#pumpkin sheen my beloved

[ineffable-xenanigans]

Happy Sheen Halloween!

Image edited by yours truly, brought to our attention on Tumblr by @fuckyeahgoodomens, and originally posted on Facebook by Hobbledown Heath:

[siempre-bucky]

leaves

Robert 'Bob' Floyd x Reader

Summary: Bob's asked the question: "What's your favorite part about fall?" and it's something you couldn't find in SoCal. Seeing that he misses home, you give him his favorite thing.

The fire crackled, and blue eyes followed golden embers as they fell to the sand. Bob sat with his knees to his chest, chin resting on the top of knees as he laughed at something Mickey said. "Fall in San Diego fucking sucks," Mickey groaned, tipping his head back to show his distaste. 

"Too hot," you hummed. Your arm was snaked around Bob's toned bicep. The closeness from your husband only added to the warmth. You didn't mind, you thought the sheen of sweat on his forehead was rather sexy. 

The squad started swapping stories of cold autumns filled with changing colors and the scents of apples and pumpkins. "What's your favorite thing about fall, Baby on Board? You've been typically quiet this evenin','' Jake smirked from his spot across the fire. 

The WSO thought about it, his eyes looking to the sand. He missed home during this time of year. He missed the smell of cinnamon in his mother's kitchen, the way the cool breeze hit his face as he rode his beloved horse through the farm, and the way you cuddled beside him during scary movies. His favorite though was a little silly and he'd rather not be made fun of by his tipsy friends. 

You noticed the way he tensed up and began to fiddle with the black band on his left hand, a habit reserved for when he was nervous. "The cold air," he said with a nod of his head and a crooked smile. 

What a liar. 

You questioned him about it on the drive home. "Bobby," you started, shifting in your head to face him better. "What's your favorite part about fall?" 

Bob knew you could see right through him. He let out a nervous laugh and shook his head, "It's silly," he replied, looking over at you with a pretty smile on his thin lips. 

"You know it's not silly to me, my love." 

There was a small pause while the blond gathered his thoughts and tried to muster an ounce of confidence. "I like the leaves," he said, unsure of himself. 

"The leaves," you repeated softly. 

He nodded shyly. "Back home, I could open the door and the leaves would be on the doorstep. We would walk down the street looking for the one that would crunch the most. Can't really do that out here, especially not in Lemoore." 

You reached for his hand, curling your fingers around it until he relaxed under your touch. He didn't talk about how much he missed his family’s farm back home; made his eyes watery. "That's not silly at all, Bobby." 

He nodded sheepishly, embarrassed by his own admission. "Made me miss home a bit. Ma sent me a couple of pictures from the pumpkin patch—I miss it."

His confession stuck with you into the late hours of the night, curled up next to him as he slept peacefully beside you. You played with the short curls that were splayed on the pillow and your mind was working overtime. Bob wasn't able to take time off until Christmas time—the leaves would be gone and snow would cover the ground. 

With a small grunt, you rolled over and grabbed your phone. Another grunt escaped you as the bright light hit your eyes, squinting and you opened your messages app and began typing. 

—

It took a few days of looking longingly at the front door, watching the mailman drive past with nothing larger than a letter, but there he was: your savior in a light blue uniform. He was taken aback by how abruptly you opened the door. 

"Floyd?" He asked, looking at the cream colored label on the box. 

"Yes, thank you," you answered cheerfully, taking the large box in your hands. 

You practically ripped it open as you kicked the door close behind you. Inside was something to lift Bob's spirit, if you couldn't take Bob home, you'd bring home to him. 

Ziploc bags held the driest leaves his family could find. His mother lovingly drew little hearts and leafs with black Sharpie on the front. You gently pushed down with your fingertips, a few of the golden leaves crunched under your touch. A bright smile made its way to your lips, perfect.

—

Bob woke up shivering, goosebumps littered his pretty skin and the barely there warmth of the thin blanket wasn't helping. San Diego must've frozen over. He sniffed, the scent of cinnamon instantly hitting his nose. The cold air from the air conditioner suddenly didn't matter, he felt like he was back home; he was comfortable. 

"Good morning, Bobby," you greeted kindly as you sat near the edge of the bed. He smiled, his hand coming out from under the blanket to hold the side of your waist. 

"Did you turn the air conditioner down?" He asked through a yawn. 

"I did," you responded proudly. He could hear the grin in your voice as you spoke, so he opened one of his eyes and formed a face. "I got a surprise for you." 

