#wine production improvements

[constructiondesignbuildtips]

5 Tips for Winery Renovations: Boost Your Vineyard’s Success

Introduction to Winery Renovations Why Renovate? Winery renovations are a great way to keep your vineyard fresh and appealing. Renovations can attract more visitors, make wine production smoother, and even boost your sales. Whether you want to update old equipment, redesign your tasting room, or make your winery more eco-friendly, renovating can bring new life to your business. Planning Your…

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-fi prompt from @liberwolf:

Could you explain Tariff's , like who pays them and what they do to a country?

Well, I can definitely guess where this question is coming from.

Honestly, I was pretty excited to get this prompt, because it's one I can answer and was part of my studies focus in college. International business was my thing, and the issues of comparative advantage (along with Power Purchasing Parity) were one of the things I liked to explore.

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

At their simplest, tariffs are an import tax. The United States has had tariffs as low as 5%, and at other times as high as 44% on most goods, such as during the Civil War. The purpose of a tariff is in two parts: generating revenue for the government, and protectionism.

Let's first explore how a tariff works. If you want to be confused, then you need to have never taken an economics class, and look at this graph:

(src)

So let's undo that confusion.

The simplest examples are raw or basic materials such as steel, cotton, or wine.

First, without tariffs:

Let us say that Country A and Country B both produce steel, and it is of similar quality, and in both cases cost $100 per unit. Transportation from one country to the other is $50/unit, so you can either buy domestically for $100, or internationally for $150. So you buy domestically.

Now, Country B discovers a new place to mine iron very easily, and so their cost for steel drops to $60/unit due to increased ease of access. Country A can either purchase domestically for $100, or internationally for $110 (incl. shipping), which is much more even. Still, it is more cost-effective to purchase domestically, and so Country A isn't worried.

Transportation technology is improved, dropping the shipping costs to $30/unit. A person from Country A can buy: Domestic: $100 International: $60+$30 = $90 Purchasing steel from Country B is now cheaper than purchasing it from Country A, regardless of where you live.

Citizens in Country A, in order to reduce costs for domestic construction, begin to purchase their steel from Country B. As a result, money flows from Country A to B, and the domestic steel industry in Country A begins to feel the strain as demand dwindles.

In this scenario, with no tariffs, Country A begins to rely on B for their steel, which causes a loss of jobs (steelworkers, miners), loss of infrastructure (closing of mines and factories), and an outflow of funds to another country. As a result, Country A sees itself as losing money to B, while also growing increasingly reliant on their trading partner for the crucial good that is steel. If something happens to drive up the price of B's steel again, like political upheaval or a natural disaster, it will be difficult to quickly ramp up the production of steel in Country A's domestic facilities again.

What if a tariff is introduced early?

Alternately, the dropping of complete costs for purchase of steel from Country B could be counteracted with tariffs. Let's say we do a 25% tariff on that steel. This tariff is placed on the value of the steel, not the end cost, so:

$60 + (0.25 x $60) + $30 = $105/unit

Suddenly, with the implementation of a 25% tariff on steel from Country B, the domestic market is once again competitive. People can still buy from Country B if they would like, but Country A is less worried about the potential impacts to the domestic market.

The above example is done in regards to a mature market that has not yet begun to dwindle. The infrastructure and labor is still present, and is being preemptively protected against possible loss of industry to purchasing abroad.

What happens if the tariff is not implemented until after the market has dwindled?

Let's say that the domestic market was not protected by the tariff until several decades on. Country A's domestic production, in response to increased purchasing from abroad, has dwindled to one third of what it was before the change in pricing incentivized purchase from B. Prices have, for the sake of keeping this example simple, remained at $100(A) and $60(B) in that time. However, transportation has likely become better, so transportation is down to $20, meaning that total cost for steel from B is $80, accelerating the turn from domestic steel to international.

So, what happens if you suddenly implement a tariff on international steel? Shall we say, 40%?

$60 + (0.4 x 60) + 20 = $104

It's more expensive to order from abroad! Wow! Let's purchase domestically instead, because these prices add up!

But the production is only a third of what it used to be, and domestic mines and factories for refining the iron into steel can't keep up. They're scaling, sure, but that takes time. Because demand is suddenly triple of the supply, the cost skyrockets, and so steel in Country A is now $150/unit! The price will hopefully come down eventually, as factories and mines get back in gear, but will the people setting prices let that happen?

So industries that have begun to rely on international steel, which had come to $80/unit prior to the tariff, are facing the sudden impact of a cost increase of at least $25/unit (B with tariff) or the demand-driven price increase of domestic (nearly double the pre-tariff cost of steel from B), which is an increase of at least 30% what they were paying prior to the tariff.

There are possible other aspects here, such as government subsidies to buoy the domestic steel industry until it catches back up, or possibly Country B eating some of the costs so that people still buy from them (selling for $50 instead of $60 to mitigate some of the price hike, and maintain a loyal customer base), but that's not a direct impact of the tariff.

Who pays for tariffs?

Ultimately, this is a tax on a product (as opposed to a tax on profits or capital themselves, which has other effects), which means the majority of the cost is passed on directly to the consume.

As I said, we could see the producers in Country B cut their costs a little bit to maintain a loyal customer base, but depending on their trade relationships with other countries, they are just as likely to stop trading with Country A altogether in order to focus on more profitable markets.

So why do we not put tariffs on everything?

Well... for that, we get into the question of production efficiency, or in this case, comparative advantage.

Let's say we have two small, neighboring countries, C and D, that have negligible transportation costs and similar industries. Both have extensive farmland, and both have a history of growing grapes for wine, and goats for wool. Country C is a little further north than D, so it has more rocky grasses that are good for goats, while D has more fertile plains that are good for growing grapes.

Let's say that they have an equal workforce of 500,000 of people. I'm going to say that 10,000 people working full time for a year is 1 unit of labor. So, Country C and Country D have between the 100 units of labor, and 50 each.

The cost of 1 unit of wool = the cost of 1 unit of wine

Country C, having better land for goats, can produce 4 units of wool for every unit of labor, and 2 units of wine for every unit of labor.

Meanwhile, Country D, having better land for grapes, can produce 2 units of wool per unit of labor, and 4 units of wine per unit of labor.

If they each devote exactly half their workforce to each product, then:

Country C: 100 units of wool, 50 units of wine Country D: 50 units of wool, 100 units of wine

Totaling 150 units of each product.

However, if each devotes all of their workforce to the product they're better at...

Country C: 200 units of wool, no wine Country D: no wool, 200 units of wine

and when they trade with each other, they each end up with 100 units of each product, which is a doubling of what their less-efficient labor would have resulted in!

The real world is obviously much more complicated, but in this example, we can see the pros of outsourcing some of your production to another country to focus on your own specialties.

Extreme examples of this IRL are countries where most of the economy rests on one product, such as middle-eastern petro-states that are now struggling to diversify their economies in order to not get left behind in the transition to green energy, or Taiwan's role as the world's primary producer of semiconductors being its 'silicon shield' against China.

Comparative advantage can be used well, such as our Unnamed Countries (that are definitely not the classic example of England and Portugal, with goats instead of sheep) up in the example. With each economy focusing on its specialty, there is a greater yield of both products, meaning a greater bounty for both countries.

However, should something happen to Country C up there, like an earthquake that kills half the goats, they are suddenly left with barely enough wool to clothe themselves, and nothing for Country D, which now has a surplus of wine and no wool.

So you do have to keep some domestic industry, because Bad Things Can Happen. And if we want to avoid the steel example of a collapse in the given industry, tariffs might be needed.

Are export tariffs a thing?

Yes, but they are much rarer, and can largely be defined as "oh my god, everyone please stop getting rid of this really important resource by selling it to foreigners for a big buck, we are depleting this crucial resource."

So what's the big confusion right now?

Donald Trump has, on a number of occasions, talked about 'making China pay' tariffs on the goods they import into the US. This has led to a belief that is not entirely unreasonable, that China would be the side paying the tariffs.

The view this statement engenders is that a tariff is a bit like paying a rental fee for a seller's table at an event: the producer or merchant pays the host (or landlord or what have you) a fee to sell their product on the premises. This could be a farmer's market, a renaissance faire, a comic book convention, whatever. If you want to sell at the event, you have to pay a fee to get a space to set up your table.

In the eyes of the people who listened to Trump, the tariff is that fee. China is paying the United States for access to the market.

And, technically, that's not entirely wrong. China is thus paying to enter the US market. It's just the money to pay that fee needs to come from somewhere, and like most taxes on goods, that fee comes from the consumer.

So... what now?

Well, a lot of smaller US companies that rely on cheap goods made in China are buying up non-perishables while they can, before the tariffs hit. Long-term, manufacturers in the US that rely on parts and tools manufactured in China are going to feel the squeeze once that frontloaded stock is depleted.

Some companies are large enough to take the hit on their own end, still selling at cheap rates to the consumer, because they can offset those costs with other parts of their empire... at least until smaller competitors are driven out of business, at which point they can start jacking up their prices since there are no options left. You may look at that and think, "huh, isn't that the modus operandi for Walmart and Amazon already?" and yes. It is. We are very much anticipating a 'rich get richer, poor go out of business' situation with these tariffs.

The tariffs will also impact larger companies, including non-US ones like Zara (Spanish) and H&M (Swedish), if they have a huge reliance on Chinese production to supply their huge market in the United States.

If you're interested in the repercussions that people expect from these proposed tariffs on Chinese goods, I'd suggest listening to or watching the November 8th, 2024 episode of Morning Brew Daily (I linked to YouTube, but it's also available on Spotify, Nebula, the Morning Brew website, and other podcast platforms).

