#Epic: the scents saga | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rjmartin11 · 1 year

Text

I'm Aaron

Chapter Six

Pairing: Elvis & female!reader

Summary: You're a workaholic who decides to take a private mini vacation in Las Vegas. While there, you stumble into and befriend a handsome stranger at a bar. This handsome stranger is more than meets the eye. He wants to show you a great time... privately. It's an experience that you've never had before. You soon realize that you're in over your head, and your heart is falling fast.

Word Count: 3.5K

Warnings: Pain, sadness, healing, walking down memory lane.

Author's Notes: Welcome to Chapter Six! What a rollercoaster we've been on, right? Is Reader really leaving E for good? Let's jump in. Again, if you'd like to be in my tag list for this epic saga message and please drop me a like and follow! I do enjoy your comments.

✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧

The morning light awakens you, and you sit up in the bed. Your head is pounding because you cried yourself to sleep. You look at your bedside table, and the clock reads eight thirty a.m. You notice that your receiver is still off the hook of the phone, but you leave it as is.

You sat up in the bed, folding your legs into your chest. You take a deep breath and consider your next move. Should you stay? Should you go? One thing is for sure, you are staving, and you are ready for breakfast! If you eat now, you can think straight later.

You realize in order to eat, you need to put the phone on the hook. You hesitate and put the receiver on the hook. The moment you put the phone on the hook, there's a knock on your door.

You freeze in place. Is it him? Is it Elvis?

*knock, knock, knock, knock*

You get out of bed and walk towards the door.

"Who is it?"

"Front desk delivery service, Ms. Y/N."

You opened the door, and on the other side was the largest boutique of red roses you've ever seen.

"Are these for me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

You slowly take them from the delivery guy and thank him. You shut the door with foot and walk back into your room, placing the roses on your dresser. You've never received flowers before, and your heart swoons. The scent of them filled the room. You see there a card attached. You take the card out of the roses, remove it from it envelope, and read it.

Y/N, baby, there's a rose for every moment I thought of you last night. Every time I kissed you since the night we met, and every time I called after you ran away from me. I hope these light up your life the way you've lit mine. Love, Elvis Aaron

The tears stain your face from his note. He still cares. After running away from him, he sent you flowers. You take one of the roses out of the vase and place it to your nose. The phone rings, and you smile to yourself. It's him. It has to be.

You place the card down on the dresser by the vase of the rose and walk over to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Y/N, baby."

"Good morning, Elvis Aaron."

"Did you get your gift?"

"I did. They're beautiful. Thank you. And... and your card was sweet." You whisper in the receiver as you speak to him.

"I was wondering if you would eat breakfast with me?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

You close your eyes and breathe deeply. "Okay. Can you give me ten minutes?"

"That's more than enough time. I can't wait to see you, baby."

"Bye."

You hang up the phone and cling the rose to your heart. Your next thought is what to wear.

✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧

Ten minutes later...

You arrive on the penthouse floor and walk with a newfound confidence to his door. You knock, and a familiar face opens the door.

"Good morning, Jerry."

"Good morning, Y/N." Jerry says, granting you access to the room. He escorts you to the bedroom door and knocks. Seconds later, Elvis appears in his pajamas with a smirk on his face.

"Thanks, Jer. I'll take it from here."

Elvis says as he holds the door open for you to enter his room. Walk and notice the big breakfast feast on the bar. You hear Elvis shut the door behind you, and you turn to face him.

"I'm glad you're here." He says, holding out his hand to you. You take his hand, and he grins at you.

"I didn't know what you like to, so I ordered us everything on the breakfast menu."

"This is very sweet, Elvis Aaron. Thank you."

"Well, let's dig in."

You take a plate and pass it to Elvis, and then you grab a plate for yourself. The selection was extravagant, but you were able to narrow it down to a waffle, strawberries, blueberries, some hashbrowns, and a sausage patty with orange juice on the side. Elvis got a little bit of every. He placed several stripes of bacon and sausage on his plate and eggs with a cup of coffee. You stayed away from the bacon because it was on the burnt side.

He walked you over to the coffee table where you two could eat. He grabbed your hands gently and bowed his head, and started to pray.

"Dear Lord, for what we are about to receive, we are truly grateful. Thank you for the company we get to share it with. Amen."

"Amen."

You were taken aback and impressed with his prayer. You sat there for a second, wondering if he did it to impress you. You were too hungry to focus on that now.

As you eat, you try to avoid eye contact with him. Just trying to focus on your food.

"Baby, can we please address the elephant in the room?" He says, placing his food to the side.

You put your fork down and swallow the leftover food in your mouth. "I don't know what say." You speak without making eye contact with him.

"I have people run to me all the time. No one's ever ran from me because of who I am."

"I'm sorry, Elvis Aaron. It wasn't because of you. I ran because I was frightened."

"Frightened? Of what? Of me?" Elvis says this moves closer to you on the floor. "Did I hurt you?"

"Oh no. No, of course not. Not exactly, you."

"Then what exactly was it?" He pauses and takes a breath. "I know we were just gonna talk. Maybe I got a little carried away. I didn't think when I asked you about your day, it would lead to..." Elvis pauses to look at you.

You blush and conceal your face from the thought. How could you have been so blunt with him? What did you have to gain from it?

"Elvis... I honestly don't know what got into me. Telling you about...that."

"Oh, you don't?" He says, removing a hand from your face.

You snicker and grin knowing exactly what got into you! You intertwine your fingers with his; allowing yourself to be captured by his cerulean gaze. He is so spellbinding. His gaze has the power to calm and excite you all at once.

"Maybe you shouldn't have asked for me to show you my dirty deed."

"I'm glad you did." He pauses and looks deep within your eyes. "About you runnin' away. If I didn't hurt you. Why? What are you afraid of?"

You lightly shake your head and feel the tears form in your eyes. Do you tell him about your fear of commitment? Or the fear that you could hurt one another? You know now for a fact that he's not using you. You squeeze his hand and answer. "I was overwhelmed. This passion between us... Elvis Aaron, it's intense. So real and raw. That feeling is unnerving for me. You're the first guy I've ever felt this strongly about. That scares me. I keep thinking about Romeo and Juliet. I don't want this to end tragically."

Elvis shakes his head and says, "We ain't them. We ain't got crazy families fighting over something stupid. We're Elvis Aaron and Y/N, and we're makin' our own story. Understand?"

You nod your head and allow your tears to stream down your cheeks. You sniff and blush at his words. He's so romantic and knowledgeable. He gently wipes your tears away with his fingers, and you smile at the gesture.

"I've always been an ugly crier."

"You could never be ugly, baby. But how 'bout for today we just truly talk and get to know more about each other." He asked, scooting to you where you're nearly in his lap.

"I'd love that. Just talking, right?"

"Yes, just talking for today."

You get as close as possible to hold his face in between your hands. "I don't know, Elvis Aaron. I may want to steal a kiss or two." *kiss* "Or three." You give him another kiss before scooting back, sliding your right hand down over his chest. "What do you want to know?"

Elvis puckers his lips to the side. "I want to know when your birthday is?"

"It's in June. When is yours?"

"Mines in January. What day in June is your birthday?"

"It's the 8th of June."

Elvis chuckles at your answer and shakes his head.

"What's so funny?"

"M-My birthday's on January 8th."

Your mouth drops in shock. How can that be such a coincidence? Born on the same day six months apart in different years? "Whoa, really?"

"Really, baby." He speaks low, and your heart swoons.

The two of you spend the morning and a part of the afternoon getting to know each other. You both discuss favorite colors, favorite foods, likes, and dislikes. You let Elvis know that your favorite flowers are forget-me-nots. He takes note of that.

You ask him about what you should know that others don't know. He tells you about how it was growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi. How he loved sneaking around in juke joints in Shake Rag. Elvis enjoyed the music that played.

"I swear if Mama knew half of what I did with the guys, she'd have my hide." He chuckles at times past, yet he has this distant look not hidden from you. Like he yearns for those times once more. You see it in those oceanic orbs. You hear it in his longing drawl. You notice it more when he refers to his mother. It tugs at your heartstrings.

Elvis told you about Jesse Garon, his twin brother, who passed at birth. The thought in your mind that there could be two of him in the world! You were flabbergasted and, at the same time, hurt for him.

You tell him your secret childhood wish about wanting a little brother or sister. If you had one, maybe life would have been better. Not so lonely. Then you think of the way your father raised you and how your mother had to protect you. There's a chance your mother wouldn't want to subject another child to him.

You both speak on your love for your mothers. How they were the one's that kept to save. You tell Elvis about how your mama played Mahalia Jackson all throughout the house. His face lights up because she's his favorite gospel singer. He mentions the times he would go to East Trigg Church in Memphis and her sing. He tells you he did it several times, actually.

"I think our mama's would love each other, Elvis Aaron."

"Me too, Y/N darling. Me too."

"I used to sing in the choir at my church."

"No kidding? You'll have to sing for me one day."

"I don't know. My voice is nothing compared to yours." You shy away from him. He notices you shying away and starts to tickle you. You laugh yourself into a fit. You try to get away from him, but he holds you with his strong legs. With no place to run, your laughter fills the room. Elvis starts laughing with you. "Elvis, stop! Let me catch my breath! Please!" He stops, and you feel yourself coming down from that high. He looks in your eyes. You wrap your arm around his neck and ease your hand into his hair. He bends down to kiss your lips, and you melt into him. He holds you, and he continues speaking.

You love talking with him about life, God... things. Elvis told you about his time in Germany and Army life. He expressed his love for his fans and how much he wanted to travel the world.

"I believe the world is ready for you, Elvis Aaron. Are you ready?" You ask, looking into his eyes. He grins.

"I'm ready, baby, and the world better be ready cause I'm coming." He holds you close and plants a soft kiss to your forehead.

"What time is it?" He asks, looking at his wristwatch. "Oh, baby. It's four fifteen. I got a sound check in fifteen minutes!"

He jumps up quickly and tries to get ready for the day. How did it get so last so soon? You watch him as he grabs his clothes and runs into the bathroom.

You hear the shower run, and you decide to make yourself more comfortable on the sofa. You kneel on the seat while placing your head on your arm. You hear the shower stop, and it won't be long before he appears in front of you. When he emerges out of the bathroom, he dressed to the T! A blue button-up blouse with white flowers and some tight black pants that hug him in all the right places. You can't help but stare. He's gorgeous.

"That was a quick shower." You ponder.

"I hate being late. I need to make sure everyone's where they need to be. The Sweets and The Imperials are usually harmonizing when I get there. Which is great. The orchestra and the band usually warm up but not as much as I like."

You watch as he rushes to put his socks and boots on as he explains what happens behind the scenes of his show. It seems that he's stretching for perfection. It's something to admire more about him. The way he speaks fills in more of the holes in his personality.

"I like seeing you in your element, Elvis. You're almost as excited as a school boy."

