𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘅.

residents of wicklow ridge, vermont

[crnelians]

#CRNELIANS is a dependent mumu for WICKLOWRIDGE as adored by rainie ( 24, est, she/her, funny little guy )

alice zhou - intro / playlist / aesthetic ceren kavak - intro / playlist / aesthetic

[invinov3ritas-deactivated202506]

having planned ahead for the potluck, malaya had made the decision to shut down the winery for the day, wanting to give herself and all of her employees one saturday to kick back and indulge in all of the event's activities. they worked hard enough as it was, and as far as she was concerned, they'd more than earned it. but with how well she knew ceren, something had told her the other woman would still be working, which was why she'd paid the kid to throw the water balloon at her. waving money at a kid and telling them to be a kid always worked, and as she watched the scene unfold, that was money well spent. "oh no!" she gasped as sincerely as she could while biting back her laughter. "see what happens when you don't know how to take a break, ceri?" she teased. "and you can't run back to the office like that, so why don't we just stroll around the park for a bit? say hi to some regulars, get some food, talk about something other than work — normal stuff?"

[crnelians]

"i take breaks!" ceren protested petulantly face curling in defensiveness. it was of course, entirely untrue, she was one of those sad sort of people who lived for her job and placed her well-being entirely on her professional successes. luckily malaya already knew this about her and seemed to at least tolerate her sheer obsessiveness toward the job. she took her arm expression frozen in displeasure and began to walk the verdant green park like it was a funeral procession. "i don't understand why everyone's so against talking about work. i love it, it's very interesting. only people with boring jobs don't like it. what am i supposed to talk about? the sun is out, the vermont mountaineers are a sports team, i'm avoiding gluten. there we go, we ran the gambit of topics."

[ofprophecies]

the author breathed in , taking in as much oxygen as his lungs were able to , as he let the calmness and joy only a wicklow event could . alexander had brought along a couple of dishes to the potluck and had prepared a picnic basket for himself with different types of snacks to enjoy the day , away from the trap that had become his house in the past couple of months . the tranquility of the moment was however , instantly interrupted when he heard the little commotion coming from his left side , making him turn towards the source as he gave the other a pained grin " that sucks i'm so sorry . i saw a kid legit slap a grown man accidentally about thirty minutes ago , menaces i'm telling you " he began , taking out the jacket he had brought to the outing in case the weather changed . " do you need— ? " alex trailed off his query, signaling at the jacket in hopes the rest could be left unsaid , placing it between them , giving the woman a gentle smile . " aside from that , were you having a good time ? "

[crnelians]

she knew alexander in that long-held tradition of small-town awareness. heard his name passed through the lips of acquaintances and friends and seen him on occasion at the grocery or at an event she planned. small-talk and niceties made her uncomfortable, she weaponized them with startlingly effectiveness but those who knew ceren were keenly aware of her brusque method of communication. she bristled at this olive branch like a cat going back on its haunches and cleared her throat. "no, thank you. i appreciate it though." she replied in stilted, elongated vowels. he was the kind of softly introverted man that made her suspicious (god her therapist would have a field day with that one) though she did her best not to let it be apparent. "it's very well put together." she replied in lieu of answering his question. "a lot of hard work went into it, or so i heard."

[angclmanifesto]

Callum  blinked,  struck  by  the  softness  of  her  tone—the  reverence  in  it,  almost—and  for  a  moment,  he  didn’t  say  anything  at  all.  He  just  held  the  bottle  like  it  was  something  delicate,  something  meant  to  be  cradled  more  than  used.  Callum  turned  the  bottle  over  in  his  hand  once  more,  the  soft  blue  cloth  catching  between  his  fingers.  “Zizyphus,”  he  echoed,  almost  under  his  breath,  like  the  word  itself  was  a  spell.  “Can’t  say  that  and  not  sound  like  you  know  what  you’re  doing.”  His  smile  flickered,  smaller  than  usual.  “I’ll  never  say  no  to  a  custom  blend.  Thanks,  Alice.”

Then,  glancing  up  at  her,  that  crooked  grin  tugged  back  into  place.  “And  I  expect  you  to  defend  my  scones  with  that  same  conviction  the  next  time  someone  tells  me  it's  too  early  for  cardamom.”  A  pause,  gentler.  “You  okay?”  he  asked,  like  he  meant  it.  Like  he’d  seen  the  flicker  in  her  before  she  passed  him  the  bottle.