[sleepn0tfound]

That's MY Daughter

DC x Fem!Neglected!Batsis! Reader x Marvel [Just some midnight thoughts]

Bruce and Tim realised something odd about Stark Industries. Ever since a few months ago the technology being produced there had improved by an unbelievable amount. It was futuristic, nothing that this world has seen before. And the weirdest part of it is the fact that Tony Stark had offered to partner up with Wayne Enterprises. THE Tony Stark, Iron Man, the most egotisical man they knew had willingly offered to partner up with them? After years of being petty with Bruce and the JL?

Tim had been made to prepare to become the new CEO soon, thus he recently started taking up more work at Wayne Enterprises when the agreement was made. Though instead of Tony being the one to talk about ideas it was an unknown woman communicating with him about the ideas, the product, the marketing, etc. And the merge of the two companies was an absolute success, the marketing especially drawing in young adults. (courtesy of Tim and the mysterious women who seems to be around the same age as him)

Who was the mysterious women though? Well both Bruce and Tim could only come to one solution. The least known character to Bruce, to Batman, which says a lot considering the fact that he had made a contingency plan for every Avenger, every hero, including his own teammates, including himself, yet this one character was completely unknown, zero plans if she were to go rogue. And that drove Bruce crazy. Her file was blank. Every vital information was marked with the word 'unknown'. It had been making Bruce paranoid for years since she had appeared next to the Avengers.

The reassurance from the Avengers never helped. It was as if something was gnawing at him. After all how could he trust them anyways? (careful Bruce your trust issues are showing)

One of the only things they knew about her is that she is the main hacker/coder for the Avengers, hence the reason why the Avengers digital security was admittedly better than the Justice League's and how much faster they got, what should be, classified information. (no matter how much Bruce wants to deny it)

And her codename, Special Agent Reaper. No she wasn't originally an Avenger, she was crowned the most skilled assassin of this era, working under S.H.I.E.L.D and one of the sole reasons why all of the HYDRA agents that have sneaked into S.H.I.E.L.D have been successfully taken out, her name would pass by in the wind every so often, they might be rumours or the truth but no one truly knows. Hell even Ra's Al Ghul, The Demon’s Head, had acknowledged her once. Even Talia had admitted that Damian's fighting technique was made to mirror The Reaper's, the only difference is he used katanas while the Reaper, fittingly, uses a scythe.

But one thing was for sure. If you saw the shadow of a hooded figure you better run, though at that point it might be too late.

As the saying goes, "Beware of the Grim Reaper. Wherever it goes death follows closely behind.”

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

“Ah! Brucie! Here you are!” Tony said, wine in hand as he approached Bruce at the gala. Well that was a first. He usually never played into the Brucie persona. Well nonetheless the show must go on.

“Tony!” Bruce threw himself at the other billionaire, acting as if he was drunk, ignoring the way Tony’s expression turned into a grimace for a split second.

As usual, they were both around other pretentious socialites who never seemed to run out of questions.

“Ah! Tony, I heard Stark Industries have been bringing in more money than ever.”

“Oh yes! It’s all because of this prodigy i had found. She actually was the reason why Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises had a collab. I might even give the company to her when I retire!" He let out a laugh that seems to emanate the word 'rich', a small smirk stayed on his lips as he heard the guests at the gala begin to whisper.

"Oh? Is that so? Then I would love to meet the person I have been working with this entire time." Tim Drake-Wayne said as he finally came out of the corner where he would usually stay in to observe rather than interact.

"Be my guest." A subtle challenge, as if Tony was daring him to go through with it as they locked eyes. A smirk on one face while a well practiced smile on the other.

Bruce let out a light hearted laugh as he tightened his grip around Tony, a subtle warning to stay away from his son, "Well then I wouldn't mind arranging a meeting! I'm sure you wouldn't mind the others joining." His tone had a slight change that even the most observant wouldn't realise.

Bruce could barely keep up the 'Brucie' act with Tony bragging about how Stark Enterprises profits have shot up with him finding a 'prodigy' and someone who will take over the company once he retires.

"Not at all. The more the merrier. I assume you wouldn't mind me inviting more people as well." Tony sipped his wine, he wasn't one to back out from a challenge, especially when he is so confident.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

This certainly wasn't how the Justice League and the Avengers expected their next meeting to happen. A petty fight between the two men that singlehandedly funds their respective teams causing all of them to be in one room together.

"Well then, Stark. Where is this prodigy that you speak so highly of?" Bruce said as he sported his famous batglare.

"I assure you she is on her way. She should just be right about done with her mission." Tony replied with the same tone, shooting a glare as well.

Meanwhile the two teams were watching this as if it was the most entertaining show they have seen.

.

.

.

"Hey I'm here." Y/n entered the hall, still wearing her assassin suit, though her signature black hood was down, revealing her face.

Silence seemed to engulf the room.

"Kid... Your hood."

"...Fuck."

hi! i might have disappeared for a month :D To those who are waiting for more parts of DC x Super/Kent!Reader it will come... eventually. I'm having the biggest writer's block for that specific AU so uhm yeah! I wasn't really planning on making that AU a series since it was mostly just me being bored and writing for the lols but since it received so much attention [thank you guys so much!] I have to do it now. i was doing some worldbuilding and already know how I want the reader to be and allat but I cant really think of how to shape the story ukukuk. so yeah stay tuned for that! also this thing was also just a blurb. Might make somewhat of continuation parts if I feel like it. [Also the neglected!batsis! fanfics I've been reading is getting to me. i have a feral urge to create a diff AU series for that] Also would you guys be interested in me creating a twitter/insta account or like a tele channel to post random things

[glitchlight]

Oh No! I got mad about something someone I dont know posted on the internet and I am brooding and angry about it! Instead of posting I will relax and reflect and do something more productive like:

Scuba diving

Yoga

National Park Travelers Club

Becoming A Nudist

Jigsaw puzzles

Wikipedia editing

Inventing A Time Machine

Woodworking

Masturbating

Succumbing To The Amulet

Genealogy

Masturbating

Dark Alchemy

Robot combat

Bungee jumping

Electronics repair

Beekeeping

Lego sets

Shuffleboard

Slacklining

Eating Lugnuts Off The Cars In the Walmart Parking Lot

Photography

Metalworking

Hacking

Golfing

Paintball

Transcending the Limitations of Flesh

Welding

Thrifting

Sleeping

Abolishing The Division of Night and Day

Pet fostering

Meteorology

Getting Gone

Bowling

Dumpster Diving

Book collecting

Amateur radio

Meditating On My Uncountable Failures

Weaving

Ice skating

Graphic design

Brewing

Masturbating

Car racing

Stealing

Camping

Teaching Crows How To Commit Tax Fraud

Getting Really Good At Beatboxing

Cooking

Getting My Stink Salted

Bird watching

Crocheting

Gymnastics

Screaming Into the Night Sky At God

Metal detecting

Masturbating

Driving Off A Bridge

Sleeping

Thinking about Masturbating

Revisiting Classics To See If They Hold Up

Origami

Drinking

Masturbating

Billiards

Chess

Sleeping

Geocaching

Bread making

Launching rockets

Calligraphy

Archery

Jewelry making

Smoking

Video games

Needlepoint

Water skiing

Animal breeding

Stealing

Podcasting

Fantasy sports

Learning Spanish

Wine tasting

Backpacking

Getting Way Too Into Sports

Alchemy

Karaoke

Stealing

Traveling

Turning Straight Women Gay

Taxidermy

Masturbating

Horseback riding

Fishing

Being a DJ

Quilting

Juggling

Record collecting

Baking

Glassblowing

Drones

Stealing Infant Teeth

Crossfit

Improvisation

Attuning Myself To Crystals For the Purposes of Psychic Attacks

Drinking

Playing a musical instrument

Stand-up comedy

Throwing Myself Into A Volcano

Skiing

Remote cars

Bonsai

Furniture restoration

Quitting While I'm Ahead

Drinking

Writing

Smoking

Meterology

Local historical society

Disappearing In A Mysterious Accident

Assassination

Painting

Handball

Masturbating

Cheese-making

Martial arts

Astronomy

App making

Table tennis

Web design

Letting All The Demons Out of Hell

Farming

Hiking

Home improvement projects

Swimming

Skydiving

Volunteering

Animal grooming

Forbidden Alchemy

Remote airplanes

Gardening

Burying A Bunch Of Eggs

Becoming The Worlds Preeminent White Maoist

Digging A Hole To The Center of the Earth

Trivia

Journaling

Video production

Masturbating

Drinking

Crossword puzzles

Vehicle restoration

Candle-making

Drinking

Reading

Art collecting

Drawing

Makeup

Smoking

Running

Dancing On the Graves of My Enemies

Sleeping

Kayaking

Poetry

Knitting

Sleeping

Designing clothing

Sailing

Acting

Rock climbing

Disc golfing

Scrapbooking

Winemaking

Wood burning

Running Away

Museum visiting

Pottery

Escape rooms

Soap making

LARPing

Freestyling

Flying

Smoking

Snowboarding

Board games

Just Eating A Bunch of Candy

Surfing

Masturbating

Mixology

Smoking

Card games

Kite surfing

Masturbating

Composting

Dancing

Creating The Perfect French Fry

Powerlifting

Model trains

The Rites And Rituals Forbidden To Me

Movie reviews

Frisbee Wizardry

[rinky-dinky-dink]

Star Sanses But There's More Of Them

Always seemed unfair to me that it was always the three Stars vs 4-6 Bad Sanses (depending on if you include Error and Cross). So I gave them more! Adds to the dynamics I think. These guys don't follow any specific timeline or anything, so everyone gets to be friends and do silly things.

