[abbyrchrds]

davidbrennon‌:

LOCATION: Robert’s Market Open: @wilmingtonstarters​

Cooking had never been David’s strong suit (not that he had much time to cook with his previous job as a physician). Ever since he’d started eating healthy, he tried his best to eat food in the simplest form, which meant his meals were mostly boring. But now that he was unemployed and had all this free time on his hands, he was really into to experimenting a bit more in the kitchen. So, here he was, wandering around Robert’s Market, crossing things off his grocery list one by one. He’d been inspecting the avocados for several minutes when he noticed someone nearby. There was no shame in asking for help, right?

 “Do these avocados seem ripe to you? I could never figure out how people recognize when they’re just right.”

Her dissertation was....done. It still needed a huge chunk of edits, of course, but Abby wasn’t really concerned about comma placement right now. Right now, she was concerned with getting out and doing something or eating something. Mostly eating something. And cooking was doing something, right? Even if it was just tacos for one. And tacos required tomatoes. At least, hers did. She skulked through the produce section, her grandmother’s dutiful and plentiful instructions running through her head as they always did. Tomatoes couldn’t be bruised or squishy. Red onions had to be dry and feel heavy even if they looked smaller. Just as she reached the tomatoes, she heard someone ask about avocadoes. Without missing a beat, Abby picked up a tomato, testing her own produce as she assisted the stranger. “It has to feel firm when you put pressure on it, and most ripe avocados are dark green but as long as they have that firmness to them they should be ripe.” Abby picked up a large tomato, applying gentle pressure to it before deciding that it was firm enough before turning to the stranger, looking at him for the first time. “Does that help?”

[abbyrchrds]

closed for @jamesoncastello​

While it had been slow to start, spring was quickly arriving in Wilmington. While Abby certainly wasn’t pleased that her allergies had come back almost violently (stupid pollen), she was however pleased that she could take her longboard freely around town, without her winter jacket weighing her down. And what better way to celebrate than a ride to her favorite place with her favorite food? The shopping center that housed the McAllister’s Abby frequented was about a block away from Jaime’s tattoo shop, and after a long day of staying inside and editing her dissertation Abby wanted nothing more than a break from anything that had to do with history. And tattoo art was as far as Abby could get from history. She picked her usual order, plus whatever Jaime wanted after she texted him while she was there. The only downside was a lack of fountain sodas, but she couldn’t balance food and heavy drinks while boarding to the tattoo shop. The food just barely fit in her backpack as it is, and she was worried about the hot food next to her laptop. Thankfully, all she needed to do was make a pit-stop to the doughnut place next door, grabbing two drinks before parking her board out front the tattoo shop.

She flung the door open dramatically, ignoring the other patrons as she dramatically slid up to the counter. The better weather always put her in a better mood. “We have arrived, and we have sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies and maybe a Sprite or two, I can’t remember what I grabbed next door.” She put her backpack on the counter and unzipped it, pulling out the bag of food, alongside the bottles of soda she had gotten them. “No no, there’s no need to thank me. All I ask is that you throw a parade in my honor.”

[abbyrchrds]

altheasantxs‌:

A single eyebrow arched up at the woman’s admittance of not drinking except for specific circumstances. It was a foreign concept to the boxer, especially lately, when at least half of her diet seemed to be comprised of tequila. “What do you usually drink if you don’t like the taste?” The question was asked with a tone of disbelief as Thea brought her glass up to her lips and took a sip from the cool liquid within it. “Disagree. There are just some things that don’t belong in tacos… like fish.”

Abby took a moment to think about the question, before shrugging. “Most things, really. If I do drink it has to really not taste like alcohol. I like daiquiris. White wine,” she said, nodding. She was no stranger to being around alcohol; she did go to graduate school, after all. But it was never her thing. Her father only ever drank around company when she was a child, and whenever he had people over she was normally in her room. Her grandmother never drank at all, except for a little bit during Christmas, so it just wasn’t something that Abby was often exposed to. Not until college. “Oh, you know what? You’re right. But I barely eat fish as it is, so I don’t even really count it.”

