landslidc

[landslidc]

"Yes, pies. They're a pain to make and aren't even that good," Nathan argued. He'd been a pie making machine for a week and it became tedious work real fast. Nathan scrunched his nose up at the mention of pecan pie. "That one's one of the worst, I'm sorry. It's so gummy and weird with the nuts. If I had to choose a pie I'd go with apple or something," Nathan stated. However his disgust was quickly back on his face at her in-laws cooking. "That sounds absolutely revolting. What's with white people and mayonnaise? I'm glad I don't have any family around that I have to eat their horrible cooking. Even when I did live at home my family wasn't big on Thanksgiving. My mom would cook a turkey and some stuffing and mashed potatoes but that was kind of it," he explained. "I guess I'm just peeved that even though I put in a ton of work making all those pies and didn't see any extra pay for it even though the bakery was killing it this week."

" pies , " the word repeats as if she can't grasp what nathan is saying . " like , the entire food group ?? " more like sub-category , but what difference is that to her ?? “ lips move around a candy stripe straw , sucking back the last of an overly malty , mostly melted strawberry milkshake . " sometimes the only saving grace to a meal is something you know your family didn't make . your girl fucks with a good pecan pie . " pee-can ?? puh-khan ?? there's a immediate internal debate about pronunciation once she's said the word , sounding foreign the moment it falls off her tongue . " my in-laws always make this dish called pea salad — basically frozen peas covered in way too much mayonnaise , cheese and eggs . " cue the faux gag . as much as juniper adores them , there are just some things you can't forgive and southern recipes are often one of them . " so , your pie beef was totally the saving grace to my thanksgiving . "

[landslidc]

"Seriously? Why's it called candied yams then if it's actually sweet potatoes," Eamon questioned out loud though he didn't expect her to answer. "I guess I'll just double back and look for the sweet potatoes then." Her description was helpful as Eamon had never seen a sweet potato that hadn't already been transformed into a dish before and he was glad that things were labeled in the grocery store so he wouldn't embarrass himself and head home with some russet potatoes.

"Yeah, grocery shopping has never been my forte," Eamon agreed. "I'm usually the one doing the dishes after dinner is done instead of helping out beforehand." Being twenty-three it was about time that he did more fending for himself but independence from his parents wasn't that high on his priority list. He already had a whole upstairs floor to himself at home. Sharing the common spaces and meals was really just perks for him.

"Oh," Eileen perked up slightly at that, "True yams actually aren't used particularly often in making candied yams, sweet potatoes are sometimes mislabeled as yams and so unless your mom is asking specifically for true yams, or white or yellow yams or something, the recipe probably actually wants sweet potatoes. You're looking for sweet potatoes with bright orange flesh, on the longer and thinner end."

She smiled softly at the mention of not generally doing the shopping and added, "It takes a while to all learn, I struggled a lot too when my mom first started sending me out for stuff."

[landslidc]

"Lately? Pies. I should've thought that working at a place like Sweetie Pie I'd get used to making pies but the preorders this Thanksgiving were absolutely nuts," Nathan vented. His life was pretty good right now that he didn't seriously have much to bitch about. "I always thought the whole holiday you were supposed to eat handmade foods. Seems like cheating if you go out and buy a pie." Not that Nathan was an expert on holidays. He hadn't celebrated Thanksgiving since he moved out and had spent that night eating a TV dinner instead of any traditional Thanksgiving food.

open starter for @ashmorestart

“ go on . spill , “ juni urges , tapping fingers rhythmically against the height of her knee . there’s nothing quite like a free therapy session to make you feel the smallest bit lighter . “ what’s something that really chaps your ass ?? “

[landslidc]

Nathan was fine with spending the evening with April. After all he'd invited her out, if he wasn't interested in spending time with her he would've just gone out on his own. He had no problem making fun with complete strangers. "Oh really now? I'll let you know if that's a service I ever need. I've done pretty good for myself without the help of others so far," Nathan promised. He hadn't needed anyone's help snagging a babe before and he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of someone stepping in on his behalf. He liked to make the first impression a good one and didn't need anyone tampering with his image beforehand.

Nathan knocked back the additional shot and was ready to hit the dancefloor to ride out the impending buzz. April moved fast and he liked that she didn't waste any time when having fun. She was someone who could keep up with him and even have him on his toes from time to time. Nathan allowed himself to quite literally be dragged onto the dancefloor. They were in a sea of people yet Nathan was able to solely focus his attention on April. He put his hands on her waist as he started moving to the music with a nice big grin on his face. "Only always," Nathan promised. He already felt euphoric from the weed he'd smoked on the way here and he was just getting ready for the alcohol to cross with his high and make it that much better. "I could've used you earlier in the day though. I almost got caught by the cops," he began making conversation with her.

