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velvethopewrites · 1 year ago

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Another Friday where I happily get to rec MY OWN fan fic 🍾 It’s just a ficlet that I wrote to help celebrate Castiel Day but it felt so good to be writing again, I can’t help but feel proud of it. Love that angel. Go forth and read and reblog! (I mean, if you want, ahem)

Just Cas

Now, this week’s fics are sort of polar opposites but hey, isn’t life about variety?! (Why, yes, I am a Gemini, why do you ask?) First up is this beautiful little tale that is just so…guh, full of wonder and love and whimsy. Yeah, you heard me. Whimsy.

Luminescent by saltnhalo

Summary:

Embarking on an expedition to the deepest, most unexplored parts of the ocean is all Dean has wanted to do since he was a kid. Now, his dream is finally coming to fruition, and he can feel in his bones that there is still so much to be discovered.

But nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in those uncharted, impossibly deep waters…

I love AU stories where Cas gets to be other. Whether it be by his personality or by the fact that he literally is “other” as in a creature/monster/ghost, etc. It just reads as true to his character. There is a naïveté and otherworldliness about Castiel that I just really enjoy (must be the angel thing). And I love stories where Dean gets to discover that and enjoy it for what it is.

In Luminescent, Dean is a deep-sea explorer who is seeking something new, maybe even something old, and boy, does he find it. He discovers a creature down there in the blue that completely changes his world. Of course, it’s Cas, and I don’t want to ruin the story, but it is so wondrous and lovely, how the two interact. You fall in love with Cas-the sea creature- pretty much the way Dean does - and when Cas assumes human form, ah…that’s when the fireworks begin. Five Out of Five Bees for being absolutely perfect and one of the most beautiful fan fics I’ve read and it’s all under 17k!

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 (also, there is gorgeous artwork!!) 🥰

I’ve been wanting to rec this next fic for a long time -

The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall by Speary

Summary:

The Hilltop Mall loomed large over the town below, with garish columns festooned with Christmas garland in late October, and of course it was maybe, kind of haunted. After hours access to the mall could be had by those that owned businesses inside. So Dean, Sam, and Cas do what any rational hunters would do in this case; they pretend to be the owners of a massage studio located within the mall. There are benefits beyond the access to the mall. Cas is quite good with his hands, as Dean eventually notes. Turns out that they are all good at the job, and that means that they actually make a bit of money. Apparently not enough to justify getting a room with enough quality beds though. Guess someone might need to share. And with all of them crammed into a too small motel room, and Cas having seemingly no problems with nudity, Dean thinks he might not entirely survive this case.

This is not an AU - it is an entirely canon-based case fic and it is EXCELLENT. The mystery of the actual case is really well done and the dynamics of our guys (ie Dean avoiding things, Cas getting pissed off, and Sam just shaking his head) is pitch perfect. You’ll be sucked into the Hilltop Mall mystery in no time.

I really love the way this author writes Dean and his myriad of freak outs re: everything. The fic is often funny and very natural - just like you’re watching a really good episode of the show except with major destiel overtones. God bless it. It’s such a great story. Castiel is newly human and full of surprises and Dean is…well, he’s Dean. I mean, I love him…but yeah. I honestly cannot rec this fic enough and just now, re-reading parts of it made me really want to sit down and just enjoy the whole damn thing again. That’s a sign of fantastic writing and storytelling, my friends. Five out of Five Bees for making Castiel be too sexy for his own good. And for making Dean notice it. 😛

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 37k

Happy Friday!

omg it’s FAN FICTION FRIDAY

Reblog and promote a fic of yours <3

#fan fic friday #destiel #fan fiction friday #fic recs #Creature! Cas #Case-fic

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destieltropecollection · 6 years ago

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Destiel Trope Collection 2019 Day 4: Bed Sharing

Ex-Buddies | @lemonsorbae Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1865 Main Tags and Warnings: Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Accidental Cuddling, First Kiss, Pining Dean, Fallen Angel Castiel Summary: Dean and Cas are buddies. But that doesn't explain the flutter Dean gets in his belly every time he looks at the former angel, or why the hell he can't stop thinking about touching the guy...

The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall | @spearywritesstuff Rating: Mature Word Count: 37486 Main Tags and Warnings: bed sharing, case fic, mutual pining Summary: The Hilltop Mall loomed large over the town below, with garish columns festooned with Christmas garland in late October, and of course it was maybe, kind of haunted. After hours access to the mall could be had by those that owned businesses inside. So Dean, Sam, and Cas do what any rational hunters would do in this case; they pretend to be the owners of a massage studio located within the mall. There are benefits beyond the access to the mall. Cas is quite good with his hands, as Dean eventually notes. Turns out that they are all good at the job, and that means that they actually make a bit of money. Apparently not enough to justify getting a room with enough quality beds though. Guess someone might need to share. And with all of them crammed into a too small motel room, and Cas having seemingly no problems with nudity, Dean thinks he might not entirely survive this case.

Grumpy Wet Puppy | @breathingdestiel Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1096 Main Tags and Warnings: s12 canon divergent, love confessions Summary: After a window breaks in their motel room, Dean and Cas have to move to another one. But there is only one bed.

the correct number of beds | @tryslora Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1310 Main Tags and Warnings: Sharing a Bed, Road Trip, First Kiss Summary: It's been fourteen hours in the Impala, with another sixteen to go tomorrow. All they need to do is sleep for the night. But every hotel and motel in the area is filled with a beauty pageant, leaving Dean and Castiel with one room and one large bed.

A Study in Motion | @thebloggerbloggerfun Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 24094 Main Tags and Warnings: Ice skater!Dean, Photographer!Castiel Summary: Castiel Novak’s one true passion is photography, though he’s still considered just an amateur with dreams of something more. When one of his professors gives the class the assignment of effortlessly capturing the idea of motion in a photograph, Castiel finds himself without a muse until his study partner, one Sam Winchester, volunteers his brother - a professional figure skater with dreams of his own and a past that held him back.

Totally Platonic Bunkmates | @braezenkitty Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 5430 Main Tags and Warnings: Sharing a Bed, Sexually Frustrated Dean, Castiel Knows, Frustrated Sam, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Castiel is a Tease Summary: Five times Dean and Cas had to bunk together, and one time they didn’t. "He could be an adult about this, it really wasn't a big deal. He'd just keep to his side of the bed and face the wall, away from Cas. It wasn't a problem at all. So why did his stomach feel like he just ate a handful of worms?"

Good Morning Dean | @notfunnydean Rating: General Word Count: 1844 Main Tags and Warnings:morning kisses Summary: Dean doesn't know how he could fuck the day up, before the sun is even completely up. But here he is now, outside of the motel sitting on Baby's hood and waiting for Castiel to break his heart…or maybe even an arm or two.

Worst Case Scenario | @mittensmorgul Rating: Mature Word Count: 29723 Main Tags and Warnings: Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Humor, Case Fic, First Kiss, First Time, Post-Canon, Human Castiel, The Winchester Gospels, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothes Summary: Their lives have always masqueraded as works of fiction, but for anyone they've ever interacted with, there's a scarily high chance that someday they'll discover the strangest events of their lives have been immortalized in a moderately obscure series of pulp horror novels. For Sam, Dean, and Cas, this is old news. For the people who've learned the truth, it's often a life-changing experience. Here's the story of a handful of those lucky... yeah, let's call them lucky... people whose lives intersected once upon a time with the Winchesters. And the stories they get to tell the Winchesters.

Snugglebird | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 5300 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Fluff, Schmoop, Domestic Fluff, Pining, Nesting Castiel, Scents & Smells, Scent Kink, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dean Loves Clothes, Panties, Sharing a Bed, One Shot Summary: Dean's most-worn clothes are going missing. Castiel seems to be missing too. Eventually Dean realises... these things are related. Somewhere, somewhy, Cas is building a nest. And he's using Dean's stuff to do it.

These Are Healing Hands | @60r3d0m Rating: Mature Word Count: 4179 Main Tags and Warnings: Bed Sharing, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: “How you feelin’?” Cas turns back to look at him over his shoulder. Dean’s done changing into his pajama shorts. Cas’ eyes rove over the freckles that litter Dean’s stomach before they’re hidden by the ratty shirt that he pulls on. “I should be asking you that,” Cas says and Dean wanders over, takes a seat at the edge of the bed next to him. “It's been two hours, Dean, and you’re still inebriated.”

#destiel #destielfanficnet #writersofdestiel #deancasfanficnet #destielfanfic #fanfic #supernatural #tropes #bed sharing #2019

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holidaymixtape · 6 years ago

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We were so excited to bring you Holiday Mixtape for the third year in a row. And even though we got started late, we received 40 fantastic submissions for this round!

This year’s masterlist is under the cut.

