#Springtime in DC

[t13shoots]

[wtstsgalor]

No exposition required.

[sabistarphotos]

March 3, 2024

Washington, DC

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Trump and Markle Timeline

A lot of you have asked, so here we go! Coincidences or karmically linked together? You decide!

I have no skills, knowledge, or talent in astrology or mystic arts, so I have no idea if there's anything in their charts or cards that ties them together. I'm just going by the major events in their timelines and...y'all, it gets a lil' weird, how closely in sync their trajectories are.

Also - there are other similarities in their PR, language/word saladness but I haven't really been tracking those (though I do have some notes from anons on that). My interest has mainly been in the overlapping of events and career milestones that keep happening. I'm listing here only close dates/events where there's an overlap. There are some significant dates in Meghan's timeline where there's no corresponding Trump activity and vice versa; those are omitted.

(Note: This is not a political discussion. This is a timeline recap. Comments will be monitored and deleted if containing political commentary. Reblogs are on but if the reblogs get political, I will be turning them off.)

August 2010: The Beginning

Meghan: Cast in Suits (which isn't actually named Suits yet)

Trump: Gives an interview to Wolf Blitzer/CNN in which he reveals/cements his political alignment with the Republican Party after about 20 years of aligning with the Democrats.

Early 2011: The Stepping Stone to New Careers

Meghan: January 19 - Suits is ordered to series by USA, which gives her steady, regular work for the first time in her career.

Trump: February 10 - Gives a speech at CPAC, which is the first time he's seriously considered for work in US politics.

Springtime 2011: Launching New Careers

Meghan: June 2 - early previews of Suits premiere, June 23 - Suits ordered to series

Trump: May 2 - lampooned at the White House Correspondents Dinner, which is said to be when he decided to dedicate serious resources to politics

August 2011

Meghan: August 16 - Marries Trevor (there are conflicting dates - some sources cite a September wedding, others cite an August wedding. Wikipedia says August 16th so I'm going with that here)

Trump: August 15 - gives major Fox News interview, thought to be is his first significant policy-focused interview.

Summer 2013

Meghan: August - divorces Trevor

Trump: May - first reports of serious research into a 2016 presidential campaign

May 2014: The Stars Start To Line Up

Meghan: Meets and starts dating Cory Vitello

Trump: Gives speech in DC promising to run for election in 2016

2015

Meghan: March 8 - gives UN Women speech, which puts her on the map insofar as a charity platform/signature cause for advocacy.

Trump: June 15 - declares candidacy for President in 2016 race

May 2016

Meghan: May 2 - Meets Harry at Toronto Invictus Games dinner, which is cooked by Cory; they start messing around.

Trump: May 3 - Becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for President

July 2016

Meghan: July 22 - Dumps Cory, making it official with Harry

Trump: July 21 - formally accepts Republican nomination for President

October 2016:

Meghan: October 30 - Camilla Tominey outs relationship with Harry (even though Meghan has been teasing it throughout the month)

Trump: October 28 - Comey announces investigation into Clinton email server, which begins changing the tide of the election to Trump's favor.

November 8, 2016: The Launch

Meghan: KP love shield confirms she's dating Harry, she enters public consciousness

Trump: Wins the presidential election

January 2017

Meghan: January 22 - arrives in India for charity mission, her first major global philanthropy initiative

Trump: January 20 - Inauguration Day, takes office

May 17, 2017: Foundation Starts Cracking

Meghan: Arrives in London for Pippa's wedding, begins trying to take over the PR coverage

Trump: Mueller investigation begins

October 2017: PR Cracks Start to Show

Meghan: October 1 - Toronto IG closing ceremony, where she's spotted working closely with paparazzi for photos of her and Harry

Trump: October 3 - Paper towel incident at Hurricane Maria relief center in Puerto Rico, video footage of which goes viral and criticism is widespread

