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soapoet · 7 months

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What are you like as a spouse?

requested by anon.

like & rb if it resonates ♡

01.

Shufflemancy: Stay with me by Anson Seabra

As a spouse you are a little territorial. You trust your partner, but everybody else is under your careful scrutiny. You very easily pinpoint weeds in your garden, and pull them out root and stem swiftly. Your spouse can rely on you to be on the look out for all sorts of dangers, big or small. Security is of great importance to you, both regarding your relationship and your loved ones, and yourself. Perhaps less so yourself, as you seem to have an instinct to protect which sometimes overrules your own safety. You could relate to the knight archetype to some extent, the concept of serving and protecting. There is an intensity to your love that is like a fine wine, and simply intoxicating to your partner. You're akin a guard dog; out in public you are an intimidating presence ready to bark and bite should need arise, but behind closed doors your service is paid for in tender love and care and you melt when your partner dotes on you. And your spouse adores this duality in you, dominance and submission merged into one.

You're observant, and pay careful attention to your partner's wants and needs, and this lends itself to both an intuitive understanding and awareness of your partner's feelings and the shifts that occur, and makes you a great gift-giver too. You're also a great example of the "girlfriend effect" (regardless of gender) because you encourage your partner's authentic self expression and help them daringly try new things, style wise but also in general. It is safe for your partner to take leaps of faith in career and other matters that may come with risks, because you stand watch and are always there to catch them should they fall. It's possible that you're a late bloomer, or have a series of tumultuous relationships before finding your person, which leads you to take things slowly, desire clarity, and develop effective communication skills to avoid misunderstandings with your spouse. You have a deep need for emotional support and reassurance, so your spouse is somebody who you can truly trust and feel the ground sturdy and secure beneath your feet in their presence, and find shelter and comfort in their arms when you need it.

For some, the term spouse is used loosely, as formal marriage may not be of interest to you if you have any qualms regarding tradition, or simply prefer the intimacy of privacy. Some could opt for court house marriage with a lowkey get together with loved ones at a later date, and others none, and simply commit as life partners without legalities or traditions taken into consideration. If marriage does occur, it's likely to happen later once career matters are stable.

If you and your partner have children, you are your child's biggest cheerleader and encourage any interests of theirs, fuel their passions and show up to their activities to support them. Strong likelihood of children who are outcasts of some sort, deemed strange by their peers, bullied, could be neurodivergent, queer, or otherwise experience difficulties growing up, which you are uniquely equipped to handle and care for. Some in this group may simply decide to have no children of their own, or consider fostering as an alternative, but could otherwise deal with children, especially the unfortunate, in their community or on a larger scale in society.

Additional details: oddly specific spotify playlists, swords and daggers, rpgs, tarot, history, psychology, the moon, moths, wolves, pirates, red or purple lips, cherries, citrus fruits, birthday dinner, makeovers (self or room idk??), emails, documents, nintendo, tattoos, kuromi, donuts, fairs or theme parks, escape rooms, the nightmare before christmas, wednesday and the addams family, fate: the winx saga, euphoria, purple, chai, scorpio/aries/aquarius/gemini, saturn/mars/moon/lilith, april/march/november/december.

02.

Shufflemancy: This side of paradise by Coyote theory

As a spouse you are a breeze. A gentle caress of the sea blowing through your spouse's hair on the beach. You're a little bit of an old romantic, and may have an affinity with the classics or period dramas. You enjoy simplicity and peace, breaking bread at the kitchen table and quality time simply spent in the vicinity of your dear. Merely cooking together can be an adventure, as can the clean-up. You're attentive and try to be both a good friend and lover to your spouse. Resting your head on their lap and enjoying the silence, the act of nesting behind closed doors appeals to you, but you're partial to little getaways too just the two of you, slipping away somewhere near or far to see what you may find and get up to.

Physical closeness is important to you, but it is not possessive, suffocating, or clingy, but gentle and warm like a shelter from the storm. Your marriage is airy and light, and even the ceremony that got you to this point may be very cozy and intimate, invites sparce and spaces dimly lit. It's a very solitary life that you lead, with little socialising outside your little bubble. Contact seems restricted to only family and a couple of long-time friends and little else. You could even choose to live in the countryside or farther from the hustle and bustle of lively cities.

Should you have children, you are a very involved parent, as is your spouse. Messes are happy accidents and you emphasise comfort and peace in your child, and encourage them to make good friends, and you may very well come to consider your children's friends bonus children who can trust you as safe adults when they have nowhere else to turn to. Neither of you are very hard on your children, and do not mind if they don't succeed at everything so long as they try and have direction all within themselves. You're forgiving and patient, both with your spouse and children. You would do particularly well raising a child of the opposite sex, masculines doing well at raising feminines and vice versa.

You may take longer to feel ready to date in general, or due to circumstances or personal issues have a delay in romance, but once you do stumble upon love, commitment is sure and stable and long-lasting. Many are likely to marry their first love or first serious partner, and others could experience the classic friends to lovers arc that slowly blossoms but then remains in bloom forever if cared for.

Additional details: paper planes, strategy and simulation games, chess, archeology, history, cartography, geography, museums, genealogy, family events (dinners, birthdays, weddings, baby showers, funerals), babysitting, cats and mice, twitch, youtube, memes, news, acoustic guitar, green, lotus flowers, blankets, sweet tea, conventions, comics, anime, cartoons, arts and crafts, sticks and stones, seaside, countryside, camping, hiking, road signs, numbers, dirt roads, pine trees, virgo/aquarius/cancer/libra, mars/sun/neptune/ascendant, january/march/july/september.

03.

Shufflemancy: Somebody to you by BANNERS

As a spouse you are quite the little ray of sunshine, but also the sudden gust of winds of change. You are collaborative, and may serve as either the artist or the muse. Both, perhaps, as there is inspiration being exchanged between you and your spouse like sparkling water shared between two cups, clear and fizzy, as sharp as it is delightful and refreshing. You're enthusiastic and cheer your spouse on, loud and proud, supporting them in their trials and assure they have your arms to run into when they return with their accolades and treasures. You may easily get flustered, and try to avenge your spouse by attempts to charm and woo them in return, even if just to wipe the smug smile off their face as their bask in the glory of making your little heart flutter.

You may be a little needy, or quick to feel discouraged, but you're just as easily brought back to your feet with kind and reassuring words and helpful hands. You try your best to make yourself useful even in situations that are new to you, especially if your partner could use the help. You're able to laugh at yourself, but also communicate when the stumble actually hurt so that your spouse can kiss it all better. Regardless of your age, you will retain a youthful air about you, which will keep things interesting as you always find new adventures and things to share.

If you have children, you'll let them grow in whichever direction they best find the sun and rain to bloom in their time and their way. You love your freedom, and want to bestow it upon your child too, who will grow up to be very close with you and consider you a great friend and trusted confidante with whom they may share all their joys and sorrows without judgement. Some of you may not have children and instead raise fur babies, travel the world with your spouse, or create an alternative kind of family of misfits and kindred spirits amongst your peers.

You are very bubbly and sociable, and eagerly introduce your partner to your friends and make merry with theirs. You could really rejoice in the merging of your individual friend groups for the sake of building a community to call home. You enjoy exchaning favours, and have the mindset and desire of managing tasks between both you and your spouse and your community so that different strengths get utilised to combat defeat should somebody have to face big challenges they're not equipped to handle. So, though you may be called chaotic from time to time, you're still a good taskmaster and collaborator, who does not keep score, and manage your spouse and groups of people well even though things aren't colour coded and organised from A to Z.

Additional details: daydreaming, dream journals, streaming, paperwork, paint, coffee stains, red and blue, strawberries, avocado, live chat, chopsticks, van or camper or truck, packages, identity crisis, illness/medicine, learning, waiting, theatre, pets, money, siblings or cousins, slurpees, sushi, suburbs, small towns, interviews, phone calls, sneakers, broken windows, kpop and jpop, manga or manhwa, lore, toys, polar bears or bears in general, empty playgrounds, twitter/x, instagram, lost and found, wooden trinkets, herbs. capricorn/sagittarius/leo/pisces, jupiter/venus/uranus/vesta/chiron, march/june/august/october.

04.

Shufflemancy: Dandelions by Ruth B.

As a spouse you seem to be a jack of all trades, the scales of justice perfectly balanced. Your diligence and the ease at which you tackle tasks, the perseverance you show despite life's challenges, and how you always get back up again when you get knocked down, all makes you a wonderful partner. You are goal-oriented, but know when to slow down and relax. You push your partner to chase their dreams, but know not to push too hard and when to offer up comfort and quiet reassurance instead.

You may have a little bit of a saviour complex, as you pride yourself in both your ability to help and your emotional intelligence. You are patient, and know that in life there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all, and you're uniquely able and willing to find missing pieces of puzzles so that everybody finds what works for them, and will be a healing presence to your spouse especially. Your spouse finds you to be a rock, but let's not kid ourselves and pretend you don't melt like butter when they pull you close and tell you to relax, and lull you to sleep with a heartbeat and fingers running through your hair. Your spouse is well aware of how hard you work and how heavy the burdens on your shoulders sometimes become, and insist that you are no Atlas, at least not in the sanctuary you call home where you may rest and recharge.

Should you have children together, you may settle into traditional or otherwise clearly defined roles and assure neither of you take on too much and both get to be involved in the life of your children to an equal extent. You're likely the problem solver and the one to help with the homework, and deeply encourage active and social pursuits to ensure your children grow up healthy and experience relationships with people of all walks of life. With the combination of you and your spouse, your children are likely to grow up gentle but quick to defend the underdogs and fight injustice. Assuring your children have access to options and opportunities as well as a safety net to fall back on should it be needed is something you will both make sure of. Note that this is the only group I have no alternatives for and sense no absence of children, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if you really do not want children, take double or triple the precautions.

