#snow in Dixie

[nintendroid]

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! for Super Nintendo.

[phoebepheebsphibs]

It snow

[lordofthecoffee]

Snow!

[super8wgeorgeut]

Hotel near Dixie Convention Center

Enjoy a stay at Hotel near Dixie Convention Center, Dixie Downs Park, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, Jacob Hamblin House, Book Hotel near Snow Canyon State Park from www.super8stgeorgeut.com.

[joemerl]

My brothers and I went for a walk (through a winter wonderland!) when one of them got the genius idea to take out his phone and start playing this:

[ultralightpoe]

Masked Martyrs- Finnick Odair

Authors Note: Part seven of the halloween Event! Do enjoy! More hunger games coming soon...

Warnings: talk about prostitution

Word Count: 981

Requests: OPEN

~2024 Halloween Event Masterlist

[Thank you for the gif @down-in-dixie ]

ENJOY!

The lighting in the capitol was always off, and no one seemed to understand you when you said that. In district 7 there was nothing but natural lighting since the electricity often went out and everyone had to work during the day. But it also had some of the best stars, the best view of the stars really, since everyone shared them. But the capitol seemed to hate those stars. 

Or maybe Snow was keeping you from them as some form of punishment. You might have done something wrong. Maybe he didn’t like the way you greeted the ‘guest’ he had sent over the other day. Or maybe you hadn’t smiled enough in that last interview. 

Really he could find any reason to punish you if he wanted to. 

“He’ll see you sulking.” A smooth voice fills the air, and your peace and quiet is immediately shattered by none other than Finnick Odair. “And he’ll-”

“If you don’t mind fish boy,” You begin, not bothering to tear your eyes away from the tech lamps on the wall, wondering how long it had taken to make them. “I’m staring at the stars.”

“Those, lumbergal, are not stars.” He laughs, not seeming to worry about your attitude at all. 

“They are the closest thing I could find.” 

“THERE YOU TWO ARE!” Someone cheers, a clapping sound pulling your attention. As you turn your head to see whoever was approaching you manager to catch Finnicks gaze for a second before spotting the capital's favorite stylist. 

You hadn’t bothered to learn his name, you knew Snow would manage to make him disappear the second he got bored of him. He had gone through 6 since you won your games. 

“I spent far too long on the prizes of the Capitol for them to lurking in the corner. Come come. Immediately. Our brave president has requested you make an appearance.” Before you could move to get up the stylist was turning to meet you where you sat, shoving a gold envelope in your hand before his hands were upon you. 

They roamed to fix up the stupid dress he had made for you, and though you flared with unease you had learned long ago to ignore it.  And though Finnick was in the room you tried to remind yourself that he would know this life as much as you and you shouldn’t have to worry about it. 

And yet his hand came to flick the stylists off of you with ease, a glare set in his eye as you stood up. 

“We’ll be right out.” 

“I was sent to-”

“You gave us the message, we will be out soon.” Finnick snaps before an easy smile breaks out. The stylist wisely chooses not to fight on it, rushing off to find another one of his costumes as you take to fixing it yourself. 

He had made a capitol worthy fairy costume for you, and wearing a dress with this much cleavage made you miss celebrating hallows eve in your district even if there was no food or warmth in the beginning of winter. 

Finnick had been dressed as…. Well you had no clue. 

With blue glittery makeup sitting on his cheekbone and a thin strand of pearls wrapped around his arm. A sheen blue fabric was draped on one shoulder that covered his stomach but not his pecs, and you didn’t even want to keep looking at the pants. 

“A siren.” He mumbles, smiling as he watches you watch him. 

“Fitting.”

“Because I’m a whore.”

“No.” You snap out, throat tight. “Because you were made for water. And the fact that you think I would….. Would ever call you that….”

You shake your head, moving to walk away quickly with that envelope still in your hand. He follows, fixing the back of your dress before fixing your wing and moving to walk alongside you. 

“The envelope if you will. I’d like to get our dear presidents message before you destroy it.” He quickly swipes the envelope from you and tears it open, reading the words. You watch as he tries to smile, as if what he was reading wasn’t bothering him, but you could also see the way his jaw tightens. 

“What does it say?”

“He wants us to meet a client-”

“Together?” You blurt, stopping in your tracks. 

“Yes.”

“But-”

“Do you want to see lanterns?”

“I’m sorry?” You laugh before he reaches for your hand and drags you with him. He leads you through the back tunnels of the capitol building and if you were a better person you might have thought about ways to escape. 

But you were broken and you knew it was a useless plan. 

Not that any of that mattered anyways, because as you followed the ‘siren’ through the halls you could only get excited. For the first time in months you were excited. 

He pushes a thick door open with ease and leads you out for you to realize you had managed to sneak into the gardens where they had lit the pumpkin lanterns. 

“Oh… my…”

They had been decorated with glitter, the same gold glitter that you had been decorated with, and the fires were different colors. 

The warmth of the fires was perfect, like an invisible blanket, and the colors mixed with the gold glitter made it almost magical. 

“How did you know about these?”

“I saw them setting up earlier, which is why I came to find you.” He hums, leaning against the wall as you trace a finger through glitter. 

“And you came to find me?”

“You’re the only person I knew would like it as much as I did.” He smiles and you can’t fight the smile that crosses your own lips. 

“Happy Hallowed Eve, Siren.”

“Happy Hallowed Eve, Fairy.” And for a second, as you peered into his eyes, you could see stars again.

-

[thank you for the gif @starefantasisedroolrepeat ]

[angiesphotoadventures]

Pink Caretaker's Cottage in Walnut Grove Cemetery

On our drive to Hannibal, Missouri in late December 2024, this pink caretaker's cottage stood out against the gray skies and falling snow. On the way back from Hannibal, we decided to stop and take some photos.

The cemetery is Walnut Grove, located in a town named Paris in Monroe County, Missouri. This architectural design is Little Dixie Victorian, constructed around 1870. The pink color is definitely eye-catching, especially against the wintry background.

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Back Forty View (On Our Piece Of Ground)

3 - Twilight In The Mornin', 'Fore The Day Wakes Up

Pairings: Tyler Owens x OFC Georgia Tennley-Owens, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x OFC Samantha Kazansky

Rating: Explicit (MDNI!)

Warnings: LOTS of detail, sorry. Also random SMUT hahaha. unprotected!piv (wrap before you tap) alcohol comsumption

A/N: Uh, so this got long and I refused to stop. As usual you get a little flashback for Tyler and Jake, and then there's the Wrangler's Christmas Eve Party with so much going on and I hint at an interesting pairing that I'm fully ready to explore even if every is gonna hate me for it. Everyone gives gifts and they eat and they play games. Then, where it got really out of my hands was at the SMUT. It just had to happen. And then Christmas morning SMUT. Whoops my hand slipped. Please enjoy the chaos!

Tags: @mrsevans90 @djs8891 @gpsmississippihippie @barnesboo1967 @dizzybee03 @coloraturadiva @kmc1989

Jake and Tyler came down Christmas morning to Kenny sitting in the living room, holding a fat white dog that had a speckled left ear, some speckled brown across that same side eye, and a weird red and black speckled back foot. She had long nails and her ears were floppy and she wagged her long tail as the boys walked over to her. 