Cancelled fic by Violethaze with art by Aceriee Explicit | 7.6k | Dean/Cas

Christmas in Purgatory fic by superhoney with art by Aceriee Explicit | 6.7k | Dean/Benny (referenced Dean/Cas)

Count the Stars Inside Your Mind fic by elsalapizza G | 2.4k | Dean/Cas

A Fairy’s Wish fic by NadiaHart with art by Harplesscastiel Teen | 4.8k | Dean/Cas

For Life fic by puppydeanandjen Teen | 2k | Sam/Dean

Four Days fic by storyspinner70 Mature | 1k | Dean/Sam

The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall fic by Speary with art by kayanem Mature | 37k | Dean/Cas

Heavenly Music fic by LoversAntiquities Teen | 6.9k | Dean/Cas

Hell for the Holidays fic by Cannaduh G | Dean/Cas + others

Holiday Onesies art by Rinnarsev G | gen

Hot Chocolate fic by Masterpiece of Turkey Cleverness G | 1k | gen

How Elfish! fic and art by amberdreams G | 100 words | gen

How Traditions Begin fic by surlybobbies Teen | 2.8k | Dean/Cas

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas fic and art by thisroadsofar G | 1.9k | gen

in between the snowflakes fic by sammichgirl Mature | 3.7k | Sam/Dean

A Light in Darkness fic by whichstiel Teen | 11.3k | Dean/Cas

A Little Less Traditional fic by Tenoko1 G | 6k | Dean/Cas

A Kiss for the New Year fic by PamelaOracle Teen | 2.5k | Dean/Cas

McMansion Hell fic by mittensmorgul Teen | 21k | Dean/Cas

The Meaning of Boxing Day fic by theimportanceofbeingvictoria G | 1.4k | Dean/Cas

A Merry Little Christmas art by sketchydean G | gen (Sam & Dean)

Mistletoe for Hugs fic by noiproksa G | 1.9k | Dean & Cas friendship

New Queer’s Eve fic by huggybeardean Teen | 1.5k | Dean/Cas

Northern Lights fic by julia-sets with art by sweetheartdean Teen | 3.6k | Sam/Dean

Nougat fic by hit_the_books with art by crowleykoh85 G | 2.1k | gen

Picture It fic by Tenoko1 G | 4.1k | gen

The Prince Switch fic by teacass Teen | 12k | Dean/Cas, Cas/Amelia

Same Old Lang Syne fic by zaphodsgirl Teen | 10k | Dean/Cas

season’s greetings fic by themegalosaurus PG-13 | 1k | gen

A Simple Plan fic by interstitial Mature | 2.8k | Dean & Sam - friendship; Castiel/Dean

Snow Angel art by Hitori-Alouette G | gen (Castiel)

Snow Angel fic by NadiaHart with art by deli Teen | 8.7k | Dean/Cas

Soon After Christmas fic by starespressos Teen | 4.6k | Dean/Cas

Sweet Down Time art by Leaf Zelindor G | Dean/Cas

Taking a Snowday art by amberdreams PG | gen

They Were Blue fic by CurrentlyLost Teen | 4.2k | Dean/Cas

Under the Tree art by Rinnarsev G | Dean/Cas (as cats)

Waiting for Santa fic by Team Free Will Better Together with art by Remefla G | 2k | gen

We Enter, Drunk with Fire fic by interstitial G | 7k | gen (possible Sam/Dean if you squint hard)

Wrapped up in ribbons... art by Blindswandive Mature | Sam and whoever you like to think helped him into all those ribbons

Yippee-Ki-Yay…Or Something Like That fic by Waning_Grace Unrated | 1k | gen

You can also access many of this year’s works in our 2018 AO3 collection.

Thank you to all of our participants! We’re so happy you were part of this year’s event and hope you had fun creating your submission. Wishing you all the best in the coming year.

- muse & superhoney

#mixtape 2018 #2018 masterlist

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spearywritesstuff · 6 years ago

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Holiday Mixtape 2018

So, my artist kayanem and I have decided on a Saturday posting day. So block out a bit of time for a 37k holiday case fic. It’s tentatively called: The Haunting of Hilltop Mall. In it, Cas, Dean, and Sam take over a massage studio in a mall in order to investigate what may be a haunting. Turns out that Cas if very good at massage, and Dean is very frustrating. The hunt, their feelings, and life in a too small motel room, make for some interesting progress in the long slow burn that is the Dean and Cas romance. Hope you all enjoy it.

#fanfiction #destiel #holiday mixtape

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loretranscripts · 6 years ago

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Lore Episode 17: Broken Fingernails (Transcript) - 12th October 2015

tw: death, corpses, misogyny (18th century-typical), infant death, hanging, being buried alive, ghosts

Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

For many cultures, the funeral is the last goodbye, it’s the final chance to say what needs said, or do what needs done, in order to honour the ones we’ve lost. But while the methods and purpose behind these rituals can vary drastically from one culture to the next, one thing is common among the vast majority: the burial. We bury our dead – we’ve done it for an incredibly long time, and we’ve gotten very good at it. Every year, archaeologists open new tombs that date back millennia, each one teaching us something new about the cultures that time has caused us to forget, and central to each of these discoveries is the burial itself - the techniques, the beliefs, the ritual. But it’s not just about the dead. The practice of honouring and burying our loved ones is just as much about our own feelings of loss and grief as it as about our responsibility to care for those who’ve passed away. No place personifies the act of burial more than the local cemetery. With their green lawns and neat rows of pale stones, graveyards are unique among urban constructions; they are respectfully avoided by some and obsessed over by others. But whatever beliefs you might hold, or opinions you might have about them, graveyards are a special place. Stephen King explored the allure and power of the graveyard in his novel Pet Semetary. In the story, the cemetery is a portal between our world and another, it’s a place of transformation, of transition, and of mystery, and while we might not be digging shallow graves for our pets in hopes that they’ll return to us in the night, we’ve never lost our fascination with those places. Cemeteries have always been seen as the end of the journey. Whether you believe in a heaven or not, the graveyard is where most of us will go when our time is up. For some, however, the story doesn’t always end there. Some things, it seems, can’t be buried. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

For a very long time, burial in Europe was limited to church yards. It made sense - with a vast majority of Europeans holding to the Christian faith, all of them wanted to be buried close to their place of worship. But politics held sway even in these quiet, humble places of burial. Throughout Europe, it was common to find cemeteries that separated Protestant and Catholic graves. There’s a touching example of this near the Dutch town of Roermond, where a couple was buried in the late 1800s. The husband had been Protestant, while the wife had held to the Catholic faith. Despite strict rules regarding their burial, the couple managed to cheat the system by picking graves on opposite sides of the dividing wall. Their tall headstones reached above the wall and included carved hands that reached out to touch each other. Economic status played a part in burial as well – those wealthy enough could purchase space inside the church itself, while the less well-off had settle for graves outside the church walls, and even then, social status determined where in the yard a person might be buried. The higher the status, the closer to the chapel, but no one wanted to find themselves in the north corner. That was where people of uncertain birth, strangers from out of town and stillborn infants were buried. Regardless, churches filled up fast, as did the yards around them. As the population of Europe swelled, space began to disappear at an alarming rate. At first, graves were simply moved closer together, like the parking lot at your local mall – smaller spaces meant more occupants, and that was good for business, but it only worked for a while. Next, coffins were stacked one atop the next, opting for the vertical approach, but this meant that church yards were rising as earth was filled in between the growing graves, sometimes as high as 20ft. Greyfriars Cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland is a horrific example of this problem. It used to be a depression in the ground, but overtime, it’s become more of a hill. With more than half a million recorded burials, the elevation has literally risen over 15ft, introducing problems that are unique to a graveyard so old and so full. According to reports, there’s such a high concentration of human remains that on especially rainy days, remains that aren’t sealed within a casket have a tendency to float to the surface, bursting through the mud like white teeth. All of this left cities in need of some seriously creative thinking.

In some places, the solution they chose was a drastic one. In France, for example, the government actually had to step in. Church yards had gotten so full that they would often collapse outward, spilling soil and human remains onto the streets. Walls were built around them; they rarely worked. The dead was getting out of hand, so to speak. In 1786, they removed all the bodies from Holy Innocence Cemetery in Paris and moved them to a series of unused stone quarries which became known as the Catacombs. It’s estimated that the Catacombs hold close to six million bodies. Sometimes it wasn’t a lack of space that ruined a cemetery, though, but a lack of popularity. That’s the fate that awaited the cemetery built on the former property of Sir William Ashurst in the north end of London. Named for the small, hilltop community that once existed there, Highgate Cemetery was established on the grounds of the old manor house, which had been demolished and replaced with a church in 1839. At first, the cemetery was popular: Karl Marx is buried there, as are many relatives of Charles Dickens and Dante Rosetti. But when the owners lost money and fell on hard times, the graveyard was left to the elements. Monuments and crypts became overgrown with vegetation, and sometimes trees would sprout up right through the graves themselves. Highgate is a wonderful example of what we all imagine a haunted cemetery might look like. Filmmakers and authors have been drawn to it for decades, tapping into its arresting visual atmosphere to create works of Gothic horror and fantasy. It was even the inspiration behind Neil Gaiman’s beautiful novel The Graveyard Book. But while there are plenty of stories about the history of graveyards throughout Europe and America, cemeteries have always been known for something darker, something less tangible than what we can see above ground. Perhaps it’s all those neat rows of bone-white headstones, or the notion that hundreds of bodies lay waiting beneath our feet. Whatever the reason, its in the local graveyard, more than any other place, that we find rumours of the otherworldly and unexplainable. Inside those walls, between the pale stones and dark trees, almost everyone has heard tales of those who refuse to stay in the grave. Buried or not, sometimes the past is too traumatic to leave us.