You may enjoy home improvement or possibly have either you or your spouse working from home. You delegate responsibilities fairly and make consistent efforts to show your spouse your care and affection, especially through acts of service and the kindest of words when they are at their lowest. Though you are responsible and often do things by the book, there is a little streak of mischief and wanderlust that I sense, which keeps things interesting, making you a balance between homebody and explorer. You may have great banter with your spouse and frequently tease each other.

Additional details: car rides, crying, nerves, vhs tapes, siblings, young people, writing and rewriting, praise, headbands, flannels, glasses, family issues, guardian angels, cleaning, mermaids, rodents, deer, letters, arguments, flowers, office (work or the show idk), radio station, static, noise, real estate, architecture, mushrooms, pickles, salads, sleepless nights, muscle pain (or strain), sleepless nights, sleeping on the couch, glasses, hair cuts, lilies and elderflowers, soap, hugs and hand holding, patience, reluctance, overcoming fear, hearing music from another room, virgo/cancer/capricorn/aquarius, pluto/sun/venus/juno/union, june/august/october/november.

05.

Shufflemancy: Slow dancing by Aly & AJ

As a spouse you like to be in charge, or wear the pants, so to speak. Somebody has to tell the waiter your spouse asked for no pickles, right? Though you have a dominant energy about you, you are very nurturing and full of love and care and can be surprisingly sensitive emotionally. You like to stay on top of things and have things to do, places to be, and you could serve as something of a secretary in your relationship. Your spouse can always rely on you to know what to do and to get the Christmas cards sent out on time. You have a taste for the finer things in life and enjoy indulging in these together with your spouse. You likely introduce your spouse to many new things, be it music, literature, politics, foods, or some lifestyle and habits you maintain.

You revel in the quality time spent with your spouse, though you're independent and encouraging of them living their life separate from yours too whilst you engage with your own endeavours. You are secure and loyal, and give your spouse no reason to doubt your commitment and you speak as highly of them as they of you, so shenanigans and misfortunes stay at bay. You may have only few but close friends, but keep them for life and they enjoy the company of your spouse. You may frequently host dinner parties or other intimate get togethers in your home with the few privileged to know the two of you.

As a parent you would raise well-mannered and good children, to whom you would teach many of your own talents and push them to hone and master their own abilities and take both their interests and responsibilities seriously. You have a close bond with children even if you do not have them, which for many may be the case, and you could instead together with your partner be very involved with the children of your friends or family and serve as godparents or the cool aunts/uncles. You may still teach these children valuable lessons and be an important adult figure in their lives, and possibly lend your talents to teach them new skills.

You may also work with your spouse, be it through a mutual or related field, literally sharing the same workplace, or by joining up to start a business together or works as collaborators on separate passion projects. You're highly encouraging of them and push them to pursue their goals and even wildest dreams because with you in their corner there aren't many places in the world they couldn't go.

Additional details: co-op games, cookbooks, bullet journals, weddings, calendars and memos, perfect timing, awkwardness, dogs and canines in general, horses, rapunzel, children, phone calls, electric guitars, drums, men and fathers, streetlights, stalking, power outages, doctor's appointments, pedagogy or social work, education/school, stage fright, long distance travel, reunions, road trips, ice cream, spicy food, alcohol, orange and pink, pearls, grapefruits and blood oranges, hot chocolate, lgbt+, anxiety or depression, archery, sleepovers, libra/taurus/leo/cancer, mars/mercury/pluto/descendant, april/may/october/december.

06.

Shufflemancy: Comethru by Jeremy Zucker

As a spouse you are a natural in many ways, even, or especially if, you worry that you aren't. To your spouse you are a very nurturing and compassionate, gentle lover, who is intuitive and always seems to know the right words that they need to hear or the moment to hug them from behind and press your head against their tense and tired back. You dedicate yourself to being a source of light to your spouse, and tend to be quite romantic, albeit you get shy and blush even decades into the marriage when they return the sentiment. You learn quickly to express boundaries and communicate your needs to your partner if that has been a struggle in your past as they make a big effort to make sure you make your voice heard. You carefully consider their feelings, as they consider yours. You could as a couple have an almost telepathic connection, an inherent understanding and the blue print of each other's soul, knowing each twitch and micro-expression to know when the other requires assistance or wishes to leave a situation, etc.

You may find the role of a homemaker ideal, though you aren't without your own ambitions and occupational ideals. You could for a time be a stay-at-home spouse, or parent, but simultaneously engage with your own projects and end up working from home. You really make home feel like home, and your spouse finds relief and peace every time they return home. You have an eye for aesthetics and a way to make any space feel cozy, inviting, warm, and comfortable. Even though you are more of a homebody and like the solitude, your friends may rejoice in their visits and feel at home in your house and you could occasionally agree to host bigger holidays in your home, because really, nobody does Christmas like you do.

You are very clever and learn quickly, and your curiosity takes you on quite a few adventures in just one afternoon, and you enthusiastically share these wonders with your spouse and coax out their own adventurous and speculative side. You could spend hours talking and never seem to run out of things to speak of, but also find comfort in enjoying the silence. You're affectionate and like to be close to your partner, but eventually slip away as your mind begins to wander and take you in different directions. You have a youthful and ever-curious energy that your spouse delights in.

As a parent you would truly dedicate yourself to parenthood and rejoice in even the little steps and achievements of your little ones. You are doting, but not a doormat and find that your children trust and respect you without being told or taught to. You encourage your children to think for themselves because you value logic as much as feelings. Good reasoning skills and the ability to judge things on a case by case basis is something you will instill in your children. Your children are likely to grow up very independent and just the right balance of kind and clever to be an asset to society. Both you and your spouse share a deep distaste for the state of the world and are dedicated to raising children who know wrong from right and don't blindly follow anyone or anything and have the wires between head and heart connected. You and your spouse may both do a lot to improve your community and work to eventually leave the world better than how you found it.

Additional details: tears, keys, incoming text messages, psychiatry, therapy, home, teaching or writing, good luck, headaches, cramps, horror movies, haunted side of youtube/tiktok, conspiracy theories, stim toys, minecraft, rabbits, birds, cats, hoodies, grey and blue, energy drinks, vitamin water, winning, brownies, pancakes, soup, winnie the pooh, lion king, 2000s cartoons/music, fuzzy socks, beaded curtains or string lights, green or hazel eyes, candles, intuition, dust, sleet or snow, cold/grey/dreary weather, iron and vitamin d deficiency, water colours, astrology, vanilla or coconut scent, bubble baths, gemini/cancer/virgo/scorpio/libra, jupiter/neptune/moon/lunar nodes, february/may/june/october.

#pac reading #love pac #energy reading #intuitive reading #tarot reading #pick a card #pick a card reading #pick a pile #pick a picture #love reading #tarotblr #soapy.post

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hawkinsbnbg · 25 days

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For all the things those nimble hands could do, Eddie didn't know how to peel an orange without making a mess.

Steve always found it amusing how his husband could craft intricate pieces of artwork, but when it came to simple things, he suddenly became clumsy with flailing limbs and confused puppy eyes.

Despite his many attempts and determination, Eddie always failed in the end with ruined oranges clutched in his hands while juices spilling everywhere.

And Steve would eat them anyway. Because they didn't waste food, and because they loved each other at their best and their worst.

They were sitting on the couch with his feet in Eddie's lap as those deft hands rubbing and kneading the soreness away from his muscles.

"Wish I could learn how to do that," Eddie said while watching Steve peel the orange.

And you don't need to because I'm glad I can always do this for you, Steve wanted to say.

Instead, he tore the fruit in half and then shuffled into Eddie's lap.

As he fed his husband and himself section after section, he thought the aligned stars might as well have their names written on them.

Their fates were twining red strings, woven and knitted into a lovely knot.

"Teach me how to do it, sweetheart?" Eddie held him securely and pecked the corner of his lips.

"Peeling oranges?" Steve arched his eyebrow.

"Yeah, so I can pick out the white parts for you," Eddie gazed at him, warm like the Sunday morning when they slept in and cuddled while it was raining outside.

Steve met those chocolate eyes that filled his veins with honey and turned his inside into molasses.

Their love was a gentle thing, but no less powerful.

Just like an orange. It was built to share with many pulps and juicy flesh. And yet, its skin was unyielding, stubborn to a fault.

Even Steve had had to look up for a few tricks to take it apart.

And perhaps, that also applied to their love. To reach the rewarding part, one had to work for it.

Nothing had ever been easy for them.

But here, sitting in Eddie's lap and tasting the same orange with him, Steve felt like all those years, all their pains and losses had finally paid off.

"I can pick out the white parts myself," Steve pointed out gently.

"And what kind of husband am I to not help you with it?" Eddie countered with an easy smile. "We're one half of each other's, darlin'. I'm not gonna let you do anything alone."

"Even peeling oranges?" Steve leaned closer to whisper into those plump lips.

"Especially peeling oranges," Eddie gave him a citrus kiss, sour and sweet, fond and tender.

And Steve was putty in those loving hands.

Maybe, he thought dimly as Eddie took off his shirt, they could make marmalade together next time.

#steddie #married steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #mi media naranja #when peeling oranges is a love language #sionewrites

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shanastoryteller · 3 months

Note

Happy Valentine's Day 💘

Can I get something from Hades?

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Zagreus is right next to him, so close that their arms brush as they walk, but Thanatos has never felt further from him.

"Try this!" he says, beaming as he reaches up and plucks something that looks like plum but is more red than purple from a tree hanging heavy with fruit, it's branches so long that he doesn't even have to step off the road to grab it.

Megaera snatches it from his hand, looking it over suspiciously. People give them a wide berth as they walk through Zagreus's city, but people wave and bow and shout greetings as they pass.

Even in Elysium, there's not this much joy. People are happy here. It's not endless fighting and torment and a fruitless search for glory. It's people living in ease and comfort, creating and lounging and laughing.

Megaera bites into the fruit much the same as she'd bitten into Zagreus and frowns. "This doesn't have power like the ones on the surface do."

