#wake forest rentals

[thehavenwake]

Benefits Of Luxury Living

Explore the numerous advantages of luxury living in Winston-Salem NC apartments near Wake Forest University, where comfort and convenience seamlessly intertwine!

[amelee23]

Natural | Lee Minho

Genre: FLUFFFFFF fluff fluff, romance

Pairing: Lee know x gender neutral reader

Word count: 3k

Warnings: going on a forest vacay to escape society, SUPER sappy cheesy stuff, SOFT, walks at 6 am, kisses and hugs and everything nice, a chokehold as a joke, humour, metaphors galore, he's cat dad, reader gets called kitten once, I love lino very much, promises for the future 🤭

Summary: You and Minho go on a vacation to a forest cabin. As he wakes you up at 6 am for a walk, you can't help but get sappy and admire him alongside the landscape. Your love for him makes Minho say something that might change your perspective of the future.

You were gently shaken awake a little too early for comfort. First thing you felt was the heft of your eyelids and a subtle throbbing in your forehead; but the first thing you remembered, though, was the way you have probably fallen asleep having extremely soft conversations with your lover, about how far the both of you have come, the things you've accomplished, how proud you feel of each other and also of your friends who you grew up with.

"The sun's not even awake yet." You grumble to him, and he gives you a silly smile.

"But I am!" You can't help but snort, still pushing your nose further into the pillows. You didn't want to get out of bed, really. "C'mon, get up. Go on a walk with me."

"At this hour? Ugh, you're so random sometimes." You say, grumbling, but you start moving out of the bed.

It probably wasn't random at all. If you were to make a guess, it was probably premeditated and he had some sort of intention for taking a walk in the woods at 6 in the morning.

Well, he hoped it would be 6 in the morning but your drowsiness didn't allow for it. He had to be patient, make you coffee and a light breakfast, or else you'd turn blue like the cookie monster and eat him alive without food and caffeine in your system.

You looked out the window as the two of you were silently enjoying breakfast. It was such a beautiful sight, and if you just allowed it, the cherry chirp of the birds in the morning was enough to block the demons inside your head.

Although he had woken you up at ungodly hours, this was the vacation you both dreamt of. You rented out a cabin in the forest, and it was, for once, just you and him. The last people you've seen were in a different cabin 10 minutes down the road, and the center rental establishment that had groceries and necessities was 20 minutes away. Of course, it could prove to be a pain in the ass if you didn't prepare well, but you made sure you had everything you needed - so that you could truly disconnect from the world and let yourselves be swallowed up by nature.

You should have guessed Minho was always planning to go on this walk, considering how serious he seemed about it. While you were eating and trying to awaken your brain cells, he got dressed in a cozy shirt, loose pants and a backwards cap and he was already arranging a small backpack with water bottles and his Polaroid camera. He went as far as packing an external phone battery, too. Then he sat down next to you and waited.

You've gotten to know his array of expressions so well, you thought. He was looking at you, and to an outsider his expression would tell them close to nothing. But no, his expression looked gentle, kind, patient, impatient, exasperated and excited all at once. You could see how eager he was to move, almost as if his body was half-way already bolting out the door. Still, he was trying to maintain his calm, since there was no point to the outside views that awaited him if you weren't seeing them with him.

Your eyes met as you were admiring him, and almost like a kitten pawing for attention, he gently pulled at the sleeve of your pyjama shirt.

You were so in love with him, it wasn't even funny.

He began your little nature adventure by holding your hand and guiding you to the forest path, but as soon as you could hear the crunch of pebbles and branches under your feet, Minho was gone. He walked far ahead of you, as if he was caught in a trance. It was so weird, because in reality all you could see was his slumped back, his sluggish figure trudging through the forest, but in your mind he was running, he was twirling, he was opening his arms large to welcome the sun into an embrace. If only he would let the freedom that guides his soul be seen, without the fear of being judged or the weight of society pressing down on him.

You weren't mad he left you behind. In fact, you were having a blast just watching him: trip over a rock when he was too occupied looking at the height of the pine trees, taking pictures with his phone of every and any flower he deemed pretty or interesting, whispering "squirrel" and "hello little buddy" whenever he saw a critter.

He would turn around and look at you once in a while to reassure himself you're there and that you're safe. (And weren't stolen by some forest goblin.) Whenever he'd make a pit stop to take pictures you'd catch up with him and he'd ask you if you're okay, if you're bored or if you want him to slow down his pace. You'd tell him no, you'd tell him he's so endearing being in his natural element. And he'd smile, but it wouldn't be the kind of smile that shows a collection of pearly whites or spreads from one ear to the other. Not even his bunny teeth would show; it would be a closed-lipped, subtle smile, that you found was the most meaningful of them all when it came to Minho. It was the smile of "I feel content", it was the smile of "I feel at peace". Put in simple words, it was the smile of "I'm happy." His happiness was quiet, that was what you observed. And this smile, the truest of them all, showed in various situations: when he was taking walks in nature, when he was preparing a meal, when he was playing with his feline babies, and when he was spending time with you. You were part of his silent happiness, and you were perhaps, one of the only ones who knew what it meant.

And understanding one's personality, one's inner workings is not exactly an easy feat. Just how it took millennia for humanity to understand the laws of the universe, Minho thought it would take decades for someone to understand him. That is, if someone ever did.

But when you arrived, it was as if you were an enforcer fighting for the preservation of nature. A flower is most beautiful when it is on the field that it belongs to, rather than being plucked and put into a bouquet, forced to look beautiful for someone else. You preserved the flower where it was. You didn't uproot it. You gave him water, nourishment and talked to him in such a loving manner, that now he blooms so beautifully.

He's become much more beautiful than a human being should ever be.

Minho stopped one more time to take a picture of the path, and the shadows the trees were casting on the ground. A ray of light sneakily made its way through them, casting itself on a ladybug that was climbing up the tree bark. Minho took a picture of the ladybug, then turned towards the stray light and offered his hand to it. He played with the light between his fingers, let it roll along his palm, and then he put his hand down. He looked up, towards the sky, more golden strands of the sun dancing along his face, and he took a deep breath. When he exhaled, his chest looked lighter, and he seemed to begin to shine, a light sparkle dusting the skin of his arms, as if he was really becoming one with the sun.

He was breathtaking.

Having finally caught up with him, your arms circled his waist and you embraced him tightly, cheek smushing into his shoulder blades. It was an urge, an instinct, to do so.

He seemed a little startled, but he didn't complain. He patted your hands gently and then he took a picture of your hands woven so tightly around his torso, without catching his or your face in the picture. You knew that because it became his lockscreen after that day.

As softly as he could muster, as if to not scare you off, Minho held your hand and spun around to face you, his eyes sparkly and curious.

"Everything okay?"

"Mhm." You respond, holding him by the waist as if to show you didn't want him going anywhere. Minho loved the warmth that enveloped him. "You just looked so natural, so genuine." You smile at him, and he instantly knows by your grin you were having a poetic, sappy moment. "You always look like you belong right in nature. Had to touch you to make sure you're real." You emphasize your words by squeezing a little bit at his hips and the skin above his ribs, and he lets out a cat-like yelp that makes you giggle.

You become an entanglement of limbs when Minho decides to cup both sides of your face as you're holding him. Your face slightly mushed together, he angles your eyes to look into his, and none of you would win the competition of who's more enamoured than the other.

"Sometimes I really can't help but wonder... what are those pretty eyes of yours seeing when you look at me?" He asks in the softest way possible, and you're suddenly caught in a trance. His eyes pull you closer, his skin continues to sparkle, and a gentle warm breeze seems to circle the two of you.

"Magic." You answer, promptly, with certainty, still bewitched by the portrait of him among the trees. He lets out a puff of hair as he chuckles, but he doesn't mock you. He caressed your face with his thumb and you too feel warm.

"Magic?"

"It's like the magic of nature is coursing through you..." You begin to rant, but figure out finding the right words is quite a challenge. But Minho was patient. "It's hard to explain. It's like you're out of this world ... and yet the most human I've ever seen someone be... The most natural." Minho has heard this song and dance before. Countless of times you've called him a forest fairy, a fae, a nymph...but to him the most fascinating part of it was how you were able to tell. You could see where he belonged, where he shone the brightest. You allowed him to realize when he was happy and not be scared of that happiness; therefore, there was only one thought forming at the back of his mind. A thought, that was of course, completely random and not something he's thought about hundreds of times before while you were sound asleep.

"Marry me." He blurts out, and you blink at him, awaiting a grin, a laugh, a smirk, a signal of a joke. But there was none. He was solemn and focused as he watched the slight panic in your gaze.

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yes. I mean, not now. Someday." He answers in a split of a second. But then, he backs out as if burnt. Maybe, just maybe, he let his impulses get the better of him. "Why, do you not feel the same? It's okay, you can tell me if I'm being too pushy-" He's panicking, and panic doesn't fit his handsome features. So you grab him by the shoulders and kiss him with passion.

Kissing Minho was addicting.

"You're the first person I've ever liked kissing this much." You confess to him after you break apart. Then, you wrap your arms around him yet again and rest your head on his chest, your ear prying in to listen to the alarmed pace of his heart. You squeeze him tight, so very tight, almost like he was a teddy bear. "The first person I've liked holding so much." His heart continued to drum, for he was confused about what you were saying. Was he getting an answer to his question or was this your subtle way of switching the subject, saying that you weren't ready yet? Minho tries to calm down in order to focus on what you were saying. "The only one for which romance made sense." You begin to explain, your cheek still tightly pressed into his chest. You're calm and you speak in what is almost a whisper. "Feelings aren't supposed to be logical, I know, but... being with you is. It's logical... it just makes sense, being in love with you. I can never blame myself for it, never hold myself accountable. Because falling in love with you ...came to me as naturally as breathing; like it was always part of my DNA."

There is a nature in all of us. Cells, stardust, but mostimportantly, love. To love is human nature, fact discovered ever since medieval times. Whether you loved God like Dante, or loved humans like Boccaccio, it is destined for all of us to love.

"Because I'm nature...?"

He was human, he was nature, and towards him you felt only that which is most natural.

"Because you're nature. And I love nature." You pull back to look at him and are startled to see the ocean of his eyes, the reflection of stars in the sea. He was trying not to cry, and looking at you with the fondness of a thousand families.