He looks up at you, putting his foot down on the floor. Elvis slowly approaches you, and it does something to you.

Remember you were only talking for today. Nothing more. Just talking.

You remind yourself of this. Ignoring the incessant throbbing between your legs. Crossing your legs tight underneath you so you won't wet the sofa with your erotic juices. Your heart is pounding in your ears, and you try to control your breathing.

Elvis moves one of your curls behind your ear and gently laces his fingers through your hair, resting his palm on your face. You both look into each other's eyes. You don't know what he sees in you, but you exactly what you see in him. In his eyes, you see kindness, experience, peace, humility, and... you see love.

The next moment, he's kissing you. It's that type of kiss that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. That kiss that gives you chills and goosebumps all over your body. That one kiss that makes your jump. The one you only see in films that look like time stands still, this time it's you. It's finally your moment. Elvis even does that tongue thing you like.

You slowly pull away from him with a smile. "I don't want you to be late for rehearsals. Go before I change my mind. I'll go too."

"Why are you leaving?" Confusion sets in over is face as he holds your arms in place.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes, Y/N, baby, I want you to stay. I want you to be here when I get back. Spoil yourself rotten."

You giggle at the thought of being alone in his room. "Elvis Aaron, a girl could get used to being spoiled. How can I ever go back?"

"You don't." He gives you a quick kiss until...

*knock, knock, knock*

"Hey E.P., their ready for you downstairs, man!" An unfamiliar voice shouts on the other side of the door.

"Give me a minute, Red!" He says, yelling back at the door.

"No, you better go...E.P." You kiss his nose, and then his lips sending him off. Before he goes, Elvis gives you a nice smack on your ass. He takes one last look at you, smiles, and closes the door behind him.

What an excellent day you've had. You didn't think it would go this well, but you're glad it did. Elvis told you to spoil yourself in his absence, but all you want to do is rest. You lay down in Elvis's massive bed, practically doused with throw pillows. The bed that you two did the naughty in less than twenty-four hours ago. You grab a pillow in turn on your side. The scent of your lover is laced all over his bed and sheets. That musk of him fills your senses and relaxes your mind. Before you know it, you're drifting off to sleep.

✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧

The phone rings, and you open your eyes. You rub your eyes and scoot closer to the phone, picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Baby, did you fall asleep again?"

"You said spoil myself. I'm spoiling myself. I'm getting more sleep than ever. How was rehearsal?"

"It went good. Real good. I'm getting dressed down here. Baby, I want you to come to the midnight show."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I want you to meet the Mafia wives. I'm gonna have ya sit with them and get to know them. They're sweethearts."

All of a sudden, you get nervous. You did come to meet new people and enjoy new experiences, but once you met Aaron (Elvis), you lost interest in meeting others.

"O-okay." You speak yourself back into reality, trying not to give yourself away.

"Alright, and I want you to stay the night with me. All night. No running away."

You pause, considering the words that he says. They're like velvet rolling off his tongue, piercing your ears. The whole night. "Yes, I'll stay."

"It's nine o'clock now. Be ready by ten. You'll meet the ladies at the dinner show. I'll have Jerry bring you down."

"Yes, love."

*pause*

"Did you just call me love?"

You hit your mouth, realizing the words you just told him. It slipped out. You can't take them back now.

"Maybe I did."

"You did."

"It just slipped out."

"I'm glad it did. You should let that slip out more often."

"Maybe I will. It's ten minutes after nine, let me get ready, Elvis. Good luck tonight." You whisper in the receiver, hoping it would calm him.

"Thanks, baby. I'll see you after the show. Bye."

"Bye, love." You hang up the phone, and you hear a knock at the door.

You open it and see Jerry on the other side.

"Hey, Y/N. I'm escorting you down for the dinner show."

"Yes, I'm... can you walk me to my room? My clothes are there and I'd like to freshen up a bit."

"Of course."

Jerry walks you downstairs to your floor, but he gives you space to get ready for the evening. You take a quick shower and fluff out your curls. You look in the mirror to do your affirmations. "You are kind, brilliant, and beautiful. You are worthy of love. You... are meeting new people. Remember to be yourself. No matter what, like Jill said."

You stop and think about your friend, Jill. Out of all your friends, she's the truest. You should have at least called her. You dress yourself in a short black, lacey dress with a small slit on the left side. You glance at the clock. It's nine forty-five. Knowing you have fifteen minutes to make it downstairs, you risk it and make a quick phone call to your friend back home.

You dial the number and hear the phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Jill. It's me."

"Y/N? It's so late. Are you already?"

You hit yourself in the head, realizing that you are three hours behind Atlanta. "I'm fine. Better than fine. Forgive me, I forgot about the time difference."

"Quite fine. Beckett and I just got back home ourselves. Did you make it to Las Vegas, Y/N?"

"Yes, I did, and I'm so glad I came. I met someone. I'm about to go down and meet him."

"I'm excited for you. See what happens when you do your affirmations? What's his name? What does he do, and are you having fun?"

*pause* You decide to tell a half truth. The same half truth that he told you the night you met.

"His name is Aaron. He works security for this guy that's large in Vegas. And let me put it to you this way, I lost my V card."

"You're lying. Miss Goody Goody, lost her V card? I know if you did, he is really special."

"He is. Very special." *giggles*

*knock, knock*

"Hey, Y/N. We really gotta go." Jerry calls from the hallway.

"Jill, I have to go, but I'll call later. At a better time, at least. I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye, Y/N. Remember, you're kind, brilliant, and beautiful. Enjoy your time."

"I will! Bye." You hang up the phone, throw your shoes on, and head for the door. Jerry is looking you up and down and gives you a nod of approval.

"You look great."

"Thank you. You're sweet."

"Ready?"

"Let's do it."

Taglist: @missmaywemeetagain @beeandheroddobsessions @headfullofpresley @everythingpresley @epforeverohyes @plasticfantasticl0ver @pianginferno @powerofelvis @ab4eva @foreverdolly @searchingforgravity @thatbanditqueen @daffieapple @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @epsgirl

#elvispresley #elvis fans #elvis x reader #romance #elvis #vegas #elvis x y/n #70s elvis #ElvisPresleySeries #elvis smut #I'm Aaron

28 notes · View notes

cannibros · 9 months

Text

Ever stumbled upon a strain that promises an epic saga of scents, sights, and sensations, only to leave you guessing at every turn? Our latest foray into the world of green led us to Rainbow Lava by Valhalla Flwr, and oh boy, are there tales to tell! Dive in with us as we unravel the highs, lows, and in-betweens of this tantalizing bud. Full review here.

#420culture #weed review #cannabis reviews #420everyday #cannabis #420 #frosty nugs #cannabis photography

2 notes · View notes

vapehk1 · 24 days

Text

Hunting Down the Elusive Fume Vape Near Me: A Light-Hearted Guide

Ah, the quest for the Fume Vape Near Me! It's a journey many brave souls undertake, but not all are prepared for the humorous twists and turns along the way. Whether you're a seasoned vaper or just dipping your toes into the fragrant mists of vaping, finding the right spot to buy your fume vape can feel like an epic saga right out of a sitcom. In this guide, we'll take you through the highs and lows, the do's and don’ts, and even some "you've got to be kidding me" moments in the hunt for that perfect puff. Buckle up and prepare for a few laughs; you're in for a delightfully aromatic ride! The Great Local Vape Shop Safari Navigating the concrete jungle in search of a local vape shop is an adventure of its own. Picture this: you, equipped with nothing but your smartphone and a strong desire for nicotine, stepping out into the wild (also known as your local neighborhood). The first stop? That tiny shop squeezed between a fast-food joint and a laundromat, where the scent of e-juice blends with the aroma of fried chicken and fabric softener. It’s an olfactory overload, but hey, that’s part of the charm! Exploring these local haunts not only supports small businesses but also gives you a firsthand look at their vast, colorful selections of fume vapes—each promising clouds bigger than the last. In every local vape shop, there’s always that one enthusiastic clerk who seems to have tried every flavor under the sun and insists on giving you a rundown of their top picks. From 'mystical mango' to 'bizarre butter rum', their descriptions are so vivid you can almost taste them. Engaging with these passionate purveyors provides insights into the vaping community and, often, better deals than you might find online. So, while you’re out there, make the most of the personal touch—they might just point you to the Holy Grail of fume vapes. The Online Odyssey Now, let’s shift gears to the digital domain, where the search for "Fume Vape Near Me" transforms into an online odyssey. Here, you're greeted by the endless scroll—a modern-day river Styx filled with vape shops, review sites, and more advertisements than a Super Bowl break. But fear not, for this is where comparison shopping becomes your greatest weapon. Scrolling through pages of vape shops, you weigh the pros and cons, hunt for the best prices, and chuckle at some of the most outrageous product reviews left by anonymous internet comedians. One of the beauties of online shopping is the sheer variety of fume vapes available at your fingertips. Whether you're looking for limited edition models or the latest in vape tech, the internet has it all. Just be wary of the dark side—pop-up ads! They appear out of nowhere, promising deals so good they feel like the internet equivalent of a back-alley deal. Always ensure you're buying from reputable sources to avoid the classic "great deal, bad product" fiasco. The Social Scene and Vape Culture Vaping is not just about inhaling vapor; it’s a lifestyle. For many, finding a "Fume Vape Near Me" is as much about the product as it is about immersing oneself in the local vape culture. Picture the scene: a cozy shop filled with the hum of conversation, a group of friends laughing over the latest vape memes, and clouds of vapor that almost make the room look like a misty forest scene from a fantasy movie. Participating in this culture can lead to new friendships and a deeper appreciation for the artistry behind vape flavors and designs. Local vape meetups and flavor testing events offer opportunities to engage with fellow enthusiasts. These gatherings can be a delightful mix of informative discussions and hilarious personal anecdotes about vaping mishaps. Just remember, every cloud has a silver lining—sometimes literally, depending on your vape juice. Safety Tips and Best Practices Amidst the fun and frolics of chasing the perfect vape, let’s not forget the importance of safety. Vaping, like any hobby, comes with its set of rules to ensure everyone has a good time without any "oops" moments. When searching for a "Fume Vape Near Me," always check the authenticity of the products. Counterfeit vapes can be not only ineffective but also dangerous. It’s like getting a whoopee cushion that deflates too soon—disappointing and slightly embarrassing. Educate yourself on proper vape maintenance to keep your device in top-notch condition, ensuring that every puff is as good as the first. Proper cleaning and storage will prevent common issues such as leakages and battery failures—common culprits behind vape horror stories. And, perhaps most importantly, stay informed about local regulations to ensure that your vaping adventure doesn’t end with a surprise cameo by local law enforcement. Conclusion Embarking on the quest to find a Fume Vape Near Me is an adventure filled with local shop explorations, online shopping escapades, cultural immersions, and a commitment to safety. The journey starts in the heart of your neighborhood, where you might encounter enthusiastic clerks in quaint vape shops nestled between everyday storefronts. Transitioning to the digital world, the search expands as you navigate through countless options and customer reviews, aiming for the best deals while dodging the pitfalls of online advertisements. Beyond the products, the vape culture offers a community of fellow enthusiasts, where local events and meet-ups turn into scenes of shared experiences and humor. However, amidst the fun, prioritizing safety through informed purchases and proper maintenance of vaping equipment is essential to ensuring a fulfilling and hassle-free experience. This guide, with its light-hearted tone, not only directs you on where and how to find the best fume vapes but also embeds you into the lifestyle and community that come with it, making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. FAQs 1. Where can I find a fume vape near me? To find a fume vape near you, start by visiting local vape shops in your area, which you can find through online maps or vape store locators. These shops not only provide a variety of products but also offer the chance to interact with knowledgeable staff who can guide your choice. Alternatively, you can search online vaping forums, e-commerce platforms, and the websites of vape manufacturers for delivery options directly to your doorstep. 2. What should I look for when choosing a fume vape? When selecting a fume vape, consider the device's battery life, tank capacity, and ease of use, especially if you're a beginner. Flavor options and nicotine strengths are also important based on personal preference. Always ensure the product is from a reputable brand to avoid counterfeit items, which can be unsafe and less effective. 3. How do I know if a vape shop is reputable? A reputable vape shop typically has a wide selection of products, knowledgeable staff, and positive reviews either online or through word-of-mouth. They should be willing to answer your questions, provide information on product warranties, and adhere to local laws regarding vaping and nicotine sales. Checking if they follow age verification laws is also a good indicator of their compliance and reputation. 4. Can I attend vaping events or meetups as a beginner? Absolutely! Vaping events and meetups are great for beginners looking to learn more about the culture and different aspects of vaping. These gatherings can provide valuable information, allow you to sample different flavors, and offer the opportunity to meet more experienced vapers who can share advice and tips. Just ensure to check the event’s target audience and whether it is beginner-friendly. 5. What are the best practices for maintaining my vape device? Maintaining your vape device involves regular cleaning of the tank, proper charging of the battery, and replacing coils or pods as needed to ensure optimal performance. Always use the manufacturer's recommended products, like chargers and replacement parts, to avoid damaging your device. Store your vape in a cool, dry place when not in use, and ensure that it is turned off to preserve battery life and enhance safety. Regular maintenance not only prolongs the life of your vape but also improves the quality of your vaping experience. Read the full article