"Why would it need to? The ones one the surface are to keep people alive and strong and to help them make it through winter. Down here they're just tasty," He takes the fruit back and bites into himself before holding it out to Thanatos. "Eurydice manages the gardens and fields down here, more or less. We grow normal stuff too, that's just not as fun for me."

Thanatos bites into the fruit, places his teeth over the indents Zagreus's left behind. It's more tart, like a cherry, but with the bite of something like citrus. It's also not without power, but it's more like a pom or a bracing cup of coffee than the boons of his surface fruits.

"And what do the others do?" Megaera asks, licking the juice off her lips.

He gestures around them. "Sisyphus does most of the city planning, although sometimes people just build stuff they want, which is fine, but if it interferes with his, I don't know, organization, I end up having to move it to some place he deems suitable. Patroclus sort of just does whatever, you know?" He frowns. "People come to him with stuff, because I'm not around a ton, and he's pretty good at keeping the other two from going too overboard when I'm not around. He's like a mayor."

"What about Achilles?" Thanatos asks.

Zagreus grimaces. "Patroclus's husband is Patroclus's decision. I have the diamonds to buy out his contract, and it's not like there's any concern about him staying in Elysium now - he's one of mine. Eurydice loves Orpheus, I think, but she's still pretty pissed at him, but he's welcome too. Sisyphus will probably ban him from the lyre if he tries to play mopey music though."

Megaera says what Thanatos doesn't want to say. Can't bring himself to say. "What about us?"

Zagreus pauses, the sun that can't be the sun warming his skin and brightening his eyes. "What about - what do you mean? You work for my father. I know that."

"So you have no work for us to do?" she challenges, stepping closer so she can snarl into Zagreus's face.

He spreads his hands, like he's helpless, like that's something he can be when he wields the power of a god of the pantheon even without a throne. "It's not really - I don't tell people what to do, none of this was really planned. Even Eliana kind of just - people just do things and I let them, really."

"And will you?" Thanatos asks, desperate and lonely and longing and trying not to show and of it. "Let us?"

Zagreus stills, shooting him a lopsided smile that almost makes him feel like everything isn't crumbling from underneath him. "If that's what you want."

When it comes to Zagreus, all Thanatos does is want.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #random-human-or-am-i #hades game

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sometimesanalice · 6 months

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In a Place Just Right

Summary: It's your first year hosting Thanksgiving in San Diego for the Daggers and Bradley can tell you're a little nervous about it. But he already knows it's going to be one for the books, because any holiday spent with you better than anything he could have imagined.

Pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Female Reader

Length: 5K

Warnings: fluff and allusions to smut (minors dni)

(author's note: this fic is set in the 'Like I Can Universe', but can be read on it's own! Happy Thanksgiving, friends!)

For the last six years Penny has been the one to host Daggersgiving, but this year hostess duties had fallen on your plate. Needless to say, Bradley knew you were more than a little stressed about it.

When you had asked him about his opinion on the merits of canned cranberry sauce versus homemade he’d blinked at you a few times before asking, “Is this a thing people care about?”

He’ll never forget how adorably aghast you looked to learn that he had no preference on the matter. And maybe if you had asked him when the sun was up instead of at 3 AM he might have known better than to give you such a noncommittal answer.

“Both, we’ll have both,” you’d stated resolutely.

“Whatever you want, kid," he’d murmured as he’d pulled you to his chest and wrapped an arm around your stomach. His smart and beautiful wife. "Now go back to sleep, you’re supposed to be dreaming of sugarplums not cranberries."

“Wrong holiday, Bradley,” you’d sighed contentedly, relaxing against him. And it hadn’t taken you long to fall back asleep with that cranberry crisis having been averted.

But now people were due to show up in less than an hour and you are frantically fluttering and huffing around the kitchen like a madwoman in a very pretty green dress, "I knew that quickie was a bad idea. You're never quick, Bradley."

He’d been away and missed many holidays over the years due to his career.

Your mom had always made it clear that he had an open invitation to join in whatever merry festivities were happening with your family, but more often than not it rarely aligned with him being stationed all over the world. But he’d always been happy to get to have a phone call with you and eat the homemade cookies you’d sent him on those years spent apart.

But now Bradley got to look forward to spending every holiday with you in the home you shared with him.

Over the last week the house had slowly but surely transformed into something that was straight out of a magazine.

There was a display of pumpkins, ribbons, and a garland of strung dried orange slices that decorated the fireplace. And overpriced candles from your favorite store flickered cheerfully on every surface that wasn’t a fire hazard to a bunch of enthusiastic Naval aviators. The dining table was dressed up to the nines and everyone spot with their names painstakingly written in your pretty script on a place card sitting in a pinecone.

You had even made some oversized confetti in the shape of oak leaves out of some old books, the copy of ‘Why Men Love Bitches’ that Nat had given him years ago as a joke was finally repurposed and recycled into something more festive over where the beverages had been set up.

The whole house smells amazing. Warm cinnamons and nutmegs mixing with bright citrus and rich vanillas. The kitchen island and countertops were filled with various plates and platters and bowls of dips, charcuterie, fruit and vegetables, nuts, and other savories. All the other dishes were being kept warm in the ovens for when everyone arrived and was ready to settle around the dining table for dinner.

Bradley was positive that no one would leave feeling hungry. He also wasn’t entirely sure where the things his friends are bringing were going to go, but there were worse problems to have.

Penny had taken Amelia with her to visit her family on the East Coast. They’d decided it would probably be better for Mav to hang back in San Diego for the holiday, those tensions with her dad were still a bit strained even though they’d been married for almost four years now.

Which is how the Bradshaw’s were hosting their first Thanksgiving for everyone.

This morning had been organized chaos. Some of the last minute-things had only managed to be checked off with the assistance of strong coffee and a good playlist.

However, he’d still managed to sneak in the opportunity to spin you around the kitchen to your wedding song when it came up on shuffle. After all the cranberries were still popping and boiling down; there was time for it, he'd always make time for it.

But that was then.

Now, you are glaring at him like you’d been personally victimized by him and his cock.

“You complaining, sweet girl?” he asks with a smirk, leaning his hip against the kitchen island watching as you briskly stir the gravy heating up in the copper sauce pot on the stove. “Don’t think that’s what I was hearing thirty minutes ago when we had that pretty green dress of yours bunched around your hips. Sounded something like ‘more, Bradley, more’ to me.”

You shoot him a look that would make a weaker man wither, but he’s built up an immunity to it over a lifetime of having it directed at him.

“I think that’s quite enough out of you,” you reprimand, but he sees the amusement in your eyes even as you fight to keep the annoyed façade on your face. “We’re behind schedule now. I thought I buffered in enough time, just in case-”

“Just in case you begged me to give you an orgasm to, and I quote, ‘help me chill out’?”

“I was kidding,” you say, stopping your agitated whisking to go fluff the stuffing instead.

“All I’m saying is that if my beautiful wife is begging for me, I’m certainly not going to say no. I’m only human,” he says with an all too pleased shrug.

Bradley grabs the can opener and works on opening the canned cranberry sauce. He reaches for a couple plates, holding them up for your approval and you point to the one on the right. The scalloped white one with gold rim it'll be.

“For the record, I certainly did not beg,” you say primly, glowering into the homemade stuffing that you’d had him get the bread from the nice bakery across town for.

“Sure, sure,” he drawls, the smirk growing wider on his face as he sets to freeing the jelly from its rippled container.

He knows he shouldn’t tease you right now, but you’re so cute when you get huffy that he can’t help himself. He’s known that petulant raise of your chin his whole life. And sometimes when he looks at you he can so clearly see the little girl he’d been forced to entertain for hours when your moms were hanging out.

You went from being his favorite nuisance to his best friend to his everything.

“Do I still look ok? Or do I need to do a quick refresh before everyone gets here?” you ask. You turn to fully face him, tilting your head one way and then another for his inspection.

He would happily stare at you all day if you’d let him. He loves your pretty eyes and what you’ve done with your hair.

“You’re beautiful,” he grins, “And if anyone asks, we can just say you’re flushed from all the cooking.”

“Bradley,” you whine setting down your wooden spoon down on the counter with a sharp thwack.

“Ok, ok. I’m done, I promise,” he says putting his hands up in surrender with a chuckle.

He pushes off the counter and grabs a glass off of one of the floating shelves and fills it with some ice water.

“Good,” you tut haughtily, as you fiddle with the white and orange striped kitchen towel hanging on the oven door, “I was about to threaten to make you sleep on the couch tonight.”

“You wouldn’t.” Even the thought of it makes his stomach feel unsettled.

After nearly two decades of hard beds on foreign bases and on lumpy carrier mattresses, he’s never slept as well as he did since the two of you found your way to each other.

His peace was found under a fluffy green duvet on a wooden canopy bed with you tucked under his arm.

“No. No, I wouldn’t,” you agree, leaning in to place a soft kiss to his cheek in thanks when he presses the cold glass into your hands.

Bradley tugs you away from the warm stove and you reluctantly follow and sit on the barstool he’s pulled out for you on the other side of the kitchen island.

He runs his hand up and down your back comfortingly as you take a few sips, “We’re in a great place, sweet girl.”

“Mhm, yeah. Sure, of course.” You couldn’t sound less unsure if you tried. “It’s just… I’m nervous about the mushroom and leeks bread pudding. I’ve never made it before. And what if we run out of wine?”

“What’s been our motto?” he asks, taking over the helm at the stove whisking the gravy together as it begins to thicken.

“‘In Ina we trust’,” you say with a serious nod of your head.

“Atta girl, we sure do. And Nat said she’s is bringing a few bottles she picked up from when she went to Napa, the good shit. It’s going to be great. Trust me,” he says giving you a warm smile. “Will it make you feel better to go over everything again?”

“Yes, please,” you say, anxiously drumming your fingers along the side of your water glass.