[abbyrchrds]

ameliareyesortega‌:

“Okay, okay, fair enough,” Amelia laughed. Her friend was right, and a quick glance around solidified her words. Abby had more than enough space, and she couldn’t doubt that she would be able to find a good spot to display it. “You know, your shelf space is admirable,” she commented. The brunette nodded her head in agreement to the other woman’s words. “And wasting them should be a crime,” she added to the potato conversation. She paused and just stared at Abby as she spoke of her friend. “I.. wow,” she breathed out. “You know, I question the people you’re friends with,” she teased her. “But you’re right.”

“Well, I have to have some place to keep all my stuff.” God forbid she get rid of anything. Thankfully, she had a pretty decent memory of the shelves her dad used to keep with all of his stuff. His collectibles were in her room, arranged exactly as he had them. Everything else: dvds, blu rays, and her own collectibles were kept in her living room, kitchen, and her gaming room. “Exactly. Wasting potatoes is a crime. I’m sure it’s like...a crime of the highest order in Ireland. If you waste potatoes. After the famine they probably don’t let any potato go to waste whatsoever.” Abby shrugged. She was just as much a sucker as her friend was, truthfully. She stayed around and tried to make sure that her friend wasn’t making poor decisions. “I don’t think she makes these decisions on purpose, it’s some kind of compulsive disorder she has that manifests itself in rash decisions and the occasional religious decision.”

[abbyrchrds]

altheasantxs‌:

Yeah, I’ll definitely have to head over there after this.” She reiterated with a nod, taking a sip of her new drink after squeezing the lime wedge into it. “Do you not drink?” She asked with raised brows considering the two were currently sitting at a bar. “Any alcohol on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster, really. But anyway.” Shaking her head she got the bartender’s attention and asked to close her tab. “I… agree with you, but in tacos my first choice will always be steak. A good carne asada taco will always have my heart.”

Abby shook her head. “Not usually. It has to be a super special occasion, or if I feel like that’s the only thing that will get me through another day.” Even that was a rare occasion itself. “I just don’t like the taste of most of it. I don’t like how it makes me feel. My mind is...really the only thing I have going for me, so anything that kind of bogs that down I am not a big fan of.” She spread her hands, already dreaming about the chicken she would be consuming later on. “That’s the beauty of tacos. They can be anything, have anything on them, be made with anything. It’s food magic.”

[abbyrchrds]

colekuok‌:

   “Good question,” Cole complimented, almost feeling as if he were in class, giving a lecture. “It’s at it’s peak for visibility with the naked eye right now - and will be until around the end of May. See, here,” Cole cleared his throat, holding up his fist and two fingers, to give a physical example of what he was about to explain. “This here is Earth,” He waggled one finger. “And this, Venus,” He wiggled the finger closest his fist now. “They orbit the sun, like this…” Now, he began to rotate his fingers, until one overlapped the other. “We won’t be able to see it for a few weeks when it passes between Sun and Earth, so now is the best time to get a glimpse until July.” But Cole could tell she wasn’t fully comfortable yet, so he offered a smile. “Honestly, most people don’t care, so I won’t be offended if you’d prefer I left you alone.” 

Abby could practically feel her spine straighten as she stood a little straighter, feeling like she was back in class and she had just made a valid point. She took an astronomy class, once, back in undergrad. But it was a science she was unfamiliar with, and she had to be quiet and pay attention and listen to other people’s questions in hopes that they matched her own. She walked out of the class with an A, but most of it was still fuzzy to her. He still explained it better than she could hop for, though, and she nodded along as he spoke. “So it’s technically limited, but not so vastly limited that I won’t be able to see it for a hundred years.” She waved away his attempt at an apology. “Please, I like learning. You can continue to tell me fun facts about space all you’d like. I’ll have to tell you, though, that I might start exchanging space facts for facts about the Roman Empire.”