0 notes

herbgardenguide · 4 months

Text

Bye Bye Bugs, Hello Herb Haven: Our Deck Gets a Bug-Repelling Makeover

Remember that epic deck-building saga fueled by sweat, splinters, and questionable life choices? Yeah, the one that promised endless summer nights under the stars, free from skeeter serenades? Turns out, those pesky bloodsuckers had other plans.

Cue Sarah, armed with an internet arsenal and a mission: transform our bug-infested backyard into a pest-repelling paradise. Chemical concoctions were a big fat nope, so we dove headfirst into the magical world of herb superheroes.

First up, the citronella geranium, our fragrant knight in shining armor. Picture this: vibrant pink blooms, lemony perfume filling the air, and leaves perfect for crushing into refreshing summer drinks. Talk about a triple threat! Lavender, our calming queen, joined the party, promising to banish flies and gnats while creating a zen vibe with her beautiful purple crown. ✨

But wait, there's more! Basil, the pesto king, turns out to be a mosquito magnet…in reverse! Score! Plus, it adds a delicious punch to our culinary creations. Chives, the aphid and beetle busters, brought a pop of green and a delicate garlic kick to our dishes. Rosemary, the fly-repelling rockstar, added its woody aroma and versatility to the mix. And who could forget mint, the mosquito-defying diva? Hanging baskets overflowing with its refreshing scent, ready to garnish our summer cocktails and keep those pesky bugs at bay.

Planting day was like casting a spell, transforming our deck into a vibrant haven. Bees buzzed happily, replacing the annoying whine of mosquitoes. We sipped lavender-infused lemonade, surrounded by the gentle hum of nature's pest-repelling orchestra.

This wasn't just a deck anymore; it was a sanctuary – a testament to the power of natural solutions. Our backyard oasis, born from a desire for a bug-free zone, had blossomed into a space of beauty, flavor, and the sweet symphony of nature's magic. ✨ So, ditch the chemicals, embrace the herbs, and let your outdoor space become a haven for relaxation, not itchy bites! #bugfreespace #urbangardening #herbalremedies #summervibes #diy #gogreen #pestcontrol #getoutside #mintmojitosfordays

#pest control #patio herb garden #herbs #plants and herbs #herb garden #outside living #backyard retreat #backyard deck #insect free #urban gardening #gardening

0 notes

evokeholidays · 6 months

Text

Uttar Pradesh Temples

The temples of Uttar Pradesh! A land steeped in spiritual history, where ancient stories whisper from intricately carved stone and the scent of incense hangs heavy in the air. So, you're planning a temple tour? Fantastic! To make your blog even more captivating, I need a little more information:

What kind of experience are you looking for?

Spiritual pilgrimage: Focus on iconic temples like Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, or Dwarkadhish in Mathura.

Architectural exploration: Highlight unique structures like Prem Mandir's celestial glow, Kumbheshwar's ancient sandstone splendor, or Sankashta Devi's intricate terracotta carvings.

Off-the-beaten-path adventure: Uncover hidden gems like Naina Devi's mountaintop sanctuary, Bateshwar's forgotten Shiva temples, or Chaturbhuj Mandir's mystical aura.

What interests you most?

Legends and mythology: Dive into the stories woven into each temple's history, from Ramayana's epic sagas to Krishna's playful pastimes in Vrindavan.

Local rituals and traditions: Witness captivating aarti ceremonies, vibrant holi celebrations, or serene Ganga aarti in Varanasi.

Art and architecture: Delve into the symbolism behind temple designs, marvel at intricate carvings, and decipher ancient murals.

Once I have a better understanding of your focus, I can help you craft a blog brimming with:

Vivid descriptions: Transport your readers with evocative language, painting pictures of majestic temples bathed in golden light, bustling ghats along the Ganges, and the ethereal peace that washes over visitors.

Insider tips: Share practical advice on navigating crowds, local customs, and hidden gems not found in guidebooks.

Personal anecdotes: Weave your own experiences and discoveries into the narrative, making your blog relatable and engaging.

Remember, your blog is an opportunity to share the magic of Uttar Pradesh's temples with the world. So, let your passion and curiosity guide you, and I'll be here to help every step of the way!

#travel #city tour #couple tour #family trips #tours #travelling #evokeholidays #india #wanderlust #camping

1 note · View note

cocktailsfairytales · 6 months

Text

════ .• 💚 COVER REVEAL 💚•. ════

Unlikely Love

Hunted Fae Book 4

a Fated Mates Omegaverse Reverse Harem

Epic Fantasy Romance

By Mona Black

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201313602/

Release Date: December 14

Hosted by DS Book Promotions

Apple | Kobo | Nook: Preorder

https://books2read.com/UnlikelyLove

Amazon will be live on release.

*Read on Kobo Plus*

What to expect:

✩ Fantasy

✩ Reverse harem

✩ Omegaverse romance

✩ Grown-up FMC

✩ Blind Male in Harem

✩ Scenting, Knotting, Marking, Heats & Ruts

✩ Why choose with MM

✩ Fated mates

✩ Omegaverse awakening

Blurb:

This Fae-blooded omega and her clan on the run from the Empire have now reached safe haven.

We made it. We crossed the border and are now safe.

Now our main concern is putting some distance between us and the border and finding a home for our growing family.

Needless to say, that my heat was a success and the project "bring back the Fae" is underway… starting with a couple of tiny Fae who will be born some months down the line.

But at least we are now in safety and we can live and work in peace to build our dream of a home and family.

Or so we think.

The Empire, though, has other plans. Plans to invade the south and finish off any Fae blood that has survived.

My mates can't sit on their hands while the south fights. The war is coming to us and to protect me and our clan, they will put their lives on the line.

Will they make it back to me alive? Will we find our happy ending?

This book contains pregnancy.

Start the Series here:

Unlikely Omega: Book 1

Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo

https://books2read.com/UnlikelyOmega1

Unlikely Alphas: Book 2

https://books2read.com/UnlikelyAlphas

Unlikely Bonds: Book 3

https://books2read.com/UnlikelyBonds

*Read on Kobo Plus*

Join the Tour here:

https://forms.gle/Rj5Vxr67wTD4miGK6

About Mona Black

Mona Black is a Fantasy Romance and Reverse Harem Romance Author. She writes about Fae, shifters, and witches, and of course, love. She loves fairy tales and long sagas of magic, and especially loves characters who redeem themselves and find their happily ever after.

https://linktr.ee/Monablack

#CoverReveal #unlikelylove #fatedmates #omegaverse #whychoose #mm #huntedfae #romancereadersofig #fantasyromance #bookpromo #igreads #bookboyfriends #reversharem #monablack #bookloversunite #mustread #bookrecs #readinglife #monablack #dsbookpromotions

@Mona-Black @DS Book Promotions

0 notes

annarellix · 8 months

Text

The Hunger of Empires By R.S. Moule (The Erland Saga #2)

Erland is in flames.

Two kings claim the throne and the war between them lays waste to the country. Far away, an old enemy scents weakness. The vast empire of Ulvatia desires new lands. Under a ruthless new leader, the empire turns its armies on Erland. Orsian has lived in hiding since his father Andrick was cut down in battle. On the dark backstreets of Cliffark, surrounded by thieves and pirates, he finds a home. When Erland is threatened, Orsian knows he must fight. Will he protect his new friends or risk returning to his family? Rymond Prindian wears the crown of West Erland, but his struggle for power is just beginning. The might of the empire will fall on his new kingdom soon. Courtiers whisper and ruthless mercenaries sharpen their knives—and Rymond can show no sign of weakness. High above, Pherri pushes through wind and snow on the mountain of Eryispek to discover the origins of her magic. There, she learns of another war, far greater than the one being fought on the plains below. Two rival gods, with unimaginable power, have been imprisoned in the mountain for centuries.

And now they are breaking free.

My Review: The first book in this series was excellent, it made me think about one of my favorite fantasy authors (Gemmell) and kept me hooked following the twists and discovering this complex world. If you didn’t read the first book, please do it as you will surely enjoy it and it will help you to enjoy this exciting story. There’s a handy list of characters at the beginning and it will help to refresh who’s who. This action packed and fast paced fantasy doesn’t suffer from the in-between-book-syndrome: there’s a lot of surprising twists and there a lot more world building and character development. You are kept turning pages, having fun and rooting for the characters. I can’t wait for the conclusion and I think it will epic and full of BOOM-BANG-ETC Highly recommended. Many thanks to Second Sky for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Author: R.S. Moule ('Roger') lives in South London with his wife Eloise and their cat Tinks. He has a passion for writing epic fantasy grounded by human flaws and desires, set in worlds inspired by a childhood divided between his home in the soft, rolling hills of the Cotswolds and summers spent exploring the rugged coastline and deep glens of the Isle of Man. When not reading or writing, he can often be found playing guitar, watching football, or looking for his keys.

Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089227002713 Twitter: https://twitter.com/RS_Moule Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rs_moule/ Second Sky email signup: www.secondskybooks.com/rs-moule

Buy Link(s): Amazon: https://geni.us/B0C5K3363Qsocial Apple: https://ow.ly/WFn850PGpuX Kobo: https://ow.ly/YcYy50PGptH Google: https://ow.ly/T0rT50PGpwA

#epic fantasy #fantasy #blogtour #Second Sky #Netgalley #review

0 notes

epicthemusicalstuff · 4 months

Note

OGHOGGOGHOIUGHHJ I have a Circe inspired perfume oil. I should put it on for The Occasion

YES! That sounds amazing! I will be celebrating by rereading the book Circe! And relistening to epic the musical! (Well, as soon as I finish all my work I will)

#Epic the musical #whats the scent of the perfume?#Epic the Circe saga #Asks

16 notes · View notes

prabhushriram · 2 years

Photo

NIRVANA WITH PRABHU SHRIRAM PREMIUM AGARBATTI AND DHOOP

The mind has been defined as that which is responsible for one’s thoughts and feelings, the seat of the faculty of reason.

We ought to know that from the brain and only the brain, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter, and grief. The brain or the mind is the most powerful part of the human body and is nurtured by the experiences, ideas, and thoughts to which it is exposed. We can to an extent choose what to feed our minds just as we can choose what we feed our bodies. The ‘mind diet’ that we choose can decide the healthiness of our mind. A healthy mind is the key to a healthy body. The best ‘mind diet’ is MEDITATION. It trains the mind and helps it to focus. An appropriate environment is needed for this and PRABHU SHRIRAM PREMIUM AGARBATTI AND DHOOP with their exquisite fragrance help in creating this and thereby eliminating stress and rejuvenating the mind and soul.

The mind can be compared to an elephant. An untrained elephant can destroy an entire village whereas a trained elephant can do the work of hundred humans. Similarly, an untrained and unfocused mind can destroy the very body it resides in while a focused mind can do wonders for not only its own body but for others around as well. Here comes Meditation as the ‘wonder diet’ for the mind. Practicing meditation for the benefit of the mind has been a part of our culture for eternity. Heavenly and soothing fragrances further help deepen the understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. Meditation amidst the heavenly scent of DHYAN INCENSE STICKS from the house of PRABHU SHRIRAM PREMIUM AGARBATTI AND DHOOP is a source of relaxation and stress-free life. Considered as medication for the tranquility of the mind, these incense sticks help in focusing and eliminating the stream of jumbled thoughts that may crowd the mind and cause stress.

Meditating with the celestial fragrance of the various agarbattis from the flower collection of PRABHU SHRIRAM PREMIUM AGARBATTI AND DHOOP can benefit your emotional well-being and overall health by developing an optimistic outlook and biding farewell to stress and anxiety. The enchanting scent of Mogra rose, Lavender and Parijat refocuses your attention and helps in keeping inner peace. In the current global situation of conflicts, meditating every day for a short while can eliminate the negative vibrations in the environment and create a positive and harmonious atmosphere.

An appropriate meditative environment is vital while meditating. A source of natural light, some flickering candles, a comfortable sitting, and most importantly, the soothing refreshing fragrance of the finest agarbattis from the best brand is all that goes into making a room appropriate for focusing on your thoughts and creating a meditative atmosphere. The incompatible aura created by the aroma of PRABHU SHRIRAM incense sticks stirs up a mystical ambiance while meditating and relieving you of modern-day worldly stress.

PRABHU SHRIRAM’S incense sticks are crafted with natural ingredients and are devoid of charcoal and chemicals and thus do not have any health hazards. We at PRABHU SHRIRAM PREMIUM AGARBATTI AND DHOOP bring you the best incense sticks which are 100% natural and come in a plethora of fragrances that you can choose from. Enjoy the fresh fragrance of FRUITS, the refreshing aroma of FLOWERS, and the heavenly perfumed SHRIPAD RAMAYANA series inspired by the EPIC SAGA- RAMAYANA whose exclusive pack is adorned with beautiful Madhubani art, that will surely capture your heart.

#PrabhuShriRamPremiumAgarbattiAndDhoop incensestick meditation dhyanincensestickprabhushriram

0 notes

thankskenpenders · 3 years

Note

You know for a while there IDW Season 3 didn't seem to have an overarching plot the same way the first 2 did. However it just recently dawned on me that there is a plot thread running throughout all of season 3 so far in the main book (including stuff that's been solicited but not out yet): Belle. Season 3 is the season of Belle. Bad Guys wasn't about her, which threw off the scent at first, but Bad Guys is a miniseries, like how Tangle & Whisper is part of season 2 but not about the Metal Virus

Yeah, Belle definitely seems to be at the center of all of this. I just got the vibe that Evan wanted to do some more self-contained arcs as a change of pace after the lengthy Metal Virus saga instead of jumping straight into another year(s)-long epic, which I definitely think was a good call. Very curious to see what the plans are with Belle and Starline, though!

#digamma-f-wau #ask #tkp asks

160 notes · View notes

blush-and-books · 3 years

Text

The End of Julie and the Phantoms - A [very long] Theory

The core of this theory was inspired by many posts that I have seen saying that Julie’s “everything was a dream” shirt may have insinuated that nothing happening on the show is actually reality. I brought my series finale pitch to my dear friend @willexx who then helped me develop this headcanon into something I cried about during lunch.

It starts out pretty heavy, but there are some little light things here and there because it’s what the himbos would have wanted.

We start here:

In the last episode, the boys are ready too cross over. It’s an emotional moment for everyone, they’re crying, Julie is sobbing, and we as an audience have definitely seen better days. With one last “we love you, Julie,” a flash of light overtakes the garage space, blinding our screens.

The scene flashes to Julie lying in bed, waking up from her ringing alarm.

She is visibly confused, clearly wondering how she got to bed when the last thing that she remembers is the boys’ painful departure. When she reaches for her phone to turn off her alarm -- it’s a school day -- she quickly notices the date:

It’s the same day in 2020 that she met the boys, that she was going to clean out her mom’s garage, and that she had to perform to keep her spot in the music program.

So, none of it was real?

Not exactly.

The experience was a sort of dream-like saga that was designed for her to be able to grieve on her own, and rediscover her voice in her own way. But just as the panic sets in that it was a complete figment of her imagination, the feeling of cold metal on her left hand becomes too hard to ignore: One of Luke’s rings.

Reggie’s leather jacket is hanging in her closet.

Alex’s fanny pack is slung across the back of a chair.

But when she runs downstairs, clad in her dinosaur slippers, rushing to the garage to see if the guys were there -- they aren’t. They have crossed over.

As she moves through the day, she’s a new Julie, but everything else is the same. Instead of a baseball cap and low ponytail, Julie throws on her black jeans and Reggie’s leather and lets her hair run wild. She’s displaying a confidence that Flynn hasn’t seen in a long time, that seemed to have hit Julie overnight.

Julie sings Wake Up in music, and keeps her spot in the program. She doesn’t oogle Nick in the halls and she tells Carrie off when there’s an attempt at an insult made.

Real or not, the boys helped her. They did their job.

When she gets home, and Ray irks her about cleaning the garage or selling the house, she is quick to insist that she doesn’t want to move and that if he needs her for the rest of the night, she’ll be in her mother’s studio.

There aren’t any instruments except for the piano, and the space has the original layer of dust that it had before her and the guys started using the space again. Julie feels empty. But she reminds herself that the ring on her finger is real, extremely real, so she retraces her steps that she had taken in the first episode and tracks down the Sunset Curve demo CD, puts it in the stereo, and plays it.

Nothing happens. Or, at least -- nothing that she could see.

The camera pans up as Julie is hard at work to organize the garage, and we see the boys in the chairs on the ceiling, watching over her fondly.

~This is where @willexx started to throw in some epic ideas~

The boys are real, and they have crossed over, which renders Julie unable to see them. However, in her reset reality without them, no one remembers Julie and the Phantoms or the fact that the boys existed in the first place. The boys, while she can’t see them, visit her and try to make contact with her as much as they can, even though their times with her are limited since they are supposed to be on the other side.

She’ll feel a ghost of a touch on her hand or her hair, and know that Luke is there. When she’s in the car and the radio is on a country station, she knows that it’s Reggie. In a journal for school, a small “okay” will be written in the corner of a page, and it is Alex. These little notes keep her going, and she’ll just sigh and say “my boys,” and leave everyone around her confused.

Sometimes, when she wakes up in the morning, the demo tape can be heard playing in the garage. Somehow she’ll get filled with hope that if she runs into the garage, the boys will be there rocking out without her like she used to scold them for left and right -- but no one is there. Ray comments that the stereo is broken and Julie has no choice but to nod along.

One day she finds Luke’s songbook that had been buried in the plastic garbage bags of the boys’ belongings. She still brings Unsaid Emily to his parents, and she cries herself to sleep that night.

When Julie blows up as a solo artist, she actually records Unsaid Emily, and she records Bright, and all of the other songs that her and Luke wrote together. Luke Patterson is in the writing credits for many of the songs, where Trevor never bothered to list him, and a part of Luke is at piece.

On the two year anniversary of Rose’s passing, Julie finds Luke’s “angst flannel.” Ray asks where she got it; she tells him a thrift store. But it feels warm, like all of the guys are there, hugging her.

Another morning, she could swear that Luke and Reggie are strumming out Flying Solo on level one volume, and once again finds herself darting to the garage with no good excuse except to keep her hopes up. They, unsurprisingly, aren’t there -- but a note is, that says “you’re a star, Jules. We love you.”

The handwriting is messy. She knows it’s from Luke, who probably fought the boys to even write the note because he just wanted to talk to her even though they need to move on and his handwriting is awful. The note gets tucked into the pocket of the flannel, and when she needs to be reminded that she’ll be okay, she pulls it out of the pocket and holds it tight.

Before every show, she reads the note, and mumbles a little prayer to them wherever they are -- even if no one else believes they are real.

When Luke’s flannel starts to lose it’s original sweet scent of Emily and Mitch’s house, Julie spends an hour crying on the floor of her bathroom. A faded orange beanie appears in her room the next day.

Little notes from Luke appear here and there, but never from any of the guys. In the shadows where she can’t see them, Alex tells Luke that in order for both themselves and Julie to move on, Luke needs to stop leaving her notes -- so most of the ones that Julie finds are even more messy than usual, like Luke was trying to write them without the guys noticing.

