I’d be here, doing this.” His brows raised. “Not that I’m at all complaining.”

Her hand rested on the dip in his side right above his hip. His skin shivered. “You’re going to be complaining if you don’t let me take care of that.” She nodded to his lap.

He sighed. “No time, sweetheart.” He sat up and groaned.

“Of course there’s time.” She rose as well.

“I told you. Not for what I want to do.” His fingers traveled through her hair. He kissed her soft and sweet. She moaned at the taste of herself on his lips. He smirked into the kiss and let his tongue slide into her open mouth. He pulled away and kissed her forehead. “Next time I cum, it’s going to be inside you. And, I’m taking my fucking time.”

His matter of fact statement made her blush. “Okay.” she replied.

He stood up and inspected her, zipping up his jeans in obvious discomfort. “What are you doing the rest of today? Besides staying home and thinking way too much?”

Being under his gaze, lying half naked, heated her up again. An attempt at some modesty had her cross legs and tug the sweater over hips. She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“This is probably a very bad idea. But, did you want to come with me?”

“To see Cas and Jack?”

He nodded and found his t-shirt on the floor. When his head poked through the neck of the shirt, he continued. “Jack and Cas are on speaking terms again.” Julie pondered whether actually speaking to Cas was a real possibility. “We were going to go to the festival in the city to celebrate.”

“Do you mean the Italian festival? St. Anthony’s?”

He nodded. “That’s right around your old stomping grounds, isn’t it?”

“Yep. God, I haven’t gone to that in ages.”

He smiled. “So, come along. Like I said, I’ll probably regret it. What with Cas… but, you can see what I have to deal with on a regular basis.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

She smiled. Real Dean. All the fucking points.

Part 15

Series Page

#dean winchester fanfiction #spn fanfic #dean x ofc #spnfanficpond #spn fanfic series #dean winchester fluff #dean winchester angst #dean winchester smut #supernatural fanfiction

2 notes · View notes

malodorousmalcontent · 6 years ago

Text

Stereoplasm Review: Part 1

So. Stereoplasm. I'd heard about them. I'd checked them out. But I really only got interested in them when I started getting very invested in making custom scents - i'm an avid writer/roleplayer, and making scents based on my characters is basically the dirtiest siren's call for me. I had gotten one from The Little Book Eater that I was very happy with. It was time to try a different one from another house.

I'm not gonna write too much about the process of ordering from Stereoplasm, because i've already massively raved about it here. So. You can just read that if you wanna know those deets. No, for this, i'll just be diving straight into a few of the scents I got: my five custom samples, and the animal of the month scent I received, Rubecula.

SAMPLE 1 (PERFUME OIL) || Black tea, pink sugar, tea rose, sandalwood, teak, heather, white grapefruit E.O., light grass, pink pepper, tonka.

The black tea at the very front of this one makes this scent start out very, very sharp, and pretty dang soapy, with an edge of sour grapefruit. It's not a 'hot' black tea note, either: i'd say it's more like black tea that's been cooled to room temperature, or maybe just straight tea leaves. The sugar's there, rounding out the grapefruit, and underneath it is a lush, smooth, floral sweetness, which I assume is the tea rose. It's nice - some rose notes can go overly perfumey or hairspray-ish, and luckily, this isn't one of them. No wood notes, though, but woody notes tend to get lost on my skin unless they're VERY strong or it's a real simple perfume.

After maybe an hour and a half of wear, this one begins to fade, and I have a hard time really picking out the particular notes from that point: it's a little fruity-sweet, very femme, and pretty leafy-soapy. The fruitiness almost smells... Tropical? Weird. Maybe it's the tonka working some magic.

tl;dr: Sharp and soapy tea and citrus with a hint of sugary sweetness and lush, smooth rose. Gets a fruity-tropical smell on the drydown.

RATING: 3.5/5. Not bad, but a little bit too much on the soapy side of tea for me.

SAMPLE 2 (PERFUME OIL) || Ruby red grapefruit, white tea leaf, pink sugar, jasmine & tea rose accord, lotus, sweet grass, pink grapefruit E.O., blackberry.