He’d stepped up where he could like making sure the house was pristine and cleaning up the yard by blowing off the wrinkled remainders of the yellow Tipuana flowers. He’d even been able to source and rent some more chairs to make sure that everyone would have a seat at the table.

Bradley wasn’t a schlump in the kitchen. He knew his way around a cookbook and a stove. His knife skills were pretty damn good too, if he did say so himself. But he also knew when somethings were out of his wheelhouse. So he’d taken to being your sous chef, and had taken to washing and prepping the ingredients for you so that all you had to do was toss them in whatever shiny pot they were destined for.

He even made his mom’s favorite pie. It had been years since he's had it, and he was excited to share it with everyone.

Your mom had mailed the copy of the original recipe she had that was written in Carole’s rounded, flourished script. You had made a photocopy of it to use so that the original didn’t get ruined, and then pointed out a spot on the wall where you said you’d thought it would look nice in a frame hanging in the kitchen. And he'd fallen a little more in love with you.

“Ok, hit me with it,” he says turning the heat to low for the gravy and putting the lid on.

This was a partnership through and through, he was going to give you all the support you needed.

“The turkey?”

Bradley picks up the fancy digital meat thermometer he’d bought for the occasion to check, “Big Bird has an hour and twenty more minutes to work on his tan and then he’ll rest for another thirty. Giving people time to graze and mingle and get some drinks in them, just like you wanted.”

You nod and hum contemplatively, “I’ve been thinking we need a salad. I don’t feel like we have enough vegetable options.”

He knows better than to point out that you’re currently snacking on snap peas from not one, but three, of the veggie platters the two of you had put together the night before.

“We’ve got the crispy brussels sprouts, the garlic and hazelnut green beans, and the honey glazed carrots with lemon. We’re more than fine on the fiber and beta-carotene. Michelle Obama would be proud, kid.”

That gets a little laugh from you.

“Well, as long as you think Michelle would be happy than we’re probably fine,” you say with a smile around your water glass that tells him you know exactly what he’s doing invoking your favorite First Lady.

“What else are you thinking about?” Bradley asks peering in the lower of their double ovens, where foiled covered dishes are lined up in perfect symmetry are warming away having been prepared in advance.

“Do you think two bags of rolls will be enough? Or should I text Mav and ask him to grab one more?”

He doesn’t miss the way your eyes dip down to his ass in his gray slacks. So he might linger as second longer than necessary to let you enjoy the view, since it’s for the female gaze and all.

He’s never understood wearing the most restrictive clothing on the holiday that involves the most eating, but that was Penny’s tradition to have everyone dressed in their nicest and you had insisted on keeping it going even if she was on the other side of the country.

You’d teased him earlier when you’d seen him emerge from the bedroom wearing the short-sleeved green cashmere polo you’d gotten him a couple years ago. It fit a little more snug that he remembered it, but he thought he still pulled it off well.

“When did we become the couple that matches?” you’d asked gesturing to your dress as you gave him an appreciative onceover.

If the past was anything to go off of, you would be running your hands over the soft material covering his chest and back all night.

“I just like reminding people who I belong with, sweet girl.”

He might have had something else in mind to wear for the evening before he saw you in that dress, had ironed the shirt the night before and everything, but last-minute pivot it was well worth it when you looked at him like that.

When he stands back up, he gives you knowing wink.

And in return you throw a baby carrot at him with a laugh.

Bradley isn’t surprised in the least to hear the quick clack-clack-clack of nails on the wood floors as their fluffy black and white Portuguese Water Dog rounds the corner. Having been summoned by the sound of food hitting the floor from where he had been dozing near the fireplace in the living room.

The carrot is gone in an instant and he comes to sit at Bradley's feet by the stove, looking up at him from under his curly eyebrows clearly hoping he'll get another snack.

“Nah, bud. You’re barking up the wrong tree over here,” he says leaning down to scratch his floppy ears.

“Ah, come here, Duck,” you croon, calling him over to your side of the island. “He’s so mean for a man who claimed he just saw God not too long ago, isn’t he?”

Bradley snorts and shakes his head at you amused.

He still doesn’t know how he ended up with a dog named Duck.

At the dog park, more often than not people mistook it for ‘Buck’. And you were usually off to the side more than happy to let him take the lead, biting your lip to keep from laughing at his less than enthusiastic expression when he’d have to warily explain yet again It’s Duck like quack.

You’re not even subtle about the piece of cheese you pull from the charcuterie board to feed him.

“I saw that,” he says, giving you a pointed lift of his eyebrow, “You know Bob is going to be spoiling him all night.”

“It was just a little piece of cheese. Plus, I don’t know who you think you’re fooling. I saw you go over there and deliver him his own little veggie platter with some of the leftovers we had while I was making the apple cider sangria.”

“That’s different, that’s good for him,” he says rounding the island, reaching over and snagging his own slice of cheese to snack on.

“And cheese is a protein. He’s just a baby, Bradley, what am I supposed to do? Not give him a piece of swiss?” You slide off your chair to squat down and rub Duck’s belly, you’ve always been his favorite.

“He’s almost five,” he replies flatly.

“A youth!” you exclaim, “He’s a growing boy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bradley says affectionately with a little roll of his eyes. He knows a losing battle when he sees one.

He offers you his hand to help you stand back up, but you wave him off and pull yourself up using the edge of the island. You take a moment to readjust your dress before making your way to the sink by the big windows that look out into the backyard.

“Speaking of Bob, do you know if he’s bringing his fiancée?” you ask from over your shoulder as you wash your hands.

“Not this time, sweetheart. I guess she volunteered to cover a shift in the NICU when she heard they were short staffed.”

“Oh that’s too bad, I was excited to see her ring in person,” you say drying off your hands and heading to the pantry.

“It’s all he can talk about at work. I guess they’re thinking about a Spring wedding next year. They don’t want to wait too long to get married.”

“I’m so happy for them,” you say, digging around for a moment and then emerge with a stack of some sturdy plastic plates and set them on the last free spot on the countertop. “Don’t let me forget to make them up a couple plates that he can bring home for her, before Fanboy declares it time for ‘second dinner’ and eats all the yams like he did last year.”

“I won’t forget, promise,” he says fondly.

If you were facing him, he knows you’d probably tease him for the look on his face and just how gone he is for you.

You’ve always been so generous, it’s one of the things that he loves most about you.

You were always good about hustling him out of his well-earned money from is part time job scooping ice cream in high school, like with the fundraiser you did for the local soup kitchen and the one for the elementary school summer arts program.

He’s always been wrapped around your finger, it just took him awhile to realize why.

It’s the same reason why there’s been a donation that comes out of his bank account every month for the last five years for one of the San Diego animal shelters.

Bradley had made a rather sizable donation and then set up a smaller reoccurring monthly one after the chaos that was the time Bob had set you up with his friend who worked at the shelter, back before the two of you had gotten together.

Even after all these years, he still can’t help but get a little irritated every time he sees that guy’s face in the monthly newsletter that comes to his email. He’s pretty sure Casey still might have a little crush on you, but Bradley can’t blame him. He’d have a hard time getting over you too, so it’s a good thing he’ll never have to.

On newsletter day, Bradley always finds himself giving Duck extra treats.

You are his wife. And Duck is his dog. Ridiculous name and all.

He couldn’t wait to surprise you with the golden tennis ball that the shelter sends out as a thank you after a decade of donations.

Only five more years to go.

You’re over by the bar that’s been set up off to the side, straightening the already very straight rows of gleaming wine glasses when he hears you suck in a sharp gasp.

Bradley drops the dish cloth he had in his hands as he attempted to give what little counter space there was left a final wipe down and is in front of you in half a heartbeat. Was there a fluke with some faulty stemware? Are you bleeding? There’s a reason Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days at the hospital.

“The butter!” you cry out as you whirl around, your pretty eyes welling up with tears, “I let you fuck me and I forgot to pull the butter from the fridge. It’s going to be too hard for people to spread now!”

He knows it’s more than just hosting jitters that’s got you like this, but it still catches him by surprise sometimes.

“Woah, woah,” he says as he catches you on the way to the fridge and pulls you to his chest, “C’mere, my sweet girl.”

You make a distressed noise but allow him to keep his hold on you, “But the butter…”

“I already pulled the butter, see?” He points to the sticks that are already softening away on the counter. “Will you take a couple slow breaths for me, please? This place looks and smells amazing. We did good, baby.”

Bradley feels the moment your body relaxes into him.

He presses a kiss to the side of your temple as he smooths his hands down your soft, pretty green velvet dress and the warm, firm curve of your rounded stomach soothingly.

“Ugh, I’m sorry. It’s the hormones,” you sigh, as you lean your head back against his shoulder.

He hums empathically as he sways gently side to side with you in his arms.

“I would like to go on the record saying that I like pregnancy hormones, especially the ones from earlier,” he jokes lightly.

“That makes one of us,” you say with a watery laugh, “Just wait until I am waking you up at 4 AM because I am craving something from a drive-thru that’s not open.”

“Mm, can’t wait,” he murmurs before dropping a few kisses along the soft line of your jaw.

Bradley still can’t believe he gets to be this lucky in life.

He doesn’t want to forget a single moment of this. With you, with his family.

“We did a really good job with this one,” he whispers into your ear, still stroking your stomach, not wanted to disturb the magic in the domesticity.

“We really did, da--” Bradley groans and cuts you off with a kiss. He can feel the impish smile plastered on your lips as he kisses you. His favorite menace.

He knows you’re pretty sure it was the spontaneous hook up in the storage closet at the Hard Deck on the Fourth of July that’s responsible for the noticeable bump you’re sporting. Call him a romantic, but he likes to think it was that night in the Bronco overlooking the ocean when he’d taken the long way back home.

You pull away all too soon for his liking to grab his left hand. He sees the flash of the two diamonds on your engagement ring, one from his mom and one from yours, as you take it and press it to a spot near your bellybutton.

