#free emoji kitchen creation to use

[fiddlepickdouglas]

DISSOCIATING

[songsofwaterandnight]

You can use hearts to color the diamond in emoji kitchen

[starsofang]

Change of Heart

hitman!ghost x f!reader / part 4

previous part

tw: none, definitely more on the softer side :)

When life has completely and utterly failed you, you hire a hitman to take you out, too afraid to do it yourself. Instead of killing you like you had planned, he strikes up a deal with you, and you're too stubborn to bail out.

Waking up on day seven was not as chirpy as day six.

Being hungover was a bitch. The headache that rattled your brain caused your ears to pound in a way that you feared would have them implode into deafness.

You laid in bed for so long, the sun began to shift its position in the window of your bedroom. It filled the room with a comforting light, soft rays shining through the transparent curtains and saturating the air with a pleasant warmth that nipped at your toes that poked out from the end of your blanket.

Somehow, you managed to roll out of bed, forcing yourself onto bare feet. The wooden floor was cold to the touch compared to the sunlight that had embraced your feet with tepid coziness, and it sent a frigid chill up your spine.

You don’t remember stripping yourself of your clothes last night, but you certainly remembered Ghost taking you home and guiding you into the house with such a careful, thoughtful touch. You recalled the heartfelt one-on-one you ensued, your frazzled mind slowly beginning to piece itself together and completing the puzzle of uncertainty.

Simon was his name, and he had made sure to scribble it down in grubby, black ink on a piece of kitchen napkin where you found it resting. A number was joined below his name, and you had the stark realization that it was his number – not one he gave you from a burner phone before your initial first meeting, but his personal one.

You stared at the crisp napkin from where you were mounted in the kitchen, eyes a bit fuzzy that it made you reread it a few times just for good measure.

Right next to his name, he had drawn a poorly sketched skull. The act was so childish for a man of his title that it had you laughing to yourself in disbelief.

Hitman had jokes, you thought.

No, not hitman. Not Ghost.

Simon had jokes.

His name felt unfamiliar on your tongue when you tested it outloud. The two syllables filled the air like an elegant symphony, as if a lovely mix of chords chorused from your mouth when repeated again, then once more.

The more you repeated it to yourself, the more it began to stick. It was as if his name being rolled off of your tongue was meant to be there, encasing your mouth with a rich sweetness that had you salivating for more.

You made sure to add Simon’s number in your phone, logging his name with a skull emoji to match the cute artwork he’d scribbled in on the napkin.

Despite your raging headache that didn’t want to vanish, even with an overmedicating amount of painkillers, and your horrible start to the morning, you found yourself in a lighter mood than ever before. There was a pep in your step when you walked to work for the evening, all teeth and smiles when the door chimed as you entered the establishment. It was certainly not because of a mysterious, masked man.

You had never gone to work beaming as if the entire world had encased you in a warm hug and told you you’re gonna do great today! In fact, most days spent at work were mind rotting, slowly killing you from the inside until all that remained was a sad, decaying corpse in its wake.

Today was different, though, and even your coworkers took note of it as you clocked yourself in after greeting them with a cheerful hello. You paid no mind to their curious stares and whispers and immediately busied yourself with the task of tugging out prepped ingredients and lining them up neatly at your station.

Baking used to be your passion, up until the man of your past had ruined it. You used to adore the creations you had free reign to make – cookies, breads, cakes, anything you could possibly craft with your hands. Your job was a hobby and not a chore like it was now. Over time, that spark had died, replaced with a hollowness that was waiting so patiently to be filled once again.

He made you hate baking the way he made you hate yourself.

At least if you couldn’t love yourself just yet, you could relearn to love baking.

You were quick to work dough between your hands, rolling it out on the table like a place mat and carefully carving out shapely designs that would puff up into perfect, little treats once in the oven. As you performed, your face was lifted up into a promising smile, eyes brightened with that past passion that sparked in reminiscence.

You hadn’t even realized you were openly expressing joy in your design until your cheeks began to cramp from how much you were grinning to yourself. The soreness was far from unwelcome, and it was your moment of recognition that this was what smiling was like. Oh, how you had forgotten what it felt like to do it with such genuineness.

When you placed all your neatly carved pastries on trays to be baked, you slipped them in the oven with purpose, watching the glow of the orange light of the heat rods illuminate over the pale dough.

As you watched them slowly begin to form in their desired states, you found yourself thinking about Simon again.

You wondered if he liked sweets. Or perhaps if not sweets, then maybe bread. It didn’t hurt to throw the offer his way, right?

Pulling your phone from the pocket of your apron, you swiped your finger to unlock it and pressed on his contact name. You stared at the screen for moments too long, silently contemplating, gnawing on the nail of your thumb.

A doubtful voice prodded you in the back of your head like an unwanted pest, buzzing in disapproval. Another voice gleamed with delight, encouraging you to send him a text, desperate to make his acquaintance once again. After all, his presence was a newly welcomed one in your life, and your body gravitated towards him like a magnet in search of their other half.

Fuck it, you thought. 

Fingers tapping against the screen, you willed yourself to send the text message before you had the mind to back out and erase it, and the moment your phone quietly pinged once the text had gone through, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

Hey, Simon! If you have time, I have some pastries for you to try at my job, and I’d love it if you stopped by!

Pocketing your phone, you returned back to work, busying yourself with the freshly baked goodies that were out of the oven.

Hours passed, and nighttime fell like a weighted blanket over the expanse of your workplace. It was your night to close, and seeing as you were feeling rather joyful today, you allowed the other workers to head home early for the night, leaving you to do closing tasks by yourself.

Really, you were waiting for Simon to show up, leaving yourself open for company until the very last moment. You piled up the chairs, swept the floors, wiped every station down, and counted all the money from the sales for the day.

The sign on the door was shut down, neon lights dimmed to display CLOSED for any stray passersby who may have been craving a late night sweet.

Just like the telltale sign of emptiness in the store, there was an emptiness in Simon’s presence.

He hadn’t shown up. You tried not to beat yourself up about it, thinking perhaps he didn’t see the text. Maybe he got wrapped up in his own life – after all, the two of you were only friendly with one another, if you could even call it that.

Maybe to him, you weren’t even friends like you had labeled it. You were a charity case of a broken girl he simply wanted to help keep living.

No. You shouldn’t think that way. You had a great day. You finally had some sort of remembrance of the woman you once were long before the anguish and the agony, and you accomplished the day with a smile on your own.

Though, when you closed up the store and checked your phone in silent hopefulness, you felt a sense of foreboding disappointment wash over you like crashing waves attempting to drown out all of the achievements you’d made today.

Read at 6:47PM.

Walking home felt like a treacherous drag of your feet. It was like your shoes were filled with cement, scraping along the pavement of the sidewalk with every step towards your apartment with a piercing sound of gravel on gravel. The stairs had your legs feeling weighed down and solid, anchoring you to the floor and forcing you to use every fabric of muscle in your body in order to make it to the top step.

In fact, everything felt heavy.

You had made progress today, such amazing progress, and now the pressure of misreading the signs from Simon had made you tentative.

Maybe you really did misinterpret what Simon wanted with you.

You thought that after he’d broken into your house numerous times, aided you back to the security of your bed after a drunken night, had given you his number, and told you his real name instead of continuing the persona of Ghost, things may have been escalating into the desired friendship you fiercely needed.

You liked being around him so much that it was possible you had created a bond in your mind that he didn’t seem to reciprocate.

The torture of your sorrowful mind was feeding into the woefulness of a clear reality, so much so, you hadn’t noticed the large figure standing at your door, patiently waiting for your return.

A soft rumbling of your name lured you out of the prison of your own consciousness, and it took you only seconds to recognize the voice as the very one that was tangling your thoughts in webs, capturing you and keeping you hostage.

“Simon!” you exclaimed in relieved surprise, examining the way he was leaned up against the wall beside your door, his frequent mask obscuring the view of his face as always. His arms crossed over his chest, and if you didn’t know him, you would’ve thought he was a bodyguard with the way he presented with such masculine storminess that clouded the air with warning and danger.

“There you are,” he greeted kindly, and the warmth in his tone had any lingering doubt fade away like a gas dissolving into an abyss. “Was waitin’ up for you.”

Your face broke out into a genuine smile, that slight soreness from your cheeks twinging at the sudden tug of skin.

“I was closing up my work. Waited around just in case you showed, so I took a bit longer than normal,” you explained sheepishly.

He let out a soft hum, nodding in acknowledgement.

“Got caught up with some things. Wasn’t able to make it, so I figured I’d wait outside your apartment instead of breakin’ in like I always do. Didn’t want to scare you, love.”

Your heart soared at the nickname, unable to contain its joyful leaps of pleasure. All disappointment you felt from before was forgotten and forgiven, and you wanted to revel in the time spent with your newfound companion.

“You seem awfully chirpy today. What’s got the pretty girl in such a good mood, hm?” Simon raised his eyebrow from beneath his balaclava, and you shifted awkwardly on your feet.

“Just woke up in a good mood today. Is that a crime?” you asked with a teasing smile.

Simon snorted out a quiet laugh, shaking his head in retaliation.

“S’not a crime, sweetheart. Just a pretty sight s’all,” he offered, filling your chest with pride. “What’s this about pastries?”

It dawned on you that you should’ve brought some home with you, even if you had no idea he would’ve been waiting outside your door. You silently cursed yourself for not snagging a few from the selection. You weren’t sure what kind of pastries he liked, and now that he made his appearance, albeit late, you were boiling over with curiosity on finding out.

“Ah, I didn’t bring any home,” you explained apologetically, and you couldn’t bear to hear the disappointed hum from him. “But I can make some in my apartment if you’d like. May not be as good, but I can give that piece of shit oven a try.”

That roused a laugh from him and he straightened himself off of the wall, gesturing with a hand to your door.

“S’alright with me. Lead the way, pretty girl.”

Simon’s eyes never strayed far from you as you worked your magic in the cramped space of the kitchen. Flour covered the countertops, painting them in a gritty beige as you kneaded the heels of your palms into the forming dough, tongue poked out in concentration.

You could feel the weight of his gaze piercing through you, and you tried not to let it affect your limbo. This time around, the nervousness felt different. It wasn’t an intimidated furl in your lungs that threatened to restrict your airflow, or a choked up lump in your throat that you could never quite swallow down.

No. This was shyness.

It felt like his eyes were interrogating you, digesting your embodiment and creating an outlook of you in his mind. You had no idea what he was thinking as he stared at your powdery hands that shaped out dough, or the sprinkle of flour that pestered your cheek, or even the way your hair repeatedly fell in your eyes and you’d be forced to blow it away with a puff of air.

It was prying, it was focused, it was immersed.

He didn’t dare say a word, but he didn’t need to in order for you to grow flustered in his presence. His gaze was enough to cause a rupture in your chest, tickling you with the fluttering wings of butterflies that soared freely from their entrapment.

The feeling was strange, foreign, and dare you say it, appreciated.

Eyes had never studied you like a work of art before, taking in every brush and stroke on the canvas and perceiving it in their own perspective. What that perspective was, though, remained a mystery.

“Baking’s your thing, eh?” He spoke once your treats were securely placed in the oven, mitts covering the plains of your hands.

“It was,” you admitted with a nod, tugging the mitts off and placing them on a clean space of the counter. Your mess still needed to be tended to, so you made quick work of it, focusing your attention on the grains of flour that plastered themselves like annoying bits of sand that seemed to spread no matter where you cleaned.

“Looks like it still is,” he corrected you, and you glanced up to see a glimmer of a smile behind his eyes.

“Alright,” you sighed, smiling. “It is. Now, anyway. It wasn’t for a long time, though.”

He hummed, leaning his arms on the counter and watching as you swept the stubborn bits of flour into your trashcan. His eyes followed every movement of your nimble fingers, sticky dough caked under your fingernails.

“I’d say you’re startin’ to get a piece of your old self back, don’t you think so, love?”

“You didn’t even know my old self, Simon. In fact, you barely know me at all.”

“I’d like to.”

You froze in place, hands in the midst of wetting a towel to wipe up the remnants of the sheen of powder that tinted your dark countertops. You lifted your gaze to find him already staring at you, like he had been during the entire process of your home baking, and you felt weak under it. There was a slight falter in your knees that threatened to buckle, and a racing in your heart that caused your breath to get caught.

His words could go one of two ways, and the little pest in your mind was telling you it wasn’t the one you found yourself secretly hoping for.

That pest had festered so deep inside your brain, it laid its vile eggs there to harvest feelings of doubt, feelings of being unlovable. There wasn’t a world where Simon could grow to love you, nor was there a world where you could love yourself.

But that wasn’t all that true, was it? All it was was doubt. Not fact, far from truth.

“You shouldn’t say things like that to a woman,” you muttered, dipping your head back down to pry yourself from his gaze.

“I’m saying them to you,” he claimed, so shameless in the way he voiced it.

“It’s only day seven. Get back to me when it’s day fourteen.”

You could tell he smiled under his mask from the way his eyes lit up, and he gave you an amused snort, allowing you to bask in silence and gather your mind together.

You welcomed it, needing your inner voice to run astray rather than fill you with the probability of letting Simon in deeper than a friendship. You had a long way to go, and you had a pressing feeling that Simon wouldn’t be going anywhere all that soon.

The dinging of your timer had you regaining concentration on the original task at hand, taking your pastries out of the oven and decorating them with assortments of frosting and glazes.

Baking was what permitted yourself to calm, brain floating peacefully down a trickling river and sunbathe in a pool of warmth. Thinking could come later.

When Simon snatched up one of the pastries from the tray, he lifted the lower half of his mask to greedily shove a bite in his mouth. He chewed, digesting the delightful flavors that melted on his tongue, before giving you a soft smile.

“Is it good?” you asked wearily, and he finished off the treat as an answer to your question. Pride swelled in your bones, and you let yourself smile back at him.

“Damn good baker, you are. Reckon you’ll get even better after our deal’s up.”

Simon and his damn deal.

The mention of it would normally make you cower to the inner part of yourself that was unhealed, but this time, you laughed brightly, agreeing to tuning up your recipes in an unforeseeable future.

softer chapter before more angst to come 🤝 i also have a profession as a baker so this was fun for me to write + simon with a sweet tooth is cute

[enmi-land]

✶ ATTENTION

◜ ────𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

💭 poly엔하이픈 ☓ f!addedmember ┊ ‘24 . . . (5OOO𝔀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀) ౨ৎ requested⦂april fool’s prank gone wrong + enha ignoring ml + ml seeking txt & kiara for comfort❜ ╱ 𝒹𝑒𝓂𝓊𝓇𝑒 ?! · minor jealousy, drunk mila being a drama queen 。。 星RETURN☆𝓗OME

IT TOOK ABOUT TEN MINUTES INTO THE DAY FOR MILA TO REALISE THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT.

It was not a crime or wake up to an empty bed, even if she had spent the night cuddled up against Jake’s chest, since the urge to use the bathroom could strike any time. That was easily forgivable. But the really odd things started happening once she left the comfort of her bed and wandered into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered for the usual morning routine of a group breakfast.

She was surprised, however, to find that the kitchen was absolutely empty, save for a note left on the kitchen top in Jay’s handwriting.

We decided to go to the company for some extra practice but i made some breakfast for you so make sure to get something to eat <3

They left? Mila tore her eyes away from the paper, instead searching the silent dorm. Placing the note back on the bench, she visited the doors of each of the boys’ rooms, knocking on the door. No response. She frowned as she checked her phone, only to find that there were was not a single text sent to her by on of the boyfriends. They must be busy…

Mila shrugged as she sat before the delicious plate of French toast prepared by Jay. She wanted to take a break before her scheduled in the afternoon, but the others were working hard. Kiara had a scheduled solo photoshoot so she was also out of the dorm today, leaving Mila alone in their home. She hummed in delight as she ate a piece of toast, using her free hand to send a text to the group chat.

You: I just woke up hope everyone slept well 🩷

You: and thank you Jay-oppa for the food 😘

Mila shut her phone off. Staring at the fridge across from her, she began to think. Since she was free this morning, she might as well do something nice for her group members. Maybe I should make a cake!

Mila nodded. That was a good idea. And so, she did exactly that— after cleaning up the mess left behind by the others before they went to the company building, she found herself sitting in front of the oven as she watched the chocolate cake inside begin to rise. She looked down at her phone.

It was a few hours since she had sent her initial text, and she still hadn’t received a reply. She didn’t mind if they were busy, but she hoped they weren’t working too hard… The last thing she wanted was for one of them to collapse from exhaustion.

Mila jolted form her thoughts when the timer of the oven went off, signalling that the cake was ready. She smiled she pulled it out of the oven with her mitt, leaving it on the bench for cooling. A quick sniff of the air instantly made her mouth water form the sweet scent. She just knew the others were going to love this.

Opening her cameras, she snapped a quick picture of her creation to send into the group chat.

You: make sure to get lots of rest, okay? i have a cake waiting for you at home ❤️

Maybe that would help raise their spirits, she thought.

Mila was humming happily as she strung on her bag in preparation to go to her next schedule, until she saw a new notification pop up on Weverse. And all of a sudden, she didn’t feel so good anymore. Because she was so sure that her boyfriends were busy, and that was the reason why they hadn’t been responding to her texts all morning—only to see that they had made a new post on Weverse for their fans to see.