May 2018

Meghan: May 19 - marries Harry

Trump: May 21 - orders investigation into Mueller probe

May 2019: Buckle Up, Y'all - It's Downhill From Here

Meghan: May 6 - Archie is born

Trump: May 8 - buries the Mueller Report

August 2019

Meghan: Archie scandals and private flights fiasco

Trump: Ukraine whistleblowers start reporting on him

September 2019

Meghan: Gives the "No one asked me if I'm OK" interview and announces several lawsuits

Trump: First impeachment proceedings begin

November 2019

Meghan: Demoted by the BRF

Trump: House impeachment trial starts

December 2019

Meghan: With Archie, moves out of the UK

Trump: House of Representatives levy impeachment charges

January 2020

Meghan: Megxit and Sandringham Summit

Trump: Senate impeachment trial takes place

Spring 2020: Downfall Accelerates

Meghan: Revenge tour is undermined by COVID fears; lockdowns prevent her from capitalizing on Megxit momentum

Trump: Bungles US response and leadership to COVID

November 2020

Meghan: November 25 - publishes NYT oped on her miscarriage

Trump: November 7 - presidential election called for Biden

Early 2021: Semi-Exile

Meghan: Oprah interview followed very quickly by Philip's passing

Trump: January 6th and second impeachment proceedings

Summer 2022: The Comebacks Start

Meghan: Hague Invictus, Platinum Jubilee, Image relaunch, Queen's funeral

Trump: Supports candidates for midterm elections, demonstrating relevance and influence still remains in American politics.

November 2022

Meghan: November 21 - Netflix docuseries is announced, given a release date

Trump: November 15 - formally declares candidacy for reelection in 2024

March 2024: Popularity Resurgence

Meghan: March 14 - launches American Riviera Orchard and returns to social media

Trump: March 12 - becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for president

January 2025

Meghan: January 15 - original release date for new Netflix series

Trump: January 20 - Inauguration Day, retakes office

March 4, 2025

Meghan: WLM's actual release date

Trump: First State of the Union speech for second term

[twosides--samecoin]

Plz I’m begging, can you give me an enlightenment of what a modern Maccready would wear. I’m dying to style him modernly and have no clue what he’d wear 🙂‍↕️

Hey gamer, thanks for the ask!

RJ grew up in Little Lamplight. The real life version is Luray Caverns, nestled 75 miles away from DC and protected by Shenandoah State Park and George Washington National Forest. I grew up in a town with a teen pregnancy problem where people wore RealTree Camo to prom. I now live a couple hours from Luray, so I feel Modern RJ is someone who I could have gone to high school with.

He grew up country as fuck - there's not an ounce of city slicker in RJ. All the street smarts he has is because he was observant enough to earn them. When he says he's from DC, it's because he knows it's the closest city he grew up near that anyone in Boston's gonna recognize. His fashion can't be bought in Georgetown or the Prudential Center, unless the trend of the day is blue collar chic being sold to the rich.

Modern RJ was the kind of country kid who's teenage uniform was a green flannel and a Master of Puppets Metallica shirt. He was the kind of scrawny where he was 130 pounds soaking wet and 2% body fat and wore the same blue jeans from ages 14 through 17. His second fave shirt featured Iron Maiden's Live After Death.

He cherished them; like many country kids who feel a bit different from their peers, he clung to his band shirts. You wouldn't catch him dead in Carhartt and RealTree unless he literally died while hunting. Not that he wasn't proud of his friends, or ashamed of where he was from - he just dreamed of getting out. Band shirts represented something bigger, a Great Beyond; a world he wanted to travel, a life he was priced out of living as an orphan from Virginia.

Buying clothes is not something RJ enjoys - he's a single dad and feels a level of guilt attached with spending money on himself, knowing how much grocery money would be wasted on a leather jacket and pair of jeans (speaking of groceries, RJ has a family of three to feed - Duncan insisted they keep that damn German Shepherd who followed RJ home from his mechanic shift at the Red Rocket). He's still driving the same red rusted-to-fuck '96 Chevy Silverado that he kissed Lucy in for the first time, the same one that drove them out of Virginia. Maintains it himself since he can get the parts at cost.