That got him up. 

He put on his glasses and the burnt orange flannel you had hanging on the door for him before you held his hand to guide him through the house. "Breakfast?" He asked as he saw a stack of pancakes on the small table. 

"Pumpkin and cinnamon," you added, "but that's not the surprise." 

His eyebrows raised, a small crooked smile forming on his lips. His face reminded you of the shy boy you knew all those years ago, the one who was never good at asking for what he wanted and was always surprised when he got it. “W-what is it?” 

“Open the door,” you told him, nudging your head towards the front door. 

He kept his eye on you as he carefully walked to the front door. His hand wrapped around the cold metal doorknob. The door opened with a creek and when he looked down, his breath hitched in his throat. 

The leaves his mother sent you covered the doorstep. Beautiful shades of orange, red, and brown went all the way down the driveway. “Honey,” he managed, not trusting his voice. Bob was overwhelmed with emotion, he was transported back home with the cold on his back and the leaves in front of him. 

“I know we couldn’t go this year,” you started, snaking your arms around his waist, pressing your cheek to his shoulder blade. “I messaged your mom and she sent me these. Do you like it?” 

He smiled and after a moment of watching a brown leaf drift into the grass he nodded. “Yeah,” he murmured, “So much.” Your eyebrows gently furrowed at the broken sound of his voice. He took a step away from you and you let him go willingly. “Can I?” 

“Please.” 

Bob stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets until his watch hit the hem of the material. He took one step down and then another, the leaves cracking under his bare feet. His eyes fluttered closed and he inhaled the earthy scent, his mind made up the smell of the barn and the distinct smell of his former home. 

He walked slowly down the driveway with his chin tilted to the warm sun. A gust of wind hit his face and his curls fell on his forehead, the blowing leaves brushing against his legs. Bob made it to the end of the sidewalk before opening his eyes, adjusting to the brightness as he looked at you and the prideful smile you had on your face. 

“Wanna join me?” he called out. 

You nodded happily and wasted no time rushing to his side, sliding your hand along the lower part of his back. “You look happy, Bobby.” 

Bob placed a kiss on your temple, “I am happy.” 

,

“Wanna come inside and eat?” 

He looked to the ground again, his eyes instantly going to a withered leaf—the driest one he’s seen yet. “In just a second,” he chuckled, bouncing over to the lone little leaf. Bob joyfully lifted his foot off the ground, savoring the anticipation before setting it down. The satisfying crunch made him giggle, a smile you’d never forget displayed on his pretty face. His cheeks dusted with a childlike rose. The blond adjusted his glasses and looked back at you, extending his hand. “Now we can.” 

Bob sat happily at the table, silent yet his body language told you everything you needed to know. His eyes were glued to the front window, watching (more like daydreaming) the leaves that waited for him. You sat across from him, just looking at him in admiration; he looked his best when he was comfortable and happy. 

His fingers itched to go play in the leaves, scoop them up and throw them as high as he could make them go. “Bobby,” you said in between bites. He looked up at you,  “Just go.” 

His blue eyes lit up, then did his best to calmly place his fork on the table and rose from his seat. “Thank you!” he cheered, coming around the table to kiss your cheek. “I love you so much.”  

You happily watched the grown man play in the leaves like a child, your coffee cup pressed to your smiling lips. 

Spirits lifted. 

[dreamyyang]

Amortentia — zhong chenle

[Summary: The strange scent that Chenle encountered during his Potions class led him to you. Good thing it wards off Wrackspurts.

Genre(s): fluff (apparently), Hogwarts!au, somewhat soulmate!au

Warning(s): this was my failed attempt at fluff

Author’s note: requested by 🎨 anon, I hope you like it 🥺💙. Also,, I miss purple haired Chenle.]

Professor Slughorn motioned for his students to leave their desks. The whole sixth year batch of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs formed a semicircle around the Potions Master. He gestured towards a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most alluring scents Chenle had ever inhaled: chocolate milk, treacle tart and one distinctive smell that he couldn’t place.

It was sweet and a little strong, but not too strong to be called perfume, nor too faint to be called lotion. It just smelled so natural. He could have sworn that he knew that scent. It was on the tip of his tongue, at the back of his brain. But he couldn't seem to put his finger on it.

"Alright then, who here can tell me the name of this potion?"

"That is Amortentia, sir," a girl answered. "The most powerful love potion in the world. It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from the potion in spirals. Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them."