Typed-out blurbs under the cut-

Dream - The Leader

Probably some kind of angel

Honestly so tired

Recovering people-pleaser

Best Ink Manager

Done hoping for things to be okay - he will make things better or so help him-

Ink - The Menace

"Protector" god Dream found in the dumpster

Just here to have a good time

Morality dictated by Dream and the spray bottle

Lowkey the strongest one here

Got that 'tism, baby

Blue - The Cool One

Functional and productive member of society

Way less naive than he lets on

The glue holding this team together

Just a genuinely nice guy

Believes in his friends, even when they don't believe in themselves

Red - The Edgy One

Severe resting bitch face

Not as angry as he seems

Bit of a nervous wreck

Feels stable compared to everyone else

Self esteem in the gutter, but he's improving!

Sugarplum - The Wine Aunt

Also a functional member of society

Smooth talker of the group, along w/Dream

Will listen to you vent and talk shit about your ex

Second best Ink Manager

Yes queen, slay

[st0r-fruit]

Overlord Reader Hcs

A/N: Hi, this is my first time writing headcanons for reader, so please let me know if I made any mistakes! I made this because i thought it'd be nice and cool to have a reader as an overlord. A heads up that i haven't fully watched Hazbin so there might be inaccuracies.

You're an overlord, right? And not just an overlord, you're one of the richest, next to the Vee's.

You own a fine plaza of drugery and alcoholic, and a top quality successful companies of those. It's not a surprise, you're the overlord of substances and alcohol. Demons will pay MILLIONS of bucks to have a stash of your finest drugs.

You have a district on the border city zone in between the district's of the Vee's, Carmilla Carmine's and the inner city of Pentagram City. Your district is a melting pot of cultures due to being in the middle of other districts.

In a meeting with other Overlords, you'd take important notes and remind others if things drift away. That fight between Velvet and Camille? Yeah you had to break ice to ease tension before forgetting the main goal of the meeting.

Your seating position in meetings is on the right side of Rosie, your best friend.

Honestly? You're everybody's comfort buddy, even to Alastor. You bring in some comforting presence to other demons.

Relationships with other Overlords

Valentino is your top customer, ordering around 20 of your fine drugs, wine and fancy cigars. He is usually the one to make your stock reduced to little to nothing if he buys on a day. He doesn't trust any of the other companies who sells the exact items, even if you say it's excellent quality.

Technology in your small place is quite modern and techy, thanks to Vox. You flatter Vox on how advanced and cool his technology is, he usually is flustered and grumpy hearing that from you, but you know he likes it seeing that he gives you multiple rather big discounts on his products.

Your fashion culture is jumbled too. Making Velvette, the queen of fashion, questions each of your outfits. She's actually impressed, being able to mix and match right article of clothings. She gives you unsolicited advice on fashion, but you tried one of those once and BAM! Slayed 10x more with that advice. You'd took mental notes of her advices and thanked her whenever you can.

Speaking of clothing, you liked shopping and browsing in Rosie's Emporium. YOU are one of the favorite customers of Rosie. She loves your interest on 1910's fashion, frequently treating you on some products. You two would gossip on the emporium, spilling teas and laughing your asses out from all the stories.

Zestial likes to visit your plaza for wine tasting, loving all of your finest selections of wine and a surprisingly rare collection of teas (with cheese! You were prepared with the teas incase he didn't like any of the wine). You and him likes to talk about improvement of each districts with a side of said wine and cheese. Oh how he'd rant to you about Velvette's attitude and you'd pat his back.

Carmilla is another one of your customers, frequently ordering drugs and medicine from you. The drugs you produced somehow made her swifter at combat and confidence. On the other hand, medicines you produced was strong and high quality, it kept her from being irritated of Velvette.

Alastor was...quite the intresting demon in your opinion. Although, you try to not get any troubles with him, so acquaintance is the perfect word for the two of you. He once visited your alcohol parlor to find a nice wine to side with his mom's jambalaya. Of course you helped him, with your naturally charming personality and helpfulness, the radio demon got his wine. The next day, you received a homeade jambalaya soup from him, as a thanks for finding the nice wine. Maybe he's not that bad?

I hope you all like it!! Let me know if you like a part 2! Or do let me know if there's any mistake!

(holyshit i reached the tag limit guy oh wow)

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Seafood Cioppino

Ingredients:

▫️Seafood:

* 1 pound salmon fillet, cut into chunks

* 1 pound mussels, scrubbed

* 1 pound shucked oysters

* 1/2 pound cleaned and deveined shrimp

* 6 anchovy fillets, minced

▫️Broth:

* 1 quart fish broth or clam juice

* 1 cup dry white wine

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 carrots, chopped

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

* Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

▫️Rinse the mussels under cold water and discard any with open shells that don't close when tapped.

▫️In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

▫️Pour in the fish broth (or clam juice) and white wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

▫️Add the salmon chunks, mussels, oysters, and shrimp to the pot. Cover and cook until the mussels open and the salmon is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

▫️Discard any unopened mussels. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.

This dish offers numerous health benefits. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon, which support heart health by reducing triglycerides, improving blood pressure, and decreasing inflammation. Also, salmon, mussels, and oysters are excellent sources of lean protein, essential for building and repairing tissues, boosting metabolism, and maintaining satiety.

Furthermore, oysters and mussels are packed with essential vitamins and minerals like zinc, selenium, iron, and B12, crucial for various bodily functions, including immune health, cell growth, and energy production. Moreover, the healthy fats in salmon and seafood provide energy, support brain function, and maintain healthy skin and hair.

[seraphine-ann]

To Be Loved ❝ ch.02 ❞

ᯓ★synopsis here.

pairing: Congressman Bucky Barnes x Fem!OC

summary: Bucky and his family are having dinner at Sam's place.

warnings: no warnings for now. last scene not proof read.

words: 3.4k

author's note: i wish i was kidding when i say i am falling asleep in my chair right now. This chapter gave me such a hard time, it turned out to be a little different from what i had planned but i still liked it a lot! I want to just mention that the last scene was not beta read at all and i wrote it with my eyes almost closing. Also im sorry for the late post, i'm a uni student so most of the time im really busy. hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

“Are you sure that’s all?” Bucky raised an eyebrow while smiling tenderly at his little princess, observing her attentively go over all the products in the shopping cart.

A bit unsure of her amature reading, she whispered to herself the name of every item while pointing to them and reviewing the little brown notebook in her hands—“Cookie dough, brownies for mommy, veggies and wine (ask daddy !!)” was written in one of the pages that later she showed to the man, her shiny blue eyes looking up to him expecting she had done a great job at picking up everything her mom asked for.

Bucky had all of his attention on her, feeling so proud that her reading had improved that much in the last two months.

She already knew the basics of reading, they made sure she had enough knowledge before she formally started school—And because their initial idea was for her to be homeschooled, an idea that was highly thought of before Kiara scratched it with her very valid reasons and he finally gave in.

“Mommy likes fresh brownies,” She stated with a small frown, getting on her tippy toes and proudly picking up the box of baked brownies, raising it towards Bucky with insistence. “Does Uncle Sam like them, too?”

“You should ask him once we get there, alright?” He stroked her rosy cheeks gently with his knuckles, making her smile and shrug a little because of the cold metal brushing against her warm flesh. “But these,” Bucky chuckled, taking the box from her hands and placing it back on the cart, “are for mommy only.”

With a gentle movement of his head, he signaled her to walk with him towards the cashier. Olivia rushed down the aisle like somebody was about to get there before her, making little jumps and waving her hands at him, hurrying him up only with a light frown on her face.

Bucky greeted the young girl at the cashier with a soft smile, to which she nervously reciprocated with a small nod. He sighed as he began to place all the items out of the shopping cart; the brownie box, some parsley and tomatoes, the raw cookie dough, and two bottles of their favorite wine—Sam’s, too.

“That would be all?” The girl asked while putting everything in a couple of plastic bags, extra bags for the bottles of wine.

“Yes.” He plainly replied between sighs, waiting for the girl to let him know when to pass his card.

Olivia was already trying to hold all the bags in her little arms, and he quickly took the ones with the bottles before she even tried. Once the young girl told him to place his card, Bucky paid, muttering a soft “thanks” after she handed him the receipt.

He couldn’t help but smile widely when his daughter adorably shouted a “thank you” while taking his hand and trying to adjust the lightweight bags on her other arm, the two of them walking towards the store’s exit.

Right at the entrance, Bucky sighed when he noticed the soft drizzle falling from the night sky. He sighed once again, his warm breathing forming a white cloud as he exhaled from his nose. It was cold, autumn was almost saying its goodbyes, and the city was ready to welcome winter.

But Bucky certainly wasn’t. It’s not like he was very fond of it anyway.

“Daddy,” Olivia pulled his hand, looking up at her dad with a worried expression. “We didn’t bring an umbrella.”

Bucky chuckled as she stated the obvious, and he was secretly thankful that she brought him out of his thoughts soon, before he got too immersed.

“I know, princess.” He pulled up the hood of her jacket and then nimbly took off his long black coat, putting it over her for full coverage. “Give daddy the bags, okay?” She nodded. 

The man brought his daughter to his arms, wrapping her short legs around his waist as she instinctively held on to his neck. His fleshed hand was placed against her back, and the metal arm held the rest of the bags. Thankfully, he parked the car close enough to the store’s entrance, so the walk was just a few seconds long before it really started to pour.

He opened the door of the back seat, settling his daughter on her car seat and buckling her up nicely before closing the door and then getting himself in the car. The grocery bags were placed on the floor below the passenger seat, and Bucky finally turned on the engines with just the push of a button.

───── ⋆✩⋆ 

“Uncle Sam!, Uncle Sam!”

Once the apartment door was opened, the little girl jumped into the man’s arms, who was quick to catch her before the two of them fell to the floor. Sam lifted her up, taking her in his arms and carefully tossing her in the air. As he welcomed them to his home, he made way for Bucky to go inside, hugging him briefly as he walked in.

“Where did you leave Kiki, Buck?”

Bucky chuckled and shook his head when he heard the nickname given to his wife, like it was the first time Sam had brought it up. He sniffed and tilted his head with a smile on his face, passing his hands through his beard before looking at his friend.