Though he's frugal, Modern RJ is picky about his fashion. His closet isn't one that features abundance. His clothing is utilitarian; earth tones in a range of faded browns and greens, duck canvas, twill denims with no stretch. A heavy mechanic jumpsuit for work. The coolest colours he wears are grey thermal shirts and a blue shearling jacket when in colder weather. There's an olive green jacket he likes in the springtime. He prefers a tough, protective pair of leather boots for everyday footwear. For casual shoes; given the choice between Chuck Taylors and Vans, he'd wear whichever was on sale, but preferably the Chucks.

He has a few long sleeve button-downs out of an eye-rolling necessity for job interviews. He hates wearing ties and has never owned a suit. Before she died, Lucy gifted him a brown shearling leather jacket to wear on his motorcycle.

He's most comfortable wearing his old green flannel and band shirts. Otherwise, he can be found wearing a white t-shirt and blue Levi's every now and then - Lucy always liked Bruce Springsteen.

When you grow up can't-rub-two-pennies-together poor, it means you appreciate the material things in a different kind of way. RJ's clothing is all about emotional comfort and memories; he's afraid to let go.

I loved writing this! Thanks for sending me the ask, anon! The people demand my RJ brainrot and I aim to please <3 Thanks again & have a great day :)

BONUS: An outfit mod I am working on for RJ!

[cecexwrites]

Character Name: Adelina Bianca Fiore

Nicknames: Addie, Lina

Physical Appearance

Hair Color: Dark brown

Eye Color: brown

Height: 5’4

Weight: 110 lbs

Skin Color: Pale

Birthmarks: a random blob birthmark on her wrist

Posture/Shape: Good posture

Dominant Hand: Left | Right

Fashion/Style: Adelina dresses stylishly. Her everyday wear is mostly chic but comfortable. She loves to dress up to go out with friends.

Health: Springtime allergies but otherwise fine

Other Identifying: a tattoo of a lily on her ankle

Basic Details (Demographics +)

Age: 27

Birthdate: August 20th

Gender: Cis Female 

Birthplace: Catania, Italy

Race/Nationality: White Italian

Marital Status: Single

Education: College Degree

Titles or Degrees: Bachelors degree in business

Current Residence: Apartment in DC

Own/Rent/other? Rent

Language(s): Italian & English

Financial Status: Wealthy

Allergies: pollen & Watermelon

Dislikes/likes (food, etc): Likes - collecting perfume, fashion, Her brother. Dislikes - her father’s misogyny, the Yankees, shrimp

Family & Social Ties

Mother: Helena Fiore

Father: Andoni Fiore

Sibling(s): AJ Fiore (Younger brother)

Sibling(s): Lucia Fiore (Younger Sister)

Children: None

Other Key Family relationships: Her grandfather Luciano Fiore

Friends: Viola Moretti, Lucas Talbot

[babylon-crashing]

CGI memories:

1997. A park bench in a small park in Washington DC. It is springtime. The cherry blossoms are in the bloom. The air is warm. It is my 27th birthday and I have taken my first hot shower in over 2 months. I have gone for a walk and found this little park. Hopping around near my feet is a grackle. Suddenly it struck me: this is the first bird that I've seen in almost 2 years, first animal that did not run away in fright. People say grackles are ugly but I was fascinated by its iridescent black feathers. With that I started laughing, loudly, until I started sobbing, frightening all the business suit folks on their lunch break. Of course this is a redemption story, I wouldn't be able to tell it to you otherwise. It was a grackle that made me human again.

