#you’re a wizard Wonka

[ayoooo3]

Imagine… that Regulus Black didn’t die that day in the cave, and instead chose to disappear, to walk away from the war and try to start again.

Imagine… that Regulus steps away from magic altogether and tries to find a place in the muggle world. Along the way he reinvents himself completely.

Imagine… 10 years down the line James stumbles into this muggle candy shop he’s heard of, where it seems like magic fills the air. His curiosity fueling the need to see it for himself.

Imagine… James getting the air knocked out of his lungs because there at the counter is his Reggie, handing out candy to customers, a smile on his face as he watches them scream and laugh and try to figure out how the candy works. James knows it’s magic even if the other customers don’t.

Imagine… Regulus looking up and seeing James, a smile creeping across his face as he presses a finger to his lips and nods towards the delighted customers.

Imagine… Regulus whispering “look at them, Jamie. If anyone can use a bit of magic, it’s them, isn’t it?”

Imagine… they get to fall in love all over again.

(This TikTok got me thinking and as always Will was there to add fuel the fire… and the perfect dialog for Reg)

[capn-america]

I heard you were asking for movie suggestions??

What genre are you in the mood for? If you're looking for action, I highly recommend John Wick, or The Bourne Identity series, speed, the divergent series, if you’re looking for action movies that are a bit more around Christmas time as tomorrow is Christmas Eve (at least in my time zone) then I would highly suggest die hard or home alone, If you want something more lighthearted, you can't go wrong with a classic like The Princess Bride, Willy, Wonka, and the chocolate factory, the Wizard of Oz, the sound of music, or if your looking for a rom-com like Crazy Rich Asians, clueless, red white and royal blue, or ghosted, which is also a bit of an action movie. Now if you're in the mood for something thought-provoking, try Inception or The Matrix. Now if you’re looking for horror movies, they’re all different types of horror movies that range from Scream and the Shining and IT to maze Runner and Chucky.

Wowie! I'll put all of these on my list.

I've seen John Wick, Home Alone, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music, The Matrix, and The Shining! But I'll definitely give the rest a watch!

[novelconcepts]

I'm glad to see some Willow stuff on your feed, even if it's just in a fluff-appreciation way. Willow was one of the movies that was on consistently through my childhood and I cannot express how deep my love is for it. Seeing these queer characters in the show makes me so happy. Truly, it has become my new comfort show that I play in the background simply because it makes me smile and I want it to get another season. It's a particular kind of thing that may not grip everyone, but I would love for any new viewer to go into it to just have fun with it. I get the feeling you are not engrossed enough to write any fic for these lovable dumbasses, but rereading some of your other fics and my love for this universe has me dipping my toe back into writing after burning out on my Dani and Jamie stuff when life got Too Real. Hope you get back into your house soon and hope you are well.

You’re correct that I’m not engrossed enough to write for it, BUT I was pleasantly surprised by the show. For a long time, the movie occupied a shelf in my head labeled “This Must Have Fucked Me Up, Because I Feel Terror At The Idea Of Rewatching It” (it’s in good company; the list of movies that fucked me up as a kid include such hits as: The Wizard of Oz; Willy Wonka; Fern Gully; The Dark Crystal; Little Nemo in Slumberland; Batman Returns; etc etc, I was scared of EVERYTHING as a child). So I never rewatched it—until a few weeks ago, when my mother insisted. I found it mostly sweet (minus the pig scene, which definitely did the damage to my child-self), and was pleased to find the show keeps the general energy of the movie, but Better. I love all the characters in that little party, I love the anachronistic language and music choices, and I thought it was beautifully costumed and shot. I hope it gets another season, too. It’s a lovely feel-good watch, even if it doesn’t live under my skin.

(Really really glad it’s awakened your love of writing. It’s always beautiful when something has that power.)

[piratebay]

17 31 & 33 for film questions! 💖💖

film questions

17. a movie that you know is bad but you can’t help but love it

omg in all honesty a LOT of the movies i like are. bad. lmao. but for brevity's sake -- to answer this question... batman & robin (1997). i just think it's fun 😭

31. 3 movies you’re expecting excitedly!

idk if excitedly is the right word! i feel like i never really pay tooooo much attn to what movies are coming out (and i'm playing an endless game of catch-up on pop culture) But i saw the trailer for smb watching one piece and. well. i'll watch it! idk what i'm gonna do abt crisp rat's voice tho.

i rmr everyone was talking abt brendan fraser's return w the whale and it looks interesting enough.

last one is not rly a "movie" movie... but when i looked up upcoming shows on fandango i saw, in select theaters, they're releasing a recorded performance of the magic flute! which. i do wanna see. c:

33. favorite musical

ok i Have seen. an awful lot of musicals. technically i prefer to see em live if i can, but some made-for-the-movie house musicals that are. p timeless imo are the wizard of oz and willy wonka ig.

but some of my fave shows i wanna see live (and not talk abt the movie versions :-] unless absolutely necessary. lol.) are the phantom of the opera, sweeney todd, the last 5 years, and les mis 🥹😣

[adamwatchesmovies]

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Some films capture the imagination so elegant, so perfectly, it seems almost effortless. Like The Wizard of Oz or Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is such a film. Filled with splendid and memorable songs, unforgettable characters, distinct visuals, and a performance by Gene Wilder so good that to imitate it would be pure folly, this is essential viewing; a film destined to be revisited by children and their parents again and again.

Poor, kind Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) lives in a small house with his mother (Diana Sowle) and his four grandparents. When legendary candy maker Willy Wonka (Wilder) announces he has hidden five golden tickets in his world-famous Wonka Bars, and that the children who find them will be allowed access to his mysterious factory, our hero dreams of finding one for himself.

This is a strange film. It’s whimsical, funny, tragic, and occasionally, a little frightening. The strange blends of emotion and bizarre imagery somehow fill you with comfort the same way as the bedtime fairytales you enjoyed as a child. The instant you see Charlie, you fall in love with him. You know how badly he wants to visit Wonka’s factory because he's you. As the tickets get snatched up one by one by vile children, your anticipation keeps growing. If the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Michael Böllner) and insufferable Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole) are the only ones who meet the reclusive Willy Wonka, there's no way he'll ever emerge from his factory ever again. Even if you already know what’s going to happen to them, to Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen), or Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), the child inside you is filled with such nervousness you forget.

When we finally go inside Wonka’s factory and learn the secrets of his chocolate, it’s pure bliss. You want to reach into the screen and stuff your pockets full of the impossible colors and textures you see. Then, there’s the music. Anyone who says they don’t remember the Oompa Loompas’ song, Pure Imagination or Candy Man, are lying; trying (for reasons no one but them could understand) to distance themselves from a children’s film that has a lot to offer adults. Like Grumpy in Snow White, the story frequently injects humor by undercutting what’s happening on-screen via Willy Wonka. He says exactly what you’re thinking a second before you’ve finished thinking about it. He’s full of sarcastic remarks and delights in seeing the spoiled brats who've entered his factory get what’s coming to them. If the visuals, the performances (Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe stands out as particularly magical), the music, and everything else didn’t already cement the film as timeless, Wilder certainly does.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is mandatory viewing. Your movie-viewing life isn’t complete without it. More than that, seeing it just the once isn’t enough. It’s the kind of picture you should see when you’re young - I vividly remember viewing the picture with my grade-four class – and again, at regular intervals during your lifetime to see how its appeal changes but never diminishes. Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. (On Blu-ray, September 1, 2017)

[alyjojo]

What Costume Reflects Your Soul 🧙🏻‍♀️2022 - Scorpio

Cards: Wheel of Fortune rev, Ace of Pentacles, 10 Swords

Regarding: 8 Wands

Charms:

Hamsa Hand (up) 🪬 on 8 Wands

Emerald 💚 on Ace of Pentacles

Scarecrow 👩‍🌾 on 10 Swords

It’s kinda eerie the charms kinda spell out what I saw, which didn’t really have a theme besides “cult classic” more or less. Scattered ideas, all cool, all things that probably wouldn’t be copied or super popular. Movies that didn’t gain in popularity until the following generations dug them back up from the grave. If you’re especially original, one of those costumes everyone has to ask what you are, and you can judge your friends accordingly by how well they know you.

Ideas: Willy Wonka, The literal Wizard 🧙🏻‍♀️ of Oz, a or “the” scarecrow, The Crow, Pennywise, Candyman, Carrie, any level of ghost 👻 or ghoul, wicker man, Ash - Evil Dead, Headless horseman, any Rocky Horror characters, AHS characters, Slenderman, and anything niche I’ve left out that I probably don’t even know about but you do 🥳

[vapehk1]

