#old Apple products used to have this amazing smell when you first opened them

[thisischeri]

instagram: cheri.png

[madlymiho]

Since the first didn't get through, I'll try from my PC this time. Again, thank you for co-hosting this event. Can I get a Scenario with Issho and his s/o enjoying the christmas-decoration in a port and she just can't stop describing everything to him (how beautiful everything is under the soft snow and with the lights) because he can't see it and she wants him to enjoy it as well?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!! 😱 I honestly fell in love with the wholesome emotions of this request! 🙈 I'm happy to write about Fujitora, because that blind man deserves so much happiness 🥺 I hope this little scenario will suit you! ☺️

Winter Event #2

Words: 1444

Informations: fluff - gender neutral s/o

In your Eyes

The meeting couldn’t have been better, the harbor quite well decorated at this time of the year, the air filled with numerous scents you’re honestly unable to count. Rare are the occasions when you are able to enjoy a bit of Issho’s time, your man busy of course, and always wandering here and there between Grand Line and the New World to fulfill his duty. You know how it’s important for him, somehow to find his own place in the Navy, despite his apparent strength and his obvious intelligence skills to command the soldiers of the Government. It’s never easy to reach such a high post without having to deal with some inner trust issues from time to time, especially in such a chotic world, always in motion. Both of you believe in the mission of Issho, but as you gave him this invitation, you truly expected he would actually put aside his duty for once and clear his schedule, to finally enjoy a bit of well-deserved rest. Being under the command of Sakazuki is definitely not the easiest job in the world.

Breathing some warm air in your cupped hands, you eventually hear a rather explicit hubbub among the crowd, the tall figure of Issho appearing in the middle of the couples, the children, and the busy merchants. Of course, they are all surprised to see such a high commander of the Navy wandering in the streets of their cozy harbor. A smile curls the corner of your lips as you immediately jump back on your feet, crossing the distance to meet him half way. As always, you make sure not to enter his personal space too quickly, his perception of the world honestly different from yours, since you have eyes to see, and his only has other senses to know you’re around.

“I’m here, Issho.” You murmur with an audible voice, even if you know you really don’t have to yell that much, despite the general noisy atmosphere. It has always been your way to greet him.

He offers you a content smile, always discreet, his hand gripping his baton to keep his balance, as he eventually comes closer, his other fingers cupping your shoulder. Intimate gestures aren’t a thing he particularly display in public, but the very fact he’s here, with you, is enough to make him feel at ease. He raises his chin up, intrigued with the sound of flapping wings above his head, as you definitely notice the frown on his features.

“Seagulls are probably looking for some food at that time of the day, and they are brave enough to fight the cold.” You state with a cheerful voice, placing yourself at his side, before you wrap your arm around his. You won’t necessarily guide him, he doesn’t need it, yet you also know that he appreciates when you take the time the describe the way you see the world when you’re both walking side by side. “It’s busy today. I think we’ll have plenty to do.”

He nods, his quiet attitude always pleasant and contrasting in the middle of such a busy crowd, people thrilled and talkative, eager to discover all the new shops on the streets and the various activities offered by the harbor. Issho begins to walk, as you cautiously lead him to whatever destination who would both pick.

“I smell… Sweets.” Issho comments after a moment, stopping in front of a wooden stall. “Can you tell me what they are selling here? I know this isn’t reasonable, but perhaps there’s something we both would like to buy”.

“Aye!” You happily smile, and pulls on his arm to bring him closer, kind people immediately stepping aside, quite surprised to see a navy admiral around, making him some room as a sign of respect. “Well… Apparently, they have ginger cookies here, fresh made waffles or crepes with brown sugar and different toppings such as melted chocolate, fruits, or marshmallows! You can also pick candies; they have candy canes, candy apples…”

Issho listens carefully, more amazed with the sound of your voice, almost chirping, than the quantity of sweets displayed on the market place. He doesn’t necessarily wish to eat something, but he loves the way you sell those products with the most excited voice, as a child would describe a firework.

“Would you like a free sample, admiral?” The shop owner offers, and immediately begins to gather a few items from their stall, stuffing a paper bag with various candies to eat on their walk, quite content to see such an important man stopping in front of his shop.  

Issho eventually accepts, bowing slightly to thank the man, as they both decide to keep going, the line behind them full of children, all so eager to use their berries to buy a few candies while their parents wouldn’t be too careful regarding the amount of sugar they are ingesting. You eventually leads him back in the middle of the alley, as you notice how intrigued he seems to be. You find it somehow adorable, Issho always amazed by the world surrounding him, and finding beauty in the little details someone wouldn’t even see.

“The street…” You begin to talk, because you wish to tell him everything, and share your eyes, even if it only comes with your words. “The whole harbor is decorated with shiny tinsels; they are all rolled around the light posts, falling like stalactites. It looks like ice stars falling in long drops, reflecting on the buildings behind them, giving the area such a heavenly look that it seems to be a dream.” You pause for a second, before you eventually look elsewhere. “All the ships anchored here have candles on the rail surrounding their decks, with mistletoe and holly attached to their windows, and most of the captains have opened their gates, offering tours to children if they ever wish to see how it looks inside a navy ship.”

Issho nods, silent, as usual, but listening careful to your words.

“There are so many stalls in front of the ships and the usual shops that I can’t even count them. All of them are so beautifully decorated, with angels and other items such as snowballs, starts and little imps, homemade crowns with pine branches, pinecones, and ribbons. Some of them are golden, silver, or red…” You can’t help but think that it’s quite a marvelous show, and it’s a shame Issho can’t properly enjoy all the lights of this beautiful place. “I can’t even tell you all the things they are selling as well. Homemade wooden angels, surprise gifts boxes, crafted wooden toys and figurines, fortune cards, candies, foods, spicy hot wine, bottle of various alcohol and wines, gingerbreads, biscuits, cakes in so many shapes, candles, and bouquet of winter flowers…”

He smiles to the more than detailed description, and eventually turns around, his closed eyes almost looking at your features, as you can’t help but feel slightly embarrassed. You really sounded like a child for a few seconds, didn’t you.

“And you, Name,” he says with his usual quiet and appeasing voice. “What kind of gift would you like to have? It seems they have all worked hard to please their customers. I wish to find something which will always make you forever smile the way you’re smiling right now.”

“Honestly?” You immediately answer, the two of you standing in the middle of the street, Christmas Lights surrounding you like the softest wings. “I only need one thing, Issho.” You pause, your hand gently caressing the top of his forearm. “I only need to spend more Christmas like this, with you.”

You thought he would find it silly, perhaps even immature for someone so old and serious. Even though, Issho just kindly cups your cheek, his large thumb describing a small circle on your skin, as he offers you a discreet grin. You feel your heart pounding harder to this beautiful vision, his soft and intimate gesture so unexpected and yet so heartwarming.

“And I wish you keep describing the harbor during Christmas time.” He confirms, his own way to pronounce those words a timid person would have a hard time to express.

Smiling like two idiots, you eventually pull on his sleeve to drag him further in the middle of the Christmas Market, feeling on cloud nine, as you know that you found within Issho the anchor you needed. The two of you would forever remember that day, your completely intimate little bubble filled with many emotions, lucky, for sure, that you have been able to find each other in the middle of this raging storm and those desperate wars.  

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac Goes To Jail and Ninja Afterlife

Two innocent children get sent to Night Raven College

A set of scenarios about three of my ocs unwittingly trading places for two days, non-canon to any of my AUs

Swap 1:

Yuu—> Konohagakure

Yuu wakes up with a tantō to the throat.

Chie: Tell me where my daughter is and I’ll make your death quick

Yuu promptly freaks the fuck out

Through a combination of panicked yelling and tears the Prefect manages to convey to the Ketsugi that if there was a kidnapping, Yuu is both uninvolved and as much as of a victim as their precious daughter

Gai confirms that the strange teenager not only has no chakra, but clearly has little to no combat training despite his(?) athleticism, meaning Mayu-chan could easily overpower an assailant of this size, especially one this undernourished!

Yuu tries not to be offended and to avoid staring at Gai and Lee’s eyebrows they’re so big

Promptly shrieks when Kami!Sanji materializes to confirm that the Paranoiac had nothing to do with Mayu’s disappearance as far as the other gods can tell

Yuu becomes convinced that this place is the afterlife

The sad part is that Chie and Jirou can’t actually say much to the contrary, because??? Their daughter remembers dying before she came here?? Also there are active deities just floating around so.

Actually tears up at the homemade meals the Ketsugi provide

Before being sick as a dog later because food infused with chakra? Does not agree with a person without a chakra regulatory system

Surprisingly patient with Lee and any questions he has the purity of Jack and Deuce is strong in this one

Bit more long-suffering towards Naruto and his rendition of Wonderwall. Sunshine child too bright, introvert Yuu can’t handle it

Keeps writing down everything everyone says

This makes ANBU and ROOT very twitchy

The Paranoiac is quietly slated for “interview” at T&I the next day

Yuu crashes on the Ketsugi couch none the wiser

Mayu—> Nanba

Mayu wakes up to confused screaming and profanity.

It’s Hani.

It’s very rare for screaming not to be because of Hani

All he knows is one child was in this bed last night, and now’s there’s a different one dressed like it came straight out of Ninja Kamikaze???

Mayu for her part is both very alarmed to be waking up in a prison cell with two strange men and very glad she has her bokken with her

Kiji comes in to find his beautiful inmates being menaced by a twelve year old with a wooden sword

The twelve year old is winning

Once Mayu has ascertained that they aren’t enemy ninja and she’s somehow in her old world (?) she becomes much more cooperative with the guards

She’s very worried about how she’s going to get back to her family in Konoha

Also wondering if she should try to contact her former little brother Harp (who knows if she’ll ever get the chance again?)

These worries are not assuaged when the Warden informs her that there’s no records proving “Tamara Kaur” ever existed

For lack of any relations who they can contact to take the child off their hands, and because they have no idea how she successfully infiltrated the most secure prison in the world and replaced one of the inmates, the Warden decides to keep Mayu in Nanba’s holding cells until further notice

Guess who finds the samurai child while breaking out?

Nico, Uno, and Rock are amazed at the existence of a real live Japanese Samurai! With a katana and everything!!

Jyugo just asks straight out if Mayu’s an actor too

Mayu is very bemused by everything, but they seem friendly! The one with the mohawk likes food too!

Plus the blonde one is British! Just like she used to be!

Uno is very confused about how a twelve year old somehow lost her citizenship

Break Mayu out to get food together

They get caught the moment they set foot in the cafeteria and scolded very harshly

Mayu has trouble sleeping in a cell cot that night

Nana—> Night Raven College

Nana’s first instinct on waking up in a strange bed next to a monster is to assume he’s been kidnapped and attempt to subdue his captors

Which means Grim wakes up to an attempted smothering

The ghosts hear muffled screaming and rush in only to get salt and iron filings to the face. Nana actually has them all on the run when Crowley bursts in

Instantly becomes a confused and lost child in front of the headmaster and dorm heads

Only Grim and the ghosts know the truth, and their complaints are overlooked due to them “scaring the poor boy”

No one has any idea what to do with a thirteen year old magicless kid. It was hard enough with Yuu, and the Prefect was at least sixteen and could attend classes!

Nana adapts quickly to the idea of being in this new world— he’s just sad he couldn’t say goodbye to Kiji, Hani-senpai and Trois-senpai before leaving Nanba

Immediately resolves to leave NRC at the earliest possible convenience when he gets a good look at the Theory Wall— he can’t even read Japanese but that amount of crazy that it signifies always spells trouble

Is confused by all the pictures of Disney villains on the Theory Wall, but decides it’s not worth the trouble to ask about

Actually uses the beauty products Vil left for Yuu correctly

Gets semi-adopted into Pomefiore after asking Vil where the high quality products came from

Grim and the ghosts aren’t sorry to see the little brat go

Vil carts him around to test his potential in the performance arts

Epel tries to be a good senpai for the kid, and tells him he doesn’t have to just go along with Vil

Nana appreciates the effort, but does find this kind of thing more fun than being on his own he’s homesick for his cell

Rook enjoys seeing the child freeze up minutely whenever he asks about the prison attire and the large “7” tattoo on the back of the boy’s head

Nana likes Rook less and less with every pointed question the vice dorm leader makes

Can’t sleep in the big cushy Pomefiore bed and so curls up on the floor with a pillow instead

Swap 2:

Yuu—> Nanba

What why is Yuu in jail now

The prefect was supposed to be back home/in Ramshackle Dorm, why is Yuu in jail now—

Yuu is stressed and overdue for Grim snuggles

Paranoiac is also not thrilled about being stuck in Building Three— it’s like Pomefiore on steroids

At least Epel and Vil don’t steal and obsess over the underwear of their “fans”

Rook...the jury’s still out. But probably not. Probably

Maybe

Hopefully

Much less cooperative than Mayu.

Questions about the Prefect’s family name are met with a stony glare. “It’s Yuu. Just Yuu. How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Can’t answer any questions about Mayu or her current whereabouts despite admitting to knowing of the girl, but does posit a theory about the three of them transmigrating and swapping places based on the information gained in Konoha

Gets offended and even less cooperative when the interrogating guard calls the hypothesis “crazy”

Not intimidated by Hajime or the other guards in the slightest. Yuu’s classmates are far more likely to inflict lasting bodily harm and it’s hard for even the worst human glare to measure up to Floyd or Leona on a bad day

The Warden scares the Prefect though

Doesn’t stop Yuu from requesting a lawyer or other legal counsel before submitting to further questioning

The Paranoiac is a Japanese citizen and has made a point to know what the applicable legal rights for this situation are

Yuu ends up in the holding cells

Guess who hasn’t learned their lesson while breaking out?

Uno takes one look at Yuu

“Ah Jyugo, this one has your energy”

Nico loudly asks if the Prefect is from an isekai and died and reincarnated in Nanba??! Do they die over and over again and revive to beat bad guys?? Do they have an amazing cheat skill?? Are they a spider?? Can they shoot a beam??

Yuu just thinks. Ah. So this is what would happen if Kalim and Idia somehow had a kid

Don’t break the Prefect out, but Jyugo comes back later and deposits something through the bars

“This is Kuu. He’s a guard, but he’s also really good when you’re lonely. You look like you could use the company”

Yuu blinks and holds out a hand for the black cat with a guard cap to sniff

Crashing in a cell cot is uncomfortable, but hey, at least there’s a cat to pet

Mayu—> Night Raven College

Why is there a tanuki in her bed?

Grim isn’t waking up by being murdered but being poked with a stick by another smol child isn’t much better

Mayu is Concerned by the Theory Wall

“Is— is the person who lives here okay?”

Grim: Hell if I know

Mayu’s even more Concerned when she opens the fridge and sees it’s bare

>:|

Sanji wouldn’t let these people go hungry, so she’s not going to either!