[lususnatura]

so, as an eldritch plant creature, the force that is known as 'the green' in DC is something that blamore is also connected to, but it doesn't have nearly as much influence over it that someone like ivy does and/or doesn't understand it as intricately as she or someone like swamp thing would. because he can't actually communicate to any plants, including his own, directly as of now... but he has come to understand what certain signals mean that its plants sent it. an example of this would be something such as when its plants are stressed or sensory signals such as 'oh, i'm being touched by something' whenever they brush up against an object / person / or what have you.

this is because blamore's plants are actually CONNECTED to things like his circulatory and sympathetic nervous system (which is known for being responsible for sending distress signals, or the ones responsible for getting you into 'fight-or-flight' mode) so they are basically one with him quite literally, not just externally. however, once blamore fully mutates? i think i might've mentioned this before, but burgeon's namesake would probably start to make even more sense BC he does gain the power to also cause flowers to 'bloom' around it so it does have some form of plant powers (but a weak form of it, though it more than makes up for this through its bone manipulation and body size manipulation).

so yeah. also, i thought i should mention that because we are sort of entering into springtime now, that blamore will be pruning some of its plants in order to help induce growth when they died in the winter... and thus, in roleplay's, he may be slightly crabby. but kind of understandably so, because cutting them hurts LOL

[mariacallous]

This is what normalisation looks like

Silicon Valley executives are collaborators. They are complicit in a regime of cruelty and fear. That is the whole message of my TED talk three weeks ago and why I walked back into the ring of fire to deliver it, in person, to them directly.

They have made a choice. And these men continue to make that choice, every day, in which they chum up to Donald Trump and profit from the wrecking ball he is taking to the US constitution.

Six years ago, in the throes of Facebook’s biggest ever scandal, the leadership began a search for someone to go out and bat for them in the press and with policymakers. They needed someone plausible, with experience at the highest levels of government who would be willing to overlook the morally indefensible aspects of its business.

They landed on one man: the former UK deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg. A politician who sold out his party in order to get into bed with a Conservative prime minister, wave through a programme of devastating austerity and facilitate an in-out vote on the future of the European Union.

Clegg was the front man to be wheeled out to claim it was “ludicrous” Facebook had anything to do with the January 6 insurrection. ( An investigation by ProPublica and the Washington Post found at least 650,000 posts on Facebook groups spreading lies and calling for violence).

In exchange, he re-shaped himself as a Silicon Valley powerbroker and, according to the Times, pocketed $100m in compensation.

And now, the reputation launderer-in-chief, is being reputation laundered…by the paper which broke the scandal that led to Facebook employing him in the first place. The Observer gave Clegg three pages in its launch edition last week.

I had no desire to write about the Observer’s new management. And there’s a tradition in UK journalism to not criticise other media outlets. It’s what enables a chumocracy to operate at the highest levels of politics and the media. Both are dominated by a narrow class of men educated at expensive private schools who scratch each others’ backs.

And, no good has ever come from getting on the wrong side of them. I’m now a warning parable of what happens when you speak up. But silence is complicity. And I refuse to allow Nick Clegg to be whitewashed. He was literally employed to try and repair and cover up the damage that the journalistic work my colleagues and I did to Facebook’s brand. Damage that Facebook brought on itself by its own actions. Damage that we hoped would bring some sort of accountability to a multi-billion dollar global company that appeared to operate above the law.

It was Clegg who helped prevent that from happening. Though the fight is not over. Right now, these Silicon Valley companies are fighting a rearguard action against some heavyweight lawsuits that are aiming to break them up. In the US, Meta is facing off against the Federal Trade Commission in a major long-awaited trial. A Washington DC court is hearing arguments about whether then-Facebook illegally monopolized the market for “personal social networking services” through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

Springtime for Hitler: It's not Bake Off. It's a global far-right insurgency.

[gilverrwrites]

DC Matchup for: Cas 🧣 Request Info || Prompts || Masterlist || Ko-Fi

I ship you with: BTAS!Riddler

I just think the 2 of you would vibe so well together. He may take advantage of your people pleasing nature from time to time, but at heart he’s a big sap in need of as much validation as you. He’s a sucker for romance, and definitely a huge, passionate nerd, so you’ll have a lot to bond over. He wont mind your quiet nature, he’s more than happy to do all the talking until you’re comfortable enough to open up to him.

