#but also similar to homemade booze

[putriddivine]

i love kombucha so much but the idea of MAKING it still seems wild to me

[krys-loves-otome]

I'd fear for my life if the worlds saw it fit for Clavis and Mitsuhide to co-exist in the same space at the same time, even for something as seemingly mundane as a tea party. The chaos that would ensue… Tho I can also see them being such chill bros while sampling Clavis's homemade treats (Mitsuhide, not having a sense of taste, probably wouldn't notice anything odd about the flavoring, and he'd eat it just to see the others' faces turn up in disgust.)

But, this reblog is supposed to focus on the girlies, so we'll go see what they're doing as we pointedly ignore Masamune and Leon having an arm wrestling contest. Can't tell whose winning because their voices sound so similar for some reason. Can't tell who's saying what, exactly.

Houki, being the introvert that she is and not a huge fan of large crowds (and this is a big crowd, holy cheese balls), has found herself under a shady tree just reading away, not bothering anyone. Since this is one of the quiet areas, Chevalier is also there, also with his nose in a book. No one knows when it happened, but after a while, it would appeared they had switched books without making a sound. A blink and you'll miss it kinda moment.

Clara, along with Hideyoshi, are trying their best to do damage control. Hideyoshi trying to stop Mitsunari from pouring the tea for Yves, which ends in a lot of tears and apologizes (esp from Keith who didn't even do anything!) while also trying to stop Nobunaga from doing shady business deals with a man dressed in black and had an eyepatch. Clara is trying to keep at least two people from flirting with her (Shingen and Nokto) while trying to figure out who the heck brings booze to a tea party (several party goers are now drunk, as a result). Luckily for her, Yukimura and Rio step in to keep Shingen and Nokto in check.

As for the other party goers, Jin (drunk and shirtless for some reason) is announcing the play by play of Leon's and Masamune's arm wrestling contest (still can't tell whose winning, btw); Luke is asleep somewhere; Ieyasu is in another quiet tree area while Sasuke watches from afar; Kenshin sits with Shingen and Kanetsugu, grumpily sipping booze-flavored tea; Licht was at the tea table with Yves, Keith, and Mitsunari, but avoided getting splashed with hot tea, yet has this suspiciously pink tinge to his cheeks; Yoshimoto in the reading tree area with Houki and Chevalier, taking in the shenanigans with an airy grin; and Kennyo and Sariel are just ignoring everyone under their own tree with actual tea (aside from Sariel who did have a little bit of booze in his tea.)

Can I ask

11, 16 & 17 for Houki

&

18, 14, 28 for Clara? >:)

Evil....

Uncommon Questions for OCs and Creators

Houki

11) How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

She would seek out clarification. Her preferred method is researching in books, but she doesn't mind asking someone to explain what they mean. She just prefers books overall.

16) What makes their stomach turn?

Bugs. She likes to lay on the floor to read sometimes and the thought of a creepy crawly crawling on her when she's distracted is not a pleasant thought. Even a glance out of her peripheral (and she can't see real well without her glasses) and she sees something tiny and moving? She's up off the floor and out the room so so fast!

17) Are they easily embarrassed?

Not especially. Mitsuhide has tried and, to an extent, he can embarrass her with his teasing, but she's pretty chill about most things, so it's not as fun to tease her when she doesn't do the 'embarrassed blushing maiden' thing.

He does get a chuckle if he mentions seeing an insect and just watches her turn and walk the other direction, only to explain that he was teasing, just to see her cheeks get pink.

------

Clara

14) What animal do they fear most?

Rats. She and Sariel think alike.

18) What embarrasses them?

Her boy being overly affectionate in public. Over affection taking on different flavors depending on who I'm shipping her with. Rio being his overly-excited puppy self while Nokto is just a handsy sugar daddy.

28) Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?

I'll preface this by saying that Clara does try to be honest about most things, emphasis on the 'most' part. It's what sets her apart from Nokto and what draws him to her.

However, as I was working on this month's 100 theme prompt earlier, I remembered the events of Rio's route and… to be as purposefully vague as I can, there's one instance where she would prefer the lie over the unpleasant truth. :)

[foreficfandom]

Tears Of Themis Headcanons - Chinese Culture

Never forget, western audiences ... the boys are irrevocably Chinese!

Luke Pearce, 夏彦 (Xià Yàn)

His go-to foods include burgers and fries, but Chinese burger chains offer different fares than classic Americana. McDonald’s has a double-sausage in-between two burger buns, KFC has multiple curry rice dishes, pizza chains offer corn, country ham, and peas as toppings, etc. Breakfast menu items are congee and fried doughs, not egg and bacon croissants. You can get boba tea, sweet red bean soup, and taro pies. His favorites are the meat-heavy, double patty, triple sausage items.

It’s becoming trendier in China to join fancy gyms and work out for the sake of working out, wearing luxury brand compression suits and sport watches. Luke, on the other hand, is a government secret agent, so other muscleheads look down on him for using equipment that’s not top-of-the-line, god forbid his ratty old shorts and shirt.

Alcohol allergies are common amongst Asian people. Luke is the only one out of the three ethnically Chinese boys to NOT have an intolerance to booze. He loves a good beer on tap, which can be hard to find in a city that likely prioritizes bottles. It’s not like the American Midwest where 1-3 bars have proper kegs.

China’s gun laws are pretty strict. The vast majority of civilians will never touch a gun. Even those authorized the use of firearms, like Luke, cannot keep their guns and are only allowed use during specific scenarios.

Like many city folk in China, he appreciates the finer details of a good coffee. And like many of them, he doesn’t drink it regularly every morning like Westerners do. It’s more analogous to an ‘afternoon tea’ occasion, or to pair with dessert.

China’s government isn’t some villainous underground dictatorship like Westerners have been brainwashed into thinking. It’s actually pretty one-to-one with America’s police state. Luke being a secret government agent would be like if he was part of the FBI, or CIA. With all the iffiness it implies.

Artem Wing, 左然 (Zuǒ Rán)

Much of China can speak multiple dialects, like Cantonese, Mandarin, varieties of Hokkien. Artem’s main dialect is Mandarin, but he grew up also knowing Cantonese and Min Chinese, which is what his mother grew up speaking. This is on top of him knowing German (and presumably English, going by his education)

So from his mother’s side, he’s ethnically Hoklo - a sub-ethnicity of the Han. Those living in the metropolises sometimes don’t speak the older Hokkiens, but instead the more urbanized Min.

If Stellis isn’t based off of Macau or Hong Kong (and I seriously doubt it is), then Artem is working under the typical Judicial System Of China; it’s pretty similar to America’s, there’s the three branches of law and cases go through different courts of type and severity. Biggest difference is that there’s no jury, but instead the people’s assessors which act as additional judges on a panel.

His favorite sci-fi classics are The War Of The Worlds and Ringworld. The more fantastic and science-based, the better. Sci-fi lites like Logan’s Run or 1984 isn’t as eye-catching. He’s even read trashy ones like the Halo novels. When he reads, he always does so in its original English. He buys both Mandarin and English translations of his favorite books.

I feel like Artem represents the Asian ‘born to work’ mentality that a lot of people grew up with. You study hard ‘cause you have to, find a good job ‘cause you have to, and after that .... who are you really? You have to essentially find yourself and what you actually enjoy in life. Many Asian people start doubting this life around Artem’s age.

