#Michael Twitty

[protoslacker]

I dare to believe all Southerners are a family. We are not merely Native, European, and African. We are Middle Eastern and South Asian and East Asian and Latin American, now. We are a dysfunctional family, but we are still a family. We are unwitting inheritors of a story with many sins that bears the fruit of the possibility of ten times the redemption. One way is through reconnection with the culinary culture of the enslaved, our common ancestors, and restoring their names on the roots of the Southern tree and the table those roots support.

Michael Twitty in Afroculinaria. American Food and Race: Ten Things I Learned from Writing and Living The Cooking Gene

THE COOKING GENE: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

[foodtellsastory]

Pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but this 2021 update of a 2020 story is still excellent reading. Think of it as a refresher course before Thanksgiving

[princessjinx]

Recommended reading / viewing before visiting Williamsburg?

[tboykrillin]

been trying to get back into reading with mixed success...

[krispyweiss]

Loretta Lynn Dies at 90

- “She was an inspiration,” Carole King says

Loretta Lynn, the barrier-smashing country singer who became known as the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” has died, her family said.

Lynn, 90, died in her sleep Oct. 4 at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., according to a statement.

“Great Britain lost their queen, now we have lost ours,” the Oak Ridge Boys said in a tweet. “Rest easy, Ma’am. You were loved all.”

“They don’t make ’em like her anymore,” Travis Tritt tweeted.

Lynn brought social commentary to country music, a genre that often shuns topics like war, sexism and family planning, with songs such as “Dear Uncle Sam,” “Rated X” and “The Pill.”

“She was an inspiration,” Carole King said.

Rhonda Vincent said “my heart is sad” upon hearing of Lynn’s death.

“Sending our love and prayers to her family,” Vincent wrote on Facebook.

Lynn, whom “Austin City Limits” eulogized as “a true icon of country music and beyond,” was a frequent duet parter of Conway Twitty in the 1970s, a decade that found her notching two dozen solo hits, including “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” which the Grateful Dead occasionally played in concert.

“Your legacy will live on forever here at the Mother Church,” the Ryman Auditorium said in a tweet.

As she moved toward living-legend status, Lynn worked with Jack White on 2004’s Van Lear Rose and became friends with Poison’s Bret Michaels, who said singing “Every Rose has its Thorne” with Lynne was “one of the best days of my life.”

“A fantastic singer, but an even better songwriter,” Low Cut Connie wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for the songs, Loretta Lynn.”

10/4/22

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

2/27 from 3:30-4:30 pm, at Avondale, we are going to celebrate Black History through cooking! Taking a recipe from Michael W. Twitty’s cookbook, The Cooking Gene, we will look at some of the rich History of the African-American and Black Community’s cooking legacy. The Chattanooga Public Library

[valarhalla]

Ok tumblr friends. I’m trying to spend less time on the internet these days, and I LOVE reading non-fiction books, but trying to find recommendations for new books is a nightmare. Any time I try to look up good new non-fiction books the results are all like “would you like to read an autobiography of Paul Newman or New Reasons We’re All Doomed” and that just. Doesn’t Work for Me. So I’m asking for recs here. I’m open to books about literally any field or topic. Only caveats are that hard sciences have to be on a level I can understand as a humanities person, and medical stuff can’t be too gory (ie I loved Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene and The Song of the Cell, but can’t stomach The Mother of all Maladies). And nothing TOO miserable, but I have a fairly high tolerance for historical stuff. I’m particularly fond of micro-history and books that delve into multiple overlapping topics.

As a sampling, here are some books I’ve read and particularly enjoyed in the last two years:

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe by Caroline Pennock

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Victims of Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

The Last Days of the Incas by Kim McQuarrie 

The Dream and the Nightmare: The Story of the Syrians who Boarded the Titanic by Leila Salloum Elias

Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Yeats by Andrew Knoll

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking by Anya von Bremzen

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristine Kobes du Mez

Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution that made China Modern by JIng Tsu

The Last Island: Discovery, Defiance, and the Most Elusive Tribe on Earth by Adam Goodheart

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

Fire away!

[edenfenixblogs]

Look what Google just recommended to me!!!!

I already own (and love) Shabbat and Portico.

But I am OBSESSED with the rest and must acquire them immediately.

Top of my list is Love Japan because LOOK AT THIS BEAUITFUL BOWL OF MATZO BALL RAMEN!!!!!

