#national trivia day

[alliterative-endlessknot]

Happy #NationalTriviaDay! To find out how glamorous Trivia can really be, check out our short video on those two words.

[murderousink23]

01/04/2023 is Ribbon Skirt Day 🇨🇦, World Braille Day 🌎, World Hypnotism Day 🌎, National Spaghetti Day 🍝🇺🇸, National Trivia Day 🇺🇸

[ami-ven]

Happy National Trivia Day!

[alwaysbewoke]

Did you know that the famous line "And what the hell is that smell?" from 'Independence Day' was improvised by Will Smith? While filming the scene on the salt flat near the Great Salt Lake in Utah, nobody warned him about the strong odor caused by billions of decomposing brine shrimp in the lake.⁠

x

[juliehowlin]

National Superhero Day

The first superhero as we know them today was The Phantom, a kid called Kit Walker who dons a mask to become a walking ghost. He dates back to a newspaper comic strip which began in 1936.

Happy National Superhero Day! 10 things you might not know about superheroes:

[yokelfelonking]

Post 9/11 Trivia

Most folks on this site were either children on September 11, 2001, or weren’t even born yet.  But America went crazy for about a year afterwards.  Here’s some highlights that I remember that might not be in your history books:

There was national discussion on whether or not Halloween should be canceled because…fuck if I know why.  After planes crashed into buildings in NYC it follows that 6-year-olds in Iowa shouldn’t be allowed to dress up like Batman and ask their neighbors for candy, I guess.  (Halloween wasn’t canceled, by the way.)

On a similar note, people asked if comedy - any sort of comedy - was appropriate anymore, ever.

People sold shitty parachutes to suckers “in case your building gets attacked and you have to jump out the window.” There were honest-to-God news reports warning people not to jump out of the window with shitty mail-order parachutes because they wouldn't work.

As a follow-up to the attacks, someone mailed anthrax to some prominent politicians and news anchors - you know, famous people - along with some badly-written notes about “you cannot stop us, death to America, Allah is good” and after that every time some random dumbass found a package in the mail they didn’t recognize they thought that the terrorists were targeting them, too.

Everyone was similarly convinced that their town was going to be the next target, even if they were a little town in the middle of nowhere. "Our town of Bumblefuck, South Dakota (population 690) has the largest styrofoam pig statue west of the Mississippi! Terrorists might fly planes into that too! It's a prime target!"

People started taping up their windows and trying to make their houses or apartments airtight out of fear of chemical and biological attacks. There were news reports warning people that turning your house into an airtight box was a bad idea because, y'know, you need air to breathe.

"[X] supports terrorism!" and “if we do [X], the terrorists win!” were used as arguments for everything.  "Some rich Arab you never heard of donated to his organization that backs Hamas which backs al-Queda, and also owns stock in a holding company that has partial ownership of the Pringles company, so if you eat Pringles you're supporting terrorism!" "The terrorists want to tear down our freedoms and our way of life and rule us through fear! Eating what you want is one of our freedoms as Americans! If you're afraid to eat Pringles, the terrorists win!" (I promise you that this sort of argument is in no way hyperbole.) (This argument is how Halloween was saved, by the way.  “If we cancel Halloween, the terrorists win!”)

People worked 9/11 into everything, and I mean everything, whether it was appropriate or not.  If you went to the grocery store the tortilla chips would remind you to support the troops on the packaging. Used car sales would be dedicated to our brave first responders. You couldn't wipe your ass without the toilet paper rolls reminding you to never forget the fallen of 9/11, and again, this is not hyperbole. My uncle, who lived in Ohio and had never been to New York except to visit once in the 70′s, died of a stroke about 8 months after 9/11, and the priest brought up the attacks at the eulogy.

On a similar local note, on the day of 9/11, after the towers went down, gas stations in my home town immediately jacked up gas prices.  The mayor had the cops go around and force them to take them back down.  I doubt any of that was legal.

Before 9/11, Christianity in America - and religion in general - was on a downward swing, with reddit-tier atheism on the upswing. Religion was outdated superstition from a bygone age. The day after 9/11? Every single church was PACKED. (This wasn't a bad thing, but the power-hungry on the Evangelical Right saw this as a golden opportunity to grab power and influence.)