“Boys, this here's Dixie. She's an ole hound from a friend'a mine and she needed a home. So she's your Christmas present this year.” Kenny said and the boys descended on the dog, Tyler wrapping his arms around her and Jake rubbing her head and ruffling her ears with both hands. Jeanie hadn't seen the boys that happy for a Christmas present since she got them new ropes a few years ago. They had then proceeded to try to play ‘cowboy jousting’ in the snow that year every chance they got. 

With Dixie, it was a chance for the boys to learn to share something and care for something other than the horses, which they didn't share anyway. Dixie would truly be for both of the boys and they would have to compromise. And they certainly did. They took that dog anywhere and everywhere they could and they did it together, only making their brotherly bond strongly as they headed into high school. Tyler, Jake, and Dixie were inseparable.

🌪️ 🛩️🛻⚓

Christmas Eve was cold and snowy in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but the Tornado Wrangler’s Christmas party was full of warmth and coziness. Javi, Kate, and Scott had arrived together, all coming from Kate's mom's house, where they'd had dinner. Boone and Lily arrived together as well and Dexter and Dani had carpooled. Sam and Georgia had slaved away for a good portion of the afternoon making food and cleaning the house. Dustin had gone home to his parent's for a few days, leaving Tyler and Jake in charge of the horses. 

The spread of food was impressive, with dishes such as buffalo chicken dip, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, teriyaki meatballs, taco salad, and a shitload of barbecue ribs, brisket, and chicken with several different sauces. Jake's favorite Christmas time dish was also present, roasted duck breast, a la Georgia. Her father would make it every so often and her mother and she loved it but her sister hated it. So Georgia learned how to make it to piss off her sister. 

"I can't wait to try that." Sam said excitedly. As everyone settled either in the living room or in the kitchen with a plate of food, they all enjoyed the comfortable silence that filled the house. Georgia and Sam prepared plates for the dogs with a little bit of everything that was safe for them to eat.

"Wow. It's really crazy how much you two look alike but also so different.” Kate said, examining both Tyler and Jake separately. It is an easy feat with them sitting right next to each other, their significant others on their farthest sides from each other. That hadn't been by choice on Georgia and Sam's part. It had been strategically the boys decision so that they could pick off each other's plates. 

"Yeah we get that a lot when we're together. We are twins after all. Tyler just looks old because he's had to keep my ass in line all these years.” Jake smirked and his brother punched his shoulder gently before stealing a piece of duck off his plate.

"We're the same age, you dingbat.” Tyler said, as he leaned slightly into his wife. Georgia smiled and glanced at Jake.

"How's that duck?” She asked and Jake held a thumb up.

"Almost as good as our momma's.” He said, taking a huge bite of the piece Tyler had stolen half from, Georgia smiled warmly at him, as Tyler gave her an approving look. He'd nearly forgotten that she was a pretty decent cook and it appeared that Sam was as well. It was the baking that Tyler would die for though. Georgia could make a mean pie. Any and all pie, by Georgia, was good pie.

Everyone else seemed very content with their food and they all took their time munching, making some small talk here and there. This was the first time that Scott had been to a Wrangler party since the El Reno tornado and he had seemingly lightened up quite a bit. He and Javi had made their peace and moved on and Scott had a huge change of heart once Kate discussed with him how wrong it was what Storm PAR had been doing. He had actually grown to enjoy working with Kate and liked the way she challenged his knowledge. It seemed as though Kate had the attention of the two men and Tyler and Georgia both loved that for her. For now, Kate was focusing on her career but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun here and there.

After food, it was time for gift exchanges. Everyone gathered around in the living room, filling up not only the couches but the floor as well. Tyler had pulled Georgia onto his lap and Jake did the same with Samantha. Boone and Lily sat on the floor, as did Kate and Javi. Dexter, Dani, and Scott took up the other couch, and all the dogs were scattered around. The funniest placement of a dog had been Grits, who had leapt up on the back of the couch behind Tyler and placed his head on his human’s shoulder. Ballast sat at Jake’s feet, while Muster balanced on the arm of the couch by Sam. Rocco and Pancake sat in front of the fireplace which had been lit and was extremely warm now. Waffles was between Tyler and Georgia’s feet.

Scott had gotten everyone gift cards, a hundred dollars each, but he had a special bag for Kate that he asked she wait to open until later on. She smirked at him and nodded, thanking him. His card to Javi was for his favorite coffee shop. The one’s for Dexter, Dani, Boone, and Lily were for Walmart. He apologized to Jake and Sam for not getting them anything. 

“Nah it’s totally fine, you guys didn’t know we’d be here to be fair. We didn’t expect anything from anyone.” Jake explained and it seemed as though some of the parties in the room let their breath out in relief. No one had to feel bad now, but they still would just a little, deep down.

“That’s for the two of you, for little Jaycen.” Scott said as he handed Tyler and Georgia a card. Tyler let Georgia open it and Tyler’s eyes scanned over it. There was four hundred dollars placed neatly in the pocket of the card. Tyler’s eyes widened in surprise. He thanked Scott warmly and he smiled. “That’s from that bet Javi and I had...”

Next up was Dexter and Dani’s gifts. They’d purchased as a pair, giving everyone a hat, gloves, hand warmers, and a twenty dollar Tractor Supply gift card. They also handed Tyler and Georgia a separate card, which was for Jaycen. Tyler opened it this time and saw an Amazon gift card for fifty dollars so that they could get some baby supplies. 

Boone and Lily had also purchased gift bags as a pair. They did something similar to what Dexter and Dani did except they got everyone a t-shirt with a funny saying on it, a hot sauce, and a gift card to different fast food restaurants that they all stopped at during chases. Again, they’d gotten something special for Tyler and Georgia for Jaycen. A couple of packs of newborn onesies and some little shirts with cute sayings on them that Georgia held up for Tyler to look at. He wouldn’t say anything now but it made his heart ache with joy at how real everything was, seeing the baby clothes. They hadn’t even purchased anything yet. 

Javi got everyone a card with money in it and a bottle of some sort of alcohol.That was about as creative as he could get. He always said he was bad at giving gifts. He’d gotten wine for Dexter and Dani each, Tequila for Boone and Tyler, Whiskey for Georgia for when she wasn’t pregnant, Vodka for Scott and Kate, and Rum for Lily. He had gotten a bottle of wine for Jake and Sam after Tyler had told him about their engagement, figuring Tyler would end up giving it to them. He hadn't expected to be able to meet them in person, but it was a nice change of scenery. New faces. 

Kate was the champion gift giver, or so she touted. She got Dexter a new hat and a cozy sweatshirt. She got Dani a small set of tools that she’d be eyeing. She got Javi a gift basket that had specialty coffee, mugs, and flavor syrup. She got Scott a couple of nice polo shirts and a sweater, and a small bag just like he had with her that needed to be opened at another time. She'd made up a small bag for Lily, including a small blanket, and some Bath and Body Works items because even though Lily tended to be a tom-boy, she still liked her feminine creature comforts. Boone had been the hardest to shop for, and Kate felt bad that she had found nothing in particular so a gift card to Bass Pro Shop for a hundred dollars was all she could come up with. He was pretty damn happy with that anyway.

“Okay now there's somethin’ for Georgia, Tyler, and for Jaycen.” Kate said, handing them three bags. 

"Can I just say, we love and appreciate that y'all got stuff for Jaycen.” Georgia said as she opened her bag. There was a comfortable looking sweatshirt that said ‘Kid Wrangler’ on it which made Georgia laugh. Tyler’s was also a sweatshirt and it said ‘my other kid is my cattle dog’ to which he chuckled and thanked Kate. The present for Jaycen was a small shirt that he would probably need to grow into but it said ‘Littlest Tornado Wrangler reporting for duty’. 