[crnelians]

alice couldn't herself, emotion trickled from her heart into her eyes like the vermont creeks that slashed through the forest. suddenly her body was all rocks and trees and there it was - a fissure in the land that opened up to a dangerous vulnerability. she swallowed hard willing hot tears to keep from welling up. "it's never too early for cardamom. it's good for your energy." she couldn't burden callum with her feelings the grief still so heavy on his mind. it wasn't her responsibility to grieve anyways. she'd adopted this sadness like you would a bird with a lame wing, tended to it in her garden of empathy. "it's nothing." she assured shaking her head and busily tending the bottles in front of her. "i'm just happy to see you doing well. you're a great fit for the cafe."

[likehells]

nety watched her unwrap the muffin like it was a sacred thing, something worth slowing down for. cinnamon caught the air between them, warm and spiced like memory. she didn’t say anything for a long moment, just breathed it in — alice beside her, the hush of grass under their knees, the shimmer of glass bottles catching sun like fireflies trapped in amber. when alice reached for the green-wrapped bottle, nety’s gaze followed. the checked bow, the careful folds — it felt like being chosen in a language no one else could read. "you made one for me." she echoed, the words tasting tender on her tongue, as if she needed to try them on before believing them. her hands moved gently, reverent, as she accepted the bottle and cradled it like something living. she could feel the pulse of alice’s intention in the weight of it, in the way it fit into her palm like it had always belonged there. "thank you." she said, not just for the tincture, not just for the gift. "i think your magic might be the only thing keeping me from unraveling some days."

[crnelians]

alice's cadence had softened even further with nety's continued presence. like a wax candle melting in the sun the rungs of her spine sunk into themselves and her head lolled back to the meet the waiting sky. fat, fluffy white clouds hung low populating her vision like a dream. she reached out to take nety's warm palm into her the physicality of calloused fingers pressed together grounding her. "not magic." she laughed musically. "it's just science. besides, you do most of the work of yourself." their friendship had been founded out of a mutual desire to take care of others. they traded recipes and left presents on porches. they spent long, quiet stretches in each other's company in the dwindling light of the evening. the weight of that expectation sat heavy on her. "i'm not holding anyone together. just giving them a hand."

[likehells]

nety didn’t press. she never did. it was her way — gentle, unhurried, like the tide inching toward the shore, steady enough to be mistaken for stillness. "you’re welcome." she murmured, voice dipped in warmth but never cloying. "and you know... most people don’t measure survival in weddings." her gaze flicked toward ceren’s profile — elegant and unreadable, jaw set with all the precision of someone who’s been taught that softness is dangerous, that stillness is surrender. nety didn’t try to unravel her. she only offered the kind of company that asked for nothing in return. "we can relax now, you know. and i’ll protect you from any rogue tea enthusiasts who try to stage an intervention." and there it was again — that softness with teeth, the humor sheathed in velvet, an invitation wrapped in dry wit. she didn’t need to convince ceren. she’d already carved a space beside her, easy as breath.

[crnelians]

ceren laughed, hoarse and self deprecating as she crossed her arms over her chest. it was a naturally defensive position that suited her, always prepared for the next battle she meant to undertake. she shared none of nety's tranquility. ceren's spine would have been better suited pressed back against a bow-string prepared to loose an arrow at the next opponent who deigned to stand in her way. she gave nety a wary look over the tea lifting the lid to sniff it with that clinical awareness she possessed. "i'm not measuring survival in weddings i'm measuring it in success. that includes parties and fundraisers too." the summer wind rustled the small curls of brown hair on her collarbone as she leaned back against a tree. "i don't understand you at all." though no malice in lingered in her tone. "nice people confuse me. there's plenty to be mad about."

[emrgnces-deactivated20250826]

"Tinctures huh - yeah I'll be the first to admit I haven't really had any knowledge in those types of remedies. But you're the expert. I always am looking for ways to enhance my wellness." Adrian was always the type to regard somebody's craft and just by her tone he could already easily come to realization she was passionate. Which was refreshing. "I'll take one if no one has claimed them?" The man not wanting to jump to conclusions just because they were out here in open display. "That's okay though, the diagnosis. I don't need that." Gentleness came with his tone, an easy let down. Being poked and prodded or underneath any sort of imaginary microscope had him feeling cramped and uneasy.