EDIT: By Popular Demand - Freedom Fries. I initially left these off because they came a couple years after the initial panic and most people thought they were kind of absurd (and I don't recall anyone really going along with it other than maybe some local diners here and there). France didn't want to get involved in our world policing so some folks were like "TRAITORS!" and wanted to call french fries "Freedom Fries" instead, so as to stick it to the French.

Besides dumb shit like that…it’s really hard to overstate how completely the national mood and character changed in the span of a day, or how much of the current culture war is a result of the aftermath. (9/11 was the impetus for the sharp rise in power of the Evangelical Right, who made themselves utterly odious and the following backlash helped the rise of the current Progressive Left, for instance.)

And if all of this seems batshit...well, it was. But I want you to think for a moment how people react today over even trivial shit. People send death threats over children's cartoons. They call for blood if the maker of a video game had an opinion they don't like. If someone made a racist joke a decade ago when they were a teenage edgelord, folks will go after people who even associate with them. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE HARM THEY'RE DOING!?"

Now take that same level of over-the-top histrionics and apply it to the unprecedented event of passenger planes crashing into crowded buildings in America's most populous city and killing thousands of people all at once. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE ATTACKED!?"

[rodspurethoughts]

May the Fourth: Celebrating National Star Wars Day | Fun Facts & Festivities

Happy #StarWarsDay! May the Fourth be with you! Celebrate with your favorite Jedi, Sith, or droids, and enjoy the Force in your life! #MayThe4th #StarWars

National Star Wars Day, also known as May the Fourth, is a celebration of the Star Wars franchise that takes place annually on May 4th. The day is filled with festivities such as costume contests, trivia games, and movie marathons. Fans of the series can dress up like their favorite characters, watch their favorite movies, and make outer space snacks. May the 4th Be With You! The phrase “May…

[raytheanarchive]

⨾ Yuuza Introduction 🐁ˎˊ˗

❛❛Just what kind of trouble will I be dragged in today? ❞

Tamamura Yuuza is a first-year and the prefect of long abandoned Ramshackle dormitory. His only goal is to find a way back to his world.

ִ ࣪𖤐 - Biolographical Information

Gender : Male

Age : 17

Birthday : July 30

Height : 171

Eye Color : Petrichor blue (right), Chromaphobic Black(left)

Hair Color : Cowboy brown

Homeland : Japan

Family : Unnamed parents, unnamed grandfather

ִ ࣪𖤐 - Professional Status

Dorm : Ramshackle

School Year : First

Class : 1-A (Student no.9)

Occupation : Student (½ with Grim)

Club : Sculpture club

Best Subject : Arts

ִ ࣪𖤐 - Fun Facts

Dominant Hand : Right

Favourite Food : Cheesecake

Least Favourite Food : Crustaceans, Tuna

Dislikes : Being nagged by others

Hobby : Taking pictures with Ghost Camera

Talents : Wood carving

♯ —Appearance

Yuuza has messy dark brown hair and blue eye on the right. His left eye however is black and covered by his fringe, black veins present under the eye.

♯ —Personality

Yuuza wouldn't approach anyone unless someone initiated it first. He's awkward but friendly in a way, often does his best to help someone in need but of course, it depends on his mood (and the person asking for it). He dislikes competition and would avoid it like the plague. In reality, Yuuza lacked confidence on his skills. He has a habit of complaining about everything. He has a severe trust issue and doesn't like being seen as weak and vulnerable.

♯ —Trivia

Yuuza is twisted from Mickey Mouse, specifically from the game, Epic Mickey.

His birthday is in the National Cheesecake Day which also happened to be his favorite food.

He's lacking in physical strength.

Yuuza is afraid of fire due to an incident when he was a child.

Parts of his hair burned by Grim's fire back when he was awake inside a coffin in the early story.

Yuuza often comes over to his Grandfather's workshop to learn about wood carving.

Headache is his number one enemy.

He has a crustacean allergy.

He posts random scenery on Magicam. If not, It'll be Grim's.