Tropes:

Soft (Tall)/Soft Small || Never sleeps/Night Owl || Extrovert/Introvert

Ed: What’s that? You: A fidget. Ed: How fatuous. You: Just try one for yourself. Ed: Fine. -12 hours later- You: What’s that? Ed: I bought all the green fidget toys I could find.

-

Ed: So I was thinking about a springtime wedding or a fall wedding would work too as long as it's not too cold. You following what I'm saying? You: What are you talking about? Ed: Cas, our wedding. You: Ed....we aren't even engaged yet. Ed: ... Ed: So that's what I forgot to do last night.

Headcanons:

He will wake you up at all hours of the morning with riddles and brain teasers. He will also bring coffee/tea/whatever your preference as a sign of goodwill, but he will still wake you up.

Loves your craftiness, will happily craft with you as a date opportunity. Will wear any bracelets you give him. Will try to convince you to use your crafting skills for bad the greater good.

Doesn’t watch crime shows or science documentaries with you. Does sit beside you while you watch and comment on whatever is happening. ‘Its obviously the husband, it’s always the husband.’ ‘Sloppy, I wouldn’t have gotten caught.’ ‘If you’re interested in x you don’t have to watch a hack documentary, I can tell you all about it.”  

Playlist:

Moment in the Sun Sunflower Bean

Always Forever Cults

Daydreams. again&again

[t13shoots]

[princess-of-the-corner]

In regards to Miraculous Gaang animals:

-Sokka: I was thinking just Captain Beetle, especially since it sounds vaguely close to Captain Boomerang, which is an appropriate title for Sokka but also not because it's also the name of a DC villain who killed Tim Drake's dad (and it doesn't have ladybug theming). I definitely think use Captain though, because I am now attached to Sokka having Cap as a nickname.

-Katara: So there are actually several species of big cats that like and excel in the water. One of them is the jaguar, and black jaguars do exist. Jaguars also have lots of night and water symbolism associated with them. I'm not the best with names, but I think Midnight Jaguar, Black Jaguar, Painted Jaguar, or maybe Inky Jaguar could all work for her. (Also, look up fishing cats. They're useless for this au because they don't come in black, but they're a cross between otters and bobcats and they're insane).

-Suki: ML got it right here actually because very many species of vipers are blue or teal, so I'd stick with that. For some reason my brain is getting stuck on Viperious (instead of imperious), but some other half baked options could he Velvet Viper, Silk Viper, or Vypertime (instead of hypertime),

-Zuko: Seriyu is the blue dragon spirit of Japan that represents the east and springtime. Spring represents new beginnings which is fitting for Zuko, and could provide a fun connection/contrast with Iroh's whole Dragon of the West thing. Otherwise I got nothing.

-Toph: I like the Blind Tiger too much to come up with anything else, lol. My brain said "yup that's perfect the naming machine is now off for her." Sorry if you were hoping for more options.

-Azula: I think her blue flames are significant, so I think basing her off an arctic fox, a silver fox, a blue morph fox, or maybe even a cross fox. Actually, yeah screw it, cross fox Azula. Duality, being split between red and dark gray/blue coloring as she's conflicted with her loyalty to Ozai/the fire nation and her own unique individual wants and needs. Being part blue connects her to Blue Dragon!Zuko too. I'm thinking that her costume is similar to the one in the show but if it was more flowy and elegant and less armory and intimidating. So like, the layered panels thing she has going on can stay, but more thick cloth traveling layers and less rigid armor. Instead of the big leather flaps she has like a poncho or a shawl. She's already got the cross fox coloring motif of big black middle panel and red side panels, and we obviously have to add her skirt tunic being pulled back into a coat tail. Keep the loose pants and the pointed boots for the theatre vibes. I'm thinking her mask is sort of like a masquerade/theatrical fox mask that covers the whole top half of her face and has fox ears but leaves the bottom open. Names. . .uh? Yeah I'm bad with these. Vixen?

-Yue: Also nothing, so sorry.