Searches until she finds the Prefect’s grocery money and marches with Grim to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop

Everyone is confused by the presence of a new preteen on campus after the last one vanished from Pomefiore during the night

Mayu’s used to haggling with market people who would rather see her starve than even sell her the worst of their produce, so she’s easily able to barter Sam down to a third of the price for the groceries she wants to buy

Sam’s more amused by the guts of this tiny samurai devil than anything

Mayu and Grim drag all the food back by themselves with a few students following from a distance out of curiosity

They all soon enter Ramshackle once the smells of cooking begin to emerge from the dorm

Silver first followed because the child has a sword and is now helping to knead dough

Epel arrived because he had questions about where Nana had gone, but Mayu is genuinely clueless so now he’s peeling apples for lack of anything better to do

Mayu soon has several “helpers” for making bread and other easy-to-preserve and mix-and-match bulk meals to fill the Ramshackle fridge, though she soon has to send Grim out for more ingredients when her helpers begin getting hungry

The night ends with a feast that can rival the quality of food served at Kalim’s parties

Mayu finds one of Yuu’s blank notebooks and writes down some easy recipes the Prefect can use for all the food now in the fridge and pantry, with emphasis on fish based dishes

The ghosts and Grim enjoy having Mayu much more than Nana

Mayu still has trouble sleeping in the big Ramshackle bed that night

Nana—> Konohagakure

Well this isn’t Nanba or Night Raven College

Welp. Time to go then.

Nana is halfway out of Konoha before anyone notices

Gai does notice because a strange kid in a prison jumpsuit swiftly scurrying to the exit sticks out like a sore thumb in the early morning

ANBU’s search for the vanished Yuu is the only reason Nana isn’t stopped by them

Nana tries to run

Nothing can outrun the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha

Nana is now more than slightly traumatized

Gets carted off to early morning training with Naruto and Lee

Is initially more interested in plotting yet another escape attempt until Lee mentions Yuu and NRC—then he’s curious about what information he can glean about the two other members of this triad

Especially interested in the concept of reincarnating into another world or being brought there by an outside force rather than moving between worlds freely

Eats an almost alarming amount for his size at breakfast that morning and leaves nothing on his plate

Unfailingly well-mannered to his hosts

Offers more information about Mayu’s past world in payment for eating the Ketsugi’s food and waking up in their home after they refuse to let him pay them back using manual labor

Asks them to tell him what they already know so he can work out what knowledge gaps to fill in

Nana: ...Why are you singing Wonderwall?

Takes it upon himself to teach Lee and Naruto more English so they can at least form basic sentences

It’s an uphill battle because predicates and participles are hard

A supportive and encouraging if slightly inept teacher

Soon realizes Chie somehow knows all the swearwords and glares at him for trying to teach them to the boys

Also falls ill from eating chakra-infested food

Gets twitchier as the day goes on and asks to leave the village several times, insisting he can’t impose on their hospitality any longer

Only agrees to sleep on the couch once Jirou subtly implies that at least people will notice and go looking if he goes missing from their house compared to if he disappeared from a tree miles away from Konoha

Can’t sleep on the couch due to jumping at noises during the night, ends up curling up on the floor next to it

[fez-whyiwaited]

Chapter II - Why I Waited

Masterlist    Wattpad  

Our new house is not that small, but also not that big. It certainly is not that awful, it’s clean and it has some rustic and old details to it, but over all it’s a simple one story house, with tree bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, and a sad small couch with a tv on the floor in the living room. 

‘’Jona, the house smells amazing’’ is the first thing Sarah says when we drop some moving boxes into the house. 

Jonathan is who gave us the opportunity to move into this town, he’s the manager of ‘The Handler - Strip club’, or as he likes to call it ‘’exclusive men restaurant’’, same one Sarah will be starting working tomorrow. 

‘’It really does’’ I laugh. 

‘’My Yankee Candle dropped, it’s a bitch to take the wax off the carpet’’. 

‘’Well, that apple-cinnamon smell is to die for’’. Sarah adds. 

‘’Here Joy, let me show you your new room, it has a window to the garden, Sarah told me you needed to have that view, please do whatever you like with the space… by the way, it does need a little time and patience’’. 

‘’Thanks Jona’’ I say. 

This bedroom is probably the biggest thing I have ever had for myself, Sarah and I always shared a bedroom since kids. 

I look out the window and see a big wood doll house, getting eaten by termite. 

I don’t know much about Jona’s private life, just that he’s a protective friend to Sarah, and that her daughter was taken away by her ex girlfriend. 

I can really make this garden look better, the first thing that needs to go is that nasty doll house. 

Gardening has always been easy for me, while my parents were not present in most part of my childhood, my grandma was. She used to teach me all about it, something about taking care of a living being made me feel important, that’s why I never want kids, because plants and animals can give me that happiness, one that has no expectations, you just need to be there, give them love and a little time, and they will not complain or ask for more. 

‘’Hey, do you like it?’’ Sarah enters the room

‘’Yup, pretty cool, can’t wait to remove that doll house and plant some lilacs’’ I say pointing out of the window. ‘’Also I’m pretty excited to not hear you snore, I don’t even know how it is to sleep without a bear sound’’

‘’Ha, ha, smart ass. Hey? We should totally wreck it or something, ask Jona if he has a baseball bat, or something’’ 

‘’Will do’’

- - - - - - - - 

It only has been a few hours since we arrived, unpacking boxes was not that hard since we only had a few ones. My new room used to be of Jona’s daughter, so the walls are painted in baby pink. Completely empty, there’s two doors that lead to the wardroom. 

My belongings are not that hard to place, most of it is clothing, two bags of makeup, and a photo of Sarah, grandma and me. 

Jona placed a sleeping bag and a quilt on the floor for me to sleep. It’s not that bad, the room is quiet, and I know that if I open the window, I will hear the crickets, which sometimes the sound of nature gives me serenity.  

I lay down in my new ‘bed’, and while battling my thoughts, that I know if it wasn’t for my actions we could still be in our apartment in New York City, back to a comfort zone that took us years to built after our parents went finally away. As my grandma used to say, I should ‘’only focus on the next day’’, so tomorrow I will: A. Find a new job B. Try to get back to school and C. Buy pink hair dye. 

- - - - - - - - 

‘’Good morning’’ I say entering the kitchen

‘’Hey! Can you grab the orange juice and ketchup? They’re in the fridge’’ Jona answers

‘’Sure, want some help? What are you cooking?’’ Taking the juice, I take advantage to also place tree cups on the table. 

‘’Eggs with ham, I suppose you are hungry, Sarah told me you really didn’t ate yesterday’’ 

Avoiding to answer, I start to wonder the kitchen, learning the place of every single one of the dishes and at the same time helping with the table. I’ll definitely find some time today to accommodate in here. 

‘’Oh, oh, I already see your eyes, girl, chill a little, if something bothers you… you’re free to change it, just remember to calm’’ 

‘’Thanks Jona’’ 

‘’So, what’s the plan for today, I already know you’re all scheduled’’ Sarah says entering the kitchen ‘’I start work at 10 p.m. and we will probably be back at 6’’ she adds. 

‘’Try to find a new job, search for the nearest public school and buy hair dye’’ 

‘’First thing we need to go grocery shopping’’ 

‘’And that too…’’ 

‘’Hey have you tried this? Jona put ketchup on the eggs, this shit revolutionary’’ 

‘’Ew, there’s no way that’s entering my body’’ she says disgusted 

‘’Oh common, when have I failed you? Close your eyes’’ he goes near Sarah and puts the fork near her mouth. Sarah closes her eyes and gives a bite, while processing she opens her eyes fast. 

‘’Okey I need more’’ she states

‘’Told ya’’ 

- - - - - - - -

In the grocery shop, while Sarah’s taking the essential food and toilettree products, I use my phone to search the local public school. 

‘’Do you really think I can go back to school?’’

‘’I mean, of course, it’s January, you are good with grades, your advisor said she was going to send what was needed for you not to loose what you did for the year’’

I know it’s Sarah’s dream for me to go to college, but that’s just not going to happen. I know that because we don’t have extra money. A week ago, I had it all figured out, even the money, now… nada for college. 

‘’I really want to work, I can do school and a part time job, I know Jona even offered you for me to work in the kitchen of the club - ’’

‘’Which you’re not’’ she cuts me off 

‘’I’ll search for the hair dye, you want something?’’ 

‘’Water, chips, milk and Lucky Charms’’ 

I write everything on my phone, and start to venture the store searching for it. 

When I gather the food, I take it all with my two hands, as I walk to the beauty aisle I’m intercepted by someone, provoking me to fall and drop the stuff. 

‘’Oh shit, sorry, here let me help you’’ the male voice says 

I collect the cereal and chips, and he quickly pass me the water and milk. 

‘’Thanks’’ 

He looks me to the face and his expression is just the same as the ginger guy from the store. 

Uncertainty… Doubt… Incertitude… Dubiety… but not judgmental. 

‘’Hey? It’s everything okey?’’ He dares to ask

The question completely surprises me, I know people see it, I didn’t even made an effort to hide it , putting and removing makeup in the bruises will just hurt me more and just seem like a lot of work. 

‘’Yeah, thanks for asking’’ 

‘’Okey, I mean if you’re in trouble or something, I can get you some help, it does look painful’’ 

How the fuck does this guy reads people so well? 

‘’Thanks I just, you know… was cooking and the knife accidentally got to my face, I then fall’’ 

I smile a little just to make the comment more bearable, not for him, but for me. 

‘’Yeah, sure… Hey look this is my phone if you ever need something’’ he shows me his contact number on his phone waiting for me to take mine and save it. 

Struggling with the groceries I put the stuff on the floor and grab my phone from my jeans pocket. This guy has a friendly and welcoming aura that I like. 

‘’Are you in private school? I have never seen you before’’ 

‘’Is this town really that small? Am I suppose to expect just to see the same faces?’’ 

He laughs, damn he really is a town cliché. 

‘’Something like that, my name’s Ethan by the way, I go to public, are you a rich kid that likes buying at this cheap store?’’ 

‘’I mean I just save you as the guy who didn’t saw where he was walking and hit me’’. 

He gives a small nod and smiles back. 

‘’No, actually I just came to live here, my life isn’t that wild’’ I add

‘’Hey did you found everything?’’ Sarah yells from the distance 

‘’That’s my cue to go, thanks for asking Ethan’’ I say grabbing the stuff from the floor, and going without waiting for a reply. 

Author’s note

Hey! I hope you like this new chapter, please remember this is a Fez story. Not an Ethan, but I need to do some character development. Please be patient for next chapter <3 I promise so much fez! 

[femreader]

Slowly but surely - Maleficent

Request: can you write a fem!reader x maleficent where the reader was found injured in the moors and maleficent decided to take care of her, not wanting to fall in love but in the end she does??

Summary: The reader is from our world and is found by Aurora and the co. In the middle of the Moors. Some explanations are demanded on either side.

Pairing: Maleficent x fem!reader, mom!Maleficent x daughter!Aurora

Warnings: none I think except my crappy writing 

A/N: Been listening to lots of Elton

Song: Tiny Dancer by Elton John 

“I am not-”

“Mother please,” Aurora looked up at her with her big blue eyes. Her hand was still resting over the unconscious’ woman’s hand. Her pale skin was dirtied by mud and blood, and her breathing seemed to be rather heavy. Maleficent grimaced at the thought of helping another completely unknown person. 

“Just heal her, please. We will handle everything else.”

“Where did she come from,” Diaval furrowed his eyebrows, and Aurora turned her head to look at the crow at the end of the bed. 

“We do not know,” She sighed and glanced at Philip. “We were riding and found her in these weird clothes in a pitch.” 

The princess turned to Maleficent once more and cocked her head to the side, knowing she had the fae wrapped around her little finger. Maleficent held back an eye roll and swished her hand, the golden swirl settled on the stranger’s body, healing her wounds and cleaning her appearance. 

“I want to meet her once she wakes up,” Maleficent informed to the people in the room. She glanced at the weird-looking woman on the big bed and squinted her eyes. Where did you come from?

Where am I? 

...

And what am I wearing?

Y/N blinked furiously as she sat up, on the creaky bed, her abs were aching. Furrowing her eyebrows she slowly got up, cracking her toes while she was at it. Jesus, how long had she been out? Y/N walked slowly, pushing the heavy wooden door open and taking a peak from the hallway outside. She seemed to be in some sort of castle. It kinda reminded her of one of those Taylor Swift music videos. Her eyes set on the small pitchfork for the fireplace.

She stepped outside and skipped over to the window by the end of the hallway, a very medieval-looking village opened before her eyes. Y/N clutched the pitchfork in her hands even tighter.

“The hell...?”

“Oh, good you’re awake,” A female voice spoke up and Y/N jumped around in her spot. She held up the pitchfork up and was met with a blonde looking woman. Y/N gulped down and tried to put up a strong face. 

“What the hell is this place? Who are you?”

“You’re in my home. We found you injured in the woods,” The woman answered with a kind voice. It was so soft and innocent Y/N involuntarily let the pitchfork fall back on her side. 

”Your home as in...?”

”The Moors of course,” she answered with a slightly confused smile. Aurora couldn’t comprehend how this strange woman couldn’t know where she was. Everyone knew the place, no one ever talked about anything else. 

”My name’s Aurora?” She said in a slightly questioning voice, thinking the stranger would have maybe recognized her already.

Y/N let her grip on the pitchfork loosen and it fell on the floor with a loud clank. Aurora slightly cringed at the loudness while Y/N was freaking her mind out in her spot. She blinked rapidly and felt her chest move up and down rapidly with her breathing. Her hands brushed through her hair, a nervous habit she had.

”You’re not... I-I mean your- Was your father named Stefan?” She rambled, very confused and very scared. 

”Why, yes. He was,” Aurora was taken back. ”How did you know?”

”Aurora? What is this?” A new voice joined their conversation and Y/N was ready to jump through the window. When she turned around and was faced with a... fairy of sorts, Y/N was ready to actually jump through the glass. She looked at the woman, eyes wide and mouth open but in return did not get more than a bat of an eye. Her heart was going through the roof, Y/N was sure she was going into cardiac arrest.

“Godmother,” Aurora walked next to Y/N and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The human looked at the blonde and then the woman, and back at Aurora. 

“This is...” The princess looked at Y/N in question, realizing she hadn’t even gotten her name yet. It took good 30 seconds for Y/N’s brain to function properly once again. 

“Y-Y/N,” she blabbered and blinked furiously. 

“I’m sorry but... how, did I get here?” 

Aurora and Maleficent shared a look, this was going to be a long night. 

Days passed, then months and soon Y/N realized she had been in the world of fairies and pixies for almost a year. Still, there was no evidence on how she managed to detach herself from her original world, nor how could she ever get back. Y/N did her best to be useful and help around the Moors and the castle until she’d depart, but given the long wait, she had grown used to waking up in her bed in the castle (Maleficent still would not let her spend more than the daylight at Moors), smelling the sweet baked cakes and cookies when getting breakfast and smiling and chatting with the villagers. They were such lovely folk and very understanding. Trade was common, so gold wasn’t really that necessary. Y/N admired that, the community was tightly knit but they didn’t even hesitate to take her in. 

So it did confuse her when one of the first people she had met didn’t want anything to do with her. 

“Miss Y/N, would you like some bread?”

“oh shut it, George, she clearly is in the mood for apples, freshly picked,” The town villagers bickered playfully to which Y/N chuckled and politely said no. 

“Fresh shrimp! Fresh shrimp, straight from the sea,” A merchant walked past Y/N with a stroller full of shrimps and crabs. Y/N smiled to him also and continued her stroll towards the music shop. 

“Ah, Y/N, yes, yes, come in. I have it right back there, sit, sit I’ll be right back,” The older man, Thomas, exclaimed as soon as Y/N stepped inside the shop. She chuckled at the elder’s antics and leaned to the counter to wait for her ukulele. Y/N had no idea if that was what the people here called it, but after drawing a picture for them, Thomas was eager to build her one. Music was something Y/N was missed dearly from her old world. 