Everyone knows Artem can cook. But he’s not defaulting to chicken noodle soup or lasagna like many players write him doing, he’s making savory pea jelly, fried rice noodles, and wrapping his own xiao long baos with super thin homemade wraps that never pop in the broth. Of course he knows how to make beef stroganoff or whatever, but it’s not his specialty.

The people of China are more willing to get into other people’s business if they see something they think is not right. Not like America or the UK, where strangers will largely just duck their heads and walk right past. So Artem has, more than once, stepped into some escalating argument on the street to speak his piece as a Proper Lawyer. Once, it was when a mom was threatening to beat her son’s ass. Another time, it was when some guys were planning on scamming a visiting foreigner.

Marius von Hagen, 陆景和 (Lù Jǐnghé)

It’s kinda gross, but he’s got the patented Thick Earwax Gene that some Asians have. He literally has to regularly dig ‘em out using small wooden scoops, or it’ll impact his hearing. He dreams of one day lying atop his love’s lap as they clean his ears for him, which is one of the weirder Asian traditions, but no one can deny it feels great.

Even today, some Chinese people look down on those who wear China brands of clothing, rather than foreign imports. Marius actually gains a bit of infamy for having some China-born brands in his closet. He’s not making a statement, he literally just buys stuff he thinks is cute, and sometimes it’s from an ANNAKIKI boutique, fuck the haters.

At 188cm (6′1 ft), he towers above the average crowd. Other men are jealous, women find it especially attractive, but he considers it more of a hindrance. His legs suffer greatly in any car that’s not, like, a BMW or something, and none of the college lecture furniture offer any sort of wiggle room for his long limbs. He’s lucky he’s rich, ‘cause very little ready-made clothing is fit for his build.

It’s relatively common for Chinese men to wear makeup like foundation, powders, and light lip tints, but not even the women tend to go for the wilder, colorful eyeshadows and glosses. Whenever Marius puts on his purple liner, every gossip rag in the country gushes over his ‘innovative’ look. Every time. Not like it’s innovative anymore, after the 40th time he’s put on bold colors.

Calling an unknown girl ‘jie-jie’ is flirting with her. ‘Missy’ isn’t the proper contextual translation, it’d be more like ���sweetheart’, something that can be pretty condescending.

Unlike tattoos, piercings are more frowned upon in old Confucius tradition. So Marius having an entire lineup of conches and helixes was more scandal-worthy than his little ankle tat. His liberal dad doesn’t care, but some of his PR keep telling him to leave off the rook studs, at least.

Vyn Richter, 莫弈 (Mò Yì)

The only foreigner - and white guy - out of the four. I headcanon Svart being based off of Lithuania, so Vyn grew up speaking Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Polish (wow!). He took Mandarin throughout his education, and he further refined his fluency as a citizen of China Stellis. No one ever mentions that he has an accent, and none of his voice actors ever fake a shitty European lilt, so his Mandarin is completely natural sounding.

But he only knows Mandarin. Even Luke can read some Cantonese. He’s got enough languages bouncing around his noggin, and it was hard enough trying to grasp Mandarin in a medical/academic setting.

Speaking of being a white guy, it was weird in the beginning to live in a country that actually doesn’t cater to his hair texture, or peach skin tone, or high bridged nose. Many luxury brands don’t stock a diverse range of goods like mid-range boutique names do, so it takes him a while to track down a salon quality shampoo that doesn’t sap his scalp of all moisture.

The English translation of the game seems to flip-flop between Vyn’s job as either a psychologist, or psychiatrist. None of the other translations do. To be clear; a psychologist is like a therapist with a doctorate. A psychiatrist’s only job is to prescribe meds and not therapy. Since Vyn is only seen doing the latter and never the former, it’s pretty clear that he’s a psychologist.

Going by the CN voice actors, Stellis is likely located in Southern China, which makes the botanist in Vyn very happy because of how temperate the weather is. Winters get snow, but no frost. Summers are humid. This kind of weather can support a huge variety of flora, so Vyn goes ham on his garden.

White people don’t necessarily stick out in the bigger metropolises of China, but white people with platinum blond hair and super light eyes will turn heads everywhere except in, like, Scandinavia, probably. He grew up under the scrutinizing public eye, so he’s used to it. What really gave him pause was when some old conservative grandpa insisted he dye his hair black.

[fandomsonrequests]

presence

fandom: ATEEZ 

characters: song mingi; ATEEZ

reader: fem

word count: 1.5k+

summary: moments like these, although simple, made your life a little bit better. the world had other plans though.

a/n: ahhhhh super late but happy birthday to our dear Minki! I hope he’s enjoyed huhu ;^; also this song is loosely based off on one of the boys by Katy perry and I think I'm in love by Kat Dahlia 

Please enjoy!

To say that you and Mingi were like two peas in a pod was a complete understatement.

You two were more than that. You were each other’s partner-in-crime and half of the whole. You had a bond you two had no with no one else. You two didn’t even have to tell anyone how you treasured each other and how you had a special place for him in your heart.

You were friends since diapers for the love of God.

But growing up with Mingi and being his friends at the same time meant growing up with the rest of his friends. They called themselves ATEEZ, teenagers who can do everything from A to Z. They welcomed you into their little band of misfits when they saw how much you meant to their tall baby.

The nine of you were practically unstoppable. You did everything together- from playing at each other’s houses or heading over to the arcade when your parents permitted it.

That being said, hanging out with only the guys kind of made you into the “one of the boys” type of gal. You didn’t really mind though- it was fun for you. Sure Barbies and dolls were cute but something about being to roughhouse or run around with the guys was a fun experience too.

But even then you and the peach-haired boy still kept some activities intimate between you two. Like hiding in your attic after stealing a bunch of your mother’s homemade cookies and munching on them while doodling with Mingi’s special box of crayons. Moments like these, although simple, made your life a little bit better.

The world had other plans though.

Things were fine before adolescence but once puberty hit you two- things took a huge turn.

You still hung out with the guys, but after transferring to an all girls school, you never realized how much you missed out as a young girl. You made new friends there, ones that helped you, guided you through discovering a more feminine side to you.

You started to groom yourself more, grew a bit conscious of how you looked to others and started to shift your clothing style to a more bolder one, one that hugged your developing curves in all the right places. You weren’t fond of make up, you didn’t think that it was necessary, but you never outright refused to be the subject of your friends’ new makeup technique.

Mingi on the other hand grew developed a more mature outlook on life. He was still the big baby he was but he knew when he had to “adult” his way out of things in life. He didn’t wear simple T-shirt’s and cargo shorts with light up squeaky sneakers anymore. He wore stylish clothing, chose a bold style that turned heads wherever he went.

And his voice- oh boy his voice.

You would make fun of how deep it had gotten but there was this small part of you that felt butterflies whenever he talked. You felt light headed whenever he smiled his wide toothy smile and you could feel your face heat up whenever he wraps an arm around you.

Hiding in attic with cookies shifted to laying on the beaten up couch you got for less than a few bucks on your roof, snacking on junk food and talking about the woes of puberty. Sometimes he’d bring his laptop and earphones and worked on making music while you took your worm out sketchpad and various pencils.

During those times you two were doing your own thing, silence would fill the air. And that was okay- sometimes the quiet sufficed. No words were needed to be said, just the feeling of each other’s presence was enough.

But there were times where Mingi would look up from the lit screen of his laptop and glance over to you. Were you always this cute whenever the habit of your tongue sticking out of your lips when you drew would happen? Since when did the way your lashes touched your cheeks make his face flush at the overwhelming beauty you held?