[crnelians]

alice tilted her head brown eyes sharpening. she had a curious way of fixing her gaze to seem as if she could see right through you - bones, sinew and all. her smile faltered as she took a thoughtful moment to look adrian up and down. "scared of doctors?" there was no accusation in her town, only an earnest curiosity wrapped in the wool-warmth of her placid tone. "western medicine will do that. it's so sterile. i always hated going to the doctor's office as a kid. everything's so white and so sterile. no feng shui at all, the qi of those places is completely off." she threw up her hands apologetically. "not that i don't appreciate modern medicine. i think healing is a healthy aspect of both. just that they could do with a few plants and a coat of paint."

[wolfeisms-deactivated20250727]

“And you, too, Alice,” Morgaine greeted with a bright smile. “I know I’ve not been to your shop in a little while, but I thought I’d use that as an excuse to come and see what goodies you had on offer today. Your setup looks wonderful, by the way; just as charming as ever.”

Alice’s presence was always very calming and being around her grounded Morgaine. She was the kind of person she needed in her life especially after living it in the fast lane for so long. What Alice had introduced into Morgaine’s daily practices had certainly come at the right time.

“Thank you,” she then replied to Alice’s offer. “Do you have anything new? I always come back for the same things as you know, but I’m looking to try some things. Any favourites or recommendations?”

[crnelians]

"it's no rush." alice's gentle gaze traveled upward towards morgaine with an easy smile. she began to deftly rearrange the bottles pausing over each as if to assess where their healing might be most effective tucked into the sheared tips of green grass that covered the park. "healing is a journey not a race. now more than ever our bodies and our minds are being harmed at a rate that seems impossible to counter. half of life is harm, it's our responsibility to take little moments to ourselves to be grounded." she paused as if lost in thought, puzzling something out in her mind that would never be clear to even those that knew her the best. suddenly she came back to herself brushing her hands down the side of her skirt. "i have this one. it's red ginseng, white peony, codonopis and schisandra berry. it's just meant to be taken daily to improve your overall condition."

[ikhored]

　　ᝰ　　there's  a  laugh  that  escapes  eddie's  lips  after  watching  the  scene  before  him,  finding  it  amusing  how  clearly  ceren  was  trying  to  keep  her  composure  despite  looking  like  an  unamused  cat  that  had  been  given  a  shower.  he  approaches  ceren  with  a  wary  smile,  as  if  to  test  her  mood.  “  you  look  like  you're  having  fun,  ”  eddie  teases,  and  runs  hand  through  his  hair  —  wet,  because  a  moment  ago  he  too  had  fallen  victim  to  the  child's  mischief.  “  c'mon,  ”  he  coaxes,  plucking  the  dead  phone  from  her  hands.  “  this  only  happens  once  in  a  year.  take  the  time  to  enjoy  yourself.  you  can  go  be  a  busy  woman  tomorrow.  ”

[crnelians]

at the sight of eddie's familiar visage her annoyance melted if only a little bit. she smoothed her palms across her shorts and looked for that small pocket of peace which lived inside of her mind at her most irritated moments. "i don't know why everyone thinks i'm not enjoying myself." she said. "look, i'm having a great time." her placid expression remained unchanged. laughter bubbled up from somewhere else in the park and a school of kids began to hit a soccer ball back and forth. only happens once a year, thank god, she thought with relief. "you know the societal expectation for women to enjoy themselves at social gatherings is misogyny in action. i hope you like being complicit in the heteropatriarchy eddie."

[deathsdignity]

      the sun was rarely this hostile so early in the season, yet it seemed that today was especially blessed by beating rays, ones that would inevitably leave some townies lobster-skinned and rushing to the markets for aloe. rocio, in her case, happily welcomed the onslaught of rainbow-colored balloons, each splutter of water upon her skin a godsend ( and her clothes, too, now drenched and sticking to her form ). she devolved a fit of laughter, hands splayed before her as some form of shield, not only before the group of children had grown itchy for a fresh pot of victims. " didn't know i'd be front row to your wet t-shirt contest today, cer. " a taunt, albeit immature, but rocio never touted herself for her sophistication, especially not in ceren's presence — not these days, at least. " can't even relax for one day, no ? maybe those kids did you a favor. surely, they did me one. "