"Nature loves you too, kitten." Once more he holds your face close, but this time around he leans down to kiss you on the forehead. It is a long kiss. It is a warm kiss. It is a meaningful kiss. "The whole world does. And I do even more." Words like these touched chords inside your heart you didn't even know could be touched. Minho always told you so, that you weren't just worthy of his love, but the love of every single person on this planet.

"Yeah, I bet the world loves me if they gave me you." You say, and Minho thinks you are joking. You weren't, but there was perhaps a limit of how sappy a moment can be until it gets truly too much.

"Ew." He jokes back, scrunching his nose to fake disgust. A grin appears on his face, which you mimic.

And that's all you do for a while. Like a movie panorama, you stay there to look at each other. The clouds, the trees, something must have moved with the wind since the sun starts to line both of your faces. One of your eyes starts to squint because of the light, and suddenly it hits you.

"So, are we married now? Where's my ring?"

Minho didn't expect that, and there were a number of reasons why you were sure of it; one, because he starts to blabber and two, because his ears turned red.

"Well, I uh, I uh, don't- I said someday... Not this exact moment! Uhm...Hold on." It's a good thing Minho was a boy scout when he was young, although he would have never thought his skills would come in handy in a situation like this.

You're confused about what he was planning, but you let him do his thing. He squats down next to a group of small, white flowers and plucks them out from the ground in such a manner that their stems remain very long. Then, he picks a strand of grass and takes your hand in his to measure your finger with it. After he has your measurements, he begins to wrap the flower stems around the grass strand with such craftsmanship, almost as if it hasn't been 15 years since he last made a ring out of flowers.

When he is done, he gingerly slides it up your ring finger and he's proud like a child. The ring is cute, tiny and light, and it tickles your finger softly. It's not gold or diamonds, but it is a promise, and it is so much more natural than forged metals and stolen minerals. So much more Minho.

"There you go." He beams proudly. Truth be told, he is flabbergasted he managed to make the ring actually hold without falling apart. "Now we share all of our assets and you are legally obligated to feed my cats when I'm not at home and clean out their litters." He speaks matter of factly, and you slap him on the chest.

"You only want me so I can do your chores! Tsk, I think our marriage is already falling apart." You joke, pretending to turn around and pout. Minho finds you hilarious, especially as he envelops you from the back and holds you in a pretend chokehold.

"The only thing falling apart is gonna be my wallet when I buy you that ring." You don't know if it's the light of the sun or you're blushing, but your face grows hot. Getting married was, of course, the natural order of progressing things in a relationship. But a part of you has always wondered if you are someone to deem worthy of marriage; if that's something that would ever happen to you. Now that such reality was approaching, it did really feel like magic.

Minho released you from the tight hold and decided to walk with your hand in his instead. He was looking at your finger, at the hand-made flower ring, and his quiet, peaceful smile came back to his face.

"I promise I'll get you a real ring soon. You'll have it on your finger by the time we come here again." He speaks softly, in a murmur, but you hear him. You stay quiet, but he sees you nod. You acknowledge his promise, and a completely harmless anxiety mixes in with the excitement that comes with thinking of that day.

"Does that mean we're not gonna have a vacation here for the next 5 years?" Minho rolls his eyes at your question, and the sappiness finally seems to come to an end; you're back to your lighthearted vacation.

-------------------------------

"Or perhaps I'll make you live in the wild with me for the next five years. If we never leave we can't come back." He wiggles his eyebrows at you, gives you his trademark serial killer look, and there was never a moment when you've loved him more. Never a moment when you've loved him more naturally.

.

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[peachesofteal]

Who wants to read the first like 1.4k of the winter ghoap fic even though it has absolutely no ghoap in it?

Winter in the mountains can be cruel. 

This is something you’ve always known, even as a child. You were raised with it. Chose to return to it after school, decided to make a go of it, of a life here, as an adult. You knew what you were getting yourself into, long cold winters that felt both bleak and promising, unblemished blankets of snow possessing the ability to be stunning, while also lethal. Winters were dangerous, silent killers that left corpses in their wake and no amount of lupine or paintbrushes, glacier fed lakes or springtime moose calves could make up for the hell that winter wrought. Winter brings most living things to the knife’s edge of survival, forcing most to bow beneath the weight of its fury, backs breaking with the burden of just existing in a below freezing environment. 

Although, there are some who do more than survive the cold, violent stretch of winter. There are predators who thrive. 

“You closin’?” Your coworker, the new one, asks from where she’s settled across the dark wood bar, two amber Budweiser bottles empty in front her idle hands, eyes wandering to guys posted up by the loneliest pool table in fifty square miles. 

“I am.” She casts the one window in the entire place a surreptitious glance, fingers peeling away at a label. It’s snowing, has been for hours, flakes fat and wet, fluffy enough that the density of the snow on the ground is light, but dangerous, as it hides the real risk underneath; packed snow sitting with a slick sheen of ice on top. 

“You still trying to make it over Fall River pass tonight?” You nod. 

“Yeah. Supposed to see my brother and his new baby this weekend.” 

“Fall River? Is that even open right now?” Andy, a regular who lives a few streets over from you, chimes in, twisting an empty rocks glass in his fist. You pull the bottle of Jameson from the rail and tip it vertical, honey brown liquid sloshing like a wave until his glass is halfway full, and he gives you a flirty kind of smile, the same one he’s been giving you for a year now. Yeeesh.

“It is. I could go around, but it just takes too long. And it’s Friday. I’m not trying to be stuck on the highway with ski traffic and the tourists in their rental cars.” You complain, and they both commiserate your opinion. Weekend traffic is brutal, especially in the winter. Driving in hazardous conditions is considered to be a talent more than an innate ability here, and people often overestimate their aptitude for it, causing crashes and delays that get the highway shut down for hours, or even days, at times. You shrug. “I’ve had my snow tires on for weeks. Might as well get some use out of them.” Andy snorts. 

“Like you haven’t been gettin’ good use out of them? First real snow was before Halloween this year.” You nod. He’s not wrong. You did get dumped on two weeks before the end of October, twenty-three inches piling up within two days, before half the area was even ready for it. You throw him a polite smile, one that you hope reads like ‘okay thanks for the concern, we’re done now’ and he sighs. “Well, drive safe.” 

Fall River pass, it turns out, is not open. It’s closed by the time you split off from the interstate and start the windy, switch-backed trek in your jeep, flashing orange and yellow lights dotting the top of a barricade just barely visible through the speckled snow flying by in your headlights. 

Fuck. You could have sworn the DOT website said it was open. You take a deep breath, quelling the anxiety that roils your stomach. Okay. Not the end of the world. There’s another road. A less maintained road, but… you’ll be fine. You’ve driven in worse. 

The other road, a sharp, narrow, desolate path that cuts through a large swath of unmanaged forest just outside the national park, is easy at first. You’ve been driving the same jeep for years, a 2007 two door Wrangler, and you know how it handles like the back of your hand. With snow tires, it could pretty much cut through anything, even unplowed, fire watch roads like this one. 

Which is why, after the first few miles, your nerves fully settle, and you allow yourself to relax a little bit behind the wheel, easing the jeep across the dips and slicks in the road as you cautiously build speed, snow falling fast through night, growing thicker the higher you travel into wilderness territory, and the farther you left modern civilization behind. 

An hour creeps by, and then two. Long enough that you’ve now realized you’re the only one using this road, fresh snow blanketing the woods around you, topography and vegetation starting to change as you encroach on what you assume must be eleven thousand feet. You’ve seen this road on google maps once, or twice maybe, having noted it for future travel just in case of a situation like this. It travels perpendicular to Fall River, and eventually meets another, one that must be similar, on the other side of the range. The secondary road is one that takes you along the ridge, and then down, you’re pretty sure, although you can’t be one hundred percent certain, because you lost cell reception before you even turned off from Fall River.

Still, won’t hurt to check and see if you have this area downloaded. 

You pull your phone from the center console, thumbing at the screen, allowing your eyes to linger too long without looking back up through the windshield. No one else is out here. It’s not like you need to worry about oncoming traffic. The little SOS insignia blinks at the top corner, and you tap on the map icon, hoping it will bring up your geo location so you can glance at the satellite map of the area. 

You’re so fixated watching the little circle of death try to load, that by the time you look up and see the tree laying across the road, it’s far too late. You do the first thing you were always taught not to do in winter conditions, and slam on the brake, slamming the pedal to floor, heart rate sky rocketing as you panic and lose total control of the jeep. You spin, shoulders and chest jamming against the seatbelt, headlights flashing off into the woods, illuminating an endlessly dark web of trees, bark and branch scratching across the paint as you careen off the road, tipping too precariously onto two wheels and then rolling. 

Time, your life, stands completely still for a moment. You see every individual fiber of the pine needles, every uniquely designed snowflake, every single droplet of blood that floats away from your face and through midair as you crash through the forest, your grasp on consciousness slipping farther and farther away as you’re jostled around, the jeep finally coming to a stop on its side, your head cracked against the driver’s window, stars and lights spawning out across your vision, headlights finally blinking out completely, leaving you in the dark. Your head spins like you’re still rolling, and the only sound in the dead silent snow is your harsh breathing, frantic terror bubbling up through your throat as pain surges through your body. 

It's freezing, but you feel surprisingly warm. 

You’re going to die out here. No one knows you took this road, you don’t have service, by the time they find you, it’ll be too late. You’ll be a bled out, frozen corpse, long gone and- 

You lose your train of thought quickly. Everything starts to fracture, fissures forming in your consciousness, part of you already losing the battle to the inevitable, black pulling over your eyes like a knit hat, lungs heaving just a little harder with each breath. 

Sleep. You could just close your eyes. Close your eyes, and sleep. 

Light sweeps across the ground, flashing across your face. You think, if you were truly with it, in your right mind, you’d think it was too bright. You’d say it was blinding. 

But you can’t formulate anything of the sort, mind too busy slipping away, falling into an inky black pool, just barely on the verge when you feel a gloved hand on your skin, the lilt of an accent on the wind. 

Sleep. 

[deanwritings]

The Guest House - Chapter 2

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Series Summary: Dean Winchester is going through a nasty divorce. He doesn't have much left to his name, but what he does have is his house. Leave it to his soon-to-be ex wife to find a way to even ruin that for him. Enter Y/N, who is looking to get away from life for a bit, and stumbles right into the middle of it all.

The Guest House Master List

Word Count: 3,790

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

You groan and squeeze your eyes tight as you snuggle into the pillow you’re holding, too comfortable to be bothered with whatever is trying to disturb you. 