And since when was he so tempted to kiss those luscious lips of yours?

Sometimes you would catch him staring at you. Whenever you would be invited to go hangout with ATEEZ, you could feel a pair of eyes at the back of your head. And once or twice, you would catch your best friend staring at you, prompting him to turn his head and glomp onto Yunho or Hongjoong.

You found it adorable actually.

You found his smile cute, you found the way he was ready to help anyone so admirable and you couldn’t help but be mesmerized for the way his eyes would sparkle whenever he was so passionate about the things he was doing.

These thoughts aided you in your restless sleep one night, it helped you conclude that you were indeed in love with Song Mingi.

You two never spoke about it with each other, especially since you were scared that it could ruin the nineteen years of friendship you had with each other. You two would skirt around the topic every once in a while, or not really try to deny it whenever your friends teased about how you had a massive crush on each other. It was a good enough signal that things were going in The right direction but just needed the right time to reveal it.

“He’s on the way, hide bitches!” Wooyoung screamed as he hurled himself into Mingi’s couch to hide behind it.

You and the rest of the boys all scrambled to find a perfect spot to hide. You could hear Yeosang push Jongho away from his hiding spot beside the cabinet that held up the rather large television, and the way Seonghwa and San muffle their laughter.

You were caught in the middle of the living room, frantic in searching for a spot. The jingling of keys made you panic even more but you settled on standing in the space beside the door so that when it opened, it covered your form.

“Okay what’s all this about?” Mingi calls out to the seemingly empty apartment.

No one moved for a whole minute. Lucky for you, he was too distracted by the huge teddy bear that sat in the middle of the table of his dining room, a box of mint chocolate ice cream cake waiting in front of it.

Heads peeped out from their respective hiding places. You silently counted down from three, using your fingers to go along with it. And once you reach one, everyone jumps out from their hiding spot and shouts a birthday greeting for Mingi, confetti falling overhead from the small confetti cannon Yunho brought along.

The rest of his birthday was a blur. There were games, cake, alcohol (snuck in by the older boys) , loud music and an overall simple party that so happened to just have booze. While the rest of the boys were having a time of their life playing some sort of game similar to Twister, you and Mingi snuck out to the back of his house and onto his roof.

The chilly evening air was cool against your flushed skins from the amount of beer you two drank. Soft giggles floated with the wind as you two tried to settle down comfortably.

“I hope you enjoyed the day, Mingi.” You say after a moment, staring up at him. “Even if it’s too simple.”

His eyes shifted from the way your delicate hands adjusted the lilac skirt over your legs to your sparkling eyes. “____ are you kidding? It’s perfect- I couldn’t ask for a better way to celebrate.”

You chuckle and turn your head to look up at the sky, hair brushing your shoulders. Another gentle breeze passes by, making you shiver and unconsciously shift closer to the male.

He stiffens up for a moment but relaxes when he realizes that this was what he wanted. Well, maybe he wanted your head to lay against his shoulders while he rests his head on top of yours but this will settle for now.

Your fingers brush against each other but neither of you move to pull your hand away. Silence settled over the two of you, only the sound of the music blasting from downstairs and the engine of the occasional car that passes by were heard.

Mingi makes the bold move to finally lace his fingers with yours. Your breath catches in your throat and you look up at him. He was looking down at you with a tender look in his gaze, eyes searching for something. His other hand reached up to cup your cheek hesitantly, fingertips grazing your skin.

You help him by resting your free hand on top of his, leaning into his touch. A gentle smile graces your lips. Your eyes held a soft look in them, one that was practically begging to have him just give in and kiss you.

And finally- he did.

The kiss wasn’t like the ones you’ve read in the few romance novels that you picked up from the bookstore. It wasn’t all butterflies or fireworks. It was like a flood crashing into you, a wall finally being torn down after many years of longing stares and quiet yearning. It felt exactly like that and you couldn’t ask for any moment more perfect than this.

And like before, no words were needed to be said. The presence of each other was enough.

[popatochisssp]

What are the boys like when they're drunk/tipsy?

Gotcha covered! ;3

Sans (Undertale): He’s a giggly drunk and after he’s had a few, literally everything is hilarious to him, even if it’s dumb or little or weird. He ramps up his joking and punning to eleven, but at the same time, he tends to ruin most of them because he can’t keep his usual poker-face for a good delivery and he starts snickering halfway to the punchline. He’s a bit of a lightweight so he doesn’t drink much and when he does, he isn’t picky– whatever’s on tap or has a good special going is fine for him because he’s probably not going to have more than one or two anyway.

Papyrus (Undertale): He actually! Doesn’t know what he’s like when he’s drunk! He’s never been drunk, but (perhaps surprisingly), it’s not for lack of trying? His tolerance is insanely high and he hasn’t managed more than a slight buzz before his magic ends up metabolizing it, so in general, he’s… not a huge fan? He’s a fantastic designated driver, though, because he thinks his friends and family are funny as hell when they’re drunk and doesn’t mind a bit of babysitting. When he does drink, his booze of choice is tequila– margaritas, sunrises, shots, he’s up for whatever! It’s not like he’s going to have a hangover the next morning.

Sky (Underswap Sans): He’s a little catty when he drinks. I hesitate to say mean because really, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body… but when he’s drunk, he definitely watches his metaphorical tongue a lot less than he usually does, and he’s got plenty of sass to spare. If he’s got a problem with somebody that he usually keeps mum about out of politeness, now is the most likely time for him to spill it, accompanied by some truly scathing wisecrackery. His tolerance is pretty average and he likes cocktails, especially ones made with vodka, but if only the vodka is available, he’s happy to drink it straight.

Paps (Underswap Papyrus): He’s a loud drunk! Not mean or angry, but he has a tendency to lose track of his speaking volume, especially if you’re drinking somewhere it’s already loud or there’s a lot of people talking. He’ll quiet down if you shush him and be a little embarrassed about it, but he’s also very likely to just gradually get louder again because he’s just not paying attention. Another one with pretty average tolerance, and he has a strong preference for flavored liqueurs. What’s the point of drinking if it tastes bad? Eugh! Chambord is probably his favorite, but he won’t turn down Midori, Bailey’s, or anything else in that vein.

Jasper (Underfell Sans): He’s a pretty mellow drunk, actually. Not too much about his behavior changes when he’s drinking– he has a high tolerance–but you might notice he physically relaxes a little bit after he’s had a few. It’s not quite as good for getting the tense set of his shoulders to go away as being safe at home, snuggling with a loved one, but it’s something so he definitely likes to indulge every once in awhile. He likes his liquor with a bit of a bite so whiskey is a favorite and he prefers to drink it straight– and if it’s an option, he’ll go with Fireball in particular every time.

Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): Has a tendency to get very philosophical when he drinks, pondering the meaning of life and universe and any and all similar thought-provoking questions. His opinions are poignant and thoughtful, even to the point he’s had enough that he might start to slur his words a bit, and he’s a lot more open to sharing these things than he might be sober. He’s kind of a lightweight and rarely drinks, but when he does, he enjoys wine. White wines…dessert wines, actually, he hates the taste of dry wines and like all the Papyri, his sweet-tooth precludes him from wanting to bother with any alcoholic drinks that taste bad. He also adores sangria but will only drink it homemade, he’s concerned about his rep in public if somebody caught him with any kind of ‘girly’ drink. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love it, though!