Exploring the Whimsical World of Cotton Candy Elf Bar: A Sweet Vaping Journey

Welcome to a sugary adventure in the world of vaping, where cotton candy isn't just for carnivals anymore! Today, we're diving into the fluffy clouds of the cotton candy Elf Bar, a delightful treat that's sweeping the vape scene faster than a sugar rush on a Saturday afternoon. This isn't just about inhaling and exhaling; it's about enjoying a slice of childhood, minus the sticky fingers. So, strap in (or should we say, "strap on your taste buds?"), and let's embark on a flavorful escapade that promises plenty of laughs and maybe a few cavities of the vapor kind. What Exactly is a Cotton Candy Elf Bar? Before we jump into the candy jar, let's unwrap what a cotton candy Elf Bar really is. Imagine combining the nostalgic, airy sweetness of cotton candy with the modern twist of vaping. That's right, it's a portable, disposable vape device that offers the heavenly taste of spun sugar with every puff. This isn't your average vape juice; it's a ticket to your childhood memories, all packed within a sleek, colorful stick that fits in your pocket like a magic wand fits in a wizard's hand. But why cotton candy, you ask? Because why not! In a world where you can have your cake and vape it too, cotton candy stands out as a universally beloved flavor that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's fun, it's frivolous, and let's be honest, it's a bit cheeky. Cotton candy Elf Bars are designed for those who want to add a sprinkle of joy and a dash of whimsy to their vaping experience. The Unboxing Experience: First Impressions Unboxing a cotton candy Elf Bar is like opening a gift on Christmas morning. The packaging is as vibrant as a neon sign at the fair, beckoning you to come taste the nostalgia. With hues that could rival the most vivid sunset, it's clear that this isn't a vaping device that wants to hide in the shadows. It's here to make a statement, and that statement is "life is sweet, and so am I." Taking your first puff of the cotton candy Elf Bar is like stepping into a dream where the clouds taste like sugar. The flavor explodes like fireworks, sweet and full, without the artificial aftertaste that haunts some vape flavors. It's smooth, satisfying, and surprisingly close to the real deal. If Willy Wonka made a vape, this would be it. The Sweet Science Behind It Creating the perfect cotton candy flavor in a vape isn't just magic; it's science. Food scientists and flavorists work tirelessly to capture the essence of cotton candy, translating it into something you can enjoy without getting your fingers sticky. This involves a blend of natural and artificial flavors that mimic the taste of sugar being spun at high temperatures, which is no small feat. Beyond the flavor, the technology within the Elf Bar ensures that each puff is as good as the last. The device is designed for consistency, from the first draw to the last. It features a controlled heating mechanism that vaporizes the e-liquid evenly, ensuring that the sweet, airy flavor remains stable throughout the entire experience. Longevity and Sustainability: Puffing Towards the Future One of the best parts about the cotton candy Elf Bar is its longevity. Each bar comes with enough e-liquid and battery life to last for what feels like eons, or at least for several hundred puffs. For the casual user, this could mean days, if not weeks, of cotton candy bliss, making it a practical choice for both seasoned vapers and curious newcomers. In today's world, sustainability is just as important as flavor. While disposable vapes like the Elf Bar aren't perfect in terms of environmental impact, there are strides being made. Many companies, including Elf Bar, are exploring recyclable materials and refillable options to reduce waste. So, while you're enjoying the ephemeral taste of cotton candy, know that the industry is working on making these sweet treats a bit sweeter for the planet. Conclusion Welcome to the whimsical guide on the cotton candy Elf Bar, your sweet passport to a playful vaping adventure. This delightful disposable vape combines the nostalgic taste of cotton candy with sleek, modern vaping technology, offering a vibrant and fun experience from the first puff. The unboxing reveals a brightly colored device, promising a joyful and flavorful journey. Thanks to advanced flavor engineering, each puff delivers a consistent, cotton-candy sweetness reminiscent of childhood days at the fair. Moreover, the Elf Bar stands out for its longevity, ensuring that you can enjoy hundreds of puffs before needing a replacement. While considering sustainability, efforts are underway to improve the environmental footprint of these disposable vapes. Whether you're a veteran vaper or a curious newcomer, the cotton candy Elf Bar provides a delightful break from the ordinary, serving both taste and convenience in a compact, portable form. FAQs 1. What exactly is a cotton candy Elf Bar? The cotton candy Elf Bar is a disposable vaping device that offers the sweet, nostalgic flavor of cotton candy. It combines a fun, easy-to-use design with a tasty e-liquid that replicates the classic fairground treat. This device is designed for convenience, featuring a pre-filled e-liquid and a pre-charged battery, making it ready to use right out of the box. 2. How many puffs can you get from a cotton candy Elf Bar? A typical cotton candy Elf Bar provides approximately 600 puffs, depending on usage habits. This makes it a long-lasting choice for casual vaping, with enough e-liquid and battery life to last through multiple sessions before disposal. 3. Is the cotton candy Elf Bar suitable for beginners? Yes, the cotton candy Elf Bar is an excellent choice for beginners. Its straightforward, no-maintenance design is ideal for those new to vaping, as it requires no refilling or recharging. Simply open the package, and it’s ready to use, offering a hassle-free introduction to vaping. 4. Are Elf Bars environmentally friendly? While disposable vapes like the Elf Bar are not inherently environmentally friendly due to their single-use nature, the industry is making strides towards sustainability. Efforts include using recyclable materials and developing refillable systems to minimize waste. Consumers are encouraged to dispose of their used devices responsibly. 5. Where can I buy a cotton candy Elf Bar? Cotton candy Elf Bars are available at various retail locations, including convenience stores, vape shops, and online vaping retailers. When purchasing online, ensure you are buying from a reputable source to guarantee the authenticity of the product. Read the full article

[veryfancydoilies]

hello, hello it’s 🎅🏼!

this might be my last message before the big reveal! christmas is only a few days away, how exciting is that?!

my late great uncle (may God bless his soul) was a brilliant history teacher when he was alive and taught at the university level. i’ve been told that he always outsmarted his students and had the most impressive photographic memory in fact, that he could quote textbook passages in verbatim! i do wish he was still around to chat with me about significant historical events. you’ve mentioned the holocaust..one of the saddest eras in history, really. i used to live with an elderly woman who was a holocaust survivor and i am so glad i had the opportunity to meet her. i could tell how much suffering she went through, the trauma of it all..one can only imagine what it must have been like to live through it. she herself saw it as a very dark era of her life, and would never wish that degree of suffering on anyone. she was also a history teacher i believe, so i learned quite a bit of history from her. it is through that woman, that i have come to appreciate the Jewish faith. i am a Christian, but since knowing her i always have a special place in my heart for Judaism.

yes, i have known about Ray and Dave’s rocky relationship. i am not clear about why they never got along, my guess is that it was normal brother bickering but i will have to consult Ray’s book which i am currently reading for to find out more!

i do like The Turtles, though i haven’t really listened to them exclusively. Herman’s Hermits is another great group in the same realm as The Turtles, i think. i should really give those two bands a listen i think they are brilliant. i do like Led Zeppelin as well, a bit more on the heavy metal side but i love their energy. other favourites of mine are America, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Chicago, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala and The Neighbourhood, the latter three being more contemporary of course. there are very few contemporary bands i like these days.

i do recall seeing the Dickens class “A Christmas Carol” as a play when i was in middle school. it’s funny really, as much as i love musicals, i have never actually seen one live but i have been thinking about going to see a live one soon. for musicals, “Oliver!” has always been a favourite of mine. “The Sound of Music” is also a favourite as i have mentioned. “Willy Wonka” Gene Wilder version and “The Wizard of Oz” are also others that i like.

well, my darling, it has been my great pleasure getting to know you. you sound like a wonderful person, and i do hope we continue interacting even after i’ve revealed myself. with that said, i would now like to wish you and your family a very merry and wonderful christmas! talk soon, ta!

Hello there! Oh I guess you’re right about this being the last Secret Santa message. Well I’ve had a lot of fun talking to you this month! Remember to not be a stranger after the month’s done. I’m on Tumblr almost everyday so I’ll always be around to chat about anything. I have a strong feeling we’ll continue to get along just fine! 😊

Oh yes, history is certainly not always pretty and many find it difficult to see but I believe we have a duty and obligation to learn everything we can to both remember the people who lived through it and do our best to prevent it from happening again. I’m a firm believer in the power of knowledge. It’s very touching that you listened to what the woman had to say about her experiences. Although I know very little about how survivors of trauma feel after the fact and don’t want to make assumptions, I think you listening to her was possibly a comfort to her. Your late great uncle sounds amazing! I love teachers who are passionate about the subjects they teach. It makes classes so much more enjoyable. I had a very good professor in the Holocaust class. He is Jewish himself and had family including his own father and grandparents who were fortunately able to flee Nazi Germany. He told us about the “memory books” compiled by Jews to honor the people who were murdered since there are no cemeteries where they can pay respects. They put their memories of people and communities lost to ensure they are not forgotten. It is a very sad and poignant reminder of how important it is preserve memories.

Being in bands does have a way of triggering anger and resentment, don’t they? I know the Beatles argued sometimes but they clearly have very strong connections to each other regardless. I hope Ray and Dave are no different. Which book on Ray Davies is that? I’d like to read it myself but I still haven’t finished reading two books I have about the Beatles. Do you often read history books like that? I’ve collected quite a few myself but I seldom finish reading them. I have a habit of buying books but not finishing to read them. Are you a fast or slow reader? The speed at which I read really depends on what the topic is. If it’s something I’m interested in, I read pretty fast but if I find it boring, I’ll read very slow. You can imagine that would make reading for school difficult sometimes.

I haven’t listened to a ton of Pink Floyd myself but like I do for any band from that era, I’d love to explore more of their music. I’d love some recommendations.

Seeing musicals live is a rare treat for me! I do hope you get to see one soon! Anyways, bye for now! I look forward to seeing your blog for the first time. For someone with superb taste such as yourself, I’m sure it’ll be wonderful! Happy Holidays to you! I wish you and your family an awesome Christmas!

[oo-hazel-oo]

daffodil - which colour suits you best?

iris - favourite 90s song?

snapdragon - favourite mythical creature?

heather - what’s your favourite musical?

thank you for the ask @ingloriouslittlemousey!! answering these is definitely helping to keep my mind off the fact that classes start tomorrow :D

daffodil - which color suits you best?

hmm i’m not sure about this one. all my friends tell me i look good in light pink, but my personal favorite is green (not sure if it suits me best tho)!

iris - favorite 90s song?

this one is also hard. i don’t think i could pick a favorite, but recently i’ve been listening to belle and sebastian’s album “if you’re feeling sinister” a lot (“like dylan in the movies”, “get me away from here i’m dying”, and “mayfly” are my favorites on the album)!!

snapdragon - favorite mythical creature?

i thought griffins were really cool growing up! (also, i had a phase in elementary school where i was convinced i was going to go to college to become a tooth fairy. not sure if that counts?)

heather - what’s your favorite musical?

i’m not super educated on newer musicals, but growing up i loved watching classic ones with my mom — mary poppins, sound of music, wizard of oz, willy wonka, annie, little shop of horrors — so i have lots of good memories from those. i did have a big lin-manuel miranda phase in high school though, so hamilton and in the heights were also favorites of mine at one point. ooh and since it’s been in the news a lot this week, i can’t forget phantom of the opera!!

🌷flower asks 🌷

[malibix]

Fizzy Cider || One-Shot | Hisirdoux Casperan x plantonic!Reader

Summary: It’s probably not the best idea to leave your fellow wizard roommate alone to their potions. You never know what they could be doing to your apartment - nevermind whatever they’re brewing.

Word Count: 1167

Warnings: None!

Taglist: @furblrwurblr​ @moppetwithamanbun​ @tales-of-hisirdoux​ @yagirlcheesely​ @alovesongshewrote​​

Douxie could hear the clinking of glass all the way from the downstairs level of the bookstore. 

"What on earth are they doing up there-"

He peered slightly up at the balcony level and to where the bookstore led to his apartment, as if he'd be able to see what was going on up there from where he stood. A customer found their way into GDT Arcane Books, but just as Douxie turned to ask how he could be of service, there was a shattering of glass from upstairs followed by an "Oh. Well that's not good-" From his roommate. 

He glanced upwards worriedly, only to see a fog rolling out from under the apartment door. "Uhm, if you'll excuse me for.. just a minute." He told the customer, before racing up the stairs. The customer must have also taken note of the concern on the wizard's face and the cloud slowly spreading across the floor and over the balcony. She took one look at the whole thing as Douxie disappeared up the stairs and slowly backed out of the bookstore. 

Douxie knocked on the door to the apartment lightly, calling into the foggy mist, "Hey (Y/n)- you alright up here, love?"

Their voice responded to him from somewhere within the apartment, "Oh yeah! It's good! I'm good. It's good. Don't worry, it's not toxic. It's mostly dry ice. Mostly."

There was a shuffling, followed by a, "Come in, come in!"

The wizard was only mildly afraid of what he'd open the door to, but nonetheless, he wouldn't believe that they hadn't blown themself up without seeing for himself. He conjured up an orb of light to give him a better field of vision through the mist as he tried to find his roommate. 

"In the kitchen!" They called as they saw his blue magic light up the room from the door. 

"What did we say about potions during working hours-" Archie had made his way up from the bookstore as well to see what all the fuss was about. 

"You saiiiiid... not to do it?" He could hear them laughing softly from wherever they were. 

"I only say that because of how they, how do I say, turn out sometimes. Not that I don't love whatever you conjure up- what exactly is it that you're conjuring up?"