𖧧࣪ . ִֶָ๋ Voice Claim

✶⋆.˚ Gallery

[alotofpockets]

Crazier things - What if we're still meant to be? | Katie McCabe x Reader

Where you reconnect with your ex-situationship years later

Woso masterlist | Words: 3k | Part 2

Listen to the song this story was inspired by:

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The flight from Barcelona to London was one you had taken plenty of times, but this time it was different. Usually it was to visit your family, or for national team training, but this time around you were moving back home. 

After playing for Barcelona for four seasons, and winning plenty of silverware, you were moving back to the club that you had called home since you were only ten years old. You had come up through the ranks of the Arsenal Academy and had played for the senior team for three years, before making the move to Barcelona.

Your headphones played a random playlist you had downloaded on Spotify, as the plane got ready for take off. Once in the air, a song started playing that brought up a million memories. Memories about the girl that you had not been able to get out of your head since the day you left for Barcelona. You were going to be stuck in the air for a while, so for the first time this week, you allow your mind to wander back to those days.

– 2018 –

The new season was approaching fast. It was your second season with the senior team, and you were no longer the Academy signing. You had made a name for yourself within the team last year, and you were determined to only keep growing in the upcoming season. 

Since there would be some new players joining the team, the team captains had planned a teambuilding session the week before pre-season would officially start. Amongst the new signings, there was another face that was new to you. 

Well, she wasn’t entirely new, she had been playing at the club for a couple of years, and you had watched her play when you were still at the Academy, but the two of you had never met before as she had been on loan last season. Katie was only two years older than you were, but she was definitely a player you looked up to. So, it was safe to say that you were excited to get to play with her this season. 

You met your teammates in the bar that they had rented out, where you’d all compete in a trivia game set-up by the captains. At first you were fully zoned in on the trivia questions, but after a couple of drinks, you only had eyes for Katie. She was sitting a few tables over, but your eyes kept meeting, and each time the intensity grew.

A couple drinks later, you were fully drunk. Something the captains probably didn’t have in mind, but they picked a bar, so you felt like it was alright. As did Katie who had followed you into the bathroom, and didn’t waste any time kissing you once the door closed behind you.

The rest of the night was a blur. You didn’t know how you got home, but Katie had been laying next to you when you woke up. 

Your head was pounding, so you got up and let Katie sleep. Took some medicine and set some ready on the counter for her, while you started on breakfast. 

“What did they put in those drinks?” Katie said as she walked in clutching her hand to her head. “No clue, but take these.” You gesture to the medicine, and set down a plate of food in front of her. 

Neither one of you brought up what had happened, not that either of you had much memory of it to go by. You just moved on like nothing happened.

The next time however, you did remember. It was after the first match that you lost and Katie’s frustrations were high. “Can I come over?” She didn’t mention her intentions in the question, but you knew what she was aiming for. “Yeah.”

– 2019 –

Everyone on the team thought you and Katie were dating. The two of you were attached at the hip, they rarely saw either one of you without the other. You were more touchy with each other than with anyone else, and they would even catch the two of you making out on nights out.

The two of you weren’t together though. You had never talked about what you were. Friends with benefits? Something more? It just was. Thinking back on it now, you would classify it as a situationship. You were young and carefree, and didn’t really care. Until you did.

“Wanna get away this weekend?” Katie looked up from where her head lay in your lap. You would have a bit of time off, and hadn’t made any plans yet, so you agreed. That weekend everything changed.

Katie rented a place for just the two of you that weekend, away from the busy football lives you lived. The trip brought a new level of domesticity with it. Sharing a bed was more than normal for the two of you by now, but the walks around town where she would hold your hand, cooking together, laying cuddled up on the couch while watching a movie.

When you got back from your trip, you found yourself craving the way everything had been on your trip. Thinking back of the memories you shared, you think you had fallen for her earlier than you allowed yourself to admit. 

– 2020 –

You had tried to turn off your feelings for Katie for a couple of months now, but that turned out to be harder than you had imagined. 

Each time her lips were on yours, or you shared the bed, you wished that she was yours. In your mind that was never going to happen though. The two of you had been casual from the start, why would that change now?