We hear a lot about Jewish people in Europe and MENA, but we do not hear a lot about Jewish culture as it blends with East Asian cultures, and that’s a shame. Not just because it erases the centuries of Jewish populations there, but also because there are plenty of people of mixed decent. People who may not have come directly from Jewish communities in East Asia, but people who have a Japanese Father and a Jewish Mother, for example. Or people in intercultural marriages. These are all real and valuable members of the Jewish community, and we should be celebrating them more. This cookbook focuses on Jewish Japanese American cuisine and I am delighted to learn more as soon as possible. The people who wrote this book run the restaurant Shalom Japan, which is the most adorable name I’ve ever heard. Everything about this book excites and delights me.

And of course, after that, I’m most interested in “Kugels and Collards” (as if you had any doubts about that after the #kugel discourse, if you were following me then).

This is actually written in conjunction with an organization of the same name devoted to preserving the food and culture of Jews in South Carolina!

I’m especially excited to read this one, because I have recently acquired the book Kosher Soul by the fantastic, inimitable Michael J. Twitty, which famously explores faith and food in African American Jewish culture. I’m excited to see how Jewish soul food and traditions in South Carolina specifically compare and contrast with Twitty’s writings.

I’m also excited for all the other books on this list!

A while ago, someone inboxed me privately to ask what I recommended for people to read in order to learn more about Jewish culture. I wrote out a long list of historical resources attempting to cover all the intricate details and historic pressure points that molded Jewish culture into what it is today. After a while I wrote back a second message that was much shorter. I said:

Actually, no. Scratch everything I just said. Read that other stuff if you want to know Jewish history.

But if you want to know Jewish culture? Cookbooks.

Read every Jewish cookbook you can find.

Even if you don’t cook, Jewish cookbooks contain our culture in a tangible form. They often explain not only the physical processes by which we make our meals, but also the culture and conditions that give rise to them. The food is often linked to specific times and places and events in diaspora. Or they explain the biblical root or the meaning behind the holidays associated with a given food.

I cannot speak for all Jews. No one can. But in my personal observation and experience—outside of actual religious tradition—food has often been the primary means of passing Jewish culture and history from generation to generation.

It is a way to commune with our ancestors. I made a recipe for chicken soup or stuffed cabbage and I know that my great grandmother and her own mother in their little Hungarian shtetl. I’ll never know the relatives of theirs who died in the Holocaust and I’ll never meet the cousins I should have had if they were allowed to live. But I can make the same food and know that their mother also made it for them. I have dishes I make that connect me to my lost ancestors in France and Mongolia and Russia and Latvia and Lithuania and, yes, Israel—where my relatives have lived continuously since the Roman occupation even after the expulsions. (They were Levites and Cohens and caretakers of synagogues and tradition and we have a pretty detailed family tree of their presence going back quite a long time. No idea how they managed to stay/hide for so long. That info is lost to history.)

I think there’s a strong tendency—aided by modern recipe bloggers—to view anything besides the actual recipe and procedures as fluff. There is an urge for many people to press “jump to recipe” and just start cooking. And I get that. We are all busy and when we want to make dinner we just want to make dinner.

But if your goal isn’t just to make dinner. If your goal is to actually develop an understanding of and empathy for Jewish people and our culture, then that’s my advice:

Read cookbooks.

[rotzaprachim]

this is absolutely a conversation that would need a lot of collaboration with Black communities, Black Jews and Black yiddishists but it would be so great to see some Yiddish language content about Black foodways and cooking demonstrations and such. (For more on the topic of Black and Jewish and Black-Jewish foodways please see Michael twitty!) One thing I noticed while writing a letter to a friend describing soul food I’d eaten on a trip was how many words related to these topics differ from standard German or Germanic vocabulary - not hugely a surprise given that the agricultural and natural terminology in Yiddish tend to be where a lot of the Slavic vocabulary is

Disclaimer that what you see below is a mix mainly of the comprehensive modern dictionary, words I’ve heard used in modern non chasidic yiddish communities, Yiddish language books and my own experience and that all of the following is subject to vary esp depending on where the dialect of Yiddish originated

anyway there’s:

נשמה-עסן )neshome-esn (soul food, likely a modern calque from English but it’s sooo great). Hebrew word “neshome” for soul + Germanic “Esn” (food)

