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collecting-stories · 3 years

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Yours - pt. 03 - Rafe Cameron

Summary: A chapter of firsts.

A/N: This chapter is like 5.5k words so I apologize in advance for that.

One Thing Right Masterlist | Outer Banks Masterlist

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-First Thanksgiving-

“You know what would be even better than seeing my family for Thanksgiving?” Rafe attempted, sitting at the wrap around counter on his laptop, trying to finish the last of his work before the inevitable holiday dinner you were hosting happened. 

“Is the answer, not seeing your family?” You asked, looking over at him. 

When Rafe’s dad had extended the invitation for Thanksgiving, for the first time since Rafe started paying his own bills, he knew exactly what the intention was. Despite the show at Christmas of a gift arriving to his apartment the only people he kept in touch with besides friends from back home were his sisters. Sarah less than Wheezie but they’d come a long way from when they were teens. And with Wheezie back home during her year off from school, he knew that Rose had no doubt seen his Instagram. Notably, the pictures of you that had begun to literal his once scarce feed. 

And just like that, out of nowhere, Ward called with the great idea that everyone get together for the holidays. 

“Thanksgiving.” Rafe has offered, “you can come up to Boston, we’ll host.” It was an olive branch. A tiny one, barren too, more like a twig but it was something and Ward took it because he was curious. 

Rafe had gotten a job with an economist firm right out of college and two years later he had completely cut his father out of his life. The firm was the reason he was in Boston, they offered him three locations, Los Angeles, which felt too far away from his sisters, Chicago, too windy, and Boston. He’d taken the job and bought an apartment that looked like something out of an ad for Restoration Hardware, sleek and modern. Cut the toxic parts of his family off and now it’d all seemingly paid off. 

When you placed the last dish on the table, thirty minutes from his family’s arrival, Rafe spun his barstool around so he could grab your waist and pull you back into him. 

“I could use the nap right now, honestly.” You admitted, leaning back against him. Rafe kissed the side of your head, hands brushing up the sides of your yoga pants, trying to find skin without looking. You’d started your pursuit of the perfect Martha Stewart approved Thanksgiving with a sweatshirt on, but that and the shirt beneath it had eventually been shed and tossed over the back of Rafe’s couch in favor of just your yoga pants and sports bra. Your anxiety had a habit of making you warm. 

“My dad and Rose won’t be here for like, thirty minutes, go relax.” He offered, loosening his hold on you when you twisted around in his arms so that you could face him. 

“I don’t have time, I still have to get dressed.” You mumbled, face pressed into his shirt. 

In all honesty, you weren’t sure you could’ve relaxed anyway. Ever since Rafe had told you his dad and step-mom were coming up for Thanksgiving with his sisters you had been internally freaking out. A meeting the family holiday wasn’t something you had never done before. You’d met Ian’s family at a Christmas dinner the first year that you’d dated. But that had been a dinner you simply showed up to, not one you put on yourself. 

This was your dinner, that you made from scratch, in Rafe’s apartment. It was your first real holiday together aside from the Halloween party you’d forced him to attend at Nina’s and now you were entertaining his family too.

“Things are moving really fast huh?” Nina had teased, standing over the bar cart in her small apartment, trying to remember how to mix a vodka martini. 

“Not...really fast.” You replied. Nina had been bugging you about the pace of your relationship for a while now, acting like it was so out of the ordinary that you had swapped structured date nights for take out at his apartment or yours. 

“You guys have already hit pre-moving-in-together stage.” Nina supplied, “trying to beat Anya out for a wedding this year?” 

“I’m not trying to beat anyone out?” You knew you sounded defensive but you couldn’t help it. “Can we please talk about something else?” 

“Too late,” she laughed, taking a sip of her finished concoction before grimacing. She looked over your shoulder, “do you know how to make a martini?”

“Afraid not.” Rafe replied, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and guiding you a little closer to him. He had agreed to Halloween at Nina’s because he wanted to spend the night with you and this party was a stipulation of that. He was dressed as Tom Cruise in Top Gun, something you had teased him about relentlessly from the moment he put on the costume but you’d be lying if you said he didn’t look insanely hot in the get up. Especially now that the small apartment had gotten so crowded and overheated that he’d slipped off the top of the coveralls and had them tied at his waist with just a white tank on. 

“What’re you good for then?” You joked, laughing when he pulled you even closer, pressing his lips to your neck. “Stop!” 

“Do you want one of whatever this is?” Nina asked, holding her drink out to Rafe. 

“I would but I actually came over here to steal my girlfriend.” He replied, attention moving from Nina to you, “I’ve got a meeting in the morning, I should head out.” 

“Okay,” you moved out of his hold to say goodbye to Nina, giving her a hug and trying not to let her slosh any of her martini on you. 

“No, stay!” Nina insisted, a bit whiny from tipsiness. 

“I‘ll text you tomorrow,” you promised, pulling away from her, already reaching your hand out for Rafe’s. You felt him take your hand, glancing back and smiling at him before giving Nina a kiss on the cheek, “love you, bye.” 

“Love you!” She called as Rafe pulled you away to the door. 

Once in the elevator you let out a breath, squeezing Rafe’s hand gently to get his attention. “Sorry, you could’ve stayed.” He finally said. 

“It’s okay, besides,” you replied, leaning against him and wrapping your arms around his waist, “I have off tomorrow and I know for a fact that your meeting is a zoom conference that’s like, an hour.” 

“That’s true,” Rafe said, nodding and grinning.

“So, I can bother you the rest of the day.” 

Wheezie and Sarah had been on zoom plenty of times while you were around and Sarah had even come up to Boston for her birthday a few weeks into you dating Rafe so it wasn’t his sisters that you were sweating. Ward and Rose were both pretty imposing. You weren’t impressed with their wealth or intimidated by it. You had grown up in a similar environment to Rafe but your parents had never felt quite as cold as his. 

“At least there’s alcohol,” Sarah teased, coming up beside you to pour herself a glass of wine. Her own boyfriend had opted out of Thanksgiving with her family to stay down in the Outer Banks and you were a little jealous he didn’t have endure this. 

“Thank god,” you replied, taking a sip of the only red wine you didn’t absolutely hate. A sweeter red from a subscription box that one of Rafe’s friends had gotten him for Christmas once and that he kept up with. 

Dates to fancy restaurants hadn’t been scraped altogether but they were usually reserved for dinners that included more that you and Rafe. You didn’t need over priced food and dry wine to be impressed by him and he certainly enjoyed just hanging out without all the pressure. But apparently fancy restaurants and the wine they served in them was exactly what Rose was looking for. 

“My god, you can taste the sugar in this. It’s like grape juice.” She complained, lips pursing at the unwelcomed flavor. 

“Drink something else then.” Rafe replied, annoyed that he was even putting himself through this. And that he was putting you through this too. He knew you were stressing about Thanksgiving. You’d been back from the wedding for a week, and things between the two of you had been better than before (though before they’d been pretty fantastic too), and now he was subjecting you to his family.

“Well if there was anything here that was drinkable,” Rose snapped, glaring at her stepson, “I would.”

“How’s business been?” Ward asked, drawing Rafe’s attention away from Rose and her scrutiny.

You tuned out their chatter in favor of listening to Wheezie talk about her current endeavors, which sounded a lot more pot driven then anything else. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with a group of friends to “discover her inner self” was not quite the Wheezie you had heard stories about but Rafe had told you plenty of times that his youngest sister’s new girlfriend was a bit of an irresistible influence. Whether that was good or bad was still to be determined.

“What about you?” Rose asked, interrupting her daughter’s novel-length plans.

“What about me?” You repeated. You knew what the question meant and you certainly expected it. Rafe had an incredibly good job for a guy his age. He was smarter than his family gave him credit for, more responsible than anyone expected, and then here you were, and sure, you made a delicious apple pie but that didn’t qualify you to be party of them.

“What do you do?”

“I teach first grade.” You replied, not as impressive as being an economic analyst for a firm that had offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Beijing, and Boston but it was yours and you loved it.

Rose, clearly, did not, as evidenced by the way she grimaced at you. As if you were worse than the wine she had finally abandoned on the counter. “What age is that?”

“Usually 6 or 7 year olds.” You replied. “There’s two first grade classes in my school and then two in the other three schools in our sort of, district. I teach my class but I’m also in charge of helping to finalize curriculum for all the other first grades.”

“Sounds like a lot of stress and not a lot of money.” Rose replied. “You must be grateful to have found someone so financially secure.”

The implication was there, and loud enough that the end of Rafe’s sentence teetered off as he turned away from the conversation with his father to look over at his stepmom. She had, in so many words, called you a gold digger, right there at Thanksgiving dinner and you hadn’t even sat down to eat the meal yet. If you knew Rafe, and at this point you certainly did, he was itching to say something. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, he wasn’t living under his dad’s roof or dependent on their money, he finally could say something and he looked ready to.

But you wanted to at least have some sort of dinner so you attempted to speak up before he could, “actually, I make a fairly comfortable salary and-”

“You don’t have to justify anything to her.” Rafe said, “she’s just never met anyone who actually works for a living.”

“I am one of the top real estate agents in the Outer Banks, do you know how many houses I closed on last year?” Rose snapped, looking toward her step-son and her husband.

“Rose, please, let’s just sit and eat.” Ward commented. His attempts at keeping the peace were all for show. Everything he said seemed to have some sort of edge behind it. As if he’d worded it just right to compliment and insult at the same time.

You sat beside Rafe once you’d served the dinner, staying between him and Sarah so you didn’t wind up anywhere near his parents. Wheezie dominated most of the dinner conversation talking about some guy who was doing podcasts from salvation mountain because he believed that he could commune with the “ancestors of America”.

“Please tell me your sister is high right now.” You whispered, leaning close to Rafe.

“Oh yeah, high as a kite.” He replied, “think she’ll give us some?”

“That’s just what we need.”

Rafe leaned closer, lips practically brushing your ear as he whispered, “It’ll be fun, kick everyone out, get high, have sex.”

“No.” You bit your lip to stop from laughing when he kissed just behind your ear, “now eat your food.”

“Is Fivel here?” Wheezie asked suddenly, interrupting her own story when she remembered your dog. She’d seen him on facetime enough that she had been dying to meet the black lab.

“What is a Fivel?” Ward asked, looking at you and Rafe.

“He’s my dog. He’s in Rafe’s bedroom, I didn’t want him messing up the table or anything before anyone arrived.” You explained, turning back to Wheezie, “I have to walk him after dinner if you want to come?”

“Yes.”