Sam closed the door and headed over to the kitchen, Bucky was already leaving the plastic bags with the groceries over the island counter at the center of the room, peeking at the stove occupied by a pot with boiling water and a pan that still had nothing in it.

“She’s on her way.” He informed, getting everything out of the bags except for the cookie dough—since that was for their own pantry. “She had an emergency meeting, so Livie and I were in charge of bringing the groceries.”

“Won't you look at that.” Sam exaggerated his words while addressing the little girl in his arms, acting like she did the most incredible job in the world, to which she shyly nodded. “Well, little lady, you've made your uncle really proud.”

Sam put her back on the floor, letting her run to the living room, chuckling at the fact that she knew the place like the palm of her hand, due to the few times Kiara had to ask the man if he could babysit her when Bucky had a busy schedule and she had to clock out late from work.

He was always more than happy to help, to even be reached when needed with things that he knew were so important for Bucky. Sam was aware of how hard it was for him to not be around his daughter, and he knew how anxious he usually gets, so the fact that the man trusted him with something so meaningful, such as his daughter and her safety, meant a lot to him.

Not too many seconds passed when the sound of the TV reached both adults, a SpongeBob episode already blasting through the walls.

Despite the noise playing in the background, the two of them remained silent. Sam expected a little conversation, but the brunette was too immersed in his own mind to even notice the way his face was filled with concern.

He already knew that it was almost like winning the lottery when it came to Bucky and getting that cyborg mind of his to just stop clicking, but some things just didn't go away so easily.

In a poor attempt to wash the vegetables in the sink, Bucky left the water running over both metal and flesh hands, eyes fixated on the barely clean tomatoes. He only snapped when Sam closed the faucet, blue eyes blinking a couple of times before looking up with a slight frown.

There it was, a look that he was very familiar with in the first couple of years of their friendship; something he was used to.

“You good, man?” Sam walked over to the man, encouraging him to move so he could clean and prep the tomatoes for the sauce.

Bucky blinked a couple of times before nodding, his eyes now focused on the way Sam was effortlessly chopping the vegetables on the wooden cutting board.

“Yeah,” he exhaled through his nose, taking a seat on the stool on the other side of the island counter, facing the other man. “Just a bit tired. That's all.”

When Sam raised an eyebrow at him, Bucky huffed while looking away to his phone, checking if his wife had texted him something else or just using it as a sign for Wilson not to ask any more questions.

Luckily enough for him, just when Sam was about to open his mouth to throw some tough love on him as he usually did, the intercom of the apartment announced somebody was at the door. Sam gave him a quick look before walking out to open the door, and soon enough, Bucky heard loud and enthusiastic greetings between Kiara and his friend.

Suddenly, Olivia screamed with excitement as she sprinted from the living room towards the hallway. The bliss in Kiara’s voice when she replied to her was quick to put a smile on him and erase the frown painted on his forehead a few moments ago.

Listening to his girls being filled with so much joy,  like music to his ears.

“My dear husband.” Bucky turned his head around just a little, exhausted ocean eyes meeting with the shiny emeralds of his wife.

He sighed, enamoured with the way she looked.

Dark grey formal pants, a waistcoat that combined with them, and a white shirt underneath. Everything was signed to her body, accentuating her curves but still giving her an elegant attire. She was still wearing her black winter coat, probably because their daughter throwing herself at her didn’t give her time to even try to take it off.

Bucky smiled when she leaned over him to leave a brief kiss on his lips, the soft giggles of their daughter in her arms making both of them put up with a little blush around their cheeks.

Once she put her baby girl back on the floor, letting her go back to the living room, Kiara took off her coat and left it over the counter alongside her purse. Now, both hands met with the warmth of his face, her lips meeting his forehead, eyelids, nose, and finally reaching his lips.

“Hey.” She whispered over his lips, and the way he softly smiled between the small kisses made her heart flutter.

“Hey…” Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist almost like an instinct, following the path of curves from her hips up to her waist out of pure habit. “How was the meeting?”

“It was alright, just a few adjustments to be made within the team for next week.” As she spoke, her hands played with the collar of his shirt, fidgeting as she organized her words. “I’ll tell you later, work hours ended a while ago.”

Before breaking out of the small, intimate moment they were having, she kissed him again. It was quick and out of the blue, leaving him dizzy for a second while he saw her move around the kitchen, her high heels clicking against the marbled floor.

“Do I need to clean my kitchen, or did y’all actually behave?” Sam walked in, lifting both hands at the level of his chest, looking at the two of them one at a time.

Bucky rolled his eyes and muttered an embarrassed “God..”, while Kiara just laughed, throwing a small kitchen towel towards Sam, cheeks blushing red.

───── ⋆✩⋆

“Keep it together, Kiki, c’mon!” Sam blasted in laughter when she stood up abruptly from the couch, seemingly upset at the TV.

Kiara chugged on her beer after an irritated grunt, running her fingers through her parted hair that usually covered the left side of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She had never seen the Knicks fumble so badly, and Wilson was more than happy about that, given the fact that by the end of the game, she would probably have to pay the bet they made earlier.

She rolled her eyes the more Sam kept trying to calm her down, avoiding arguing with him to the point where her need to punch him in the face could be greater than her self control. She didn't play when it came to her favorite basketball team, and Sam knew that, which is why he was being a complete annoying dickhead.

At the other side of the couch, an unbothered Bucky was comfortably laid-back down, a soft smile gracing his face as he watched in silence how his two favorite people acted so funny yet serious over a NBA game. Obviously, he was on his wife's side, but he preferred not to enter the war zone they had created across the living room.

Dinner ended just about three hours ago with some wine and a heartfelt conversation. It’s been a few months since they got the chance to get together, with Sam being so busy with his duties as Captain America and Bucky filled with paperwork, hearings and conferences at Congress, it was almost impossible for them to catch up.

And the only time they found themselves somewhat “free” happened to be on a weekday. The couple didn’t mind taking their daughter everywhere with them, but there were conversations that the little one was not supposed to hear—like listening to her father talk about how difficult it has been for him to adapt to this new going-to-preschool thing.

Bucky was glad that Olivia had completely knocked out after eating. She had told him earlier in the car that she was feeling very sleepy, but he insisted she couldn’t go to sleep with an empty stomach.

It took Kiara to help her eat half the plate of pasta before the little girl started dozing out at the table.

The woman had to take her to the guest room so she wouldn’t fall asleep at the table, and that moment was a great opportunity for Sam to ask Bucky how he was dealing with the whole new experience.

Needless to say, it was still hard for him, but he's trying to stay as positive as he can for her. She was happy, she was learning new things—most importantly, making new friends. That’s all he needed to stay at ease, for now.

“How’re you holding on, Mrs. Barnes.” Sam was laughing and loudly clapping with his hands, mocking Kiara while pointing at the marker shown in the corner of the TV screen. The Knicks were getting crushed by twelve points.

“You better tone it down, Wilson.” She muttered between her teeth, eyes widening as a warning while she pointed to Olivia, who was peacefully sleeping over Bucky's chest. “Don't make me break your neck in front of my daughter.”

“Wow…, hold on a minute, my lady.” He lifted his hands as a sign of peace, his brown eyes immediately going to her husband in search of help.

Bucky chuckled, shaking his head briefly. 

“Alright, you two are done. Turn that off.”

“No.” Both of them said in unison.

Kiara huffed and accommodated back on the couch, this time right next to Bucky, her head resting on his shoulder as she muttered all existing insults towards the other team, getting soft laughs out of him. Sam, seated on another couch closer to the TV, attempted to swallow a chuckle, trying to focus back on the game and holding himself back from annoying her—He didn’t want to be threatened by Bucky, either.

Although, she was way scarier than him.

Bucky let out a soft sigh after a few minutes of complete silence, his lips gently kissing the top of Olivia’s head. She had woken up a few minutes ago, finding her way out of the guest room to where her dad was just to interrupt his conversation with the others and make him her comfortable warm bed, instantly going back to sleep once Bucky started patting her back and rocking her side to side.

He didn’t mind that she did those things, in fact, it made him feel complete. To know that his daughter needs him and finds comfort in him, that she feels safe in his arms—Made him the happiest he could ever be.

“She’s really tired.” He whispered, his eyes focused on the men running around the court on the TV, but not really paying attention to it.

Kiara turned her head to meet with his profile, acknowledging the tiredness in his eyes. She exhaled briefly through her nose, taking her phone from the center table to check the time. It was very close to midnight, which was why she also felt a bit sleepy. 

Their little family was always up before sunrise, but that day work—and school, felt heavier than usual for them.

Bucky turned to see her, meeting her green eyes and immediately smiling. He leaned to leave a kiss on her temples, and he nimbly adjusted his daughter in his arms, sitting up straight on the couch. Kiara followed, looking for her purse and gathering Olivia’s backpack and jacket.

Sam noticed the small movements of their friends and took his eyes away from the game, taking his jokes aside and his voice coming out calm yet a bit concerned.

“That’s one sleepy family.” A smile graced his face as he whispered.

Bucky chuckled, standing up from the couch. His arms acted like a small seat holding all the weight of his daughter, her arms wrapped around his neck and her face still snuggling against his neck.

“Yeah-, well,” he pressed his lips and raised his eyebrows, “We have to get this one home, she’s been getting up at 6am every day.”

“And the office has not been really gentle with us, either.” Kiara added, clearly referring to her unexpected after-work meetings, and Bucky sometimes having to stay late in the office reviewing bills and proposals.

Sam nodded, understanding.

“I get that, guys. Besides,” he stood up, taking the remote and turning the TV off, immediately forgetting about the game, “parenting is not an easy task, and you’ve been going through a lot of anxiety lately.”

That last line was more for Bucky than it was for Kiara, although it didn’t mean she was not feeling anxious about this big change that was having their daughter away from their sight for almost half a day.