מאַסלימקע - maslinke - Slavic - buttermilk

סמעטאַנע- smetane- Slavic - sour cream

פּאַפּשוי - papshoy- Romanian - corn

פּאַפּשויברויט - papshoybroyt- cornbread

אוגערקע - ogurke - Slavic - cucumber

די זויערע אוגערקעס - di zoyere ogurkes (the pickles)

ארבוז (Arbuz- one of many but the word my grandmas family used) - Slavic - watermelon

טשאָלענ�� - tsholent - probably an old Romance language like old French - the super thick comforting shabbes stew

אָזשענע - ozhene -Slavic - blackberry

באָב - Bob - Slavic - bean

קאַבאַק - kabak- possibly Russian but from a Turkic language - squash

מאַמאַליגע- mamalige - a Romanian type of cornmeal pudding or mush

באַמיע- bamye- okra - from Ottoman Turkish from either Persian or Arabic

חזיר - khazer - pig (from Hebrew)

חזיר-פֿלייש - khazer-Fleish - pork

פּאָנטשקע - pontshke - Slavic - donut

מאכל - maykhl - dish/treat - from Hebrew

מסיבה - mesibe- party - from Hebrew

שימחה - simkheh- party - from Hebrew

סודה - sudeh- feast - from Hebrew

Some other useful/related vocabulary here too:

שמאַלץ - shmaltz - chicken fat - from old German, no idea how this might be used in modern German dialects

משפחה - mishpokhe - family - from Hebrew

קהילה - kehile- from Hebrew - there are a bunch of words for “community” in Yiddish with different nuances, this is one I hear a lot from modern Yiddishists

אבֿות - oves- literally “fathers”, ancestors, from Hebrew

ירושה - yerusheh- inheritance - from Hebrew

ירשענען - yarshenen - to inherit - Hebrew root with German verb structure

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Songs4Caplan Challenge

(I located an older song fic challenge from a deleted blog I had that had this graphic on it. LOL)

Rules:

Tag me in the authors notes & send me a message with yuor fic once it's posted! (along with the hashtag so I know which Masterlist to place the fic when I post it)

Please tag the proper warnings before the fic

Can be ANY CHARACTER YOU'D LIKE!!

More than one person can write for the same prompts

RPFs are allowed

If you’d like to write for more than one song, please make them separate fics

the songs are randomly picked from my playlist, so don't judge lol.

Can be however long you’d like the fic to be, however, please be considerate to the folks using the app and place the 'keep reading' feature on your posts!!

PLEASE tag the fic as #songs4caplan so i can easily find your fics!!!

Addicted to you simple plan

Africa Toto 

All downhill from here new found glory 

All for you sister hazel 

All summer long kid Rock 

Alone together fall out boy

Amnesia 5 seconds of summer

Animals maroon 5

As it was Harry styles 

as the world caves in Sarah cothran

Ashes of Eden breaking Benjamin 

Attention Charlie put 

Bad guy Billie eillish 

Bad things jace Everett

Beautiful mistakes maroon 5

Beautiful soul Jesse McCartney 

Before he cheats carrie underwood 

Before you go Lewis capaldi 

Beggin maneskin 

Better than me hinder

Blue ain’t your color Keith urban 

Burn usher 

Car radio twenty one pilots 

Church fall out boy

Climax usher 

Come & get it Selena Gomez 

Count on me Bruno mars 

Criminal Fiona Apple 

Deja vu Olivia rodrigo 

Delicate Taylor swift 

Diary Tino Coury 

Dirty laundry Carrie underwood 

Dirty thoughts Chloe adams 

Don’t call me up Mabel 

Downtown lady a 

Drivers license Olivia rodrigo 

Easy on Adele 

End of me a day to remember 

Every breath you take the police 

Every morning sugar ray 

Everybody hurts r.e.m. 