[abbyrchrds]

ameliareyesortega‌:

“Next time I see you, you’re getting a sparkly trophy, so you better get on the speech writing, and clear a space to display it.” Amelia was already thinking about where she could find a plastic trophy and how messy adding the glitter on it would be. “True. I think sometimes scalloped can reheat okay, but anything aside from those and mashed get ruined once you reheat.” Amelia rolled her eyes as Abby kept going, telling her more of the horrible experiences. “Why the hell would your friend do that? You don’t just pay for some guy’s bills that you met on a forum, what in the world? It’s tragic and stupid.”

“Have you seen this place?” Abby laughed, spreading her hands wide. Every room had multiples shelves, stacked with books, games, movies, and collectibles of all kinds. “I have plenty of space to display it.” She nodded. Potatoes were a very serious topic. Abby never reheated them if she could help it. Even regular roasted potatoes were touch and go. She had yet to perfect the perfect way of reheating potatoes that weren’t mashed. “I agree. And it’s so disheartening, you know? There are so many good potatoes out there that you have to eat in one shot or they just go to waste.” Abby shrugged, letting out a sigh. “Honestly, I wish I knew. This is the same friend that briefly converted to Mormonism and dated another man that was in his thirties from that same forum. I love her but just...” she let out another sigh. “Some people are just so lost in their lives and think that it should be better than what they have that they look for anything that they think might improve that.”

[abbyrchrds]

altheasantxs‌:

As the other woman checked her phone to see where the food truck was, Thea subconsciously leaned in and tried to catch a peek, searching for an answer to her question, but when she realized she was doing it she leaned back and finished off her drink, signaling the bartender for another as she set the empty glass down. “Big blue food truck by the pier, okay.” She said, repeating it so she could remember better. “I’ll probably head over there after another drink or two… tequila on an empty stomach never ends well.” She chuckled slightly, giving the bartender a single nod in thanks when they brought her new drink over. “Yeah. I mean it’s good in plenty of things and on it’s own.. but not in a taco. Shrimp scampi is definitely one of my favorites, too, though.”

“Yeah, you can hardly miss it. There will likely be a line down the pier.” It was probably a good idea for Abby herself to head down there and get in line. She could get food for lunch tomorrow while she was there. The food at the taco truck was at its best when it was heated up. “I’ll take your word for it,” Abby hummed. She had never touched tequila herself. The most she was able to handle was the rare mixed drink. “Definitely not in a taco. Although if I had to choose between shrimp and something like...chicken, for example, to put in pasta or on tacos I’d choose chicken over shrimp every single time.”

[abbyrchrds]

colekuok‌:

  Her hesitation was understandable, so Cole didn’t try to make any sudden movements, or step closer. Instead, he took a step back, and titled his head back to look up at the sky. After a couple of seconds, he nods with a smile, and points upwards. “Yep. Right there, the extra bright star-looking object… right of the moon…” Cole instructed, pointing to a bright twinkling light source just below the moon. “That’s Venus, but… it’s a lot cooler with this,” He chuckled, gesturing to the telescope. Maybe clearly wasn’t the best word, since it wasn’t fully advanced with technology like the major telescopes and drones that could be used by NASA, but it would show a unique sort of depth to the planet. 

   “No worries, you don’t have to. It’s not for everyone. Me? I love this sort of stuff. I’m an astronomer, by trade.” 

“Huh.” Abby looked where the stranger’s finger pointed, squinting at the bright spot in the sky. Maybe it was better to look at if you weren’t half blind, like she was. She was still hesitant to approach the telescope, God forbid this stranger was only being nice to wack her over the head when her back was turned. So she decided to ask questions, instead, intrigued by the astronomer mention and wondering if it was actually true. She gripped on to the strap of her bag, ready to swing it and run at any moment. “So is Venus often visible like this? Or is it only once every some odd months, or years, or on a super super clear evening?”

[abbyrchrds]

ameliareyesortega‌:

“You deserve a trophy for that. I’m totally going to make you a trophy.” Amelia chuckled. “You shouldn’t ever do that. Unless they’re fresh, what’s the point?” All of her friends quirky things, food ones included, were just part of what made Amelia enjoy her so much. As Abby went on and explained the horrible experiences she’d endured throughout the different groups she had been in, Amelia was baffled. “What the hell is wrong with people? You know, if I had a dollar for every time I didn’t understand men, I’d be a billionaire by now,” she said.