It was this moment where she started to wonder if something had happened, if she had done something wrong. Because if they had time to post something on Weverse, surely that meant they had time to respond to her texts, right? Even if it was a single emoji, to let her know that they had seen her messages, she would take it. But…. 

Mila shook her head. Maybe they just didn’t read all her messages yet—understandable, considering she did send quite a lot of them. She would give it some time and see if they would respond later.

But they didn’t. And it ate away at Mila for the rest of the day, until she had time to call her number one confidant about her—her one and only unnie, Kiara. 

“So they haven’t responded to even a single text of yours?” Kiara asked with furrowed eyebrows, a finger on her chin. The two were currently in the TXT dorms, the members of the group watching from the kitchen as Mila and Kiara spoke.  “They’ve been responding to mine, though…”

Mila swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes stinging. “Oh…” She lowered her head. She felt sick to the stomach, feeling as if she might lose all the lunch she had eaten not long ago. If they were responding to Kiara’s text and not hers, then wouldn’t that mean that they were…. ignoring her? But why? Did she do something wrong? “I must have upset them for some reason, then, right? They wouldn’t ignore me for no reason…”

“Hey, hey, don’t jump to any conclusions.” Soobin slid onto the couch next to Mila offering her a box of tissues and helping her blow her nose. “We don’t know that they’re ignoring you.”

Mila looked at him in doubt. “Unnie literally just confirmed that they were responding to her texts and not mine. How is that no ignoring me?”

“Wait, he might be right,” Huening Kai spoke up. “Have you looked at the date?”

Mila furrowed her eyebrows. She opened her phone to check it, only to frown even further. April the first? It took a few seconds before everything clicked into place. She jumped up from her seat on the couch, the box of tissues falling to the floor. “It’s April Fools Day!” she exclaimed, in a mixture of horror, realisation, and disgust. She brought her hands to her hair. “And I’ve been fooled! Ugh! I can’t believe I almost cried because of a prank!”

Mila face palmed, causing Kiara to shush her. “Hey, don’t say that. It still would feel bad even if it wasn’t a prank. I know I would feel sad if Yeonjunie-oppa ignored me.”

“Which I’ve never done,” Yeonjun suddenly spoke up from the kitchen bench, earning unimpressed looks from both girls. “Just saying…”

Mila sighed. “Congrats, oppa. You’ve won the best boyfriend of the year award.  Mine are no loner in the running.” Yeonjun had a look as if he wasn’t sure whether to be happy or not. But Mila wasn’t looking his way. She narrrowed her eyes at her phone instead, plotting what to do with her newfound information. Since they wanted to prank her so badly, maybe she should let them have their fun…

She huffed as she sent one last text, before muting their chat. If that was what they wanted to do, then fine; she could give them the same courtesy. She turned to the TXT boys. “Do you want cake?”

“I can’t do this anymore!”

Jaaeyun flopped dramatically against the floor of the practice room, clutching his hand  to his chest after reading the latest text from Mila. Riki shot him an unimpressed look from beside him, raising an eyebrow as he slapped the older’s thigh. “This was your idea, you can’t be the first one to fold.”

The said idea that Riki mentioned was, in fact, a prank that the boys all agreed on, considering it was April the first—also known widely as April Fool’s Day. Jaeyun had been the one to suggest that they all pretend to ignore their girlfriend, at least until they saw each other later one tonight, when she would be back home from her schedules, and they would be finished with theirs. But all it took was the endearing messages from her as she spammed them with pictures of the cake she was baking for them and random little updates during the day, and it felt like torture to continue the charade any longer.

“Just look at her!” Jaeyun said with a groan, as he showed them the selfie Mila took, with her fluffy smile after decorating the cake she was so excited to have them try. “Ugh… I can’t. I have to text back. My heart hurts.”

Heeseung sighed as he stared at the photo, his fingers subconsciously reaching to pinch her cheeks through the phone. Why did he agree to this in the first place? Everyone knew he had the worst case of cuteness aggression and clinical clinginess towards his girlfriend, and he wasn’t even interested in proving otherwise. He should have just turned down the idea the moment it was proposed. And yet…

“Drop out if you want, man,” Sunghoon said, “No one’s stopping you.”

But of course, Jaeyun couldn’t. “Shut up. You’re just saying that because you want to spend more time with her.”

Sunghoon laughed.

They had childishly agreed that whoever could last the longest would have the reserved cuddle sessions of everyone else to themselves for the next three days (they tried bargaining six, but some members—as in Sunghoon and Jungwon—were quick to refuse). It seemed like a great idea at the time, seeing as they were confident they could go at least a few hours with no contact. But they forgot to factor in the fact that they were incredibly down bad, for their equally down bad girlfriend.

“Now she’s saying she misses us,” Sunoo said as he read the most recent text, adding fuel to the flame.  “‘I know you guys are busy, but let me know if you’re okay. I miss you lots, heart emoji, heart emoji.’”

Jake groaned, causing Jay to kick him slightly in the butt as he rolled over. “This is the worst day of my life.” He held up his hand as Sunoo went to read another text. “Don’t. I’m suffering enough as it is.”

Jungwon sighed, massaging his temples while shaking his head. He normally wouldn’t even entertain the idea, despite the so-called ‘prize’; Mila would definitely fold and given him extra cuddles if he acted cute, so he didn’t need to steal from the others. The only reason he agreed was because he had a feeling that Mila might have already planned to prank him anyway, so he might as well make the best of the opportunity to get her back and to get more cuddles in the same day.

He turned to look at the eldest, who was staring at his phone so intently that there may even be a hole drilling through it soon. At least he wasn’t the only one. 

Only a few more hours, and they’d be able to put this behind them.

Or so they thought.

It was a few hours later when they arrived at their dorms to find that she was nowhere in sight. And it was then that they realised she was nowhere to be seen. All that was left of her was a note on the fridge saying, I won’t be home tonight, don’t look for me. The only thing that could describe the events that followed the discovery of the ominous note would be the gates of hell breaking loose on the dorms.

“She’s not picking up her phone,” Heeseung said panickedly, after calling her number for the fifth time.

“Or her texts,” Jungwon replied with a frown. Jaeyun and Jongseong turned up hopeless results as well, receiving not even a peep from Mila since the last text she sent, over an hour ago. It didn’t seem like anything was out of the ordinary; it was just a text letting them know that she had finished her schedule. So it only made their word even more that she had suddenly dropped off the grid with no warning other than the hastily written words on the sticky note.

“Wait!” Jongseong suddenly exclaimed. “Her manager just texted. Apparently, she dropped Mila off at the Tubatu dorms earlier on.”

The others heaved sighs of relief. “That scared me,” Sunoo said with a hand on her heart. “For a second I thought she was kidnapped and the perpetrator made her leave a note behind so we didn’t get suspicious.”

There was a moment of silence.

Riki side-eyed his hyung. “I think you just watch too many horror movies.”

Sunoo shrugged, before turning on his feet to go to the bathroom, seeing as the ordeal was sorted. It wasn’t unusual for Mila to visit the TXT dorms, considering her unnie was there a lot of the time, and it could get old being cooped up in the Enhypen dorms every day. They didn’t worry if she was with their seniors; they knew the TXT members would watch over her, if anything were to happen. They were just surprised that she didn’t seem to notice their prank on her.

“I thought she would be spamming our phones,” Riki said absently as he opened the fridge. “She usually catches on fast…”

Especially on April Fool’s Day, of all days. Mila was usually the type to figure out their odd behvaiour and call them out as soon as she noticed. The fact that they didn’t hear anything from her meant she probably was none the wiser. So maybe, they didn’t need to feel so bad about their little prank, after all… 

Still, it didn’t make it any less disappointing for some of her boyfriends who wanted to bask in her affection as soon as they got home from a tiring day of practice. Sunghoon pouted as he flopped onto the couch, zoning out into the distance since Mila wasn’t here to occupy the empty space of his thoughts with her little rambles.

“Ugh, I could use some sugar right about now,” Jaeyun said as he opened the microwave. Mila’s final text had been to let them know she put it there for when they got home. But to his surprise, there was nothing there… except another note, which said: “‘I took the cake for the Tubatu-oppas?!”” 

His voice was utterly mortified as he turned the note, as if expecting a ‘Gotcha!’ to be written on the other side. But no. The cake was indeed gone, and it seemed she really had taken it for the TXT members, even though  she said she explicitly made it for them.

“Naur way,” Jake said in disbelief. Heeseung looked over his shoulder and started to draw lines inside his mind in order to reach a conclusion.

Maybe she did know about their prank after all… He sighed as he called Kiara’s phone. As soon as she answered, he was greeted with what he could already see as an eyeroll on the other side of the phone.

“You finally called,” Kiara said. “Can you pick up your girlfriend? She’s completely insane.” Before Heeseung could ask what she meant, he heard Mila’s voice in the background saying something along the lines of, “No, I don’t wanna go home,” in her obviously drunken voice.

So yes, they might have pushed her a little too far this time…

Sunghoon and Jongseong weren’t sure what they were expecting to see when they got to the TXT dorms, but Mila crying on the couch while bundled up in a blanket burrito was somewhere near the bottom of the list of possibilities. The two friends shared a glance, which didn’t go unnoticed by Huening Kai, who had been the one to let them into the dorms in the first place. He rubbed the back of his neck while they watched Beomgyu try to entertain Mila like she was some child, only to be smacked on the back of the head by Kiara.

“Your face is only making it worse,” the older female scolded.

Yeonjun (who was standing the furthest away from the scene as possible) noticed the two Enhypen members as soon as they walked into the room and looked at them as if they were his guardian angels sent from above. “Hey, you made it! Come here, come here…” Yeonjun called to Mila over her shoulder. “Your boyfriends are here now! Why don’t you head home?”

Kiara massaged her forehead with a perplexed sigh while Jongseong and Sunghoon were practically dragged by the older male towards their crying girlfriend. Soobin simply laughed, before excusing himself, since he had to leave for a schedule. Sunghoon and Jongseong bowed to the older as he left, the member simply wishing them luck dealing with the drunken Mila.

Mila sniffled as she glared up at them. “What are you doing here?”

Yeah, okay, they probably deserved that. 

“Come on, Angel, we came to take you back home.”

Jongseong reached out slowly to take the blanket from Mila’s head, as if she were a puppy about to bite his hand off if he moved too suddenly. But before he could even graze the blanket with his fingers, Mila huffed and inched away, before lying herself down onto the couch so she looked like a caterpillar curling into a ball.

“I don’t want to.”

Sunghoon couldn’t see her face, but he definitely knew she was pouting. He would have usually found it adorable, but it was a little awkward when his noona and three seniors were watching him from the side with a slight sense of judgement for being unable to coax his own girlfriend into returning to their home with them. He cleared his throat, before shaking Mila’s lying figure.

“Come one, you’re going to bother noona and the hyungs,” he ushered gently. But he must have chosen the wrong words, because while Mila was shooting up in her seat—her eyes were watering and she hiccuped.

“Is that why you were ignoring me today?” she asked, her voice shaky. “Because I’m a bother?”

“No, no, no!” Jongseong immediately rushed in to save Sunghoon, who had frozen at the heartbroken look in Mila’s eyes, his chest constricting as if someone had crushed his heart in their palms. “That’s not it at all, Angel.”

Fuck, he thought. He should have never agreed to the prank. He was going to beat Jaeyun’s ass for managing to convince him—and then himself for ever letting himself be convinced in the first place. Jongseong clearly had the same idea, because he was instantly jumping on the first excuse that came to mind in order to save them from being target’s of their girlfriends (well-placed) disappointment.

“It was Jake’s idea!” Jongseong exclaimed. “He wanted to prank you since it’s April Fool’s Day—we tried to warn him, but he really wanted to do it… It was our fault for agreeing, but really, none of us were angry at you. It was just a really bad joke—We’re sorry, angel. Don’t be sad, okay? You can pay us back however you want?”

Mila sniffled. Her tears had been blinked away, but she still had that kicked puppy look on her face that made Sunghoon simultaneously want to wrap her up in a blanket and also run outside so he could scream to the skies. “Really?”

Jongseong and Sunghoon nodded a little too fast. Mila didn’t get to respond before Taehyun was walking into the room, smiling at the new arrivals. “Oh, you guys made it. Are you here to take Mila home?”

“No.” Jongseong almost fell over at the strong denial in Mila’s voice. “Since they ignored me all day, it’s only fair that I get to–” she hiccuped. “--to do the s-same…” She lay back down on the couch. “I’m staying here and I’m never going back.”

Good gracious, why did his girlfriend have to be so stubborn? Jongseong was on the verge of going gray because of today, and this was not helping. He sighed, not knowing what to do. Fortunately for him, Taehyun seemed to have an idea, because he was kneeling beside Mila, a gentle smile on his face.

“Hey, Mimi, want to see a trick?” Mila’s eyes brightened with curiosity as she looked at the TXT member. She nodded enthusiastically. “But if I show you, you have to agree to go back home with Sunghoon and Jongseong. Okay?”

Mila looked conflicted, before sighing and nodding. “Okay.” She then glared at Taehyun. “But it has to be a really good trick!”

Sunghoon and Jongseong exchanged looks as Taehyun nodded and patted Mila’s head gently. They didn’t want to be ungrateful, seeing as he was doing them a favour… But did it have to involve patting their girlfriend’s head? Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t the full extent of the “trick” that Taehyun had planned. Because before they could say anything, his hand had moved from the top of her head, to behind Mila’s ear, lingering there for a bit, before he pulled away to reveal a flower in his previously empty hand.

Mila gasped in wonder at the sight of the flower. “Wah! It’s so pretty!”

“Right?” Taehyung asked. He held it out to the younger female while smiling charmingly, causing alarm bells to ring in Sunghoon’s head. “Then make sure to take care of it properly, okay? At home.”

Mila nodded and reached out to grab the flower from his hand. But before he could, she was suddenly flipped upside down, thrown over Sunghoon’s should like a sack of potatoes—blanket burrito and all. “Okay, thanks, hyung! We’ll be going now.”

“Hey!” Mila kicked her legs around, but struggled since she was still wrapped in the blanket that constricted her movements. She looked at Kiara, who was watching with a flat expression while waving. “Unnie! I’m being kidnapped!”

“Sorry, Mimi, but it’s time you head home home now,” Kiara said with a wave. This prompted the others to do the same, watching with barely concealed amusement when Jongseong rushed to grab Mila’s things, before following Sunghoon out the door.

“My flower!” Mila called in protest, holding onto the door frame to stop Sunghoon from walking out with her.

“You can come back and get it tomorrow,” Taehyun suggested.

“Respectfully, but no!” Jongseong yelled in reply, before prying Mila’s hands away from the door frame. The door shut with a loud bang, and the sounds of Mila’s protests died out in the distance as they got further away.

“How do they have so much energy?” Yeonjun asked in amazement.

Beomgyu snickered. “It’s because they’re not old like you.”

By the time Mila was taken home, her boyfriends were all clamouring to her, explaining their side of the story (which, despite no negotiation, somehow all involved blaming Jaeyun for everything) while she sulked on the couch. It took a while, but in the end, they came to an agreement before Mila fully sobered.

“No more cuddles for you,” she said.

The boys shared looks, but agreed with reluctant sighs. 

Well, that was pointless.

"Now can I have my flower?" Mila asked.

Sunghoon and Jongseong were subject to five confused gazes. "Flower?"

Oh boy. The dorm (and the world) wasn't ready for the mess that would come from the Enhypen members learning magic tricks to impress their girlfriend...

TAGLIST @em1ejiee @menichoi @dracoslovergirl @rosas-in-the-garden @blossominghunnie @lovelypham @cornenhapovs @nee-issaire @jwnstars

NOTE a bit of a rushed ending but i really didn't know what else i could write so it felt approperiate to just end it there before it trailed on and got too long XD

[emojiturtledaily]

Day 200 Blog Post

Hi guys!

We've made it to day 200! Let's see if we can make it 200 more :>

Under the cut, I will give you all a few updates and news for the blog.

1: At the beginning of the month, I started a Daily Turtle Twitter! My Twitter handle is @EmojiTurtleADay

It hasn't gained much traction yet because Twitter really isn't the best website, but it has a usable queueing system, unlike Instagram. However, if you use Twitter and want to double your daily intake of turtle, have at it!

2: Starting now, more than half of the turtles being posted going forward are planned to be handcrafted! The plan is to post handcrafted turtles on days ending in 0,1,3,5,6, and 8. I know I'm soon going to run out of the pre-made Google turtles, at that point the blog will be posting 100% handcrafted turtles.

3: Just a reminder that I have a Ko-Fi and Patreon! Thank you guys who have donated on Ko-Fi over the last couple months, it has been greatly appreciated.

I do post fairly actively on Patreon as well, despite not having any patrons yet. If you join, you'll get a nice little back log of rambling from me, and get to see turtles that I make nearly as soon as I make them. Once I have at least one patron, I'm also planning to privately steam my turtle creation process.

4: Going forward, I am planning to start linking my Ko-Fi and Patreon on my handcrafted posts. Let me know if you have any formatting suggestions when I start including them.

5: A few people have asked me about using the turtle for various things such as profile pics and discord emojis. I am all for it; enjoy and spread the turtle! My biggest request is to at least credit me if you are using one of the handcrafted ones. Donations are greatly appreciated as well. If it's one of the pre-made, non-handcrafted turtles, those are free game, since they are ones made by Google Emoji Kitchen.

Thank you all again for your support and I love seeing y'all enjoy the turtle! Have a good weekend!