Just south of Chicago, between the curving arms of I-80 and I-294, is a graveyard known for a level of activity unusual in a place of the dead. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery isn’t big – there are only 82 plots there and many of those have never been used, but that hasn’t stopped the stories. It’s said that the famous gangster Al Capone once used the pond nearby as a dumping place for the bodies of those he killed. Other rumours make reference to Satanic rituals and meetings that have taken place in the graveyard over the years. But there are those who swear they have seen unusual things there. The most famous sighting has been called “The White Lady”, the ghostly image of a woman that was said to appear only during the full moon. In 1991, the Sun-Times actually featured a photo of the White Lady on the front cover, taken by a researcher on one of her visits. The woman appears to be semi-transparent, sitting on a tombstone near the trees, and dressed in white. Other visitors have seen glowing orbs and apparitions, and even vehicles and a farmhouse that seem to fade in and out of existence. The site is off-limit to visitors now, but it’s remained a favourite haunt (no pun intended) of ghost hunters across the country. In 1863, an outbreak of smallpox moved through a Civil War POW camp in Columbus, Ohio. The camp held close to 10,000 confederate soldiers, and thousands of them died from the epidemic. As a result, the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery was formed, an unusual sight so far north into Union territory. Miles away, in New Madrid, Missouri, a Confederate sympathiser sent his young daughter north to avoid the destruction of the war. Louisiana Briggs settled into Ohio and eventually married a Union veteran, but she apparently never lost touch with her southern roots. It was said that later in life, she would often visit the Camp Chase Cemetery, where she would place flowers on various graves there. She wore a white veil each time she went, in an effort to hide her face. Nevertheless, she acquired a reputation around town as the “Grey Lady” and was known for her passion for the old burial ground. She passed away in 1950, but flowers would still appear regularly on the graves there. Visitors to Camp Chase have heard the sounds of a woman weeping quietly, while others have seen the figure of a woman in a veil. Something drew Louisiana Briggs to that location, that much is clear. According to the stories, though, she never left.

Across the country in Connecticut, yet another graveyard plays host to a mysterious story. Mary Hart was born in New Haven in 1824, and lived a very modest life there. She was a corset maker and machine stitcher by trade, working hard to support her family. On October 15th, 1872, Mary fell into a death-like state from unknown causes. She was only 47, young even for the late 19th century, and this tragedy rocked her family to the core. By midnight, Mary had expired, and her grieving family set about to arrange for a quick and immediate burial. There was a lot of pain, I can imagine, and they simply wanted to move on. It’s said that Mary’s spirit still wonders Evergreen Cemetery, close to the site of her home on Winthrop Avenue. More than one story has been told about drivers pulling over to pick up a hitchhiking woman, only to have her disappear. Others say Mary was a witch, although you didn’t have to look far in the late 1800s to find a woman who had been accused of something like that. According to the stories, local college students have frequently visited Mary’s grave, which is said to be cursed. Anyone who visits her grave at midnight, according to legend, will meet a horrible fate. As a result, most people refer to her today as “Midnight Mary”. There are no records of New Haven college students who’ve died after visiting Mary’s gravesite, but whether or not the stories are rooted in fact, it hasn’t stopped them from spreading. Mary still has one foot in our world, it seems. It’s just not clear who’s keeping her here.

South Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is really a collection of many smaller graveyards. It’s the site of the oldest burial ground in town, dating back to the 1600s, and it’s a wonderful mixture of styles and centuries. Together, the Auburn Cemetery, the Proprietors’ Burial Ground, Sagamore Cemetery and Harmony Hill all combine to showcase everything from an Egyptian-style sarcophagus, to winged skulls and Victorian funerary imagery. It’s a peaceful place, and much of the grounds have been planted with flowering trees, creating a park-like atmosphere, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 1700s, South Cemetery served double duty as both a graveyard, and the site of several public executions. All of them were hangings, and more than a few of them were women, and the reasons were often tragic. The early 18th century was a very different era from our own, and the lawbooks were filled with rules that might seem barbaric or cruel by today’s standards. Provincial laws at the time required capital punishment for a wide assortment of crimes – close to 600 of them, in fact, including murder, rape, abortion, bestiality, burglary, treason and counterfeiting. Another capital crime, though, was known as “concealment”. If a woman found herself pregnant outside of marriage in the mid-1700s, her life was effectively over. Social stigma, loss of employment, fines and even physical punishment were all expected to follow upon discovery of adultery, and the possible resulting bastard birth. And so, to avoid this fate, it had become common for women in that situation to hide their pregnancy, and then abandon the baby to die of neglect and exposure. This was concealment, and it was the situation that a woman from South Hampton, New Hampshire found herself in, in the spring of 1768.

Ruth Blay was just 25 and split her time between teaching in the nearby towns and working as a seamstress. She was single and poor, but she did her best to hide the pregnancy for as long as she could. No one knows when she gave birth to the child. We don’t know if she laboured alone, with no hand to hold or companion to help her through it. All history remembers is the baby, but even then, there are still questions. According to Ruth, the baby had been stillborn. That didn’t erase her crime of adultery, of course, or the stigma that was sure to follow, but it did mean that she didn’t kill the child. She had been afraid, and so she buried the tiny body beneath the floorboards of a local barn, most likely the site of one of her travelling classrooms. And that, she thought, was the end of it. But what Ruth didn’t know was that some of her local students had watched her – they didn’t see the birth itself, they didn’t feel her pain, loss, fear and hopelessness. All they saw was a young woman placing a body in the small space beneath a loose board. They saw a crime, and so the reported it. Ruth was soon arrested by Isaac Brown, the local constable, and was quickly brought to trial. A jury of 16 was formed, all men, of course, and they soon ruled that the child had died by violent birth. Ruth, they said, was a liar and a murderer. Ruth was held at the constable’s home until she could be transported to the jail in Portsmouth, but she was still recovering from the birth, and so she remained there for over a month while her body healed. By July 19th, she had formerly been accused, and two weeks later she was brought before the provincial court. She pleaded innocent, of course, but no one listened. Her final trial date was set for nearly two months later, for the end of September. I can’t imagine how lonely she must have felt, how hopeless. Ruth didn’t have a chance. I think it’s safe to assume she knew that – society wasn’t kind to women in her position, and when you added in the dead infant, well… Ruth was pretty sure how it was going to end. The trial began on the afternoon of September 21st, 1768, and a little over 12 hours later, a 12-man jury handed down the verdict: guilty. She was, according to their instructions, to hang by her neck until dead. But not just yet. No, the royal governor of New Hampshire, a man named John Wentworth, issued three consecutive reprieves, postponing her execution. He said it was to give her time to prepare herself for death, but I can’t help but wonder if it was really just one more punishment. Rather than walking to the gallows before the end of September, Ruth would have to wait three long months. Just before noon, on December 30th, over 1000 people gathered at Gallows Hill in South Cemetery. It had snowed earlier that day, and now a cold, freezing rain was covering everything in a layer of ice. Sheriff Packer, the man presiding over the execution, had Ruth placed atop the back of a wagon, a rope draped over her head. Parents stood with their arms around their children – children who craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the woman about to die. There are rumours that a pardon was on its way from the governor, that Sheriff Packer was in a hurry to eat his lunch, and so he rushed the execution rather than waiting for the governor’s letter to arrive. At noon, the horses pulling the wagon were driven away from the tree, and Ruth Blay fell off the back, where her body swung slowly at the end of a noose. She died moments later. Those same rumours say the governor’s stay of execution did arrive, just moments after Ruth’s body stopped moving, but there’s no record of a pardon. Instead of freedom, Ruth was given an unmarked grave, about 300ft north of the small pond in the middle of the cemetery. Today, visitors to the pond report anomalies in their photographs – ghostly images, orbs and indefinable shapes. Some say that their cameras stop working altogether when there. According to local legend, a pair of glowing lights has been seen there, and some think its Ruth and her infant child.