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. 

The noise grows louder, and you scoff as you peek your eyes open, muted sunlight shining behind the curtains of your room. 

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. 

“What the fuck?” You whisper as you push yourself upright, pressing a hand to your head as you feel the reverberation in your skull from having a few too many glasses of wine last night. 

After Lisa’s message and your inability to find a backup rental, you definitely drank more than you intended as you attempted to relax on the broken-in couch and tried to focus on the cheesy Hallmark romance you had found on Netflix. But you had failed and drank until you felt sleepy enough to effortlessly pass out in the bed that would be yours for the next month. 

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” You throw the covers off and storm to the door that leads to the bedroom porch. You peek behind the curtain and see the owner standing there, his foot tapping with impatience as he raises his fist to the door again, the morning sun shining bright behind his broad silhouette. 

You grunt and shake your head at the sight before you grab a hoodie and step outside, your toes curling underneath you as they make contact with the frozen wood of the deck. You cross your arms over yourself in an attempt to keep the morning cold from stealing any body warmth as your jaw tightens.  

“Can I help you!” You shout, raising a hand to cover your eyes from the sun as your warm breath appears in front of you. The man turns to face you, seemingly surprised to see you on the opposite deck. He hurries down the steps and takes a few long strides before stopping in front of your porch. 

“How much’s it gonna cost?” He demands, his spiked, brown hair reflecting in the rays sneaking through the bare branches of the trees around you. You squint your eyes at him.

“Excuse me?” You bite back, confusion and disgust deepening your voice. You have no idea what the hell this guy was on, and you take a step back towards the door, ready for a quick getaway if need be. 

“To get you out of here.” He clarifies. “How much?” 

You close your eyes and shake your head. It was far too early for this and you were a tad hungover. It takes a moment for his words to make sense.

“You’re offering to pay me to leave the rental?” He just responds with tight lips and raised eyebrows, seemingly annoyed that you’re just now catching on. The action draws your attention to his eyes, and for the first time, you notice his strikingly green irises, dark like the forest around you in warmer months. 

You cross your arms and think. You wanted out of this situation just as much as he seemingly wanted you gone. Problem was, you had looked into other listings last night, with it being such short notice, prices were high and options were low. Even if he paid off your rental, it was still going to cost you a pretty penny to change spots since Lisa had priced the rental at such a steep discount. 

Which you now knew why. 

Not to mention you wouldn't have access to your apartment until your little “vacation” was over. 

But between the rude wake up call and his bad attitude, you had enough. 

“Look,” You snap and point a finger at him. “I’m not here to be the pawn in your divorce game. I came here to relax. Problem is, every other place I’ve looked at in the area is either sold out or way more expensive than here, and I can’t afford it. You wife-”

“Ex wife-” He interjects curtly. 

“Whatever,” you snarl at his interruption. “Rented this place for a good deal, and considering I don’t have a job right now, I can’t really afford to go somewhere else.” 

“If you don’t have a job, what the hell are you doing here then?” He challenges, crossing his arms and matching your stance.  

“That’s none of your business.” He tsks his tongue and throws his head back with an exasperated sigh. 

“Look,” You lower your voice, hoping a calmer tone will help ease the situation. “Unless you need this house for anything, I promise I’ll stay out of your way. I won’t bother you, and you’ll barely know I’m here. But I already paid Lisa and I don’t have any other options, so you’re stuck with me.”

The man takes a deep breath through his nose and purses his lips.  

“Fine.” He snaps. “Enjoy your freakin’ vacation.” He huffs before he storms away from the porch and back to the main house. You shake your head at his antics.

Like a toddler having a temper tantrum. 

Between Lisa’s bitchy attitude and his man-child behavior, it’s a wonder how those two ever actually liked each other enough to get married. 

But that wasn’t your problem. Since he begrudgingly agreed to let you stay, you decided it was time to finally settle in and actually unpack.

You step inside, your body uncoiling in the warmth of the bedroom. You wander over to your nightstand and tap your phone awake to see it’s 6:54am. 

Actually, you could unpack later, for now, you were getting back into bed.

Dean huffs as he flies back into the house, slamming the door behind him. He really didn’t like the idea of someone staying on his property, especially a complete stranger sent here by his vindictive ex-wife. 

But unless he was willing to shell out cash to get her out of here – cash he didn’t really have considering he was in the middle of a two-year long divorce – he was stuck with her. 

For fuck’s sake. 

Dean runs a hand down his face and takes a deep breath. At least she said she would stay out of his way. He never used that house anyways. 

The last time that house was used, Lisa was sneaking in her now fiancé, Gavin. Since then, Dean’s had no real interest in stepping foot inside the guest house, and he wasn’t one for solo hot tubbing. He’s used it a few times with some women he’s brought back in an effort to make himself feel better, but he always took them back to the main house before things progressed.  

Dean shakes himself out of his thoughts and grabs his coffee tumbler and keys and heads back out the way he came, this time locking the door behind him before jumping into his truck and peeling out of the driveway. 

Dean grinds his teeth as he drives through town, his mood effectively soured by the bullshit Lisa decided to throw at him this week. It wasn’t enough that she imploded their marriage, she couldn’t let him live in peace. 

When he pulls into Singer’s Auto Repair, his knuckles are white as he takes his usual parking spot and he slams the truck door shut with more force than necessary, but he doesn’t care as he stomps over to the faded navy building and unlocks the front door, the first one to arrive for the morning.

Which wasn’t a surprise. When Bobby Singer finally decided to retire, he offered Dean a managing partnership in the shop. Dean had been working for Bobby since he was sixteen years old, and after Dean’s father had unexpectedly passed a couple years later, Bobby filled that gap in Dean’s life. So Dean wanted to make sure he made Bobby proud. He was regularly the first one to arrive each morning; setting up the shop with coffee and making schedules for the day. Dean enjoyed the quiet mornings. It gave him time to settle into the day, and also the opportunity to control the radio. 

But this morning was not a usual morning. Instead, Dean trudges around the shop, doing his usual task list but not finding the relaxation the routine typically brings him. 

He decided to get a head start on the first car for the day, giving himself something to focus on that wasn’t Lisa or the woman holding his guest house hostage. 

“‘Mornin’, boss.” Benny’s voice rings out through the quiet garage not long after Dean gets started. “Radio not workin’?” He asks as he settles his belongings into his locker, hanging his newsboy cap that he has an affinity for as he notices the absence of the morning rock show that Dean typically starts the day with. 

“Don’t really feel like music this morning,” Dean grumbles from underneath the car he’s working on, tightening the last bolt on the oil pan before wiping his slicked hands on his coveralls and wheeling himself out from underneath the Nissan Altima that was due to be picked up this afternoon. 

“Let me guess,” Benny smirks down at Dean as he zips up his monogrammed jumpsuit. “Lisa?”

Dean just responds with a shake of his head before heading over to the work sink and washing away the rest of the oil. 

“What she do this time?” Benny continues his own routine, taking a look at the schedule to see where he’s needed first. 

Dean shuts off the tap and rests his hands against the basin. 

“She rented the guest house out on AirBNB or something.” Dean shakes his head. “Some girl is staying there.”

“Whacha mean she’s renting it out?” Benny grabs his toolbox, not letting the conversation distract him from the work that needs to be done as he starts to get set up in front of a Kia Optima that’s almost as old as his tween daughter. 

Dean breathes out a deep breath and turns in his spot, resting against the sink as he crosses his arms, the navy coveralls crinkling at the movement.

“She’s not letting up about getting the property, so she’s decided to annoy me into giving it to her by renting it out. And some fucking lady is renting it for a month!” He throws a hand off his bicep, emphasizing his frustration. Benny just nods his head. 

Benny was a homegrown boy, he was a few years older than Dean – his salt and pepper beard betraying his age – and he’s been around long enough to remember a time when Dean and Lisa were heart-eyed newlyweds who couldn’t keep their hands off each other. He was also there as things began to sour; Lisa stopped coming by the shop more and more, Dean complaining about Lisa almost every day, and when she hammered the final nail in the coffin of their marriage when Dean got home early one day and found her and her boyfriend in bed. 

He’s heard firsthand how petty their divorce proceedings have become, and it didn’t surprise him that Lisa was turning to more creative tactics to get her way. 

“Can she do that?” Dean shrugs.

“No clue. I gotta ask my lawyers, but she knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s trying to run me dry until I’ve got nothing left and have to give in.” Benny sighs, shifting his jaw left to right as he scratches his beard.

“Dean, you sure this is the path you wanna go down?” Benny’s shoulders drop with the question. Dean just licks his lips and looks away. It wasn’t the first time Benny’s tried to convince him to just walk away. But Dean was stubborn and pigheaded. They both knew Dean was going down a bad road dragging on this divorce, but he was refusing to back down. 

“What about the woman staying there?” Benny decides to shift the conversion. “Does she know Lisa?” Dean shakes his head.

“I don’t think so. She thought I was breaking in when I confronted her yesterday. Told me she was gonna call the cops.” Dean huffs in a half laugh at the memory and Benny snorts. 

“I woulda love to seen Jody come down there and try to arrest your ass for trespassing on your own land.” Benny chuckles with a shake of his head and Dean joins him, the tension in the air dissipating. Exactly what Benny was hoping for. 

The side door opens and Linda hobbles in, offering nothing but a grunt and a wave as she makes her way to the front office. Dean and Benny wave back, even though she doesn't bother to face them. She’s just as, if not, grumpier than her younger brother, Bobby. She’s retired five times over the past few years but always manages to find her way back to the office when she “doesn’t feel like sitting on my ass just to wait around and die” anymore. 

As the rest of the crew begins to trickle in, Dean and Benny return to their work and let the day begin.

The clock on the microwave reads 12:59 by the time you finish unpacking and settle into the quaint cabin. You thankfully fell back to sleep for a few more hours, this time awakening to the sounds of the local forest, and not some manic divorcé at the ass crack of dawn. You also managed to sleep off your “wine headache” as your mother referred to it as, which you were grateful for as you weren’t planning on hanging on the couch all day. Sure, hangovers were a hell of a lot worse at 29 than they were at 25, but you were grateful they weren’t totally putting you on your ass just yet. 

As you shove your emptied suitcase into the hallway closet, you decide it’s a good time to head into town and one, explore, two find a good lunch spot, and three, pick up some groceries. It was also a good time because you were starving and had no food other than the morsels of leftovers you had brought up with you that you had pretty much finished for dinner last night. 

