#although there were too many mosquitos out so i couldn’t relax and enjoy :(

[baroquebucky]

hi lovely! i adore ur writing :-) i was just wondering if you could write something about bucky being all soft and gooey around his gal and kissing her and being all lovey dovey with her in front of the team, and them teasing him for it. i’d love to see it if it inspires u! thank u!

a/n: okAY I HAVE RESTARTED THIS LIKE SEVEN TIMEs because i didn’t know how i wanted to write this and so i decided to do some headcanons about this !! if you want an actual imagine let me know !!! i hope you guys enjoy it :~)

masterlist

Bucky was afraid of touching you the first time he met you

he was afraid that all the darkness and pain in him would ruin your happy, radiant demeanor, and he didn’t want that

but you didn’t allow that, giving him hugs for every little thing, bumping shoulders with him, grabbing his hand and dragging himself round to have fun

it was obvious the two of you would date, you made his life so much better and he did the same for you, helping you grow more confident and self assured

for years bucky only knew physical touch as painful, something he dreaded

and you showed him something completely different when it came to touch

the way your fingers gently traced every scar he had, the way they ghosted over his chest when he was asleep and you couldn’t sleep, the way you would pull him into you for a hug, wrapping your arms around him and squeezing him tightly

Bucky especially loved how you played with his hair, gently tucking it into place when the two of you cuddle or were kissing, the way you attempted to braid it and style it

Bucky couldn’t get enough

he missed out on this for so long so of course he would want your tender love any chance he got, he didn’t care who was around

the whole team thought Bucky was this brooding, intimidating man who was capable of killing them all if he tried, yet there he was, cuddled into you like a puppy

Bucky would kiss your face all over, making you laugh, planting sloppy kisses on your cheeks and forehead before finally connecting your lips.

“Fucks sake im trying to watch this show can you please do that somewhere else?” Sam would groan, annoyed at how soft Bucky was, Bucky only grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, never once disconnecting your lips.

You would smile into the kiss, pulling his hair slightly causing Bucky to groan a little, sam would make a gagging noise,” that’s it im out i hate you guys” you would burst out laughing the second he got up, immediately apologizing to him

he of course would accept, you were always too sweet and did so much for him, he couldn’t be mad at you.

At Bucky though? He couldn’t 100000% be mad at him

So Sam made it his mission to embarrass the metal armed man.

The two of you sat on the couch, cuddling.

Bucky snuggled so close against you if he moved a centimeter more he’d be on top of you. He had a hand in your hair, your arms wrapped around him, rubbing circles on his back.

he stared up at you, admiring how fuckinf beautiful you were

“how did i get the prettiest gal in the world hm?” he would smile, pressing a kiss to your arm, “oh shut up bucky” you blushed, refusing to take the compliment

“no I’m serious you’re so goddamn perfect doll” he whispered, moving to get comfortable enough to kiss your neck

“bucky stop we’re in the living room” you giggled, he continued to kiss you, placing a soft kiss on your jaw and then on your cheek

“what’s Sam gonna do? Get upset again?” He laughed and you rolled your eyes.

“I love you so much” he smiled at you, effortlessly lifting you and placing you on his lap

you smiled at the man, running your fingers through his soft hair, he smiled at you, his eyes fluttering closed at the relaxing contact.

“you know i love when you do that” he hummed and you smiled, leaning down to kiss his forehead you removed your hands from his hair and sat next to him, putting your head on his chest.

“why’d you stop” he pouted, looking at you as if you broke his heart in two

“Oh my god you are whipped” Tony laughed, you went red, Bucky felt slightly embarrassed but didn’t care too much, a smile creeping onto his face and he turned to look at you

“well how could i not be? i have the best girlfriend in the world” he spoke, you blushed deeper and tony rolled his eyes, turning around and leaving “yeah sam he isn’t gonna be embarrassed around us”

Sam groaned from the hall, emerging and narrowing his eyes at bucky, “I’ll get my revenge” Bucky only laughed and you but your lip to stifle your laughter.

“cmon angel” you spoke, standing up and grabbing his hand, leading him to your room so you guys could cuddle in peace.

The pda did not cease, Sam made every team member catch the two of you cuddling or being utterly adorable and yet nothing

Bucky has no shame showing the fact that he was wrapped around your finger, kissing your hand every chance, placing kisses all over your face and cuddling you at every chance

Then peter came to stay a night

he saw the way bucky would do everything for you, barely letting you do anything, he saw the way that if you asked for something he’d give it to you, the way that he cuddled into your side and was somehow always touching you

“oh my god” peter smiled to himself, texting ned and MJ quickly, guys mr barnes is a simp

He tried his best to hide his laughter but he couldn’t, wheezing as he picked up the Group FaceTime call

“no way the winter soldier is a simp??” MJ spoke and ned added on “he literally killed people how the hell did y/n manage to get him to simp so hard”

peter began explaining, giggling as he told them everything

Sam heard the loud teenage boy, immediately being struck with an idea

“hey Pete” he approached the boy in the kitchen and he gave him a small wave “i need you to do me a favor”

You and Bucky were in the garden, singing along to music and laughing, he held your hand, swinging it back and forth.

“I need to water the plants today but I’m so tired” you complained to your boyfriend, sitting under a tree, you were in between his legs and he rested his chin on top of your head

“I can do it for you doll face” he replied, you laughed shaking your head softly, “no i can do it lovely” but Bucky insisted

so there he was, watering all your flowers and getting bit by mosquitos, enter peter

peter was shitting himself, he was still kind of scared of Bucky, finding him intimidating despite knowing he could take the man

“what are you doing mr barnes?” Peter questioned, standing next to him and looking at the many plants

“y/n was tired so i told her I’d water her pants for her” he spoke, peter wrangled every ounce of courage he had

“huh so youre kind of a simp then” he spoke, Bucky turned to look at him, did he just-?

“what? no!” Bucky protested, suddenly feeling embarrassed because he was this little 18 year old calling HIM a simp

“i mean think about it, kinda yeah” he spoke, laughing softly, “it’s okay, in the end we all simp for someone” peter smiled, walking back inside, already wanting to apologize to bucky but instead searching for Sam so he could order him the pizza he wanted

Bucky stood in the garden, shock on his face. Sam watched from the kitchen window, laughing his ass off, finally embarrassing the super soldier

Bucky walked into your room, going to sit next to you, “am i simp?” He looked at you, troubled. You tried your best to stifle your laughter, composing yourself before looking at your boyfriend

“i mean yeah” you admitted, shrugging your shoulders.

Bucky was hurt for a couple of hours, vowing to himself that he would no longer simp for you, he could do that

right? wrong

by the end of the night Bucky was snuggled up to you side, eyes closed and mind at peace, you mumbled sweet nothings into his ear and he felt so- at home.

you were buckys home, he didn’t care if others saw it, he didn’t care if that made him a simp. He would be damned if he didn’t take every and any chance to kiss you and show you off and love on you

you did the same for him, Bucky was your safe space, your everything, your home

although Sam rolled his eyes when the two of you were cuddling heavily during movie night, he couldn’t help but be happy that bucky had found happiness in the world

#bucky barnes drabble #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes headcanon #soft!bucky barnes #soft!bucky #clingy!bucky barnes #clingy!bucky #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes headcanons

[wherespaulo]

Hiking and Exploring in Puerto Rico

March 17 – April 14, 2021

I’d visited Puerto Rico many times between 2006 and 2014 but mainly on work related business -- this time it’d be four weeks of exploring and hiking. I’d get the best of both worlds by staying next to the beach and driving to the trail heads. My ties to Puerto Rico became much more than just a business destination over the years though since one of my work colleagues in New York City, Ruben, was from Puerto Rico and became one of my best mates -- so I got to know much of his Puerto Rican family.

Puerto Rico has such a varied and interesting mix of terrain, microclimates, and fauna for an island of only 3,500 square miles – about the same as Rhode Island – with little pockets of forest everywhere. I intended to hike in as many of those areas as I could.  

HIKING

Bosque Estatal de Boqueron

A coastal path stroll of around 4 miles in the blazing sun with stunning views -- I combined the Lighthouse Trail, Playa Sucia and the peninsula around Piscina Natural, all part of Rojo Cabo in the south west corner of the island. Sparse vegetation and cacti were a testament to the dry microclimate in this area.

Monte Pirata MTB

This is a purpose built 8.3 mile convoluted trail for hiking and mountain biking through a small coastal forest in the west. A challenging mountain biking trail rather than an inspirational hiking trail, it was worth it though for the magical moment that I will always remember, when time seemed to stand still and thoughts of the past and future became irrelevant. The sound of an electric strimmer buzzed through the trees and perched about three feet above my head for a full five minutes. It was about ¾ the size of my little finger at about two inches long. Was it a dragonfly? No, it was a vervain hummingbird, the second smallest bird in the world after the bee hummingbird, and a rare visitor to the west coast of Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.  Life can be full of magical moments like this if only you take the time to look. I cut the hike short after 2.5 miles when it started to pour, but it had all been worthwhile.

Bosque Estatal de Maricao – beautiful mountain rainforest but not as exuberant as El Yunque.

·       Charco El Pilon trail - I lost the All-Trails electronic map on my iPhone as my signal disappeared, so I struggled to find the start of the San German trail. Instead, I met Saul (who told me his brother was also a Paul), a young Puerto Rican-American on vacation from Florida, and wandered along the river towards the El Pilon waterfall with him (2.5 miles out-and-back) where all his mates were splashing around and having a few beers. Although I’m generally well organized and can navigate the most difficult of terrain when I have a mind for it, I also enjoy meeting new people and getting slightly lost. So it was with some reluctance that a day later I would shell out the $30 annual subscription to All-Trails, allowing me to download maps and unfortunately making it almost impossible to get lost – feck!

·       San German to Maricao - I did eventually find the start of the San German trail. More like a 4-wheel-drive stony track than a footpath, it did provide some badly needed brisk exercise to the top of a hill and back, overall 6.8 miles. And of course, the sound of another electric strimmer stopped me in my tracks and made my day – this time it was the larger and more common Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird in its brilliant iridescent green plumage.

Paseo Lineal – better described as a tarmacked 8.9 mile out-and-back bike path that runs in-between the beach and a quiet coastal road on the north west of the island from Isabela. Great for getting some exercise in with a long, fast walk, but not the most inspirational.

El Yunque National Rainforest

The El Yunque Rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the US, was one of the main reasons for heading to Puerto Rico, and I wasn’t disappointed. A dense green jungle of majestic tabanuco trees, mahogany, teak and rosewood, surrounded by giant ferns, palms and bamboos, all cloaked in coats of vines, mosses, epiphytes and orchids. Like something out of a lost world, the incessant cacophony of the tree frogs echoed out of the ever-present fine mist.

Although it didn’t dampen my spirits, I did quickly discover there was a reason it was a rainforest – RAIN!

·       Rio Sabana Trail – a 5.6 mile out-and-back trail starting in the south of the rainforest. Unfortunately I was forced to turn back at the halfway point as the river crossing was completely submerged under the deep, 40 feet wide and fast flowing Rio Sabana – the rivers can rise very quickly here after rain, becoming dangerous. I was not done yet so I wandered further along a one mile stretch of route 191 from where it had been blocked off from cars to the start of the Rio Sabana Trail. It pretty much disappeared under a thick, green carpet of growth, leaving only a narrow footpath through the dense forest – occasionally a tiny, incongruous patch of tarmac would show through the undergrowth, as though a partially forgotten memory of another world had risen to the surface in a moment of stillness or a dream.

·       El Toro Trail – a 4.9 mile out-and-back trail starting in the west of the rainforest. This time I slid my way to the halfway point along the extremely wet and muddy trail before the requirements changed from just a pair of waders to a full scuba kit!

·       El Yunque Trail - a 5.4 mile out-and-back trail starting in the north/center of the rainforest and requiring a reservation with the park authorities. This time I waited in the car for the rain to stop pouring – two hours later I decided it wouldn’t and left. As I drove out of the forest the sun came out and I looked back – I could see the El Yunque forest lost under its very own dark cloud while the rest of Puerto Rico bathed in bright sunshine. The Elkie Brooks version of Sunshine After The Rain  came to mind, and how without dark clouds in our life we would have no light.

Bosque Estatal de Guanica

I headed to this unique subtropical dry forest on the south west coast to hike 9 miles as a combination of the Fuerte Trail and part of the Lluveras Trail. The scrub forest with its small trees offered little shade on a blazing hot day but a thoroughly enjoyable hike nonetheless. The only other people I met that day were a couple of forest rangers in a jeep – they stopped, looking concerned, and asked “you ok?” while offering water. I looked back at them, puzzled -- I guess they couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to wander around this shade-less forest in the blazing afternoon sun. When they heard my British accent I suppose everything made sense and they moved on.

ACCOMMODATION

Although I didn’t have any fixed accommodation plans initially, my itinerary did evolve as follows:

·       Two nights at the Tryst Hotel in Condado, San Juan (north east PR) – great spot on the beach with a great restaurant, the Wicked Lily. Condado does seem to have got a tad too touristy in recent years though!

·       Two nights at Ruben’s sisters-in-laws place in Boquerón (south west PR) – nice detached house with a pool and separate apartment where I stayed. I did get eaten by mosquitos though!

·       Seven nights at the Tamboo Hotel near Rincon (west PR) – great beachfront hotel in the Sandy Beach area, just north of Rincon, with a top-notch restaurant. I loved it here so much I decided to come back for my final week.

·       Two nights at the Yunque Mar Hotel just north of the El Yunque rainforest (north east PR) – nice, small beachfront hotel but a bit out-of-the-way. The positives though, other than the proximity to the rain forest, were the beautiful stretch of quiet beach heading east towards Liquillo, and the Liquillo kiosks – a 1km long row of traditional and inexpensive Puerto Rican restaurants and bars.

·       Three nights at Ruben’s new apartment in Miramar, San Juan – an upcoming, tourist-free area with plenty of top quality restaurants.

·       Five nights back at the Yunque Mar Hotel

·       Seven nights back at the Tamboo Hotel.

Although I’ve always struggled to lay on a beach for more than 30 minutes (and that’s in the shade), I did discover the calming effect of strolling for miles along an empty beach to the sound of crashing waves -- thanks to the beautiful, empty stretches heading north from Tamboo  and east from Yunque Mar to Liquillo. And since the beaches were so empty, I do confess to getting stark bollock naked on a couple of occasions – after all, everyone should have the chance to streak along the beach at least once in their adult life!

It had been both relaxing and an adventure over my four weeks in Puerto Rico but there were many reasons why I’d be back very soon -- the Sandy Beach area of the west coast was now on my list of potential places to buy a property (a base within the US and low taxes to boot), one of my best mates was moving back to San Juan very soon, and I needed to re-visit the trails of El Yunque in the dryer months of Dec-Feb as well as the trails through the  middle of the island in the Bosque Estatals Toro Negro and Cante Tourist.

[nicolewoo]

The Big Day Part 1

Pairing: Joe Anaoi X Reader (Roman Reigns X Reader)

Synopsis: Although Joe hasn’t kept the destination a surprise, he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and one knocks the Y/N off her feet.

Warnings: Nothing. Just fluff and mention of a bad childhood.

Who the hell uses an alarm on vacation? I thought to myself as Joe’s phone beeped until he grabbed it and stopped the alarm. He rolled over and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in until we were spooning. As he settled back down, Joe grumbled for a second before quickly remembering what day it was and popping up excitedly. “C’mon babe. We’ve got big plans today.” Joe hopped out of bed quickly and tried to pull me up. Just as I was going to protest, there was a knock on the door.

“Out of bed, sleepyheads!” Dwayne yelled out. “Vanessa is here, Joe.”

Joe called out, “Do you ever sleep, dude?” We heard Dwayne laugh. “Be out in a minute.”

We quickly got dressed and were getting ready to join the others when Joe wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to a stop. I turned around to see what he wanted. “Now,” he kissed the tip of my nose. “Today, we are going to a Samoan Independence Day celebration, and you’re going to need a traditional, Samoan dress. Vanessa and Lauren are going to take you to a special store to get it.”

I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t know Vanessa was here, and I’d only met her once. I knew the Samoan Independence Day was a big celebration. That must be the reason Vanessa, Dwayne and Joe came here. “Is this some sort of reunion?”

Joe nodded, “Yes. In our family, Independence Day is also a time to return to the land of our ancestors to reconnect to the land and each other.” I accepted his answer, but something was still off. He wasn’t telling me everything, but I trusted him. “They’re going to take you shopping now, and then we will meet you back here so we can get ready to go to the celebration.”

=============================================================

I’m not sure what I expected. The words “family reunion” conjured up a picture of people huddling in pavilions of parks with plastic tablecloths flopping in the wind and tacky matching t-shirts. Honestly, I’d never been to a family reunion, but this wasn’t what I expected to see.

We’d parked in a church parking lot and made our way to a giant house across the road, but instead of going in, we went around the side. As the party came into view, I was blown away. The ocean was just a couple hundred yards away from the house. A tent large enough to house a small village was set up in the middle with a small temporary stage under it. Another gargantuan tent was filled with tables, and food, set up in a buffet style. More giant tents dotted the beach between the house and the ocean. There was beauty everywhere. Honestly, it looked like a luau. Tiki torches, floral leis, rattan, flower arrangements on the tables and people dressed in everything from traditional Samoan clothing to shorts and t-shirts. There had to be at least 100 people there, and I’m pretty sure we were in someone’s back yard.

