#carla ridge

[moodboardmix]

Carla Ridge, Beverly Hills, California, United States,

Courtesy: Montalba Architects,

Photography © Kevin Scott

[moramda]

The music room

[cameracourt]

Review: "The Beacon Street Bookshop" by Carla Laureano

With The Beacon Street Bookshop, readers return to author Carla Laureano’s story world of Haven Ridge in Colorado with another fantastic contemporary romance. Read on for more about the books + my thoughts. Novella .5: The Brick House Cafe | Book 1: The Broken Hearts Bakery Ever since Olivia Quinn lost her husband to a plane crash, she’s been focused on one thing—making a stable life for her…

[protagonistspub]

The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano

The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano was my book club pick for July 2023. It is a romance and is faith adjacent. This is the first novel in the Haven Ridge series. A successful family law attorney in Los Angeles, Gemma is suddenly faced with a professional crossroads at the office and her best friend urgently needs her to return home to Haven Ridge to babysit. Gemma dutifully travels to…

[sunkendreams]

kickstart my heart.

REQUEST SUBMITTED BY @darklylucid

“Paul’s always been flirty, and you’ve never really taken it seriously. After a minor incident on the boardwalk, Paul decides that he’ll make you take him seriously, one way or another.”

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. | paul (the lost boys) x fem!reader.

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓. | one-shot — requested.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. | 6.8K.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. | SMUT (mdni), friends to lovers, jealous!paul, paul is really flirty/touchy, oral sex (f!receiving), spit as lube, choking (m!receiving), hair-pulling, paul is definitely a mess, dirty talk, pet names (baby, girl, sweet girl), cowgirl, vaginal sex, scratching, biting, bloodplay (he’s a vampire), breastplay (paul loves your tits), fingering, clothes ripping, groping, nasty sex, manhandling, paul isn’t gentle

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄. | i’m back and literally going insane for the lost boys ,,, thank you to @darklylucid for requesting this !!! first time writing Paul and it was so, so much fun! dwayne is up next, so prepare yourselves for that! also working on a poly!lost boys x reader series ,,, so yeah!

A cloudless dusk fell over Santa Carla, sky littered with millions of stars that hung above, providing a rather attractive backdrop to a less-than-savory town. The boardwalk was more alive than ever — it transformed with nightfall, becoming a den of depravity and mystique, coupled with the liveliness of families and the carnival atmosphere.

You were situated atop a blanket, feet partially buried within the cool sand as you sat on the beach. A concert took place many feet away as you watched people clamor from the staircase to the growing crowd. The rancor of music reverberated throughout the air, accompanied by the cheering and applause from onlookers.

Saltwater lapped at the gray shoreline, moon hanging overhead to light the way. You always came to the boardwalk at night — you made plenty of friends, but you happened to have a peculiar bond with a pack of vampires. It wasn’t intentional — you never meant to befriend them like you had, but you didn’t regret a thing.

The familiar roar of motorbikes resonated in the near-distance, splitting past swarms of carnival-goers as they descended the steps. It never took very long for them to find you, bearing down upon you like a pack of hyenas.

Marko’s laughter filled the air as he and Dwayne pulled up along the terrace above you, parking their bikes next to the length of black grating. David and Paul followed suit, hauling Star and Laddie in-tow. You were more focused on the gleam of the moonlight hitting the water and the seashell you’d been turning over within your palm.

A thump resonated from your left side, and you nearly shrieked, jumping from your own flesh as Paul landed atop the blanket. He scooped a finger against your chin, plump lips pulled back to reveal his pearlescent smirk. A faint aroma of stale cologne and hints of marijuana clung to him, but that was commonplace.

“Hey baby,” Paul crooned, kicking one leg up against his chest as the rest of the boys lingered around the balcony, save for Marko. He descended from above like a cat leaping toward perch, landing in the sand with grace. His presence was intentional, solely to agitate Paul. “Where’ve you been?”

Paul’s constant flirtation was something that you were used to — painfully so. You always wrote it off as something casual, a facet deeply ingrained into his wild and spontaneous personality. Paul often flirted with anyone that had a pulse and smelled appeasing, and that included you. It was fun to watch, but sometimes you wished that he meant it.

With a huff, you attempted to swat his hand away, but he was swift, arm resting atop his propped knee as he idly bounced his head to the music. “I’ve been here,” You mused, offering a kind greeting to Marko. “Where else am I supposed to be?” You inquired, tracing the pad of your thumb over the seashell’s ridges.

Paul’s nose wrinkled slightly. “I can think of a few places,” He mused, plucking at the top of your blouse. “You gonna come down tonight?” He asked, referring to you joining them in the cave. You normally went there with the group if they were satiated and fed. You were still human, after all — being in a nest full of vampires probably wasn’t the safest or smartest idea.

“Maybe,” You shrugged, feeling Paul perch his chin atop your shoulder. The physical aspect of his flirting always made your heart race, thrumming just underneath your collarbone. Your gaze flickered toward him, brows furrowing together. “What?”

“Please?” Paul insisted, lips twitching into a Cheshire smirk, teeth and all. “Wanna hang out with you.” Of all the pack, you were closest to Paul, but sometimes, you didn’t want to be. His constant touching and lascivious nature often left you wistful and confused, aching for something that he couldn’t give you.

“Don’t listen to him,” Marko interjected, busy ogling a wandering group of beachgoers — a gaggle of younger women hanging off of the arms of burly men. It smelled like potential dinner for him. “He found a guitar.” That was all you needed to know.

A giggle escaped you as Paul threw a handful of sand toward Marko, which happened to land against his patchwork jacket and golden curls. His visage contorted into a sour expression, glaring daggers at Paul before he stood up, shaking all of it out in the process.

“You found a guitar?” You asked, watching as Paul pushed your legs flat against the blanket, allowing him to rest his head within your lap. Admittedly, your heartbeat betrayed you — you wanted to be annoyed by the gesture, but instead, you let it go.

To Paul, you smelled outrageously wonderful — better than anything he’d had before. It was an amalgamation of softer, floral perfumes coupled with whatever wash you used. He detected peach and vanilla, sweeter aromas that clung to you like a pleasant haze.

His hair was akin to that of a lion’s mane, viciously unruly as it flew around him like a halo. “Yeah,” Paul replied, somewhat distracted by your scent. “Y’know, I didn’t find it. I stole it from these amateurs up by the empty lot.” Yoo assumed that these ‘amateurs’ were no longer alive, either.

“Aren’t you considered an amateur too, Paul?” You mused, reclining back upon your hands, letting yourself sink into the soft, white sand. As you glanced down toward your lap, Paul was staring at you for what felt like an eternity, and you couldn’t discern if it was out of offense or something else.

“You’re gorgeous,” Paul mumbled, tracing one of his ring-adorned digits over the expanse of your clothed stomach. “Lookin’ good enough to eat.” He mused, and while you would’ve initially brushed off that comment, he said it with a peculiar warmth.

Goosebumps erupted along the column of your spine, causing you to shift slightly. His finger didn’t stop moving, flicking around the ruffled cotton. He wished that it was your flesh — warm and soft, waiting to invite him in. You never took any of his flirtation to heart — in truth, it might’ve been his fault, but he wanted to make you see.

You belonged to him.

With a soft exhale, you attempted to mask your shudder of delight, absentmindedly nibbling along your lower lip. “Very original,” You uttered, twisting away from his touch as if it would incinerate you. It was all meaningless — mindless sweet nothings spoken from a very precocious individual. “You’re a genius.” You teased, voice becoming slightly sardonic.

“You are,” He insisted, comfortable within your plush lap. Your scent did little to ease his feelings, overwhelming him like a thick haze. “Baby, you’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen in ages. Where’ve you been all my life?” Paul sighed, and he didn’t attempt to touch you again out of respect.

“Right,” You uttered, masking your growing agitation. Paul could have anyone he wanted — and he always did. Girls at the boardwalk swooned over him, they were always easy prey, and he indulged himself plenty of times. You were nothing more than a friend, you weren’t desirable, nor would he ever want you. “You’ve told me that before.”

Paul visibly deflated, withering away like a shriveling flower — you really weren’t convinced.

Unfortunately for Paul, you were blissfully oblivious to any of his advances, but then again, he could understand why you were skeptical. Flirtation was a natural instinct for him. While he kept his head in your lap, he shamelessly opted to rove through your thoughts. It was cheating, sure, but he was itching to know.