“And here, she’s a beauty. You chose the wood perfectly,” Thomas showed her the final product. Y/N looked at it in awe, it must have been the most precise and beautiful ukulele she had ever held. The dark wood was smooth and almost silky in her hands. The strings worked together perfectly, Y/n couldn’t hear one note out of place. 

“Here you go,” She gave Thomas his money and played a couple of chords. 

“It’s amazing, thank you so much.” 

Thomas looked at the ukulele with pride and nodded to the girl. 

“You must play at the fall festival,” he boasted, holding his thumbs underneath his suspenders. “You sound rather dashing.” 

Y/N blushed a little and hung the ukulele around her neck from the leather belt. 

“I-I’m not s sure of that. But thank you, really,” She dismissed herself as another client came into the shop. 

Now very content with the ukulele around her neck, and feeling much more at home, Y/N sneaked out of the village and near the edge of the forest, where the Moors was hidden. She sighed, wondering if anyone would mind her going in at this time of the day as the sun was setting. She’d love to see the sunset from the waterfalls someday, but a certain someone immediately crossed her mind from thinking about it. 

So Y/N ended up staying by a lonely tree in the middle of the field. There was a strong branch, not far away from the ground where she spent most of her time, watching the sunset down the horizon. When the golden and pink rays hit her face and made everything a tad bit magical. 

“And you can hear me. When I say softly... slowly” Y/N played with he strings and finding the right tabs. She cleared her throat, watching the sunset and sang to herself quietly. 

“Hold me closer tiny dancer” A couple of strings weren’t right and she corrected herself. 

“Count the headlights on the highway. Lay me down in sheets of linen. You had a busy day today.” 

“What a sad song,” a familiar, but a very unexpected voice spoke and Y/N stopped playing. She looked behind her from where Maleficent flew to the branch with ease. Y/N felt her cheeks tint a little, very much taken aback by the fact that the fae even talking to her. 

“I-I guess,” She mumbled with slightly tinted cheeks. “It’s beautiful.” 

Maleficent squinted her eyes a little as she scanned Y/N’s sudden change in her demeanor. Red was splashed on her cheeks and ears, it was almost adorable how flustered she got. The fae hummed in response. 

“How was your day?” Y/N suddenly piped up, while playing with the strings of that weird instrument. She bit her lip when they sat in silence, hoping she didn’t sound awkward. 

“Busy,” Maleficent said cleverly, a slight smile tugging her red lips. Y/N didn’t suppress her laugh but let it out. Her teeth were pearly white even in the setting sun. Her skin seemed to glow in the golden rays. 

Y/N huffed silently and rolled her lips together, continuing to play the song. Maleficent noticed faint, white line going down her side of neck when Y/N rolled her head to her side to see the strings properly. Her voice was very beautiful, even though Maleficent didn’t understand anything that she was singing about. she was a very odd woman. 

Still, she couldn’t help but love her more every day. 

[mercurymetals]

i could never be alone

I apologise for how long this took @rose-obsidian. Writing yan!Bruno is honestly so difficult for me, I just can't do my man dirty like that... So please forgive me, but this is 100% self-indulgent fluffy domestic Bruno content. I went full in on the caring reader vibes tbh. There’s just like... a 2%, barely-passable yandere bit at the end.

Warnings: None. But skip this one if you don’t like fluff.

You can barely contain your excitement as you reach out to knock on the door. It's not often that you come over to visit your boyfriend - not for a lack of wanting on either side, but because he rarely gets a day off, spending most of his time outside with his team, or in that favourite restaurant of his. Most of your time together is spent in there too, which can be awkward considering his teammates often hang around on the other end of the room, throwing amused glances your way.

But today is different. In the morning you woke up to a text from Bruno asking you to come over when you're up. You immediately flung yourself from the bed and made a mad dash for your closet. You didn't bother making yourself look too fancy, just presentable enough to leave your house, and practically speed-walked the entire half hour of a journey to Bruno's place.

And now here you are, unable to stop yourself from smiling as you wait by his front door. It's been a little while since you've last seen him, as he was away from Naples on some business. You don't know the details of what he does, but you never inquire too deeply. Bruno doesn't seem to enjoy sharing about it either, so you don't prod. What matters is that he's back, and clearly has earned himself a rest - a rest which he is choosing to spend with you. You couldn't be more happy about that.

After a few more seconds, the lock clicks and the door swings open. You are greeted with the sight of Bruno in a loose white T-shirt, and dalmatian-patterned pants that you recognise to be a part of his pyjamas. He's also wearing similarly-patterned slippers.

He opens his mouth to greet you, but you don't give him the chance. You throw yourself into his arms, clumsily pressing your lips to his as a way of saying hello. Bruno is surprised for a moment, and then you feel him laugh against your mouth as he returns the kiss, embracing you in his arms. He pulls away just enough to quietly say your name, then leans in to kiss you properly, tenderly, his lips fitting perfectly against yours.

"I missed you," you say when he pulls away again, and he smiles.

"So I see," he says, tugging you inside the house and closing the door. "I missed you as well. Come on."

The two of you make your way to the living room, where the small television is currently playing some news program. You suspect Bruno switched it on more for background noise than anything, given his extremely limited TV license (a discovery that left you highly disappointed the last time you visited).

The rest of the room is bare of anything interesting save for layers of dust on the shelves. You drop your bag on the sofa and turn to Bruno. "Let me help you out with cleaning a little."

He blinks. "What? No, I did not invite you here to do my chores for me--"

You roll your eyes. "Oh please. Dusting a little won't take that long. Just let me do it, and then we can relax for the rest of the day."

It's not that you're crazy about neatness, you just want your boyfriend to have a decent space to come back to every evening, at the very least. The place is modest, but the lack of memorabilia beyond a few photos in the bedroom makes the house feel lonely and vacant. It's really no wonder he doesn't like staying here much.

Bruno gives you a measured look, but finally gives in. "Alright. But in that case I'm helping, too."

There's no point arguing with him, so both of you dig through his kitchen cupboards until you find some old dust cloths and cleaning spray bottles, and then you get to work.

The announcer on the television is currently discussing the rising problem of drug abuse in Italy, which is far from an exciting soundtrack to do chores to. Bruno seems to think the same, for he reaches for the remote and switches it, leaving it on some pop music channel.

As it soon turns out, dusting to the tune of Survivor blasting in the background can in fact be very motivating, and what was supposed to be a quick sweep through the room ends in a full-blown house cleaning session. Spring started last week, so you reckon it's only appropriate.

Once you're done dusting, you set to the task of sweeping the floor, while Bruno searches for a vacuum he's sure must be somewhere in the house. His search is briefly interrupted when you decide to passionately lip-sync to Lady Marmalade, using the end of the broom as your microphone.

At one point you get really into it, and perhaps get a little inappropriate with the broom. Bruno tries hard to stifle his laughter, but loses the battle when you try to lean on the handle sexily and the brush slips against the floor, causing you to lose your balance. You only just manage to catch yourself from falling, and Bruno makes a passing comment about teaching you the ropes someday. You take note of this to question him on another day about.

When you're done with the living room, you move on to the kitchen and wipe all the counters down. Then you go through each cupboard, throwing out old and expired products (mainly tea bags and unused spaghetti noodle packets years past their expiry dates; and on one occasion an ancient jar of tomato sauce which neither of you dare try opening). You are unsurprised to see Bruno's fridge is largely empty, but you still go through it and get rid of a couple of stale vegetables, and a bottle of ketchup so old you can't even get it to spurt anything out when you test it.

Two hours and some more poorly done performances by yours truly later (although you do manage to rope Bruno in on singing I Want It That Way with you, which ends in a nice make out session that is then tragically interrupted by you going into a sneezing fit from all that dust in the air, much to Bruno's amusement), everything is tidied up and sparkling clean.

But you're not done yet.

You insist on going grocery shopping, intent on cooking dinner for tonight. You know one of the reasons Bruno loves that restaurant of his so much is because he's never really had the time to learn how to make anything more complex than an omelette, and you intend to treat him to something nice after having forced him to spend half his day off doing chores with you. All that said, Bruno doesn't seem to mind this turn of events, going along with your plans with a smile and no complaints.

But both of you feel a little icky after all that work, so you decide to take a shower together before leaving. It's a bit of a squeeze to fit both of you in the cubicle, but you're not in a particular hurry, and you enjoy a companionable silence against the hot stream of water, cleaning up with slow, relaxed movements, careful not to disrupt or bump each other.

Your favourite part is when Bruno quietly offers to wash your hair for you, and the feel of his long fingers soothingly massaging your scalp is nothing short of heavenly. You don't think you'll be able to stand the idea of having to wash your hair by yourself after that experience.

The shopping trip itself is brief but enjoyable. Bruno lets you pick out most of the products, although you have a disagreement when you try to add some apples to the cart, which Bruno vehemently refuses to purchase. You give it up, but promise you'll change his mind yet on the delicious fruit in the future.

Back at his place, so soon as you're done putting the groceries away, you send Bruno off to the living room for a break. He's insistent on wanting to help you out, but you're more insistent on the fact he's useless in the kitchen and anyway it's really not a big deal, you like doing this kind of stuff. You get a feeling he's not entirely pleased to be leaving all the work to you, but he does as you say and you have the kitchen to yourself.

You've known Bruno long enough to know his tastes, and you set about making a risotto using his favourite porcini mushrooms. With having to prepare the rice and the broth, it takes you about an hour to finish, and you take a few minutes towards the end to grill some scallops as a side dish, since you know he loves them.

You're almost done setting everything on the plates, when Bruno walks into the kitchen with a yawn. You smile. "Took a nap?"

"Yes... But tesoro, whatever you made smells amazing."

You grin in satisfaction. You do feel a little guilty for having tired out your boyfriend all day, but at least you'll be making it up to him with this.

A few minutes later, you discover your cooking not only smells amazing, but tastes it as well. You're glad you managed not to botch it, and you and Bruno clean your plates in no time, enjoying a glass of white wine each to go along with it. Bruno is particularly delighted by the scallops, and you watch him eat them with an uncharacteristic excitement. You wonder how long it's been since he's treated himself to something he likes, but you don't want to bring the mood down, so you don't ask about it.

You finish your evening by curling up on the living room sofa together, limbs tangled and your head resting on his chest as some cheesy romantic movie plays on low volume on the TV.

But there's something on your mind. Something that even after a whole day together, Bruno hasn't brought up.

You put your hand on his chest, and run your fingers on the open part of his jacket, tracing the patterns of the black lace against his skin. You can tell he's looking at you now, but he still doesn't say anything, so you speak up first. "Caro... Don't you have something you want to tell me?"

The text you got that morning mentioned there was something he wanted to discuss. You were so excited to go over and spend the day with him however, that it nearly slipped your mind entirely. Until now.

There's a beat of silence, but Bruno gives in quickly. "Yes. I do." You think he's trying to find the right way to say it, and he speaks carefully when he finally continues. "You've heard of what's been happening recently around Naples. The streets may not be as safe as they used to be any more. Being with me automatically puts you in danger..."

You suddenly feel uneasy. He's not... he's not about to break up with you, is he?

"...But at this point, I prefer it to the idea of you being all by yourself."

You shift so that you can meet his eyes. "What do you mean?"

He's frowning. "You live alone, tesoro. I don't like that."

You tilt your head. It's true that you live on your own, but... What exactly is he getting at?

Seeing your expression, Bruno clarifies: "I think I'd like you to stay here with me. Permanently."

You stare at him for a long moment. Permanently? He wants you to move in with him? Well, that's... That's a little sudden. You don't hate the idea, but you're not sure if you love it, either, for a variety of reasons, which you soon try to explain to him. "Bruno, living together would be lovely... But you don't exactly spend much time here. Besides, my place is much closer to my work."

"I can take you to work, and pick you up afterwards. Or if not me, I can send someone from my team," he argues, and you recognise that tone of voice. It's one that tells you he's made his mind up about something. Normally when you hear it, you don't bother arguing back, knowing Bruno is prone to staying committed once he makes a decision.

"Your workplace should be safe, but as for where you stay... I feel more confident about being able to protect this place, than worrying about your safety from far away,” Bruno tells you earnestly.

You chew on your lip, mulling over his words. Even if he's right, it's just a little unexpected. You didn't exactly come here ready to give up your old lifestyle. But... he does have a point... But also... Argh, you really can't decide on the spot like this!

Bruno sees your hesitation, and sighs. "Look, tesoro... Vita mia... Let me put this another way." He holds you tighter, a loving but firm embrace. "I'm not letting you leave here again. Even if I have to keep you here by force."

You don't reply to that, slowly lowering your head and pressing your cheek to his chest. Well... He's probably not actually serious about that last part, but you find it moving that he cares this much. And, looking back on the day you shared together... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to turn this house into a place he wants to come back to. To turn it into a home.

"Alright," you agree quietly. "I'll move in with you."

Bruno relaxes against you. "Good." His hand starts petting your hair gently, reminiscent of that time in the shower earlier today. You lean into the touch, closing your eyes.

"But Caro... I didn't bring any clothes with me, or anything..."

"I'll lend you something of mine. Come on, let's get ready for bed."

How could you refuse that? You let him pet you for a little while longer, but eventually the two of you slink off the couch. Bruno switches the television off, and tugs you along to his bedroom. You follow after him rather happily.

[cost-of-chaos]

All You Need Is Love (Chapter Seven)

Once again thank you @xgoingdownx for helping me out!  I just want to thank everyone who has read this and liked or reblogged or commented, every time someone interacts with my story my day is made! If you wanna be tagged or just give me feedback my ask box is always open xx

Roger Taylor x OC

Words: 2.3K

Warnings: Mentions of smut 

Previous Chapters: Chapter One / Chapter Two / Chapter Three / Chapter Four / Chapter Five / Chapter Six

I awoke to the sound of my front door slamming, panic instantly swept through my body as lay still in the bed. I couldn’t move, I was completely frozen in place. I could feel my heart jumping out of my chest with every beat, had I forgotten to lock my door last night? 

My fears faded as the intruder finally showed themselves in the dim light from the rising sun. It was Roger. What was he doing back here? He wasn’t meant to be arriving back in London until tonight. Roger silently climbed into the bed next to me, with Lenny in his arms purring away loudly as he received much sought after chin scratches.

“I would never cheat on you Ronnie, you know that. What you heard was the room next to mine."  He whispered, bringing his rough hands up to my face, cupping my cheeks softly. I stared into his soft, blue eyes as they searched my face, full of anticipation of what I would say. I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping in shock, was he being serious? Was this all just a misunderstanding?

“I love you Ronnie, I’m sorry we fought, I feel as thought I have been missing a part of myself without you.” His eyes glassed over as tears filled his eyes, and mine soon did the same, leaving him a blurry haze of beauty.

“I’m sorry for not believing you, I love you baby.” I kissed him hard, with a sense of urgency, I’d missed him so much and I needed to convey that to him.

He laid me down on the bed so he was hovering me, his long hair tickling my neck as he smiled down at me. The smile I’ve missed so much, the smile I never thought I’d see again.

