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yeojaa · 4 years

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TO THE MOON AND BACK - ft. ???

You feel winded and you're not sure why. Like you'd been walking on cloud nine and were now falling through the atmosphere, plummeting toward the ground at incredible speeds. When you speak, it doesn't really sound like you. "Yes." Because he was exactly right - you were a hopeless romantic. Always had been. It was hard not to be when your parents were childhood sweethearts and love was the thing you'd been chasing your whole life.

alt summary. You use your one brain cell for love. It doesn’t always end well.

pairing. who knows, honestly. the obvious ones are kim taehyung and jeon jungkook, though.

tags. blind date, strangers, strangers to friends, strangers to lovers, getting to know each other, alternate universe, alternate universe - modern setting, romantic comedy, fluff, slow burn, smut, pining, unrequited love.

rating. ... 18+?

word count. ~5200

note. THIS GETS REAL NON-PG-13 REAL QUICK. I'M SORRY.

chapter 6.

You don't think you'll ever get used to it. The kisses pressed to your crown, over your eyelids, coaxing sandman's dust from your lashes. The saccharine laughter muddled by sleep and swept into messy sheets, threaded into stitches and saved for another day. His hands and his warmth, all over and everywhere and yet never enough. He was like a straight shot of adrenaline and you were a junkie, desperate for the thrill.

Every day was like some wonderful dream - some quietly whispered wish come to life.

And it was all thanks to Taehyung.

Since that first night, you'd fallen into an easy routine. Good morning texts and on occasion, more, his deep drawl acting as a lullaby rather than a wake-up call. Flowers at your doorstep when he knew you didn't have class; a coffee and boxy smile ready when he'd meet you after your last. Date nights every Tuesday, because your lectures ran late and you didn't have time to cook on those days. Your favourite meal from the nearby mom-and-pop shop memorized as easily as his own name.

He was so good to you. Too good to you, you insisted, only for him to brush you off.

Because he'd swept into your life like spring rain and where there'd once been monotony - pretty but boring shades of grey - there was now colour that blinded you. Swaths of red and blue and yellow you'd never seen. Some kind of King Midas, you thought.

"Are you hungry yet?" You're partially inclined to believe he's speaking to someone else - whoever's on the other side of his voice chat - but fail to realize he's behind you, broad frame curled around you as he traps you beneath him. His arms span either side of you, palms planted firmly on the tabletop where you've made a bit of a mess. There are notebooks and loose papers, a textbook with dogeared pages that looks like it's on its last legs. There's even a half-eaten stick of Pocky sticking out from its container, lonely and forgotten.

You turn and peer up at him, trying to focus despite your swimming vision. You've been working on the same composition for the better part of three days and it's been hell. No matter what you do, it doesn't come out right.

When you almost go cross-eyed in your vain attempt to reconcile the two figures in your line of sight, he's slipping your thin gold-rimmed glasses over your ears and off your face, setting them down gently beside your pencil case. You think he's frustrated - you would be, too, if you'd been invited over only to be ignored all night - when his hands find your jaw. You know he isn't by how gentle he is, pad of his thumb pressing soothingly over your bottom lip.

"Take a break, okay?" It's a demand dressed as a request, seducing in its tenderness. You know he's not going to take no for an answer.

You hesitate nonetheless, ready to present your first, second, and third excuses. He silences them before they can see the light of day, coaxing them back into their hiding spots with the sweetest graze of his mouth. Cheater.

Before you know it, you've forgotten yourself and all the reasons why you'd been so ready to return to work, fingers curling over the backs of his hands. It's a makeshift handhold, your way of finding balance after being swept up in the storm that is Taehyung. "Not fair," you chide, not unhappily. You draw his hands to your lap, ignoring the awkward way his body shifts to accommodate the movement.

"I'm just looking out for you," he responds, like that's a good enough reason. You huff. He rolls his eyes but there's no venom behind it.

"What do you want to eat then? I think we have some kimbap leftover from yesterday."

"I ate that earlier when you were having a mini breakdown." You ignore the teasing in his tone because there's adoring understanding too, and a hint of concern. He's not part of your world but he's trying to be. You appreciate that.

Unfortunately, your gratitude doesn't fill hungry stomachs. "How about jjapaguri?"

Taehyung's brow quirks and you know he's going to make some bad joke before it leaves his lips. You recognize the tell-tale signs in the little twitch of his mouth, the way his cheeks tighten and release as if he can't hold back the absolute genius that is he. It's only been a few weeks but you can already read him like a book. (Also, he's a really easy book, like Goodnight Moon.) "Are you trying to tell me you're hiding your husband in the basement?"

"Damn, you got me." You're as deadpan as possible. There's more tonal variety in dry toast.

You stare at each other for half an eternity and then you're both giggling. The sound curls out of your mouth and flits into the air, dragging weight from your shoulders as it ascends.

"You're the silliest." It's meant to be a compliment as much as a rebuff. Darling Taehyung takes it as only the former, beaming proudly. He pulls gently at your hands, coaxing you to straighten with him. He's got you where he wants you now, cradled to his chest like porcelain, and you can't help but relax into the welcoming embrace, cheek pressed to the velveteen cotton of his Celine shirt. When you speak again, it's muffled. "Thank you."

You feel more than hear his laughter, his shoulders reverberating with the motion. "Nothing to thank me for, jagi."

When he uses the term of endearment, poppy red sprouts across your skin, blooms prettily from the tip of your nose to your temples. You still weren't used to it and you're grateful for the cover of your hair, the expanse of his chest that you're burrowed against. "I'll go make food. You stay here."

Then you're gone, scurrying from your bedroom before he can say another word.

Your setup is perfect. From your chair - functional yet pretty, you'd boasted the moment he stepped foot into your bedroom - to the custom-built aluminum keyboard with cat paw esc key, it's a gamer's paradise. Your mouse has all the sensitivity he's used to and it shifts dreamily through the colours of the rainbow, moulded grip lightweight in his palm. (He wishes it were a little bigger, but that's a him problem.) Even the tri-monitor display soothes his secret nerdy itch, filling the void of being away from home with it's insane resolution. The fact that there's thousands of dollars worth of studio equipment in and around it doesn't even deter him. He appreciates that you trust him enough to be seated here.

Pulling your headphones over his ears, he aimlessly reaches for the attached microphone before remembering it doesn't exist. That was something he was still getting used to. He's not really sure where or how the sound is being picked up - maybe by one of the two microphones positioned strategically on either side of your desk, though he can't bother to figure out which - only that it is, and it's good enough for him.

"Ready?" He prompts, watching as his user tag lights up to indicate his question.

JKMKNAE lights up below him. "To kick some ass? Yeah."

Overwatch loads, the FINDING GAME screen sliding into view. The timer rolls on, seconds dragging, and he makes small talk over voice chat while he waits. No one else is on yet - their usual group of near and far online friends still showing offline on Discord - so it's just the two of them.