Mal (Swapfell Sans): He is forever grateful for his high alcohol tolerance because he is an ‘I LOVE YOU, MAN’ drunk, all the way. He almost never drinks past the point of a mild buzz because when he does, he knows from experience that he tends to drape himself over the nearest loved one and get very emotional on them about how important they are and how much he cares about them and he’s always embarrassed at his own gushiness when he sobers up. Rus has a love-hate relationship with Drunk!Mal– he likes the hugs and how Mal will start cussing like breathing, but the rest of the word-vomit and the excessive emotions… jeez, bro, c’mon, pull yourself together, don’t cry on me, oh god… Mal prefers red wine, as dry as he can get it, but at the same time, he’s not really a snob about it. He’ll drink cheap grocery store wine just the same as a fancy vintage without complaint!

Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): He’s someone for whom the term ‘liquid courage’ rings very true, he really discovers his confident side when he’s had a couple drinks to loosen his inhibitions and push a bit of his nasty anxiety into the background for awhile. When he’s drunk, he says what he’s thinking and asks for what he wants without getting wrapped up in what-ifs and future consequences– and for a lot of people, that’s very charming! Pretty much all of his past hookups and one-night-stands have been a result of his assisted confidence allowing him to try out a goofy pickup line or tell somebody they have beautiful eyes, and it’s fleeting if challenged in any way but his earnest boldness is more than a little endearing. He’s a big fan of rum drinks, punch for sure but daiquiris are his biggest weakness, easy.

Slate (Horrortale Sans): Not somebody you want to drink with, he’s a very sad, mopey drunk who tends to get way too in his own head– and after the life he’s lived through, that’s not a fun place to be. He dwells a lot on mistakes and regrets, and with his head-wound compromising what was already a terrible tolerance for alcohol, it doesn’t even take much for him to get in a really low mood. He avoids drinking if at all possible, but socially he may have one (1) wine-cooler: a Seagrams Escape or some sort of hard lemonade-like beverage, with low alcohol content and a nice taste.

Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): He’s a sleepy drunk. As soon as he passes the threshold of ‘buzzed,’ his eye-sockets start to droop and he’s going to slump a little bit against the nearest surface. He’s not too used to the feeling and he doesn’t really like it that much on that basis alone, but he doesn’t mind if he’s at home with loved ones and actually can just drape himself over the couch and snooze a little if he’s overindulged. He has a decently high tolerance before that point, though, so it’s not much of an issue. He likes mulled wines and ciders, partly because they’re sweet and partly because they’re warm– pleasant to drink on all fronts– and if you’re somebody who likes those, too, he may even try to learn how to make them at home for both of you to share!

And it should go without saying, but I was raised on PSAs so it feels wrong not to end this with a quick ‘don’t drink if you’re not of age wherever you are– and if you are of age, drink responsibly’! :3

[histrionic-dragon]

Weekend Reading Recs: Captain America (MCU) Fanfic Disambiguation List

A much longer list than my usual Weekend Reading Recs, but hey, it’s a holiday weekend (in the US, at least).

It may or may not happen to anyone else, but I know that there are fanfics with similar names and/or premises that I get mixed up frequently. I have these stories bookmarked, but I will still have to open them to tell which one it is. 

So, partly for my own clarification and partly for your edification--and partly because, hey, if you know and like one, you might like the others!--I’m making a fic rec list pair by pair, sometimes group by group. 

All MCU Captain America, mostly set at least partially in the 21st century, many but not all Steve/Bucky.

Set 1: Reference Works

Encyclopedias/dictionaries/glossaries, or, stories about Steve adapting to the 21st century and the bumps inherent in doing so.

A Partial Dictionary Of The 21st Century By Captain Steve Rogers, US Army by  copperbadge

Summary: Steve is adapting well to the new millennium, and he has the dictionary to prove it.

Halbereth’s notes: The one that’s actually in alphabetical order and has Professor X in it. Also, the Steve/Tony one.

A Glossary of the 21st Century by  kinky_kneazle

Summary:  Steve's sick of not understanding what's going on, and the team are not all that helpful, so he starts keeping an illustrated notebook for further research. With the help of wiki, google and Logan he starts to settle in and find his place in the twenty-first century.

Halbereth’s notes: The one where Steve has a notebook full of things to look up (even though I’m pretty sure this was written pre-Winter Soldier release), he’s frustrated but eventually the others realize what’s going on and help, there’s really well-done tension between Steve and Tony that gets resolved well, and Wolverine’s in it. This is the one that has (had? It’s all the Livejournal logo now) art, the one with Steve and Bucky as lookouts at a speakeasy as kids; the one that’s meant to be early Steve/Natasha, only I didn’t realize that until my third time reading it.

I feel like there was a Steve/Bucky one, too, but I’m not sure what it was. Possibly The Steven G. Rogers Guide to What You Missed the Last Few Years by  what_alchemy. 

Summary:  Steve's got the hang of this 21st century thing.

Halbereth’s notes: post-Winter Soldier. Bucky’s himself again and living with Steve. Steve helps him adjust to some of the different things about this time, but it’s also obviously really good for Steve to have someone else who kind of boggles at things too. 

Set 2: Courtship through food

The Quickest Way to a Heart by VictoryCandescence

Summary:  Steve and Bucky: an edible history.

Halbereth’s notes: Bucky is living with Steve, post Winter Soldier, and fresh-made food keeps appearing in the kitchen, food that reminds Steve of when he and Bucky were younger. A slow burn romance with most of the slow burn via flashback. Cute and touching and makes me hungry every time. Also, it’s nice to see Bucky helping Steve remember for once. The one with the cookies and whipped cream and booze.

the food of love by biblionerd07

Summary:  Bucky and Steve communicate through food. Sam is a good person, so he doesn't complain about his kitchen being taken over. Not too much, anyway.

Halbereth’s notes: Featuring a semi-feral post-Winter Soldier Bucky who Steve leaves food out for on the fire escape. Of Sam’s apartment. The one with this line: “He did not expect to glance out the window as he got a drink of water at 5:40 am to find Bucky Barnes waiting patiently on the fire escape, eerily still and peering in the window. Sam screamed out loud and dropped the glass of water.”

Set 3: involving apple cake

 Bucky Barnes Versus Sarah Rogers' Apple Cake by  fedzgurl, rayskeptic

Summary:  Bucky Barnes learned two crucial, lifelong lessons during the summer of 1941. The first was that he absolutely hated apple cake. The second was that he loved Steve Rogers enough to make up for it.

Halbereth’s notes: The one where Bucky makes it for Steve, with many, many tries to get the recipe right, starting in the forties. Absolutely would also go in Set 2. 

 Apple Cake (and other remedies for an ailing soul) by Mici (noharlembeat)

Summary:  It is something that’s mentioned in the Smithsonian exhibit, for reasons that Steve cannot actually parse. He is an American Hero (so they say) who saved New York (more than once), and under all that information on one of the see-through plastic descriptions of his heroic deeds is, for some unintelligible reason, the sentence, “he currently resides in the D.C. Metro area, and his favorite food is apple cake.”

Halbereth’s notes:  The one where Bucky doesn’t make it for Steve.

Find My Way by Brenda

Summary:  Well, someone had to write the post-Winter Soldier fic where Bucky gets a decent meal and some homemade apple pie, right?

Halbereth’s notes: The one where it’s not even apple cake but it has an apple dessert in the summary and I found it while looking for the others, so here, have the rec. Now, what is this one again? *skims* Ah, yes. Bucky in a diner in the middle of nowhere. Hmm, I think “Bucky recovery-fic set in diners” ought to be another category.