“Kate, this Is awesome, thank you!” Tyler exclaimed. She smiled warmly and for the first time in a while, she actually felt like she belonged. 

Tyler helped Georgia off his lap and he stiffly walked over to a large box that was tucked behind the Christmas tree. He pulled shirts out first and handed one to everyone, then hats, both beanies and trucker hats, and then Georgia pulled out the sweatshirts. Tyler and Georgia had designed a logo for the barn and everyone was excited when they opened up the t-shirts to see it for the first time. Everything was black but the logo itself was in hot pink. It was a tornado, with a horse running around it like a barrel and said ‘Tennley-Owens Performance Horses’ in a bold but pretty font that was dainty but also looked like it could punch you in the face.

“This is sick! You guys did a great job on the logo.” Boone said excitedly. He had known they were working on it and had begged to see it but Tyler wouldn't budge any.

There were still some presents under the tree, but those were for in the morning, for Tyler, Georgia, Jake and Sam to exchange amongst themselves. With gifts exchanged, Tyler opened a bottle of whiskey and poured some shots. Jake, Javi, Kate, Scott, Boone, Lily, and Tyler all took one and downed it in celebration. Tyler poured them all one more and then spoke. 

“I just wanna thank y'all for coming, for bein’ the best team out there.” He nudged Jake. “Best brother out there.” Then he glanced at Georgia with the warmest smile possible. “And thank you for bein’ so supportive of Gee and I. We couldn't do any of this without this amazin’ support system. Y'all are the best.” He finished and they downed their shots. Tyler then began cleaning up the food, and Georgia came over to help. As everyone else cleared out of the kitchen for a few moments, they were left to themselves. Tyler paused, a piece of duck in his fingertips. 

‘Y'know. Jake won't admit it, but I will. You made this better than my momma.” He put the piece in his mouth, savoring it and licking his lips. Georgia stepped into his space, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. She stretched up to kiss him as he finished chewing, tasting whiskey and the cherry sauce from the duck on his lips.

“Mmm, thanks. I've got a question for you, Ty.” She said, her voice dropping an octave. Tyler raised a brow, pushing his hips toward her. 

“Yes ma'am?” He leaned down to catch her lips, and before she asked her question, they soaked in the atmosphere of the night. The warmth of the house and the banter between their friends. The quiet click of the dogs nails as they shifted around on the old wooden floors. The sight of the couples in the group holding onto each other, and the inclusion of the singles, never to feel left out. 

“How excited are you for this baby?” Georgia asked, as they parted. He touched his nose to hers and let his eyes close, taking in a deep breath.

“More excited than words could ever say.” Tyler murmured, holding her tight, and feeling several little kicks from Jaycen. Georgia smirked and said ‘ouch’ with a smile. Tyler blew air from his lips. “He's gonna be a wild one, just like his daddy.”

“Nothin’ I can’t handle.” She said softly, placing her head on Tyler’s chest, while they took several more moments to themselves. There was loud laughter from the living room then and they both glanced over, seeing all smiles and bodies shaking with amusement. Tyler and Georgia stepped away from each and continued cleaning up all the food. They stole touches and glances as they did so and didn't realize that they had two observers from in the living room. Sam and Jake would look over occasionally and then look at each other and then wondered whether or not to go help them. 

It was once they had finished putting away dinner that Sam and Jake had strolled over. They helped place out a large tray of cookies and a few different pies. A rhubarb pie, a pumpkin pie, and an apple pie, all warm from a quick pop in the oven. Everyone filed in for dessert and drinks, but Dexter and Dani had decided they needed to get on the road, so they took theirs with them and some leftovers.

“We’re heading back to Arkansas and wanna get on the road before the snow gets any worse. Thank you for having us! Thank you for the gifts. We’ll see y’all after New Year’s!” Dani said, hugging everyone and Dexter did the same. 

Boone, Lily, Javi and Scott decided to post up at the kitchen table. Tyler and Georgia had offered them rooms if needed, but Lily had stopped drinking alcohol so that she could start the drive back towards Arkansas. They were going to try to get some good snow footage for the channel on their way, so they wanted to leave when the weather got worse on purpose. Kate, Javi and Scott had come altogether and Kate had elected to be the designated driver so they were covered there. The four at the kitchen table proceeded to play Cards Against Humanity, and Kate watched for a couple of rounds before she decided to sit on the floor with the puppies by the fireplace. 

Sam and Jake sat on the couch closest to the fireplace and Georgia laid across Tyler’s lap on the other, larger couch, drifting in and out of a light sleep. He knew she was completely wiped out after today. He vowed to tuck her in later, do night check on the horses, let the dogs out one last time before bed, and come back to cuddle. Georgia had been satisfied with his plan. She glanced over at Kate.

“Psst. Kate.” She whispered, snapping her fingers at the blond. Kate whipped her head around, but kept her hand on Waffles, who had joined Rocco and Pancake by the fire. 

“Yeah?” She asked, with a small smirk. Her eyes were wide. 

“So...Scott or Javi?” Georgia asked and Tyler, who had been checking some comments, looked over at her, curious as well. She shrugged.

“Javi is a really good, old friend...Scott is...I don’t know...not what I expected. He’s new...kind of like a fresh start, I guess? But...we’re not labeling anything so...” Kate explained, exchanging glances with Scott briefly. He hadn’t heard what they were talking about, but her look told him all he needed to know. 

“Not labeling it?. Has he taken you on any dates?” Georgia asked, sitting up slightly. Tyler helped her, readjusting himself so that she was snug between his legs. He placed a pillow between her back and his crotch so that she wouldn’t be leaning fully on him. 

“We’re not labeling it.” Kate said firmly, but with a lilt of humor in her voice still. Georgia smirked and relaxed back against Tyler, whose arm dropped from the top of the couch, where he had been petting Grits, to rest over her breasts. Georgia turned slightly to gaze at Tyler who wore a dirty smirk as he continued to read and reply to comments. His gaze never left the phone, but his hand began to massage circles into one of her breasts, coaxing her into closing her eyes. 

Jake was comfortable on the other couch, his arm over Sam’s shoulder. She had her head rested against his shoulder and one of her legs draped over his. 

“Can we talk about the fact that you and Tyler are twins? That’s insane.” Kate said, shifting to look at Jake. He smiled.

“He always says he’s the better looking twin, like. We’re the same. We would always argue about it too.” Jake chuckled and Tyler blew air from his lips.

“I am better lookin’. You’re too clean shaven. To be honest Jakey, you’re a little too gay lookin’.” Tyler chuckled and Jake had every reason to throw something at him, even though he knew his brother was joking, but he wouldn’t because Georgia was laying on top of him.

“If Georgia wasn’t layin’ on you...I’d come over there and beat your ass.” Jake murmured and Tyler glanced over, finally peeling his eyes from his phone with a toothy and mischievous grin. 

“C’mon over here. I’ll drop you from where I lay.” Tyler goaded and Jake shifted, a feral smirk on his lips. Sam glanced between them, not sure if they were serious. 

“Oh stop it boys. Tyler...” Georgia groaned, squeezing his knee. She knew they were kidding and weren’t going to do anything, Kate was giggling on the floor.

