#well dip me in gravy and call me a biscuit

[willingcannibalvictim]

Voretober Day 15: Beauty

*drops homestuck content and walks away*

[geralt-of-baevia]

Call It What You Want: Chapter Five

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine

pairing: nooutbreak!joel x f!ofc (Violet Fletcher)

rating: explicit, MDNI 18+

word count: 3.1k

summary: Seeking solace from a painful breakup, Violet relocates to a tranquil town, purchasing a neglected house to renovate. In her new neighborhood, she befriends Harlow, who introduces her to Joel, a gruff and seasoned contractor with a heart of gold. Despite Joel's initial grumpiness, Violet finds herself drawn to his expertise and hidden kindness.

As Violet immerses herself in home renovations alongside Joel, their dynamic begins to shift, with Joel unexpectedly opening himself up to the possibility of love. Their budding relationship faces challenges as shadows from their pasts emerge, testing their newfound connection.

warnings/tags: hints at a daddy kink, groping, dry humping, grinding, etc.

a/n: alright, something FINALLY happens! yay! and oooo drama is staaaarting. i love it.

In the first week of our deal Joel and I were both very busy. I had made french dip, beef stroganoff and so many breakfasts and pastries. All while he had patched my deck, put up a new shower curtain, fixed part of my roof and fixed the air conditioning with his brother Tommy’s help. 

There was constant commotion at the house, but it was something I thrived on. It was nice to have something do do every day. To have a reason to get up and bake. I hadn’t done much of that since I had sold the bakery six months before. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it.  

I learned that breakfast was Joel’s favorite meal very quickly. Since we were both early birds, most mornings I had coffee and food ready to go when he got to the house. Friday morning I decided to make my favorite; biscuits and gravy. When Joel came through the kitchen door, I was just pulling the biscuits out of the oven.

“It smells amazin’ in here,” he said, setting his toolbelt down next to the door in a thud. “Whatcha making?”

“Biscuits and gravy.”

“Mmm, my favorite.”

A silly grin spread across my face. “It’s mine, too.”

Joel came over and made our cups of coffee while I plated our food. We took our breakfasts and headed out to the sun porch to eat. Earlier in the week Joel moved a couch and coffee table into the once empty room for us. It was such a nice place to sit and look outside and enjoy company. I loved our little routine.

“How is your arm feeling this morning?” he asked before shoveling a bite of food into his mouth. I could sense something was up with Joel by his body language, but I couldn’t tell if I was making it up or not. 

“It’s getting better. I’ve been doing my exercises and stretches that the doctor recommended. And I haven’t had to take a pain pill in at least three days,” I told him proudly. My forehead was healing nicely, too, it only needing a bandaid over the stitches.

“Well that’s very good to hear.”

As we ate our meals in silence, I could sense something was definitely making Joel apprehensive. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” I asked through a bite. 

“Hmm?” he asked, turning to face me. It was like I had snapped him back to reality. 

“Is everything okay, Joel? You’ve been acting kinda odd since we sat down to eat,” I explained. He sighed in response. 

“Everythin’s fine,” he stated. I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’ve just been meanin’ to ask you somethin’ since yesterday, but I couldn’t get the nerve up to last night. So I told myself this mornin’ on the way here that I was gonna ask ya.”

My heart began pattering in my chest.

“Well, just ask me then.”

“Um, I have a buddy from the school I work at that’s getting married this weekend,” he started, “and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me?”

I gave him a coy smile. “Like as your date?”

“Yes, as my date,” he said, nudging his shoulder into mine. 

“How fancy are we talking?”

He paused. “...is that a yes, then?” 

I giggled. “Yes, I’ll go with you.”

He beamed at me, and his face softened with relief. It was adorable. 

“So, how fancy?” I asked again, “Like, do I get to see you in a tux or something?”

“No, not that fancy. But it’ll definitely be a dres nice for the occasion type of wedding.”

“When is it?” I asked before taking a drink of my coffee. 

“It’s tomorrow at 11am in the town over. I’d pick you up around 10:15. Is that okay?” he asked. 

I nodded. “That sounds great.”

The next morning I rushed around trying to get ready. I had decided to keep my hair and make up simple, but I was still nervous. Thankfully Harlow was coming as well, and Joel’s brother Tommy as her date. 

I looked myself over in the mirror, fiddling with my hair and smoothing my light pink dress over my thighs. I hadn’t been to a wedding in a long time. The next one was supposed to be my own, but that had obviously changed. 

At almost 10:15 on the dot, I heard Joel’s familiar knock at my door. After looking myself over once more, I ran downstairs. I opened the door, it revealing Joel looking as handsome as ever. He had on a green plaid shrit with his sleeves rolled up, showing off his forearms, a pair of nice jeans and boots. His curly salt and pepper hair was combed back, and his facial hair freshly tidied. 

“You look so handsome,” I told him, the words falling out of my mouth before I could stop them. His face lit up, his eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“Um, well thank you,” he said timidly, his bashfulness coming out. “You look gorgeous.”

My cheeks grew hot and my eyes met the ground. 

“Thank you,” I told him, chewing nervously at my bottom lip, “It’s not too much?”

He shook his head, his brow knitting together. “Not at all. Are you ready to go?” 

“Yes, let me grab my bag.”

I grabbed my purse and my shoes and locked up the house. Joel and I got into his truck and pulled out of the driveway, off in the direction of the wedding. I threw my shoes and purse on the floor before turning in my seat to face him. I rested my back against the door and pulled my feet up to rest on the space between us, hugging my knees. 

“You comfortable?” he asked sarcastically. I pushed his thigh with my foot. “Hey! That’s my driving foot.” 

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, dad.” 

His eyes snapped over to me at my comment, his eyes stern. It was a look that made the space between my thighs surge with heat. 

“So um,” I started, shifting in my seat a little, “How long have you known the couple getting married?” 

“I’ve known Bill and Frank for at least 20 years. We first met through an old friend,” he told me, taking his eyes off the road occasionally to look at me while he spoke. I nodded. I could tell there was apprehension in his voice. 

“...and?” I asked, knowing he had more to say. 

“...and they’re getting married because Frank is sick and they want to get married before he passes away,” he concluded. My heart dropped into my stomach. It was so bittersweet. 

“That’s - heartbreaking,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I heard him sniff, so I learned forward and put a comforting hand on his knee. “But it’ll also be beautiful.”

He looked over and me and gave me a have smile, his eyes brimming with tears. I gave his knee a squeeze before he took it in his own. He brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. I smiled. 

“Thank you for comin’ with me.”

“Of course.”

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. It wasn’t anything spectacular or over the top. Just a simple wedding in the backyard of Bill and Frank’s beautiful house. There was maybe only about 30 of us there in total, and not one of us had a dry eye by the end of it. I had packed tissues in my bag and I had never been so thankful I had done so. 

After the ceremony everyone mingled and ate finger food while Frank rested for awhile. I stood in a corner of the garden with Joel, his brother Tommy, Harlow and their friend Ellie, one of Harlow’s students. She had practically adopted Ellie, and hence so did Joel and Tommy. They were this little blended family that I couldn’t help but admire. 

“So, Violet?” Harlow started, pointing an accusing finger at me, “Joel told me the other day that you used to have a full ass bakery?”

“Mmhmm,” I said with a nod, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. I didn’t really want it getting out, but I also didn’t tell Joel not to say something. I couldn’t get upset at him. 

“Girl, I have known you for almost four months and you’ve never said anything about it to me? That’s a big deal!” she stated. I shrugged. 

“It just wasn’t a big deal to me at the time to talk about,” I said. Tommy smacked Harlow in the arm. 

“Did you ever think Harles that maybe she didn’t want to talk about it then?” he asked her, attitude dripping all over his words. She rolled her eyes. 

Harlow had been weird to me the entire time at the wedding, and now she was calling me out about something silly like this? I didn’t know what was up, but I didn’t want to worry about that right now. I just wanted to enjoy the wedding with Joel. Joel turned to me, blatantly ignoring the drama from his brother and Harlow. 

“Do you wanna go get a beer with me?” he asked. 

“Sure,” I said, giving Harlow a side glance. He slipped his arm around my middle and led me away from the group and over to the house. 

“Is it just me or is Harlow bein’ weird?” he asked, still looking ahead. I glanced up at him and sighed. 

“No, she’s being weird,” I confirmed. We went into the kitchen and Joel grabbed us each a beer from the large cooler by the sink. He opened both of them on the counter before handing me mine nonchalantly. 

“Did-did you just open those on the edge of the counter?” I asked, my jaw a little slack. He smirked at me as he took a swig from his beer and shrugged. 

“Maybe I did,” he said with a quick wink. The butterflies in my stomach awoke. 

Before either of us could say anymore, Bill wheeled Frank into the kitchen from the living room. Frank was looking much more rested than he had after the ceremony. 

“How ya feelin’, buddy?” Joel asked Frank. 

“Much better, thank you,” he said with a kind smile. He turned his eyes to me. “I didn’t get to meet you before the wedding. I’m Frank.”

He held a hand out to me and I closed the distance between us to shake it. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, I’m Violet,” I told him. His smiled widened. 

“She’s Harlow’s neighbor,” Joel explained, “Her house is the one I’ve been working on.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who made those croissants then, aren’t you?” Frank questioned. He glanced at Joel with a knowing look, their eyes meeting. Joel blushed, coughing to mask the embarrassment. 

“Yes I was. Did you like them?” I asked. Frank scoffed, looking back at Bill with a sarcastic look. 

“Tell her Bill, did we like them?” 

Bill cracked a small smile on his stoic face. “Violet, those were some of the best damn croissants we’ve ever had.” Frank turned back to me.

“Is there any way I could persuade you to make more for us?” he asked, rubbing his hands together excitedly. I giggled. 

“Absolutely. You can consider them a wedding present,” I told him. 

“We look forward to it,” he said, “but if you’ll excuse us we have more guests to thank for coming.”

“Of course you two,” Joel said. Frank took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. 

“It was very nice to meet you, Violet,” he said while making unwavering eye contact with me. His eyes were so kind, and his smile one of the most genuine I’d ever seen. It broke my heart that he wasn’t going to be around much longer. 

“You too, Frank,” I said, trying to push down my somber thoughts. 

As the afternoon continued on, all of the guests wound down and Bill and Frank did some usual wedding traditions. They cut the cake together, folks gave toasts, and finally they had their first dance. Yet again there was not a dry eye in the house as Joel and Tommy helped get Frank to his feet, aiding him in having his first dance with his new husband eye to eye. I would never hear the song ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ by Otis Redding the same way again. 

After their dance, Joel came back and sat next to me as others joined on the cement patio to dance. 

“Hi you,” I said as he wrapped an arm around me, resting it on the back of my chair. He was a little out of breath and rubbed one of his knees with his free hand, muttering about it under his breathe. I giggled. “That was very sweet of you, you old man.”

He gave me another stern glance, but couldn’t hold it for long, cracking a small smile. “Yeah, yeah, thanks.”

We sat together and listened to the music, watching people dance and interact. Joel hummed along with each of the songs, tapping to the beat on my shoulder. I couldn’t help but want to melt back into him and feel the vibrations of the humming in his chest. While I was lost in my thoughts, the song changed. I didn’t notice until Joel got to his feet and held a hand out to me. 

“Would you like to dance?” he asked. I nodded, realizing the song was The Mamas & the Papas’ ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me.’

He helped pull me to my feet and then led me over to the patio. I turned around to face him and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my body close to his. He took my right hand in his, resting it on his chest before putting his hand over mine. I interlaced our fingers as I wrapped my free hand around his neck. He looked down at our entwined hands and smiled. As he began to sway us back and forth, I rested my head against his chest. 

I felt him let out of sigh of contentment, pulling me closer to him even still. His fingers dug into my side, like he couldn’t get me close enough. I pulled my head away from his chest to look up at him, my green eyes meeting his deep, dark brown ones. He rested his forehead against mine, slipping his other hand down around my waist. I reached up and linked my hands behind his neck; neither of us breaking eye contact. 

When the song was over, it felt much too soon. Without saying a word, Joel broke apart from me and immediately began tugging on my hand, leading me somewhere away from the patio. I followed as he led me to the side of the house, his footsteps impatient. Before I was able to ask him where he was taking me, he turned me around and pinned me to the wall with his hips. 

Our eyes met again as I looked up at him. I watched as his gaze flashed down to my mouth and back to my eyes. I nodded my head ever so slightly, giving him permission to do what I know he wanted to do. My heart began pounding as his hands cupped my face, my breaths shallow. 

 Joel closed the gap between us and crashed his lips against mine. My chest felt like it was going to burst at the seams. I grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, trying to pull him closer to me as his fingers twisted in my hair. His hands left my face, exploring my body as he deepened the kiss. I gasped for air as his lips trailed down my jaw and neckline, his mustache prickling my skin along the way. 

I grabbed my arms around his neck as he began hiking up my dress. Heat pooled between my legs as he reached his hands under my thighs and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his as he pinned me to the wall again, this time grinding against my center. He moaned against my neck, and I could feel him hardening underneath his jeans each time he dipped his hips into me. My head rested back against the siding as he kissed and bit at my neck greedily. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

We both jumped so hard I almost fell out of Joel’s arms and to the ground. We whipped our heads around to see Harlow standing by the corner of the house, her mouth agape. Joel set me down and helped me with my strap as I pulled my dress back down over my thighs. 

“Harles, listen-”

“Don’t Harles me, Joel. I don’t want to hear it from you,” she said, pointing a drunken finger at him. She turned her attention to me, her eyes narrowing at me. 

“I can’t fucking believe, you,” she said, pausing before the word ‘you’ for emphasis. 

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Joel asked, his tone serious and stern. 

“When I introduced you guys I was trying to be helpful to you both, not have you go behind my back Violet and fuck him,” she stated flippantly, “and even here? At Frank and Bill’s wedding of all places? You two just had to sneak off like goddamn hormonal teenagers?”

“Harlow, we’re not-”

“Save it, Violet. I saw you come home from staying the night at his place in his clothes,” she accused, scorn in her tone. 

“Harlow, this is none of your goddamn business, none,” Joel stated firmly, taking a step between me and Harlow. 

“It is my business, Joel. You have been my goddamn older brother since Lucas died. I have seen every woman who has used you in more ways than one, and you always get hurt,” she spat at him, “I just never would have thought that you would be one of those girls, Violet. I’m done here.”

She turned on her heel and left us standing there, dishelved and gobsmacked. Joel started to follow after her, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“Joel, don’t. She’s drunk and needs to cool off.”

He nodded in agreement, his chest rising and falling rapidly with his breath. I reached down and grabbed his hand and giving it a squeeze. We went back to the party in silence, and I tried to avoid looking in Harlow’s general direction. The knot in my stomach only got bigger as the afternoon went on. 