Set 4: In which Bucky moves into Steve’s apartment while Steve is looking for Bucky

To Stop My Mind From Wandering by Lynchy8

Summary: "Leaving the man – the mission – the mission who was a man who was also important, so important, more important than this mission… which was terrifying because nothing had ever been more important than a mission before… leaving That Man on the banks of the river, had been almost impossible."After the fall of Hydra, Steve goes in search of Bucky in the hope of bringing him home. Meanwhile someone has broken into Steve's D.C. apartment, but what kind of burglar or assassin buys paint and drywall mud?

Halbereth’s notes: Bucky remodels Steve’s apartment, starting with fixing the bullet holes he put in the wall when he shot Fury. Featuring Jeff at the hardware store. Just a great story about Bucky healing and making himself comfortable--and taking care of Steve, kind of, too, by making his SHIELD-issued DC apartment actually a home.

. . .  OK, as of now I don’t seem to have a specific second one bookmarked, but this is a whole freakin’ subgenre of Captain America fanfic, so. I’m sure you can fill in your own. 

Set 5: Steve/Tony with past Steve/Bucky, then Bucky comes back

What We Asked For From Each Other by Speranza

Summary:  "I don't like pain," he told Banner. "Or assassins. Or boyfriends, actually."

Excerpt from the author’s note, which is a better summary: Anyway, I'm totally not putting this in the summary line, but this below is the actualfax summary, as I explained it to Merry:Ces: I mean Ces: in my head this is a story where Ces: Bucky shows up and just kicks Tony out of any universe where there was a Steve/Tony pairing Ces: and its mostly a story about Tony going OOF Ces: and HEY Ces: and I WASN'T SURE I WAS—okay, yes, I'm done with that. Ces: All yours.

Halbereth’s notes: ^That. It’s the one with Stucky endgame. It’s sweet. It’s short, well-written, well-characterized, and plays with the dynamics and relationships involved in 11K words. (By comparison, my Heroes are Easy, People are Hard also focuses on Steve, Tony, and Bucky, albeit in a different way, and is 152K words long.) Encapsulated, for me, in this exchange: "Okay," Tony said finally. "The thing is: I kind of wanted to be the kind of guy who would want you." "Yeah," Steve said levelly. "You should meet him. He's in there.”   

gonna be trouble by fictionalcandie

Summary:  In which Bucky comes back, Tony is doomed, and the Avengers want their breakfast.

Halbereth’s notes: The flip of What We Asked For From Each Other. Encapsulated by  “seriously, your buddy’s a genius, I’m going to make him the best goddamn prosthetic arm in the universe, I love you, we’re idiots.”

Set 6: Bucky recovery fic in diners

As noted above.

Find My Way by Brenda

Summary:  Well, someone had to write the post-Winter Soldier fic where Bucky gets a decent meal and some homemade apple pie, right?

Halbereth’s notes: see above.

Third and Sixteenth by Le_Rouret for sheraiah 

Summary:The thing about Manhattan diners is, you can never tell who's gonna walk in the door.Bucky struggles to remember who and what he is, taking refuge in a small New York diner. But the outside world simply won't leave him alone.

Halbereth’s notes: A really good Bucky recovery fic. Starts in a diner; ends up with Clint Barton and family, because Clint gets the post-brainwashing deal--and also, Clint adopts strays regardless. 

Set 7: Becca Barnes

My Ghosts are Six Feet Under by  what_alchemy

Summary:  Steve showed up on Becca’s doorstep a month after the invasion in New York, larger than life and trying to hide it.

Halbereth’s notes: set entirely in the 21st century.

My Brother, The Hero by Odsbodkins

Summary: Becca Barnes is eight years old, and her big brother can do no wrong. The events of the two Captain America movies, from the perspective of one of the sisters Bucky leaves behind.

Halbereth’s notes: the one that follows Becca from age 8 to after Bucky falls, and then picks up again around when Steve comes out of the ice and follows through past the events of Winter Soldier. The one with Mystery Cake.

This will possibly be added to--I think there was something I mentally associated with Source Code by Closer, for starters--but that’s enough for now!

[variantia]

DATING INFORMATION.

NAME : Yashamaru. AGE : 27 years old. GENDER : Cisgender male. SEXUALITY : Bisexual, female-leaning. ETHNICITY : Japanese. THEIR PROFESSION : Medic / doctor, focused on urgent and emergency care.  Mainly for shinobi but at least three days a week he does shifts for the civilian clinic too.  Also an ANBU. WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND : The shinobi and civilian urgent care centers.  His home.  The mall.  The Kazekage’s office.  The Academy. BIRTHDAY : May 23rd. FAVOURITE FOOD TYPE : Anything sweet -- higashi, mochi, anmitsu.  A box of assorted higashi or homemade anmitsu would probably make him light up. FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK : Lemon or grapefruit chūhai.  (  He’ll drink other sweet kinds of booze, though.  ) FAVOURITE TRAIT : Kindness / heart.  While his date doesn’t need to be identical to him or very similar, at the least he wants someone who is kind like him.  Someone who hasn’t let the world totally harden their heart. WHERE THEY WOULD GO ON A DATE : The mall.  A casual restaurant.  A festival.  His home. IDEAL GIFT : Anything that’s shaped like a heart or has heart motifs ! WHEN WILL THEY DRINK ALCOHOL : Evening.  Nighttime. HOW MANY DATES UNTIL THEY GO TO BED : Five.  Any less time than that and he’ll feel like he doesn’t know them well enough to do something so intimate.

tagged by   /   I stole it ! tagging  /  steal it from me you cowards ! ! !

[javocjovian]

A Very Supernatural Christmas Party, Chapter Four

As you may know, I’ve decided to write a fic for million Christmas December Supernatural Prompt Challenges. The challenges include:

Gabriel’s Monthly Challenge @gabriel-monthly-challenge, @archangelgabriellives, @ttttrickster, @archangel-with-a-shotgun, @warlockwriter, @archangelsanonymous, and @revwinchester

spnfanficpond’s Weekly Episode Writing Challenge @spnfanficpond @mrswhozeewhatsis

Supernatural Amino’s Holiday Prompt List and their Hunters Writing Club Challenge - December.

You can find me and this fic on AO3 Archive of Our Own

I’m also on Ko-Fi

If you’d like to read this chapter directly on AO3, here’s a link: A Very Supernatural Christmas Party - Chapter Four

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

A Very Supernatural Christmas Party

Summery: Metatron’s annual Christmas parties are the stuff of legends. As in, no one has ever been able to stop Gabriel bitching about how terrible they are. This year, Gabriel decides to ask one of the Winchesters to go as his date. Guess which one. Castiel has a similar idea, but things don’t go as planned. Meanwhile, Sam, Dean, and Charlie discover the true meaning of Christmas. Spoiler: it’s shopping, and a lot of booze.

Ships: Destiel, Sabriel, the rest are surprises!

Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel, Gabriel, Charlie, Metatron, and a whole lotta angels later

Chapter Four Summery: Sam suspects Castiel has asked Dean to the party, but HAS he??? Bonus: Castiel makes cookies and Sam and Gabriel bond.

Chapter Four

Effigies and Angels

The morning after the party occurred without incident. Sam had expected Gabriel to barge into his room during the night, especially after what Sam had agreed to, but no such thing happened. Sam didn’t wake until 8am, and it was because Dean was pounding on his door.

“Sammy! Wake up, I’m making pancakes. How many do you want?”