“Wait, wait. Who’s stronger?” She asked and they both said ‘me’ at the same time. They whipped their heads to look at each other and then laughed the exact same bellowing laugh. Everyone in the kitchen looked over, regarding the twins with humor and then focused back on their game. Tyler moved his hand from Georgia’s breasts, down to her stomach. He splayed his large hand across it and felt a small kick from Jaycen. Georgia’s eyes shot open and she smiled.

“You woke him up.” She whispered and Tyler said a small ‘sorry buddy’ before placing his phone down on the coffee table. He moved his other hand to her belly as well, then she covered his hands with hers. 

“I think we should have a ropin’ competition.” Tyler said, glancing over at his brother, who was watching him intently as if studying what he was doing for his wife. Jake shot him an easy smile.

“I haven’t roped in years. We didn’t do it with Kenny the past two years cause his arthritis has been so bad. Did you call them by the way?” Jake asked and Tyler nodded.

“Yeah. This mornin’. Kenny said he was actually feelin’ pretty good even though it was chilly. He said momma’s not feelin’ well so they’re not gonna stop by until after New Year’s.” Tyler explained as he could see worry flash over Jake’s expression. 

“She okay?” Jake asked and Tyler shook his head.

“Kenny said she just has a cough and the sniffles. She just doesn’t wanna get any of us sick, ‘specially Gee.” Tyler’s hands turned, intertwining his fingers with hers. She was breathing so quietly he thought she might’ve been asleep, but she wasn’t. She was just resting her eyes from the lights in the room. 

A couple more hours went by and as the rest of the Wranglers settled down. They were all fairly tired and had begun to clear up the cards. Kate had mosied over at one point and leaned on Scott’s shoulders. He glanced up at her and smiled but that was as much as they’d let on and let everyone see. 

When it was time for everyone to head home, they all thanked Tyler and Georgia for having the party. They all took home some food and dessert. They also all hugged Jake and Sam, happy to have finally met Tyler’s brother and his fiance. Boone had met Jake before so he left with a ‘nice to see you again’ and they left. Tyler and Jake put jackets and boots on and made their way out to the barn to do night check and let the dogs all have their last potty break before bed. The ladies cleaned up the last of the dishes and then said goodnight to each other and headed to their respective rooms. 

As quickly as they could, the brothers checked the horses’ blankets, fed them some more hay, and closed up the barn for the night, they both glanced up at the starry night sky where the moon was framed in a ring of ice, and flurries had just begun again. 

“Snow again? Damn. I don’t remember the last time we got this much snow.” Tyler rubbed his hand together and blew his breath into them as he nudged at Jake, who called for all the dogs. The pack of them came running from wherever they had all been on the arena side of the barn and bounded ahead of the brothers. 

“Man, I’ve been in Cali too long. I kinda miss this part of the country. I wanna see a tornado again.” Jake mused, making Tyler chuckle.

“You can stay as long as you want...or need. Or, you can always come back as much as you want. There will always be room here for you and Sam.” Tyler wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “I miss you a shit load. Miss my wingman.”

“Yeah...I missed you too. A whole helluva lot.” Jake said as he squeezed Tyler’s bicep playfully. They headed inside, brushing the snow of their jackets at the door and toweling off the dogs. They all placed themselves around the fireplace and on the couches for the night and respectfully let their humans go to bed.

Tyler found Georgia breathing softly, nearly asleep. She awoke briefly as Tyler settled under the covers beside her, stripped down to just his boxers so that he could effectively steal some of her warmth. She nuzzled close to him and he wrapped his arms firmly around her, a small noise of satisfaction emitted from his throat as they both easily fell asleep.

Jake, on the other hand, was still very awake. Sam was curled under the covers and when she felt Jake’s muscular frame wrap around her, she pressed back into him. He kissed her neck, then her shoulder, and then he pulled the covers down to expose her naked form. She giggled softly as he continued down her body.

“Have to be quiet, babygirl.” He whispered as his hands traveled up and down her body, eliciting soft whimpers from her the more he touched her. He draped the sheets over their bodies and without much more than a few swipes of his fingers, he was pressing inside of Sam. She gasped at how hot and hard he was for her, knowing that had been building up throughout the day. He leaned down to kiss her as he began to move, slow and deep thrusts that made Sam hang onto him for dear life. It wasn’t just the physical power he put into it but the gravity of the intimacy between them that made tears sting her eyes that she hoped he didn’t see. They were not out of sadness in any way. They were of happiness because Jake made her the happiest she’d ever been when she was with him.

🌪️ 🛩️🛻⚓

Christmas morning was chilly and even more snow had fallen overnight. A true white Christmas.

Tyler and Georgia awoke early to go out and feed the horses, letting all the dogs out in the process. Georgia especially had come to like the little red dachshund for his attitude and courageous spirit. Grits could be a bit of a bull at times and where Rocco was older, he taught the puppy and little bit of respect. It was something that the Malinois could probably get across just as well, but the long and little red dog commanded the room when he walked in and that was good for the whole pack. Grits grew to like the little guy too, but his favorite was Ballast. He could rough house with the other male dog and Ballast could take everything that Grits threw at him. In a way,  the two dogs' relationship was symbolic of Tyler and Jake's. Cut from the same cloth, they as well as their human counterparts, were duty bound to protect their families. 

Jake and Sam slept in a little. It was about eight A.M. before Jake's eyes fluttered open, one at a time, and he was made very aware of where he had positioned himself. He was wrapped tightly around Sam, his returning muscles flexed protectively and possessively around her. One of her legs was over his and he was painfully hard against her core. The air in the room was cool but under the blankets it was an inferno and Jake's skin was sticky with sweat, not only from sleep, but from their love-making late last night. He'd nearly fallen asleep inside her. In fact, he was sure he had, so at some point he'd slipped out. 

Sam stirred, nudging him, her arms curled into his chest. Her head was tucked under his chin and Jake pressed a feather light kiss to her forehead. She inhaled their shared scent, sweat and sex heavy in her nostrils, bringing her out of her slumber. Jake reached up, tangling his fingers in her hair and guiding her lips to his. She whimpered softly, the thigh that was draped over him pulling him in further. 

“Merry Christmas, Jake.” She whispered and then sucked in a sharp breath as he, like last night, thrust into her leisurely. He didn't need to ask permission. There was an unspoken contract between them now, her movements giving him the go ahead. She would always hesitate if she didn't want him and he knew that deep in his core. And by far, morning sex was her favorite with him, because Jake was extra intimate when he'd just awoken. 

“Merry Christmas, Samantha. I love you.” He gently tugged at her roots, earning a soft moan from her. Her nails dug into his pecs, surely leaving tick marks behind. He growled in approval as he rocked slowly in and out, his movements barely there. 

“I love you too, Jake. I love you so much.” She nearly choked on the words as he increased the force, his loins burning with need for release. Her hands made their way to his hair, coaxing him closer and closer to the edge. His fingers left her hair and travel down, one set tracing heavy circles on her clit, the other kneading one of her breasts. His lips stayed locked with hers and before she could even say anything she was clamping down on his length and making him come first, following shortly thereafter with his help. She moaned into the kiss and she felt his lips draw up into a devilish smirk as he stilled, and spilled inside of her. 

“Ohhh god, Jake, it feels so good. You feel so good.” Her words were strangled, pleasure dripping from every syllable as he too voiced his ecstasy. He hummed, and pulled his fingers from her clit and grasped her hip, rubbing up and down her thigh. He purred as his mouth covered her again, his tongue caressing hers in a gentle gesture full of contentment. 