[fanartsarahtregay]

The Boys in Quarentine

Jamie on his own:

He probably wouldn't do well

He's a people person and isn't used to not seeing and talking to people every day

To fill the quiet, he plays music at all times- from his phone, laptop, on Spotify, iTunes, you name it

He also send Mason sooo many texts and he calls him a lot as well

That, or they Facetime for the entire day

No, that's not an exaggeration

If he were going for his graduate degree, he'd hate having online Zoom classes and there'd be a 50/50 chance he'd either get distracted by things in the room around him or get so absorbed in the class that it would be over in a second

If he got a job as a graphic designer, he'd adapt to working from home fairly quickly

With all his free-trapped-at-home time, he experiments with different art mediums to see what else he likes, what other techniques could help him achieve what he wants for projects, etc

The only problem

He sometimes gets hyper-focused on the new projects and will spend hours on it, completely forgetting about everything else

Yes, even food

Mason has learned the signs of days like this and is the only one who's able to snap Jamie out of it

It takes two phone calls going to voicemail before Jamie even hears it, and he answers on the third

When Mason doesn't get a text from Jamie in over 3 hours, he knows he's focused on his art, and he calls to make sure Jamie stops for water and food

Sometimes these calls take place at 11 or 12 at night when Jamie last ate at 1 or 2

With those calls, Mason's sad and worried expression always has Jamie stopping to eat, no matter how invested he was on the project

Overall, Jamie misses Mason like crazy and always says he can't wait to see him in person again

As soon as they're back together, Jamie bear hugs Mason and doesn't let go for at least five minutes

Mason on his own:

He would be fine

He's not big on interacting with people face to face, so being home all the time wouldn't affect him as much as it would Jamie

What gets to him most is not being able to go outside where he can walk around in the sun and fresh air

Unless he has a balcony, in which case he would spend most of his time on it

If he were in school for his graduate degree, he'd occupy himself with schoolwork and personal reading

His carefully organized layout slowly spreads to take up more and more of his apartment until work can be found in every single room

If he wasn't in school, the job he has wouldn't be able to be done at home, leaving him with hours of nothing to do for once in his life

Jamie's non-stop texts do help him fill his uneventful days

The biggest difference between before and after quarantine is his books

His shelves would fill quickly as he orders in new books to read

It's when he gets into the book he's reading that time passes quickly, and it's usually on those days that Jamie doesn't eat without Mason's attention to keep him tethered

Mason also orders puzzles online for him to stimulate his brain to keep himself from turning into a couch potato, but also because he likes the challenge

While he doesn't become a couch potato, Mason does beat every game he has, maxing out his high scores to unreasonable heights

With his time not sitting for games or reading, he tries to stay as active as possible

He can't go to the gym when it's closed, so he sets up a workout station in his living room

It has a lot of natural light from the windows and he likes the breeze when they're open

One thing he likes about working out from home is being close to his kitchen, where he can make smoothies and protein shakes

He also cooks more and starts baking

With every dish, he sends a picture to Jamie to comment on, most of which are drooling emojis and 'I WANT' texts

Not to brag, but he becomes a pretty good chef and once he and Jamie can hang out again, Jamie has him cook for him most days

The boys together:

Non. Stop. Cuddling.

Jamie's constantly draping himself over Mason, wallowing about not being allowed outside while Mason hugs him and kisses his cheeks

Jamie works on his art projects- either on his own or for his job- and shows them all to Mason for his appreciation and validation

Other mini projects that he does just 'for fun' he gives to Mason

Those conversations are usually just Jamie saying, "Here, I made this. It's yours now."

Jamie also talks Mason's ear off when they're in the same room

He can't help it

With no one else to see or talk to, Mason receives the brunt of Jamie's thoughts and ideas

That's okay because Jamie also gets talked at by Mason

Also because they love each other and love listening to the other talk about anything

They've gotten into the habit of stopping any and everything as soon as the other says, "Kiss?"

From there it ranges from quick kisses to full on make-out sessions

They rarely fight, but when they do, it's about something petty and small and they've made up before an hour is up

Usually it's about what to get from the designated weekly grocery runs

They take turns leaving the apartment and typically have a different set of lists

Jamie likes more snacks and treats to have throughout the day and wants cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc from the store while Mason insists they need full, flavoured meals like enchiladas and lasagne

They always compromise and get the other what he wants even after saying he won't

The way Jamie perks up when Mason pulls a box of Drumsticks from the grocery bag makes up for the argument they had before he left

And even though Jamie doesn't understand why Mason likes making different types of bread- a process he considers to be too long and boring- he still loves watching the little, satisfied smile Mason gets whenever he pulls his newest creation from the oven

[profoundnet]

Header by @cryptomoon and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis (and more!) on our Discord server!

The masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in their entirety during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR JUNE 2020!

Featuring works by @blueraven06, @castielslostwings, @delo0821, galium, @goldenraeofsun, @imbiowaresbitch, @jemariel, @masterofevilmonkeyness, @multifandom-fanatic, ravens_tell_stories, @saywhatjessie, @shadowkat-83, shikaro, @spnsmile, tiamatv, @thefandomsinhalor, @vulfmert, and @wookieefucker under the cut.

Redamber79 - @imbiowaresbitch - Redamber79

Free Hugs (E, 2.6k)

Castiel is moving into his dorm for his first year when his older brother Gabriel trips him into the arms of a half-naked hunk holding a sign reading FREE HUGS. Then Cas meets his roommate...

Tags: No Archive Warnings apply, meet-cute, explicit, roommate AU

The Fall of Castiel (E, 5.8k)

Another fight, Castiel's blue eyes flashing as he pinned Dean to a wall for his stubborn refusal to accept his role. A desperate attempt to convince the angel to join Team Free Will. Dean could never have anticipated how well it would work.

Tags: no archive warnings, explicit, canon-adjacent, wing king, grace powered orgasms, claiming, confessions

“Yes, Sir.” (E, 3.8k)

Dean's earned himself a spanking, but keeps losing the count. Cas decides it's time to up the ante for his punishment.

Tags: no archive warnings apply, bdsm, explicit, safe sane consensual, safewords, top cas/bottom dean

Pizza Man (E, 3.4k)

Dean and Castiel are roommates in their third year of college. Cas frantically shows his best friend a horrible typo on the latest ad for the pizza place where he works, just knowing it's going to ruin his night.

Tags: no archive warnings apply, roommates au, explicit, PWP

Grow For Me (E, 20k)

Dean is desperate for a housemate after Charlie moves out. After interviewing several potential tenants with near disastrous results, he meets Cas. Can the lawyer with the strange habit of talking to plants fit into Dean's life?

Tags: no archive warnings apply, omegaverse, POV Dean, explicit, Roommate AU, Complete, Happy Ending, mating cycles/in heat

FriendofCarlotta - @delo0821 - FriendofCarlotta

Adventures in Demon Summoning (E, 10k)

When Dean's friends get high and decide to summon a demon, it seems like a monumentally bad idea. Of course, even Dean couldn't have guessed that the whole thing would land him with a grumpy, sarcastic angel who seems dead-set on following him around.

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Time, Meet-Cute, Soft Boys

JessJesstheBest - @saywhatjessie - JessJesstheBest

Five Times Dean felt Out Of His Depth and One Time He Definitely Was (G, 10k)

It was with a sore shin and a broken model P-51D Mustang that Dean began to consider he wasn’t quite ready to be a foster parent. Or it's exactly what is says in the title.

Tags: Human AU, Fluff, Parenthood, foster parent au, Established Relationship, 5+1 Things

castielslostwings - @castielslostwings - Castielslostwings

Fire and Ice (E, 165k)

Firefighter Dean Winchester has somehow tumbled headfirst into a whole new kind of relationship with his quirky paramedic best friend, Castiel Novak. What was only meant to be mutual relief from their high-stress jobs is quickly developing into something more, but with all the missed signals and crossed wires, can these two ever figure out that they're so much closer to being on the same page than they think?

Tags: Firefighter Dean, Paramedic Castiel, Dom Castiel, Sub Dean, Friends to lovers, mutual pining, angst with a happy ending, BDSM, all the sex.

multifandom-fanatic - @multifandom-fanatic - multifandom_fanatic

We Can’t Keep This Undercover (T, 5k)

Cas and Dean have been dating for a month, but Sam is clueless, despite the fact that they haven't been hiding that they're together. Or so they thought. After reflecting on Sam's obliviousness, Dean deviously suggests he and Cas try to be as obvious as possible to see how long it’ll take for Sam to realize. Cue Dean and Cas' escalating attempts to prove they're together, and Sam mistaking every scenario until Dean just can't take it anymore.

Tags: Oblivious Sam Winchester, Clueless Sam Winchester, Fluff, Feels, Teasing, Idiots in Love, Sneaky, Flirting, Domestic Fluff, Plotting

Put a Ring on It (T, 3.2k)

After non-stop researching, Cas is in the Bunker's kitchen making Dean lunch with the radio on when he hears Single Ladies by Beyoncé. Suddenly he's stuck by the lyrics and realizes just how much he loves Dean and therefore needs to put a ring on him. Cas goes out and buys a ring, and a week later he proposes to Dean in the library of the Bunker. Will Dean say yes?

Tags: Marriage Proposal, Proposal, Engagement, Castiel Proposes Marriage to Dean Winchester, Inspired by Beyoncé, Crack, Song: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Romantic Fluff, Love, Fluff

galium - galium

scents & sensibility (M, 5.7k)

There are three things Dean knows about betas: (1) Betas are boring. (2) Betas can be passive. (3) Betas have a mediocre sense of smell (well, unless you're Cas).

Tags: AU, A/B/O

ravens_tell_stories - ravens_tell_stories

i’d rather drown (E, 3.7k)

Was there anything weird that you noticed?” “Weird? Other than the fact that I could see you while you were several states away?” “Yes, Dean,” Cas sounds impatient now, which is never a good sign. “Weirder than normal.” Dean tilts his head, weighing his options, then sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, I, uh… I could see your wings.” ~~ wing!kink destiel oneshot.

Tags: No archive warnings apply, smut and a little fluff, pwp, handjobs, set season 8

Jemariel - @jemariel - jemariel

Cas is a Tummy Sleeper (T, <1k)

A short fluffy ficlet. Cas is sleepy and snuggly. Dean is smitten. Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

Tags: Cuddles, bedsharing, human!Cas, fluff

MasterOfEvilMonkeyness - @masterofevilmonkeyness

“Ah yes. Me. My brother. And his Angel who sneaks in his bed when they think I’m asleep” (SFW)

Art created for Meme about Sam, Dean and Cas.

Vulfmert - @vulfmert

Ghost Road (SFW)

Art created for the fic Ghost Road by Kris-Kenobi in the Bottom Dean Big Bang and it’s lovely.

Tags: Michigan, Canon Compliant, Human!Cas, Only One Bed, Case Fic, Post Series. Collaboration with fic by Kris-Kenobi.

spnsmile - @spnsmile - spnsmile

Undercover in the Bunker (M, 3.5k)

Castiel invites an angel to the Bunker to 'observe' the Winchesters in order to change Heaven's view about his charge, only to end up making Dean just a little miserable and himself a little jealous.

Tags: Domestics,  Castiel in the Bunker

Devastatingly Yours (G, 3.9k)

When almost everyone—demons included— all but told Dean that his angel is the hottest, most devastatingly handsome angel in the face of the seven seas, he not only believed them, he’s secretly and most exclusively Cas’ number one fan. So when the angel is recruited as a model in the middle of a case, what is Dean to do?

Tags: Established relationships, domestic, fluff

Saved by a Stranger (E, 43k)

Rule One: Never change the deal. Rule Two: No names. Rule Three: Never look in the package. Ex-Special Forces operator, Alpha Castiel Novak adheres three strict sets of rules, which he never breaks as a mercenary "transporter" who moves goods—human or otherwise— from one place to another. No questions asked. Until his new delivery contains a deal-breaker pretty face hot-headed Omega—who turns out to be his true mate— Castiel knows rules have to be changed especially with a dangerous group intent to get their hands on his Omega. Castiel wants to see them try. Destiel x The Transporter AU

Tags: Non-con,  Graphic Depiction of violence

The Room Service (E, 39k)

‘Hands off, Pants on!’

Dean Winchester has groomed himself to be a professional room service staff providing hotel guests with all the necessities they need while catering to all mundane whims and complaints except one: keep hands off the staff. Until a mysterious blue-eyed guy enters the 7th heaven floor and shakes Dean’s steamy dreams. And after saving Dean from one dangerous stalker, it seems like the restriction is practically flying off the window for his grumpy blue-eyed hero.

Hotel x Destiel AU

Tags: Romance,  Fluff,  First meeting,  Jealousy,

Baby Plushie (G, 1.1k)

A Baby. Who says Dean doesn't need it?

Tags: Romance,  Fluff. Inspired by art by @gabester-sketch.

Shadowkat83 - @shadowkat-83 - Shadowkat83

Better Than I Know Myself (T, 1.1k)

He had to make a choice; he didn't want to. The choice was between the two people he cared about the most: Cas and Sam. They both knew him so well but on different levels. How could he possibly go through with this?

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Songfic, Fluff, Love, Confessions, Mutual Pining, Ambiguous/Open Ending

Shikaro - shikaro

Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome (E, 1.5k)

the one where Dean comes untouched for the first time

or the one where they meet at a bar

Tags: PWP

blueraven06 - @blueraven06 - blueraven06

College days (G, 1.2k)

It's Castiel's first day of college and he is already late.

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University

goldenraeofsun - @goldenraeofsun - goldenraeofsun

Magic Quarantine Ride (M, 1k)

“Cas,” Dean growls as he stalks past the hospital's general information desk. “What the hell are you doing here, you psycho? Go home - where it’s safe!” Cas whirls around. “You forgot this,” he says hurriedly as he rushes forward with the necklace he made for Dean. “I told you, it will provide protection.” He waves it in the air like a crazy person trying to ward off demons. “You are insane,” Dean says flatly.

Tags: They were quarantined, witch!cas, college nurse!dean, fluff and angst, mentions of COVID-19, mutual pining, emotional hurt/comfort, discussions of PTSD

thefandomsinhalor - @thefandomsinhalor - thefandomsinhalor

A Driver Worth His Salt (E, 68k)

Twenty-year-old Dean Winchester hates fixing up stolen cars on the side for Gordon Walker. But with his grandfather’s dry-cleaning business slowly dying, medical bills piling up, and his younger brother Sam abandoning the prospect of attending college because of their grim situation, Dean convinces himself that it isn’t as reckless as it seems.

When everything goes belly up, leaving him in a troubling position with the wrong people, a representative of the Garrisons, the city’s most powerful and notorious family, offers Dean to help him with his situation in exchange for his employment.

The job is simple: drive the passenger a few times a week to yet-undisclosed locations and return with said passenger without fail. Don’t ask questions. Be on time. Be discreet.

And never interact with each other outside of work.

Shady, but simple.

So, he accepts.

But once he meets the passenger in question—the sharply dressed and rough-looking Castiel Novak—Dean finds that abiding those rules may be more complicated than he had anticipated.

Tags: Graphic Depiction of Violence, Alternate Universe - Modern Settings, Crimes & Crimes & Criminals, BAMF Castiel, Slow Burn, Hurt Sam Winchester, Trauma

wookieefucker - @wookieefucker - wookieefucker

The Eye of the Storm (T, 8.5k)

“Only fifteen miles to the highway,” Dean said cheerfully, reading from a sign on the side of the path. Bobby groaned loudly. “Shoulda known I’d get my body back only to put it through its paces right away.” Amara left with Chuck, promising that she was going to give Dean what he needed. Maybe what he needed was different than her first impulse.

Tags: eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester, season 12 AU, canon AU, canon-typical violence

tiamatv - tiamatv

Spicier Ginger (G, 4k)

Kevin held out a flat piece of dough and spooned in a teaspoon of pork mixture. “You can’t put too much in them or leave any air bubbles inside," he explained, folding up the dumpling. "‘Cause they’ll explode.” “So kind of like packing shotgun shells,” Dean joked. “Uh, yeah. Sure, Dean,” Kevin agreed, very dubiously. “Sure.”

Tags: Cooking, Domesticity, Kevin Tran Lives!, Winchester Family Fluff

To Sleep, Perchance (T, 3.4k)

Dean wasn’t used to good dreams. But he was used to taking what he could get—so when he dreamed of a lean, compact body pressed against his back, an arm heavy over his waist, he settled into it, hazy and comfortable.

Tags: Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon Compliant, Dreams vs Reality, Mark of Cain

Ephelis (E, 1.8k)

“I think someone has sent me a picture of their genitals.” Castiel looked down at his phone. “Erect.”

Tags: AU-Canon Divergence, Dick Pics, Plot What Plot, Fluff and Crack, Season/Series 09

Phaleonopsis (E, 4.8k)

“Here, let me.” Cas’s long fingers plucked away a dead leaf from a calathea, and Dean watched helplessly as Cas rubbed the bare spot where the leaf had come away with a fingertip. “See? Isn’t it nice to let someone touch you now and again?” “Goddammit, Cas ain’t the creep, I’m the creep,” Dean muttered, and put his head down on the desk.