Fall for you secondhand serenade

Fallin Alicia keys 

Fast car Tracy Chapman 

Flowers Miley Cyrus 

For the first time the script

Forever young alphaville

Forever and ever amen randy Travis

Fuck it Eamon 

Fuck you bitch wheeler walker jr

Ghost of you Justin beiber

Glimpse of us Joji

God gave me you Blake Shelton 

Hate (I really don’t like you) plain white tees

Havana Camilla cabello 

Heart attack Demi lovato 

Heartbreak anniversary giveon 

Heaven Kane brown 

Hello darlin Conway twitty 

Hold on, we’re going on drake 

How do you sleep Jesse McCartney 

Hurt Johnny cash 

I fall apart post Malone 

I miss you blink 182

I see red everybody loves an outlaw 

I wanna be your slave maneskin 

I’m not the only one Sam smith 

I’m the only one Melissa Ethridge 

I’m yours Alessia Cara 

In my blood Shawn Mendes 

It ain’t me baby me Johnny cash 

Jealous nick Jonas 

Just one yesterday fall out boy 

Just the way you are Bruno mars 

Keep Holding On Avril Lavigne 

Killer queen Queen 

The last of the real ones 

Leave  the door open Bruno mars 

Leavin’ Jesse McCartney 

Let her go passenger

Like I can Sam smith

Lips of an angel hinder

Little do you know Alex & sierra 

Little Talks Mumfords & sons

Mama's broken heart Miranda lambert

Man down Rihanna

Misery Maroon 5

My Boo usher & Alicia keys 

Needed Me Rihanna 

Never gonna be alone Nickelback

New Rules Dua Lipa 

Not Over You Gavin DeGraw

Obsessed Mariah Carey

One Call Away Charlie Puth

One More Night Maroon 5

Our Song Taylor Swift

Picture KidRock & Sherry Crow 

PillowTalk Zayn Malik 

Please Don’t Leave Me Pink

Red Taylor Swift 

Remember the time Michael Jackson

Rolling in the deep Adele 

Say My Name Destiny’s Child

Say So Doja Cat 

She’s Got You Patsy Cline

Shower Becky G

Smokin out the Window Bruno Mars 

Someone You Loved Lewis Capaldi

Stay With Me Sam Smith

Take a Bow Rihanna

Take Me to Church Hozier

Take You Dancing Jason Derulo

There’s Nothing Holdin Me Back Shawn Mendes

Title Meghan Trainor

Too Good at Goodbyes Sam Smith

Too Little Too LAte JoJo

Trip Ella Mae

Trouble P!Nk

True Love P!NK

Unfaithful RIhanna

Unholy Sam smith

Unsteady X Ambassadors

Uptown Girl Billy Joel

Wait For You Elliot Yamin

Walk Me Home P!NK

Walkin After Midnight Patsy Cline

Want U Back Cher Lloyd

What a Man Gotta Do Jonas Brothers

What Ifs Kane Brown

Wolves Selena Gomez

Would You Go With Me? Josh Turner

You Found Me The Fray

You Had Me @ Hello A Day to Remember

You Need to Calm Down, Taylor Swift

[sea-changed]

second third of 2024 in books

23. Don't Look at Me Like That, Diana Athill [I brought this book on a trip and loved it; it was the perfect vacation companion] 24. Cahokia Jazz, Francis Spufford [I know I wrote my thoughts out at the time but. lovely! frustrating!] 25. To Paradise, Hanya Yanagihara [you all know already which section was my favorite] 26. Catch-22, Joseph Heller [obviously I've Gone On about it but. god.] 27. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut [reread] 28. All-Of-A-Kind Family, Sydney Taylor [reread, but not since childhood] 29. "The Good War," Studs Terkel [reread] 30. Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II, Allan Bérubé [mostly a reread? I'm not sure I'd ever read it cover to cover before] 31. Looking for the Good War: American Amnesia and the Violent Pursuit of Happiness, Elizabeth D. Samet 32. What Soldiers Do: Sex and the American GI in World War II France, Mary Louise Roberts 33. HHhH, Laurence Binet (trans. Sam Taylor) [did I like it? unclear! was I fascinated by it? absolutely.] 34. Once There Was a War, John Steinbeck 35. X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II, Leah Garrett 36. Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, Fred Rosenbaum 37. More All-Of-A-Kind Family, Sydney Taylor [reread] 38. The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South, Michael W. Twitty

[misslavenderlady]

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll - Chapter 14

Summary: Tired and stressed out from Max trying to overstep his bounds, Michael leans on David for support. So much so that they just might take their relationship to the next level.

TW: Chapter contains mentions of stress and implied sex. ***There will be separate, shorter chapter for the n.s.f.w. material~

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LONG WAIT!! Life just gets crazy sometimes. But rest assured, the chapter I'm pairing with this is EXTRA special and worth the wait~

Song from chapter HERE

Previous Chapter *n.s.f.w. part* Next Chapter

Though David enjoyed his nights hanging upside down in the cave rafters with his brothers, he couldn't deny the fact that he had missed the comfort of sleeping in a bed. He hadn't had the privilege of doing such a thing in decades. The mattress that Grandpa Emerson had set up in the basement was firm in structure, yet perfectly plush and cozy on top.  