When they parted finally, they both let out heavy sighs, panting and sharing each other's air as they came down from their high. As the sage green depths of his eyes met hers, he saw surety. He saw emptiness of fear, and the pretty chocolate brown fill with delight as she shifted against him. Their noses touched as she searched, seeing only love reflect back to her in the morning light.

“This is the best present I could ask for, by the way.” He said softly and she let her lips touch his for a moment.

“Maybe soon, there will be another present on the way.” She murmured, and Jake's irises lit up at the thought of that. Never had he wanted something more than what she was giving him in that moment. Hope for the future and all the love she could ever spare.

They spent some time just touching each other as they untangled from the messy sheets. Then they dressed in comfortable clothes and headed downstairs where Tyler and Georgia had begun to make breakfast. Jake again, observed his brother's easy demeanor and gentle way around Georgia. Like he and Sam, they stole kisses and touches every chance they got, and they weren't afraid to let anyone see it either. Jake could only think in that moment how much love they had between them and how much they were going to give to the little boy that was due in a few short months. 

Jake always knew his brother would be a good father, because when they were younger, he took care of Jake. He always looked out for him but he taught him more than Kenny or Jeannie could about life. It had been the two boys against the world and even though their parents loved then unconditionally, the bond between the brothers was more than they could ever give. It was a different kind of love and one that Jake needed, especially now. Jake hadn't had any nightmares since coming down to Stillwater. He could only hope that he was on the back end of his mental strife and it was thanks in part to the environment that his brother fostered. 

They sat briefly for breakfast and then gathered on the couch. Tyler took the lead, handing out presents, knowing that there was one that he desperately wanted to save for the very end.

He gave Jake his first, from him and Georgia, a Carhartt jacket in a dark blue color that fit him perfectly. Jake had brought an old one with him that had rips and tears and had been well used but often forgotten in his closet in the warm California climate. In Jake's box underneath the jacket was also a tactical collar, two inches wide with a handle, and sandy brown with ‘Ballast’ embroidered in lime green. It was a little big so that the dog would grow into it. 

They gifted Sam a similar package except her jacket was a pretty lavender color, and Georgia had picked out a hat and gloves of the same shade. There were similar collars for both Muster and Rocco, hers being the sand brown with hot pink writing, and Rocco's with blue embroidering.

They had ordered the same type of collars for their own dogs, except theirs were grey bases with Grits’ color being red, Waffles was a light blue, and Pancake's purple.

It was then Sam and Jake's turn to give their gifts to Tyler and Georgia. Their gift to both of them was something they hadn't even been able to look at yet, but Sam had picked it out and Jake had agreed heavily on it. It was a crib for Jaycen, which Jake offered to help Tyler put together. They were ecstatic, seeing as they'd just finished painting the nursery walls. 

Then there were the individual gifts. Sam's to Jake was the boots, as well as an amalgamation of clothes, including hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a couple of pairs of jeans. Jake had gotten Sam something that she couldn't have now, but could cash in any time he was back up in the air.

“I talked to Cyclone...he gave me the okay once I'm airworthy, I can take you up in a jet. I know you never got to and you've always wanted to.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Not only did that mean a lot to her, but it would mean a lot that Jake kept his promise to her father, to keep her safe and to give her anything that he couldn't. 

Tyler's present to Georgia was the halters for her horses. When she opened the box and looked them all over, be could see her eyes get misty. 

“These are perfect, Ty.” She said hugging him. She drew back and pulled her phone out to show him a picture. “Lennon offered to go get it for you. Should be here this afternoon.” It was a blue pipe cattle roping chute. He'd been showing her pictures of different ones and he'd seen that particular one, almost brand new, up on Facebook Marketplace. He vowed he'd get one eventually, but Georgia could see how bad he'd wanted it. So she took a little from her savings and sent Lennon and Ophelia on an adventure to pick it up. 

“How'd’ you know?” He asked, kissing her forehead. She smirked.

“Just know things sometimes.” She laughed and Tyler conceded with her for that. 

There was one more present under the tree. A small box, left unopened. It was in pretty silver paper and it was no bigger than Tyler’s palm as he handed it to Georgia. She carefully unwrapped it, revealing a small blue velvet box. Georgia’s eyes shot up to look at Tyler, who was kneeling on one knee in front of her. 

“You already...” Georgia started but Tyler took the box and opened it, a beautiful diamond with a rose gold band sparking in the morning light. 

“I know but It didn’t feel right you not havin’ a ring. I know you said its not a big deal but it is to me. So now you have one. That is if you still want to be my wife.” Tyler joked and Georgia flung her arms around his neck, nearly strangling him. 

“Of course I still want to be your wife, you silly man!” Georgia exclaimed. “I would never want anyone else!”

A wide smile crossed Jake's lips, not knowing the full story,but not needing to. Whatever Tyler's reason for not having a ring in the first place was, it just showed that when he was committed to something or someone, he gave it his all. Jake knew Tyler made brash decisions and this had clearly been one of them, but it had also been calculated. Tyler made quick decisions but he also thought on them for long periods of time and Jake also knew that Tyler had always only had eyes for one woman and that was Georgia. It didn't surprise him one bit that Tyler followed through and made her his wife. 

[katebeckets]

Hart of Dixie Rewatch ⤷ 1x15 “Snowflakes & Soulmates”

I can't see pretty. I can only see doom. It only snows in Bluebell every once in a while and when it does, bad things happen.

[shiftdew]

⤷ dr masterlist!

༄ 🍌: my drs

[#༄ 🐝] : yellowjackets [yj ; misty quigley ; s/o - ?] [#༄ 🪺] : qeldlie cradle [asoiaf/got ; naerys qeldlie ; s/o - jon snow] [#༄ 🌈] : our house. [is a very very very fine house... 60's fame ; famous animal scientist ; dixie ; s/o - joan baez] [#༄ 🌻] : junimo hut. [sdv ; corgi rarecrow ; s/o - harvey] [#༄ 🌎] : hosakru. [the 100 ; laika kom hosakru ; heda ; s/o - raven reyes]

last updated... [may 11]

[lordofthecoffee]

[anakinvoidwalker]

"...why can't I get anymore nice days"

{This is for the summer @morrotober event :D}

(I'M SORRY IM LATE I WASN'T IN THE COUNTRY)

pretty short lil fic, just a goofy lil idea

Summary: Morro getting ice cream with Wu and then being a theatre kid

Morro fiddled with the bandage wrapped around his left hand and arm, following barely a pace behind his Sensei as the two of them walked away from Mystake’s tea shop. Sensei Wu was the only one who had any evidence that they had been there at all as he held a brown paper bag in his left hand, the hand furthest away from Morro. He seemed to be holding the bag a bit tighter than necessary, Morro could see his knuckles going white along with the tension in his Sensei’s jaw.

The wind around Wu shifted as he sighed to himself before turning to look at Morro, whose head was down as continued to fiddle with the bandage, the wrapping threatening to come undone.

“You seem tense, Morro,” Sensei Wu observed as he strode forward, looking over his shoulder at his student. “Would you like to stop at Jamanakai for some ice cream as we walk home?”

Morro looked up at his Sensei with confusion, accompanied by his curiosity that would most likely get him killed later.

“I…” Hesitation was clear as Morro pondered what he was going to say and how his Sensei would react. “I do not know what ‘ice cream’ is, Sensei. Could you… please explain what it is?”

That caused Sensei Wu to pause, Morro almost walking into the back of him.