G R A P E F R U I T. Hard grapefruit. Rich, sweet, juicy, sour, deep red grapefruit that's been sugared just enough to make this feel... Punk, almost. Hollywood cerise with neon yellow splattered over it. It's absolutely delicious. That ruby red grapefruit note is, seriously, to die for: if you're gonna get a custom with grapefruit in it, i'd probably suggest this particular note. The florals are there, but they're very light and delicate, and come out more with wear: they're very smooth, not powdery at all. There's a little bit of green-ness in this, too - it's well-blended so it's hard to pick out in particular, but my sister could smell it pretty well, and I think it's the tea leaf.

The grapefruit eventually fades away and just leaves that elegant and smooth jasmine + tea rose accord, with an undercurrent of that grass note - which is nice, sweet and green and very unmistakably grassy smelling - and just a little bite of bitterness from a very realistic blackberry note.

It's got hellllla sillage - i'll catch whiffs of it all the time while it's wet, and I know my boss could smell it from a good few feet away. It can last up to 6-7 hours on me, but probably starts to fade around the 3-4 hour mark

tl;dr: RICH sugared grapefruit with gentle florals that dries down to an elegant, smooth floral with a hint of grass and bitter blackberry.

RATING: 6/5. I love this. It's beautiful, rich, perfectly meets the mood I was trying to get, transformative, complex while not getting lost in its notes... It's just SO GOOD. This is the one I ended up getting a full size of. It's awesome. *kisses fingertips*

SAMPLE 3 (PERFUME OIL) || Carnation, tea rose, earl grey, pink sugar, spruce, feminine-woods, white grapefruit E.O., teak, pink grapefruit E.O., pink pepper.

This smells like a rich, velvety, smooth flower that's been coated in powdered sugar, with some hints of citrus - it's not quite reading as grapefruit to me, so I think it might be bergamot from the earl grey note. As it dries down, the powderiness goes away, and that nice, juicy, grapefruit note comes out - not as rich as sample 2's red grapefruit, but probably a bit more realistic; you can almost smell the white filmy skin that covers the grapefruit, y'know?

...Aaaand... This has me craving grapefruit, so i'm gonna just, go, uh... Eat a grapefruit.

.....

.....Okay, back from grapefruiting. (This is not a bit. I actually did this.)

I tend to lose most woody notes on me, as mentioned before, but my sister tried this on and amped the spruce pretty hard: it gave everything a bit of that evergreen minty scent. This lasts for about 3 hours before fading down to a soft, candy-like sweetness.

tl;dr: Sweet-smelling powdery florals amped up with sugar and a citrus edge that dries down to realistic grapefruit, then a simple fruity-candy smell.

RATING: 4/5. I'm not huge on powdery, but this was nice, and that grapefruit E.O note is hella good. Very realistic. Realistic enough to put me on a grapefruit kick.

SAMPLE 4 (PERFUME OIL) || Musk, dark plum, pink sugar, black tea, white grapefruit E.O., sandalwood, pink pepper, a drop of teak.

This starts out like, 80% plum, dark and cold and lightly tart, with just a little hint of sugar and just enough of a 'drinkable', watery-smelling quality to identify the black tea. Sometimes I can catch whiffs of the musk - sharp and humid - but not too often. As it dries down, the grapefruit comes out, nice and sour but not sharp or astringent, kind of a delicate grapefruit, and the tea is WAAAY more noticible: smooth and green and like, vaguely soapy in the way that tea can be. Not as soapy as Sample 1, tho. I'm also getting the pink pepper, which i'm really excited about! It makes my nose tingle without smelling overwhelmingly, well, peppery. I've had much more experience with black pepper, and this is so much lighter. If I really huff at it, I think i'm picking up... The sandalwood? It's a dusty, warm wood, but very faint, under everything else. Makes a good base for all the other colder notes.

When it dries down, I get a smell that's kind of like tart, tangy bubblegum, and then eventually, an indistinguishable creamy sweetness.

The scent is pretty light - detectable, but not super strong or filling the room. It lasts for a pretty long time, though: I put some on last night and could smell sugary sweetness on my wrists come morning.

tl;dr: Dark, cold plum and sugar with a hint of musk that dries down to drinkable-smelling black tea, delicate grapefruit, a faint base of warm sandalwood, and a sparkle of pink pepper.