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gardening, Roommates, Fluff And Smut, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean

(Atypical) Love Story (E, 13.k)

“Are you… scenting me?” the man in an oversized beige trench coat asked, suspiciously, in a deep gravel voice that ran down Dean’s spine. "Why? I really don't smell like much." Dean’s mouth sagged open. “Dude,” he answered, honestly, “You smell amazing.” He’d never seen anyone look so shocked at a compliment before. “O-oh.”

Tags: Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics; Scenting; Top/Bottom Versatile Dean/Castiel; Alpha Dean/Omega Castiel; Enthusiastic Consent

Pigment (G, 1.6k)

Dean wasn’t ashamed of what he was doing or anything. He didn’t think he had any reason to be, hell. So what if he liked to spend a little of his downtime just putting little blobs of paint inside neat little lines?

Tags: Canon Compliant, Hobbies, Painting, Fluff

[lastbluetardis]

Chemical Potential (8/11)

Summary: Slightly homesick and stressed about her abysmal chemistry grade, Rose Tyler meets quirky James Smith, the boy who sits in front of her in their chemistry class. They become fast friends as James makes it his personal mission to help Rose get through the semester.

Ten x Rose University AU

This chapter: ~5200 words, teen

Notes: This was written for the lovely @thegreenfairy13 as part of the @dwsecretsanta gift exchange. Also tagging @doctorroseprompts.

I foresee about two or three more chapters after this one.

AO3 | Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | epilogue

“Hey Mick! Come on in!”

Rose moved back and let her oldest friend step through the threshold into her flat. He was in town for a conference, and had promised to stop by for a visit before flying back to New York.

The scent of grease, cheese, and bread wafted from the large cardboard box in his hands, making her stomach gurgle hungrily.

“Make yourself comfy,” she said, taking the pizza box from him to set on her cluttered kitchen table. “S’cuse the mess.”

Rose grabbed plates from her cabinet, then opened her fridge for two bottles of beer. After she and Mickey plated their pizza, they sank onto her couch.

“How have you been, babe?” he asked, knocking his knee against hers. “How are you enjoying America?”

“I’m good,” Rose answered. She took a bite of pizza but winced when the hot cheese and sauce scalded the roof of her mouth. “America is fine, I suppose. Different from London, but I like it.”

“And school?” he prompted.

“It’s… okay,” she said carefully. “I’m taking a chemistry class. Stupidest decision of my life. I’m rubbish at it. But my other classes are all right, I s’pose. I’ve only got one art class. Well, I mean, I’m also in an art history class, but I don’t particularly count that. My art class is a painting class, which isn’t really my specialty, but I like it well enough.”

“What have you been working on?” Mickey said, slouching back against the sofa. He took a lazy swig from his beer, then used the bottle to point to Rose’s opened but sleeping laptop which was perched atop various loose papers and her sketchpad.

“I was touching up a few photos before you arrived,” she answered vaguely.

“Can I see?”

Rose bit her lip. Mickey had always supported her art. While she knew he thought it was a difficult career path to try to follow, he’d never voiced his doubts aloud. He was always game for taking a look at her work, especially if she was trying a new technique.

But she knew that James would be the only thing he’d see on her computer screen. The two of them had gone on a walk during a sudden snow squall a few days ago, and Rose had taken photos of him and the two of them walking around the snowy campus. The snow hadn’t lasted longer than a day, but it had been beautiful as it came down.

“Oh, come on,” Mickey goaded. “You’ve never been shy before.”

“Shut up,” Rose said lightly, smacking his thigh.

“Were you working with a nude model?” he teased.

“Shut up!” she said again, laughing. “No, I haven’t worked with a nude model.” She gave him a sly smile. “That’s not ‘til I get to the advanced courses.”

“Well then, lemme see,” he said.

Rose bit back a sigh and stood up to grab her laptop. She woke it up, logged in, then pulled up the photos she’d been touching up. The first one made her heart squeeze. James had his head tilted back, his eyes squeezed shut, and his mouth wide open as he caught snowflakes on his tongue. It was a close-up shot; bits of snow clung to his lashes and she could easily see the smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose. He was utterly beautiful.

The next photo was of James crouching beside a mini-snowman he’d made. It had taken him ten minutes to scrape up enough snow to build the six-inch-tall snowman. Nevertheless, he was beaming proudly as he squatted beside his creation.

“And who’s this?” Mickey asked, raising an eyebrow at her when he realized her subject was the same man.

Her cheeks burned as she muttered, “James.”

“And who’s James?”

“Nobody,” she lied. “A kid in my chemistry class. He’s helping me study.”

Mickey stifled his grin around a swig of beer. “Uh huh. Sure babe. ‘Cos study buddies definitely go on snowy walks together.”

Rose’s face was on fire, but she couldn’t quite get the denial out. She knew she and James were more than friends. Well. She felt more than friendship towards him. But she still didn’t know where he stood, or what he thought or felt about her.

The buzzing of her phone gave her the distraction she desperately desired. It vibrated again, then again. The texts came through in rapid-fire succession that immediately told her it was James. It was endearing that he sent a series of back-to-back texts rather than one long message.

A smile crossed her lips when she saw his name on her phone, then she read his texts and her smile grew after each one.

Hey! Hope you’re having fun with your mate. Sorry if I’m interrupting. Ignore me ‘til you’re free, if you want.

But I’ve got a question. Well. An invitation. Thanksgiving is the week after next.

I know you’re not American and probably don’t give two shits. But still, when in Rome, y’know.

Anyway, I was gonna have a few mates ‘round my place for dinner. Mates who live far enough away that they aren’t going home for the break.

Turkey and potatoes and stuffing and veggies and pie. Basically it’s Christmas, Part One. Gluttonous Americans.

Oh, the dessert-y pie btw.

There’s gonna be loads of food.

What d’you say Rose Tyler?

“Is that him then?”

Rose jolted, then her cheeks flamed. She’d forgotten she wasn’t alone, and she was painfully aware that she had the daftest grin on her face.

“Maybe,” she said. She grabbed her bottle of beer and took a long pull from it, hoping the motion would help get rid of her smile.

“What’d he want?”

“To invite me to Thanksgiving dinner in two weeks,” she said. Mickey waggled his eyebrows, and she reached over and pinched his arm. “He invited several people, Micks.”

She turned back to her phone and typed, “That sounds great! Count me in!”

Woohoo!!

Then he sent three grinning emojis and three thumbs-up. She smiled and sent back, “Can’t wait! I’m excited to see what the hype is all about.”

“You really love him, don’t you?”

Rose whipped her head around to face her friend, who was watching her closer than she was comfortable with.

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” she mumbled, but her voice was thin. “We’re just mates.”

But Mickey was looking at her dubiously, and Rose didn’t bother to deny it again.

“Have you told him?”

“Course not,” she scoffed.

“How come?”

“Because what if he doesn’t feel the same way? Or what if he turns out to be another Jimmy?” That was her biggest fear. She was already so in love with James, even more than she’d been with Jimmy. It was exhilarating and terrifying. The stakes seemed much greater this time, and she knew that if things went badly with James, it would hurt even worse than last time.

“Has he given any indication that he’s a lying, cheating wanker?”

“Well, no, but neither did Jimmy at first,” Rose argued. But she couldn’t picture James becoming like Jimmy. She was sure there were warning signs with Jimmy, but her stupid teenaged self had been too besotted and naive to see them. She knew better now, and yet James wasn’t showing any signs of being anything other than his adorable, goofy, kind, lovable self.

“Are you gonna go through life assuming the worst about people?” Mickey asked carefully. “That’s not the Rose Tyler I knew.”

“You knew the Rose Tyler who didn’t have her heart broken,” she sighed.

Mickey gave her an appraising look. “You’ve got it bad,” he said softly. “For someone who’s insisting you’re ‘just friends’.”

Rose sighed as she began gnawing at her thumb cuticle.

“Maybe a bit,” she admitted. “He’s just… he’s amazing, Mick.”

“Then why haven’t you snogged him yet?” Mickey asked.

“We’ve gone over this,” Rose huffed. “Jimmy sort of put a sour taste in my mouth regarding relationships.”

“That son of a bitch wins if you let yourself be miserable and alone. Do you really want to be moping about that wanker when he’s out there shagging that bimbo he left you for?” Rose winced. “Sorry, babe. But you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. And no, I don’t. I’m not miserable, Mickey. And I’m not lonely.” She hissed as she bit her cuticle down too far and it began to bleed. “I just… what if it doesn’t work? Or what if he’s not attracted to me and things get awkward. He’s my best mate. Apart from you, of course,” she added hastily when Mickey let out a grunt of protest. “I love being around him, and I love our friendship. I don’t want that to go away.”

“Have you ever considered the idea that he’s as in love with you as you are with him?” Mickey asked.

“I… no, not really. Because that means getting my hopes up.”

“What wrong with that?” Mickey shrugged. “Rose, I know you’re scared of being hurt again. I know. But think about what you might be losing. Eh? What if you’re both in love with each other and are perfect together? Remember how happy you were with Jimmy in the beginning? Imagine that, but deeper. And forever.”

“Being with Martha has made you soft,” Rose teased, even as a lump lodged itself in her throat.

“Oi, don’t knock it,” Mickey said, jabbing his elbow into her ribs. “Being in love is the best thing that’s happened to me. I want that for you, too, Rose. I want to see you happy.”

“I am happy,” she stressed.

“I want to see you happier,” he amended.

Rose loosed a long, low breath. “I never thought I’d see the day when Mickey Smith gave me dating advice.”

Mickey chuckled, but sensed that Rose was done with the conversation, and stood up for another beer.

He stayed for another few hours before calling a taxi to take him back to his hotel room.

Even after Mickey had long gone, his parting piece of advice still rang in her head. Instead of imagining the worst-case scenario, imagine the best.

oOoOo

Rose was eager to go to her chemistry lecture on Monday morning. She hadn’t talked with James much over the weekend, between hanging out with Mickey and working a ten-hour shift at the grocery store on Sunday.

But when she sat down for class, James was nowhere to be found. He didn’t stroll in at the last minute, like he sometimes did, and when she checked her phone after the period was over, there were no texts from him letting her know he wouldn’t be in.

She headed to the library to pass the time until her noontime class, and when she sank into a plush sofa, she pulled out her phone and sent James a message.

“I hope everything’s all right.”

She spent the next fifteen minutes opening and closing various apps, waiting anxiously for James to reply. It wasn’t like him to go suddenly silent.

Yeah. Fine. Why?

She exhaled with relief.

“You weren’t in class today.”

Am I not allowed to skip class just because I feel like it? I didn’t realize I needed your permission. Or to check in with you.

Rose started, then her chest caved at his un-James-like rudeness.

“Of course you can. Sorry. Didn’t mean to nag.”

Tears burned behind her lids and she pressed her palms to them. The last thing she wanted to do was break down in the library. But she was self-conscious and upset by James’s behavior.

Towards the end of their ill-fated relationship, Jimmy had used to tell her to stop nagging him. That she was being paranoid and suffocating him. That she shouldn’t have been surprised he found another girl who was more trusting and less paranoid.

Her phone buzzed on her thigh.

No, I’m sorry. I’m being rude. Really. I’m sorry. I appreciate you checking in. For all you knew, I was dead in a ditch. I’m sorry.

Rose sniffled and wiped her stinging nose against her sleeve.

“If I’m being overbearing, please tell me,” she said, even though it would hurt if James asked for distance from her.

You’re not. I promise.

I’m just. Not feeling well.

“Sick?”

No. Emotionally. Having a shit day.

I’m actually gonna go back to bed now.

I’ll see you Wednesday.

Sorry I was an arse.

Rose frowned at her phone, but didn’t reply.

She was worried about him for the rest of the day. He must be having a truly awful day if he skipped school. Sure, she’d seen him on the days when he was short-tempered or sullen, but he was always pleasant and polite with her, even if he was sometimes quiet and withdrawn. And she’d always managed to make him smile on those days.

But this seemed different. She didn’t know why, but she felt it deep in her gut.

Finally, she was done with classes for the day, glad that Monday was her early day. At two in the afternoon, Rose stood at the bus stop, but rather than catch the bus to her apartment, she instead rode it to the stop near the grocery store. She had a list running in her head, and it was a quick trip in for the ingredients to make her Nan’s old homemade chicken noodle soup. As a little girl, that had always been one of her favorite meals, and as she grew older, Rose often made it as a comfort food.

While James wasn’t physically ill, she hoped the soup would cheer him up even a tiny bit. Or at the very least, it would be a quick meal for him if he wasn’t in the mood to do any cooking.

For the next two hours, Rose slaved over an enormous pot of boiling chicken, adding seasonings and chopped vegetables and lastly noodles to the pot. Her flat was filled with the scent of the cooking soup, and it made an ache of nostalgia ping in her chest.

The soup was eventually ready, and Rose ladled half of it into a different pot. Then she called for an Uber and made her way to James’s house.

She argued with herself for the entire ride. Was she crossing some sort of boundary? Would he be annoyed that she showed up? Would he think it was weird? Would he think it was overbearing and suffocating, no matter what he’d said earlier?

Her heart thudded rapidly against her ribs as the driver pulled into James’s development. Well, there was nothing to do but go for it. At the very least, she’d drop off the soup then go back home.

“This house here?” the driver asked.

“Yeah. Could you wait for a few minutes? I’m dropping off food for a friend. I dunno if he’s even home or anything.”

Even though Rose could plainly see James’s car in his driveway.

“Sure thing.”

Rose clambered out of the back of the car, vat of soup in her arms, then she walked to the front door. Her hands were full, so she pressed the doorbell with her elbow.

Long seconds passed, and Rose was about to try the bell again when the door opened. James looked awful. His hair was unkempt, his eyes were red and glassy, and he was still in his pajamas.

“Rose?” he asked, his voice hoarse. He blinked rapidly a few times, as though he didn’t believe it was actually her standing there.

“Er, hi. I- I just wanted to check that you were okay.” Then she raised her arms a little, showing him the pot in her hands. “I made soup. If you want.”

“Yeah. Thanks. Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Rose frowned. “It’s nearly six o’clock.”

He shrugged.

“Are you… all right?”

He shrugged again.

“Do you want to be alone?” she asked quietly.

“Why would anyone want to be alone?” he asked bitterly. She’d never heard him use that tone before, and the combination of anger and agony made her stomach twist into knots. She wanted to drop the soup and take James into her arms until that haunted look left his face.

“I meant… do you want me to come in and hang out for a while?”

“You don’t have to,” he said wearily, rubbing his fingertips into his eyes. “I’m not going to be good company.”

“You don’t need to be,” she said. “We can sit on the couch in complete silence if you’d like. I’m actually here to see your cats, anyway.”

The tiniest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah. Okay.”

She grinned. “Kay.”

Rose turned towards the idling driver and balanced the pot of soup on one hip to free up a hand. She waved him off, and he raised his hand in recognition before pulling away. She then turned back towards James and followed him into his house.

“Hi, Pip,” Rose said as the tabby zoomed straight into her legs. Pippin chirped and wove between her feet, nearly tripping her as she walked to the kitchen. “I’m gonna start heating this up, if that’s all right? It shouldn’t take long. I just made it so it’s still warm.”

James nodded and followed her as she set the pot of chicken soup on the stovetop and turned on the burner.

“We’ll let that heat through, then we’ll eat,” she said, more to fill the silence between them than anything.

With the soup beginning to warm up, Rose had nothing else to keep her attention. She turned and rested her bum against the counter and looked at James.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

James had mirrored her position and was intently watching little tufts of steam rise from the pot.

“Today’s the day my parents died,” he said, his voice flat and toneless. “It’s always a hard day. Usually my aunt comes by, but she couldn’t get the time off this year.”

“Oh, James.”

“Don’t,” he bit out. “Just… don’t.”

Rose tried not to let her hurt show on her face.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pajama bottoms as he scuffed his socked toes across the floor.

Rose tentatively stepped up to him, and she reached out to touch his arm. The muscles of his forearm stiffened, but she kept her hand on his skin and rubbed her thumb through the fine hairs on his arm. After a moment, his muscles loosened.

She leaned back against the counter and moved her hand to link her arm through his. She hugged it to her chest and rested her head on his shoulder.

He sighed, then rested his head atop hers.

“It’s been nine years,” James murmured. “And I’m still… so angry. I’m furious with them. Both of them. Why did my mum have to bother with our stupid dogs? Eh? And why did my dad go back in? Why did he just… leave me? He left me outside. He left me alone.”

James’s voice broke, and so did Rose’s heart. Her eyes burned, but she squeezed them shut, forcing her tears back.

“Why did they leave me?”

Rose shuffled until she was standing in front of him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She lifted onto her tiptoes until she could set her chin on his shoulder. His cheek scraped across hers, then his ear pressed into her cheek as he hugged her back tightly. He was trembling slightly, and Rose stroked his back in what she hoped was a soothing manner.

“I’m so sorry, James,” she whispered. “So sorry.”

He didn’t say anything, but he tightened his arms around her.

Rose didn’t say anything more, nor did she drop her arms from around James. She’d hold him for as long as he needed it.

Eventually, he gave her a single squeeze then straightened. Taking his cue, she dropped her arms and took a step back.

His eyes were red-rimmed, but she pretended to not notice. She gave him a tentative, tight-lipped smile, which he returned before he turned away from her to find a tissue. As he blew his nose, Rose went to the stove and stuck a ladle into the pot of soup to stir it.

“I think it’s done. Want some?”

“Yes please,” he said, his voice somewhat raspy. He cleared it. “I’m starved and it smells amazing.”

“Bowls?” she asked, gesturing to his cabinets.