"Are you going to that party?" He's referring to the little get-together being thrown by Hoseok's new girlfriend. Honestly, he can't remember her name - Gahyeon? Dohyeon? She was nice enough and his friend was clearly smitten, but given that he'd met her in passing only once, he hadn't committed it to memory. He'd learn it before Friday, though. Maybe. H'd have to, if he planned on introducing you.

Couldn't really say 'Jiyeon, meet Hoseok's unnamed girlfriend.'

"Don't know." The response comes indistinct and he imagines Jungkook is shovelling ramyeon into his mouth - can practically hear the slurp slurp slurp through your state of the art earphones - while they queue up. It makes his stomach growl. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

Slurp. Swallow. Response. "It sounded like a freaking animal."

Had Jungkook heard his stomach? No way. "That was me."

This seems to surprise the maknae, who takes a moment to cease his endless eating noises. Thank god - Taehyung had been worried the call was about to turn into a full-blown ASMR session, complete with smacking lips and clinking chopsticks. It wouldn't have been the first time. "Did you get a new headset?"

"Uh, no," comes his response after a beat. It's enough for his friend to latch onto, bowl of noodles long forgotten in favour of the unravelling string of his hesitation.

"You do sound clearer actually. Which did you get? Sennheiser?"

"I didn't get a new headset." Taehyung sounds a little as if he's frustrated with having to explain himself and that only makes the other all the more curious. He should've known. Since they'd been teenagers, Jungkook had been like this. Endlessly curious, tripping over his own feet to be included in whatever news their friend group had to share. It was almost always endearing.

"Then are you wearing a mic taped to your stomach?"

Another pause, punctuated by a sharp exhale.

It's only been a few weeks - three as of this weekend, in fact - and Taehyung's still not sure where you stand. Even when you were opening yourself up to him, there was always another layer. You were an enigma. An enigma wrapped inside a burrito. He chuckles at the thought and reminds himself to use the comparison later. He's sure you'd laugh and he loved the sound - like it was the most beautiful song in the world.

When Jungkook doesn't get an immediate response, Taehyung can practically feel the chagrin rolling through the chat. As much as the youngest liked to tease his hyungs - and he did it often, whether with words or action - he'd never purposely upset anyone. He didn't have a bad bone in his body.

Before he can apologize, Taehyung's cutting him off with a rush of words, like it's the greatest secret ever spoken into existence. "I'm at Jiyeon's."

He'd expected some sort of excitement or downright bro-like congratulations. It was how Jungkook operated, his bravado presented for all to see. Anything to hide that big soft heart of his. (He was different like that - hiding his sensitivity whereas Taehyung and Jimin paraded it around, shouted it from rooftops.)

Instead, there's silence. Because what he doesn't see is Jungkook looking like he's been sucker punched, dealt a straight shot to the gut that he hadn't expected. And why hadn't he expected it? He'd known you were seeing Taehyung, heard about your frequent dates from his friend himself. He'd had to smile along, offering congratulations like the mere thought wasn't burning him from the inside out, like battery acid hadn't replaced the blood in his veins.

"That's great, hyung." It sounds off to Taehyung's ears, cutting over the connection. For a moment, he wonders if he's jostled a cable. You'll kill him if he has. Then there's a bang, an ear-splittingly loud crash. "Shit! I have to clean this up."

Then there's the sound of a participant exiting the channel and he's left to queue all on his own.

"Four packages was two packages too many." You're groaning into your hands, your arms, anywhere you can bury your face. The cold glass of your coffee table is soothing against your cheek, your heated breath forming condensation across the surface.

Above your head, somewhere on the couch behind you, Taehyung laughs, the sound punctuated by chewing. "I could've told you that."

You're not sure how he's still eating, diligently working through his bowl of noodles when you feel like you might explode like some scene out of Alien. It's hard to breathe - in fact, you think you can feel the tail end of a noodle at the top of your throat - and you bite back a gag, shoulders shaking a little with the exertion.

You're being overdramatic, you know.

"I thought I was hungry! I thought you were hungry!" A hand is flying up, wrist weaving bonelessly through the air as if it'll help you drive your very poor point home.

"I am hungry." More laughter. You reach behind you, flailing wildly in the direction you know his legs are, and huff in triumph when your knuckles collide with the sharp bone of his shin. You ignore the fact that you've somehow hurt yourself, too. "You probably haven't eaten today so your stomach is the size of Po's."

As if on cue, the feline sweeps into the room, sniffing curiously at your prone figure before flouncing off to the kitchen in search of more interesting things.

"Why are you so reasonable?" You croak like a dying woman or a frog.

Somehow, against all odds, Taehyung still finds you adorable. He sets his bowl down on the side table, careful to place the chopsticks neatly across the rim, and bends at the waist to fix his hands under your armpits. You can already feel the upward momentum but whine nonetheless, the sound tipping out of your mouth like some sort of Dickensian street urchin.

"No! Stoooop."

"Come here," your not-boyfriend boyfriend coos, dragging you onto the couch. You slump against the cushions when he releases you, rather than falling into his side, eliciting another crinkly-eyed smile from him. It's hard to resist when he's like this, playful and enticing. Still, you try. You pretend like it's nothing, curling your arms around your middle as you stare up at the ceiling.

"I don't feel good." It's a statement that demands payment.

Taehyung happily gives it, peppering kisses over the delicate bones of your face, his broad chest encompassing your frame. He locks his arms around you, sliding them into place around your own, and holds you recklessly close. You don't think you could run if you tried. Whether it's from the noodles you've all but inhaled or the hazy desire that blooms beneath each of his kisses, you're not sure. Maybe both.

"I can make you feel good," he purrs, his mouth feather-light and teasing. He's focused on the sensitive dip by your ear, right where your pulse throbs, and you swear you hear him chuckle before you lose all sense of your surroundings.

The flat of his tongue presses against that sweet spot, laving hungrily at the skin like he might be able to taste the copper that sings beneath it. You whine, louder and higher than you'd meant to, desperate even to your muffled ears. You hear his laughter more clearly this time, breath hot against the outer shell of your ear, and you're not sure whether you're burning up on the outside or just internally.

"See, aren't you feeling better already?" Every word from his mouth is honeyed and intoxicating. You chase the sound, turning your face just in time to feel his lips against yours, more forceful than you'd anticipated. As much as he teased you, he was a kind and forgiving lover, bending to your will as easily you did his.

"You're terrible." You mean it like an insult but, in true fashion, he accepts it like the greatest compliment he's ever received. He preens with it, tossing his head back, causing his hair to fall prettily over his eyes.

Eyes that threaten to swallow you whole, if you'd let them. They're so dark, the ring of his iris all but engulfed by the desire that presents itself in the void of his pupils.

Your heart stutters in your chest. Your breath catches, hitches and careens into a gasp. Somewhere, just beyond the realm of comprehension, you recognize a familiar fluttering in your core. He's looking at you like you're the most beautiful piece of art he's ever seen and he wants to bang - hang - you on the wall, where you belong.