Between the comfort of the bed and the soft fabric of the quilt wrapped over his body, David almost didn't want to wake up when the sun went down for the day. He was just too comfortable. Still, he wanted to make the most of the night. Sleep all day, party all night, yadda yadda.

With a deep yawn and a stretch of his arms, the vampire finally managed to force himself out of his cocoon of coziness. Not wanting to lose the relaxing feel TOO much, he left his boots and coat where he had tossed them aside earlier that morning. If he and the boys could truly call the Emerson house their home, then he wouldn't worry about dressing up. 

David's feet padded against the wood flooring as he ascended the staircase, making his way out of the basement and back into the main level of the house. 

"Hello? Anybody home?"

David didn't have to wait long to get an answer. Turning around the corner, his eyes were greeted with the sight of Michael slouching on the sofa. His eyes were downturned and a look of distress was stuck on his face. 

"Michael? You okay?"

The brunet snapped out of his trance, turning to face him. He smiled softly at David, trying his best to hide the troubles he was thinking about.

"Hey, huckleberry! Sorry, didn't hear ya right away!"

David raised an eyebrow at him, curious as to how Michael didn't hear him in the silent room. He was no dummy to the stress his boyfriend was experiencing. There was no hiding pain or struggle from a vampire. 

"You alright? Something on your mind?"

"Can't get anything past ya, can I?" 

The blond shook his head playfully as he held out a hand for Michael to take. When their palms locked together, he hoisted the human off of the couch, pulling him into his arms. 

"Anything you wanna talk about, cowboy?"

"Nah, it's nothin' you have to worry 'bout," Michael assured him, nuzzling against his shoulder and kissing his stubbled cheek. "Just don't wanna think 'bout anythin' right now."

If there was one thing David could do, it was provide some fun and excitement to help push away any bothersome thoughts. With a soft smile and a playful look in his eyes, he made an offer to the brunet boy. 

“Would going on an adventure help take your mind off of things?”

Michael lifted his head off of David’s shoulder, his baby blues shining with excitement. That was all the answer that he needed.

“Thanks for driving, Michael. It’s been a very long time since I used something other than my Triumph.”

“Ain’t no thing, huckleberry. Just tell me when I gotta turn.”

David hadn’t yet revealed the secret plans he had put together for his boyfriend. While Michael had gotten showered and dressed upstairs, David had collected various supplies from the special room in the basement and packed them up in the bed of the truck that was parked on the dirt driveway. Michael explained that he and his grandfather used it for heavy labor tasks, but it would work just fine for the special surprise that awaited them. 

The vampire hadn’t been lying when he said he hadn’t driven in a long time. What Michael didn’t have to know was that the last time he had driven a car it had been with a convertible from a good 15 years before Michael was born. He ended up crashing some drained human's car after he took it for a spin with the boys. Max was so furious about what happened that David hadn't touched a steering wheel since that night. His motorcycle would do just fine. 

"So ya can't give me any hints 'bout where we're goin?" Michael said playfully. 

"Sorry, but you're just gonna have to wait," David teased. "Don't worry, though. You're gonna really like this."

That was all that Michael needed to hear to trust his word. He tapped his fingers along the scuffed-up steering wheel, matching the beat of the country song on the radio as he turned in the direction that David pointed. 

Michael recognized the route as something similar to what he and the boys took to take their bikes to the cave. He knew the way there by heart after going there so many times, yet David still guided him as if it were his first drive. By the time they were wrapping up the trip, David gave a final direction for where he should go. 

Only this time, they made a different turn than usual. One that led Michael's truck off the dirt road and down into a steep dip in the sand. He raised an eyebrow at David, confused as to where they were going. 

"Just keep heading that way. Follow the path towards the left of those cliffs. I promise we're just about there."

Trusting in his sense of direction, Michael drove the truck towards the area he was instructed to go to. He was still quite curious about what he was going to see up until he rounded around the edge of the passage. When he did, his mouth fell slightly open.

The space looked somewhat like a private beach. It was near the water like the hideout at the bluff was, only it had more of a sandy stretch of land that led into a hidden, rocky structure. The area was surrounded by trees and flora, adding beautiful pops of green to the space that could easily be seen under the glow of the full moon in the sky.

"Woah Nelly! What's this place?" Michael asked, cutting the engine once the truck was in park. 