During one of their forbidden conversations, Julie says to Luke: “hey, I never told you this before... But I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what I would do without knowing that you guys were still around. I think I would have lost my mind, and would have been convinced that I went crazy.”

Luke could have ran to Alex, repeated Julie’s tearful words, and given the drummer a fat “I told you so.” But he doesn’t. Julie’s validation is the only validation that he needs.

Whenever her and Carlos and Ray make an extra seat at their dinner table for Rose, Julie imagines, deep in her mind, that it is for Reggie too. Reggie deserved a seat at their table; deserved to be a part of their family. A family that would have loved him. And when a fork falls off of the table, Julie knows he’s there. One day, Julie asks Ray how he would have felt about having another son. He responds confused, and Julie gets tears in her eyes, and neither of them bring it up again.

When Julie and Flynn go to Pride together, Julie wears Alex’s fanny pack even though she hadn’t gotten any signs from him since they had all moved on. He still doesn’t reach out afterwards, too overwhelmed by her gesture to think of a way to properly extend his gratitude and love for the girl who is keeping his spirit alive -- but Luke lets her know that he was grateful.

Luke still visits Julie like he visits Emily and Mitch. And on Luke’s birthday every year, Julie goes to a little bakery after school and buys herself a cupcake; sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to light a candle and sing happy birthday. When she lights the candle, the candle gets blown out. Every year after that first year, she gets candles that you have to turn on and off so that Luke can’t ruin the moment.

(He ends up throwing the fake candle on the ground out of retaliation.)

Julie is so emotionally stable for the most part that the complete change is a shock to Ray. He tries to ask her what happened, but she always acts like nothing happened and then hides in her room for hours. Sometimes, she makes random little comments out of the blew and Ray has many conversations with Victoria on whether or not he should have Julie seeing Dr. Turner again.

At her first solo concert, Julie walks into the dressing room to find “Stand Tall” written three times, in three different handwriting styles, in red, pink, and blue. The message in blue is the messiest by far, and is followed up with a heart.

The name of Julie’s first album is Phantoms.

#julie and the phantoms #julie and the himbos #jatp #jatp theory #jatp headcanons #julie molina #luke patterson

294 notes · View notes

kiki-shortsnout · 3 years

Note

For intimacy prompts: #17 laying your head on someone’s shoulder for Frostiron! 💚❤️ Thanks!

I'm back!!! Sorry it's taken so long, but I'm back to answer my prompts! Thank you so much for this one! I enjoyed writing this!

***

Loki stumbled as the Bifrost set them both down, too exhausted to shake off Thor’s steadying hand on his elbow, his brother’s own exhaustion evident in the slump of his shoulders. Loki had no strength left in him to make a jest about Thor’s overprotective tendencies, instead looking around the Midgardian cityscape he’d come to think of as a second home, his limbs limp.

Part of his atonement for his war crimes was to take a more active role in defense of the planet he sought to enslave. His mother and brother’s pleas not to imprison him swaying his father from a harsher sentence. He was a…tolerated member of the Avengers, a proverbial thorn in the side for most. He’d formed a tentative, begrudging respect towards the Black Widow, but he was a constant source of irritation for the rest of them.

Well, someone needed to keep the Avengers on their toes.

Loki was still called upon to keep Asgard and the realms it protected safe, and that was where he and Thor had been, subduing marauders on Vanaheim, listening to whispers of an event called a Convergence was impending, a cataclysmic occurrence that had them all on edge.

It felt as though his very bones rattled as he trudged across the roof of the Avengers Tower beside Thor, like his skin was stretched too taut over the excruciating ache of his muscles. As they came into the hanger, they both looked around, used to having at least one member of the Avengers greet them after their excursions off world.

Despite being used to being treated with distrust and trepidation, the bitter sting of their rebuke still penetrated the fatigued miasma clouding Loki’s brain.

He’d managed to convince one Midgardian that he was not the nemesis that all perceived him to be, that it was an illusion he portrayed to hide the crippling weakness he felt. This one Midgardian had seen through Thanos’s manipulations of his mind, had shattered the deception he shrouded himself in. It was Anthony he looked around for now, bewildered as he was met with nothing but silence, not even JARVIS speaking to them.

‘Is Earth under attack?’ Thor questioned, wiping the grime from his eyes as he frowned, moving towards one of the huge windows. Loki reformed his daggers as he took a step forward, ears straining to hear, his body sluggish and unwilling to cooperate.

The door at the far end of the room creaked open, and Loki teleported beside it in an instant, flinging it open and pointing his dagger at their enemy.

‘Pepper?’ Lowering his dagger, he immediately noticed she looked as tired, if not more so than the both of them. Her usually glossy hair was dull and frazzled, wisping around her face in auburn tufts, her eyes encircled with grey smudges.

‘What has happened?’ he asked, his words curt despite how he’d promised Anthony he would respect this mortal. It was an easy promise to keep, treating the two people Anthony treasured above all with care. Loki genuinely liked Pepper, her attitude, her bravery, her fiery temper. He and Rhodes tolerated each other, their mutual like for Anthony the only thing stopping them from attacking each other, settling instead for snide comments.

‘It’s Tony, he…he’s been really sick, Loki,’ Pepper gasped, her lower lip trembling as she swayed into him.

‘Where is he?’ Loki demanded, catching her by her shoulders. It was as though his body had been invigorated with lust for battle, any fatigue he’d felt moments ago burned away. Instead of the adrenaline he usually felt under such circumstances, his body felt cold, terror seeping down the back of his throat, stroking its clammy fingers across his skin.

Why wasn’t I here?

‘He’s in his room now-’

‘Where was he before?’ Thor asked before Loki could even put words to the thoughts scattering in his mind, the guilt webbing in his lungs, tugging at him with every breath.

‘The medical bay downstairs…JARVIS has the most extensive anatomy files because of the arc reactor and-’

‘Thor, look after her for me,’ Loki ordered, teleporting away despite them calling after him.

Anthony was huddled in his bed, the numerous blankets piled on him quivering as he trembled. The sickly scent spiraling in tendrils through the air made Loki recoil. This…was not something he was comfortable with. He’d never cared about another enough to warrant any actions of concern from him, had never been able to see past his own arrogance and selfishness to consider others.

‘An…Tony?’ he called, scared at what he was going to find, at how sick his mortal was. He’d seen Tony sick before, seen him with what they called a cold, all snuffy nosed and demanding and clingy. This silent, still, Anthony frightened him. What ailed him so? What illness had made Pepper look like a shadow of herself? Why had he needed to go down to the medical bay? Loki had seen Anthony after a battle, had seen him spit venom at any who dared suggest he seek medical help when he was injured, only allowing Loki to tend to his wounds hours later when the pain had grown too much to bear. Even then, he’d pretended it was for his own sake, that he was the one who couldn’t bear to see Anthony in pain.

He took a step backwards, wanting to flee, wanting to escape the fear plucking at him. He’d been in countless battles, fought with odds against him, had stood and waited for punishment by his father. This, seeing someone he had grown to care about like this…why was this affecting him so?

Anthony had reached out a hand in friendship despite all the atrocities he had committed in both Midgard and Jotunheim, the countless lives he had taken and lasting repercussions, Anthony Stark had given him a home, a means to make penance for those he had wronged. He hadn’t forgiven him, not straight away, that had taken time and trust to develop between them.

It was that belief in him, an emotion that so few beings were unwilling to extend to him which made Loki fall in love with the Midgardian, a feeling he had not given life with his words yet. It was this unnamed feeling which made him shove all his selfish fears aside.

Anthony needed him.

‘Anthony?’ he called again, peeling back the covers, his breath hitching at the sheer heat radiating from the man.

‘Hey,’ his voice cracked, his lungs rattling as he drew in a breath, hands tightening from where they were wrapped around himself in a pitiful hug.

‘What…what happened, should you even be here?’ Loki asked, dropping to his knees by the side of the bed, his hands hovering over Anthony’s body, uncertain, scared to touch this fragile creature.

Anthony rolled over in bed, and Loki was horrified at the sunken look to his skin, the waxy grey pallor, the red-rimmed eyes.

‘Oh, beloved,’ Loki breathed out, his hand stroking through clumped together hair.

‘Not a pretty sight,’ Anthony wheezed out. ‘You should’ve seen me a few weeks ago.’

Weeks? He’d left him behind in a worse condition than this for weeks?

‘How did your health deteriorate so fast? You weren’t in this condition when I…’ Loki’s eyes narrowed when Anthony’s gaze dropped, one of his tells when he wasn’t telling the entire truth. ‘You were ill when I left.’ Loki didn’t phrase it as a question.

‘Honestly, Lokes, don’t-’ Anthony’s protest was cut off with a wracking cough, the sheer force of it scaring Loki, sweeping aside whatever anger that had been beginning to build a few moments ago.

‘Why did you not tell me? If I had known-’

‘Thor needed you,’ Anthony said weakly, sagging back into his pillow. ‘Besides, this isn’t…this isn’t what we do.’ He closed his eyes as if the mere act of breathing pained him.

He was correct in his assumptions. They laughed, talked, had sex…keeping everything light and frothy and pleasurable, avoiding anything that encompassed feelings, vulnerabilities, neither wanting to be beholden to the other. It was a foolish act on Loki’s behalf, wanting to keep a distance from attachments, fearful of what Anthony could mean to him.

‘Move aside,’ Loki commanded, shrugging off his cape and unfastening his arm bracers.

‘Loki, what?’

‘Unless me joining you is going to impede your recovery in any way?’ Loki hesitated, suppressing his smirk at Anthony’s interested, fatigued gaze on his now naked torso. Lying beside his mortal, Loki gathered him in his arms, arranging them so he was on his back, Anthony half on top of him, his head on his shoulder.

‘Listen to me,’ Loki whispered, the words delicate, but infused with such meaning that it made them hang thickly between them. This was a precipice on which he stood, a moment he had read about in countless epic sagas. The hero baring the depths of their love after a heroic deed, or a noble act of self-sacrifice… not holding a sickly mortal. ‘I am not…not very good at this,’ Loki finished, his voice trailing off pathetically.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,’ Anthony said instead, wriggling his body closer, enjoying the cooler feel of Loki’s skin. ‘I’m a shitty patient, and I didn’t want you to see me like this.’

That Loki could understand. Only his mother dared to face his wrath when he had been sick, her gentle hands and calming voice the only things he would tolerate. But there was a deeper meaning behind Anthony’s reasoning too, the unwillingness to reveal a weakness, the fear of being abandoned.

‘I am not angry you did not tell me. I am infuriated with myself for not recognizing the signs of your ailment, of leaving you behind for such a long period of time when I know you do not like seeking help.’

‘Then what-’

Loki clutched his mortal closer, resting one hand on his brow to both to measure Anthony’s temperature and to cool him down.