“Ice cream is a cold sweet that is usually white in colour-”  Wu had begun to walk again as he spoke, Morro no longer in toe, but instead walking along beside his Sensei- “flavoured with vanilla essence, the most common flavour. Ice cream is typically made from sweetened cream which is…”

Sensei Wu continued to explain what ice cream was to his youngest, and only, pupil as the two of them walked side-by-side to Jamanakai Village.

Upon reaching the mountains, with the thin sheets of snow adorning most roofs and less walked paths, Wu led Morro to the centre of the village. A little fountain stood in the middle of the village square, a small cart with a striped umbrella atop it.

As soon as Morro spotted the cart, he ran straight over to it, barely over to look over the bench, Wu chuckling lightly as he followed his son over to the ice cream cart.

The vendor wore a light blue shirt with a pastel pink apron over top, the colours perfectly matching the strips of the umbrella, with a little white dixie cup sitting firmly in his hair. The vendor cast a glance between the two who stood in front of his cart, before smiling happily at them. “What can I do for you two today?”

“Just two vanilla ice cream cones please.” Sensei Wu handed the vendor some money before the man put it in his bag and began making the ice creams.

Morro looked up at his Sensei before hugging him, muttering a quiet “thank you, Dad” before turning his head sideways to watch the vendor prepare the ice cream. 

As he watched, Wu patted him gently on the shoulder while smiling, knowing that Morro was not looking at him, not that it mattered, he loved his son.

Once the ice creams were reading, the man handed them both over to Sensei Wu, who smiled in return. “I hope you have a good day, young man.”

“Thank you, and I hope you and your son enjoy your ice creams,” the vendor replied with a little wave as Wu turned around and began walking away, Morro in hot pursuit.

The moment Morro caught up with his sensei, he was handed an ice cream, which he proceeded to bite immediately upon receiving.

After a few seconds, while Wu was studying his pupil’s reaction to the ice cream, Morro’s face contorted from one of sheer joy to one of pain as he pushed his free hand to his forehead. “Owwww… Sensei! You didn’t say it was going to hurt to eat the ‘I scream’,” he whined, rubbing his head as Wu laughed to himself, even though he tried to hide it from Morro. “Don’t laugh at me! You didn’t warn me!”

Sensei Wu continued to eat his ice cream as he laughed light-heartedly at his student before his face showed slight pain while he squinted his eyes shut, placing his own hand against his forehead.

It took Morro a moment to figure out what was going on, but once he did, both he and Wu broke out laughing. The two of them together wandered over to a bench at the edge of the village square, sitting down together, laughing and eating ice cream. The pain from the bee sting in Morro’s hand, long forgotten, the tea leaves discarded next to them, not to be worried about for a long while.

As the two finished off their ice creams, Wu moved to stand but paused when he felt a slight tug on the side of his gi. “Yes, Morro?” He turned to look at his son, who looked uncharacteristically… upset almost. “What is wrong?”

“I was wondering.. if…” Morro trailed off a little, he didn’t want to anger or disappoint his father. “If it would be possible to have ice cream again someday?”

Wu knelt in front of his pupil, who he looked in the eyes, before smiling softly at him. “Of course Morro, there will be lots of time for ice cream”

Morro’s face lit up immediately, a small grin adorning his face. “And other nice days like this?”

 “There will always be more nice days, all you have to do is want them.”

The two of them then began to walk, hand in hand, down the path back to the monastery as the wind around them picked up and dark clouds rolled in.

Slowly, the wind grew to a strong gale, the wooden pilings of the shaking, causing the houses atop the docks to wobble a little. Sensei Wu stood with the civilians, assisting them to get onto the ferry that would be escorting them to safety. As he was doing that, Nya, one of his new students, fought off the ghosts nearby while his other students were focusing on trying to stop the Cursed Realm herself closer to the centre of Stiix. As the dock got less and less crowded, Wu noticed one of the ghosts standing atop the roof of the ferry.

Morro watched as his pitiful Sensei tried to get all the people to safety, surely he knew it was in vain. A grin spread across his face as he watched Sensei Wu turn and notice him, visible pain, panic and grief overtaking his face as he looked up at his former student, whose grin only grew.

“Those nice days do not always come, do they Sensei? And now, I’ll make sure you don’t get them anymore either!”

[kristannafever]

Big Sky Ranch - 29

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit WC: 3487

Chapter Index

*A/N at end of chapter

------------------------------------

A brutal winter gave way to a very late start to spring.  Work on the main house was paused for a while when it was too cold to be out in the elements, and began up again as soon as the weather warmed and the snow started to melt.  It was going to be a slow process, which was fine since no one was in a hurry.

As soon as the main house was finished, the crew they hired were going to start on the one for Sven and Dixie.  In the mean time everyone made due with sharing living arrangements.  The only person missing was Art, who had been staying with friends after he grew tired of hotels, and he would soon be back.  He informed them he was going to borrow a RV trailer to stay in on the ranch as soon as the nights were above freezing point.  Kristoff and Sven went about making a dedicated gravel RV parking spot along the side of the long stable at the back where he could hook it up to water and power.

Anna and Kristoff had thought long and hard about the kind of house they wanted to live in.  They did agree that they wanted the same entrance and grand gathering room that had been in the front of the house as an homage to the original.  Also to stay was the large kitchen and formal dining room since they had plans to start Sunday suppers where everyone one the ranch would come up to the main house to share a meal. 

The rest was going to be very different.  Where Art’s study had been would be their new master suite, and down the hall they planned four modest bedrooms.  Whether or not they would all be full of children someday would be determined in time.   Two other guest rooms were going to be on the main floor off the kitchen, and a small office was to be added where Anna could work on the books and continue to run the now very successful social media accounts for the ranch.  In the basement would be a playroom for the kids, dedicated area to watch movies since it would be the only place in the house with a television, and well-organized furnace and storage room. 

Part of where the rest of the original house had expanded to other living areas, would be an attached three car garage, since Anna and Kristoff liked the idea of being able to park their vehicles inside in the winter.  Especially when the kids started arriving.  And the front porch that had ended along the front of the original house, was now wrapping all the way around until it met the garage on either side, giving an area to eat outside right off the kitchen.  Kristoff and Anna both agreed their kids would probably love running around and playing on the deck when the weather was nice.

They talked about the house a lot and how much they were looking forward to start having kids.  They’d somewhat stumbled into a conversation about it one night and discovered that they both had an idea to start trying not long after they were married.  Couple of months or a year they figured, since they did want some time to enjoy each other as newlyweds before getting more serious about their lives. 

They had also decided to postpone their wedding until the house was complete.   It seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances, and the wedding was planned for sometime in the summer.  Not only that, they both wanted to get Art into his cabin as soon as possible.  He’d been without a place for himself for a long time, and with how much he was giving them, they wanted to give as much back as they could. 

On the bright side for Art, he had received some early, author copies of his momoir and had given a signed one to her and Kristoff.  When she read the dedication in the front of the book, it brought her to tears, and Kristoff agreed it was full of sentiment.  It read;

To the men and women who are the life of this ranch.  You know who you are.  I appreciate your dedication and friendship.  We are family.

Anna continued to cook every day for the ranch hands, even if her and Kristoff were heading out to dinner.  When they did, she always had a casserole keeping warm in the oven and a big salad in the fridge for her friends and family.  Anna was happy to keep doing that for them since she did find herself with much more down time than she had anticipated, and she filled it by tending to the goats and the chickens and brainstorming ideas for more social media content. 