Between life and death, between the places most familiar to us and that vast expanse of the unknown, sits the graveyard. It has represented the beginning of a journey for countless cultures across the history of mankind. From the Egyptians to the Khans, from ancient Europe to modern America, the cemetery is a constant thread, tying us all together. All philosophy aside, these are places born out of loss and filled with deep emotion. And so, it’s no wonder that so many stories exist of the ones who refuse to stay buried. Maybe ghosts are real after all, or maybe we just wish they were, or perhaps it’s both. One final note: Midnight Mary, the New Haven corset maker who fell into a coma at the age of 47, was buried the following day, on October 16th, 1872. That night, after the funeral was over and her extended family had travelled back to their homes, Mary’s aunt had a horrible nightmare. In her dream, she saw Mary still alive in her coffin, scratching at the lining in an effort to get out. She was screaming and moaning with desperation, and the image of that stayed with Mary’s aunt long after she awoke - so much so that she managed to convince both her family and the authorities to exhume Mary’s grave. After the coffin was removed from the earth, the men opened it. What they found inside would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Mary’s corpse had moved. Her hands were covered in blood, and many of her fingernails were broken. The reason was clear after examining the coffin’s lid: the cloth lining had been shredded. Apparently, Mary had finally awoken from her coma, and in her panic, she had tried to claw her way out.

This episode of Lore was produced by me, Aaron Mahnke. You can learn more about me, this show, episode transcripts, Patreon member benefits and more over at lorepodcast.com, and be sure to follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, @lorepodcast. This episode of Lore was made possible by you, [Insert ad break]. And as always, thanks for listening.

#lore podcast #podcasts #aaron mahnke #midnight mary #louisiana briggs #bachelor's grove cemetery #camp chase cemetery #highfate cemetery #hauntings #new hampshire #illinois #ohio #transcripts #17

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ao3feed-destiel · 6 years ago

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The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall

Read it on AO3 here!http://bit.ly/2EJ7ape

by Speary

The Hilltop Mall loomed large over the town below, with garish columns festooned with Christmas garland in late October. After hours access to the mall could be had by those that owned businesses inside. So Dean, Sam, and Cas do what any rational hunters would do in this case; they pretend to be the owners of a massage studio located within the mall. There are benefits beyond the access to the mall. Cas is quite good with his hands, as Dean eventually notes. Turns out that they are all good at the job, and that means that they actually make a bit of money. Apparently not enough to justify getting a room with enough quality beds though. Guess someone might need to share. And with all of them crammed into a too small motel room, and Cas having seemingly no problems with nudity, Dean thinks he might not entirely survive this case.

Words: 5692, Chapters: 2/10, Language: English

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Claire Novak, Jack Kline, Mary Winchester, Bobby Singer, Alternate Bobby Singer (Supernatural: All Along the Watchtower)

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Destiel - Freeform, Post-Canon, Handwaves the Michael Possession, Christmas, Case Fic, SPN Holiday Mixtape 2018, SPN Holiday Mixtape, Massage Therapist Castiel, Massage Therapist Dean Winchester, this isn't an AU, Shopping Malls, Pining, Mutual Pining, Castiel/Dean Winchester Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, bed sharing, Jealous Dean Winchester, Snarky Castiel, Sexually Frustrated Castiel, Naked Castiel, Cockblock Sam Winchester

Link: http://bit.ly/2EJ7ape

#ao3feed #ao3feed destiel #destiel

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mastcomm · 5 years ago

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The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week

Welcome to the T List, a newsletter from the editors of T Magazine. Each week, we’re sharing things we’re eating, wearing, listening to or coveting now. Sign up here to find us in your inbox every Wednesday. You can always reach us at [email protected].

See This

One Painter’s Portrayal of Blackness

In a rather short period of time, Jordan Casteel has become one of the most interesting painters of her generation, working predominantly in the medium of portraiture. Casteel’s subjects are people of color — neighbors in Harlem, where she lives, or her students at Rutgers University, Newark, where she teaches — and they are rendered with a kind of beautiful vulnerability that is both honest and rare. Her work, which is now on view at the New Museum, Casteel’s first solo museum exhibition in New York, is something like the vibrancy of Matisse filtered through the intensity of Alice Neel. Her 2013-14 series of nudes of young black men, called “Visible Man,” is especially striking, with its use of greens, pinks, oranges and reds, all in the service of expanding upon a painterly definition of blackness. “I’m going to paint black men as I see and know them,” she recently told The Times about her artistic intention. “I wanted to get other people to see them in their humanity.” “Jordan Casteel: Within Reach,” is open through May 24 at the New Museum, 235 Bowery, New York, newmuseum.org. And for more, watch Casteel discuss her favorite artwork and the affinity she feels for its creator.

Eat This

In Maine, a Cozy New Restaurant With a Haunted Past

Greg Mitchell is best known as the co-owner of the retro Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine. But last year, the proprietor launched his first solo act, Flood’s, in Portland. The restaurant is attached to the city’s Francis hotel, a 19th-century mansion by the architect Francis Fassett — who designed many Portland buildings after the area’s great fire of 1886 — that has also served as a funeral parlor. When it came to design, Mitchell mixed contemporary elements with nostalgic ones that pay homage to the building’s past: Alongside a still-life photograph by his wife, Meg Mitchell, of knafeh (a Palestinian dessert) are old maritime paintings, found family snapshots and other flea-market knickknacks that take on a new mythology in the tavern-style space. Like Palace, Flood’s offers creative comfort food like juicy burgers and pancetta toast with apple butter, as well as a laid-back environment personified by several unofficial and irreverent mascots from the minds of the Atlanta-based design and consulting group Office of Brothers, Inc., such as a beanie-wearing, cigarette-smoking fish. “I’m not in the business of challenging people with my space or my food,” Mitchell told me. Rather, Flood’s is about feeling like you’re a regular. floodsme.com.

Though I can’t speak to the fit, I can still remember the first white button-down I purchased (on sale at the mall) with my own money and the feeling that it would add a great deal of sophistication to my sixth-grade aesthetic. Pierpaolo Piccioli’s use of crisp shirting is, it turns out, even more elevated: The Valentino creative director has included various nods to the classic white shirt in his last few couture collections. Now, thanks to the fashion house’s Le Blanc pop-up, debuting at its New York flagship next week (before making stops in Los Angeles and Dallas), mere mortals can get a taste of the bespoke experience. Shoppers will choose between two basic shirt styles in white poplin, one longish and one cropped, and then work with a seamstress to customize the piece as they please, which might mean adding a bib, ruffles, floral embroidery, a feather detail or white-on-white monogramming. The idea, as Piccioli often says, is to bring couture to the streets. Through Feb. 28, 693 Fifth Avenue, valentino.com.

Visit This

A Sustainably Designed Hotel Over the Kalahari Desert

Habitas, the experience-led members club and eco-hospitality group, recently closed its clubhouses in New York and Los Angeles to focus on building hotels for its community of wanderlusting millennials. The brand’s two-year-old flagship sits on a beach in Tulum, Mexico, and, while other locations are planned for San Miguel de Allende and Todos Santos, its first outpost opened earlier this month in Namibia. A 45-minute drive from Hosea Kutako International Airport, the brand’s take on a safari lodge has 15 sustainably designed suites — each a modular, 3-D-printed mini-lodge filled with custom furnishings and local crafts — and a private villa that sleeps 10. It all sits on a hilltop that overlooks the Kalahari Desert savanna, some 119,000 acres of which Habitas is recultivating as a wildlife reserve. Guests can explore by Land Cruiser, electric mountain bike or on foot with San tribesmen as their guides. They might also help an anti-poaching unit track cheetahs and rhinos, forage indigenous plants for spa treatments and medicinal workshops or go for an outdoor sound bath before heading back for a communal “bush braai” dinner and a drum circle (or DJ set) under the stars. habitasnamibia.com.

The beauty industry is becoming more attuned to the unnecessary waste produced by packaging, and one of its latest eco-friendly measures is concentrating soaps and dental care in dissolvable tablets — which also saves cabinet space. “Many conventional formulas are over 90 percent water and come in bulky, single-use plastic bottles, so consumers are often paying for a new plastic bottle and water, which they already have at home,” explained Sarah Paiji Yoo, the co-founder and C.E.O. of the environmentally minded start-up Blueland, which makes several such tablets, including one for a foaming hand soap. There’s also the New York-based personal-care brand By Humankind, which has created a pill-size, alcohol-free mouthwash that, as of next week, comes in candy-colored ginger, mint-lemon and peppermint. The California-based dental-care brand Weldental, meanwhile, offers a gentle toothpaste tab containing Xylitol, a natural sweetener that helps prevent tooth decay, that activates into a paste upon chewing. Aside from the environmental benefits, watching these compact items fizz into full-fledged products will add a bit of excitement to your daily routine.

From T’s Instagram

Who Was Carlo Scarpa?