Once the reception was finally wrapping up, Joel and I said our goodbyes to Bill and Frank. After we got in the car we sat in silence, my brain wracking over what Harlow had said. 

“Joel?”

“Hmm?”

“What did Harlow mean by other girls using you?”

He sighed a knowing sigh. 

“That’s a story for another day.”

[veronicasvanitycc]

This post is specifically for other CC creators. If you can/would make any of these items for the Sims community, I would lose my mind. Or if you know where they can already be found, please let me know! ❤ All credit of course will be given and you will be shared on my tumblr and patreon. I am also a member of TBS/DSC on facebook so you will be shared there as well when I post! If you see anything on the list that you would love to see in the S4 Community, reblog pleaseeeee!

If any of these items are found, I will update the list with a link for everyone. ❤

Lot Traits

Aquarium

Stripclub

Fraternity

Sorority

Dispensary

Psychologist

Elementary School

High School

Waterpark

Salon/Nail Salon

Tattoo Studio

Low Income Housing

Apartment Building

Bachelor Pad

Farm

Deco Sims

Sitting Santa (LP Photos)

Models

Male Strippers

Toddlers (Daycare)

Babies (LP Maternity Ward)

Gothic/Emo

Celebrities

Zoo Keepers/Amusement Park Workers/Disney Characters

Homeless

Casino/Resort Workers

Dentist/Psychologist

Basketball/Football Players

Teens (Prom/School/Having Fun etc)

Prison Inmates

Band "Geeks"

School Jocks

Cheerleaders

Tanning/Waxing Salon Clients

Tarot/Paranormal Sims (Tarot shop)

Fishing

Security

Maids

Singers

Church (Pastor/Choir/Confessional)

TSA/Airport Staff/Judge

Postal Workers

Edible Foods & Recipes

Beef & Cheddar Sandwich (Arbys)

Gyro

Baklava

Curly Fries

Chili Dogs

Spanakopita

Cheese Curds

Fried Okra

Garlic Parmesan Fries

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Honey Walnut Shrimp (Panda Express)

Crab Rangoon

Teriyaki Chicken

Fried Cabbage W/ Bacon

Brisket/Cornbread/Collard Greens

Corn Dogs

Funnel Cake

Mushroom & Swiss Burger

Colesaw

Taco Platter/Rice/Beans

Chorizo/Egg/Cheese Burrito

Biscuits & Gravy (I thought I saw this released???)

Sweet Potatoes W/ Brown Sugar & Marshmallows

California Sushi Roll

Shrimp Tempura Sushi Roll

Philadelphia Sushi Roll

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Sloppy Joes & Chips

Mexican Red Rice

Toastadas & Ceviche

Taco Salad

Carne Asada Tacos

Birria Tacos W/ Consumme

Dolmades

Honey Biscuits (Churchs Chicken)

Dirty Rice (Bojangles/Cajun Style)

Souvlaki

Loukomades

Sub Sandwiches (Subway Build)

Bratwurst W/ Saurkraut

Carnitas W/ Red Rice

Waffle Fries (Chick Fil A)

Swedish Meatballs W/ Butter Noodles

French Dip Sandwich W/ Au Jus

Seafood Boil

Chicken Fries (Burger King)

Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Popeyes!!!!!!!!!❤)

Whopper Sandwich (Burger King)

Salt Fish & Cabbage

Jambalaya

Dumbo

Cobb Salad

Creamy Chicken Over Rice

Ackee & Salt Fish

Boiled Peanuts

Sweet Tea

Hushpuppies

Objects

Functionality is hard so decor items are are just as good!

Diving Cage (Decor/LP Use)

Waterslides (Is it possible to make other designs through necrodogs functional water slide?)

Earring Display Turnstyle (Claires Build)

Ear Pericing Gun

Earring Stud Stand (Choose your studs before you get your ears pierced lol)

Ear Cleaner

Tattoo Goo

Incense Tubes (Retail Style/Pick & Choose)

Aquarium Touch Pool (Anything works for this!)

Wall Candy Dispensers

Prison Visitor Phone (Anything for a visitation room)

Dunk Tank (Necrodog Fair Pack Add On?)

Whack a Mole

Tall Froyo Ice Cream Machine

Ring Toss (Necrodog Fair Pack Add On? Jcope?)

Goldfish Toss (Necrodog Fair Pack Add On? Jcope?)

Kiddie Coster (Necrodog Fair Pack Add On?)

Balloon Darts (Necrodog Fair Pack Add On? Jcope has one, but something not as circus related?)

Bumper Boats ( I am dyinggggg for this!!! Even if its decor only)

Cornhole Game (horseshoe toss style)

Snow Cone Machine (This would be dope to be functional!)

Coin Operated Rides (outside of stores)

Functional/Non Functional Casino Stuff/Games Etc

Wet Bar (Sims 3 Conversion?)

Freakshow Decor (Venice Beach Freakshow)

Bingo Ball Spinner/Cage/Caller? (What do you call it lol)

Bingo Cards

Plastic Surgeon Chair

Sol De Janeiro Stuff (I need!!!)

Fake Nails (Boxes for retail)

Body Jewelry Decor Displays

Store Signs

Del Taco

Whataburger

Bojangles

Burger King

Churchs Chicken

Jack In The Box

Culvers

Golden Corral

Cheesecake Factory

Cracker Barrel

In & Out

Dairy Queen

Raising Canes

A&W

Texas Roadhouse

Zaxbys

Carls Jr,

Captain D's

Bush's Chicken

Blockbuster

Seaworld

Disney World

Horrorland (Goosebumps Style)

Cascade

Ulta Beauty

Museum Of Death (LA Museum)

Claires

Shady Acres (Junky Sign/Trailer Park Build)

Jelly Belly

NFL Store

Spelman College (Britechester/Foxbury Text Override Mod)

Morehouse College (Britechester/Foxbury Text Override Mod)

Michael's (Craft store)

Hobby Lobby

Caesars Palace

Hells Kitchen

Party City

American Girl Dolls

"The Boardwalk" (Like the Santa Monica Pier Arch)

Charlotte Russe

Motel 6

Good Burger

Mondo Burger

Planned Parenthood

Sanrio

Rainforest Cafe

Universal Studios

If you know of any place I can find these items, please let me know!!! If they are used in any of my builds, I will give you that entire build early access as well as share you all over and probably obsess over you for the rest of my life. ❤ (creator or not) I am aware that this gives away my future ideas, but oh well. We can all win yall.

[bowl-of-shortness]

YEEEEEEE hope you don't mind me dropping by with another prompt 🙈 this community has gone all but dormant, thank you for keeping us fed, Vix 😆😂 for the prompt!

N!Qrow and N!Oz on their first date perhaps? 👀

:)

Autumn Ease

He checked his scroll for what seemingly was the billionth time, trying to wrap his head around his situation. “How— I just—.” Qrow was stunned, confused, nervous, and excited all at once. He had just scored a date with probably the prettiest and most lovely man alive, him. Of all people for this absolutely stunning man to choose, he chose him.

“Remember Love, 7:30 pm, Dress casually, so on and so forth. I can’t wait to see you!” Read the text that Ozpin had sent him. He flushed again slightly at the nickname. He checked the clock, 6:50 pm, this was actually happening.

He was just as excited as he was petrified, Ozpin, in basically every regard, was better than he was. Qrow saw himself as below average, and while Ozpin disagreed with that notion it was still difficult to feel confident when the constant voices in the back of his mind from his past kept saying otherwise. Should he even go?

Qrow quickly shook the thought “Of course I’ll go. What kind of dick would I be to ask him on a date and then never show?”. Remembering to dress casual he threw on a pair of black jeans, shoes, and a red shirt and checked the clock again, 7:20pm.

The doorbell rang suddenly causing him to jump, answering the door Qrow saw that it was Glynda “Pfft, what are you doing here Blondie?” He joked. Glynda wasn’t amused “Here to make sure you don’t dip on Oz at the last minute. I know how you and your confidence are.” The noirett looked down. “I just don’t get why he would choose me of all people-“ “Because it’s his choice and he loves you Qrow, and you can’t change that, remember?” Glynda cut him off.

Qrow sighed, “Fine come in Glyn, I won’t be here for long, I’ve got 5 minutes before Ozzy shows up. You know how he is with time management.” Glynda laughed at this “Always on the dot.”. The two talked for a little bit, Glynda raising Qrow’s confidence because “goddamnit I didn’t spend all these years wingwomaning for you two morons for you to dip out on eachother.”

And then the doorbell rang, Qrow, once again cautiously opened it to see Ozpin standing there. The taller man was wearing his usual trench coat but instead had a yellow V neck with grey jeans and slip ons on, his hair was tied into a bun too, he looked...nice. The noirett snickered at the silverett “Can’t you go anywhere without the damn trench coat?” Ozpin raised an eyebrow and smiled “If I recall Birdie, aren’t you the one who gifted it to me?” “Yeah but I wasn’t expecting you to wear it all the time.” The shorter man shrugged.

“Well I like it, plus it’s October and it’s the evening, so it’s a bit chillier. Now then, are you ready to go?” Ozpin smiled down gently at Qrow, an action that caused Qrow to give an almost unnoticeable blush at “Yeah, I’m ready.”

— Time skip —

Qrow raised his eyebrows at where they were standing before turning to Ozpin and smiling, “Never took you for the diner type Ozzy.” “Likewise.” He always was fun to have conversations with, being able to keep up with Qrow’s banter. They step inside the diner, it’s small, but cozy, shades of yellow, orange, and rusty red coat the diner, making it appear to be warm, physically it was just as warm. After ordering their food, Ozpin ordering a simple order of eggs, hash browns, and pancakes and Qrow ordering biscuits and gravy, they went and sat down in a booth.

Ozpin hung up his Trenchcoat before sitting down and looking to Qrow, “Well, Birdie? What do you think?” He looked over from the window he was looking out “Nice and cozy, I like it. Just like you~” he smirked when he said the last part, knowing what was coming next. Like usual Ozpin blushed bright red and immediately started stuttering out protests in Qrow’s direction, the silver haired man could never take a compliment without blushing like a tomato and it was absolutely adorable.

“Putting your adorable blushing face aside,” Qrow started, Ozpin blushing further at the comment “Learn anything new recently?” The taller necromancers look of embarrassment turned to surprise. “You, like to listen to me talk about things I’ve learned?” Ozpin said slowly, Qrow smiled gently “Well, yeah, from what it sounds like you know everything! It’s nice to listen to you go in depth about the meanings of things, like those deck cards you were talking about with Oscar one time. It’s interesting when it’s coming from you. Plus...” “Plus?” The silverett questioned, the noirett turned with a mischievous smirk “It’s nice to listen to your accent.”. Ozpin sighed “You never change, doing everything in your power to make me red faced and embarrassed.”

There was silence for a little bit, Ozpin looking down at the table while Qrow stared him, admiring the man before him. “Y’know I was serious, I mean I always am but I mean something different with that compliment.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “What do you mean then?” He heard Ozpin’s voice say, “I mean, your voice is soothing, not just to Oscar. You have a gentle voice and accent that makes it very easy to listen to every word you say. And fall asleep but that’s besides the point haha. Not to mention your singing voice, if it weren’t for that I think I’d be in more trouble than I am right now with my nightmares.” He hadn’t even realized he was rambling until he finished, he didn’t mind though. He opened one eye to see Ozpin staring at him with surprise, “I-I see...I’m glad you enjoy my voice” Ozpin played with his gloves a bit while smiling.

“Notice how I didn’t mention anything about your serious voice?~” he smirked at the taller man once more. “And here I thought you were going to get sentimental on me.” Ozpin crossed his arms and pouted, a dusty pink crossing his cheeks.

After the two necromancers had finished their food they spoke to eachother some more until their check arrived, which they promptly fought over until they decided to simply split the check. As they walked down the street they were met with a bit of a conundrum. Ozpin thought for a minute “Ah, this may seem selfish to request but it seems we finished dinner a bit earlier than I originally suspected. So, if you don’t mind—“ Qrow knowing what he was asking simply said “Sure, we can do this for a bit longer.” Ozpin sighed with relief. With that Ozpin bowed slightly, putting one arm behind his back and extending his other hand out to Qrow before speaking “Well then, shall we take a walk my love?”

Qrow blushed at this “You’re such a dork Ozzy.” and took Ozpin hand. The taller necromancer playfully scoffed slightly at this, “I’m just being polite love.” “Yep, and your politeness makes you look like an adorable dork.” Qrow gently sassed back. The silverett rolled his eyes as they walked down the sidewalk. It was a cool, crisp night, the route they had taken had been one of the more scenic ones, having lamps light the street with tall red maples blanketing the area, only letting a few glimpses of the indigo, star littered, sky peek through. It was by all means lovely and Qrow listened intently to how Ozpin talked about nothing and everything at the same time.

As they were walking, the noirett watched their surroundings in ease, the place was beautiful. Of course Ozpin would know where a place like this would be, that’s just like him. Speaking of the taller necromancer, Qrow soon noticed he wasn’t walking next to him. He whipped his head around in every which direction until he spotting that familiar mass of silver hair, looking into a window.

Approaching Ozpin, Qrow peered into the window curious as to what could’ve caught the attention of the taller man. He was surprised by what he saw, Ozpin had been looking into a bakery, specifically, he had been eyeing a chocolate cake. “Y’know, you can just ask if we can get it.” He laughed, causing the taller man to jump, “A-ah it’s okay. We don’t have to. I was just looking!” He could tell Ozpin was trying to play it off like he didn’t want it. He’s known Ozpin for a while though and knew he had a special place in his heart for sweets of any kind. He laughed and shook his head and then headed inside the bakery without Ozpin. He paid for the cake, which although had been on the pricier side, was worth getting just to see the silverett be happy.

“You didn’t have to...“ Ozpin began “Eh, I wanted to. Plus it’s not like I’m not getting any either, and if I get to eat a cake at least I get to eat it with you.” He smiled up at Ozpin warmly as the necromancer cocked an eyebrow “And you call me the dork.” “Hey!”. Qrow feigned hurt at the comment as Ozpin laughed, oh how he adored that laugh. Qrow, seeing how dark the sky was, checked his scroll; 10:13 pm “Guess we should get home and enjoy the cake soon, it’s getting late.” He sighed, quietly distraught at the time. He wanted to enjoy more time with the taller man but he had work in the morning.

“My apologies, I didn’t expect our date to turn from too short to too long.” Ozpin looked ashamed, over what Qrow didn’t know. “Why are you sorry? I enjoyed it, now c’mon let’s go before neither of us want to get up in the morning!” He gently shoved the silverett along. Once they had arrived at the silver haired mans house and eaten some of the cake, Qrow promptly collected his things and sadly made his way to the door.