She skated to the one he pointed to, and she grabbed two bowls for them, and scooped soup into it. She then grabbed spoons and walked to the dining table.

“Pippin,” Rose sighed when the tabby leaped gracefully onto the table and lifted himself onto his back legs to try to see what was in her hands. “You’re gonna burn your little nose.”

James lifted his cat into his arms. Pippin nuzzled into James’s chest, but then began to cry when he realized James was walking him out of the kitchen. Rose giggled at the pathetic cat while she set the bowls onto the table and slid into a seat.

“The idiot acts as though I never feed him,” James grumbled when he walked back into the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? Water? Wine? Beer? Other?”

“Water’s fine,” Rose answered. “Thanks.”

James grunted in acknowledgement, then passed her her beverage and sat in the chair opposite her.

They slurped at their soup, and apart from James complimenting the meal, he didn’t say anything. The silence was only somewhat uncomfortable, but Rose didn’t want to force him to make conversation if he didn’t feel like it. So she simply stared at her own bowl, pushing the contents around after each bite.

Rose was pleased when James ladled himself a second albeit smaller helping. He finished the entire thing, then cleared their dishes and stacked them into the empty sink. That task done, he turned to her and stared intently at her for a few uncomfortable seconds.

“Why are you here?”

Rose frowned.

James’s eyes widened. “I mean, obviously I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made today as bearable as it can be. But… why?”

Her face softened. Because I’m in love with you. I’m in love with you, and my God, my heart is breaking for you today and I can’t bear the thought of you being upset or lonely.

His gaze was on her, expectant, as she swallowed down the words she wished she could say.

“Because you’re my friend. You’re my best friend,” she modified. “And it hurts me to see you hurting. And I know I can’t erase all the pain you’re feeling, but the least I can do is be here so you’re not alone.”

James’s expression was unreadable and his eyes were glassy. But he blinked and they cleared, but the unidentifiable gentleness remained on his face.

“Thank you,” he murmured. “You’re… I…” He clicked his teeth shut, then ran his hand through his limp hair. “Do you want to watch a movie or something? Or do you need to be getting home?”

“I can stay,” Rose said immediately. While she had a stack of work to do, she knew it would be there for her tomorrow.

Rose followed James into the living room, and she lowered herself onto the couch beside him as he turned on his television and opened the Netflix app.

“Find something for us to watch,” he said, giving her the remote. “I’m gonna free Pip from his prison.”

Rose chuckled and scrolled through the list of films, unsure of what James was in the mood for. Probably something light and funny.

She finally settled on a rom-com, hoping James wouldn’t mind. She’d never been able to watch those kinds of movies with Jimmy. He’d always moaned until she flipped it to a superhero or action movie.

“Excellent choice,” James said, making her jump. She hadn’t heard him return. Pippin jumped onto the couch and into Rose’s lap, kneading her in a rhythm she thought too quick to be soothing. But he was purring loudly and blinking lazily.

James plopped down beside her, then she hit the play button and they settled in to watch a woman travel to Paris to try to win back her fiancé’s heart.

They didn’t speak at all though the movie, but they each laughed to themselves at certain scenes. Rose was pleased whenever she saw James smile out of the corner of her eye.

“Wanna watch another?” Rose asked when the end credits rolled.

“We don’t have to,” James said quietly. “It’s getting late. You can go home if you’d like.”

“I’m up for another movie if you are,” Rose answered. “Or if you’re subtly trying to tell me you want me to leave, you’re gonna have to be a bit more obvious.”

James snorted and rolled his eyes, but she saw his entire body relax as he picked up the remote and sifted through the movies. He landed on a Disney film—Tarzan. She was a little surprised by his selection, considering how the movie began.

As they watched the flames eat up the ship and Tarzan’s parents flee in their lifeboat, James began to speak.

“That night was the worst night of my life. I can still remember everything perfectly, no matter how hard I try to forget.

“My dad came into my room and shook me awake, saying the house was on fire. None of the alarms were going off. The batteries were probably shot. I don’t ever remember my parents checking or replacing them. Half the house was already in flames. The police still don’t know what caused the fire. Anyways. Dad grabbed me and ran. He literally… He hoisted me over one shoulder and carried me outside.

“He waited with me for about a minute. But he was terrified for my mum. So he went back inside. He hadn’t been in for more than five seconds before the whole house just… exploded. Literally. Blown to bits. I got knocked to my arse and hit my head and passed out.

“When I came to, I was in the hospital and couldn’t hear anything. I think I started screaming, ‘cos they knocked me out. Then when I woke up, Aunt Sarah was there. When my head was healed, she took me home with her to Croydon.

“It was hard for both of us at first. I hated her. It wasn’t fair, but I resented everything about her. I hated her house. I hated Croydon. I hated my new school. I hated myself. I hated my parents. I hated my stupid, fucking, arsehole dogs. And I especially hated my mum for wanting to save them instead of herself, and for making my dad go back inside.

“Bless Aunt Sarah, though. She let me rage, but she also held me accountable and told me off when I was being a bit too dramatic. She made me go to counselling, which I grudgingly admit helped after a while. Eventually I woke up one day and my anger was gone. More or less. But then the depression set in.

“It scared my aunt to death to see me go from emotional to numb seemingly overnight. But I worked through that, too. It took a damn long while. But funnily enough, moving to the United States helped. Aunt Sarah had wanted to move here for so long, but put it off because she didn’t want to upset me with too many changes too quickly.

“But when I was sixteen, she asked if I might like to come to America, and I jumped at the chance. I figured I could remake myself. I didn’t have to be the boy whose parents died. I could just be James, the cool kid with a cool accent.”

James blinked, then his cheeks turned red. “Sorry. I kinda word-vomited there.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Rose said, reaching over to thread her fingers through his. “I don’t mind listening.”

He gave her hand a squeeze, then kept their fingers interwoven as they lapsed back into silence.

About half way through the movie, James’s fingers began to twitch in hers. She glanced over and saw his head was tipped back and he was half asleep. He jerked himself awake half a dozen times before he fell into a deeper sleep and didn’t stir for the remainder of the movie.

It was almost eleven o’clock, and Rose was drowsy but still awake. James, however, was completely out and snoring softly. She carefully lifted herself up off the couch, then took the blanket they’d been sharing and tucked it higher up on his chest. He didn’t stir.

She straightened, then chewed on her lip as she tried to figure out what she should do. Should she stay with him? Or should she call an Uber to take her back to her flat? She wanted to stay, but perhaps that was too presumptuous. But she also didn’t want James to wake up and not know where she was.

After she tidied up the house—putting the leftover soup in the fridge, washing up the few dishes in the sink—Rose went back into the living room. James was still dead asleep, though Pippin had curled himself into his side. The cat chirped, then the sound morphed into a yawn as he rolled closer to James and went to sleep.

Rose smiled. Then, making a potentially rash decision, she took the blanket that was draped along the back of the couch and sat down in the recliner. She pulled the footrest up and leaned back to get comfy. She curled up on her side to watch James.

His chest rose and fell slowly as he breathed. The deep lines that had been present all night on his face her smoothed over. He looked like any other untroubled twenty-two-year-old boy.

A warm ache bloomed inside of Rose, swelling through her chest and stomach as she watched him sleep. She could get used to this.

Instead of imagining the worst-case scenario, imagine the best.

Unbidden, Mickey’s piece of advice clanged through her head.

What was the best-case scenario?

She would profess her love for James, and miraculously, he would admit he felt the same way. She would kiss him, and he’d kiss her back. She would promise to love him forever, and he would give her that same promise, and they both would uphold the vow for the rest of their lives. She would find her soulmate in him, and he would find his soulmate in her.

Rose yearned for that fantasy to come true. She wanted so badly to tell James how she felt. Even if he didn’t feel the same way, she found that she didn’t want to hold anything back. In fifty years, she didn’t want to look back and regret not saying anything to James and potentially miss out on her great love story.

After finals, Rose vowed to herself. Let me get through this class. Then I’ll tell him. Let me get through this semester, and I’ll talk to him. It’s only four more weeks.

A sense of calmness settled over Rose, and with her resolve strengthened, she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

[yuudetama]

changkyun (monsta x) - "our flats are opposite each other..."; only if you have time, love! good luck i can't wait to read it :)

3:06 AM.Sent from: KihyunWhat are you still doing up?? Turn off your lights and go to sleep!!!

The notification flashes across your computer screen with a barely audible ping, but it’s enough to momentarily distract you from the paragraph you’ve been editing. Suppressing a yawn, you scan the contents of the threadbare message and roll your eyes as best as your heavy eyelids will allow. Go to sleep? That’s a bit on the rich side, coming from a guy who stays up every night of the week to indulge in his anime marathon sessions.

Ping. Another message from Kihyun, this time accompanied by a slew of emoticons that make you think the man has entirely too much fun abusing the instant messaging system.

3:07 AM.Sent from: KihyunI’m serious, I’ll go over there and tuck you in bed myself if I have to 😤😤😤💩

You send him a poop emoji in return before closing the chat window. Behind his exaggerated nagging and endless stream of messages he means well, you’re well aware of that. But what you’re also aware of is the fact that three in the morning is perhaps (or at least, in your opinion) the best time to write and breathe to life all of those untold stories waiting to blossom in your chest. Your literary creations, your life’s most gorgeous accomplishments (“you mean your porn fics?” Kihyun had snorted when you’d tried explaining this to him), they simply glowed with a magic that only 3 AM could bestow upon them.

Stretching your arms, you decide to treat yourself to a break and reenergize with a small dose of caffeine. The chapter you’d been so busily writing is nearly done, and you want to power through the last few pages before crashing for the night.

As you’re waiting for the water to come to a boil, you glance out the window to the house beside yours, where your best friend-slash-vigilant night guard lives with his roommate. Both of your kitchens face each other directly, which comes in handy when you want to say a quick hello during busy mornings or simply send an obscene hand gesture via cucumber stick.

As with yours, the lights in Kihyun’s house are still on, letting you know that the man has yet to relinquish to his need for sleep. But as you pour the steaming water into your instant brew mix, the person who suddenly appears at the window on the other side isn’t your emoji-abusing friend. Rather, it’s your emoji-abusing friend’s roommate, one Im Changkyun.

He nods when he spots you standing by the sink, and you nod back. It’s another late night for him, you guess, taking in the appearance of puffy eyes and headphones draped around his neck. As he had only moved in a mere two months prior, you have yet to have an actual conversation with the guy, but Kihyun drops the occasional breadcrumb about him when the two of you are together. Changkyun likes to compose his own songs, so he spends a lot of time holed up in his room. He’s a little quiet but he’s a good guy once you get to know him, your friend had said over lunch one day. Definitely never meet him, I don’t want you to defile his innocence with your nasty smut stories.

Changkyun leans against his counter as he waits for his own water to heat up. He takes in your appearance- disheveled hair, oversized reading glasses, the yawn that refuses to leave your lips even at the promise of fresh caffeine- and points at the imaginary watch on his wrist. Shouldn’t you be in bed?

What, and it’s alright for you to stay up? you shrug back.

He points to the ceiling. Roomie keeps crying for Neji to come back, he lets you know with a deadpan expression. Might as well use this time to compose until he quiets down.

Snorting, you take another sip of your hot drink. Changkyun notices the cloud of steam beginning to puff out of his kettle and turns the stove off. Cradling your own mug between your hands, you watch as he busies himself with assembling his beverage. It’s now become a routine, you muse to yourself, trailing your gaze over his mussed auburn locks, the little frown of concentration he wears as he stirs in the latte powder, to meet him at this time of night and share a silent chat over a cup of coffee. It had been purely accidental at first, with only a quick nod of the head and the occasional awkward wave being exchanged, but now, after two months of this purely nonverbal exchange, you’ve grown to look forward to these moments, to the time of 3 AM when it’s only you and the boy next door awake under the eye of the moon (and Kihyun too, you suppose, but he’s too busy watching Naruto at this time so it doesn’t really count).

The two of you quietly sip your drinks and exchange a few more looks through the window. When the last of your coffee has disappeared, you place it in the sink and give Changkyun a little wave. I’ll be going, then. Good luck with your new song.

He nods. Thanks. Good luck with your new story.

And then he does something that you hadn’t seen him do before: he holds out two fingers, making a victory sign, and points in the direction of his kitchen’s entranceway. He repeats this gesture a few more times, lips twitching slightly at your bemused expression, before setting down his mug and turning to leave the room.

It’s only after his kitchen grows dark that you finally realize what he had been trying to say.

If you’re free, let’s meet tomorrow at two. I think it’s about time I finally heard your voice in person.

// send me a prompt from here

[kristinsimmons]

Oh She Glows For Dinner + Pre-order Bonus Bundle!

Hi everyone! I hope that summer is treating you well so far, and you’re staying in good health and good spirits during what has been a heartbreaking year. How are you and your families doing right now? 

At long last, I have some fun news to share with you today! This cookbook reveal was supposed to go out to you in May, then in June, and then in early July, but with everything going on in the world it just didn’t feel right, so I delayed it multiple times. I’m not sure it feels right even now, but I’ve had a lot of questions about the new book’s listing on various retailers online, so I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I’m holding onto the hope that this news will bring a smile to your face and a bit of cheer. :)

If you haven’t guessed already, my new cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals To Keep You Glowing, is finally complete and it comes out in a couple of short months! It’s been a wild ride to cross the finish line (never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be wrapping up a cookbook during a pandemic and lockdown), but after 3 years of working away on this project, I’m absolutely thrilled to let you know all the juicy (pun intended) deets about this new book. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you may have seen the sneak peek pop into your inbox yesterday! 

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes from earlier this year when I was going over the book design!

Shifting from “behind-the-scenes” mode to “in-the-spotlight” mode doesn’t come easily for me (I’m much more of a behind-the-scenes kinda gal!), so this “launching into the world” part of the creation process is a big challenge for me on a personal level, and oh boy, the nerves I have right now are unreal. I’d be perfectly happy to work away diligently behind-the-scenes and never have to self-promote. ;) Do any of you relate? I’m always up for a good challenge, though, and getting to reconnect with you all is the icing on the vegan cake! 

This book would not have been possible without your encouragement, patience, and support throughout the whole process! It also wouldn’t have been possible without my small-but-mighty team made up of Nicole and Eric. They are my rocks, my sanity savers, my reasons for inappropriate fits of laughter, my sounding boards, my reminders to drink more caffeine and breathe, and it goes on. My incredible, diligent group of recipe testers (a special shout out and thank you to Anna, Carin, Tana, Tammy, Laurie, Caroline, Danielle, Vanessa, Lynn, Audrey, Stephanie D., Anne, Kathy, Stephanie S., Andrea, Beth, Katie, Lindsay M., Bridget, Laura, Lindsay V., Erin, Heather, Suzanne, Adrienne, Stephanie M., Carolina, Kirsten, Lori, Marina, and Kristen) have tested, and tested, and tested these recipes right alongside me and shared the most helpful feedback. And last but not least, I have so much gratitude for the amazing teams at Penguin Random House Canada and Avery! 

I held this book in my hands for the first time last week! I can’t even tell you how fast my heart was a-thumpin’ when I opened the box! It is always slightly terrifying and thrilling to open one of my books for the first time, and it really never gets any easier to send my heart and soul’s work off into the world. But I am so darn proud of this book. It’s my very first hardcover book, too!

About this book

Oh She Glows for Dinner is a reflection of what you, my dear readers, have asked me for the most over the years—more plant-based, crowd-pleasing dinner recipes! 

Dinner is something I think most of us have struggled with (I know I sure have!), and when you throw “plant-based” into the mix it can be even trickier to figure out. If you’ve ever shrugged your shoulders over what to make for a vegan meal and resorted to toast or a bowl of cereal, you certainly aren’t alone. I knew I had to create this cookbook to help answer the ever-burning “what’s for [plant-based] dinner?” question. As an added benefit, the recipes in this book also make incredible (and often portable) lunches! You’ll also find the perfect, satisfying sides to add to your dish, meal-worthy salads for every season, hearty & healing soups and stews, and a bounty of flavour-poppin’ sauces, dressings, parmesans, and pestos that you can make to change up the flavour profile (or simply punch up your dish even more). And I threw in a delicious dessert/drink chapter, of course, because it wouldn’t be an Oh She Glows cookbook without some sweet, healthified treats! ;)

What you’ll find inside:

Dietary and Cooking Labels

Each recipe indicates whether it is nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free and/or oil-free, raw/no bake or one pot. Out of 106 vegan recipes in this cookbook, 101 are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option, 90 are nut-free or have a nut-free option, and nearly all are soy-free. I also share whether the recipe is kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and/or if any advance prep is needed. My “on the glow” label tells you whether the recipe is portable. My goal was to pack in as much helpful info as I could for you (dare I say this is my most informative book yet?)…you know me, go big or go home…lol.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Almost all of the recipes in this cookbook also include specific storage and reheating instructions, customized to each recipe. My recipe testers and I spent so much time testing the recipes to take the guesswork out of them for you!

Active Time and Total Time

Each recipe tells you how much active time and total time will be required. Active time is the time you are actively preparing food in the kitchen. Total time reflects how long the recipe takes from start to finish. If applicable, we also share Soak time and/or Chill time.

Full-page colour photographs 

I am so excited to share that I did the food photography and food styling for the recipes in this book – there are more than 100 of my photographs inside! 