“Um. I forgot to bring a dish.” Joe admitted.

Dwayne put his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I got ya covered.” He passed Joe to go greet people and called behind him, “We bought the pigs. You owe me $400.”

Joe put his hand on the small of my back chuckling, and explained that in Samoan culture, you never show up to a gathering empty handed.

“It’s Fa’a.” I smiled at him, and he looked surprised. “I’ve been researching Samoan customs since we got together.”

He grinned in delight. “Are you ready?” I wasn’t elated at the prospect of being around this many people, but I nodded yes. Joe kissed my forehead before we walked toward the party.

  =============================================================

“Leati!” Joe’s dad greeted us with a surprised look. “I didn’t know you were coming.” He wrapped Joe in a giant hug.

“Thought I’d surprise you.” Joe beamed at the older man. “I brought a few people with me.”

“Dwayne!” Sika said as he hugged the bigger man. “Where’s your family?”

Dwayne called out to Lauren and she walked our way. “Lauren is here, and my daughters will be here soon.” His daughters would be here soon? I didn’t know that. “They’re coming with mom.”

Sika and Lauren greeted each other, and then the older man’s eyes fixed on me. “Leati, you’ve brought a young lady?” There was a deeper meaning to the way he said it.

Joe’s face lit up in the brightest smile, and he leaned over to whisper to his dad, who nodded back. Joe turned to me and introduced me. “Dad, this is Y/N.”

“Y/N, this is my dad Sika and stepmother Patricia.”

I gave them the warmest smile I could, even though Joe was keeping a secret from me. “It’s an honor.” I shook hands with them.

“Vanessa is here, and mom is coming today too.” Joe explained, and as he did Sika’s eyes got wider.

“We’ll have a fine time.” He smiled at me.

We stayed close to Sika and his wife as we ate, and that allowed me to relax and get used to everything. We didn’t start mingling until Joe was sure I was ready. He really was the sweetest.

=============================================================

We spent the first few hours talking to everyone. I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember everyone’s names, but Joe assured me it was ok. It didn’t take long though, before everyone knew my name. I gathered this was the first time Joe brought a date to this.

We ate, drank, talked, played with kids, and laughed. A variety of music played over a speaker system I couldn’t see; both what I’m guessing was traditional Samoan to current R&B hits and everything in between. There was a lot of laughter and good times. Everyone was so welcoming, that my normal social anxiety began to fall away.

As the party went on, more and more people arrived, including Dwayne’s daughters and Joe’s mom.  I gave up trying to count. There were people everywhere. Children played freely, watched by all the adults. The elderly were waited on hand and foot, and everyone was having a great time.

The sun was low on the horizon when everyone took their seats. On the stage was a row of chairs with a larger, throne type seat in the center. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but there was an energy running through the crowd.

Joe guided us to a table off to the left side of the stage, and we waited as the guests settled down, some at tables, some on blankets laid out in the sand. “Vanessa,” Joe pointed to the other side of me. “Sit here, please.” She did and Joe’s mom sat on the other side of her. “Vanessa is an expert on Samoan culture and is way better at the language than me, so I’ve asked her to translate and explain the show for you.”

I turned and thanked Vanessa before asking, “What did he have to trade for your services tonight? She and I both laughed.

“Tickets to Super Bowl,” she answered.

“Nice!”

Men in traditional Samoan garb got on stage, and drums began to pound, bringing cheers and applause from the crowd. The men on stage lined up into two rows and began to dance. Vanessa leaned toward me, “They’re starting tonight’s program with a Fa'ataupati or Samoan slap dance said to have evolved from the moves involved in slapping away mosquitoes.”

  =============================================================

We sat enjoying drinks as the show went on. Three dances later, and the seats on stage began to fill up with elders of the family. Vanessa translated as the high priest prayed for the island, it’s people and the state of the family.

3 young men and one young woman all in traditional clothing took the stage and lit batons on fire. Vanessa explained that in the past Samoans were explorers, who brought light and love to islands around the South Pacific, and the family honored them by sharing their light with us. The performers were amazing, and I couldn’t take my eyes off them, but as they began to throw fire batons to each other, I was mesmerized.

After the dances, everyone calmed down. The high chief sat on the throne type seat and greeted the crowd. Vanessa translated the whole thing. He began reciting the history of the family from generations ago until now. I listened intently while Vanessa translated. I’d done a lot of research on Samoan culture, but there was no way I could find out the history of the family, so I drank in every bit of information I could. After his opening speech, the dancers did 2 more dances.

The High Chief stood and addressed the crowd again. “It is tradition in our family that when a Samoan warrior finds his mate, the couple shall come to the elders of our family for a blessing on the union. Each elder will talk to them and counsel the high chief. After the elders, a witness can advocate for the couple. Then the chief takes that counsel and decides if the union will be blessed.” The high chief called a name out, and a young Samoan man dressed in traditional garb came to stand before the chief. He spoke a few words in Samoan, and then the chief called out another name. I watch as a stunning Samoan woman in traditional dress came forward, joining both hands with the man standing before the chief. She spoke a few words in Samoan. “What did the couple say?” I whispered to Vanessa. “They are declaring their love, much like wedding vows. Each person writes their own.”

Next, an older woman came to stand next to the couple. She looked just like the young lady, leading me to believe she was probably the woman’s mom. She placed her hands on the couple’s and spoke. Vanessa translated, “My beautiful daughter has grown to womanhood, and is ready to become a wife and mother. I am proud of the woman she has become, and Rangi has been a blessing to her. I feel this union will strengthen the family. I beseech the elders and our high priest to bless this union.”  

The chief dramatically pondered, finally raising a staff like stick and pounding the bottom against the ground 4 times. The whole party erupted in rowdy cheers and applause. Immediately, two young girls no older than 6 or 7 came forward with leis they placed on the couple.

Then the chief came forward. He wrapped another lei across the couple’s hands. He laid his hands over theirs and began to speak. Vanessa was quick to translate, “The chief says that the elders of the tribe have observed the couple, and feel that the union will be a blessing to the family, and it is his honor to bless the union.” She paused for a second as she listened to him speak before smiling and saying, “As a family, it is our responsibility to mentor and counsel this couple as they journey through life. It is the family’s responsibility to help them raise the next generation of Samoans. He’s asking the tribe to pledge their support. I listened as the whole crowd recited something.

Finally, at a quiet word whispered by the chief, the couple kissed. Without warning, the young man knelt at the foot of the lady, catching a ring box tossed to him by a member of the family, and although I couldn’t hear them, I could tell he proposed. Her hands flew to her face and his smile lit up the whole party as she said yes.

Everyone went wild. There was applause, wild war cries and stomping and loud drums. After a few minutes, the chief banged his staff against the floor, causing everyone to settle down. “Settle down. Settle down. We will celebrate in a bit, but we have more business to handle.” I don’t know if I was more shocked that he was speaking English or that he was able to take control of the rowdy crowd so easily.

As the crowd took their seats again, he began speaking Samoan again. Vanessa translated, “It is our responsibility to care for those who are alone. I have been alerted that there is an orphan who is seeking admittance into our family. Please make your presentation.” Joe rose and took place in front of the chief. He began speaking Samoan, and this time Vanessa didn’t translate. Wait! Was he? Was he talking about me? Joe wanted me to join the family? Before I could even think about everything that meant, the chief called my name.

“Y/N. Please come stand by Leati.” He said in English. I did, feeling a bit of my social anxiety again, but when he took my hands and stared in my eyes, I relaxed. “Leati, you have asked that the counsel consider accepting this orphan into our family. Y/N,” the chief turned to me. “Have you parents to care for you.” The question was weird. I’m an adult… not a child, and yet, the answer was no. “Members of the family have observed you. Who in our family would like to accept Y/N?”

I was shocked as Joe’s father stood. I hadn’t noticed he was seated on the stage. He was an elder. Behind Joe, I saw his sister, Dwayne and Lauren stand. Then I noticed others standing. I scanned the room to find Joe’s mom, The Fatu brothers and Naomi, who I didn’t know were here, all standing as well as many of the people I’d met today. I hadn’t even seen The Fatus arrive. My heart swelled as the high chief smiled at me. “Y/N, it seems there are a number of family members who wish you to join our family. “Elders, what say you?” He turned to face the row of seats behind him. Answering one at a time, each member said “Ioe.”

Joe smiled at me and said, “That means yes.”

I was all smiles now. This show of support was beyond heartwarming. “Y/N. Our family is offering to accept you as one of our own, to care for you when needed, to support you when warranted and to love you unconditionally. Will you accept our invitation?”

“Ioe.” I answered and the crowd got rowdy again. The applause was drowned out by the cheers.

When the chief settled the crowd, Joe looked expectantly at him. “Leati has also asked for a blessing on this relationship. Do the elders agree to this blessing?

I listened as each one said “Ioe.”

“And who among the family will stand up for this couple? Suddenly a chorus of voices rang out yelling “Ioe. Ioe. Ioe.” I looked to find the Fatu families yelling the loudest, and I smiled sweetly at them. Sika stood, coughing to get the attention of the Chief, before saying, “Ioe”.

“Then it is an honor to bless this union.” The two young children came out to put leis on Joe and me before the High Chief laid a lei across our hands and spoke the same words he’d spoken with the other couple.

There was a terrifying moment as I wondered if Joe was going to propose as the first young man had, but when the Chief was done, Joe led me back to our table. Everyone stood for hugs and congratulations. I hugged and thanked everyone for their support. The Fatu families joined us now. “I can’t believe you’re here!” I said as I went to hug Naomi.

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” John said to me. “Welcome to the family Sister Uce.”

Joe wrapped an arm around my waist from behind and pulled my body against his chest. “Welcome to the family Sister Uce.” He whispered in my ear.

I turned to face him. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

“This is the family you deserve.” He kissed me softly.

Then I heard a voice I knew, but there was no way….. I found Jimmy had his cell phone pointed at me, and I realized we were in a group chat. Seth, Becky, John Good and Renee were all on the screen cheering me.

“Guys? You knew?” I grabbed the phone.

“Yeah! Dis is w’at we were hidin’ from ya’” Becks laughed.

“Well, you did it. You all really shocked me. Thank you!”

@mindofasagittaruis​ @lclb13​

#joe anaoi #roman reigns

[brownskinsugarplum76]

One Shot: A Very Tropical Christmas

OK… I hope you agree with me that better late than never is a good thing. ☺️ This is the Christmas Maggie/Robert story that I mentioned last week. This takes place after the events I'm writing up in Eye of the Storm, soon after Maggie and Robert have gotten back from their separate tours. Robert has a special Christmas surprise that he thinks is well deserved for Maggie, after her success on the road. There's a good mix of fluff and NSFW smut. Happy belated holidays! ❤️❤️❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We’re almost there!” Robert was excited. Too excited. The suspension bridge jostled a little harder as he sped up his gait from his usual regal stroll.

Maggie was glad the walk was coming to an end, although the beauty of the lush jungle environment was a good distraction.

Brightly colored birds darted in and out of the variety of trees that closed tightly to either side of the bridge, all the while singing songs of joy to live in an undisturbed paradise. She breathed in the strong scent of tropical flowers and rich soil which, when coupled with the humidity that hung thickly in the air, gave the experience a dream-like quality.

She told herself she'd have to come back later with her camera so she could remember it all well into the future. Without exactly knowing what Robert had in mind, it was already a dream come true.

A few days before, Robert, grinning from ear to ear, confessed to Maggie that he had booked a special getaway for them. Robert succeeded in not blurting out the details, and Maggie was unable to get him to divulge any information after plying him with her repertoire of romantic tricks. Robert was committed to giving Maggie a big Christmas surprise.

After stepping off the bridge and emerging from the tree-lined gravel path, they stood before a multi-level treehouse. Maggie gasped. Robert had caught her admiring photos of this exact place in an issue of Look magazine right before she left on her tour.

He sat their bags down while he fished the key out of his shorts pocket. “Surprise and Merry Christmas! Welcome to our jungle hideaway.”

“Robert! My goodness, you remembered!”

“I’m always paying attention, love, even when you think I’m just ogling your--”

Maggie’s lips were on his before he could finish his sentence.

***

Once inside, the lovers explored the home, examining the wicker furniture in the living room, the large, mosquito net-covered four-poster bed in the bedroom, and the oversized claw-foot tub in the bathroom. For the next week they would indulge their senses and their fantasies in natural luxury.

“There’s also an outdoor shower, you know…” Robert hinted as they took the last of their things out of their suitcases. He stepped closer to Maggie and kissed her while his embrace changed to hands on a mission to remove her clothes.

“We could check it out now. There’s nothing else to do, I suppose…” She murmured and raised Robert’s t-shirt over his head.

“Well, there is one thing I’d like to do first…” He scooped Maggie into his arms and walked her to the bed.

***

The shower was a welcome experience after their indoor tryst. The open-air stall was surrounded by a dense array of trees and flowering shrubs for privacy. Two waterfall shower heads gently rained down from above, and smooth tiles in shades of blue and green made up the floor.

Maggie and Robert alternated bathing and arousing each other with lusty caresses. Being outdoors in the verdant rainforest of Costa Rica gave their togetherness a more primal edge.

“Wait here a tick,” Robert said, ending his embrace of Maggie and smoothing her hair out of her face. “There’s a present I want you to open now.”

"OK. I'll be here."

She remained under the shower head while she waited for Robert to return. She closed her eyes. By their songs, she could distinguish at least four different kinds of birds flying around. Her attention melted into the sounds of the tropical forest and she relaxed even more.

She smiled to herself. Robert knew exactly what she needed after her time away on the road. She loved the outdoors just as much as he did, and the resort was sure to make the tour a distant memory. Not that she didn’t enjoy learning several of the band’s shows were sold out, or having to spend extra time signing autographs before retreating in the van, or hearing the hearty cheers that greeted them at the clubs for after-parties. All of that went better than she imagined. But she missed Robert.

She had grown accustomed to being his live-in partner, and she needed more than the couple of nights that he was able to come to her shows. Both of their bands were finished touring and had no plans to start recording just yet, so he was looking forward to returning to Malibu and their quiet life.

"Your sexy Santa has arrived, darlin'."

Maggie opened her eyes as Robert's cheerful return interrupted her thoughts. She stepped out of the shower spray toward him.

He presented a small box, about the size of an 8-track.

"This isn't a copy of Presence, is it?"

His face screwed up in mock consternation. "I assure you it’s something new that you’ll like. Though it is a bit of a selfish present."

"Classic Robert… OK, sexy Santa, let's get this over with."

"Yes, let's. I can't wait to use it!" The side of his mouth curled into a devilish smirk.

Maggie ripped the wrapping paper off of the box.

After removing the lid, she stared at the sprig of plant that was spruced up with a red velvet bow.

“You horny devil…” Maggie was not surprised to see mistletoe lying in wait in the box.

Robert grasped it and discarded the box, held it over her, and leaned in for a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, my love."

Robert’s lips felt warm against Maggie’s, which had been cooled by the stream of water on her face. He rested his hands on her shoulders while he slowly tongued inside her mouth.

Maggie felt like she was melting as the kiss went on. Her need for Robert was heightened, along with her senses, by knowing she was outside on a balmy day with the sun rays and occasional breeze coursing over her naked skin. They had enjoyed a similar scenario at Robert’s house many times, but being at the unfamiliar vacation destination made her feel much more alive.

“Let’s head back here,” Robert said, leading her under the shower.

Robert backed Maggie against the smooth stones of the shower facade, and they kissed some more. Then his lips traveled down her chin and neck. The sensation of Robert’s hot tongue made Maggie weak.

He licked down to her breasts and held one while he licked and sucked its nipple to life. She arched against the wall and let her hands glide up and down Robert’s back, thanks to the slickness of the streaming water. “Robert, that feels so good…” Her murmur segued into a yelp when Robert tugged at her nipple with his mouth while his fingers made inflammatory contact with her throbbing clit.

After a few moments of Maggie’s bucking and wailing against his fingering, Robert gave her breasts a squeeze and then cradled her back. He moved her hair from her ear and whispered. “Turn around for me, love? I want to feel that gorgeous ass while I’m inside of you.”

Maggie could barely make contact with Robert’s lust-glazed eyes because hers were equally heavy in the heat of the moment. She kissed him one more time before turning around and arching for Robert’s entry.

Robert groaned as he connected intimately with Maggie. She moaned as his hardness teased her with a promise of powerful release.

She met his thrusting with the hungry motions of her body, milking him slowly. The water felt a little warmer, and she realized that Robert had adjusted the shower while her back was to him.

His large hands gripped her waist, and the water splashed in time with their movement. Her moans deepened as the sensations of Robert’s love continued to wear away her control.

Over time, her cries blended in perfect harmony with the birds’ songs and Robert added his groans to the environmental sounds. He gripped Maggie’s ass tighter as the tunnel vision of climax slowly descended upon him.

“Fuck, Maggie. So wet… So soft… You always take such good care of me…”

She wailed and arched more. “Your dick… So big… I love how you take me…” “Shit…” Robert was overwhelmed by the tightness of Maggie’s core. His cock was beyond sensitive.