“Paul,” Dwayne’s voice cut through his state of contemplation, rousing the sandy-haired blonde from his stupor. Paul’s head lifted off of your lap, hastily sitting upright as he glanced up at the terrace. “We’re going for a ride.” He briefly nodded towards you as a form of greeting, swinging Laddie up onto his bike.

“You’re coming, right?” Paul asked, voice invigorated with a sense of giddiness and excitement. He got a little wild around you sometimes, but it wasn’t anything that you weren’t accustomed to by now. “Do I have to beg you or something?” He groaned, trapping you between his arms.

“You’re pathetic!” Marko snickered, jumping down to snatch you up. Even though he was the smallest of the pack, his strength was often unrivaled, save for Dwayne. You let out a startled gasp as Marko hoisted you up over his shoulder, heckling Paul in the process.

Paul bristled with anger — typically, he could excuse Marko’s antics, but not this time. A white-hot rage blistered through him, crawling across his flesh as he attempted to shake that gold away from his eyes. A snarl escaped him, and he made sure to grab your stuff as a courtesy, leaping up over the bannister.

By the time Paul had landed on the rickety wood of the boardwalk, Marko had placed you on solid ground, unable to bite back the impish smirk on his features. He was deliberately getting under Paul’s skin, and he knew it — knew all about his feelings for you, too. Perhaps that’s what made it all the more enjoyable.

Like a bat out of hell, Paul swarmed the curly-headed blonde with a vengeance, countenance contorted into a look of sheer irritation and borderline rage. “You’re dead, Marko!” He growled, lip curled in disdain.

“Sorry, Paul. You made it too easy,” Marko mused, narrowly missing a rather unsavory blow from Paul, who yanked at his jacket instead. “Jesus! Easy, I was only messing around!” He snapped, with the two bickering and locked in what was supposedly a heated argument.

“Paul,” You gently tugged on his coat, attempting to steer him away from potential violence. “It’s okay, he was just playing around.” A soft sigh escaped you as you played mediator for two vampires, brows knitting together as Paul stepped back with a huff of irritation.

“Enough.” David barked, glaring daggers as he glanced between Paul and Marko. The last thing that he wanted was for them to expose themselves on the boardwalk — it was bound to happen if they didn’t stop the horseplay. With a visible frown, he revved his motorbike, signaling for the others to fall in line.

Jealousy was an ugly thing — unpleasant, often festering inside of oneself until it rotted away at their very core. It didn’t suit Paul whatsoever. He suffered from a bout of such a potent disease, despising the way Marko had touched you, held you over his shoulder. He was usually open about sharing with his brothers, but not you — you were completely off-limits.

Wordlessly, Paul sulked towards his motorbike, sitting down with a begrudging huff. You felt inclined to follow, standing beside him with an empathetic expression. “Are you going to let me on? We’re still hanging out, remember?” You asked, voice softening an octave.

Paul felt a little better — but not completely. His ego was momentarily maimed by Marko’s antics, but it was a wound that would dissipate with time. Fortunately, you were a worthy cure as he moved forward, letting you on the back of his bike. “Saved your stuff, too.” He mused, feeling you squeeze your arms around his midsection.

“You’re my hero,” You chuckled, trying to make him feel less agitated. “Thanks.” With Paul recovering from the scuffle, David motioned for the rest of the conclave to follow, whipping his bike around onto the stretch of the boardwalk that led out onto the shoreline.

You remembered the first time Paul took you for a ride — and you very nearly had a heart attack. He drove as if it’d be his last day on earth, but you’d gotten so used to it that you stopped being a backseat driver and let him do whatever he wanted.

He was talkative and boisterous by-nature, which is why you became so concerned when he didn’t talk to you very much on the ride to the cave. Paul was normally extremely egregious and outgoing, something that you loved about him, but his bout of silence was making you nervous. You wondered if Marko had wounded his pride that badly.

As you pulled up to the cave, the boys hopped off of their motorbikes, and even Paul didn’t really wait up for you this time — something was wrong. Marko noticed, lingering at the fringes of the cavern as he glanced at you, promptly disappearing down the rocky incline. You were left to make your way inside alone, no Paul at your side or helping you down.

Once inside, you felt awkward, more than usual. Being the lone human in a nest full of vampires would always bring a little tension, but without Paul around, you felt hollow and unnerved. David regarded you with his typical stare — cynical and somewhat indifferent, and Dwayne was always solemn, much warmer than the other.

“Where did Paul go?” You asked, and it was Laddie who pointed you in the right direction, pointing toward one of the rocky tunnels that led off into their ‘rooms’, of sorts. You often referred to them as the metaphorical coffins, but Star found it to be in poor taste.

With a shaky exhale, you nodded. “Thanks.” You’d been in Paul’s ‘room’ plenty of times before, but he rarely disappeared and left you to fend for yourself. With the coordination of a baby deer who’d just learned how to take their first steps, you clamored up the uneven terrain, holding onto the rope to guide yourself up.

When you found Paul, he was lazily strumming on a guitar — the one he’d ‘found’. He had one leg kicked up, propped against the rock, the other tucked towards his chest as he played a few chords. The lack of acknowledgement sent off several red flags as you swept aside the makeshift ‘door’ — an old, velvet curtain repurposed from the hotel wreckage.

“Thanks for waiting on me,” You uttered, tone dripping with sarcasm, which captured his attention. He smelled you long before you’d entered, prompting him to turn his head, lion’s mane of hair disheveled and tousled from being pressed against a pillow. “You know, if I knew you were going to sulk around this whole time, I would’ve gone to the comic store instead.”

Paul scoffed, countenance twisting into a look of agitation, which was so unlike him. It shocked you to see him behave with such indifference, something that went against the grain of his character. “Maybe Marko can go with you.” He uttered, playing another melancholy chord on the guitar.

That’s what this was about?

“You’re not serious,” You quipped, folding your arms across your chest. “Is this about what happened at the beach? Paul, I’m not a mind-reader — I didn’t know Marko was going to do that.” He was beginning to really piss you off, which hadn’t happened yet.

For all of the meaningless flirting he’d done, the constant teasing and toying, you were vigilant. You’d tried to keep your chin up through it all. You couldn’t fathom why he was so upset about Marko’s harmless stunt — it was all playful. It was something Paul would’ve done, truth be told. Paul kept quiet, reading your mind as he surveyed your rageful inner monologue.

Instead, you were met with a wall of silence, and that made you frustrated. If Paul was going to behave like a child, you’d treat him like one. With a huff of annoyance, you waved your hand in dismissal. Your night was mostly ruined, but you figured you’d go home and try to get some sleep.

You gave him another chance to talk — it was quiet. “Fine. I’m going home, Paul.” You sighed, turning around as you prepared to make the climb back down. With a shrug of your shoulders, you barely passed through the curtain before something rustled behind you.

Just as you grabbed the rope, Paul was in front of you with inhuman speed, and he immediately snatched at your hips, dragging you away. You were protesting, interrogating him about what exactly was going on, but he persisted, locking you in his arms as he pushed you up against the wall.

“I don’t want Marko touching you,” He murmured, brows knitting together. “I want you all to myself.” You couldn’t tell if this was playful Paul trying to flirt with you again — his tone sounded so different. “You’re mine, baby.” Paul clicked his tongue, brazenly groping at your waist.

“Wh— What?” Disbelief seeped into your voice as you shook your head back and forth. “Are you fucking with me again?” Before you could get in another word, his mouth was devouring yours, vigorous and completely needy. Jesus, he tasted good — without pause, your hands flew to grab his hair in fistfuls.

A desperate whimper erupted from your mouth, buried and lost within his ravenous kiss. You needed to know what had gotten into him — why now? You began to yank on his hair in an attempt to get him to cease, and when he did, you appeared more agitated than happy. Paul normally didn’t get this reaction when he kissed someone.

“You have to tell me what’s going on,” You huffed, gaze practically pleading with him as he held you close, inhaling another gust of your saccharine scent. “First you’re flirting, then you’re mad, and now this. What’s gotten into you?” With a pointed stare, Paul relented, but he didn’t move away from you.

“You don’t take my flirting seriously,” He countered, brows furrowing together. “You don’t want to? Fine, but I’m gonna make you see how bad I want you.” Paul murmured, voice husky and alluring enough to make your knees wobble. He licked his lower lip, one hand beginning to drift underneath your blouse.