Rafe had told you, the first time he met your dog, that his father never allowed pets of any kind when they were kids. Not even a goldfish was permitted in the Cameron Household. He said that, according to Ward, the children were irresponsible and would never be able to care for an animal.

“One time I brought a stray cat that I found home.” Rafe said, sitting in your bed, petting Fivel. The dog was beside himself, rolled to expose his stomach with his head in Rafe’s lap.

“He didn’t like kill it, did he?”

“Honestly, wouldn’t have been surprised.” He admitted, “When he got mad he was scary. But no, he just made me drive with him to the SPCA to drop it off. I cried the whole way there over having to give up this kitten and then my dad made me walk all the way home.”

“Why?”

“Cause I cried.”

The bed dipped as you climbed back onto it, sitting beside Rafe and pressing a kiss against his bare shoulder, “you dad sounds like a dick.”

“Oh yeah, no argument there.”

Ward piped up again, seemingly in the mood for conversation and always happy to paint his son in a bad light. “Rafe wanted a cat once when he was younger but I didn’t allow it. The poor thing would’ve died in our house, Rafe’s never been good at taking care of anything, let alone himself.”

“Dad,” Rafe snapped.

“I’m just putting it out there. I mean, you work with kids,” he said, looking at you, “you must’ve thought about having them.”

“Uh, yeah.” You nodded. It was a conversation that you and Rafe had for the first time when you stayed up north a ways for Anya and Ian’s wedding. Kids were not going to happen next month, certainly, but they were something you both agreed you wouldn’t mind.

“Well, usually, you know, they say if you can take care of an animal then you can take care of a kid. And I’m just tell you, Rafe couldn’t take care of either.”

“Dad!” Sarah interrupted this time, glaring at her dad. “Can we just have a nice family meal?”

“We are.” Ward insisted. Under the table, you reached for Rafe’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly as his father continued talking, seemingly unaffected. “Did Rafe tell you he used to do drugs? You don’t do that anymore right? He snorted coke, wasted thousands of dollars on the stuff.”

The flatware and serving dishes on the table banged together as Rafe stood up suddenly, letting go of your hand. You thought for a moment that he was going to lose it and flip out on Ward and honestly, you wanted to yourself. But he said nothing, walking down the hall to the spare room that he used as an office, all of you watching in silence. Was he so upset he was locking himself in, you could imagine the absolute joy Ward would take in knowing he knocked his son down so far that he was sequestering in his bedroom.

Finally he came back, piece of paper in hand, and he stopped at Ward’s chair. “Here, get out of my house.”

“What’s this?”

“A check. For 25 thousand. Now take your wife and get out of my house.” Rafe repeated, “dinner is over.”

You sat there in silence, too shocked to look at Sarah and Wheezie, who mirrored your expression, watching as Ward and Rose stood and left. Rafe walked them to the door, slamming it after them and, finally letting out the anger that had been boiling over all night, punched the wall, hand going right through the plaster.

“Wheezie and I can walk Fivel for you,” Sarah whispered, standing up and ushering Wheezie to the bedroom to get the dog and give you and Rafe some privacy.

You got up at the same time though you headed for your boyfriend, who had his bloody hand pressed against a white button up, face red. “Hey,” you spoke soft, in what you hoped was not your ‘talking to kids voice’, “come on. I know you have a first aid kit cause I bought it.”

He followed you into the bathroom, sitting on the closed toilet while you pulled the first aid kit out from below the sink. The front door opened and closed as Sarah and Wheezie left with Fivel. Just the two of you in the apartment now.

“Hey,” you brushed his hair out of his face and he tilted his head back to look up at you. “You did the right thing. He shouldn’t talk to you like that, or about you like that.”

“He’s right. I was a fucking screw up.”

“In the vain of sounding like I’m going into teacher mode,” you said and Rafe laughed, leaning forward to press his forehead to your stomach, “Everyone messes up sometimes. You’re not that person anymore, and no one should ever talk to their kid like that.”

“I’m just glad he’s gone.” Rafe replied. “I don’t care if I never see him again.”

“Won’t argue with you on that.”

-First Christmas-

With the way that Thanksgiving had gone for the two of you, Rafe had proposed a Christmas without family. You might’ve agreed except he hadn’t met yours and you were more than determined to prove that not everyone was like his family. Christmas brought a lot of things. The four-month mark on your relationship, though Nina claimed it felt more like you had been dating a year, and your first major fight.

Which began as a spat at his place and evolved into a whole verbal sparring match once you were at yours.

“I’m not going.” He kept repeating the same phrase over and over.

“Christmas is so important to my family, I already told you-”

“And I already told you that the last thing I want to do is subject myself to a house full of people on Christmas when I could be home.” He was adamant about his ‘no family holidays’ decision.

“You haven’t met my family yet.” You argued. You’d been subjected to his and you talked with his sisters frequently but he had never bothered to meet any of your family.

“Schedule a dinner.”

“Rafe! I did Thanksgiving, it’s not fair that you won’t come up for Christmas with me.” What wasn’t fair was bringing up Thanksgiving in the first place. The only physical memory of evening, besides the 25k that Ward did end up withdrawing from Rafe’s savings, was the hole in the wall that one of his friends had jokingly bought a frame for when they were up visiting from North Carolina the week after.

“No.” He said the word with enough finality to end the argument.

“Fine, I’ll go without you.”

Dinner that night was tense and he didn’t stay over like he usually did. You didn’t text him in the morning and when he finally asked about getting dinner together two days later you lied and told him you were busy. Maybe you were being petty, probably you were, but you didn’t care. You were pissed, and rightly so. You had endured Rose’s scrutiny and had been there afterward for Rafe after he confronted his dad and he couldn’t even make the drive to western Mass. to see your family.

So, you went alone. Packed your bags, packed up Fivel, and drove out yourself, arriving the day before Christmas Eve to your parent’s house. Christmas was a big deal in your family. The day of was always spent at home, together, with a brunch spread that could’ve fed far more people and the Hallmark channel on a constant loop of ridiculous movies that you loved way more than you should’ve. But Christmas Eve was a whole other story. Since you were a kid your mom had been hosting Christmas Eve at her house, family, friends, anyone who wanted to was welcome to come over. There was chili and meatball sandwiches and appetizers and none of the food the people usually ate for dinner. This was no Martha Stewart Holiday.

The drive to western Mass wasn’t long, thankfully, because it took Rafe about an hour after you left to realize that there was absolutely no way he wanted to spend Christmas the same way he had the last few years. Alone in his apartment re-watching Die Hard or some other pseudo Christmas movie.

He got there on Christmas Eve, pulling his car in next to yours in the crowded driveway. It was already snowing pretty heavily but his main concern was you. Would you be happy he changed his mind or pissed that he put you through all that fighting just to decide in the end that he was going to come?

There were people on the porch and the front door was open so Rafe took that as hint enough to go inside. Your house was smaller than Tanney Hill but probably just as old, the woodwork inside that you’d told him about was as daunting as you said, though he still thought the house looked more welcoming than his.

He weaved through people who said hello without knowing who he was until he managed to find the kitchen, and you, standing at the island talking to your mom. “I just think it would’ve been nice if she told you ahead of time that she wasn’t gonna show up. No one else wants to eat vegan spinach artichoke dip.”

“She said she was going to try to make it.” Your mom replied, looking up from the oven and realizing that the two of you weren’t alone in the kitchen anymore. She had seen enough pictures of Rafe from your instagram and from what you’d sent her that she recognized him immediately. “Anyway, I’m taking this out to the living room.” She announced, grabbing the charcuterie board and passing Rafe on her way out.

You turned, to finish your thought on your cousin, and caught sight of Rafe for the first time. “I thought you wanted to-”

“I know I said I wanted to stay home and not do family stuff but...I’d rather be here with you than stay in my apartment by myself.” He admitted. Rafe wasn’t one to fall on his own sword, he’d always been too stubborn to acknowledge when he was wrong but he couldn’t keep doing that. Not if he wanted this to last and he really did.

You crossed the small space between the two of you, wrapping your arms around him, “it means a lot to me that you’re here.” You replied, “Christmas Eve is my favorite.”

“I think this is more people than house parties I’ve thrown.”

“Crowds are the best.” You stepped away enough to kiss him, the peach flavor of your lip balm making him lick his lips when you pulled away.

“Why’s that?”

“Cause you can sneak off in crowds.” You replied, smiling enough that he knew exactly what you were insinuating as you pulled away from him, hooking your arm with his instead, “can I give you a tour of the house Mr. Cameron?”

“Absolutely.”

You walked him up the stairs, trying not to be suspicious as you ducked out of the party.

“I watched this documentary about Nancy Reagan once,” you began to say, laying with your head against Rafe’s chest. It was Christmas morning, as your mom had reminded the two of you when she knocked on the door a few minutes ago.

“Interesting post-sex commentary,” he teased, cutting you off.

“Shut up.” You laughed, “I was trying to tell you something nice.” You sat up, angling yourself so that you were facing him, holding the sheet up in front of you. He looked at you skeptically, reaching for the sheet and giving it a tug but you held on. “No, cause you’ll distract me and then I won’t remember what I was gonna say and if we take too long my mom will come back upstairs.”

Rafe pouted, “no early Christmas presents?”

“Trust me, you’ve had enough early Christmas presents to last until the new year.” You laughed, leaning over to kiss him. The moment you did, of course, he pulled the sheet away and grabbed your hips, guiding you back onto his lap. “Family Christmas.” You reiterated, determined to make it downstairs.

And you did, though not before Rafe insisted he needed a shower and you needed to join him. The nice clothes you’d both worn for the party the night before were exchanged this morning for pajamas, yours a onesie that Nina had bought you from pink a few years ago.

Rose had always done Christmas for show, a gaudy tree and enough blinding lights and white on sliver to make someone feel like they were in a Kardashian’s house and not the Outer Banks. She never did yard ornaments or sentimental anything and someone else always baked whatever desserts they had for dinner at the holidays. Yours was entirely different. Red and green everything, the overwhelmingly large tree much more visible then it had been the night before with people crowded around the living room. There were ornaments from every year of your life, some silly figurines from Hallmark and others handcrafted with school pictures in them.

“Guess how old I was in that picture?” You said, pointing to a baby picture of you that hung on the tree.

“I don’t know, two?”

“Five months...I just had a shit ton of hair. My mom said one time when she took my brother to Tennis the girl there asked if I wanted to join the seven-year-old class. I was three.” You replied.

“So you were always weird?” Rafe asked, grinning when you smacked his arm.