He turned around “So, I mentioned how I enjoyed our time together. How about you Ozzy?” Ozpin looked surprised before he smiled warmly and walked up to Qrow, “I did enjoy it greatly, thank you.”. As he walked outside onto the porch, Qrow decided to take a gamble and ask his new boyfriend a question, what else could he lose? “You mind if we do this again?”. Ozpin decided to take a gamble of his own and lean down to give a quick peck on the lips to the shorter man, “Goodnight my love.” He simply said before gently closing the door.

Qrow stood there for a minute. Beet red, he gently touched his lips in the spot that Ozpin had kissed him and smiled. The walk home had been better than most, Qrow smiling the entire way like a fool over the kiss and having butterflies over it. Meanwhile, once Ozpin had made sure that Qrow had left, the silver haired necromancer started jumping with joy that he did that. “I did that! Did you see that Ozpin he smiled afterwards!” Ozpin thought excitedly while jumping up and down a little bit.

Both men went to sleep incredibly happy.

Each of them were absolutely smitten with the other.

[scotianostra]

William Arnott  founder of the Arnott's Biscuits company was born on December 6th 1827 in Pathhead.

Not a name us Scots will know, but any of my  Antipodean followers will of course know the name, if only by the company  Arnott's Biscuits. I will also point out to our friends in the US that biscuits are not those bread/scone like things you dip in your gravy, they are what you guys call cookies. 

As happens quite often there are differing details with William Arnott, namely his place of birth, one version gives it as Pathhead, Midlothian, which I know fairly well, another tells me it was Pathhead near Kirkcaldy in Fife, which had me googling away like mad as, not being a Fifer I had was not aware of the latter, all I could find was Pathhead Sands though, but I am not discounting him being born there.

He was apprenticed to a baker and confectioner and, with his younger brother David, followed his family to Australia, arriving at Sydney in the Sir Edward Parry on 17th February 1848. 

One version says the brothers were the son of a convict, transported to Australia in 1837, other versions have no mention of this at all, well nobody wants to admit to a criminal past do they! 

Both brothers were bakers in Maitland New South Wales until 1851 they tried their luck prospecting for gold.  William had no luck as a gold miner but did well baking bread and pies on the field and early in 1853 he was back in Maitland as a baker and pastry-cook, building a small business before being flooded out at least twice in a number of years, in 1865 he also lost his wife Monica, née Sinclair, who he had met on the long journey from Scotland.

Later that year William had had enough of Maitland and relocated to Newcastle NSW, where he didn’t hang about, started a new business and found himself a new wife,  who assisted him in his baking business.

The bakery supplied the local population with a whole assortment of products, such as biscuits, pies and bread.

The locals of Newcastle, NSW, were not the only people who were supplied by William Arnott. The nineteenth century was a period of the industrial revolution, and many coal-powered ships were in use. These ships had to dock in Newcastle’s port for supplies, and their crews were often famished after long voyages. In order to prepare themselves for the long journey ahead, the sailors would buy biscuits and pastries from Arnott.

Of course, these sailors would bring these sweets to their friends and families, and soon, Arnott’s bakery soared in popularity. It became known across the country, and from these humble beginnings rose to become one of Australia’s favourite biscuits and most recognizable symbols.

As well as their version of shortbread, the “Scotch Finger” Arnotts are famous for the “Tim Tam”  a crème biscuit sandwich coated in Tim Tam chocolate. It is the go-to biscuit treat for many Australians, and it comes in different flavours and types. 

William continued to lead his business up until the year 1899, when he retired and moved to Strathfield near Sydney. He would pass away two years later, on 22 July 1901, leaving his company in the capable hands of his sons James Haydon Leslie and Samuel Sinclair, nowadays  Arnott’s is one of the largest food companies in the whole of the Asia Pacific region.

[omnipointmuses]

Stream Event! Guest Star: Applejack!

The following is a lil collab of sorts. Written by me, Nevermindtheweights or Karma involving my AJ and the delightful Princess Luna, written my DiVi here. This is my collaboration to their little streaming event for the month. I hope DiVi finds this all fitting to their Luna and also what we have established over our short but fun AJ and Luna ship. 

If you enjoyed this, my AJ can be found here - @countrygalfeedin

Please enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

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

"Good evening everyone. It's your adored Princess Luna here and I'm going to be joined by a rather special friend of mine today." The hefty mass of regal equine announced once her stream had full started, the viewer count ticking up as her fans started to join in to witness what was to be the first major event since the beginning of this vorey month she had announced. The nerdy princess of the night giggled and beamed warmly as she went on to greet a few of the regulars, altering some of the settings as she clicked here and there. This had to be perfect! It was her first guest and she wanted this to be a success. Licking her lips, the scents of food were notable in her room, thanks to her guest was.

"Now then..." She stated, her tone getting a little more authoritative as she started to get settled into her 'host' role for the evening. "I should mention that this little interview.... hang out... whatever we're calling it won't involve any vore. I know, I know. You lot want that but this guest is a fellow predator and I enjoy her company quite a bit. It's fine since she has plenty of foods made for just this. You'll know.... perfectly why I've been expanding a lot more once you see it all~" Leaning back, a hand would pat her stomach which the creaking chair marked the swelling rump's presence. The chat seemed to be interested too, a few various emotes and chatter rushing past.

"So! Without further ado...." She beckoned off camera and giggled. "Say hello to Applejack! A big ol' country beauty who I'm sure you'll adore as I do!" Luna declared as AJ slowly waddled into view and took the seat beside the weight Princess. The orange mare was dressed casually with her hat taken off for more presentable measure. Jeans and t-shirt, it suited her well enough for this and her sheer size was notable beside Luna. While certainly not as greedy nor as massive as the princess, the fans seemed to like that a fellow fatty has been revealed.

"Heh... Thanks fer that sugahcube. Howdy folks. Ah ain't too.... versed in all this tech stuff but thanks fer havin' me!" Her accent seemed much thicker thanks to the more regal tone of the princess being a contrasting tone to it. However, it seemed the fans liked her and perhaps this would go well. "So, err... Luna wanted me ta explain a lil 'bout mahself. So ah'm a farmer at heart but o' late ah've been ruinnin' the brand as much as the farm. Sweet Apple Acres, some of ya might know the place. We make cider mainly as well as a ton o' other stuff. Luna has been a patron for a while...."

"Guilty~ The cider is just amazing. As is the food!" Luna chipped in, licking her lips as the aroma of the various delights of AJ's cooking kept teasing her. AJ, taking the hint, laughed a little.

"Heh... Ain't gonna brag but... Ah'm kinda a bit of a cook. No chef but ah cook a lot of country delights. In fact.... Luna wanted to eat some of this stuff on stream with me fer ya all ta enjoy so...."

A bit of a fumble would happen before the camera was zoomed out to reveal a large tray being pulled out, laden with AJ's home-cooked delights. Fritters and pies sat proudly steaming, hot and packed full of apples and calories. Deep bowls were filled with fried chicken, spiced accordingly to how Luna liked it, sweetened with a honey drizzle, thick buttermilk biscuits with chicken gravy dips that look thick and herbed. Not only that there was a few stacked burgers, hand-made on crusty buns. Patties that were thick and smothered with cheesy goodness, added with onions and bacon. Finally, there was two products of Potatoes. One was a large mass of clearly buttery mashed potatoes and bowls of spiced fries, thickly cut and crispy. It was a simply if small country banquet. Licking her lips along with Luna, AJ went through what everything was for the crowd that seemed to be eager over all the foods.

So, once the duo caught each other's eyes, they nodded and got to work. Hands would grasp at whatever goodness they could reach and the thousands of fans would bare witness to a sheer amount of gluttony. The two styles were as expected, Luna's greater size allowing her to grab and stuff more down her gullet. From lumps of mashed potatoes to those stacked burgers, they would be wolfed down with lingering traces of grease and mess upon her lips that would be licked up eagerly by a tongue that was known to force down eager prey. AJ was a little more relaxed with it. Murring faintly from her own large mouthuls. While Luna went for the greasy foods, AJ favoured the fritters above all else. Crumbs would litter her lips and fall upon her pudgy bosom as she munched and chewed down the gooey sugary delight within the calorie-rich pastries. The duo were quite something to behold, the chat seeming to cheer over their gluttony. The duo kept at it, their own styles keeping them fed. Luna however, started to smirk as she swallowed down a hunk of pie along with some fries. Grabbing a burger, her grasp making it ooze out of the side of the bun, sauce and grease dribbling down her hands, she leaned over to AJ whose eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Open up, country gal~" Luna teased, giving quite the bedroom eyes as the orange mare opened her maw once another fritter went to joining the friends in her gurgling gut. Needless to say the messy burger was crammed down the blonde's throat, with Luna making sure AJ affectionately licked off the grease, cheese and sauce that lingered on her hands. AJ, grunting a little from the sudden meal she had been forced to swallow down, grabbed a large handful of the buttery and hot mashed potatoes and naturally, returned the favour. The hedonistic side of Luna was happy enough to go along with it, enthusiastically lapping it down as her tongue licked over the other's hands. It seemed to be daring her to do better and bigger....

The next half an hour the crowds would witness would be the two girls going at it. Feeding each other messily, handfuls of this and that being pushed into lips, messy flabby bulks squishing into each other as the duo were in this enrapturing moment of shared gluttony. The tray was bumped and knocked by guts and chests both as flabby hands grasped at whatever they could to give them ammo in this feeding session. Hunks of fried chicken were moaned down by both parties, followed by the creamy mashed potatoes or the crispy fries, gravy poured down throats as chasers to the foods they were devouring. Slices of pies were crammed against maws in which tongues and lips were eagerly trying to clear and work inside as the world would bare witness to quite the session between the girls. It was hard to look away from, every second a sound or noise of delight or gluttony being heard as the stocks of food slowly vanished from the tray to both inside and on the two fatty girls.The event would ebb out slowly as the girls, both with hooded eyes and panting from fullness and excitement, tried to keep calm....

"S-so.... ooof....UUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP.....!" Belched out Luna as she tried to recompose herself a little, brushing some hair back and addressing the camera, her fans, before belching out thunderously. "As you can see... my dear friend AJ here.... is.... quite the cook~ Able to keep me fed that's for sure~" She winked at her friend who waved a messy hand as she tried to find some words, electing to only belch instead as her stomach gurgled. AJ was a little out of it herself truth be told.

"We had planned a whole... interview and....more but..... I think the stream will end their for now folks...~" Luna soon said as she fumbled with the keyboard, a little too hot and bothered to keep the stream running for what was about to happen next between simple farm girl and regal princess.....~ The chat could only speculate as the activity flared ont he screen but by now, the greedy duo didn't care. Not even the pings could be heard over the moans of their kisses....~

[endless-whump]

Marcus and Luca: Lost and Found

CW: references to box boy whump, environmental whump involving minor, referenced threats to minor, conditioning,

Masterpost

Simon and Oliver are box boys from my other series, We’re Ok

----

Luca shot up, panicked.  He was shaking, looking around wildly at his surroundings.  He reached around for Marcus.  He needed to find Marcus.  He could still practically feel the teens cold skin, remember trying to shake him awake.

“Hey, hey calm down.  You’re ok, buddy.”

He pressed himself against the headboard, finding himself wrapped in..blankets?  He was on a bed, under heavy, warm comforters.  He shivered, resisting the urge to pull the blankets back towards him. There was a woman sitting across from him, watching him cautiously with her hands in front of her to look non threatening.

“W,Where’s, where’s Marcus, where’s M,Marcus-”

“Shh, the kid’s ok,” The woman soothed.  Y’looked half dead, washed up on that riverbank.”

There was a fire crackling, a wood stove close beside the bed in the small room.  Despite the room itself being extremely warm, Luca felt chilled, slowly trying to relax and eyeing the stranger.  She looked middle aged, had a friendly expression that didn’t seem threatening to Luca.

“I, um, where is he?” He asked, trying to keep his teeth from chattering.  He’d gone below the water, he couldn’t stay afloat..he’d lost him.  He’d lost him and then found him on the shore, unmoving and possibly not even breathing.

“He’s in a different bedroom, he got sick and we had to-”

“S,Sick?” Luca demanded, trying to push the blankets off him, ignoring the pain in his head as he swung his legs over the side, the room spinning a little.  “H,He’s sick, I thought he, I thought h,he was ok, I need to see him, I thought, I thought he was ok?”

“Easy, kid.” She reached out a hand to steady him, stopping when he cringed away.  “His fever broke yesterday, Marcus is fine.”

“I, I want to see him,” Luca demanded, close to tears.  He needed to see the teenager, he needed to know he was ok.

He needed to know he didn’t get Marcus killed.

“You can go see him, I just need to make sure you don’t topple over on the way,” The woman scoffed.  ‘Let me help?”

Luca paused for a moment, looking her up and down, hesitating. He shakily reached out a hand to take hers, letting her pull him to his feet and provide support as he got his balance. His legs felt shaky, every inch of him sore, but he ignored it in favor of focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, staring hard at the floor.

The woman helped him out of the bedroom, taking them around a corner, but Luca paid little attention to the hallway.  He just needed to get to Marcus.

She stopped, opening a door and helping Luca into a small, cozy looking bedroom, similar to the one he was in.  There were two twin sized beds against the corners of the room, both covered in comforters, one empty and one...one had Marcus.

Luca stumbled forward, ignoring the woman’s rebuke as he grabbed onto the footboard of Marcus’s bed, sitting down heavily on it.

“He’s asleep.” She said gently, watching them.  “He dislocated his shoulder and I think bruised a rib, but he’s looking mostly ok, besides the damage from the cold and water itself, that is.  He got hypothermia, naturally, and we think pneumonia was why he got sick.”  She sighed, tilting her head and smiling a little, sadly.  “He was asking for you.  I’m..gonna take a wild guess that you aren’t his brother, considering what the news is saying about you,”

Luca’s head snapped up to look at her, terror running through his veins.  He leaned over Marcus protectively, almost feeling feral.  He was not letting them take him.  He wasn’t planning on letting Marcus anywhere out of his sight now that they were together.

“Calm down, if I was gonna turn you guys in I would’ve done it by now, don’t you think?” She said calmly, leaning against the doorframe. Luca didn’t move away from Marcus, instead settling down next to him and looking over the boy anxiously.  His shoulder was wrapped to support it, bruises running along almost all the visible skin showing above the blankets.

“C,Can I stay with him?” He asked quietly.

“Of course, hun.”  The woman said softly, smiling.  “I’m Marie,”

Luca looked up at her, the need to be able to trust someone ruling over the uncertainty.  

“I’m Luca,” He murmured, looking back at Marcus.

“Luca,” Marie repeated, like she was testing the name. “Well, Luca, welcome to our safehouse.”