“oh,  so  we’re  gonna  have  to  battle  for  the  good  ones  tonight,  are  we?”  april  teases,  holding  up  her  measly  fists  and  playfully  chucking  his  shoulder  —  she’s  pure  string  bean,  hardly  capable  of  much  discernible  damage.  “nah,  it’s  fine,  i  guess  we  can  keep  it  to  the  two  of  us,”  she  sighs  as  if  it’s  such  a  sacrifice,  but  a  warm  grin  quickly  melts  over  her  features.  her  hand  presses  lightly  at  his  chest,  bright  blues  settling  on  him  through  the  smoky  lighting,  “that  being  said,  i’m  actually  a  fantastic  wingwoman,  and  if  you  need  me  to  sing  your  praises  to  the  nearest  pretty  face,  i’m  on  it,  no  questions  asked.”  

she’s  already  ordering  up  another  round  before  nathan’s  finishing  his  question,  her  gaze  colored  with  mischief.  “always  one  more,”  she  decides,  offering  him  the  follow-up  shot  and  quickly  throwing  the  shot  down  her  throat  —  vodka,  she  realizes,  something  cheap  and  vicious.  the  burn  rips  through  her  chest,  setting  april  aflame;  her  palms  slap  against  the  bar,  free hand  pulling  at  nathan’s  shirt,  “okay,  now  we  dance.”  the  crowd  of  jostling  bodies  makes  it  easy  for  april  to  forget  herself,  swaying  and  laughing  through  the  revelry  until  they’re  at  the  pulsing  heartbeat  of  it  all,  smack  dab  in  the  center.  “you  feelin’  good,  big  guy?”

[landslidc]

where does eamon hope to be in ten years?

In ten years Eamon is hopeful that he'll be running the funeral home. His father always said that he'd pass the business on to him and he's sure by then his father will have wanted to retire. Outside of work Eamon is hopeful that he'll finally settle down, maybe find himself a spouse and have a couple of kids.

[landslidc]

"Well tampering with a body is an offense within itself. I think it's like 12 years or something and I can't imagine there being anything he could do to the body to cover anything up after death," Eamon stated. He didn't know much about the legal system but that was one factoid he'd picked up from his line of work. "I hope this isn't a case that happened around here. Cemeteries aren't Fort Knox or anything but they are meant to be secure." Eamon felt like he would know if this case happened anywhere around Ashmore. It would be pretty fast spread gossip around the funeral homes if someone got exhumed under their watch.

for a brief moment, the glimpse of a grin forms on louis's features. "—nah, i'm sure many are lovely," he concurs with his conversational partner. whether it's sincere or not remains undecided as he does not intend to dive into this topic any further.

"not a grave robber, no." louis rubs his chin as if he's thinking about eamon's words. "in the case i'm investigating, there's a dude who is accused of murdering his wife. she was to be exhumed at the behest of the public prosecutor's office." a brief pause as he inhales, raising his eyebrows. "—seems like her husband beat them to it."

[landslidc]

Eamon didn't know the first thing about cooking and it was clear in his disappointment learning the two weren't interchangeable. "Well my mom's planning on making candied yams so I don't think sweetness is the problem," he explained. "But yams are literally in the name of the dish so it's got to be yams, right?" Eamon asked. He usually wasn't one to pester strangers but he was in a bit of a bind and really didn't want to make another trip somewhere else just for one ingredient. He knew his mother would never make a special trip. She was a creature of habit and she'd been shopping at this same grocery store for all their food for as long as Eamon could remember. "I don't think I've ever been to the Asian grocery store. I'm not typically the one who does the shopping."

Over the years, Eileen had gotten into a habit when it came to grocery shopping. Perhaps one might call it a rut, but it certainly made housework easier to do when you had a habit that took less effort to follow. So when grocery day came around she did as she did every week, making her way through the aisles one by one, leaving the refrigerated sections and then the frozen section for last, focused on what she needed up until someone approached her for help.

"They aren't exactly the same, no," Eileen explained, "You can use them in place of yams, if you don't mind what you're making ending up a bit sweeter than you originally intended." She then thought for a second, had she ever seen yams here before? "You might have to go to a specialty grocery store if you need yams specifically, I think there's an Asian grocery store a few blocks down from here, that's where I usually go, though I can't remember the name..."