“How did you two meet? We didn’t get the story.” Your mom said, carrying a tray of food in and putting it on the coffee table. Your brother was with his husband’s family this year, but your sister was here with her husband and her three kids, one of whom was currently climbing onto Rafe’s lap the second he sat down.

“Sorry, Garrett still gets u-p-s-e-t when he doesn’t get enough a-t-t-e-n-t-i-o-n.” Your sister said, as Garrett tugged on the strings of Rafe’s hoodie. Your sister was holding one of her twins and her husband had the other in his arms.

“That’s fine, Garrett and I can chill, right?” Rafe said, tilting his head to look at your nephew.

“Yeah chill,” he repeated, smiling up at Rafe.

“So,” your mom said, drawing the conversation back, “how did you two meet?”

“Like how did we actually meet?” Rafe asked, smiling at you as you sat down on the couch beside him, Garrett repositioning himself so he was stretched out across both of you, laughing when you tickled him.

Your mom nodded.

“We uh, met at college but I was kinda still with Ian so nothing really happened and then Nina saw him on my Tinder and swipped and now we’re together.” You replied, “a modern love story.”

“Yeah, we,” he looked down at Garrett and then back to your mom, “h-o-o-k-e-d up and she broke my heart by not calling me back.” Rafe said.

“Rafe!” You laughed, nudging him.

“God, I hated Ian...what a d-o-u-c-h-e,”

“We actually just went to Ian’s wedding in November,” You replied, lifting Garrett so that you could grab some food off the table. Rafe put his arm around your nephew when he tried to rock back again.

“No!” Garrett laughed, squirming around. “I wanna do presents.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll do presents.” Your stepdad promised. Garrett slid off of Rafe’s lap, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the tree. Rafe followed, sitting down at the base of the tree so that Garrett could look for the presents with his name on them.

“How was the wedding?” Your sister asked, sitting on the floor by the couch with one of the twins. “I can’t believe he invited you.”

“Oh he didn’t,” Rafe piped up, “Ian married her grade partner.”

“Are you kidding?” She practically hissed, immediately going into older sister defensive mode.

You rolled your eyes, getting off the couch and sitting down beside Rafe and Garrett. “Not kidding, and it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Being at your parents for Christmas had the same feeling as being out of the city for the wedding. Maybe even more so this time around, spending time with your family, made it easier for Rafe to think about the possibility of moving out of Boston and settling down with you somewhere like this.

“I bought that bike unitard, by the way.” You mentioned, packing your suitcase to leave. Rafe was laying on the bed in your childhood room, Fivel spread out next to him.

“The what?” He asked, raising his head a little.

“The bike unitard, that I showed you, from that yoga website.” You replied, “its the shorts.”

He hummed, laying his head back down and brushing his hand through Fivel’s fur.

“What’s the ‘mmhmmm’ supposed to mean?” you asked, mimicking his humming.

“You don’t ride a bike. Also, it’s December.”

“I might start.” You argued. In reality the chances of you biking were slim to numb but the outfit had been cute and the site had a 20% off sale.

“No.” He replied, “Nina asked you to bike two weeks ago and you said it was, and I quote, the worst activity in the world.” He said, finally sitting up all the way when you stopped packing to sit on the bed with him.

“Well I could stationary bike?” You suggested, though that was unlikely too. “They have those ones with the desk. So you can work out and work.”

“You’ll never use that.”

“I might.”

“Why not just use that stupid peloton in my office.” It had been a gift from Rose and Ward two years prior and Rafe had used it a total of never. It just sat there, staring at him as he worked.

“Then I’d be at your apartment all the time!”

“More than you are now? I’m surprised I don’t get mail in your name already.” He replied, getting off the bed and going over to his weekend bag. You should’ve left by now to make it home before dark but neither of you were rushing to leave.

“Well, we’re always busy! If I was there and not busy-”

“Coincidentally,” Rafe started to say, only to have you cut him off.

“Coincidentally?”

“Yeah, here.” He turned back toward you and held a small wooden box out.

You took it somewhat skeptically, “what is this? This looks like the Leslie and Ben box.”

“That’s because you have the best fucking boyfriend in the world who watches endless reruns of Parks and Rec with you.” Rafe replied, “open the box.”

Sitting inside the wooden box was a keycard and a spare, silver key, both of which you recognized. “Are these to your apartment? Are you giving me keys to your apartment?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “I’m also asking you to move in with me. I know your lease ends in January and my building is animal friendly...imagine my bookshelves with actual books on them.”

“You want us to move in together?”

“I want a lot more than that,” Rafe admitted, “but, it’s a good place to start.”

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sea-and-storm · 5 years

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HEARTBREAK;

This is a real heavy drabble. REAL heavy, to the point that I hesitated in writing it. But it ultimately has plot relevance so here it is. Please take care of yourself and don't read it if you aren't in a good spot mentally to take some serious heavy feels!

[TRIGGER WARNINGS] Rape mention, domestic abuse mention, abortion, and just generally not at all a happy drabble. Take care in reading if you proceed!

(P.S. went back and cleaned up my writing a bit with an edit. :v)

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A couple weeks had passed now since Ghoa had slept in her own bed. Ever since the night of the celebration of the Kharlu warparty's return, she'd been able to find no sense of safety except when hidden away in Togene's tent. Even though the other was just another wife to Bayanbataar like herself, the older woman was the closest to a mothering figure that Ghoa would ever get within the Kharlu camp. And she was the only one that the young Mankhad trusted enough to share in what haunted her.

Of course, her odd behavior had begotten questions, most notably from their husband. Bayanbataar had demanded to know why his newest wife was acting so strangely, scarcely leaving Togene's quarters. The fourth wife had assuaged his temper and offense by reassuring him that Ghoa had fallen ill. With her having always been a loyal and loving wife, he hadn't suspected any deception from Togene. So, if not reluctantly, he had allowed her peace and rest 'til the Haragin saw fit.

Even so, Ghoa had known that that reprieve had a time limit. Togene had reminded her of that as well, in her own kind and gentle way. She couldn't stay hidden away forever. Eventually, Bayanbataar would grow impatient -- or worse, suspicious -- and demand her return to routine. She knew that whether she was ready or not, she would have to face her husband again sooner rather than later. Worse yet, she would have to face Tugan again and pretend that nothing had happened, and that was a thought that made her blood run colder than the winter seas.

But even though she knew that returning to her life was as inevitable as it was imminent, that hadn't made the thought cause her body to stop seizing up with fear. It hadn't made the nightmares come any less often, nor cause her to wake up in a cold sweat on any fewer occasions. How was she supposed to return to normal when it felt as if she would never know the feeling of normalcy again? Time was supposed to heal wounds, it seemed that the only thing time had allowed her was to fall deeper into the clutches of despair and fear. Especially now, after this latest and most cruel twist in her time spent amongst the Kharlu.

Togene had been the one to realize it first, naturally. When she had begun to put together a fish stew -- which she knew to be the coast-dwelling woman's favorite meal -- she'd watched as the smell that usually roused her spirits at least for a time caused her stomach to churn. As she'd held back the younger woman's hair, she'd asked her warily when last she bled. Only then had Ghoa realized that in the span of all that had happened, she hadn't realized that it should have since came and went. And that connection had her heaving all over again.

What a sick joke the gods had decided to play on her. When the initial shock of realization had worn off, she had jumped rapidly between fury and betrayal, to sadness and worry, to fear and panic, and right back to anger until she had completely tired herself out.

Togene herself had seemed conflicted as well. She had always told Ghoa that once she became a mother, her life among the Kharlu would become easier and she would finally find contentment with her lot. She hadn't quite meant it like this, Ghoa knew, and she could see that she was grappling with her own emotions. And there was something else besides in her eye. Some manner of concern seemingly not for the younger woman herself, that had her worriedly looking to her own young son cradled against her chest as she held him closer.

When she had woken from her rest, Ghoa's mood had calmed to a dull, numb aching. She awoke knowing that something had to be done. There was no scenario in which she could bring this child into the world. Either it was the offspring of the man who had stolen her from her home and made her his slave-wife, or it was that of the man who had taken her for himself out of envy of the first. Whichever case it was made little difference to her.

The hardest part would be making sure that didn't come to pass, or so she had thought. She would have to have Togene's assistance and she had thought the woman would be hesitant or resistant to her plea for help. It had surprised her when she had asked for the other's help in discreetly bringing to her what herbs and reagents she needed that the woman agreed right away. Was she truly that sympathetic? Or was she simply trying to protect her own family from the inevitable conflict that would arise if word spread that Tugan had done what Bayanbataar could not, whether or not that was true? Either way, she didn't question it for fear of causing the other woman to doubt her choice.

Over the next few days, Togene had quietly gathered what herbs and plants Ghoa had sent her after. She supposed that she had Unegen to silently thank too for her tutelage in herbalism, remembering her strict lessons on exactly which concoctions not to give to expecting mothers. And once all components of the draught were within her hands, it had taken her but a few bells to put it all together into a thoroughly unappetizing but drinkable solution.

But now as she sat there with it ready in her hands, it was not half so easy to lift to her lips as she had thought. Her hands trembled, her eyes stared into the glassy surface of the dark yellow-green liquid inside the earthenware cup she held. Her eyes suddenly blinked rapidly, tears welling up unexpectedly and rolling over her cheeks.

Seeing the emotion swelling, Togene leaned in close, her hands coming to rest over Ghoa's own around the cup to steady them. Her head craned downwards to catch her gaze, and to hold it once she had.

"Oh, sweet girl," she cooed softly. "Would that I could take this pain away from you.. It hurts me to see you hurting." One hand moved from the cup to her cheek, brushing away a tear with her thumb. "You are sure about this, yes?"

Ghoa hesitated at that question. She had been certain of it before that she hadn't really stopped to think about it. Now that the moment had arrived, all those doubts she hadn't considered before had pounced like hungry gedan upon a straggling sheep. Now she had to truly ask herself: was she really sure?

Togene's advice from moons ago still rang clear in her head. If she was with child, Bayanbataar's hand would still against her. Perhaps even the deep resentment he felt towards his apparently barren, and to him useless wife might disappear or at least fade. She might be able to finally tolerate a life among the Kharlu with his rage calmed and with something -- a child -- to focus her attention on other than her own plight.

But.. could it really be that simple? No, she knew herself better than that. Even if her husband's abuses stopped, she would still have to find means to live with the deep fear Tugan instilled within her. Worse, if the child was his and such came to light, she wasn't sure that her husband would be so willing to believe that a hurt had been committed against her. As tense as their relation was, she couldn't see it as impossible that Bayanbataar might kill her for suspicion of transgression against their marriage -- no, his ownership of her.