"Oh well you see," their voice was suddenly much closer than it had been moments ago, an arm emerged from the mist to grab a hold of Douxie's sweater to lead him to their workspace.

"I was going to try making some of those.. what are they? The never ending flavor things from Willy wonka? Yeah those. But, BUT, then I wanted to carbonate some apple cider and thought it would be cool to put some dry ice cubes in,"

"For some, ya'know, extra flare!"

They gestured some vague jazz hands at the last word, but it was hard to make out from all the fog, though it had begun to clear. 

"Ahuh... yes I see that. But darling, exactly how much dry ice did you use...?"

"Okay so fun story."

"Okay, listening, waiting for the fun part to kick in."

They elbowed him gently and the two of them let out a chuckle. 

"I know dry ice never does," they gestured around at the clouded apartment, vaguely hoping no cops outside saw this and thought you were running some illegal operation in here, "this. But, I'll get to that, hold on."

"I started with two little cubes and it made the cider bubble and ya'know, fog over like a little potion - it was really cool - but then I thought, HEY, if this is what dry ice does by itself, then what would magic do to it???"

"I'm guessing it does this."

"Bingo!"

Douxie tried to cover up his amused laugh with a sigh of disappointment, only to fail miserably.

"Isn't it  c o o l???"

"Yes (Y/n), it's very cool. I'm glad you're having a fun ti- why are you putting your potion ingredients in the fridge-"

The apartment had begun to clear up just enough for him to make out their figure carrying all their little glass bottles over to the fridge. 

"To be faiiiiir, these aren't my potion ingredients. It's just the fizzy cider in little bottles!"

"Now those, over there," They pointed to the area next to the toaster, "are my potion ingredients."

(Y/n) sounded so pleased with themself and Douxie couldn't help but smile, despite his apartment being filled with a cloud of dry ice. It was clearing up, for sure, but that wasn't the point.  

"Which also to be fair, are going in the fridge once I find space for these ones." They jingled the little bottles in their hand to emphasize them going into the fridge. 

"(Y/n) what did I say about needing to put your potion ingredients in the fridge?"

"That it's better to pickle the tadpole tails so they'll last longer outside of refrigeration in the event that our fridge breaks down?"

"I- no. The other thing."

"C'mon Doux! They're on my side of the fridge! And they're small too, not taking up too much space."

"No (Y/n)- your spices don't need to be refrigerated-"

"Ohhhh yes yes, that part. But listen, they're not your average mortal spices! They're magically enchanted spices!" They made ghost noises as if to somehow get the point across. "So, they need to be kept cooooold." They paused for a moment, blinking at him while he peered back in amusement. "Anyways, want some of the fizzy cider????"

Douxie sighed in defeat, rubbing his temples from the whole ordeal.

It wasn't dealing with them that was the problem, the problem was that it wasn't even noon yet.

And this was the second time this week.

It was tuesday.

He didn't actually even have that much of a problem with the potion ingredients in the fridge. It just bothered him to open it only to be greeted with dozens of little jars filled with spices and dried herbs that didn't need to be in there. 

They just didn't need to be refrigerated.

It bothered him that they weren't supposed to be in there, and yet, there they were, plain as day. He sighed again before taking you up on your offer of fizzy cider.

"Sure, might as well try the cause of all this."

Luckily enough by now the fog had cleared enough for him to be able to see again without thinking something was vaguely wrong with his eyes. 

(Y/n) chuckled while pouring him a glass and putting a very small little cube of dry ice in it before passing it over. Then they poured themself a glass, not having tried it yet since they couldn't find where the cups were in all that mess.

"Cheers!"

Douxie laughed softly as he clinked his glass with (Y/n)’s, glad to see that they were at least enjoying this whole ordeal.

[thepilotanon]

Loki and candies, chocolate, anything with sugar? 🍩🍦🍮🍰😂

Oh my God, this mess of a God.

You know that vine video with the owl saying “DrrRuuUuughz?” That’s Loki when it comes to sugary sweets and yummies. He doesn’t get sugar-high and go insane like a crazy squirrel (he grew out of that when he was about 193 years old), but once he starts eating something sweet - he just can’t stop until it’s all gone. He can eat a whole sheet cake by himself, demolish chocolate bunnies in a row and probably would clean out Willy Wonka’s factory, if he ever won a Golden Ticket (he’s upset when he learns that movies are fictitious, but then laughs when Thor cries at finding out the Wizard of Oz is just a story, too).

Chocolate would have to be one of his favorites, and loves when he finds something covered in chocolate. Chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered ice cream/drumsticks. He loves chocolate cake, donuts, frosting, milkshakes. He argues that chocolate milk (not the alcoholic version) is a very fancy drink that goes with any meal, and should be acceptable in all restaurants, not just the kid’s menu.

Even though he probably eats his weight in sweets in one sitting, he never gets an upset stomach. You know it’s some kind of Frost Giant, alien-immune system thingy, but it always throws you off when you see him finish a whole bucket of ice cream and asks if there’s any leftover cake.

One sweet thing Loki will not eat willingly...are Twinkies. He doesn’t like the texture of them in his mouth, but he will eat them when there’s nothing else available for him to eat when the sweet tooth starts acting up. He saw that movie Zombieland, once, but could never understand why that one character was so hellbent on finding a Twinkie when he thinks they’re subpar to other glorious treats. “It’s a zombie apocalypse, Loki. You can’t easily bake a chocolate lava cake, when you’re trying to not get eaten by zombies.” “You could easily bake a chocolate lava cake, if you set up a fortress appropriately.” “Oh jeez...”

[dmsden]

Homebruin - College of Confectionery

Hullo, Gentle Readers! It’s time for another Homebruin article, where I create anything from the ridiculous to the sublime to add to your D&D game. This week, I’m choosing one from one of our contest entries, inspired a bit by the sweets we’ll soon be eating for the holidays. This suggestion came from catching-fire-in-the-wind, who suggested the idea of a bard subclass devoted to being a chef. Specifically, they suggested, “ A bard subclass entirely devoted to being a chef—their spells are candy themed and their inspiration is giving someone a cake or a gingerbread house. I feel like that's about as feywild as you can get.”

The more I thought about this, the more I found myself influenced by Willy Wonka, so don’t be surprised if that sneaks into what I’ve created here in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. After all, if anyone can be a bard in D&D, the Candyman can!

As usual, be aware that this material is totally untested, and I have no idea of game balance issues. I’m pretty experienced, so I think it’s fairly well-balanced, but some tweaking may be necessary. Unfortunately, I was again unable to upload this to D&D Beyond, but here it is in its entirety. If you chose to use it, it should be easy enough to add.

For some bards, art doesn't have to be an epic performance in front of a crowd or a song that sings down through the ages. To the bards of the College of Confectionery, the ephemeral art of making something sweet and the joy of giving it to someone and having them enjoy it is every bit as magical. Often sought after by nobles, wizards, and warlords alike for their talents, these sweet-toothed and sweet-talking individuals spread pleasure through the land by distributing their sugared creations.

These bards often have a keen sense of justice, knowing that naughty people who can't follow rules don't necessarily deserve the treats they offer. Some of them wander the land in disguise, doling out their treats to astonished folk to enjoy. Others shut themselves in reclusive haunts, forcing those who want their sweetmeats to seek them out and prove themselves worthy.

Occasionally, a handful of these bards gather to swap stories and recipes. When they take to the adventuring life, it's often in search of new experiences and new ingredients to inform their candy-making. They might visit festivals, adding their bit of enchantment to even the most mundane candy apples.

Bonus Proficiencies                    

When you join the College of Confectionery at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with some of the tools of the trade (Brewer's Supplies and Cook's Utensils) and pick up the ability to forage for ingredients, represented by the Survival skill. Brewer's Supplies? you ask. Of course! Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker!

Candymaker                    

At third level, you have the ability to literally make magic with your cooking and drinks. As an action, you can expend a spell slot to store a spell that you know with a casting time of no more than one action in a baked good, drink, candy, or other non-magical consumable. You can then offer this to someone else to keep and use as a bonus action on their turn. Because you can't help but savor your own creation, if you consume your own confection, the casting time for the spell is as it normally would be.

If you take a long rest, the confection becomes non-magical and any spells that you have stored in this manner are lost, and you regain your spell slots normally. After all, treats are best when they're fresh!

Sweeten a Sour Moment                    

Sometimes a spoonful of sugar can really help a bad moment improve. When a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll fails, the creature can keep the Bardic Inspiration die.

Sugared Tongue                    

It's hard to disagree when you're enjoying a sweet. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Spread the Joy                    

The nicest thing about sweets and candy is how much fun it is to share them. Starting at 14th level, when a creature within 60 feet of you adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll succeeds, you can use your reaction to encourage a different creature (other than yourself) that can hear you within 60 feet of you, giving it a Bardic Inspiration die without expending any of your Bardic Inspiration uses.

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

[wwxnka]

“You’re the one that my uncle waited for so long to serve, aren’t you?”

PREDOMINANTLY A HIDDEN FIGURE IN THE WIZARDING WORLD SINCE THE LAST WAR, HE HAD LEFT FOR A NEW LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES - SELLING SWEETS AND CHOCOLATE TO MUGGLES, NO LESS. Still, he had kept in close contact with his only living relative, Garrick Ollivander, and had read with great amusement, the excitement the latter had felt at finally having the custom of none other than The Boy Who Lived.

NOW? WONKA HAD RETURNED TO BRITAIN, FOR REASONS THAT BOTH HE AND HARRY WERE BLINDINGLY AWARE OF. Another war was on the horizon, and he was determined to serve, just as he had done in the last one. Still, for now, he could afford to have a little fun - a strong smile on his face, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you, kind sir,” He began, accent thick and distinctive as one that was not British, “I’ve heard much of your exploits - part of the Order at such a young age? Delightful! I really ought to get in touch with Remus, and get my own membership re-established...”

@lightcreators​ liked this for a starter.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992)

If you know your internet memes, you’re probably aware of the best scene in Tom and Jerry: The Movie. It’s got you wondering if there are other hidden gems within its running time. Could this movie be so bad it’s good? I'm sorry to say it isn’t. This animated musical comedy is an ordeal. The plot is worthless, the animation ok at best, the songs horrid, characters bland, and as a big-screen adaptation of the classic cartoon characters, it’s a knife in the back. The movie is fun to talk about, however. If you and your friends are bad movie sadomasochists, it may be worth checking out.

After her father disappears during a Tibetan expedition, 8-year-old Robyn Starling (voiced by Anndi McAfee) - and her family’s fortune - are given to her abusive guardian “Aunt” Pristine Figg (voiced by Charlotte Rae). She conspires with her lawyer, Lickboot (voiced by Tony Jay), to keep all of that beautiful money for themselves. When Robyn runs away and bumps into Tom (voiced by Richard King) and Jerry (voiced by Dana Hill), she brings them back home and learns her father may still be alive somewhere.