The sensation of their beating hearts was overpowered by the primal throb of their bodies. Each caress or stroke of Robert’s sex was intoxicating, addicting. They knew it couldn’t last forever, but they desperately wished it would.

A shiver snaked its way through Maggie’s body and she tensed against the wall, eyes closed, until the full climax exploded into a long stream of exquisite pulsation. She gasped and her rapid breath flooded her body with much-needed air.

“Fuck. Fuck! I’m right behind you!” Robert announced his orgasm as his noises became wordless with the insistent coursing of his seed.

Maggie turned around and kissed him. “Robert… I’ve never been happier on Christmas. This place is amazing. You... You were amazing.”

“We were amazing,” Robert corrected. “Every time, I’m convinced more and more that our bodies were made for each other. You’re the best, love.”

Robert kissed Maggie and walked her to a blanket on the lawn near the house. They lay next to each other in cuddling bliss, warmed by the tropical sun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of my stories are here, or search for the hashtag #brownskinsugarplumlibrary.

#Robert plant #Led zeppelin #classic rock #robert plant fan fic #robert plant fanfic #robert plant fan fiction #led zeppelin fan fic #led zeppelin fanfic #led zeppelin fan fiction #my writing #short fiction #fan fiction #fan fic #fanfic #fanfiction #one shot #short story #Writing #writer #writers #Brownskinsugarplumlibrary

[chunghee22]

Fate Servants Play Animal Crossing!Headcannon ft. the Cú Quartet

Ok, so for one, they’re playing Animal Crossing:New Leaf on 2Ds(instead of 3Ds because they needed something a bit more sturdy cause they’re wild and sometimes forget their own strength). This might be a little long because I’m just jotting down stuff about how their play-style and towns would be so read under the cut....Isn’t that what they say? Or did I say it wrong? x-x

When the Gudas first bring this game to their attention, none of them are super interested in it. This all changes however when one day, Gudao is laid up in bed from overexerting himself earlier, Setanta(Cu Lancer) comes to check up on him. It’s fishing tourney time and Gudao plans on winning 1st place(because he’ll be darned if he lets Zucker win for the second time in a row!) so he doesn’t even notice him come in. Or notice him sit down next to him on the bed, eyes glued to his screen. He doesn’t even notice that as time passes, Magi(Cas Cu), Lainn(Proto Cu) and even Alter(Berserker Cu) end up watching him play. When the tourney ends at 6 o’clock, Gudao gets the 1st place trophy and a group of four Servants that now want to give the game a try. Let the gaming begin!

(and yes he does scream when he realizes that they’re all in the room with him)

Setanta(Cu Lancer):

Title: Fisherman/Delicate Flower

2DS Color: Blue/Black

Well we all know that when he first starts, all he cares about is the fishing. Ordinances? That can wait. Public Projects? They’ll get done. 

His town is in slight chaos for the first week of playing

Flowers are wilting. Crops have perished. The townsfolk are panicking 

Heck, the Gudas literally have to sit him down and force him to work on getting a house instead of living in his tent

After he gets his house, it’s like a switch is flipped. He finds a balance in fishing, ordinances and projects(thank the lord) and from then on his town is pretty peaceful

Wants to ANNIHILATE mosquitoes because they always try to bite him when he’s getting ready to catch a shark. Almost threw his DS

One thing he hates, is when someone plants flowers in the wrong spot. Don’t misunderstand, he likes the wild flower look as much as anyone, but if he has a specific look going and someone plants something where it shouldn’t he’ll go bonkers

Nearly threw his DS again when his neighbor, Cherry, planted a bunch of red lilies around his statue fountain because ‘NOOOOOO! I’m planting RED ROSES around that statue, not red lilies Is beag cac tú!’(he was silenced before any of the kid Servants could hear him)

His museums fish collection is practically complete. Same goes for his fish book. He’s got a few other things in some of the other exhibits, but said he’ll focus on them more once all of his fish tanks are full

Made sure he got a cafe, not because he likes coffee, but because the uniform you wear when working brings back good memories

Somehow has a golden fishing rod(is that even a thing?)

Number of Visits to the Gudas towns per day: 2 or 3 depending

Magi(Cu Caster/Cas Cu):

Title: Butterfly

2DS Color: Sea Green

His first week of playing consists of getting his house in order and earning enough money to get the ordinance in place that’ll keep his town pretty and well kept

Plus he doesn’t want to have to walk around town and water every single plant that he sees

Has a nice little garden outside of his house made up of all different kinds of Lillies. Tends to put the special hybrid flowers around areas that visitors will see

He wants to show off how cool his flowers are basically

Likes to fish, and now that his town is together he can do so freely. Is also kind of into collecting the different bugs, especially the butterflies. ‘Something about them is calming...Which is weird because they’re in a game’, he said once

The bug exhibit in the museum is halfway done. Fishing museum is also halfway done

He has a Birdwing butterfly in his house

Her name is Ava

Really likes to go into the flea market store(can’t remember the name right now) and enjoys changing the patterns and base colors on a piece of furniture. One thing he doesn’t like, are the pieces made out of solid gold. Not really his style

Sometimes he’ll have his character sit by the big tree everyone has in their town while he’s reading a book on runes or making some kind of potion/elixir/etc,

‘The music they play is pretty’, he said(more like mumbled, but ok)

Number of Visits to the Gudas towns per day: 2

Lainn(Proto Cu):

Title: The Designer

2DS Color: Crystal Blue

His first week was a mix of Magi and Setas. A little bit chaotic. A little bit calm

For some reason, still unknown to this day, he couldn’t start the game. Like the game literally would not start. When it finally did, the game already selected a town for him

Wasn’t too sure about the town at first(the layout was dreadful at best) but with a bit or work and running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, he got it together

Or at least to a point where he could actually work with it

Once again, fishing is a constant. Bug collecting, not so much. Instead of the bugs, he actually kind of likes looking at the different fossils that you dig up. With a bit of help from Alter(explained later), his museum is packed with different bones and things stuck in amber

Making designs isn’t his favorite thing to do, but every once in awhile he’ll go into Able Sisters and make a pretty cool design. This then leads to him wearing it as a shirt and a hat, showing it off to the Gudas and his older counterparts for about...two days? Maybe three?

Also like shooting stuff out of the sky with his golden slingshot

None of the public projects interested him at first, so he kind of held off on them for awhile

Until he was ambushed

The three remaining Cus ambushed him when he was half asleep, looking at this list of suggested projects and telling him which ones he should do

Since he was half asleep, he just went with it

When he finally came to his senses, the damage was already done. Things were in weird places and he had to end up demolishing a bunch of the projects

Gudao and Gudako stepped in and helped him get a better layout going

He doesn’t play when he’s sleepy anymore

Number of Visits to Gudas towns per day: 3

Alter(Berserker Cu/Culter):

Title: Bone Man(he hates that one)/Fossil Finder

2DS Color: Red/Black

The fact that he even agreed to playing in itself was a miracle

As it turns out, playing the game actually relaxes him a bit

His first week was...Not chaotic? More like...Quiet confusion? He’d stare at the screen a lot with a raised brow or a confused frown. This then lead to him sticking to whichever Guda he could find when playing, so they could show him what he needed to do

And by sticking, I mean abducting. They could be in the middle of talking to someone and he’d just pick ‘em and off they go

If he was in a good mood that day, he would instead plop said Master into his lap and continue playing as if nothing happened

Fishing? Sure, it’s fine. He’s really good at catching sharks and ocean sunfish

Bug Collecting? It’s fine. He caught a moth once

Fossil Collecting...Hmm...It’s more like he has a natural talent for it instead of doing it because it’s fun

‘Death is drawn to me...’ he said once which resulted in him being given a cookie because that statement is very depressing

But it’s like, no matter where he digs, he always seems to find some kind of fossil. That or he hits a rock and Bam! A gold nugget. It’s so weird

His fossil exhibit is FULL. It was filled during his first two weeks of playing

So instead he either sells the fossils or gives them to one of the other three

When he visits the Gudas towns, he’ll go looking through their fossil exhibit and go digging for the ones they’re missing when he gets back to his own town

Surprisingly, he has a lot of flowers in his town. Ya can’t run anywhere really, or you’ll trample them. He doesn’t really mind it per se, but running through someones flowers just isn’t cool

He doesn’t really plant flowers mind you. They just pop up randomly and he goes with it. Likes the wild flower look. And sometimes, he’ll even walk around a water some of them just to see them do the little shiny sparkle thing

Has a golden watering can. Lets the Gudas borrow it if they want to

Tends to put his character in either of the Masters houses when he naps. Nobody really knows why but they just go with it

Number of Visits to the Gudas towns per day: Depends on how many naps he’ll take but let’s just say 4

Another long one done and dusted. Yay! Although, part of me thinks this sounds funny. Ah well. If you made it this far I hope you enjoyed it!!

Oh yeah! Gudao has a limited edition Light Blue 2DS(AUO got it for him) and Gudako has a Crystal Red 2DS(Wise King got it for her).

#chunghee talks #chunghee writes #fgo headcanons #fgo #playing fgo #fate grand order #fate servants #Cu Chulainn #cu chulainn alter #caster cu chulainn #cu chulainn prototype #animal crossing new leaf #nintendo 2ds #mention of AUO and Wise King(Gilgamesh)

[sassyhazelowl]

Title: Life is What You Bake It Rating: PG - a few swear words, comedic violence Pairing: Lyon x Erza Secondary Pairings: Lucy x Levy, Gray x Lisanna A/N: A challenge piece. 10k in 10 days. Random pairing, random genre, random AU setting. Bakery AU. @dragonshost @impracticaldemon

Link to Full Story in Google Docs - Comments welcome and appreciated :)

Chapter 7

Erza just couldn’t put it together.

The bakery, in a short month and a half, had turned from a deserted wasteland to a dessert paradise. 

It helped that there were goods to sell, and despite her rather hasty first impression of Lyon, he was more than a fair baker, although his taste bud skills left a lot to be desired. But that’s where she came in to check his newest concoction before offering it to the public. The two often butted heads on flavors and ingredients and… names.

Erza had taken to naming all the new treats with a fairy theme; it only seemed right given the bakery’s name. Lyon wasn’t always impressed with her well-thought out and charming names but he’d given up on the more scathing commentary after a particularly nasty fight between them.

No, it made sense that having good baked goods to sell would increase sales. Some days it was hard to keep things in stock, and they had to do limited or special releases. Seasonal items especially sold… well, like hotcakes. Some days she had to close up early because they’d sold out completely.

Today was one of those days.

Granted, in addition to changing and adding to the menu, Gray had sweet talked his girlfriend into taking professional photos of the bakery, staff and cafe, while Lucy had let Levy loose to decorate the place like the inside of a fairy tale story. Elfman had built some rather unique fairy furniture and Droy had populated the place with fairy gardens. Even Laxus had spent an afternoon fixing the lackluster wiring and installing lights to fit the theme. It looked nearly magical and enchanting with the makeover. Of course customers would be drawn to such a place.

No, that all made sense.

What confused her was why people were visiting the bakery. Some of them had come from quite a ways, just for a muffin and some coffee. And the comments they made were down right perplexing. Jellal wasn’t anywhere near by, and yes, she had improved her egg cracking skills, thank you?

“What are you doing?” Lucy hung over the counter, enjoying an experimental pawpaw muffin with gusto. The shop was closed for the afternoon, and Lyon had already disappeared for the day. “Looks thrilling.”

Erza gave her friend a smirk, “Balancing a budget is sexy.”

“Oh you know it,” Lucy laughed back. “Show me that sexy black.”

Erza flipped the screen around with a proud smile and Lucy beamed.

“We should have a celebratory dinner or party or something!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands. “With everyone who helped!”

“Well, Gray never can resist showing off his grill skills,” Erza mused, secretly loving the idea of an impromptu party. It’d been awhile since they had an excuse for a big party. “Why not? A party it is.”

A few hours later and several beers later, she was loving this idea even more than before. It had been way too long since she’d had a chance to kick back, drink a bit and relax with friends. And Magnolia being Magnolia, what was a small shindig between friends turned into half the town crashing Lucy’s deck and house.

“Do the two of you ever wear shirts?” Levy rolled her eyes, carrying her plate to get seconds. Lyon and Gray both made faces, side-by-side at the grill, in protest. Lisanna shrugged and remarked from her spot on the deck chair, “I’ve given up. They’ll regret it later when they’re covered in mosquito bites.”

Erza nearly bit her tongue off not to giggle some vapid, idiotic comment about how she didn’t mind the view. She really didn’t mind it when the apron came off, and Lyon wandered back to the deck to pick up a beer and settle in beside her as the sun set behind the trees and the fireflies started to gather in the gloom.

“Lisanna’s right about the mosquitoes.”

He gave her a glance, beer bottle to his lips. Taking a long sip, he put it down and yelled for Gray to throw him a shirt. It was aimed at his face, but he coolly snatched it out of the air and shrugged it on easily, leaving the top unbuttoned.

“Better?”

“Not for the mosquitoes. You were their meal.”

She winced, expecting some teasing words about being a snack. But he glanced over again, face lit by the glow of the torches in the gathering darkness, letting the opportunity stretch by.

Most of the people were wandering in and out of the house. Someone started up the music, and it drifted out onto the deck. 

“Sorry,” he shrugged a bit, moving to get up, “This is awkward.”

Boldly, she stopped him with fingers across his bicep. He obeyed her unspoken command, tilting his head a bit in confusion. She was confused herself, but she felt like she had to say something. This was his victory party, as much as hers.

They were… partners.

“Why is it awkward?” she felt awkward asking. Withdrawing her fingers, she looked at her lap, “We see each other every day.”

“True but we only speak about work.”

“We could talk now.”

He cocked his head towards the music, which was playing a soft, slow tune, extending a hand, “Or we could dance.”

A laugh burst out and she shook her head a few times before getting dizzy. Maybe she’d had a few too many, if she was so close to hysterical, nervous giggles at the thought of dancing with him.

“This is how I know you are not from Magnolia, Lyon. No one in their right mind asks me to dance.”

“Oh?”

“I cannot dance. And I value your toes too much to even try.”

It was true. She’s completely obliterated Jellal’s toes at prom, and even messed up the square dance Lucy had dragged her to. Even though she was fantastic at so many athletic things, dancing tripped her up. Literally.

He rose anyway, keeping his hand stretched out in invitation, and impulsively she took it. Fingers tightened around hers, and he pulled her in close before she could lose her balance.

“Put your hands here, for balance, and be gentle in your movements. There is no need to flail or lead. Surrender control and go with the music.”

After so many baking lessons, she fell automatically into student-mode, following his strong instructions without a second thought or doubt. If he thought she could dance, then she could dance. 

Clearly, she had too many. And clearly she shouldn’t be enjoying sinking into his warm chest, listening to his heartbeat, breathing in the heady smells of the bakery and his cologne. And clearly she shouldn’t have been hyper-aware of where his hands were, and where they weren’t, and where she wished they’d been. And clearly she could dance, if dancing involved clinging and swaying and savoring something she shouldn’t be. Clearly, it had been too long.

“A-apologies,” she stuttered as she broke rhythm and murdered his toes. Taking it as an excuse to untangle herself, she stumbled back a bit. “I believe… I believe I need to go. Thank you… for the dance lesson.”

She was somehow disappointed when he didn’t follow.

#fairy tail #fanfic #mine #lyoza #/// #bake it #ch 7

[mattzerella-sticks]

Music City (musician/singerDean/photographerCas, 4.4k, set in Nashville)

Cas, a famous photographer, returns home after a long trip taking photos for his latest project. He wants nothing more than to spend the next day relaxing. His plans change when an enchanting melody is heard from outside. Do his plans have to change, or can he work around the handsome musician who stumbled onto his property?

(Read on Ao3)

           The smell of grilled cheese wafts from the griddle and up towards Cas’s nose, triggering a smile and a soft sigh. He shifts it around with the spatula, delighting in the way the bread and butter sizzles and the cheese melts. It’s not the first grilled cheese he’s ever had, but this meal had become part of a ritual of sorts. Grilled cheese is always the first thing he makes when he comes home after a long trip.

           It started when he was younger, because of an opportune accident when his family returned from a weeklong vacation in Appalachia. There was barely anything in their kitchen save the simplest ingredients, so his mother set to work on making seven grilled cheeses for their large family. Time has dwindled the amount of sandwiches needed to one, for himself. And though it’s been years since that first grilled cheese, the sight of it, the smell, and when it’s ready the taste, will fully cement in the reality that he’s home.

           Cas glances around his kitchen, taking it all in. When he got in late last night, he didn’t have anything in mind except his bed. Dropping his bags at the door and shedding his clothes in a messy trail his eyes shut before he hit the mattress. He woke up close to noon, later than usual. Unfortunately, while the teen he paid to make sure his plants were watered and furniture dusted, they hadn’t restocked his fridge nor pantry. Forcing himself into an outfit, Cas drove to the closest supermarket. He didn’t buy much, however, only getting what was necessary for the grilled cheese. He won't be leaving again tomorrow.