Most convincingly all, however, was knowing that no matter the father nor the circumstance, she would never be able to be a good mother to this child. She had been raised having never expected to raise a family, given that the udgan of her people weren't afforded such luxury. Without that expectation, she had grown into a woman out of touch with any sort of mothering instinct. That, combined with the fact that in either case, this child was one borne of violence against her by men she reviled..

All children deserved love, and she knew she would never be able to give it. And it pained her deeply to think she would resign a child to the same loveless raising as she had had herself.

"...yes," she answered, voice quiet and strained but certain. "I'm sure."

"Then you needn't torture yourself, Ghoa," Togene cooed soothingly. "If you are sure, then drink." She leaned in and pressed a kiss her forehead. "I'm right here. I won't leave your side, dear."

The tears began to flow heavier and quicker at that, but all the same, Ghoa finally brought the stoneware to her lips and tipped it back. It was bitter against her tongue, and between it and emotion, it threatened to rise from her stomach again. But she swallowed, and she kept it down, and she collapsed into sobs within the comfort of Togene's embrace and the slow stroking of her hair.

The other had told her but a few weeks ago when this had happened of Sechen, the escaped wife returned. That horrific tale had terrified her out of the thought of running. But now, she knew she had to escape anyway. She didn't know how or when, but she had to escape eventually.

No matter how strong she tried to be, Ghoa couldn't withstand this sort of heartbreak a second time.

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fantasmalforce · 5 years

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October Prompts - Day 7 : Baked Goods (Sina and Medea)

|| Medea belongs to @a-tired-birds-ramblings

To say baking was second nature to Sina was an understatement. Baking was an entire second business for her. Literally. Owner of two shops connected at the corner of a set of plaza businesses, Sina kept her hands full with clothing-making and running her own bakery. One would think that with all the sugar and flour she had to handle throughout the day from a business standpoint, she'd be sick a tired of dealing with it by the time she got home. But such an idea could not be more inaccurate. Sina's love for oven-made delights did not falter even slightly when she came home at the end of the day. Rather, her motivation to create something great out of dough and sugar only seemed to increase once she found herself back in her kitchen. And she had good reason to believe that it was because of her muse.

Her girlfriend was known to be a muse for murder, seeking out those who had committed the sinful act and inspiring to do it again and again, treating violent goring and evisceration as art, targets like blank canvases waiting to be painted. But to Sina, a little satyr who could barely stomach a bruise, this was not the case. Rather, her existence had only been discovered by the lamb because they were of equal standing in terms of mythology. Rather intrigued that she could be seen by someone antonymous of malevolence, the two had taken up a rather fulfilling life together. They were happy at the end of the day. Since she did not have the heart to harm another, she found a different motivation that stemmed from her lover's presence. Rather than destroy, she used her inspiration to create. Their kitchen had become rather a little shop of horrors as much as it had been a delivery center for quality crafts. But no experiment came without a few failures, so Sina had found. But more often than not, her skill and her dedication to her craft yielded results that impressed even her and made her eager to present her creations to her lover whenever she returned home from her own long day of persuading dangerous, straggling souls to recreate the most deadly of sins. The long wait gave her time to perfect and decorate her concoctions though, and that only made her more ecstatic in her wait to present them.

Her current project was rather a deviation from the norm. Whereas she usually followed some sort of recipe to create something even vaguely familiar, such as a cake, or muffins, or cookies, this was something entirely new. A fragrant smelling mixture of cream and sweetened spices. It was a strange concept for sure, but one that Sina's mind had been focusing on all day. A drinkable sweet. It seemed like such a good idea in her head that she knew just as soon as she arrived home, she'd be trying it.

"A little bit of this...” she dropped a teaspoon of sugar into the boiling pot, then picked up a stick of cinnamon and began shaving off flakes of it. “And a few punches of this.”

As the mixture spiraled round and round in its container, Sina continued to add more and more spices to it. Finally, she deemed the bubbling mixture complete after a few hours of cooking and ran amuck, attempting to set the kitchen table. A neat purple plaid cloth, two steaming bowls, a few candles for ambiance, and then it was just a matter of waiting. The satyr’s sense of time has not failed her. Before long, her lover had returned home from a long day of playing the puppeteer to the deranged and easily swayed. The exhaustion was evident in her pale eyes but they began to glow with an amazed warmth when they feel upon her small girlfriend and her presentation. Sina’s tail began to wag excitedly and the bell attached to it began to jingle and chime.

“Surprise!” She called out, gesturing to their dinner table before hopping from her chair and happily clicking her way over. She took her girlfriend’s hand and eagerly tugged her towards their dinner. “I couldn’t wait to surprise you tonight, I’ve been cooking for a while now because I wanted to try something new.”

Pulling out her seat, she sat the muse down and pushed the chair back in before finding her own place to sit across from her. “It’s got all kind of spices in it but I made sure nothing was too strong.”

The spirit smiled in delight and nodded, taking a breath to indulge in the heavenly mix of scents the other had prepared. “I’m glad I came home when I did. Something tells me this a dish best served warm. Shall we then?”

Sina stifled a giggle and nodded. The two raised their bowls in unison to toast each other and began to sip up the sweet broth from the edges. It was just as good as Sims was hoping it would be— though to be fair, she’d taste-rested it beforehand to make sure it was of the utmost quality. She didn’t want anything to be too strong or lacking. Everything needed to be just right for her love. She wouldn’t accept anything less. And her work paid off.

She could hear Medea humming across the table, savoring every last drop of her dinner from the delicious concoction it is. It was a wonder Sina didn’t do something like brew potions. She was always so good at blending and balancing things out in such a way that each finely crafted meal and treat of hers was some little piece of the heavens themselves. The level of detail and effort she put into every batch was astonishing and Medea felt proud of her partner for it. When she finally set her bowl down, she stared at the lamb with a wide grin on her face.

“Delicious as always, my dear.”

“Thank you—“ Sina’s ear’s flattened against her temporals, a shy blush growing dark on her cheeks. “— but I forgot to mention I have cookies in the oven this was supposed to be eaten with. Oops.”

#{ october prompts 2019 }#{ once upon a time : drabble }#{ drabble }#{ ‘’ it pays to be sheepish at times ‘’ | sina }

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

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The Wonderfully Weird History of Kalimotxo — and Why Bartenders Love It

Years ago, I was seated at a fancy dinner for journalists who cover wine. As the sommelier poured me a glass, a woman across the table opined about “big, beautiful” Burgundy wines, and then shared in horror a practice she’d observed abroad while traveling in China: “They’re mixing them with Coca-Cola.”

Although not a Chinese drink, the woman was referring to a concept that has a massive following in Spain called kalimotxo.

Kalimotxo (pronounced and sometimes styled calimocho), is a two-ingredient “cocktail” consisting of a one-to-one ratio of red wine and Coke over ice. Originating in Spain in the 1920s, the sweet and easy drink is experiencing somewhat of a resurgence in the United States, with bartenders and wine experts introducing versions of the drink on menus anywhere from Pennsylvania to Texas.

Rand Egbert, general manager and co-founder of a bar in Austin, Texas, first encountered kalimotxo in Spain’s Basque region, while living with a friend’s family in Valencia. It would eventually inspire the name for his bar: Kalimotxo.

Being immersed in the local culture meant eating and drinking like a local, Egbert says. “Most days in the early evening, my friends and I would hang out in the beautiful old plazas in town — drinking, eating chips, olives, and cured meats,” Egbert says. “It was during this time that my friends and I would often drink kalimotxo. It was a perfect drink for that time of day, with snacks.”

If not kalimotxo, his friends would drink Tinto de Verano. “[It’s] the same cocktail, but with lemon or orange Fanta instead of Coca-Cola,” says Egbert, who later earned an advanced WSET certification.

Kalimotxo’s ‘Ugly’ Beginnings

“Kalimotxo has been enjoyed in Spain since the 1920s but it didn’t become popular and find its current namesake until the 1970s, when it was poured at a festival in Getxo, Spain [in] Basque country,” Egbert says. Like many century-old concoctions, the idea of mixing wine with Coca-Cola was that the syrupy sweetness of Coke would mask flaws in the wine. Flaws in the wine could stem from poor storage and being exposed to the air (oxidized), overheated, or simply just not being made very well.

“The event organizers had thousands of liters of wine with an unpleasant taste, and they needed a way to salvage them. To save the event they decided to serve it with Coca-Cola, and the crowd loved it,” Egbert says. The drink was named after one of the festival organizers called Kalimero, or “Kali” for short. “He was known as an unattractive man, and so they added the Basque word for ugly, ‘motxo,’” Egbert says. “Thus, ‘kalimotxo’ was born.”

Modern Twists on Kalimotxo

Fans of kalimotxo appreciate its laid-back simplicity and flavor profile — Coca-Cola-sweet with a bit of acidity from red wine for balance — as well as its low-alcohol drinkability.

“Low-ABV drinks have really grown in popularity in the past couple years, for good reason: They are refreshing, full of flavor, and you can have a few of them with no problem,” Egbert says.

Nicole Battle, front of house manager at Pittsburgh’s DiAnoia’s Eatery, also tasted her first kalimotxo abroad. Eventually, a Kalimotxo-inspired cocktail would make its way to the menu at DiAnoia’s Eatery, a traditional Italian restaurant. “I wasn’t super into the idea of the drink but I thought to myself, when in Spain,” Battle says. At DiAnoia’s, Battle’s version adds an Italian twist: Fernet Branca.

“The combination of Fernet, vanilla, coffee, and creme de cacao is similar to cola,” she explains. To add carbonation, she chose Gragano Vino, a sparkling red wine similar to a traditional Lambrusco.

Meanwhile, Egbert embraces the Texan heat for his “twist” — frozen kalimotxo. He chose this format “because it is fun and hot here in Texas,” he says. Of course, it’s not as easy as it looks. “To serve it frozen, you have to use Coke syrup to get the right texture and flavor,” he says, adding, “When making frozen drinks, you have to have the right sugar content, or the drink can turn to ice. Our frozen version is great, because it is not too sweet, and you can taste both of the main ingredients.”

As for Battle, the appeal is straightforward: “Who knew something so simple and weird could be so wonderfully refreshing?”

The Bitter Temptation Recipe

Developed by: Nicole Battle Photos: Courtesy of DiAnoia’s Eatery

1 ounce cold brew coffee ¾ ounce Fernet Branca ¾ ounce vanilla syrup ½ ounce Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao 1 ounce Gragnano Vino

1. Mix all ingredients except Gragnano (or sparkling red wine) in a mixing vessel. 2. Strain over a 2-inch ice cube. 3. Float the wine on top.