Sam checked his alarm clock, “Uh… just two.” He said groggily.

“Do you… want marshmallows on that?” Dean asked again. He sounded like he was trying to keep his voice serious.

Sam had to think about that one, “Did… Gabriel ask for marshmallows on his?”

Silence.

“Hurry up. Get some pants on and let’s eat.” Dean said.

Sam laughed to himself and got up.

Sam, Dean, Charlie, and Gabriel ate breakfast together at the Men of Letters’ table, while Castiel drank coffee and stole not so subtle glances at Dean. Dean looked a bit stiffer than usual, but maybe it was just Sam’s imagination. Sam hadn’t had time to think about what he’d heard last night, but if he was right, then Castiel was going to ask Dean to the party. Or maybe he’d already asked him.

Gabriel was regaling Charlie with tales of his shenanigans as Loki.

“What? He’s in Marvel comics.” Charlie said sheepishly, listening to every word Gabriel said, “So is that why you like sweets?” She asked.

“Well...” Gabriel stabbed a syrup soaked marshmallow with a fork, “You do something enough you start to appreciate it.” He said wisely, then ate the marshmallow. Sam huffed a laugh. He hadn’t seen Gabriel so carefree since he was the Trickster. Gabriel sneaked Sam a wink over his coffee and Sam nearly spilled his.

Charlie left after breakfast so she could beat the afternoon traffic. Sam and Dean saw her off, and shortly after that Castiel and Gabriel went their separate ways. Soon it was just Sam, Dean, and the palm tree.

Sam looked at it and laughed softly, “I can’t believe he ripped a palm tree out of the ground.”

Dean grinned, “Tell me about it. Can you imagine? Some couple’s laying on the beach on their honeymoon and a guy in a trench-coat shows up.”

Sam laughed.

“Ah… what a night.” Dean sighed, “You want more coffee?”

“No man, I’m good.” Sam sank into a chair at the table and opened his laptop.

Dean took the last of the coffee and returned to the table.

“Oh, hey.” He said, “Check this out.” He’d spotted the box of ‘X-Mas Shit’ on the floor and was grabbing something out of it, “I meant to show you last night, but...”

“We ended up having a Christmas party?” Sam said.

“Yeah.” Dean huffed. He handed Sam a beat-up old Christmas card. It looked like it came from a gas station convenience store.

Sam took it curiously. Slowly, his expression softened, “Is this from dad?”

“Yeah.” Dean sat down beside him, watching contently as Sam opened it and read.

“Ha!” Sam laughed aloud, “Oh man. Dad.” He said fondly, “I can’t believe you kept this.”

“It was in the box. I guess I forgot about it.” Dean sipped his coffee.

“Hm.” Sam smiled at it, “You should put it on the fireplace.” He handed it back to Dean.

“Yeah, alright.” Dean took it and got up, looking for the perfect place.

Sam watched him set the card above the homemade Christmas stockings, turning it until it faced the perfect direction, “Hey, Dean?”

“Mm.”

“Did Cas ask you anything last night? You know, anything weird?”

Dean stood back to look at the card on the mantle, “What do you mean, weird?”

“I mean, well. Before I went to bed...” Sam paused, “He just seemed a little out of it.”

Dean thought about it, “Nah, I think he’s just not used to drinking. I mean, I thought angels couldn’t get drunk but… obviously he can.”

Sam was staring at the card, too, “Yeah. Yeah, you’re probably right.” He looked back to his laptop.

Sam watched Dean out of the corner of his eye as he sat back down to enjoy his coffee. If Castiel didn’t ask Dean to the party, then Sam wouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t his business. Besides, the party was nearly a month away and Sam had his own problems to worry about: namely, how to tell Dean that he’d agreed to go with Gabriel.

“Hey.” Dean said suddenly, “Do you wanna build a snowman?”

Sam stared, “Did you just quote Frozen to me?”

Dean raised his eyebrows at Sam.

Sam laughed, “Uh… sure. Why not?”

“Awesome.” Dean finished his coffee with a single swig, “You’re doing down.”

“W… what?” Sam sputtered, “It’s not a competition.”

“Not with that attitude!”

Sam and Dean spent the freezing afternoon in winter coats and hats, not thinking about angels what so ever. It turned out that when Dean said ‘build a snowman’ he really meant a ‘have snowball fight’. Sam hadn’t even made the base of the snowman before he got pelted with a snowball so hard that his hat flew off.

“Oh, alright. That’s it!” Sam scrambled to his feet, scooping up snow.

For the next half an hour, Sam and Dean Winchester were at war. They threw snowballs hard enough to knock bark off trees, built up impenetrable snow walls, and at one point Dean dive bombed Sam’s snow fortress, crushing everything including Sam with an almighty shout, “Leroy Jenkins!”. Birds abandoned their nests in droves as their shouts and laughter echoed through the silent, snow blanketed woods.

Eventually, they really did build a snowman. They drank beer chilled in the snow, and added to the snowman until it looked so atrocious they couldn’t look at it without cracking up. It had an empty bottle for a nose, one of Cas’s old trenchcoats, Christmas lights around its neck, and moose antlers made of sticks Dean had to climb halfway up a pine tree to break off. Sam had abandoned his hat and gloves, so Dean added those, too. Finally, he gave it angry eyebrows made of tree bark.

“Sammy…check it out.”

“Wha...” Sam turned. He expression broke into a laugh, “Ha! It looks just like Cas.”

Dean grinned.

By the time they headed back inside, their faces were red, half of their winter gear was bundled under Sam’s arm, and there was a stretch of snow half a mile wide that was packed down and littered with destroyed snowforts and trenches. It looked like a war scene. The snowman stood sentinel in the center, guarding the entrance to the bunker. Sam had completely forgotten about Metatron’s Christmas party.

Dean showered while Sam made them hot cocoa and checked the news feed on his laptop. It wasn't long before Dean came out looking refreshed and joined Sam at the table.

“...Sam.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Sam looked at him.

Dean’s face was set, “What is this?”

Sam looked at the mug of hot cocoa Dean was holding, “What?” Sam held back a smile, sipping his own mug, “You said you wanted Christmas, so drink up.”

Dean lifted it to his nose and smelled it.

“Plus I added bourbon.”

Dean drank it.

Sam huffed a laugh.

Dean sat beside him, looking over the news reports while they both drank their spiked hot cocoa in silence.

“Sam.”

Sam glanced at Dean, “What?”

“Are those… little marshmallows?”

Sam looked at his mug, “Y...yeah.” He said nonchalantly, “Why? You want some?”

Dean eyed him suspiciously. Then, “Yeah. Load me up.” He held out his mug.

Sam pulled out the bag he’d been hiding in his lap. Dean snorted. Sam opened it, and overflowed Dean’s mug with mini marshmallows.

“Aw, come on!” Dean said as they bounced onto his lap and on the floor. Dean flicked marshmallows out of his lap and took a sip while Sam chuckled. When Dean looked up he had marshmallows stuck precariously to his cocoa covered lips.

“Now that’s festive.” Sam grinned.

Dean gave him a serious look, but it just made Sam laugh.

“You’re getting marshmallows in your underwear drawer later tonight. Just so you know. They’re gunna be everywhere. Watching you.”

Sam was red from laughing.

“Sam. Dean.” Castiel’s voice interrupted them. He was rushing down the steps looking severe.

Dean did a double take, and a couple marshmallows flew off of him, “Hey Cas.” He said casually.

