Biscuits,blood and sausage gravy with some sacred bacon on the Side.
Oh, and a baby...
These are a few of my favorite things,
la lalala la
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The scent of biscuits fresh from the oven and bacon sizzling on the stove called to Macha. Badb sat on the counter watching Ellie make breakfast. She had already stolen and eaten half the cooked bacon. This was a game Ellie had invented many years ago. As a very young girl, barely past the toddler stage. Ellie would climb up onto the counter and sneak bacon or sausages as Macha prepared breakfast. It amused Macha to watch Ellie wrinkle her brow, concentrating, waiting for the right moment.
This had become the daily ritual. Macha cooked or baked while Ellie would try and steal tidbits from under Machas nose. This became a family game at breakfast. Sneaking bacon or sausages. When Ellie in her early teens took over the cooking Badb moved in and perched on the counter to steal the bacon.
The tea kettle began to whistle just as Macha walked through the door. She saw that Badb had her giant coffee mug steaming in her left hand, fishing for tidbits with her right. It was to be a coffee day.
THWAK! The sound echoed in the kitchen. Ellie had caught Badbs hand sneaking into the cast iron pan. Badb snatched her hand back , spilling some the hot coffee on herself waving her hand in the air. A red welt the precise size of Ellies mixing spoon already showing. With a light hearted flourish Ellie curtsied brandishing the over long stainless steel spoon.
Macha watched in practiced amusement. Extra thick bacon, tempting beyond reason. Somehow Macha managed to snatch the remaining bacon from the pan along with a fresh hot biscuit.
While Ellie and Badb were occupied. Munching fresh bacon and hot buttered biscuits the standard of comfort food. Routines such as the breakfast ritual were a cornerstone of daily life at the cabin.
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Traffic is a test of patience. Wishing he had a giant truck with an old fashioned cow-catcher on the front, for probably the ten or fifteenth time in the last hour.
Atlanta at rush hour is an aggravation of immense proportions. It did not matter which way one chose, every route was packed and barely creeping along. The mental image of cars and trucks flying to the side leaving a wake of destroyed vehicles as the giant truck bulled through them was somewhat amusing.
Llew couldn’t keep track of the number of times he had tried calling Macha and Badb. Still no answer. Trying Nemain would be dramatically useless. Even if he had her number he would be lucky if she answered just to scream fuck you at him.
Sitting, waiting, his mind wandered. Surely Macha had spoken of her retreat. There had to be some sort of clue locked away in his memories.
As he drove along nearing an exit, Llew decided to pull off so he could eat. Meat would not do for this hunger. It had been over long since his last feeding.
Slowly cruising along the exit lane it appeared as though there were no private areas. There was a Truck stop though. Resigned, Llew drove around the large parking area. He noticed that the line of trucks waiting for fuel, blocked the rows of parked trucks. Seeing the opportunity Llew began scanning for his meal.
Turned out this truck stop was a rich buffet. So many choices. The parked trucks had blinds on their windows. Most of them idling so they can keep warm inside in the cold. A half dozen lot lizards scurried about the over-night parking lot running from truck to truck. Climbing up knocking on the windows. Now and then a door would open and one would disappear inside. Most of the trucks did not respond at all. The rejected lizards would scurry to the next in line.
Hmmm I think I want an neapolitan tonight, Llew mused, selecting a blonde, a brunette and a red head, for the trifecta. Llew approached walking casually, selecting place, timing it so no one would notice him. Not that anyone would, broadcasting the glamour pheromones as he was, humans would just look past him without registering that he was there.
He could not make himself invisible, he did alter perception so that they just didn’t care. Humans will block out the things they don’t want to see. Of course they did, that had been bred into them. It kept them docile when the herds were culled or harvested. They just looked the other way.
Llew walked quietly up to the brunette, a flick of his hand, two open fingers rapped along the base of her skull, she immediately went limp. Llew caught her and leapt onto the closest trailer roof. Laying her down he looked about, the blonde and redhead were in the rear of the lot, arguing.
Smiling Lugh dropped to the pavement and sprinted towards the raised voices. Snatching them was easy and a little amusing. The tall blonde was looming over the petite red head. Llew did not slow as he passed between them. Flicking the back of the blondes head in passing. He had stopped, turned about , catching her as she collapsed. Throwing her over his left shoulder he grinned, half bowed and ” Well hello there.” Greeted the now freaked out frightened red haired woman. Her eyes bugged out in surprise. As she inhaled to scream, Llew scooped her up and threw her over his right shoulder leaping, Landing on the roof of the trailer with two thirds of his meal.
The red head started to scream, Llew smiled at her, all eight teeth elongated as she gaped at him. His hand flashed out quickly. Llew crushed her larynx between thumb and forefinger. Her scream died in its birth. Llew lifted her up, looked into her eyes, then savagely tore her throat out. When he finished with the lifeless husk he dropped it in place. The other two were still unconscious. Llew picked them up as he moved past to drop onto the pavement. CRACK! Snap ! Pop!
Llews left knee began to twitch, At least an extra two hundred pounds on that drop was more than his knee would tolerate. Gravity can be a royal bitch sometimes. Llew walked briskly with a slight limp between the parked semi’s. At the rear of the parking area was a small bit of brush and trees. Perfect for a pic-nic while his knee repaired itself. Settling down hidden in the brush, Llew idly gazed out at the scurrying lot lizards and drivers interacting. Smiling to himself Llew chuckled. Dinner and a show.
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There was something in the air, a trace scent of powerful pheromones in the air. There should not be any Aos Sidhe within two states in every direction.
Morgan knew that Macha and Badb were back at the cabin. Someone was where they should not be. That could not be good. ” Can you taste that?” Michael wrinkled his brow, not sure what Morgan was talking about. ” Taste what? Car exhaust and frustrated humans?” he asked in reply. ” No. The other one. can you not sense something else?”
Thoroughly confused, Michael concentrated, taking a long breath he focussed on smell and taste. Yes, there was a faint something, vaguely metallic and seriously unsettling when he focused on it alone. ” What is that?” he asked grimacing. ” It is like, I don’t know what it is like. I don’t like it that I know for sure!”
Morgan grunted in annoyance. She had been hoping that it was her over active mind at work. Whoever this was, had very recently, as in within the last day, passed along here. That complicated things. Was someone tracking them?
With a weary sigh she asked Michael to let her know if the scent got stronger. ” What is it?” He asked. ” It is another one of us where they should not be.” She explained. ” You got it.” Michael rolled the car window all the way down. Sitting back he closed his eyes to concentrate fully on scent and taste. Who ever this was tasted nothing like Morgan or the rest of the Morrigna. They tasted of a pleasing spice that evoked desire and clouded thought. This new one brought a sense of threat. Can threat have a distinct taste? It made sense as he thought it through. Adrenaline with the various pheromones raised from fear as the fight or flight reflexes dumped pheromones. The brew brought a coppery metallic taste from the humans as he hunted and fed.