This didn’t feel real — whenever you desperately tried to search for even an ounce of playfulness, there wasn’t any. Paul was completely serious about this, and it made you weak, warmth beginning to pool between your thighs as you nodded several times over. “Okay,” You breathed, itching for more. “Then don’t stop.”

“M’gonna fuck you,” Paul smirked, eyes unnaturally bright as they glistened in the dimly-lit alcove. “You mind if I eat you out, too?” He asked, matter-of-factly. His unruly tangle of dusty-blonde tresses were stiff with age-old product, making it somewhat coarse whenever you went to grab and pull on it.

Did you mind? Laughter bubbled within your chest as your lips parted, expression incredulous as you nodded several times over. “Whatever you want,” He was gorgeous — in that crazed and unhinged sort of way. Paul stared at you as if you were both a delicious slab of meat and the most beautiful thing he’d seen. “I want you.” You exhaled.

That was all it took for Paul to claw at your clothing as if it were nothing, fingers excitedly ruffling your blouse as he yanked it up, causing you to squeak. He wasn’t gentle, but you didn’t care whatsoever. Those veined, dexterous hands ripped your blouse off of you, tongue darting out to wet his lower lip.

He was pushing you towards his bed, which was only really used for salacious activities, and nothing more. It was a colossal mess, the scent stale and reminded you of damp rock as he got you on your back, crawling on top of you with a devilish grin.

“Fuck, baby,” Paul sighed, slicing your brassiere off with a simple stroke of his fingers, flinging the tattered remains elsewhere. “You’ve got such a gorgeous body.” He murmured, lips sloppily trailing over your neck and collarbone as he rucked your skirt up towards your hips. Your mewls and whimpers were like music to his ears.

“Paul,” You groaned, hips rocking forward as you ground yourself against him, meeting his groin. His jean-clad erection pressed into your thigh, completely and utterly shameless. He kissed wherever he pleased, stopping to admire your breasts as they rose and fell with your excitable gasps.

Trapping a nipple within his mouth, he greedily sucked and nibbled at your swollen mound, intermingling such ministrations with eager strokes of his tongue. “Pretty tits, too.” He guffawed, playfully biting at your breast as you clutched onto his hair. “S’all mine.” Paul huffed, kneading into your pliant chest with his other hand.

A pang of arousal coursed throughout your body, striking right between your thighs. Warmth coalesced between your legs, manifesting as a stickiness that oozed from your cunt. Paul nearly growled at the smell, which was calling to him like a siren’s song. He was tempted to rip away and go right to the source, but he loved your chest just as much.

Suckling on your breast, Paul promptly provided such attention to the other, greedily biting at the soft, pliant flesh. The way you bucked and squirmed underneath him was all the more enticing, cerulean hues fluttering toward your blissed-out countenance. You tugged on his hair, causing him to let out a satisfied hiss.

“Could stay here forever,” Paul mused, pressing messy kisses atop your perky tits, and he seemed to get a little ahead of himself in the moment. Kisses soon devolved into love-bites and sucking as he found a patch of skin between your breasts. He left a string of hickeys there, beyond content with his handiwork. “Perfect.”

“Jesus,” You groaned, a mess of moans and desperate, pathetic whimpers as you wrangled with his lion-like mane of hair. “You’re bad.” With a soft hiccup, you felt his hands knead into your hips, prepared to go elsewhere if you let him.

“I can be worse, baby.” Paul prompted, eyes swarming with that familiar golden glow, ringed with a red halo around the edge of his irises. He growled, capturing your mouth with his as he kissed you, ravenous and swift as he began to make out with you. He was between your legs, arms locked on either side of you.

With a wanton moan, your hands clamored from his tresses toward his coat, wanting him to shed a few layers, too. It was only fair. Paul complied, whipping his dark coat off with an excitable haste, peeling away the mesh shirt he wore underneath. Your palms splayed out across his broad shoulders, warm flesh melding with his icy temperature.

He was well-muscled, poised — he reminded you of a coiled jungle cat, prepared to pounce. You reveled in the smattering of hair peppered across his chiseled chest, leading toward the sandy-hued happy trail that slipped underneath his tattered white jeans. His teeth brazenly bit at your lower lip, blood oozing onto his tongue.

Between the clash of lips, tongue, and teeth, Paul shuddered, lapping up any pearl of crimson that he could, hands tearing your skirt asunder. The unfortunate remains of fabric were yanked away as he let it fall to the floor, groping and kneading into you, wherever his hands took him.

You’d never been kissed like this — as if he threatened to steal every wisp of air from your lungs, hungering for you in every imaginable way. Your heart hammered against your collarbone, thrumming erratically as you hitched a leg around his hips, drawing him closer as he kept you locked in a barrage of kisses.

“Fuck,” Paul groaned, licking at your lower lip. “You smell so good, baby. I wanna taste,” He insisted, ring-adorned digits curling into the waistband of your panties. He wrestled them down until they were hitched around your knees, but he simply tore at them like the rest of your clothes. “Spread your legs for me.”

It was your turn to go sheepish on him, deliberately parting your legs at a sluggish pace. You weren’t sure as to why you’d become shy, but Paul didn’t seem to care, swiping at a tendril of drool that pooled at the corner of his mouth. Without missing a beat, his hand slipped between your legs, two digits swiping up along your wet cunt.

He gathered your slick, placing his fingers into his mouth with a satisfactory groan. The sight of him sucking your arousal away nearly made you melt. “Almost as good as your blood, sweet girl.” Paul chuckled, absentmindedly licking his lower lip as he settled onto the mattress, pressed flat atop the surface as he gathered your legs into each of his hands.

Paul slathered several kisses against your inner thighs, but he kept it short and sweet — he was here for one thing. You expected him to give you some sort of warning beforehand. “Paul, are you — O-Oh. Jesus Christ!” You squeaked, a strangled gasp escaping you as your back arched off of the mattress.

There was no pause or waiting — Paul’s impulsivity got the best of him. He was on you like a starving animal, desperate for anything he could get. His tongue pushed past your slick folds, silkily lapping over the length of your slit, savoring your taste. It was hot — you felt as if everything were set ablaze as a pleasant heat crawled across you, from head to toe.

His tongue raked hot embers across your aching cunt, body electrified by his touch. Paul’s fingers greedily dug into your pliant thighs, tossing either of your legs over his freckled shoulders as he lapped at your sweet core. His actions were swift and fueled by lust, driven by instinct as he jerked you forward.

Your stomach churned with anticipation, bleeding heat from between your legs as your thighs squeezed at his head. You felt that immense mane of hair tickle your soft flesh, goosebumps erupting along your body. Paul grunted, face buried deep within your cunt as he ate you out, messy and sloppy as could be.

“M’not Jesus,” Paul slurred, grinning like a shark as he nipped at your leg. “You taste so good, baby.” He huffed, the words spoken through the husked voice of a ravenous vampire as he returned to lapping at your poor, needy slit. Each drop of nectar that you provided to him served to momentarily dull the ache within his throat.

You kept writhing and squirming, shamelessly bucking your hips forward. He pinned you down with one hand, head spinning as your scent wafted around him like an inescapable haze. “Paul!” You mewled, practically quivering like a leaf as your cunt pathetically clenched around nothing at all.

Paul was a good sport, able to flow with the constant jolting of your hips into his mouth. Though, it only served to fuel the fire as he continued to hastily drag his tongue along your cunt, slavering for your taste. You moaned, tapering off into a myriad of sweet whimpers as your hands relocated, reaching for his hair.

The cool metal of his rings left imprints behind atop your thighs, various patterns pressed into your flesh. You were aching, body feeling feverishly hot as you bucked into his face again, feeling him clamp down on you as he held you still. His mouth was divine — it was sloppy and full of an unrestrained need.

As your digits twined into his hair, you began to pull and tug, using his unruly tresses as an anchor. Paul didn’t care in the slightest — he found it unbelievably hot as you jerked and tugged, back arched into his ministrations. He only stopped to spit a wad of saliva onto your swollen slit, body shaking with sly laughter when you gasped.

“Makin’ sure you’re ready for me.” Paul teased, but it was under false pretenses — he just wanted to spit on your cunt. He didn’t hesitate, diving back in for more, assaulting your clit with a barrage of kitten-licks and gentle suckling, enough for you to sputter.