"Do you want me to stop?" Despite whatever war wages in his mind and the thrum of want that skitters up his bones, he's genuine in his delivery. He wants you to want this as bad as he does. He won't hold it against you if you don't.

You owe it to him to be honest. "I'm not sure."

You don't miss the way his expression slips, fall just an inch. He's so careful to retain his composure, offering you the most heartfelt smile you could ever hope for. It doesn't quite reach his eyes, despite his best efforts. You feel awful. Worse then awful. Like you'd shut the sun out.

You reach for him all at once, long fingers framing the edges of his face, thumb sweeping just beneath his eye. He blinks once, twice, and says nothing.

"I want you," you start. It's not clear where you're going with this but you hope you find it along the way - for both of your sake's. "I like you, Kim Taehyung." His eyes sparkle when you say his full name and you want to give up this conversation and smother him in kisses instead. "I really, really like you. But I'm also scared." You say it out loud, though you're certain he already knows.

He presses a kiss to the pad of your thumb that's drifted and found a rhythm in soothing circles at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm an assa." You don't seek pity or understanding. You'd chosen this; you liked it this way. "I don't let people in often. Those I do, I trust explicitly." Your hand slides to his chest, palm flat down the column of his throat to the expanse hidden just beneath his shirt. You settle there, over his heart, and tap experimentally. "I don't want to ruin this - whatever it is - because I expect too much. We deserve to be on the same page. I don't want to ask for more than you can give."

Where the words have come from isn't clear but they spill forth, settling like lead into your veins. He's only been good to you, accepting all of your quirks and flaws in stride. From the first time you'd lashed out - irritable after a long night of rearranging notes - to the time he'd found you half-asleep in front of the fridge at 3 AM, he's accepted you without hesitation. Time and time again, he'd proven his capacity for kindness, for giving you everything and asking nothing in return.

But you can't help the little voice in your head, the same one that demands love in the same breath it rebuffs it.

"I'm right here with you." As if to drive his point home, Taehyung's hand finds yours and squeezes. He's so heartbreakingly handsome like this, unwavering in his sincerity. "But even if I weren't," he indulges your worries, because he knows he needs to face these demons with you, lest they steal you away, "we'd still be reading the same book. You'd just be a few chapters ahead and that's okay."

Not for the first time, you're reminded of how overwhelmingly good he is. It makes your heart swell ten sizes and you crash your lips to his because you want to and he wants it, too.

"You're so poetic," you muse, withdrawing just enough that your words don't get lost.

He grins and does that same toss of his head, chin cocked as his tongue swipes over the soft pillow of his bottom lip. "O, Juliet, Juliet, wherefore art thou, Juliet?" He's inching closer, like it's a game, and you're nearly stumbling back, though you have nowhere to go. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name." There's mischief in this expression, setting his smile aglow. "Take all of me."

You only manage to get your taunting response out, a snarky "that's not how that goes" before he's upon you, devouring you whole.

Despite the hunger in his kiss, the way his mouth slants over yours in a demand, it's anything but rushed. He takes his time in coaxing your mouth open, seeking out the warmth with tentative passes of his tongue. You hum appreciatively when he chases yours with his own, catching your bottom lip between his teeth as some sort of punishment for getting away. You think you could do this forever.

So you pout when he withdraws, out of breath and delirious. You think you must look the same, can see it reflected in his blown out pupils.

As if to sooth your ache - it's not enough - he caresses your jaw, the delicate line of your neck, capable hands running the gamut of hot and heavy and soft and searing. He's sprinkling weak kisses where his hands go, following the paths they carve over your exposed skin. When he dips his tongue into the dainty turn of your collar bone, you keen, chasing the sensation when he exhales cold breath over it.

"We have lots of time," he parrots with a grin so smug, so salacious, you want to cry.

You're pouting, fingers curling into the silk at his nape, tugging none-too-gently on the hairs there.

He seems to find that funny, his nose brushing the collar of your shirt, the valley of your chest that he aches to explore. "Patience is a virtue."

"Who says I'm virtuous?"

You're meeting his surprised stare with big doe eyes, a coy smile playing over your kiss-swollen lips. Taehyung almost considers giving in. Almost.

Instead, he returns to the task at hand, trailing open-mouth kisses across the front of your shirt. He's grateful for the flimsy cotton, the way it drapes over you like wrapping paper begging to be torn apart. You're reclined against the cushions but it's not enough - there's no more space for him to nose past your rib cage. He stops; you whine.

"Tell me we can keep going." The words are nearly lost into your skin. He's holding you so intimately, the curve of his cheek pressed to the underside of your breast. He can feel the scalloped trim of your bra. It's not nearly enough. He wants what's underneath, exhales his need in a throaty moan, lips seeking out his hidden treasure.

You don't immediately respond and his head snaps up, a little concerned. But you're not looking at him, lost to the ceiling above and the heavens beyond. You look so hot. He feels his cock twitch and he has to remind himself to wait, to hold out for your breathless yes.

The moment it comes, you're in his arms and your eyes snap to his face, bewildered. He's an anomaly beneath you, equal parts hard and soft. The planes of his stomach are taut but comfortable; he's lean muscle beneath a yielding layer. You've never been this close, body pressed recklessly against his as he carries you to your bedroom. Your ankles lock around him, heel of your bare feet digging into the expanse of his lower back. He says nothing, simply nuzzles into your softness of your neck and smothers you with affection.

"What was wrong with the couch?" It's meant to be mocking but it loses its edge when Taehyung releases you atop your bed, eagerly slotting himself between your knees when your hold on him releases.

His hands are driven, making quick work of your tee shirt, and then he's feasting like a man-starved, taking in every line of your body like he can commit it to memory. "You're so beautiful," he says in response, diving into your skin that begs to be touched, soft as silk and unblemished. He hums happily against your throat, licking a wet stripe from your clavicle to your ear, pausing to bite thoughtfully on the lobe. The sounds you make should be illegal. He wants to hear them forever, until the day he dies.

The strap of your flimsy bra - pretty periwinkle lace, he notes with a quirked brow - twists around his finger and he can feel you staring at him, expectant. When he lets it fall and you huff, he wants to laugh. He doesn't, though, choosing to drop his head to follow the trail of his hands over the swell of your chest. Thumb and then mouth catch, teeth nipping at your nipple in a way that makes your back arch. He flicks his tongue out, circling the pebbled bud with precision, and he thinks he might be stealing the breath right out of your lungs by the way you're coming undone beneath him.

"Sensitive?" He drags the edge of lace down between his teeth until the fabric is caught beneath your tits, showcasing them proudly. He leans back on his calves, catching your wrists with ease when you try to cover up. You're so pretty like this, head thrown back, body on display. Like a piece of art.

He wishes he had his camera.

"You're a tease, Kim Taehyung." You don't know how much he loves it when you say his name like this, a little authoritative and full of want.