           In fact, he doesn’t plan on going on a trip for a long time. His most recent one was already longer than he realized, the fifth month of touring the states dragging on deliriously. He would have went insane in his camper if not for his lovely dogs, Birdie and Bee. Birdie is an American Foxhound, and one of the sweetest girls he knows. She’s also famously lazy. There are countless moments where Bee chased him around in an open field while Birdie lounged wherever the sunlight was strongest. Bee, his Anatolian Shepherd Dog, was Birdie’s opposite. She always needed to be moving in some way, even if just wagging her tail as he drove along the open highways.

           They were as glad to be home as he was. He let them out earlier to roam his wide back yard. His house had no fencing, preferring his home like he did his countryside, wide and sprawling. Why he chose a place so close to the woods it practically rests on the border between civilization and the wild. It might be worrisome to have dogs on their own out there, but Cas trained them well. Even Bee, as stubborn and explorative as she was, never strayed too far from home. His dogs were safe on their own for a while.

           Turning the stove off, his mouth watered. The wait was almost over, and his food would be ready. Cas, mad with hunger, imagines a beautiful guitar accompanying his creation: soft strums and hypnotic chords complementing the beams of light pouring in from a nearby window. Shaking his head, Cas realizes the music wasn’t coming from his imagination but nearby. It becomes clearer where when a whiskey-smooth voice accompanies the strumming. Distracted from his food, Cas follows the music towards his open back door.

           He walks to the edge of his deck, captivated by the sight below.

           A man in a denim shirt and khakis plays his guitar to an audience of two, Birdie and Bee. Birdie rests on the stranger’s leg with her eyes closed while Bee wriggles her back along the grass a few inches away, next to a pair of Birkenstocks he’s sure belong to the mystery musician. There are many thoughts running through his head, but the one that takes precedence over all is, ‘I need to take a picture.’

           He rushes into his house and over towards his bags, glad his contempt for cleaning means his equipment isn't packed away. Unzipping the case, Cas takes out and readies his camera. The large, black piece of carbon was quite expensive – but a necessary cost to be able to do his job. Switching out the memory card and fixing the lens, Cas hurries back to find the scene like he left it. Returning to the edge of his deck, Cas leans over and begins taking pictures.

           The lens snap and flutter, the whirring sound of it setting itself up for another a constant flurry as he presses persistently on the button. He tries different angles, focusing on certain parts and blurring the others. In all the photos, the man’s face remained hidden. No matter where he turned, Cas couldn’t get a good shot of it. Until the musician glanced up, noticing Cas for the first time. He swung his face Cas’s way, cheesing for the camera.

           It nearly slipped from his hands. He is unprepared for the sheer gorgeousness presented to him. Looking at his face is like staring at a mountain or canyon wall, the lines carved in by God themselves. Freckles dust his pale skin like a starry night, bright on his cheeks and hidden behind the shadow of his beard. His green eyes reminded Cas of a summer, years ago, in the wilds of Montana. He was there for his first professional photo, the shot taken underneath a large tree where he captured its overarching verdant canopy. Somehow his eyes shine brighter than even Mother Nature’s wondrous creations. His lips stretch wide and snow-white teeth peek out from behind plush lips. Recovering his breath, Cas continues his task. After a few more pictures, he sets the camera down. Now, seeing him without the barrier of his camera lens, Cas is aware even the high definition cannot do him justice.

           “Howdy,” the man says, still strumming, “I take it these hounds are yours?”

           Cas nods. Clearing his throat, he says, “Yes… as is this house. And this yard.”

           “Figured,” the man chuckles along with the notes he plays, southern drawl sliding along the strings, “I doubt a robber would take the time to shutterbug like you just did.”

           Blushing, Cas grips tighter at his camera. “Do you do this often?” he asks, “Playing in stranger’s yards?”

           “No,” he smirks, “Sometimes I sit at the park and play. Today I needed a change of scenery.”

           “What brought you to my neck of the woods?”

           “Well, I was looking for some inspiration, so I drove out to the woods to hike a little. With the weather warming up I figured it was as good a time as any.”

           “Spring in Nashville is always a lovely time,” Cas agrees, smiling, “It’s why I made sure to come back as it was starting.”

           “You travel a lot?”

           Cas nods. “For business, for pleasure… luckily my career path allows me to combine the two often.”

           “Doing what you love… the true American dream,” the man agrees, “Anyway, I was minding my own business, notes flying around my head like mosquitos when I spotted the strangest thing. This dog over here,” he gestures to Bee, “whipping up a storm something fierce.”

           “So you followed her?”

           “I’ve always been told I’m too curious for my own good,” the man says, shrugging, impishly glancing back up at Cas, “got me into all sorts of trouble. Although I wouldn’t so much as say it was trouble… call ‘em interesting opportunities.” He stops suddenly, frowning. “Where are my manners? The name’s Dean.”

           “Cas.”

           “That’s a pretty name,” Dean says, “It wouldn’t happen to be short for something would it?”

           “It would…” He doesn’t say anything further, enjoying the confusion boiling beneath Dean’s brows.

           “You ain’t gonna tell me?”

           “You seem like a creative fellow,” Cas tells him, “I’m sure you can figure it out.”

           “Maybe I’ll have a better chance at guessing if I could get a better look at you?”

           It’s an invitation, as plain as the color beige. But for what, Cas does not know. He’s seen the gleam in Dean’s eyes before from men and women alike. It’s been forever since he entertained the idea of returning it. He does more than that.

           “Sure,” Cas says, “Let me go grab my lunch, though. Haven’t eaten at all today.”

           “Of course,” Dean says, plucking at his guitar once more, “Wouldn’t want someone as handsome as you to starve on me.”

           He’s lucky to duck back inside, so his blush can roam free across the prairies of his face. Cas breathes deep while he leaves his camera on his table and sets his grilled cheese on a plate, corralling his emotions under control before stepping outside once more.

           Now that he’s past his deck, Cas can appreciate todays’ weather. There’s a slight breeze rolling along, cooling the very present heat radiating from the sun. It warms everything he touches, from his exposed shoulders and legs to the very grass beneath his feet that tickles his toes. Cas sits cross-legged across from Dean, Birdie between him. She lifts her head, blinking at him, and then lays it back down where it was.

           Dean laughs, stroking her fur. “She’s not much of a guard dog, is she?”

           “Birdie moves for no one.”

           “Birdie,” Dean repeats, smiling, “Cute name. What about the livewire behind us?” Bee, growing bored of playing in the grass now chases a butterfly. She yips and bites at where it was, never quite catching it. They laugh at her antics.

           “Her name is Bee,” Cas says.

           “Birdie and Bee…” Dean hums, thinking, “Your name wouldn’t happen to be related to the outdoors, now would it?”

           “Nope,” Cas chuckles, “Besides, I don’t think there’s anything related to nature that begins with ‘c’, ‘a’, and ‘s’.”

           Dean frowns, “There’s gotta be. Like…” In his silence he plays a simple melody. “I can’t think of anything.”

           “I could always just tell you if you –“

           “No, no, you said to guess, so I’mma guess. Give me a minute.”

           Cas bites into his sandwich, moaning around it. Chewing, he opens his eyes to find Dean staring at him. His fingers paused halfway through a strum, the strings pulled back tight and waiting for release. Freckles are much more prominent as his cheeks tint red, from what Cas can only guess is an extended amount of time in the sun. He skews his head to the side and swallows. “Everything all right?”

           Shaking from his trance, Dean offers a wobbly smile. “Sure, it’s just my thinking face…” He looks to the sandwich, “Must be a really good snack?”

           He shrugs, “I’m not the best cook… but who can screw up a grilled cheese?”

           “My brother can,” Dean chuckles, “I swear, if I wasn’t such a gift in the kitchen we'd have been helpless.”

           “You cook a lot?”

           “Had to, at first. Busy dad… dead mom… got real creative growing up. But I enjoy it, so I never really minded.”

           “Did you take over a lot of what your mother did after her passing?”

           “Someone had to,” Dean says, bitter notes of melancholy tainting the music. The notes drag out, much longer and heavier. “Dad did all he could to make sure we had a roof over our head… some nights shuffling through the door still covered in rust and oil. Other times he was as drunk as a skunk and passed out in his truck.”

           Not knowing how to respond, Cas shrugs out his best attempt at levity. “Sounds like the kind of background befitting a folk musician.”

           His often-faulty sense of humor works, and brings a smile back onto his face. “Yeah, good to know my messed up childhood can get me through an album or two.” They laugh, the music from Dean’s guitar once again sweet like fresh honey.

           “Have you been at this long?”

           “No, just started almost a year ago when I moved here.”

           “Really?” Cas asks, surprised, “I mean, you sound fantastic. And this – talking to me, playing so beautifully – I can barely eat and read a book at the same time.”

           Dean snorts, rolling his eyes. “Well, when you spend three decades with an instrument you pick up a few things.”

           “Thirty years? That’s a long time…” Cas bites his lip. “If you don’t mind me asking, why choose now to begin your music career.”

           He sighs, as if Cas’s question was as familiar as a recurring nightmare. “Didn’t really get much of a chance, earlier on. Barely graduated high school… and I had to get a job to help support my brother and his dreams of being some big fancy lawyer.”

           “Is he?”

           “Yeah, out in California.” Dean smiles, eyes glossing over like his mind wanders out of the present and into a memory. “Didn’t actually have to use any of the money I saved up, really. Won a huge scholarship to a school out there on the coast. Gave him some so he could find a nice place to live, but the rest went untouched.”

           “I’m guessing something else happened, though?”

           Dean nods, a chord jarring the peace blanketing them. “Dad got sick… liver problems. Had to funnel Sammy’s college fund into his medical bills and everything. Those were some pretty heavy years, especially towards the end… if it weren’t for…” he draws into himself at that. Birdie notices, once more sitting up. She moves, stepping over Dean’s leg to curl up even closer to him. Dean breaks from the past when he feels her slide into the open space between his legs. Smiling, he pets her.

           Cas furrows his brow, chewing. “If it weren’t for what?”

           “Around the same time my dad was fading, and he was all wired up, a woman was brought in. She and my dad’s room were pretty close. Every day another woman and a small boy would visit, checking up on her. Sometimes the boy would sit by his lonesome in the hall outside with the door closed, and I’d get up from my seat and chat with him. There wasn’t a lot I could do there while dad slipped in and out of consciousness, so I made a friend. After seeing him for probably the fourth or fifth time, I got the story from a nurse.”

           “The lady in the other room was his mom, the woman visiting with him someone from the State. It didn’t look like she was going to pull through, and they were trying to get the paperwork set up to put him into the system.”

           “That’s… that’s awful.”

           “I know,” Dean says, “S’why I didn’t let it happen.” At Cas’s wide eyes, Dean giggles. “Let me explain! I found the social worker and talked with her about adopting little Jack. She wasn’t sure, but introduced me to the mom, Kelly, anyway. We hit it off well enough she agreed to let me take over as Jack’s guardian.”

           Cas smiles, “You’re a good man, Dean.”

           Compliment unexpected, Dean flits his gaze away and preoccupies his twitching fingers with his guitar once more. “No, ‘m not… just a guy who knows what it’s like to lose a mom young. It’s not like there weren’t any troubles… raising a child’s a lot of hard work.”

           “I wouldn’t know,” Cas shrugs, “I was the youngest out of five siblings. When my parents had me it seemed almost effortless.”

           “You telling me you never sowed the seeds in your youth?”

           Cas shakes his head. “There was never any time or desire… my brothers and sisters have kids – being an uncle is more than enough to satisfy my cravings for child rearing.”

           “I wouldn’t trade it for the world, though,” Dean sighs, drifting off again, “Raising Jack, being there through all the highs and lows… it was the right choice for me. If I didn't have Jack I don't know what spiral I would have turned down...” Cas agrees, watching as Dean glows with an unknown shimmer as he thinks about his son. The sight nearly makes Cas wish he did have the urge to start a family. But, as he reminds himself, the stars never aligned to birth that need. In all his travels, he came across nothing that could change his mind. Dean, however, has him considering many new things today.

           “How old is Jack now?”

           “College age,” Dean tells him, “Flew the nest to the same place my baby bro went to, actually.”

           “Interesting,” Cas hums, “So I’m guessing it was because your nest was so ‘empty’ that you decided to become a musician?”

           “Not at first,” Dean admits, embarrassment coloring his face, “When Jack left I kinda… floated. Didn’t really have much going on in my life ‘cept my guitar, my car, and my job. When he came back for winter break I had nothing to tell. It was him who encouraged me to make the change. Said that all his life I kept pushing him and inspiring him to chase after his dreams, that I should have the chance as well.”

           “His entire winter break we puzzled over things I could do. Up in the attic he found an old leather notebook I used to write in from time to time. Nothing special, some dumb lyrics and song ideas… he thought they had potential. Especially when he sent them to Sam…” Dean rolls his eyes, smiling the way Cas does when exasperated with his family. “Said with the way I play I could be a musician. ‘Cept I wasn’t gonna go join them out in California… that’s not my style. Nashville… now that’s another story.”

           “I’m very happy that’s the case,” Cas says, grinning, “Otherwise we may never have met.”

           “Yeah, yeah…” Dean meets his gaze for a beat before dropping it. “Look, ‘m sorry if I took up your time. Pretty sure you weren’t expecting to listen to me spittin’ to the wind.”

           “You’re right, I didn’t…” Cas tells him, “but I’m glad I did.”

           Chuckling, Dean still doesn’t look up from his guitar. “Good. Because usually I have to charge people to hear my stories.”

           “And I don’t usually allow my backyard to become a concert space…” They settle into a sort of silence after that. Dean provides an upbeat soundtrack while Cas finishes his meal. He offers up a bite to Dean who tears into it with a grin. Chewing, Dean sings. “Makes a mean grilled cheese/As light as the breeze/Cas won’t tell me his name/Because it’s probably lame!”

           “Shut up,” Cas giggles, shoving at Dean. He continues, even louder and with worse lyrics than before. When Dean rhymes his name with a body part, he gives in. “Castiel.”

           Dean stops, “What?”

           “My full name… it’s Castiel.”

           “Castiel… that’s –“

           “Weird?”

           Dean smiles, reaching over to squeeze his ankle. “Pretty. Like you.” Despite Cas’s blush, Dean carries on. “So? Name like that’s got to have a meaning, don’t it?”

           He nods and clears his throat. “It’s the name of an angel.”

           “Religious.”

           “My family were more fanatical about the culture than the actual religion,” he says, “Both being professors of art history at Columbia.”

           “New York City?” Dean asks, “You’re a city boy? What’s a boy from the Big Apple doing down here in Nashville? I thought that place was supposed to have everything.”

           “It has too much,” Cas says, “And that’s why I moved. I prefer a… simpler life, closer to nature. Connecting with it and photographing it has always been a passion of mine since I was small. My parents would take us on yearly vacations and I’d always run off to explore on my own. Mom used to say I wasn’t happy unless there was dirt on every inch of my clothes…”

           “We wouldn’t have gotten along when we were young,” Dean decides, smirking, “I hated getting dirty. Would freak out if the slightest drop of mud splashed onto my shirt. Had to get over that pretty fast when I became a mechanic.”

           “And where do you stand on it now that you’re a musician?” Cas asks.

           Dean drags it out, tapping arrhythmically at his chin. “’M used to it, I suppose, especially now that I’ve moved. The worse I had to deal with back in Kansas was dust. Here in Tennessee there’s a lot more ways of getting down and dirty.” His wink doesn’t go unnoticed, and Cas responds with a hearty chuckle.

           “Yes, I suppose.” Cas leans back on his hands, stretching under the sunlight. He feels Dean’s gaze wash over him, enjoying the spotlight. Cas can’t pretend he didn’t hear the stumble of notes when he puffed his chest and craned his neck to the side.

           They sit like that for a while. Cas listening as Dean stops playing randomly and begins singing a song. It’s enchanting, a haunting melody about growing up too son and carrying the weight of the world on one’s shoulders. About being unable to replace what was taken, but still trying your best. When Dean’s voice trails off, Cas turns to him again.

           “You have a beautiful voice.”

           “It’s okay…” Dean says, frowning, “I mean, for my age yeah. There’s a lot of people who’ve been doing this for much longer, who started earlier…”

           “But none of them have the same story that you have to tell,” Cas continues, frowning, “You’re very admirable.”

           “Cas…”

           “Yes, you are,” he says, “All that you’ve done, what life has thrown at you and the choices - the sacrifices - you made, and still finding the courage and strength inside to start over? There are so many others who wouldn’t even dare think of doing that. I believe you’re going to go far… especially with how hard you have worked.”

           Dean sets his guitar down for the first time since they’ve met. Bee finally pays them notice again, dropping a stick and sniffing at it. Birdie snores overtake the quiet now that Dean stopped playing. He scratches at his neck. “Are you always this kind to strange men who wander into your yards?”

           “No,” Cas says, “Usually I call the police… but you’re special.”

           Tugging at his sleeve, Dean cautiously glances up at Cas. “You… you wouldn’t mind if I wrote a song about you?”

           Cas’s heart skips a beat, then doubles to make up for that momentary lapse. “You… really? Why?”

           “I said I came out here for inpsiration,” Dean shrugs, fighting back a grin, “And I found it.”