It was frustrating for her, too, worrying. Yet, she felt the need to keep it together more than Bucky, because she knew he was having it worse than her.

“It’s a bit late.” Sam stated the obvious as he checked on his wrist watch. He turned to Kiara, who was already holding hers and her daughter’s stuff. “What do you think about spending the night?”

“No, Sam-” Bucky immediately interrupted, voice tired and heavy, yet Sam shook his head no.

“Seriously man, you should see your face, you look beat up.” Bucky rolled his eyes and tried to insist again, but he was instantly shut down again. “Don’t make me beg you, Buck. You can stay in the guest room, the bed is big enough for the three of you. Little koala princess over here will be alright.”

Bucky closed his eyes and sighed before turning to look at his wife. Kiara was also very tired to even drive herself, and he really was trying to push the idea of going home. He’s not concerned about driving while being exhausted, it would not be the first time he’s done that, but he also considered the fact that he had his family’s safety in his hands.

“We can stay, baby.” the woman whispered to him in an attempt to keep their daughter asleep. Bucky frowned, a small pout graced his lips as he was not so content with the idea. He didn’t want to burden Sam. “Tomorrow’s Saturday, Livie has no school, it’d be fine.”

“I know, but-,” he sighed, “I gotta go to the office tomorrow morning, and-”

“I can take them back home once they wake up.” Sam offered, gentle smile towards them.

Bucky closed his eyes again, and Kiara kissed his lips briefly, letting him know she had already made the decision. He was not going to argue, and once he looked back at Sam, a soft “Thank you” slipped from his lips.

The man simply nodded, wishing them a good night while giving hugs and a gentle pat to the little girl’s back. He locked eyes with Bucky, his hand landing on his metal arm and patting him, too.

“Your family will never be a burden to me, Buck.”

Bucky pressed his lips, and he nodded with his head while retrieving him with the same affectionate gesture.

He was glad to have Sam as a friend.

tag list: @mrsalexstan @xhazzz let me know if you wanted to be added!

A03 here

[museenkuss]

Academia* ask game

*this game was written by an art historian. It might be best suited for the humanities and not applicable to every field.

[introduction] What is your field of expertise?

[Whispers in the library] Share something exciting you’ve recently learned!

[ink-stained fingertips] Do you write your notes by hand? If so, share a page!

[marble bust] Which author do you admire?

[damnatio memoriae] Which author is your personal nemesis? Why?

[library card] Share the title of the most recent article or book you read! What did you think of it?

[dictionary] If you could pick a language to gain immediate fluency in to further your studies, which would you pick?

[paperback] Which book would you recommend to people who’d like to know more about your field?

[a room of one’s own] If you had the opportunity to spend one month at a specific location to work, what would you pick? A remote location, a certain city, a specific institution…?

[red wine] Take this opportunity to talk about your current project!

[leather bag] What’s in your bag on a library day? Alternatively: Which items do you need on your desk for a productive day?

[velvet seats] Kitschy, but still: Is there a film(or book) that encapsulates what you love about your field?

[gilded frame] Share topic you wrote about in the past that still has a special place in your heart!

[ivory tower] Which related disciplines do you wish you had more knowledge of?

[sketchbook] Which skill related to your field are you proud of? Do you have tips on how to improve?

[filofax] Share your ideal daily routine!

[typewriter] Make up three essay titles you’d love to write! Alternatively: Three talks you’d love to give.

[per aspera…] How do you deal with exhaustion, stress and hopelessness?

[…ad astra] What drives you? What do you love about your field?

[tricitymonsters]

Seriously thank you so much for making what has been for me a safe environment for D/s roleplay. As much fun as it seems, actually being submissive to another person is just too vulnerable for me right now but it being part of the game just lets me enjoy it without any fear. And Amir is just fucking hot.

Would love to know how any of the guys, especially Amir, would help ease a nervous MC into being a sub, and what any aftercare fluff would be like.

OH yeah I totally get that!! For me, fictional spaces have always been a more comfortable way to explore kink cause I can really throw feelers out there and experiment in a way I'm not typically comfortable with (at least fully) irl.

Amir is very much a vehicle for this to me. I think he'd probably be an amazing dom to a newbie sub or someone looking for a new flavor because 1) he's very very experienced and 2) he knows and respects what rules will facilitate the most productive convos.

Specifically, I think Amir would probably lay out his idea for a scene in steps for a nervous new sub. List out what tone he wants to create, what words he wants to use (pet names/dirty talk/insults), what toys in what order, how restraints or punishments might come into play, etc. This could be done sexily, but I think at first he'd be more businesslike about it- for no,w his goal is to inform, arousal can come later. This is also him opening the floor for input- if being called a bitch is off the table, this is where he'd make note of it. If you don't want to be touched in xyz way or referred to in x way or can't stand the feel of handcuffs but would be okay with rope or leather, he'd be taking all that into account. Then I think he'd stick to the game plan real hard once you got going. Of course, he'd have a safety system in place, probably a color one, cause it's easier to describe your status on a spectrum than just having a red light/safe word, at least in the beginning. He'd definitely take his time and check in a lot to make sure you're doing okay and not make any major changes to the game plan on the fly. (Improv is an advanced session). Aftercarewise, I can see him putting you in the tub to wash your hair for you (he loves to preen) or cuddling up with a nice glass of wine and a little reading or television (if you partake).

MOST of the other guys are a lot sloppier but of course they're not professionals. However they all have their own little ways of being plugged into your needs.

Mori can't roleplay a "dom" but he can get grabby and feral. I can see him being generally really in tune with your mood, and he'd be able to read your comfort fairly accurately. It helps that he wants reciprocation VERY bad, so if you hesitate or pull away, he can see that something's not sitting right. Aftercare is him lying flat on top of you, trying to absorb you into him. Possibly blunts if you partake.

Akello's sex skills are all based on experience and a lot of casual sex before he was married. He's not sure what the formal rules of D/s are, but he's intuitive and attentive in the bedroom and- like Mori- is good at reading you for hesitation or discomfort. UNLIKE Mori, Akello also has pretty good communication skills, so getting to the root of any issues shouldn't be hard at all. PLUS he knows the basics, so safe words, plenty of check-ins, and lots of aftercare (LOTS of cuddling and probably falling asleep together.)

[bardjaskier]

🩷 underdog recs 🩷

fics with less than 500 kudos on ao3

today's fandom: 9-1-1, relationships: bucktommy, abby/buck/tommy. enjoy <3

~

Unlearning Evan Buckley by Miershooptier

Rated E | Complete | 30k words

Evan Buckley is the type of guy who seems safe and uncomplicated, and that's exactly what Tommy thinks of him when they first get together. But as their relationship progresses and Tommy gets to know the real Evan under all of the first impressions, he finds that there's so much more to him than he ever thought. A series of moments in which Tommy unlearns some things, learns new things, fucks up, and then fixes things.

~

pinch-hit hero by ashesandhalefire

Rated E | Complete | 35k words

Station 118 makes what Tommy would call decent porn. Under new management now, the studio rolls out story-based features with impressive regularity. The problem is that most good writers aren’t scripting pornos and most porn stars can’t act worth a damn, at least in Tommy’s personal experience, so what comes out of post-production is usually just…decent. It’s passable. It’s an improvement upon what’s generally offered, sure, and Tommy is a sucker for a good romance plot in his erotica, but there's a lot to be said about the importance of the right chemistry. And a decent line read. Honestly, Tommy just wishes it was better. He also wishes it was gayer—but that's a separate issue. Still, when his phone rings with a call and he sees Howie Han (118 Office) as the caller ID, he swipes his thumb across the screen and answers immediately. The material they produce can certainly be a whole lot better, but the paycheck is always fantastic. - or: the one where Tommy is a veteran porn star, Buck makes a wish, and Chim calls in another favor

~

cold leftovers by kermytheefrog (tardigradeschool)

Rated E | Complete | 8k words

"Listen, I can read between the lines. You're the birthday girl, he's the fiancé, I'm the present, right? Full disclosure, I have like six and a half roommates, so I hope you don't want to come to my place." "Jesus, I knew the economy was bad, but six? And a half?" Tommy asks. "That's four official roommates, two roommates' girlfriends who don't pay rent, and one fuckbuddy who supposedly isn't anything serious but still sleeps over four nights a week." Buck counts them off on his fingers. It's not that he doesn't ever bring girls back to his place, but he knows instinctively that a woman like Abby deserves better than a mattress on the floor and music blasting from the other side of the wall. "Can't argue with that math," Abby says, finishing her wine. "Well, we don't have any roommates," Tommy says, "but we do have a California king." . Buck gets picked up in a bar and has a threesome so good it breaks an engagement. The engagement isn't even his, which might make it worse.

~

kudos are great, but so are comments! if you don't know what to say, leave a pink heart in my stead 🩷

[mimiriko]

gojo x reader. reader is described wearing makeup & a dress. little writing exercise to stretch the old fingers!! mdni this is a 18+ blog.

Gojo has permanently finalised in his mind that his teenage years were the best time of his life.

Every memory is dipped into a thin film of honey, saccharine and sticky. The residue of his school life followed him into his adulthood as a sort of reference for his categorised “fun”. Something along the lines of loud karaoke, public stunts, or hours in gaming cafes.

Being above twenty has its perks though—he does feel more himself, strangely. It isn’t a product of intentional effort or self improvement, unlike Suguru, and yet the skin on him fits better. His voice sounds better on his ears and Suguru doesn’t have to help him flirt anymore.

But despite it, people and places and things that remind him of being seventeen years old again hold a special place in his heart. It’s a time capsule like no other.

That’s why, he thinks, he must be so attuned to you.

The bar is a personal favourite of his and Suguru’s. It’s dim enough for his eyes, and classy like those yakuza films they used to watch. High leather stools around a massive, circular counter; clinks of glasses and distant conversations blending into one another, mixing with the faint music playing overhead.