"Correct," the Professor said, smiling and then turned to Chenle. "Tell me, Zhong, what does this smell like to you?"

"Um chocolate milk, treacle tart and another smell that I can’t really identify, sir. I-It seems very familiar though," He answered, faltering at the end. It felt too personal for him to share, no matter how simple the scents were.

"Aah, yes. It is quite common for young ones such as yourselves to not be sure of certain scents. And that, is in many cases, the scent of their beloved. Their soulmate. True, they may not have met the person yet, but they will still know this smell."

"So in a way, Amortentia could tell you who the object of your affections is, even before you know them?" Chenle wondered out loud.

"In a way, yes. Interesting observation, my boy.”

Jeongin, Chenle’s friend, frowned and raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr. Yang?”

“Sir, Chenle said that the smell was familiar to him, how do you explain that?”

The Potions Master grinned, “It means that Mr. Zhong has already encountered his soulmate. His olfactory senses picked up the smell and it was retained in his subconscious memory.”

The class carried on but Chenle felt as confused as ever. He nudged Jeongin, a frown settling on his features.

“What the hell did that mean?”

Jeongin mirrored the grin their professor had given Chenle earlier, “It means you’ve met your soulmate, dummy.”

Chenle didn’t even think about the Potions class until a week later. Him and his best friend, Jisung, were walking around Hogsmeade when the younger boy pulled him into Honeydukes.

There was a huge crowd and the two ended up getting separated. Chenle was looking around for Jisung when he suddenly caught a whiff of a strange scent. Though it was sweet there was an odd musky scent that made it stand out from the rest of the sweets in the shops. Realisation hit Chenle; it was his soulmate.

The purple haired boy immediately took off, barrelling towards the smell like a mad man. Angry shouts and curses were aimed at him as he pushed through the crowd of Hogwarts students and Hogsmeade villagers. He didn’t care at the moment, his unfiltered curiosity was compelling him to find the source of the strange smell.

The smell grew stronger as he ran towards a Ravenclaw student around his age. He immediately recognised them as Y/n Lovegood, older sibling of the girl who most people called Loony Luna. The Ravenclaw was wearing an odd, colourful pair of glasses that Chenle was sure he’d seen on their younger sister. They were engaged in a conversation with Huang Renjun, a seventh year Slytherin.

Chenle took in a deep breath, which was difficult considering how hard he was panting because of his run, and hesitantly tapped Y/n on the shoulder. When they turned around, Chenle felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

What was he supposed to say?

“You... The smell,” he said, still half-panting.

Y/n laughed, “My sister and I have been working on it for the past year, we call it Wrack Repellent. It keeps the Wrackspurts away.”

Chenle blinked. This was not how he’d expected the conversation to go but at least it wasn’t as awkward as he had feared.

“It smells nice,” he said with a soft smile.

Renjun looked at him as if he were crazy.

“You’re weird,” he stated. “I’m just going to leave you weirdos alone. Bye Y/n!”

The Ravenclaw waved at their friend before turning to Chenle, “Why are you panting?”

“I was running away from the Wrackspurts.”

“Why do I always do this to myself?” Chenle groaned, his head falling to the table.

Jisung and Y/n slid into the two seats on either side of him. After Hogsmeade, Chenle had been hanging out with Y/n a lot. And, as everyone knew, ChenJi was a package deal. As a result, the popular duo soon became a trio.

“What did you do this time?” Jisung asked, peering down at all the pieces of parchment on the table.

“Didn’t finish my Potions assignment. Due tomorrow,” Chenle mumbled against the parchment.

“What’s it about?”

“Amortentia and stuff,” Chenle groaned as he sat up. “I don’t feel like doing it.”

“I can help you, I just turned in the assignment myself,” Y/n offered.

Chenle’s eyes widened, “Oh Merlin, thank you!”

Jisung left the two of them to it, deciding that he had better things to do.

“Since the potion can help us remember a smell that was stored in your subconscious, it’s clearly very powerful... Wait frame it differently!”

Chenle sighed, “This is exhausting, maybe I should stop.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow, “You’ve written one paragraph, Chenle. One.”

“It was a tiring paragraph.”

“I—”

“Break time!” Chenle yelled, causing him to receive dirty looks from the other students in the library. The glares didn’t phase him and he only giggled.

Y/n sighed, “You are literally a dolphin, Lele.”

“A cute dolphin.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Whatever, the break is still on though.”