           He rolls his eyes, but doesn’t scoff at his words. Instead Cas thinks it over, debating. His phone vibrates, and an idea comes to mind. “Okay,” he says, “you can. But only if you let me post a picture of you on my Instagram account.”

           Dean raises a brow. “Odd exchange…”

           “Sometimes people don’t like to have their pictures shared,” Cas rambles, twisting his phone in his grip, “And you were a perfect model, those pictures I took earlier stunning… plus as a musician you’d probably benefit from the exposure so –“

           “Cas,” Dean laughs, grabbing for his hands, “Sure. You can post the picture, with blessings, bells, and everything.”

           “Okay…” he glances at his phone, still nervous, “Can I have your handle?” At Dean’s blank stare, he continues. “Your username… you do have an Instagram right?”

           “Ye-yeah,” Dean says, “Kinda had to, like you said. Don’t know how to use it much, but my son showed me the basics. Here,” he grabs Cas’s phone, “let me…”

           Cas lets Dean use his phone. It’s a strong sign of trust, since Instagram is a medium in which he uses to grow his audience. His last book deal came about because a publisher scrolling through his profile one lazy afternoon. He trusts Dean enough to know he won’t mess with his account. After some time, he hands it back to Cas.

           “It’s a simple name, really, DWinchester67,” Dean says, picking his guitar up again, “And… I hope I wasn’t too forward in also adding my name to your contacts?”

           Cas barely forms words around the lump in his throat. He whispers, “Not at all.”

           “Good.” Dean stands, then, stretching. Confused, Cas watches as he walks over to his Birkenstocks, slipping them on while Bee dances around him. Birdie rolls over into the spot he vacated, still sleeping.

           Startled into action when Dean slips the guitar strap over his chest, Cas shoots up. “Where are you going?”

           “The time,” Dean says, tight-lipped, “I didn’t plan on being out here so late… I have a gig later that I need to get ready for. And if I want to amble my way back to my car before sundown I gottta hit the trail now.”

           Cas nods, a disappointed note vibrating off his vocal chords. Dean takes notice of his expression and beams soft like sunlight at him. “It’s at this place called the Roadhouse… two shows – one at nine and another at eleven. I’m sure if you mention me to Ellen or Jo at the bar they’ll give you a discount on your drinks.”

           He grins. “I’d love to see your show.”

           “Which one?” Dean asks, “…So I know which to prepare a special encore for, s'all.”

           “Are you sure it’ll be special if you do it for both shows?”

           Dean chuckles. “I like you something fierce, Cas.”

           “I feel the same way.”

           Holding his hand out, Dean says, “Until tonight?”

           “Tonight.” Cas squeezes Dean’s hands, the calloused fingers closing around him like he were the neck of a guitar. He drags it away, them dancing as if trying to strum Cas’s skin. The feeling of their joined hands stays with Cas, even when Dean disappears behind the trees.

           Cas slumps back down onto the grass, Birdie and Bee stepping their way over to him. Bee picked up Cas’s discarded plate, holding it in her mouth like a Frisbee. Laughing, Cas takes it from her and stares at the crumbs he left.

           He wasn’t home until he had a grilled cheese. Today that ritual changed, because grilled cheese can’t compare to the feeling of Dean.

#Supernatural #Spn #Supernatural fanfiction #Supernatural fanfic #Spn fanfic #dean winchester #Castiel #Destiel #Destiel fanfiction #deancas #deancas fanfic

[gravitysanchez-blog]

TOURIST RICK-ED - a sanchez falls au fic

It’s finally done! I admit, I took way too long on this (since, like...last year. lol) but I’m really happy the way it turned out and how I established the base dynamics in this. 

If you’ve never heard of the Sanchez Falls AU, I can’t blame you: check it out here. If you don’t want to deal with the overdescriptive, kind of cringy description, it’s basically a Rick and Morty and Gravity Falls mashup, based off the “Dipper and Mabel” Morty and Morticia easter egg. Enjoy.

Ah, summer break. A time for leisure, relaxation, and new memories. And while I can’t say much for the former two, I can say that speeding down Oregon wilderness driving a golf cart with a puking sister and a mountain of gnomes chasing me definitely applies to new memories. Now, I know at this point you have a lot of questions. I would too, so let me go back a little bit - rest assured, there’s a perfectly logical explanation for this. 

This entire mess began up in Washington, when my mom and dad finally decided to get divorced after seventeen years of arguing. Mom, trying to readjust to a life without my dad, decided we could use some fresh air and time apart from the city. So she sent me, Morty Smith, and my twin sister Morticia down to Oregon to stay with our Great-Uncle Ricardo Sanchez, in a sleepy little town called Gravity Falls. While her and our big sister Summer try to get adjusted in Seattle, me and my sister are going to try to turn our lives around here and have a good time. Oh, and one more thing. There’s a goat on my bed.

“This attic is amazing!” Morticia, in the span of three seconds that we’ve been in the room, is already busy putting up kitten posters on one wall, taking the rickety bed on the right and spilling her yellow and pink clothes all over it. She turns to me while she’s sorting out her dresses and grins. “Although I’m not sure how I feel sharing a room with a dork like you.” She stick her tongue out at me. “Funny, ‘Tish.” Fun fact: one of our many running jokes between us is how much of losers we are. Our only friends are pretty much each other. Morbid, I know.

“So, uh, there’s a goat on my bed,” I said, changing the subject. “Are we not going to address this?”

We both looked over at the goat. It stared back at us with its yellow, beady eyes, sprawled on the comforters as it nibbled on what I supposed was my pillow. We were silent.

“I mean, it’s a little cute,” Tish murmured, sliding off her bed. “Hi, goat friend,” she sung as she wrapped her arms around her neck. It started chomping on her pink sweater. She looked at it. “Uh, okay. You do you, goat friend.” She turned to me. “He’s soft.”

“H-hey kids, what the fuck are you doing up there?”

And that’s my Great-Uncle Ricardo Sanchez. We call him Rick for short. What a guy. He was to transform his house into some tourist trap that he called “The Mystery Shack”. The real mystery was why anybody wanted to come to a tourist attraction in a town with a population of 300 people. But they did, and guess who had to work there.

Tish looked over at the doorway, still hugging the goat. She was a little scared of Rick, I could tell. We both were. He was loud, rude, vulgar, and most of the time drunk. Why my mother had the bright idea that he would be a good guardian for the summer was beyond both of us.

His feet clanked up the stairs, and as he appeared in the doorway with his tie loose, he stared at both of us. “Kids, aren’t you supposed to be taking care of the gift shop?”

“T-t-there’s a goat on my bed.”

He stared down at me, and I swallowed.

“What, Gompers? He’s fine. Fuckin goat does what it wants. Doesn’t hurt anybody.” He pulled a flask from his suit and took a swig. “I’ll take him down if you stop giving me that pathetic look, though. God.”  

I shifted my eyes to the ground. This summer was supposed to be all about good vibes, but what good vibes were we going to get working in a gift shop for an alcoholic uncle?

Tish got up, patting her knees. “I think Gompers likes me.”

“Gompers likes anyone that has something he can eat. W-w-why don’t you take him down, if you like him so much. Your brother can go down and work the gift shop until you’re done. Cuz you know what I like? Money.”

Tish sighed, getting up. “You’re no fun,” she said, but Rick had already stumbled downstairs. I groaned as I got up and followed him. Both of us had been hoping that maybe we could get away from the wreck that was our lives in a completely new place, and actually make something of an awesome summer. So far we’ve got a random goat on my bed and an alcoholic, rude uncle who uses his relatives for free labor. Not adding up very well.

Then, something happened.

It didn’t start off very exciting. Kind of boring.

I was cleaning the gift shop while my sister Tish hid behind the merch shelf, having a mental breakdown peeping at some guy. “He’s so cute! Gosh, I should talk to him, shouldn’t I? Wait, but what if I do something, Morty? What if I mess up an-and trip and he thinks I’m a klutz? What if he thinks my socks are stupid? Oh, jeez, why did I only bring my blue socks this is a disaster, why couldn’t I just have brought white socks like a normal person-”

“Tish, I know you’re going th-through your boy-crazy, teenage-hormones phase, but you’re going a little too far on the crazy part. Calm down. Jeez.” “What?” She rolled her eyes and turned to me. “Come on, Morty, this is our first summer away from home! If I’m going to make this summer worth something, I have to at least have one sweet summer romance.”

Girls. “Yeah, but do you need to obsess over every guy you meet?” Just a couple days ago, she hid behind a huddle of balloons and crushed on the mattress-sale guy. If that wasn’t borderline crazy, I didn’t know what was.

She shrugged. “Mock all you want, Morty, but I got a good feeling about this summer. Great things are going to happen!” She turned to me with a smile. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy of my dreams walked through that door right-”

“Morty, Girl Morty!” Rick stomped in, wiping the drool from his chin and adjusting his hat. Trying to look professional, I guess. That’s how he got people. He was incredible at playing the mystic Mr. Mystery and the humble Uncle Rick to our mom. Live with him, and you see his true colors.

Tish slid back over to the counter, watching him as he crossed his arms in the doorway. “Alright, kids, look alive! I need-” he belched “-I need someone to hammer these signs, hammer ‘em in the woods up there. It’ll be great, get in business or whatever.”

“Not it!”

“Not it!” my sister almost shrieked.

“Not it!” Rick’s handyman, Soos, stood up on a ladder behind us hammering in a shelf.

“Soos, nobody-nobody fuckin’ asked you.” He turned away. “Jessica! I need you to put  up these signs.”

Our red-headed cashier of the shack groaned, shifting her feet on the counter. “I mean, I would, Mr. Sanchez, but you know, I’m a small, fragile woman. I can’t handle the woods, I might eaten by a scary bear.”

“J-j-jessica, your family are literally all loggers.”

“Yeah, but I’m a woman-”

“Okay, okay, shut up. Jesus Christ, I would literally, fucking, fire all of you if I could,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. He turned to me suddenly. “Alright, Morty, go put up these signs. You’re, uh, you’re a man. I think.”

“Aw, I’m a man too!” Soos grumbled from his ladder. I wholeheartedly agreed with him. Rick decided to ignore Soos, and shoved the signs into my arms. “Chop-chop, Morty.”

“Oh-oh jeez, Rick, seriously? Those woods are creepy! Every time-every time I go in them, I feel like I’m being, I don’t know, watched, or something.” I almost cringed at Rick’s gaze glaring down at me. I probably did.

Rick rolled his eyes. “Ugh, this again. Look, Morty, I know you’re an anxious, whiny little teenager, but seriously. There’s no monsters or anything “paranormal” in this town. For god’s sake, it’s a bunch of rednecks and-and...country people out here.”

“H-hey, just today, my mosquito bites spelled out ‘Beware’! You...you can’t deny that, Rick!” I put my arm up so he could see, and he squinted down at the words.

“You know, to be fair, I am incredibly drunk right now, but I’m pretty sure that says Bewarb.” I looked down, and to be honest he was right. “You need to calm your tits, Morty.” He straightened up, almost falling backwards. “Li-listen, this whole ‘monsters in the forest’ thing is just local legend, made up so that your Great-Uncle Rick can make a shit ton of money and pay off the mortgage of this dump, alright? So quit being a pussy and put up those goddamn signs.” On that note, he walked out of the shop.

Joy.

“Great-Uncle Rick never takes anything I say seriously,” I grumbled, hammering sings on various trees. Nobody was going to see this stupid things, anyway, and even if someone did, they’d probably be too creeped out to be interested. I swear, sometimes Rick just makes us do these things to be an asshole for fun-

CLANG

Struck out of my thoughts, I stared at the tree in front of me, the nail between my fingers. Cautiously, I took the hammer and struck the nail again, pressing my ear to the bark this time.

CLANG. CLANG.

“...what the hell?”

On the side of my arm, I suddenly noticed a groove in the bark. I dropped my hammer and nail, shoving my fingers into the groove and started wrenching it back. The metal dug into my fingers as I pried it away, falling to the ground with a thud.

There was a mechanical box sitting inside the tree, dials and tubes and switches, all covered in dust and cobwebs in the opening. I sat there for a moment in shock. This was real. Not like the Bewarb thing, not like Rick’s stupid mystery shack. This was something mysterious, something weird.

I flipped a dial. Nothing happened. I flipped it again. Still, nothing happened, I flipped another one. Nothing happened-

“MAAA!”

I jumped, whipping around. Behind me, Gompers the Goat, sweater-and-bed-muncher, jumped away from me and into the woods. I stared at him for a second, before looking where he once was to find a large, gaping hole had appeared.

“What the hell?” I walked up to it, kneeling down and peering inside. I was met with dirt and cobwebs, slinging around the walls leading into an underground box. Inside, there was a large book, covered with more dirt and spiderwebs.

Well, wasn’t that just mysterious.

I dug my hands under the book, cobwebs sticking to my arms, and pulled it out, getting more cobwebs and grime off the book and onto my shirt. It was made of some sort of dyed blue leather, a six fingered hand on the cover with a 3 written in the middle. The whole thing reeked of some fantastical mystery - and mold.

I flipped open the book on the ground, peeling away the rough pages. The title page was torn, “Property of” on the top middle, but cut off. Mysterious. I picked the book up closer to my face and turned the page.

June 18 - it’s hard to believe it’s been six years since I started investigating the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls - I looked back up. This had to be a joke, right? I mean, yeah, the bewarb thing was a little weird, and certainly a mechanical tree isn’t normal at all, but seriously? This was too unreal. Great-Uncle Rick just said it was all a scam. Rick also might have been too drunk to really notice anything substantial, though.

I couldn’t stop flipping through the book, my mind nearly blown with drawings and descriptions of cool and creepy monsters - Floating Eyeballs, Giant Vampire Bats (fun!), gnomes, cursed doors. Each page was a whole new crazy thing.

I kept mindlessly flipping, taking it all in. It had to be true, I thought. Why would someone go out of their way to hide all of this? Not to mention write it. I kept flipping, until my eyes caught something large and bolded, scratched in the middle of a page. TRUST NO ONE “Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed. I’m being watched by that son of a bitch! I have to hide this book before he finds it. Remember, in Gravity Falls, there is no one you can trust.” What? “No one you can trust?” Absently, I closed the book. What did he mean, he was being watched? Who was “he”? At first, this seemed cool, but everything was starting to get a little more scarier…

“Morty! There you are!”

“Ah!” I dropped the book, whipping around to see Tish right behind me, leaning on a stump. “Thank god, I just escaped Rick and was looking for you. So what about this “no one you can trust” thing you said to yourself in the middle of the woods?”

“Uh…” I shoved the book with my foot under a log. “Ah, i-i-i-it’s nothing! D-d-do-don’t worry about it. Just, you know. Uh. Me.” I grinned.

She folded her arms, looking over my shoulder. “Wow, didn’t expect you to take that so seriously. Did you just push a book under that log? What are you hiding?”

“Tish!” I looked around. The goat was back, and had pulled the book under the log. He was chewing happily on the cover. “I’ll...I’ll show you. Can we go somewhere private?”

Back in the shack, I paced the living room. “Tish, it’s insane! Rick said I was being paranoid, but according to this book I found in the woods, Gravity Falls has this totally cool, awesome, kind of scary dark side!” I flipped to the Floating Eyes page, showing it to her. “Look at this, Tish!”

“What? You’re kidding me, right? This is a joke.”

I paced around again. “No, I’m not joking. But get this, Tish. At some point, the pages just, like, stop. Like the guy who was writing it mysteriously disappeared. There’s even this page where the author says something about someone watching him and having to hide the books, and it’s just all...crazy!” This was not what I was expecting this summer, but even though it was pretty scary this was much better than any boring summer working for an alcoholic great uncle.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, loud and clear. “Who is that?” Who would be visiting Rick? The bartender? Who could even stand to be around him and know him personally for even five minutes? “Well,” Tish looked down, wringing her hands and grinning. “I might...I might have got a date.”

What.

“Let me get this straight. You, the other socially awkward half of me,who has no friends and can barely talk to a guy without tripping over her own shoes, and is worried about the color of her socks got a boyfriend in the half-hour that I was gone? You’ve never had a boyfriend in your life!”

Tish fell back on Rick’s easy chair. “What can I say, brother? I guess it’s just...summer lovin’ up in the air!”

“Tish, please never say that again.”

The doorbell rang again, and Tish sprang up, running a hand over her hair. Flashes of anxiety and excitement were clear on her face. “Uh, c-c-coming!”

Joy. I sat up on the couch, crouching over the book. Honestly, who cared about Tish’s new boyfriend? And her expanding social life that apparently was going a lot better than mine? Because of this book, I was having one of the most exciting days of my life. Eye-bats!

“W-w-what’cha reading there, buddy?”

Quickly, I shoved the book out of site. “Uhh, just, uh, just, ca-catching up on-” I grabbed a magazine from the side table and read the cover - “uh, Playboy for Silver Foxes?” Immediately, I regretted being born as my eyes hit a forty year old woman strip teasing on the cover. I wanted to drench my face in bleach.

His unibrow raised up at me in suspicion, but he shrugged it off as he pulled his flask out of his back pocket and took a swig. “Although I’d like to know how those got out of my room.”