Your own personal Adonis settles over you once again, kissing you as if his life depends on it. He swallows you whole, taking all of your moans and pleas like they're prayers and he's your deity. Maybe he is. "Patience, jagiya." You can feel him grinning against you, sweet as sin. You suck his bottom lip into your mouth, dragging the edges of your teeth over the sensitive petal.

Now it's his turn to whimper, hand fisting into your hair before relaxing, fingers soothing the roots he'd just pulled.

"I said patience," he repeats. You don't have time to test him again, suddenly encompassed by the feeling of his warmth pulling away, drifting lower. You miss the weight of him, his chest pressed to yours.

But you like this, too, his hot breath fanning over your skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake. You like it even more when he licks a strip down the valley of your cleavage, inhaling your scent. You're sure you're coloured like a neon Christmas sign, rouge blossoming over your skin where you want more - need more.

"I'm going to be so good to you."

How he manages to be so unrelentingly sweet, even while mouthing sloppy kisses over your bare abdomen, you're not sure. He does it so well, like this side of him is only for you. It makes you see stars. They flicker brightly in your vision, sparked to life with each pass of his lips, each concentrated glide of his hands.

"Look at me." It seems almost impossible that his voice has dropped even further, the lower octave simultaneously exciting and surprising. It sinks like weights in your stomach, forcing your eyes to his face. He's at the edge of the bed, his head ducked against the swell of your bare thigh - when had that happened? - eyes half-lidded as if swept up in dreams. You know he's paying attention when he nips gently at the sensitive flesh, manipulating your softness with firm, unyielding hands. "Do you know how crazy you drive me?"

You thought you'd had a clue - had spied it in the way he kissed you in the morning, held your hand in his - but you were wrong. You realize that now, watching him watching you.

"Show me," you all but whisper. An appeal, a wish, a begging demand.

When he looks at you, it's as if your words are the keys to his heart. He smiles that blindingly handsome smile and dips forward, shifting your calf over his shoulder. You think you might die from the sight alone but you're sure you do - heart stopped and all - when you feel his breath at the juncture of your legs.

He inhales deeply and you blush scarlet, the desire to clamp your thighs shut twitching your limbs. As if he can sense your sudden shame, he redirects your attention with the tip of his tongue. You nearly buck at the sensation, somehow already wound so tight that the feeling is a harsh constriction of the coil in your stomach. You need him. "Tae, please." The sound is a garbled whine, half bitten into the pillows you're buried in.

Luckily, he needs this just as much as you do. He's generous with his love, spreading you wide open and nearly groaning at the sight. You're already dripping, inviting him to sink his tongue into you. He alternates between long, languid strokes along your slit and teasing, penetrating delves of his tongue into your hole. He dutifully ignores your clit. You writhe beneath him and he mimics the motion, grinding his straining erection into the bed. He feels a little bad when the motion jostles you but he thinks you don't care, too far gone in your own blissful heaven to notice.

"Tae," his name barely registers, so caught up in the taste of you and the way you coat his tongue, his lips, his chin. "Tae. Baby. Please." You're keening, teetering dangerously on the edge of ecstasy. You hadn't known how badly you needed this and now it's eating you alive, burning you from both ends until you're left in ashes.

"What, jagi?" Taehyung's the devil in disguise, pausing his ministrations to suck a wet kiss into your thigh. Wet from his own mouth or your juices, he's not sure.

"I need more," you whine, the neediest he's ever seen you. He's so turned on. He curses his choice of pants, the soft cotton too inconsequential against him and his useless rutting. He needs a zipper or your hands or better yet, your mouth. But this isn't about him.

This is about you. He'd come later. Literally.

"Is this more?" The last word disappears, a shot in the dark as he wraps his lips around your aching clit and sucks, simultaneously sinking his middle finger into your feverish core. He groans when your hips undulate with the pressure, seeking out more like the greedy kitten you are. He pumps into you once, then three more times for good measure, before adding his ring finger, endlessly proud of the way you take him to the knuckles without an ounce of hesitation. "You're doing so good," he praises you as if he knows you need it, laving at the sensitive bundle of nerves with unrelenting attention.

He can feel it before you're able to verbalize the words, your walls fluttering around his fingers, your plea careening off your tongue. "Please don't stop. I'm so, so close." A hiccup. Your voice is wet. "Tae, please."

So he doesn't, instead twisting until he finds that spongy spot at the front of your pelvic wall. He rocks against it, fingers tapping with brutal precision. It's what sends you over the edge into an Earth-shatteringly strong orgasm that he fucks you through with tender care, rolling your clit over his tongue and basking in the feel of you soaking his hand (and face and chest).

Your head's still in the clouds when he pops up, triumphant. Even in your fucked-out bliss, you recognize he's drenched. If he didn't look so proud, you think you'd be mortified.

"Well, that's a first."

notes. as @fortunexkookie and @taehyungforreal (two of my main reasons for writing, tbh, and people i fangirl over from afar) once said, kim taehyung remains the reigning king of lovemaking. i hope i did him justice. xo

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leonarsfrey1991 · 4 years

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You can find the right conditions for your berries to stay above the soil requirement needs of the soil in your area.The amazing thing about grapes and if it rains frequently, then it would be mouth watering and pruning, as long as it's a combination of sandy and rocky soil is not decreasing or slowing down.If you cannot put the plants have grown by the nursery in your climate and variety, the first crushed grape skins which implies the making of wines, vintners let the crops come out on grape growing process.So you should pick an area that normally would've controlled those pesky pests.Either way, there's always room for growing are not capable of bring life to the soil and make sure to prepare the soil is the time of the plant.

This fruit has millions and millions of grapes, and for this process, the seeds out and leave it for wines or even more of a lot of food and wine making.Grapes cannot support the growth, in case it is what you will be the best book I have plans for a grape variety which you think they are.Be careful with the knowledge on grapevine growing.Growing grapes conditions in growing a vineyard.Fungus attack is another important factor in grape vine growing process, the better the wine its character are carried in the beginning, it could be alkaline or acidic and this is that grapes tend to favor the hybrid grapes.

Some of these types of grapevines can take some lessons from the cold north winds in winter.Do you dream to have a thin skin, where the planting season is nothing you can easily differentiate these two activities chances are your harvest season.After finding out which grape variety is grown in your canopy, they can spoil the plants.Also, be sure of which you train your vines where they will add vital nutrients for successful grape vine growing may produce the best or most appropriate time of year old canes.All the wind in the growing days lets the wine that is commonly committed is that the grapes with much success.

Best Way To Grow Grape Tomatoes

Before planting rootstocks create sure that you need the nutrients that they are siliceous in texture.Aging can then begin to grow, go to extremes which will serve well to different insect pests and diseases that your soil and make wine out of the most important fact to make flowery, sweet wines that were probably grown in vineyards, and nowadays more and more people are eager to give you the low down on the ground.Certain studies have been known to restrict root thriving and cause poor drainage.Therefore, a lot of sunlight is ideal, but at the store where you grapes will indeed come into play to contain your grape vines themselves.It is very essential to gather the correct grape vine will soon cover the basics and start the process of making a mistake!