You throw on some jeans and a warm sweater, the weather app on your phone showing a meager 27 degrees. You give your hair a quick brush and swipe on some concealer, blush, and mascara before you grab your keys and coat and head out the door. 

You hum along to the local classic rock station as you pull into town, parking spots along both sides of the street only partially full on this Tuesday afternoon. You take the first spot at the edge of town, wanting to give yourself the opportunity to walk the full length of main street.

You tuck your hands into your gloves and pull your beanie over your ears before you venture out, zipping your coat tight against the wind as you begin your stroll, spotting the shops you noticed yesterday when you first drove through. As you continue down the near-empty sidewalks, golden letters hanging onto the red-brick façade catches your eye: BILLIES DINER. The English snob in you scrunches your nose at the missing apostrophe, but it’s the only restaurant you’ve seen so far, and you weren’t sure how much longer you could ignore your growling stomach. So you hurry across the street, taking a quick peek through the store-front window, surprised to see it fairly full, before you step inside, rubbing the cold out of your hands as you wait at the hostess stand. 

The diner isn’t very wide, but it is deep, with booths and tables along the left side and your typical breakfast counter along the right. 

“Sit wherever ya want, hun.” The curvy woman behind the counter calls out to you. Your eyes roam the room, most booths already taken so you wander over to the counter and take a seat at the corner, closest to the door. There are a few barstools between you and the next person, an older gentleman with a stack of newspapers. He catches your eye and you give him a smile, which he returns before continuing his reading. 

A glass of water and a menu appears in front of you, the woman behind the counter greeting you with a smile. 

“Specials on the board,” She points to a chalkboard towards the end of the diner, various colors of chalk spelling out fleeting fares. “Just give me a wave when you know whatcha want.” 

You give her a nod and flip open the menu after she heads to the opposite end of the counter, grabbing the coffee decanter as she goes. You bypass the breakfast pages, heading straight for lunch. For a small place, they sure had a lot of food options; pages of appetizers, sandwiches and lunch entrees to choose from.

A balsamic chicken panini catches your eye and you wave down the waitress, putting in your order with a side of fries and a Diet Coke.

As you wait, you drum your fingers against the laminate countertop and purse your lips, taking in olive walls, walnut furnishings, and upholstery that matches the paint. The walls are decorated with a mix of nature paintings and framed news clippings, mismatched together in no apparent design. Your eyes continue to scan the room when you catch sight of the side profile of one of the patrons; a distinct jaw line, covered in scruff that matches the spiked hair on top of his head. 

Oh shit.

Just this morning you said you would stay out of this way, now here you were showing up where he was having lunch. He was going to start thinking you were following him, or maybe even colluding with Lisa to bother him.

You’re about to turn away, but the bearded man sitting across from him catches your eye and offers a soft smile as he says something across the table. You swallow, quickly turning in your seat just as the homeowner begins to face you.

You squeeze your eyes shut, listening as heavy footsteps grow closer. You feel someone move next to you, and as you peek one eye open, the homeowner is sitting on the barstool next to you, arms crossed on the countertop. 

“Thought you were going to stay out of my way.” He drawls, his features impassive as his full lips rest in a tight line. As the afternoon light shines in through the front, the green of his eyes 

shimmer and his hair looks blonder than it did this morning. As he sits a mere foot or so away from you, you realize just how strikingly handsome he is. 

You swallow hard, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable from his proximity now having realized that the homeowner was actually a babe. God damn. 

“I meant it.” You start quietly and quickly clear your throat. “I was just taking in downtown and it was the only place I saw that had lunch.” His green eyes narrow and you almost miss the tick up in his lips.

“And the only place worthin comin’ too.” The waitress appears again, her bright smile a deep contrast to her umbre skin as she places your meal in front of you. Once her hands are free, she rests one on the counter and the other on her hip as she leans in. 

“Dean, are you bothering the tourists?” She smirks at him and the man, Dean, straightens up in his stool and returns her smile. 

“I’m hoping if I bother her enough she'll up and leave.” He quips with a raise in his brows. The woman frowns at him.

“I’m staying in his guest house.” You clarify, picking up a fry and taking a bite, not being able to resist the smell as your stomach cramps in hunger. “His wife rented it out to me.” You say over the potato.

“Ex-wife.” Dean corrects you again. This time you raise your brows and shrug at the waitress as you enjoy another fry. 

The waitress then turns her gaze on you, and you lower your half-eaten fry under her hard gaze. 

“You’re friends with Lisa?” She asks incredulously, a layer of anger simmering beneath her tone. 

You quickly shake your head.

“Not at all. She just rented the house to me on AirBNB.” You pop the rest of the fry into your mouth, ignoring the hard gaze hitting you from your periphery. “I only know about their relationship status because he keeps telling me about it.” You twist in your seat and meet Dean’s gaze with a lazy smirk as you chew on your fry. His eyes narrow and you watch as his shoulders tense. You may have felt intimidated by him just a minute ago, but now he was ruining your nice afternoon out. He could have just ignored you but he went out of his way to make a scene, so you were happy to give him one. 

The waitress just stares between the two of you slack jawed before throwing up her hands.

“Okay I’m staying out of this. I’ve got a restaurant to run.” She drops her hands. “Nice to meet ya, hun.” She gives you a smile before heading towards the end of the counter.

“Really though, why are you here?” Dean starts again once it’s just the two of you. You huff and roll your eyes.

“Isn’t it obvious.” You point down to your plate with raised brows and Dean mirrors your annoyance. 

“Look,” You put your thumb up. “First you wake me up at the ass crack of dawn by banging on my door like a lunatic, and now,” A second finger goes up. “You’re disturbing my lunch. I meant when I said I would stay out of your way, but you keep getting in mine.” You just shake your head. If anyone should be annoyed, it’s you. But your mom always told you to be the bigger person. So if it meant wiping the slate clean and having some peace with your pseudo landlord, so be it.

“How about we start fresh?” You smile tightly and reach out your hand. “I’m Y/N. Sounds like you’re Dean. Nice to meet you.” You relax your features, hoping to convey the genuinity in your gesture.     

Dean stares down at your hand, lips ajar before his eyes flick back to you. His tongue darts over his lips as he looks away for a moment before sighing.  “Fine.” He grunts before he pushes off the barstool and returns to his table, your hand still hanging in the air as he takes his seat. You just roll your eyes at his childish antics and turn back to your food, finally digging in as you think, what a fucking grump.

Keep Reading

NEXT TIME:

Dean went to high school with Nick. Grade A douchebag then and grade A douchebag now. He may have even broken Nick’s nose once senior year.  

He’s chatting with someone, definitely a woman.

Poor girl. Dean thinks as Jacob returns with the pitcher, and Dean thanks him. 

Dean heads back to the table, dropping the pitcher right in the middle before, for some reason, he takes a glance back towards Nick. And from this angle, he can see exactly the poor girl he’s talking to. 

Shit. 

It’s Y/N. 

Dean turns away, shaking his head. 

He should stay out of it. He and Y/N hadn’t crossed paths since their lunch run-in a few days ago, and he had planned to keep it that way. 

You’re an adult, and free to chat with whomever you want. Even if he’s a complete dickbag. 

But then he thinks back to a few days ago. How he was a total asshole to you, and he had regretted it. He was better than that. This wasn’t the guy he always was. 

Maybe this was his chance at redemption.

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[randomfoggytiger]

"I Think He's a Hard Kid to Love"

(Fictober, Day 23)

Inspired by these prompts and sketches (shoutout to my family members.)

*****

Scully was sitting outside her motel room, half-awake, trying to warm up in the weak, wavering sun and shockingly cold morning air. 

It wasn’t working. 

Mulder’s door opened and he dodged out, awkwardly fiddling with his phone while juggling his luggage. She watched disinterestedly, still glazed with sleep, as he strode across the parking lot, waiting for the call to go through. Then he was chattering, trying to place his luggage in the trunk of their rental, failing, and forcefully shoving them in with his second, impatient attempt. Scully noticed he was shocking a squirrel half to death but decided not to interfere: she didn't feel like wrangling the locals while still mentally in bed. More importantly, her coffee hadn't kicked in.

At this rate, she doubted it ever would. 

She was only aware her eyes were closed because Mulder was back and nudging her shoulder, voice startlingly close as he said, “Looks like we’re still going on a little road trip, Scully.” He walked away, humming something under his breath.

Whoopee. 

*****

It’s not that Scully disliked road trips in the fall-- they were gorgeous drives, made her feel grateful to be human-- but she vastly preferred them in casual clothes in her own car on her own time at home. Which was the opposite of where they were heading. 

A few gorgeous red trees meandered their way past the windshield, so slowly it was easy to mistake them for friends holding hands and loping soundlessly through the woods. Now that she thought of it, the entire forest came alive through a few perfected squints and an imagination fueled by groggy awareness and pre-caffeine boredom.

“Killer trees”, their boss had said. Flat. Tell me I’m wrong, he’d meant. 

“That’s what Agent Mulder… suggested, Sir. And I’m at a loss to explain the corroborating witnesses' testimony without… some degree of credit to his story.” 

There had been a long, disappointed sigh. “Agent Scully, might I have a word with him?” 

And they’d been promptly assigned a case close enough to drive to. Mulder had dodged all inquiries on how or why Skinner forced them away from rather than toward home; but he’d gotten her thinly veiled hints and called up Boss Man again while they packed, doing his best to wiggle them out of the obligation.

No dice. 

*****

“Gorgeous,” she murmured, willing to give Nature its due now that she was a little more awake. 

“Hm. What?” Mulder stopped humming briefly to shoot her a side-glance; then scanned the road to find what she was talking about.

“The scenery-- the sky and the trees and the grass. Rich reds and yellows and oranges. The blue isn’t too blue.” 

He nodded as she braced herself further upright against the door. “Mm. Tranquil.” 

A bluster of leaves swirled across the road, smacked the hood of the car, and whooshed away. 

Is that irony, tragedy, or comedy? Scully flicked away the thought like an unwanted fuzz of lint on her skirt. She was not going to be bogged down with useless thought trails that warranted an obscene amount of energy this early in the morning. 

*****

“I think I’d enjoy it more if my eyes weren’t…” Mulder made a vague handwave, drawing her attention to-- not away from-- his attention-seeking smile. 

Fine. Here we go. “Mulder, you are not red-green colorblind.”