With every movement you made, Paul would simply coax you back onto his tongue with inhuman strength, lips pursing around your clit as he began to suck and toy with the sensitive bud. Your hand grappled with his coarse tresses, the other digging into his shoulder. Your nails sank into his flesh, and Paul didn’t care whatsoever.

Arousal pooled between your legs, leaving behind a sticky mess that he was all too eager to clean up. It was only when he began to use that tiny edge of teeth that you were soaring, choking on a whimper as it bubbled within the back of your throat.

Your body was screaming for release, orgasm beginning to mount and build as white-hot tension flew through you, consuming you like a tidal wave. Paul could sense it, burying himself in your pretty cunt as if it would be the last meal he’d ever have.

He switched between the eager, broad lapping of his tongue with sucking on your clit, making you claw at his shoulder blade. One hand repositioned itself, splayed out across your pelvis as his thumb slipped to the hood of your cunt, playing with your clit as the rest of his mouth lapped elsewhere.

“Paul, Paul,” Paul. It was the only word that rolled from your tongue, doing very little to mask the sound of your pleasure. With a wanton moan, you felt that hot coil of tension within your stomach begin to unfurl as you steadily reached your climax. You were suffocating him between your legs — conveniently, he didn’t need to breathe. “Fuck, Paul! M’close!”

“Cum for me,” His encouragement was all that you needed, that little push forward as he backed off, peppering kisses against your clit as you came. It was blinding, and you swore you saw stars. “That’s it,” Paul crooned, moving to clean you up. “Atta girl, baby.” He did very little to mask his eagerness in lapping up the remnants of your orgasm.

He wiped at his lips with the back of his hand, kissing his way up your body until his mouth connected with yours. You could taste yourself and the somewhat bitter twang of copper within his saliva as you let your tongue slip into his mouth. Paul groaned, grabbing at your haunches as he moved to lay beside you.

“Are you tired?” You mused, your own chest heaving with exhilarated sighs as Paul effortlessly wrangled you closer, eyes glittering with desire. You were wrong to ask that question as he raised his eyebrows.

“What kinda question is that, baby? You’re getting on top,” Paul smirked, gesturing toward his lap. His erection was practically itching for release, straining against the front of his white jeans. “You’re going for a ride.” He purred, snatching at your hips as he hoisted you on top of his lap, letting you get comfortable.

Paul lounged against the mountain of pillows beneath him, hands splayed out atop your waist. You savored the sensation of his rings biting into your flesh, and you immediately scrambled to unzip his pants, wrestling with his belt as you freed his cock. His hardened length fell against your stomach, tip oozing with a bead of precum.

You shivered, gazing down at your vampiric paramour, who stared at you with those vibrant, cerulean hues — as clear as a summer’s day. Paul tilted forward, lips reaching for yours as he planted a rather lazy, messy kiss against your mouth. “M’ready.” You murmured, feeling him lift you up as if you weighed nothing at all.

With bated breath, you felt your insides turn to mush, reigniting the spark of lust as Paul let you sink onto his cock. A fire burned bright within your belly, demanding to be extinguished as Paul’s head fell back slightly, letting out a series of groans and softer grunts. “Fuck,” He growled, feeling your palms rest against his abdomen. “You’re so fucking tight, babe.”

Liquid heat festered within the pit of your stomach as you gasped, cunt clenching around his cock as you adjusted yourself. “Paul!” You moaned, attempting to stifle the many noises you made with the back of your palm, but he quickly swatted your hand away. He was bigger than you thought he’d be — a pleasant surprise.

“Wanna hear you scream my name.” Paul huffed, rubbing circles into your hips as he began to move you. Superhuman strength and stamina certainly had roles to play in this as he guided you up and down in short, rhythmic movements. You liked that he manhandled you a little bit, one hand on your waist as the other grabbed at your chest.

A simpering moan left you as he guided you up his cock, stopping halfway before easing you back down again. Lewd noises reverberated throughout the alcove, accompanied by your sweet whimpers and his grunts and groans. You were barely given time to get used to his pattern before he was bucking up into you with the indomitable strength of a god.

There was no opportunity for you to catch your breath, watching as Paul snatched your wrists, redirecting them towards his pretty neck. That surprised you, but you didn’t protest, feeling the taut muscle tense underneath your palms, jugular bobbing as you began to squeeze.

He moaned.

Unable to bite back the smile that stretched across your features, you held onto his neck, digits flexing and tensing as you continued to apply pressure. Paul’s head fell backwards just a little bit, steadying you with one hand as he fucked into you at an erratic pace. Flesh clashed against flesh, causing you to whimper as you rolled up and down along his cock.

“You like that?” You whispered through a string of blissful whines, gaze bright with desire as he nodded several times over. “Your cock feels so good, Paul.” You huffed, teeth snagging across your lower lip as you began to let your thumbs trace along his perfect jawline. His weeks-old stubble scratched at your silken flesh.

“Little harder, girl,” Paul encouraged, wanting you to really wrangle his throat. He didn’t need to breathe anyway — that made it all the more enjoyable. He savored your hesitation — his sweet little human, afraid of harming the big, bad vampire. He smirked, lifting his eyebrows. “C’mon baby, squeeze.”

Fuck — he was going to be the death of you. Your cunt clenched and throbbed around his cock, with Paul continuing to jackhammer into you like a wild animal. Grunts and excitable groans left him in droves, rippling through his chest as you squeezed at his throat. The muscles were thick and tense underneath your small palms, slick with perspiration.

Your flesh felt dewy, especially within the oppressive heat of the cave. Paul was unstoppable, a force of nature as his hips continued to buck up, cock slamming into your poor, tight cunt. He wasn’t gentle, and he showed no signs of stopping. Delivering a sharp smack to your ass, he fillee you to the brim with his length, causing you to really grip his throat.

With a needy whimper, your eyes fluttered shut, lips parted in a state of ecstasy. “Paul,” You moaned, feeling his hand greedily knead into your chest, twisting your nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The stimulation was intensified tenfold, making your brain go fuzzy as he fucked you into a stupor. “Holy shit!”

The alcove smelled of sex — sloppy rutting that was steadily devolving into a complete mess. Paul’s precum was slathered across your inner thighs, coupled with the slick remnants of your first orgasm and current state of arousal. He stopped his erratic thrusting, sitting up a little more with one hand on your hips.

Without warning, his mouth went straight to your chest again, lips attaching themselves around one of your swollen nipples. He was sucking, grabbing a handful of your ass as he led you up and down along his cock. The warmth of your flesh intermingled with his cool, icy skin, only serving to make you sweat.

“Touch me,” You whimpered, palms still clinging to either side of his throat, nails digging in toward the nape of his neck. The sex was incredible — you’d never been fucked like this before, but he had you chasing after every sensation. “Paul, please.” Heat crawled across your flesh, leaving you drunk with desire.

Paul playfully scraped his teeth across your breast, teasing your nipple. “M’touching you already, baby.” He mumbled, propping himself up with his other hand. A simpering groan escaped you as you rocked forward, taking one hand off of his throat to play with your clit.

An impish snarl left his mouth as he snatched at your wrist, and in one erratic movement, had you pinned down on your back. His cock throbbed inside of you, desperate for a release just as much as you were. Paul cackled, lips twitching into a sneer as he began to fuck you, enough for the foundation of the mattress to rattle underneath.

“That was bad,” Paul purred, fucking you down into the plush surface, nearly pulling his cock out of your slick cunt before slamming right back in, repeating the movement over and over again. Fortunately, he was feeling generous, slipping one hand between your bodies as he found the cleft between your thighs. “Fuck, you’re soaked.” He groaned.

You clutched onto him for dear life, body responding vehemently to Paul’s erratic thrusts and uneven, primal tempo. With a loud, wanton cry, your mouth clamored to find his lips, meeting in a rather noisy clash of teeth and tongue. He circled your clit with his thumb, rutting into you with a fervor.

“Paul!” You whined, locking a leg around his hips as your nails sank into his shoulders, leaving behind angry-red impressions, embedded within his flesh. Paul encouraged your scratching, tongue lapping at the inside of your mouth. A white-hot ecstasy consumed you whole, causing you to shudder and spasm.

“Can’t hear you, baby.” Paul teased, biting at your lower lip as he peppered kisses wherever he could — greedy, wet kisses that ended up being vibrantly-colored hickeys. Your flesh was his canvas as he marked you up wherever he pleased, hyperfocused on your chest again. “You close?” He huffed, fingers tearing into the sheets.