Kristoff and Sven had become quite the social media sensations.   Anna had started a series on YouTube that consisted of the more charismatic ranch hands, Sven, Jett and Coop, talking about life on the ranch and explaining how they did the job the same way it had been done for centuries.  Then, with much convincing and encouraging from Anna and Sven, got Kristoff to join his brother to make a video about how they cared for their horses each day.  It went absolutely viral.  And it was not because people liked the horses.  Everyone in the comments wanted to know who the blond cowboy was and where they’d been hiding him.

Anna found it humorous at first, then every video she posted after, people were commenting that they wanted more big blond cowboy content.  Anna had to apologize to a very red-faced Kristoff when she told him about it, and beg him to make more videos for her.  He agreed because he loved her and Anna damn well knew that, and she promised the only videos she’d make of him would be him and Sven explaining something or him with the entire group as they rode out on their horses or did tasks around the ranch.  Regardless of not posting any spicy content of him whatsoever, he still became a thirst trap anyway and Anna took to not reading the comments anymore.   Some of them were downright lewd. 

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

There was a knock at the cabin door.  Kristoff and Anna looked at each other.  It was early.  Pre-dawn early.  Who the hell would be knocking at this hour who wouldn’t have called them? 

Kristoff went to the door and Anna followed, even thought he gave her a cautionary glance over his shoulder and positioned himself partly in front of her as he flicked the switch for the porch light and opened the door. 

A petite, blonde, well-dressed woman stood there with some folded paper in her hands.   Seeming harmless enough, Kristoff let the door swing all the way open and Anna pushed herself beside him to see what this was about. 

She looked to Kristoff.  “Are you Kristoff Bjorgman?”  He nodded. 

The woman turned to her.  “And you are Anna Arendelle?”  She nodded.

The woman split the two stacks of paper, putting one in each hand and holding it out to each of them.  “You have been served.”

Confused, Kristoff reached slowly for the papers and took them while Anna’s hackles went up.  “Who the hell is suing us?” she demanded.

“It’s in the papers, Ma’am,” stated the blonde, and moved her hand up so that the papers were at eye level.  Anna had no choice but to take them.

Kristoff shut the door while Anna tore into the paperwork.  Her eyes scanned until she found what she was looking for.  “That bitch!”

“Who?”

Her eyes came up and met his.  “Alyssa!”

His eyebrows drew together in confusion.  “What for?”

Anna read on, and her eyes widened as she read what was on the page.  “For… personal injury and elder abuse?” she said quietly.  “What the…” Scanning more she got to the meat of the matter.  Feeling a sense of dread, she lowered the papers and looked to Kristoff.  “She states we have brainwashed and abused her father into giving us the ranch.  She is claiming that he is not of sound mind.”

Anger flickered into Kristoff’s face.  “What… that is… that is so fucked up.”

Anna could feel herself getting hot too.  “It is fucked up.  That woman is mental.  She needs a hospital, she really does.”

Her fiancé stormed to the table and thew the papers on it, swiping all his fingers through his hair and pacing.  “What are we going to do?”

Anna took a couple of calming breaths and read it over again.  The more she took it in, the more she rationalized her thoughts.  “Well, Art being of sound mind is easy enough to prove.”

“What about the rest of it?  That we brainwashed and abused him.  How can we prove we did no such preposterous thing?”

“I’m going to call Art,” Anna said, making a b-line to her phone sitting on the edge of the kitchen island.

-----

Art took her hands into his.  “Again, Anna.  Please do not worry about this.”

She frowned.  “I don’t see how I can’t.”

Her boss leaned back against the booth seat in the diner.  “Trust me.  I can handle my daughter.”

Anna nodded, not sure whether or not she believed him.   He had asked her to meet him at the diner for breakfast and she had, although she barely touched her French toast over worry about being sued.  As she told Art about what had happened that morning, he seemed… well, he seemed like he did when she burned down his house.  Calm.  It was almost as if he took in the news like he expected it to happen.

“Did you… know about this?” she asked timidly.

Art shook his head.  “No.  But I knew that as soon as she burned down the house that something else was coming.  Probably brainstormed this as the most likely avenue that she gets her way.  I imagine since then she’s fabricated all kinds of evidence.”

Anna grimaced.  She felt sick.

The old man gleamed at her.  “Don’t worry, Anna.  I have thought about this a lot and have made a contingency for this very situation.”

That did not make her feel better.  She raised her eyebrows in question.

“What does Alyssa covet more than anything else?”

Anna did not hesitate.  “Money.”

Her boss smiled.  “Exactly.  And right now, I have a lot of it.  In a few days, when she’s had a chance to imagine all the ways a lawsuit would go, I will pay her a visit.”  Art paused and took a sip of his coffee.  Anna took the moment to drink some more water.  She still felt a little dizzy.

“I won’t disclose amounts, with you or her, that is truly my own business,” Art continued, “But I will let her think it is… shall I say, substantial.  Not selling off estate lots kind of money but enough that she can be satiated.  The only stipulation, is that she does not receive this money if she ever meddles in my affairs again.  And that includes things like suing you two or anyone else who lives on the ranch.”

Anna took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, not sure if this plan was even going to work.  Alyssa’s villainy was blockbuster movie proportions. 

Art raised an eyebrow at her.  “You don’t think I’d make her sign into some kind of binding legal agreement about this?”

She shrugged.  She had no idea what her boss had cooking in his brain.  A brain that appeared far sharper the more time she spent with him. 

“She gets the entire up-to-date profits of the ranch, which I can assure you she thinks she knows the value of, and every other cent I have to my name.  The catch, is she only get’s it when I do end up passing away.”

“Then she’ll have what she wanted out of you all along.”

Art smiled softly.  “And that is what I want her to think.  She cut me out of her life, so I am cutting her out of mine.  Then when I die, she receives her inheritance.”

Anna’s brow furrowed.  “I still don’t understand.”

He smiled, and it was a little diabolical, loosening Anna’s apprehension.  “While she bides her time, probably hoping my cancer comes back, I will be living my life to the fullest.  I will continue to travel, spend money as I see fit, help my friends and my community as much as I can, and if my last couple of years living have to be very lean because I’ve run out of money, so be it.”

Anna was a little shocked.  It was… fitting.

Art nodded.  “Her and I will sign a contract that she gets all the money I have when I die.  I will put it in my will and give her a copy, stating that.  Not the cabin or a single part of the ranch, only the money.  And I can promise you, she will sign, and she will drop this asinine lawsuit against you and Kristoff.”

“What if she starts to check in with you?  Wanting yearly bank statements and all that?”

“I will tell her that this is contingent on us never seeing each other again as long as I am alive.  She has hurt me enough.  It’s time to hurt her back.  She needs to be taught a lesson.”

Anna let out a long sigh.  “I certainly agree with the last part.”

Her boss appraised her for a moment.  “You can trust me on this, Anna.  My daughter is smart, but I am smarter.”  He winked.

She smiled, feeling a lot better all of the sudden.  “Okay, Art.  I trust you.”

*****

Panting, Anna slid off of him and collapsed at his side, wrapping her naked body around his and smiling at him.  “God, that stamina,” she said through a giggle.  “I still can’t get over how you blow my mind every time.”

Kristoff chuckled.  He had a big smile of his own.  After all, he had broken his own record on the number of times he’d made her come undone.  He savored every single one of them. 