--

Maria let him stay with Marcus, although she insisted he get in bed too to rest.  So he stared at the door long after she left, feeling like a horse ready to spook as he curled up next to the teenager.  He didn’t dare touch him much, not with him hurt, but his head just almost on Marcus's shoulder and a hand touching his shirt just a little was enough to reassure him. Listening to his soft, even breaths, the gentle rise and fall of his chest and shoulders, was enough.

Marie came in a few times to check on them, finding them in the same spot each time. Luca refused to leave Marcus’s side all night, curled close to him under the blankets. He still felt awful himself, limbs aching unbearably, and he found himself dozing next to Marcus even as he tried to stay awake. He’d sleep just for a minute. Maybe a few minutes.

Luca’s eyes blinked open, sunlight coming in through the curtains in the bedroom, illuminating the small space. He hadn’t meant to sleep, just rested his eyes, he thought. Luca groaned, going to burrow himself further under the blankets but stopped, looking down. Marcus has turned around, tucked close to Luca’s chest with his small arms holding on tightly. The teenager was still asleep as far as Luca could tell, clinging to him fiercely.

I used to hold her like this,

He blinked, the thought seeming to come out of nowhere. A flash of soft, sunset orange, a child’s laugh, birthday candles and thunder and wrapping someone in a blanket and telling them everything was gonna be ok-

And then, as quick as it had come, it was gone.

Luca fought hard to grasp onto the memory, onto that image, but it slipped right through his fingers as if he was trying to grab hold of water. ��For a reason Luca couldn’t quite understand, tears filled his eyes as he stared at the wall, feeling like he’d suffered a huge loss that he couldn’t even pinpoint.

“Luca?”

His eyes snapped down to Marcus, the boy blinking tiredly up at him. His voice was wavering, almost unsure.

“A,are you, um, are you real?”

The question made Luca tilt his head in slight confusion, watching Marcus carefully.

“A,am I..real?” Luca repeated. “I, um, I think so?”

A small, tired smile formed on Marcus’s face, and he hugged Luca tightly, burying his face against his chest.  Hesitantly, Luca wrapped his arms around the boy and hugged him close, and the other melted into it.

Somehow this felt familiar, like the memory.  It was gone now, so Luca opted to hold on tight to Marcus, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn’t slip away again, like that distant memory.

He jumped at a soft knock at the door, looking up to see Marie. Subconsciously he pulled Marcus closer to him, still defensive.

“Just came to see if you guys wanted to come down for breakfast,” She called softly.  “We’ve got a few other runaways here, and Mia made some breakfast.”

Luca looked down at the teen, who seemed to know who she was talking about.  Marcus nodded, pushing the blankets off them and trying to swing his legs over the bed. Luca observed the dark bruises lining his legs and arms, wincing.  He was sure he had his fair share of his own, from the aching feeling, but he didn’t bother checking under the long sleeves or sweatpants.

Marie smiled and let them follow her down the stairs, Marcus close beside Luca and holding onto his sleeve.  Being significantly smaller and shorter than the escaped box boy, Marcus was able to easily hide himself behind the other.

It was hard to walk but they managed, making their way down the stairs and into the kitchen where there was rowdy conversation going on.  There was laughter, the scraping of chairs against the wood floor, the smell of freshly made food.

There were more people than Luca expected in the kitchen, and he almost took a step back before they spotted him.  The room went quiet, eyes turning to them as they stood in the doorway.

“Everyone, this is Luca and Marcus,” Marie smiled, then pointed at a tan woman at the stove, dishing up plates.  “That's my wife, Mia, we run the safehouse together.  The rascals at the table are Kendric, Ari, and Simon.  We have a few more, but they might just be sleeping in.”

Kendric, a tall blonde, waved and smiled, holding a mug of coffee and sitting at the table next to Simon, who matched him in height but had a lot larger build.  They both looked friendly, though.  Ari barely spared them a glance, working intently on a puzzle laid out on the table .

“Come have a seat, we’ll get some food for you guys,” Mia welcomed them in, gesturing to some empty seats.  “Simon, where’s Oliver?  He didn’t eat dinner last night, he needs to get down here and get some food.”

Luca sat down hesitantly, Marcus slipping into the chair beside him.  They barely had time to blink before plates were set in front of them, eggs and biscuits with gravy looking irresistible.

“He’s upstairs, he was having some issues last night and I finally got him asleep a few hours ago,” Simon said quietly, leaning back in his chair as he ate his own food.  “I’ll bring him some when he wakes up, he needs sleep right now.”

Mia just nodded, turning back to her work.  Marie had taken a spot next to her, observing the group.

“So, um, where are we?” Marcus asked hesitantly, leaning close to Luca.  Kendric kept glancing at them, veiled curiosity in his eyes.

“A few hours north of Pittsburg,” Mia answered.  “You two took quite the dip in the river, that's for sure.  Marie had insisted looking around for you guys after all that shit in the news, you’ve got people looking all over the place for you.”

“So..um..are we putting you guys in danger, being here?” The teen paused as he asked the question, fear in his voice.”

“Not any more than we already are,” She said softly, gesturing to the others at the table.  “Everyone here right now except for myself was a rescue.  Even Marie, at one point.”

Luca looked up, mind racing at the idea.

“You guys were all…” He wasn’t sure how to finish the question.

Simon was the first one to move, pulling down his sleeve and showing Luca the barcode on the inside of his wrist.  Luca stared at it, fork in hand.”

“We’re like you, Luca.” He said softly.  “You’re safe here, promise.  You can stay as long as you want.”

“We can’t,” Marcus blurted. “We..we can't stay, we have to get to the border, there’s people waiting for us.”

Mia frowned, leaning against the counter. “No offense, but you’re a teenager, and something tells my Luca might not be-“

“All box boys are of consenting age,” Luca cut in, and Simon winced.

“Yea, we know,” she sighed, not pushing it. “The point is, we’re in the middle of winter, you’ve got police after you, and you really expect us to let you guys go wandering in an attempt to get to Canada? Do you guys even have passports?”

Marcus looked down, fidgeting at the corner of the table.

“No,” he admitted quietly.

“Besides, both of you are hurt. If Canada is an end goal, that’s fine, but you can’t expect us to let two kids walk out into that kind of environment.”

The teenager huffed, slumping down in his chair. Luca didn’t miss the way he grit his teeth and winced when his shoulder moved, but he just shook his head when Luca tried to say something.

They ate quietly, but Luca quickly found himself getting nervous. He was trying to understand Marcus’s plan, and now it..wasn’t happening. Would they stay here? Were they stuck? Would they get found?

In the background of his mind he could still feel the cold water around him, could remember Marcus’s body laid on the shore, unmoving. He could still hear the scream as they hit the ice, the way Marcus struggled to hold onto him as they sank below the water and were torn apart.

He could hear Eugene’s voice right next to his ear, hands pinning him to the wall and eyes turning to Marcus..he couldn’t let Marcus get caught in danger and Marcus wasn’t moving and-

“Luca?”

He flinched when someone touched his arm, blinking and seeing Marcus staring at him. Everyone around the table was observing him quietly, a curious, pitying look in their eyes.

“S,sorry,” he murmured.

“You’re fine,” Mia reassured warmly.  She was quiet for a moment, considering them.  “We have quite a few connections and are near the border, can I get a name?  I could probably get a message up there and make arrangements for you two to get transport.”

That caught both their attention.

“Really? You could do that?” Marcus asked, stifled excitement in his voice.

“Maybe,” Mia emphasized.  “We sometimes get rescues across the border, but it's not easy, and your faces are plastered all over the state.  We’ll let things cool off for a bit after that bridge stunt of yours, and I’ll try and pull some strings.”

“Thank you, oh thank you Mia,” Marcus was up now, wrapping his arms around Mia and hugging her tightly.  She chuckled, ruffling the teens hair playfully.  “Don’t strain your shoulder, kiddo.  And you’re welcome.”

Luca eyed the other apparent runaways, still feeling defensive. Simon was gathering a plate of food as he talked to Kendric, and in the back of his mind he made the connection it must have been for the other, Oliver.

Despite his nervousness and uncertainty, something told Luca these people were genuine, these people were safe.  Marcus seemed to think so, at least, and Luca could trust that. He trusted Marcus.

He continued eating his food, trying to let his worries slip to the back of his mind.  Marcus was ok, they were going to be ok. Luca wanted to protect the teenager, but knew Marcus knew more than him.  He trusted him to have a plan to get them out, to get them free.

They were going to Canada

----

Tag list

@haro-whumps@spiffythespook@simplygrimly@insanitywishes@lonesome--hunter@deluxewhump@elisabethrosewrites@insanitywishes@iaminamoodymoodtoday @bleeding-demon-teeth @lumpofwhump@redstainedsocks  @finder-of-rings

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Take Me Away

A/N: Honestly, every time I look at Hangman, this song plays in my head. This man is bringing the country girl out of me again. 

I didn’t know if I would ever get used to surprises from Adam Page. He’d taken me to his ranch on the first date to ride horses. Our third date had been a day trip floating down the Dan River. Date five had been fishing on a pontoon boat. Out of seven or eight dates, only two or three of them had been low-key dinner dates in town.

           He’d been away for several weeks traveling in Japan on a wrestling tour. The truth was, I’d been lonely without him. I’d taken a drive over to Hangman Ranch almost every day after work while he’d been away. There was a stock of apples in my purse… treats for Paisley, Stoney (the chestnut), and Eclipse (the jet black). Whenever I pulled up, no matter where they were in the field, they made their way over to the fence and popped their heads over the top rail. They munched on apples from my hand as I stroked the soft velvet of their noses.

           I waited patiently for three weeks… waited for the message that said he was home. But when it came late one evening as I was crawling into bed, it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I opened the message to find a photo of the steering wheel of Adam’s truck and a text. Pack a bag. I’ll pick you up at 6:30 in the morning. You can sleep on the way.

***

           I’d been awake since five. The mystery of this sudden trip was enough to keep me from settling into a comfortable rest. After fighting to go back to sleep for almost an hour, I got up and tried to prepare myself for whatever Adam Page had waiting. I’d brushed my teeth, washed my face, and packed the rest of my toiletries. Then I sat, wondering and waiting, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest.

           The knock came at exactly six-thirty. Adam stood on the threshold with his hair in a messy knot on top of his head, aviators hanging from the collar of his t-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of flip flops. He grinned when he saw me, his blue eyes sparkling bright.

           “Hey, Em,” he said by way of greeting. He reached out and looped one arm around my waist to pull me against him. His free hand cupped my cheek, thumb stroking my skin slowly. “God, I’ve missed you.”

           Before I could respond, he dipped his head and his mouth was on mine. It was like the first kiss all over again. A rush of weightlessness rushed into me. I wound my arms around his neck and leaned up on my toes to return the kiss. I could feel him smile against my lips.

           “Let’s get,” Adam said playfully when he broke the kiss. “It’s a long drive.”

           He snatched my suitcase up from beside the door and laced his fingers with mine. As soon as I’d checked the door, he was pulling me insistently down the stairs and outside to the curb. Adam opened the door and helped me up into the truck before stowing my suitcase in the backseat with his bag. When he climbed into the driver’s seat, he leaned into the back and came up with an overstuffed pillow and a fleece blanket.

           “Curl up and go back to sleep. I’ll stop about eight and we’ll get breakfast.”

           “Where are we going?” I asked, knowing just as well that he wasn’t going to tell me.

           He smirked and reached across me to snatch my seatbelt. “You’ll see. Now go to sleep, Em.”

***

           It was easier than I thought to fall back asleep. The rock of the car, the faint sound of Adam singing along with the radio, and the warmth from the heater lulled me to sleep by the time we’d left Aaron’s Creek. Surprisingly, I fell into dreams of horses and wild grass.

           The sun was rising higher in the sky when Adam gently shook me awake. We were idling in a parking spot outside a Cracker Barrel. He hopped out and came around to lift me to the ground. He took the chance to kiss me again, grinning with playfulness. Our fingers twined together as we walked across the parking lot.

           “I’ve always wanted one of those for my porch,” he said wistfully, looking at the rocking chairs lined up outside. I tugged on his arm, pulling him over to them, grinning at the thought of watching the stars come out over the clover grass fields at his ranch.

           I glanced at the price tag and gasped. “Too bad they’re so much. We could have gotten two.”

           When I turned my attention to Adam, he was looking down at me with bright blue eyes and a slow smile. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, lingering for a long moment. I settled my palm against his cheek, my fingers brushing his soft blond beard. “Four hundred isn’t too much to sit with the prettiest girl this side of the Mississippi.”

           “Stop it,” I murmured, blushing and smacking him playfully on the chest.

           His smile turned serious as he tucked loose strands of my hair behind me ear. “You’re beautiful, and don’t you forget it. Now come on, we’re burning daylight.”

           Adam led me inside and asked for a table by the fireplace. It was warm and smelled faintly of woodsmoke, setting my mind onto thoughts of camping and nights curled up in his arms next to a fire. We ordered pancakes, gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, and sausage. He told me about his time in Japan, promising that he would introduce me to his wrestling buddies.

           I was warm and pleasantly full when we finally walked back to the truck. Adam turned to look at the chairs again as we passed by. “We’re comin’ right back here on the way home, and I’m buyin’ two of them.”

           He hooked his arm around my neck and drew me close as we crossed the lot. I couldn’t help but giggle at the lingering kiss he left on the top of my head. He laughed when I pushed away from his side and raced him to the truck. The locks opened, and I climbed the runner and opened the door.

           “Come on, cowboy,” I called over my shoulder as I scooted into the cab. “We’re burning daylight!”

           His laugh got deeper and brighter as he jogged around to the driver side and hopped in. As soon as he put the key in the ignition, he reached toward me, curling his fingers around the back of my neck and pulling me in to a playful, laughing, grinning kiss.

           Then we were back on the road. I watched the world roll by outside the truck. It was flat for a while, then began climbing higher, winding through mountains tinged in blue and green. Virginia had faded away, given in to the North Carolina Piedmont and then the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

           It wasn’t until he pulled off the highway that I realized where we were going.

***

           The house came into view after a slow, meandering drive through heavy woods. First came the highest peaks of the roof, grey slate mixed with limestone and brick. Stained glass windows and a three-story house that looked like a castle from a fairytale. Adam slowed to a crawl as we drove through the wrought iron gates and across the carriage road. The sprawling front lawn spread out to my right, the fountain in the center spraying a curling jet of water into the air.

           The Biltmore Estate was bigger than I’d ever imagined. “Oh, Adam…” I squealed into my fingers. “This is… are we going to go in? Are we taking the tour?”

           He laughed and reached out to squeeze my knee. “Em, we’re going to stay in the Inn. I made sure to get us a room where you can see the house. We can take the tour every day if you want.”

           I looked back at him, not caring that the truck was rolling through a gate and down a narrow road away from the house. “Every day?”

           “Three days. Anything you want, you get,” Adam replied, looking sheepish. “I hope… did I do okay?”