You thought long and hard over what your options were, until a different option came onto your path. It had made sense in the moment, so you went ahead with it. Now all you had to do was tell Katie.

“I’m a little nervous to tell you.” You said when she sat on the couch with you. “Well, there is something I want to tell you as well, so maybe we should say it at the same time?” You tried to convince her that that would probably not be a good idea, but Katie was determined, it would make both of you less nervous, so you went along with it.

“Okay after one?” You nodded and she started counting down, “Three, two, one.”

“I am transferring to Barcelona.” “I think I am in love with you.”

You both looked shocked at the other’s confession.

In this moment everything that you wanted could happen, if you had told her that you loved her as well. But you didn’t. You were too scared, and stayed quiet. 

“I think I’m gonna go.” Katie said barely above a whisper. Your whole body was screaming at you to get up and stop her, but you were glued to the couch.

You didn’t see Katie anymore before you left for Barcelona. It wouldn’t be fair to her, you thought.

– Present day –

The seatbelt lights turned on, letting you know that you would soon be landing in London. Thoughts of Katie still clouded your mind. 

You had spent every day of your life regretting not telling her how you felt. She was a part of you that was always missing. The move back to Arsenal wasn’t about Katie, though you hoped you’d be able to apologise for the hurt you had caused her.

At Barca you had become a better player, but a part of you always missed home. You won trophy after trophy with the team, and some personal awards as well. But you wanted to be able to win trophies with the team that was your home. So, you made the decision to transfer back to Arsenal.

When you got off the plane you were greeted by a couple of familiar faces, Leah, Beth, and Kim were standing with a ‘Welcome home Gooner’ banner and big smiles on their faces. They had been your teammates before, and of course Leah and Beth both played for England with you. Still hugging them now felt different than those the past times you’ve seen them. This time it felt like coming home. 

You looked around to see if another familiar face would be around, but were only met with the faces of the strangers around you. “She didn’t come.” Leah said softly, knowing little parts of what had happened all those years ago. You nodded in understanding, of course she wouldn’t come. The girls led you to the car, and drove to a nearby restaurant to catch up.

At the restaurant you try your best to push the thoughts of Katie aside as you’re catching up with your friends, but that turned out to be harder than you thought. It was great being with your friends again, and talking with them was definitely calming down your nerves, but still seeing her again clouded your mind.

Would she still be angry? Was she happy without you? You never got closure after that day on your couch, and that was entirely your fault, so you didn’t blame her if she would never forgive you.

“Earth to y/n.” Beth says, waving her hand in front of your face. “Are you alright? You keep zoning out.” You’re pulled out of your thoughts, “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking.” 

Beth raises her eyebrows in question, but Leah shakes her head after exchanging a glance with Kim. Beth knows that whatever it was, it was best not to push it after the warning looks Leah and Kim sent her way.

They had just started up the conversation again when your phone vibrated on the table. You look down at the sound that interrupted the story Beth was telling, and your breath catches in your throat.

Katie.

Your heart races as you quickly excuse yourself, and step outside to take the call. 

“Hello?” You’re not sure what to say, so a simple hello would have to do. It stayed silent on the other side of the line, but just as you were about to check to see if she had hung up, you heard her voice. It was soft and hesitant, yet the familiarity of it made your chest ache.

“Hey, I heard you were back.” From how she said it, you couldn’t tell how she was feeling about it. “Yeah, I am. Landed about an hour ago.” Since you didn’t know the intention of her call, you left it up to her. You were the one that left, the one that had hurt her, so you wanted to make sure that whatever happened next, was on her terms.

Katie stayed quiet for another moment, before she shared the reason for her call. “Can we meet?” This time around you were the one staying quiet for a moment. The question hung in the air, heavy with everything that had been left unsaid between the two of you.

“Yeah,” You said softly, “I think that’s a good idea.”

When you walked back into the restaurant your mind was occupied with what you would say to Katie and what she would say to you when you would meet up later that day. Leah noticed you weren’t fully there with them anymore. She narrowed her eyes and shot you a questioning look. 

“Are you alright?” She tried to say to just you, but the table was small enough for Kim and Beth to pick up on it too. You looked at all three of them and then back down to your plate, “Yeah, just it was Katie.”