Let’s begin with that title. This is hardly a “Tom and Jerry movie". For one, the cat and mouse are not the main characters. I wouldn't even call them important to this plot. Robyn is the protagonist. Without her, there is no story, no conflict, no villains. This means films like Tom and Jerry and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz - in which the titular duo are dumped in a plot they have little impact upon - are proudly upholding a tradition that began in 1992. It’s a shocker - almost as much as the scene in which the characters begin talking. They rarely - if ever - spoke in the cartoons. That was part of their appeal. It was all about these opponents trying to violently kill each other. Here, they sing a song about how good a pair of friends they are.

This movie wants to be ‘90s Disney so, so bad. To stretch its paper-thin plot (which is essentially ripped off from The Rescuers) we have one bad song after another. Each of these tunes is destined to be forgotten the second they end. That’s a relief. The rhymes and lyrics are so awful you’d curse yourself for remembering them if you did. However, this does bring us to the one - intentionally - good moment in the entire film: the villain’s song. (Money is Such) a Beautiful Word is exactly what you think it is. Minutes upon minutes of bad rhymes detailing how greedy Aunt Figg and Lickboot are. It’s pretty funny to see, but only if preceded by Tony Jay saying “We’ve got to have… money!”. The irony is that this blatant acknowledgment of greed is exactly what the executives must’ve told their lackeys when the film was green-lit.

There are obvious flaws in every scene. At one point, Robyn nearly drowns and is rescued by Captain Kiddie (voiced by Rip Taylor), the owner of a deserted amusement park whose right hand is always busy manipulating a puppet - an avatar for his split personality. Every sign points towards “child molester” but that wasn’t the intention, which is also pretty funny. When he's introduced, Aunt Figg and Lickboot desperately want Robyn back, so they're offering a $1 million reward to anyone who can find her and plaster her photo onto milk cartoons to spread the word. They do this on the same day she goes missing, which is impossible, but even the “we don’t care” team of director Phil Roman and writer Dennis Marks had to realize distributing these cartons would take a while, which is why Captain Kiddie explains to Robyn that she’s been out cold for 6 days. Anyone else would’ve called the police but evidently, he’s planning on chaining her up in his dungeon. Cut to a scene where he offers to pour Robyn a glass of milk. You can see where this is going. The carton has her picture on it, prompting his stupid bird to go ballistic and dollar signs to flash before his eyes. Here’s what I’m wondering. When did he buy that milk carton? Did he not recognize her before this very moment?

Another mistake in this train wreck is the character designs. They’re all over the place. When Tom and Jerry find themselves homeless (don’t ask), they meet a dog and his best friend, a flea. Both are dressed in real clothes and look like they come from a completely different movie. The next animals we meet are a gang of tough cats, who are also clothed and look as different from Puggsy and Frankie da Flea as. they do from Tom & Jerry. They also look nothing like Mrs. Figg’s dog, an ugly creature so fat it can’t even walk. It’s like a bunch of rejects from other animation studios were brought together to help fill space.

There’s a lot to complain about if you've seen Tom and Jerry: The Movie. This does make it sort of fun to tear apart, though to do so you’ll have to waste your time by watching the movie. I can’t say I’m sorry I sat through this mess - the “We’ve got to have… money” scene is funny enough that I will treasure it - but I doubt you would feel the same. (April 23, 2021)

[yourfinalbow]

Ack anon I'm sorry. Tumblr ate your ask and I'm 🔪 But I saved your ask to put on the Google Doc so don't fret! I have it!

“Hi Ghastie Ghast, I wanted to share a prompt with you lol. I decided to go more holiday theme’d because it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit.

“Your favorite winter drink was back on the menu, so I decided to surprise you with it.”

Please enjoy this prompt lmao”

The nickname made me -_- but hi Little Gray Circle Dude With Sunglasses! Thank you for sending me this! I had fun writing it. I'm assuming you wanted a Destiel fic, so that's what I wrote! (Also bonus points for Saileen as a background ship?) I sort of strayed a little from the prompt and the tone gets heavier as it goes on… 👀 I also accidentally wrote more than intended, so you can read it on Ao3 if that's easier. (And maybe give it a kudos because you’re the best?)

Title: Black Coffee Derangement Syndrome

Ship(s): Dean Winchester/Castiel, Sam Winchester/Eileen Leahy.

(Basic) Tags: Fluff, Slight Angst, Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker, Established Dean/Cas, Established Sam/Eileen, Using black coffee as a metaphor for hypermasculinity, With a whip cream style topping of internalized homophobia. *Finger guns.*

Warnings: Coffee gatekeeping and small sections of fluff that are as sweet as Cas’s Starbucks order. Also I’ve been to Starbucks once. Maybe twice? (Also a single mention of a drug that's commonly found as white powder, the non-descriptive comparison of Sam’s stupid health stuff with emesis, and use of the name that the figurehead for Germany in WW2 bore, just to be safe.)

Rating: T? Maybe? For language?

Word Count: 9k+

Quick thanks to my awesome beta @walksinstarllight! They are a poet and a writing sorcerer (wizard without a hat), and the only reason this fic even makes sense so please go shower them in kudos. (You can find their work here.)

Another thanks to @internetintroverts, who described a peppermint mocha to me in like 300 words because I drink black coffee and know nothing of anything ever. You can find their work here! (There's an Easter egg of one of their fics in this one hehe.)

The first thing Dean did when Cas got back from the Empty was give him coffee.

Okay no.

The first thing he did was fall into Cas’s arms and grip that stupid trenchcoat until his knuckles turned white. Shaking and laughing with hot tears streaming out of his eyes, he told him he was an asshole for leaving him like that. And to never, ever do it again. With blurry eyes and all other thoughts hazy, he told Cas he could have it, he could have what he wanted. Whatever he wanted. He told Cas he loved him too.

But then the next thing was coffee.

Caffeine is a hunter’s number one best friend, and since Cas was human again, Dean knew Sam was going to come at him with his stupid green health drinks and herbal tea. As Cas’s knight in shining armour, (a title used by Dean and Dean only), it was his duty to protect him from the disgustingly liquified rabbit food.

Now he expected Cas to like black coffee, you know, like a normal person.

But no, oh no. Apparently, he was dating a heathen.

Dean had to actually rub his eyes the first time he watched Cas fix his own coffee. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, mouth agape.

Cas was leaning on the counter, humming some song that Dean could neither recognize, nor would he approve of, thank-you-very-much.

(Ok it was Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift and it's entirely possible he's listened to it once or twice but he still doesn't approve of it, thank-you-very-much.)

He held his yellow and black striped, bee-themed ceramic mug Eileen had bought him in one hand, and the entire five-pound bag of cane sugar in the other. And there he stood, happy as can be, pouring it directly into his mug.

Dean rubbed his eyes again.

And not even like, a normal amount either.

He just kept pouring, and pouring, and Oh my god he’s still pouring. Dean thought. It would honestly be more believable if it wasn’t sugar at all, and instead was in fact Cas’s secret stash of cocaine.

Dean might actually have to put sugar on the grocery list after he was finished.

His thoughts traveled back to Ishim doing the same thing with his coffee, in the tiny little diner Cas had set up as a meeting place. Dean had barged in that day, not thinking of his brother mocking him, or the possibility of danger inside. His vision was as tunneled as his thoughts  focused only on Cas, not caring about anything else.

By that time the following day, Dean thought they were both going to die. The bloody and uneven sigil on the wall, Cas no more than ten feet away. Not quite within a comforting reach. The room was spinning from the blow to his head, and he could barely make out the words being spat from Ishim’s mouth.

“You blast me away, you’ll blast away every angel in the room. I’ll survive. Castiel, on the other hand, he’s hurt. He might live, or he might just end up a bloody smear on the wall.”

He almost lost Cas that day.

The blood rushed to his ears as his instincts sought out the mark on the wall. Ishim had told him to roll the dice, but in his head he couldn’t look past the chance of rolling a one. Watching the acrylic cube bounce until it decided Cas’s fate. There was no dilemma, there wasn’t even a decision to be made. He would always choose Cas over himself. Silent acts of care he could never vocalize.

An inability to speak formed from fear and cowardice. Like a lion in his stomach scratching at the words until they fell back down his throat.

And it was that inability to speak that led Cas to think he was nothing more than a tool for the Winchester’s to use.

He almost let Cas believe he meant nothing to him.

Dean cleared his throat. “Mornin’ Sunshine.”

Cas set down the bag of sugar and picked up the pot, the glass making a small clink as it hit the top of the coffee maker. “Goodmorning Dean. Would you like any coffee?” He greeted cheerfully, turning around like he hadn't just put enough sugar to make a pound cake in his coffee.

“Uh.” Dean was still caught off-guard by Willie Wonka over there. “Sure Cas.” He took the coffee pot from his hand and muttered a thank you.

“So,” Cas started while Dean reached into the cabinet for his own mug. “What ingredient do you suggest I put in my coffee this morning?”

“Uh...I don't know man. I drink my coffee black.”

“Yes I know you’re boring Dean, but you can still help me not be.”

“Black coffee isn't boring it's-”

“Dean, if you say ‘manly,’ I will sit you down and make you eat only spinach and kale for a week.” Sam said, walking into the kitchen, hair still spiked up from sleep. He used one hand to sign the words, his other one occupied by Eileen, who was sleepily shuffling closely behind.

Dean looked aghast. “I would starve.” He attempted to sign his indignant response, hands moving sloppily while holding both his mug and the coffee pot.

“I think that's the point.” Eileen said, laughing. She looked at Cas. “Is Dean gatekeeping your coffee aspirations again?”

“Yes.” He answered, ignoring Sam’s laugh and Dean’s huff of exaggerated outrage.

“Have you tried cinnamon?” Sam suggested. “You like Dean’s apple pie, and that has cinnamon in it.”

“I’m not so sure about that, Sam. Dean told me not to ever take cooking advice from you.“

“And I stand by that.” Dean interjected suddenly.

“I can cook!”

“Ehhh…” Eileen’s comment bought her a look of betrayal. “Though Sam may be right on this one, you might like it.” She shrugged.

“See.”

Cas pondered the thought for a moment. “Perhaps I will then.”

“Do we have nutmeg?” Eileen said, breaking away from Sam’s grip to check one of the cabinets. He walked to the other side of the kitchen, intending to look through the spice rack, knowing exactly what his girlfriend was getting at.

“You better not mess up my damn kitchen.” He said quickly. “Or you're organising them all next time.”

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing full well Dean would never let him organise the kitchen. Eileen looked through them, carefully turning the bottles around until the labels faced her. She pulled out the cinnamon and clove while she was looking for the nutmeg.

“Found it.” Sam called from the other side of the kitchen, walking over and putting a hand on Eileen’s shoulder.

“Thank you.” She said with a smile, grabbing the plastic spice jars.

She individually tossed each one to Cas. “Use these, it will taste like a pumpkin spice latte.”

“And don't forget the milk.” Sam added.

Cas scrambled to catch the spices, successfully grabbing two of them out of the air, the third one intercepted by Dean.

“What’s a pumpkin spice latte?” He looked at Eileen before snatching the bottle of cinnamon from Dean.

“It's a famous drink you can get at Starbucks.” Sam answered.