RATING: 4.5/5. My second favorite of the scents, but it doesn't quite match the mood I was going for, and a plum note that swings bubblegummy isn't my cuppa tea.

SAMPLE 5 (PERFUME OIL) || Green tea, pink grapefruit E.O., bamboo, white grapefruit E.O., hot pink sugar (stronger), sunflower, driftwood.

I've already got a name picked out for my custom, but if I were to pick this one, i'd pick something else, and it would, quite simply, be 'pink tea' - because that's what it smells like. At the forefront, unmistakeable green tea - smooth, but decidedly herbal, and not particularly soapy - and pink sugar. I'm testing this wearing it on the inside and outside of my wrists, and it smells different - I assume because my skin on the outside of my wrist is drier, so it's fading more quickly. On the inside, i'm getting a gentle floral sweetness that I can't quite place. On the outside, a woody base, and very subtle... I assume white grapefruit note.

Lookin' at the notes... Yep, this smells about as Green with Pink as those suggest. I don't really have much more to add on it: green tea and green notes with sugar and grapefruit that dries down to a subtly sweet sunflower with a woody driftwood base. OH - it fades kinda fast. Within two hours I could barely smell it. ...But maybe that's because i've just gotten grapefruit juice all over my hands and it's overpowering everything.

I've been, uh. On a pretty big grapefruit kick while writing this.

tl;dr: check that last full paragraph, i've basically got it there.

RATING: 4/5. Nice, with some excellent notes, but not quite what I was lookin' for.

RUBECULA - ROBIN (PERFUME OIL) || Wild blueberries, wet garden mud, nag champa and vintage musk.

At first: Blueberries, and it's a pretty good blueberry note. I don't like blueberries. Everything about them tells me they're gonna be nice and tart, and then they're way sweeter than I want. Even the sour ones are sweeter than I want. Every blueberry muffin i've ever eaten, i've wanted it to be delicious sweet vanilla complimented by tart zingy blueberries, and every single time it's been a heartbreaking too-sweet disappointment.

And, unfortunately, this is true for this too: it's just... *shakes fist* TOO REALISTIC

But, really, it's very warmly sweet as blueberries tend to be, but also with an edge of tartness that comes out after a few minutes that I big appreciate. It's a very true blueberry scent. Underneath it is a hint of that mud note, which is surprisingly clean for, well, mud - it's like... A gentle earthiness, and a WHOLE lotta wet, like wading through the cool water of a marsh. Every now and then I get something that smells sort of dank and spicey, which I assume to be the nag champa, and then there's the vintage musk, which... Alright, so, it's hard to tell whether it's the blueberries going powdery or the musk, but i'm getting something that smells like makeup powder. I'd say that that powderiness is sort of ever-present, all encompassing everything else. It dries down, basically, to powdery blueberries, and lasts for-fuckin'-everrrr. I was still smelling it into the next morning.

This is pretty, but just a bit too blueberry-sweet for me.

tl;dr: warm, sweet and slightly sour blueberries, powder, and a subtle wet earthiness, with very vague whiffs of spicy, dank nag champa.

RATING: 4/5. Once again, a well-crafted scent with great notes that just isn't quite my jam, because i'm a blueberry hater.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my Stereoplasm reviews, which is gonna cover Libatious Leprechaun, Green Gremlin, Gone Gnome, Lights Across the Sky, Scorpling, and two scents that I picked up in a swap: Kindling and Selasphorus Calliope.

#perfumes #perfume reviews #Stereoplasm #custom samples #Rubecula

1 note · View note

maximuswolf · 2 years ago

Text

Any good whole-bean samplers for somebody who isn't sure what they like?