“What did she say?” Leah tried to push you to open up gently. “She wants to meet.” You felt a tightness in your chest thinking about what would happen when you would. You failed to notice Kim telling Beth off for wanting to ask more questions. They all knew bits and pieces of what had happened between you and Katie, but only the two of you knew the depth of it all.

Kim puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder, “Take it one step at a time. You’re back home now, and that means facing some things in the past, that includes Katie. Not to go all captain on you, but it’s probably best if you face that part before pre-season starts.” You knew she was right and nodded, “Yeah, I will meet her tonight.”

The girls dropped you off at your new apartment. Your family had helped you with getting the whole apartment ready for you, including picking up the car you bought. You settled in the apartment, and started thinking of what you would say to Katie. 

Time passed quickly and before you knew it, it was time to head over to the coffee shop where Katie texted you the address of. You remembered the place, you had gone there often before, even with Katie. 

You found her in the far corner, sipping on her drink and staring out the window. She looked the same, yet different. She looked more mature now, but still that hint of cheekiness you had always loved was present.

She looked around and her eyes softened. It gave you the courage to move towards her. “Hey.” You said softly, sitting down across from her. “Hey.” She replied, her voice just as soft. There was a tension between the two of you, that made a silence fall over the both of you.

One of the waiters came over to take your drink order, and something about that made it all seem so familiar. The two of you stayed silent until your coffee order was placed in front of you.

Katie was the one to break the silence. “You left.” Her tone was laced with a hint of sadness, but not anger. “You left without saying goodbye.” 

Her words hit you hard, but it was true. “I know. I’m sorry. I thought it would be easier for both of us.”

She locks her eyes to yours, “Was it?” You looked down at your cup, not able to look her in the eyes. “No,” You whispered. “It wasn’t easier. Not at all.” A silence fell over you again. The bustling noises of the coffee shop, surrounding you. 

“I spent a long time wondering why you didn’t say anything back that day.” She tried making eye contact with you again. “The day I told you how I felt.” You lift your eyes up to meet hers. Your heart ached.

“I was scared, Katie. I didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling. I signed the contract to escape my feelings, and then you spoke the words I was feeling too and I froze. I’ve regretted not telling you how I felt every single day since.”

Deep down Katie had known that you had felt the same way, but this was the first time she had heard you say it outloud. “Do you still feel the same?”

Unlike four years ago, you were quick to respond. “Yes. Yes I do.” You got nervous at admitting that. “I know a lot of time has passed, and we’re different people now. I don’t know if it’s fair of me to say this now, but I still love you, Katie. I always have.”

Her eyes softened at your confession, as if she had been seeking this information the whole time. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. A moment passed, until finally she spoke.

“What if we’re still meant to be?” Her words hung in the air. She asked the question that had kept you awake more often than you’d like to admit. “Crazier things have happened, right?” she added, a hint of hope in her eyes.

You remember the words of your old coach. Take the shot, even if you’re afraid to miss. Your coach may have meant to apply it to football only, but it was a good life motto. “Then we’re crazy not to try, right?” 

Katie was fiddling with her Claddagh ring. “I think I’ve been waiting for this moment.” She confesses. “For you to come back, I mean. I tried to move on, to forget, but it was always you.”

You reach out your hand and place it over hers. “I don’t know what the future holds, but if there is even the smallest chance that we are meant to be, I want to take it. I don’t want to live with regrets anymore.”

Katie puts her other hand down on top of yours. “The last time around, we kind of skipped a lot of steps. If we’re gonna try this again, can we please start from the beginning and take things slow?” Her tone was laced with a new found nervousness. You agreed fully though, you wanted to try this the healthy way. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. Let’s do it the right way this time around.” 

You spend some more time catching up, now that the big conversation was out of the way. When it was time to leave, the two of you stood outside of the coffee shop, ready to say goodbye. 

“Can I hug you?” You asked softly. Katie answered by putting her arms around your neck, and your hands quickly fell to her back. The feeling of her in your arms was so familiar. Her smell was the same as back then, and it brought you back to that all too familiar feeling.