Castiel paused, looking at Dean, whose lips were covered in chocolate and sticky marshmallow, then at Sam, who was laughing silently into his hand.

“What… are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Dean said smartly, “Why don’t you join us? Hot cocoa? Here, I’ll make you some. Sit.” Dean got up, doing absolutely nothing about his festive look.

Sam calmed himself as Castiel sat down.

Castiel glanced at Sam, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Cas.” Sam said genuinely, “What’s up?”

Castiel seemed taken aback. “Did you forget my phone numbers?”

Sam looked puzzled.

“Because… oh, thank you.” Dean had brought him a mug and sat back down. He was suddenly looking awkward again, “You didn’t have to build me an effigy, you know.” Castiel said, “You can just call me on the phone.”

Sam looked startled, “W...what?”

Dean blinked.

They shared a small glance.

“Cas… it’s not...” Sam started.

Castiel tilted his head slightly.

“You know what. I’m glad you like it.” Dean said.

“Yes, the uh… the tree bark was a good idea.” He said seriously, “But I don’t have horns.” He almost looked offended.

Dean broke into a smile, “Yeah, I know. That was for Sammy. Anyway, drink up.” He said, “Don’t worry, it’s a virgin hot chocolate.”

Sam looked at him, “You can just call it a hot chocolate.” He said, “You drunk.”

Dean gave him a quick look.

Castiel tried the beverage, “It’s alright. I guess. Tastes like… molecules.”

Sam and Dean were grinning.

“What?” Castiel asked, marshmallows now sticking to him as well as Dean.

“You’ve got a few… molecules on you.” Dean gestured to his face.

Castiel wiped his face with his hand and looked down, “Ah. Yes. That’s. Hilarious.”

The sole purpose for Castiel’s visit seemed to be addressing the ‘effigy’ in front of the bunker. So once the matter was settled, and once Sam didn’t find anything convincing on his news feed, he decided he’d give Castiel and Dean some space.

“Well, I’m gunna go do a check on the alarm system.” Sam got up, taking his laptop with him.

Dean turned slightly, “I thought we do that on Wednesdays.”

“Yeah, well, after last night I figured better safe than sorry.”

“Yeah. That is your motto, isn’t it?” Dean gave him a look.

Sam scrunched his face up at him, then left the room.

Silence.

Dean cleared his throat, “So uh… Cas.”

Cas looked at him suddenly.

“Is something up? You look like you’ve got a... tree up your ass.” Dean bit his lip.

Castiel stared at him, “No. Nothing’s up. There. Anywhere.” His eyes widened slightly, “But I uh… I made you these.” He reached into his trench-coat and pulled out a small package.

Dean’s brow furrowed at the brown-paper package. There was a card on top. He took it and set his mug aside. He picked up the card. It was just a piece of thick paper folded in half that said ‘Merry Christmas, Dean’ on the inside in scratchy, nearly illegible writing. Dean looked at Castiel.

“It’s customary to accompany your gift with a card.” Castiel said, sounding a little unsure. He nodded at Dean, “Open it.”

So Dean opened it. It wasn’t wrapped very well, but inside was a stack of plastic-wrapped… “Cookies?”

Castiel cleared his throat, “Christmas cookies. I uh… looked up the recipe on Pin-trest.”

“You made these?”

Castiel nodded quickly, “I did. Try them. They’re good. I think.”

Dean took one out of the wrapping, careful not to spill the rest. They were frosted, kind of, to look like candy canes, Santas, and… mules? Dean’s was a mule. He stared at it.

“It’s a donkey. The website said that it’s tradition to make them look like Christmas objects. You humans believe there was a donkey at the manger when Christ was born, but really it was a camel. I couldn’t...” Castiel watched as Dean took a bite, “...draw a camel.” Castiel watched apprehensively as Dean tasted it, “Too much cinnamon?”

Dean shook his head, holding the bite in his mouth. He blinked a few times, then swallowed determinedly, “They’re… good, Cas. Thanks.” Dean set the package on the table. He looked like he had something stuck in his throat. He swallowed again.

Castiel shifted in his seat.

“Cas...” Dean finally said.

“Well, Marry Christmas, Dean.”

“Cas.” He repeated, “Is there something you wanted to tell me? To ask me, maybe?”

Castiel’s eyes widened slightly, “No. Why do you ask?”

“Hm.” Dean eyed him, “No reason.”

There an awkward silence that Dean let spiral horribly. He watched Cas, his expression inscrutable. Castiel’s resemblance to his frozen effigy was uncanny.

Finally, “Well, I should go.” Castiel got up.

Dean didn’t stop him, so with a rush of air, Castiel was gone.

Dean stared at his mug of hot cocoa, looking stony. He finished eating his donkey cookie, chewing down each feeling that rose up and swallowing it into the pit of his stomach soundlessly.

Suddenly, Dean was plunged into darkness. All the lights in the bunker turned off simultaneously. Dean nearly choked. The emergency lights turned on, and then the sirens were back. Dean almost fell of his chair, slamming a fist into his chest.

Before he could even get up, the sirens turned off and the lights went back on.

“Sorry!” Sam’s voice hollered from below the study.

The rest of day passed without another visit from Castiel, Gabriel, or anyone. Sam and Dean kept to themselves after Sam sensed that the conversation with Castiel didn’t go well. Sam cleaned, ate cold pizza, read through a few Men of Letters’ files, while Dean did Chuck knows what in his room. It was late at night when Sam finally decided to go make sure Dean was still alive. He grabbed some left over pizza for him and was on his way downstairs when he heard something that made him nearly drop the plate.

“Sam! Sammy!” Dean’s voice was echoing through the hallway. He sounded injured, “Sam! Help.”

Sam broke into a run. He slid around a corner and landed right into Dean’s door, the pizza sliding to the edge of the plate. He grabbed the handle with one hand and threw the door open with his shoulder, “Dean!” His eyes scanned Dean’s room urgently, “Dean?”

“Sammy...” Dean groaned.

Dean was laying face down across his bed, one arm hanging off the side toward a plate of half eaten… where those cookies? The only light in the room was from the big-screen TV that was in the middle of another Christmas slasher flick.

Sam’s urgent expression fell.

“Get these away from me.” He waved his arm towards the cookies.

“Really, Dean?” Sam said tensely. He turned the lights on and Dean groaned. He dropped the plate of pizza on the nightstand by the bed, then stooped down to collect the cookies. “What are these?” He smelled them.

“They’re good, actually. Cas made them.” Dean grumbled, rolling over and clutching his stomach miserably.

“Did he use cinnamon?”

Dean belched, “Yep. They’re like cinnamon roll cookies, Sam. They’re… amazing. I can’t stop eating them.”

“Yeah.” Sam stood up with a huff, “You look amazing.”

“What’s that?” He nodded at the pizza, “Ugh, no.”

Sam rolled his eyes and took both plates, “Okay, well. Have you just been down here all day eating cookies and watching slasher flicks?”

“Yeah, I have. You gunna give me a time out?”

“No.” Sam sighed, “But, why did Cas make you cookies?”

Dean shrugged weakly.

“Mhm.” Sam said, looking at the state of Dean’s room. It looked like he hadn’t moved all evening, “You should give him a break. He’s just trying to...”

“Trying to what?” Dean looked at him upside down.

Sam took a breath, “Trying to be your friend.”

“Yeah.” Dean said, “Friends don’t try to murder you with cookies.”

“You tried to murder you with cookies.” Sam corrected him, “Jeez, you’re like a dog in sausage factory.”

“A what?”