-Jin: Homegirl appears in one episode, we can go hog wild with her (pun intended) and do whatever we want. I'm thinking basing her off a wild boar and not a farm pig. I want her whole "chipper jubilant" hero thing to be more "Feral joy that one gets from running through an open windy feild at night and screaming at the top of their lungs." I like the idea of keeping her spiky, messy, wild hair in her costume. Like, let that go nuts. Pigella also has ballet inspo, so I think Jin should get, like, festival revelry dancing inspired costume and makeup, but also in more muted earthy tones. Names. . .maybe Babirusa? Type of Indonesian wild boar. My only other ideas are just straight up using Wild Hog or Hogwild.

-Ty Lee: I like the idea of her costume being very circus themed. Like, she looks like a trapeze artist. Lots of glitter and "look at me" kind of details on her costume. Tight, but with just enough loose flowing bits to look cool when it moves around. You could even keep the crown thing because my girl is a queen after all. I think we name her something like Sticky Sweet, Sweet Stinger, or Honey Stinger. Something that emphasizes the "looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you" thing she has.

-Mai: Hear me out---rat instead of mouse. Mai is always down to pick a fight and is a lot meaner than your average mouse, and this way, her costume could have, like bandit/thug inspiration and she could just look so menacing. The only names that come to mind are Rat-Attack-Tat, which doesn't exactly roll of the tongue or Swarm, which brings more bug than rat.

Also. Eagle!Jet because Freedom Fighters and also Jet with guns sounds like a dangerous and amazing combination. That's it.

Anyway, I gotta go find everything on the Avatar!Ty Lee AU now because I didn't know you had that and HELL YEAH!

Oh! Okay so!

I love the Captain name for Sokka. Also I am double laughing at the Captain Boomerang reference because I have heard him called 'discount Sokka' once before. May have to hammer out the exact ladybug reference with it. A previous ask mentioned Harmonia and Harlequin.

Jaguar is perfect for Katara. I think I gotta go with Painted Jaguar because gotta love the reference.

Something viper themed is good, but I'm not sure exactly what. Vipertime makes me laugh but idk if it fits.

Seiryu is great actually.

Blind Tiger is also perfect lmao.

Okay so Azula! So like. Technically this is a no Bending au. Or else there'd be too much going on to have both atla's plots and the au's. So there's no reason to have a fire theme. BUT. I can't resist bringing back the wordplay that is Vulpyro.

rip Yue I got nothing either.

'looks like a cinnamon roll but will kill you' is the best description of Ty Lee. So yeah one of those Honey Stinger ones is great!

Rat time!! I like it. No idea on names.

Jet with the Eagle is a terrifying but perfect combination. Not sure what his plot will be in this au considering how different the plot is? Like obvs I want to parrallel ATLA's plots but I think a lot of him is hard to translate.

[sabistarphotos]

March 27, 2022

Washington, DC

[comme-des-chatons]

A song about DC Water’s annual springtime switch from chloramine to chlorine. To the tune of “Hit Me Baby One More Time.”

[ms-m-astrologer]

2024 Scorpio Cross-Quarter Day

Wednesday, November 6, 22:20 UT

Chart erected for Washington, DC

The Sun is sextile the Capricorn Moon and trine Saturn Rx/Pisces; Saturn is stationary here, turning direct on November 15. Big, big Saturn/Cap vibes. Themes of maturity, responsibility, cleaning up a mess (Nessus is involved), and making long-term plans. The Sun is applying a sextile to Ceres/Capricorn - it’s maybe a little wide, but why not go for it? We can access some solid grandmotherly wisdom.

There’s a lot of mutable energy, though. Changes. We aren’t seeing them very clearly yet. Use some Virgo discernment (Virgo being the mutable sign not represented) and be patient! Have a little faith, too.

+++***===***+++

It’s Samhain up here in the northern hemisphere. I don’t think of flowers; when I want some color I think of gourds:

My grand-aunts (maternal grandpa’s big sisters) always had the gourds out on November 1. As children we were not allowed to play with them - the aunts kept the gourds year to year, and some of them were excellent rattles.