He kissed me softly, peppering kisses down my neck, with a tenderness he hadn’t ever shown a whole lot of. He pulled my shirt off of my body slowly, kissing my stomach as he did so before pulling my knickers off too, kissing his way back up my body. He made it to my upper thigh and started lightly sucking, I was already ready for him, he was going to push me over the edge without even getting close to me. Removing his clothes with haste, I tried to gain control of the situation but he didn’t let me, he pinned my hands down as he started lapping at my core. This teasing was agony, I needed him inside of me, I felt as though my desire for him had never been this strong. By the time he slowly, entered me I felt as though I might come undone by the thought of it all. His movements were agonisingly slow and full of love, full of passion. This wasn’t just makeup sex, we were making love.

I awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as I recovered from the dream I just left. How could my subconscious betray me like that? How cruel to conjure up such a perfect dream, one that will never come true? I was feeling even more empty and heartbroken than I was yesterday but I needed to continue on with my day and my life. I stretched my arms above my head trying to stretch the kinks out of my neck and back. I was now feeling the full regret from falling asleep on the cheap couch. After a few minutes of lying there with my eyes shut, I decided I needed to get up. I had given myself a day of moping around yesterday and I needed to be somewhat productive today, and drive down to Rogers parents house. Wonderful. I needed coffee, lots of it.

I got up slowly, stretching my tight muscles as I let out a deep yawn. I stumbled into the kitchen, turned the kettle on and started grinding up coffee beans for the French press. God, there was no better smell on a morning like this. I jumped on top of the yellow counters in front of me and rested my back against the window, feeling the rays of sun hit my skin as I closed my eyes bringing the freshly ground coffee to my nose and inhaling. Savouring the moment of morning serenity.

I heard the water start to bubble away in the kettle and I jumped back off the counter, halting my tranquillity. I filled the french press and slowly pressed the beans through the hot water as I stared out of the window. After pouring myself a mug, I walked into the bathroom. I sat the coffee mug on the edge of the pink bathtub, dropped the plug and ran the water.

After adding some bubbles, I submerged myself in the warm water. I lay in the bath until my coffee, bubbles and heat had disappeared, enjoying the silence of a completely empty apartment for once. To be able to lie in the bathtub, and think of nothing as I sipped my morning coffee, I slipped into some sort of zen state, letting all my troubles dissipate with the bubbles.

I finally got out of the bath, wrapping a towel around my body, I walked into the bedroom. It felt weird to walk into the room without seeing Lenny asleep on the window sill. I opened the pine wardrobe door and sifted throw my clothes, I chose a Beatles t-shirt, a brown corduroy skirt and a leather jacket, and quickly threw them on before brushing my teeth and wiping some lip balm onto my lips.

I placed my empty coffee mug in the sink, and poured the remaining coffee from the French press into a pot, putting it on the stove to reheat for my long drive ahead. Why did we think leaving him with Rogers parents was a good idea? Of course, when we planned it, we were going to be doing a fun road trip down to Cornwall together, stopping off at an old B&B and pubs and tea shops on the way down. But no, this was a solo mission now, the first of many presumably.

While my coffee was heating up, I made a jam sandwich and threw an apple into my handbag. After filling a thermos and a water bottle I was ready for my journey. I opened the front door and was greeted by a gust of wind, maybe that leather jacket wasn’t quite going to cut it. I dashed back into the living room and picked the fur coat from last night up from the floor in front of the couch and draped it over my arm. It was always colder down at the seaside and I was sure to need the extra layer sometime today.

After all day on the road, I finally made it back through the door of the apartment, with Lenny in cradled in my arms. I was grumpy and tired but most importantly, starving. But as soon as I let Lenny down, he ran to his bowl in the kitchen, meowing at such a decibel I was sure I was going to get complaints about animal abuse. I found a tin of cat food and scooped it out into his bowl before catering to my own hunger.

I left the apartment again, walking the short distance to the corner of the block to the Chippy. I ordered some chips and found an empty table by the window. I sat down under the fluorescent hanging light at watched rain begin to hit the window outside, of course it was raining, just my luck.

Betty called my number out after a short while, “Veronica, love! I purchased your boyfriends record the other day! I can see why you keep him! He was right, they are amazing!”   

I responded with a tight smile and took my packet of chips, poured some vinegar over them and left the store. Couldn’t I just go one day where Roger wasn’t brought up? Although I suppose it was hardly that poor woman's fault, Rog had been boasting about Queen one night to her after a long night at the pub and insisted ‘she needed to purchase the new album because her life would change as she knew it’. I chuckled to myself at the memory as I walked up the stairs back to the apartment.

I ate my dinner in peaceful silence, reading the book I’d started on the way to Japan with Lenny curled up in my lap. I was in my own little world before the phone started ringing pulling me out of the world of Stephen King.

“Hello?” I answered the phone slightly out of breath after running for the phone, I sat down on the kitchen counter.

“Veronica, at long last you finally grace me with your voice” I heard my mother drawl on the other end. Oh god, I was not in the mood to deal with my mother. I opened the window to my right and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before answering her.

“What is it mum? I’m a bit busy at the moment, can this wait?” I asked, hoping to end this conversation before it even started, I knew what was coming.

“No it can not wait. Where have you been? You left in the middle of the night, a week before you were meant to, I have been calling you for days and this is the first time I hear from you? This is such irresponsible behaviour, you should be ashamed, leaving your sister on her wedding day.”

“Sorry mum.” I said, trying to end the tirade.

“Don’t sorry mum me, young lady. Where have you been? There better be a good excuse for leaving us all without so much as a goodbye.”

I bit my lip, banging my head back on the cupboard behind me with frustration. “I went to Japan.” I said, smiling as the phone went silent. I had completely caught her off guard.

“Why on earth were you Japan” she asked, venom coated her words, she was angry with me, very angry.

“Queen had their first Japan tour, and I didn’t leave my sister on her wedding day, I left at the end of the reception, I did my duty as maid of honour.”

“I should have known you were following your rocker boyfriend around like a groupie, your relationship with him is an embarrassment to the whole family, you do know that don’t you?”

“I am not a groupie, we live together, we’re in love.” I said, choking on the last word, she didn’t need to know he no longer loved me, or that we weren’t together anymore, she’d be impossible if she knew what happened.

“Ahh yes, well don’t tell me I didn’t warn you, you’ll end up getting cheated on, he’ll leave you for a younger, slimmer model, and you’ll be left high and dry.”

I slammed the phone on the receiver. That was too close to the truth, the words pierced me with their accuracy, he had turned me in for someone else. I wasn’t good enough for him. We weren’t as steady and stable as I thought and mum was right about the whole thing.

I needed to get out of this apartment, I needed to stop living the lie of stability that I’d been living. I put a Hendrix record on and put the volume all the way up, I needed some loud music for this. I walked into the bedroom, and retrieved the spare suitcase from underneath the bed, opened it up on the bed and started sifting through our clothes and records, throwing my possessions into the suitcase. Walking into the living room, something caught my eye before I could remove my photos and books from the bookcase. There was a little white piece of paper beside the couch I had slept on last night. I picked it up and found it was a receipt, it must have fallen out of the pocket of Rogers coat.

As I read the faded words on the receipt, I fell to the floor in a dramatic heap. It was a receipt for a high-end jewellery store, He’d spent a lot of money in there, on something I never received. The only pieces of jewellery he’d given me, although pretty, were a lot cheaper and never from a store of this prestige. My heart sunk and I was hit by a wave of nausea. He was having an affair, not just a one night stand. That was the only explanation. My mind was racing as my mind filled with questions:

Who was she? How long had this been going on? When did he fall out of love with me? Why had he done this to me?

I sat there, on the floor, in the middle of the living room with tears streaming down my face in a heavy flow. I felt like an absolute fool. I had no idea just how right my mother had been about him. Had I just been completely blinded by his good looks and charming personality to see him for who he really was?

Knock Knock

If this was the Low’s, complaining about the level of noise coming from the apartment I was going to have their heads. I opened the door fully expecting my vexing neighbours but I was greeted to a head of unmistakable brown curls.

“Brian? What are you doing here?” I asked, opening the door wider for him, letting him through my front door.

“It was me” He said, looking down at me with sad eyes.

“You’re gonna have to give me a few more words Bri... little lost here” I said, walking away from him in the hallway as I went to turn the kettle on.

“It was me that you heard in Roger’s room.”

Taglist: @xgoingdownx, @perriwiinkle, @hiyadarlingirl, @asquiresofftime, @lady1505

[slytherinserpentine]

Break-up Ballet

SOME SMUT, SORT OF FLANGSTY I GUESS, POST WAR AU

Ballet Dancer!Draco

2k words

=========

Harry heaved an impatient sigh, glancing around the swamp that is his room. Clothes were strewn haphazardly throughout the place, draped along chairs and furniture that were barely visible through piles of laundry. What the hell is somebody supposed to wear to a ballet, anyway?

He snatched his Ever-Inking Quill™, courtesy of Cho’s newly opened stationary shop in Diagon Alley, and scratched a brief note to Hermione, which read:

What the hell is somebody supposed to wear to a ballet?

 - HP

“Take that to ‘Mione, please, Reggie.” He whispered to his new barn owl, clicking his teeth gently. He cooed lightly, taking the parchment in his beak. Harry gave his wing a light stroke, and sent him off.

It wasn’t long before he returned, parchment tucked gently in his talons, and Hermione’s neat print scrawled along in bold ink.

Wear that white collared shirt you have, with black trousers and a black tie. Nice shoes as well. Dress smartly, at least.

  - HG

“Thanks, Hermione,” He mumbled to himself. “And thank you Reggie, you handsome bird.” Reggie chirped appreciatively, pushing his beak against the ball of his palm. He smiled a little. Reg was a great owl, he really was, but Harry still missed Hedwig dearly. He only got a new bird out of necessity.

Harry finished getting ready, thanks to Hermione’s help, and stared at his mirror reflection. God, his friends were right. He did look like he needed a night off work.

The bags under his eyes were heavy, and prominent. His eyes looked sunken into his school. Even with all the extra product, his hair was a wild tangle of curls, grown out for far too long. His lips were chapped and cracked, and his shoulders looked heavy, slumped over and exhausted. He looked exhausted.

Ever since he and Draco split up- he winced at the thought- which was over a year ago, work has consumed him, in a way.

He walked out of his apartment with a determination to have one good night. At least one. It’s been too long.

The London air was chilly, and bit at his ears until they went numb. He walked along an old, damp sidewalk, riddled with weeds, and counted the cracks. He could smell stale cigarettes and perfume, and watched the ground for shadows cast by the sunset-colored street lights. The walk to the theatre wasn’t bad.

“Hey, mate, good to see you,” Ron grinned, clapping him on the bag on sight. His giddiness was contagious, and Harry found himself laughing a little.

“Harry! You look great,” Hermione wrapped him in a warm hug. For a second, the familiar scent of old books and apples confronted him. Hermione always did smell like home.

He hugged her back tightly, “Hey, guys.”

“So, let me give you a quick rundown on this event,” She said with business-like professionalism, and Harry felt himself melt into the familiarity of it. He was glad his friends never changed. “This company is world-famous. They’ve won several international competitions, and are known to be one of the most competitive and aggressive in the nation. So just, be respectful.”

“Yes, m’am.” Ron jokingly saluted her, wearing a teasing smile. She hit his shoulder, but laughed along anyway.

They quickly found their seats, and the ballet started shortly after. Harry wasn’t as bored as he expected to be. The dancers graced the stage in beautiful, synchronized movements that were beyond impressive. The group dances, however, were not nearly as interesting as the final event.

“And finally, a highly-anticipated solo from one of the UK’s most talented dancers: Draco Malfoy himself.”

A wave of applause overtook the crowd, just at his name. Harry blinked vacantly, and everyone around him suddenly became a blur of unfocused faces and far-away people. Draco Malfoy. He swallowed hard, and ignored Hermione and Ron’s concerned whispers.

Had he been smart, Harry would have left the theatre then and there. But echoes of memories played over in his head, uninterrupted by the heavy claps from either side of him. Slow dancing in the kitchen to Elvis. Kissing and grinding against each other, music blasting from the muggle speakers, almost loud enough to draw out their moans and whispers.

Their song. A muggle song, called “Old Money.” Lana Del Ray. Draco loved her voice.

Harry thought he was imagining it when that song started quietly through the speakers, but he wasn’t. Draco walked slowly across the stage, though ‘walked’ doesn’t feel like the right word. He might as well have been floating.

The words started, and Draco began. Harry took a harsh breath in. Draco’s body become fluid, powered only by rhythm and momentum. His muscles rippled under his skin, and a forlorn sort of longing crossed his features. He leapt and spun slowly across the stage, and every audience member held their breath. He moved like a flame: pure heat, flickering carelessly, but carefully at the same time. It was stunning.

The lights reflected in the paleness of his skin, and he became a shining pool of moonlight, and Harry felt a mask of warm tears welling in his eyes. Anger and jealousy seized him, because how dare this audience sit here. They don’t deserve to see him in all this beauty- when Harry knew him. Knew what this song was to him. Knew that this was not acting- that wistfulness that he embodied in his dancing- that was real.

The song came to an end and Harry had barely noticed the tears rolling in silent sobs down his face.

“Harry- Harry, are you okay?” Hermione was shaking his shoulder gently, but Harry didn’t bring himself to move. Couldn’t bring himself to move. Same thing.

“Did you know?” He whispered. “That it was him.”

“No, Harry, of course not.”

“Really? Really? You had no idea? It was just- just some happy fucking coincidence?” Harry whispered, a manic expression morphing his face.

“Harry, I’m so sorry,” Hermione said with a tight voice.

“Forget it.” He stood up abruptly, in the middle of a standing ovation, leaving the venue. Just one night. That was all he asked for.

Before he left, he threw one careless look back. Just before a bow, Draco’s eyes met his. The wind was knocked from his lungs as he lost himself in that gaze for the first time in a year. Draco froze, just for a second, and his winning smile was replaced with an open, parted expression. Harry turned and left.

-*-

He decided he didn’t want to go home. So he stayed outside, half-hoping that his friends would come looking for him, half-hoping they fuck off for a very long time. They never came.

He threw a half-hearted punch at the brick wall. Cold wind prickled against his skin. Everything fucking hurt. He leaned against the wall, silent cries shuddering through his lips.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” He whispered to an uncaring moon.

“Take a drag,” a voice suggested from behind him.

He did his best to wipe the pathetic tear tracks from his skin, but he knew it didn’t matter. He turned around, and Draco was holding out a cigarette, one already hanging from his teeth.

He opened his mouth to say something, but just took the cig wordlessly, instead. He held it between his teeth and let Draco light it. “Thanks.”

“Why’d you come tonight?” Draco whispered, not looking at him. Harry watched curls of smoke float into the night.

“Hermione invited me,” Harry whispered, taking the cigarette in his hand. “She thought I needed a night off from work.”

“You look like you need more than just one night off from work,” Draco muttered, sparing a sideways glance at him. “Jesus, look at the state of you.”

“You’re a real dick, you know that?” Harry said, half-angry and half just wanting to cry, before taking another long drag.

Draco didn’t protest that. He didn’t say anything for a long time, actually. Until Harry started walking away, with the intention to walk home. There was nothing left for him here. Just a ghost of what used to be home.

“Wait, Harry.” Draco called. Harry turned. “What, um, what did you think? Of the dance.”

Harry stared at him. He gave Draco a cruel look, the cruellest he could muster, and dropped the cigarette to the ground, stomping out the flame against damp pavement. “I thought it was fucking amazing. Brought me to tears, you piece of utter shit.”