‘I have never felt this way towards another being, mortal or not. I am sorry that you felt as though you could not tell me you were unwell, that I acted as though my intentions towards you were not serious. You plague my waking thoughts, my unconscious dreams, beloved, there is none I would rather be with.’

Rather than receiving a heartfelt confirmation of Anthony’s own feelings, the mortal stiffened in his grip, his rattling breathing halting. Fearful his illness had gotten worse, Loki rose a little from his waist so he could look down, confused at the angry frown Anthony was displaying.

‘Anthony-’

‘This is going to keep happening,’ he interrupted with a snap. ‘My insides are completely wrecked, my lungs, heart… Christ my liver…they’re all damaged and I’m not as young as I once was. I don’t know about you, but this is a wakeup call for why we shouldn’t be fooling around…let alone catching feelings for me.’

‘It is not for you to tell me my feelings are wrong,’ Loki admonished gently.

‘Loki, look at me. I’m a mess. I got a simple cold and it morphed into pneumonia. I might be out of the medical bay, but it’ll take weeks to-’

‘More of a mess than I am? Loki, the God of Mischief who manipulated my brother into going to war with my birth world, who allowed myself to be manipulated by Thanos-’

‘Loki you were tortured…’

‘And I threw you from a window, killed innocent people.’

Anthony didn’t answer that.

‘I know my actions of New York were not wholly my own, that I agreed to invade under duress, that my thoughts were not my own. Anthony, those thoughts were not just placed there by Thanos. I had always regarded Midgard as a lesser race. Those emotions might have been warped and heightened, but they were my own. I tricked my brother into a war against Jotunheim because I was jealous of the attention my father bestowed on him. These are not trivial things to be forgiven. They are sins I will atone for the rest of my life, and still, you found a way to love me.’

Anthony’s breathing hitched, turning into a cough, and Loki ran a comforting hand over his back to calm him.

‘I care not if your body is injured, that you are more susceptible to illness. It does not make you weaker in my mind, it highlights the battles you have endured, the strength it takes for you to continue living,’ Loki told him, lifting a hand to place it over Anthony’s arc reactor, protecting it. Despite his earlier fears earlier, the words he spoke were the truth, and it pained him that he had waited so long to tell him.

Even as he held his sick mortal close, wishing he could create a spell to eradicate any vestiges of this illness, Loki was plotting. He wouldn’t let Anthony be snatched from him by something trivial like time or illness. Technically he needed his father’s permission for his plan, but he knew his mother would see his way of thinking, would be happy he had found another to share his life with.

‘Feels like you’ve been shortchanged here,’ Anthony grumbled, settling his head back down against his shoulder.

‘I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds like you are degrading yourself after I’ve confessed my feelings for you. This is meant to be a momentous occasion and-’

He laughed as Anthony silenced him with a hand over his mouth.

‘Alright, alright, you’re lucky, I’m a peach, I get it.’ Anthony burrowed closer, his sweat-slick hands wrapping around Loki’s middle.

‘Next time, promise me you will tell me if you are feeling unwell.’

‘You had to go- ‘

‘Nothing is more important to me than you. Father and Thor can protect Asgard. We have an army for that reason. I will always fight for Asgard, for its people, but not if you need me.’

Anthony squeezed him close, his legs twitching as he drew closer to sleep.

‘Thank you.’ Loki felt the words formed against his skin rather than hearing them, and he smiled, holding Anthony closer.

‘I love you too,’ he whispered when he was moments from sleep, and Loki didn’t respond, knowing his beloved needed rest, that he would be here to watch over him while he slept.

#writing prompt #fanfic prompt #thanks for the prompt!#thanks for the ask!#frostiron #tony x loki #tony stark #mcu loki #sick fic

24 notes · View notes

ashleysitalianlitblog · 3 years

Text

My Brilliant Friend (HBO Tie-in Edition): Book 1: Childhood and Adolescence

From the famous Italian author Elena Ferrante, the story is about a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship. This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence. This book is now turning into an HBO MAX show and it’s a young adult classic in modern-day Italy

The Story of a New Name (HBO Tie-in Edition): Book 2: Youth

The follow-up to My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name continues the epic New York Times–bestselling literary quartet that has inspired an HBO series and returns us to the world of Lila and Elena, who grew up together in post-WWII Naples, Italy.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entrée into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and a source of strength in the face of life’s challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, “one of the great novelists of our time” (The New York Times), gives us a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging, a meditation on love and jealousy, freedom and commitment—at once a masterfully plotted page-turner and an intense, generous-hearted family saga.

Adua

The book Adua is by lgiaba Scego has historical references and looks into the life of an immigrant. The story is about Adua, an immigrant from Somalia to Italy who has lived in Rome for nearly forty years. She came seeking freedom from a strict father and an oppressive regime, but her dreams of becoming a film star ended in shame. Now that the civil war in Somalia is over, her homeland beckons. Yet Adua has a husband who needs her, a young man, also an immigrant, who braved a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. When her father, who worked as an interpreter for Mussolini's fascist regime, dies, Adua inherits the family home. She must decide whether to make the journey back to reclaim her material inheritance, but also how to take charge of her own story and build a future. From the choices of being an adult to a wife, the book gives us a look of the hard choices life gives us in a heartbreaking story.

100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed

An instant blockbuster in Italy that went on to become an international literary phenomenon, 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed is the fictionalized memoir of Melissa P., a Sicilian teenager whose quest for love rapidly devolves into a shocking journey of sexual discovery.

Melissa begins her diary a virgin, but a stormy affair at the age of fourteen leads her to regard sex as a means of self-discovery, and for the next two years she plunges into a succession of encounters with various partners, male and female, her age and much older, some met through schoolmates, others through newspaper ads and Internet chat rooms. In graphic detail, she describes her journey through a Dante-Esque underworld of eroticism, where she willingly participates in group sex and sadomasochism, as well as casual pickup

The Scent of Your Breath

Melissa P.’s fictionalized memoir, 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed, became an international literary phenomenon, selling over two million copies worldwide and provoking a warning from the pope. The Scent of Your Breath, the second installment in her series of confessions, is a tale of obsessive love and destructive passion.

Melissa is now a successful writer in Rome, living with her new lover, Thomas. With his soft body and feminine eyelashes, he is sensual, patient, and comforting—the antithesis of all the men who came before. But as soon as she meets Viola, a young woman from Thomas’s past, Melissa is consumed with jealousy. Written as a confessional letter to her mother, the story that follows is one of dark obsession, violent lust, and soul-destroying talent, teeming with the ghosts and dragonfly-women Melissa is convinced are trying to steal her man and bring about her ruin. The Scent of Your Breath blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy and delves deep into the disturbing yet strangely familiar mind of a teenage girl terrorized by love.

Three O'Clock in the Morning Is by Italian author Gianrico Carofiglio the contemporary heart-waring piece is about Antonio is eighteen years old and on the cusp of adulthood. His father, a brilliant mathematician, hasn’t played a large part in his life since divorcing Antonio’s mother but when Antonio is diagnosed with epilepsy, they travel to Marseille to visit a doctor who may hold the hope for an effective treatment. It is there, in a foreign city, under strained circumstances, that they will get to know each other and connect for the first time. A beautiful, gritty, and charming port city where French old-world charm meets modern bohemia, father and son stroll the streets sharing strained small talk. But as the hours pass and day give way tonight, the two find themselves caught in a series of caffeine-imbued adventures involving unexpected people (and unforeseen trysts) that connect father and son for the first time. As the two discuss poetry, family, sex, math, death, and dreams, their experience becomes a mesmerizing 48-hour microcosm of a lifetime relationship. Both learn much about illusions and regret, about talent and redemption, and, most of all, about love. This heartwarming story has captured the modern Italian audience.

Lost Words

Winner of the Viareggio Prize, a vivid portrait of Italy on the brink of social upheaval in the 1970s.The author Nicola Gardini, writes about the Inside an apartment building on the outskirts of Milan, the working-class residents gossip, quarrel, and conspire against each other. Viewed through the eyes of Chino, an impressionable thirteen-year-old boy whose mother is the doorwoman of the building, the world contained within these walls is tiny, hypocritical, and mean-spirited: a constant struggle. Chino finds escape in reading. One day, a new resident, Amelia Lynd, moves in and quickly becomes an unlikely companion and a formative influence on Chino. Ms. Lynd—an elderly, erudite British woman—comes to nurture his taste in literature, introduces him to the life of the mind, and offers a counterpoint to the only version of reality that he’s known. On one level, Lost Words is an engrossing coming-of-age tale set in the seventies, when Italy was going through tumultuous social changes, and on another, it is a powerful meditation on language, literature, and culture.

Things That Happened Before the Earthquake

The book by Chiara Barzini describes a story about Mere weeks after the 1992 riots that laid waste to Los Angeles, Eugenia, a typical Italian teenager, is rudely yanked from her privileged Roman milieu by her hippie-ish filmmaker parents and transplanted to the strange suburban world of the San Fernando Valley. With only the Virgin Mary to call on for guidance as her parents struggle to make it big, Hollywood fashion, she must navigate her huge new public high school, complete with Crips and Bloods and Persian gang members, and a car-based environment of 99-cent stores and obscure fast-food franchises and all-night raves. She forges friendships with Henry, who runs his mother's movie memorabilia store, and the bewitching Deva, who introduces her to the alternate cultural universe that is Topanga Canyon. And then the 1994 earthquake rocks the foundations not only of Eugenia's home but of the future she'd been imagining for herself.

I'll Steal You Away

Italian literary superstar Niccolò Ammaniti’s novel, I’m Not Scared, prompted gushing praise, hit international bestseller lists, and was made into a smash indie film. In I’ll Steal You Away, Ammaniti takes his unparalleled empathy for children, his scythe-sharp observations, and his knack for building tension to a whole new level. In a tiny Italian village, a young boy named Pietro is growing up tormented by bullies and ignored by his parents. When an aging playboy, Graziano Biglia, returns to town, a change is in the air: Pietro decides to take on the bullies, his lonely teacher Flora finds romance with the town’s prodigal son, and the inept janitor at the school proclaims his love for his favorite prostitute. But the village isn’t ready for such change, and when Graziano seduces and forgets Flora, both she and Pietro’s tentative hopes seem crushed forever. With great tenderness, Ammaniti shines light on the heart-wrenching failures and quiet redemptions of ordinary people trying to live extraordinary lives.

Heaven and Earth: A Novel Every summer Teresa follows her father to his childhood home in Puglia, down in the heel of Italy, a land of relentless, shimmering heat, centuries-old olive groves and families who have lived there for generations. She spends long afternoons enveloped in a sunstruck stupor, reading her grandmother's paperbacks.