It was exhilarating — you swore you saw stars, perhaps more as he fucked you within an inch of your life. You didn’t want him to be careful. You didn’t want him to treat you like glass — you wanted to belong to him. “M’close,” Another string of sweet, noisy moans escaped you as Paul brazenly bit at your left breast, leaving behind a crescent-shaped mark. “Close.”

Rivulets of crimson trickled across your skin, prompting Paul to lick it all away, irises shifting from cerulean to a burnished gold. It made the sex more intense as he pounded away at your poor cunt, which had certainly been pushed to the limit. He was becoming a little squirrelly, panting and growling into your ear.

Paul kissed you to distract himself from the temptation of feeding, lost within the saccharine bliss of your mouth as he felt you cum around his cock. “Yeah, baby. Go ‘head and cum for me, just like that.” He mumbled against your mouth, tongue lazily sweeping across your lower lip as he tensed and thrust forward.

He came right afterwards, reveling in the sight of you trembling and quivering, juices coating his length as he pulled out halfway through. It was messy and rather disgusting, but you didn’t care. Ropes of hot, white seed painted your stomach and breasts, which was some sort of fantasy for him.

You sighed, barely able to string a sentence together as you fell back against the mattress, coated in perspiration and his cum. “Jesus.” You uttered, pressing a palm over your face as Paul rolled over to lay next to you. Your legs twitched and spasmed as you came down from your climax, feeling something soft fall across your abdomen.

It was a rather unappealing-looking towel that seemed much too ancient, and you wondered how many times this had been used to clean up his mess. With a huff of laughter, you cleaned yourself up, feeling his arms tangle around you, urging you to come back to him.

“Makes you wish you’d taken me seriously sooner, huh?” Paul mumbled, nibbling along the shell of your ear. You couldn’t help but feel smitten afterwards, twisting over until you faced your vampiric paramour, who had the expression of the Cheshire Cat.

“You’re ridiculous,” You mused, holding his face between your palms. “You’re gorgeous, too.” A peculiar softness crept into your voice, prompting Paul to shower you in a cascade of needy kisses. He liked to be close, which you didn’t necessarily mind, despite the newfound scent of post-sex that permeated the alcove.

“I’m all yours, baby.” Paul smirked, shamelessly staring at your breasts without an ounce of subtlety. You couldn’t read his thoughts, but you suspected that he had something particular in-mind. “You’re in for a long night.” He purred, and before you could open your mouth to speak, he was crawling on top of you.

You would have to thank Marko later.

[remash]

carla ridge ~ montalba architects | photo credit: kevin scott

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

Millions of U.S. apples were almost left to rot. Now, they'll go to hungry families

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 By Alan Jinich

It's getting late in the harvest season in Berkeley County, West Virginia and Carla Kitchen's team is in the process of hand-picking nearly half a million pounds of apples. In a normal year, Kitchen would sell to processors like Andros that make applesauce, concentrate, and other products. But this year they turned her away. ... Across the country, growers were left without a market. Due to an oversupply carried over from last year's harvest, growers were faced with a game-time economic decision: Should they pay the labor to harvest, crossing their fingers for a buyer to come along, or simply leave the apples to rot?

Bumper crops, export declines and the weather have contributed to the apple crisis

... While many growers in neighboring states like Maryland and Virginia left their apples to drop. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was able to convince the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay for the apples produced by growers in his state, which only makes up 1% of the national market.

A relief program in West Virginia donated its surplus apples to hunger-fighting charities

This apple relief program, covered under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, purchased $10 million worth of apples from a dozen West Virginia growers. Those apples were then donated to hunger-fighting charities across the country from South Carolina and Michigan all the way out to The Navajo Nation.

Mike Meyer, head of advocacy at The Farmlink Project, says it's the largest food rescue they've ever done and they hope it can serve as a model for their future missions. "There's over 100 billion pounds of produce waste in this country every year; we only need seven billion to drive food insecurity to zero," Meyer says. "We're very happy to have this opportunity. We get to support farmers, we get to fight hunger with an apple. It's one of the most nutritional items we can get into the hands of the food insecure."

At Timber Ridge Fruit Farm in Virginia, owners Cordell and Kim Watt watch a truck from The Farmlink Project load up on their apples before driving out to a food pantry in Bethesda, Md. Despite being headquartered in Virginia, Timber Ridge was able to participate in the apple rescue since they own orchards in West Virginia as well. Cordell is a third-generation grower here and he says they've never had to deal with a surplus this large.

At the So What Else food pantry in Bethesda, Md., apple pallets from Timber Ridge fill the warehouse up to the ceiling. Emanuel Ibanez and other volunteers are picking through the crates, bagging fresh apples into family-sized loads. "I'm just bewildered," Ibanez says. "We have a warehouse full of apples and I can barely walk through it." "People in need got nutritious food out of this program. And that's the most important thing" Executive director Megan Joe says this is the largest shipment of produce they've ever distributed – 10 truckloads over the span of three weeks. The food pantry typically serves 6,000 families, but this shipment has reached a much wider circle. "My coworkers are like, 'Megan, do we really need this many?' And I'm like, yes!" Joe says. "The growing prices in the grocery stores are really tough for a lot of families. And it's honestly gotten worse since COVID."

"It's the first time we've done this type of program, but we believe it can set the stage for the region," Kent Leonhardt, West Virginia's commissioner of agriculture says. "People in need got nutritious food out of this program. And that's the most important thing." Following West Virginia's rescue program, the USDA announced an additional $100 million purchase to relieve the apple surplus in other states around the country. This is the largest government buy of apples and apple products to date. But with the harvest window coming to an end, many growers have already left their apples to drop and rot.

[puppycheesecake]

"One thing about living in Santa Carla Chestnut Ridge I never could stomach: all the damn vampires."

Brother & sister who are genuinely just here for the horses and don't want anything to do with the vampires.

[aki-natsuko]

Enough

“Have you seen Natsu?” Gray asked, managing to pause Mira for a second as she whirled between tables, juggling empty glasses with a tray of filled pint glasses.

“Not recently,” Mira replied after a moment, dodging a fist from a wizard who’d already had far too much to drink with practiced ease, turning to drop a fresh drink down in front of Macao. “Happy was with Wendy and Carla, but I don’t think I’ve seen Natsu since Erza clubbed him on the head for starting that brawl with Elfman…”

“Okay, thanks…” Gray released her, and she was immediately swept away into the chaos of a guild that was determined to celebrate New Year in the proper fashion. The Ice Mage couldn’t blame them. Not that long ago it had felt like Fairy Tail was going to disappear forever, and their futures along with it. That they were all still here, and that Fairy Tail was stronger than ever was something more than worth celebrating. And yet his heart wasn’t in it this year. Too much had happened. Too much had been broken and lost. The scars were still bleeding, maybe out of sight, but still there. But Erza had insisted that they all be here for Gramps sake if nothing else when he’d brought up his doubts in a quiet moment, and Natsu had seemed keen enough, although his idiot was happy just to be around the guild.

Or so it had seemed, but the Dragon-slayer had been off since they had got here. Even his brawl with Elfman had been half-hearted – not that Erza’s reaction had been any the less extreme. And now Midnight was only ten minutes away and there was no sign of the Flamebrain, and Gray had no intention of seeing in the New Year without his partner, not after everything they had been through.

Clambering up on the end of a bench he peered over the crowd, finally spotting Happy and the others over near the bar chatting with Gildarts and Cana. Dropping back down, he caught a boot to the chin and staggered backwards, before shaking it off and shoving through the crowd towards his teammates. Lucy was the first to spot him, flushed and a little tipsy as she waved a drink in his direction. “Gray, come and join us!”

“I will, I just need to find the flamebrain, have you seen him?”

“No…” Lucy frowned and looked around as though just noticing the Dragon-slayer was missing. “I assumed he was with you…”

“He was…” And then he had been pulled into a conversation with Lisanna and Juvia, and Natsu had disappeared, and the Ice Mage was growing increasingly concerned.

“I think he went upstairs,” Happy piped up. “ Do you want me to go check?”

“No, it’s fine,” Gray smiled at him, knowing the little Exceed wanted to be with Carla for New Year. “I’ll go and find him, thank you.”

“Hurry back, it’s not long to the bells,” Erza ordered.