The article The Wonderfully Weird History of Kalimotxo — and Why Bartenders Love It appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/kalimotxo-cocktail-history/

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johnboothus · 3 years

Text

The Wonderfully Weird History of Kalimotxo and Why Bartenders Love It

Although not a Chinese drink, the woman was referring to a concept that has a massive following in Spain called kalimotxo.

Kalimotxo’s ‘Ugly’ Beginnings

Modern Twists on Kalimotxo

Fans of kalimotxo appreciate its laid-back simplicity and flavor profile — Coca-Cola-sweet with a bit of acidity from red wine for balance — as well as its low-alcohol drinkability.

“Low-ABV drinks have really grown in popularity in the past couple years, for good reason: They are refreshing, full of flavor, and you can have a few of them with no problem,” Egbert says.

As for Battle, the appeal is straightforward: “Who knew something so simple and weird could be so wonderfully refreshing?”

The Bitter Temptation Recipe

Developed by: Nicole Battle Photos: Courtesy of DiAnoia’s Eatery

1 ounce cold brew coffee ¾ ounce Fernet Branca ¾ ounce vanilla syrup ½ ounce Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao 1 ounce Gragnano Vino

1. Mix all ingredients except Gragnano (or sparkling red wine) in a mixing vessel. 2. Strain over a 2-inch ice cube. 3. Float the wine on top.

The article The Wonderfully Weird History of Kalimotxo — and Why Bartenders Love It appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/kalimotxo-cocktail-history/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-wonderfully-weird-history-of-kalimotxo-and-why-bartenders-love-it

0 notes

theoddcatlady · 7 years

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Love Potion

Day One

8:24 AM

This is so not worth the hundred bucks I'm getting paid to do this. I hate you Gus. I fucking hate you. Now for the serious part of this 'scientific' journal.

My name is Brian Vance. I'm seventeen years old and a junior in high school. I'm a virgin (is this really necessary Gus) and I've never been on a date in my life. The closest I got to a date was to asking my eighth grade crush on a date. She said yes, but stood me up. Who's surprised?

Gus Katsoros is the 'scientist' who concocted the 'Love Potion'. It comes in a cologne and drinkable form, supposedly helps you secrete natural pheromones to attract the opposite sex. I am one of three guys using both the cologne and the drink. I will be using the cologne and drinking one ounce of the Love Potion before I go to school, and at night will be drinking another ounce of the Love Potion before I go to bed. I'll be doing that, now.

Ugh! Gus. If you're going to label something a 'Love Potion', don't make it taste like mud. For the final product, for the love of god, add some honey or sugar. Hell, high fructose corn syrup, whatever gets the job done! Just don't. Make it taste like dirt. The cologne ain't so bad though. Smells like it tastes, which it makes a much better scent than taste. Off to school.

---

11:12 PM

Well, nothing happened. Who's fucking SHOCKED. I will keep seriously journaling but if you have to read every one of these Gus I'm going to make sure I bitch the whole time. Yes you heard me. The. Whole. Time.

Anyway, to the serious part. There seemed to be no 'pheromones' excreting from me. The most female attention I got was from the eighty nine year old half blind algebra teacher, who complimented my cologne. Ms. Valentine ain't so bad though. She's just... so old. So old.

That was it though. I'll take my dose tonight and go to bed. Ugh. Still tastes just as bad the first time.

---

Day Two

8:15 AM

Least I'm not allergic to this stuff. Although that could have gotten me out of the experiment sooner...

Nothing seems to be wrong, I don't feel sick or dizzy from two doses of the Love Potion. I'll now spritz my wrists, toss the mud potion, sorry, love potion, down the hatch and get going.

Oops. Spritzed it one time too many. According to the experiment I should've used one spritz on both wrists, but I accidentally spritzed my left wrist twice. Oh well. Now I'll just smell even more like dirt.

---

4:48 PM

I'm journaling earlier today because I think something actually worked this time! I mean. Nothing major. But something that probably you should know about, Gus.

So I chilling near the music room, don't ask why I'm not in band, when Gretchen came up to me. We'd been friends when we were in elementary school, but grew apart when we got older. She plays tuba, isn't exactly popular but she has pretty eyes. Anyway I'm off topic.

She came up to me and asked how my day was going! I was so stunned I nearly fell over. But we got to talking, and she really seemed interested in being around me. It wasn't like we made out in the library or anything, but she kept reaching for my hand. It wasn't much, but when she hurried off to her next class, I remembered something.

Gretchen kept grabbing for my left wrist. The one I spritzed twice. Gus, I'm gonna fuck with your experiment a tad and do two spritzes on each wrist from now on. If I run out, that's your own damn fault for not having extra. I'm gonna go for a jog now. If I'm gonna become a pussy magnet, might as well work out!

---

Day 5

8:21 AM

Thankfully I won't have to journal every day now. Just days with improvement.

Gus was kind and understanding, so he gave me more of the cologne to make up for me needing a higher dose. The other two guys were keeping at the same rate so it wasn’t a big deal.

There is absolutely an improvement. Like girls actually look when I pass by now! I mean, Gretchen and a few other girls are the only ones who bother to talk to me but I'm taking what I can get. Gretchen and I have really reconnected, I'm thinking about asking her on a date. She's nice. It's not like I was out to bone the popular girls anyway.

Maybe it's due to the upwards swoop of my self esteem, but I'm going out to jog more. Luckily there's a nice forest near my house, lots of jogging paths. No one to stare at the skinny, sweaty guy either.

Spritzed up, took my drink, I'm out!

---

2:32 AM

I just had seeexxx, and it felt so goooood... at least oral sex.

I feel a little guilty though. It wasn't with Gretchen. It was with Myra. She's also in the band, she's second clarinet, and we'd gotten friendly lately, but when she asked me go out for sodas I figured what the heck and said yes.

After the soda, she took me back to her house and she gave me a blowjob in her childhood treehouse.

I mean, other than the splinters I'm still picking out of my ass, it was great. Lasted absolutely no more than five minutes for me, but it was the best damn five minutes of my life so far. After I'd finished, she was ready to get going to her afternoon job but I kinda wanted to return the favor. I mean. It took a lot longer than five minutes for her, as I had noooo idea what I was doing, but I got the job done! Points for me! Probably made her late to her job though.

Honestly, there has been no downsides yet. I doubt there ever will be. I'm gonna be this new school's lady killer. And yes. I'll absolutely endorse Love Potion, Gus. Your smug ass will cash in with this.

You still gotta change the taste though man. It's awful.

---

Day 9

8:45 AM

Okay, prolonged use might have a side effect.

I'm getting the nastiest rash on my head. It's covered by my hairline, which by the way my hair's gotten thicker and I'm finally growing facial hair, but it's very uncomfortable. I had my mom look at it and she says it looks like it's irritated. It's weird, since I've only been drinking and using it on my wrists, but maybe I rubbed my head in my sleep. Mom put something on it to ease the itching but I hope it doesn't spread. Magic love potion or not no one's gonna wanna kiss a face covered in bumpy rash. At least it's not covered in pimples anymore. Another side effect, my acne's cleared up!

Still though, me and Myra have really hit it off. It's nothing serious, we chill in her room and wait for her dad to go out before we go at it like bunnies. I'm honestly petrified of accidentally knocking her up so I bought condoms. Thank god for self-checkout. It's so much fun. I'm having the time of my life with her.

If Gretchen's noticed, she doesn't care. We still chill near the music room together. I've grown to appreciate the music room now, I'm even picking up guitar lessons. Girls think music is hot, and having another way to attract them didn't hurt anybody. Gretchen's even giving me tips on how to read sheet music as I just like to strum away at what sounds nice, although she usually shuts up when I pluck the right notes- just goes all dozy on my shoulder. It's weird, but hey, whatever.

Gotta go into class now, ugh.

---

12:45 AM

This rash is killing me. Still, I promised thirty straight days with this stuff. And thirty days is what I'm gonna give it. Unless I have an asthma attack or something bullshit like that. Then I don't have to give back the money I've already blown on video games and snacks.

I would've been back sooner, but after I left Myra's house I went for a jog. A really long jog. Through the woods. It just felt so right. I lost complete track of time but I wasn't the only one out there. I got a glimpse of Carlos running past. I think he's one of the kids in the two ounce drink test group. I didn't try to start up a conversation, he was clearly a man on a mission.

When I'm out there, my head doesn't itch either. Maybe it's from something else.

---

Day 10

7:21 AM

Okay. Body hair. That's not that new.

Chest hair is though. And I think I'm starting to grow a carpet on my legs. I was pretty fair haired on the rest of my body before this whole thing started. Now I'm turning into Esau from Sunday School, the guy so hairy his brother could wear goat skin on his arms and trick his mostly blind dad into thinking it was his older son. I'm tempted to shave.

Also my feet are starting to rash too, and they keep getting that ‘falling asleep sensation’, like there’s static under your skin. It's uncomfortable to wear shoes. I'll go to school today but if it gets worse I might take a break. From school, anyway.

---

7:49 PM

My mom's went out out tonight so Myra came over here instead... and by came, I mean literally came. We had a blast. She doesn't seem to mind the hair either even if it has come in a little fast. She keeps threatening to wax it though. No way in hell.

She also brought up a threesome, with me and Gretchen. Oh yeah, they both know I'm sleeping with her. Apparently Myra's been impressed with what she's taught me in the few days I've boned her. A few more 'lessons' and she'll let me loose with Gretchen.

This is insane.

Almost too insane.

I'm a little overwhelmed. I might cut out of this project early and somehow pay you back later Gus. I don't know how I feel about all this female attention. It's a lot to take in. Also I don't fancy being mistaken for Bigfoot's little brother Smallfeet when I walk into school and I'm just that hairy.

---

Day 13

2:21 PM

I didn't think about journaling this morning but I am now. I think something's going wrong.

When I went into the bathroom, I got a glimpse in the mirror of where the rash on my head was and I saw something. I took a better look, felt around, and it looks like two giant ass warts are starting to sprout. I hate warts.

But I also hate the idea of losing my feet a lot more.

One of the guys that picked on me since freshman year, Barry, stomped on my right foot. Right on the toes. Normally this would send me howling in pain while he would laugh his ass off.

Nothing. I felt nothing. And he jumped on it, full force. I felt something crack, but I didn’t feel it. I ran into the bathroom again and took off my shoe.