Oh, jeez. “H-hey, I-”

“Hi, Grunkle - uh, Great-Uncle Rick, Morty. This is-this is my new boyfriend!” Mabel popped in the doorway, discreetly trying to hide the sweat coming down her forehead, grinning widely as she pulled someone’s arm from the hallway. The guy that immediately popped in looked like some of the emo kids from school - dark hoodie, crazy eyeliner, creepy glare.

“Sup,” said the emo dude.

“Uh, hi.”

“We met at a graveyard, and omigosh he was so poetic and deep it was so beautiful-” Tish started gushing as she clung onto his arm, looking up at him. “Is...is that muscle?” She looked back at me with a grin.

Rick stared back at the guy, his unibrow raised. “So, uh...how you doing?”

The guy’s eyes seized up as they started darting around the room. “Uh...uh...norm-normal!” he nearly shrieked. “Normal...man!” Rick stayed silent as he stared at the guy, taking another swig from his flask.

“Good for you, buddy.”

“H-h-he means Norman,” Tish said dreamily, leaning into him. “That’s his name.”

Rick looked at me. For once, I had to agree with the crazy son of a bitch - this was weird.

“So...uh,” Norman took a step back, and Tish nearly stumbled. “Do you, uh, wanna, go and uh, hold hands or something?”

“Oh, that would be amazing,” Tish murmured, leaning into him more than I thought possible and dreamily taking his hand.

Rick rolled his eyes, flopping next to me on the couch. “Oh my god, shut up already. Jesus Christ, you’re going to make me sick.” He picked up the remote and started flipping channels. “Don’t you two have a date or something?”

“Oh, silly me!” Tish started dragging Norman out of the hallway. “I’ll see you guys tonight!”

As they left, Rick leaned over to me. “Morty, if you take anything from me, do yourself a favor and don’t get wrapped up in that shit. Focus on money. It’ll get you a lot farther than that pointless, annoying crap.”

Says the man with Playboy for Silver Foxes, I though. I decided to ignore that, though. Norman was the main thing on my mind right now, and he was just way too creepy and weird for me to get my mind off of him. No wonder Tish got a boyfriend, if that was the selection. “So, uh, Rick, w-what did you think of Norman.”

“Morty, do you honestly think I actually give a shit?” He straightened up, flipping channels again. “All that shit is to me is annoying garbage that never did anyone any good. Now, what isn’t garbage,” he turned and grinned to me, putting down the remote, “is reality television, Morty. At least it gives you pleasure in your day with no bullshit.”

The TV, in front of me, was portraying an episode of National Geographic, far from reality TV. A mother tiger was taking care of her young.

I got up, discreetly hiding the journal under my shirt and shuffling to the other room. “Uh, okay, Rick. You do that”

“Damn right I will, Morty!” he shouted out before I left.

In the other attic, I curled up on the corner of the wall, flipping through pages. “More eye-bats, gnomes, gnomes…” Suddenly, my eye caught on a page. “Zombies? Those actually exist?” I curled up tighter, hunching over and bringing my eyes to the page.

Known for their pale skin and bad attitudes these creatures are often mistaken for…”Teenagers?” I looked down at the illustration, and the eyes of the creature bored into me as Norman’s did, and I swore I could hear Norman’s voice come out of the drawing.

Norman was a zombie! It all made sense!

It was then that I realized Norman’s voice wasn’t coming from the illustration - it was coming from outside.

I scrambled to the window, hanging on the sill and watching in horror as Tish sat on the bench outside, giggling. Before her, Norman was stumbling towards her, arms outstretched, ready to take my sister in his jaws and rip apart her brains, and my sister was unaware that she was about to die by a zombie, and I had to do something, I had to warn her before it was too late-

“Mabel, watch out!” I shrieked, slamming my palm again the window. He put his hands on her neck. “Mabel, NO-”

He took his hands away, revealing a new daisy chain around her neck. I could see her face light up as she giggled away, batting her eyelashes at him. Okay, so he didn’t eat her brains. Zombies weren’t even real! I looked down at the book. This stupid thing was probably written as a joke or a prank.

But was it?

“Is my sister dating a zombie, or am I just going crazy?” I asked myself.

Behind me, a voice rang out. “It sure is a dilemma.”

I turned around, greeted by a familiar face. “Soos? What are you doing here?”

Soos was on a ladder again, screwing in a lightbulb. “Avoiding Rick. He’s in a bad mood right now, dude. Probably because of your sister’s date. He has a bad history with women. Anyway, I couldn’t help but overhear you talkin’ to yourself in this empty room while I was here.”

I turned my back against the window. “Honestly, Soos, how do you even stand Rick?”

Soos shrugged, getting off the ladder. “Rick’s not a totally bad guy. He’s a jerk, but not a bad guy. We have a little bit of history together, I guess. It’s a long story, dude.”

“It’s going to take a while before I believe that.” I looked back down at the book. “But, Soos, do you think Tish’s new boyfriend might be a zombie?”

Soos shrugged. “I don’t know, dude, but there’s a lot of weird things in this town. I wouldn’t doubt it. I mean, dude, the mailman has got to be a werewolf with how hairy he is. I’d say you should follow the guy and see if he eats any brains.”

For someone who says “dude” a lot more than ever should be used, he had a point. I got up. “Good point, Soos. Time to go investigating, I guess.”

So that’s how I spent my afternoon - creeping in the shadows and watching my sister go on her date with Norman. I know, I know it sounds weird and creepy, but I needed to see if this guy was really a zombie. This book might be just a prank, but it also might not. I mean, what if he did eventually try to eat my sister’s brains? That would so ruin my summer.

However, at the end of the day, I just felt stupid. I had found absolutely nothing to prove that Norman was a zombie, though I had taken ten thousand photos and videos of them. Sitting in the other attic, watching the video of them watching the sun, I groaned. I was a stupid, nervous wreck. Why did I even believe anything from some stupid book, I wondered, as I watched Norman reattach his fallen-off arm and readjust it around my sister’s shoulders.

Wait, what?

Quickly, I rewound the video. Sure enough, I witnessed my sister’s boyfriend’s arm fall off his shoulder, him look around warily before he reattached it before my sister noticed.

I was right. Norman was a zombie. Cold dread sunk into my chest. I had to do something, save her before it was too late.

“So, uh...now that we’ve been together for so long, and uh...got to know each other, there’s something I should tell you.”

Morticia and Norman were enjoying the view of the valley when Norman spoke. The girl, shook out of her love-stricken daydreams, turned towards him. A guy with secrets? That was hot. And a guy who trusted her with these secrets? This was turning out way better than she expected. She better not mess this up.

Morticia leaned towards him. “Y-y-you can tell me any-anything, Norman.” As soon as the words left her, she cringed. She hated it when her stuttering took over, and hated the fact that it usually came up the worst around someone that wasn’t her family. She was perfectly fine around Morty and her sister Summer - hell, even Rick sometimes, but one stranger could leave her a mess. She probably looked like an idiot, Norman would see she was just some loser-

“You see, I’m uh, not who you think I am,: he said, turning his head away as he stood up, fiddling with his jacket zipper. “Do you think you would still like me if, I, uh, was...different?��

Oh, jeez. THis was the part where he revealed his dark yet romantic secrets to her. Morticia was almost frozen by everything writhing through her head. Out of all the misery she faced with guys at school, this was her breakthrough, she had done it, now all she had to do was not fuck this up, she could shove his beautiful face into those cheerleading girls who called her an ugly loser-

“Morticia?”

She was struck out of her thoughts as she noticed Norman staring intently at her, his hair blowing slightly in the breeze. Shit, she had zoned out. “Y-y-yeah, sorry, sorry!” she sputtered, scrambling up. “Of course, you-you can tell me anything, Norman!”

He stared at her for what seemed like an hour. She had begun to sweat again. Oh, she had really done it this time, fucking hell-

He shrugged, and with a quick motion he unzipped his jacket to reveal...what?

She stared as his body came apart as his jacket fell off his shoulder, disassembling to reveal five or six stacked little men, with flannel and lumberjack beards and pointy hats, all grinning up at her, and she was face-to-face with them. “Surprise, we’re gnomes!” The top one cheered up at her.

Well, this certainly wasn’t the twist she was expecting, and this certainly wasn’t romantic or hot. What the hell kind of prank was this?

She sat there, frozen yet again, as the top gnome jumped down onto a log and looked up at her. “Look, here’s the thing. Our gnome queen just died, and we need a new one. You’re the perfect woman, Morticia, and we all love you. So what do you say, babe? Do you wanna marry this hot hunk and become the new gnome queen, loved by all?” As he said this, he nudged her with his elbow, tapping her hip.

All of a sudden, she wanted to run and hide in her room under her pile of sweaters and blankets. She started to back away, rubbing her arms. “LIsten, t-that’s really sweet, sweet of you guys, but, uh, I should...get back home. I don’t think this is going to work.” She turned away.

A sigh came from behind her. “I thought you might say that,” the gnome said from behind her. “Which is why we’re going to kidnap you.”

Wait, what, no-

“TISH!”

The forest around me was a blur as I bounced over logs and sticks and shrubs in the Mystery Shack golf cart, I had to find Tish, god knows what could have happened by now, she could have already been eaten, her guts spread out over a rock and Norman hunched over eating her brains, I could already be too late- “TISH! TISH!”

“MORTY!”

I stopped. “TISH, WHERE ARE YOU?” I screamed out. God, I wasn’t too late, hopefully, she hadn’t had her brains eaten yet, maybe Norman was about to crack her skull before she heard me-

“MORTY, HELP! OVER HERE!”

The yell came from my right, behind a clump of bushes and trees. I slammed on the gas pedal and shot forward, breaking sticks and branches. “Tish!” All around me, fir branches were splitting cuts into my face and arms, the cart bouncing over the debri-

As I came into a clearing, bursting out of a bush, I suddenly had to stop. When I was driving in, I had expected to see a brain-hungry Norman chasing after Tish. Instead...she was tied up and pinned to the ground with a wedding tiara on, surrounding by a crowd of tiny lumberjack men filling up the clearing. One was next to my sister Tish with a wedding ring on. “We’re trying to have a ceremony here, excuse you!” he shouted angrily at me.

I got out of the cart. “Uh, Tish, what’s going on?”

She shifted her eyes away. “Apparently Norman just ended up being a bunch of gnome jerks. They kidnapped me to enslave me as their queen or something.”

The gnome with the wedding ring in his hand laughed. “Darling, sweetie pie, don’t be so dramatic. You’re not in danger or anything, you’re just going to marry all one thousand of us for all eternity! Is that really that terrible?” Gnomes? All this time I thought Norman was a zombie, but all this time he was actually a bunch of gnomes? I grabbed the journal from my vest and flipped through it. I still didn’t understand how Norman was a bunch of gnomes, but on the plus side gnomes shouldn’t be that dangerous, right? I landed on the gnome page I saw earlier, my eyes skimming the text. “Weaknesses…”

Weaknesses: NONE

They were two feet tall, and they had no weaknesses? I looked up and stared at them. No way. There was no freaking way they were indestructible. “L-listen, you-you jerks! Let my sister go!”

The gnome laughed again, his hands on his hips. “Listen, listen, kid. We’re not going to do that. We need a queen, boy, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us! We’re a powerful race, what do you think you could do-”

CLUNK

He flopped over as I slammed the back of a shovel against his head. Thank god it had been in the back of the golf cart. I raised my weapon up, kneeling towards Tish and pulling up the ties. “Anyone wanna piece of this?”

As she scrambled up and we raced towards the cart, the gnomes started chasing towards us, waving sticks and fists. “That’s our queen! You can’t get away with her!” Tish looked back at me with a terrified look. She threw herself in the passenger seat, pulling me up to the drivers as they clambered towards us. “Go, go, Morty!”

I slammed on the gas, and we speeded off to leave the crowd of two-feet tall men in the dust. Weakness: speed. “Later, suckers!” I yelled, a rush of adrenaline going through me.

I refocused back towards the road. “I knew something was up with those guys! There was just no way you could have gotten a boyfriend that fast. I went and looked it up in the journal, and I thought he was a zombie at first, but dang, gnomes-”

“Yeah, I get it!” Tish shrieked. “Just drive!” She was turned around facing the back of the cart, and I noticed the terrified look on her face. “Shit, Morty, ju-just drive! I think they did a Voltron and made one huge, giant gnome!”

I slammed on the gas, taking a quick look behind me and she was right - I watched in horror as the gnomes climbed upon themselves in the thousands until they blocked the sun, am menacing, horrifying mass of gnomes. The thing started running towards us, the vibrations rattling the cart, getting closer and closer shit shit shit holy fuck oh jeez we’re going to die - Tish grabbed my arm. “Morty, they’re-they’re getting closer!”

I turned back towards the road. “I know!”

She was silent for a second, then “Morty-”

“I know-!”

“-MORTY, behind you!”

I got thrown against the steering wheel as a huge weight fell on my back, almost slamming my head against the dashboard. “They’re catapulting the gnomes, you idiot!” she screeched.

I reached behind me and grabbed the gnome off my back, throwing him and whacked him against the horn as he latched onto my arm, his grimy teeth chewing on my skin - jeez get off my goddamn body what the hell - until with a final smack he screeched and tumbled out of the cart, rolling in the dust like a rock. Suddenly, I couldn’t see as a gnome head took over my vision, his little gnome claws scratching my cheeks - “TISH!” - my head was thrown back into the seat with a forceful thwack. The gnome fell off, bouncing off my lap, Tish’s fists balled.

“Tish, did you just punch my face?”

“How else am I going to get the thing off?” she yelled, fingers gripping the seat as she looked behind her. Suddenly, her face went white. “Morty, look!”

I looked behind me again - at this point, if the forces that be seemed to want to obstruct my view of driving with all their power, then so be it. The monster had its hands - or gnome clusters, whatever - gripped onto a pine tree, and throwing itself back I heard the roots snap as the tree was yanked out of the ground. “He’s going to throw it at us!” Tish shrieked, ducking.

I watched, frozen in fear, as the gnome monster threw his arm back, slamming his foot against the ground and flung his arm forward. The tree was coming towards us like a rocket, my heart jumped as I saw the thing fly over us - it was going to hit the ground and block the road in front of us, we would be trapped -

I gripped the steering wheel. “Hold on!” I twisted the wheel to the right and slammed my body against Tish’s to the edge. She screamed in my ear when, with one hand holding her and the other holding the steering wheel, we flipped sideways under the falling tree. I could hear the branches slapping the side of the cart, one poking my leg as we sailed under the hulking mass plummeting on us. The bark caught on the end of the cart as we slid through, an awful SCREECH filling the air. My heart hurt as it pounded against my chest, jumping off my ribcage as the tree THWOMPED to the ground three feet behind us.

The side of the car slammed on the ground, and me and Tish collapsed on the dirt. “Oh my god,” breathed Tish.

We stilled as the vibrations of the monster got closer, rumbling. I looked up, and there it was - the completely terrifying, towering, giant pile of gnomes, the sun blaring behind its head. Tish shoved me off of her. “I’ll deal with this. Just stay here,” she muttered, hoisting herself over the side of the cart.

I climbed out after her. “Tish, you’re not going to handle it by yourself!”

She kept walking towards the monster, her fists clenched. “Go away, Morty!” “What the hell, Tish?” I got up and brushed the front of my jeans. “I get it, I imagine the whole gnome thing was pretty traumatizing, but I just saved your life. Why are you acting all pissy at me?”

“I’m fine, Morty!”

“Don’t give me that, Tish! What the hell is going on?”

Tish turned around and looked at me, her eyes glittering as she bit her lip. “You want to know what’s going on, Morty? You just saved me from the big bad monster, you’re right! All because your sister Tish-” her shoulders started shaking “is too god-goddamn of a loser to ever find anyone decent! I get it, whenever I even try I’ll just get punished for, for stepping out my boundaries.” She looked down. “I get it. My first boyfriend, and he’s a clan of gnomes. That’s what people like me deserve. I get it. Y-you don’t need to rub it in.”

“Tish-”

She started walking away again. “Morty, just leave me alone!”

I ran up to her and grabbed her shoulder. “Tish, if you think you deserve that you’re an idiot. Just because the cheer team and the jocks think we’re losers-”

“-and the whole school.”

“So? Who cares what a bunch of stupid teenagers think about us, Tish? You’re not a loser. You’re like, the most pure-hearted and good person I know. God, Tish, the only way I’m dealing with this divorce is because I have you. You deserve so much better than anyone at our stupid mess of a school, and certainly a lot better than that…” I looked back up at the lumbering giant gnome-pile lumbering towards us, “...thing.” That was going to have be dealt with soon.

Tish looked at me, her eyes narrowed. She wiped her cheek. ‘“Y-you’re not just saying that, because I’m your sister?”

I hugged her. “W-well, of course I am. but anyone who doesn’t realize the same thing is an idiot, Tish. You’re great.”

Tish looked back up at the monster, coming closer. “Thanks, Morty. But, uh, what are we going to do about that?”

“What, didn’t you have a plan?”

Tish looked at me. “No, of course not. I’m a teenage girl being angsty, I’m not thinking about how to stop a monster. I have like, self esteem issues.”

I looked behind us, separating the hug. The monster was still pounding towards us, the gnome components screaming in battle fury. “I’ve got you kids now!” one of them shrieked. The shrieker held the ring in his tiny fist, waving it in the air. “My beautiful bride, you will finally be back with us in your rightful place…” his voice dropped suddenly.