The feeling of the fluttering under his palm will never get old. He’s not too proud to say he’d shed a tear or two the first time he’d felt it.

Bradley lets himself bask in this moment as he two of you stand there in the kitchen of your dream house.

There are a few pops from the wood in the fireplace, the refrigerator is humming away in the background, and he can just hear the sounds of a melodic piano from the playlist he queued up earlier playing over the speaker.

Of all the delicious scents that waft through the house, the smell the floral and musk notes in you perfume is still his favorite.

There are times in the soft quiet of night, usually when you are asleep and his mind won’t quite settle, that he sometimes thinks he was put on this Earth to hold you.

It’s the only reason he can think of that explains why you fit so perfectly against his body.

Why his palms can fit so perfectly over your rounded stomach.

Why it’s his hands that you have trusted to protect your heart.

And he’s still holding you in the warmth of the kitchen when he hears the front door open.

Bradley knows he’s going to have to play host soon and he just wants to keep you in his arms for just a little longer.

“Hey kids, I brought the turkey,” Mav calls out from the entry.

You spin in his arms, looking at him wide eyed and confused as you two exchange a look. He presses one last kiss to your cheek before letting you go.

“Thought you were going to bring the rolls, Mav,” Bradley calls out just in time to see him round the corner.

Pete stands there proudly grinning holding a few bags of bakery rolls in one hand and a turkey in the other.

The sound of your delighted laughter makes his heart swell in his chest as he takes in the sight.

“Cooper Mitchell Ford Bradshaw, you are without a doubt the cutest turkey I have ever seen,” you gush as you go to greet Mav with a warm hug and a kiss on his cheek. Your son’s chubby arms reaching out for you.

Mav has dressed your almost two-year-old son in a soft, plush turkey costume that is complete with tailfeathers and a beak. He’s clearly a fan of the outfit too because he is grinning widely, showing of the more of the baby teeth that have come in over the last few months.

Mav had swung by early this morning to take him off your hands to get ready for Daggersgiving without chasing an almost-toddler around. While it was nice to have some time just the two of you while you got the place in order and took care of the last-minute things, like that homemade cranberry sauce, but he’d missed not having his son around.

The sweet sound of Cooper’s giggles and your coos fill up the kitchen as he watches you pepper his face with kisses. You bounce him a little and do a little spin, making the little boy laugh even more. The two of you in your own little bubble.

“You doin’ ok over there, kid?” Mav asks, a soft grin on his face as he sets the rolls on the counter to pull him in for a hug.

The two men had made their way back to each other over the last few years, just another thing that Bradley was grateful for in his life. The man had always been his father in everything but name. That is until he’d seen the man who raised him hold his son for the first time.

“Yeah, Dad,” Bradley says, clearing his throat a bit, “Everything’s perfect.”

From there it’s a flurry of activity as people start to arrive.

Nat comes with her longtime girlfriend and the extra bottles of the fancy Napa wine she promised to bring. Only handing it over once he promised to give her the name of the contractor the two of you had worked with and the exact shade of green that was used on the lower cabinets during your kitchen renovation.

Payback and Fanboy and their wives show up wearing oversized turkey hats on their heads each carrying a bakery box of pie.

Bradley isn’t surprised when Duck ditches the attention that Coyote was giving him the second Bob shows up with the famous Floyd family scalloped potatoes. Bob has always been a sucker for a pair of puppy dog eyes.

And in between checking on people’s glasses, swapping out empty appetizer trays for fuller ones, and making sure Jake doesn’t tamper with his perfectly cooked turkey, he’s got his eyes trained on you.

There are no words for the pride and love that washes over him every time he looks over and sees you with his son propped up on your hip and the way your pretty dress stretches around your growing family.

He had missed this stage of your pregnancy when he was deployed and you were pregnant with Cooper. He was determined to savor every second of this one. Every butter related freak out and every late-night milkshake run.

Being in his house surrounded with all the people he loves, minus a couple who are here in spirit, isn’t something he could ever take for granted. It’s more blessings than he ever hoped to receive in this lifetime.

You look over your shoulder at him and everything about the way you’re looking at him is picture perfect.

Your smile sunshine gold and just for him as you hold his gaze for a moment as time ticks on around the two of you. You send him a little wink before turning back to Mav who has his phone held up for a FaceTime call with Penny and Amelia.

Bradley sees his son peek his head up from where it had been nestled into your neck. Cooper grins when he sees him, his tiny hand reaching out for his dad. For him.

As he makes his way over to the two of you with his heart full, he makes a mental note to ask Mav later where he got that costume. He’s already planning on running out tomorrow to see if they have any more in stock now that it seems they have a new Bradshaw tradition on their hands.

He’s going to have three little turkeys running around this time next year and he couldn’t wait.

Cooper and him were going to be outnumbered soon.

The two of you had found out earlier in the month that Everly Caroline Bradshaw and Olivia Saylor Bradshaw were going to be the newest members to join your little family.

His girls.

It was an announcement the two of you were excited to share later tonight with everyone else when the slices of pies were being passed around.

He scoops up Cooper from you with one arm, dropping a kiss onto his little boy’s perfect curls as his small fist clutches as the soft fabric of his shirt. And then Bradley kisses the crown of your head as he wraps his other arm around you, his thumb stroking the swell of your belly.

With you- because of you- he gets to have it all.

The wife. The family. The house. The dog. The life. The dream.

He’s right where he wants to be.

He’s right where he’s supposed to be.

Happy Thanksgiving! This was such a joy to write, thank you for reading!

It might not be Carole Bradshaw's famous pie, but it's one of my favorites! And who better to share it with than you! Cranberry-Lime Pie

If you haven't read the 'Like I Can' series you can read it here!

You can read my other stories here!

Taglist:

@gretagerwigsmuse @sehnsuchts-trunken @notroosterbradshaw @tongue-like-a-razor @laracrofted @bradshawsbitch @starryeyedstories @top-hhun-main @startrekfangirl2233 @callsign-viper @teacupsandtopgun @shanimallina87 @angelbabyange @oneelleandaneye @mizzzpink @cornishkat @alana4610 @20th-centu-fairy-girl @pono-pura-vida @donttouchmycarrots @eg-dr3amer3 @whaledots-blog @a-beaverhausen @hangmanscoming @mandolin22 @theweekndhistorybook @lilpeekabooze @high-bi-imgonnacry @ahintofkiwistrawberry @ruewrote @spiderman-stilinski @jayniebop @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @imaginecrushes @keyrani @chicomonks @artemissunn @mayempress @eddiemunsonreader

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x female reader #bradley rooster bradshaw imagine #rooster x you #rooster x reader #rooster x female reader #rooster imagine #bradley rooster x reader #bradley rooster x you

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anipgarden · 1 year

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Adding To or Starting a Garden

AKA, the beginning of the Plants-Related section of this series.

This is my third post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps!

Got an area of lawn you’d like to convert to a wildlife haven? An area you can stick some hanging baskets in? Want to know how your garden of tomatoes and zucchinis is already putting in a lot of work? This is the section for you!

It would be dumb of me to not acknowledge that the act of gardening can come with a lot of costs. Buying seeds, buying plants, buying soil, raised bed materials, mulch, etc. … it can all get a bit daunting, let’s be honest! But there’s quite a few ways to get seeds and plants for free or extremely cheap, which I’ll be addressing in this section! The next section will be all about addressing the other Costs in gardening and how to mitigate or eliminate them entirely.

Also, do keep in mind; there’s no need to try and convert a whole area from lawn to garden or unused to garden at once. In fact, it could actually be extremely beneficial to do it a little at a time--maybe four or five square feet to start out.

Front Lawn (or Managing Principles)

If you live in a place where you’re required to have a grass turf lawn (HOA’s come to mind…), try replacing it with native grasses instead! You could even possibly use a low-growing ground cover plant like clover to a similar effect! Reseeding/replacing an entire lawn can be a big upfront cost, but even just letting the lawn be a little messy and tall helps. If the lawn gets patchy, leave the bare spots for a little while and something different will likely pop up! Pioneer species will fill the gaps and provide benefits to other plants around them, support animals, and more! If you want to take the guesswork out of it, you could always research what the pioneer species are in your area and plant the ones you like most.

Obtaining Seeds for Cheap or Free

The cheapest way to start a garden is by far via seeds. However, seeds can be a bit complicated to grow, and some sources make them… way overpriced. Fortunately there are ways to get seeds for little to no cost!

Some places sell seeds for as low as a dollar, 50 cents, or 25 cents! The packets may not have a lot of seeds, but it’s definitely a good start for a low budget! I’ve personally bought cheap seed packets at Walmart--the Ferry-Morse and Burpee brands are not what we’re looking for here. Typically the cheaper ones I’ve found are American Seed (which is owned by Green Garden Products, which also owns Ferry-Morse, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed, and Seeds of Change. Do with that information what you will), but they’re rarely stocked near the Ferry-Morse ones in the Formal Gardening Section. I’ve most often found them on end caps near the gardening section, so you may have to weave through a few aisles to find them, but once you do there’s an array of flower and vegetable seeds to select from! Alternatively, I’ve found seeds at Dollar Tree sold 2 or 4 for a dollar in Spring as part of their seasonal product; however, when they’re out of stock, they’re typically out of stock for the year. Try to check them out early in the year!

Otherwise, other seed companies like Urban Farmer or Botanical Interests will often have semi-frequent sales in spring and fall, when people are stocking up on seeds--joining their email lists can help you be the first to know when a good sale is going on!

Some foods from grocery stores will provide seeds that you can use in the garden as well. I’ve had the most luck with store-bought bagged beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Some people have had luck with watermelons, apples, citrus, squash, and more. Do keep in mind that you likely won’t get the same variety of fruit/vegetable as the one you bought--the resulting plant may look different and taste different.

Give it a shot! Pick some beans you like--if they don't grow well, at least you can eat the rest!