I can't move the toes on my right foot. The skin’s gone gray with blotches of purple. And my left foot's growing pretty stiff too. I'm pretty sure Barry broke my toes given how crooked they are but they're so cold. I'm freaked the fuck out.

But also really nervous to tell my mom this might be because I'm taking a chemical to help me get laid. I would be absolutely grounded. So grounded. And of course, I'd veto my hundred dollars, which like I said- already long spent.

I'll probably skip school until my feet stop dying. Also reduce how much of the drink I'm taking. Half ounce only.

---

1:12 AM

Barry came to my house, demanding to know what was up. He looked scared shitless.

Guess who else was in the experiment and didn't tell anyone? That's right. Half the jocks on the football team. Gus isn't popular but he's a great salesman. Once the Love Potion started to turn shit around for me and the other guys, Gus got to selling. Guys were handing over so much cash for a chance to get more pussy.

But Barry wasn't attracting pussy. He was attracting dick.

Should've seen that one coming a mile away, the hyper masculine asshole turning out to be gay. Didn't bother me, we all got our quirks. But that's the thing, Gus promised that the drug would attract the opposite sex. A specific set of hormones probably wouldn't work on the same sex, he figured. He was not THAT stupid.

And apparently I was one of Gus' 'success stories'.

Barry demanded to know what else was going on with me, or he'd crush me like a bug. So I coughed it up in self-preservation. My feet. My head. The rashes. The urge to jog in the forest every night and the inclination to be near music. And guess what, Barry didn't freak out on me. He admitted to the same damn thing. Also the fact he was a tone deaf and now could sing bass like a star.

Barry's thrown out all his shit in the toilet and scrubbed his neck so hard he's taken skin off. Apparently that's where he put on the cologne. I let him take the couch, texted mom telling her that he was a friend that came over for some help. Mom's a sweetheart. She'll understand.

This isn't right. I'm stopping taking whatever's been given me now, it’s gone down the toilet with Barry’s supply. Fuck you Gus. Fuck you so much.

---

Day 15

1:11 PM

I think it was too late for us.

Barry's got the rash now, despite insisting he's stopped everything. Everything he had of Love Potion, not even a spritz of the cologne. He keeps complaining of the itching.

Oh. And half my fucking foot fell off.

I was in the bathroom, meeting up with Barry (nothing gay, he just wanted to talk) and I leaned too much on one side apparently. We both heard a snap and suddenly I had no more balance. I fell to the floor.

I ripped off my shoe and the front of my foot fell out. It had turned entirely dark purple and felt like dry clay. Barry screamed like a girl and threw up in the sink. My foot reeks, at least what's left of it. But I'm more concerned that I think I have hooves now.

Yeah. You heard me Gus. HOOVES. The bone that led to my ankle is all wrong shaped, split in two and is turning a coppery brown. The flesh around my heel is already peeling away and I feel sick just looking at it. Judging by the condition of the other foot, it's gonna go real quick here too.

I claimed I threw up and went home. Barry actually followed me, wonder if he's got some sort of crush on me. He's probably too grossed out to try anything though. Seeing half a man's foot just fall off probably kills the mood.

I don't know what to do. I still have the half of my foot, I'm keeping it in my dresser. Still trying to find you, Gus, but apparently you've faded off the face of the earth. Barry's vowed to tear your head off the moment he gets his hand on you.

Meanwhile, I think I just figured out what the things on my head are.

Horns. I'm growing horns.

Day 19

Barry refuses to leave my house. He's scared. I've played hooky since the last entry, staying home and playing video games. I'm super hairy now, a walking carpet is an understatement. I'm only bothering to shave my face, going after the rest of the mess is just too much.

Okay. I wasn't gonna put this down because I thought it was just my imagination, but... my penis is bigger. By at least three inches. No I'm not kidding Gus. Normally I'd think this was a great addition to my bod. But no. It's not. It's fucking not.

My other foot's gone and I'm having to relearn my center of balance. It's not as hard as I thought it was gonna be. It's rough though. I keep falling over and I think my mom's catching on that something's not right with me. Especially with the hopskip way I keep walking.

I think the horns are ready to split free. I feel them now, they're bony nubs that are giving me the worst migraines. The only thing that soothes my pain is playing my guitar and hearing Barry sing. Because damn that boy can sing.

I love music. But it’s of little comfort now.

---

Day 25

I ran away from home.

Gretchen came to check on me. (Myra hasn’t so much as sent a text by the way.) She knew I'd been missing classes, and when I didn't answer the door, she got worried and entered the house.

She found me at the worst time possible. When my horns were finishing their development. I was trying to get to the bathroom to get some more painkillers when the most excruciating pain I'd ever felt in my life filled my entire head. I screamed and hit the floor, curling up into a little ball. I hadn't even gotten fully dressed yet, a shag carpet with hooves and slowly sprouting horns.

I woke up to Gretchen screaming at the sight of me. I slowly sat up and when she saw my face she realized it was me.

Her face went white. She looked like she didn’t know what to be more shocked about. The fact that there was a man with horns and a small furry tail, or the fact that it was me, right there. Sitting in front of her. More animal than man.

I tried to talk to her. Tried to reach for her. But when she ran from the house, I couldn't just let her go.

So she's with me and Barry now.

We stole my mom's car, I took all the money from her bank account that I could, and we're driving now. Just driving. Gretchen's tied up in the backseat, Barry's keeping her still.

I don't know what to do anymore. But I need Gretchen. Need her. I can't explain why either. Maybe I'll know when I get to our destination.

---

Day 30

This would've been the final day of the test.

I'm done transforming. Barry's about through the final stretch himself, it's just the horns left. All the others managed to catch up to us. We're hiding out in one of the national parks, not telling you which. All in various stages of development. Gus really went all out, hitting every clique he could before pulling his disappearing act.

We're freaks now. All of us. They're gonna look for us, but they won't find us. Or they'll wish they hadn't. We have powers now. With our instruments and voices, we can hypnotize anyone to our bidding. Least it means we don't have to tie up Gretchen now. She's staying here whether she likes it or not.

For now, we wait. For the hype to die down. For people to forget the missing teenagers from our highschool.

I don't think you knew this would happen to us. But I really don't care. I'm sending this journal to your last known address, Gus. You can run, but you can't hide. We'll find you.

We just want to give you a head's start knowing what we'll do to you once we get our hands on you.

#horror stories #scary stories #sixpenceee #sixpenceee stories #monsters #my stories

547 notes · View notes

florahecate · 5 years

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Read More 30 Weird But Totally Amazing Food Pairings

The following post 30 Weird But Totally Amazing Food Pairings is republished from Eat This Not That by Meghan De Maria

Sure, you know apple slices taste delicious with a bit of cheese, or that chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. But there are plenty of people who swear by, shall we say, less traditional weird food combinations.

Even with some of the tried-and-true factors, like the fact that salty foods go so well with sweet ones, some of these food combinations are truly next-level. But they all work, as long as you’re willing to try something new. Here are some of the weirdest—and most loved—food combinations out there. Hey, don’t knock ’em ’til you try ’em.

Ice Cream and Fries

If you’ve made a face when your friends dipped fries into a Wendy’s Frosty or McFlurry, it turns out they were onto something. This takes the combination of salty and sweet to the next level. Because in addition to the flavors, you’re also mixing the heat of a fresh box of fries with the coldness of the ice cream. Salty, sweet, hot, and cold all at the same time—what’s not to love? There’s no way of telling what brave soul first tried this combination. But we’re thankful for it, whoever they are.

Still not convinced this is a flavor people actually enjoy? Just ask Coolhaus! The brand sells a pint of “Milkshake & Fries” ice cream that includes bits of fries, along with malt balls, blended into vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate and Avocado

We’re not just talking about adding a piece of chocolate to your morning avocado toast, although that does sound delicious. Avocado’s creamy, buttery texture naturally lends itself to chocolate-flavored recipes, of which there are many to choose from. Dip your toes into the flavor combination with a creamy avocado and chocolate milkshake, which features cacao powder and a quarter avocado.

Olive Oil and Ice Cream

If you haven’t tried it, you might be hesitant about this combination, but plenty of people swear by it. For a true salty-sweet combo, try adding a drizzle of olive oil and a few sea salt flakes to vanilla ice cream. You won’t regret it.

Another option is to try olive oil gelato if your local scoop shop offers it. But if you’re able to assemble the olive oil sundae yourself, you might be surprised to find you enjoy the taste after all.

Coca-Cola and Chicken

Recipes for “Cola chicken” are so abundant that Coca-Cola itself even has one on its website. While most people are more familiar with the soda in its drinkable form, there’s apparently something to be said for frying chicken in it, too. If you think about it, it is still a salty-sweet combo. And it’s not really much weirder than other sweet meat flavorings, like teriyaki or sweet barbecue sauce.

Strawberries and Balsamic

Strawberries and balsamic vinegar are an age-old Italian combination that works surprisingly well. As Plated explained, the savory balsamic flavor makes strawberries taste even more sweet, complementing their already-juicy nature. Intrigued? Try this grilled strawberry shortcake recipe to give the strawberry-balsamic combination a try.

Cheddar Cheese and Apple Pie

Fresh apples and cheese slices are a common combination, so it was only a matter of time before the cheese idea hit apple pie, too. As Atlas Obscura reported, the tradition of adding cheese to apple pie seems to have originated in England, and it’s been going on for centuries. The outlet posits that today, cheddar-topped apple pie is more popular in dairy-producing regions of the United States like the Midwest and New England.

If you want to try out this trend, you don’t have to throw a yellow slice on top of the next slice of pie you eat. Try baking cheddar into your pie crust to test out this intriguing combo.

Peanut Butter and a Burger

While many of the options on this list rely on salty-sweet combinations, this is more of a salt and more salt situation. Apparently, adding melted peanut butter when forming beef patties will make them juicier. For an even more daring take on the combo, try adding Thai peanut sauce to your next burger for an unforgettable flavor combination.

Chocolate and Chips

If you’ve ever poured a box of M&Ms right into your popcorn at the movie theater, this one’s for you. The salty-sweet combination is just delicious—there’s a reason chocolate-covered potato chips are a thing. Lay’s first released its chocolate-covered potato chips in 2013, but the pairing goes back way further than that. (If you’d rather stick to dipping your Lay’s in French onion dip, though, we don’t blame you.)

Banana and Bacon

While the true origins of this combo aren’t clear, it’s long been attributed, along with peanut butter, to Elvis Presley. There’s the sweet, carb-heavy banana, paired with creamy peanut butter and salty bacon, an unlikely but delicious trio perfect for sandwich-making.