Cas tilted his head to the side and squinted at him. “What's a Starbucks?”

“You know, the coffee shop Alex and Patience drag Jody to all the time.” Dean said.

“I’m pretty sure Donna drags her there too.” Sam added. “Something about girl’s date night out.”

“The one Claire says is for ‘basic bitches’?” He lifted his hands, forming air quotes as he spoke.

“Yeah.” Dean answered, quietly laughing. “That's the one. She’s probably right, too.”

Cas carefully put the different spices in his coffee, eyeing the mug warily. His light brown coffee now had specs of...stuff in it.

(And unbeknownst to him, there was also a small pile of sugar at the bottom, the coffee so saturated it wouldn't dissolve any more.)

Eileen laughed at the look on his face. “It's good, I promise.”

Sam turned to look at her. “How would you know? Most of the time you get hot chocolate and spike it with bourbon.”

“You’re the one who gets a Pink Drink.”

Dean choked on his coffee. “What?”

“It's strawberry and coconut milk, and it's delicious.”

“Sure it is Sam.” Eileen jabbed.

“So what I'm getting here is that not only have you two been to Starbucks often enough to have a regular order, but Sam gets something called a ‘Pink Drink’?”

“No…” Sam started, trying to find a way to defend them. “Sometimes we…”

“...Make our own drinks.” Eileen snapped her fingers as she finished for him, attempting to save them from the endless stream of good-natured insults Dean would throw at them otherwise.

“Well you two are a real Martha Stewart, aren't you?”

“Yeah, except she's a convicted criminal.” Sam attempted to snark back.

“So are you!”

Before either of them could respond, Cas shoved his mug into Dean's face. “You have to try this, Dean. It tastes like pumpkin pie.”

Dean carefully grabbed the hot mug from Cas and took a sip. He was right, it did taste kinda like pumpkin pie. He took another sip, letting the pleasant flavor sit on his tongue. The different spices mixed perfectly together.

“I mean it's… okay.” He lied.

Dean contemplated his pumpkin themed food options. “Though I would rather just have pumpkin pie.”

Cas took his mug back. “Fine. More for me.” He said with a smirk, mimicking the look Dean gives him every time Cas says he doesn't want anymore bacon, before taking another sip of the makeshift pumpkin spice coffee.

Dean smiled at him, setting his own mug down and moving Cas’s out of the way to pull him into a kiss. He could smell the nutmeg almost as much as he could taste the cinnamon on his lips.

“Mmm we should bake pumpkin pie tonight.” He said, pulling away just enough so he could talk.

“I would like that.” Cas answered. “All four of us could make pie. According to the 'mom blogs', as you call them, it would be a good family bonding exercise.”

“That’s right. And if they want any pie, they gotta help make it. That means more for us if they refuse.” He grinned.

“A win-win situation, really.” Cas smiled before tugging Dean close so their lips met again.

“I love you.” Dean muttered.

“I love you too.” Cas said softly.

Behind their backs Sam and Eileen were fake-gagging at their sickly sweet interaction, but secretly just glad the two of them had finally gotten over their stubborn (and oblivious) selves.

Sam was honestly overjoyed to see his brother finally happy. He would even go as far as saying finally willing to be himself, too. (Not that he would ever say this outloud. Sam can practically see Dean’s eyes roll farther back into his head than should be possible at the words.) All four of them had gone through more shit in the last few months than any normal person would in their entire life. They were all just lucky to be alive, and with that, learning how to savour the little moments of overly sweet normalcy.

(And the pumpkin spice-life Dean had secretly been longing for since they were little kids.)

So of course they were going to help bake pie.

---

“I want to try Starbucks.” Cas said the next morning, both of them still in bed.

Dean groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Can I ask why, or is this one of those, 'I'll tell you later’ disasters like with the slime ingredients?”

“I want to try all the human things that I didn't get to try last time.” He said offhandedly.

Dean pictured Cas’s hurt face when he had told him he couldn’t stay, smile broken as Dean’s own heart shattered from the look the newly-human angel was giving him.

He wanted to tell him it was going to be okay, that Cas himself wasn’t the reason, but the lion in his stomach clawed the words down faster than even the thought of ruining Sam’s chances at survival could.

With a pang of guilt from the memory, Dean pulled himself closer to Cas and rested his head on the other man’s chest. He wrapped his arms around him, trying to preserve as much warmth and comfort as he could until they had to inevitably get out of bed. “Only if you let me sleep like this for thirty more minutes.”

Cas smiled. “Oh, are we making deals now?”

“I’d sell my soul for you.” Dean said cheekily, which earned a glare from Cas. “Believe me, I know.”

After a beat he went on. “Fine, you have a deal.” Before Dean could celebrate by tugging the covers over their bodies, Cas added another clause to their agreement. “But... in true Crowley fashion, you have to seal the deal with a kiss.”

Dean lazily threw his arms into the air. “Victory.”

He turned over, pulling himself upwards until he was just inches from Cas. Cradling the angel-turned-Winchester’s head in his hands, Dean placed his lips on Cas’s, melting into the touch as he felt the other man’s arms wrap around his torso.

When he broke away from the kiss, Dean found himself face to face with the most beautiful smile he had ever laid eyes on, one born from adoration and love. Cas’s eyebrows were slightly scrunched up, but for once it wasn’t a sign of confusion when met with some obscure eighties rock reference. It was a tiny expression of care, and it was one that was truly Cas. Not Jimmy’s, not even one Cas had picked up from him or Sam. It was completely and wholly Cas, and a completely and wholly human thing to do.

He realized Cas had been doing that long before the Empty stole his grace.

Dean smiled back at him, relaxed. Like taking in a deep breath after being under murky water for forty years. He brushed a loose strand of soft, brown hair into its place, before falling back into his spot and closing his eyes. “Crowley would be proud.” He whispered with a soft laugh, smile deepening as Cas joined him.

When their quiet laughter died out, there was a pause, air stagnant and in its own sleepy haze

“Oh and Dean?”

“Hm?” Dean turned his head to look at him, eyes not failing to glow with their unusually bright, green pigment. He took a deep breath, the lids of his eyes already started to slowly fall back down again.

“The slime wasn't a disaster. You enjoyed it.”

“I did.” He muttered sleepily, a loose smile forming on his lips as he drifted off to sleep. Cas laid there, running his fingers through the other man’s hair, contentment and admiration showing itself in every feature on his face.

This was more than he could have ever wanted.

---

“Dean. Dean wake up.” Cas was excitedly whisper-shouting in his ear like a kid on Christmas morning. It was exactly thirty minutes later, (he had counted), and Cas was ready to get moving.

“No.” He answered back, mimicking Cas’s tone.

“But you’re like a cat.” He teased. “You're on me and I can't get up.”

Dean sighed. “I can't believe I let you talk me into this.”

“It didn't take much convincing.”

Dean rolled over to give Cas a playful glare, but was met with the saddest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen, completely throwing him off his guard.

“I'm going to kill Sam for teaching you that.”

Cas just continued to give him that look.

“Fine.” Dean relented, sitting up with a yawn and thinking about how he will now never be able to win another argument.

“Get dressed.” Cas said excitedly. “We're going to Starbucks.”

“Hooray.” He gave a sarcastic laugh, but a smile creeped on his lips.

They walked out of their room together, heading towards the bunker’s library. Dean slid in one of the chairs, turning Sam’s still-open laptop around and waking it up.

Cas, meanwhile, turned to a random page of the lore book resting on the table and started reading in an attempt to pass the time.

The sound of Dean typing filled the air. “So, I just looked it up, and do we have to go to Starbucks?”

“Yes.” Cas said simply, not looking up from the book.

Dean groaned. “Cas there isn't one in the county, let alone Lebanon. That's probably why Sam and Eileen make their own.”

“Where's the closest one?” Cas asked, his blinding, blue eyes glaring at the back of Sam’s computer like he was trying to will the coffee shop to be near.

“I thought it was across state lines and in Nebraska at first, but it looks like there's a small one in a town called Washington. It's about 80 miles from here.”

“Let's go!” Cas excitedly straightened his trenchcoat and headed towards the door.

“Or, we could leave Starbucks to the fourteen year old girls.”

Cas turned back around and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure their entire demographic is fourteen year old girls, staff included.”

Alright, smartass. Dean thought, struggling to hide a smile.

Cas walked out the door, expecting Dean to follow.

“It takes an hour to get there, our coffee’s going to be cold by the time we get home, and it's freezing outside.” Dean muttered under his breath, but he grabbed his keys off the table and stood up, willing to follow Cas to the ends of the earth if it meant he would stay with him.

Not that he was going to enjoy this trip. In fact, he was currently doing the opposite of enjoying, and they hadn’t even gotten into the car yet. Starbucks. Starbucks. Really, Cas? Of all the places he wanted to go, it had to be Starbucks. He couldn’t want to explore humanity through Target or something?

Even Claire wouldn’t be caught dead in that place, with all the frou-frou toppings, elaborate drink mixes, and colourful, drizzled syrup. The people who go to Starbucks are the kind of people who like coffee that doesn’t taste like coffee. Teenage girls who might as well just be drinking whip cream, and that was without considering the seasonal drinks they fawn over.

Seasonal drinks that shouldn’t legally be allowed to be referred to as coffee.

Dean couldn’t believe he ever agreed to this, but still, he begrudgingly followed.

---

Using the GPS on Cas’s phone, (Dean said his insane directional skills helped out too), they found the Starbucks relatively easily once they were in the little town.

They parked the Impala, and Dean looked at the modern building. The green lettering contrasted with the tan plaster walls, spelling “Starbucks.”

He heard Cas get out, his feet making a crunching noise as they hit the gravel, and watched from across the top of the car as he started towards the coffee shop. Dean looked at the building warily, reluctance painted on his face.

Cas was telling him some random fact about a bird he saw, but Dean could only think about his reputation that was about to shatter like a vase dropping on tile floor.

Reputation with who? He didn't know.

Well, he had a vague idea, but chose not to let his thoughts wander that far.

It was okay. This was fine. He could swallow his pride and-

“Ooh. The peppermint mocha looks good.” Cas was reading the limited edition drinks on the drive-thru menu as they traveled across the parking lot.

Dean was going to barf.

They walked into the building, immediately hit with the overwhelming smell of excessive amounts of flavoured syrup indoused coffee. Dean glanced around the well-lit building, taking note of the many different people there.

(He wasn’t about to have any black-eyed minions reporting his Starbucks order to a very judgmental Queen of Hell.)

Cas pushed Dean’s protesting body into the line, looking pleased with the many different options written on the menu overhead.

He enjoyed the small touch of Cas’s hands on his back, moving him forwards to the line, but was grateful Cas was careful not to let them linger there too long.

He was still wary about doing… this, in public.

He knew Cas was patiently waiting for him to be ready, so he didn't know how to tell him that he might never be.

The teenager working the cash register interrupted his train of thought. “What will it be for ya?”

“I would like a peppermint mocha please.”

“Alrighty. And you?”

“I'll take just a black coffee.”

The barista looked unimpressed. “And your names?”

