Archive | June 2014

Anniversary Saturday – Wine and BBQ

Jun22

Yesterday, for our 12-year anniversary, T. and I went out to the Keuka Wine Trail for a “Wine and BBQ” tour – each of the seven wineries gave us wine tastings (about 5/winery) and a small plate of food pairings – things like grilled chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket, with a little side corn salad or mac salad, something like cornbread, and usually a little dessert.

It was pretty awesome.

For one, Keuka Lake is lovely. It’s a Y-shaped lake, with a lot of really nice vistas. Google Image Search doesn’t quite do it justice.

For another, the food was almost universally tasty (There was one protein where I had to ask T. what I was eating – turns out it was pork – it was slow-cooked and very bland, very sweet).

And for a third, the wines were just good. Sometimes, on a tour, you get a winery where you’re just… “mm. thanks. Bye.” There was none of that – a couple thinnish red wines, but the Finger Lakes is not really known for its red wines.

In the middle of the tour, we spent an hour in Hammondsport, which is an adorable little village full of tasty food & neat antique stores.

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a morning & afternoon.

And then, in the evening, we stacked wood ;-D

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/739513.html. You can comment here or there.

The Collar Job, Part XVII

Jun20

This is an ongoing Tír na Cali/Leverage fanfiction crossover.

Table of Contents here

Fade in from commercial. Alec Hardison has a pistol aimed at Lady Anastasia. Eliot rolls up on the balls of his feet, shouting.

“Hardison, no!”

Ana is already moving. The team watches her move, but she is quick – as quick as Eliot, maybe quicker; she moves like a cheetah, grace and deadly speed.

Eliot, already moving, changes directions mid-stride. “Ana, please!”

“She’s Ana now, is she?” There isn’t time for Sophie to say anything more than that; Ana knocks over Hardison with a tackle and disarms him with a move fast enough that nobody really sees it.

“She’s like… Chick Eliot. Hey!” Parker squirms as Eliot – real Eliot, not chick Eliot – grabs her arm. “She’s got Hardison.”

“I know.” Eliot’s voice is tight. “Hardison, hold still.”

“Not that I really have a choice, man.” Ana is sitting on Hardison’s chest, his gun in her hand, her foot on his right ankle. “Eliot, you know this chick?”

“Ah.” Eliot coughs. “Right now, she owns me. Ana, listen.” He clears his throat violently. “Lady Anastasia, please.”

She doesn’t move. “You know these people.”

“They’re… they’re my friends. My team. That’s, ah-”

“Hardison, I’m guessing. He pointed a gun at me.” Her voice is dripping ice. Her finger twitches on the trigger.

“Whoah, whoah. Please.” He drops, very slowly, to his knees. “My lady, I’m…” He clears his throat again. “I’m begging you.”

“You don’t beg.”

“This is my family, my lady. They thought – they -”

Nate clears his throat. “A member of our team went missing, Lady Anastasia.” The title slides off his tongue without effort. “So, quite naturally, we went looking for him. When we realized that he had been taken by slavers, we realized we were going to have to call in local help-”

Lord Lorcan bows. “And as the Duchess and I are old friends…“ He makes the words sound scandalous. “…naturally I offered to help. Anastasia. You have my word these people are not here to hurt you.”

“They pointed a gun at me, Lorcan.” She hasn’t moved except her finger twitching on a trigger. “They pointed a gun at me.”

“And now you’re pointing a gun at them. They are not assassins.”

“Nope. Definitely not assassins. Thieves, sure. Grifters, yep. Not assassins.”

“Parker, do please don’t help.” Sophie’s snark, even, is more careful than normal.

It makes Ana look at them, though. “They – you really are a family, aren’t you?”

Cut to commercial.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/739294.html. You can comment here or there.

Journalling

Jun20

Sigh, lumber.

Last week, I took Thursday off, was going to pick up the boards raising 4 of our 8 raised beds up another 8″ (for root things). They’d said the boards were in… weren’t.

(This is a small family-owned-style lumber mill that only does locust wood, not very organized.)

Today, I took the day off – going to pick up boards, a bridesmaid’s dress, and stack some wood – can’t get ahold of anyone at the lumber place.

Maybe carrots will wait till next year. <.<

In the meantime! We have 4+ cord of wood in our driveway. 😀 Love it. Solid assets. It makes me feel warm just looking at it.

Made cheesecake Wednesday (a small-batch, chocolate/white chocolate swirl), ate it Thursday So very tasty. Dinner was shrimp noodles and shrimp with spinach, spear grass, and curry sauce. Om nom.

And tomorrow is our wedding anniversary!!

Hard to believe it’s been 10 years.

Edited to add… Um. I can’t add. And it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 – because it’s been 12 years.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/739004.html. You can comment here or there.

Backing Out and Walking In

Jun19

First: So, Who Are You?.
Previous: Change of Plans

Niobe was looking at him. Sedge was looking at him. And he was still on his knees. What do you say, ‘Obe? What was she going to say? Blaecleah’s heart was in his throat.

She sighed. “He’s a lovely boy. You really grabbed him just for…?”

“Don’t get me wrong, guys are okay in my book, but I prefer guys who prefer me, if you know what I mean. Or girls. Or…”

“We get the point. We get the point. Blaecleah, what do you think about it?”