“Ah, au contraire, Scully-- my paperwork would prove you wrong.” He was enjoying this: probably had been bored out of his mind simply sitting and staring, probably waited until she could wake up enough to verbally spar before opening a topic between them, probably chose one that would annoy her even more awake. 

Touche. 

“Your paperwork is nonexistent because you never bothered to get tested, Mulder.”

“There’s a very big difference between Salmon and Dusty Salmon, Scully; and I’m one of the unlucky few that can’t tell that all-important difference.” 

She blinked at him, enjoyed watching the swirling swaths of autumnal colors blend behind his profile. “I’d wager a lot of people can’t tell the difference between Salmon and Other Salmon. And whatever you think you have, it most certainly didn’t affect your recruitment.” 

“Or it could mean the higher ups wanted my abilities so badly they were willing to fudge a bit of paperwork.” He was modest, immodest, self-deprecating, and proud all at once. How Mulder. 

“Mulder, you see normal human blood and acidic green blood. You see these trees. You see my hair. Proof.” Scully formed her words precisely, smugly. “Scientific evidence.” 

His hands were already diving into a sunflower seed bag, his rhythmic cracking a routine that keyed him up and settled him down simultaneously. Mulder's queue that he was meditating an interesting little comeback.

“Yeah, well, I coulda sworn your hair’s changed color over the years, Scully.” 

She was crisp and professional, the very model of dignity as she sniffed at the assertion. “Lighting, Mulder-- more precisely, bad lighting. I’ll never forget the day I changed the bulbs in the office and you walked in, stood there, and stared like you’d woken up in some weird alternate universe.” 

Scully preferred to refer to their workspace as the office or the office down there and not the basement or the den of iniquity like her partner did. It kept things above board-- above reproach, above criticism, above scrutiny. Above the low bar of Mulder's jokes.

Crunch, crack. “Yeah, well…”

“And my hair hasn’t changed since, has it?”

Crack, crunch, genuine smile. “You never know, Scully-- it might spring something on you yet.” 

“Until it does, I’m going to soak up what’s left of this drive.” 

They both swiveled towards their respective views, Scully leaning against the car window and Mulder picking up his humming in between spits and chews.

***** 

It was a sleepy old town they arrived in; and a sleepy old gas station they pulled up to. 

“Has law enforcement been alerted we’re coming?” Scully asked, stretching her limbs while trying to sidestep the wind.

Mulder didn’t answer. Avoiding, again. 

“Mulder--”

“They, uh, aren’t going to be involved. In this case.” His eyes were fixed on the gas nozzle, swiping a finger back and forth as if studying its dimensions for the first time. 

“Mulder. Why not?” 

“Because this assignment is a bit… unofficial,” Mulder smirked, meeting her eyes hesitantly. 

Scully straightened her shoulders, trying to pick apart his vague answers. “Skinner gave us an unofficial case?” 

“He gave us an unofficial assignment.” 

Visions of home and hearth and comfy clothes danced behind her eyes. “There isn’t a case?” 

“There could be. We’re here to make sure it doesn’t happen.” Mulder looked from her eyes to her eyebrows to her stance, shrugged, and pretended to focus his gaze elsewhere. Again. This time it was on the leaf sticking to the roof of their car.  

She sighed, let her shoulders drop, and almost, almost smiled.  

*****

A man named Ernesto had a friend named Bernie. Bernie was very popular in the town, made friends with everyone, was thought of as the town’s mascot almost-- 

“Mulder, you make it sound like this town made an attraction out of a human being.”

--And be that as it may, everyone got along, swept up in brotherly love one toward another. However, every fall Bernie got a bit… uncontrollable, wouldn't listen to reason, and broke into peoples’ properties to get his hands on food. 

“He doesn’t have enough to eat?”

He did-- does-- as it happens; but was never convinced it was enough. So, every fall the townsfolk got-- get-- antsy and tried to reason with Ernesto to keep a tighter leash on his friend. But Ernesto wouldn't-- won’t-- listen to reason. 

“So we’re… what? Deployed by the FBI to be a brute force reminder?” 

“I don’t think that’s quite what Skinner had in mind when he said to have a chat with Ernesto; but if you’re that bloodthirsty, G-woman, I’ll rustle us up another bad guy you can shoot at.” 

“I already have two I’d like to take a potshot at; so why don’t we get this over with before my trigger happy finger gets a mind of its own?” 

*****

Bernie was a bear. 

Scully didn’t know if she was more appalled or amused at the sight of a full-grown black bear swamped in fall sweaters charging full speed at her; but humor won out as Mulder lunged from her periphery and knocked them both safely out of its path. 

“BERNIE, GET BACK HEREEEEEEEEE!” Ernesto screeched, shrimp-thin leash flailing uselessly above his head. “BERNIE, YOU JUST GOT A HUGE MEAL ONE HOUR AGO! BERNIE--!”  

Scully had a split second to process the unfolding madness before Mulder leaped to his feet and dashed for the door. She scrambled after him, wondering how in the world Skinner would know a man that owned a bear; and decided she didn’t want to know. 

“BERNIEEEEEEEEEE--” echoed behind her in the town hall. How was Ernesto allowed to bring a domesticated bear into Town Hall? 

“BEAR!” echoed in front of her down the front steps of town hall. How did Mulder think yelling 'Bear' would help them at all?

Her partner was pointing ahead of him at-- 

“That’s a werewolf lawn ornament, Mulder!” she yelled, still trying to sort through the cacophony of thoughts and strategies flitting through her mind. 

He took off down the steps, looking wildly left and right. “Bernie!” Mulder veered a few paces left, changed his mind, veered right. “Bernie!” 

Ernesto ran after him, sniffling back tears. “BERNIE, THIS IS THE TENTH TIME THIS WEEK-- WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME--”

Stopping to lean against the stairs' right-side wall support, Scully watched the two men circle the front lawn, regroup, and take off in opposite directions-- Mulder straight for a tempting garden they’d passed on their walk here and Ernesto weaving off to one possibly like it. 

*****

A snuffling caught her attention. 

Scully looked over the wall and froze, her blue eyes meeting wide, black ones. 

Bear and woman stared at each other for a long, long time, his mouth wrapped halfway around a mangled pumpkin and hers flapping open and shut as she tried to emit sound of any kind. 

It was only a minute-- less than-- before the bear lost interest and began chewing on his make-do snack again. 

“B…ernie?” she whispered, and watched his ears swivel in her direction. “Bernie? You need to come back inside. Come back inside, wait for Ernesto.” 

Bernie looked at her begrudgingly, and it was such a spitting image of her nephew that all fear vanished in a gust of wind. “Bernie. Come inside. And bring your snack with you.” Might as well let him finish and save everyone the hassle of cleaning up. 

Bernie must have sensed her compromise: he rose and lumbered back over to and up the steps, taking great care to wipe all four of his muddy paws on the mat before going back inside. 

*****

Before she could decide how to proceed, a loud yelp pierced the air and Scully knew, immediately, it was her partner. 

“MULDER?” She turned and chased after the phantom of Mulder's footsteps-- past the werewolf decoration, stacks of raked autumn leaves, half the town, and a few more shocked squirrels.

She vaguely hoped Bernie would stay where he was. 

*****

“A possum party,” Mulder explained to Ernesto, trying to clean his muddy fingers on his muddy coat. “I think I found your culprits, though some blame can still be placed on Bernie’s inadequate leash.” 

Ernesto was half-listening, squeezing his pet in the biggest, most awkward hug Scully had ever seen.

She’d only witnessed the tail end of Mulder’s newest drama-- as usual-- more specifically, the many tail ends of a troop of fleeing possums, some ravaged vegetables, and her partner face-planted, business end up, in front of a very slick patch of mud. They’d have to rent another motel room in order to get cleaned up for the trip home. 

Whoopee. 

“Mr. Ernesto, I’m going to have to reiterate what my partner said. Your leash is inadequate to prevent Bernie from running off however he wants or chooses; and even if, as you say, he is not a menace to anyone else he is, at the very least, liable to get injured or killed if he startles someone with a firearm or runs into traffic. This is a final warning; otherwise, we’ll have to get the proper authorities involved.”

Mulder, she noticed, was highly amused-- and something else-- that Scully had taken the bad cop approach; and even more so when Ernesto hung on every word she said with beseeching eyes. 

“Agent Mulder will go with you to pick out a suitable collar while I make a few final calls, Ernesto. Consider this your lucky day.”  

She didn’t even care that her partner wasn’t so amused anymore. 

*****

Scully hung up the call with Skinner mildly appeased, having stressed the precious time she and Agent Mulder had wasted; that Ernesto was unlikely to heed their warnings, regardless; and that they (meaning she) had gone above and beyond the call of duty and saw no reason, Sir, to do these sorts of assignments any time soon in the near future. 

Their boss wasn’t concerned enough, she mused, when he thanked her for the call and hung up. 

She lugged Mulder’s carryon into the nearest motel she could find, deciding that putting his essential items into piles would keep this pit stop as short as possible. While unpacking some of his shirts, the tune he was humming in the car popped into her mind; and Scully tried to place it as she unrolled a few of her partner's tank tops. Then she stopped, deeply sighed, and tossed his shirts down in annoyance before stomping back to the car. 

He had had the gall to sing The Bare Necessities the entire drive.

*****

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2023 and @fictober-event

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

It's Christmas at the Sussexes'!

"Ethically culled chicken from the family coop with extra helpings of re-heated misery - and a blood diamond bracelet wrapped under the tree: It's Christmas at the Sussexes'"

By Kennedy for Dailymail.Com 25 Dec 2023

As North Polian gusts slip and sigh their way to Montecito, little Archie and Lilibet's sustainable stockings are bursting at their hempen seams.

The Duchess wakes later than usual - no early morning emails to staff today (it's their holiday too, she says empathetically).

A quick final check of the mailbox confirms a festive sadness: cards from Jay Z, Bey, the Beckhams and miscellaneous family members have indeed been lost in transit.

The table is laid by Harry - weary from the hard past year he's had, notably publishing his ghost-written memoir in January.

Turkey's out - instead it's ethically culled chicken from the couple's garden coop.

Place mats are replaced with excess copies of Meghan's best-selling picture book The Bench. (#Recycling hack!!)

While side dishes of betrayal and woe are re-blended, reheated and served with extra helpings. (Bought from Palestinian-owned stores only).

House rules: Don't mention Spotify, Coronation or car chases.

Auntie Oprah slides into the mix and - despite recent rumors of a cooling in relations - I'm happy to report she isn't seated out in the cold.