           My heart thumped hard in my chest. He looked so young in that moment with the blush highlighting his cheekbones and the faint, worried smile. I reached for his hand, too overcome to say much of anything. My fingers squeezed his as I tried to put my thoughts and feelings into words.

           After another twenty minutes, Adam pulled into a parking spot next to a sprawling hotel that looked very much like the house itself. The radio played on, filling the cab with the sounds of banjos and fiddles. I recognized the song, grinning as I thought how fitting it was to that moment. I shimmied closer to Adam, resting my head on his shoulder.

           “Cowboy, take me away,” I sang softly, threading my fingers with his. I closed my eyes, feeling the tears bubble up. “Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue…”

           Adam pressed his lips against my forehead. His nose bumped my cheek, silently asking for me to look up. When I did, he curled his fingers against my cheek and kissed me so delicately but so strongly that it took my breath straight from my lungs.

           He settled his forehead against mine, his thumb stroking my cheek. I could feel his breath ghosting along my skin. My heart gave a steady thump, pushing certainty into my veins.

           “Adam…” I stopped, drew a deep breath, licked my lips.

           “I love you, Em,” he said quietly.

           His blue eyes were closed, squeezed tight as if he was bracing for a blow. As if he thought for one second that I didn’t feel the same way. I smiled and curled my fingers around the back of his neck, feeling tears start to slip down my cheeks.

           “I love you too, cowboy.”

@mox-made-me-do-it

[wildegreenlight]

you

A/N: because I cannot get enough of Shell Cottage, or the nobleness of Ron’s bare feet...

This is the third installment of this missing moments series. Together they make a nice story, but they can be read independently.

Just  in case

Much love to the always amazing @callieskye You are the wind beneath my wings and the biscuit beneath my gravy! Thank you for polishing the rough edges of my fic!

I apologize in advance for butchering the French...remember: everything I did, I did out of love ;)

Wind whipped the edges of the borrowed dressing gown and she burrowed herself deeper into the curve of his arm. She couldn’t even lie to herself; it wasn’t the cold that made her relieved when he completed the circle with his other arm, pulling her close to his chest. She was vaguely aware of the others saying something: Luna, her voice as light as a bird’s song why had she not appreciated how beautiful her voice was before? She felt Ron speak, but couldn’t quite make out his words.

All she really could hear was the sound of the surf and the steady beating of Ron’s heart. She didn’t think she’d ever been so grateful for a sound before.  She scrunched her eyes shut for a moment to try and better fix it in her mind. Thub thub. Thub thub.  Pressing her ear even closer, the sound took over; convincing her, reassuring her that he was actually alive, that they were alive, and they were here together. How was it possible to feel so safe and warm when the world was literally in shambles at your feet? 

Feet. Ron’s feet. 

Once they were back in the cottage, Ron walked with her toward the stairs. After so many months of being on their own, having so many people around was making her more than a little anxious. She wondered if he felt the same. More than anything right now she needed to be alone with him.

“You need to rest, let me take you up,” he looked at her so tenderly that she almost couldn’t breathe.

“I’m fine,” it wasn’t a lie, just an exaggeration, “I could use a trip to the loo though.” 

“Ok, I’ll come with,” his face flushed at his unintentional forwardness, “I mean, I’ll wait in the hall ‘till you’re done...I...I don’t think you should try the stairs alone yet.”

“Thank you...I think that’s a good idea.”

If she walked a little slower than was absolutely necessary there was no harm in it, it was best to be cautious with dark curses wasn’t it? And if it kept his arm around her a few more minutes, that was okay too, wasn’t it? 

At the end of the hallway he paused at the open door, stepping slightly away from her so that she might go inside alone. The absence of his arm around her made her unsteady, and she swayed slightly. Ron quickly cupped her elbow, looking more than a little panicked.

“Woah,” she smiled at him to calm his fears, “maybe I should sit for just a bit.”

“Here,” he turned her toward the room he had carried her into hours earlier, all but lifting her this time as well, “chair or bed?”

“Bed,” she shook her head when he tried to guide her toward the pillows, “but just to sit...will you sit with me?”

“Of course, but if you are tired I can sit in the chair while you sleep.”

“No, this is better,” she closed the tiny space between them, pressing her left side against his right.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” 

Once again he wrapped a protective arm over her shoulder, and she gave a contented hum before she could stop herself. But why would she stop herself? Wasn’t that a child’s game? Were they not past all that? Time and doubt were not luxuries they could afford. Any doubt she may have harbored about his feelings had died a noble death on a cold floor and been swept out to sea while he clutched her in his arms.

“Ron,” once again she looked down at his bare feet, pale against the cheery rug.

“Yeah?”

“What happened to your shoes?”

“Uhm...my shoes?”

Hermione already knew the answer, had seen them on Dobby’s feet before Bill had completed the burial, but she wanted to see what he would say. And even though it meant losing some of their closeness, she changed positions so that she was facing him.

“Well, Dobby...you know how he loves...loved,” he turned toward her, “he loved socks...and trainers. And it just didn’t seem right, ya know, for him to not have any...for, well, forever...and it was the least I could do. I mean seeing as how he saved...he saved you.”

He passed the back of his hand over his cheek and let out a huge sigh.

She let her hand find the warmth of his knee, “Us...he saved all of us.”

“Well at the time I wasn’t really thinking about anyone else,” he took her hand in his for emphasis. “There’s no way I could ever pay him back, but I had to at least do something.”

She studied his face. The simple, noble earnestness in what he had said. How could someone have such pure intentions? Give and expect nothing in return, not even recognition?

“I think it was perfect,” she laced her fingers between his, “but he wasn’t the only one that saved me.”

Ron was already shaking his head, she knew this wouldn’t be easy. 

“You saved me.”

“No,”he lowered his eyes dejectedly. 

“You offered to take my place,” she dipped her head lower, trying to bring his eyes to hers.

“Didn’t do any good,” he said it so softly that he wasn’t even sure she’d hear it. 

“Is that what you really think?”

He did look at her then, his eyes suddenly row-fierce, “It’s what I know, Hermione! She hurt you and I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it!” 

There, that’s better. He wasn’t the only one good at strategy. She raised her voice just enough to match his. 

“No one else made that offer...YOU did! You didn’t even hesitate!” Could he honestly not see what that those four words had meant to her? Have me! Keep me! 

“You have to believe I’d give anything for it to have been me and not you.”

He was doing that thing he’d been doing ever since his return: not exactly backing down from her, but not challenging her too fiercely either. Not this time! 

“Of course I believe it!! Can you believe that I would give anything to keep that from happening?”

“Don’t say that,” his words struggled to free themselves from his clenched jaw.

“Why not...why are you the only one that can make the sacrifice? Why are you the only one that gets to show how they feel? Why, Ron?”

“Because..because I don’t deserve it!!” He ignored her look of admonishment, making a small concession, “Not yet...maybe I never will.”

Hermione looked down at their joined hands, noticing the cluster of tiny scars on his forearm. Tracing them with the index finger of her free hand, she thought of what a ridiculous word deserve was. Deserve was a word that tried to make the world a world where things made sense. A world where, if you did as you were told and read all the right books and brushed your teeth and finished your homework, you got to live happily ever after. A world an arrogant, privileged, eleven year-old-Hermione believed in and worked ardently for. A world that this Hermione knew was nothing more than a lie. 

“And you think I do?” 

“You know I do.”

“If you think so much of me, why can’t you trust what I think of you?” She could tell he didn’t have an answer for that. “I don’t really believe in ‘deserving’ any more...but if anyone does, it’s you.”

“I left.”

“You came back.” 

It was that simple, in her mind anyway, but she understood him well enough to know that for him it would take time. She breathed a wordless prayer that they would be given that time. When she looked back over it all now, she understood that it had all been rolling faster and faster. It had started with a dirty nose, a fat rat, and an insufferable know-it-all. 

“You saved me from a troll.”

“I called you a nightmare.”

“I am a nightmare,” before he could protest she added, “but I’m working on it.”

He laughed despite himself, and she realized just how much she had missed his laughter-just how much she wanted a future full of that sound. They were heading toward the end, she could feel it. It was like reading a good book, you see how few pages are left. And you want to know so desperately how it ends, so you read faster and faster. But then you think, once I know, it’s over, so you slow down and try to soak in each word, to make it last as long as possible. 

For all those years doubt had been the barrier she feared to cross. So now that it wasn’t doubt that restrained her, what was it? She didn’t know if there was a word for it exactly, but kissing him now would feel like cheating. Like skipping to the last page of that book and ruining the ending. 

“Well, at least you’re not a ‘complete arse’” 

They were back on safe, familiar ground. She knew she could only push him so far; he wasn’t ready to see himself as she did, but in all fairness she could say the same of herself. Maybe for now it was enough that they could see the best in one another.

“Complete was probably a bit of an exaggeration,” she held up her thumb and index finger, making the tiniest gap possible. 

“Good to know your sass is still securely in place.”

“Learned from the best.” 

“The best, huh?”

She nodded, adding a wink and a smile before leaning fully into him. The hug was tighter than was entirely good for the soreness in her bruised body, but no amount of pain would have kept her from it. Neither of them bothered to move when Fleur came tentatively in the doorway.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but I ‘ave some shoes for you, Ron. Zey may be a bit too small.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” he turned his head toward his sister in law, but did not let go of Hermione, “Thank you...for everything.”

“No need to mention it, we are family, no?” 

Hermione looked up to see Fleur smiling widely at both of them. There had been a time that she had felt contempt for the woman who had so graciously opened her home to them, but now she felt nothing but gratitude. It was funny how time changed some things. 

“Really Fleur, thank you...I’m not your family, so I can mention it.”

She turned then to leave but threw back a casual, “N'êtes-vous pas?” over her shoulder. 

“Nous devrons attendre et voir,” and even though she understood the language better than she spoke it, her meaning must have been clear because the jingle of Fleur’s laughter could be heard as she went back down stairs. 

[lovemesomesurveys]

“a_y”

ABY

Last time you held a baby? It’s been several years.

Do you still own a blanket or stuffed animal from when you were a baby? Yes.

What’s your favorite baby animal? Puppies and baby giraffes (calves). Let’s be real; though, most baby animals are cute.

How much did you weigh/measure as a baby? 7 pounds something ounces.

Have you ever been called a crybaby before? I call myself that cause I am.

Do you think maybe you’ll continue this survey? I will.

ACY

Do you own any lacy undergarments? Nope.

Have you ever taken racy photos of yourself before? No.

How often do you feel spacey? It happens sometimes. Like brain fog.

Do you know anyone named Tracy or Casey?  No.

ADY

Are you a lady or a man? I’m a lady. That makes it sound fancy for some reason haha.

Do you know anyone who acts a little shady? Yes.

Do you like The Real Slim Shady? Yeah. Not to brag, but I can rap the whole thing. Super cool, I know. haha.

Do you prefer shady areas when it is overly bright/warm outside? Yes. 

AGY

Do you know anyone who acts cagy? Yeah.

AKY

Do you like flaky biscuits? With country gravy.

Who do you know that is a bit flaky? Hmm. 

Last time that you felt shaky - and why? Last month cause of a panic attack.

Do you know anyone who does reiki? Not that I know of, but maybe?

Is any part of your body achy right now? I have a headache. :/

ALY

Have you ever touched a scaly fish? Ew, nooo.

Have you ever been cornered in a dark alley? No.

Last time you went to a bowling alley? Over 10 years ago.

Do you live in a valley? No.

Do you know anyone named Allie, Callie, or Hallie? Nope.

Do you sometimes keep a tally of things? Sometimes.

Last rally you’ve been to? Not since high school.

Did you ever attend a pep rally before? Yeah.

Have you ever been in a galley? I’m guessing this is supposed to be gallery? If so, I’ve been to an art gallery.

ANY

Would you consider yourself to be zany? I do think I’m weird.

How about brainy? No.

Last food you ate that was grainy? Wheat bread.

Do you prefer rainy weather? Yessss.

ARY

What is something that is scary to you? The future.

Are you overly hairy? No.

When you bake foods, do they come out light and airy? I haven’t baked for a few years, but I think I make pretty good cupcakes from the box haha.

What’s your favorite kind of berry? I guess strawberry. I haven’t had any in several years, though.

Who do you think thank you will marry? No one.

Do you say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”? “Merry Christmas.”

Do you have a dairy-free diet? I’m lactose intolerant, so I use soy or almond milk in coffee drinks, cereal, or for dipping cookies or brownies in. I’d obviously use it to drink as well, but I don’t like drinking milk by itself. I do eat a lot of cheese, but that doesn’t seem to bother me? And some foods and drinks I have have some dairy in them. I guess for me I can’t have just straight milk. 

Is Tinkerbell your favorite fairy? Yeah.

Have you ever been on a ferry before? No.

Would you consider yourself to be ordinary or extraordinary? I’m very average and ordinary.

How often do you use a dictionary? Not that often, but if I do need to look up a word I just use Google.

Do you know anyone named Mary, Terry, Jerry, Larry, Carey, Perri, Sherry, or Gary? Sherry.

Do you like cherry flavored foods? Cherry flavored tastes like cough syrup, blech.

Are you wary of others? Yes.

How much weight can you carry at once? Not much at all. I’m a weakling. 

Did you used to read the Little House on the Prairie books? Yeah.

Last person you had to bury? I didn’t do the burying, but my dog, Brandie, is buried in my backyard. RIP, sweet girl <3

AVY

Which type of gravy do you prefer? I like country gravy, pork gravy, turkey gravy.

Do you like the color navy blue? Yes.

Do you know anyone who is in the Navy right now? No.

Do you know anyone who “rides the gravy train”? No.

Is your hair wavy at all? Yeah, it’s naturally wavy.

AXY

Are your ears very waxy? No.

Have you ever ridden in a taxi before? Yes.

Maxi pads or tampons? Pads.

AZY   

Has anyone ever called you crazy before? Jokingly, yeah. I’ve said that seriously about myself many times, though.

Do you like daisy flowers? Sure.

Is your memory hazy sometimes? Sometimes, but I generally have a pretty good memory.

Do you feel like being lazy today? That’s everyday for me. Though, it’s more so just lack of energy and motivation.

[a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[jamlally]

Ohana

This was written for the 25 days of Christmas Challenge that is hosted by  @panicfob .  The Day 20 Challenge prompt was Family dinner

Warnings: Stupidity and Fluff

Pairing: None  - it’s just some silliness with some of the Avengers team.

Summary: Family means different things to different people. Family grow and change but despite everything families share.  This one is more of a Drabble than a full one shot

The noise around the table was at its usual low din and everyone seemed to be having a good time.  Belle watched as dishes were passed around and laughter filled the air.  This was perhaps what she enjoyed the most about having these new people in her life, the simple way that they would come together in what ever configuration was there and made things feel good.  They weren’t all best buddies, and they had their disagreements but at the end of the day they came back together.