“Okay, but only for ten minutes and we’re staying in the library.”

Chenle grinned widely, “You’re the best, Y/n.”

“Don’t let Jisung hear you say that.”

The conversation progressed till it took a full circle and came back to the love potion. Or, more importantly, the topic of soulmates.

“Dunno,” the Gryffindor shrugged. “Soulmates could be real but maybe they aren’t? How can you be sure?”

Y/n tilted their head, “Well, I want to believe that they’re real. Oh! I’m curious, what did Amortentia smell like to you?”

“You know, the stuff I usually like, chocolate, treacle tarts and... you-a-a random thing,” Chenle’s cheeks reddened when he realised what he was about to say.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck but thankfully, Y/n didn’t seem to realise that he had faltered.

The Ravenclaw only smiled softly to themself, their eyes almost twinkling as she spoke, “Yeah, I smelt some great stuff too. I particularly liked my random one.”

Their voice seemed strongly suggestive as they spoke the last sentence and Chenle was sure that Y/n knew that they were soulmates.

“R-Really?”

“Yes. So do you like the smell of freesia, pumpkin and two drops of garlic oil?”

Chenle blinked, not understanding why they had suddenly asked a random question.

“Uh, I don’t know? I don’t think I’ve smelled a combination like that before.”

The Ravenclaw’s smile grew into a grin. “Well you know, it’s excellent for keeping Wrackspurts away.”

Chenle coughed; Y/n knew for sure. The grin they were giving him made him blush harder. He suddenly felt shy under their gaze and fumbled with his words.

“Oh- I see, well uh, that-that is-is very um... Yes, that’s—”

Y/n cut off his incoherent rambling, “By the way, next time, dye your hair a darker colour. Wouldn’t want my soulmate’s bright purple hair to attract those beasts.”

Chenle looked down, unsure of what to say.

“My soulmate is so cute,” Y/n cooed as they leaned over pinch his cheek.

“N-no you.”

[lindyhunt]

Can’t Get Enough of Your Favourite TV Shows? Tune In to These Podcasts

Fall is a great time of year, because with it comes cooling temperatures, TIFF, fashion month, pumpkin spice everything, and fall TV season, aka the time when a slate of new and returning shows hits our screens. Shameless is back, The Good Place is back, This Is Us is back, How To Get Away With Murder is back. Murphy Brown—the reboot—just had its season premiere, as did Forever, starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, and Kidding, with Jim Carrey.

So yes, there’s a LOT of new TV to watch. Even so, it’s hard to let go of old favourites. Particularly now, when just watching the news can feel like an assault on our nerves, it’s comforting to be able to return to familiar characters and plotlines whose trajectory we already know. No mean surprises, no sudden deaths, no disappointing narrative turns. The night of the Kavanaugh hearings last week, I watched three episodes of Gilmore Girls back-to-back in some sort of fugue state, Lorelai and Rory’s banter washing over me like a soothing hot shower. And I know I’m not the only one who turns to President Bartlet & Co when we desperately feel like we need a window into a saner West Wing than the one we’ve got right in real life. But when even re-runs aren’t enough (or you’ve cycled through them way too many times to revisit again) there’s yet another avenue of comfort: podcasts. Yep, there’s a veritable gold mine out there of podcasts about cult favourite television shows, in which the hosts dive into the nitty-gritty of it all, recapping favourite episodes, dissecting intricate plotlines, or just shooting the breeze with the show’s creators and cast.

But the nostalgia factor isn’t all these podcasts have going for them. Considering how much TV is at our disposal thanks to streaming services, we now have the opportunity to binge shows we never watched when they were on the air. (Mad Men has been languishing in my Netflix queue for longer than I care to admit.) And as one colleague of mine pointed out, it’s nice to have someone to “discuss” those shows with long after they’re off the air and no one’s talking about them anymore. That’s kind of how I felt even when The Americans was ON the air, because it felt like I was the only one in my friend circle watching the damn thing (your loss). Which is why I especially loved tuning in to its podcast every week, in which the host would dive into the various plot points and developments with the writers, directors and cast.

So whether you’re craving an extra dose of nostalgia or freaking out over a plot twist the rest of the world already freaked out about, like, four years ago, there’s somewhere you can go to scratch that itch. Scroll through for a list of our favourite podcasts about beloved, off-the-air TV shows.