Dean grinned. “John and John.”

“No relation.” Cas added.

The barista just sighed. “How do you want me to differentiate the two of ‘em then?”

“Oh you can put ‘John Bonham’ on mine.” Dean replied.

“Comin’ right up.” Their tone didn't change, still just full of apathy that could only be perfected by the work of a burnt-out teenager.

Dean and Cas walked down to the end of the counter and towards the pickup section. “Now tell me, Castiel.” He stressed his partner’s name. “Who’s John Bonham?”

Cas sighed, but the corner of his mouth upturned in a grin. “John Henry Bohnham, affectionately referred to as ‘Bonzo’, born in 1948 and was most well known for being the drummer of the rock band ‘Led Zeppelin’.”

“Mmm very close, but unfortunately you forgot the word ‘best’ in front of ‘rock band.’” Dean smirked before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

“You should have said I was ‘John Bon Jovi.’” Cas said, smiling.

“Why? Because you’re only good at this sometimes?” Dean closed the gap between them.

As soon as their lips met, Dean pulled away instinctively, realization hitting him like a hunter with a bat as his eyes widened in terror. “I-I'm sorry, I didn’t...” His words faltered as he looked around at the people sitting in the coffee shop, all of which were paying no mind to them.

He felt sick, guilt gnawing at him from a pit in his stomach.

“Hey, it's okay Dean. You know I'm perfectly fine with public displays of affection, and no one else even saw us. There's no need to apologize.”

“Yeah-h.” He said shakily. Before he could figure out who he was apologizing to, a voice from behind the counter called.

“I have an order for a mister ‘John’ and ‘John Bonham’.”

“That's us.” Dean spat the words out quickly, turning around to take them from the barista’s hand. He rushed out of the door, the small tinkling sound of the welcome bell and the blood rushing to his ears drowning out the sound of Cas’s call from behind.

He sat in the front seat of Baby, knowing he was being childish. Dean took a shaky breath and tried not to think about it.

About what the hell he was thinking, kissing Cas out in public like that. The judgemental eyes- black or not- that were watching. He thought about what his father would say, mind instantly going back to a moment in his childhood he has tried to forget since it happened, wondering where he went wrong.

About the time John had caught him and Lee, ignoring the weak excuses Dean was stuttering out. Skipping town faster than they had done in years.

About how the left side of his face had been a yellow-ish purple for weeks following, and the sore spot on his arm from where he caught the pavement as he flew towards it.

About how he had told Sam he just fell on a hunt. “Don't worry kid, you should have seen the vamp when I was done with him.” He swung his fist around in slow motion, pretending to punch an invisible enemy as his little brother giggled in childish bliss.

About how John never looked at him the same. The disgust in his eyes, harsh words on his lips.

About how he vowed to never disappoint his father like that again, and their joint hatred for that part of him. Sometimes it felt like the only thing they could agree on.

About how somewhere, somehow, he had decided Cas was different. That he somehow didn’t count, and that losing him hurt so much, was such an egregious pain, he wanted as much of Cas as he was allowed to have. And how that was something insurmountable stronger than the twisted, sick feeling John had placed in his gut.

He remembered something Cas had told him once: “Hatred isn’t a natural trait, Dean, it’s a learned one. A baby isn’t born with the ability to hate, it’s passed on from one broken soul to another. Love, love however. That’s something different altogether.”

Cas’s hand on his shoulder pulled Dean out of his thoughts. “Hey.” He said softly.

“Hey Cas.”

“I love you.” He got in the passenger's seat, taking his coffee from Dean’s still frozen hand.

“I love you too.” He whispered absentmindedly, staring straight ahead and seeing nothing but thoughts from the past. His mind fighting an internal battle, logic telling him that what he had with Cas wasn’t wrong, and even though everything from fate to God had tried to wedge itself between them, it was still the most right thing he had. And he knew that, but his dad’s drunken, booming voice echoed throughout his head, telling him that he was dirty. Telling him the Winchester men had no place for someone like him.

“You better stop that now, boy. Bad things happen to you when you’re weak.”

At the time he had taken that as a warning, rather than a threat. But now Dean wasn’t so sure.

It’s not even that his Dad was particularly religious. He wasn’t told that it was a sin, or that he was going to Hell. Though it’s not like that particular statement would have been wrong. He thought with a bitter laugh.

While the thoughts in his head were screaming mercilessly, the drive home was in a simple silence. The only noise being Cas’s occasional sip, and the sound of soft fabric rubbing against skin as Cas moved his hand in small, comforting motions against Dean's back.

When they got to the bunker, Cas, who was genuinely impressed that Dean managed to drive them home without crashing into a tree, pulled Dean out of the car and gently shook him out of his self-imposed stupor.

“Your coffee's cold.” Cas said with a laugh.

Dean blinked a couple times, clearing the fog from his mind, before laughing along with him. “And who’s fault is that? You were the one who insisted on traveling across the state to get it.”

“Do you want some of mine?” Cas asked. “There's a little bit left, and I held it next to the heater. It should still be lukewarm.”

“No thanks, Cas. I can go make some in the kitchen.”

“But what if I want you to try it?” Dean glared at him. “Don't make me do Sam’s ‘puppy dog eyes’ again.”

“Okay, okay. You win.” He put his hands up, mimicking a surrender. “I'll try some of your stupid, Christmas cookie, candy-cane flavoured coffee thing or whatever.” They started walking towards the entrance to the bunker.

“Peppermint mocha?”

“That's the one.”

Cas laughed at him.

“Oh just, give it here.” Dean said. He took a long sip from the disposable cup. He could taste a vague hint of whipped cream mixed in with the coffee, its light fluffy texture sticking to the last swallow of smooth liquid in the bottom of the cup. The chocolate and espresso rested on his tongue, and the peppermint was strong and refreshing. He took another sip.

“Does that face mean you like it?”

Dean looked at him guiltily. “No.” He opened the bunker’s door and started walking down the metal stairs.

“Yes you do.”

“No, I don't.”

“You took a second sip.”

Dean reached the bottom of the stairs first, and walked over to the War Room table to set both coffee cups and his keys down.

“So? I was trying to make sure I properly understood the flavour. Since when is that a crime?”

“You wanted to properly understand a flavour you didn't like?” Cas walked up to Dean and pulled the nearest chair out to sit down.

“What are you two arguing about this time?” Eileen asked from the library.

Cas clenched both of his hands into fists, putting the right one on top of the other. He made small, circular, stirring motions with his right hand. “Coffee.” He signed swiftly, movements fluid.

“Ah. That makes sense.” She spoke the words.

“What makes sense?” Sam asked, walking in from one of the hallways, making sure Eileen could see his lips before speaking.

“They're arguing over coffee again.”

Sam glanced at both of them, before his eyes reached the two cups on the War Room table.

“Wait a second… Dean?” He looked at his brother, before turning to face his best friend. “Cas?”

“Yes, Sam?” Cas answered.

“Did you two go to Starbucks?”

“I don't want to talk about it.” Dean grumbled.

“Yes, we did!” Cas sounded way too excited to be referring to coffee. “I got a peppermint mocha, and Dean tried some and liked it.”

“I did not.”

“I don't care what coffee you like, Dean. What I do care about is that you went all the way to Starbucks, and didn't bother to ask if we wanted to come.”

“Not cool Dean.” Eileen walked in, shaking her head and hiding a smile.

“I might have thought about buying you two drinks, but there was no way I was ordering yours with a straight face.” He looked at Sam. “And it's an hour away, they wouldn't have been hot or cold or whatever they're supposed to be by the time we got here.”

“Well then we'll just have to go back, all four of us.” Eileen put simply.

“It's an hour away.”

“We know.” Sam added.

“Let me say that again, in case you weren’t listening. It's an hour away. For coffee. That isn't even that good.”

“I beg to differ, Dean.” Cas said.

“Yeah I'm definitely with Cas on this one.” Eileen agreed while Sam nodded along.

“No. There's no way I'm getting back in Baby to drive all the way to Starbucks again.”

“Fine. We’ll go get our own.”

“With what car?” Dean said, very sure of himself.

Sam snatched Baby’s keys off the war room table, which in hindsight was probably something Dean should have expected.

“Let's hope Sam doesn't have too many shots of espresso.” Eileen said, faking concern. “I would hate for your baby to pay the price.”

“Fine. I'll drive you.” Dean grumbled while Eileen double fist-pumped her win.

Cas looked very pleased with the thought of getting to try more coffee.

---

They left shortly after, the drive over painful for everyone except Dean, who listened to the same four songs on repeat the entire hour.

(It’s their own fault, really.)

---

“Can we please listen to something other than Bob Seger on the trip home?” Sam complained as he slammed shut the door to Baby’s backseat.

“You’re just mad you didn’t get shotgun.” Dean said, closing his own door. “Besides, driver picks the music, everyone else shuts their cakehole.” Sam mouthed the words along with Dean, having heard the speech a million times before.

Eileen and Cas got out, neither one of them had any desire to input on their squabble, and were instead engaged in their own, quieter discussion.

Both brothers continued to argue until they walked into the Starbucks.

“Ah. There's the scent of overpriced coffee I missed.” Eileen joked as she took her first breath inside the building, using her hand to waft the smell towards her.

“What are you getting?” Cas asked Sam.

“I want my usual, and Eileen, what are you having?”

“Hot chocolate with espresso shots please. This place doesn't sell liquor.” She shook her head sadly and Sam laughed. “Good thing I brought my own.” She winked at them, opening her jacket just enough so they could see the inside pocket and showing off her flask.

“Oh, now that would be a Starbucks I would go to.” Dean said.

“You two wait in line.” Sam pointed to Cas and Dean. “We’ll save a table.”

Dean looked like he wanted to protest, but they walked away before he had the chance. Cas leaned over towards him. “Don't worry. I'll order Sam’s.” He very conspicuously winked.

Dean smiled at his attempts of regular human interaction, before over-the-top winking himself.

“Can you order for us? I need to talk to Sam about something.”

“Sure thing…” Cas had to think before finishing his sentence. “...buckaroo.”

Dean outwardly cringed. “Keep trying, you'll get there eventually.” He patted Cas on the back, which was slightly moving in a chuckle.

It was good to see Cas filled with so much simple joy. Face creased from laughter rather than stress, he seemed so much lighter. Happier. It was only a small sliver of what he deserved, but it was something. Maybe he could live with driving an hour to get what he assumed was half-decent coffee.

“What would you like?” Cas asked him, eyes still filled with a sparkle that only comes from gaining something you thought you lost.

“Uh.” He thought about it for a moment, almost considering branching out into the unexplored terrain that was the dark green menu with small, white text, before shuddering at the thought.

“I think I'll take that expensive black coffee I didn't get earlier.”

Dean was not going to turn into one of those people, if he had any say about it.

Cas walked into the line, leaving Dean to scan the room, furiously waving Sam over when his eyes found their booth.

“Sam.” He sounded like he was trying to whisper, but his volume raised far higher than that. The patron closest to Dean gave him a look before turning back to their work.

“Sam, come here, it's urgent.” His brother turned to look at him, rolling his eyes before getting out of the booth.