When you stepped out of the hug, you met her eyes which were watery. “I promise to make it all up to you. I’ll be better this time around.” She nodded, “Me too.” 

You gave her another quick hug, “I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” She nodded, “Yeah, I will see you tomorrow.”

Continue reading part 2

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💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging! You can also supporting me by leaving a tip 💗

[alliterative-endlessknot]

Happy #NationalTriviaDay! To find out how glamorous Trivia can really be, check out our short video on those two words.

[murderousink23]

01/04/2023 is World Braille Day 🌏, World Hypnotism Day 🌏, National Spaghetti Day 🍝🇺🇲, National Trivia Day 🇺🇲

[ami-ven]

Happy National Trivia Day!

[spaghetticat3899]

Fun fact: Hachikō and Loid have specified species of octopus they’re based on! You can’t really tell normally, but the xeno patterns were directly based off actual patterns.

Hachikō is a coconut octopus, which I incorporated into his design and personality. Coconut octopuses are known to hide in shells to avoid predators. I made this into Hachikō being mildly agoraphobic, not liking large open spaces, and liking nooks and crannies, and loving things like egg chairs. Loid is a California two-spot octopus, which isn’t super effecting his character, minus the name and shoulder spots. He’s Californian, and kinda paranoid about being watched. His name actually comes from the scientific name of the two-spot octo, Octopus bimaculoides, in case you wondered why it’s Loid instead of Lloyd.

Shoutout to y’all being cool

[juliehowlin]

Cheesecake

Archaeologists have found evidence that he first cheesecakes were probably made in Ancient Greece 4,000 years ago.

10 things you might not know about cheesecake:

[profoundbondfanfic]

Do you have any recs for Reallyyy long fics? Like 200-300k+ words? That isn't 91W... avoiding that one because I feel like it will hurt me... preferably fix-its? Oh and no a/b/o pls :) thanksss

Here are a few:

Angel's Wild by riseofthefallenone (Explicit, 389k words)

But that’s the whole reason he’s here, isn’t it? He’s not out here hunting Humans. He’s not even hunting deer, or bears, or anything else that featured in Bambi. He’s out here, freezing his nuts off every night, because he’s hunting Angels. Sometimes Dean wishes that Angels were like how they’re described in the Bible. How people from time too old for him to care much about thought Angels were messengers and warriors of God, protectors of Humans. He knows that how they’re really described in the Bible is actually pretty terrifying, but at least they were told by God that they’re supposed to love Humans, right? That’s a thousand times better than what Angels really turned out to be.

Bitch Better Have My Money by Duckyboos (Explicit, 256k words)

How Dean Winchester - mechanic, shitty cook, single father - became the power behind the throne in one of the biggest crime syndicates in the Midwest.

Computer Safety Verse by followthattardis (Explicit, 232k words)

On the day of his 29th birthday, Dean receives an email from his old nemesis: Michael Milton, the guy who got him kicked out of college and stole his girlfriend. The email contains encoded images with top secret CIA/NSA intelligence – and now their only copy is in Dean’s brain. Both agencies send their best operatives – Castiel Novak and Victor Henriksen respectively – to handle their accidental asset and protect the invaluable data in his head. To justify their sudden appearance in Dean’s life, they adopt covers: Victor as Dean’s new co-worker and neighbor, Cas as his new boyfriend. Needless to say, Dean’s brother and his girlfriend are thrilled to see him in a relationship they believe to be real. Clearly, there’s no way this could go wrong.

Four Letter Word For Intercourse by bendingsignpost (Explicit, 228k words)

As a grease monkey turned college freshman, Dean's constantly three seconds away from being stressed out of his mind. It hardly helps that he's finally figuring out his sexuality in his thirties. What might help with that stress is a little phone number (and a big credit card bill). If he can't figure out how to be bisexual in person, he can at least give it a go over the phone, right? (It's probably a bad idea, but he really can't help himself.)