Glow Getter Meal Plans 

This book includes 4 meal prep plans! Each time-saving plan provides step-by-step instructions, so you can prep or fully make 3 dinner recipes in just 60 to 90 minutes. I knew it was important to create plans that would actually work for a busy lifestyle. I’ve tried plans in the past that take 2.5 to 3 hours each week, and they just didn’t fit into my life. These plans don’t take long (60 to 90 minutes at a brisk pace) and they set you up with a few hearty meals each week!

Menus To Get Your Glow On

I also share my tried-and-true menus for special occasions or themed nights, such as Girls’ Night, Mother’s Day, Game Night, The Oh She Glows Cookbook Club Night, and more. If you have ever struggled with how to combine recipes for special meals, I really hope this will give you the inspo you need to simplify your planning. Don’t forget to check out our bonus bundle below as it includes 4 designed printable menus which correspond to menus found in the book!

Helpful Recipe Lists

My Helpful Recipe Lists index at the back of the book provides at-a-glance searching of recipes by allergy label or preference, so you can find all the gluten-free recipes grouped together in one spot, or all the kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, nut-free, one pot, and on the glow recipes. 

My Pantry Staples, Kitchen Tools and Appliances

I’ve included a condensed list of the essential pantry items I keep on hand along with my favourite tools and appliances. If I have a preferred brand, I share those names with you, so you know exactly what I use in my own kitchen.

The Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is here! 

The response to my pre-order bonus bundles for my previous two cookbooks was so enthusiastic, I knew I had to raise the bar and add in some exciting and unique new bonus features. This Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is definitely my favourite, most cheerful and creative pre-order bundle yet. All the *heart eye* emojis for this one. I had so much fun collaborating with local artist, Kayla Whitney, to create an adorable, custom Oh She Glows “Glow” downloadable art print for you to print and hang on your walls! This is my very first custom Oh She Glows print and it looks so bright and cheery on the wall. If you end up hanging the print in your house, we’d LOVE to see it! Simply tag it with #ohsheglowsfordinner on social media.

In addition to the “Glow” art print, you’ll receive 4 artfully designed Oh She Glows for Dinner menus to download and adorn your dinner table on special occasions. Super-handy Glow Getter Meal Plan printables from the new book will make prepping the plans even easier when your book arrives. It’s so convenient to print the meal plans and place them on your counter so you can cross things off as you work through the plan. Lastly, I couldn’t make you wait until October to get cooking, so I’ve included 4 advance recipes in this bundle—a few of my summer-friendly ones that we’ve been enjoying during this hot season! 

If you pre-order Oh She Glows for Dinner, keep your receipt handy and follow this link to get your free bonus bundle PDF! 

Pre-order now at the following retailers:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Indigo.ca 

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble (signed copy)

The Book Depository 

Books-A-Million

Apple Books

Amazon.co.uk

  Please note: We earn a small commission if you purchase an item through our affiliate links above. Thank you so much for your support!

I can’t wait to hear what you think!! 

With love and gratitude,

Angela xo

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[beccameliora]

Read More Oh She Glows For Dinner + Pre-order Bonus Bundle!

The following post Oh She Glows For Dinner + Pre-order Bonus Bundle! is republished from Oh She Glows by Angela (Oh She Glows)

Hi everyone! I hope that summer is treating you well so far, and you’re staying in good health and good spirits during what has been a heartbreaking year. How are you and your families doing right now? 

At long last, I have some fun news to share with you today! This cookbook reveal was supposed to go out to you in May, then in June, and then in early July, but with everything going on in the world it just didn’t feel right, so I delayed it multiple times. I’m not sure it feels right even now, but I’ve had a lot of questions about the new book’s listing on various retailers online, so I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I’m holding onto the hope that this news will bring a smile to your face and a bit of cheer. :)

If you haven’t guessed already, my new cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals To Keep You Glowing, is finally complete and it comes out in a couple of short months! It’s been a wild ride to cross the finish line (never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be wrapping up a cookbook during a pandemic and lockdown), but after 3 years of working away on this project, I’m absolutely thrilled to let you know all the juicy (pun intended) deets about this new book. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you may have seen the sneak peek pop into your inbox yesterday! 

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes from earlier this year when I was going over the book design!

Shifting from “behind-the-scenes” mode to “in-the-spotlight” mode doesn’t come easily for me (I’m much more of a behind-the-scenes kinda gal!), so this “launching into the world” part of the creation process is a big challenge for me on a personal level, and oh boy, the nerves I have right now are unreal. I’d be perfectly happy to work away diligently behind-the-scenes and never have to self-promote. ;) Do any of you relate? I’m always up for a good challenge, though, and getting to reconnect with you all is the icing on the vegan cake! 

This book would not have been possible without your encouragement, patience, and support throughout the whole process! It also wouldn’t have been possible without my small-but-mighty team made up of Nicole and Eric. They are my rocks, my sanity savers, my reasons for inappropriate fits of laughter, my sounding boards, my reminders to drink more caffeine and breathe, and it goes on. My incredible, diligent group of recipe testers (a special shout out and thank you to Anna, Carin, Tana, Tammy, Laurie, Caroline, Danielle, Vanessa, Lynn, Audrey, Stephanie D., Anne, Kathy, Stephanie S., Andrea, Beth, Katie, Lindsay M., Bridget, Laura, Lindsay V., Erin, Heather, Suzanne, Adrienne, Stephanie M., Carolina, Kirsten, Lori, Marina, and Kristen) have tested, and tested, and tested these recipes right alongside me and shared the most helpful feedback. And last but not least, I have so much gratitude for the amazing teams at Penguin Random House Canada and Avery! 

I held this book in my hands for the first time last week! I can’t even tell you how fast my heart was a-thumpin’ when I opened the box! It is always slightly terrifying and thrilling to open one of my books for the first time, and it really never gets any easier to send my heart and soul’s work off into the world. But I am so darn proud of this book. It’s my very first hardcover book, too!

About this book

Oh She Glows for Dinner is a reflection of what you, my dear readers, have asked me for the most over the years—more plant-based, crowd-pleasing dinner recipes! 

Dinner is something I think most of us have struggled with (I know I sure have!), and when you throw “plant-based” into the mix it can be even trickier to figure out. If you’ve ever shrugged your shoulders over what to make for a vegan meal and resorted to toast or a bowl of cereal, you certainly aren’t alone. I knew I had to create this cookbook to help answer the ever-burning “what’s for [plant-based] dinner?” question. As an added benefit, the recipes in this book also make incredible (and often portable) lunches! You’ll also find the perfect, satisfying sides to add to your dish, meal-worthy salads for every season, hearty & healing soups and stews, and a bounty of flavour-poppin’ sauces, dressings, parmesans, and pestos that you can make to change up the flavour profile (or simply punch up your dish even more). And I threw in a delicious dessert/drink chapter, of course, because it wouldn’t be an Oh She Glows cookbook without some sweet, healthified treats! ;)

What you’ll find inside:

Dietary and Cooking Labels

Each recipe indicates whether it is nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free and/or oil-free, raw/no bake or one pot. Out of 106 vegan recipes in this cookbook, 101 are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option, 90 are nut-free or have a nut-free option, and nearly all are soy-free. I also share whether the recipe is kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and/or if any advance prep is needed. My “on the glow” label tells you whether the recipe is portable. My goal was to pack in as much helpful info as I could for you (dare I say this is my most informative book yet?)…you know me, go big or go home…lol.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Almost all of the recipes in this cookbook also include specific storage and reheating instructions, customized to each recipe. My recipe testers and I spent so much time testing the recipes to take the guesswork out of them for you!

Active Time and Total Time

Each recipe tells you how much active time and total time will be required. Active time is the time you are actively preparing food in the kitchen. Total time reflects how long the recipe takes from start to finish. If applicable, we also share Soak time and/or Chill time.

Full-page colour photographs 

I am so excited to share that I did the food photography and food styling for the recipes in this book – there are more than 100 of my photographs inside! 

Glow Getter Meal Plans 

This book includes 4 meal prep plans! Each time-saving plan provides step-by-step instructions, so you can prep or fully make 3 dinner recipes in just 60 to 90 minutes. I knew it was important to create plans that would actually work for a busy lifestyle. I’ve tried plans in the past that take 2.5 to 3 hours each week, and they just didn’t fit into my life. These plans don’t take long (60 to 90 minutes at a brisk pace) and they set you up with a few hearty meals each week!

Menus To Get Your Glow On

I also share my tried-and-true menus for special occasions or themed nights, such as Girls’ Night, Mother’s Day, Game Night, The Oh She Glows Cookbook Club Night, and more. If you have ever struggled with how to combine recipes for special meals, I really hope this will give you the inspo you need to simplify your planning. Don’t forget to check out our bonus bundle below as it includes 4 designed printable menus which correspond to menus found in the book!

Helpful Recipe Lists

My Helpful Recipe Lists index at the back of the book provides at-a-glance searching of recipes by allergy label or preference, so you can find all the gluten-free recipes grouped together in one spot, or all the kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, nut-free, one pot, and on the glow recipes. 

My Pantry Staples, Kitchen Tools and Appliances

I’ve included a condensed list of the essential pantry items I keep on hand along with my favourite tools and appliances. If I have a preferred brand, I share those names with you, so you know exactly what I use in my own kitchen.

The Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is here! 

The response to my pre-order bonus bundles for my previous two cookbooks was so enthusiastic, I knew I had to raise the bar and add in some exciting and unique new bonus features. This Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is definitely my favourite, most cheerful and creative pre-order bundle yet. All the *heart eye* emojis for this one. I had so much fun collaborating with local artist, Kayla Whitney, to create an adorable, custom Oh She Glows “Glow” downloadable art print for you to print and hang on your walls! This is my very first custom Oh She Glows print and it looks so bright and cheery on the wall. If you end up hanging the print in your house, we’d LOVE to see it! Simply tag it with #ohsheglowsfordinner on social media.

In addition to the “Glow” art print, you’ll receive 4 artfully designed Oh She Glows for Dinner menus to download and adorn your dinner table on special occasions. Super-handy Glow Getter Meal Plan printables from the new book will make prepping the plans even easier when your book arrives. It’s so convenient to print the meal plans and place them on your counter so you can cross things off as you work through the plan. Lastly, I couldn’t make you wait until October to get cooking, so I’ve included 4 advance recipes in this bundle—a few of my summer-friendly ones that we’ve been enjoying during this hot season! 

If you pre-order Oh She Glows for Dinner, keep your receipt handy and follow this link to get your free bonus bundle PDF! 

Pre-order now at the following retailers:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Indigo.ca 

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble (signed copy)

The Book Depository 

Books-A-Million

Apple Books

Amazon.co.uk

  Please note: We earn a small commission if you purchase an item through our affiliate links above. Thank you so much for your support!

I can’t wait to hear what you think!! 

With love and gratitude,

Angela xo

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© copyright 2020 Oh She Glows. All Rights Reserved.

[susantregre]

Oh She Glows For Dinner + Pre-order Bonus Bundle!

Hi everyone! I hope that summer is treating you well so far, and you’re staying in good health and good spirits during what has been a heartbreaking year. How are you and your families doing right now? 

At long last, I have some fun news to share with you today! This cookbook reveal was supposed to go out to you in May, then in June, and then in early July, but with everything going on in the world it just didn’t feel right, so I delayed it multiple times. I’m not sure it feels right even now, but I’ve had a lot of questions about the new book’s listing on various retailers online, so I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I’m holding onto the hope that this news will bring a smile to your face and a bit of cheer. :)

If you haven’t guessed already, my new cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals To Keep You Glowing, is finally complete and it comes out in a couple of short months! It’s been a wild ride to cross the finish line (never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be wrapping up a cookbook during a pandemic and lockdown), but after 3 years of working away on this project, I’m absolutely thrilled to let you know all the juicy (pun intended) deets about this new book. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you may have seen the sneak peek pop into your inbox yesterday! 

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes from earlier this year when I was going over the book design!

Shifting from “behind-the-scenes” mode to “in-the-spotlight” mode doesn’t come easily for me (I’m much more of a behind-the-scenes kinda gal!), so this “launching into the world” part of the creation process is a big challenge for me on a personal level, and oh boy, the nerves I have right now are unreal. I’d be perfectly happy to work away diligently behind-the-scenes and never have to self-promote. ;) Do any of you relate? I’m always up for a good challenge, though, and getting to reconnect with you all is the icing on the vegan cake! 

This book would not have been possible without your encouragement, patience, and support throughout the whole process! It also wouldn’t have been possible without my small-but-mighty team made up of Nicole and Eric. They are my rocks, my sanity savers, my reasons for inappropriate fits of laughter, my sounding boards, my reminders to drink more caffeine and breathe, and it goes on. My incredible, diligent group of recipe testers (a special shout out and thank you to Anna, Carin, Tana, Tammy, Laurie, Caroline, Danielle, Vanessa, Lynn, Audrey, Stephanie D., Anne, Kathy, Stephanie S., Andrea, Beth, Katie, Lindsay M., Bridget, Laura, Lindsay V., Erin, Heather, Suzanne, Adrienne, Stephanie M., Carolina, Kirsten, Lori, Marina, and Kristen) have tested, and tested, and tested these recipes right alongside me and shared the most helpful feedback. And last but not least, I have so much gratitude for the amazing teams at Penguin Random House Canada and Avery! 

I held this book in my hands for the first time last week! I can’t even tell you how fast my heart was a-thumpin’ when I opened the box! It is always slightly terrifying and thrilling to open one of my books for the first time, and it really never gets any easier to send my heart and soul’s work off into the world. But I am so darn proud of this book. It’s my very first hardcover book, too!

About this book

Oh She Glows for Dinner is a reflection of what you, my dear readers, have asked me for the most over the years—more plant-based, crowd-pleasing dinner recipes! 

Dinner is something I think most of us have struggled with (I know I sure have!), and when you throw “plant-based” into the mix it can be even trickier to figure out. If you’ve ever shrugged your shoulders over what to make for a vegan meal and resorted to toast or a bowl of cereal, you certainly aren’t alone. I knew I had to create this cookbook to help answer the ever-burning “what’s for [plant-based] dinner?” question. As an added benefit, the recipes in this book also make incredible (and often portable) lunches! You’ll also find the perfect, satisfying sides to add to your dish, meal-worthy salads for every season, hearty & healing soups and stews, and a bounty of flavour-poppin’ sauces, dressings, parmesans, and pestos that you can make to change up the flavour profile (or simply punch up your dish even more). And I threw in a delicious dessert/drink chapter, of course, because it wouldn’t be an Oh She Glows cookbook without some sweet, healthified treats! ;)

What you’ll find inside:

Dietary and Cooking Labels

Each recipe indicates whether it is nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free and/or oil-free, raw/no bake or one pot. Out of 106 vegan recipes in this cookbook, 101 are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option, 90 are nut-free or have a nut-free option, and nearly all are soy-free. I also share whether the recipe is kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and/or if any advance prep is needed. My “on the glow” label tells you whether the recipe is portable. My goal was to pack in as much helpful info as I could for you (dare I say this is my most informative book yet?)…you know me, go big or go home…lol.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Almost all of the recipes in this cookbook also include specific storage and reheating instructions, customized to each recipe. My recipe testers and I spent so much time testing the recipes to take the guesswork out of them for you!

Active Time and Total Time

Each recipe tells you how much active time and total time will be required. Active time is the time you are actively preparing food in the kitchen. Total time reflects how long the recipe takes from start to finish. If applicable, we also share Soak time and/or Chill time.

Full-page colour photographs 

I am so excited to share that I did the food photography and food styling for the recipes in this book – there are more than 100 of my photographs inside! 

Glow Getter Meal Plans 

This book includes 4 meal prep plans! Each time-saving plan provides step-by-step instructions, so you can prep or fully make 3 dinner recipes in just 60 to 90 minutes. I knew it was important to create plans that would actually work for a busy lifestyle. I’ve tried plans in the past that take 2.5 to 3 hours each week, and they just didn’t fit into my life. These plans don’t take long (60 to 90 minutes at a brisk pace) and they set you up with a few hearty meals each week!

Menus To Get Your Glow On

I also share my tried-and-true menus for special occasions or themed nights, such as Girls’ Night, Mother’s Day, Game Night, The Oh She Glows Cookbook Club Night, and more. If you have ever struggled with how to combine recipes for special meals, I really hope this will give you the inspo you need to simplify your planning. Don’t forget to check out our bonus bundle below as it includes 4 designed printable menus which correspond to menus found in the book!

Helpful Recipe Lists

My Helpful Recipe Lists index at the back of the book provides at-a-glance searching of recipes by allergy label or preference, so you can find all the gluten-free recipes grouped together in one spot, or all the kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, nut-free, one pot, and on the glow recipes. 

My Pantry Staples, Kitchen Tools and Appliances

I’ve included a condensed list of the essential pantry items I keep on hand along with my favourite tools and appliances. If I have a preferred brand, I share those names with you, so you know exactly what I use in my own kitchen.

The Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is here! 

The response to my pre-order bonus bundles for my previous two cookbooks was so enthusiastic, I knew I had to raise the bar and add in some exciting and unique new bonus features. This Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is definitely my favourite, most cheerful and creative pre-order bundle yet. All the *heart eye* emojis for this one. I had so much fun collaborating with local artist, Kayla Whitney, to create an adorable, custom Oh She Glows “Glow” downloadable art print for you to print and hang on your walls! This is my very first custom Oh She Glows print and it looks so bright and cheery on the wall. If you end up hanging the print in your house, we’d LOVE to see it! Simply tag it with #ohsheglowsfordinner on social media.