“What do you want?” He said once he reached Dean.

“Sam. Help. What do I do?”

“About what?”

“About what kind of coffee Cas is having.”

“Oh god, Dean let it go. He's not going to only ever drink black coffee. Contrary to popular belief, former angels do actually have souls.”

Dean ignored the implications that he didn't have a soul, too distracted by Cas. “But look.” He motioned his head towards where Cas was standing, next in line to order. “He’s eyeing the weird fruity drinks.”

“Dean. It's Cas. The man’s favorite food is PB&J. What did you expect him to have, taste?”

“Alright that's rich coming from mister Pinkity Drinkity or whatever the fuck.”

“You walked into a Starbucks and ordered black coffee, I don't think I'm the wrong one here.”

“Wait, wait. Shut up. Quiet.” He hit Sam on the shoulder in a childish attempt at getting him to stop talking so he could listen.

“Ow. That hurt.” Sam muttered, before turning to watch Cas, which Dean was already doing.

“I would like to try a…” Cas methodically scanned the menu again. “A ‘Passion Tango Iced Tea,’ please.” The barista took no mind to the excessive air quotes.

“It's not even coffee.” Dean said to Sam, clearly distraught. He turned to look back at Cas.

“And your name sir?”

“Lizzo.”

Dean threw his arms up into the air. “I can't believe this is the man I love.” His voice cracked like he was holding in tears of anguish from listening to Cas order.

Sam just rolled his eyes at the theatrics. Right, and he’s the dramatic one.

“Aw. You're in love.” Sam held his hands up, forming a heart and mocking his brother.

“Oh shut up. What are you, seven?”

“Is Cas your gay thing?”

“You shut your mo-”

“What are we gossiping about?” Eileen whispered, cutting Dean off and causing them both to jump.

“We're not gossiping.” Sam said indignantly.

“Sam started it.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

“This is where I call you two ‘asshats’, right?”

“It's ‘assbutt.’” Cas said, walking up to them and catching the tail end of their conversation. “And that's my line.”

Cas handed them each their drinks, before excitedly trying his own. He put the plastic cup up to his mouth, almost missing the straw. When he swallowed the cranberry-colored liquid, his face relaxed in pleasure.

“I know this one isn't coffee, but it's really good.”

“We didn't get coffee either.” Eileen said. “So don't worry, Dean's the odd man out here.”

Dean glared at her before trying his own coffee, and well, it was coffee. The point of buying expensive caffeine still went straight over his head.

The four of them went over to their thankfully-still-available booth and sat down. Dean and Cas sat on one side, both instinctively choosing the side that faced the door, with Sam and Eileen sliding into the seats directly across from them. They sat there, talking about nothing in particular, and certainly nothing of importance, before falling into the natural art of storytelling.

Aside from killing monsters, that’s what hunters did best. Sitting around and sharing stories. As tiring and dangerous as their lives were, some hunts were worth sharing exaggerated and hyperbolic versions of, especially over drinks.

Sam’s favourite story to tell changed every time, and one would almost be inclined to believe that most of it wasn't real, but the wildest parts also caused the most merriment. (Dean pretended he hadn’t witnessed the whole thing, sparing Sam by not telling the other two how it actually went down.)

Eileen shared of her time in Ireland. “Foreign country, foreign monsters.” She said with a wink, telling of creatures neither Sam nor Dean had even read about.

Dean’s favourite story to tell, aside from the fact that he killed Hitler, was the time he got to solve a mystery with everyone’s favorite talking dog. And yeah, all three of the people that sat at the table had heard both many times before, but that didn't matter, it was still enrapturing to hear them again.

Cas had millenniums to choose from, but always found the most interesting hunts to be the ones with the Winchesters. He also had many hilarious stories about his adventures with Crowley, but he was less fond of those.

“I remember once, Dean went on a hunt with Dad.” Sam started. “Nasty vampire, it got a hit or two on Dean. I think you guys went with another hunter. Young. About your age, actually. Uh…”

He snapped his fingers, trying to recall the name. “Lee. That's it.” Dean looked up from the coffee right as Sam said it. “Do you remember him?”

Something flashed in Dean’s eyes, but his brother didn't seem to notice.

Cas, who was used to admiring every minute detail of Dean's expression and posture, didn't miss the ever so slight, yet sharp, inhale. Or the way he swallowed before speaking, trying to clear the small lump from his throat.

Dean noticed too, internally rolling his eyes at his own reaction.

“Yeah it's been a while, but I remember him.” Dean was blatantly ignoring Cas’s burning stare from beside him, and the fact that he had stabbed Lee through the chest just last year.

Cas made sure no one was watching before gently placing a hand on Dean’s thigh. Knowing it would comfort him from both intuition and experience. Dean stiffened under the touch, but after realizing no one could see where Cas’s hand was, he visibly relaxed.

“What happened to him?” Eileen asked innocently.

“Oh uh, a hunt I think. Most of us go that way, I assume he was no different.” Technically Dean dealt the final blow, but it was the entrancing call of the monster, greed, and the life Lee and Dean had both secretly wanted, that caused his former-friend’s downfall in the end.

“Yeah.” Sam said solemnly, suddenly lost in his own thoughts, most of which were riddled with grief.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the weight of their many losses wash over them like a tidal wave.

One made of espresso and milk rather than the rough waters of the sea.

---

The ride back was more manageable, Dean allowing them one song choice each, complete with a warning to pick wisely.

(They all very cheekily chose the songs they knew would bother Dean the most.)

---

Full on coffee, cookies Dean bought for them at Starbucks, and brimming with contentment, (as well as the fact that they spent half the day in the car), Cas suggested to Dean that they “hit the hay” as they stepped back into the bunker.

They laid there in silence, breathing in scents of comfort, coffee, and each other, until Cas eventually drifted off to sleep.

Dean, however, continued to lay there. Thinking.

He remembered the first solo case John sent him on.

Something curled inside his gut.

They had been two nuns, their fate a product of hate crime. Put to death for simply being themselves.

Dean didn't blame them for coming back as ghosts.

He remembered the words - ones he would soon learn were slurs - that John would spit out like acid.

Or offhandedly toss like they didn't bear enough weight to shatter the window of a person's self-image.

It had taken him almost forty years to realize that very same window inside of him was in sharp, jagged pieces. Cutting anyone and everyone who came near.

It had taken Cas dying to start picking them up again.

He turned to look at the man next to him, relaxed and blissfully sleeping. His chest moved up and down rhythmically, and Dean slowed his breath to match until he fell into a surprisingly peaceful slumber.

---

When Dean woke up, the other side of his bed was cold.

He didn't panic, knowing full well that Cas probably ran to the bathroom, or was pouring another mountain of sugar in his coffee.

Losing Cas again to the Empty had ripped him apart, but months of spending every night with his partner left him with less nightmares and waking in cold sweats then he had since before Hell.

Dean also learned that his own presence was enough to fight off the demons of solid, black goo that plagued Cas’s head at night.

He was finally starting to understand why life seemed to lose all meaning when Cas was gone, and from there he could slowly start to rebuild both of them.

Dean heard soft padding noises as socked feet walked down the hall, and there was a knock on the bedroom door. "S'your room too, Cas. You don't have to knock." He laughed, words slightly slurred from just waking up

Cas walked in, wielding two mugs of coffee and a proud look shining in his eyes. “I made us coffee.” He said triumphantly, handing one of the mugs to Dean.

“I put chocolate and peppermint in your coffee.”

Dean fake-gasped. “You monster. Ruining the integrity of my drink like that.”

“I'm a human, you ass.” Cas responded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Besides, I know you liked mine yesterday.”

“I did not.” He said, discontentedly crossing his arms. “I only drink coffee that's as black as my soul. Darker than the night sky. Hotter than the bunker’s computer when it overheats. As manly as-”

“Oh, just drink your damn coffee.”

“Fine.” He groused. “But I'm not enjoying it.”

Cas raised an eyebrow at him, before setting his mug on the bedside table and sitting down behind Dean. The bed creaked underneath him as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist. “Is this why you and Sam never use umbrellas?” He joked.

Dean laughed.

Cas rested his head on the crook of Dean’s neck and whispered. “You know you don't have to pretend.”

“Pretend what?” Dean asked softly.

“You know.”

“That I don’t like flavoured coffee?” He said with a snort.

“Sort of.” Cas hugged him tighter. “No one’s going to think any less of you Dean. You’re allowed to like the things you like.”

“I know.” He resigned.

“John isn't here anymore.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I know.” The words barely came out as a whisper, hot tears betraying Dean’s eyes as they silently leaked out and ran down his cheeks.

He tried to wipe the tears away, hearing his Dad’s voice in his head and knowing he was being stupid.

Dean couldn't help but think of himself as a small, living-room window, from an old, dilapidated house. Stained yellow with age. Cracking from wear.

He let the drumming of his Dad’s words in his head be drowned out by Cas’s voice.

He couldn't unwrap the fuzz from around him, so he didn't know what Cas was saying, ears seemingly filled with cotton. It was just the knowledge alone that he was there. That he was holding him and whispering comforting words into his ear. That even as a human he could heal Dean at his lowest points, and still see him as the brightest, strongest, soul.

You don't really know what a picture is going to be until it's done.

Maybe that window is a beautiful stained-glass portrait.

“Uh.” Dean cleared his throat. “What-what do you have?” He indicated Cas’s coffee by angling his head towards where it sat on the nightstand.

“I made iced coffee.”

Dean just looked at him, astounded, eyes widening. “You mean it’s not hot?”

“Yes, that's where the ‘iced’ in ‘iced coffee’ comes from.” He said very seriously.

They both sat in silence for the next hour, peacefully drinking their coffee and enjoying the presence of one another.

---

When they got out of bed and ventured into the rest of the bunker, they found Sam and Eileen in the library.

They were sitting in adjacent chairs, with Eileen laying her head on Sam’s shoulder and reaching for her water bottle on the table. They were reading a book together, but Eileen shook Sam indicating she had seen them walk in.

“Goodmorning.” She greeted cheerfully.

“Mornin’.” Dean pulled up a chair across from them, and watched as Cas did the same.

“What are you two reading?” Cas asked.

“The Men of Letters’s Bestiary.” Sam said.

Dean snorted. “Ah. Doing a little light reading are we?”

“We're thinking about filling in some of the pages.” Eileen added.

“Yeah, for all of the stuff they have here, it's surprisingly empty.” Sam continued flipping through some of the pages, most of which were blank.

“Heh. I should put you in that thing, Cas.”

Cas let out a laugh. “Right. Because I’m a good example of an angel.” The sarcasm was masking something else in his voice.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’ve always been my favourite angel.” Dean only realised how sappy he sounded after it came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, I’ve heard the rest of them are dicks.” Eileen added.

Cas smiled at that, seemingly back to normal.

“Right, well you three can do that, I'm off to the Dean Cave.”

“Or…” Sam started.

“We could go back to Starbucks.” Cas finished, nodding his head enthusiastically.

“Yeah... that's not where I was going with that, but I like where your head’s at, Cas. We should definitely go back.”