[crnelians]

a hot new wave of embarrassment and annoyance coursed through at the sound of rocio's voice. ceren stiffened as she spoke and steeled her face into neutrality. the tenderness of their separation was still so raw. the night before her father's funeral a few months ago and the vicious whip of ceren's mouth when she'd declared, go, i don't want you here, you're only making it worse. how rocio could stand to look at her (or do what they'd done in the freezer of kavak's table last week) was beyond her. instinctively she crossed her arms over her chest as if that would make a difference to how she'd been seen already and huffed. "if you're here just to bother me you can go. look over there, she's cute, go get her number." but her stomach turned as she spoke at the thought of rocio's smooth laugh pouring into anyone else's ear. "i'm going home anyways." she'd had enough of this potluck.

[shorejpg]

WHERE﹚the great ridge potluck WHEN﹚early afternoon, wherever the food's kept STATUS﹚open to everyone

THERE WAS NOTHING QUITE LIKE A SUMMER SOCIAL TO MAKE CASH HAVERFORD’S SEMI-PERMANENT SMILE GROW TWO SIZES OVERNIGHT, like the grinch but … well, good. he usually showed up with his mom and a platter of her famous lemon bars in tow, sunny little squares dusted with powdered sugar, content to just carry the picnic blanket (without getting grass stains on the yellow gingham) and stay out of the kitchen. but this year, he arrived solo. and the lemon bars? well. the powdered sugar had melted into something closer to shellac, the centers were questionably wobbly, and the crust had taken on a kind of defensive crispness. “oh, they’re good, i swear!” he insisted, nudging the tupperware toward a skeptical onlooker. “you just gotta scrape the black stuff off the bottom. honest! the middle part’s kinda good. if you just … eat around the edges. and maybe avoid the corners,” he added, with the kind of earnest charm that almost made you believe it. almost. before he could talk himself any deeper into the hole, he scratched the back of his neck and grinned. “anyway, i brought ’em, so now legally someone has to eat one. i think that’s how potlucks work. right?”

[crnelians]

if there was one thing ceren kavak was it was a savant for details. any cake, charcuterie plate, or varied pastries and hor d'ourves had never looked anything look than spectacular. one of her professors in hospitality school had once called her a prodigy, she would lightly brag after about three glasses of wine still reflecting on those days. staring down at cash's... well she assumed they were lemon bars a small tinny siren began to sound in her mind. she offered a tight smile searching desperately for that polite charm which had talked her out of many unhappy brides and lazy grooms. she nodded her head picking one up and prodded it with the tip of her french manicure. "they are... baked." she stared at it for a long second before biting into a corner. there were a couple terse, silent moments of chewing before she raised an eyebrow at him. "did you follow your mom's recipe?"

[memouires]

dunc wanders the green leisurely, his own contribution to the potluck — a cool box full of fizzy drinks both kid-friendly and adult, and a lamb casserole ( recipe a taggart family heirloom from his great-grandmother, a coveted secret that none but immediate family will ever learn ) — being carefully supervised by his partner and a couple of local kids paid in promises of free milkshakes. he pauses at the familiar face, nodding in greeting. “ good to see you too, alice, ” he says, lowering himself slowly to the ground to inspect the array of bottles. “ so what have you got here ? you must have put a lot of time into these. ” he knows there's debate about the efficacy of herbal remedies, that many view them as quackery, but ultimately, no synthetic medication can beat the comfort of a hot cup of tea ( herbal or not ) in chasing away fatigue, aches and pains. and alice is a nice young lady.

[crnelians]

"dunc!" her face brightened exponentially a wide toothy smile cracked the edges of her nerves with familiar ease. his gait was easy so familiar with the land his feet covered she had to imagine there was no corner of wicklow ridge he hadn't discovered. she'd tried it herself but found some of the hills to difficult to climb or rocky cragg's too dangerous to navigate. her parent's admonishment when she so much as slipped a knife cutting herbs had kept her firmly within the boundaries of her own awareness. a soft affection thrummed in his heart as he approached. alice found him to be the most remarkable kind of person so at home in his own body. "it wasn't that long. i've been making them since i was twelve so i could do it blindfolded now. here, for you and your partner. i made them with you guys in mind. this should help ease joint pain and this one helps with digestion."