It's Christmas at the Sussexes'! As North Polian gusts slip and sigh their way to Montecito, little Archie and Lilibet's sustainable stockings are bursting at their hempen seams.

Auntie Oprah slides into the mix and - despite recent rumors of a cooling in relations - I'm happy to report she isn't seated out in the cold.

Here's Doria and Tyler Perry, too - rocking up in a Hertz electric-car rental.

And what Royal Californian Christmas would be complete without raucous parlor games?

Enter Omid Scobie, Target's answer to a court jester.

Charades is so stuffy Sandringham, he says. Fantastical fire-side storytelling is much more modern. The more stupendously make-believe the better.

And so Omid knits a yarn so hysterically phoney and bold, the Sussex family clan fashion matching cardigans and beanies.

These prove perfect for a post-lunch walk on the beach, where they launch ships in bottles to those less fortunate across the globe who aren't lucky enough to have Netflix, newspapers, access to the internet or really any way of hearing H&M's grumbles of grievance.

Back home it's time for gifts under the family spruce - felled from a private jet-offsetting forest.

For Harry from Meghan, a tube of Dr Freud's favorite todger tincture and a new necklace (his last one broke - don't ask how!).

For Meghan from Harry, a stunning tennis bracelet of shimmering blood diamonds.

For the children, a tough lesson that good things come to those who wait, marry rich, or star briefly on Deal Or No Deal. (That's something Meghan learnt from Mandela.)

Beware: a grinch! Samantha Markle pulls up in an Uber armed with gift-wrapped court papers addressed to her sister. How cruel to treat a sibling that way, Harry says.

And what Royal Californian Christmas would be complete without raucous parlor games? Enter Omid Scobie (above), Target's answer to a court jester.

Here's Doria and Tyler Perry, too - rocking up in a Hertz electric-car rental.

Now it's time for the King's speech.

But just then, gathered round the 100' flatscreen, Harry reclining in his hand-carved reclaimed-mahogany throne with vegan pudding in hand, the cable goes out. The TV plunges into darkness.

Asked why she was seen with wire cutters by the fuse box, Meghan says recollections may vary.

And so, in lieu of Charles's festive message, they turn to draw up this year's naughty list of people who have wronged the Duke and Duchess of righteous indignation.

Enemy No.1: The Evil Media. (WAAAGH!)

Enemy No.2: The entire British public. (Colonizers!)

The TV plunges into darkness. Asked why she was seen with wire cutters by the fuse box, Meghan says recollections may vary.

In lieu of Charles's festive message, they turn to draw up this year's naughty list of people who have wronged the Duke and Duchess of righteous indignation

Also included: Bill 'f***ing grifters' Simmons and Disney, who continue to refuse to offer Meghan a well-earned lead roll.

Looking ahead to the new year, H&M mentally prepare for another twelve months of being begged for content, lifestyle guidance, therapy advice, and thoughts on how to live in truth.

A 2024 relaunch of the The Tig/Instagram/Suits spinoff/general good works? Just you wait - and wait!

All that's then left is a toast to success, wealth, celebrity friends, humility and freedom."

[slumped-in-the-arms-of-fiction]

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern. I was tagged by @justhere4thevibez and @medusasfinalgirl – thanks pals! Emojis will bring you to the fics!

💆🏼‍♀️The last bus full of kids set off down the dirt road, kicking up dust and chugging out acrid smoke in its wake.

💃🏼Chrissy twisted the locking system into place and stood back to admire her work with a satisfied nod.

🎄Chrissy was adding the final touch to the last little package – red ribbon tied in a neat little bow – when she heard the telltale squeak of her front gate.

🌕The rental was everything the agency said it was.

☎️Everyone knew the office of one Edward Allen Munson was situated in a clearing in the forest behind the football field.

⛈️The routine is muscle memory now, done so often.

🏠“Anyway, as I was saying, I guess… yeah I’m not sure why I hung on to it, ya know?”

💪🏻Eddie twisted the makeshift spear around and around, grinding the base of it into the ground, churning soil and chewing up grass. 

🎒He was gonna take her home.

🥃She sits at the bar, rotating a sweating glass on the scarred wood. 

I tag you. Whoever's reading this and wants to share their fics!

[bearcreekcabins]

Plan the Ultimate Girls' Getaway with Luxury Cabins in Northern Idaho 

When planning the perfect girls' getaway, Northern Idaho offers a unique and luxurious experience that promises relaxation, adventure, and quality time with friends. With its stunning natural landscapes and variety of activities, Northern Idaho is the ideal destination for a group escape. Luxury cabin rentals provide the perfect balance of comfort, elegance, and seclusion for your retreat, making it easy to unwind and connect with your closest friends. 

Northern Idaho is known for its breathtaking scenery, and booking a luxury cabin rental allows you to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the comforts of home. Imagine waking up to views of towering mountains, pristine lakes, and lush forests, all from the comfort of a well-appointed cabin. These cabins often feature spacious living areas, fully equipped kitchens, cozy fireplaces, and private outdoor spaces, providing the perfect setting for a relaxing girls' getaway. 

Luxury cabin rentals in Northern Idaho cater to all types of travelers, whether you're looking to enjoy outdoor activities or simply relax and recharge. The region offers endless opportunities for adventure, including hiking, biking, fishing, and boating. For those seeking a more leisurely experience, you can enjoy spa treatments, wine tasting, or simply lounging by a private hot tub. No matter your preferences, Northern Idaho has something to offer for every type of girls' getaway. 

Our luxury cabins are perfect for hosting a group of friends. With multiple bedrooms and plenty of space to gather, you'll have everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Whether you're cooking meals together, sharing stories by the fire, or enjoying a glass of wine on the deck, these cabins create the ideal environment for bonding with friends. The combination of modern amenities and rustic charm makes them the perfect retreat for your group. 

In addition to the luxury accommodations, Northern Idaho offers a variety of local attractions and activities that will enhance your girls' getaway experience. The region is home to charming small towns, vibrant art scenes, and unique shopping opportunities. You can explore farmers markets, boutiques, and artisan shops, or take a day trip to nearby Coeur d'Alene, a popular destination known for its beautiful lake and bustling downtown. 

One of the highlights of staying in a luxury cabin rental in Northern Idaho is the personalized service. Many of these cabins are locally owned and operated, ensuring that your stay is tailored to your needs. From arranging activities to providing recommendations for local dining, the cabin hosts are dedicated to making your getaway as enjoyable and memorable as possible. 

For a truly exceptional experience, consider booking your girls' getaway at Bear Creek Cabins. Our cabins offer the perfect blend of luxury and comfort, with amenities designed to make your stay unforgettable. Whether you're seeking a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled weekend, Bear Creek Cabins provide the ideal setting for your Northern Idaho escape. With spacious accommodations, breathtaking views, and easy access to outdoor activities, Bear Creek Cabins are the perfect choice for your girls' getaway. 

The natural beauty of Northern Idaho provides a stunning backdrop for your retreat, offering the chance to reconnect with nature and with friends. Whether you're enjoying a morning hike, soaking in a hot tub under the stars, or sharing stories around the fire, a girls' getaway in Northern Idaho promises to create lasting memories. The combination of outdoor adventure and luxurious accommodations makes this the perfect destination for relaxation and fun. 

In conclusion, if you're looking to plan the ultimate girls' getaway rental in Northern Idaho offers the perfect blend of luxury, adventure, and relaxation. With its stunning landscapes, variety of activities, and luxurious cabin rentals, you're sure to have an unforgettable experience. Consider booking your stay at Bear Creek Cabins for the ultimate retreat, where you can enjoy the best of Northern Idaho with your closest friends. Whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, or a little bit of both, Bear Creek Cabins is the ideal destination for your next girls' getaway. 

[judgementdaysunshine]

"You didn't give up even when you didn't have any hope left in you"

toni storm! I dunno this feels timeless!

Aaaah

Hope left within

Pairing: Toni Storm x Male reader

Description: After getting in a car wreck and being separated, the two of you finally reunite at the hospital

Music played and laughs were heard as you and your girlfriend Toni drove to your rental house after having dinner while on your vacation together in the forest enjoying the tranquil and peaceful aura of the forest. The two of you pulled over noticing the car smoking a bit thinking it was overheating due to the weather opening the hood letting the smoke blow out before checking seeing that nothing was out of place or broken but before you can get back in the car where toni was waiting suddenly out of nowhere a car sped towards you everything going into chaos hearing the car crash into you and your car, toni screaming, and seeing the sky and the ground all at once until everything went dark waking up some time later to see that it was still daytime but instead of the bright yellow it was a calm orange groaning as you get up from being laid out at the bottom of the steep 100 foot cliff below the road and barricade noticing the blood from your ear, nose, and head looking around not seeing toni anywhere as you slowly stand up holding onto a tree only hearing loud ringing in your ears as you walk groaning in pain. Toni felt absolutely terrified seeing you fall over the edge as she frantically unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the car as it went over the cliff not seeing you anywhere below, she cried talking to the police who immediately put a bolo out on the person who hit the two of you and dispatched search and rescue to find you in the surrounding forest and houses nearby in case someone had found you and checked in with every nearby hospital in case you had managed to get there or someone took you finding a small patch of blood on the ground where you landed and laid for a few hours following the small trail that stopped on the side of the road thinking either you had been found by someone or managed to stop the wound from bleeding. You had walked covering your head with both hands to stop bleeding when you saw lights as a woman stands in front of you putting a cloth on the side of your head recognizing the small patterns in the jewelry as Native American as she helps you to a car where a man was who drove you to the hospital where the police were earlier and went on lookout in case you were brought in and a nurse who saw you immediately notified police who came down talking with you about what happened after getting x-rays and tests done frantically asking about toni until she flew through the door sharing a long hug whole crying kissing her palms as she stares at you noticing the look in her eyes knowing that she had thought you were gone while still desperately begging people to find and help you feeling a sense of love and proudness for her not giving up on you "You didn't give up even when you didn't have any hope left in you, I love you very much Toni" the two of you shared a kiss before holding each other thankfully she only had a few scrapes and bruises while you had an open wound on your head, a busted ear drum, a concussion, and a bruised lung recovering for the next two weeks with toni by your side the incident bringing you even closer together than the two of you already were.

[redheadspark]

Circus- Random Title fic thing idk what this is bahaha

A/N: YES STELLA! I HAD to write a little list about it instead of a few things!