If you live in the US, food-producing live plants, bare roots, and seeds can often be purchased with SNAP benefits. But what does growing fruits, veggies, and herbs have to do with boosting biodiversity? While food crops aren’t typically native, they still provide valuable shelter for native insects. Some plants even have intricate relationships with native fauna--like the squash bee, a solitary bee which exclusively pollinates cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. And we get to benefit more directly as well! If you’re planting a diverse range of foods in your garden (as opposed to the swaths of single-plant farms that typically produce what’s sent to grocery stores), you’re supporting high levels of biodiversity by providing a variety of plants for creatures to live and hunt around.

Most of the time, when we think of boosting biodiversity with a garden, we think of a colorful flower garden teeming with pollinator species. However, if we’re striving to use native species, it can be a bit difficult to find some species in stores. I can say from experience that trying to find any wildflower seeds other than butterfly weed, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed-susans is… challenging, if you limit yourself to stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. You might occasionally get lucky with an ACE Hardware or a local nursery, but even then sometimes it can be hard to track down who in your area is selling what--let alone if you live in an area where no one really is selling native plants or their seeds. Not to mention, even once you find a local or online store selling the seeds you want, they can sometimes cost a pretty penny. So what do you do?

If you have the option to, consider gathering native seeds yourself! Get good at identifying the native flora and fauna--or at least, a few target plants and their lookalikes--and get ready to go! Learn where they tend to grow, when they’ll be seeding, etc. Try to identify the plant before it goes to seed (for most plants, it's easiest to identify when flowering), then check back regularly to gather seeds. Typically, if I want to learn how to collect seed from a specific plant, I just search it on Google or YouTube--oftentimes, I'm lead to the GrowItBuildIt Youtube page, so it may be a helpful resource for you as well! Of course, make sure to leave plenty of seed behind so the wild population can repopulate, and seed can feed other creatures in the area. A good rule of thumb is to take no more than 1/3rd of what's available.

Buying seed in bulk is an option if you can afford the upfront cost. Try teaming up with a few friends to buy some bulk seeds and split them amongst yourselves--you’ll get tons of seed! Prairie Moon is a popular site that'll sell seeds by the pound if you can afford the price--though they're in the US, and I believe they focus on Midwest and East Coast natives.

If you want to cheat the system, don’t buy bulk sunflower seeds--buy bags of sunflower seeds being sold as birdseed. They’re typically all black oil sunflower seeds, but they’ll sprout, and they’re fairly cheap for the amount you get!

However, beware generic wildflower seed mixes! Many brands like to sell wildflower seed mixes in big box stores like Home Depot, Target, or even Dollar Tree, but they’ll often include flowers that aren’t native or possibly even invasive in your region! Before you make any purchases, double check to make sure the contained seeds won’t do more harm than good! A quality source of native seeds will provide English and Latin names for all seeds included, and will be native to the region or at least non-invasive.

See this? I don't trust this.

There’s a good handful of programs online that’ll send you free seeds if you’re planning to start a native habitat project! Poke around online and see what you can find; you might get lucky! The best time to start looking for these is fall and winter, I find--by early spring, many of them are either done or beginning to wind down... though some also start up in spring. Ultimately--just check regularly! You never know what you can find!

Other Ways to Get Plants

Don’t want to start from seed? That’s fair! You can try cuttings! Just be sure not to take too much of the plant while you do so. Make sure you’ve gotten a few leaf nodes on your cutting, and cut any flowers you may have gotten. Make sure to leave some blooms and foliage on the original plant for the creatures in the current habitat--you don’t want to destroy one habitat to make another in your garden. There’s tons of methods of rooting cuttings, many of which have different efficacy rates for different plants, but that’s a topic for another post.

If you find seedlings growing in a place where they won’t be able to sustain themselves long-term, or are in danger of being destroyed, consider relocating them! You may be able to gently dig up and transplant the seedling to your garden. Don’t do this if they’re in a place where they can easily survive--ideally, you’ll be taking plants from sidewalk cracks, heavily maintained public gardens, roadsides, etc. Do be careful while doing this--ensure your safety first!

You’re totally allowed to join gardening communities like clubs, facebook groups, and more before you’ve even put a trowel to the dirt. These are great places to learn information and advice! Many gardeners are more than happy to help out a new gardener, and will eagerly provide seeds, cuttings, or even baby plants! Talk to some people about your gardening journey and what you’re hoping to do, and you just might find some kindred spirits--or at least get more people interested in the topic!

Seed and plant giveaways and trades happen all the time in gardening clubs, as well as online! Just poke around and see what you can find! Some are explicitly trades, meaning you’re expected to send something in return, but once you get your feet on the ground with some plant knowledge you’ll be stellar! You may be able to explain you’re just starting out, and someone may send you seeds without expecting a trade, but I’d suggest trying giveaways first.

Poke around online and see if there’s a local chapter of your state’s native plant society. From there, you’ll likely be able to find a calendar of events--many of them will host plant sales in the spring, with a bunch of native plant seedlings ripe for the pickings if you can make it out and have some money to spare! Fair warning, though, you’ll want to get there early if you can. If they say they’re starting at 10, try to get there by 9:45. Year after year, there’s always record turnout, and they sell out of plants faster than ever. Just trust me on this. I’ve been let down; hopefully you won’t have to be.

Some libraries are beginning to host seed libraries! Check around and see if your library has one! Ideally, the system works best if you also have seeds to contribute in return, but if you’re just starting out I’m sure they won’t mind you taking some seeds! Just consider saving some seeds to contribute in the future and pay it forward. If your library doesn’t have a seed library? Consider asking if they’d be willing to start one! Community interest is a great way to get the ball rolling on projects like these, but they’ll only know the community is interested if the community tells them they’re interested!

Volunteer to Garden for/with Someone Else

Maybe someone in your area wants to garden, but is struggling to find the time/energy. Many elderly people who used to garden simply can’t anymore but still would like a garden. Other people may love to have a helping hand in their garden. You might even find a few people in your area interested in renting and sharing a community garden plot with others, so they don't have to handle it all on their own! They may be interested in increasing biodiversity right now, or may be willing to if it’s brought up to them. You might be just the kind of person someone needs! Since it won't be your garden, you’ll likely need a bit of permission and collaboration to get anything in particular going, but it’s worth a shot and a way to maybe even make friends!

Again, your mileage may vary with some of these. You may not know where there's a bunch of wildflowers growing in your area, or maybe your local library doesn't have a free seed library. That's okay! Do what you're able to, find what you can find, get what you can get! And there's never any shame with starting small--in fact, starting small can make the project easier to manage and expand when you're able!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to start growing plants cheaply--low cost seed starting set ups, essentially. There's a lot of good options, many of which I've used myself even! Until then, I hope this advice is helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

#biodiversity #solarpunk #gardening #outdoor gardening #growing from seed #ani rambles #out of queue #the biodiversity saga #i will be honest I have never flat out approached people to offer to help them garden #HOWEVER. People HAVE approached ME asking ME to help THEM with/plan THEIR garden #granted it was after I'd been gardening for a good few years. and its mostly family or family friends but yknow #people would be like 'oh wanna help me with my veggie garden?' even before I tried growing vegetables #i don't think the library near me has a seed library but you just wait until i. get the courage. to go to the library regularly.#i've seen people also make their own little seed library structures kinda like a little free library but like #i dont think my neighborhood is about that life.#if any of yall have those though it could be a great resource! also send pics because I love seeing them #not to say that this post should become a giant seed trade but if it did become that i would be the opposite of mad #if there's any typos blame my sister shes got the hotel room at like 60-something degrees and I am FREEZING #welp time to shut up now bye

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billysgun · 5 months

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your girl

billy the kid x cowgirl!reader |requested!|Ciara is a childhood friend turned lover one drunken night...he lives with the consequence daily and now, with his eyes set on you, you do too.|

"how 'bout this one?" Ciara smiles, curls bouncing as she picks up an obviously rotten fruit

"mm, it looks ripe!" Billy smiles back at her as she lets out a soft laugh, placing the moldy fruit down as her painted nails skim the apples

"can 'ya check over there for some oranges, there in season" she purses her lips before pointing down ways way, he nods and passes through civilians before finding the citrus

well, not just the citrus.

your hair was out of the bun you usually kept it in, he knows because it's tucked under the cowboy hat you usually have cemented on when you ride.

he saw your horse when they walked in but he only prayed he'd be able to see you.

you're Jesse's sister. he's been riding with you since he can remember and also felt his heart race around you since he can remember

all this time and he's only stuttered a few words to you.

"sir, are you gonna buy that?" the cart owner asks and he shakes his head to get you out of it, flipping a coin to the owner as he takes the orange he'd been gripping for a few minutes.

he loves Ciara...but he doesn't love her.

they were friends until a drunken mistake and awoke no longer virgins and suddenly a couple.

he hates himself for it. taking her virginity when he had more whiskey than blood in him and now he pays the price with this relationship they never questioned.

he assumed the pet names and touches would stop after a few weeks, but then he heard from the townspeople that they were together.

he'd go up to her and tell her...but he feels too guilty. and now you're here and he can't think straight

"Hey Billy" your southern accent rings through his ears and he turns to see you, hand on your gunbelt and a smile on your lips. he can feel his face burn at the sight

"hey, Y/n. what 'cha doin' here?"

"gettin' food." you snort out the obvious and he shakes his head, feeling like an idiot around you

"I assume you doin' the same with your girl?" you tilt your hat toward Ciara.

even you knew about this.

"uh- yeah, I am- we are..." he corrects, staring at the sand beneath him as you let out a giggle that always makes him smile

"well, I'll see you back at the cabin" you grin before spinning on your boots and walking back toward your horse, he wants to punch himself...but when he turns to see an awaiting Ciara, he wants to punch himself even more.