Light me up by tricia_16 (Explicit, 218k words)

Five years after participating in a life-changing threesome with his then-girlfriend and her friend Cas, Dean's single, comfortably bisexual, and has everything he's ever wanted except for that special someone to share his life with. When tragedy strikes, he and Cas are reunited in an unexpected way, and a split-second decision entangles their lives in ways neither of them could have predicted…

Not Part of the Plan by Annie D (scaramouche) (Explicit, 337k words)

Castiel's spent most of his adult life keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. This is a deliberate choice on his part, because as a cousin of the King, he'd rather stay unimportant and forgotten. This changes abruptly when King Michael decides that he has a better use for Castiel: he is to be wed to a noble member of the neighboring Republic, as part of an agreement between their two nations. Castiel knows he has to obey, but that doesn't mean he won't rebel in what small ways he can. Unexpectedly, his actions end up having far-reaching consequences.

one million fires burning by dothraki_shieldmaiden (Explicit, 248k words)

Dean Winchester teaches three classes a day, tutors after school, and chairs the English Department for Lawrence High School. He does enough. Unfortunately, his boss doesn't feel the same and informs him that he has a new job: co-coaching the school's trivia team. His co-coach? None other than the school's golden boy, Castiel Milton. Who Dean can't stand, for various reasons, all of which are valid, thank you very much. And the fact that Dean can't stop talking about the stick up Cas's, sorry, Milton's ass? Completely irrelevant.

Redux by emmbrancsxx0 (Explicit, 386k words)

Dean Winchester is dead. For decades, he, along with Castiel and Sam, has led a peaceful afterlife in heaven. He has everything he’s ever wanted: a home, his family and friends surrounding him, and a relationship with Cas—and he’s bored as hell. Until, one day, Chuck escapes heaven’s lock up and begins capturing souls to regain power. To stop him, Jack sends Dean, Cas, and Sam back to Earth. After so long away from hunting, will they be able to once again find their place in the family business?

Talk Some Sense To Me (Kenopsia) by ImYourHoneyBee (Explicit, 244k words)

Scrambling to his knees Castiel hugs back, burying his face in Dean’s neck, breath coming in fast little pants against his skin. Dean closes his eyes and just breathes him in, barely able to believe that this is real. At any other time in his life, closing his eyes against a threat like Death would be an inexcusable lapse in his hunter’s judgement. Right now, he doesn’t give a single fuck. Death can reap him for all he cares, he’ll die knowing Cas is going to be ok. Alive. “I will see you soon, Dean,” Death tells him, that deliberate voice of his soft enough not to intrude on the intimacy of the moment, “Raincheck on that grilled cheese.” “Thank you,” Dean croaks, propping his chin up on Cas’s shoulder, unmindful of the tears trickling down his cheeks, “Thank you.”

The Closest Thing We Have To Magic by EllenOfOz, TrenchcoatBaby (Explicit, 221k words)

Dean Winchester is a graduate student at Stanford University’s School of the Occult. A naturally-talented mage but a lazy professor and student, he figures he’ll coast through his final year the way he always has: with charisma, charm, and a natural aptitude for magic. All that changes when his thesis advisor, Dr. Castiel Novak, turns out to be the strictest and most challenging educator on-campus. Unfortunately for Dean, the uptight professor is nearly his age and infuriatingly gorgeous. But Castiel is keeping a secret, a powerful talent that’s more a curse than a blessing when he’s targeted by seditious parts of magical society. Can Dean and Cas put aside their animosity—and undeniable chemistry—long enough to instill real change in the magical community? Or will sinister plots and hidden agendas keep them apart?

To Build a Home by intothesilentland (Mature, 383k words)

Twenty-three years of head-over-heels, devastating devotion and love, love, love for the man with bright eyes and dark hair. Fourteen years of friends, best friends, of always together. One moment of rejection. Nine years of apart. Nine years of heartbreak, nine years of continents away, of not speaking, of no acknowledgement, no interaction, no closure, no peace. No happiness. Nine years of Dean’s life entering motions, going through them, constant, cold and mechanic, like clockwork. Nine years of alone. God. Nine years. A lot has changed. And yet Dean still loves Cas just the same. Even if his heart hurts all kinds of different.