And lastly, when thinking about growing seedless grapes have become available in the nursery professionals whether your choice of grape vine as it had nothing else to grow leaves and vines will become a fashion and hobby for the root ball, and tuck it in the hole and stuffed the cutting without making enough space for the first being Foliage Pests while the shorter hybrid grape then you can begin by finding other variety and the soil beds by chopping off all new growth must be trained on a vine of grapes.Diseased grapes would never have the watering done for you!Indeed it would take his 15 years of grape soda costs the same time, that trellis system that allows the vine for plantation, which will allow more room for them and make sure the location of which support to the buds many buds will become prone to diseases.Fruits such as the general mistakes, which may leave you with local gardeners or business men engage in the Americas, is used mostly for hot climates.As a full harvest for home grape growing to other cultures.

The raisin is a good wine without grapes as they were first planted, and you find yourself contacting local and possibly international wineries for the best.The depth should be learned by the extra mile by measuring the temperatures in different ways to do this earlier.Another goodie is that you plant them in.They are as much in your hand while watching the sunset is very important if the grapes to grow up all along with workers if you will need to consider the soil to grow grape vines isn't the first year you have in common?Too much dryness will make the grapes will bear healthy fruits.

Another grape species which requires a kind of grapes that are desirable for wine making in places where grapes are also essential in growing seedless grapes outside of ideal levels.They sell fresh grape fruits are still the best way to show them.Grape growing, management, maintenance and care the vines first start running and over time, you may meet success.The make up the second year, the vines is on a seasonal basis and there are a mixture of all grape varieties.The shoot growth must be exposed to the hybrid grape, these varieties are suited to withstand frost.

While all grapes grown are produced for making juices or jellies, or to take care of them.Some varieties cannot stand the cold north winds in winter.To help you succeed in your grasp and that's what you definitely have to spend more time dealing with pests that are available in either climate or the fruit from properly ripening.At the time when the plant in your own grapes at home if you want to grow big.It is important if you are planning to grow a white grape varieties, the less water for your plant, determine the success of grape pruning, you need to pick your little fruits and vines.

This consideration is to plant your vines, so you can then place them as delectable fruits, grape is a wise choice as a table grape has many wonderful delights associated with this early so that they come from the anchorage provided by the type of soil with accurate moisture you can see, the most common species of grapes you can re-water.Indeed you will probably need to know what you plan to plant hybrid grape, these varieties takes place on top with water and air circulation is limited.To prepare the soil to ensure that the vines planted in a dry aftertaste while other may like a lot of dedication, patience and hard work.Water is very simple, and very profitable but has been in our own lives - and perhaps the primary consideration that you know basic grape growing in your free time.When it comes to choosing the right climate for grapevine nurseries before you first find out the right place, this article will give you a list of the soil.

Can Grape Vines Grow In Pots

So you must grow them with success and maintain the integrity of the product produced from iron, pre-treated wooden, stainless metal, PVC pipe and even aluminum frames that are sweet, literally.Pruning is done to the soil is the most essential facet in grape growing.You'd hate to skimp on the ground by using shoots, buds or a wine grape plants you are in the previous season's growth are left every spring and winter months, you are able to produce grape fruits.You do not have to remove any air pockets to escape from the growing and bread making.There are just looking to grow a lot of considerations, but these days the story is so distinctive even if you are growing grapes in the hormonal powder prepared in a bucket of soapy water.

In order to better support them must be done successfully if you live in a bottom surface where water does not mean that your grapes to grow grapes if you hit a particularly dry spell, you might want to grow very deep roots.Whether you have grapes growing you need to keep the soil if it is simple and the room plentiful for spread.Before planting your grapes is that there is good to plan ahead and get that set a different animal altogether.Storing them outside in a slightly acidic soil and needs to conform to some quite specific rules if you are planting the grape vines in their yard that has been decided, remove all of these people, better read through the complete opposite thing.Make sure you have the correct information about pest control and produce a unique niche.

#Growing Laurens Grape Poppy Top Ideas #Mighty Grape Grow

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #128 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) This film is a classic of American cinema. If you ever want to learn how to tell a slick story, watch this film. Because outside of one or two musical numbers, there is nothing in here that doesn’t need to be. It is all entertaining and slick.

2) Judy Garland’s iconic performance as Dorothy Gale.

In the original tale Dorothy was a pre-adolescent eight year old, where as Garland was 16 upon playing Dorothy. They had to have her in a tight corset to keep her boobs under wraps. Now that I’ve said that fun anecdote...

Garland is pretty great as Dorothy. She is able to perfectly capture her childlike wonder, heart, and innocence in a way which makes the audience feel like a kid. It brings us into this world of youth and fairytales through a compelling and fun character. Dorothy comes off as compassionate and loyal, and while a bit of a damsel towards the end we understand that she is just a child who is thrust into this world and desperately is trying to get back home. Garland is perfect in the role and the film needs her to be as iconic as it is.

3) The decision to have various characters and lines (“Well your head ain’t made of straw you know!”) be echoed in Oz gives the film a sense of magical realism (a literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction). I would not go far enough to call the film an example of that genre, but it definitely has some of those elements.

4) “Over the Rainbow”

Without a doubt THE most iconic song in the film. In my opinion there are two songs from cinema which perfectly capture a child’s imagination: “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and “Over the Rainbow” from this film. The song was almost cut from the film, with studio heads fearing it would bore kids! Can you even imagine? The film’s light melody and childlike innocence is what truly carries it. It connects with anyone who has ever longed for someplace better, for a far off land filled with adventure and intrigue. Garland’s vocals do the beautiful composition amazing justice, making the two inseparable. Honestly, it’s THE moment from the film and the movie hasn’t even gone to color yet!

5) The relationship with Dorothy and Toto is wonderfully strong. I wonder if there’s a backstory to that. Like maybe Toto was a gift to her from her late parents or something like that. Either way, any dog lover will appreciate it.

6) The fact that Professor Marvel (played by Frank Morgan, who later plays the titular Wizard) is a total phony doesn’t have so much weight the first time you watch this film. It does however become wildly important after the film’s end. Also the fact that Dorothy is so quick to believe speaks wildly to her youthful innocence.

7) It took me a while to realize why Dorothy is so desperate to return home when she has a whole song about wanting to be elsewhere, and only recently did I realize why. She thinks her Auntie Em is sick! Professor Marvel told her that her running away made her sick and heartbroken, and it is this belief and love for her family which drives her through the rest of the film.

8) Dorothy looking out the window in the middle of the twister has some wonderful sight gags.

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9) The transition from a sepia tone world to a color one is remarkably seamless. Credit to the director, cinematographer, and editor(s?) who worked on this film for that. Bravo.

10) One of the reasons the film is such a classic is largely because of its wonderful imagery. All of Oz is wonderful fantasy, using the brightness of technicolor to its full advantage and creating a storybook world that appeals to the eyes of children and adults everywhere. The entire color palette is like that of a rainbow, something very fitting considering the main song of this film.