Any good whole-bean samplers for somebody who isn't sure what they like? Have wanted to try non-instant coffee for a little bit now, but haven't felt compelled enough to spend money on it until recently when one of my family members got a moka express that I've been trying out with some of their ground-at-the-store dark roast coffee. That said, I still don't really like it due to the bitterness and smokiness(?), which are both things that I'd like to avoid in my coffee.Since I don't have experience with other coffees before, I don't know what I like aside from not wanting a roast that's past medium. I want to get a sampler pack that's a mix of light and medium roast coffees so that I can pin down what type of coffee I like (if any), but I haven't been able to find any options that satisfy me. The main two I've considered are S&W Craft Roasting's sampler pack, which is okay but not one I love since they only have one medium roast and almost every one of their light roasts is made out to be floral/fruity to the point where I'm worried it won't really feel like coffee, and onyx coffee labs, which is okay but doesn't give any control on the roasts you get and is priced at $30 (compared to the ~$15 of S&W).Are there any sampler boxes that give a good selection of options between light and medium roast whole-bean coffees (bonus points for being under the $30 mark)? Submitted February 02, 2023 at 05:19AM by Gingerbread_Ninja https://ift.tt/uWhKc7k via /r/Coffee

#IFTTT #reddit

0 notes

watermelon-mafia · 6 years ago

Note

caress, ivory, poppy, buttery, pencil, honey, peaches, strawberry, shampoo, aphrodite, lace, sapphos, roses, aaanddd finally!! sweetheart!! 😘

caress - do you like to snuggle? YES. but on my terms only

ivory - describe your pajamas? they change some, but they're generally an oversized shirt and pants or shorts

poppy - favorite pastel color? green, pink, blue, and purple!

buttery - favorite snack? C R O N C H Y

pencil - do you own a journal? i own many and use practically none of them ^^”

honey - favorite term of endearment? honey or doll, but sweets is really growing on me ;)

peaches - do you have a skincare routine? noooooo. i wanna develop one though

strawberry - favorite fruit? melon! specifically watermelon or honeydew

shampoo - favorite scent? fruity and/or chocolatey things

aphrodite - favorite actress/actor? probably robert downey jr.

lace - if you own any dresses, which is your favorite? i have some, but my favorite is a really pretty white one with a floral pattern, and IT HAS POCKETSSSS

sapphos - favorite poet? dont have one!

roses - what flower do you find most beautiful? lotus flowers, and. well. roses

sweetheart - favorite mug/cup? anything star wars themed :)

thank you for all the asks lovely! 😘❤️

1 note · View note

felikcs · 7 years ago

Text

a get to know me post? in MY 2018??

it’s more likely than you think.

i was tagged by @alice-quinn, who claims to be my friend, but i know better.

annddd i’m gonna tag @mudfire4 and @maya-kov-sky bc i feel the least guilty about tagging people i know irl so... suffer with me. oh ALSO @blackmarketbingo ofc.

What’s your favorite song(s) to sing/hum? two bc i have one for singing & humming! but as a general note also: every song. singing: she shines and for humming: sandbox (humming)

What’s your favorite flower/tree/plant? i LOVE morning glory.

Favorite colors? none specifically tbh! though i prefer deep jewel tones.

What do you always doodle? usually repeated geometric shapes/shaped lines/similarly styled shapes to create larger scenes.

How do you take your coffee/tea? i don’t consistently drink either, but i like macchiatos the most, and take tea just by itself.

Favorite candle scent? i’m a sucker for fresh fruit/floral scents - i like lemon based scents the most.

Sunrise or sunset? mmm sunrise i think, though at my current job i’m always indoors when it’s happening.

What perfume do you wear? i don’t! i have like some random fruity body spray i’ll use very occasionally? but just deodorant usually.

Fuzzy socks or house slippers? n e i t h e r thanks

What color are your eyes? blue!

What’s your favorite eye color on others? in recent years i have fallen deeply, madly in love with brown eyes of all shades, but any color is pretty!

Favorite season? Why? winter, i think. it’s the only time it rains here, and that’s really nice, plus i prefer cold weather. the winter depression makes it tough though, for sure.

Cheek, neck, or nose kisses? these all have extrEMELY different connotations to them. i guess cheek? cheek and neck are like equal, they’re just.... real different.

What does your happy place look like? playing video games all bundled up nice and cozy by an open window while it’s raining.

Favorite breed of dog? p o m e r a n i a n s

Do you ever want to be married? If so, what colors would you pick for your wedding theme? who knows about getting married, but also I literally don’t care about the theme at all.