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/life-style/the-t-list-five-things-we-recommend-this-week-4/

#Life style

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ao3feed-castiel · 6 years ago

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The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2EJ7ape

by Speary

Words: 14224, Chapters: 4/10, Language: English

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Claire Novak, Jack Kline, Mary Winchester, Bobby Singer, Alternate Bobby Singer (Supernatural: All Along the Watchtower)

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2EJ7ape

#IFTTT #cas #castiel #spn #supernatural #ao3feed

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topthingz · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on TopThingz

New Post has been published on http://www.topthingz.com/top-10-most-beautiful-countries-to-visit-in-europe/

Top 10 Most Beautiful Countries to Visit in Europe

Europe – The most Beautiful Countries to visit in the world in Europe no other place like it, its fabulous monuments reveal one layer of history after another and its breathtaking natural scenery couldn’t be more diverse from wild to elegant and more.

10- Austria.

Austria, the land of Mozart and waltz, is a medley of sparkling alpine lakes, majestic mountains, and elegant cities, with a rich cultural heritage and one of the highest living standards in the world And while the capital steals the show with its imperial grandeur, world-class art, and Alluring café culture, there’s much more to this small landlocked country than Vienna. Fantastic skiing awaits in Innsbruck, Kitzbühel , and St Anton; dozens of fairy-tale castles dot the wonderful mountainous landscape, and twinkling blue lakes make for memorable outdoor pursuits And then, of course, there’s the beautiful baroque city of Salzburg, set against a glorious backdrop and still under the magic of The Sound of Music.

9- Scotland.

Scotland’s dramatic scenery spans lush woodlands, stunning lochs, rugged coastlines, and green rolling hills topped with crumbling castles Home to the famous Eilean Donan Castle and one of Europe’s greatest wilderness areas, the Scottish Highlands are probably the country’s most evocative region, one characterized by an amazing history and even more amazing landscapes The fabled Loch Ness and Scotland’s largest national park are also here, and so are epic battlefields, breathtaking beaches, and misty, magical mountains, Equally spectacular, the Isle of Skye is famous for its astounding sea cliffs and dramatic Cuillin mountain range; Edinburgh celebrates its rich past with remarkable monuments, inspiring architecture, and a calendar chock-full of cultural festivals, and Glasgow pairs its vibrant music scene with award-winning museums and Victorian splendor like no other city in Britain.

8- Turkey.

An insane mix of cultures and colors, sandy beaches and vibrant bazaars, whimsical mountains and marvelous ancient ruins – this is Turkey, a country you’ll never forget Here, at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Roman theaters coexist with mosques and modern shopping malls, and some of the best historic sites in the world share the landscape with natural wonders such as the blue terraced pools of Pamukkale or the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, Brimming with art, culture, and history, Istanbul is one of the planet’s greatest cities, and the Turquoise Coast, with its fine sands and stunning blue lagoons, is a paradise for sailors, swimmers, and sun worshippers, Locals are friendly, the food is to die for, and whatever type of vacation you’re looking for possibilities are endless in Turkey.

7- Iceland.

Iceland’s blue bubbling geysers, rugged lava fields, and spectacular glaciers create a visual spectacle that seems out of this world, Natural splendor aside, the Land of Fire and Ice is also home to one of the world’s quirkiest nations, with warm, creative, and forward-thinking residents with a strong sense of national pride, This is particularly reflected in Reykjavik’s thriving cultural scene and buzzing nightlife, Iceland’s funky capital is bursting with festivals, art galleries, and stylish bars, while off shore, whale watching excursions are offered year-round, Don’t leave the country without taking a tour around the Golden Circle or bathing in the famous Blue Lagoon, a gigantic geothermal spa on the south-west coast of Iceland.

6- Greece.

Whether it’s the grandeur of its ancient sites, the sublime sunsets of Santorini, or the astonishing cliff top monasteries of Meteora, Greece leaves a long-lasting impression on its visitors. Athens is teeming with remarkable ancient monuments; the country’s mountainous interior is dotted with charming, unspoilt villages and archaeological treasures that span four millennia, and the islands speckled in the surrounding seas range from the culture-rich Dodecanese to the postcard-perfect Cyclades, with their cubic, whitewashed villages and dramatic Aegean views For nature lovers, Olympus National Park offers a plethora of outdoor activities and is home to Greece’s highest mountain, where the ancient Gods once lived, according to the Greek Mythology.

5- Croatia.

From ancient walled towns to gorgeous beaches framed by sparkling blue waters, there’s nothing you can’t find in Croatia, a land of great natural beauty and astounding cultural heritage Although modest in size, the small Central European country abounds in notable historic sites and national parks packed with dense forests, striking waterfalls, and unbelievably beautiful lakes Two such places are the breathtaking Plitvice Lakes and the unique Kornati archipelago, with its 140 pristine islands surrounded by crystal-clear azure seas Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia’s main cities, are overflowing with cultural treasures and architectural splendor, while the chic Adriatic town of Hvar on the Dalmatian island with the same name attracts well-heeled fashionistas and celebrities from around the world with its mix of marble streets, Gothic palaces, sleek restaurants, and cool party vibe Don’t miss the majestic Diocletian’s Palace in the heart of Split or the ancient city walls of Dubrovnik.

4- France.

Seductive, melodious France has something for everyone, from the glitzy resorts along the sun-drenched Cote d’Azur to charming bistros and priceless art in Paris, pretty hilltop villages in Provence, and fabulous skiing in the Alps And then there’s the wine and cheese, the art de vivre, and the rich history that surrounds you here Much of the country’s beauty comes from the diversity of its landscape, but it also derives from its exclusive haute couture scene and remarkable architectural heritage, which includes everything from stunning Gothic cathedrals and Romanesque churches to splendid Renaissance chateaux and striking Art Nouveau jewels.

3- Norway.

Deep, striking fjords, rugged coastal mountains, and glaciers that take your breath away – all contribute to the epic natural beauty of Norway The nation’s unique landscape and wildlife are protected by spectacular national parks, and its handful of cities are teeming with Scandinavian sophistication The northern part of Norway lies within the Arctic Circle, so the midnight sun and aurora borealis add to the drama of this remote and magnificent country, Here and there, a quaint wooden village brings a touch of life to the wild scenery, while reindeers and polar bears roam the staggering ice fields of the Svalbard archipelago.

2- Italy.

Maybe it’s the sweeping romance of the Tuscan countryside, the haunting beauty of the Amalfi Coast, or the excitement of being surrounded by so much art, culture, and history, but there’s something about Italy that just warms your soul and puts a smile on your face. It could, of course, be the divine food, the courteous, well-dressed Italians, or the pleasure of doing nothing, but this country looks and feels so damn good it’s impossible not to fall for its charms, Rome celebrates its magnificent past with stunning museums and ruins of the world’s greatest empire; Venice enchants visitors with its meandering canals and fabulous marble palazzos; Florence is brimming with inestimable Renaissance art, and the Italian lakes ooze timeless sophistication with their postcard-perfect landscapes, pastel-colored waterfront towns, and sumptuous villas surrounded by immaculately groomed gardens.

1- Spain.

During my travels throughout Europe, I had the opportunity to discover some truly amazing places, but no other country made me feel more alive and inspired than Spain, with its monumental cities, dazzling costas, and gloriously laid-back way of life And it’s not just vibrant, colorful Barcelona or the royal splendor of Madrid that keep calling me back over and over again, but also the irresistible charm of sunny Seville, the Moorish grandeur of the Alhambra in Granada and the frozen-in-time villages of Spain’s lesser-known autonomous communities Some countries are full of character and man-made architectural wonders, others have nature on their side, Spain excels in each and every one of them offering travelers a wealth of natural beauty along with a fascinating history and a cultural scene that’s both deep and authentic as well as creative and innovative.

Quirky festivals keep the old traditions alive; Gaudi’s masterpieces stand side by side with contemporary art galleries on the charismatic streets of Barcelona, and Romanesque churches dot the green north of the country, there are 44 World Heritage Sites in Spain, including astonishing Roman ruins, gorgeously preserved old towns, and unique national parks resplendent with rare flora and fauna. Add to all these the soul-stirring scenery of Mallorca, the otherworldly volcanic landscapes of the Canary Islands, the rugged beauty of the Pyrenees, and Ibiza’s exquisite mix of quaintness, blue waters, and high-end hedonism and you have the most passionate, captivating and beautiful country in Europe.

#Beautiful Europe #Most Beautiful Countries in Europe #Visit Austria #Visit Croatia #Visit France #Visit Greece #Visit Iceland #Visit Italy #Visit Norway #Visit Scotland #Visit Spain #Visit to Europe #Visit Turkey

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theredheadstory · 8 years ago

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Visiting Singapore - A City Guide

Image via Flickr by Mac Qin

The following destination guide has originally been published by IHG as a Guide to Singapore.

Modern, prosperous and dynamic, Singapore is a global hub for finance, high-tech industry and international trade. If you’re visiting on holiday, it’s a shopper’s haven and a foodie’s dream, with gleaming malls and a legendary food scene that takes in everything from Chinese, Malay and Indian street food to sophisticated fine-dining restaurants.