Snow White

So...Melody using her ability has become a literal circus at their Oregon Home

Clío and Druig would find birds flying their home constantly, not thinking about it at first since birds were reasonably common at their coastal home

But waking up one early Saturday morning to a hoard of wildlife at their front door was not what they expected.

Rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, moles, deer, foxes, and even a pair of bears were on their front lawn, sitting amongst one another and enjoying each other's company.

It felt like the circus was on their front lawn on an early Saturday morning.

After the shock disappeared, Druig and Clío knew the culprit. Druig looked at the stairway behind him and inhaled deeply.

"Melody Sersi! Did you summon the entire forest to our front lawn?!" He yelled up the stairs.

A pause was heard, then Melody tentatively answered at the top of the stairs, "Yes?"

"Oh dear," Clío hummed.

Since then, there were ground rules for wildlife near the house: Melody had to use the meadow behind the house if she wanted to interact with any of the animals, she had to be in eye and ear sight with at least one parent, and no animals were allowed within 6 feet of the home because of the boys still being a pinch too small.

Also, Druig didn't want any animals eating out of the vegetable garden he worked so hard on for the past year.

Melody took those rules to heart, making sure she was only using the meadow behind their home for a little bit of time. Druig and Clío would see her tend to the smaller creatures with ease, including baby rabbits and birds with their chicks.

Clío had a moment of panic when a bear and her cub were with Melody in the meadow. But after watching for a split second, Clío realized that the mother bear was napping while Melody was playing with the baby bear, who was cooing at Melody and wrestling gently with her.

"You weren't scared of that bear, Petal?" Clío asked Melody later that night as she was tucking her in bed.

"No, momma! The mommy bear was really nice and that was her only baby! She needed to take a nap and I told her I would play with her baby while she took a nap, just like what Da does when you need a nap!" Melody replied happily, Clío giggling as she kissed her goodnight.

When the Eternal family would come to visit, they were both surprised and impressed with Melody and her charm on the local animals.

"So why is her nickname Snow White again?" Sprite had to ask as she came to visit one week in the Spring. Clío and Druig eyed each other and then pointed to the back window in the kitchen. Sprite looked, seeing her niece talking to a small deer family and the baby deer nuzzling against her hand. Sprite's eyes went wide.

"Holy Shit!"

"Hey! Langauge in front of your nephews!"

Thena loved seeing Melody use her ability, looking at her niece with pride as Melody would tend to some of the smaller creatures.

"A true warrior tends to those who are vulnerable," Thena told her once as they sat together on the porch to watch the sunset over the ocean, "You loved those animals with everything in you, little one. They'll love you in return,"

"This is the coolest thing ever!" Jack would say in glee as he sat with Finn and Melody while some squirrels and chipmunks would crawl all over them and in their laps. Phastos would watch with a hint of nervousness, though he trusted his niece with her powers.

"Jack, you're taking a bath tonight after playing with those little rodents!"

"Aww, Dad!"

Kingo would park his car a bit farther away so the birds would damage his rental car.

"Please don't ruin the exotic rental!"

"You're fault for getting the expensive rental out here in rural Oregon!"

"Oh shut it, Makkari!"

But Druig and Clío saw one heartfelt moment with their youngest child Oliver. Being the quieter twin and more on the meek side, Oliver was more of an observer and watcher on the sidelines. But he loved seeing Melody interact and play with the animals, wishing to go out there himself and see it first hand. Yet he was afraid, too timid to take the leap.

"Come on, Oli. Don't be afraid!" Melody explained as she pointed to the large family of rabbits playing together in the meadow, "They're really nice, I told them all about you! Here, take my hand," Melody laced her fingers with her brother's hand, looking at her parents for permission.

Druig nodded, knowing Melody wouldn't let anything happen to Oliver. Clío watched with a hint of hesitance as her daughter lead her little brother to the small meadow, where a little of rabbits were jumping and frolicking through the high wildflowers and bushes.

They both sat down together and immediately a few rabbits came to Meldoy and right into their lap.

At first, Oliver was scared and nervous. But the smallest rabbit hopped into his lap and nibbled on his shirt, Oliver giggled and shrieked in laughter.

Clío and Druig never thought they would have a Disney Princess as a daughter, let alone Snow White herself

@a-lumos-in-the-nox @basicrese @virtueassassin @heartofwritiing @botanicalbarnes @ethereal-athalia @heliosphere8

[thehavenwake]

Apartments In Winston-Salem NC

Benefits Of Luxurious Comfort: Discover Upscale Winston-Salem, NC Townhomes At The Haven Wake

Nestled in the heart of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The Haven Wake presents a collection of upscale townhomes that redefine the essence of luxurious living. Offering a seamless blend of opulence and comfort, these townhomes present a haven that elevates the standard of living to new heights. Experience the charm of living in Apartments In Winston-Salem NC, situated near Wake Forest University for easy access to education and amenities.

Aesthetic Elegance and Architectural Excellence:

The townhomes epitomize architectural finesse, showcasing modern designs and upscale aesthetics.

Premium finishes, attention to detail, and stylish elements contribute to an ambiance of refined elegance.

Spacious Sanctuaries for Modern Living:

Experience a world of spaciousness within the townhomes' interiors, offering ample room for your lifestyle needs.

The layout and design prioritize comfort, ensuring that each room is optimized for functionality and beauty.

High-End Features and Finishes:

Revel in the luxury of high-end features, from top-of-the-line appliances to elegant fixtures.

Immerse yourself in a world of sophistication, where even the smallest details reflect the pursuit of excellence.

Well-Appointed Amenities for Elevated Living:

The upscale townhomes offer a spectrum of amenities that cater to your well-being, from fitness centers to communal lounges.

Indulge in luxurious amenities that transform your daily routine into a remarkable experience.

Prime Location, Unmatched Convenience:

The townhomes are strategically situated in Winston-Salem, providing convenient access to urban conveniences and cultural attractions.

Enjoy the best of both worlds: the tranquility of a sophisticated enclave and the vibrancy of a thriving city.

Connected Community and Sense of Belonging:

Foster a sense of community through shared spaces and planned events.

Experience the joy of building connections with like-minded neighbors, creating lasting memories.

Smart Home Innovations:

Experience the future of living with smart home innovations that offer convenience and efficiency.

From smart thermostats to integrated security systems, modern technology enhances your lifestyle.

Proximity to Winston-Salem's Charm:

Revel in the cultural richness and artistic heritage of Winston-Salem, with theaters, museums, and galleries just moments away.

Embrace the city's culinary scene, shopping destinations, and outdoor activities at your doorstep.

Professional Management and Peace of Mind:

The professional management team ensures that your living experience is seamless and stress-free.

Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with responsive service and a commitment to resident satisfaction.

Your Invitation to Upscale Living:

The townhomes present an invitation to indulge in upscale living, where comfort, sophistication, and convenience intertwine. Explore the floor plans to delve deeper into the exquisite offerings that await you.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Lifestyle:

In conclusion, upscale townhomes at The Haven Wake redefine luxurious living in Winston-Salem, NC. With a combination of elegant design, upscale amenities, and a prime location, these townhomes offer an unparalleled living experience. Visit the floor plans page to embark on a journey of discovering the benefits of luxurious comfort in the heart of Winston-Salem. Elevate your lifestyle with the epitome of upscale living. Your haven of comfort and luxury awaits!

[oukido]

Before they leave for Sinnoh, Green sends a message off to the lab in Sandgem that they'll be stopping by. Things to talk about. He's not sure how much Rowan will know, if Sinnoh's got as many buried secrets as Kanto does that he's hiding, but it's worth a shot.

He spends most of the flight there drooling on Red's shoulder, able to actually get some sleep now that they're gone from Kanto. He wakes up when they're passing over southern Sinnoh, with its vibrant greenery and thick forests. Lake Verity is visible from here.

It gives way into a massive mountain range, with the highest, snowy peak disappearing into lenticular clouds. It's a familiar sight, almost reminds him of Mt. Silver, but this beast is bigger. Scaling it might be even more challenging, but if they're lucky it won't be as haunted.

Their plane lands in Jubilife close to eight in the evening. Green has to stumble to their hotel room like a newborn Ponyta to lie down before the post-flight nausea makes him vomit. He sleeps in until nine in the morning, when Red nudges him awake so they can eat and clean up before leaving.

Sandgem is just south of Jubilife, not too far. He picks up their rental car and drives them down. It's a little seaside town, just like Pallet, but still much bigger and much better off financially. The lab is bigger, too. The Professor isn't there yet, but one of his assistants — a young man, maybe only a few years younger than them both, named Lucas — is.

"This guy's an old friend of gramps," he says. They're sitting in the little living space, in a side room connected to the lab. "I saw him a few times as a kid, but haven't talked to him directly since. Think he visited gramps for work reasons while we were on our journey. Y'know, he mentored Sycamore, too. He's pretty, uh..."

"Severe," Lucas supplies helpfully from where he's going through emails on his laptop.

"Yeah, that."

"Don't worry," the assistant says without looking up. "He just has a permanent scowl."

Sounds like a lot of people Green knows. He flops back onto the floor with his legs still under the kotatsu.

"Hey, Red," he grunts. "You said you never been to Sinnoh, right?"

@redlegend

[bottlebayresort]

Embrace Nature's Serenity: Small Cabin Vacation Rentals in Sagle

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Idaho panhandle, Sagle offers a haven for nature lovers seeking solace and adventure alike. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this quaint town boasts Small Cabin Vacation Rentals in Sagle that promise an unparalleled retreat experience. Let's delve into the charm of these cozy abodes and discover why Sagle is the perfect destination for your next getaway.

Exploring Sagle: A Hidden Gem

Discovering the Beauty of Sagle Sagle, with its lush forests, sparkling lakes, and majestic mountains, beckons travelers to immerse themselves in its natural splendor. Whether you're an avid hiker, a water sports enthusiast, or simply craving tranquility, Sagle offers a myriad of activities to suit every taste.

Escape to Small Cabin Rentals Escape the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary with small cabin vacation rentals in Sagle. These charming accommodations blend rustic charm with modern comforts, providing the ideal retreat for couples, families, and solo adventurers alike.

The Allure of Small Cabin Rentals

Cozy Comforts in Nature's Embrace Step into a world of cozy comforts as you enter your small cabin rental in Sagle. From wood-burning fireplaces and quaint furnishings to spacious decks offering panoramic views, every detail is crafted to enhance your stay amidst nature's embrace.