“I know.” Gray managed to not roll his eyes…just. Why did she think he was looking for Natsu? It was definitely not safer to ask, and he hurried for the stairs, ducking beneath thrown punches, spilt drinks and more than one tipsy attempt to dance with him.

Reaching the stairs, he bolted up them. As soon as Happy had said Natsu had gone upstairs, he knew where the Dragon-slayer had gone.

Sure enough the window at the end of the infirmary was open, swinging lightly in the breeze. Taking a deep breath, Gray climbed out of the window, swinging himself up onto the roof. Sure enough, there was his missing idiot, huddled up against the ridge between the two levels of the roof, and staring out over Magnolia.

“Hey…”

“…Hey,” Natsu managed a wan smile for him, which was all the encouragement Gray needed to move carefully across the roof to join him. Easily settling into what had become one of their favourite quiet spots since the guild had been rebuilt again.

“I missed you,” Gray murmured as he settled next to him, and pressed into the familiar warmth.

“…Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” Gray replied. “Is everything all right? You’re going to miss the bells.”

“I can hear them up here,” Natsu pointed out, looking away, ears turning red and betraying him as he added quietly. “And you’re here now.”

“As if I was going to see in the New Year without you,” Gray retorted. “But you love being in the middle of the guild at midnight, you’ve done it…nearly every year.” He faltered as he remembered they had been apart for the last one and felt Natsu flinch at the reminder.

“I know…and I do want to, but…”

“But…?”

“It feels like too much,” Natsu whispered. “To make grand plans for the future, to make resolutions or demands, when so much has happened.”

Gray was quiet for a moment, aware of the time ticking by. It was almost a relief to know Natsu felt the same way he did but hearing the Dragon-slayer put it into words crystalised it for him, and also gave him some clarity and he sighed, wrapping an arm around his partner. “I know. I’ve felt the same way all day… but I’ve just realised something…”

“What?”

“We don’t need to look forward tonight. We don’t need to make any grand plans, or big promises. It’s just enough to be here tonight, and to celebrate that.”

“But…”

“We’re here Natsu,” Gray shifted his arm, reaching out to tilt Natsu’s face towards him as he heard the murmuring of noise from downstairs in the courtyard. “We survived. The guild survived. We’re together. For tonight, for now, that’s more than enough. Isn’t it?” He asked softly, meeting Natsu’s gaze just as they heard the countdown beginning beneath them.

10.

Natsu closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.

9.

8.

The Dragon-slayer’s eyes opened, suspiciously moist, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips now.

7.

6.

Gray felt Natsu leaning in towards him.

5.

Warm fingers curled around his, joining their hands between them. Fire and Ice. Warm and Cold.

4.

3.

“Yes,” Natsu whispered, close enough for the words to tickle Gray’s lips. “That’s more than enough.”

2.

1.

As fireworks erupted above them, Natsu kissed him. Sealing the words. The acceptance that this moment, the two of them, was enough.

[chaoticgremlinwholikescheese]

Don’t Let Go

Whump

Angst

Hurt/Comfort

Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley

Protective Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)

I am californian and fire season is a genuine thing

AO3 LINK

Usually there's four seasons. Fall, winter, spring, and summer. In California, there's five seasons. Fall, winter, spring, summer, and fire. Fire season comes every year without fail. It's a staple of life you get used to when you live in the sunshine state. However, with climate change, the fires get worse every year. And this year is the worst one in decades.

"118! Listen up!"

Bobby's voice rings through the fire house as silence falls. Everyone gathers around him.

"As you all know, this years fire season has been bad. Our station has been assigned to fight the fires on the southern ridges. This is going to be a five day assignment, but it could go longer. We're expected to arrive by eight AM tomorrow. I know this is short notice, and I apologize, but I just found out about this myself. After shift today, please make any arrangements you need to. If you require assistance or have questions, feel free to ask me. Thank you all."

There's murmuring from the crowd, but it dissipates as everyone scatters.

"I was hoping we wouldn't be dispatched for a bit longer," Eddie sighs.

"It comes every year like clock work. Do you know if Carla can watch Chris?"

"Honestly, Buck, I don't know. I'll call and ask."

"Karen said she could watch the kids after work. Chris can stay with Denny, it'll be like a super-long sleepover," Hen interjects. "So as long as Carla can watch Chris during the day, everything should be fine."

"Hen. Have I ever told you and Karen that you two are the greatest people on the planet?"

"Yes. But hearing it again never hurts."

Hen goes off to chat with Chim, who's calling Maddie. Eddie turns to Buck.

"I was going to invite you over for a movie night tonight, but you'll probably want to pack."

"I've got everything I need at your place. I can throw it in my travel bag. Plus, I promised Chris I would make Bobby's lasagna tonight."

Eddie has this soft smile on his face. It's one that's reserved solely for Chris and Buck. Hen calls it his 'love-sick smile'. And in all honesty, Eddie knows she's right. He's head over heels for Buck. Has been for years. It's as familiar to him as breathing. Maybe one day he'll tell Buck. But for right now, he doesn't want to risk losing Buck completely. He can't handle that. He just got him back after the lightning strike. He won't lose him again just because he can't keep his feelings in check.

The alarm goes off, spurring everyone into action. Eddie forces himself to clear his mind.

*******************

Buck knows Eddie's kitchen like the back of his hand. Partially because he reorganized it while stressed, but more so because he cooks here more than he ever does in his own home. He spends more time at Eddie's house than he does his own house in general. He's become a staple in the Diaz household. And he'll forever be grateful that they want him here.

"Okay, the lasagna is almost ready. Chris, can you grab the water from the fridge?"

Chris does so, Dodging Eddie as he goes to grab the plates. The timer goes off and Buck grabs the food from the oven. He places it on the table, taking his seat next to Eddie.

"This smells amazing."

"Lucky for you, you're getting the first piece," Buck says as he serves Chris a slice.

They all dig in. They chat about their day. Chris updates them on the gossip from school. It's the domestic moments like these that Buck loves the most.

After dinner, Buck washes the dishes as Eddie dries them. Chris runs off to his room to get into PJs.

"We have to tell him we're being dispatched," Eddie whispers.

"I know."

"I hate leaving him."

"Me too."

He bumps his shoulder into Eddie's, a silent show of support. Eddie smiles at him. They stay like that as they wash the rest of the dishes. Eventually, Chris comes back in, now clad in dinosaur pajamas.

"Hey Chris, before we start the movie, we gotta talk about something really quick."

Chris shoots them a nervous look. Buck quickly assures him it's nothing bad. That seems to relax the boy a bit, but he's clearly still worried.

"You know the fires going on? Buck and I are being sent to go fight them. We'll be gone for a couple days. We have to leave tomorrow. Carla will watch you during the day like usual, and you'll stay with Karen and Denny."

"How long will you be gone?"

"We don't know. Probably about five days. I promise I'll take care of your dad, alright?"

"And I'll take care of Buck. We'll be back before you know it."

Chris nods.

"I'm not worried. As long as you two stay together, you'll both come home," he says confidently.

"Exactly. Now, what movie do you want to watch, mijo?"

*******************

Buck spends the ride to basecamp doing crossword puzzles. Occasionally he'll ask Eddie for help with a question, but on the whole his collection of random knowledge makes the puzzles easy. Eddie passes the time scrolling on his phone. He has a bunch of articles that Buck sent him, so he works his way through those. They're about a variety of different subjects. Buck tends to go on research binges, and he'll send Eddie things he finds interesting. Eddie loves it.

When they arrive, Bobby orders everyone to disembark. The moment Eddie steps outside, he's hit by a wave of smoky air. The sky is a shade of orange. It's apocalyptic. Bobby leads them over to the main tent, where everything is being organized. A woman comes out to meet them. She's rather short, but she exudes intimidating energy. Her salt-and-pepper hair is tied back in a tight bun.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Captain Hestwen. I'm the one in charge here. In a minute, you'll be getting your assignments. Over to the left is the field hospital. That tent right there is the bunks, grab naps whenever you can. A full nights sleep won't happen. Food is at the green tent, and the tent next to that is where we're storing gear. If you need me, I'll be here. I'll be seeing you all later at the briefing."

She heads inside just as Bobby comes out. He starts listing off their different positions.

"Chim, Hen, you're on med. You're going with a team from the 159 to help with evacuations and injuries. Andrews, you're joining the 35. Jefferson, you're going to help with heli-rescue. Diaz, Buck, you two are going out with the 128 to help with search and rescue. I'm staying here to help Captain Hestwen. Keep your radios on. The wind could shift, so I want to make sure I can get in touch with you all if I need to. Stay safe, everyone."