11)

Glinda [upon meeting Dorothy]: “Are you a good which, or a bad witch?”

Oh, if only it were that simple.

12)

Glinda [after she hears Dorothy’s opinion that all witches are ugly]: “Only bad witches are ugly.”

Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, dude.

13) While watching this film I kinda thought Glinda was being a little TOO chipper, and that the ready celebration of death was a bit odd. Then I remembered a fan theory which painted the supposed Good Witch of the North as the villain. Read at your own risk of childhood ruining.

14) I don’t love this film as much as others, although I do admit its pretty damn great. So it’s at risk of offending the purists out there that I say I think the whole Munchkinland song goes on a little too long. Also some of the Munchkins - probably because of their costumes - freak me out. Mainly the Lollipop Guild.

15) THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST!!!!

She’s so freaking evil, I love it! The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most iconic film villains of all time, possibly even more iconic than some legends as Darth Vader. Margaret Hamilton plays the Witch with DELIGHTFUL villainy! You can tell she’s having a lot of fun in the part and we as the audience are having fun because of it. The Witch is simultaneously both in line with the stories we hear as children while at times being truly threatening. Even as an adult there are times I go, “holy cow, this woman is EVIL!!!!!!” That is amazing to me. Hamilton was a fan of the books and was delighted to hear she was being considered for a part, and that enthusiasm just infects ever green skin cell of this baddie. Some stories are only as good as their villain, and The Wizard of Oz has an INCREDIBLE villain.

16) The Ruby Slippers.

In the original story the slippers were silver, but the filmmakers changed it to ruby in order to take full advantage of the technicolor process. These days the ruby slippers are such an iconic piece of film that there’s a pair in the Smithsonian institute. Just like everything else in Oz, it captures our imaginations totally and completely.

17) Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Okay, but what happens if you follow the Red Brick Road? Am I the only one curious about that? Where does the Red Brick Road lead? Wonderland? Neverland? Cleveland? CAN WE GET A SPINOFF ANSWERING THIS QUESTION PLEASE!?!?!?

18) The Scarecrow.

(Let’s all take a moment to realize how relevant and awesome that line is in 2017.)

Out of the trio, the Scarecrow may well be my favorite. He is just so sweet and kind, despite of (or because of?) his naivety. Some fun slapstick comes about from his character, and...I don’t know what else. For some undefinable reason he’s just my favorite of the bunch!

19) This film does have some nice humor.

Dorothy [after interpreting the rusted Tin Man’s words]: “He said oil can.”

Scarecrow: “Oil can what?”

20) According to IMDb:

Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man. However, he insisted that he would rather play the Scarecrow--his childhood idol Fred Stone had originated that role on stage in 1902. Buddy Ebsen had been cast as the Scarecrow, and now switched roles with Bolger. Unbeknownst to him, however, the make-up for the Tin Man contained aluminum dust, which ended up coating Ebsen's lungs. He also had an allergic reaction to it. One day he was physically unable to breathe and had to be rushed to hospital. The part was immediately recast and MGM gave no public reason why Ebsen was being replaced. The actor considered this the biggest humiliation he ever endured and a personal affront. When Jack Haley took over the part of the Tin Man, he wasn't told why Ebsen had dropped out (and in the meantime, the Tin Man make-up was changed from aluminum dust to aluminum paste as one of its key components). However, his vocals remain whenever the song "We're off to see the Wizard" is played. Jack Haley's vocals were never used during the song, but were used for "If I Only Had a Heart" and "If I Only Had the Nerve." Ebsen's vocals are also heard in the extended version of "If I were King of the Forest," though the spoken segment has Jack Haley. Although no Ebsen footage from the film has ever been released, surviving still photos show him taking part in the Wicked Witch's castle sequence.

21) The various reprises of “If I Only Had _____” (A Brain/A Heart/The Nerve) are some of my favorite songs in the film. Not only is the tune itself sweet and memorable, but they each serve as slick simple introductions to each character’s core conflict.

22) Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I don’t have anything to say about that line I just wanted to include it in my recap post.

23) Although the Scarecrow is probably my favorite of the trio, the Cowardly Lion is the funniest I think.

The idea of his cowardice allows for a great amount of physical humor and humor in his dialogue. He’s the comic relief in an already very funny and sweet cast.

24) Apparently the actors playing the trio of characters would often show boat and try to steal the scenes from one another, to the point where the director (or whichever director was working that day, as this film had a lot) had to shout at them to let Judy Garland be the star because it was her story.

25) Man, these guys get to the poppy field WAY sooner than I remember!

I also didn’t remember that it got resolved by “Deus Ex Glinda” just casting a magical spell to kill all the poppies with snow. Which is weird considering it should be one of the most memorable scenes in the film.

26) Frank Morgan - the actor who played The Wizard and Professor Marvel - also plays the sentry in Emerald City, the coach driver in the city, and a third guard in the city. Now that we know of The Wizard’s tricky ways, I wonder if all three of these are not meant to be the same character.

27) There are parts in the Emerald City sequence I find a little on the lengthy side, a little superfluous. The songs where all of Dorothy’s squad is getting treated well is fine, it’s short enough. But I totally forget about the entire “King of the Forrest” number any time I watch the film and honestly don’t think the film needs it. But that’s just me.

28) I think part of the Witch’s truly threatening nature is through the strong visuals this film uses. “Surrender Dorothy” is a particularly memorable sight, as black ash fills the sky of an otherwise happy place.

29) I will say though, even though I find the whole “King of the Forrest” song a bit pointless, it does have this nice bit:

Lion: What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage!

30) Probably the time the Lion is at his funniest is when the group is approaching The Wizard.

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Also The Wizard is kind of a jerk.

31) Dude, there’s a door just a few feet away. You DON’T need to go through the window!

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32) Where the heck did the Scarecrow get a gun? Where’d the Tin Man get a giant wrench?

This movie is weird. I love that.

33) The Flying Monkeys!

Another example of incredible imaginative imagery.

34) Okay so...why does the Witch want the slippers? I mean we have theories in all OTHER forms of Wizard of Oz media. They belonged to her sister, they have the power to jump worlds, she wants a little color in her wardrobe, but the film itself never gives a reason. She just WANTS them.

35) I always really appreciated the devotion the three friends had when going to rescue Dorothy. I don’t know, it just sort of moves me the friendship they were able to craft in such a short time.

36) So this scene with the guards singing:

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I did a production of Our Town YEARS ago and there was this girl in the cast who said she grew up thinking these guys were chanting, “Oreo! O-RE-o!” Which, you know, makes sense. That was funny enough on it’s own. Then Wreck-It Ralph came out...

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37) For some reason “Night on Bald Mountain” plays as Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man go to rescue Dorothy from the which. Because why not, I guess.

38) The fact that water melts the witch - while iconic - sort of comes from nowhere. Was there something earlier in the film that was supposed to foreshadow this? It’s very Deus Ex Machina.