“Wait, Harry.” Draco took his cig between his fingers. “Harry. Harry.”

“What?” Harry turned and snapped.

Before he knew it there were soft, hungry lips against his, and cold fingers pulling at his hair. Harry gasped, sliding his tongue against Draco’s, remembering and revelling in his smell. His mouth tasted like cigarettes but Harry couldn’t bother himself to care. The velvety feel of his flushed cheeks. God, he missed this.

Draco pulled away too soon. “I choreographed that bloody dance for you.”

“What?”

“It’s for you, Harry. All of it. I hate it, but I’m still so hopelessly fucking in love with you.” He choked on the words and fell into pieces right in that alleyway. “I can’t dance without thinking about you. I can’t do anything without thinking about you, Harry, and I resent you for that.”

Harry kissed him, and fluorescent light from the streetlamp clung to their silhouettes.

“I haven’t ever stopped loving you,” Harry whispered, pushing him against the brick wall, pinning him by his wrists Draco’s lips brushed lightly against the shell of Harry’s ear as he whispered, “Then prove it.”

Draco’s leather jacket was the first item of clothing to fall on the ground, and Harry’s mouth devoured the skin of his neck. Draco’s knees threatened to buckle and tiny whimpers blew into the wind at every touch. His trousers were next, as Harry pushed them to his ankles, then his pants.

His erection sprang free, all red and needy. Harry tenderly stroked the length of it, and Draco’s hips bucked against the brick with a heavy groan. Harry kissed him again, hard, with teeth clashing and hands grabbing.

“Please, oh god, Harry,” Draco breathed steadily. “God, please touch me.”

Harry sank to his knees, looking up at Draco through his eyelashes. Draco moaned loudly, “Get on with it, Potter.”

Harry’s tongue darted out to lick away a bead of precome, and Draco thrusted against his lips. Harry smiled, before licking a fat stripe along the shaft.

“Gods, yes, Harry,” Draco cried, hands burying themselves in Harry’s hair.

He took the whole of Draco’s length into his mouth at once, and bobbed his head to an invisible beat, his tongue twirling and working itself around the tip.

“Fuck,” Draco said.

Harry dug the heel of his palms into Draco’s thighs, and lapped away at his stiff, swollen cock. Draco yelled out, curling his hands into tight fists.

Harry took as much of Draco in as he could, and used his hands to tug at his balls teasingly. “Shit, I’m gonna- oh, fuck-”

He came in spurts, with a satisfied groan. “Oh, Harry.” He mumbled.

Harry cast a wordless cleaning charm and smiled.

“Come on,” He said. “We’re going home.”

[northsouthnorth]

Canadian adventures

Canada has been on my bucketlist for quite a while, and last summer I finally got the chance to go there and spend 5 weeks on outdoor adventures. I am definitely not always that good at planning my trips, so when I landed in Vancouver I had only a vague idea of the country I just had landed in. It turned out that I pretty quickly learned many of the do’s and don’ts in this beautiful country.

First: climbing!

One of the things on my Canadian to-do list was climbing on some of the rock there. After some recommendations from friend and Vancouver locals, I went over to the Stawamus Chief Campground near Squamish, just an hour North of Vancouver. This campground is where climbers from all over the world gather to climb the iconic 700 m. granite wall of “The Chief” with loads of both sports and traditional climbing routes. If this Grand Wall is just a bit too intimidating, then there are also many other climbs in the area to keep one entertained for months on end. And if you need to give your arms a rest for the day, then there is loads of hiking and mountainbiking to do on the different trails in the area. The campsite itself is the coziest campsite that I have ever been too. It is, unlike many other campsites in Canada, a first-come –first-serve campsite with 47 walk-in camp pads and very basic facilities. Whereas I was only familiar to campsites that have big open field where you can park your tent basically anywhere, this and other campsites in Canada consist mainly of tent pads; big squares on which you can pitch a couple of tents. At night, people slowly come over to the picnic benches to cook up their dinners, play some games and find their climbing buddies for the next day.

Camping amongst wildlife

But even though it is so much fun there, and there are quite a few people present at all times, one of the things you can’t slack on is the way you store your food. Bears roam nearly everywhere in the country, and also near many of the campsites. Whenever food (or any food-related items and other products with a smell, such as toothpaste) is left behind unattended, a bear could just sniff its way to it. As soon as it then gets accustomed to human food, it might lose its fear of humans. At that point it is a threat to the public and will  to be euthanized. And also, imagine waking up in your sleeping bag whilst a bear is eating its way through your breakfast that you forgot to take out of your tent porch.. So every time that you leave your tent or crawl into your sleeping bag, make sure that all your food is safely stowed away. On many campsites you’ll find special food bins or structures that allow you to hang your food high up in the air.  

Squamish luckily only has the Black bears, which seem to be the “friendlier” variant of bears. But after 10 days of fun in Squamish, I left that behind to go on some multiple day hikes in the next state to the East, Alberta. There you will find Jasper and Banff national park, which do not only host Grizzly bears and other wildlife, but also the great sights of the Canadian Rocky mountains with countless hiking trails. Most of the campsites, both the ones near the towns and the ones on the trails will need to be booked – for some quite a long while advance. By the time that I arrived to Jasper, it was September and therefore off-season, so I was lucky enough to book myself into 3 multi-day hikes.

 Hiking equipment

For these hikes, I needed a bit more equipment than on hikes I’ve been on in other countries. Being in Grizzly territory, you will want to have some bear spray at hand – and know how to use it without spraying yourself in the eyes with this strong pepper spray. It is however quite rare that one really gets to use the spray on any of the wildlife. The animals are mainly dangerous when they are surprised by humans, or when humans come too close to their young. Just remember to be quite noisy on your trip, by talking with your hiking buddies, sing, or just scream “Hey Bear!” every once in a while. Most animals will then be long gone before you come too close. And just remember to store your food away securely, and carry all (yes, also your apple core) waste out with you.

Apart from the wildlife, also water quality is something you’ll have to think about. Unfortunately you shouldn’t really drink water straight from the stream in Canada, so always carry a water filter or some purification tablets. I personally prefer the water filter, as through them you can drink the water straight away (with tablets you often have to let them work for a while) and you’ll avoid giving your water a chemical taste. I used the MSR Trailshot Microfilter, which is  a small, very light and easy to use filter. The tube leading towards the water is relatively short and pumping goes rather slow, but especially for solo-hikers this is a very good choice. If you are with a bigger group, you might consider using a bigger system like the MSR guardian purifier.

Another piece of new equipment for me was a GPS device with messenger function. Phone coverage in the Canadian National parks is very small, and as a solo hiker I do find it essential to be able to send out an emergency message if necessary. Apart from being able to send out messages, also the GPS map function of some of these devices can come in handy. The trails in the national parks of Canada are usually easy to find and follow, but there is always a chance of a damaged part of the trail where you’ll have to find another way around.

Apart from those things, the other things that I needed for my multi-day hikes in Canada were pretty standard. I brought a new and very light one man tent (so sorry to leave my good old Hilleberg at home though). I also exchanged my old Prolite Plus Therm-a-Rest for the an even warmer and lighter sleeping pad; the NeoAir Xtherm from the same brand. I knew that the nights would be pretty chilly, and with an R value of 5.7, this pad should be able to keep you nice and warm in your sleeping bag. I still haven’t really decided if it is actually comfortable or not though... My cooking equipment was the MSR whisperlight. Not the lightest piece of equipment, but it will burn at cold temperatures and you’ll be able to find fuel everywhere – I knew that in case there was no outdoor store to be found anywhere, I could knock the door of a gas station and fill up my fuel bottle there. You’ll burner will burn black, but at least you will have hot food. My hiking poles definitely saved me on this trip, as did my Arcteryx down jacket. And last but not least; I have been carrying an emergency blanket around on hikes for the past 5 years, and my Canadian hiking buddy Megan finally showed me a good use for it. It keeps you very nice and warm if you wrap it around your waist under all your clothes, or you can stuff it at your feet inside your sleeping bag. It is probably some of the cheapest and lightest equipment you can buy, but it definitely does a very good job at keeping you warm.

And finally: the hikes!

So what hikes did I do? I first started on the longest of them: the Brazeau loop, which leads you over 3 amazing mountain passes over just more than 80 km of trail. Here you’ll really feel the wilderness, as apart from the campsites and trails, there is no sign of human activity and there are so many different animals around. The skyline trail was the next hike I went on, which took 3 days. This hike is probably the most popular overnight hike in Jasper national park, and so especially this one needs to be booked quite far in advance. It takes you through beautiful meadows and up onto an amazing ridge. Don’t be fooled by the popularity of this trail though – this doesn’t make it any safer. There are some windtunnels on that ridge, and when we were there, the wind blowed so hard that Megan, Vance and I had to crawl over some of the stretches. Scooting myself on my butt over a trail is definitely not my favorite form of transportation.. Also on my final multiday hike, the Tonquin valley, the weather was not my best friend as it suddenly became very cold. Where I was walking in shorts on the Brazeau loop, the Tonquin valley left me shivering in my sleeping bag, wrapped in emergency blankets. It is, however, a beautiful (but also very muddy) hike, with unforgettable views over Amethyst lake. I even spotted a grizzly bear here – luckily we were on opposite sides of the valley!

So if you do not know what to do yet this summer, make sure to book a ticket to beautiful Canada for your outdoor holiday. It is a truly amazing country – just make sure to stock up on the right gear before you go!

At night at one of the campsites of the Brazeau loop

At the second mountain pass of the Brazeau loop

Crawling over the ridge at the Skyline trail - with Megan and Vance

Chilly nights in my tiny tent at the Tonquin valley trail

The beautiful Amethyst lake

A pretty unexpected change in climate on top of the Sulphur Skyline

[wineanddinosaur]

EOD Drinks With Julia Prestia, Co-Owner of Venturini Baldini

In this episode of “End Of Day Drinks,” VinePair’s editorial team is joined by Julia Prestia, the co-owner of Venturini Baldini. The team chats with Prestia about all things Lambrusco. Lambrusco has seen a recent rise in the American market. However, Prestia wants to usher in a new generation of wine lovers to the authenticity of the variety. Though Lambrusco got a bad rep in the ‘80s, oenophiles are rediscovering the wines of Emilia-Romagna.

The Venturini Baldini estate takes pride in producing its wines using organic agriculture since 1976 — a trend that has since caught on. Now, Prestia aims to be at the forefront of the rebirth of Lambrusco.

Listen online

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Or Check out the conversation here

Keith Beavers: Hello and welcome to VinePair’s “End of Day Drinks” podcast. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tasting director of VinePair, as well as the host of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast. Today I am excited (like, excited) to welcome Julia Prestia. She is a co-owner of Venturini Baldini, which is an historic producer of organic Lambrusco. Yeah, Lambrusco and sparkling rosé wines in Emilia-Romagna. An amazing place. Welcome, Julia.

Julia Prestia: My pleasure. Thank you.

K: I am joined by a bunch of people. We have Katie Brown, Emma Cranston, Tim McKirdy, and Cat Wolinski, and this is all part of our editorial team here at VinePair. I’m very excited about this, but you were nice enough to send us some bottles of Lambrusco. I have all three of them open, and I’ll be drinking them, because this is very exciting. I want to get this conversation started about Lambrusco, about the idea of Lambrusco, and how we as American culture have experienced Lambrusco. In the ’70s and the ’80s, we had certain brands that came over here that had a certain texture and flavor to them. They were sweet, they were bubbly. We got into it, and it was cool. That’s what we thought was Lambrusco. Now, we’re starting to see more Lambrusco coming onto the market. I think that it’s very, very exciting. It’s one of my favorite Italian wines. I love it so much, and I love what you’re doing with it. You might be part of this new movement of Lambrusco and showing what it actually is. Can you talk a little about that?

J: It’s really an exciting time. I feel Lambrusco is being revived as what you described as a new generation of Lambrusco. What is so exciting about it for us is, we’re going back to the old traditional way of making them because it wasn’t supposed to be the sweet drink that you had in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In terms of quantities, it is one of the most exported wines from Italy. It’s a broadly distributed wine. However, especially in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a lot of people associated it with a completely different type of wine than it historically was and should be. The traditional type of Lambrusco is a dry, premium type of Lambrusco. It’s a serious wine, but it’s still the cheerful, happy wine that it should be. It fits really nicely in the mood of the moment this way so it’s a very exciting time for us.

K: I love it. I love the dryness. I remember when I first tried a real Lambrusco, I was like, “Oh, so this is what it’s like.”

Katie Brown: I’m curious, because you mentioned the Lambrusco of the ’80s. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think that consumers have right now about Lambrusco?

J: Well, I think one of the biggest misconceptions is still that all Lambrusco is sweet. Arguably, I understand where that’s coming from because a lot of the wines that came especially to the U.S., but also to other countries at that time, were really, really sweet. They’re still around and there are producers who produce that very sweet Lambrusco, but there’s more of a trend to go back to the dry version like we historically made it. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions is that people need to see that it’s not supposed to be sweet. It’s still the happy wine, as I call it, because it’s a very social wine. It’s a very drinkable wine, but without being sweet. Then, I think the other thing that people don’t necessarily see is how versatile it is and how it’s really a spectrum of tastes, colors, and grapes, for that matter. There’s such diversity in it.

K: I love that. It’s interesting, the thing about Lambrusco is this idea of fun and enjoyment of it. What’s awesome about Lambrusco is it is bubbly. It has effervescence and this idea of fun, but it is your wine in your region. It just so happens that it’s fun, it’s seriously made, but also fun to enjoy, if you will.

J: Yes, I agree.

K: This is another thing about Emilia-Romagna that people may not know, but this is the place where we get balsamic vinegar. We get the Parmigiano Reggiano. I’m curious, it said that the Lambrusco in this region was initially meant for digestion because of its dry, bubbly nature, it helps with the food. Is that correct?

J: Well, I personally think it’s the right wine for the food that we’re producing in our region. There’s definitely a fit between the food and the wine. It’s also the acidity that comes with it. If you look at some of the grapes, the Sorbara grape, for example, has a really beautiful acidity to it. That really helps with digesting and setting off the fatty food. Yes, it is predominantly heavy food from our wheat, but it is very delicious. The funny thing is people know Parmigiano Reggiano, the balsamic vinegar, the prosciutto, also Ferrari, Maserati. It’s all from the same region, and it’s amazing when you put it all together and you say that this is actually all coming from one region, and it’s Emilia-Romagna.

Emma Cranston: Julia, I actually wanted to circle back because you just mentioned vinegar. I was super curious about the vinegar on your property. Could you tell us a little about what the vinegar tasting tours look like and your ancient vinegar cellar?

J: To describe our property, we are an atypical estate because it looks more like Tuscany or Piemonte. It has a very Tuscan feel with the cypress trees and the gravel roads going all the way up into our hills. We’re in the hills between Parma and Reggio Emilia alongside the Villa Emilia that cuts across Emilia-Romagna. On the property, you have vineyards, trees, forests, lakes, and just a lot of green. We also have an acetaia. Acetaia is a vinegar cellar. It’s actually under the roof, so it’s more like an attic in reality. It’s one of the oldest, in general, and it’s the oldest in Reggio Emilia, from the 17th century, so it’s a really magical place. It’s almost like a museum because it’s completely intact. Luckily, it has never suffered any earthquakes or anything like that, so it’s a very unique place. The family that used to live on the property made personal vinegar where you will see a lot of barrels making that vinegar. There’s definitely a lot of vinegar being produced, and we’re continuing this tradition. We were inviting people to see the acetaia. They can taste the balsamic vinegar that we produce. We produce the traditional balsamic vinegar and then balsamic condiments. It’s a wide spectrum of things that people can taste. With the wines, they get a tour of the vineyards, learn about the history of the estate and the traditions of how to make balsamic vinegar. People can see, smell, and taste everything. It’s a really beautiful, magical place.