Cursive or print? print

Favorite weather? rain! steady enough to hear & enjoy, but not too hard so that it’s dangerous. with that low rumble thunder.

#about me

5 notes · View notes

ofalltradesblog-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Wine Tasting for Beginners

Wine is an incredibly popular adult beverage, and it’s easy to see why. The alcohol, texture, and flavor profiles vary widely, so there is a wine out there for almost anyone. With all this variation, it drives me crazy that there are people out there who turn away from a specific varietal because of preconceived notions, OR WORSE only drink ONE specific style of wine or varietal.

Y’all. There are over 1,300 different grape varietals used in commercial wine making… probably closer to 10,000 when you really get down to it. And you’re only going to drink syrah from California? What about syrah from the Northern Rhone, Australia, Spain, Italy, South America, and South Africa? You’re not even going to try cabernet sauvignon, grenache, mourvedre, etc. ?

I won’t go overboard on wine theory with you, but as a reader of this blog, being open to trying new things is probably your M.O. Perhaps you’ve been in a tasting room and tried a cabernet that was G-R-O-S-S and now refuse to revisit the grape. I’ll be the first to say that it might not be the grape’s fault. A lot goes on in a winery… or maybe it is the grape’s fault, but not from a DNA standpoint. Perhaps the vigneron left the grapes on the vine for too long, or not long enough. Or there was mildew. pests. rain. drought. The possibilities are endless.

The purpose of this article is to help the reader assess the wine. Instead of tasting the wine and going “no, I don’t like that”, you might say “there’s not enough acidity in the wine” or “I don’t really like this flavor profile”. It is important to have a basic understanding of the main grapes, but it isn’t totally necessary. What is necessary is a discerning palate, and the desire to try something new.

Up until recently, my career was in the wine industry. I’ve worked in wineries, tasting rooms, wine bars, 4 and 5 star restaurants, etc. and I’m here to tell you that not all Champagne is good, and not all wines from the Central Coast of California are bad! Wine, however, is subjective—a critic’s opinion, or even your best friend’s opinion may not line up with yours.

To decide what you like, it’s important to learn the basics of what to look for and assess. One could drink and enjoy the same wine for years, but what happens if someone asks them to describe the wine? What would they say? “It’s really good, and very well-balanced” Are we talking about wine, or a circus elephant on a beach ball? It’s important to be descriptive, because that allows us to compare wines. If you say you hate pinot noir, but then have a blanc de noirs Champagne, you don’t really hate pinot noir, so it’s important to get to the root of the thing.

It’s easy, once you become more knowledgeable to jump into nuances like vintages, blends, and climate, but we’ll stick with the basics for now. Starting off, what do you smell in the wine? It’s important to compartmentalize what you’re smelling, or you could miss something. Sure, you smell the ripe cherries, but did you also catch that whiff of roses, black pepper, and button mushrooms? The best way to do this is to look for things in categories.

First—Fruits. This should be easiest as most people either eat fruit, or are familiar with their flavors and aromas. It’s important to think in terms of color, too (though some rules are made to be broken). You probably won't find red cherries in a white wine… but you might find white cherries. In white wine, keep a lookout for:

citrus fruit, like oranges, lemons, and limes

tree/stone fruit, like apples, pears, and peaches

Tropical fruit, like mango, papaya, guava, and passionfruit

Melon, like watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe

Red wine is a bit simpler. Reds are typically categorized into red, black, and blue fruits. This could be cherries, blackcurrants, and blueberries. Boom. Though of course, even within these categories, there are distinctions. Cherries do not taste like raspberries, and ripe cherries taste different from baked cherries. Fruit condition is certainly a factor.

Nonfruits

This list is more expansive than you’d think. It’s important to think in categories of floral, herbal, vegetal, spice, earth/minerality, and fermentation aromas. The first few are pretty self-explanatory, it’s easy to prattle on about violets, rosemary, asparagus, or white pepper, but where do you go after that? Earth can be things like truffles, mushrooms, forest floor, potting soil, etc. Minerality, or inorganic earth, would be things like chalk, slate, gravel, wet rock, and so on. Fermentation aromas would be a little easier to get after understanding what happens in a winery, but we can start with oak barrels. Oak can impart notes of vanilla, cedar, dill, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc), coconut, caramel, and maple. It may also diminish the pure fruit tones in the wine. Perhaps you’ve had a wine that has too much vanilla in it—it is certainly not the grape, but the wine producer who probably tried covering up poorly made wine with too much time in new oak.