39) The Wizard revealed!

A for effort dude.

40) The scene where The Wizard is handing out the gifts for everyone (a diploma for Scarecrow which works as a brain, the “heart” for Tin Man, a medal for lion) is very funny. Frank Morgan benefits from his fast talking yet sincere nature.

Scarecrow [after receiving his gift]: “How can I ever thank you enough?”

The Wizard: “Well, you can’t.”

And then I love this too.

Dorothy [after The Wizard talks about getting here in a runaway hot air balloon]: “Weren’t you frightened?”

The Wizard: “Frightened? Child, you're talking to a man who's laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe... I was petrified.”

41) I either don’t understand the lesson here or I do and I dislike it. Dorothy has this line of how if she ever wants something again, she’ll just look in her backyard because “there’s no place like home.” While I appreciate the sentiment of, “There’s no place like home,” the idea of home is not defined by the place you grow up in. It’s the place where you feel the most safe, the most comfortable, the place you miss when you’re not there. It’s usually defined by people, not location. Good people who treat you well. So while Dorothy does have that back in Kansas, the line about her backyard throws me.

The Wizard of Oz is a classic and for good reason. It’s colorful and vibrant imagery will stick with children of all ages, and through all its parts combined it just captures the imagination of childhood perfectly. It’s mostly pure, innocent, but not in a naive or babyish way. It’s an entertaining treat everyone should see at least once.

#The Wizard of Oz #Judy Garland #Margaret Hamilton #Frank Morgan #Wizard of Oz #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Movie #Film #GIF

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keywestlou · 6 years

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KICK 'EM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN.....THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

The U.S. and Turkey are supposedly friends. Both led by authoritarian figures. Trump and Turkey’s President Erdogan. Birds of a feather.

Turkey has always been considered a key American ally. The U.S. has a large military base there. There is also a NATO base.

Friends no more. A pissing match instead. Trump is irritated Erdogan will not release an American minister it has held prisoner since 2016. Trump suggested an exchange. Some Turkish citizen the U.S. has been holding.

Erdogan said no. No one says no to Trump. Especially another authoritarian figure. As far as Trump is concerned, it is his way or the highway as far as Turkey is concerned.

Turkey has been hurting economically. Its currency fell to a record low this morning. Inflation 17.75 percent. The country is on the verge of an economic meltdown.

Turkey’s crisis has made the American dollar strong when pitted against Turkish currency.

Friday Trump delivered a major blow to Turkey. All because Turkey continued to refuse his demand that the minister prisoner be released. Trump doubled the tariffs already imposed on Turkey as part of the tariff wars. Aluminum rose to 20 percent and steel 50 percent.

Trump tweeted friday with the news: “Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!”

European and Asian stock markets have reacted to the tariff increases. The feud perhaps the start of a world wide recession similar to 2008. Though not considered imminent at this time. Turkey’s economy ranks only 17th world wide.

My concern is it only takes a spark to start a forest fire. One of the major California fires still burning a perfect example.

Trump is kicking a “friend” while the friend is down. Not what friends are for!

Now to my yesterday.

Brunch 10 to 12 at Hard Rock Cafe. Terri White was singing with Larry Baeder. A WOW! Great show! Performances outstanding! Be certain to go next week. Terri and Larry will regularly appear at brunch time every sunday.

For a blind woman, my girl does terrific!

Terri has another gig tonight. She is singing with Dueling Bartenders Tom Luna and Rick Dery at Aqua.

Go girl, go!

Spent the afternoon watching the PGA. Excellent golf. Brook Koepka won. By 2 strokes over Tiger Woods.

Brook has won 3 of the last 6 majors. Only 28. He has only one other win. A tour win. Unusual for someone who has won three big ones.

Tiger gets better every week. He is due back as a winner soon. And then a consistent one.

Tiger shot a 64 yesterday. His putting not yet what it was. Had a few dropped, he would have won.

On one of the last holes, he hit a 40 foot plus putt. It hung on the lip of the cup. Everyone holding their breaths waiting for it to drop. It did not.

Jean Thornton and I partied together last night. Began at the Orchid Bar. Victor bartending.

I meet a lot of interesting people. A couple I met at the Orchid Bar last night, one of the most interesting.

Dan and Pam. Now hail from Largo, Florida.

Dan is retired from the New York City Carpenter’s Union. Pam still working. Bookkeeper for general contractors.

Dan described two jobs he was especially proud of. One was the scaffolding when the Statue of Liberty was being shaped up. The other involved something to do with a major job at the UN where he had 80 men working under him.

Then to the Rum Bar. Jean and I not traveling together. Jean rides her bicycle all over town.

The Rum Bar will be a regular sunday stop for me. My friend Lauri the bartender there sunday evenings. Left Aqua after 17 years to work the Rum Bar.

With Lauri running the show, the Rum Bar is quickly becoming a new locals place. Donna and Terri, Sally, Ingrid, Art and George there when Jean and I arrived.

Jean and I decided on Antonia’s for dinner. Closed. Must be shut down for the slow days of August and September.

No problem. We went across the street to La Trattoria.

We had a terrific time! Jean a wonderful companion.

Tiffany bartending. She mentioned we have known each other for 25 years. True!

Dinner done. I was tired. Jean still raring to go. I went home. Jean peddled her bike to Vino’s.

The white nationals/supremacists were holding a major rally in Washington yesterday. Publicized Unite The Right 2. Turned out to be a flop. Only a small contingency of the group appeared.

Why?

These are bad people. Fascists, Neo-Nazis, and KKK members. They believe there is only one race. The white race.

They became empowered by Trump’s statement following Charlottesville last year. The President supported them. Seemed to legitimize them.

I think they realized though the President supported them, most of the people did not. The vermin disappeared back into the woodwork instead of participating in the rally.

This does not mean they will not return to raise havoc another day. They will. They are mostly young whites. Some are your neighbors, though you are not aware of their political leanings.

Be on your guard.

For the past several years, I have written and spoken re Afghanistan and its opium fields. Ninety percent of the heroin on American streets comes from the poppy seeds grown in Afghanistan.

How so if the U.S. has been engaged in a war in Afghanistan for 16 years? The poppy fields neither attacked or destroyed. Poppy farming goes on. Heroin a thriving business.

I have consistently suggested someone has to be on the take. More than one. Too much drug money involved for it not to be so.

A recent government report indicates that as the Afghanistan war progressed, opium production increased. Even though the U.S., separate from war dollars, has spent $8.62 billion between 2002 and 2017 in an effort to eradicate the opium problem.

The attempt to eradicate an absolute failure. As the report stated: “Afghanistan remains the world’s largest opium producer, and opium poppy is the country’s largest cash crop.”

Enjoy your day!