It’s not filled with sharp, neon lights and mobs of people like the clubs and bars he used to frequent when younger, but it’s lively enough to get him going. He doesn’t drink regularly and appreciates the decent length of non-alcoholic drinks offered too.

It also brings in the best women he’s ever seen.

You’re eyeing him. Almost shamelessly from the corner of the room, leaning slightly out of your seat at a booth. There’s someone opposite you, a tuff of black hair he can barely discern and it almost makes him visibly preen that you’re checking him out instead of the date in front of you.

He moves to make himself look better. He spreads his legs tastefully on the stool, making sure his thighs bulge a considerable amount against his black pants. (They fit him perfectly, he’s almost giddy he picked them for tonight.)

The whoever he was talking to prattles on about his business plan and the funds that he needs, and Gojo lifts his chin directly at him, hoping to give you a nice, clear view of his jawline. Sturdy and sculpted. The man stutters over his words, and he smiles widely at that too.

Over the next five minutes, he’s taken a total of three glances at your table over the hustle and bustle of people. Two times your attention was on him, the other was on the person you were with.

A win for me.

Being a homewrecker can feel like ecstasy at times. The thrill of it gives him a high like no other, similar to electricity zapping his nerves and singeing them black. He especially wouldn’t mind helping you cheat.

He doesn’t say it often, no one hardly deserves his praise, but you look good. Like those porn mags he used to jerk off to in high school, the same ones filling his drawer next to his underwear. On nostalgic nights he pulls out the earliest one he owns—the first mag he bought fresh as a fifteen year old, out of mere curiosity than anything.

He’d heard about it, the apparent sex on paper that had collections of girls who looked so ravishing with their lingerie sets on, so incredibly curated to whatever fantasy you liked that it was impossible not to buy them. Of course, in the throes of his multiple nannies and advisors, servants and guards, he couldn’t sneak any of them into his estate. His school life provided him that kind of freedom too.

And my god, did you look straight out of the earliest, most precious collection.

With your makeup done all dewy and pretty, the lights overhead accentuating the glitter across your eyelids; your hair styled best to frame your face with a delicate clip on the side, glimmering jewellery that brings your look altogether.

Your figure is hugged by deep red wine colored dress, and he thinks of how you would look standing and walking up to him, with your hips swaying and your eyes never leaving his.

His crotch area feels uncomfortable. There’s a lull in the talk he was half-heartedly having with the business man, and he figures there’s no point in keeping up an useless conversation.

He looks over to Suguru and sees him close, much too close with another woman. It gives him a boost of courage to smoothly manoeuvre himself until he’s facing you entirely.

Your eyebrows shoot up to the sky, and you look away shyly. Something in him yowls, splitting him with an ache. You would look so perfect between his teeth, skin soft for him to touch.

It’s been so long since he’s had such a teenage moment in his life. He’s never not been looked at, but never… this innocently. A cat and mouse game of who looks over first. Who catches the other first.

You converse while keeping your eyes on him, his body. There’s a look in your eye too, like you’re trying to figure him out. He can almost see a pout forming on your lips.

His fingers twitch.

He wants either you to come over, or the man to leave so he can slide in next to you and finally see you up close.

Suddenly, you stand up.

It’s so out of the blue that it knocks his heart to a faster pace. He puts an arm on the counter, leaning. A lazy smirk crawls its way on his face, and his eyes are alight behind his glasses, eager and restless.

You’re full of surprises because you interrupt his opening line altogether, and with curious, good-natured look, you ask,

“Excuse me but where did you get those pants? I think my boyfriend would like them.”

[anabdaniels]

Cowboytober Day 23- Cheating

Paring: Agent Whiskey x Female reader x Javier Peña

Word counting: 2.3k

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, established relationship, reader speaks Spanish (translations at the end) unprotected sex, oral sex (m receiving), reader and Jack are two little bitches with no much morals.

A/N: Javier Peña girlies please don't hate me for this, I know dear boy Peña deserve better.

Main Masterlist | Cowboytober Masterlist

You hated those stupid parties—not the party itself, but the fact that your husband would spend his whole time working and getting stressed, giving you free time enough to remember how long it had been since the last time the two of you had a real parting time or an actual date.

“Those guys are unbelievable.” Javier grumbled while approaching you with a dose of whiskey.

“Are you done with the interrogation?” you questioned exasperated, hoping to have at least a bit of fun with him, and sighing when he shook his head.

“There’s a lot of people here that may know important information, I have to take the chance.” He explained while rubbing his thumb against his bottom lip.

“¿En serio, Javi?” you pulled out the Spanish, not wanting anyone around staring at the scene “Es una puta noche de sábado.” you rolled your eyes, taking a long sip of your sparkling wine.

“Corazón, por favor…” Javier sighed and leaned closer to you “Esta es una buena oportunidad que no la puedo desperdiciar, además…”

“Vale.” You didn’t wait for him to finish the explanation, quite done with all that “Voy a buscar alguna manera de soportar el aburrimiento.” You sighed in frustration and walked away, changing your glass for a full one when the waiter passing by offered and kept walking, looking around to distract yourself, only looking back to what was in front of you when you felt your shoulder stumbling in someone.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” The man apologized with a warm tone and sympathetic smile.

“Oh no, it was my bad for not looking at my way.” You recognized with a soft smile “Got caught by the ambience.”

“May I assume you’re enjoying the party then?” he asked slightly raising one eyebrow.

“I think so. And the buzz is everything people talk about.” You said raising your glass slightly.

“Well, I’m glad you have good opinions of our product and environment. “

“So, you’re part of the business.” You tilted your head slightly, interested in the matter.

“Well, where are my manners?” he chuckled and took off the Stetson hat “Jack Daniels, chief executive officer of Statesman & Co. at your disposal.” He said in a politer tone with a soft nod, making you smile involuntarily before telling him your name.

“I’m quite embarrassed to get to meet the CEO of the company hosting the party after almost spilling a whole glass of drink on him.” You joked despite being true.

“Don’t be.” He spoke while putting his hat back “These are generally the ones that end better.”

“You might be right; I wasn’t having much fun ‘till now.” You admitted while the two of you started to walk around the room.

“Now you made me curious.” Jack kept his attention on you, interested in what would be your answer.

“Let’s say that my companion is more interested in useless gossip than making me company.”

“Their absolute loss. A good party with such a gracious company it’s the best thing that could happen to someone on a Saturday night.” He said naturally with a slight smirk, making you chuckle and look at him.

“Where’s your company then?”

“I wish I could’ve one, I mean, I was lowkey running away from the work when we stumbled, y’know these are more like a job meeting with some buzz. I’d let my company planted in the same place all night,” he admitted sincerely, making you laugh quietly at the irony of the situation.

“I wish my husband had such a perception.” You vented involuntarily.

“So, he’s the one who left you to gossip around?” Jack concluded easily, getting even more interested as you nodded “Well then, I think we have something to improve this party for both of us.” He said with an inviting tone, reaching out a hand to you. Not caring about anything else, you accepted the offer, letting him take you wherever he was planning to. The two of you walked through a corridor, entering a room with built-in shelves filled with bottles of all kinds of drinks that, even not being a big connoisseur of the matter, you knew were expensive.

“I could enjoy a sincere friendship with someone who has access to this kinda stuff.” You joked while making yourself comfortable on the couch near the big windows.

“Just to let you know, I’m available.” Jack answered with a chuckle while getting a bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses, moving to sit near you.

“I’ll remember that.” You answered before finishing the drink on the glass you brought and letting it sit on the coffee table. Jack shook his head with a smile and opened the bottle, filling both glasses and handing one to you. You smiled before taking the first sip, looking at Jack with a surprised frown. “This one is somehow even better than the party one.”

“Precisely why I chose it.” He admitted with a smirk. You smiled and looked away when your phone started to vibrate, making you sigh before declining the call. “Something wrong?”

“Just my husband.” You answered frustrated and leaned back on the sofa.

“And you don’t seem pleased about it.” He pointed sincerely, observing you.

“And I’m not. I’m tired of being put aside because of work, but still don’t want to leave him.” You shrugged.

“Seems like a fair union then.” Jack stated making you laugh and look at him.

“You’re sounding way too judgmental for someone not caring about being in a quite discussable scenario with a married woman.” You pointed with a slightly sarcastic tone.

“If you do not care about being married, why should I?” he retorted with a smirk, letting you in a mix of shock and satisfaction.

“You might have a point.” You let your glass sit on the coffee table and crawled to mount on his lap “So I think we can ignore it together.” You said calmly, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Now that’s an idea.” Jack agreed with a husky tone, leaning to kiss your neck while putting his glass away either and grabbing your waist. Both of you stopped before anything else as your phone started to buzz again.

“Fuck…” you rolled your eyes and put your phone on airplane mode before turning back to Jack “We’ll have to be quick.”

“Almost sounds like a challenge.” He joked while squeezing your hips.

“If it’ll give you motivation…” you chuckled while sliding your hands under his blazer, groping his torso softly.

“Let’s see what we can do.” He leaned forward and kissed you, one hand going to your back to open the first half of your dress’ zipper, easing the fabric so he could sneak his hands into it to grab your breasts.

Forgetting about the whole scenario for a moment, you melted on his lap, sinking your fingers in his torso and squirming softly as he went further, teasing your nipples and going down to nibble your jaw and kiss your neck.

Letting your anticipation and eagerness take the best of your self-control, you moved your hands to undo Jack’s belt and unzip his jeans, taking his hardened cock into your hand, softly squeezing and stroking it, feeling unfairly desperate to have it inside you. Noticing your desperation to release the length of your dress from under your legs to lift it, Jack promptly directed his hands to help you roll it up, chuckling as he realized you had nothing under it.