“Oh, shit-sHIT GUYS RUN BACK RUN BACK-”

A white light exploded from underneath the gnome monster, throwing the gnomes into the air. Me and Tish winced as we heard their shrieks and various thumps on the ground. Suddenly, another BOOM ricocheted through the air, and we ran back as fire and brimstone ripped in a neat circle around the property.

I grabbed Tish’s hand and started backing off. She turned to me. “What the hell?”

“Hey, dumbasses! Be careful of the mines, goddammit!” A slurred yell came from the shack.

Tish turned to me. “Did….”

I stared out at the scattered, fleeing crowd of gnomes. “I can’t believe Rick put a line of mines around the Shack.”

Tish snorted. “This is Rick we’re talking about here. Are you really that surprised?”

“Honestly, however Mom decided that this man was good enough to take of two teenagers is beyond me.”

Later, Tish and I were strolling the gift shop, Rick counting the money in the cash register. “Sorry for-for setting off your, uh, mines, Grunkle Rick.”

He looked at her. “What did you call me?”

Tish glanced over at me, and I was surprised to see a glint in her eye. “Grunkle Rick. It’s like Great Uncle mashed together. Grunkle. He stared at her for a second with a expression mixed with either confusion or disdain - I couldn’t tell. After a few seconds, he shrugged and looked back down to counting money. “Whatever. Mines were set there to blow up anyway.” He looked back up at us. “You know, if you want something from the gift shop, you can have it, right?”

Tish, who looked to be holding something in her hands, looked over. “Wait, really?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

She looked over at me, a confused expression at me. I put my hands up. Why Rick was deciding to be nice was beyond me. Maybe somewhere in that skinny, old bastard, there really is someone decent.

She grinned, spinning around. “Uh, Gru-Grunkle Rick, I found this, I found this grappling hook!”

He sighed, leaning into his hand. “Fine. Don’t break anything.”

I looked down at my right. Beside me were a set of baseball caps with pine trees on them - Oregon sure puts a lot of pride in their trees. On my other side, Tish was sliding herself against one of the shelfs, grinning as she held her grappling hook. It seemed maybe the gnome experience made her feel a little more confident about this place. That it wasn’t going to turn into a giant shithole, that maybe we could have one good summer.

I looked back down at the caps.

Well, Oregon, with your gnomes and your pine trees, show me what you got.

#gravity falls #rick and morty #morticia smith #morty smith #rick sanchez #sanchez falls au #sanchez falls

[topfygad]

REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Set within a 1000-acre private nature reserve, Lapa Rios, Costa Rica is one of the most spectacular lodges you’ll ever visit.

I’ve stayed in some incredible places on my travels, but Lapa Rios is one of the most memorable yet. Sleeping in impressive wooden bungalows with enormous terraces, and just nets for windows means you feel closer to nature than ever.

Sunrise from Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

Frogs hop along the pathways, toucans and macaws flap from tree to tree, and the howls of the local howler monkeys sound loud throughout the day. You don’t have to search for wildlife, it’s right there on your terrace, by the swimming pool, outside (and sometimes inside!) the restaurant and in the surrounding skies. And you know what? It’s absolutely magical.

Where Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica? 

Located in Matapalo in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios Lodge sits within a 1000-acre private nature reserve. It’s around 12 miles from the town of Puerto Jimenez where there’s also a small airport. If you’re arriving to San Jose, then I’d recommend catching the 50-minute flight with Sansa Airline as it’ll save you a lot of time, leaving you more precious minutes in the beautiful rainforest!

At the airport, the team from Lapa Rios will be waiting with welcome drinks and their private vehicles, ready to transport you to the lodge.

Welcome drinks at Puerto Jimenez airport before transferring to Lapa Rios Costa Rica

From Lapa Rios ecolodge, it’ll take you around an hour to drive to the starting point for travelling into Corcovado National Park – a place that is an absolute paradise for wildlife lovers.

Take a look at this Lapa Rios map to check the location in more detail.

What Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

This rainforest ecolodge has sustainable tourism at its heart. Opened in 1993, the owners set out to create a sustainable lodge, which protected its endangered surroundings. The lodge has won countless awards, and has been flying the flag for ecotourism since it opened.

It was named one of National Geographic Unique Lodges In The World – a deserving accolade considering the spectacular design, location and its ecological conscience.

The property sprawls throughout a section of rainforest… so much so, it’s pretty much hidden! You’ll arrive at the hotel’s reception and restaurant/bar area. The restaurant has a spectacular spiral staircase in the centre, which I just couldn’t stop taking photos of! Beyond that are terraces, a Wifi area, and a swimming pool.

Aerial views of Lapa Rios ecolodge, Osa Peninsula

After the pool you meander down various paths to reach the bungalow accommodation. There are only 17 bungalows at Lapa Rios, so it’s an exclusive place to check in!

You really can’t get closer to nature. I saw toucans by my terrace, macaws by the restaurant and even found a frog on my door one evening! Don’t worry, it hopped off so I could go in…! You can sometimes spot sloths too. It’s worth noting that I didn’t feel unsafe, and I wasn’t being continually bitten by mosquitoes! 

Sloth at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica (Photo: Lapa Rios)

Frog on my door at Lapa Rios in the Osa Peninsula

What Are The Rooms Like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

 The Lapa Rios deluxe oceanfront bungalows are beautiful. Structurally they’re made of wood, with thatched tops and netting all around to keep out the rainforest’s inhabitants.

Bungalow exterior at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

My room at Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

My room had a large double bed, complete with a mosquito net canopy, an open plan sink area, then a separate toilet and shower room. That was only half of my space though, as outside was a huge terrace with incredible views of the ocean and rainforest, plus a hammock, chairs and table and an outdoor shower.

Outdoor shower at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

It was wonderfully private, and apart from the occasional clip-clop of footsteps on a nearby path, I only heard the sounds of the rainforest and the elements.

Enjoying the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

What Is The Food like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

In general I had excellent food at Lapa Rios lodge. The main dinner menu had everything from fish to salads to steaks. There’s also an extensive cocktail and wine list.

My favourite meal was the mid-afternoon snack we had after we checked in. I had the ceviche, which was tangy, light and flavoursome. Both nights we stayed there were special events taking place. One night ‘dock-to-dish’, which featured fresh catches from close by. 

Ceviche, fresh juice and more at Lapa Rios ecolodge

As we visited in November, the next evening there was a special Thanksgiving dinner. Many of the guests were American, so it was nice that they could still celebrate, despite being away for the holidays.

Presentation was good, and while I wouldn’t say the lodge is worthy of a Michelin star, there were several tasty dishes on offer, and the waiting staff were very friendly.

Restaurant terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

One afternoon we enjoyed a 30-minute cooking demonstration, where one of the chefs showed us how to make gallo pinto (Costa Rica’s most famous rice and beans breakfast). It was delicious, and I was excited to return to my room that evening and find a bottle of the country’s favourite sauce (Salsa Lizano) and the gallo pinto recipe waiting for me. Definitely something I’ll be recreating back in London soon.

Gallo pinto at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

I never experienced a proper breakfast at Lapa Rios as we headed off very early to explore Corcovado National Park, but the banana bread and brownies they baked us were excellent.

What Can You Do At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

There are plenty of tours which you can book onto when you stay at the hotel. Most people visit for the wildlife, and I’d definitely recommend a visit to Corcovado National Park. The hotel will organise a specialist wildlife guide to escort you, who will tell you all about the rainforest, the animals, trees and more.

Exploring the beaches in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Horseback riding on the beach near Lapa Rios ecolodge

From Lapa Rios you can walk to the beach in 15 minutes, then enjoy a day swimming and snorkelling.

There are also optional extras including horseback riding, dolphin watching and kayaking.

If you’re visiting to relax, Lapa Rios has plenty of wellness options including massages and treatments, yoga and more.

The pool at Lapa Rios Costa Rica

Why Should I Stay At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

To experience Costa Rica’s amazing wildlife…

To get away from it all…

To appreciate how lucky we are to live on this planet…

Lapa Rios is a special place. It’s unique. It’s real.

It’s not ‘luxurious’ as the prices may suggest, but it’s somewhere that will give you a real understanding of the rainforest, the wildlife and the Osa Peninsula as a whole.

There’s barely any phone signal, and Wifi is only available in a small area near reception, so it’s time to switch off from social media and immerse yourself in the nature of Costa Rica. Although no doubt you’ll be reaching for your phone to snap a few pics…

Taking photos of the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Lapa Rios Ecolodge Rates

Staying somewhere as unique as this comes at a premium.

I found availability next week for £474, but I know in the highest season, rates are closer to £780 for 2 people, with all meals included.  There are offers, especially for low season, and if you’re a Booking.com Genius then you should get a decent discount (it was £50 off when I checked!) You can check latest prices and availability here.

 I hope you’ve enjoyed my Lapa Rios review. I visited in November 2018 as part of a trip with Visit Costa Rica, but all thoughts and opinions in my Lapa Rios review are unbiased and 100% my own! 

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…

The post REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2mcsYBX via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

[whereisbanana]

THAILAND

HOSTEL SITUATION

Since I was brought on by a friend I didn't have to much say so in my trip to Thailand (besides the Elephants). I got to my hostel around 1 am and of course EVERY one was asleep. I don't have an international plan so I couldn't phone Gabrielle and my driver called the number on the door. It took him 3 times till someone finally picked up and came and unlocked the door from me. Now I am only going to tell the truth about this hostel and nothing but the truth. The hostel had a vintage feel: Quils, typewriters, old looking vases, what looked to be a meat churner, etc. It was super cute, kind of how I would like a room in my future house to look. The breakfast was mediocre, it had the basics, eggs, salad, toast, grapes, and oats. Nothing too fancy or special. I made oatmeal every morning because it was filling. Now the scary part. My second night in the hostel I awoke to a few bite marks on my legs...and when I say a few I mean my whole leg was covered in tiny bite marks. This looked like a case of bed bugs. I immediately notified the owner of my situation and demanded something be done about it (reimbursement, new room, return deposit, etc.) but after further examination she said it could not have been bed bugs. She pulled up a picture on google and found the most severe case of bed bugs. The picture had boiling bites. Of course mine did not look exact so she insisted they were mosquito bites. I had two mosquito bites on my arm and you could clearly see the difference between the two. But whatever, she gave me a new bed and said we could wash our clothes. We washed one load of clothes, but since we put our used clothes in our bags we thought it be best to just wash them all to be safe. This caused havoc. We asked for more money to wash our clothes and the receptionist told us she couldn't do so. We talked with the manager and he said there was nothing he could do about it. I remember his exact words were "That's not my problem". I just want everyone to be safe while traveling and have a nice stay. So if you're ever in the Bangkok NEVER stay at Bangkok Bed & Bike. Just save yourself the trouble. They didn't have too many reviews on Hostelworld.com anyways so just make sure you do your research. I have provided you with some pictures of my "Mosquito" bites below.

F O O D

In Asia you'll find yourself eating Rice and Noodles with every meal. Gabrielle & I wanted to escape that tradition and find something else. We came across a place called Farm to Table  it was the cutest place every. Although we went through a sketchy ally it was well worth the walk. They had a dozen different Teas you could choose from along with salads, pastas, and ice creams. I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the area. 

One of our excursions included a trip to the spa. Infinity Spa was hands down amazing. When we arrived we were greeted, seated, and given a "Welcome Drink" which was a mix of Natural blend green tea, fresh lime, and blue butterfly flower. We drunk it so fast and it was indeed relaxing. When it was almost our turn we were moved upstairs were they washed our feet and included a mini massage. Gabrielle got the deep muscle massage while I got the Thailand traditional "Thai" massage. Just for the record, those are two DIFFERENT things. If you're looking for a nice massage of the shoulders and body then you should get the deep tissue massage. If you're looking for something different and new then you should get the Thai massage. I didn't know what the Thai massage consisted of but there was pulling, tugging, and some massaging lol. Overall a great massage if you've never had one. Once we were done we went back to the lobby where they had sticky rice and mangos waiting for us with another glass of "Welcome Drink". BEST SPA TRIP EVER! 

DAY OF TEMPLES

Gabrielle was in charge of planning our itinerary for our "Day of Temples". She had about 5-6 different temples to visit but we ended up visiting two. My advice is to really give yourself or party time to examine and see everything. Also factor how long it'll take to walk, the temperature, and breaks in between. We did none of this and we were sweaty, tired, and exhausted. The temples are BEAUTIFUL. We toured the famous Grand Palace along with Wat Pho. If you would like to see more pictures from my trip to Thailand please click here

ELEPHANTS! ELEPHANTS! & TIGERS!

We booked our tour with Tours with Tong a tour guide I found on Tripadvisor She had a bunch of good reviews so I thought I we should try it out. We did alot of communication via email (deposit, date, etc.) The Elephants were 3 hours away and transportation was included so the driver picked us up around 5 A.M.  Once we finally arrived we were greeted with two majestic creatures. Both female, one 15 years old the other 23. Our tour guide asked right away who would be ok with going under water a lot and I immediately said "I am"! 

We prayed with the monks and afterward gave them food as a thanks for their blessings. 

Being with the Elephants is an indescribable experience. After feeding them a tub of rice, fruit & veggies we roamed around while they continued to eat grass in the fields. We went into the river for a dip, gave me them a mud bath for their skin, a Tangerine facial, went back into the river, another bath with a scrub brush to remove the dead skin, and had a water fight. BEST DAY EVER!

I hope you enjoyed this post about Thailand. Next up Bali, Indonesia!

#WhereisBanana #blackgirlswhoblog #Blackgirlstraveltoo #Blacktravel #thailand #bangkok #elephants #elephantsnature&home #fromwhereistand #enroute #beautifuldestinations #passportready #browngirlswhoblog #travelisthenewclub #travelnoir #traveldeeper #dametraveler #wanderlust #theeveryday #historylives

[westfivestory]

  Pioneer Day Camp for ages 5-7 was held at Mennonite Heritage Village from July 10-14. I signed Gunnar up, not sure how he would adapt since he is so shy, but camp actually helped him adjust to what kindergarten will be like. He made a new friend, learned some pioneer skills and made a new craft every day. He had a really great week and came out of his shell a bit. He really seems to like my boss. Every day at the end of camp he came to my office to tell me about his day and then off he went to my boss’s office to tell him.

Parish and Danek spent the entire week with their dad while Gunnar spent the evenings since he had to come to work with me. It made for a relatively quiet week of mostly just me and Mikayla hanging out although she spent Wednesday at celebrations dinner theatre with Grandma.

By Friday I had the house to myself. Mikayla went to her dad’s and the others spent the weekend with theirs. Having so much free time is really unusual for me and although nice since it is so rare, makes me want to do stuff since I’m not used to sitting still. So that being the case, I over filled my weekend with activities. spent Friday night enjoying a horror movie marathon after a walk to the store for slurpees, Saturday was spent showing a friend around the museum and meeting new people. While it was fun, it was also exhausting.

Monday, back to work and then rush home to pack the truck and meet grandma in Beausejour. The kids then headed to the cabin after we all had supper at Moe’s Diner. Once getting back home, I met a friend for a couple of games of pool in Lorette before calling it a night. Tuesday was some social media drama and frustration so went out with a friend to clear my head. Wednesday, I went for a couple of games of pool in Lorette again and really didn’t enjoy the evening, couldn’t wait for it to end in fact, so made an excuse and bailed as early as I could.

Following Wednesday, I didn’t want to do anything. I just really needed to take some time for me. So I did, I stuck around home in the evenings, had some lazy tv watching nights and outside of work pretty much avoided everyone for a couple of days. I did next to nothing until Saturday.

Saturday, went to the speedway with a friend and watched the races and the mud bogging, it was a lot of fun until we got rained out. From there, with the options that were suggested to me, I really just wanted to once again stay home and not do anything and was fully planning to do that until my friend offered to take me out cruising and off-roading. It was really the only offer that didn’t consist of sitting around talking and having drinks and I really didn’t feel like I wanted any drinks at all. So I agreed.

It was so much fun just driving around, singing along to the radio, talking, driving around this area down many quiet dirt roads until heading over to some old pits and tearing around there with the Jeep. We watched a couple of guys climb the biggest hill in a Harley Davidson Edition Ford and they called us up. We figured the Jeep wouldn’t make it up with the stock tires etc and opted for the other way which is still pretty rough. Anyway, we made it to the top and were then invited to join their diaper party for their friend who was celebrating his first baby. We didn’t stick around long, the mosquitoes were out in full force and it was becoming unbearable, so we headed out.

Sunday, I headed out to the cabin in the afternoon to get the kids and visit a little bit. They were so excited, Gunnar came racing off the deck and almost got to the car before I even got out. After we talked and ate some lunch, me and Gunnar went on a boat ride with Grandpa and Uncle Jas. It was nice and relaxing, so much so, Gunnar fell asleep. Once back at the cabin we took the pedal boat out for a little ride along the shore, without Juno being there, we were able to go a little further, since she wasn’t tagging along.  We stayed out there until after supper and then went home and enjoyed an evening of just us. Haven’t had one of those in awhile. Before the kids went to bed, we were watching a movie and Danek turned and then yelled Oh my Gosh! We all jumped up to see what he was freaking out about, Hurley figured out how to squeeze through the bars of her cage, oh no, we now needed a new cage asap!