Proscuitto and Melon

Combining salty and sweet flavors can be as simple as enjoying a bit of meat with fresh fruit. This Italian classic is perfect for a snack on a hot summer day. You can wrap the prosciutto around melon slices, or just eat the two side by side.

Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches

The New York Times caught a lot of flak for suggesting readers add peas into their guacamole, but the paper also caused a bit of controversy with this peanut butter and pickle sandwich suggestion. For pickle lovers, there’s not much the tart flavor can’t improve, and peanut butter is sturdy enough to withstand the pickle juice without the sandwich falling apart. Or, as the Times put it, “The vinegary snap of the pickles tempers the unctuousness of the peanut butter, and it’s an unusual pantry sandwich for when luncheon meats leave you cold.”

Chicken and Pickle Brine

At this point, we’ve already conceded to frying chicken in Coca-Cola—and compared to that, chicken in pickle brine sounds downright normal. Supposedly, Chick-Fil-A cooks its chicken in pickle brine, which could explain why the fast-food chain has so many devotees. The pickle brine keeps the meat juicy, without overpowering its natural flavor.

Pizza and Ranch Dressing

A school cafeteria classic, this tried-and-true combination really hits the spot. The tangy ranch complements the tomato sauce perfectly—you wouldn’t think it would work, but it does.

As The New York Times reported, the pizza and ranch combination seems to have started when Domino’s offered ranch dressing alongside its wings in 1994. Endeavoring customers used the dressing for their pizzas, not just the wings, and the trend caught on.

Ketchup and Ranch Dressing

The orange-hued dressing that comes from mixing ketchup and ranch is so popular that Heinz is now making bottled “Kranch”. The dressing sounds like it would be good on anything from fries to sandwiches to salads. And you can always mix your own at home.

Blueberries and Steak

Google “blueberries and steak,” and you’ll find plenty of recipes for blueberry-based sauces to add to your filet. The fruit is sweet, but not too sweet, and it won’t overpower the meat’s flavor. If making your own steak sauce sounds too complicated, start off with a blueberry steak salad.

RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.

Watermelon and Salt

If you haven’t tried this combo, you might think that salt would dry out the watermelon’s watery, sweet flavor. However, the opposite is true. As with many of the other savory-sweet combos on this list, a pinch of salt will actually enhance the flavor of the watermelon’s natural sweetness. And as HuffPost explained, the salt actually makes the watermelon taste less bitter, too.

Pickles and Ice Cream

Supposedly, this is a common pregnancy craving—there’s even a pregnancy-focused cookbook called Pickles and Ice Cream. As Slate explained, there was even an episode of I Love Lucy where a pregnant Lucy dipped a pickle into a papaya milkshake while she was pregnant. (If you thought it was weird to dip French fries into a Frosty, imagine this concoction.) Of course, you don’t have to be pregnant if you want to try this combination on your own. No judgment here!

Bloody Mary and Steak

We don’t just mean ordering the two items together at brunch this weekend. No, there are plenty of recipes for combining the two items, with the Bloody Mary serving as a sort of marinade for the meat. Once you try this Bloody Mary skirt steak recipe, you’ll be a convert. It’s not clear what endeavoring brunch-lover first had the creative marinade idea, but you’ll be thanking them once you’ve tried it.

Strawberry and Basil

If you’ve opened your mind to the possibility of combining strawberries and balsamic vinegar, strawberries and basil are just as winning a pair. The combination is delicious in drinks like lemonade, but there are plenty of recipes that combine the fruit and the herb, too. Whether you want to try a strawberry basil compote to top your desserts or a strawberry basil frozen yogurt recipe that stands on its own, the two of them really do pair well together.

Mango and Chili Powder

Spicy food lovers might be interested in adding a sweet element to their next heat-filled dish. As this recipe for a chili-mango chicken stir-fry will show you, adding sweet elements into a spicy dish only makes the flavor more delicious. Adding hot sauce to mango is a Mexican standby, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand the appeal.

Sesame and Chocolate

You might think of sesame seeds as the topping for to-go Chinese food or the buns from McDonald’s. But sesame is wonderfully versatile, and there’s a reason there are plenty of recipes for sesame and chocolate desserts. From black sesame truffles to sesame chocolate chip cookies, this is a simple but delicious flavor pairing you didn’t know you needed. Even Lindt makes a sesame chocolate bar!

Peanut Butter and Bacon

As with the banana and bacon combo, it looks like Elvis really was on to something. Even if you don’t include the banana in the combination, the contrasting smoothness of peanut butter and crunchiness of bacon really do elevate the experience of eating them together.

Sriracha and Peanut Butter

If you’re bored of the same-old PB&J, meet PB&S. Sriracha has that sweet aftertaste without the sugar overload that jams can bring. Plus, the peanut butter will help cut some of the sriracha’s spiciness. You don’t have to use a fancy recipe with this combination, either: Just load up a sandwich with both sriracha and peanut butter.

French Fries and Honey

If you want to add a bit of sweetness to your fries without a full-on serving of ice cream, honey can do the trick. Its sweet flavor goes perfectly with fast food’s salty goodness—there’s a reason McDonald’s offers honey among its chicken nugget dipping options.

Honey and Pizza

In a similar vein, honey makes an unexpectedly delicious pizza topping. Hot honey, in particular, is a delicious offset to the salt overload that comes with meat toppings like pepperoni. There’s a reason Emily in New York City has a cult following for their Colony pizza, which combines honey, pepperoni cups, and peppers for a sensory overload.

Hot Sauce and Ice Cream

If topping ice cream with olive oil is old hat for you, why not step it up a notch? Milk is a standard go-to for people trying to get that spicy taste out of their mouths, so this seems like the next step, in a way. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could even make your own sriracha ice cream.

Green Apple and Salsa

Fruits like pineapple and mango are perfect in salsa, so why wouldn’t green apples be? Their tart flavor is perfect for spicy recipes, offsetting some of the heat while adding a tangy taste to the mix.

Miso and Butternut Squash

If you’ve only had the seasoning in the soup that comes at a Japanese steakhouse, you’re really missing out. Roasting butternut squash with miso or adding the seasoning to butternut squash soup adds a rich umami flavor to the sweet taste of the squash.

Watermelon and Feta

Feta is the star of the classic Greek salad, but it’s just as delicious when paired with fruit. Its dense texture makes it the perfect way to add more flavor to a juicy watermelon salad. Add in mint, and you’re good to go.

Peanut Butter and Mayo

This unlikely sandwich combo has a surprising number of fans. The Southern tradition came about in the Depression, but it’s stuck around for years, especially in those Southern states. While it may have been created out of lack of resources, the sandwich has stuck around thanks to its ability to meld two distinct flavors into one filling meal.

Now, are you brave enough to try out any of these unlikely treats?

The post 30 Weird But Totally Amazing Food Pairings appeared first on Eat This Not That.

#Eat This Not That

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the-silver-sunrise · 7 years

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The Zephran’s Kid (Tales from the Lost Souls’ #2)

It was one of those slow days at the Lost Souls’ Rest. The only patrons for the past hour were a couple men who kept to themselves, Guy had been wiping the same table for the past twenty minutes. Sven and Effy were in the back, killing time while Julia leant over the bar, idly drawing shapes with a finger.

A gust of wind followed by footsteps drew Julia out of her daydreams as she saw a man walk through the door. He looked young, younger than Julia at least, but he seemed to carry himself with confidence. His messy, brown hair flew about in the wind until he closed the door behind himself and made an effort to brush it back with his fingers.

After taking a second to look around the bar, the man walked towards Julia but he was intercepted as Guy dashed in front of him.

“I’m sorry Sir,” He said nervously, “but we don’t allow customers to bring weapons into the bar.”

Julia glanced down and saw that the man had a rapier sheathed at his belt. The man seemed surprised to see it as well, since he burst out laughing when he saw it there. “Of course. Sorry about that, I forgot I still had this thing with me. Is there somewhere I can leave it here?”

Guy didn’t answer for a while, not sure how to respond, “Uhh, I guess we can keep it in the back room.”

“Great, thanks!” he answered, immediately unbuckling the sword from his belt and handing it to Guy. “Oh, before you go, you wouldn’t happen to know a guy named Sven Pettersen, would you?”

Guy looked up at the man, surprised “The owner is named Sven. I’m not sure if that’s his surname though. Julia?” He asked, looking towards his co-worker.

Julia didn’t move from her leaning position behind the bar. “That’s our boss, yes. Who, may I ask, are you?”

“He’s an old friend of my family.” The man answered with a smile, “I thought I’d come and see him.”

‘He didn’t sound suspicious’ Julia thought. She nodded to the man and said “Okay. Guy, could you let Sven know, and be careful with that sword.”

Guy looked down at the sword in his hand and tightened his grip on the scabbard “Got it.” He said before turning away.

“Tell him ‘The Zephran’s kid’ is here to see him.” The man called as Guy walked away, “He should know it’s me.”

Guy nodded back before he stepped into the back room. The man looked back at Julia and took a seat at the bar. “So, how long have you worked here?” He asked Julia before holding out a hand, “I’m James, by the way, James Zephran. Julia, was it?”

Julia smiled and shook James’ hand. “That’s right.” She said “I’ve worked here for about… five years, I think.” As she said it, the realization hit Julia that it had been that long. Could that be right? It only felt like a few months ago when she first walked through the Lost Souls’ doors.

Julia shook her head, bringing herself back to the present day. “I’m sorry. Can I get you anything?” She asked James while handing him a menu.

He glanced at the menu for a few seconds before remarking, “Wow. I’ve been checking a lot of bars around Riverhold since I moved here and none of them have this kind of selection. Normally it’s just beer and if you’re lucky, whiskey.”

Julia chuckled, “That’s all thanks to our mixologist, Effy.” She said, pointing across the bar to where Effy had just left the back room and was collecting glasses from a recently vacated table.

James followed Julia’s gesture and watched Effy. “Isn’t she a little young to be working in a place like this?” He asked, suspiciously.

Julia shrugged before answering. “Normally, I’d say so too, but she’s very good at her job. She’s not just here for her dad to keep an eye on her.”

“She’s Sven’s kid?” James asked. Julia nodded and he leaned back on his stool. “Woah, last I heard, his girl had just started school.” He continued watching Effy take the glasses behind the bar before he turned back to Julia “So what kind of beer do you recommend?”

Julia pointed at a certain entry in the menu and recited her usual recommendation, “Well, we just got restocked yesterday with a delicious blonde pale ale from a local brewery in a nearby village.”

James nodded before laughing sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I’m going to sound like an idiot but… I know the name ‘Pale Ale’ but what does that actually mean?”