If I haven’t yet made chili, by early November, I’ll make that first batch around now. This is an inexpensive meal, and always has plenty of leftovers - it tastes better on the second day, too! This is my favorite time for pumpkin baked goods: pumpkin muffins or pumpkin bread (with chocolate chips!), pumpkin cheesecake.

Sometimes I think this is the hardest time of year to love. Bare trees and clouds; late sunrises and early sunsets; everyone complaining about something. Long, brisk, solitary walks go well, though. I don’t break out in a sweat after ten yards, like in summertime; I don’t slip on the ice and break myself, like in wintertime; and I don’t start sneezing and snuffling from allergies, like in springtime!

[bluejaysandblackbats]

To Touch Fate

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason attempts to settle down in Southern Italy and live a civilian life.

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Original Character(s), Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis, Matt McGinnis

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Angst, Jason Todd-centric, Jason Todd is a Father, Terry McGinnis is Batman, Retirement, Future Fic, Major Original Character(s)

Chapter One: Springtime

Jason met the love of his life in Lecce, Italy, while he was in between missions. She'd walked out of the florist's with a small bunch of cornflowers and bluebells. She smelled of fresh flowers and citrus perfume. Jason sat in front of a fountain outside the shop, watching the sunset. She sat next to him, crossing her legs and nodding. Jason grinned as he held back his laugh. "Are you on holiday?" she asked in Italian. Jason nodded. "Then these are for you." She gave him the bouquet, and he looked over at her.

"Oh, I'm afraid I didn't get you anything," Jason joked. They shared a laugh, and he introduced himself. "Are you on holiday?"

She shook her head and threw a coin in the fountain. "I live here," she answered, "I'm Noemi. Are you an American boxer?"

Jason shook his head. "Not quite," he whispered. Noemi studied him with her dark yet welcoming eyes, and he stared back with a curiosity he hadn't felt in years. She didn't pry, and her stare felt more like an invitation than an intrusion. He reached over and dusted a loose seed of amaranth off her eyebrow with his thumb. "Sorry." She grabbed his hand and held his palm to her cheek. Before he could think, he kissed her. He pulled back and opened his mouth to apologize, but she kissed him back.

Jason hadn't entertained the thought of romance in so long, let alone the idea of a springtime romance in Italy. They pulled away and started laughing. "How long will you be in Lecce?" Noemi asked in English.

Jason found himself entranced by her gentle gaze. He started to notice the bits of grey in her hair. "Three days, maybe more," Jason whispered. His voice was far away.

"That just so happens to line up with my days off... Hopefully, you'll have time to go to dinner with me," Noemi suggested. He grinned. It'd been a while since Jason had been on a date, but she was so forward and captivating that he couldn't refuse.

He nodded, and they exchanged numbers. "What do you like to eat?" Jason asked.

"There's a small restaurant not far from here. My friend is the owner," Noemi whispered.

Jason stood up and took her hand. "Lead the way," Jason whispered. Noemi grinned, and they took a stroll down the brick-paved street. The street lights started to come on as it got darker and darker outside. "You're very straightforward, you know," Jason whispered. Noemi chuckled.

"I had a feeling that you didn't care much for small talk, and in my line of work, I find it's much easier to get straight to the point," Noemi replied. She swung Jason's hand back and forth as they walked.

Jason smiled. "What do you do?" Jason questioned.

"I'm a trauma surgeon," Noemi answered, "So, most of my relationships don't last... Mostly because surgery doesn't make for a good dinner conversation."

"Well, I'm not squeamish. I've seen everything in my line of work," Jason replied. She looked up at him.

"And what is that exactly?" Noemi questioned.

"I'm a bit of a vigilante in the states," Jason confessed. She grinned and chuckled. "What?" he laughed.

"It makes sense, but why would you tell me that?” she laughed. Jason shrugged and playfully bumped into her.

“I don’t know… I guess it doesn’t matter because you wouldn’t know who I was anyway,” Jason confessed.

She nodded and squeezed his hand as they approached the restaurant. “Before we go in, the owner will ask if you’re Tuscan. Even if you are, just say no,” Noemi warned, “If you’re salt-and-pepper now, you’ll be old and grey by the time we leave the restaurant.”