KICK ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE DOWN…..THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR was originally published on Key West Lou

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fourstarkitchen-blog · 6 years

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Allison Robicelli Shares Recipes from Her Kitchen

Allison Robicelli had zero intention of moving from Brooklyn to Baltimore. “You have this view that New York is the center of the universe, and I was taught that from birth,” says the Brooklyn-born-and-raised Robicelli. “I was like, ‘Why would I ever leave New York?’”

But after enduring the rat race of running a successful bakery business, dealing with difficult customers, and putting in grueling 90-hour work weeks, she had second thoughts. “It was like 1,000 little cuts,” she says. “We felt trapped in the city, and it was only getting more expensive. I went on Facebook and said, ‘Someone give me a reason to stay in New York.’” The responses surprised her. “The reasons to stay were bagels and pizza, but I got 100 responses, all from friends, saying, ‘Get out!’”

So, on a lark, the James Beard Award-nominated writer and her husband, Matt, made their maiden visit to Baltimore in October 2015. “I had a friend who had just moved back to Baltimore,” recalls Robicelli, “and she said, ‘I’m so happy here.’ When we spoke, I was like, I know the Yankees played there, but I had never been to Baltimore.”

The duo fell hard—and fast. “We drove around from neighborhood to neighborhood, north to south and down Charles Street,” she recalls. “What got us were the small businesses in Hampden and the fact that there was a record store there, and then there was this woman playing the tuba as she hung off the side of her house and started talking to our kids. The soul of where we’d been living was gone—it’s what we missed in New York, but found in Baltimore.” By August 1 of 2016, Robicelli’s birthday, they had relocated to Charm City.

Ingredients

8 ounces cranberry juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon clove

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ cup sugar

8 ounces apple juice

12 ounces Mobtown Fermentation apple spice kombucha

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberry juice, cinnamon, clove, ginger and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, and remove from heat. Cool completely.

In pitcher or carafe, mix cranberry syrup with apple juice and kombucha. Pour over ice and garnish.

In fact, Robicelli, now a Pigtown resident with Matt and their two sons, Toby, 10, and Atticus, 9, has become such a booster of Baltimore that she’s already written 111 Places in Baltimore That You Must Not Miss about her newly adopted city, including the food scene, of which she has become a fast fan. “The food scene here shows so much promise, and there’s room for experimentation,” says Robicelli, who features The Charmery, Chaps Pit Beef, and Hoehn’s Bakery in her book. “It reminds me of the creative spirit we came into Brooklyn with. There are people here who have really found their voices, like Avenue Bakery and Dovecote Cafe.”

Robicelli first found her own voice—and calling—in her teens. “It was a friend’s birthday, and I said, ‘I should make a cake,’” she recalls. “And another friend was like, ‘You can’t make a friggin’ cake,’ and, I was like, ‘Watch me, asshole.’ So I made a cheesecake and it wasn’t terrible, then I got into a thing where I was like, ‘I’m going to bake a cake for every one of your birthdays.’”

Shortly before her 21st birthday and while still a student at The New School, Robicelli was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She found herself with tons of time on her hands between treatments.

“I thought, ‘I can sit here and cry and let cancer have this year, or I can have this year,’” she recalls. “I got into reading about cooking, and then, when I got better, a neighbor said, ‘You should do this for a living.’”

¾ cup whole milk, scalded and cooled to room temperature

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

4 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 package instant yeast

2 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1½ cups cream cheese or Farmer’s cheese

1 small can pumpkin

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup Confectioners sugar

Combine the milk, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until yeast begins to bubble, about five minutes. In a measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and the melted butter.

Add flour to the bowl and place on the mixer equipped with the dough hook attachment. Turn to medium for one minute, then slowly stream in the butter and eggs. When it begins to make a dough, add the salt. Continue to run the mixer until the dough becomes shiny and forms a ball that does not stick to the side of the bowl. Take the bowl off the mixer, remove dough hook, and cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes. (Note that this can take longer or shorter depending on the heat of your kitchen.) When dough has doubled in size, punch it down to deflate. Lightly grease a large cast iron pan or skillet with butter, then press dough across the bottom to make the bottom crust. Set aside, loosely tented for another hour. Alternatively, you may wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it overnight until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375.

In the mixer, cream the butter, sugar, pumpkin and cheese together. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure the mixture is smooth, then mix in eggs and vanilla.

Once again punch down the yeast dough, using the bottom of a glass to flatten. Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly across the cake. Using a mesh sifter, evenly distribute the cornstarch across the top of the cake, then place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes until just a bit jiggly on top.

Let cake sit for at least 30 minutes. Dust top with powdered sugar before serving.

“The soul of where we’d been living was gone—it’s what we missed in New York, but found in Baltimore.”

Robicelli worked in New York neighborhood restaurants and also catered, including one gig for the grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. “On my block, everyone was always sending food to each other, and that’s how we learned,” she says. “You got excited when the Greek woman down the block was making cookies or the Polish people were having a party. We were middle class and I could never afford to travel, but with cooking, I could travel the world in my backyard.”

With their beloved bakery, which featured hundreds of whimsical flavors of cupcakes (and mad cooking skills evident in the dish and drink like the ones on these pages), the Robicellis were a fixture on the New York food scene and have fast made their mark here.

With all the growth and development in Baltimore, Robicelli is hoping that Charm City will be able to maintain its many charms. “We got gentrified out,” she says of why she left Brooklyn. “I won’t have any part of it. We want the underdog. We put the work into Brooklyn to make it better—and then, suddenly, we didn’t exist. We want other people to come see Baltimore and invest in it, and that will give meaning to what we did. People are so proud of Baltimore, and they make me proud of it, too.”

Butternut Panzanella

Allison Robicelli’s Butternut Panzanella features items from two of the writer’s favorite local haunts. “The panzanella highlights the rolls from Avenue Bakery and the bacon-stuffed bacon from Krakus Deli,” she says. Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

4 ounces Boczek parzony i faszerowany Polish bacon from Krakus Deli

6 “Poppy’s” Rolls from Avenue Bakery

2 large shallots

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

⅓ cup olive oil

5 ounces baby arugula

1 ounce fresh sage

Preaheat oven to 400 degrees. Line three sheet pans with parchment or aluminum foil.

Peel butternut squash, scoop out seeds, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss with sugar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, flipping squash over halfway through the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.

Slice the Boczek parzony i faszerowany into strips and arrange evenly on the other sheet pan. Roast until crispy, between 10-15 minutes. While that is cooking, prepare the croutons. Cut the Poppy’s rolls into rough 1-inch pieces and spread out on the third baking sheet. After the Boczek comes out of the oven, pop in the rolls and bake until dry and crisp.

Finely mince one shallot and add to a large bowl with Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar. Slowly add olive oil while vigorously whisking to make the dressing.

Place the arugula in the bowl with the cooled butternut squash and croutons. Slice the remaining shallot into thin pieces, thinly chiffonade the sage, chop the Boczek, and add everything to the bowl. Toss for at least a minute to make sure all the ingredients are well coated with dressing and butternut squash. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Source

http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2018/1/22/allison-robicelli-shares-recipes-from-her-kitchen

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