“Get the fuck out of here”. Clint’s voice rose over the others as he disagreed about something with Same

“Ohhh don’t worry I got this Cap ‘LANGUAGE”” Tony called out getting a laugh from Natasha and the middle finger from Steve.  Belle just shook her head, this chaos somehow made her feel more at home and not uncomfortable. This kind of chaos she was learning, was a good thing. It didn’t make her heart pound with anxiety, it made her feel welcome. It had taken a while for the feeling to sit well with her.  Feeling welcome wasn’t anything she had ever really experienced before she joined this group.  Tolerated sure, but welcome was a while new ball game.  For a  long time she hadn’t felt worthy .  She hadn’t done even half of what these people had. She hadn’t lost and sacrificed what they had, why, when all of that was taken into account would they welcome her?  

One night when she was feeling particularly low she had taken herself off to the gym to run on the treadmill. It wasn’t something she enjoyed by any means, usually preferring to be outside to exercise, but it was a way that she felt she could almost punish herself for taking something that wasn’t hers. 

She was fairly sure it was sweat and not tears that were running down her face when Natasha had walked in.  The other woman wasn’t dressed to workout, and when she headed straight for Belle, she knew that for some reason she was the Widows target.  Pulling out her earphones she had slowed her pace and waited for the other woman to speak

“Tony was looking for you.  I told him I would have a look around before he set FRIDAY on the job.  You’ve seemed on edge all day”

Belle had kept her eyes forward only taking quick glances at the red head “Thanks for the heads up.  I’ll give him a shout when I’m done here”. Secretly she hoped that her short response would have Nat leaving, luck was not on her side 

“How about this is what happens. You can keep running.  I’ll send a message to Tony and when you’re done we can have a quick chat

It was clear from her tone that it wasn’t a suggestion but in fact what would be happening. That being the case Belle saw no point in answering and instead upped the pace and set about completing another 3 miles.

Natasha had just sat and paid what ever it was she was reading on her phone, not looking up until she heard the treadmill start to slow.  Then she pick dup a bottle of water, tested it open and waited for Belle to come over to the bench she was sitting on 

Belle had been grateful for the water as she sat and rubbed over her head and face with the towel waiting to see just what was on the Widows mind

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, if for no other reason that I’m fairly sure Tony will show up and even more sure you don't want him involved in this conversation.  The thing is I’ve been watching you Belle Porter and I like what I see but I also understand a little of what you’re feeling I think.  You’re family didn’t treat you well, they didn’t make sure you had the experiences that children and young adults need to be comfortable around others.  They didn’t treat you with love and affection.  Now you’re drowning.  All of us, we’re puling you into water that you don't know how to navigate, and it’s scary as hell.  I know, I felt the same thing,  There is a bit of you that says why me?  Why are these people looking out for me?  Why do they care,  they’re too good.  In the past, well it’s safe to say there were a lot of black marks against me because of it yet these people, they welcomed me and gave me a home,  You’re right to think that they are good, but don’t ever believe they are perfect.  We all have our flaws, issues and mistakes, but being in this group makes us better. Whether you believe it or not you deserve to be here, you deserve our love and even when it makes you feel like running and screaming we will understand, because each of us have been there.  Just think on it Belle ok?”  Natasha had stood squeezing her shoulder “Now unless you want Tony seeing you like this I would suggest a shower and then you go find him”.

Belle had ended up taking her advise and when Tony asked what was wrong, she had just told him she had been feeling stressed but that everything was fine.  Being more perceptive than she gave him credit for Tony had kissed her head and told her that he was there for her, good bit and not so good bits included.

Now Belle found herself looking around the table and smiling. She knew that she had lost the last of her biological family by choosing to stay here and follow her dreams, and while a small part of her would always regret that, she was building a new family here. 

“Biscuits”

Belle blinked snapping her attention back to Wanda who sat opposite her “I’m sorry Wanda - I was miles away, what were you saying”

Wanda gave her a soft smile of her own “I was asking if you would like some biscuits”. 

“OH um, you know I think I’ve got enough for now thank you though”

“The food is amazing. I hope Tony kept the number for these caterers”

Belle nodded her agreement “Even if he didn’t I know that FRIDAY has a log of all the planners and caterers that he’s used.  The food is spectacular.  I love that it’s not super fancy though”

Wanda inclined her head “It’s kind of homey.  It fills your stomach and your heart if you know what I mean”

“Yeah I get what you’re saying, though I figure that we will all be passed out in an hour when were full to the brim”

Wanda gave a small chuckle “You are probably right, but there are worse ways to end an evening you know”.

Belle scooped up another forkful of the juice chicken and gravy and took a moment to just enjoy the rich flavors as she chewed

“You know I do my best to not, intrude, on other thoughts but I couldn’t help but pick up the flavor of your thoughts. I won’t tell anyone but I need you to know that if you ever want to talk to anyone I’m here and I understand a bit of what you are going through.”

Belle made eye contact and just tilted her head slightly, her mouth still full to indicate that she was listening

“I had a brother you know, Pietro.  He made a choice to help someone and it cost him his life.  I can’t begrudge him his choice but it can be lonely and Christmas, even more so.  It makes the mind wonder you know”

Belle gave Wanda a soft smile.  She had heard the name but hadn’t made the connection that he was related to Wanda

“I’m sorry Wanda. That must be so hard for you.  Do you do anything special to remember him?”

“Oh I put an extra ornament on the tree, it’s the Peregrine falcon. Did you know that they are the fastest animal on earth, they are free and masters of the air.  My brother had the gift of speed and even though he is  gone from here he is free now and nothing will limit where he can go”.

Belle could see that Wanda seemed to be fully at peace with what she was saying “I know it is somewhat different, but if you need to talk, then you know that I have a good ear, yea?”

Belle reached out and wrapped her hand around Wanda’s “Thank you, for telling me about him, and about your offer.  I don’t regret my decisions, but sometimes it is hard.  If you ever want to talk more about your brother then I am always available to talk and share coffee, or cocoa”

“And what pray tell, are you wonderful ladies whispering about at this end of the table?” Tony’s arm came to rest over the back of Belle’s chair. Wanda dipped her head and Belle turned her focus to her lover.  

“Now that would be telling.  We covered a lot of ground, from the wonderful caterers to just who would look better dressed as Santa” 

Tony wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a grin “Well we all know what you answered to that don’t we”

Belle nodded “Of course we do baby - Clint would make the best Father Christmas” 

Tony snorted and pressed a kiss into Belle’s temple taking a moment to breath in her scent “You tell yourself that baby”

He turned his attention back to the conversation going on further up the table giving them back the semblance of privacy

Wanda waited until he was involved in the conversation before leaning in a bit closer under the guise of passing Belle some corn “He worries about you - he wants you to be happy more than just about anything “

Reaching for the corn Belle glanced over at Tony who had his head thrown back in laughter his hand banging on the table her eyes softening “He is a big part of the reason that I can be as happy as I am.  He’s a good man Wanda”

“In a lot of ways if the media is to be believed” 

Belle laughed a little harder “I don’t kiss and tell” she leaned in again “but let’s just say the media don’t have a full appreciation of what they are talking about”

Wanda blushed and coughed a little drawing the attention of the others.  Wanda waved them off with a wave of her hand and the table settled back into conversations that ebbed and flowed.

Bucky had served the figgy pudding, along side the catered deserts and it went down well, with a lot of joking about who received each of the tokens.  Steve had of course been the first to dig in and between Bucky and Belle the others were talked into trying a piece.  Natasha and Bruce had been happen enough to receive the thimble and button.  Tony had acted annoyed when he hadn’t received the silver coin but seemed secretly pleased to receive the wishbone.  Steve was the King and Belle received the anchor and Tony, Clint and Sam had taken delight in ribbing Steve.  When Bucky had explained the anchor Tony had nodded to his one time enemy and kissed Belle on the cheek making a promise that they both understood. They would make sure that this promise came true.  He had seen Wanda and Belle in discussion and he knew if he asked Belle would tell him her side later.  She wouldn’t betray Wanda but when it came to herself she would be open.  This was his family and they would look out for each other no matter what.

[mor-beck-more-problems]

Resolution || Solo

For her birthday, Morgan Beck decided it was safe enough to visit Al’s Diner alone. It was eight, an auspicious time only because it after the elderly dinner rush but before students with free Friday’s would come stumbling in to eat away their benders. 

Morgan smudged the snow into her pea coat before walking in. It was a Goodwill find with cat hair from its last life stuck to the wool, but it was still designer, and Morgan prickled in her cheeks to be seen wearing it in town, lest it draw someone’s attention and send rogue ripples into the universe she wouldn’t be able to call back. She couldn’t stomach embracing full-on-frump; her mother had raised her right, except for all the lying, and she worked hard enough at being pretty not to cover it up. No, Morgan wanted to look nice. Just not...too nice. Not ‘hey universe, you almost forgot about me but here I am getting cocky and cozy’ nice. 

The bell over the door jingled as she came in, dulled and muffled with neglect. A tarnish-splotched mirror showed her reflection, warped with self-consciousness and perhaps too big a smile for the venue. Morgan only let herself look at it for a moment; doing anything else would only make her sad.

“Hi Nikha!”

Nikha grabbed a menu without looking up from her notepad. “Sit anywhere you like. Want your tea?”

Morgan hadn’t thought out her evening this far. This time of year, it took her an hour just to decide whether to leave her apartment. She stopped and considered the risks: it was a Thursday, just before the full moon. Thursdays were a little charged with expectation, this close to the weekend, but the waxing period was the time for pulling energy to oneself; going a little fancy would be like swimming out to sea in a crowd. Granted, it was a special Thursday for her, but...

“I didn’t think it was going to be a hard question,” Nikha said.

Morgan gave her brightest apology smile. It was old hat by now, easier than making explanations. “About that. Actually, I would like a hot cocoa, please. With whipped cream.”

“O-kay.” She eyed Morgan, who was holding her smile for good measure, like she might drop her face and shout boo! But the moment passed and Nikha backed towards the kitchen. “Coming right up.”

Morgan ordered a cheeseburger, fat and cooked medium, with hashbrowns instead of fries. 

Having a birthday so close to Christmas meant most Morgan’s parties were attended only by her parents and Mrs. Campell from her mom’s work. After the flood forced them into a new neighborhood, her mom made her a new offer. “I’ll make you anything you want for dinner, as long as it’s something out of the ordinary,” she said. This seemed like an unfair challenge for Morgan, who liked rules as long as they were fair, even the rules of dinner. She asked for burgers and hashbrowns, and stacked the crisp potatoes into her bun when her mother looked underwhelmed with her show of creativity. The next year, Morgan asked for waffles with all the toppings on at once. Another, she had chicken and vegetables doused in maple syrup, though this didn’t quite live up to her imagination. Around fourteen, when Morgan started wrangling oddball friends over for the occasion, she and her mother hatched multi courses together: green beans and bacon, eggplant parm, butter biscuits and chocolate gravy for dipping. If nothing else, it made her known around school for something besides dressing up too much, and this made Morgan sparkle with pride while it lasted. But for herself alone, nothing ever matched this: breakfast and dinner tucked together under a bun. 

“Any desert tonight?” Nikha asked. 

“Yes, please,” Morgan said. “What’s your favorite?”

Nikha rattled off the specials and made a half hearted defense for the chocolate sundae, although they were out of maraschino cherries. 

“What would you want someone to order you for your birthday?” Morgan asked. 

“Easy. That whole damn chocolate cake,” Nikha said, and gestured over her shoulder to a four tier cake iced in crooked swirls and topped with a plastic bow. It took Morgan back to the year she asked for an everything cake, with four cake flavors and three different fillings, all hidden behind ordinary chocolate. Her mom had urged her to do better, and not for the first time Morgan wanted to scream that if it wasn’t good enough for her, she should just decide for herself, and what was so wrong with wanting a cake that was still just a cake anyway? What was so wrong with wanting something nice and normal? 

Morgan’s mother hadn’t told her then. She’d made her the cake and given her an apology by way of a one-armed hug. But Morgan wished she could reach back into their sad, too-small kitchen and shake her. Ask her, was this your stupid way of trying to prepare me? Was this really worth all your energy and power when you could have been fixing our family?

Still, it had been a really nice cake.

“I like the way you think, Nikha,” Morgan said. “I’ll settle for just one slice.”

When the cake appeared on the table, Morgan urged her to have a bite, just one, as a birthday favor, and after enough urging Nikha agreed with a sheepish smile. They looked at each other, and it was almost like bonding.

Morgan paid her bill, tipped well, and watched Nikha’s retreat to the kitchen through the mirror panels. When the coast was clear she took out her candles: black for protection, white for summoning, and purple for remembrance.

She propped them around her in a circle and lit the wicks quickly. The purple one, she squished into the heavy center of her cake. She said her words of cleansing. Her words of blessing. She said the words of gratitude, though her teeth ached to speak them. And at last, she said what she had come to say.

“The bullshit stops here. Not one more year, not one more daughter, not one more fuck-up will I permit from your shadows. I call those responsible to me on my thirty-ninth year. Answer my call.” She reached for the fork, the one Nikha had used, and jabbed it into her dry, peeling cuticles. The blood came quick, and Morgan felt a rush as it connected with the residue of Nikha’s energy, and powered something bigger than she had ever laid her fingers on at her parents’ knee. “Answer my call, by the promises you made and the promises you broke, by the blood we share--” At the edge of Morgan’s attention, Nikha’s body collapsed on the kitchen floor. She’d be fine; it wasn’t like a little saliva and intention could kill a person, at least not that Morgan had been able to guess from her scant reading. But Morgan’s real focus remained on her birthday cake, which had begun to tremble on its plate. Moran raised the fork and flipped through the whole stack of disasters that had followed her here, the secrets that had screwed her over, the pain her family had carried for no good reason, one after the other, she imagined them skewered on the crooked prongs. She stabbed it through the cake flesh, done, and said through her teeth, “So may it be.” 

The cake went still. A drip of wax fell on the icing, and Morgan felt the crackle of energy flutter away. Had she done it? Did she just have to...wait? Or was this one more failure to add to the stack? Somehow, it seemed just about right to Morgan that she couldn’t tell one way or the other. She slumped in her book and picked the candle out, slid the waxy pieces of cake to the corner of her plate, and nibbled at what was left with a clean fork. “Happy thirty-nine, me,” she sighed. “Here’s to not losing everything this year. And to finishing the job.” Morgan swirled a piece into her mouth and let it melt on her tongue. The snow tumbled harder around White Crest and as the buttercream took the edge off Morgan’s disappointment, she found the old bounce in her step and left the diner smiling.