“Oh, it’s not that unusual to not know.” She said with a smile. “You see, pale ale is brewed using a pale malt, which is to say the barley used is a lighter color than usual which makes the ale itself a paler color. Blonde pale ales are basically another step further, being even paler than a regular pale ale. It has a particularly dry, crisp taste that I quite enjoy.”

James had been nodding along to her explanation. When she was done, he smiled, “Sounds good. I’ll have a pint of that.”

“Coming right up.” Julia picked up a pint glass from behind the bar and set it beneath a tap. She pulled at the tap and the glass began to fill with a frothy, yellowish liquid. After a few seconds Julia presented the customer with his beer. “Here you are. I hope you enjoy it.”

He took the glass and held it up in thanks. “I’m sure I will. This place is really full of surprises. The most a barmaid normally knows about a beer is which tap it is.”

Julia felt herself blush from the compliment. “Thank you, but again, that’s thanks to Effy. She has a real passion for this…” She gestured to the many, many bottles displayed behind her, “… and once you get her talking, it can be hours before she stops. Most of what I know is just what I’ve picked up from her.”

“Come on, you’re not giving yourself enough credit. You’re clearly a very intelligent woman.”

“Well, thank you again.” Julia turned away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her slowly turning redder. When she looked to her side, she saw her boss standing there, chuckling.

“Well, look at you.” Sven said, stroking his mustache. “How’ve you been, James?” James turned to look at him and stood up.

“Sven!” James exclaimed, “It’s been years!” The two of them shook hands but Sven pulled James closer for a hug. Julia couldn’t help but chuckle at seeing James’ surprise.

“Julia, get me an ale.” Sven ordered. She nodded and poured her boss a drink while the two men sat down at the bar.

“So how’s the family?” Sven asked. Julia served his ale and he gave her a thankful nod.

“They’re doing good, thanks.” James took a swig from his drink before elaborating, “The old farm’s still the same as before. Blair, my sister, she’s been getting more involved lately. Kind of like your girl.”

Sven glanced behind him at Effy, who had a number of assorted bottles and ingredients out on the bar. Julia saw him smile before turning back to James. “Yep. Nothing makes a father more proud than seeing his child wanting to continue what he started. So what brings you to Riverhold?”

James laughed sheepishly before answering, “Well, you know. The farm wasn’t my place. I thought I’d take a swing at adventuring. I mean, you and my folks could make a living out of it so I figure I’d do alright. Riverhold sounded like a good place to do it. Frontier city, a lot of news of strange and wonderful creatures wandering the borders, it sounded like a fun time.”

Sven’s brow lowered and his tone became serious, “Dangerous work, that is. There’s a reason the three of us retired from that life. Just take care of yourself, alright?”

James gave the older man a grin “Yeah, yeah, like I haven’t heard the same thing from Dad. I’m not doing anything too dangerous yet. I’m mainly doing work in the city until I’ve got some more experience.”

“What kind of work?” Julia asked.

“Volunteer guard stuff. They’re always looking for new guards and they have openings for adventurers to help out in places. It’s boring and doesn’t pay much, but it’s a start.” James shrugged before taking another swig from his drink.

“Hey, Jules!” Effy called from the other end of the bar. “Can I get a hand over here?”

“I’ll be right there.” Julia called back before turning back to Sven and James. “Please, excuse me, Gentlemen.”

Sven nodded, dismissing Julia without a word. James raised his half empty glass “Come back soon.” He said with a wink.

Julia turned away and walked casually towards Effy. There was no one sat by her end of the bar so Julia assumed that she didn’t need her help with customers at least. “What do you need?” Julia asked once she was close enough to speak normally.

Effy looked behind Julia for a few seconds before asking, “Who’s that guy with my dad?”

Julia turned back to make sure who Effy was talking about. “James Zephran, rookie adventurer.” She answered, “He’s either an old friend of your dad’s or he’s the son of one. I’m not sure.”

Effy stared at the floor for a while, her darting eyes telling Julia that she was thinking very hard. “Zephran…” She eventually muttered, “Yeah, I think Dad had a friend called Zephran back when he was adventuring.”

Julia nodded. “In that case, James is probably that friend’s son. He doesn’t look that old so he’d have been a child back then.” Effy nodded back in understanding. “Was that all?” Julia asked.

Effy presented Julia with a small glass containing an unknown, bright red liquid. “I need you to drink this.” She said.

Julia picked up the strange drink and sniffed it. It didn’t smell of anything beyond alcohol. That was a start. “A new concoction?” Julia asked.

“Yep.” Effy responded enthusiastically, “I’m mostly trying out stuff right now, and since I can’t drink alcohol…” Her eye’s darted between Julia and the glass.

She had no way out of it. Even if Effy wasn’t her manager, Julia always had difficulties saying ‘no’ to people. She looked closely at the drink. Its bright red color reminded her of health potions, only those didn’t froth or smell like whiskey. “What’s in it?” Julia asked suspiciously.

Effy shook her head. “I’m not telling. People always make bad assumptions when you tell them what’s in something they haven’t drank. I promise that, unless some weird chemistry that no one’s ever seen before has happened, it’s perfectly drinkable.”

Julia sighed before chugging the whole thing. She placed the glass on the bar and almost immediately began coughing. Her mouth felt like it was on fire! She quickly filled a second glass with water from a tap and downed it just as quickly.

“Well?” Effy asked expectantly, “How was it?”

Julia was leaning on the bar and breathing heavily in an attempt to relieve the burning in her mouth. After a few seconds it began to fade, surprising Julia by leaving behind a tingling sensation on her tongue. “That was… weird.” She eventually said.

“Good weird or bad weird?” Effy asked, seemingly oblivious to Julia’s coughing fit a few seconds earlier.

‘When is weird ever good?’ Julia considered asking before deciding against it. She coughed one last time to clear her throat and stood up straight. “Well…” Julia contemplated, taking a moment to find the right words. “It was VERY spicy. So much so that I don’t think I’ll be able to taste my dinner later tonight. The surprising thing, though, was that after drinking that water, it went from a spicy aftertaste to a sweet one.”

Effy took out a pencil and began writing in her notepad that was supposed to be for taking orders. “Water, huh.” She mused as she wrote, “Maybe it’s too strong on its own. I should try watering it down next time.” Effy looked up at Julia watching her and waved her away. “Thanks Jules. You can go back to what you were doing.”

Julia looked behind her to watch Sven and James still talking and laughing together. They were so caught up in their conversation that they’d barely touched their drinks. “I don’t think they’ll miss me for a bit.” Julia said mostly to herself. She then spoke up so that Effy would hear her, “I’m going to take my break.”

Effy didn’t respond for a while as she kept writing. Eventually she put the notepad away and answered “Okay. I’ll yell if we suddenly get busy. Guy took his break after that Zephran guy came in. Tell him to come back if you see him out there.”

Julia waved as she walked to the back door “Will do. Thanks.” She called back as she opened the door and stepped into the quiet alleyway. The sun had set a while ago so when Julia looked up she saw a sky dotted with stars and a beautiful crescent moon.

“Have you come to get me?” asked a voice from behind the door. Julia closed it to see Guy casually leaning against the wall.

She shook her head. “I’m just taking my break.” She answered, “Effy wants you to come back in but I can tell her you were chasing off some troublemakers, if you’d like.”

Guy chuckled at the idea. “Nah. I’m good.” He said, stepping away from the wall. “Actually, one thing. How did I do? You know, with that guy’s sword?”

Julia held her chin in thought for a moment before replying “You did well. You were polite yet clear and he was understanding so everything worked out. If he’d been rude to you I’d have helped you out. Good job.”

Guy sighed in relief and smiled. “Thanks. Has that ever happened to you?”

“A couple times,” She answered with a shrug, “back before you or Effy worked here. Sven used to keep his old mace behind the bar and in situations like that he’d threaten to beat them to a pulp if they didn’t ‘Get the hell outta my bar!’”

The two of them laughed at Julia’s poor imitation of Sven. “So the boss seriously used to be an adventurer?” Guy asked.

“So he tells me.” Julia answered with another shrug, “I only met him after he retired and opened this place.”

Guy took a step back and looked to the bar. “Not a bad retirement, I guess. He isn’t here that often though. Lucky he was here to see his friend.”

Julia shook her head “He still comes in quite a bit. I think they must schedule your shifts to cover his days off.”

Guy looked up in thought. “Huh. I guess that makes sense.” He muttered to himself, “I should get back in. See you later.” Julia waved to Guy as he opened the door and walked in.

Julia noticed a wooden box lying on the ground next to the building across from the bar. Feeling the sudden need to sit down, she brushed off any dirt and sat on it. The box was sturdy enough to take her weight. ‘Must have been used to move something heavy’ she thought to herself.

It occurred to Julia, now that she was alone with her thoughts, that her mouth was still tingling with the sweet aftertaste of Effy’s concoction. It wasn’t that unpleasant, just strange that an aftertaste would still be this strong after so long. “I should remember to ask her what was in that.” Julia mumbled to herself, “I wonder if I could make it myself? Hopefully she didn’t put any magic in it.”

The night sky was surprisingly clear. Julia couldn’t see a single cloud in the slit of sky she could see between the buildings around her. She sat there for a long while, watching the stars slowly drift through the darkness. She didn’t notice that she was humming to herself until she had finished a song that she vaguely remembered from years ago.

‘I haven’t heard that song in so long.’ She thought as she started humming the familiar tune a second time. ‘It was another life when I last sang this song. Why am I suddenly remembering it now?’

Julia was brought out of her reverie by the door to the bar opening. She immediately stopped humming and saw Effy poke her head out. “Hey. That James guy just left. He wanted me to pass on a message.”

Julia sat back on the box. “Oh really?” She said.

“Yeah. It was some fancy rubbish about stars aligning or something.” Effy waved an arm in front of her, as if she was in a play or something, before looking at Julia coyly. “I think he likes you.”

“Don’t be silly.” Julia chided, though she did smile at the thought. “He was probably just being polite. Still, it sounds like we’ve got a new regular.”

“I do like regulars.” Effy said with a cocky grin. From behind her, Julia heard the front door to the bar open followed by multiple footsteps. Effy glanced back inside before turning back to Julia. “We’ve got a group. Breaks over, Jules.”

Julia chuckled at how quickly Effy went from casual to business. “Whatever you say, Boss.” She said as she stood up, and followed Effy back inside.

#fantasy #bar #alcohol #tales from the lost souls #lost souls julia #lost souls effy #lost souls guy #James Zephran

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