Immersive Nature Experience Wake up to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight filtering through the trees. Small cabin rentals in Sagle offer unparalleled access to nature, allowing you to explore hiking trails, kayak on pristine lakes, or simply unwind amidst the tranquility of the forest.

Privacy and Seclusion Experience true privacy and seclusion in your own little slice of paradise. Unlike crowded resorts or hotels, small cabin rentals in Sagle offer a sense of exclusivity, allowing you to reconnect with loved ones or enjoy solitary reflection amidst the beauty of the natural landscape.

Activities and Attractions in Sagle

Outdoor Adventures Embark on outdoor adventures aplenty in Sagle. From hiking and mountain biking in the nearby Selkirk Mountains to fishing and boating on Lake Pend Oreille, there's no shortage of adrenaline-pumping activities to enjoy.

Cultural Exploration Discover the rich cultural heritage of the region with visits to local museums, art galleries, and historical sites. Learn about the area's fascinating past and immerse yourself in the vibrant arts scene that thrives in Sagle and its surrounding communities.

Culinary Delights Savor the flavors of Idaho with farm-to-table dining experiences and visits to local breweries and wineries. Indulge in fresh, seasonal cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, and toast to unforgettable memories amidst the beauty of Sagle.

Planning Your Small Cabin Getaway

Choosing the Perfect Cabin With a variety of small cabin rentals to choose from, finding the perfect accommodation for your getaway is a breeze. Whether you prefer a cozy retreat for two or a spacious cabin for the whole family, there's something for everyone in Sagle.

Booking and Availability Plan your escape to Sagle by booking your small cabin rental in advance. Popular times to visit include the summer months for outdoor adventures and the winter season for snow sports enthusiasts. Be sure to check availability and book early to secure your preferred dates.

Packing Essentials Pack light but pack smart for your small cabin getaway. Essentials include outdoor gear for exploring, comfortable clothing for relaxing, and any personal items you may need for a comfortable stay. Don't forget to bring along your camera to capture memories of your Sagle adventure!

Conclusion

Escape the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary with a small cabin getaway in Sagle. From cozy accommodations nestled amidst nature's beauty to endless outdoor adventures awaiting your exploration, Sagle offers the perfect retreat for those seeking serenity and adventure. Book your small cabin rental today and discover why Sagle is the ultimate destination for your next vacation.

Source: https://bit.ly/3xOdNn4

[softietrait]

GRANITE FALLS TRIP - ; ‹𝟹

‹𝟹 once they get to their rental cabin, they all join sadie in making dinner … though, mostly silas and oliver helping! ‹𝟹 there's a no shoes, slippers only rule in the cabin, but kaleb just didn't seem to care. ‹𝟹 oliver and sadie have compatible personalities, so he gained a positive impression towards sadie. ‹𝟹 after dinner, oliver, silas and kaleb chat with sadie for a little bit until everyone went to bed to enjoy their day in granite falls tomorrow! ‹𝟹 in the morning, sadie wakes up early to go buy some supplies and read over information for their exploration! ‹𝟹 all six take a hike in the forest and then kaleb, omar and silas all play horseshoe with sadie, while jae hahn watches and oliver grills some hot dogs. ‹𝟹 oliver and omar became some good buds lol and sadie keeps telling oliver her "romantic problems" lmfao ‹𝟹 the last four hours of the day trip consisted of everyone around the fire, where sadie told fairytales! ‹𝟹

[lifeintentsportland]

Glamping Tent Rentals: Where Nature Meets Luxury

Imagine waking up to the sound of birds chirping, the gentle rustle of leaves, and the fresh scent of the great outdoors—all while cocooned in a cozy, luxurious tent with all the comforts of a high-end hotel. This dreamy experience is what glamping is all about. In this article, we will explore the enchanting world of glamping tent rentals, where nature and luxury harmoniously coexist to create unforgettable outdoor adventures.

Glamping Unveiled

Before we dive into the realm of glamping tent rentals, let's uncover the essence of glamping itself. What makes it such a sought-after trend?

What is Glamping? Glamping, short for "glamorous camping," is a style of camping that combines the thrill of the great outdoors with the lavishness of a hotel stay.

The Allure of Glamping: We'll delve into the reasons behind the growing popularity of glamping. From the desire for a unique experience to the growing eco-consciousness of travelers, there are several factors at play.

The World of Glamping Tents

At the heart of glamping is the glamping tent. These are not your ordinary camping tents; they are a portal to a world of opulence in nature.

Types of Glamping Tents: Explore the diverse range of glamping tents available, from safari-style tents to yurts, treehouses, cabin tents, and even retro Airstreams. Each type has its unique charm and features.

2.2 Luxury Features: Discover the opulent amenities that make glamping tents stand out. Think plush beds, private bathrooms, electricity, heating, stylish furnishings, and outdoor decks that let you enjoy the natural surroundings.

Benefits of Renting Glamping Tents

Why choose glamping tent rentals over traditional camping? Let's delve into the advantages of this unique way of experiencing the great outdoors.

1. No Camping Gear Needed: One of the biggest perks of glamping is that you don't need to invest in camping equipment. Your glamping tent comes fully equipped, so you can travel light.

2. Hassle-Free Experience: Say farewell to the inconveniences of setting up and packing down a traditional camping site. Glamping offers a stress-free and convenient experience.

3. Diverse Locations: Glamping tents are available in a myriad of locations, from national parks and beachfront sites to vineyards, remote wilderness, and more. You can pick your dream setting.

4. Ideal for Special Occasions: Whether it's a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a unique celebration, glamping tents provide a special setting for making cherished memories.

5. Customized Packages: Many glamping providers offer tailor-made packages to cater to your specific desires, ensuring a personalized experience.

Choosing the Perfect Glamping Tent Rental

Selecting the right glamping tent for your adventure is key. Here are the factors to consider when making your choice.

Group Size and Accommodation Needs: Are you traveling alone, as a couple, with your family, or a group of friends? Your group size and accommodation preferences will guide your decision.

Destination and Setting: Think about the kind of environment you want to immerse yourself in. Options include mountains, beaches, forests, and deserts, each offering a distinct experience.

 Amenities and Services: Consider the additional amenities and services that matter most to you. Some glamping sites offer spa services, gourmet dining options, guided tours, eco-friendly practices, and even pet-friendly facilities.

Tips for a Memorable Glamping Experience

To make the most of your glamping adventure, here are some essential tips:

1. Pack Light and Smart: Unlike traditional camping, you don't need to haul a truckload of equipment. Travel light and bring only the essentials.

2. Embrace Nature: Glamping encourages you to immerse yourself in nature. Enjoy outdoor activities, wildlife spotting, and the peace of the natural world around you.

3. Disconnect from Devices: Use this opportunity to unplug and unwind. Take a break from your devices and truly savor the tranquility of your surroundings.

4. Savor Local Cuisine: Relish the local flavors and cuisine. Many glamping sites offer gourmet dining experiences that are a delight for the taste buds.

5. Respect the Environment: Practice responsible travel and leave no trace. Many glamping sites have eco-friendly policies, and it's essential to respect the environment to preserve these beautiful locations for future generations.

Your Glamping Adventure Awaits

Glamping tent rentals offer a unique and luxurious way to connect with nature without compromising on comfort. Whether you're seeking a romantic escape, a family adventure, or a unique getaway with friends, glamping tent rentals can cater to your needs. With a variety of destinations, customized packages, and an array of amenities, the world of glamping is yours to explore. Trade the ordinary for the extraordinary and embark on a glamping journey that combines the best of both worlds. Discover the options, choose your destination, and prepare to create lasting memories in the great outdoors with glamping tent rentals.

[ostrichmonkey-games]

Dungeon23 Week "Three"

Continuing to expand on the town of Spire's Walk, this time focusing on the Lift District which is where a lot of adventurers on their way to the Spire (or at least those who can't afford the High Bridge) spend their time resting and resupplying. Also included are a couple of miscellaneous tables about whisperglass nodules aka "nods" (and a few other bits and bobs).

These "prologue" pages before the megadungeon are really just an excuse to explore the setting a bit more.

The Lift District: NPCs and Services

Italk of the Black Sands: sells esoterica, mainly whisperglass nodules or "nods". Their supplier is a closely guarded secret. Wry, mysterious.

The Engine Room: built out of salvaged strange-metals recovered from the Spire. Adventurer hangout, reasonable prices. Lost of rumors to hear.

Salvage Dens: an array of shops and stalls that focus on the repair and sale of Spire magitech. Prices: 1-3: Average. 4-5: Expensive. 6: Cheap. Quality: 1-3: Barely above scrap. 4-5: Mostly functioning. 6: Fine and Rare.

Esh: mysterious, exile, secretive. Skilled in the sacred-surgical arts used to implant the crystal-spheres pulled from the Spire into one's spine. Grants new and strange abilities.

The Lodestone: general exploration goods. Wayhouse: rooms for long term rental. Hirelings: available to hire on. Variety. Cartography: pay to access Spire map archive.

Dreamsmiths: named for their ability to forge the dreaming crystals that grow in the Spire into implements of power and might. Custom orders only. Pricey and intensive!

Dream Eaters: shady service that salvages the thoughts/dreams from a relatively intact corpse or remains. Needs at least the head. Good for recovering secrets.

Whisperglass Nodules

1d6 Nods

Glow: bioluminesce

Flare: toss an energy/plasma sphere

Flicker: desync from space, step/teleport

Sight: see the unseen

Vigor: ignore injuries, addictive

Shell: grow crystalline armor

Nods are small "glass" nodules that must be crushed in the hand, intermingling with the blood in order to be activated. Single use. Uncommon. It is possible to overuse nods.

1d6 Nod Overdose Effects

Waking dreams

Insomnia

Whisper poisoning, affects the blood

Permanently stained hands

Stained eyes, darkened

Drawn to the Spire

Nods are made with whisperglass harvested from growths/veins that spring up nearby the Spire and throughout the surrounding forest.

Violet Wardens keep track of the most fruitful growths. Whisperglass is parasitic, it needs a living host to grow on. Mostly found on plant life, or at least very fresh carrion.

Rumors of Rusthounds cultivating their own whisperglass patches, using less than savory nutrient sources.

C-spheres or starstones: come from deeper within the Spire. Not the same as whisperglass. Fractal crystalline mycelial growths. Stores energy like a battery. Unstable.

We're starting to dig into some of the weirder stuff now!