"Ya like it?" David smirked, climbing out of the vehicle and motioning for Michael to do the same. "Welcome to Foxtail Grotto, Michael. One of the hidden gems of Santa Carla."

Michael smiled widely as he took in the surrounding area. Even with the darkness of the night sky, he could still see how beautiful it was. All he could do was stare in awe at it while David snuck to the back of the truck to pull out all the goodies he had packed for such a trip. 

"I had no idea this was here! Y'all sure do know your way 'round the place."

"You better believe it, baby," David agreed. "Which is why it's the perfect spot for a night of camping."

The reveal of such a surprise certainly perked the brunet up. He whipped his head around to see David holding a rolled-up comforter under one arm and a large duffle bag tightly stuffed under the other. Michael's toothy grin at the sight was enough to outshine all of the stars out in the sky. 

"How'd ya know I liked to camp?"

"Lucky guess. Shall we?"

The two of them worked together to unpack everything. David stacked up piles of the pillows and blankets he had swiped from the basement while Michael got all of the snacks and drinks that had been packed in plastic bags. To tie the look of the campsite together, they scavenged the area for items that would be ideal for a small campfire. Rocks, pine cones, and dry sticks of various sizes were collected, allowing the two boys everything they needed to get a fire going. 

"Glad ya had this with ya," Michael commented as he flicked open David's lighter to ignite one of the pine cones for kindling. "But even if ya didn't I could always teach ya how to do this the ol' fashioned way!"

"You mean with flint and steel? That's a pretty impressive skill to have."

"Ya think these hands are just for playin' guitar and cleanin' barns? You'd be surprised with what I can do with them!"

David's eyes were half-lidded and his lips curled up into a sly smile at the sound of that. He did not doubt that Michael could do quite a few fun tricks with his hands. 

Once the fire was crackling and glowing nice and bright, Michael scooted away, trying to get a good look at it. He released a sigh of relief, happy to see everything going how he wanted it to. David was more than pleased to see him relax for the first time that night. Not wanting Michael to worry about anything else, he pulled him into his grasp, slipping his arms around the human's waist and nuzzling his scruffy cheek into the crook of his neck.

"Perfect."

The night was exactly what David wanted it to be like. He didn't have to worry about Max being a pest, he could unwind for a stress-free night, and most importantly, Michael was happy.  

Between moments of adding extra sticks to the fire, the two of them would enjoy the sensation of the plush quilt blankets wrapped around their shoulders. They munched on trail mix and marshmallows while whispering sweet nothings to one another. It was pure tranquility. 

"I didn't realize how much I needed this," Michael admitted with a sigh. "Haven't gotten to go on a campin' trip in a good long while. I loved doin' this back home."

David nodded, kissing along the trail of freckles on part of Michael's shoulder peeking out of his shirt. He could feel Michael tremble slightly from his giggling as he was tickled in certain spots. 

"You deserve something much nicer than this for a vacation, Michael. If I had it my way, you wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again."

Michael let out a sigh before wiggling slightly out of David's hold. When the blond playfully pouted at being further away, Michael shook his head and smiled as he reached out to caress his cheek with calloused fingers.

"Does that mean you'd help out with things like shovelin' cow shit and pullin' weeds outta the yard?" he teased. 

David snickered and took hold of the hand touching his face, kissing the palm of Michael's hand. Every single kiss he got made the human's heart flutter in delight.

"That depends. Would it make you happy?"

"I reckon."

"Then consider me your number one farm hand."

David couldn't possibly imagine himself getting his special boots and leather gloves dirty from doing chores on the Emerson farm, but he'd be willing to swipe a few spare sets from the local hardware store if it meant being a help to Michael. 

To think the big bad vampire gang leader was imagining life on the farm with a cute human working beside him. It was still so bewildering to him, yet he didn't question his judgment for even a moment. He could take care of the Emersons and their home. 

"Speaking of getting busy with hands," David said, releasing Michael from his hold. "I have another treat for you."

"Oh? Not done spoilin' me?" Michael teased.

"Not by a long shot," David assured him, pulling one of the blankets away from their makeshift nest to reveal the final surprise of the night. An old, dented guitar case decorated from top to bottom with band name stickers and carvings made from a pocket knife. 