With that, everyone heads to their designated positions. It takes Eddie and Buck a moment to locate the 128. They find the crew resting around a table. There's about four of them. A young man comes up to greet them.

"Buckley and Diaz? I'm Ryan. I'm heading up this crew. That's Teri, Hartley, and Muniz."

"Nice to meet you. Call me Buck."

They all shake hands before heading over to the table. There's a map laid out, marked by red pins.

"Okay. There's a campsite that was right along the fire line. Most of the campers got out, but there's still three missing. There's a teenage girl named Jocelyn who was doing a solo trip, and a young couple, Nick and Theo. The wind is shifting fast, so we need to move faster. There's no way to get a helicopter out in this smoke, so we're taking ATVs down. We need to cover a large distance, so we're going to take different areas. Muniz, you're with me, taking the North campsite. Teri and Hartley, you're taking the east. Buck and Diaz, you're taking the west corner. You'll all get a map. Keep in mind that the fire line will be constantly shifting, so the map may be inaccurate."

Ryan leads them to the ATVs. Buck opts to drive, since Eddie is better at reading maps. It's a skill he picked up in the army. After making sure they're all on the same radio channel, they go their separate ways. Eddie directs Buck along the side trails. The road is thin and rocky. The smoke gets thicker as they head closer to the fire line. Buck can feel it settling on his skin. He calls out all three names, praying that they hear a response.

"To the left! A tent!"

Buck pulls over when he hears Eddie yell. They get out to investigate. There's two sleeping bags, so it must be Nick and Theo's. There's not much of the tent left. It looks like the fire swept through, charring everything in it's path. Buck calls out their names, even though it's unlikely the two men are anywhere nearby. They likely would have run from the fire.

"Let's head further down the trail. My guess is that they ran when the fire came."

Eddie nods in agreement. They climb back in and start to drive again. They see the evidence of the fire all around them. They're getting closer to the fire itself. When Nick and Theo ran, they didn't know the fire line would shift with the wind. They had no idea they were running straight towards it.

"Theo! Nick!"

Eddie's voice is hoarse from the combination of yelling and smoke. Nevertheless, he yells out their names again.

"Down here! Help!"

Buck abruptly stops. They run out of the ATV, heading towards the voice. They end up on a steep ridge. Down below, the two men are sitting. One appears mostly okay, but the other has a badly cut leg. Eddie can see the white of bone from where he's standing.

"The ridge collapsed! We can't get out," one yells.

"Grab the med bag," Buck orders. When Eddie returns, Buck has already scrambled down the ridge. He's putting pressure on the man's wound with the gauze from his pocket. "Throw down a rope! You'll have to pull them up, okay?"

They don't have access to their usual gear. All they have is some rope and carabiners. Eddie ties one end of the rope around a large boulder. He gives it a tug to make sure it's secure. Then he tosses the other end over the ridge, watching to make sure it doesn't get snagged on anything. Buck quickly ties it into a rescue knot.

"Theo, you need to go up. Eddie is going to help you."

"I'm not leaving Nick!"

"I promise I'll take care of him."

"Go," Nick croaks.

Theo hesitates, but grabs onto the rope. Eddie instructs him to put the loops around his legs. Once Theo is secure, Eddie uses all his strength to pull him up. Even with his gloves, the rope bites into his hands. The moment Theo appears over the edge, Eddie pulls him fully to safety.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No. I mean yes, I have some cuts and a sprained wrist, but you need to take care of my boyfriend first, please-"

"Buck's got him. Go get in the ATV, we're going to get you both out of here."

The radio attached to Eddie's chest crackles to life. Bobby's voice comes over the line.

"All search and rescue teams, be advised that the wind is shifting. Fire is rapidly heading west."

Eddie swears. The fire is heading right for them. He can see it in the distance, getting closer with each passing second. They need to get out of here. He runs back to the edge of the ridge and throws the rope back down. Buck helps Nick up, carrying the majority of his weight. Buck has tied a tourniquet just above his wound. With a good bit of help, Nick gets secured to the rope. Buck gives Eddie a thumbs up.

It's when Eddie gets Nick to the top that the ridge collapses, taking the rock and rope with it. Eddie barely grabs Nick in time. Half the ridge falls, boulders tumbling down. He pulls Nick to safety before running over to check on Buck. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that Buck is stumbling to his feet.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Ankle might be broken though," Buck says. He's leaning heavily on his right side.

Eddie can see the fire getting closer. It'll reach them in only a couple of minutes. He has to get Buck up and out of here fast. Theo has already helped Nick into the ATV. Eddie searches the back for another rope, but there's none. Fuck. Eddie races back to the edge, wary of the fact that the ridge is unstable.

"You need to climb! Can you?"

"I don't think so. Eddie, you need to get Nick and Theo out of here. I'll find a different way up."

"I'm not leaving you."

"The fire is heading this way. You need to go!"

Eddie looks at Nick and Theo. Theo still has a small backpack on.

"Theo! Do you have any rope on you?"

He checks his bag, smiling when he pulls out a thin line. Eddie grabs it, testing its strength. It's enough. It has to be. He finds another hefty boulder and ties one end of the rope around it, making sure it's tightly knotted. He throws the other end down. He can feel the heat emanating from the fast-approaching flames. Buck knots the other end around himself. He looks warily at the flames, now eating through the trees only a few feet away.

Eddie begins to pull. His muscles scream at him, exhausted from all the work, but he ignores the pain. All that matters is getting Buck to safety.

The rope creaks.

It snaps.

Eddie lunges forward, grabbing Buck's hand just in time. The rope drops into the flames below. Eddie tries to pull Buck up, but he gets dragged towards the edge. The only thing holding him in place is the root his foot is lodged in, but that's about to give way too.

"Eddie, you have to let go, I'm going to pull you down with me," Buck begs.

"No," Eddie chokes out through gritted teeth. If he lets go Buck is going to fall. And if the fall doesn't kill him, the inferno waiting below will.

"Chris needs you."

"He needs you too!"

"Tell him I love him, okay? And- and there's notes for everyone. Just in case. They're in a box in my closet. Tell everyone I love them, alright?"

"Buck, please-" Eddie's cut off by his own strangled sob. The root gives way a little more.

"It's okay. I love you, Eddie."

With one last smile, Buck lets go. Eddie watches him fall.

CONTINUE READING ON AO3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

TSP update

I made a chapter better!

Ash is so hard for me to write for some reason. It's annoying sometimes. And I felt like there was something missing from this chapter so I caved and consulted my notes on her specifically.

After that inspiration, I wrote 222 words (nice number) about it! Basically, I originally had Ash immediately use these telepathic probes she recently found, and it seemed so sudden and abrupt. Why is she doing it???

So with the inspiration from her character sheet, I got it.

All except the first paragraph is new:

My finger brushed the surface of the devices. They were overall smooth, but there were ridges, all in a radial pattern around their center. I felt their power pulse into the pad of my finger, causing my body to shudder. When I’d used them earlier, they allowed me to wake everyone I accidentally knocked out. However, I wasn’t so stupid that I didn’t consider they were what made me sick in the first place. Maybe they were what was crying out to me the entire time I was in Alium. An insane thought—I was a thirty-minute walk away when I’d collapsed. Carla mentioned the power activation was likely simply because I was now in Alium. But no one else had the ease that I did. What if it was these devices? That would explain a lot. I’d felt drawn to them. I ran my thumb over them like they were my rings. My curiosity piqued. It was like they were reaching out to me, specifically. Which was ridiculous to think about an inanimate object. Jedi had seemed worried after I told him what happened. He didn’t even want to go down the corridor. Maybe it was because of these. What could he be afraid of? Me unlocking my potential? Carla told me the mind had no limit, and these devices seemed to expand the limit. Maybe I shouldn’t use them just to explore, as much fun as that sounded. But I couldn’t sleep, and these things did help me earlier. Maybe they could help me sleep. It was worth trying, at least.

Hope that showed her thought process better!

[megslovesbooks]

Well. I'm not going to get this little ghost story finished tonight, I'm feeling kinda bad so it's going to have to wait, which sucks because I really wanted to post something fun for spooky day. Alas. As an apology a new snippet. Hopefully I can finish it in the next day or two.