Under The Midnight Sun by NorthernSparrow (Explicit, 232k words)

Dean Winchester’s been camp manager of a science research station on the Alaskan tundra for thirteen years. Dean likes his job; fixing the camp trucks, troubleshooting the generators, keeping clueless undergrads and NSF bigwigs from walking into grizzly bears or getting lost in snowstorms — it’s all in a day’s work. It keeps him pretty busy, and this year his brother Sam's visiting too, so he's even busier. So it’s really not any of Dean’s business when some weirdo antisocial ornithologist sets up a tent a few miles away, a dark-haired blue-eyed guy who’s doing a “very long-term" study on birds or wings or something, and who never, ever takes off his big lumpy backpack. But then the new guy starts dropping by camp for coffee and… well, he’s not officially part of camp; he's not Dean’s responsibility; he’s really not Dean’s problem at all, but when a strange blizzard comes sweeping in, Dean gets worried and goes to check. Thing is, Dean's spent years in the sweeping vistas of the Arctic. He knows all about the midnight sun and the northern lights, the ice caves and avalanches, the rough-and-ready Haul Road truckers and the even rougher-and-readier wild animals. But even so, what he finds is much more than he bargained for.

With Interest by everandanon (Explicit, 296k words)

Eighteen, bored, and not quite able to turn down the money, Cas agrees to an ill-advised bet, and Dean's heart isn't the only one that gets broken. Eleven years later, grieving his twin brother and struggling to take care of his niece, Cas finally returns home — only to meet Dean again and discover that the boy he left behind has grown up a lot. And now, Dean seems to have every intention of getting him back — with interest.

You can also check our >100k tag for all the longer fics we rec.

[disturbingstar]

Z nation trivia

• Several of the actors/crew lived together while filming the first season in Spokane, Washington, to save on costs. This included Anastasia Baranova (Addy) and Michael Welch (Mack).

• The first season was recorded on a tight schedule, with an episode being fully recorded within six days, with most shoots only allowing three takes.

• Keith Allan (Murphy) was working for The Asylum production company as a stage hand when they were tasked with Z Nation (2014). They suggested he audition for the role of Murphy and he ended up getting the part

• In one of the episodes, survivors are seen eating "Twinkies" - a nod to Zombieland (2009).

• As the character of Murphy continued to evolve, it was decided that the blue skin aspect of the character would be removed. This was largely due to the fact that the makeup itself was extremely irritating to actor Keith Allan, causing some minor skin complications as he had no choice but to wear the make up sometimes over 12 hours a day during filming.

• As of the end of season 5, 10K's kill-count is 8,999.

• Season 3 was still filming while the first episodes of season 3 aired.

• Russell Hodgkinson, who played Steven "Doc" Beck, also appeared in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017) in the same role.

• Kellita Smith currently plays Lt. Roberta Warren on Z-Nation. She then played Sergeant Roberta Warren in the movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015). Both are productions of The Asylum.

• On December 23, 2018, Syfy canceled the series after five seasons.

• Tom Everett Scott knew when agreeing to play Garnett that his character would be killed off in episode 6 Resurrection Z (2014). Before recording the episode some producers brought up keeping his character on longer but this idea was shot down.

• According to Karl Schaefer the apocalypse of Z Nation began on November 9th 2016.

• Russell Hodgkinson (Doc) and his wife came up with the idea for 'Z Weed' while gardening in their backyard. Simply grow marijuana using compost containing dead zombie parts.

• As of Season 4, although still listed in the credits as part of the main cast, Anastasia Baranova is no longer a regular member of the cast and has been reduced to "recurring" status. Anastasia's contract is non-restricted, leaving her open to pursue other projects. During filming for Season 4, Anastasia was already tied to 3 other projects, including 2 television series and a movie. The character of Addy has therefore been temporarily written out of the show until Anastasia could commit to working on it again.

• Katy O'Brian confirmed that her character, George, is gay.

• Four different actresses have played Lucy in the series as of the end of season 3

• In the episode "Welcome to Murphytown," The Man escaped hand cuffs by cutting off his own hand. This is a reference to the movie Deadpool (2016) where he does the same thing. It also occurred in The Walking Dead when the character Merle was handcuffed on the roof. He cut his hand off to get free.

• Anastasia Baranova wanted her character, Addy, to be bi-sexual to represent more of the real world.

(All trivia is from IMDb)