In addition to the “Glow” art print, you’ll receive 4 artfully designed Oh She Glows for Dinner menus to download and adorn your dinner table on special occasions. Super-handy Glow Getter Meal Plan printables from the new book will make prepping the plans even easier when your book arrives. It’s so convenient to print the meal plans and place them on your counter so you can cross things off as you work through the plan. Lastly, I couldn’t make you wait until October to get cooking, so I’ve included 4 advance recipes in this bundle—a few of my summer-friendly ones that we’ve been enjoying during this hot season! 

If you pre-order Oh She Glows for Dinner, keep your receipt handy and follow this link to get your free bonus bundle PDF! 

Pre-order now at the following retailers:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Indigo.ca 

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble (signed copy)

The Book Depository 

Books-A-Million

Apple Books

Amazon.co.uk

  Please note: We earn a small commission if you purchase an item through our affiliate links above. Thank you so much for your support!

I can’t wait to hear what you think!! 

With love and gratitude,

Angela xo

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[wineanddinosaur]

How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs

Having house-made bitters and tinctures and syrups is nothing new. A novelty at the start of the cocktail revival 15 or 20 years ago, it soon became commonplace and continued spreading further until it became a universal standard. In a quest to reduce waste at the bar, as well as highlight in-house efforts and even streamline service, though, certain pioneering bars are taking the concept to the next level. They’re doing this by developing multi-purpose ingredients that can be used in myriad ways across an entire beverage menu, rather than stocking dozens of one-and-done creations.

House-Made Ingredients for a House Style

When Washington, D.C.’s Dram & Grain moved from its basement confines in Jack Rose Dining Saloon to more spacious digs in newly opened The Imperial, the team wanted to make a splash with an expansive menu. Andy Bixby, who’s been behind the bar at Dram & Grain since 2014 and is now the creative director of beverage at the aforementioned establishments, wanted to highlight some of the innovative work for which the bar has long been known.

“Cocktail bars are already expected to make the supporting characters for a cocktail; why not also attempt to make the stars of the show as well?” Bixby says. “I think it helps us to move outside of the normal box that we think in. We can start to be inspired by how these new ingredients work across a myriad of spirits, in a way syrups, sodas, and tinctures can only come close to achieving, allowing combinations to make all different types of cocktails.”

The result for Dram & Grain’s inaugural menu was a lineup of three house ingredients served in a diverse selection of three drinks apiece. The new house staples include what Bixby has dubbed Baked Citrus Amaro,  including Contratto Aperitif, Don Ciccio & Figli‘s Cinque Aperitivo, and Fernet-Vallet; Tamaro, a savory digestif including tamari, dark miso, shoyu, lemongrass, and ginger; and Anisette, a blend of singular infusions including fennel, star anise, pine nuts, and almonds.

Credit: Rey Lopez

Producing versatile ingredients in house also enables fine-tuned control over flavor profile and overall quality. “We like to know what is going into our product, rather than buying, and then we are also able to tweak the flavor profile to our cocktail’s needs,” says Amy Racine, beverage director for The Times Square EDITION.

For instance, the team makes poached pears that then get turned into poached pear syrup, and further used to create an in-house poached pear vodka, with the resulting ingredients then showing up in multiple drinks, such as a Pear Punch for two, and the Pear Chi-Chi cocktail.

High-end bar programs are constantly doing this type of work, but often end up with only a single way to showcase each creation. “We already spend a ton of time coming up with these singularly pointed syrups and tinctures that we normally are producing to achieve a very specific goal, for a specific cocktail, and that’s great,” Bixby says. “Cross-utilizing them on our menu truly shows the diversity of each ingredient and how they can star in different styles of cocktails.”

Getting more use out of a star-worthy house ingredient can even help prevent occasional customer disappointment. “What happens when that drink you make for a guest is a product of months of work only to have them say, ‘That was awesome! Can I have something else like it?’ — your gut drops a little because that was supposed to be the drink that nailed it for them, and you are left trying to MacGyver something with the rest of your ingredients,” Bixby says.

Credit: Times Square Edition

While Dram & Grain has always prioritized making its own ingredients, including some wildly wacky ones over the years — alligator butter, anyone? — Bixby says for the new program he was inspired in part by the latest efforts from Ryan Chetiyawardana at Lyanness. The bar, a revamped offering of the space formerly known as Dandelyan, showcases seven signature ingredients.

Those signatures come with names such as Infinite Banana and Peach Emoji, and serve as the focal point of the menu rather than individual cocktails, with each of them coming available in three different drinks. They’re all described in detail in terms of flavor profile and are offered in small tasters so that guests can see what they taste like on their own. The team is also willing to find a way to finagle them into a custom riff on a classic.

Waste Reduction

Waste-free and low-waste bars have risen in prominence as of late, spurred on by bars such as Chetiyawardana’s since-closed White Lyan, and movements such as Trash Tiki. White Lyan’s policy was to use no ice and no fresh citrus, while Trash Tiki started as an online sustainability resource, grew into a series of pop-up events, and has further evolved into the more expansive The Trash Collective, including consultancy work.

With sustainability a top-of-mind issue across many restaurants and bars, using a bespoke ingredient in multiple ways is both logical and personal. While a house bitters may be shelf-stable and can last for an extended period of time, many others will be constantly dumped and remade while being used in paltry fashion for a single drink.

Credit: Rey Lopez

At The Times Square EDITION’s numerous restaurants, Racine can create and capitalize on creative energy between the kitchen and the bar team as well. “To the point, if we already carry the ingredients because they are used in dishes, we’d like to save the bottles, shipping, and energy it takes to purchase a product, and use our own resources,” she says.

“We are really making an effort to be responsible in the community and produce as little waste as possible,” Racine says. “The benefits are less about us and more about the community and being a good neighbor. Altogether it’s control of what is used, knowledge about what we are giving our guests and comfort with the imprint we leave.”

The article How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/house-liqueurs-reduce-waste/

[profoundnet]

Header by @cryptomoon and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis (and more!) on our Discord server!

The Masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in their entirety during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OCTOBER 2019!

Featuring works from @saywhatjessie, @mittensmorgul, ArielAquariel, @doespeterparkerisgay, @banshee1013, @andimeantittosting, Erratus, @cool-fallen-angel, @malallory, @castielslostwings, @nickelkeep, @bringmefleshandbringmewine, @sarasaurussex, iCeDreams, @emiliaoagi, @leafzelindor and @rauko-is-a-free-elf!

Masterpost below the cut.

JessJesstheBest - @saywhatjessie​ - JessJesstheBest

On The Line (T, 23k)

“Well, can I scam you?” Dean’s spoon was frozen, forgotten, halfway between his bowl and his mouth. “Did you just ask if you could scam me?” “Yes.” The guy said, cool as anything. “Can I scam you?”

Or the one where Cas is a scam caller and Dean just keeps intercepting his calls.

Tags: Alternate Universe, Human AU, Scam Caller au

mittensmorgul - @mittensmorgul​ - MittenWraith

Lifetime Piling Up (E, 59k)

Cas is having a bad day. He burned his bagel, missed his ride to work and had to run to the hospital in the pouring rain, and then witnessed his attending accidentally kill a patient during a routine surgery. Now he might be on the hook for his boss’s mistake, but was it really a mistake, or is he the next target of Dr. Nick Morningstar’s sick mind games?

Dean is also having a bad day. His brother nearly set his kitchen on fire, he’s training a new apprentice in his tattoo shop, and then he gets a mysterious call that Sam needs a ride to the hospital after a freak accident in the pouring rain left him with an injured shoulder. A chance encounter at the hospital leads Dean and Cas to each other after a decade of coincidences and premonitions, and suddenly their worst day might become the foundation for all of their best. A story of choice and destiny, and the power of found family, foretold through uncanny tattoos.

Tags: AU-modern setting, tattoo artist!Dean, surgeon!Cas, angst and fluff and smut

ArielAquariel - ArielAquariel

Quoth the Raven (G, 6k)

Dean Winchester didn’t believe in the occult. Werewolves were a myth, Nessie was a hallucination, and bigfoot was just a large hairy man who enjoyed strolling naked through the woods. He thought that crystals were a load of shit, and a smudge stick would do nothing but make your house smell like burnt sage. He didn’t believe in God, let alone ghosts. Finally, and he was 100% sure on this one, he didn’t believe in witches. Or Wicca. Or whatever they wanted to call it. His point? Everything could be explained. That is, everything but the dark-haired man walking through campus with a spellbook and a raven for a familiar…

Tags: Misunderstandings, Fluff, Pining Dean Winchester, Pining Castiel (Supernatural), Alternate Universe - College/University, Meet-Cute, Animal Lover Castiel (Supernatural)

vicktick - @doespeterparkerisgay​ - vicktick

two bros, arguing about who would top cause they're not gay (but they are) (T, 3.5k)

“No, I’m telling you, I would be the top if we were gay together.”

Oh, Twitter was going to love this: ‘my brother and his “best friend” are currently arguing about who would top if they were “gay together”. i was pretty sure they already were gay together.’

Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Sam is a Little Shit, Supportive John Winchester

banshee1013 - @banshee1013​ - Banshee1013

Suptober Art/Fic (NSFW)

Art and accompanying ficlets to answer Suptober 2019 prompts.

Tags: Fluff, Angst, Depression, Temporary Character Death, Nightmare, Crossover/Fandom Fusion

andimeantittosting - @andimeantittosting​ - andimeantittosting

I Will Hang My Head Low (M, 22.5k)

Dean Winchester gave up hunting when his brother became the prophesied Boy King of Hell. Now he ekes out a meager living, chopping wood for a nearby village, until one snowy night, he follows what appears to be a falling star, and encounters an injured angel. Afterwards, he tries to put the strange night from his mind.

When he meets Castiel, a mysterious man with healing powers, they form an instant connection, and the more Dean learns of Castiel's powers—to heal, to protect, to purify—the more he begins to hope that Sam can be saved. But as they prepare to save Sam, Castiel grows sick, and then sicker still. Too late, Dean learns how much Castiel is willing to sacrifice for him.

Inspired by the Decemberists' Crane Wife and the Japanese myth on which it is based.

Tags: Temporary Major Character Death, Fairytale/Folktale AU, Sick Castiel, Grief/Mourning, Castiel's Wings, Angst With a Happy Ending

Tentacletober Fills (E, 7k)

A collection of short fills for Tentacletober prompts.

Tags: Tentacles, Consentacles, Oviposition

Erratus - Erratus

A Concerned Brother (T, 2k)

When Sam walks in on Dean and Castiel, he left worried if Castiel understands enough about human relationships.

Tags: Coming out, established relationship, canon verse, mentions of sex but no sex, Sam is concerned for Cas

Watching Over You (T, 4k)

Castiel has always been watching over Dean, keeping him alive. Even if Dean doesn't know it, he's been there.

Tags: Suicidal thoughts/attempt, pre-canon, pre-slash, Cas with different vessels, sad and hurt Dean

cool-fallen-angel - @cool-fallen-angel​

Halloween Costumes (NSFW)

I drew this piece for Winchester-reload's 2019 suptoberart challenge, day 31: Halloween

Tags: Halloween, halloween costumes, lingerie, angel costume, playboy costume, blushy Cas, suptoberart, sexy boyfriends

malallory - @malallory​

DeanCas "Funeral Bell" graphic (SFW)

Graphic created for the All Ships Creations Challenge under the theme "spooky"

Tags: 15x03

castielslostwings - @castielslostwings​ - Castielslostwings

Wants and Needs (M, 6.5k)

From a prompt in the Destiel Port FB Group! "Asexual Incubus!Cas and Demisexual Vamp!Dean"

Asexual!Incubus!Cas who has to have sex to feed to stay alive and has always resented it, until he meets Demi!vampire!Dean and discovers that being fed on... actually turns him on, and makes feeding not feel miserable for the first time ever. Imagine Ace!incubus!Cas starving for a long time because he can't stomach the thought of having sex, and then here comes Demi!vamp!Dean feeding on Cas, giving him gratification he thought can only be gained from having sex.

And, you know, they live happily ever after.

Tags: Asexual Castiel, Incubus Castiel, Vampire Dean, Demisexual/Demiromantic Dean, Hungry Castiel, Depressed Castiel, Biting/Blood Drinking, Lonely Castiel, Intimacy, Sweet Dean Winchester.

The Luck You Got (E, 90k)

Castiel and Dean grew up together. Both from broke, broken homes, falling in love was easy - until Dean’s father whisked him away. Years later, Cas is still living the struggle, selling his body to keep a roof over his siblings' heads and using drugs to get by. When Dean returns as a fully grown adult (and a paramedic at that) with his kid-brother-turned-lawyer in tow, Castiel can’t help feeling as if they’re picking up exactly where they left off. Falling swiftly in love all over again but used to only having himself to rely on, he struggles to let Dean in. When Gabriel gets arrested and takes a major source of the family’s income down with him, Castiel struggles to cope and leans on drugs and prostitution instead of Dean. Determined not to lose him for a second time, Dean fights to drag Castiel back from the claws of addiction and the brink of death, no matter what it takes. With help from friends, family, and Dean, Castiel finds himself working towards something for the first time ever, determined to choose life, love, and something more than what the city has always told him is all he has to offer.

Tags: Getting Back Together, Childhood Sweethearts, Neighbors, Poverty, Drug Addiction & Recovery, Sex Worker Castiel, Firefighter/Paramedic Dean, Angst & Fluff & Smut, Happy Ending, Romance.

nickelkeep - @nickelkeep - nickelkeep

‘Cause My Monsters Are Real (T, 8k)

"It's great," Garth responding, grabbing a chair and sliding it over. "Bess is in her glory, and the little one is doing awesome. I love her so much." He smiled a toothy grin that didn't quite meet his eyes. "I'm not here about me, though. I debated coming at all, cause I know how sacred our Fridays are, but I figured you'd want to be prepared."

Sam leaned around Rowena, his arm draped over her shoulder, "What do you mean he'd want to be prepared?"

"You too, Sam. This affects both of you. It literally just happened." Garth hung his head like a kicked puppy. "So, I was back in today, filling out my paperwork to start back up on Monday. And I overheard it."

"Spit it out, Wolfman." Dean leaned his chair back on two legs, foot resting on the table.

"Magda's getting her own room. Emma's getting a new person in the room. They're splitting you two up." Garth looked pathetically at Dean. "You're getting a new partner."

Dean instinctively kicked out, sending him backward and onto the floor. "Ow. What?"

Tags: AU - Creatures & Monsters, Shapeshifter Dean, Fallen Angel Castiel, Human/Monster Society, Kid Fic (kind of), There is Only One Under the Bed

And These Monsters Can Fight (E, 6.5k)

"You think I want to keep her here against her wishes?" Bobby shook his head vehemently. "She'd be one hell of a creature if she were one, but she should go back to the human world. There's a problem that you didn't think of."

"What's that?" Dean spat.

"Dean," Sam softly interjected. "The angels may not want or need Claire anymore because she can no longer be an angelic host, but she is still tied to a source of grace." They all looked at the Fallen.

"I can protect myself!" Claire spoke up. "What do you think I had to do when Castiel couldn't come to me thanks to the stupid rules you all have in place!?"

"Can you protect yourself from three or four or five angels?" Bobby stared at her. "I'll give you one or two, you're a spitfire. But they want him. They're not going to take it light and risk losing a couple when they need all hands on board."

"So what? You want to keep her here?" Dean asked.

Tags: AU - Creatures & Monsters, Story Continuation, Shapeshifter Dean, Fallen Angel Castiel, Human/Monster Society, There is only one under the bed.

Carry Me Home (E, 7k)

"You weren't a scout." Cas opened the laptop and pulled up YouTube. In the search bar, he typed in stopping a squeaking door. He moved the cursor over the first video; from a channel called Impala Repairs. "This looks right." He clicked on the link and grabbed his coffee.

Hey there, and welcome to another quick how-to video with Impala Repairs! I'm your host, D.W., and in today's episode, I'm going to show you the best way to stop a door's hinges from squeaking.

Gabe reached over and pushed up on Cas' chin. "Cassie? You alive over there?"

Cas nodded.

"You need a global reboot?"

Cas pulled his eyes off the screen and shot his brother a look that could kill. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means," Gabe reached over and took Cas' coffee, "that you were A, so infatuated with Old Green Eyes on the screen there, you almost dumped your coffee on yourself, and B, you have no idea how to fix the door."

Tags: AU - Modern Setting, Handyman Dean, Professor Castiel, Sneaky Brothers, Conspiring Sam and Gabriel, Strangers to Lovers, Crush at First Sight

Like a Burning Flame (E, 8.5k)

"No, no, no." Dean shot up from under his pile of Ikea cardboard. "There's no fire here. The smoke alarm is disabled, we're seasoning our ovens."

The firefighter removed his helmet and mask, taking Dean's breath away as though he had actually inhaled smoke. "Seasoning Ovens?" He cocked his eyebrow, his bright blue eyes shining in confusion. "And that requires smoke billowing out of the back of your building?"

Dean's mouth failed to move, entranced as he was with the gorgeous man in a firefighter's uniform in front of him. Charlie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Call your guys off so nothing is destroyed by water, and we'll show you." She turned the firefighter back to the entrance and waited 'til he was outside before smacking Dean. "Rush your blood back to your head, will you?"