Everything changes the summer she meets the three boys who live on the farm next door: Nicola, Tommaso and Bern—the man Teresa will love for the rest of her life. Raised like brothers on a farm that feels to Teresa almost suspended in time, the three boys share a complex, intimate, and seemingly unassailable bond.But no bond is unbreakable and no summer truly endless, as Teresa soon discovers.Because there is resentment underneath the surface of that strange brotherhood, a twisted kind of love that protects a dark secret. And when Bern—the enigmatic, restless gravitational center of the group—commits a brutal act of revenge, not even a final pilgrimage to the edge of the world will be enough to bring back those perfect, golden hours in the shadow of the olive trees.

An unforgettable story of enduring love, the bonds between men, and the all-too-human search for meaning, Heaven and Earth is Paolo Giordano at his best: an author capable of unveiling the depths of the human soul, who has now given us the old-fashioned pleasure of a big, sprawling novel in which to lose ourselves

2 notes · View notes

literary-spirit · 3 years

Text

Lessons of Devotion

Chapter 6

Bonnie spent the next several days restoring Rollo's former keep. By the end of the fifth day, she moved in and Queen Aslaug gifted her with a new bed, a table, two chairs, and a large barrel to use for baths. Bjorn gave her bulks of silks, linen, furs, and leather material to fashion a wardrobe that would range from great hall feasts to raiding next spring. For that task, her magic did the bulk of the work. In no time, she had several dresses fashioned after wears she'd seen on the hit television shows Reign, Last Kingdom, and Merlin. She even threw in some retro fits from her time period. For her raiding gear, she went straight Valkyrie from Thor Ragnarök.

She stared down at the leather black raiding outfit she wore, frustrated she couldn't see the gear on her in its entirety. Craning her neck, she looked over her shoulder to see if she could catch a glimpse of her butt. "Damn, wish I had the full-length mirror from home," she mumbled to herself.

Seconds later the mirror materialized in front of her. Her bottom lip kissed the floor. Although the emergence of her mirror from thin air stunned her, the reflection which stared back at her shocked the southern fried shit out of her. Instead of her sassy twenty-seven-year-old self-staring back at her, she was staring at her scared of her own shadow eighteen-year-old senior in high school self. The self who died before she even had the chance to graduate. How? Why? She rubbed a hand over her face, unable to believe the lie her reflection attempted to tell.

A knock sounded at the door and she hurried to cover the mirror with a few bulks of stray fabric. When she turned to answer the knock, Bjorn walked in followed by Torvi and the boys. Bjorn carried a chest, while Torvi held a battle ax and a sheathed sword.

"Bonnie, you fashioned your raider's wear?" Torvi placed the weapons on the table and hurried over to spin her around. "It's made so well, you're barely able to see the stitching. Look, how the chainmail overlays the length of her arms and bosom area. Bonnie you have to make me one. Wait until Lagertha sights this."

As Torvi continued fawning over the raiding outfit, Guthrum rushed over and wound himself around one of Bonnie's legs. Hali, not to be left out, toddled over with his arms raised. Bjorn, who had since place the chest on the table next to the weapons, watched her with a complacent expression locked tight on his face. Conflict, however, incinerated his eyes until they glowed brighter and bluer than a Brazilian sky. One could only imagine the battle which waged inside his head.

"Of course, I'll make one for you," she said as she leaned down to scoop Hali into her arms.

The intensity in Bjorn's eyes doubled, when his gaze traveled over her and Hali, "You'll have to wait until after you give birth to done the garb."

"It's enough to know I'll have it when time comes," Torvi insisted, standing back to stare down the length of Bonnie once more before turning to her husband.

"Bonsie, will you come before slumber to finish the saga about the street rat, and the Jinn?" Guthrum questioned.

Bonnie squatted with Hali still in her arms pecking away at her cheek, "Yes, and if we finish early we can start on a new one."

"Alright," Bjorn said, snapping from whatever mental deliberation he wrestled with to the point of distraction, "help your mother ready the keep for Lagertha's visit on the morrow. We'll fish in the harbor once you've finished."

Torvi and Bjorn exchanged a stare that screamed a thousand words without whispering one. Torvi glanced away first to regard her with warm eyes that put cups of cocoa and comfortable furry slippers to shame, "Will we see you at second meal? Queen Aslaug does enjoy squandering a great amount of your time." She finished with an eyeroll.

"I'll be there," Bonnie smiled, handing Hali back to Torvi.

With that assurance, Torvi nodded and ushered the children from the keep. After the door to the keep closed, Bonnie's gaze moved to Bjorn. He still watched her with eyes that burned her in a place she couldn't even begin to try and soothe. "What troubles you, my protector?"

"You," he straightened from his lean on the wall. With deliberate purpose he crossed the room. "You trouble me. So does your voice that I hear even when you're not near... and your eyes that forces me to misuse time because I'm occupied staring into the trees to find their likeness in hue... but let me not misremember your mouth! For how can I misremember your mouth which tempts and mocks me just so of the point of madness...your hair, in which my hands long to fist themselves...your scent, which intoxicates and besots me until I'm no better than the village drunkard." He paused to lift her onto the table. After cupping her face in his hands he continued, "Everything about you troubles me." He dipped his head to press a lingering kiss to her lips. "And it troubles me that I'm troubled by you. It troubles me that I can't merely make you my concubine because my heart refuses to recognize you as anything other than my wife...my future queen." He kissed her again, this time slipping his tongue between her lips. The taste of him ripped a moan from the bottom of her throat. Without any real thought behind the action, her arms snaked around his neck. "Marry me, Mystical One."

In that moment all she wanted to do was drown in him. To become overwhelmed by the absolute epicness of him. And if she was just a woman and him just a man with a heart equal in measure to the demigod who stood before her, then to him she would submit. Goddess, help her, she'd become his wife and carry a minivan full of children for him. Alas, she wasn't just a woman and he wasn't just a man. They both had roles to roll with and it was too early in the game to allow emotions to get in the way of them achieving the victory history had already saw fit to deny him.

"I'm sorry, Bjorn," she leaned back from his grasp, "I can't."

Several emotions filtered across his face, but the one of pain is the one which stuck with her. "Why? I know you would be my second wife, but you have to know you'd always be first in my heart."

"There's someone else, Bjorn," she said, figuring there was no better time than the present to make Klaus' place in her life known. "There's someone I left behind, who's waiting for me back in my land."

"And he holds your affections?" He backed away from the cradle of her legs. "Even now?"

"He's my family," she said, barely above a whisper.

Bjorn scoffed, before spinning around to stalk toward the door. Opening it, he paused, "Whomever he is, he doesn't deserve you. Anyone who could misplace one as rare and precious as you, doesn't merit the treasure the gods have gifted him." With that said, he left.

Bonnie's eyes closed, and there in silence she allowed the salty liquid droplets of pain to slip freely down her face.

****

"Mother said Bjorn has spoken to her of his plans to marry, Bonnie," Hvitserk said to Ubbe's back as he followed him through the forest.

Ubbe remained silent. He already knew of his older brother's plans to marry his Mystic One. Anyone with sight could bear witness to how taken he was with the girl. Odin's eye, they all were. Her beauty and exoticness was unique to any other in Kattegat. Hel truth be heralded, anyone in all of Norway. Yet, her physical appeal only attracted one's attention, it was everything else about her which intrigued. The whole of her is what provoked many topics of conversations at the long table and had every ear trained on what she would possibly say next.

"Well, she will not have him," Ivar said, while gripping the sides of the wooden plank on which they dragged him. "She will have none of you. You all see the way she gazes upon me, hmm?"

It was true. Whenever in Ivar's presence, she couldn't keep her verdant pigmented eyes from meeting his. The strangest thing. One would think she didn't even see him as a cripple, but instead as an unbroken man who was capable of being her provider and protector.

Sigurd scoffed. "Have you ever even been with a woman, Ivar?"

"Sorry, Little Brother," Hvitserk laughed, leaning down to ruffle Ivar's hair, "Nestled between those dark thighs is my home and I do mean to return to the comforting heat of her hearth."

They reached the edge of the forest which gave way to the cove. Hvitserk was about to pull Ivar out but something with in the falls of the water snared his awareness. He raised a hand to signal for Hvitserk to halt. The shadow in the water moved into view and their collective breaths caught. There in all her bared radiance stood the matter of their debate. Her body was beyond perfection. Even through all the froth lathered over her golden bronzed skin, he could tell her tempting frame was crafted by and for Odin. For what mere mortal man would be worthy of a woman such as her?

"I don't understand?" Ivar mumbled. They turned to see there little brother gawking at the overexaggerated man stand towering in his lap. Fear glistened Ivar's already too blue gaze, "What is happening?"

"What don't you understand?" Sigurd frowned, barely tearing his eyes away from a now rinsed clean Bonnie. "Is that your first one?"

"Looks like you're not quite so boneless after all, Little Brother," Hvitserk said, reaching down to squeeze Ivar's shoulder.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Ubbe's mouth as he returned his gaze to Bonnie. She now stood on the rocks near the waterfall rubbing a liquid substance of sorts into her skin which made her rare hue glisten in the sunlight. Unable to resist her any longer, he left the cover of the trees.

"Ubbe!" he heard Hvitserk hiss.

"Where's he going?" Sigurd panicked.

"Where do you think?" Ivar answered.

****

Bonnie stood in front of the waterfall, dipping her head back. She allowed the supernaturally heated water to rinse the homemade co-wash from her head. With the pads of her fingers, she gave her scalp a deep massage. Her eyes slipped closed. Mm, she needed this after how things went down with Bjorn. No matter her feelings, she couldn't afford to lose focus.

Ansel's warning growl from the bank alerted her to be on guard. Her eyes snapped open and collided with a bottomless sky-blue gaze. Ubbe towered before her bared tanned, hard, ripped and cut the hell up with godlike precision. For a full minute they remained struck in awe of the other. Unable to take her eyes off of him, she backed away. Once she bumped into the large rock holding her belongings, she squatted to retrieve her shower scrub and a scrap of linen from her basket.

When she reclaimed her spot in front of him, she commenced to bathing him. She started with his face, and then worked her way down to his solid shoulders. There, she kneaded the rigid muscles into pliable submission. After she relieved the tension in his neck she moved on to the firm hills of his chest. With ease, she glided the rag over the dipped crevices of his abdomen. She lifted her gaze to stare in his eyes as she attempted to wrap the linen scrap around all eight inches of him. Which was no easy task since the girth of him was almost the size of her ankle in width. Once secured in her grasp, she gave him a few firm tugs that earned her a long-drawn-out moan and a couple of grunts.

"Don't marry Bjorn," he demanded in a hoarse broken whisper.

She gave him another massage infused pull, "I wasn't planning to."

"Good," He leaned down and captured her upturned mouth with his.

The kiss he rocked the hell out of her mind with was nothing like she believed him to be. Under all that arctic chill simmered a passion so fierce and wild she'd nearly missed the splashing of the water in the distance. She severed her lips from Ubbe's in time to see Sigurd and Hvitserk's glorious but naked form trotting over to them.

"Shit," she hissed, and broke away from Ubbe.