[landslidc]

"Maybe we should take this party back to my place. I'd just have to clean up some Cheetos first," he joked as he pulled out of their embrace. Even though he was joking he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about taking April home with him before. She was stunning after all. Still he valued their friendship and was unsure how reliable of a friend he'd remain if the two of them took it further. He didn't have a habit of keeping in contact with hookups. "I make a terrible wingman though. I steal all the good ones for myself," he went on. Nathan was known to be a flirt and take home a babe or two spontaneously on a night out. Tonight he didn't have any expectations to get with anyone though.

Nathan watched as she commanded the attention of the bartender. The place was packed but she'd still managed to pull their attention and get a shot of something in front of them. He hadn't caught what she'd asked for but it really didn't matter to Nathan. He'd drink anything if it would get him drunk and he knocked back his shot after cheering with her. "You want another one or do you want to hit the dance floor?" Nathan asked after he'd gotten done making a face after the shot.

it  doesn’t  take  much  to  pull  april  into  a  night  on  the  town,  though  it  also  most  certainly  doesn’t  hurt  when  nathan’s  the  one  inviting  her  out  —   their  friendship  was  built  on  a  mutual  penchant  for  trouble  and  trying  to  keep  the  party  going  as  long  as  possible.  she’s  already  wrapping  him  into  a  hug,  lips  brushing  against  his  cheek  and  laughter  ringing  from her  lips,  “oh,  always  for  you!”  cerulean  gaze  scans  the  club,   spotting  a  few  fun  faces  that  she  might  not  be  able  to  resist,  “but  that  doesn’t  mean  you  can’t  be  my  beloved  wingman,  of  course.”  she’s  already  a  little  tipsy,  throwing  back  to  mini  bottles  of  whiskey  on  her  way  in  here,  which  means  she’s  feeling  good,  rowdy,  utterly  in  her  element.  “before  either  of  us  go  disappearin’  with  anybody  else,  though,”  she  begins,  playfully  prodding  his  chest,  “we’re  doing  a  round  of  shots  and  you’re  dancing  with  me.”  lithe  frame  is  nearly  hunched   over  the  bar,  beaming  at  the  nearest  bartender  for  their  first   round.  two  shots  of  something  are  slid  their  way,  and  april  gives  a  cursory  sniff  of  what  smells  like  pure  gasoline  before  lifting  her  glass  to  nathan’s,  “cheers,  babe!”

[landslidc]

"You sure it's legal to sell a milkshake this big?" Nathan joked as the monstrosities were set before them. It was a good thing that Nathan had a sweet tooth and an empty stomach to hold all of this milkshake he was about to consume. "You weren't lying when you said you had the hook up," Nathan added as he pulled his glass towards himself. He barely knew where to start with the thing and decided to dive into the whipped cream first with his mouth. The whipped cream was always his favorite part and it felt like there was half a can wasted on this thing. "Where'd you even hear about this thing? I've only ever gotten a strawberry shake from here and it was a quarter of the size."

STATUS: closed for nathan ( @landslidc ) SETTING: big bite

THE MOMENT TWO DRINKS are set down on the table in front of them, carson's already lost it. ❝ okay, dude, no, listen. i know what you're thinking, but you gotta trust me, ❞ he manages through the peals of laughter bubbling up from his stomach and making his chest ache. before them are two monsters of milkshakes ; the kind a parent wouldn't let within 30 feet of their kid lest they immediately start bouncing off the walls from a sugar rush. it's a drink not listed on the menu, but after a decently lengthy stint working at big bite and befriending the manager there, carson was able to design his own secret signature special——which he now presents to nathan. ❝ i know it looks like it might kill you—and it might—but you gotta trust me. ❞

[landslidc]

Closed starter for April Winslow ( @ohbeloveds ) Location: Cloud 9

Nathan loved a good night out on the town. He'd always been a night owl and he was trying to have a few more good nights out before the weather got too cold and he'd go into hibernation for the next couple of months. He texted April last minute to see if she would be down to meet up at the club and was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to come out with him on such short notice.

He arrived at the club before her and saved them a couple of seats at the bar. Nathan already had a couple of joints in his system and a drink under his belt when he finally spotted her. "You all dolled up for me tonight or should I expect you to ditch me for someone else before the night is through?" Nathan joked with her as he beckoned her to the spot he'd saved. The compliment was genuine even though he'd said it to poke fun. He always thought April looked nice.

[landslidc]

what is eamon's biggest fear?