If you’ve an urge to explore, you can discover the island’s multicultural heritage in Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glamand the grand colonial buildings of the Civic District. You’ll also find plenty of beachside activities, rainforest parks, a thriving arts scene and 21st-century attractions like Gardens By The Bay.

Singapore: City Layout

Shaped like a diamond, Singapore combines towering skyscrapers, traditional communities and modern waterfront developments.

Restored 19th-century colonial buildings are clustered in the city and Civic District near the Singapore River, with Chinatown close by. Little India and Kampong Glam are found to the north of the city and head east for the popular local suburbs of Geylang and Joo Chiat.

There’s an extensive network of nature reserves and parks throughout the island. Holidaymakers are drawn to islands such as Pulau Ubin for nature trails and bike tracks as well as Sentosa island, connected to central Singapore via a bridge, for seaside entertainment and theme parks.

Top Attractions in Singapore

The beautifully landscaped Gardens By The Bay is home to the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome greenhouses, filled with blooms from across the world. Don’t miss the OCBC Skyway, a walkway set among 18 ‘supertree’ sculptures, which comes alive after dark with a magical light display.

For a relaxing day out, head to Sentosa island to soak up the sun on the beach, enjoy a leisurely round of golf or brave the thrilling rides at the Universal Studios Singapore theme park.

Singapore Zoo is home to white tigers, honey-loving sun bears and African lions. You can spot the giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, at the River Safari, or nocturnal leopards on the Night Safari.

For a bird’s eye view of Singapore head to the Singapore Flyer, a 165-metre observation wheel with 360-degree views of the island.

The concierge recommends…

A walk around Marina Bay to enjoy the city’s night lights.

A stroll through the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site housing lush themed gardens with more than 1,000 species of orchid.

A food tour through the well-loved haunts in Chinatown, Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat or Kampong Glam.

A visit to Pulau Ubin, a kampong (traditional) village off the coast near Changi Airport.

Booking tickets for a traditional dance performance, a play or a concert at the iconic Esplanade arts centre.

Hotels in Singapore

For your stay in Singapore there are hotels that will suit every budget and travel need. The city’s efficient transport system makes travelling around a breeze, and it’s easy to find hotels within walking distance of a train station.

If you want to be in the thick of the action, pick a central location like Orchard Road, Singapore’s most famous shopping street, or close to the energetic nightlife hubs around Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay or Club Street. For a budget hotel in Singapore you’ll find good choices in Little India and Kampong Glam.

Singapore hotels in the central business district (CBD) or at Bugis, Outram Road and North Bridge Road are good for business travellers, with plenty of entertainment nearby.

Families might appreciate the quieter residential areas with easy access to the centre, like Tiong Bahru and River Valley, or a beachside retreat on Sentosa.

Eating Out in Singapore

Singapore’s culinary scene lies at the heart of local life. Choices range from Chinese, Indian and Asian street food at budget-friendly hawker centres in Maxwell Road, Lau Pa Sat and Tiong Bahru Market to award winning fine-dining restaurants like Restaurant Andre or Tippling Club.

For a special night out, try a rooftop restaurant such as Stellar at 1-Altitude to enjoy panoramic city views while you feast on modern European or Asian fare.

If you’re looking for an authentic Singaporean experience, BonAppetour organises trips to local families’ homes for a traditional meal, as well as gourmet cooking classes.

The chef recommends...

Chilli Crab: Sweet, savoury and spicy, this dish is prepared by stir-frying crabs in tomato and chilli sauce. Best eaten with fried mantous (Chinese buns).

Hainanese Chicken Rice: Steamed chicken, rice cooked in rich chicken broth and cucumber slices make up this beloved national dish. Spicy chilli and ginger paste is the perfect accompaniment.

Laksa: This delicious Peranakan soup consists of rice noodles, spices and seafood cooked in creamy coconut milk.

Bah Kut Teh or “meat bone tea”, prepared by simmering pork ribs in broth filled with herbs and spices.

Shopping in Singapore

Singapore’s vibrant local shopping streets and glitzy international malls should satisfy even the most demanding of shoppers.

Around Orchard Road you’ll find glamorous malls like Takashimaya, Paragon and Ngee Ann City, filled with high-end boutiques, luxury labels and gourmet food products. For popular local brands try exploring central malls like Marina Square, Millenia Walk or Raffles City Complex.

If you’re on the lookout for souvenirs, you can pick up Asian antiques, artworks and colourful fabrics along the quirky streets of Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam.

Local shopping in Singapore:

Ann Siang Hill: The historic streets around Ann Siang Hill and Telok Ayer are lined with independent boutiques selling unique clothing, fashion accessories and home ornaments.

Haji Lane: Designer boutiques selling modern and vintage fashion and lifestyle accessories have transformed this narrow alley in Kampong Glam.

Bugis Village: Its crowded lanes are home to a labyrinth of stores in restored shophouses, selling everything from fashion to food and electronics. Ideal for shoppers on a budget.

Culture & Nightlife in Singapore

Singapore’s cultural scene reflects its unique racial mix. The streets of Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India are filled with traditional shophouses and temples. A trip to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple or Sultan Mosqueprovides a glimpse into the religious traditions of the local Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim communities. You’ll find throngs of devotees in traditional garments playing musical instruments at Sri Mariamman’s frequent temple processions.

You can trace Singapore’s history through the art, artefacts and multimedia displays at the National Museum of Singapore. Traditional Chinese beadwork, porcelain and sarong kebayadresses are on display at the Peranakan Museum.

Singapore nightlife takes in everything from sleek rooftop bars to chic beachside hangouts and stylish nightclubs. For an evening of feasting and late-night revelry head to Clarke Quay or Club Street. The vibe is quieter at Robertson Quay, or at Dempsey Hill, where a relaxed evening can be enjoyed.

Live music venues in Singapore:

Blu Jaz Cafe: Jazz lovers flock to this funky bar for its live music, as well as R&B, hip-hop and Latin dance parties.

Timbre: There are three Timbre venues in Singapore, with regular performances by local and international bands.

Catch a free concert from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, held at venues such as the Botanic Gardens.

Leisure in Singapore

Lovers of the outdoors can find plenty to please in Singapore’s parks. You can rent a bike and follow the island-wide park connector network. You’ll enjoy coastal views, tropical greenery and cooling breezes on a ride from East Coast Park to the popular Changi Village Food Centre, which dishes up some of the best nasi lemak (coconut rice) on the island.

Nature lovers can take a treetop walk on the suspension bridge at MacRitchie Reservoir, a leisurely stroll around the hilltop at Fort Canning Park or enjoy panoramic views of the city from the Southern Ridges.

For families, the landscaped roof of the Marina Barrage, looking out over the city and Marina Bay, is a popular spot for picnics and kite flying. Ride the Singapore Cable Car over to Sentosa resort for beach watersports, golf, theme parks and views of the harbour from the Imbiah lookout.

Thrill seekers can try indoor skydiving at iFly Singapore on Sentosa or hurtle through the air in a reverse bungy or GX-5 extreme swing at Clarke Quay. Get closer to nature in the Bedok Reservoir and tackle the family friendly treetop ziplines at the Forest Adventure.

To eat as the Singaporeans do, head to a local cafe for a breakfast of kaya toast and soft boiled eggs. For a Sunday treat, try one of Singapore’s famous Champagne brunches at Garibaldi or Catalunya.

Best Eats in Singapore

Tong Ah Eating House: This cafe serves up slices of crispy kaya toast and cups of smooth, fragrant kopi (traditional coffee).

Chinatown Food Street: Great for street-side dining on local delicacies like hokkien mee and roti prata.

Kok Sen Restaurant: This old-school dining establishment turns out some of the tastiest Cantonese wok-fried dishes on the island.

Din Tai Fung: This Taiwanese dumpling house has taken Singapore by storm with branches throughout the island.

#singapore #travel tips and tricks #Eat / Drink #nightlife #culture #Asia

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spearywritesstuff · 6 years ago

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Chapters: 10/10 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Claire Novak, Jack Kline, Mary Winchester, Bobby Singer, Alternate Bobby Singer (Supernatural: All Along the Watchtower) Additional Tags: Destiel - Freeform, Post-Canon, Handwaves the Michael Possession, Christmas, Case Fic, SPN Holiday Mixtape 2018, SPN Holiday Mixtape, Massage Therapist Castiel, Massage Therapist Dean Winchester, this isn't an AU, Shopping Malls, Pining, Mutual Pining, Castiel/Dean Winchester Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, bed sharing, Jealous Dean Winchester, Snarky Castiel, Sexually Frustrated Castiel, Naked Castiel, Cockblock Sam Winchester Summary:

#destiel #fanfiction #pining

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spearywritesstuff · 6 years ago

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The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall

So if you all were waiting for the fic where Dean, Sam, and Cas have to work in a mall as massage therapists during the holidays while solving a case...Here it is.