“I’m not trying to back out of the deal. He said I couldn’t handle a year under the collar. I can handle it!” The words tumbled out over each other. He took a breath, finding he needed it. “I’m not trying to get out of the deal.”

“Trust me, kid, this isn’t going to be getting out of the deal. You’re still going to be under the collar for a year. It’s going to be my collar – but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy ride or anything.”

Blaecleah swallowed. “I could…” She was a very cute girl. But he was Sedge’s. That was the agreement he’d made. She was a very cute girl. “It involves…”

“It might. It might not. But if it does, it’ll be with your consent.” Her mouth did something sort of like a smile. “I’m not a monster, at least. It’s not going to be torture, even if it’s not going to be easy.”

“I have a choice?”

“You have choices. I’m not going to take you from Sedge if you don’t agree. The whole point of the deal was agreement, after all.”

“You…” Was he really considering this? It’d been easier the first time. He swallowed again. “Why?”

“Well, we can talk about that if you say yes. If you say no – my reasons are gonna be your smallest concern.”

“Hunh.” Sedge wasn’t going to be happy if he said no, was he? Sedge had picked him up for a bet. He’d – what, lost the bet anyway? “Why do you want me?”

“Color me curious. I want to know what someone’s like who walks into it willingly.”

The lump in Blaecleah’s throat was never going to go away. “Guess I’ll walk into it willingly again.”

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This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/738794.html. You can comment here or there.

Themes Ideas

Jun19

So, one of the things I’m trying for my Patreon campaign is a monthly theme or ‘verse.

Patrons at the $5/month level and above will be able to vote on the theme/’verse, and at least some of the free-posted fiction on the site that month will be in that theme.

In addition, if we reach the $75, $150, $300, or $450/month donation levels, the rewards will be within theme.

‘Verses are easy; I have lots of ’em and can pick the ones I’m excited about or at least leave out the ones I’m really not feeling that month.

Themes – themes are harder.

Suggestions?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/738339.html. You can comment here or there.

So, the More, Please tag is back in rotation, & I’m indecisive

Jun19

http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/tag/morepls

Something you want to see more of in that tag?

or the “ack, more” tag: http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/tag/ackmoar

or the “and then what?” tag: http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/tag/andthenwhat

EDITED TO ADD LJ TAGS:
http://aldersprig.livejournal.com/tag/morepls
http://aldersprig.livejournal.com/tag/ackmoar
http://aldersprig.livejournal.com/tag/andthenwhat

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/738095.html. You can comment here or there.

See Other Addergoole characters through the apoc?

Jun19

[personal profile] faeapoclive has shown us pieces of the apoc’s beginnings through various character’s eyes. So far we have seen the Original Series protagonists – Shahin, Kailani, and Jamian.

Is there someone else you’d like to see? Any Addergoole character who exists in 2011 in-world time is up for grabs.

Suggested:
Aleron
Speed
Anatoliy
Porter
Ceinwen
Arundel
Emrys
Conrad

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/737568.html. You can comment here or there.

Patreon Page

Jun18

I have opened a Patreon Page here:
http://www.patreon.com/aldersprig

Words will continue to appear on this DW regardless of the success or failure of the Patreon, but I am curious to see how it might work.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/737277.html. You can comment here or there.

Change of Plans

Jun18

First: So, Who Are You?.
Previous: Think Before You Deal

Do you want him?

Blaecleah stood. Tried to stand. “Hey! Hey, that wasn’t the deal! That wasn’t what I agreed to.” He was still kneeling. Damnit. He tried to stand again. Failed again. “I agreed to be yours.”

“Shh. Steady.” Sedge dropped a hand on his shoulder. His hand was warm and soft, big. Blaecleah shifted his weight from knee to knee.

“This wasn’t what I agreed to.” This time his voice was quiet. He sounded like a kid. That’s not what he wanted, either. “We had a deal. You don’t think I can hack it?”

“I’m pretty sure you could. But you don’t give off the vibe of being into guys – are you?”

Into. “Is this whole place about sex?”

“Well, yeah.” Sedge laughed. “I mean, there’s magic and classes, too, but yeah, really. We’re teenagers and there’s a world to repopulate. This place has a lot of sex.” He tapped the back of Blaecleah’s neck. “This, being Mine, it’s generally a lot about sex.”

Blaecleah twisted to look up at Tall Guy. Sedge. “I. Um. I dunno. Never done sex. Might like guys?”

“Look at ‘Obe and tell me if you’d rather do her or do me.”

He found his head turning, found himself looking Niobe up and down. Blushing. “Um. Her. But she just said…”

“There’s ways around that. So. You think you can handle a year under her collar? She’s not gonna be easy on you because she’s a girl, you know. The collar’s gonna be tough no matter who you wear it under.”

Blaecleah managed a laugh. “Sounds like you’re trying to sell me on this.” He paused. He swallowed, but the thought wouldn’t go away. “Or just sell me.’

“Does sound like you’re trying to convince him more than me.” Niobe’s hand landed on Blaecleah’s shoulder. “Which is fair. What do you say, Blaecleah?”

“I’m not trying to back out of the deal.” It felt like the ground was falling out from under him. “I’m not. I can handle it. I said I could handle it.”

“I believe you, kid. I do. What do you say, ‘Obe?”


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