Snatching her basket from the rock, she disappeared behind the curtain of frothy falling water. Quickly, she put on white bikini bottoms and a matching wrap top, items she managed to displace from home in 2018. Once dressed she stepped back through the waterfall.

Hvitserk greeted her with one of his signature wide smiles. "Our turn." When he glanced down at her bikini bottoms, a frown battled back his previous good cheer, "What are those? Is that some strange fabric barrier to preserve chastity in this Mystic land of yours?"

"Why is your muff bare?" Sigurd questioned, fucking all over the boundaries of her personal space. "Have you not completely reached womanhood yet?"

"First, I'm not done with Ubbe yet, so you'll wait your turn." She began, addressing them both with her chin raised and hands planted on her hips. "Second, these or bikini bottoms and they're made for swimming, not preserving chastity, Hvitserk. Third, Sigurd, I'll have you know I'm all woman and the reason there is no hair down below is because I prefer a clean canvas down there. And Fourth," She looked over the three of them, "where's Ivar?"

"Back on the shore. He can't swim," Sigurd said, his tone dismissive.

She stepped closer to Hvitserk and Sigurd, palming each of their cheeks. "Will you both please get him and place him here on the rocks. This platform is large, flat, and stable. It should be safe enough for him over here." When they nodded their assent, she stood on tip toes and kissed them each on the corners of their mouths.

Once alone, Ubbe wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I apologize for my brothers' interruption. Can I come visit you at your keep after second meal?"

"Isn't that normally when you meet Margrethe in the barn?" She asked, watching as they placed Ivar on some sort of wooden raft.

He yanked her backwards through the waterfall. When they were obscured from the view of his brothers, he allowed his hands-free reign over her body. One reached up to palm her breasts, while the other slipped into her bikini bottoms. He devoured the side of her neck with open mouth kisses. His thumb grazed over her clit in persistent brushes, provoking her overheated good-good to ooze her need all over his hand. Whimpering, she silently urged him on by further parting her legs. Instead of giving into her quiet demands he kneaded her breast and tweaked her nipple. The roughness of his touch had her grinding into the heel of his hand.

"I do not care to meet Margrethe in the barn this eve," he rasped next to her ear. "I'd rather greet the next rising in your bed. Now will you have me, Valkyrie?" He tried to press two fingers in her entrance, but her good girl being a tease refused admission. After a brief pause, he downgraded to one finger and she still refused to bloom. "Are you a-,"

"Where are you two?" Sigurd yelled from outside. "We need help getting Ivar off the raft and on the boulder."

"Do you think they're-," Hvitserk began.

"No," Ivar cut him off, "Bonnie's, girdles are not nigh as light as Margrethe's."

She broke free of Ubbe's hold and straightened her bottoms. After stepping back through the waterfall, she jumped from the rock into the water and swam over to the raft. Ivar searched her face, and then looked over her shoulder at Ubbe who'd just reappeared back through the froth of water. A smirk settled on his all too willing lips.

"As I said before," Ivar said to no one in particular, "Some girdles are light and others..." his dancing gaze moved to regard her, "not so much. Greetings, my love. My brothers tell me you requested my presence over on that boulder."

Her heartbeat tapped out a peculiar rhythm upon hearing Ivar refer to her as his love. "Yep, I wanna bathe you and wash your hair. Do you have any objections to me doing so?"

His brows leaped to his hairline as he shook his head, "N-no."

For the next couple of hours, Bonnie bathed, shampooed, and groomed the Lothbroks. They each seemed to bask in the attention. Especially, when she braided Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd hair in actual designs instead of the sloppy twists they usually wore. Since Ivar's hair wasn't yet long enough for braids, she trimmed it into a precision cut. By the time they made it back to Kattegat the second meal had already begun. She was late for dinner with Bjorn and Torvi. If she didn't hurry she'd miss it altogether.

"I'll see you guys later," her gaze darted to Ubbe first before moving over all of them, "I had fun, thanks for helping me to take my mind off things."

She turned to walk towards Bjorn's and Ivar grabbed her wrist. "What things?"

She squatted and kissed him on the lips. "It doesn't matter." With that, she stood and hurried away.

****

The next rising after first meal, Bjorn greeted his mother in the great hall. People who remembered her from long before as Ragnar's first wife waited in Kattegat's long house to welcome her. Although he was happy to see his mother, only half his heart cared she visited at all. Bonnie's refusal still pained him. Why would she choose another over him? Surely, he couldn't be the only one between them who harbored such affections.

"I said, how have you fared here since your return, my son?" Lagertha's voice, delivered him from the torture which was his thoughts.

"Distracted it would appear," Astrid, his mother's...Astrid said.

Bjorn waved off their observations. "I've fared well enough. Although, Floki has informed me that the fleet he's building for the Mediterranean won't be available until next spring."

"Oh," Lagertha reached up to rub his back, "I'm sorry, Bjorn."

He shrugged. "Just as well, Torvi's carrying again."

"Bjorn, this is wonderful news," Lagertha hugged him, her smile nearly splitting her face in two. "The gods have truly favored you and Torvi."

This time he felt his own smile creep into his eyes. "They do, in truth Bonnie has assured me this babe will be a girl."

"Bonnie?" Confusion snatched Lagertha's head to the far left.

"The dark woman he brought back from his last raid," Astrid enlightened, "The one he placed under his protection."

"Ah," Lagertha's pale brows shot up as she gave a slow nod. "I remember. How is she? Is she still a part of your household?"

"No, she now resides in Rollo's former keep," Bjorn answered, while tracking Ubbe's march into the hall.

"That's better for all," his mother exhaled, seeming somewhat relieved.

"No!" Bjorn snapped, dragging his attention from Ubbe. "I do not think it's better for all. I suffer-w-we suffer very much from her absence. The sooner she agrees to become my wife, then and only then will we all be the better for it."

"Your wife?!" Lagertha low hiss shrieked. "Did you leave your wits in the wetlands of Frankia? Bjorn, you know nothing of this woman!"

"You're wrong," he placed a palm at the center of his chest, "I know exactly who she is, and I know exactly where she belongs."

"And what of Torvi? Is she content with this usurper stealing her way into your lives and making a home of your marriage?" Lagertha questioned.

Bjorn folded his arms, weary of the entire discussion. He wasn't Ragnar, Torvi wasn't Lagertha, and Bonnie wasn't, Hel take her, Aslaug. "Torvi embraces the idea of Bonnie joining us in matrimony."

His mother's eyes flared. She scoffed in disbelief. "You've been bewitched. This woman has bewitched you, just as Ragnar was so many years before you. What is it about Lothbrok men that breeds witches?"

"Mother, it may be best if you rest," Bjorn said, leveling her with a glare that would make steel fold, but more than likely meant less than horse shit to Lagertha. "The journey from Hedeby to Kattegat can be exhausting." With that said, Bjorn turned and left the great hall.

Once Bjorn disappeared from sight Lagertha looked to Astrid. "Take care of her."

Astrid nodded her understanding.

****

Unable to stay inside any longer, Bonnie decided to take a walk along the shore of the fjord. Though they were on the brink of winter, the beauty of Kattegat was heart snatching.

In her own time when she traveled, she never even considered visiting Norway. Now that she found herself stranded there surrounded by its people and exquisiteness, she couldn't understand why this place never made the bucket list.

As she continued along the bank a cloaked figure sitting on a large rock staring out at the sea caught her attention. Loneliness wafted off of him in dejected waves. When she'd binged the series with Caroline Ivar was never one of her favorite characters. He reminded her too much of Klaus. Always hurting and terrifying others to distract from the obvious detail that he too was also hurt and terrified. Back then she had zero compassion to give to bullies who thought to offer reason behind their madness. At least not until Damon became her best friend and she fell face first in love with Klaus. Now after seasons of judgement from her something within urged her to offer Ivar the consideration she never did when she watched the show.

Wrapping her cloak tighter around herself she made her way over to him. Once at his side, she joined him in staring out at the clear waters of the fjord. For a while, neither of them said anything. They just existed together in a shared moment of peace.

A several more comfortable minutes of silence, Ivar spoke without turning to look at her. "I'll wager you're pondering what a cripple could possibly be considering as he gazes at waters he can never be minded to tread."

"You're considering how far you'll go," Her words brought his disbelieving blazing stare to hers, "But you don't have to worry because you'll go far, Ivar. You'll go further than you can ever think to dream or imagine." She reached inside his cloak and interlaced her fingers with his. Laying her head on his shoulder, she turned back to the fjord.

He rested his head on top of hers, "Why'd you kiss me, hmm?"

"Because I wanted to and I knew you wanted me to," she answered reveling and drowning in him all at the same time. "You bother me, Ivar. The last time a man bothered me I fell in love with him."

"You mustn't do something as foolish as to offer me your heart, my love," He cradled her hand in both of his. "I may do something as equally foolish and accept it."

She lifted her head from his shoulder to study his face. What she saw there was the strike of lightening she'd waited twenty-seven years to see. How did one come back from Nirvana and settle for the lack-lusterless of reality? The mundane of good enough. Was he the reason? Far away yipping of a dog snatched her from the brink.

"I have to go," she whispered.

He studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright."

She pressed her mouth to his and took a minute to savor his lips. He moaned into the kiss, reluctantly she pulled away. After she gave herself a second for her world to start spinning again, she slid from the rock and darted off toward the woods. Inside the forest, Ansel barked for her to follow him. So that's what she set out to do. After a half hour of nonstop running she could no longer see Ansel. Bonnie called out to him, but only silence answered her in return. She glanced about the overhang she stood on. Everything and nothing looked familiar. Hell, she didn't know north from south. She'd do better waiting for Ansel to return for her. She walked to the edge. A view of the fjord feeding water into her cove greeted her.

A grin teased her lips. Thoughts of her bathing the boys shamed her better judgement. She would have never pulled that shit back in Mystic Falls as a senior in high school. Hell not even as a senior citizen. With thoughts of the day before still trailing across her mind she backed away from the edge. Bjorn's sacred arm ring slipped from her wrist. When she was unable to locate it among the leaves she dropped to her knees and started sifting through the brush on the ground. As soon as her hand connected with hard metal she exhaled. She didn't know what she would tell Bjorn if she'd ever loss the symbol of their vow. Quickly, she slipped the sacred arm ring back on her wrist.

When she moved to rise something hard bashed her in the head. Fingers tangled themselves in her hair as blunted nails clawed at her scalp. With unnecessary force her head was jerked backwards. A cold jagged edge of steel bit into her neck and slid from ear to ear. The sound of howling dampened her hearing as her attacker drug her by her hair to the edge of the precipice. A well-aimed kick to the center of her back sent her tumbling over the edge. Her heart stopped long before the near freezing waters of the cove embraced her.

#bonnie bennett #ivar the boneless #bjorn ironside #hvitserk #the vampire diaries #vikings #tvd fanfiction #time travel #crossover #ubbe ragnarsson

5 notes · View notes