[blacknight1230]

Cool for the Summer - Chapter 5

The Ragnarssons are now squeaky clean, but there’s a new problem. Two, actually. These boys are not only naked, but hungry as well. So, you introduce the boys to delivery pizza. While waiting for the pizza, you decide to look up their names. Only then do you realize these men are actually real live Vikings and have somehow traveled to the future. 

After Hvitserk wrapped his towel securely around his hips, hiding his behind and loins, from your innocent eyes, you decided that the Ragnarsons couldn’t walk around your aunt’s house in only towels. You didn’t want an episode like Hvitserk’s to happen again. You only noticed that you were still in your bikini from before, the article of clothing still a little damp. And your hair might have been dry, but it was a mess. “This isn’t going to work,” you said, causing the men to stop what they were doing, looking at you. “What won’t work?” Ubbe asked, brows furrowed in confusion. “I’m okay with you guys being shirtless, but I rather not be mooned by any of you guys. I’ve already been scarred by Hvitserk’s pale ass,” you explained. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t like to see it again,” Hvitserk teased. “Keep your dick in your pants, brother,” Björn ordered his younger sibling. “I agree with Lady (y/n). I rather not see these sheets fall below any of your hips,” Ubbe said. He was sitting on the coach now, his hand gripping the top of his towel, so it would not slip. “What do you suggest we do, thrall? It’s not like we have clean clothes with us,” Ivar said. “Just give me a minute, I’ll think of something. But first, let me get dressed out of this bathing suit.” “So, you wear that when you bathe? That seems kind of silly,” Hvitserk asked. “No, by bathing, I mean swimming. Nudity is illegal, as is skinny dipping in public,” you tried to explain. “You people seem very different from ours. We all swim in the nude, not caring who sees,” Ubbe said. “I think other people here would think the same about your ways of life. Now, behave while I’m gone!” you said, walking away from the Ragnarsons. 

You made your way through the foyer and up the double staircase, trying to get to the guest bedroom you were using as your own. When you got to your borrowed room, you opened up the suitcase full of packed clothes, pulling out a comfortable outfit to wear around the house. After putting on a colorful graphic tee and fluffy pajama pants, you brushed out the knots and tangles in your (length) hair. Seeing as you didn’t get chlorine in your hair, you didn’t see a need to wash it, as it would be a hassle to dry and style again. Then, you went around the second floor, looking in the numerous closets and wardrobes in the many bedrooms, looking for a least a couple of men’s pants for the Ragnarsons. Somehow, you found several pairs of men joggers and sweatpants in a couple of bedrooms. Why your aunt, who was single by the way, had men clothes in her house, you didn’t know. And you rather not find out. 

Anyway, after you were out of your wet bathing suit, and found some pants for the Ragnarsons to wear, you were just about to go back to the said men when you noticed your phone on the bed. You remembered how the Ragnarsons were so unfamiliar with modern things and that their names seemed familiar in a way. In trance, like someone or something was guiding you, you picked up your phone. You opened the lock screen on the front and opened the app for the Internet. Just as you were about to type, the sound of something breaking interrupted your trance. 

Shit! you thought, quickly running out of the room and towards the living room on the main floor. You skid to a stop, almost running into a end table with a ceramic lamp placed on top as you slid across the hardwood floor. You saw Ivar, Björn, and Ubbe were standing, or in Ivar’s case sitting, still, looking like they were caught red-handed. Even Finn looked like he was caught with his paw in the dog biscuit jar. “Where’s Hvitserk?” you asked when you noticed he was absent. The boys just pointed towards where the crash came from; the kitchen. You rushed into the room, praying that Hvitserk hadn’t broken anything. 

Sadly, this was not the case, as the first thing you saw was Hvitserk surrounded by pieces of broken plates and bowls. You glanced at the blonde, wanting to strike him dead at that moment. Hvitserk nonchalantly just said, “I was hungry.” “So you decided to break every possible piece of table setup as you did so,” you growled. “I was trying to move them to see if anything was hidden behind them.” Hvitserk acting like he did nothing wrong inferated you, but what really made your blood boil was what he said next. “I’m guessing you don’t have any slaves or servants to clean this up, so I’ll leave you to do it,” he said, walking around the mess, towards the entrance way to the living room. “Excuse me?” “What, do you expect me to do it? I’m a prince. We don’t do womanly work.” You strode up to Hvitserk and grabbed him by the ear, pulling him down to you. “Like hell you’re not. You made the mess, you clean it up, whether you’re a so called ‘prince’ or not!” you ordered. Hvitserk kept yelping in pain, struggling to get away from your hold on his ear, but you kept a tight grip on the piece of skin and cartilage. 

The noise you two were making caused the other Ragnarsons and Finn to pop their heads in, curious as to what was going on. When the boys saw Hvitserk struggling as you held onto his ear, grins broke out on their faces and they tried to hold in their laughter. Except Ivar, that is. He laughed loudly at the predicament his brother was in. “Hvitserk, what did you do to end up like this?” Björn said, trying to not smile but failing miserably. “She’s delusional! She expects me to clean like a common servant!” Hvitserk exclaimed. You decided Hvitserk has learned his lesson by now, letting go of his ear. He quickly moved away from you, across the marble island in the middle of the room. Hvitserk rubbed his reddened ear, a put on his face. “I’m may be a woman, but I will not be treated as a maid or housewife by any of you. Here, you are expected to be able to do things yourself, including cleaning up your messes,” you scolded the boys. 

“What were you doing in here in the first place, brother?” Ubbe asked his younger sibling. “I was trying to find food. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a scrap of meat or fruit anywhere,” Hvitserk grumbled. “You and your insatiable hunger. If you’re not hungry then you’re horny,” Ivar complained, rolling his eyes at his older brother. “I can’t help it,” Hvitserk groaned, rubbing his stomach. “If you wanted food, you’ve could have waited for a moment then ask me,” you scolded the blonde haired blue eyed man, as you took a dustpan and broom from a closet. “Now, sweep this up and put it in the garbage while I try to find something for everyone to eat.” Finn started to bark when you mentioned the possibility of food. “Yes, that includes you, too,” you said to the tiny dog. “Also, I was able to find a couple of pairs of pants for you guys. I think I threw them on a coach in the other room. If you could please put them on, I would greatly appreciate it.” “Thank you, Lady (y/n). Now it will be much more comfortable than being only clothed only in a towel,” Björn said. “Ivar, I’ll help you get dressed. First, let’s find something easy for you to get into,” Ubbe said as he rolled Ivar out of the room. “I do not need your help,” Ivar complained. The both them continued to argue, as you handed the dustpan and broom to Hvitserk. Finn was stayed in the room, too, looking at you expectedly. “Come on, pupper, let’s find something for you and the boys to eat,” you said.  

You opened up the cabinet on the kitchen’s island that held the trash and recyclable bins for Hvitserk to put the broken pieces of plates and bowls in. You ignored Hvitserk cursing in his native language and his brothers chuckling at his misery from the other room. You searched the cabinets for anything to prepare a meal with, but found very little ingredients. The same was with the pantry, which was full of healthy snacks and cereals, along with dog gravy. Looking  at the date on one of the boxes of Special K Brownies, you swore that the majority of the stuff in there was probably stale. The last place you looked was the refrigerator. All you saw was half a carton of eggs, salad dressings, a half full quart of milk, and a small bag full of white chicken meat. Sadly, that was for Finn to eat and it wasn’t something you could feed everyone with. You didn’t even try to look in the freezer, expecting to find only ice cube trays full of ice. 

As you closed the fridge door after grabbing the bag of chicken for Finn, you noticed Hvitserk was right behind you. This caused you to jump, almost dropping the small bag in your hand and a yelp leaving your mouth. “Damn it, don’t sneak up on me like that!” you exclaimed, trying to steady your racing heart. “What is this?” Hvitserk asked, ignoring the fact that he almost gave you a heart attack. “What do you mean what’s this? Haven’t you guys seen a refrigerator before?” you asked, confused. “A refridge-ator? What does it do?” Hvitserk questioned, ignoring the question you gave him. “Refridge-ER-ator, or fridge for short. It keeps food cold to make it last longer,” you corrected the man and placed the small bag in your hand on the kitchen’s island. You took out the precut pieces of celery and carrots from the fridge then shut the door to the kitchen appliance. Hvitserk frowned at that, no longer being able to inspect the inside of the giant stainless steel machine. He left to go put on some pants when you started to prepare Finn’s dinner, taking his favorite food bowl and mixing in the white chicken meat, celery, carrots, and dog gravy. When you were done, you placed the bowl on the little mat that also held his water bowl. Finn came running in from the living room at the sound of the metal bowl touching the floor. 

You moved into the living room and told the Ragnarsons, “I’ve looked everywhere and there is nothing to use to make a proper meal,” you said. “That’s fine. My brothers and I will just hunt for some game to eat,” Hvitserk said and moved to grab his weapons from the pile on the other end of the room. “No way are you guys going to kill any animals. Not only will you guys get in trouble for that, but I have a much better way to get us food,” you said. The other boys attention turned to you when you said you were getting food. “How are you going to get food without hunting?” Björn asked, confused by the concept. “Like this,” you said and then pulled out your phone. The boys looked at you with bright eyes full of amazement as you typed in the telephone number of a local pizza place. 

After a couple of rings, a woman’s voice appeared on the other end. “Godfather’s Pizzerias, how may i help you?” “Hi, I would like to make a delivery order,” you said, looking at the Ragnarsons in the corner of your eye. They were looking around frantically for the woman you were speaking to on the phone. It was amusing to say the east. You gave the female pizzeria employee the phone number/address of your aunt’s house and your order of two pizzas. 

After you ended the conversation and the phone call, you were met with wide eyes. The Ragnarsons looked at you with either fear or curiousity in their eyes. “What?” you asked, a little uncomfortable by their stares. “Who were you talking to? How were able to talk to them?” Ubbe asked. “By Odin’s beard, I swear I heard another woman talking but there is no one here besides us!” Björn exclaimed, a bit freaked out by everything. “It’s just a cellphone guys. I use it for many things, but one of them is contacting people from far away without having to see them. It’s harmless,” you reassured the boys. “Is it anything like the refrigerator in the kitchen?” Hvitserk asked. “Refridge- what?” Ivar said, his brows furrowed in confusion. “It’s a machine that keeps food cold. It makes them stay fresh longer,” Hvitserk explained. “I can’t believe you guys don’t know what a phone is. Hell, you don’t even know what a refrigerator is?” you exclaimed in disbelief. “It’s not like we have these ‘things’ in Kattegat,” Ivar scoffed. “I swear it’s like you guys aren’t even from this century,” you mumbled to yourself. 

At that moment, the TV suddenly turned on, the volume blasting as a rock and roll band’s music video played on the screen. The boys screamed; Hvitserk even jumped over the side of the couch in freight. Björn was able to grab his aze and was about to hit the TV screen with the blade when you yelled over everybody. “THAT’S ENOUGH!” The boys stopped at the sound of your voice, strong and authoritative. Even Finn stopped in tracks, hiding underneath one of the couches and whimpering in fear. You stared at the boys like a mother would do to her unruly children, as you grabbed the remote that Ubbe had accidently sat on, lowering the volume but not turning the TV off. “Seeing as we still have 40 minutes left to wait for our food, we’re going to watch TV together,” you said. “And before you ask, this is a TV and it is used for entertainment. I’m not sure how it works and frankly, I don’t care. So sit on the couches quietly with me so I can keep an eye on you.” The boys fearfully did as you told them. Ubbe and Hvitserk sat on one couch and Björn sat in an armchair against the wall, positioning it towards the TV. You sat on the smaller couch as Ivar still sat in his chair. “Ivar, come sit next to me,” you said, patting the spot next to you. Ivar rolled his wheelchair over to the couch, then pulled himself onto the spot next to you. Finn jumped up onto the coach and sat in between you and Ivar. 

With the remote in hand, you switched the channel to Animal Planet, hoping to find a show with cute kittens or puppies to calm you down. Instead of a show like “Too Cute!”, there was a documentary on the animals of the African Savannah. You were going to change the channel, but you saw the Ragnarsons were interested in the show, so you kept it on. Even Finn was watching attitutely the pack of lions hunting their prey on the TV screen. 

As the British narrator described the current situation on screen, you started to get bored. You remembered you had your phone in the pocket of your fluffy pajama pants. The same feeling you felt while in your room came back, the urge to grab your phone and search up the Ragnarsons. You did exactly that, typing in Ragnar. A suggestion caught your eye, that said The Sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. You clicked on the link without a second thought, an article popping up. On it were the names of several men, with short sections describing the feats of the men. You read each one, your heart beating harder as you read about. Ivar the Boneless, Björn Ironside, Hvitserk Ragnarson, and Ubbe Ragnarson. After reading everything, you promptly closed the Internet app and turned off the phone screen. 

Grabbing the remote by your side, you turned off the TV, causing the men around you to groan and complain. “Why did you turn it off, thrall?” Hvitserk complained, a put on his lips, disappointed that his entertainment was interrupted. Ubbe noticed your pale face and wide eyed expression, then scolded his siblings for not noticing. “Be quiet, brothers, something’s not right. (Y/n), what’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Ubbe said, worried about you. “You’re not far from the truth,” you replied, to shocked to filter what you thought and what you said. “What are you talking about, thrall?” Björn said, confused at what you were trying to say. “Guys, I think you traveled from the past to the future.” 

[bourbonboredom]

Silver Lining Chapter 9

If you’re ever gonna find a silver lining, it’s gotta be a cloudy day

A ClydexReader fanfic

Word Count: 2,392

Warnings: NSFW

Silver Lining Masterlist

Tag List: @oh-adam  @kyloren-supreme-ben   @xis23@elsablackswift   @ladygrey03 @grey-reylo-solo  @givemelifeorgiveme  @attorneyl @ayatimascd

He woke up the next morning to the feeling of her kissing his cheek. He opened his eyes, slowly adjusting to the sunlight streaming through her window. She was laying next to him on her side, arm propping up her head as she studied him.

“G’mornin’,” she whispered.

“Mornin’ darlin’,” he mumbled, throwing his arm over her to pull her closer to him. She laughed into his chest.

Memories of last night came flooding back to him. Of him kissing her, of her kissing back, of that kissing leading to other things. It all felt like a dream. She maneuvered her face from his chest to his neck where she kissed a sweet spot, making him groan.

“I left some marks here it looks like, sorry about that,” she kissed the bruises she had made the night before.

“It’s alright I don’t mind it,” he tilted her chin up so he could kiss her lips again. It was chaste and sweet. “And I don’t mind wakin’ up like this either,”

“Me neither, I guess we’ll have to keep it up,” she touched her nose to his, letting her hands trail over his chest, slowly dipping lower to run her fingers along the trail of hair below his navel.

“Mmmm what’re you doin'?” the kisses became more passionate and their hands began to wander more.

“Mmmmm nothin’,” she said in her most innocent voice. She pushed him so he was on his back and straddled him, bringing back more memories of last night. He felt himself growing hard again.