#destiel #deancas #holiday mixtape #fanfiction

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spearywritesstuff · 7 years ago

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The Haunting of the Hilltop Mall

This is what I’m currently working on (well, the first 8 pages anyway). I’m having trouble sticking the end, but it’ll happen. It’s currently sitting at 25 pages. Anyway...

Summary: A case draws Sam, Dean, and a now human Castiel to the seemingly haunted Hilltop Mall. To gain greater access to the mall and to make a few extra bucks, the boys take over a small massage studio in the mall. They do their best to solve the case, while learning some new things about Castiel. For one thing, he’s good at massage, and for another he’s often naked. Dean is troubled.

Dean laid all stretched out on the massage table that was one of four such tables in the newly re-opened Hilltop Massage Studio. It was a small shop tucked away in the corner of the Hilltop Mall. The mall had a lot of foot traffic, and business might end up being good in time, not that that was a goal. They were here because the Hilltop Mall was haunted, like super haunted.

Cas wandered back into the shop and took a seat on the massage table next to Dean’s. “Sam back yet?”

Dean said, “You see him?”

Cas actually looked around, like he thought he might have missed Sam or something. There was literally nowhere that Sam could hide in their little shop. Well, maybe he could have hidden in the back office, but none of them ever spent time back there. It wasn’t air conditioned. “Get any customers?”

“No, didn’t expect to either.” Dean grumbled and rolled into a sitting position.

“Perhaps if you didn’t look as if you’d died on one of our massage tables, people would want to come in.”

“Fuck off. This is dumb. I mean of all the ways to get access to the mall after hours, this is just,” Dean paused as if he were really searching for the right word. Instead, he just went with repetition. “Dumb.”

“It is, and I believe you suggested it.” Cas got up then and started tidying up the already tidy front counter.

“I was joking.”

Cas rolled his eyes and said, “Guess next time you’ll be more careful when you joke. Sam was looking for any solution, and you just toss out there that we can take over the massage parlor, and I can start pulling my weight around here.”

Cas actually looked irritated. Dean felt a little bad about the last bit, but the part about taking over a massage parlor was damn funny, and he had no regrets where that was concerned. “Look, you do plenty. That was a joke. This though,” Dean waved his hands around. “This is not what I meant at all.”

“Sam explained what you meant. It wasn’t funny.”

Dean looked away a moment and said, “He did huh?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure why you thought I needed to work in a massage parlor, but Sam said that he’d be able to explain that to me. Unfortunately you came back from the breakfast run this morning, and I never got the explanation.”

Dean felt himself choking on literally nothing. Cas looked concerned. “That was a joke too. Sam won’t explain it right, so you should just let it go.” Dean started moving toward the entryway. Better to maybe stand outside of the business, try to draw people in. He glanced back at Cas who was absolutely staring at him. Yeah, here is safe. No fucking up shit out here. No explaining jokes out here either.

Of course Cas came out to stand at his side. “Should I approach people and ask them if they’d like a massage?”

“Do you even have a clue how to do that?” Dean asked.

“I have gotten much better at conversing with strangers. Sam said so at least.”

Dean ran a hand back up through his hair and leaned into the doorway. “Not what I meant.” He glanced at Cas then started surveying the crowds that were not coming through their section of the mall. “I meant, have you ever given someone a massage before?”

“I have.” Dean looked shocked. “It has been a very long time. I’m likely rusty.”

Dean absolutely did not let his mind wander over the idea of Cas running his hands all over someone. Shit. It bothered him a little that he no longer had a valid reason to offer to personally train Cas in the fine art of massage. “Well, okay then.” He was speaking just to fill the silence.

Cas was looking at him. He looked like he found Dean amusing. “Have you ever given someone a massage before?”

Dean answered quickly, “Well, yeah, lots of times. I mean, I’m no pro or anything, but I don’t get any complaints.”

“Now there’s a strong endorsement,” Sam said as he walked up from the other side.

Dean chose to ignore the comment and asked, “So you find anything?”

“The archives down at City Hall didn’t have the old documents on this land either. Pretty much everything is just, ‘empty land’ and then ‘mall.’ It’s like this place has never been anything before.”

Cas said, “Well, we know that isn’t true.”

“Yeah, we’re missing something, or someone is hiding something,” Dean agreed.

“Was thinking.” Sam moved past them into the shop. “If you two don’t mind keeping up appearances here for a bit longer, I’d like to take the sensor into the delivery bays around the building.”

“Have at it.” Dean came in and plopped down into one of the over stuffed chairs. “Cas and I got this.”

“Yeah, enjoy all of the honest wage earning.” Sam headed out. The place grew quiet again. Cas went back to the entryway to stare out at the rest of the mall.

Dean stared at him. It’s what they did. If they could just earn money from prolonged staring, they’d be wealthy men, well, a wealthy man and an ex-angel. Dean assumed Cas didn’t think of himself as a man yet, despite the fact that he chose to fall. It was strange to think about. Dean thought about it quite often too. Why give all of that up? It wasn’t that Dean didn’t get part of it all. Angels were dicks after all, but the power that came with being an angel had to be better than what he had now. It just didn’t make sense, and Dean wasn’t sure how to broach the subject without sounding like an ass.

Dean wondered how long they’d have to pretend at this whole small business venture. Cas wasn’t wrong; it was partly his idea, but really it started with Sam. He found the case, and it was clearly their sort of thing, odd smells, flickering lights, cold drafts, dead bodies. They tried investigating it in their usual FBI garb, only to find that they were late to the party. Some feds were already in town, asking questions and digging through the morgue. They didn’t want to deal with any of that, so Sam suggested just being a bunch of mallrats for a week. They hung out in the food court, talked to people, and mostly kept their eyes open for any other weird stuff. Nothing came of it.

Then the next pair of deaths happened. There were delivery tunnels running under one side of the mall. One of the business owners was down there, then he wasn’t. The security footage was grainy and cut out at the end, but it showed the guy glowing, then blowing up. They wouldn’t have gotten access to that if it hadn’t been for Cas cozying up to one of the security guards. She was cute and bubbly and way too young for him, in Dean’s opinion.

Hell, everyone’s too young for Cas. Dean let his eyes roam back to Cas, who was still leaning into the entryway. So, they were no closer to figuring out what was going on, and they were starting to get weird looks from people when they tried to strike up conversations. They also needed to have regular access to the mall after hours. You couldn’t get that without owning one of the shops, so a plan hatched when Dean made his little joke.

In his defence, he wouldn’t have joked if another death wouldn’t have occurred, this time in the massage studio. They saw this one happen. They took care of the mess. And when they started skulking around the now abandoned massage studio, people started needing a reason. Sam claimed that he was an employee, and that they were taking over for the prior owner. Somehow, people bought it. Now here they were. Sam had to take it one step farther though. He suggested that they actually work at the place, make some real money while they investigate. Dean couldn’t see the harm in that, but it didn’t really sound doable. Cas liked the plan though, so who was he to complain?

Dean’s thoughts were interrupted by Cas moving his arm up to the topmost portion of the entryway frame, and that move pulled his shirt up just a little. A thin patch of tan skin peeked out of the space. When did he get sun there? As if that was the most important question. Dean licked his lips and kept on staring. He was gonna do this all day it seemed. Then Cas brought his arm down and looked suddenly professional. “Hello,” Cas said to someone that Dean couldn’t see from where he was sitting.

Dean could hear a woman’s voice and what sounded like an army of children. Cas was motioning into the shop. Dean stood up. A woman moved into the space, attractive, blonde with three kids fastened to her via backpack leashes. “I don’t think this’ll work. I don’t know what I was thinking. They were just so calm at home, and my back was killing me.”

“You don’t need to worry. As luck would have it, we are having a bit of a slow spell here. Dean will watch your little angels. He’s good at that. Don’t worry.” Cas looked at Dean and gave him a wink. Dean blanched. When did he start doing that?

Dean moved forward and stood in front of the lady and her kids. He came down to a squat. “Well, hello there little princesses.” They stopped tugging on the leashes and generally bouncing around to look at Dean. There was something to the way a kid will assess an adult. Dean turned up his smile, but made sure to keep it genuine. “Tell me your names.”

All at once they said, “SarahJanePenny.”

Dean pointed at each one and said, “So, Sarah, Jane, and Penny.” He held out his hand to each to shake and said, “I’m Dean. Nice to meet you all.”

The woman said, “Oh thank God they like you.” She started pulling off the leashes from her arm to hand to Dean. “I volunteered to watch them. My sister has been doing the A+ mom thing, and I thought she deserved a small weekend away with her husband. Turns out I’m not good at this.”

Cas laughed and said, “Kids are a handful,” as if he knew about childrearing. “Come right on over here and Dean will try to be entertaining.” Dean scowled at him a little. I’m totally entertaining. Then he remembered that Cas couldn’t hear his thoughts or prayers or whatever this was.