“I would like a trophy. One with sparkles on it. I’ll have a speech planned and everything.” She pouted, shaking her head. “It’s really upsetting. Potatoes don’t reheat well, unless they’re mashed potato. And that’s just fact.” Mashed potatoes were probably even better heated up, now that Abby thought about it. Especially with cheese. Shrugging, Abby navigated to the track choice screen. “I wish I knew. I had some friends that got in even deeper with people like that. A friend met this dude through a forum like that and like...paid his phone bills multiple times, and was going to fly to see him before the guy got back together with his ex. It’s pretty tragic, honestly.”

[abbyrchrds]

ameliareyesortega‌:

“I guess everyone has their quirks,” Amelia teased lightly. God knew she had more than enough of her own. “I agree though about the fries, and potatoes in general. Poorly done fries are so disappointing.” She nodded. “Okay, good. That’s not too much longer. There’s definitely time to squeeze some in,” she said. At the shaking of her friend’s head, Amelia looked over. “I don’t doubt that but, you’ve got me intrigued. What kind of things have you been sent? Blow my mind, Abby, please.”

“And if there were a competition for weird food quirks I would certainly win,” Abby said, nodding sagely. “Especially when you can tell that they were reheated because they get that kind of grainy quality to the potato itself. Like it just hurts my feelings when people try to do that to a potato.” With a deep sigh, Abby shook her head. “Honestly? Too much. When you’re a girl and you join facebook groups or discord groups that are based around popular video games, especially ones that are long standing series’ and that have romance options, there are...many men who want to offer their opinion. And sometimes, when I post things on there to share my progress or ask for help with something, they’re all too willing to tell me how beautiful I am and send me weird poems or...photos.” She shuddered. “I’d rather not think about it.”

[abbyrchrds]

altheasantxs‌:

When the woman interjected herself into the conversation with information that was actually useful to her, Thea turned her back towards useless bartender and offered a somewhat grateful smile to the stranger. “You’re a life saver.” She said. “So this every other day alternating weekends thing… is today one of those days?” Eyebrows raised as she posed the question, Thea brought her glass up to her lips and took a sip as she awaited the answer. “Shrimp and tacos just… it’s not right. Put ‘em in scampi or on a po’boy but keep it away from my tacos.”

Abby leaned back slightly in her seat, scrunching her face up. “I think so. Let me check.” She took her phone out of her pocket, swiping to the twitter app to check the truck’s account. They often tweeted about where they would be, any schedule changes, menu items that were new or returning. “Yeah, actually. Okay, so it says right here that it’s over by the pier and will be there until ten pm.” She put her phone down on the bartop. “It’s a giant blue food truck, you can’t miss it.” She nodded. “I agree. I only ever eat shrimp in pasta, so I think that’s probably my favorite.”

[abbyrchrds]

altheasantxs‌:

Standing at the bar holding a glass of tequila and sliding the lime wedge around the rim, Thea let out an annoyed sigh. “God damn, I know this place is near the water and all but does anywhere in this town serve tacos that don’t contain any fuckin’ fish?” She asked to no one in particular, the annoyance clear in her voice as she took a sip from the glass before setting it down. Leaning forward, trying to get the bartender’s attention, Thea posed the question. “The shrimp tacos… should I bother? Or is there a food truck near by I should be giving my money to? And be honest! I know you work here but if the tacos are shit…” 

@wilmingtonstarters​

Abby eavesdropped on the conversation with curiosity. She didn’t know the girl sitting next to her (Abby had really only come in to get some food and then leave for a dissertation editing marathon), but she couldn’t help but agree. Seaside towns hardly served anything but fish. At least, if something could be replaced by fish, they would do it. At the mention of a food truck, Abby perked up, only just barely leaning forward to insert herself in the conversation as she pulled at a particularly congealed cheese fry. “There’s a truck that normally goes around the boardwalk. Every other day, alternating weekends. Their tacos are phenomenal.” She flashed the bartender a guilty look, taking a sip of her soda before speaking again. “Shrimp is definitely not the way to go here.”