“Alright, and fair warning. I don’t drink much. I’ll probably have two glasses of whatever you’re having, but that’s as good as it gets,” Jason replied.

Noemi stopped in her tracks and made a joking expression of offense. “I would never get you drunk to make you divulge all your deepest darkest secrets,” Noemi whispered, “That’s what breakfast is for.”

Jason smirked. “We’ll see,” Jason whispered as he opened the door for her.

They were immediately greeted by a well-dressed older man. “Ahh! Principessa, how are you?” he asked as he kissed her cheek, and she returned the favor. He shook Jason’s hand. “Are you Tuscan?” the man questioned Jason, still holding onto his hand. Jason shook his head. Noemi whispered something in the man’s ear, and he nodded as he led them to a candlelit table. “Blanc sauvignon? And don’t worry about dinner. It’s on the house.”

“Yes, thank you,” Noemi whispered, and she ordered dinner for both of them. “Jason, do you have a preference for different kinds of pasta ?”

Jason shook his head and let her order while he unwrapped the breadsticks. She took one and took small bites after the man left. “So, is surgery your passion?” Jason questioned in English. Noemi chewed faster and shook her head.

“Actually, no. I wanted to be a sculptor,” Noemi answered, “I never planned on being a doctor, let alone a surgeon.”

“What changed things for you?” Jason asked.

Noemi waited for the wine to come to the table, and she poured their glasses. She took a sip of wine and a deep breath before whispering, “My parents were decapitated in front of me when I was a child.”

Jason set his wine glass down and looked at her, his expression pained as he asked, “How old were you?”

“I was seven,” Noemi whispered, “I know it sounds strange, but I-.”

“It doesn’t sound strange to me at all. I’m sorry about your parents,” Jason whispered. She took another sip of wine and closed her eyes.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up… It's weird to tell someone I just met something so morbid,” Noemi apologized, “Have you ever been married?”

“No,” Jason replied, “And you don’t have to apologize. It’s just a shock. You seem so-.”

“If you say well-adjusted, I’m going to scream,” Noemi interrupted, and Jason laughed and shook his head.

“I was going to say un-traumatized,” Jason replied weakly. Noemi laughed at him and watched as he took a sip of wine. “I think we were meant to meet.”

Noemi raised her brow and poured more wine into her glass. “How so?” she asked.

“I can’t explain it, but it feels right… Like fate,” Jason whispered.

A waiter came with their food, and they both said thank you. Jason was pleasantly surprised by the way Noemi dug into her food. She looked at him and awkwardly finished chewing. “Open your mouth and close your eyes,” Noemi commanded as Jason ate his pasta. He looked into her eyes and raised his brow. “Trust me. Open your mouth and close your eyes.” Jason obeyed, and she spoon-fed him potatoes and octopus in broth. Jason chewed the food and opened his eyes.

Jason made a soft noise and took a sip of wine. “Oh, that’s good. What is it?” Jason questioned.

“It’s a Catalonian dish. Octopus stew,” Noemi replied, “Do you want more?”

“Sure,” Jason whispered. She blew on the spoon and gave him another bite. Noemi giggled, and he returned the favor by offering her a forkful of his seafood pasta. She accepted, and they both laughed.

They ate and talked for what felt like hours, and near the close of their meal, Jason finished his second glass of wine. He took a sip of water, grabbed his bouquet, and offered to walk her home because he wasn't ready to go to the hotel alone. Noemi held his hand as they left the restaurant, and she led him to her villa. When they arrived, they lingered, still talking as if neither one wanted to say goodbye. “Would you like to stay for breakfast?”

“Is this an invitation to spend the night?” Jason questioned. She rolled her eyes and took hold of his shirt as she led him into her home, but they didn’t make love. No. They fell asleep on a sectional in her living room while the tv played softly in the background. It was the best night of sleep he'd had in years. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. To Jason, Noemi was springtime.