The Palate

The first thing would be to go through fruits and nonfruits once again, as humans can also detect aromas retronasally, or, at the back of your mouth. This way, you may catch an aroma you might have missed. The primary purpose of tasting with your palate, however, is to identify the structure of the wine. We do this by utilizing taste, which is sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. The primary tastes used in assessing wine would be sweet, sour, and bitter.

Sweetness is probably the easiest to assess. That taste receptor can be found on the tip of your tongue. It’s important to note for wine beginners that “fruity” does not translate to “sweet” with wine. You can find aromas of juicy cherries in a pinot noir, while the wine itself is dry. It’s like smelling perfume—the perfume can smell sweet, but you still wouldn’t drink it. In conclusion, if you’re looking for a sweet wine, say sweet, not fruity.

Sweetness is also an indicator of the weight, or body of a wine; this is why dry pinot grigio is very light, and the richly sweet Sauternes has a syrupy texture.

Next would be sour. For wine, this refers to acidity. Acidity can be found on the sides of your tongue, running parallel like train tracks. Because of this, people often refer to acidity as the backbone or framework in wine, and it is very important. Acidity is a natural preservative in wine, so it is a good indicator as to whether or not you can lay your wine down for aging. Additionally, a lack of acidity in wine can make it feel as though it’s lacking structure, or “flabby.”

Bitterness, or tannin, is the gritty texture found in red wine; this is occasionally also found in white wine, but is referred to as “phenolic bitterness” as tannin comes from the maceration process with the red grape skins. Bitterness sounds really unappetizing, but can be found in dark chocolate, tea, and coffee. Like acidity, tannin is a structural element to wine but also acts as a preservative to wine that is being aged.

Up next is alcohol. Alcohol is also used to determine weight and body. Try to think about the difference in weight between a 9% ABV German riesling, and an 18% ABV Tawny Port. Too much alcohol in the wine may overpower all the other flavors, and cause that "hot" sensation. This is what people refer to when they say a wine is "out of balance." If there is any specific structural element that stands out in a bad way, it can negatively affect one's impression of the wine.

That's it! Going through this mental checklist in your mind will help you get to the root of why you like or dislike a particular wine, or a certain category of wine.

One thing to keep in mind with wines is that they can have faults. A certain bacteria could have made its way in, it might not have been stored properly, etc. Keep your nose open for wet newspaper/cardboard, nail polish remover, barnyard (in overwhelming quantities), or a matchstick, just to name a few.

Side note: this is what servers and sommeliers are having you look for when you sample the wine... not whether or not you like the wine.

A lot of people look to critics or publications for points and opinions, but I would encourage you to taste and think for yourself. Wine is very subjective. Though certainly, articles might still help provide educational context and a basic understanding of what the wine might taste like.

If you do decide to follow a critic, make sure their opinions align with yours. If don't you like juicy red, overripe fruit with elevated amounts of alcohol, maybe don't follow Robert Parker. If you're trying to find more niched wines that aren't mass-produced, I wouldn't subscribe to Wine Enthusiast.

Reading and staying current is still important! I'll leave a few links below if you're curious. Importer websites are a great option for wines outside of the U.S. because there's a lot more information and less of the marketing fluff.

Taste any good wine lately? Tell me about it! While you're there, tell me what you want to hear about next. Cheers!

Masters of the Trade/References:

https://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/48876

https://www.winestyr.com/wine-guide/how-many-different-types-of-wine-grapes-are-there

https://www.guildsomm.com/ (membership required to access the good content)

https://www.bbr.com/

https://winefolly.com/

https://www.rarewineco.com/

MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. 2nd ed., Workman Publishing, 2015.

#california wine #hobby #hobbies #sommelier #wine #winelover #wine tasting

0 notes