The rats were removed from the big cage for the night and I searched VarageSale, finally locating a decent looking cage, specifically for them and it came with some pretty cool toys. They are definitely enjoying their new home and the fear of them getting out and becoming cat food is no longer a concern.

Mikayla’s new ceiling lift was installed Monday, much to her dismay. She was expecting a sling very much like the ones given to us following her spine surgery and was really not happy about it at all. They finished the installation before we got home from picking up silent auction prizes and so they would need to come back to properly train us on the use of the lift and ways to extend battery life etc.

Wednesday came and brought closure to a very large chapter of our lives, the house is now officially ours. It is no longer owned by him and I, it is now just me and we can no longer have liens placed against the property from his outstanding debts. This is such a relief and has been a very long process. To finally have it come to an end, its honestly the best thing and we can move forward.

Thursday, I officially learned how to use the lift and at that time realized that her dread and fight on it were pretty unnecessary, this new sling design is much better and she is held in place properly instead of seeming to slide out the bottom of it. She still much prefers the sit to stand lift for most things, but she is no longer completely opposed. That evening, I was able to re-use my speedway ticket for the races since Saturday’s race was called due to rain. So I took the boys with me and we enjoyed supper at the track and watched tons of races, they had a blast. One of my aunt’s friends was there since her husband does the photography and we were given some additional passes to come again at some point throughout the season. Near the end, our friend from town joined us in time to watch her son race and move up from 11th place to 4th. It was an awesome race, he did so well. After the races were over we went into the pit and the boys had their pictures taken while sitting in some of the cars, they received autographed pictures, candy, tattoos and even foam fingers. They were so excited for this experience and would love to go again.

Friday, was not a great day. I was pretty tired most of the day from a late night at the races, totally worth it though. The parade float was finished at work and looks awesome, so despite some criticism, I think its a good change. The kids were with their dad when I got home so Mikayla and I had a good part of the evening together and we caught up on Big Brother a little bit until my friend came over for a bit. We hung out and chatted and just as she left my phone rang. Parish was on the phone saying we are coming home, I’ll explain when we get there. Within a minute they pulled into the driveway and I ran to slip on shoes to help with their stuff, but they were coming in the door in tears as I came to help them. All three came in the house bawling, Gunnar wrapped around me refusing to let go for the better part of an hour and too scared to use the washroom on his own. Danek and Parish also came in for a hug before moving to spots on the couch sniffling and still crying off and on. I am not entirely sure of the events, since I was not there. I do know there was far too much alcohol involved and a lot of yelling and Gunnar was grabbed by the shoulder and Danek by the arm. They have never been that scared before and not having been there, I don’t know all the circumstances, but I do know that they do not need to be around that, and unfortunately, it was a very abrupt ending to what had been a pretty good visit.

Saturday, I took them out to start accumulating some of their school supplies, although it is still a month or so away, it always seems to sneak up sooner than expected, so better now then later. They were excited to pick their new backpacks and indoor shoes. Gunnar likes his so much, the only issue now is reminding him that they are indoor shoes. After arriving home, Mikayla’s friend stopped by to show us her new Honda Civic, it looks great. In the evening, my friend stopped by and we took the kids off-roading again, they had a blast. Danek said his stomach was flipping around, but otherwise they all had fun driving through the pits and climbing the big hills. We came back home afterwards and Mikayla joined us outside for a bonfire, she hadn’t come off-roading, instead she stayed home and had a friend over. So it was another late night, but was definitely one that they all enjoyed.

Sunday, was such a lazy day for all of us. We mostly lounged and watched TV despite the beautiful weather, just so tired and really needed to catch up on some sleep. Now we are just going to head out and get some ice cream….until next time.

July 30, 2017 Pioneer Day Camp for ages 5-7 was held at Mennonite Heritage Village from July 10-14. I signed Gunnar up, not sure how he would adapt since he is so shy, but camp actually helped him adjust to what kindergarten will be like.

[topfygad]

REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Set within a 1000-acre private nature reserve, Lapa Rios, Costa Rica is one of the most spectacular lodges you’ll ever visit.

I’ve stayed in some incredible places on my travels, but Lapa Rios is one of the most memorable yet. Sleeping in impressive wooden bungalows with enormous terraces, and just nets for windows means you feel closer to nature than ever.

Sunrise from Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

Frogs hop along the pathways, toucans and macaws flap from tree to tree, and the howls of the local howler monkeys sound loud throughout the day. You don’t have to search for wildlife, it’s right there on your terrace, by the swimming pool, outside (and sometimes inside!) the restaurant and in the surrounding skies. And you know what? It’s absolutely magical.

Where Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica? 

Located in Matapalo in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios Lodge sits within a 1000-acre private nature reserve. It’s around 12 miles from the town of Puerto Jimenez where there’s also a small airport. If you’re arriving to San Jose, then I’d recommend catching the 50-minute flight with Sansa Airline as it’ll save you a lot of time, leaving you more precious minutes in the beautiful rainforest!

At the airport, the team from Lapa Rios will be waiting with welcome drinks and their private vehicles, ready to transport you to the lodge.

Welcome drinks at Puerto Jimenez airport before transferring to Lapa Rios Costa Rica

From Lapa Rios ecolodge, it’ll take you around an hour to drive to the starting point for travelling into Corcovado National Park – a place that is an absolute paradise for wildlife lovers.

Take a look at this Lapa Rios map to check the location in more detail.

What Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

This rainforest ecolodge has sustainable tourism at its heart. Opened in 1993, the owners set out to create a sustainable lodge, which protected its endangered surroundings. The lodge has won countless awards, and has been flying the flag for ecotourism since it opened.

It was named one of National Geographic Unique Lodges In The World – a deserving accolade considering the spectacular design, location and its ecological conscience.

The property sprawls throughout a section of rainforest… so much so, it’s pretty much hidden! You’ll arrive at the hotel’s reception and restaurant/bar area. The restaurant has a spectacular spiral staircase in the centre, which I just couldn’t stop taking photos of! Beyond that are terraces, a Wifi area, and a swimming pool.

Aerial views of Lapa Rios ecolodge, Osa Peninsula

After the pool you meander down various paths to reach the bungalow accommodation. There are only 17 bungalows at Lapa Rios, so it’s an exclusive place to check in!

You really can’t get closer to nature. I saw toucans by my terrace, macaws by the restaurant and even found a frog on my door one evening! Don’t worry, it hopped off so I could go in…! You can sometimes spot sloths too. It’s worth noting that I didn’t feel unsafe, and I wasn’t being continually bitten by mosquitoes! 

Sloth at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica (Photo: Lapa Rios)

Frog on my door at Lapa Rios in the Osa Peninsula

What Are The Rooms Like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

 The Lapa Rios deluxe oceanfront bungalows are beautiful. Structurally they’re made of wood, with thatched tops and netting all around to keep out the rainforest’s inhabitants.

Bungalow exterior at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

My room at Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

My room had a large double bed, complete with a mosquito net canopy, an open plan sink area, then a separate toilet and shower room. That was only half of my space though, as outside was a huge terrace with incredible views of the ocean and rainforest, plus a hammock, chairs and table and an outdoor shower.

Outdoor shower at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

It was wonderfully private, and apart from the occasional clip-clop of footsteps on a nearby path, I only heard the sounds of the rainforest and the elements.

Enjoying the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

What Is The Food like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

In general I had excellent food at Lapa Rios lodge. The main dinner menu had everything from fish to salads to steaks. There’s also an extensive cocktail and wine list.

My favourite meal was the mid-afternoon snack we had after we checked in. I had the ceviche, which was tangy, light and flavoursome. Both nights we stayed there were special events taking place. One night ‘dock-to-dish’, which featured fresh catches from close by. 

Ceviche, fresh juice and more at Lapa Rios ecolodge

As we visited in November, the next evening there was a special Thanksgiving dinner. Many of the guests were American, so it was nice that they could still celebrate, despite being away for the holidays.

Presentation was good, and while I wouldn’t say the lodge is worthy of a Michelin star, there were several tasty dishes on offer, and the waiting staff were very friendly.

Restaurant terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

One afternoon we enjoyed a 30-minute cooking demonstration, where one of the chefs showed us how to make gallo pinto (Costa Rica’s most famous rice and beans breakfast). It was delicious, and I was excited to return to my room that evening and find a bottle of the country’s favourite sauce (Salsa Lizano) and the gallo pinto recipe waiting for me. Definitely something I’ll be recreating back in London soon.

Gallo pinto at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

I never experienced a proper breakfast at Lapa Rios as we headed off very early to explore Corcovado National Park, but the banana bread and brownies they baked us were excellent.

What Can You Do At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

There are plenty of tours which you can book onto when you stay at the hotel. Most people visit for the wildlife, and I’d definitely recommend a visit to Corcovado National Park. The hotel will organise a specialist wildlife guide to escort you, who will tell you all about the rainforest, the animals, trees and more.

Exploring the beaches in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Horseback riding on the beach near Lapa Rios ecolodge

From Lapa Rios you can walk to the beach in 15 minutes, then enjoy a day swimming and snorkelling.

There are also optional extras including horseback riding, dolphin watching and kayaking.

If you’re visiting to relax, Lapa Rios has plenty of wellness options including massages and treatments, yoga and more.

The pool at Lapa Rios Costa Rica

Why Should I Stay At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

To experience Costa Rica’s amazing wildlife…

To get away from it all…

To appreciate how lucky we are to live on this planet…

Lapa Rios is a special place. It’s unique. It’s real.

It’s not ‘luxurious’ as the prices may suggest, but it’s somewhere that will give you a real understanding of the rainforest, the wildlife and the Osa Peninsula as a whole.

There’s barely any phone signal, and Wifi is only available in a small area near reception, so it’s time to switch off from social media and immerse yourself in the nature of Costa Rica. Although no doubt you’ll be reaching for your phone to snap a few pics…

Taking photos of the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Lapa Rios Ecolodge Rates

Staying somewhere as unique as this comes at a premium.

I found availability next week for £474, but I know in the highest season, rates are closer to £780 for 2 people, with all meals included.  There are offers, especially for low season, and if you’re a Booking.com Genius then you should get a decent discount (it was £50 off when I checked!) You can check latest prices and availability here.

 I hope you’ve enjoyed my Lapa Rios review. I visited in November 2018 as part of a trip with Visit Costa Rica, but all thoughts and opinions in my Lapa Rios review are unbiased and 100% my own! 

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…

The post REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

source http://cheaprtravels.com/review-lapa-rios-costa-rica/

[topfygad]

REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Set within a 1000-acre private nature reserve, Lapa Rios, Costa Rica is one of the most spectacular lodges you’ll ever visit.

I’ve stayed in some incredible places on my travels, but Lapa Rios is one of the most memorable yet. Sleeping in impressive wooden bungalows with enormous terraces, and just nets for windows means you feel closer to nature than ever.

Sunrise from Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

Frogs hop along the pathways, toucans and macaws flap from tree to tree, and the howls of the local howler monkeys sound loud throughout the day. You don’t have to search for wildlife, it’s right there on your terrace, by the swimming pool, outside (and sometimes inside!) the restaurant and in the surrounding skies. And you know what? It’s absolutely magical.

Where Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica? 

Located in Matapalo in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios Lodge sits within a 1000-acre private nature reserve. It’s around 12 miles from the town of Puerto Jimenez where there’s also a small airport. If you’re arriving to San Jose, then I’d recommend catching the 50-minute flight with Sansa Airline as it’ll save you a lot of time, leaving you more precious minutes in the beautiful rainforest!

At the airport, the team from Lapa Rios will be waiting with welcome drinks and their private vehicles, ready to transport you to the lodge.

Welcome drinks at Puerto Jimenez airport before transferring to Lapa Rios Costa Rica

From Lapa Rios ecolodge, it’ll take you around an hour to drive to the starting point for travelling into Corcovado National Park – a place that is an absolute paradise for wildlife lovers.

Take a look at this Lapa Rios map to check the location in more detail.

What Is Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

This rainforest ecolodge has sustainable tourism at its heart. Opened in 1993, the owners set out to create a sustainable lodge, which protected its endangered surroundings. The lodge has won countless awards, and has been flying the flag for ecotourism since it opened.

It was named one of National Geographic Unique Lodges In The World – a deserving accolade considering the spectacular design, location and its ecological conscience.

The property sprawls throughout a section of rainforest… so much so, it’s pretty much hidden! You’ll arrive at the hotel’s reception and restaurant/bar area. The restaurant has a spectacular spiral staircase in the centre, which I just couldn’t stop taking photos of! Beyond that are terraces, a Wifi area, and a swimming pool.

Aerial views of Lapa Rios ecolodge, Osa Peninsula

After the pool you meander down various paths to reach the bungalow accommodation. There are only 17 bungalows at Lapa Rios, so it’s an exclusive place to check in!

You really can’t get closer to nature. I saw toucans by my terrace, macaws by the restaurant and even found a frog on my door one evening! Don’t worry, it hopped off so I could go in…! You can sometimes spot sloths too. It’s worth noting that I didn’t feel unsafe, and I wasn’t being continually bitten by mosquitoes! 

Sloth at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica (Photo: Lapa Rios)

Frog on my door at Lapa Rios in the Osa Peninsula

What Are The Rooms Like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

 The Lapa Rios deluxe oceanfront bungalows are beautiful. Structurally they’re made of wood, with thatched tops and netting all around to keep out the rainforest’s inhabitants.

Bungalow exterior at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

My room at Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

My room had a large double bed, complete with a mosquito net canopy, an open plan sink area, then a separate toilet and shower room. That was only half of my space though, as outside was a huge terrace with incredible views of the ocean and rainforest, plus a hammock, chairs and table and an outdoor shower.

Outdoor shower at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

It was wonderfully private, and apart from the occasional clip-clop of footsteps on a nearby path, I only heard the sounds of the rainforest and the elements.

Enjoying the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

What Is The Food like At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

In general I had excellent food at Lapa Rios lodge. The main dinner menu had everything from fish to salads to steaks. There’s also an extensive cocktail and wine list.

My favourite meal was the mid-afternoon snack we had after we checked in. I had the ceviche, which was tangy, light and flavoursome. Both nights we stayed there were special events taking place. One night ‘dock-to-dish’, which featured fresh catches from close by. 

Ceviche, fresh juice and more at Lapa Rios ecolodge

As we visited in November, the next evening there was a special Thanksgiving dinner. Many of the guests were American, so it was nice that they could still celebrate, despite being away for the holidays.

Presentation was good, and while I wouldn’t say the lodge is worthy of a Michelin star, there were several tasty dishes on offer, and the waiting staff were very friendly.

Restaurant terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

One afternoon we enjoyed a 30-minute cooking demonstration, where one of the chefs showed us how to make gallo pinto (Costa Rica’s most famous rice and beans breakfast). It was delicious, and I was excited to return to my room that evening and find a bottle of the country’s favourite sauce (Salsa Lizano) and the gallo pinto recipe waiting for me. Definitely something I’ll be recreating back in London soon.

Gallo pinto at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

I never experienced a proper breakfast at Lapa Rios as we headed off very early to explore Corcovado National Park, but the banana bread and brownies they baked us were excellent.

What Can You Do At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

There are plenty of tours which you can book onto when you stay at the hotel. Most people visit for the wildlife, and I’d definitely recommend a visit to Corcovado National Park. The hotel will organise a specialist wildlife guide to escort you, who will tell you all about the rainforest, the animals, trees and more.

Exploring the beaches in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Horseback riding on the beach near Lapa Rios ecolodge

From Lapa Rios you can walk to the beach in 15 minutes, then enjoy a day swimming and snorkelling.

There are also optional extras including horseback riding, dolphin watching and kayaking.

If you’re visiting to relax, Lapa Rios has plenty of wellness options including massages and treatments, yoga and more.

The pool at Lapa Rios Costa Rica

Why Should I Stay At Lapa Rios, Costa Rica?

To experience Costa Rica’s amazing wildlife…

To get away from it all…

To appreciate how lucky we are to live on this planet…

Lapa Rios is a special place. It’s unique. It’s real.

It’s not ‘luxurious’ as the prices may suggest, but it’s somewhere that will give you a real understanding of the rainforest, the wildlife and the Osa Peninsula as a whole.

There’s barely any phone signal, and Wifi is only available in a small area near reception, so it’s time to switch off from social media and immerse yourself in the nature of Costa Rica. Although no doubt you’ll be reaching for your phone to snap a few pics…

Taking photos of the views from my terrace at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Lapa Rios Ecolodge Rates

Staying somewhere as unique as this comes at a premium.

I found availability next week for £474, but I know in the highest season, rates are closer to £780 for 2 people, with all meals included.  There are offers, especially for low season, and if you’re a Booking.com Genius then you should get a decent discount (it was £50 off when I checked!) You can check latest prices and availability here.

 I hope you’ve enjoyed my Lapa Rios review. I visited in November 2018 as part of a trip with Visit Costa Rica, but all thoughts and opinions in my Lapa Rios review are unbiased and 100% my own! 

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…

The post REVIEW: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2mcsYBX via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Cheapr Travels