“Eileen?” He asked.

“Hell yeah.”

“Dean?”

Dean pressed his mouth into a thin line and glared at him. “Yes, sure, fine. But we're not making this a daily thing.”

“That's fair.” Cas agreed. “It's probably not very healthy.”

He went to grab his wallet and keys before Sam could start his speech on the nutritional value of green things, and Eileen snatched her water bottle off the library table as they all got up to leave.

---

Dean gave up on letting them choose the music after snickering and requesting “Friday” by Rebecca Black for the third time in a row.

(It wasn't even Friday?)

---

Dean stepped out and closed Baby’s door in the parking lot of Starbucks an hour later, kicking the loose pieces of gravel on the asphalt for the third time in two days.

“We might as well just live here.” He said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I wouldn't make that offer if I were you, Cas looks like he’d be totally on board.” Sam laughed.

Cas went and stood beside Dean as they started walking towards the building, smiling.

“What?” Dean asked, question genuine and free of all malice.

“Nothing.” Cas answered, smile not faltering.

His eyes revealed nothing but pure devotion for the man he was staring at. A silent promise, one without pressure, that he would be standing there, and Dean could take the leap anytime he wanted.

Dean was slowly inching towards the end of the diving board.

---

“I think I'll just drink my water.”

“Oh that's exciting.” Sam joked. “If I got you a lemon to go with it, would you be able to handle that?”

“Don't talk to me about my drink, when yours is a vivid green puke colour.”

“Hey, at least it actually has a colour. And a flavour at that.”

Dean couldn’t believe those words were coming from the same man who drinks exactly a hundred and one ounces of water a day. (Which, according to Sam, is the recommended amount for males, as stated by the Institute of Medicine.)

(Dean didn’t care.)

“Fine then.” She turned to look at Dean. “Get me the strongest thing on the menu.”

Dean laughed before turning to Cas. “Let's just go get in line before we suffer at the hands of the Leahy like Sam.”

Sam and Eileen went to look for a place where they could all sit again, playfully bickering the entire way.

While he was standing in line with Cas, Dean looked over at his brother, and found him and Eileen sitting at a small table in the corner.

Cas was still helping him learn ASL, so he caught parts of their conversation.

“If Jack is in every drop of rain, do you think he's in your water?” Sam signed, trying to contain his laughter.

Eileen pushed her water away with a look of disgust. “You’re lucky I love you.” She answered back.

“I know I am.”

He watched her silently laugh before turning back to look at Cas.

They really did have it good, didn't they?

“What are you ordering, Dean?”

Dean stood there silently, contemplating. He internally weighed his pros and cons, mind leaving the menu entirely. While there was still a lot of shit he had to work through, (shit he had been actively not working out his entire life), there wasn’t much of a decision to be made.

He would always choose Cas.

“You know what?” He reached out and grasped Cas’s hand firmly. “I was thinking about being less boring. What ingredients do you suggest I try?”

Cas smiled warmly, reaching the crinkled corners of his eyes. “They have a cinnamon flavoured one. That’ll be almost like apple pie.”

“Will it really?” Dean’s tone was dismissive, but there was a smile on his face.

“Yes, Sam told me.“

“Not that I trust Sam’s judgment, but okay, I think I’ll take one of those.”

“I'm going to have a real pumpkin spice latte this time.” Cas seemed very pleased with the aspect of buying something they could make it home, but Dean wasn't going to fault him for it.

The patron in front of them finished ordering, clearing the way for Cas and Dean. The barista from the first time they went caught sight of them and made a face. “Wait a minute. I think I know you two.”

“Yes, we came here yesterday.” Cas helped. “Well, we actually visited twice, but you weren't working the second time.”

“Right... John and John, how could I forget?”

“This time we're ordering for four though.”

“I would like a…” Dean squinted at the menu, looking for the cinnamon flavoured coffee. “‘Cinnamon Dolce Latte.’ And my devilishly handsome friend here will take the pumpkin spice version.”

“And what are the other two drinks and names?”

Dean whispered something in Cas’s ear. “I'll drink the coffee, but I won't budge on this one.”

“That's okay Dean, you’ll get there eventually.” He whispered back.

The barista looked unimpressed with them. Again.

Dean cleared his throat. “Ahem, sorry. The tall one with the stupidly long hair,” he pointed towards Sam, “is getting…” he trailed off before looking to Cas for help.

“I don't know, man. It was something sickly looking. Cold? Green? Possibly tea?”

“And Iced Green Tea Latte?” The barista suggested.

“That's the one. His name is Jimmy.”

“And the lovely lady sitting next to him would like the strongest drink you have. Her name is Robert.”

“Her name is Robert…?” He slowly pointed towards Eileen, sounding unsure of himself.

Or them.

“Yup.” Cas said.

Eileen gave a little wave from across the room.

He gritted his teeth in a very clearly fake smile. “Coming right up.”

They paid for their coffee and picked it up, taking the travel cups across the room and towards Sam and Eileen.

Cas took a sip from his pumpkin spice latte, gleefully smiling. “As much as I like trying different drinks, I think I might start just getting this one. It's my favourite.”

Sam leaned over to Dean, neither one taking their eyes off of Cas. “Should we tell him the drink is seasonal?” He glanced at Sam, before staring back at his partner, whose face was beaming like a literal ray of sunshine.

Dean’s face softened. “Nah. Let’s not ruin his moment.” He took a sip of his cinnamon coffee and damn, it was delicious.

Nothing at all like apple pie, but still delicious.

Cas walked over to him, making eye contact in a silent question. Dean nodded with a small smile, and Cas took his hand.

“I love you.” Cas whispered.

“I love you too.” He whispered back.

They didn’t whisper to hide, and it wasn't because he was ashamed. It was because that exchange was just for them.

Dean leaned in and softly kissed Cas.

Now that was to tell everyone in the shop that his devilishly handsome friend was spoken for.

Slowly, the sun would come out and shine through the stained-glass window, shadow portraying the picture of an angel.

And alright, fine, Dean could admit that he enjoyed the peppermint mocha.

He thought about it for a moment, before giving a light chuckle, realising something.

“What?” Cas asked, turning to look at him with a soft smile resting on his face.

“Nothing.” Dean whispered, squeezing Cas’s hand in his. He took a sip from his coffee, relishing in the warm and cozy flavour enrapturing his tongue.

He was only thinking that maybe, just maybe,

Cas had changed him too.

---

Bonus Epilogue:

Dean held the glass door open for the other three, and they all walked out onto the asphalt, laughing, and making their way towards Baby.

The street lamp overhead flickered, and all four of them froze.

“Did anyone happen to get the salted caramel macchiato?” Dean whispered.

---

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[moviemunchies]

Alright it’s a bit past Hogswatch but we’re going to talk about the Sky One Hogfather adaptation, ‘kay?

In the wake of the premiere of BBC America’s The Watch it’s good to remember that Sky One did adaptations of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and that they actually cared about the original content. The Hogfather is a two-part miniseries that is a faithful retelling of the book. Some might say too faithful--there are scenes which add very little to the Plot, which are in the movie/miniseries because they’re in the book, when specific bits that give them context are not. I imagine if you haven’t read the book, it’s a bit hard to follow. Like, “Why is there a little rodent Grim Reaper?”

Still, it’s made with such care and attention to detail that if you ARE a fan of the book you’re sure to love this movie. No, it doesn’t have the budget of a big Hollywood movie, and it shows at times. But I think it also shows that a big Hollywood budget isn’t always the best way to adapt a book, as I imagine we’d have gotten something more like The Watch if this had been made by a large studio.

So the story goes like this, if you don’t know: in the Discworld, a satire of fantasy worlds, there are beings called the Auditors of Reality and they hire an Assassin to kill the Discworld equivalent of Santa Claus (a being called the Hogfather) in their plan to eradicate humanity because they’re jerks like that. Death, the Grim Reaper, being somewhat fond of humanity, takes it upon himself to fill in for the Hogfather while he’s indisposed. Death’s granddaughter, Susan-- currently working as a governess in Discworld’s most populous city Ankh-Morpork--gets drawn into the Plot and takes it upon herself to go and save Christma--I mean Hogswatch.

What follows is a bright satire of basically all the Christmas specials, stories, and cliches, as well as a surprisingly deep reflection on the nature and purpose of human belief in the supernatural, especially when it comes to children’s stories.

This miniseries is pretty long. On DVD it’s split into two parts, each an hour and a half, which makes it more manageable for me to sit through. But just be aware if you decide to watch it that if you want to try it all in one go, you’re going to be there for about three hours, at least.

Some quick highlights from the cast: 

Michelle Dockery, pre-Downtown Abbey, plays Susan, who is more or less our main character. And I’m not going to lie to you: not all of her acting in this miniseries is on point. I get that she’s going for someone who is very emotionally detached, reacting to the weirdness of the supernatural world with exasperation and cynicism rather than wonder or terror or awe. But having seen this movie a bajillion times there are lines that she delivers with no emotion at all. Not stoically, but like she really doesn’t care what she’s saying, and that kind of bothers me.

Marc Warren plays Jonathan Teatime. He apparently modeled his performance off of Johnny Deep’s Willy Wonka, which is an interesting choice but one that makes sense. He hits all of the creepy vibes and he does a pretty good job. He’s not how I imagined Teatime, but he does a good interpretation that fits with the character and makes him a good villain.

[Also because of this miniseries apparently an alarming number of fans ship Susan and Teatime? No I don’t get it.]

The late Ian Richardson plays Death. Death is Awesome. I don’t know if it’s him in the suit, but regardless, Death’s remarkably expressive considering he’s a skeleton in a robe (and then a Santa costume). Whoever is in the suit, whether it’s Richardson or someone else, should be given a lot of credit, as well as Richardson for imbuing his voice with a personality that feels if not straight out of Terry Pratchett’s work, very close to it indeed. And no, I suppose he doesn’t look like a realistic skeleton, but he still looks really good on screen, like straight out of one of Kidby’s illustrations for the series.

Longtime Discworld fanboy David Jason plays Albert, Death’s butler, who is desperately trying to smoke and can never get to finish rolling his cigarette. He’s one of the best parts of the film, cynically trying to get his boss to be a jolly sentimental icon while maybe (probably) being drunk off his butt.

Joss Ackland is Mustrum Ridcully, the Archchancellor of Unseen University. Head of the wizards, more or less. He is both the sane man among the wizards (if you don’t count Ed Coleman’s Ponder Stibbons, who is actually sane and very good at his role too), and very ridiculous, though I suppose that might in part be the other wizards are pretty silly. He’s a joy to watch too.

And there are other cast members who all look like they’re having fun in this miniseries, but most notably: Terry Pratchett. All of these Sky One adaptations have Terry Pratchett in them at one point or another, and always delivering the final line of dialogue in the film. 

If you’re a Terry Pratchett fan, or are curious about Terry Pratchett’s work, I imagine you’ll probably like this miniseries. If you’re not, I can’t promise you’ll have a good time, but it’s an adaptation made with unwavering love for the source material, and in today’s world that’s sometimes pretty difficult to come by.