"Billy!" she calls out, he makes his way toward her, but after he turns and gets one last look at you.

an: thank you for requesting! I already talked about this, but I'll reiterate it again...because billys character would 100% break it to Ciara that he doesn't love her, but because he took something irreplaceable from her and she loves him he just feels too guilty. and he's also a mess around y/n because he knows it's awful to feel the way he feels about you, but he can't help it. SO, that's why he might seem a little ooc!! <333 ilysm! <333

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hey-august · 3 months

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⚔️ Would he peel the orange? 🍊 (Cross Guild x Reader)

🐊 Crocodile 🐊

Yes. But only once.

It's malicious compliance, really.

After you've asked a few times, he'll give in with a grumble.

It's a massacre. A slaughter.

The poor citrus was hooked and stabbed so many times that it's a sad pulpy lump.

Crocodile licks the juice off his fingers and winks at you.

He claims that he was trying to get the seeds out. Really, it was all to make a point.

He'd rather pay someone to peel oranges for you. Or buy you fruit that is less high maintenance.

Here's the thing, though, Crocodile has no qualms about peeling bananas for you. He seems to have a soft spot for that particular fruit...

🦅 Mihawk 🦅

Yes, although he'll make a sly comment at first. He's seen you peel oranges before.

He's aware this is some sort of game. A test. And he's willing to indulge you.

Mihawk pulls off the peel in one long continuous strip. It's a beautiful curled ribbon of zest.

He also picks at any areas with too much pith, carefully removing the bitter fluff.

The same for stringy pieces. His deft fingers meticulously remove anything that would ruin your snack.

Mihawk also asks if you want him to segment the orange. It seems like he wants to do this part, so you let him.

After this, there's an unspoken expectation that you'll peel oranges for each other. You're not as thorough, but you're learning.

Eventually, the smell of citrus reminds you of the swordsman.

🤡 Buggy 🤡

So...no.

The first time you ask, he just cuts the orange into wedges. It doesn't matter if the peel is still there, you can just eat the fruit.

The next time you ask, he dramatically pulls off his gloves and snatches the orange from your hands.

He pulls off pieces of peel and drops them wherever. On the table, the floor, dropping them over the railing...

And since you're a captive audience waiting, Buggy will start cracking jokes and telling stories.

He gets so invested into whatever story he's telling that he starts eating the orange. Your orange.

Buggy doesn't realize until he's eaten nearly half of the citrus fruit.

He looks at you with cheeks full of partially chewed orange and juice on his chin to ask if you wanted the rest or if he could have it.

Happy Valentine's Day, loves. ❤️

#cross guild headcanons #buggy x reader #crocodile x reader #mihawk x reader #cross guild x reader #x reader #buggy #buggy the clown #mihawk #hawkeye mihawk #crocodile #sir crocodile #one piece #orange peel theory #one piece orange peel theory

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biteofcherry · 9 months

Text

This is just a collection of very short scenes from Ruby Garden, focused on adventures in tangerine theft 😆

for @dumbgothbunny who asked for some crumbs of Ruby Garden 💗

Ruby Garden Masterlist

Each separated bit is about different Reader (meaning each Dom has a different Reader).

Dom!Lloyd Hansen x sub!reader

Dom!Ari Levinson x sub!reader

Dom!Andy Barber x sub!reader

Dom!Nick Fowler x sub!reader

Dom!Steve Rogers x sub!reader

Dom!Bucky Barnes x sub!reader x Dom!Curtis Everett

warnings: none really; it's pure playfulness and teasing; only brief mentions of punishments and filthy shmexy times; BDSM setting; Dom/sub dynamics; safe, sane and consensual; power imbalance

Intro

Out of all the snacks available for members of the Ruby Garden, it's the tangerines that somehow gained a status of most desired gold.

It happened as anecdotes and inner jokes happen - because of a one time incident.

A mistake in the order led to double quantity of bananas and complete lack of tangerines. Since Ari Levinson wasn't about to let anything go to waste, the buffet served bananas for a month in various forms (thankfully along with other available fruit, small salads and canapes). And not a single tangerine.

So when finally tangerines were ordered again when the bananas were all eaten, the submissives jumped on them like starved.

Which led to the decision of making little citrus fruit a rarity, so that their appearance brought joy and laughter.

It also started a game of tangerine theft.

Lloyd

You winked at your co-conspirator as the both of you followed Master Lloyd.

Well, you followed the crate of tangerines that were carried to the bar. It just so happened that Master Lloyd was the one who brought in the first crate and now the other.

You leaned against the bar, your friend along with you, bouncing in excitement. And a bit in impatience, as you waited for him to acknowledge your presence.

That he was aware of you standing there, you were sure.

Somehow Master Lloyd was always aware of his surroundings, like a predator in vigil.

You didn't know his line of work, but perhaps he was simply attuned to submissives so much he's aware when they sneak around. Especially when they try to avoid him and his whip.

You kicked your friend when she opened her mouth, undoubtedly to call for him.

No, no. If you're not another Master, you didn't call for Lloyd. You waited for his permission to speak.

Or accepted if he ignored you, since it meant he wasn't interested at all.

But thankfully, after a few more heartbeats, he turned around and arched a single eyebrow as he eyed you.

"What can I get you, bunnies?" He tilted his head, throwing a dishcloth over his arm as if he was a bartender.

You grinned and your friend giggled.

"We'd like tangerines," you stated boldly.

The game was mostly about theft, but no rules applied, meaning that asking for it counted as well. Besides, your goal was to distract Master Lloyd enough that the actual theft could happen...

"Tangerines?" Lloyd whistled. "Wow. You play big game, bunny."

"How big?" You licked your lips and gulped.

A part of you itched to feel that lick of whip, but a bigger part of you wanted to run fast - like the bunny he called you - and hide in a hole.

"You need to earn a tangerine." Lloyd crossed his arms. "With a trick."

"A trick?" You narrowed your eyes, trying to think of something you could do. You weren't a magician, nor a gymnast who could do flips.

Then it suddenly downed on you, your grin broadening.

Maybe you didn't knew some cool tricks, but you had a few from the past college party girl life.

"Can I earn two tangerines, if the trick is really neat?" You asked, linking your arm with your friend's.

"Sure, bunny," Lloyd chuckled.

Head held high, you went over to the counter loaded with smoothies in tall glasses. You picked one and brought it over to where you were standing earlier.

Taking the straw out of the glass, you tossed it aside. Then you crossed your wrists behind your back and leaned forward.

You opened your mouth wide and hovered above the glass for a few deep breaths. Then your mouth was on the glass, cheeks hollowing in a strong suck to keep the glass from falling out as you lifted up your head.

Slowly, not to choke on a rather thick smoothie, you tilted your head back and downed it all.

When you put the glass back down - still without using your hands; you felt slightly dizzy for a second. Then the sense of hilarious euphoria kicked in as you realized you managed to do that.

Judging by Master Lloyd's face, euphoria was the right feeling for the rest of your evening too.

"Bunny," he said, smirk curving his lips, "your mouth can earn a whole crate of tangerines, if you put your mind to it."

He held out two tangerines, which you accepted with a giggle.

"Tell you what," Lloyd leaned forward, "you can earn yourself two more, if you repeat that trick on my cock. And another two for your friend, if you manage not to cum while she licks you when you choke on my dick."

Ari

The girls were doing great job occupying Master Lloyd, giving you the perfect opportunity for your self-proclaimed ninja stealthy skills.

Having tiptoed to the other side of the bar countertop, you slid yourself across it; hand diving straight into the crate of tangerines, which was left there earlier.

Quickly, you grabbed two in one hand and two in the other. Hugging them to your chest, you wiggled back down.

However, your smile of triumph froze and then fell from your lips as soon as you turned around.

Your Master was standing right behind you, with arms crossed and a displeased look on his face.

Damn it!

You weren't even aware he was anywhere near to spot you. You made sure there was no one other around this side of the club, but somehow Ari detected you.

And sneaked up on you instead. How, you had no idea either. At least you were barefoot, which allowed extra silence to your step. Ari was wearing shoes and still moved so quietly you didn't hear him.

For a split of a second, your gaze drifted above his shoulder, before returning to his beautiful, but stern face.

Slowly, you lowered your arms as if ready to give him the tangerines in defeat.

Before that happened, however, you suddenly tossed the fruit over Ari's shoulder. Surprising him completely.

"Run girls, run!" You yelled.

Two other submissives, who were standing further away, caught the flying tangerines and ran off in opposite directions.

That was the whole main game plan for tonight. All of the submissives working together, so that at least some of them managed to steal and eat tangerines.

Ari's head whipped around the second you yelled. He watched two subs run like mad, squealing in delight (and partly in excitement upon the chase being now on their tail).

When he turned back to you, there was a look of utter disbelief on his face and you barely stopped yourself from snorting in amusement.

And then he burst out laughing. A roaring sound, with head thrown back and arms falling to his sides.

There were crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he looked down at you. Your own lips were curved in a happy smile, feeling blissful joy from making your Master laugh.

"Sacrificing yourself for the greater good, huh?" Ari chuckled, stepping closer.

"Sacrificing?" You asked nervously, taking a tentative step back.

Ari's hand shot up instantly, gripping the back of your neck and yanking you forward.

"Oh, definitely, Cherie." His voice dropped lower.

All of your blood seemed to flood lower, too; pulsing in your clit.

"Theft is punishable. Severely. We'll start by taking your thieving hands out of equation as you serve your atonement."

Though his words evoked a wave of heat, they also made you gulp. Ari's versions of punishments were unpredictable, always wicked. Inquisitors could learn from him.

"Will I get a tangerine afterwards?" You asked, trying for a cute face when he gripped your chin.

"If you're conscious." Ari declared in a deadly dark tone.

Andy

Having caught two flying tangerines, you made a quick swerve and then purposely slowed down.

Keeping a soft smile on your lips, you walked as if nothing happened. As if you weren't holding a tangerine in each hand, which you tried to hide with the layers of frilly, sheer dress you were wearing.

You passed another sub on your way, right by the bathrooms as you previously agreed. Brushing her hand against yours, seemingly casually, she took one of the tangerines.