Michael's eyes widened with anticipation. If he had known David was going to bring his guitar, he would have brought his own too for another jam session. He expected to see the slick, black Stratocaster but was instead greeted by the sight of an acoustic guitar. Though it was the same color as the electric instrument, it was easy to see that David hadn't used this guitar nearly as much. It was far too fresh and untouched.

"I'll admit it, Michael, I've been bitten by the country music bug. I thought if I was going to play you a song, I'd do it right."

David pulled the guitar out of its case, the light of the campfire being reflected in the glossy paint job. Michael watched in awe as the blond tuned the instrument in his lap, giving the strings a soft strum. 

"Just need one thing before I get started."

Before Michael could even open his mouth to ask what it was, David leaned forward and plucked the human's signature hat off of his head. He grinned slyly as he placed it on top of his head, adjusting it to his liking. 

"Hey! You little thief!" Michael laughed. 

"Sorry, but it's absolutely crucial if I'm gonna do this right," David insisted, still looking proud of himself for getting the hat on. 

Though he was in a playful mood, David felt somewhat breathless from the way his nerves grew more and more by the second. He’d played songs for Michael before, but it was always from the rock genre. He didn’t have the authentic drawl or the southern experiences that Michael did that made his singing so genuine. 

Even still, Michael waited with bated breath for David to play. It acted as a silent reminder that David had nothing to be nervous about. It was just the two of them. He kept that in mind as he began to play.

“There's a lot of ways of saying 

What I want to say to you 

There's songs and poems and promises 

And dreams that might come true

But I won't talk of starry skies 

Or moonlight on the ground 

I'll come right out and tell you 

I'd just love to lay you down”

Michael’s expression shifted as David sang for him. Any mischievousness was slowly taken over by astonishment. His eyes softened while he watched his beloved boyfriend play the song. 

“Lay you down and softly whisper pretty love words in your ear 

Lay you down and tell you all the things a man loves to hear 

I'll let you know how much it means just having you around 

Oh darling how I'd love to lay you down”

The music came a bit easier now. David’s confidence was building up again, and he let his voice sing out a bit louder now. Though he didn’t have the same southern accent that Michael did, the raspiness of his tone added to the song.

“When a whole lot of Decembers 

Are showing in your face 

Your auburn hair has faded 

And silver takes its place 

You'll be just as lovely 

And I'll still be around 

And if I can I know that 

I'd still love to lay you down”

Even with the hot, crackling fire beside them, Michael and David had enough heat building between them with just the song. With every line that was serenaded to him, Michael felt his passion for David grow stronger.

“Lay you down and softly whisper pretty love words in your ear

Lay you down and tell you all the things a man loves to hear 

I'll let you know how much it means just having you around 

Oh darling how I love to lay you down”

Though David could have continued to play more of the song, his makeshift concert was cut short. The reason for it being that Michael had leaned in to push the guitar aside, wrap his arms around David’s shoulders, and pull him in for a deep kiss. 

He let out a surprised grunt, his voice muffled by Michael's lips on his own. Even so, he felt himself melt into the sensation, hands wrapping around Michael's body and pulling him more onto his lap. One hand was slipping into Michael's curls while the other was traveling south a bit more. Getting bolder. 

God, Michael really did make him feel alive.

"David," he sighed out, breathless and lightheaded with lust. 

"Michael."

"How about instead of singing about that kinda stuff-" Michael started, eyes hazy as he traveled his finger across David's chest. "you show me instead."

Never in his life, both living and undead, did David ever want something so bad. This was happening, and he'd never been happier. That feeling only grew stronger as he pulled Michael back in for a kiss.

All the while, the fire crackled as the light dimmed. Forgotten as the lovers focused on only each other. 

Tag List: @silvermaplealder @michael-after-hours @legal-lost-boy @britany1997 @ria-coolgirl @crustyraccoon @ghoulgeousimmaculate @kurt-nightcrawler @auntvamp @sunshine-wylan @thelostsouls1987 @crustyboypix @thornthehellhound @solobagginses @6lostgirl6 @american-idiot-jpg @bloodywickedvamp @anxiouslittleweirdkid @juss-soupp @bloodsuckingfiends @f4iryfxies @bezinful @oceansrose2002 @piratesangel @vampirefilmlover @charlizekkelly @blueberrypancakesworld @queerlittlem0nster

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If you are so inclined you, too, can manifest this rice in your house physically! It's really fucking good and I have also uhhhh made the rice part in my rice cooker because on the one hand, I am a sinful and fallen creature, but on the other, mmmm rice