“This only gets better hum?” he teased and softly nibbled your chin.

“In my defense, it would mark under the dress.” You chuckled too while settling yourself better on his lap.

“Let’s pretend this is true.” He mumbled against your skin, wrapping one arm around your waist as he moved your body down, burying himself to the hilt inside you, taking a unison moan from the two of you.

“Oh, c’mon…” you whined with your forehead resting against his when Jack moved his fingers to between your legs steadily rubbing on your clit.

“You said our time is short, I’m using the resources I have.”

You would’ve retorted, but it was all too much; the adrenaline, the awareness that it was a mistake, feeling wanted for the first time in weeks, you could only concentrate on the moment and try to enjoy every second of it, which wasn’t a difficult task while being so well fucked. Your hands gripped Jack’s shoulders to keep your balance as your hips instinctively moved against his, the junction of the moving from both of you making it feel like heaven.

Jack wrapped one hand in your neck and pulled you closer, kissing you to silence your increasing moans as he picked up the pace at the very moment he felt your muscles starting to slightly spasm around his cock. Despite wanting to make it last, you also were unable to do it, once it had been a considerable time since your needs had been met, after all, the unmeasurable amounts of stress Javier lived under didn’t make any favor to your bedroom life in general, yes, there was those days when he would get rid of his frustration by fuck you, but when it was just average annoyance, you knew nothing would happen. You didn’t try to fight that feeling growing in your womb, wrapping your fingers on Jack’s collar as you melted on his lap, doing the best you could to keep your noises under control as you leaned to hide your face on the curve of his neck, trying to put yourself together.

“You’re okay, dear?” Jack asked quietly, pressing a kiss on your shoulder.

“Yes.” You answered still panting a bit while straightening yourself to look at him “Just not quite feeling my thighs, but fine.” You smiled when Jack chuckled and cupped your face.

“C’mon, you’re telling me that just this is enough to destabilize you?” he teased while brushing your cheek with his thumb.

“You’d be shocked with what need can do to someone.” You joked despite being true “But I fear we’re ain’t done yet.” You didn’t give him time to question what were your plans, dismounting from his lap and kneeling on the floor between his legs “You’re such a hospitable host, only fair to be properly thanked for it.” You leaned in, running your tongue along the underside of his cock from base to tip. The salty taste of his pre-cum mixed with your juices, making your mouth water for more. Wrapping your lips around the head, you began to suck gently, swirling your tongue around the sensitive tip.

“Shit, darlin’…” Jack's fingers tangled in your hair, guiding your movements. You hummed around him, the vibration giving him a slight shiver. You concentrated in bob your head, setting a steady rhythm as you sucked and licked him, eager for the taste of his release. Jack's grip tightened, his breath growing irregular.

You could only increase your efforts, determined to bring him to the limit, daring to move your free hand to cup and massage his balls, wondering if it would add to the experience.

"Fuck, you’re being unfair here. I’m gonna fill this pretty mouth of yours.” he warned, giving you the chance to pull away, but you didn't, instead keeping your consistent work on him. With a husky groan, Jack got to his limit, his hot seed shooting directly on your tongue and the back of your throat and you made sure to swallow it greedily.

Jack fell backward against the backrest of the sofa, chest moving up and down. You released him with a soft pop, licking your lips and smiling smugly while you sat next to him, wondering how you’d act naturally after what just happened.

After a couple of minutes, the two of you were able to think clearly once again, starting to fix the “damages”, helping each other to align your clothes back in place, then it took another couple of minutes to clean all your burgundy lipstick from Jack’s lips.

“Your business partners must be wondering where you are.” You said jokingly while checking if your makeup and hair were well retouched on your phone’s camera.

“They’re probably way too drunk by now to notice I’ve left.” He answered in the same tone as he finished aligning his tie.

“Hope you’re right.” You chuckled and shook your head.

“Before I forgot…” Jack calmly handed his phone to you, already unlocked on the “create a contact” screen.

“You’re quite bold, hum?” you laughed and shook your head while saving your number on his contacts.

No much later, the two of you left the room, walking calmly through the corridor while still talking, distracted to the point you only noticed Javier approaching you two when he was just a couple of steps away.

“Where have you been? I called you a hundred times.” Javier sounded truly concerned.

“I got lost on my way to the restroom and my signal is a bit shitty here.” You lied without even blinking, sounding quite convincing and hoping he wouldn’t ask anything else.

“Hi, Peña” Jack greeted with a smug grin, making you wonder what was the situation between the two of them.

“Hi, Daniels.” Javier also didn’t sound very pleased with Jack’s presence, everything only making you more tense.

“Well, we’re going, right?” you broke the tense silence and Javier nodded slightly “Great. Bye, Jack, was an amazing party.” You smiled politely and turned to leave, but Javier softly held your elbow.

“Wait, since when do you know each other?” usually Javier would try to figure out such answers by himself, but all that was way too weird for his taste, and the suspicion in the back of his mind was only growing bigger.

“I found her lost on the corridor, just doin’ my job to keep my guests comfortable.” Jack said cynically and if you didn’t know the truth, you’d believe in his version.

“Hum.” Javier didn’t seem convinced while looking at both of you and slightly twitching his jaw.

“Let’s go, Javi. I’m tired.” You said while entangling your arm on his and pulling him with you, aware that you might be in trouble but choosing to ignore it.

Translations: “Really, Javi? It's a fucking Saturday night." "Love, please... This is a good opportunity that I can't waste, besides…" "Okay. I'm going to find some way to endure the boredom."

Tagging: @missladym1981 @alex-does-art-things @beefrobeefcal

[quinacridonered]

ROP Recap - Season 2, Episode 5

Ring of Power: Wear meeeeeeee!

Entire World: Don’t wear it!

King Durin: *wears it*

Prince Durin: Dad? 

King Durin: SIRE! Dig over here.

Prince Durin: Sire! Who is also Dad! You’ll bury us!

King Durin: Get out of my way or I will bury *you* specifically.

Sun Shaft: *emerges*

King Durin: If you don’t do what I tell you, our previous falling out will be your best family memory.

Prince Durin: This seems like a lot even for you.

--

Celebrimbor: Work party! Dwarves and elves! Awkward standing around! Mediocre beverage!

Sauron: Too bad about that First Age wine.

Celebrimbor: ’Tis a loss for the world.

Sauron: You know what will fix it? Rings for Men.

Celebrimbor: Not this again.

Sauron: I already put on a Broadway-level production to convince you. Are we gonna have to upgrade to Vegas? 

Celebrimbor: If we give humans anything, it should be something like Xanax.

Sauron: Have to do everything myself around here.

Assistants: We'll help!

Celebrimbor: At what point did I completely lose control of my own ring factory?

Sauron: Probably back when I wandered in wearing Halbrand pyjamas.

--

Pharazon: If a mob made me king, does this constitute a democracy?

Miriel: We should ask the eagle.

Pharazon: The eagle has already spoken.

--

Eärien: Dad? You are demoted.

Elendil: This is the kid I’m stuck with.

Miriel: Wow.

Elendil: You should have seen her as a teen.

--

Dwarf Business Improvement Association: What news, King Durin?

King Durin: I give you magic rings. You give me half your money.

Dwarf Business Improvement Association: This seems like a lot even for you.

--

King Durin: Dig, motherfuckers! DIG!

Disa: We’re digging too much.

Prince Durin: I thought you wanted him to?

Disa: Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.

King Durin: I’m proud of you, my son!

Prince Durin: You’re right. He’s off his rocker.

--

Invisible Mirdania: AAAAAAAAH!

Celebrimbor: On the plus side, now we know how to make rings of invisibility.

Visible Mirdania: The unseen world sucks and I want to unsee it! What was that demon?

Sauron: Your boss.

Mirdania: You mean you?

Sauron: Your other boss.

Mirdania: Obviously.

--

Prince Durin: The ring you gave us is fucked up.

Celebrimbor: Did you fuck up the ring?

Sauron: Is it me who is a lying liar?

Celebrimbor: …No?

Sauron: Is it you perchance?

Celebrimbor: …Yes? Oh god, what do I do?

Sauron: Make more rings.

Celebrimbor: Obviously.

Sauron: Thank god, your prefrontal cortex is no longer working.

--

Kevin: Guards! Rough up the faithful!

Valandil: Or we could rough up Kevin.

Kevin: *kills Valandil*

Elendil: My son-in-law, everyone.

Kevin: To your chagrin and mine.

--

Sauron: Can I play with your hair and pretend you are my ex?

Mirdania: You are beautiful, good at smithing and 600 meters tall. You can do whatever you want.

Eregion Industries HR Department: Would you like to report workplace harassment, defined as vexatious conduct that is known or reasonably ought to be known to be unwelcome?

Mirdania: To be perfectly honest, he is welcome to vex me straight into next week. Or next fiscal year, for that matter.

Sauron: Noted.

HR Department: We tried.

--

Galadriel: A star shines upon me taking you hostage, asshole.

Orc Daddy: Ex-of-Sauron Support Group is now in session.

Galadriel: He’s not my ex!

Orc Daddy: Does the thought bring you relief and regret in vast and equal measure?

Galadriel: Crap. It does.

Orc Daddy: Welcome to the group, Galadriel.

---

More recaps:

Season 2, Episode 1

Season 2, Episode 2

Season 2, Episode 3

Season 2, Episode 4

[the-one-0]

The other day, another idea popped into my head, and I thought: what if, inspired by the characters from The Arcana, I tried to describe what a perfume based on them could be? I thought about it spontaneously when I bought as many as two bottles of perfume, and now I want to at least embody my fantasies in text, maybe there are perfumers among the fans of the novel.

As usual, I would like to start with the courtiers, because, to be honest, I love them maybe even more than the M6. Since the posts promise to be voluminous, I will not cram several characters into one post at once, otherwise it will turn out to be a mess of letters and it will become more difficult to focus attention.