K: Oh, that sounds amazing. One thing about this from the production side, you’re really big about organic agriculture. I’m curious about what that’s like in your area. Are you spearheading this, or is this something that’s become a standard practice or gaining in popularity in your area?

J: It’s definitely gaining in popularity. I think all across Italy you see a movement both from the consumer side, but obviously a lot from the producer side. I’m very happy about that personally. As you know, it’s my lifestyle. It’s a very rewarding thing to see that people are trying to convert to organic practices. It’s difficult, it’s a process, so it takes time. We are lucky because when the winery started operating, they started from the beginning as an organic winery. The certification that we have goes back to the ’80s. It’s a very unusual thing because in the early, mid-’80s, no one was thinking about organic farming in Italy, let alone the certification. That helps a lot because it’s been established. We don’t have to think about it every day, of course, but we do take it a bit for granted. Perhaps that’s the right way to say it, but it’s a very, very important part of our lifestyle. You need to cut me off if I talk about this too long, because I could get very passionate about it. Yet, when you live in the vineyards and you live so close to nature, you see it even more. You see how important it becomes to be able to respond to nature. We have the most natural ecosystem that we can provide. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close to perfect as we can make it. It definitely helps, especially with the current climate situations that we see becoming increasingly extreme in the last years.

Cat Wolinski: Hi, Julia, this is Cat. I’m curious about the organic certification there. Is it something that you feel consumers are looking for in the region, in Italy, or even in Europe? It’s very trendy here now, organic, biodynamic, and natural wine. Not that these are all the same thing, but is it something that you did to respond to a market need, or were you doing this from the beginning?

J: We were doing it from the beginning. When my husband and I bought the estate in 2015, we were looking for an organic estate. My husband also produces one in Sicily that is also an organic winery. It was a very important part of our list of things that we wanted to see. The fact that Venturini Baldini started out as an organic estate, as I said, definitely helps, because it becomes part of you. I completely believe in it, and it’s beautiful for me to see also that there were recent studies that show people perceive the wines to be better-tasting wines. For me, it’s a really big part of how we operate, and I firmly believe that it’s a healthier way of living. In terms of consumers, the states are often leading in a lot of development. You guys always seem to be a step ahead in most things. In Europe, depending a bit on the country, it’s definitely already a big part, and it’s only increasing. With every new generation, I think it’s becoming more important that we see a lot of people specifically looking for organic ones.

Tim McKirdy: Hi, this is Tim here. Just wanted to piggyback off that point you’re talking about there. I know that you produce a wonderful sparkling rosé, which most folks might not associate with Lambrusco. I was wondering if you can chat about how that’s come about and sparkling rosé in Italy in general. I believe it’s going to be a pretty big year. I think U.S. consumers are set to see a lot of that as well. I was wondering if you can tell us how you stand out in that market because I think that’s going to be huge this year here for us drinkers.

J: Yes, and it’s a really good question because we come from Lambrusco land. Our wines are Lambrusco, the indigenous grapes from our area. It’s a very traditional wine in Emilia. However, what we really wanted to achieve is also to bring a new generation to Lambrusco. A generation that we talked about before had a bit of a prejudice against Lambrusco. There is still a long way to go, because people sometimes associate completely different things with Lambrusco. In the end, they have a revelation when they taste it, and the Cadelvento we were talking about earlier really helped to bring a whole new group of people to taste and discover Lambrusco, and then really start discovering Lambrusco. It’s opening the door. It is still a very completely authentic Lambrusco. It’s a DOP, so it was almost an add-on that we discovered a little bit later. It was not intentionally the idea from the beginning, but it was a big part of the success of the Cadelvento. It also spoke to people who weren’t necessarily looking for Lambrusco, and then they discovered the whole world of Lambrusco behind it. Now, rosé has been having a huge success in the past years. The spectrum of Lambrusco with its various shades of red, pink, rosé, the various grapes that you can use, especially Sorbara, which is a very light grape. We have a very short skin contact in this wine, which goes a lot in the rosé direction, so yes, I think this is sparkling rosé’s year for sure.

T: I think it’s great, as you say, that name that’s very recognizable to consumers, the Lambrusco. It is also something new for people to discover and also draw them into the region.

J: Yeah, I think it is important and it’s a revival. I call it the rinascita, or the rebirth of Lambrusco. It’s important to bring that new generation of Lambrusco to people and introduce them to what we have and what we believe in. That has definitely allowed us to talk to people who haven’t discovered them yet.

Katie: For people that are new to the Lambrusco category, what type of glassware would you suggest drinking your wines out of? I think a lot of us are used to drinking sparkling wine out of a flute glass. Is that the glassware you would suggest, or would you prefer it out of a coupe glass or a regular wine glass?

J: I tend to use either a regular wine glass or the coupe, for example, which is perfect for the Cadelvento. It fits the mood as well, so either the regular wine glass or just a very open wide sparkling wine glass. I wouldn’t go for the narrow flute.

Katie: Right. And can you explain why?

J: I think it’s a personal preference. I think it’s the way the bubbles work. It’s slightly effervescent wine. I think even the regular wine glass just fits much better. It can open up the taste in a much better way.

Katie: That makes sense.

K: Well, I wanted to talk about this because of the fact that sparkling rosés are very popular, and I think that Lambrusco is set to be very popular. Actually, I was in the D.C. market for a minute a couple of years ago, and there was a wine bar restaurant in D.C. that actually had Lambrusco Week every year. They made sure to expose people to what Lambrusco actually is. I don’t know of another wine on the planet that’s popular, sparkling, and red. I think it’s very unique, and we are poised to really get into this idea of Lambrusco. You had mentioned before, Sorbara, and Salamino. Lambrusco the grape is not just one grape. It’s multiple varieties of one style of one family. Each one has a different uniqueness to it. I just want to add that there’s something about this I think is important because as we start to get into Lambrusco on the American market, to give a sense of why it’s dry. For example, there’s one that has more of a violet aroma, one that has more of a dry, or more of a dark. I wonder if you could give us a sense of what these grapes are doing and how we’re enjoying them in these wines.

J: This is exactly right. It’s a family of grapes. Lambrusco comes in many different types of grapes. We have about eight or nine, I think, on the estate and they have very different personalities. They’re very different grapes. For example, the Sorbara that you mentioned has a very strong acidity, beautiful acidity. Often, it comes as a 100 percent Sorbara, which you can imagine the very strong acidity in the wine. We decided to blend Sorbara with Grasparossa, which is another grape that is much more mellow and rounded.

K: That’s another Lambrusco grape, correct?

J: Yes, these are all Lambrusco grapes. Sorbara and Grasparossa are the more frequent ones. Salamino is a very common one. Salamino makes our Montelocco, for example, so it’s 100 percent Salamino. Then, we have Maestri, Marani, and Monstericco, so there are lots of different grapes. The beauty of Lambrusco is that you can make it so versatile and so different. There is not one Lambrusco that is the whole spectrum.

K: And you can make it your own. You have these varieties you work with and blend to make your own statement on your Lambrusco.

J: Absolutely. Some grapes are dominant in some areas of our region. There is a difference perhaps in terms of geography but yes, we are lucky that we have quite a large variety on the estate. You blend, and so the Marquis Manodori, for example, is a blend of four different types of Lambrusco grapes. We use a lot of the common ones such as Salamino, Grasparossa, and Maestri, perhaps. It’s very exciting. For example, we made a still red wine out of a grape that was always used to blend Lambrusco, and it was never used for still wine. That is the exciting part of winemaking. You can experiment.

K: Actually, I’m drinking the Marquis Manodori right now. This is the thing about sparkling wine made from red wine grapes. Am I experiencing tannin? For the listeners out there, tannin is the drying sensation in your mouth when you drink red wine, and this is a sparkling, chilled red wine made from red grapes. Do you let that weave in, or how do you mess with that?

J: You’re right, you are experiencing that. Maestri and Marani contribute a lot to that type of experience. I don’t know if that’s what you were aiming to ask, but the way you make it is in the steel tank. You have different ways of making Lambrusco. You can make it in a traditional way, like Champagne, or you can make it in the méthode de Charmat, which means you do a second fermentation in the steel tank, or you do it in the ancestral way where it’s fermented in the bottle. There are very different ways of making Lambrusco.

K: I just find it fascinating that I’m drinking it right now. I’m drinking this awesome red wine that’s bubbly and fruity. The wine is alive, and it has a dryness to it that makes it tasty. It is so refreshing and there’s tannin. It’s the coolest thing. I could sit here, eat, and drink this by myself with this glass, or I could have some cheese with this. It has such versatility to it. I think that’s what’s so exciting about this wine because as we get more excited about Lambrusco on our market, that’s what is going to really kick it off. It’s this feeling of “Oh my gosh, there’s depth here?”

T: I agree with you there. You said something earlier, too, which is this idea of Lambrusco being the only region and wine in the world that is popular, sparkling, and red. Hearing about and tasting the tannins in a sparkling wine, I think it really takes us somewhere else. It’s something new for us to enjoy. Sparkling wine, oftentimes I find it goes down too easy. Having something that is sparkling in the glass, but maybe a bit more contemplative, I think would be great. I can really see, as Keith says, people discovering that and loving it.

K: This is going to be a wild question, but if you’re in New York or if you’re in the United States and you have your Lambrusco and you’re not in Modena, what would you eat with Lambrusco?

J: Spare ribs, or a good steak.

K: Steak and a Lambrusco? That makes complete sense. Isn’t that weird? You just said steak and Lambrusco, people in America would say that’s awesome. We were just talking about tannin, that structure of the wine. For American ears to hear Lambrusco and steak is kind of crazy, but man, that would absolutely work.

J: When we spoke about the food from Emilia-Romagna, there’s a lot of meat in our food. It’s funny, actually, because you see similar traditions in many countries. It’s not just the pasta. It’s not just the pizza, because that’s often what people associate with Lambrusco. It’s a lot of meat. As I said, it’s the barbecue, the steak, or boiled meat. Also, I find spicy cuisines, Asian cuisines to have amazing pairings. It wouldn’t be the first idea you had, but it really works. Any time you have fatty food, like salmon, for example, it really goes well with Lambrusco. I wouldn’t have thought about it at first, but it makes sense.

K: That is so cool. Here we are now, we’re basically just showing the diversity of this wine, but having Lambrusco in America is awesome. I can’t wait for us to get more and more into it. I think it’s something that we really should be getting into. However, as this health crisis goes away and people can start traveling again, people can get on planes to go over and see you and experience it over there. Emilia-Romagna is very welcoming to tourists, right?

J: It is. It’s never been an overly touristy area, but Emilia-Romagna is a new discovery. I think it’s the food, it’s the Motor Valley. Bologna has been having a huge success in the last few years. People are discovering all the cities around us, and we are really at the heart of it, which is wonderful, because everything is in a short distance from our place. It’s really an exciting region to discover, and it’s right in the middle of Italy.

K: Exactly, it literally is the center. How can people find you? You’re on Instagram and people can go on the website and they can see potential tours and stuff like that, right?

J: Yes, we are on Instagram, @venturinibaldini. Our winery has its own very special Instagram. It’s @roncolo1888, which is the date of when the villa was built. If you start with Venturini Baldini, you’ll find everything. If people want to contact us, we are here, we are opening now in April, even though it’s still a slow season with Europe not clearing travel yet, but we are looking forward to an exciting year.

K: So go to Emilia-Romagna, go to Roncolo 1888, have a tour of balsamic vinegar, and drink the amazing bubbly red wine. That sounds basically awesome. Start here in the United States, guys, then and go over there. Because the Lambrusco here, it needs to be a thing. It’s awesome.

T: Watch some Fellini before you go out there, he’s famously from Emilia-Romagna. A nice way to prepare.

K: All right, I like that. Queued up in the queue. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Thank you so much, Julia, for joining us today. I know you’re actually in Italy, so thank you so much for taking the time.

J: Thank you.

K: I look forward to the season coming up with Lambrusco. I am very excited for it to be on our market, enjoying it, and actually saying, “OK, this is actually Lambrusco.”

J: Thank you so much. It’s been a real pleasure.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of “EOD Drinks.” If you’ve enjoyed this program, please leave us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps other people discover the show. And tell your friends. We want as many people as possible listening to this amazing program.

And now for the credits. “End of Day Drinks” is recorded live in New York City at VinePair’s headquarters. And it is produced, edited, and engineered by VinePair tastings director, yes, he wears a lot of hats, Keith Beavers. I also want to give a special thanks to VinePair’s co-founder, Josh Malin, to the executive editor Joanna Sciarrino, to our senior editor, Cat Wolinski, senior staff writer Tim McKirdy, and our associate editor Katie Brown. And a special shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, VinePair’s art director who designed the sick logo for this program. The music for “End of Day Drinks” was produced, written, and recorded by Darby Cici. I’m VinePair co-founder Adam Teeter, and we’ll see you next week. Thanks a lot.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article EOD Drinks With Julia Prestia, Co-Owner of Venturini Baldini appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/eod-drinks-venturini-baldini-lambrusco/

[johnboothus]

EOD Drinks With Julia Prestia Co-Owner of Venturini Baldini

In this episode of “End Of Day Drinks,” VinePair’s editorial team is joined by Julia Prestia, the co-owner of Venturini Baldini. The team chats with Prestia about all things Lambrusco. Lambrusco has seen a recent rise in the American market. However, Prestia wants to usher in a new generation of wine lovers to the authenticity of the variety. Though Lambrusco got a bad rep in the ‘80s, oenophiles are rediscovering the wines of Emilia-Romagna.

The Venturini Baldini estate takes pride in producing its wines using organic agriculture since 1976 — a trend that has since caught on. Now, Prestia aims to be at the forefront of the rebirth of Lambrusco.

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Keith Beavers: Hello and welcome to VinePair’s “End of Day Drinks” podcast. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tasting director of VinePair, as well as the host of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast. Today I am excited (like, excited) to welcome Julia Prestia. She is a co-owner of Venturini Baldini, which is an historic producer of organic Lambrusco. Yeah, Lambrusco and sparkling rosé wines in Emilia-Romagna. An amazing place. Welcome, Julia.

Julia Prestia: My pleasure. Thank you.

K: I am joined by a bunch of people. We have Katie Brown, Emma Cranston, Tim McKirdy, and Cat Wolinski, and this is all part of our editorial team here at VinePair. I’m very excited about this, but you were nice enough to send us some bottles of Lambrusco. I have all three of them open, and I’ll be drinking them, because this is very exciting. I want to get this conversation started about Lambrusco, about the idea of Lambrusco, and how we as American culture have experienced Lambrusco. In the ’70s and the ’80s, we had certain brands that came over here that had a certain texture and flavor to them. They were sweet, they were bubbly. We got into it, and it was cool. That’s what we thought was Lambrusco. Now, we’re starting to see more Lambrusco coming onto the market. I think that it’s very, very exciting. It’s one of my favorite Italian wines. I love it so much, and I love what you’re doing with it. You might be part of this new movement of Lambrusco and showing what it actually is. Can you talk a little about that?