Tags: AU - Coffee Shops and Firefighters, Baker Dean, Firefighter Castiel, Strangers to Lovers, Uniform Kink, Panty Kink, Semi-Public Sex, Dom/Sub Undertones, Bad BDSM Etiquette

For the Last Time (E, 37k) - co-created with @little-crazy-misha-minion

It's been three years since Dean's had any kind of vacation. Until now. Sam and Eileen gift him a cruise as a thank you for all the things he's done for Sam, for them, for the whole family. A week away at sea seems like an ideal vacation. Still, when your name is Dean Winchester, and nothing in your life has ever gone your way, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Can a new friend help him turn his luck around and help him navigate the rough waters?

Tags: AU - Cruises, Closeted Bi Dean Winchester, Gay Castiel, LGBTQ Themes, Angst with a Happy Ending, NonCon Kissing (not Destiel), Anxiety/PTSD, Song Fic, Clubbing, DCBB2019

To Confess (E, 8.5k)

"So get this... We've got couples missing at a couples retreat the next state over."

"Which lovely lady you going with?" Dean uncrossed his arms and smacked Cas' hand away from the tablet so he could scroll through the article.

"Can't find one. Charlie's still not back. Jody's taking Donna on a hunt."

Cas looked up. "Well, there was a lesbian couple that went missing. You can choose a male partner."

"I was hoping you'd say that, Cas." Sam shot a look at Dean before smiling at Cas. "Will you do me the honor of being my fake husband for a case?"

"Excuse me?" Dean shot a look at Sam.

"Well, I'm not asking you, Dean." Sam shook his head. "That's... Yeah, no."

Dean crossed his arms over his chest again. "Why are you and Cas going? Cas is my best friend. He and I can pull it off better than you two can."

Tags: Canonverse, Case Fic, Idiots in Love, Fake Relationship, Breaking Up & Making up, Pray for Sam, Sam Winchester ships Destiel, Angst and Porn, Happy Ending

It’s About To Be Legendary (G, 1.5k)

"I don't want to kill a human!" Luna hissed, her whisper carrying softly so only her boyfriend could hear her. "If you mess up, you'll bring down hunters upon the pack." She whimpered. "You could bring the Winchesters upon us." Apollo stood up and turned around, his shoulders squaring out as he attempted to intimidate Luna into following his lead. "First of all, I'm not going going to fuck up, Lu. Have a little faith in your boyfriend. Second, the Winchesters are a myth. An urban legend. Something our parents tell us to make sure we follow Pack Law."

Tags: AU - Everyone Lives, Hunters and Hunting, Halloween Fic, Urban Legends

prolixdreams - @bringmefleshandbringmewine - prolixdreams

And The World Kept Turning (G, 4k)

It’s getting harder and harder to die.

Cigarettes disappeared off the market forty years past.

Proper alcohol, the poisonous kind, was banned almost immediately once a safer synthetic got a foothold in the market.

Every pill and patch is equipped with tiny computers to detect blood levels of a chemical and only release their payload when the concentration dips below a pre-set threshold, making overdose nearly impossible with anything obtained legally.

Even sweeteners are tightly regulated and highly taxed.

And now, January 17th, 2089, Castiel’s tablet feeds him another headline that promises longer, safer lives for all:

HUMAN-DRIVEN CARS FINALLY OFF ROADS FOR GOOD

Tags: Major Character Death (Implied/Referenced), Future Fic, Castiel drives the Impala

Sarasaurussex - @sarasaurussex - sarasaurussex

Sarasaurussex's Inktober, Suptober, and Profound Inktober Masterlist (NSFW, contains multishipping)

This is all of my Supernatual art for Inktober, Suptober, and Profound Inktober. Mostly Destiel, but contains non-Destiel ships (Sabriel and Sastiel).

Dress For Success (E, 2k)

Written for the Supernatural Kink Bingo on tumblr. My prompt was 'clothing sharing'. Art commissioned by Purgatory-Jar!

Tags: Clothing Sharing Kink, Humor, Smut

Wherever I May Roam (E, 11.5k, contains multishipping)

Summary: Sam and Dean get sent to another TV Land that's slightly different than the last. In this version, Jensen and Misha are dating. Written for Supernatural Kink Bingo on tumblr. My prompt was 'roleplay'.

Tags: Destiel, Cockles, Dean x Misha, Dub-Con due to Identity Issues, Idiots to Lovers, First Time, Arguing, Fluff, Smut

iCeDreams - iCeDreams

Chasing Polaris (E, 52k) - co-created with Takai13sama

Dean Winchester feels closed-in with his life at the behemoth, Mary’s Ark. His father has set him up with an arranged marriage and is refusing to budge on Dean’s suggestions to improve the steam engines. So... he does the most obvious thing surly young men do: he runs away.

While leaving the steam capital, he inadvertently meets Emmanuel, a man with secrets of his own, intriguing Dean enough to offer him a ride to a common destination.

It’s a serendipitous encounter, a trip across the country, and a chance to find where they need to be.

Tags: Steampunk, Arranged Marriage, Road Trip, Running Away

EmiliaOagi - @emiliaoagi - EmiliaOagi

It’s How You Use It (M, 2.5k)

One night Castiel discovers Supernatural fanfiction. Then Dean walks in. Some very meta crack with a smidgen of smut. Based on a prompt from the Profound Bond Discord.

Tags: Smut, Humor, Meta, Crack

Goose!Dean Crack Post 1 (SFW)

Art inspired by Untitled Goose Game and a Discord prompt: goose!Dean playing a prank on a poor unsuspecting Sam.

Goose!Dean Crack Post 2 (SFW)

Goose!Dean really wants that burger. Cas disagrees.

LeafZelindor - @leafzelindor - 

Ink/Suptober collection (SFW)

Just the short collection of the destiel pics I did during Inktober/suptober.

Art for Crayons and Candybars (SFW)

Artwork done for the DCBB fic Crayons and Candybars, written by I. Franco

rauko-is-a-free-elf - @rauko-is-a-free-elf - FeaRauko

Ocean’s Brawl (M, 55k)

In a time of oppression, the Winchester brothers and their family of misfit pirates sail the seas attacking slave traders and offering the liberated passage to safe-havens, or–if they choose it–a home on the Impala as part of Team Free Will.

Dean meets Castiel, a Naval Captain with orders to enlist him and his band of honorable sea rovers as privateers. Dean refuses, but they end up working together when Castiel offers his vessel as transport for some rescued slaves. Castiel, in turn, travels with Dean as collateral to ensure there is no foul play.

Along the way, Castiel witnesses the horrors of slavery and begins to doubt his cause, even fighting alongside Dean against a French vessel–Castiel’s own people. Castiel comes to admire this wild crew and their kind hearts…perhaps falling for one man in particular.

Tags: pirate!Dean, naval officer!Cas, enemies to lovers, team free will, openly bi!Dean, demisexual!Cas, swashbuckling, battles, shanties

Rapunzel, Rapunzel (SFW)

Art for @diminuel‘s fic, Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Tags: Rapunzel!au, fairy tale!au, prince!Dean, witch!Cas

Bisexualdemondean - outfit (SFW)

Art created for bisexualdemondean in response to the question: "What if I just wanted to look sluttier?"

Tags: demon!dean art, bisexualdemondean art

Autumn - Eileen (SFW)

Art for Day 1 of winchester-reload's suptoberart challenge

Tags: Eileen Leahy

"Good Thing I'm Yours, Then" (SFW)

Art for winchester-reaload's suptober challenge: Day 3 - Royalty Inspired by @casbeanwrites‘ fic Kiss Me Where I Lay Down

Tags: servant!Dean, prince!cas, fic art

"Kids These Days" - Art for Clarity (SFW)

Destiel art for @aloha-cowgirl‘s fic Clarity

[johnboothus]

How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs

Having house-made bitters and tinctures and syrups is nothing new. A novelty at the start of the cocktail revival 15 or 20 years ago, it soon became commonplace and continued spreading further until it became a universal standard. In a quest to reduce waste at the bar, as well as highlight in-house efforts and even streamline service, though, certain pioneering bars are taking the concept to the next level. They’re doing this by developing multi-purpose ingredients that can be used in myriad ways across an entire beverage menu, rather than stocking dozens of one-and-done creations.

House-Made Ingredients for a House Style

When Washington, D.C.’s Dram & Grain moved from its basement confines in Jack Rose Dining Saloon to more spacious digs in newly opened The Imperial, the team wanted to make a splash with an expansive menu. Andy Bixby, who’s been behind the bar at Dram & Grain since 2014 and is now the creative director of beverage at the aforementioned establishments, wanted to highlight some of the innovative work for which the bar has long been known.

“Cocktail bars are already expected to make the supporting characters for a cocktail; why not also attempt to make the stars of the show as well?” Bixby says. “I think it helps us to move outside of the normal box that we think in. We can start to be inspired by how these new ingredients work across a myriad of spirits, in a way syrups, sodas, and tinctures can only come close to achieving, allowing combinations to make all different types of cocktails.”

The result for Dram & Grain’s inaugural menu was a lineup of three house ingredients served in a diverse selection of three drinks apiece. The new house staples include what Bixby has dubbed Baked Citrus Amaro,  including Contratto Aperitif, Don Ciccio & Figli‘s Cinque Aperitivo, and Fernet-Vallet; Tamaro, a savory digestif including tamari, dark miso, shoyu, lemongrass, and ginger; and Anisette, a blend of singular infusions including fennel, star anise, pine nuts, and almonds.

Credit: Rey Lopez

Producing versatile ingredients in house also enables fine-tuned control over flavor profile and overall quality. “We like to know what is going into our product, rather than buying, and then we are also able to tweak the flavor profile to our cocktail’s needs,” says Amy Racine, beverage director for The Times Square EDITION.

For instance, the team makes poached pears that then get turned into poached pear syrup, and further used to create an in-house poached pear vodka, with the resulting ingredients then showing up in multiple drinks, such as a Pear Punch for two, and the Pear Chi-Chi cocktail.

High-end bar programs are constantly doing this type of work, but often end up with only a single way to showcase each creation. “We already spend a ton of time coming up with these singularly pointed syrups and tinctures that we normally are producing to achieve a very specific goal, for a specific cocktail, and that’s great,” Bixby says. “Cross-utilizing them on our menu truly shows the diversity of each ingredient and how they can star in different styles of cocktails.”

Getting more use out of a star-worthy house ingredient can even help prevent occasional customer disappointment. “What happens when that drink you make for a guest is a product of months of work only to have them say, ‘That was awesome! Can I have something else like it?’ — your gut drops a little because that was supposed to be the drink that nailed it for them, and you are left trying to MacGyver something with the rest of your ingredients,” Bixby says.

Credit: Times Square Edition

While Dram & Grain has always prioritized making its own ingredients, including some wildly wacky ones over the years — alligator butter, anyone? — Bixby says for the new program he was inspired in part by the latest efforts from Ryan Chetiyawardana at Lyanness. The bar, a revamped offering of the space formerly known as Dandelyan, showcases seven signature ingredients.

Those signatures come with names such as Infinite Banana and Peach Emoji, and serve as the focal point of the menu rather than individual cocktails, with each of them coming available in three different drinks. They’re all described in detail in terms of flavor profile and are offered in small tasters so that guests can see what they taste like on their own. The team is also willing to find a way to finagle them into a custom riff on a classic.

Waste Reduction

Waste-free and low-waste bars have risen in prominence as of late, spurred on by bars such as Chetiyawardana’s since-closed White Lyan, and movements such as Trash Tiki. White Lyan’s policy was to use no ice and no fresh citrus, while Trash Tiki started as an online sustainability resource, grew into a series of pop-up events, and has further evolved into the more expansive The Trash Collective, including consultancy work.

With sustainability a top-of-mind issue across many restaurants and bars, using a bespoke ingredient in multiple ways is both logical and personal. While a house bitters may be shelf-stable and can last for an extended period of time, many others will be constantly dumped and remade while being used in paltry fashion for a single drink.

Credit: Rey Lopez

At The Times Square EDITION’s numerous restaurants, Racine can create and capitalize on creative energy between the kitchen and the bar team as well. “To the point, if we already carry the ingredients because they are used in dishes, we’d like to save the bottles, shipping, and energy it takes to purchase a product, and use our own resources,” she says.

“We are really making an effort to be responsible in the community and produce as little waste as possible,” Racine says. “The benefits are less about us and more about the community and being a good neighbor. Altogether it’s control of what is used, knowledge about what we are giving our guests and comfort with the imprint we leave.”

The article How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs appeared first on VinePair.

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How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs

Having house-made bitters and tinctures and syrups is nothing new. A novelty at the start of the cocktail revival 15 or 20 years ago, it soon became commonplace and continued spreading further until it became a universal standard. In a quest to reduce waste at the bar, as well as highlight in-house efforts and even streamline service, though, certain pioneering bars are taking the concept to the next level. They’re doing this by developing multi-purpose ingredients that can be used in myriad ways across an entire beverage menu, rather than stocking dozens of one-and-done creations.

House-Made Ingredients for a House Style

When Washington, D.C.’s Dram & Grain moved from its basement confines in Jack Rose Dining Saloon to more spacious digs in newly opened The Imperial, the team wanted to make a splash with an expansive menu. Andy Bixby, who’s been behind the bar at Dram & Grain since 2014 and is now the creative director of beverage at the aforementioned establishments, wanted to highlight some of the innovative work for which the bar has long been known.

“Cocktail bars are already expected to make the supporting characters for a cocktail; why not also attempt to make the stars of the show as well?” Bixby says. “I think it helps us to move outside of the normal box that we think in. We can start to be inspired by how these new ingredients work across a myriad of spirits, in a way syrups, sodas, and tinctures can only come close to achieving, allowing combinations to make all different types of cocktails.”

The result for Dram & Grain’s inaugural menu was a lineup of three house ingredients served in a diverse selection of three drinks apiece. The new house staples include what Bixby has dubbed Baked Citrus Amaro,  including Contratto Aperitif, Don Ciccio & Figli‘s Cinque Aperitivo, and Fernet-Vallet; Tamaro, a savory digestif including tamari, dark miso, shoyu, lemongrass, and ginger; and Anisette, a blend of singular infusions including fennel, star anise, pine nuts, and almonds.

Credit: Rey Lopez

Producing versatile ingredients in house also enables fine-tuned control over flavor profile and overall quality. “We like to know what is going into our product, rather than buying, and then we are also able to tweak the flavor profile to our cocktail’s needs,” says Amy Racine, beverage director for The Times Square EDITION.

For instance, the team makes poached pears that then get turned into poached pear syrup, and further used to create an in-house poached pear vodka, with the resulting ingredients then showing up in multiple drinks, such as a Pear Punch for two, and the Pear Chi-Chi cocktail.

High-end bar programs are constantly doing this type of work, but often end up with only a single way to showcase each creation. “We already spend a ton of time coming up with these singularly pointed syrups and tinctures that we normally are producing to achieve a very specific goal, for a specific cocktail, and that’s great,” Bixby says. “Cross-utilizing them on our menu truly shows the diversity of each ingredient and how they can star in different styles of cocktails.”

Getting more use out of a star-worthy house ingredient can even help prevent occasional customer disappointment. “What happens when that drink you make for a guest is a product of months of work only to have them say, ‘That was awesome! Can I have something else like it?’ — your gut drops a little because that was supposed to be the drink that nailed it for them, and you are left trying to MacGyver something with the rest of your ingredients,” Bixby says.

Credit: Times Square Edition

While Dram & Grain has always prioritized making its own ingredients, including some wildly wacky ones over the years — alligator butter, anyone? — Bixby says for the new program he was inspired in part by the latest efforts from Ryan Chetiyawardana at Lyanness. The bar, a revamped offering of the space formerly known as Dandelyan, showcases seven signature ingredients.

Those signatures come with names such as Infinite Banana and Peach Emoji, and serve as the focal point of the menu rather than individual cocktails, with each of them coming available in three different drinks. They’re all described in detail in terms of flavor profile and are offered in small tasters so that guests can see what they taste like on their own. The team is also willing to find a way to finagle them into a custom riff on a classic.

Waste Reduction

Waste-free and low-waste bars have risen in prominence as of late, spurred on by bars such as Chetiyawardana’s since-closed White Lyan, and movements such as Trash Tiki. White Lyan’s policy was to use no ice and no fresh citrus, while Trash Tiki started as an online sustainability resource, grew into a series of pop-up events, and has further evolved into the more expansive The Trash Collective, including consultancy work.

With sustainability a top-of-mind issue across many restaurants and bars, using a bespoke ingredient in multiple ways is both logical and personal. While a house bitters may be shelf-stable and can last for an extended period of time, many others will be constantly dumped and remade while being used in paltry fashion for a single drink.

Credit: Rey Lopez

At The Times Square EDITION’s numerous restaurants, Racine can create and capitalize on creative energy between the kitchen and the bar team as well. “To the point, if we already carry the ingredients because they are used in dishes, we’d like to save the bottles, shipping, and energy it takes to purchase a product, and use our own resources,” she says.

“We are really making an effort to be responsible in the community and produce as little waste as possible,” Racine says. “The benefits are less about us and more about the community and being a good neighbor. Altogether it’s control of what is used, knowledge about what we are giving our guests and comfort with the imprint we leave.”

The article How Bartenders Are Creating Multi-Purpose House Liqueurs appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/house-liqueurs-reduce-waste/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/615020001419804672