[angclmanifesto]

callum  slows  to  a  stop  in  front  of  the  blanket,  brows  lifting  as  he  takes  in  the  bottles  lined  up  with  careful  intention.  “you  made  these?”  he  asks,  crouching  down  without  hesitation,  hands  braced  on  his  knees.  there’s  a  lightness  to  his  voice,  but  his  eyes  move  over  the  display  with  quiet  focus,  like  he  knows  better  than  to  treat  it  casually.  he  reaches  for  one  of  the  bottles,  lifting  it  gently.  “guess  i  should’ve  brought  something  better  than  lukewarm  coffee  and  yesterday’s  blueberry  scones,”  he  adds  with  a  crooked  smile.  he  turns  the  bottle  over  in  his  hands,  studying  the  neat  handwriting,  the  cloth  wrapping.  “which  one  would  you  recommend?  for  a  guy  who  never  sleeps  and  worries  too  much  about  scone  inventory.”  it’s  half  a  joke,  but  not  really.

[crnelians]

in a flash she could see his mother's face so clearly reflected in the easy tilt of callum's self-effacing smile. her heart squeezed, aching with the still tender loss. she had always hated to say goodbye to those dearest. she couldn't help but resent their absence. her father had often espoused the analects of confucius to her as a child, that nobody should fear death and instead focus on their life. but it was hard not to fear the unknowable. her mother would then chime in that lúnhuí awaited them according to the buddha, and alice in between the weight of gods and scholars could only reckon with it as it came to her. she cleared her throat and shook her head. "your scones are a marvel of the universe. how on earth would we ever keep going without access to good scone?" she presented him with a blue bottle. "zizyphus, fuling, and gancao. put a couple drops under your tongue and then burn some lavender incense or some chrysanthemum tea and it should help you. i can make you a blend if you want?"

[w1ldflcwers]

her steps were delicate across the grass, soft smiles extended to each face that met her gaze as eyes wandered in search of visages more familiar. expression brightened, the sun emerging upon the horizon, when she caught sight of alice.  ❝  it's good to see you too. ❞   kneeling down, yujin glanced at the bottles neatly arranged across the blanket, each wrapped like delicate presents. slender fingers extended, picking up one of the bottles and turning it over in her hand.  ❝  what does this one help with? ❞   her head tilted slightly to the side as full attention returned to alice.

[crnelians]

alice watched yujin's long legs glide over the green expanse between them with a rapt fascination. thirty years old and she still felt like a child but women like yujin seemed to wear that maturity well. her bracelets clinked against each other as she moved tinkling like christmas bells. the soft odor of lavender seemed to overwhelm the area between alice the uniform rows of trees behind her. she grinned softly palming the grass beneath her as she rose up on her knees to meet yujin's stance. "it's a love potion." her laugh was musical and delighted as she watched yujin's face. "that's a joke my mom likes to say. it's ginseng, gingko, and astralagus root. they uh help with... virility." she was a medical professional, she tried not to be embarrassed but the admission still pushed her hand to pick nervously at the back of her neck.

[firercts]

            hand  remains  firmly  wrapped  around  melon's  leash,  though  it  did  nothing  to  prevent  the  curious  puppy  from  sniffing  around  curiously,  body  wiggling  with  how  hard  his  tail  wagged.  with  a  still  wrapped  blanket  firmly  under  her  other  arm  and  eyes  scanning  for  a  patch  of  grass  in  the  shade  that  hadn't  already  been  taken,  minty  had  narrowly  stepped  over  alice  ;  would've,  if  not  for  the  way  her  dog  had  suddenly  made  a  bee  line  for  the  other.  either  from  the  scent  or  recognition,  minty  followed  the  sudden  tug.  "  hey  !  those  are  cute,  what's  it  for  ?  "  questions  as  she  tried  to  gently  use  her  foot  to  scooch  her  pet  backwards  and  off  of  alice's  blanket  away  from  the  glass.