J: It’s really an exciting time. I feel Lambrusco is being revived as what you described as a new generation of Lambrusco. What is so exciting about it for us is, we’re going back to the old traditional way of making them because it wasn’t supposed to be the sweet drink that you had in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In terms of quantities, it is one of the most exported wines from Italy. It’s a broadly distributed wine. However, especially in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a lot of people associated it with a completely different type of wine than it historically was and should be. The traditional type of Lambrusco is a dry, premium type of Lambrusco. It’s a serious wine, but it’s still the cheerful, happy wine that it should be. It fits really nicely in the mood of the moment this way so it’s a very exciting time for us.

K: I love it. I love the dryness. I remember when I first tried a real Lambrusco, I was like, “Oh, so this is what it’s like.”

Katie Brown: I’m curious, because you mentioned the Lambrusco of the ’80s. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think that consumers have right now about Lambrusco?

J: Well, I think one of the biggest misconceptions is still that all Lambrusco is sweet. Arguably, I understand where that’s coming from because a lot of the wines that came especially to the U.S., but also to other countries at that time, were really, really sweet. They’re still around and there are producers who produce that very sweet Lambrusco, but there’s more of a trend to go back to the dry version like we historically made it. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions is that people need to see that it’s not supposed to be sweet. It’s still the happy wine, as I call it, because it’s a very social wine. It’s a very drinkable wine, but without being sweet. Then, I think the other thing that people don’t necessarily see is how versatile it is and how it’s really a spectrum of tastes, colors, and grapes, for that matter. There’s such diversity in it.

K: I love that. It’s interesting, the thing about Lambrusco is this idea of fun and enjoyment of it. What’s awesome about Lambrusco is it is bubbly. It has effervescence and this idea of fun, but it is your wine in your region. It just so happens that it’s fun, it’s seriously made, but also fun to enjoy, if you will.

J: Yes, I agree.

K: This is another thing about Emilia-Romagna that people may not know, but this is the place where we get balsamic vinegar. We get the Parmigiano Reggiano. I’m curious, it said that the Lambrusco in this region was initially meant for digestion because of its dry, bubbly nature, it helps with the food. Is that correct?

J: Well, I personally think it’s the right wine for the food that we’re producing in our region. There’s definitely a fit between the food and the wine. It’s also the acidity that comes with it. If you look at some of the grapes, the Sorbara grape, for example, has a really beautiful acidity to it. That really helps with digesting and setting off the fatty food. Yes, it is predominantly heavy food from our wheat, but it is very delicious. The funny thing is people know Parmigiano Reggiano, the balsamic vinegar, the prosciutto, also Ferrari, Maserati. It’s all from the same region, and it’s amazing when you put it all together and you say that this is actually all coming from one region, and it’s Emilia-Romagna.

Emma Cranston: Julia, I actually wanted to circle back because you just mentioned vinegar. I was super curious about the vinegar on your property. Could you tell us a little about what the vinegar tasting tours look like and your ancient vinegar cellar?

J: To describe our property, we are an atypical estate because it looks more like Tuscany or Piemonte. It has a very Tuscan feel with the cypress trees and the gravel roads going all the way up into our hills. We’re in the hills between Parma and Reggio Emilia alongside the Villa Emilia that cuts across Emilia-Romagna. On the property, you have vineyards, trees, forests, lakes, and just a lot of green. We also have an acetaia. Acetaia is a vinegar cellar. It’s actually under the roof, so it’s more like an attic in reality. It’s one of the oldest, in general, and it’s the oldest in Reggio Emilia, from the 17th century, so it’s a really magical place. It’s almost like a museum because it’s completely intact. Luckily, it has never suffered any earthquakes or anything like that, so it’s a very unique place. The family that used to live on the property made personal vinegar where you will see a lot of barrels making that vinegar. There’s definitely a lot of vinegar being produced, and we’re continuing this tradition. We were inviting people to see the acetaia. They can taste the balsamic vinegar that we produce. We produce the traditional balsamic vinegar and then balsamic condiments. It’s a wide spectrum of things that people can taste. With the wines, they get a tour of the vineyards, learn about the history of the estate and the traditions of how to make balsamic vinegar. People can see, smell, and taste everything. It’s a really beautiful, magical place.

K: Oh, that sounds amazing. One thing about this from the production side, you’re really big about organic agriculture. I’m curious about what that’s like in your area. Are you spearheading this, or is this something that’s become a standard practice or gaining in popularity in your area?

J: It’s definitely gaining in popularity. I think all across Italy you see a movement both from the consumer side, but obviously a lot from the producer side. I’m very happy about that personally. As you know, it’s my lifestyle. It’s a very rewarding thing to see that people are trying to convert to organic practices. It’s difficult, it’s a process, so it takes time. We are lucky because when the winery started operating, they started from the beginning as an organic winery. The certification that we have goes back to the ’80s. It’s a very unusual thing because in the early, mid-’80s, no one was thinking about organic farming in Italy, let alone the certification. That helps a lot because it’s been established. We don’t have to think about it every day, of course, but we do take it a bit for granted. Perhaps that’s the right way to say it, but it’s a very, very important part of our lifestyle. You need to cut me off if I talk about this too long, because I could get very passionate about it. Yet, when you live in the vineyards and you live so close to nature, you see it even more. You see how important it becomes to be able to respond to nature. We have the most natural ecosystem that we can provide. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close to perfect as we can make it. It definitely helps, especially with the current climate situations that we see becoming increasingly extreme in the last years.

Cat Wolinski: Hi, Julia, this is Cat. I’m curious about the organic certification there. Is it something that you feel consumers are looking for in the region, in Italy, or even in Europe? It’s very trendy here now, organic, biodynamic, and natural wine. Not that these are all the same thing, but is it something that you did to respond to a market need, or were you doing this from the beginning?

J: We were doing it from the beginning. When my husband and I bought the estate in 2015, we were looking for an organic estate. My husband also produces one in Sicily that is also an organic winery. It was a very important part of our list of things that we wanted to see. The fact that Venturini Baldini started out as an organic estate, as I said, definitely helps, because it becomes part of you. I completely believe in it, and it’s beautiful for me to see also that there were recent studies that show people perceive the wines to be better-tasting wines. For me, it’s a really big part of how we operate, and I firmly believe that it’s a healthier way of living. In terms of consumers, the states are often leading in a lot of development. You guys always seem to be a step ahead in most things. In Europe, depending a bit on the country, it’s definitely already a big part, and it’s only increasing. With every new generation, I think it’s becoming more important that we see a lot of people specifically looking for organic ones.

Tim McKirdy: Hi, this is Tim here. Just wanted to piggyback off that point you’re talking about there. I know that you produce a wonderful sparkling rosé, which most folks might not associate with Lambrusco. I was wondering if you can chat about how that’s come about and sparkling rosé in Italy in general. I believe it’s going to be a pretty big year. I think U.S. consumers are set to see a lot of that as well. I was wondering if you can tell us how you stand out in that market because I think that’s going to be huge this year here for us drinkers.

J: Yes, and it’s a really good question because we come from Lambrusco land. Our wines are Lambrusco, the indigenous grapes from our area. It’s a very traditional wine in Emilia. However, what we really wanted to achieve is also to bring a new generation to Lambrusco. A generation that we talked about before had a bit of a prejudice against Lambrusco. There is still a long way to go, because people sometimes associate completely different things with Lambrusco. In the end, they have a revelation when they taste it, and the Cadelvento we were talking about earlier really helped to bring a whole new group of people to taste and discover Lambrusco, and then really start discovering Lambrusco. It’s opening the door. It is still a very completely authentic Lambrusco. It’s a DOP, so it was almost an add-on that we discovered a little bit later. It was not intentionally the idea from the beginning, but it was a big part of the success of the Cadelvento. It also spoke to people who weren’t necessarily looking for Lambrusco, and then they discovered the whole world of Lambrusco behind it. Now, rosé has been having a huge success in the past years. The spectrum of Lambrusco with its various shades of red, pink, rosé, the various grapes that you can use, especially Sorbara, which is a very light grape. We have a very short skin contact in this wine, which goes a lot in the rosé direction, so yes, I think this is sparkling rosé’s year for sure.

T: I think it’s great, as you say, that name that’s very recognizable to consumers, the Lambrusco. It is also something new for people to discover and also draw them into the region.

J: Yeah, I think it is important and it’s a revival. I call it the rinascita, or the rebirth of Lambrusco. It’s important to bring that new generation of Lambrusco to people and introduce them to what we have and what we believe in. That has definitely allowed us to talk to people who haven’t discovered them yet.

Katie: For people that are new to the Lambrusco category, what type of glassware would you suggest drinking your wines out of? I think a lot of us are used to drinking sparkling wine out of a flute glass. Is that the glassware you would suggest, or would you prefer it out of a coupe glass or a regular wine glass?

J: I tend to use either a regular wine glass or the coupe, for example, which is perfect for the Cadelvento. It fits the mood as well, so either the regular wine glass or just a very open wide sparkling wine glass. I wouldn’t go for the narrow flute.

Katie: Right. And can you explain why?

J: I think it’s a personal preference. I think it’s the way the bubbles work. It’s slightly effervescent wine. I think even the regular wine glass just fits much better. It can open up the taste in a much better way.

Katie: That makes sense.

K: Well, I wanted to talk about this because of the fact that sparkling rosés are very popular, and I think that Lambrusco is set to be very popular. Actually, I was in the D.C. market for a minute a couple of years ago, and there was a wine bar restaurant in D.C. that actually had Lambrusco Week every year. They made sure to expose people to what Lambrusco actually is. I don’t know of another wine on the planet that’s popular, sparkling, and red. I think it’s very unique, and we are poised to really get into this idea of Lambrusco. You had mentioned before, Sorbara, and Salamino. Lambrusco the grape is not just one grape. It’s multiple varieties of one style of one family. Each one has a different uniqueness to it. I just want to add that there’s something about this I think is important because as we start to get into Lambrusco on the American market, to give a sense of why it’s dry. For example, there’s one that has more of a violet aroma, one that has more of a dry, or more of a dark. I wonder if you could give us a sense of what these grapes are doing and how we’re enjoying them in these wines.

J: This is exactly right. It’s a family of grapes. Lambrusco comes in many different types of grapes. We have about eight or nine, I think, on the estate and they have very different personalities. They’re very different grapes. For example, the Sorbara that you mentioned has a very strong acidity, beautiful acidity. Often, it comes as a 100 percent Sorbara, which you can imagine the very strong acidity in the wine. We decided to blend Sorbara with Grasparossa, which is another grape that is much more mellow and rounded.

K: That’s another Lambrusco grape, correct?

J: Yes, these are all Lambrusco grapes. Sorbara and Grasparossa are the more frequent ones. Salamino is a very common one. Salamino makes our Montelocco, for example, so it’s 100 percent Salamino. Then, we have Maestri, Marani, and Monstericco, so there are lots of different grapes. The beauty of Lambrusco is that you can make it so versatile and so different. There is not one Lambrusco that is the whole spectrum.

K: And you can make it your own. You have these varieties you work with and blend to make your own statement on your Lambrusco.

J: Absolutely. Some grapes are dominant in some areas of our region. There is a difference perhaps in terms of geography but yes, we are lucky that we have quite a large variety on the estate. You blend, and so the Marquis Manodori, for example, is a blend of four different types of Lambrusco grapes. We use a lot of the common ones such as Salamino, Grasparossa, and Maestri, perhaps. It’s very exciting. For example, we made a still red wine out of a grape that was always used to blend Lambrusco, and it was never used for still wine. That is the exciting part of winemaking. You can experiment.

K: Actually, I’m drinking the Marquis Manodori right now. This is the thing about sparkling wine made from red wine grapes. Am I experiencing tannin? For the listeners out there, tannin is the drying sensation in your mouth when you drink red wine, and this is a sparkling, chilled red wine made from red grapes. Do you let that weave in, or how do you mess with that?

J: You’re right, you are experiencing that. Maestri and Marani contribute a lot to that type of experience. I don’t know if that’s what you were aiming to ask, but the way you make it is in the steel tank. You have different ways of making Lambrusco. You can make it in a traditional way, like Champagne, or you can make it in the méthode de Charmat, which means you do a second fermentation in the steel tank, or you do it in the ancestral way where it’s fermented in the bottle. There are very different ways of making Lambrusco.

K: I just find it fascinating that I’m drinking it right now. I’m drinking this awesome red wine that’s bubbly and fruity. The wine is alive, and it has a dryness to it that makes it tasty. It is so refreshing and there’s tannin. It’s the coolest thing. I could sit here, eat, and drink this by myself with this glass, or I could have some cheese with this. It has such versatility to it. I think that’s what’s so exciting about this wine because as we get more excited about Lambrusco on our market, that’s what is going to really kick it off. It’s this feeling of “Oh my gosh, there’s depth here?”

T: I agree with you there. You said something earlier, too, which is this idea of Lambrusco being the only region and wine in the world that is popular, sparkling, and red. Hearing about and tasting the tannins in a sparkling wine, I think it really takes us somewhere else. It’s something new for us to enjoy. Sparkling wine, oftentimes I find it goes down too easy. Having something that is sparkling in the glass, but maybe a bit more contemplative, I think would be great. I can really see, as Keith says, people discovering that and loving it.

K: This is going to be a wild question, but if you’re in New York or if you’re in the United States and you have your Lambrusco and you’re not in Modena, what would you eat with Lambrusco?

J: Spare ribs, or a good steak.

K: Steak and a Lambrusco? That makes complete sense. Isn’t that weird? You just said steak and Lambrusco, people in America would say that’s awesome. We were just talking about tannin, that structure of the wine. For American ears to hear Lambrusco and steak is kind of crazy, but man, that would absolutely work.

J: When we spoke about the food from Emilia-Romagna, there’s a lot of meat in our food. It’s funny, actually, because you see similar traditions in many countries. It’s not just the pasta. It’s not just the pizza, because that’s often what people associate with Lambrusco. It’s a lot of meat. As I said, it’s the barbecue, the steak, or boiled meat. Also, I find spicy cuisines, Asian cuisines to have amazing pairings. It wouldn’t be the first idea you had, but it really works. Any time you have fatty food, like salmon, for example, it really goes well with Lambrusco. I wouldn’t have thought about it at first, but it makes sense.

K: That is so cool. Here we are now, we’re basically just showing the diversity of this wine, but having Lambrusco in America is awesome. I can’t wait for us to get more and more into it. I think it’s something that we really should be getting into. However, as this health crisis goes away and people can start traveling again, people can get on planes to go over and see you and experience it over there. Emilia-Romagna is very welcoming to tourists, right?

J: It is. It’s never been an overly touristy area, but Emilia-Romagna is a new discovery. I think it’s the food, it’s the Motor Valley. Bologna has been having a huge success in the last few years. People are discovering all the cities around us, and we are really at the heart of it, which is wonderful, because everything is in a short distance from our place. It’s really an exciting region to discover, and it’s right in the middle of Italy.

K: Exactly, it literally is the center. How can people find you? You’re on Instagram and people can go on the website and they can see potential tours and stuff like that, right?

J: Yes, we are on Instagram, @venturinibaldini. Our winery has its own very special Instagram. It’s @roncolo1888, which is the date of when the villa was built. If you start with Venturini Baldini, you’ll find everything. If people want to contact us, we are here, we are opening now in April, even though it’s still a slow season with Europe not clearing travel yet, but we are looking forward to an exciting year.