Eamon's biggest fear is dying unexpectedly. Due to his job he's seen just about every wild way someone has come to an untimely end and it's always haunted him. That's why he's such a cautious person. He always makes sure to chew his food fully and never goes out driving at night on the weekends or major holidays.

[landslidc]

Lorenzo Zurzolo photographed by Alessio Boni for Fanzine 137, Winter 2020. Lorenzo wears all clothing Dior Men by Kim Jones

[landslidc]

how far into the future does nathan plan?

Nathan doesn't plan very far in the future at all. The only consistent plan he has is his work schedule that never changes but what he gets up to on a daily basis is constantly changing. He's never been big on making plans in general because he has a tendency to be flaky and would rather surprise people by showing up than disappointing people when he's a no show.

[landslidc]

does eamon want to stay in ashmore forever?

Want is a strong word. Eamon feels like he has no real choice in the matter. His family has lived in Ashmore so long that he's never really questioned moving away from this place. His whole life has been in Ashmore and he has never been ambitious enough to branch out from the path set before him. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like to leave Ashmore but never strong enough to actually act on that desire. He has been on vacation outside of the city a few times and even traveled as far as Italy but still he sees himself always calling Ashmore home.

[landslidc]

Closed starter for Eileen De La Cruz ( @eileendlc ) Location: Ashmore Grocers

Since Eamon still lived at home he never got away from doing chores. The only difference was now that he was an adult he no longer got paid to do things for the household. Usually he was tasked with things like taking out the trash and the dishes but today he was sent out with his mother's grocery list.

Eamon was floundering about the produce aisle when he finally decided to approach someone for some help. "Do you know if sweet potatoes are the same thing as yams? I was sent out to get yams but I haven't seen a single one in this place," he explained as he held up what he thought was a sweet potato. He was a terrible cook which made him just as terrible of a shopper but her cart seemed full and it looked like she'd shopped more than a handful of times in her life.

[landslidc]

It was always nice seeing a familiar face at work. Seeing someone alway made the otherwise boring day go by faster and gave him an excuse to slack off for a while which wasn't uncommon for Nathan. He smiled at her greeting. "Well this is the best place to find me unless you're out roaming the streets at night," he joked. "How's slinging coffee going? Burned yourself on the espresso machine yet?" Nathan joked as he took off his apron and set it aside before he properly came out from the kitchen to greet her. "That depends on what you're in the mood for. You interested in something chocolatey or fruity so you can pretend it's healthy or maybe you're interested in something seasonally spicy?" Nathan rattled off. They had quite the selection of goodies today and Kylie had come at time where they hadn't completely sold out for the day.

For: Nathan ( @landslidc ) Location: Sweetie Pie Bakery

"I was hoping I would catch my most favorite baker in the entire world," Kylie happily greeted, giving Nathan her biggest grin. She had always enjoyed visiting Sweetie Pie Bakery, but it became one of her favorite spots the moment her paths crossed with Nathan. Not only did the guy make some of the best baked goods she had ever tasted, but he also had a pretty kickass personality to go along with it. "I have been meaning to come by and bug you, but work has had me a bit exhausted lately. Today, though, I pumped myself up with some coffee and here I am. You're welcome," she teased, lightly chuckling. "What's new on the menu?"

[landslidc]

They were right that Nutella would be a completely different experience but still Nathan's laziness trumped any desire to actually chocolate coat some candy corn. "You aren't wrong there but still too much work for what it'd be worth in my opinion. I'm sure someone's had to have done it before though. It's probably something you can find on the internet if you look hard enough. You can find chocolate coated everything these days," Nathan went on. He could only nod his head at their follow up question. "Sort of. I work at Sweetie Pie out in the suburbs. I'm one of their bakers and head cake decorators so I use a lot of chocolate as toppers there," Nathan explained.

Landon made a mental note to go through the pre-packaged aisle in case he found the Nerds candy corn. They absolutely had to try those at least once! "Oh, but Nutella would be such a different experience from a chocolate coating! It's about the texture. And the flavor too, I guess, but I think Ferrero nails it with the chocolate and hazelnut. Anyway, not to go off on a tangent, but Nutella's smooth, and a chocolate coating would have more of a bite to it, which I think goes well with the candy corn's texture," they said with a soft chuckle. They quickly realized they were beginning to ramble, which was something that happened quite often. But the other's comment piqued Landon's interest. "So, you said you do mindless stuff with chocolate at work. Does that mean you work at a confectionary sort of place?"