He rested his limb on her hip as his hand went to play with her breasts, continuing kissing all the while. Her hand slowly settled around the base of his cock and she began to lazily stroke him, making him grow harder by the second.

“God, you’re perfect,” he moaned, bringing his hand to her cunt. He could feel she was already wet. He was making this perfect woman wet. She wanted him. And nothing felt better than that.

He brushed his dampened fingers over her clit, making her tighten her grip on his cock. He did it over and over, relishing the feeling of her pacing her strokes in time with his. He pressed his thumb to her clit as he worked two fingers inside of her, making her buck her hips. She broke off their kiss and buried her head into the side of his neck, effectively burying any moans coming out of her mouth.

He felt himself getting closer and closer. The sound of her moans, the feeling of her warmth, the smell of her hair, all helping to tighten the knot that was forming in his stomach. He was so concentrated he wouldn't have heard the knocking if it weren't for her. She instantly perked up, hands flying to his to get him to stop.There was another knock at the door. Her eyes met his, wide with confusion.

“Who could be knockin’ this early in the morning?” she muttered, getting off of him and quickly pulling a pair of pajama pants and his sweatshirt out of her dresser drawer. He smiled to himself when he saw that.

She pulled on her clothes and went to her front door to see who was there. She opened it, and leaned back so she could see Clyde.

“It’s you sister!” she called, opening the door wider to let her inside.

Clyde didn't think he could pull on jeans so quickly with one hand.

His shirt was about half-way on when Mellie noticed him from across the room, a small twinkle in her eye.

“Need a little help there?” she called. Clyde’s face was nearly scarlet, and hers wasn't too far behind. Mellie, on the other hand, looked delighted.

“I’m fine, thanks,” he tugged his limb through the arm hole, getting up to join the girls in the living room. He was met with her trying desperately to avoid any eye contact, and Mellie raising her eyebrows at him.

“I texted you a few times last night, askin’ when you’d be home, I see now you were a little too preoccupied to check your phone,” Clyde gave his sister his best ‘don’t-test-me’ look, but she was immune.

“‘l’ll make everyone coffee and heat up breakfast,” she mumbled as she disappeared into the kitchen. Thankfully, they’d remembered the food that was left out after they’d settled down last night. They’d certainly worked up the appetite to eat afterwords, but most of it wound up packed in the fridge.

Mellie turned to her brother, stepping closer so she could speak in a hushed tone.

“So you finally told her? I mean, I guess you did if you didn't come home last night,”

He tried to continue his ‘don’t-test-me’ look but her smile made it difficult.

“I’m happy for you, you deserve this,” she held out her hand for a fist-bump, which he returned.

“I appreciate that, but did you come all this way just to mess with my personal life?”

“No, I’ll have you know I visited her all the time when you weren’t here, we’re actually friends now. But thats beside the point, I was at Jimmy’s next door before I came here. Wait, does she know anything about our recent family outing?”

“I just told her I liked her, I’m not gonna go scarin’ her off,” he said slightly incredulous.

“Alright, alright, just makin’ sure. I mean, you just found out about the money, Jimmy wouldn't let me tell you in prison, so I dont think Jimmy would be too happy if she suddenly knew everything,”

“I’m not tellin’ her anything,” he kept his voice low as she came back out of the kitchen with coffee mugs.

“Breakfast is almost ready, you’re more than welcome to stay Mel,”

“How kind of you, are those biscuits and gravy I smell? I think I just might then,” she waggled her eyebrows at her brother, who just rolled his eyes and followed her into the kitchen.

———————————

It was mid-November when Jimmy told him it was time to go get the money. He drove in from Virginia and the two of them went to the dump where Earl helped them dig up about a dozen trash bags tied with red bands. Jimmy cut one of them open to show Clyde the bills inside them.

It was more money than Clyde could have imagined. They dropped a bag off at Joe Bang’s and took the rest home to count and divvy up. The three Logan siblings sat in their parent’s old house counting out the hundreds of thousands of dollars they had stolen. To be completely honest, Clyde lost track of the final count. He was so in shock that they had pulled this off. He would never have to think about money again in his life if he planned it right. He’d put a hundred in his wallet and put the rest away for safe keeping.

He tried to act as normal as possible at Duck Tape that night, he wasn't planning on giving up his day job any time soon. He needed the cover, sure, but he liked working there as well as owning it. And it helped that his co-owner and him were going steady.

She had signed the paperwork a few months back, officially making her his business partner. Their professional and personal relationships stayed separate, but both thrived. He was still technically living with Mellie but spent a good chunk of the week at her place. He had brought up living together at one point but she was adamant about having her own space.

“I felt trapped in the last home I shared, I want a space that is just for me for a little while,” she said firmly upon him asking. He understood and never brought it up again.

She and him closed up the bar around 11pm that night. There was a storm that kept everyone home, giving them plenty of alone time. They went through their nightly cleaning ritual with the jukebox playing in the background.

She leaned over the bar to grab a stray glass, causing Clyde to stop and take in her position. Her jeans hugged the curves of her ass, which was sticking out as she bent forward on to the top of the bar. All he could think of in that moment was keeping her bent over and taking her right there. He came up behind her, pressing his hips into the swell of her ass.

“It’d be a lot easier if you just went ‘round the bar darlin’,” he teased.

She wiggled her ass against him as she straightened out, glass still standing at the far end of the bar. She turned her upper body so she could pull him into a kiss. It started sweet but quickly turned into a passionate mess of tongue and teeth. He felt himself grow hard against her as he groped at her breasts. His new arm responded much like a real one would, making his life easier, especially when undoing the button and zipper of her jeans. He worked his way past her layers, brushing his large fingers against her clit. She braced herself on the counter as she felt her knees buckle. He wrapped his other arm around her waist as he plunged two fingers into her pussy.

“So wet for me already?” he said, nipping at her ear. “I’m beginning to think you were leanin’ across that bar on purpose,”

She couldn't do anything but moan in response and grind back against his erection.

“Do you want somethin’?” he circled her clit faster. “If you want somethin’ you gotta use your words sweetheart,”

“Clyde, please!”

“Please what?”

“Please, I want you in me!” words tumbled out of her mouth as she felt his fingers hit all the right places. “I wanna feel you in me, I want your cock, please let me have it,”

“Now, you know I can’t say no when you beg so pretty,” he kissed her neck as he pulled his fingers away.

He let go of her to un-do his own jeans and boxers enough to pull his cock out. She tugged her jeans to her mid-thigh and he bent her back over the bar again. He took his cock in his hand and grabbed at her ass with the other.

“You look so good like this darlin’,” he ran the tip up and down her slit, gathering her wetness on himself.

He pushed into her, bare skin connecting with bare skin. His hands gripped her hips as her core enveloped him.

“God, you feel good,” she drawled out, fingers digging into the counter.

He began to thrust, the sound of skin hitting skin filled the empty bar. She felt so tight in this position, he couldn't get enough of it. He reached his hand around to play with her clit as he pounded into her. She made the prettiest noises when he did that. He was completely caught in this moment. His girlfriend leaning over the counter of the bar, their bar, taking his cock as he pounded into her. He felt himself getting closer, his grip on her hips tightening.

“I’m close,” she warned, knees starting to buckle again.

He started moving faster around her clit, fingers slick with their precum. He applied the amount of pressure he knew she loved, making her pulse around him. Her moans grew more high pitched and frantic, her hips bucking up into his fingers. She was caught between the sensation of him pounding her into the bar and his fingers dancing over that bundle of nerves between her legs. He leaned over to press his face into her neck, whispering words of encouragement in her ear.

“Cum for me sweetheart, I wanna feel you cum on my cock,” He nipped at her earlobe, fingers practically grinding on her clit.

Suddenly her body spasmed. She came hard around him, crying out his name. Her cunt pulsed around him, milking him towards his own orgasm. He stroked her through her climax, waiting for her to come down from her high before he worried about his own.

“I’m close darlin’, how do you want me?” They had forgotten about condoms in the heat of the moment. She had the implant in her arm, but even with birth control they took precautions. He didn't mind, seeing as she always took good care of him.

“Lemme up,” she gently pushed him off of her, allowing her to move him toward the bar and get on her knees in front of him.

She placed her hands on his big thighs, smiling up at him before going to work. She ran her tongue along his cock, tasting herself on it. He groaned, stroking her hair out of her face. She took him in to her mouth, pushing down until he hit the back of her throat. Her nose met the base of his cock and she looked up at him.

“Fuuuuck, you look good like that,” he hissed, willing himself to last a little longer.

She started bobbing her head up and down his length, a hand coming up to graze over his balls.  He felt the knot in his stomach tighten rapidly.

“Shit. Christ sweetheart, I’m— I’m gonna—,” he babbled, feeling his entire body seize, hand gripping her hair, toes curling, head snapping back. She took him back as far as she could, letting him fill her throat as he coated it with him cum.

She pulled her mouth off him, holding the shaft in her hand as she licked his head of any remaining cum until he began to wince from overstimulation.

“That’s enough darlin’,” he helped her to her feet, tugging her jeans back up her legs.

“What got into you? Taking me right over the bar outta nowhere. What if someone saw us, huh?” she teased, buttoning her pants back up and helping with his.

“Just in a good mood is all. Got this whole business that’s been thrivin’, I’m not in prison, and I got this beautiful girl in my life,” He pulled her into a bear hug, making her squeal.

“Well I’m happy that you’re in a good mood,” she brought him into a quick kiss. “I hope it stays that way for a long while,”

[tonkime]

Fire man quotes

#Fire man quotes full

Madder than a pack of wild dogs on a three legged cat. He couldn’t hit the ground if he fell twice!īusier than a one armed monkey with two peckers. Granny cooked enough supper to feed Pharoah’s Army. He was drunker than Cooter Brown on the 4th of july. She’s purtier than a mess of fried catfish. Nuttier than a port-a-potty at a peanut festival. Tighter than a skeeter’s ass in a nose dive. She’s wound up tighter than the girdle of a Baptist minister’s wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. I’m having more fun than a tornado in a trailer park.īoy you got about as much sense as god gave a goose Madder than a one legged woman at the ihop. I’m so hungry, I’d eat the balls off a low flying duck!

#Fire man quotes full

I’d rather jump barefoot off a 6-foot step ladder into a 5 gallon bucket full of porcupines than… That’ll go over like a pregnant pole-vaulter. I’m happier than a punk in a pickle patch. He’s so stupid, he couldn’t find his ass with both hands.ĭon’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. Your mother’s so stupid, she thinks cheerios are donut seeds! That’s harder than a choir boy in a porn shop She’s so ugly when she was a baby her mom fed her with a slingshot This old truck wouldn’t pull a slick prick out of a lard bucket. She has more chins than a Chinese phone book. That’s so hard to do it’d be like trying to put butter up a wildcat’s ass with a hot poker! Madder than a bobcat caught in a piss fire. Were closer than two roaches on a bacon bit. He’s ridin’ a gravy train on biscuit wheels.Īin’t no point in beatin’ a dead horse…’course, can’t hurt none either. That made my nuts draw up so tight you couldn’t reach them with knittin’ needles. That boy is about as sharp as a cue ball.Ĭan’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Wal-Mart. Slicker than a harpooned hippo on a banana tree. If a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his butt when he hops. Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Well she’s finer than a frog hair split 8 ways!īusier then a one legged man in an ass kickin contest!!! Well dip my balls in sweet cream and squat me in a kitchen full of kittens. I’m as confused as a blind lesbian in fish market…. She was so ugly she could trick or treat over the telephoneĭarlin.You’re hotter than donut grease at a fat man convention. I am as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs He fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Get Your Laugh on with these funny redneck sayings:

[rivendellrose]

Okay, but, important question: does “biscuits” here mean what Americans call biscuits or what the rest of the world calls biscuits? 

Since we can’t very well ask the writers of the episode (oh god hang on, I’m pretty sure I know which episode this is even though I haven’t seen it since first-run, it’s going to take me a second to find the title and therefore the writer... okay, yes, this is “The Chase,” season 6 episode 20, story by Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore, screenplay by Joe Menosky -- technically I do follow Ron Moore on Twitter but I’m not gonna bug him about this), we have to make some assumptions. 

Assumption v1: The writers are both Americans, so they presumably meant fluffy bread biscuits of the sort made with buttermilk and served, for instance, with turkey and gravy, or fried chicken.

Check assumption: Klingons seem to have a very meat-centered culinary culture, so it makes sense they would have recipes for savory bread products to go with meat and gravy. Biscuits are good for sopping up meat juices, and that sounds like a Klingon sort of dining experience.

However: It was Gul Ocett (yes, I did look up her name, the only thing I actually remembered about this episode without prompting was that Salome Jens played the alien in the recording the program eventually played and it has always 100% weirded me out that every sentient species in the galaxy was, by extrapolation, seeded on their way by... the female Founder, who apparently is functionally immortal) who first brought up the idea of biscuits, and most Cardassian food we’ve heard of is more on the “tea, eggs, and fish” order rather than meat focused. (Well, and kanar... we can’t forget the kanar...), and it seems more logical somehow for “biscuit” in a Cardassian context to mean “small thing to be eaten with tea.”

This is a bit of a stretch, I admit. But follow me, here, because I have further proof in this line...

Assumption v2: All of the above people are speaking their own language as the Enterprise-D’s computer translates automatically for them. We, the viewers, are presumed to be understanding the alien languages by virtue of the translator as well, via “our heroes’” ability to understand (I say this because in the rare cases when our heroes can’t understand something, we can’t either). By Star Trek tradition, the captain of the ship is generally our main POV character even if other characters are around (and I can’t recall specifically, but I *think* Picard was the only human in this room at this point?). So it would not be too much of a stretch, I don’t think, to say we’re getting the translation in this case from Picard’s POV. 

Picard is canonically French. But Picard is also quintessentially English. No solid explanation for this has ever been presented by canon, as far as I know, so I take the long-standing fandom explanation (that England took the opportunity to conquer their age-old enemy France at some point during the Eugenics Wars or the aftermath thereof) as the best possible explanation. Therefore, if we assume the translator is translating Kardasi for him at the point where Ocett refers to biscuits for the first time, I would suggest that the translator must be smart enough to know what Picard would think “biscuit” means (ie, hard, flat, unleavened, possibly sweet, and potentially covered in chocolate although I think he would disapprove of such extravagance), and it would use the word that got Picard closest to the Kardasi word used.

THEREFORE, not only can we assume that Cardassians have biscuits of the hard-and-unleavened variety, but we can also assume that Klingons do as well. Possibly theirs are more like hardtack, intended as long-lasting rations for the traveling warrior, but the potential existence of sweet biscuits to be dipped in blood wine or raktajino in the manner of biscotti is, I believe, not to be discounted.

BISCUITS?!