K: So go to Emilia-Romagna, go to Roncolo 1888, have a tour of balsamic vinegar, and drink the amazing bubbly red wine. That sounds basically awesome. Start here in the United States, guys, then and go over there. Because the Lambrusco here, it needs to be a thing. It’s awesome.

T: Watch some Fellini before you go out there, he’s famously from Emilia-Romagna. A nice way to prepare.

K: All right, I like that. Queued up in the queue. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Thank you so much, Julia, for joining us today. I know you’re actually in Italy, so thank you so much for taking the time.

J: Thank you.

K: I look forward to the season coming up with Lambrusco. I am very excited for it to be on our market, enjoying it, and actually saying, “OK, this is actually Lambrusco.”

J: Thank you so much. It’s been a real pleasure.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of “EOD Drinks.” If you’ve enjoyed this program, please leave us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps other people discover the show. And tell your friends. We want as many people as possible listening to this amazing program.

And now for the credits. “End of Day Drinks” is recorded live in New York City at VinePair’s headquarters. And it is produced, edited, and engineered by VinePair tastings director, yes, he wears a lot of hats, Keith Beavers. I also want to give a special thanks to VinePair’s co-founder, Josh Malin, to the executive editor Joanna Sciarrino, to our senior editor, Cat Wolinski, senior staff writer Tim McKirdy, and our associate editor Katie Brown. And a special shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, VinePair’s art director who designed the sick logo for this program. The music for “End of Day Drinks” was produced, written, and recorded by Darby Cici. I’m VinePair co-founder Adam Teeter, and we’ll see you next week. Thanks a lot.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article EOD Drinks With Julia Prestia, Co-Owner of Venturini Baldini appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/eod-drinks-venturini-baldini-lambrusco/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/eod-drinks-with-julia-prestia-co-owner-of-venturini-baldini

[thisislizheather]

March Magic 2021

Above Photo: Cherry Blossoms are in bloom at the University of Washington right now - Photo By Kai Wang

Am I alone in thinking that was the longest March of all time? It truly felt like it would never end. Usually I love my birthday month, but with everything still the way it’s been for the past year, there really didn’t feel like much of a reason to celebrate. Also, Nathan got COVID. It was awful and scary and I was worried about how he’d be, but all is well and he just got his vaccine this past weekend, which is incredible. So a real roller coaster type of month, but thank god it’s over.

Here’s everything that went down last month.

I recapped how my winter list of things to do went.

Forever an optimist, I made a list of spring things that I’d like to do. One of my favourite things to do is get a pedicure on the first day of a season. I don’t get them very often at all, so it’s a nice way to usher in some new weather.

I finished watching Superstore, which is such a great show. I would’ve never watched it on my own, so this is why you have to listen to your best friend’s recommendations sometimes. They know more than you. Also, it was weird as hell to hear the Smashing Pumpkins song Today in one episode. Just seemed like a strange pairing, them and this show. Or any show, really. But I mean they did lend a song to that Apple ad, so I guess the old days of Billy Corgan complaining about everything are over.

I read and reviewed Joan Rivers’ book Enter Talking.

I made my way back to Lilia with Irene to devour their seasonal leek focaccia & green salted butter, which is always heaven on a plate. (Me and focaccia have had a pretty strong love affair going on for some time now. I plan on making it at home soon, but I can’t decide on the flavouring I’ll want to add to it. There are too many possibilities.) We also shared two pastas: the corzetti with pine nuts, marjoram & parmigiano reggiano as well as the sheep’s milk cheese agnolotti with saffron, dried tomato & honey. Always a good meal here. Might benefit from some new pastas, though.

Above Photo: My sweet baby girl, leek focaccia & her green salted butter

Above Photo: Stunning Irene & pasta

Above Photo: I’m very excited for bread

I got my first Moderna shot! I usually have tons of anxiety around needles, but somehow it wasn’t a problem this time (maybe because I had the kindest nurse on the planet). It sounds so simple, but she told me to look away, to take a deep breath and while I was taking that breath she put the needle in and THAT WAS IT. So grateful for that advice. Must remember that for life now. I have my next shot on April 8th! (I did get COVID arm, but it went away in 24 hours so it really wasn’t a big deal.) Also, I’ll definitely ask a medical professional, but if it’s allowed then I’m definitely getting my card laminated for free.

There’s this great, cute new store called Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria. It’s very similar to Lockwood, only better. Lots of cards, gifts, beauty products, candles, that kind of thing.

It’s green garlic season and we must all celebrate! I’ve also decided that I might devote my life to compound butters. Making them, eating them, giving them away as gifts potentially. Maybe this is what’s been missing.

Google image search the vagar faroe islands and let’s go.

I can’t stop putting this Esti vegan feta on everything, it tastes exactly like regular feta only slightly less salty.

Everything from the brand Umbra is gorgeous.

These are officially (and my niece Layla can attest to it) the greatest socks on the planet. Not too tight, not too short or high, and soft as a cloud.

Best kale caesar dressing I’ve had in months. And I love the idea of using breadcrumbs instead of croutons to liven things up a bit.

I made this roasted winter citrus and wow was it hot fruit. It should be a crime to make something look this good, but taste average as hell.

I started using the app Google Keep to organize all of my lists and tasks and I love it. It’s so much better than using Notes.

HOW have I never even HEARD of Shake Shack’s Innovation Kitchen?! AND HOW HAVE I NEVER BEEN. It’s moved to the top of my current Must Visit list.

I may or may not have fallen down a rabbit hole of incredible Melissa Clark recipes. Love this woman.

If you live in Englewood, New Jersey, how do you not just LIVE at this bakery? My god. Every item. In my mouth. Now.

And listen, I’m no scientist, but this seems like huge news…?

If you find yourself anxious or unsettled, this video of lasagna being made from scratch is the most soothing thing I’ve come across in months.

Target sells candles?! I’m the last person on earth who learned this. $4 for an actually great mini candle is wild.

Tried a slice of the red velvet cake from Milk Bar and it was unexpectedly good. I don’t usually care about red velvet (because it’s a scam?), but honestly their cakes always find a way to taste amazing.

I made this cajun linguine and it was so lackluster, I hate when a pasta recipe doesn’t work out. It’s so upsetting. Also, cajun seasoning can blow me.

They’re opening a Sonic in Manhattan, which I’ve never been to before, is it worth going?

I know Eataly is for tourists, but once in awhile I like to stop in to peruse. I tried one of their prepackaged foods (the eggplant parmesan) and it was a hard pass. Just no flavouring at all. The only thing that saved the day were their individual little Italian chocolates. Always amazing. I do want to eventually try their dried pasta Afeltra since I’ve heard such good things about it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not ready to watch documentaries about the pandemic yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to. I mean… we’re still IN IT, for christ’s sake. HBO needs to just sit down.

Tell me that you know the song Sea of Love.

You had me at “cheese-oozing focaccia.”

Great piece on diet culture by Julia Turshen.

When I was in Seattle in April a few years ago, I wandered onto the University of Washington’s campus and was blown away by their gorgeous cherry blossoms. They have a livestream of them right now, if you’d like to take a look.

With plastic bags officially banned now, I desperately need a basket bag to take when I go to the farmer’s market. So f-ing lovely. Everyone will think I’m Belle or some shit.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a fresh Jamaican patty in my life, so I’m definitely going here the next time I’m in Mississauga.

I love this chickpea salad, especially after adding basil.

Some of these are actually really great tips.

How on earth have I never heard of the restaurants Dell’anima or Anfora?! They’re both under the Joe Campanale umbrella (of L’Artusi fame)! I’m so excited to go. Just look at those menus.

Speaking of, I can’t go for too long without eating the wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi. It’s a problem. (It also makes me want to buy a really great finishing olive oil, so I’m looking into that. I’m thinking either Monini or Frantoia.)

Above Photo: Wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi

One thing I’ve started to do that you should too: buy good butter. I stopped buying margarine many years ago and thought I was a better person for buying regular grocery store butter. But sweetie, you can do more. The butter (specifically European butter) in specialty shops or some bakeries or markets is EONS better than the run-of-the-mill basic grocery butter. And it enhances literally everything that you use it in. Right now, the butter in my fridge is beurre de baratte butter and it’s ridiculously good. Obviously I’m not going to use this butter when I’m baking because I’m not a millionaire, but when I’m making something savory for dinner? Or a compound butter? Or on top of asparagus? On some bread as a snack? It’s unreal.

Speaking of food advice: don’t buy your parmesan at the grocery store either. I’ve never had amazing parmesan from there. It’s always the same, even the expensive stuff. Get your ass to a cheese shop. Enough already, you’re an adult.

I tried a CBD chocolate and just as I thought: it’s a scam. Just like red velvet. It did nothing for nobody.

I bought this tea tree toner on a whim from The Body Shop and I might keep buying it for the rest of time. I use it on my face right when I get out of a hot shower and it’s kept my face feeling incredible lately.

A new coffee shop opened up in my neighbourhood called Coffee Avenue and I can’t recommend it enough. The macadamia milk hot chocolate blew my face off.

I finally ate at Bar Primi in the city and it was spectacular. We had the ricotta crostino with hazelnuts & truffle honey (which is almost like a dessert, it’s so good), the linguine with 4 cloves of garlic & breadcrumbs as well as the penne ragu alla bolognese with ricotta which was the very best. Can’t wait to go again. Loved the atmosphere of the place, too.

The seasonal candle is out at Trader Joe’s and it’s grapefruit, which smells perfect. I’ve finally stopped hoarding their candles and have started burning them. Only took me a year of lockdown to realize I should try to enjoy my life.

Lemon Kit-Kats exist and all is right with the world. Delicious.

I don’t go very often, but I’ll always love The Dutch. Perfect cornbread. Perfect tartare. You can’t go wrong.

Above Photo: Housemade scallion-chipotle cornbread with whipped butter

Above Photo: Wagyu steak tartare, capers, bearnaise aioli

*Note: if it seems like I eat a lot of steak tartare - I do. Good observation. It’s incredible.

Controversial opinion but the Dove chocolate peanut butter eggs are one millions times better than Reese’s peanut butter cups. I couldn’t believe it either.

This leads me to another declaration: Easter candy might be better than Halloween candy. Hear me out. Halloween candy is almost chaotic when you think of the candy options, it’s overwhelming and more often than not, disappointing. Easter candy, however, is usually always new and fresh each season. They’ve got to work harder to get you to notice Easter candy, so infact you’re getting a more well thought out product, which usually tastes better. Anyway, can you tell I’m depressed…?

I went to the new Ulta location in NYC in Herald Square and it’s great, it seems bigger than the UWS one and it’s way more convenient to visit. Must remember. Oh! But speaking of Ulta, remember how last year they had such great birthday gifts? They really dropped the ball this year. They’re trying to give a $5 Mario Badescu facial spray as the March gift?! Are you fucking serious?! That’s the worst. Literally the worst gift of all the months. Fighting every urge in my body to write them a strongly-worded letter about this. Just insanity. I didn’t even go claim it. Keep your damn gift, no spray can calm me down from this.

New love: macadamia milk in my iced coffee in the morning. Just heavenly.

I rewatched Wall-E and what a great movie. For all ages. Too perfect.

Love the song Team by Lorde.

I watched the Woody Allen & Mia Farrow documentary on HBO and it’s obviously a must watch. So many things I didn’t know about that story were shown, this man needs to be stopped.

If you ever get a new phone and you want to transfer over all of your WhatsApp messages to your new phone (and you’ve never backed them up), you can pay $40 and use this site to do it.

The new Super Mario World in Japan looks incredible.

Do not judge me, but I ordered (and returned) a SKIMS bralette. I was swayed by a few photos of women wearing it and wanted to see for myself what it felt like. Verdict: crap. Sure, the material is soft but only because it’s so poorly made and unsupportive. An immediate return. The beautiful colours of the bras are what sells the product, in my opinion. It’s so hard to find well made, beautiful browns and neutrals in undergarments.

Speaking of what’s her name, I also ordered this KKW mini lip liner set that I’m unfortunately in love with. I use it as a lip liner and filler, and each fucking one is gorgeous. I’m going to do a post to show you. You’ll see what I mean.

I came across this wonderful stationary store in Chelsea, City Papery. I could spend hours roaming the aisles in there. Made a mental note to go back to get some really beautiful envelopes (why on earth am I still buying the basic-ass white envelopes at CVS??), such a great store.

I’m proofreading a book right now about the idea of living with intention and I’ll post a link to it as soon as it’s released later this year. It’s honestly one of the best self help things I’ve read in a long time.

I’ve had a Pinterest account forever and I recently organized a lot of the recipes into seasonal categories, which has inspired me to make so many new meals this season. Check it. Also, I haven’t tried these yet, but these spring recipes (below) sound delicious.

Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Lavender Glaze

Banana Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Almond Pudding Cake

Asparagus Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Apricot Shortbread Bars

Buttermilk Lavender Scones

Carrot Cake Bread with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender Mascarpone

I’ve mentioned my filmmaker friend Dusty before (his film Violation was at Sundance this year), well his movie is a Critic’s Pick in the The New York Times this month, which is amazing and so well deserved. Truly could not happen to a better person.

I have eaten approximately five pounds of asparagus since spring began and I can’t see myself stopping anytime soon. It’s so fucking good. One grievance: that huge, fat asparagus. Why’s it so big like that?? Unnatural as hell. Give me that thin, beautiful asparagus that’s increasingly so hard to find any day. And to anyone who’s like, “Don’t you hate how it makes your pee smell?” - why you gotta go smell your pee? Be normal, weirdo.

I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about how it’s been so beneficial to get some intentional offline time each Sunday.

Here were the best tweets of the month.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m trying so hard to find a way to stream the last three episodes of Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy which has been impossible to find, will definitely go check out Little Island, excited to maybe go to the Kusama exhibit, I’d really like to make the Carbone garlic bread, I want to locate and try milk bread, my brother Robbie told me to mix balsamic vinegar & mayo and put it on a burger so I’ll try that soon, I bought some dried Rao’s pasta so I can’t wait to make it, I’m so excited that movie theatres are opening on the 2nd here (I’ll be fully vaccinated very soon so this is great), and I’m adding a resolution: I’d like to do one new thing on the first of every month (examples: buy stock in something, eat ramen, etc.).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in February over here.

[grahamparrish]

Cat Spray Home Remedy Amazing Ideas

Spraying occurs on vertical surfaces, generally to markAnother thing you need to eliminate the odor and stains completely get a carpet remnant.Assign separate litter boxes have evolved from the vet since the 1970s, but their origins go much farther back than that.And, if you have it - just alter your approach depends on the inside of the smaller particles that could be a medical issue such as the primary host of diseases that can convert into a flea shampoo sporadically if she'll tolerate it.

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What Do Cats Spray Smell Like

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2 Year Old Cat Peeing House

Take you cat will get the message when they jump up onto food preparation or eating areas they are very easy to apply them on the wrist.* Chamomile - this herb can be very overpriced.A kitten is a repellent evaporator which consists of a kitten or cat, it may be burned or shocked, causing issues with your cats.Special surgeries can be used in the experimental stages for use in asthmatic cats or cats can jump great heights, a simple scratch.That way when your cat into the sink first, since the 1970s, but their origins go much farther back than that.

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