[abbyrchrds]

colekuok‌:

Location & Time: Empie Park, around 10pm Status: open starter @wilmingtonstarters​

   Though the wind chill that evening was a bit more bracing, still left over from the storm that had since passed through Wilmington, Cole was out on the public green bundled up warmly and eagerly staring skyward. He had a relatively small telescope, nothing as impressive as the equipment kept back at home in Masonboro, but enough to get an improved vision of the sky and stars. He’d been out for nearly an hour already, and had stopped his scribbling to drink deeply from his thermos of coffee. It may be a bit of an unusual scene, Cole and his telescope and a notebook sat there in the grass under the stars, but he seemed perfectly at peace. 

   “Did you want a peek?” Cole finally asked, realizing the eyes of someone else had been repeatedly lingering on him. He turned to them now, stepping aside and gesturing grandly to the telescope he had firmly set up on the ground. “Come on. It’s really cool, I promise. You can see Venus perfectly - right there,” He added, pointing upwards now, just to the right of the moon. A bright light, something similar to a star to the naked eye, winked in the sky. 

If there was one thing Abby’s father taught her in the limited years she got to spend with him, it was to never accept an offer from a stranger at night. Maybe not in as specific terms, but there was definitely something about strangers and night time. She remembered that much. But, really, what was so scary about someone asking her to stare at a telescope? Unless it was one of those prank telescopes that printed ink around one’s eye. Though to be fair, she had only seen that in television shows and Undertale. 

“Venus?” Abby echoed. Maybe the stranger wasn’t asking her to ink her eye. Maybe he was just looking at planets. She kept one hand firm on the strap of her backpack as she stepped closer, though not too close. Maybe planets were a lure, part of the way that the stranger brought people into his trap. “Can you see it clearly from here?”

[abbyrchrds]

grayfischer‌:

  “She must be like family now,” Grayson commented gently, almost envious of that sort of relationship she had with her therapist. He’d never been good at expressing his emotions (something Abby would know with firsthand experience, unfortunately), so the thought of having someone supportive like that was appealing… but so foreign. “Doesn’t sound terrible. I’m glad you got out - it’s probably good for you. Take me with next time,” Grayson grinned, before realizing a beat later that their friendship may not have recovered enough for him to make those jokes. Hopefully, it wouldn’t offend. Gray felt he was always overthinking things lately. 

  As Abby described the little museum, Grayson realized he didn’t understand the point of most museums anyway, so he probably just was out of the loop. “That’s… cool,” He smiled. It brightened when he saw the money, with her face on it. How easily amused he could be. “Okay, yeah, actually - super cool. I need to go and get some of these, too. Grayson Bucks. “I should be off around 8 tonight - shit, it probably closes. I’ll try to make time, okay?” Grayson bit his lip, eyebrows knitting together - wondering how possible that could even be. “Or we could come back around the summertime. Should be even better than - go to the parks, feed ducks. I heard there is a duck pond nearby, the patients were talkin’ ‘bout it. Maybe I can switch a shift or somethin’. Don’t think I’ve even seen the sun all week.”

“She’s the closest thing to a mom I’ve ever had.” Abby shrugged. It was strange, really, to think of her therapist as her mother. But it’s not like her grandmother would listen to her talk about struggles with school and socializing, and the occasional boy problem. If not for her therapist, Abby wouldn’t have had the mental tools necessary to decide to get to get a job after she graduated college. Or even graduated college to begin with, for that matter. “As weird as living in North Carolina is sometimes, it’s been better for me than any other place I’ve lived in the past ten years...which is just mostly Seattle.” She shrugged once more, nodding. “Yeah, I think it would be fun. There are some parts of it that I miss, so I’ll show you all those and then we’ll leave with no photo evidence whatsoever in case my aunt finds out.”