Hope you are all having a good spooky time.

“I think there’s a clearing at the top of this next ridge. Maybe we could see better from there.” Cara says, staring off toward the summit maybe half a mile above them, her gaze is focused on something specific, but when Eddie looks all he can see is a hazy wash of trees. It's as good a plan as any though, so he just nods and pushes away from the tree on unsteady legs. It's probably not the best plan, his head still swims and there’s a dull fire in his side that tells him something is wrong beyond bruises, but he still isn’t really sure how Cara is doing and if she’s bleeding internally and he can’t get her help she’ll die. They both might. 

“We better hurry.”  He says, keenly aware of how fast the light is leaving. 

The first few hundred yards are something like OK. The next are harder. The terrain is beginning to slope steeply upward and Eddie can feel his body threatening to quit even though they’re still so far from their goal, his breath coming in painful ragged gasps. Cara is silent, which worries him. Even though she seems to be managing far better than he is, her face is passive and the lines of her body seem relaxed. Still, he should get her talking, make sure he knows what’s going on with her.

“Where were you going today? Before our detour?” He means it like a joke but it just comes out like a wheeze. Cara glances over at him, confusion pulling her brows together. 

“Going?” She asks and Eddie feels a wrongness begin to creep up the back of his neck, but he’s not sure if it's for him or her. 

“Yeah, in the car.” He says around another labored breath “Were you driving to work or school or–”

“Oh.”  She says vaguely, and that sense of wrong flairs hot, “The car–”

“It's alright.” He says, worry and nausea waring in his gut, “You don’t have to tell me.”

“I was going to my mom’s” Cara says, and the strange timber of her voice is gone. “I have a long weekend off school and promised I’d come visit. We’ve been…clashing a bit lately. It seemed like a good chance to clear the air.” She pauses for a moment and then adds “I’m all she’s got.” 

The words stab something hot and painful through his chest. 

“Yeah.”  He says, then has to clear his throat. “I know that feeling.”

“Only child?” She asks. He’s too busy watching his feet over this patch of uneven terrain to look at her. The agony in his body is beginning to ebb. It doesn't feel like a win. 

“No. Two sisters. But my kid is, and he lost his mother a few years ago, so I’m all he’s got.” 

They’re old words, spoken and thought so many times he knows the shape of them by heart, but they aren’t true are they? Maybe they’ve never been true…not really, but now…now…well now his son is surrounded by more love than Eddie knows what to do with, Pepa, and Carla, and Karen and Hen and Bobby and Athena and Chimney and Maddie. May and Linda and his school friends and their parents and his teachers. Eddie’s parents and his sisters, who he may not always see eye to eye with, but who he knows would move heaven and earth for his son if they had too. And Buck Buck who has given and given and given. Buck who has put his actual body between Chris and harm, who loves Eddie’s son like his own and never expects any recognition for the things he sacrifices for him over and over again. Buck who’s name is typed neatly on the legal paperwork tucked carefully in the middle drawer of Eddie’s desk, who will fight for Christopher until his last breath. No. Eddie isn’t all his son has. It's the other way round, isn’t it…

“Eddie?” Cara’s voice seems to come from too far away, as if they’re on different tiny boats and are drifting apart on the tide. He blinks, realizes he’s stopped moving and is leaning heavily against one of the Gray Pines that cover the mountain side in droves. 

“Yeah,”  He says, the word is far shakier than he’d like, and the severity of their situation is really, truly beginning to settle over him.

[moramda]

The Den

[cameracourt]

Book Review: "The Broken Hearts Bakery" by Carla Laureano

Welcome to my blog and to my review of The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano, the first installment in her new indie-released contemporary romance “Haven Ridge” series. She has self-published novellas in the past, but this is her first foray with a full length series through independent publishing. Laureano introduces readers to this story world through a series-starter novella, The Brick…

[protagonistspub]

Brickhouse Cafe by Carla Lauraeno

Brick House Cafe by Carla Laureano was a novella provide by the author. It is a prequel to her upcoming release of the first book in her her series, Haven Ridge. It was also my #SpringIntoChristianFiction2023 selection for a short book under 250 pages. This novella tells the story of Mallory and Thomas meeting in the dying town of Haven Ridge when Mallory’s GPS fails to get her to her intended…

[brookston]

Holidays 11.4

Holidays

Air-Conditioned Automobile Day

Bad Mood Day

Chair Day

Chicken Lady Day

Citizenship Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Community Service Day (Dominica)

Day of Love (Egypt)

Flag Day (Panama)

Giorno dell’Unita Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate and Victory Day (Italy)

Honeymoon Day

International Cake Day

King Tut Day

Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day

Mischief Night (UK, Australia, NZ)

National Advent Calendar Day

National Easy-Bake Oven Day

National Professional Paint Contractors Day

National Skeptics Day

National Tonga Day (Tonga)

National Unity and Armed Forces Day (Italy)

Thanksgiving Day (Liberia)

Unity Day (Russia)

Use Your Common Sense Day

Victory Day (Italy)

Waiting for the Barbarians Day

Will Rogers Day (Oklahoma)

Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Candy Day

1st Friday in November

Fountain Pen Day [1st Friday]

J-Day (@ 8:59 PM, Tuborg releases Julebryg; Denmark) [1st Friday]

Love Your Lawyer Day [1st Friday]

National Jersey Friday [1st Friday]

National Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day [1st Friday]

World Community Day [1st Friday]

Feast Days

Americus (Christian; Saint) [America]

Boccaccio Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Brinstan (Christian; Saint)

Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic Church)

Emeric of Hungary (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Qudrat (Power; Baha'i)

Federico Pelini (Muppetism)

Felix of Valois (Christian; Saint)

Hume (Positivist; Saint)

Joannicius the Great (Christian; Saint)

Listen to Sea Shanties and Dance Like a Pirate Day (Pastafarian)

Ludi Plebii begins (a.k.a. Plebian Games until 17th; Ancient Rome)

Not the Zombie Apocalypse Day (Pastafarian)

Our Lady of Kazan (Russian Orthodox Church)

Pierius (Christian; Saint)

Sigd (ends at Sundown) [Hebrew, Cheshvan 29]

Teresa Manganiello (Christian; Blessed)

Vitalis and Agricola (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Chicken Little (Animated Film; 2005)

The Crown (TV Series; 2016)

Doctor Strange (Film; 2016)

The Fifth Elephant, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 1999) [Discworld #24]

The Flash (Film; 2022)

G.I. Blues (Film; 1960) [Elvis Presley #5]

Great Performances (TV Anthology Series; 1972)

Hacksaw Ridge (Film; 2016)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Film; 2001) [#1]

The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud (Book; 1899)

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair (Novel; 1905)

The Last Waltz (Concert Film; 1977)

The Man Who Sold the World, by David Bowie (Album; 1970)

Rocket to Russia, by the Ramones (Album; 1977)

Symphony No. 1 in C, by Johannes Brahms (Symphony; 1876)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (Film; 2011)

Walking on the Moon, by Police (Song; 1979)

Weird: The Al Yankoic Story (Film; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Karl (Austria)

Drago, Dragutin, Karlo (Croatia)

Karel (Czech Republic)

Otto (Denmark)

Erla, Erle, Herta (Estonia)

Hertta (Finland)

Aymeric, Charles, Jessé (France)

Charles, Karl, Karla, Modesta (Germany)

Károly (Hungary)

Carlo, Guido, Rosalia (Italy)

Atis, Oto, Otomārs (Latvia)

Eibartas, Karolis, Vaidmina (Lithuania)

Ottar, Otto (Norway)

Emeryk, Karol Boromeusz, Mściwój, Olgierd, Witalis (Poland)

Karol (Slovakia)

Amancio, Carlos (Spain)

Nore, Sverker (Sweden)

Amory, Cara, Carl, Carla, Carley, Carlie, Carlo, Carlos, Carly, Carol, Carolina, Caroline, Carolyn, Carrie, Carroll Charles, Charlie, Chaz Chuck, Emery, Karl, Karla, Karlee, Karli, Karly (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 308 of 2022; 57 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 44 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Constraint) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Lùyuè), Day 11 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 10 Cheshvan 5783

Islamic: 9 Rabi II 1444

J Cal: 8 Mir; Sunday [8 of 30]

Julian: 22 October 2022

Moon: 86%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Descartes (11th Month) [Hume]

Runic Half Month: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 43 of 90)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 13 of 31)