And my list opens...

Consul Valerius

Valerius is the cream of society, and the cream of society carries a burden in the form of a permanent need to have impeccable taste and be perfect in all spheres of life, not an example to follow, but an unattainable ideal that a mere mortal is hardly able to reach with all his efforts. A perfume inspired by Consul would reflect the desire and craving for luxury, a penchant for a hedonistic lifestyle, and a clear understanding of its value, which is undoubtedly extremely high. The scents would allow you to touch this unattainable, ideal world, filled with gloss, brilliance and condescending glances directed at the unworthy, as well as a subtle reminder in the form of an endless duty to improve, hours-long activities replete with distinguished guests, delicacies and being the center of everyone's attention.

Champagne and cream. Surprisingly, yes, I didn't start with wine. But besides wine, other equally pleasant alcoholic beverages have a right to exist, don't they? The plume of delicate and airy buttercream by no means completely envelops and does not obscure the core in the form of the aroma of champagne, but helpfully envelops it before exposing the refreshing fragrance of the bubbling golden drink. As a nobleman, Valerius is accustomed to comfort, and the presence of a cream train, soft, cozy and frothy, perfectly complements the ensemble, turning it into a daytime rather than a formal version, light and relaxed, but no less elegant, luxurious and soothing to the sense of smell. The moderate sweetness does not allow the aroma of champagne to escalate to the limit, so that the perfume would retain its relevance and restraint. Valerius is allowed to balance on the edge of effeminacy with his status and financial condition, and therefore the presence of cream in the perfume is not for nothing, because the sweetness of this hints at his love of cosiness.

Wine and chocolate. No, not some nameless wine taken from nowhere, even if it's an expensive brand. It must certainly be a well-aged wine in wooden barrels, for which decades have been spent to achieve a result worthy exclusively of representatives of the upper classes of society. As for chocolate, there are requirements attached to it: it must be dark with a maximum cocoa content, under no circumstances sickly sweet. Valerius is a gourmet and a connoisseur, and this applies not only to wine products, and he will not tolerate chocolate smelling of low–grade sugary sugar and cheap ingredients instead of the noble aroma of cocoa beans. Only the highest quality, and he would never settle for anything less. Perfume is resistant enough to stay on skin, hair or clothes for a whole day, if not longer. Velvety and able to make itself known, but by no means indecently intrusive. The fragrance would be remembered for a long time as a refined person who could prove himself in a secular society. Aged wine does not hint, but speaks directly about the aroma of the elite class, it is not a fume in the imagination of the peasants, because they hardly had the honor to taste the real drink of the gods, moreover, well-seasoned, before getting into the glass. The wine tartness is successfully complemented by a delicate, but by no means soft chocolate note, and it is then that the aromas intertwine, forming a rare mixture when one does not cover the other, but coexists in harmony, giving rise to a perfume worthy of an aristocrat, which will be imprinted in the memory for the whole evening, or even more.

Liqueur, cherries, almonds. Perhaps this is the only trio in the selection among the duets of ingredients. Liqueur – because with the right combination of additional ingredients, the output is moderately bold, an elegant and attention–grabbing result, the effect that, in my humble opinion, Valerius expects most of all, namely silent awe, perhaps a pinch of someone else's envy of his proud persona. In theory, this perfume could pass for casual, but this does not mean that it is too simple or modest, by no means. The only modesty that the consul accepts is "quiet luxury", when, despite his restraint, it will be clearly noticeable from afar that he is not an ordinary folk and does not even stand next to this nickname. But at the same time, Valerius will never allow himself to slip into tastelessness and become excessive, because he knows exactly how to appropriately and subtly demonstrate his own power and wealth, without resorting to absurdity. The presence of liqueur in the perfume would only reinforce the fact that the consul does not have to prove anything to anyone, it exudes self-sufficiency and firm confidence. Juicy cherries sweeten, but do not kill tartness, and almonds add a slight bitterness. A complex and gourmet fragrance, seductive and sublime at the same time.

Saffron and jasmine. Another equally complex and expensive scent, because it is not for nothing that jasmine is called the king of flowers in the perfume world, and saffron carries the proud title of the most expensive spice. Valerius is someone who can afford spices of any value, and if it's saffron, then he can afford it, so nothing prevents him from one day acquiring a product that contains the spice mentioned. The warm and honey notes of saffron fully reveal Consul's love for stability in all spheres of life, be it work duties or home life: he is used to living in warmth, light and comfort, where there is everything that the soul asks for, and saffron may well play a role as an ingredient reflecting well-being. Jasmine, in turn, is relaxing and at the same time deep, serving as the epicenter of the fragrance, thanks to which both saffron and the wonderful scent of the flower complement each other, opening in turn and leaving behind a trail of peace and satisfaction. The combination is both rich, sensual and optimistic, even a "sunny" fragrance that celebrates a stable and prosperous life.

Iris and vanilla. Why iris? It's simple: this ingredient is the most expensive in perfumery, and it takes a huge amount of time to get its oil. I would say that I have closed the list of perfumes inspired by Valerius, the most expensive fragrance, and in general the collection turned out to be such that not every purse will pull it. But what can I say as an excuse? It's Valerius, and we can't associate cheap or even middle-class flavors with it, haha. So, iris is a vivid proof of this. Grown and squeezed at a slow pace, this ingredient describes without unnecessary comments how rich and arrogant character is. Vanilla is powdery, enveloping and affectionate, contrasts with cool iris, and as a result, opposites do not attract, but collide, but do not conflict, delicate vanilla softens the overall severity of the exquisite iris. It's a balance, a win-win option for any occasion, whether it's a lavish ball or another gathering - it's impossible to go unnoticed in any of the atmospheres.

[coyotevalleyrp]

COYOTE VALLEY ART AND WINE FESTIVAL 2025

This small town isn't known just for it's historic gold rush glory, mystic foothills, and rich vineyard soil that lands it in the heart of California's famed wine country. Coyote Valley is also a draw of varied mediums of artists. Some are locally grown, others have found their way here, but in our 50th year of celebrating the brilliance among the Sierras we find ourselves full of pride for what our community contains and shares with the thousands that come to this land year after year.

✧ ⸻ FEATURED VENDORS

bloom wellness, presented by sena boz

in her 3rd year, sena's self care stall will feature products from her shop. handmade soaps, bath bombs, candles, and skincare will be featured. there's some new scents to check out, made special and themed just for this weekend that you'll regret not discovering!

rebel ink, presented by sammie salazar

on her 5th year now, you don't want to miss sammie's flash tattoo sale! there will be 3 full sheets to choose from and the artists of the premier tattoo studio will be inking your skin for an undeniable discount. as a show of love for the community, they're giving a free beverage ticket ( which as you know is an entry into the big event raffle ) to every customer! this is also the time and place to buy rare artwork of sammie's and her artists in the studio!

the salty goat, presented by jasper morgan

this is the uk themed pub's 5th year with a stall at the festival and jasper promises to make it the best yet! not only will there be some classic imported british drinks, there's going to be a bounty selection of house wines, craft beers, quality whiskey, cocktails, and even some fun for the non-alcoholic crowd. if that's not enough, there's also tasters of some of your favorite dishes! rumor has it there's going to be tasters for some new dishes the pub has had in the works. don't miss the raffle and your chance to wine a night of free dining and drink at the salty goat!

stretch and flexibility workshop, presented by maika heiden

remember last year's festival and the ballroom dance workshop by miss heiden? she's back again with another can't miss workshop! this time she's offering yoga techniques and dynamic stretching for those that are looking to improve their bodies or try out a new exercise. even if you're only curious, the hour long workshop is worth watching as she guides through a beginner level exercise focused on improving flexibility on all bodies.

walk west, presented by ryder kinney

back for it's 8th year, ryder is bring a showcase of the store's new clothing line to the booth giving us all a preview and teaser before it's official launch in store next month! stopping by you can get your kiddos free cowboy hats and dress up your own heads for a festival only discount — half off on a certain variety! there's going to be a raffle for a $300 shopping spree that's worth playing your chances at!

wild west wood carvings, presented by nicolas espinoza

returned for a 2nd time, wild west wood carvings is a single table full of hand carved figurines made by nicolas himself. there are various items offered, such as animal carvings, chess pieces (they come in full sets), or even kitchen spoons. he does have a business card, but it's more like a piece of trimmed card stock with his name and number handwritten on it. if he doesn't have something on the table that catches your eye, then maybe he can do something by request!

✧ ⸻ AND MORE!

FOOD VENDORS — sergio’s, fool’s gold, buttercup bakery & cafe, babydudes, and the salty goat.

BEVERAGE VENDORS — the siren, stax wine bar & bistro, madewest brewery, wolf creek brewery, secret ravine vineyards, and dono dal cielo.

CREATIVE WORKSHOPS — decorative wall hanging, latin dance, zine making, tile by tile community canvas, drumming, candle making, handmade jewelry, crochet, art therapy, paint a flower pot, ceramics, mehendi stalls.

KID ZONE!! — games, face painting, button making, ring toss, popcorn, bubbles, balloon twisting, etc. ( big kids can play, too! )

Find your way to sip & paint sessions, cooking demonstrations & beverage seminars, and rebel ink’s flash tattoo sale. Indulge in wine tastings, live music & dance, raffles, and more!

OOC INFORMATION:

original post: linked in the title above!

dash dates: friday, july 18th thru monday, july 28th.

tagging: for starters, musings, & headcanons please use the tag #cvwinefestival so we can all see!!

threads: please continue your current threads if you wish, or you can choose to pause them. communicate with your thread partners! only post open / closed event starters during the dash dates, please!

misc: this event is not mandatory, just meant for fun and to mix your characters up in different scenarios! participation is highly appreciated, regardless! please just have fun with it and throw some drama around 😉