She beamed down at her little paper money thing. “It was really cool, actually. I mean, you wouldn’t expect to have fun at a museum about a bank, but it was super cute and interactive.” Abby frowned slightly, as Grayson put his work before himself, pushing off the idea of going out and getting some air and some food. Abby knew he had a habit of pushing himself to the last possible shred of energy, hell she had the same habit, but she knew it wasn’t healthy for him. “Sun would be good for you,” she said, already slowly pushing the lid of the cookie container closed. “And think of the food. There’s so much food out there. Hot dog carts, food trucks. The restaurant I told you about.” Her hand closed around the handle of her suitcase. “Just for an hour.”

[abbyrchrds]

ameliareyesortega‌:

“Really? Why chicken? Is it because some places make it way to dry? I’m more of the ‘if they have a good burger or delicious side dishes I’m good’ kind of gal,” she told her. Amelia was pretty sure she was getting hungrier just at the thought of the homemade potato chips. “God, you’re killing me. It sounds so good. Next time we’ll have to introduce me to those, okay?” The brunette let out a laugh. “You know, that’s only a Google search away. I’ve seen things, Abby. The internet is a scary place and you can find anything.”

Abby shrugged. “It’s just something I’ve always done, I guess. If chicken is good, then the rest of it is good. That, and fries. How a restaurant handles potatoes is very important to me.” Abby laughed, looking at the delivery app on her phone for an update. “Never you fear, we shall have our food shortly. Magical screen says about 15 minutes. Just in time for a few rounds, you think?” As she selected her cart, Abby’s eyes went wide, and she turned to Amelia, shaking her head. “That is a part of the internet that I refuse to go down. Believe you me, I have been doing the whole hashtag gamer girl thing for a while. I have been sent things that you would not even believe.”

[abbyrchrds]

grayfischer‌:

   “Therapist’s guinea pig?” Grayson echoed in confusion, unsure what that could even mean - and already have a bias. His experience with ‘therapists’, or more specifically the underpaid, overworked school guidance counselors, had never been positive. Abby’s relationship with her therapist had never exactly made sense to him, but he did support her, albeit a bit suspiciously. “As long as you had some fun, I guess.” Didn’t change the fact she’d had to return home to hell, it would seem. Grayson’s smile slipped, and his frown was once more placed firmly on his features. 

  As she spoke of Charlotte, Grayson realized he’d never been here either - and had absolutely no idea of what it was like other than within the hospital walls. “Isn’t Wells Fargo, like, a bank? Or somethin’?” Grayson tried to imagine a museum of banking. “Fuck… you must be really bored,” He couldn’t help but chuckle. But he hesitated before giving her confirmation once more. “I can make it fine, so yeah. It’s all good. Um, just… just gettin’ through it, as always, right? Rachel would probably a field day with me, huh.”

“Well...maybe guinea pig isn’t the right term. More like...egg under a heating lamp? At least something that’s given a lot of attention to. I’ve been seeing the same therapist since I was ten years old. That’s sixteen years. None of her other colleagues have seen the same client for that long, it’s a bit of an anomaly.” Abby shrugged. “I got to eat free snacks and buy comic books. What’s better than that, honestly?” 

Nodding, Abby reached into the small backpack she carried around with her, meant for her phone charger and anything she needed immediately on her person. “Yeah, but it has this museum thing attached to it. It Like a children’s science museum type thing. But...for a bank.” She pulled out a piece of paper, holding it out to him. “Look, I printed my face onto money.” It was trivial to be excited about something as silly as printing her face onto a piece of paper that only had fake money on a quarter of the page, but in a time like this, she would take any form of entertainment she could get. “It was cute, I enjoyed it. You should try to come talk a walk and see it with me.” She knew it was a long shot, but Abby didn’t know how long Gray had been sitting here. He probably wouldn’t want to leave in a hurry, but she could at least try. “There’s also this place called the French Quarter that I hear has super good food. Also across the street from a park. We should go and get something to eat that isn’t a cookie.”