Cas lead the woman to the massage table at the back. Dean pulled some stacks of paper out from behind the counter and said, “So, you all want to draw some pictures?”

The girls each seemed to consider his suggestion. One of the girls, Penny, Dean thought, said, “We want to build a fort like Cara makes when she babysits us.”

Dean considered this a moment. “I’m not sure we have the necessary equipment for a quality fort.” He looked around the shop and started considering his options.They had a ton of those foldable screens. The prior owner seemed to be interested in giving the place some sort of zen vibe. There were little red strips of cloth under the register and the place was tidy and calm. The girls were starting to move about a bit with restless energy.

“You just need pillows,” Sarah said.

Dean hummed in consideration and then smiled down at them. “I think we have a few in the back. Maybe some old boxes too. Wanna come see?” The girls started jumping up and down excitedly. Dean gave them a conspiratorial wink, and then raised a finger to his lips to encourage quiet. “We don’t want to be too loud while Cas works on your aunt’s sore back.”

“She slept on it wrong. That happens to my dad sometimes,” Sarah said.

Dean lead them into the back of the shop where a door lead to a room that was used for both storage and an office. He propped the door open and saw that they had plenty of boxes to work with. “You think we could make it work with just boxes?”

The girls seemed interested. Dean cast a glance back at Cas, who was already working on the woman’s back. He was really digging into her shoulder area. Dean wondered if she knew she was gonna get a deep tissue massage. Not my problem. He moved over to the pile of boxes and started pulling them out to the larger central area. “How big should we make it?” Jane asked.

“I don’t know,” Dean said. “You tell me.” Dean smiled and started stacking the smaller boxes into an approximation of a wall. “How about, you three build your fort on that side of the room, and I’ll build my fort across from you. At the end, we’ll try to knock over each other’s walls with some paper cannon balls or something.”

The girls looked surprised. There was something rather cute about the way that they seemed to go through the same emotions at the same time. Must be the triplet thing. The girls started working on their wall building with zeal, and Dean began his own. He figured they’d have maybe 30 minutes total. Most people didn’t get much longer than that at a mall.

—-

They got more than 30 minutes. In fact, they got just over an hour before Dean noticed their audience. They’d been firing off little paper ball missiles at each other’s walls. Sam came back and got dragged into the effort. The girls pulled him into their team. Likely thought he was one of them with his long hair. Dean’s wall was holding up until Sam scooped up one of the girls so she could fire down missiles on him from above. They were loud and happy. Dean surrendered under a fierce storm of paper rain.The office was a disaster. Dean looked toward the door and saw Cas and the woman hovering there.

“You all should market yourselves to long suffering moms. Daycare and a massage, who could ask for anything more?” She smiled.

Sam laughed and moved over toward the door. “Pretty sure we don’t have the licensing for that.”

They all moved back out into the main shop. Cas took over the counter to ring up the massage. They hadn’t done a bit of business before, so Dean wondered how this was going to work. Cas said, “Well, that’ll be sixty.” The woman looked surprised, and Dean couldn’t tell if it was the good kind of surprised or not.

“You sure?” Her tone was all doubtful.

“I believe so.” Cas looked toward Dean for a little help, but Dean didn’t do a thing.

The woman pulled out her wallet and a crisp hundred. She slid it across the counter. “Don’t need the change.” She gathered the girls and started to head out. “I might regret saying this, but you all need to charge more. That was the best massage I’ve ever had.”

Cas beamed a little. “Thanks for that. You have a nice day.” He gave her a little wave. The girls bounded out in her wake. Sam leaned into the counter. “Best massage she ever had,” Cas repeated.

“Yeah, don’t get all full of yourself, buddy.” Dean roamed on over to the massage table and laid down.

“At least he works,” Sam said.

“I worked plenty hard. You see how happy those kids were?”

“Yeah, they really perked up when I showed up.” Sam reached over to a nearby chair and snatched a pillow. He threw it at Dean, who caught it before it hit his face.

“So tell us what you found,” Cas interrupted.

“Got some noise down in the south corridor, but I didn’t see any reason for it.” Sam ran a hand back through his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do short of burning the whole place to the ground and salting the earth in our wake. It just doesn’t seem like we’ve got a damn thing to go on.”

“So, I guess we’re gonna be here a bit longer then?” Cas said.

“Looks like it,” Sam said.

—-

The week passed then another. And by the third week they’d developed routines. In the evenings they roamed through the delivery tunnels, and in the daytime they took turns “working.” They still weren’t busy, by any stretch, but they were bringing in some money. And word seemed to be getting out about them.

Sunday’s were their slow days. Dean would sleep in, and Sam would do the breakfast run before he’d head in to run the place solo. Cas thought he needed to start jogging, so Sundays were his day for that. On their first Sunday, he came in from his jog before Sam had gotten back with breakfast. Sweat glistened off of him. The motel that they were sharing wasn’t much. It had two beds and a pull-out. They took turns with the pull-out to save their backs. Dean was still in his bed. Cas pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the pull-out.

“Hey, don’t put that there. You’ll get it all sweaty and gross,” Dean said.

Cas scowled at him. “My bed, my sweat.”

“Our room. Be considerate. Put your sweaty clothes in the bathroom.”

Cas scooped up the shirt still scowling. He took a step toward the bathroom, then he tossed it right at Dean’s face. “Oh, I forgot you have morning reflexes.” Dean didn’t catch the shirt. It slapped him full in the face with all of it’s sweaty glory.

Dean threw it back at him. “Asshole.”

“Well that was fun.” Cas took the shirt to the bathroom and hung it up on the back of the door. “You should go running with me, then you won’t be so…” He waved a hand around as if that was enough of a sentence ender.

“Yeah, no. Pass.” Dean got up out of the bed and started rummaging around for the day’s clothes. Cas started striping out of the rest of his clothes while still not being in the bathroom. Dean tipped back his head and let out a groan of absolute frustration. “Damn it Cas.”

“What?” Cas just looked at him, like he couldn’t understand a damn thing about him.

“What do you mean, what?” Dean pointed at the bathroom.

“I don’t get why you make such a big deal out of it. Your clothes are literally everywhere.”

“My clothes are clean. Also, you are hella naked. Sam’s gonna get back and open that door to a whole lotta Cas.”

Cas raised an eyebrow and asked, “So you want me to preserve Sam’s dignity or something? He’s seen me naked before. He really doesn’t care.”

Dean just rolled his eyes again. “Anyone walking by in that parking lot is gonna see your bare ass.” And because Dean was losing this battle, and because Cas was still very naked he added, “Think of the children Cas.”

“You’re an idiot.” Cas picked up his clothes from off the floor where he had tossed them. He’s bending over. Damnit. He moved off to the bathroom. “Don’t think I don’t know what this is really about.”

He closed the door before Dean could say anything back. So Dean raised his voice. “What is this really about? Enlighten me.” He moved closer to the bathroom door and leaned against the wall next to it. He could hear Cas laugh on the other side of the door.

Cas yanked the door open and now they were right up in each other’s faces. Cas was still naked, because why would that change? Dean was telling himself repeatedly, Eyes up, focus. Dean sucked in a breath to steel his resolve, and that likely looked bad in hindsight, because Cas, that little fucker, rolled up his lip into a shit eating grin. Cas took a step closer. Dean’s gaze dropped, shit. He got the full vision, and he was not handling it. He wanted to handle it. Damnit. He made sure to focus again on Cas’ face. Cas was still grinning at him. He moved even closer to Dean. He practically had his chest all pressed up against Dean. And if Dean really minded he’d just take a giant step to the side, but he didn’t; oh no he so didn’t. He just stood there swallowing down all of his stupid words and worries and waited for Cas to do or say anything.

“You like looking at me.” Cas’ words weren’t what he expected, and he certainly didn’t expect them to roll over him like they did. His tone was low and graveled out in that way that was so Cas. It was comforting and at the same time it could be terrifying. Dean felt his heart beating all erratically. Is this what a heart attack feels like? Am I dying? He wondered if he was supposed to say something, offer up a denial or something. He just opted to stand there like an idiot. His eyes betrayed him again and took in a swooping view of Cockstiel. Boner Town was on full display and Dean was in fact dying.

“I,” Dean choked out that one word then realized he had nothing.

Cas crowded up against him. He jabbed at Dean’s chest with his finger to punctuate each word. “You, Like, Looking, At, Me.” He stayed where he was, and Dean didn’t move. He could still feel Cas’ finger on his chest. Cas leaned into Dean’s ear. He spoke into the space, all low and rough. “I don’t mind.” He moved away from Dean then and went back into the bathroom, gently closing the door between them.

What the hell was that? Dean focused on his breathing. He knew what that was. He didn’t know what to do about it though. Well shit.

#destiel #fanficton #spn #deancas #fluff

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