You continued on, taking steady steps toward the actually empty submissive's nook - a cozy lounging space for submissives to sit between scenes or wait for their Masters.

Hiding in plain sight.

No one would even think you're bold enough to eat your tangerine of victory out in the open.

Peeling it quickly, you popped first piece into your mouth and smiled. Then another piece. And another. Though you often bought tangerines on your grocery trips, they never tasted like those in the ruby Garden.

Humming in giddy happiness, you scooped the orange peels and wrapped them in a wipe. Boxes of wipes were available all around, quite a necessary item in this kind of club.

You took another layer and wrapped it for good measure, then tossed it into a small bin in the corner.

"Hiding the evidence?" Andy's voice startled you.

You jumped with a squeak, accidentally kicking the bin as you straightened.

"Sir?" You twisted your hands behind you.

Quickly rubbing your palms on the fabric of your dress, you hoped to wipe off any remnants of citrus scent and flavor.

"Everything points to you stealing and eating a tangerine, Birdie." Andy neared, placing both hands on your shoulders and gently massaging them.

"I-" a part of you wanted to confess immediately.

But a part of you - the one that learned under Master Andy's care that playfulness was rewarded too - stopped you from blurting your citrus sins.

"I don't know what you mean, Sir," you replied instead, biting your lip.

"I see." Andy's blue eyes darkened, but his jaw remained relaxed, meaning he wasn't really cross with you.

His hands swiped down your arms, fingers encircling your wrists in a firm grip.

"You've never seen me put a suspect on a stand. Now you'll see it first hand." He linked your wrist cuffs together in front of you. "Let's see how your line of defense holds up after a few rapid rounds."

Nick

Swiping a tangerine from the other sub's hand, you trotted to the corner of the club that still was marked as unopened after a small renovation.

There was this black lacquered cocoon, not unlike the garden ones, which you wanted to hide and sway in for a while now.

It was supposed to be officially free to use as of the next day, so you didn't think that you hiding there would do any damage. And a hiding place you definitely needed, to follow with your tangerine crime.

You climbed into the cocoon, huffing at the height it was hung on. You snuggled into dark, soft cushions and stuck out one of your foot to push against the wall and get the cocoon rocking slightly.

Then you peeled the tangerine and ate it, with a cheshire grin on your face.

Frowning, when your hideout stopped swaying, you tried to get it into motion again. But it wouldn't budge.

You added more force, but nothing happened.

It downed on you why.

Gulping nervously, you quickly swiped tangerine peels under the cushions and sunk further into them, hoping to disappear.

"Funny," the drawl of Master Nick's voice sent a shiver down your spine, "I can smell citrus, but it's impossible for any to be here, right? Not in the still locked area. Far away from the buffet where the tangerines are supposed to be."

He appeared in your line of vision slowly, hand gliding along the lacquered wicker of the cocoon.

It was his strong hold that stopped the movement of the swing.

"Um, no, Sir," you looked up at him, sweet smile on your face. "Definitely no tangerines here."

"Mhm." He tilted his head to the side, gaze sliding over your body. His tongue swiped over his bottom lip in a slow, tempting motion. "Yet I still can smell it."

"Maybe it's my perfume," you shrugged, surprising yourself with the bold bullshit.

"Could be." Nick nodded, as if taking your argument seriously. "Or a sneaky submissive could've broken the sacred tangerine law and is in need of punishment."

Suddenly he was in your space, half of his body in the cocoon as he caged you in.

"You won't mind, if I sate my curiosity, right Bonbon?"

He took one of your wrists into his hand, lifting your arm and trailing the tip of his nose so slowly against it. From your shoulder to your wrist.

He gently pressed your arm back against the wicker backrest, above the cushions.

Then suddenly your wrist was trapped.

"What the h-" you barely stopped yourself from cursing. You turned your head, neck craning uncomfortably. Only to see your hand cuffed to the backrest.

You haven't noticed the shackles before! Damn it!

Nick was quick to cuff your other wrist as well. When his big hand gripped your ankle, you squeaked.

He forced your leg up, bending it at the knee and pulling it slightly to the side. Your ankle was secured in a cuff at the bottom rim of the cocoon. So was the other.

Leaving you spread like a little frog ready for dissection.

"I'll just probe around, Bonbon," Nick's smile was cruel as he ran his fingertips down your inner thighs.

You realized then, why the cocoon was at this particular height.

Since your exposed pussy was almost perfectly aligned with Master's hips.

Bucky and Curtis

One of the two tangerines flying from above Master Ari's shoulder almost smacked you right in the face, but you managed to catch it.

With a squeal, you hugged them to your chest and sprinted right.

You hurried to the little nook you have scouted for yourself earlier. Behind a huge potted Areca palm that stood between two couches in the Dom's lounging corner.

Kneeling behind it, you peeled both tangerines. You stuck the peels inside the plant's pot - a win win, really: you got the sweet citruses and hid the evidence, and the palm got free compost.

You were about to munch on your tangerine, when heavy steps neared your tiny corner.

Two sets of heavy steps. Crap.

Trying not to move too rapidly, you peeked from behind green fans of palm leaves. Hoping that they simply walked over to sit and lounge, and that they would go away soon.

Unfortunately for you, Masters Curtis and James (who liked to be called Bucky outside of scene) were standing right in front of the palm, their eyes settled on you.

"Gonna come out of your den, little fawn, or do you need me to yank you out?" Curtis' firm, gruff voice was marginally colored with amusement.

When you didn't move right away, Bucky crouched down. It allowed him to be more at your eye level, but you knew it wasn't to make you feel equal. But so you could really see the icy blue of his ice shine with promise of repercussions.

"See, little fawn," Bucky said, "the worst mistake a prey does is making a sound. And your cute squeak was like a beacon that called to us."

He grinned and you felt your heart rise to your throat. Then it dropped down straight to your clit, making it pulse so rapidly you thought you may come just from their overwhelming, dangerous aura.

Your gaze skittered around, fingers clenching around the two small fruit. There really was no place to run. And you didn't even get to eat your tangerine yet.

Maybe you could stuff one right into your mouth, before you walked out to them?

Just when you were considering defeat, you noticed that the backrest of one of the couches was sloped. There was a nook right at the bottom, a corridor between the wall and the couch.

If you were fast, you could make it.

Especially since there was a set of two coffee tables the Doms had to move around before they could reach the other end of the couch you'd be crawling behind.

You made it look as if you were rounding the big pot, hoping to fool them.

And then you sprinted on your hands and knees, squeezing yourself between the back of the couch and the wall.

Somehow you managed to get free, without getting caught right away. So you fled.

This time not knowing where, only that you had to run away from the big bad monsters. You also really, really hoped they would catch you. Oh God, how you hoped this thrill of chase would explode into another surge of adrenaline and endorphins upon being caught.

As you ran, you passed another submissive. You forced one of the tangerines (slightly squeezed) into her hands and darted forward.

You were sure you're hearing heavy footsteps behind you. You were about to glance over your shoulder to check how close they were on you, when suddenly you slammed into a warm wall of muscles.

Bucky caught you, chuckling at your loud squeak.

Then Curtis was pressing behind you, his shadow cutting out any light and making you breathe harder.

"What to do with a naughty fawn?" Curtis hummed, curling his fingers around the front of your neck and pulling your head backwards, until it rested on his chest.

"I say a spry, sweet venison is best to be roasted," Bucky's arms were still around you, caging your own arms at your sides.

His breath tickled your cheek before he nipped your earlobe.

"Spitroasted."

Steve

You were obediently staying in place as your Master prepared the bench for what he had planned for you tonight. Already naked, you kept your gaze mostly to the ground, still battling your insecurity to look upwards and bravely face whoever may be glancing your way.

Which is why you didn't see the bolt of heavily breathing submissive darting your way.

Only when you heard the commotion did you look up. Just as she ran past you.

As she did, she dropped something small and sticky into your hands.

Eyes wide in surprise, you watched her run away and Master Curtis prowling right after, determined smile curving his lips.

There was no Master James in sight, which meant he was probably already cutting off the submissive's escape rout.

Your eyes shifted back to what was in your hands and they widened further.

A peeled tangerine.

Sacred, forbidden, so so tempting.

You glanced at Steve, who still had his back to you as he readjusted the straps. For s second you got distracted by the way the muscles in his back flexed as he worked.

But a trickle of citrus juice tickling your finger reminded you of the gold in your hands.

You ripped away one tiny piece and quickly stuffed it in your mouth. In the very last moment you stopped yourself from moaning around it.

Then you popped another piece into your mouth, smiling as the slightly sour flavor mixed with sweetness.

You munched on two pieces at once, squeezing your eyes shut when the juice grazed your throat, nearly causing you to cough.

"Don't choke, Darling." Steve's amused voice almost made you do that.

You turned to him swiftly, one hand flying to cover your still chewing mouth, the other squeezing tangerine tighter.

Blue eyes shimmering with laughter, Steve took your hand and pried it off your face. Crinkles around his eyes seemed to deepen when he saw your puffed cheeks and puckered, juicy mouth.

"I always knew you're magical, but to summon a tangerine without moving from your spot is an astonishing trick," he teased.

He brought your hand to his lips, then licked the juice off your fingertips.

When he let go of your hand, but kept his outstretched, palm up, you knew what he demanded. You placed the tangerine in Steve's hand, with a little regretful sigh.

"Quite a few pieces left still, Darling." Steve glanced at the remaining tiny, orange moons.

"Since I know you're my good girl, I'm sure you'll deserve them when we're done." He ran a single finger along your cheek, then used it to tilt your chin up.

"I'll feed you them myself. Each piece for every orgasm you give me."

Your pupils dilated and your thighs clenched.

There was still at least half of a tangerine remaining. More than three or four pieces. Five perhaps.

"And then-" Steve leaned closer, his lips brushing against yours- "I'll tell you how to steal tangerines, so no one catches you."

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