Gilmore Guys The hosts of this podcast are two guys (duh) who share a great dynamic: one, Kevin Porter, is a self-declared superfan and the other, Demi Adejuyigbe (fun fact: he’s currently a writer on one of the best things on TV right now, The Good Place), has never watched the show before. This obviously, makes for great entertainment as the two take the hit show episode by episode, analyzing, quipping about and unpacking everything from its zillion pop culture references to the mile-a-minute dialogue to its feminist storylines. Stars like Scott Patterson, who plays Luke Danes, and Liza Weil, who plays Paris Gellar, also appear on the show, as do the Gilmore Girls themselves.

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Happy June 3rd! Today on the last episode of #GilmoreGuys we talk to Lauren Graham! Thanks for listening ❤️

A post shared by Gilmore Guys (@gilmoreguysshow) on Jun 3, 2017 at 10:00am PDT

The Americans Podcast Warning: you must only listen to this podcast after you’ve watched the episode it talks about because it contains hella spoilers. Hosted by Slate’s June Thomas, the podcast goes behind the scenes of each episode, studying it from various angles. Pretty much every major player on the show has been on the podcast, from the two leads Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell to the showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields to the costume and set designers, because those elements are as important on a period piece as the characters themselves. This show is so rife with tension, psychological drama, and moral and ethical dilemmas that hearing directly from the people who put it all together really helps to make sense of some of the complex themes it deals with.

The West Wing Weekly Co-hosted by Joshua Malina, who played Will Bailey on the show, and musician Hrishikesh Hirway, this podcast is for all the West Wing nerds out there. It launched in 2016 and is still going strong, “taking a fine-tooth comb to each episode of [the] political drama,” as the New York Times puts it. The podcast has brought on all the big names associated with the series, from show creator Aaron Sorkin himself to director Tommy Schlamme to actors Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney. Trump’s antics too much for you? Find solace with this show, new episodes of which drop every Wednesday.

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Last night was so much fun. We couldn't have asked for a better way to end our tour. Thanks to special guest Aaron Sorkin, surprise guest Emily Procter, and everyone who came to the show. 🛫

A post shared by The West Wing Weekly (@thewestwingweekly) on Apr 24, 2018 at 7:48am PDT

Breaking Bad Insider There are dozens of podcasts out there dedicated to this cult show but this is the one to listen to, because it’s hosted by Vince Gilligan, the show’s creator, and Kelley Dixon, the show’s editor. The cast and crew of the series, obviously, make regular appearances.

Buffering the Vampire Slayer Named one of TIME’s Top 50 Podcasts of 2018, this bi-weekly show hosted by Buffy aficionados Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo wades into all the thorny aspects of this OG feminist show. As TIME explains, the ladies “obsess over how the series upended sexist tropes, analyze the undeniable sexual chemistry between Buffy and Faith and… also wrestle with Xander’s problematic one-liners and Joss Whedon’s imperfect portrayal of women.” The best part though? Each instalment ends with an original song written by the two, inspired by that week’s episode.

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We are BACK!! Alongside *two* episodes we’ve also released *two* songs & our very first vinyl!!!! Featuring @jennyowenyoungs as Buffy & @benthornewill as our Angel (!!), and with a gorgeous cover design by @kristinetuna — you now have music to accompany your tears! 💔😭 You can hear Angel’s song at the end of today’s I Will Remember You episode of @angelontopcast & Buffy’s song at the end of our episode — songs are available today for our patrons & you can pre-order the vinyl using the link in our bio!

A post shared by Buffering the Vampire Slayer (@bufferingcast) on Oct 3, 2018 at 6:09am PDT

Seinfeld: The Post-Show Recap Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur’s mission was to wade through every single episode of Seinfeld’s nine-season run and they did just that in the three years of this podcast, from 2014 to 2017. Now that all 180 episodes of the cult hit are behind them, the duo is fielding ideas and suggestions from listeners about what they should do next. Their attempt to figure out what their next podcast should be about IS what their next podcast is all about. Er, yes, it’s all very meta. Bizarro Jerry would approve.

Best of Friends Podcast Okay, I don’t know what kind of magical alchemy went into the writing of this show, because its jokes somehow just don’t get old, even countless viewings later. I genuinely believe I will never tire of re-watching this show, and for all the other FRIENDS buffs who feel similarly, this is an amazing podcast to help feed your addiction. Over the course of two years, its hosts Erin Mallory Long and Jamie Woodham waxed lyrical about every single glorious episode of the show, and now it seems, according to this Instagram post, that they’re coming back with more. Stay tuned.