Sam turned to leave, “If you throw up, use your own bathroom this time? Okay?”

“Okay!” Dean grabbed a pillow and threw it over his face, “Hey! Turn the lights off.”

Sam turned the lights off, leaving Dean to finish his movie in peace.

“Great coping skills, Dean.” Sam muttered. Although, this didn’t surprise him at all. He went back upstairs to put the cookies and pizza away.

On his way up, Sam’s curiosity got the best of him and he tried a bite of a misshapen candy cane that looked more like a like a life saver. He nearly choked. It was a lot of cinnamon. As he chewed, he understood why Dean liked them. They kind of did taste like cinnamon rolls. Kind of.

As Sam walked into the kitchen, he almost choked for real. He dropped the plate of pizza, but Gabriel grabbed it just in time.

“Hiya Sammy.” Gabriel grinned at him.

Sam caught himself on the kitchen counter, “Yeah! No! Don’t worry about me. Save the pizza!” Sam breathed.

“Damn straight. Aw, you made me pizza.” Gabriel took a piece, “You okay, Sam? Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Sam stood up and collected himself, “Yeah, right.” He snatched the pizza out of Gabriel’s hand.

Gabriel pouted at him.

“How did you get in here anyway?” Sam put the pizza back on the counter by the cookies.

“Oh, that. Right.” Gabriel began, “Well I wondered how Dean’s bff always got in here will all your fancy warding. So I looked around last night, and I found that little panel with a smidge of Cas’s blood.” Gabriel scooted around Sam and leaned against the counter.

“So you added your own.”

“So I added my own.” Gabriel said, sneaking a piece of pizza behind his back and taking a not-so-subtle bite.

Sam glared at him, “So that’s why you came by yesterday? To add your blood so you could spy on us?”

“No! No, Sam.” Gabriel assured him, swallowing, “I really did just come by to ask you to the party. But since you said yes...”

Sam sighed.

“...I figured it was best if I could come by every now and again to discuss it.”

“Discuss what?”

“You know, matching suits, ties. Do you wear boxers or briefs?”

Sam glared.

“Well, I go commando. So...” He raised his brow flirtatiously at Sam.

“No. No, okay. I take it back. I’m not going.”

Gabriel looked crushed.

“Castiel tried asking Dean, I think, and he said no, too. So we’re not going.” Sam said, finally voicing his suspicions.

“Dean said no?” Gabriel looked confused, “Well that explains why he’s been moping.” He collected his thoughts, “Sam, look, you have to! I said no funny stuff, and I meant it!” He put the pizza down.

Sam folded his arms.

“Sam, I didn’t ask you just for kicks. I really do want you to go with me. Come on. You’re my top pick. Numero uno. Sam Winchester, with all his hair and… shoulders.” He looked Sam over.

“Enough.” Sam clenched his jaw.

“Okay. But look...” Gabriel said seriously, “Sam. I care about you guys. I do.” He added, seeing Sam’s tired look, “I swear. No tricks. No funny stuff. I’m asking you to be my date.”

Sam considered him, “Like, an actual date?” He clarified.

“Yup.” Gabriel nodded.

Sam looked away for a moment, thinking, “You mean, like, you’re asking me out?”

Gabriel smiled in exhaustion, “Yes, Sam. I’m asking you out.” He eyed him, “Should I get down on one knee?” He offered, starting to crouch down.

“No! No no no...” Sam pulled him back up, “No, you’re short enough.”

Gabriel grinned, “Ouch.”

Sam glanced down, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips.

Gabriel beamed, “So what you do say? Go out with me?”

Sam glanced around, sighed, then said, “Fine. Why not?”

Gabriel cheered, “Yes! Oh, Sam, you’ve made me the happiest Archangel. You won’t regret this!” He grabbed the slice of pizza and took a huge bite, “Okay, so matching suits. Yay or nay?”

“Nay.” Sam took a slice, too, “Definitely nay.”

“Okay. Complimentary colors at least? Red and green? It’ll be Christmassy.”

Sam thought about it, “I thought you didn’t want to go to this thing. Why are you all excited about it now?”

“Cuz I’m going with you.” Gabriel said smoothly.

Sam huffed a laugh, “Alright. Alright. Red and green, then. I’m green!”

Gabriel sighed, “Fine. You drive a hard bargain, Sam. But that’s what I like about you.” He winked, “Red it is.” He hoped up onto the counter, sitting a bit closer to Sam’s height.

They talked and ate pizza, although Sam saved the cookies for Dean. Finally, Sam had to ask.

“So, what did you mean when you said Cas has been moping?”

“You know. Moping. Wandering around like his puppy just got hit by a car.”

Sam frowned.

“I caught him staring at cookie cutters for an hour at that shop downtown.”

Sam slowly hide the plate of cookies behind his back.

“But that’s what happens when you get turned down, I guess.” Gabriel said mournfully, “Honestly, I thought Dean would say yes.”

Sam stared at the empty pizza plate, “I don’t know.”

Gabriel looked at him patiently.

“He’s very… reserved about that kind of stuff. Never admits it when he really likes something. Or someone.” He said, remembering Cassie Robinson, “Plus, I don’t even think he’s, you know… into guys.”

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully.

“And Cas is, well, Cas.” Sam sighed, “So yeah, I’d say they were doomed from the start.”

“Well, that’s sad.” Gabriel said, “Never met an angel and a human with more promise. Oh well.”

Gabriel could tell that Sam was done talking about his brother’s social life, so Gabriel changed the subject.

Sam wouldn’t admit it, not yet, but when Gabriel wanted to, he could be surprisingly tactful. Suave, even. That chatted for a few more minutes, then Sam kicked him out so he could go to bed. Gabriel didn’t even make any jokes about joining him.

It wasn’t until Sam walked past Dean’s room and heard the TV still on that he felt bad for feeling so… good.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Chapter Four Prompts:

Here are the prompts for this chapter.

Amino's Holiday Prompt List 3. snowman 4. hot cocoa 5. cookies 6. snow fort 7. snowball fight 10. holiday cards

If you’d like to read this chapter directly on AO3, here’s a link: A Very Supernatural Christmas Party - Chapter Four

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!

[bestteeshops]

Skull life is just better I’m with my tow truck operator shirt

Has anyone made this Skull life is just better I’m with my tow truck operator shirt . With toasted candy chopped pecans in the layer gram cracker crust And tad more whipped cream with bourbon folded in. Just love pumpkin pie made this way. Don’t know if cream cheese would be to rich done my way. Secret. One time I had to make a pie. Had no time. Really. Bought a large Sara Lee baked it. Made my famous pecan bourbon mix. Put it back n pie. Yep. I made a pie. No my family does not follow me on Facebook. So it’s a secret. That looks so good I may try one of these days keep sending them good recipes girl. I am so glad I don’t live near you, I love pumpkin cheesecake. I would be double my size around you. I make one similar but use ginger snaps instead of graham crackers for the crust also I top mine with homemade caramel sauce & real whipped cream. Skull life is just better I’m with my tow truck operator shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt This is pretty much like all the other pumpkin cheesecake recipes unless you leave out the ones who add booze or something different like cardamon Skull life is just better I’m with my tow truck operator shirt . Just saying. I love pumpkin cheesecake though I usually only make it for Thanksgiving now. I do not use sour cream in my recipe and kick up the spice just a wee bit. It’s all cheesecake in the end so it’s yummy however you make it. I’ve been making pumpkin cheesecake for years. Read the full article