[crnelians]

alice's face brightened at the sight of the dog barreling towards her. she welcomed him openly hands flying up to snuff at his ears. "it's okay!" she assured looking up at minty. so pretty, she thought absently watching the sunlight trace her features. she'd always been the kind of effortlessly gorgeous alice thought she only saw in movie stars. her attention staggered back to melon as he sent a few bottles scattering under paw. she laughed collecting them back against her leg and let minty pull him off. "the one you're standing next to is for sleeping. there's a couple different kinds. i accidentally bought too many herbs the last time i ordered them and i figured everyone in town should feel a little better. let's see..." she hovered her palm over the bottles before picking one with a small grin. "this one helps calm down your stomach. it should be nice to take with all that fancy stuff you make at the spa!"

[likehells]

nety had seen her from across the lawn, sunlight catching the loose strands of alice’s hair like they were spun from something finer than gold, something softer. she crossed the grass barefoot, shoes dangling from two fingers, the other hand clutching a paper-wrapped muffin she'd snuck from the vendor two stalls over. blueberry. "you wrapped them." nety said softly, eyes flicking over the little bottles nestled like treasures in their borrowed cloth. her voice always carried like a secret, close and low, as if afraid to bruise the moment.

she knelt without asking, the way she always did now, like her body remembered how to fit beside alice’s before her mind caught up. her fingers hovered for a moment above the offerings before choosing one with no logic at all — just a pull in the ribs. "i’m glad you’re here." she added. she offered the muffin like a peace treaty, crooked smile tugging at her lips. "for the alchemist. no pressure to eat it. i just didn’t want you to forget in case you haven't gotten food yet." and then, quieter still, the kind of soft meant only for two: "it’s good to see you, too."

[crnelians]

nety's legs melded against her soft like the terrycloth napkins she kept folded into a little wicker basket in the kitchen. there was an amiable recognition between them as she brushed a few stray blades of grass from her shin. the muffin was deliciously warm and crusted with cinnamon-sugar at the top and she unwrapped it flipping it's head over to the cradle of her palm. i'm glad you're here, nety's voice floated through the ether into her ribcage growing little vines. what a simple phrase that sent her smiling shoulder pressed against her friends. there were very few people alice endeared her feelings upon. she was much better at listening than she was at sharing, thankfully nety shared the same affliction and so their kinship had been founded in a mutual need for the kind of listener they had both become. she picked up a bottle wrapped in a hunter green scrap and tied with a checked bow. "i made this one for you. to help with your energy during the long shifts."

[likehells]

she spotted ceren from a distance before she heard her — before the sharp edge of 'hey!' sliced through the afternoon like the flick of a blade across silk. and even then, nety didn’t rush. she merely watched, unreadable but gently amused, as a rogue child thundered away triumphant. ceren stood in the middle of the green, elegant even when soaked, shoulders taut and lips pursed with the kind of exasperation nety recognized as the sign of someone trying to hold too much at once. the phone in her hand gave up the ghost, dark screen blinking its surrender, and nety chose that moment — unassuming, unrushed — to step into her orbit.

"looks like the universe is staging an intervention." she murmured, holding out the cup between them like a peace offering, like an answer. her voice was low and warm, the sound of river stones smoothed by time. "here. tea, not coffee. you’ll survive it." she didn’t smile. not quite. but her eyes held a knowing glint as they searched ceren’s face. quiet presence, the kind that didn’t need permission to settle beside you. "come sit in the shade. it’s not a battlefield out here, i promise." and though she said it like a joke, there was a tenderness beneath the words that lingered, like a hand offered palm-up with no strings at all.

[crnelians]

ceren dabbed a paper napkin at the damp patches on her tank top and frowned unhappily. how anyone could ever want to keep a child in their home full time she couldn't fathom. her siblings probably would have called her cold, but then agreed she didn't have a maternal bone in her body and a kid was better off without her. nety's voice, warm like the sun peeking through the clouds was lilted with amusement and she gave her a half-hearted smile as she wiped the phone off on her shorts and shoved it into her back pocket. before she could take a moment to argue that actually she did have a portable charger in her bag if she could walk back over to car nety had already decided their path swift as air. nothing to be done then. she could feel the inklings of a stress headache beginning to pulsate behind her eyes and took the cup of tea. "i don't know why everyone is so concerned about my caffeine intake. if i was going to have a heart attack i would have done it during my last wedding project." she took a long sip and was frustrated to find that it was excellent, curse nety and her seemingly supernatural knowledge of tea, "thank you." she added tersely as if reprimanding herself for forgetting.