Anna disappeared to the bathroom after a moment and Kristoff sat up.  The unease was starting to gnaw at him again, despite what Anna had said about Art’s plan.  The more he thought about it, the more worried he became that it was going to end up in trial and cost them a fortune in legal fees to prove that they would never do something so heinous to their boss.   Or anyone for that matter.

“I know that look,” Anna said, coming back into the bedroom and sliding back under the covers and sitting beside him.  “Trust me, Art knows what he’s doing.”

“Yeah, I know.  I just worry that he’s underestimating her.  Like he underestimated her coming to the ranch and burning the house down.”

“I think he understands her better than we ever can.”

Kristoff sighed and got out of bed to slide on his jeans.  They still needed to clean up from dinner and then tend to the little stable where Kosta and Dusty were spending the night.  “Well, if he can get her to agree to all that and sign something, I suppose I’d feel better.”

Anna followed suit and slid on her own jeans.  “I’m sure she will.”

He fastened the buckle on his belt and looked at her.  “You know what else worries me, what about after the old man does pass away?  Who is to stop her from attackin’ us then?”

“Art said he would put it in his will.  And the contract he is going to get her to sign to leave him and us alone for the rest of his life.”

He plucked a t-shirt off the floor and slid it over his head.  “That’s what worries me, his life.” 

Anna looked up from buttoning her blouse with an eyebrow raised.  “You think she would try to breach the contract after he passes away?”

“Of course I do.  She doesn’t strike me as the type to let this go.”

“No, she doesn’t, and Art knows that.  Trust me, Kristoff.  He has this handled.”

He gave her a little shrug and made a piss poor attempt at a smile.  “Okay.”

After they cleaned up from dinner, did the dishes and tended to the stable, they decided to read quietly for a while.  They were both tired and neither one of them wanted to be up late.  But try as he might, Kristoff was unable to keep his concentration on what he was reading.  Three times he realized he zoned out and had to re-read a couple of paragraphs.  Eventually he gave up and told Anna he was going to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. 

He had just finished and walked into the bedroom when his phone stated to ring.  Kristoff saw it was the boss.  “Hi Art,” he answered.

“Anna tells me I need to convince you I know what I’m doing,” he said by way of greeting.

His cheeks flooded with heat and he looked to Anna who looked sheepish and gave him a tiny shrug that suggested this would be good for him so as not to worry about it all night, which he had fully intended to do.  “No, it’s not like that Art.  I just… I guess I just wonder what your daughter might have up her sleeve in the future, even beyond whatever you are getting her to sign.”

“When you’re off the phone with me check your emails.  I’ve sent you, and Anna, a copy of the contract and a copy of my will.  You will get a hard copy once I have everything looked over by a lawyer and signed.  It is ironclad and you will be untouchable from her grasp.”

“Okay… thanks, Art.”

“Kristoff, you don’t strike me as the type to be worrying over something like this.  I’ve seen you defend the things you care about with a rather, shall I say, furious passion.”

That confused him.  “And… how exactly would you know that, sir?”

“Sir?  Really?”

“Sorry.  Art.”

He sighed audibly over the phone.  “Aside from the fact I seen you boys with plenty of shiners over the years, after Sven told me what happened with that drifter fella we hired, I called Frankie and asked him to break it down for me.  He told me the beating that you gave that piece of work.  And my takeaway was that you did to that bastard exactly what I would have done if he laid his hands on my wife.  Or any woman for that matter.  So I have to ask, where is that passion now?”

It was his turn to sigh.  “Honestly, Art, I don’t know.  I have nothin’ physical to attack here.  Just her makin’ up some seriously fucked up allegations.   Our word against hers.  I… I guess I have no idea where to direct it right now.”

“You don’t need to direct it anywhere.  I promise you once you read over what I will have her sign, you will be at ease.”

Somehow, that did make him feel a touch better.  “Alright.  Thank you.”

“Okay then.  You have any questions, you call me, okay?  Any time.”

“Thanks, Art,” he said, about to follow it up with saying goodnight when a thought occurred to him and he wasn’t going to bite his tongue this time.  “Can I ask you… why you never mentioned your daughter in your memoir?  I kind of wondered if you left her out on purpose… or… removed her from the pages.”

His boss was silent for a beat.  “No, she was never in it.  I didn’t want her to distract from what was important about the memoir.  Protecting a way of life for rancher’s and farmer’s and getting them a lot more respect than they receive in this current day and age.  And she is the antithesis of the point I was trying to make in my writing.  I knew from the first word on the page that she would not be a part of it.”

Kristoff nodded to himself.  Anna was right, his mind was a lot sharper than he’d ever imagined.  “Okay.  I understand a little better now.”

“And you trust me to handle her?”

He could tell Art was smiling from the sound of his voice.  He smiled too.  “Yes, Art.  I trust you.”

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Three days later Art sent Anna and Kristoff a text in a group chat with the three of them.  It simply said;

She is officially legally out of your hair.  You don’t need to worry about her ever again.

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~A/N - I am nearing the end of what I have written so far. So once I get to that point this story will be 'complete'. However, I have more ideas and things I want to add so there will be updates in the future

[stinkybrowndogs]

Some dog movie observations:

The 1990s to like 2010 seems to be the golden age of dog movies. We got Beethoven (1992), Homeward Bound (1993), Air Bud (1997), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Snow Dogs (2002), Because of Winn Dixie (2005), Hotel for Dogs (2009), Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) to name a few that I enjoyed. There is also a slew of B-rate movies that while not as good, still have some charm. I will say I think it helps that cgi wasn’t heavily used in movies until the later 2000s and 2010s, and it is my humble opinion that too much cgi ruins the movies. The more tricks the dog actually does on camera, the better. Bonus points if clever camera shots and practical effects are used instead of cgi.

Anything before the 80s? Questionable animal ethics. (The Animal welfare act was passed in 1966, so really anything before then is… wild.)

Now. As we travel into the 2010s-2020s, we see an uptick in copaganda. (Max, Dog, Rescued by Ruby, and a Dogs Journey are some recent ones). We also see an uptick of Really Bad Movies (think like a dog-BAD. Lady and the tramp? WORSE.) we also see a lot of strange indie films about dogs (white god was….. weird.) this is also when the “air buddies” took off to be their own thing, which has turned into an entire studio that makes Bad Dog Movies (and also shows! Pup academy, phantom pups, and one other one on Netflix. They are Bad)

There are also several with like 100 remakes (lassie, benji, where the red fern grows, like 200 different white fangs smh) so I’m not super sure how I’m going to tackle those….

The most popular dog breeds in these movies are probably goldens, labs, German shepherds, Great Danes (! At least 3 so far; marmaduke, the ugly Dachshund, and Chestnut hero of Central Park), old English sheepdogs (! Surprising but there was a few!) and beagles (again at least a few movies). Also, terriers.

Dobermans, Rottweilers, Beaucerons, and German shepherds are top picks for the antagonist characters, or just as Menacing Dogs

There are several I haven’t watched yet because they are not on any streaming service, and I will have to check my library to see if they have any of them to loan. I am looking forward to the Tim Allen shaggy dog (horrifying poster- dog with human eyes photoshopped on), marmaduke (I remember this movie being terrible), cats & dogs (I remember liking these)

Im tempted to try and make a big long video just. Reviewing all the movies I have watched but that is a massive waste of my time and also I have the personality of a shoe so I’m not sure who would actually be interested in watching it. Much to think about.

[helenchinuko]

Hey, could you try to make Dixie in your style? Please 🥺

kay in red snow Helen Dixie and Nono-Chan are soviver….