#( I technically used movie Silver for the original comment but OH MY GOD )

[dreamofabsxlutixn]

deadpanstinger || replied...

Charmy: WHAT? HE BRINGS GIFTS TO THE CHILDREN ):

' ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ. '

[sarahjtv]

BNHA Chapter 309 Spoiler Thoughts: Izuku and Inko Midoriya, and Some More Things Along The Way

The chapter leaks are here again!  Thanks to all the people on Twitter and here on Tumblr for providing us with scans and translations.  This chapter helps explain some things that a lot of us were wondering about.  Sadly, there’s still no Bakugo, or Shoto, or any other UA kids really; they’re only in flashbacks.  But, we do get to see what All Might and the Top 3 Heroes (Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist) are up to, so that’s something.  Anyway, remember to take what I say with a grain of salt until the official translations come out on Sunday:

The chapter starts a few minutes after Deku beat Muscular.  He’s flying through the air taking an unconscious Muscular tied up in his Black Whip.  The other Ketsubusu Academy students from the Lisence Exam see him too.  Thankfully the stubborn civilians from 2 chapters ago are willing to help Yo Shindo recover in exchange for not listening moving to the school shelters.  Also, Shindo’s barely conscious, but he does actually remember Deku.  He’s just not the same Deku as before.  Not much for me to say here except that I wonder if Shindo’s going to help spread the word about Deku’s actions.  Not just to his classmates, but I wonder if the words’ going to get out to the news and UA.  Actually, word might not even get that far since Shindo was only one of the few people in that exam that really even interacted with Deku...

Deku hands Muscular over to the police for them to take care off.  He also makes sure to cover himself up in Smokescreen to hide his identity.  So, Deku really is working in the shadows here.  It is best that the public doesn’t know what Deku is doing so that the LoV don’t track him down.  My man’s really going down the Batman route.  Oh, I also have to admire Deku’s smartphone here kept in this steel case.  I was going to say it’s a burner phone, but burner phones break easily for a reason and this one clearly doesn’t.  Maybe it’s a special one that can’t be tracked down.    

And we finally get to see All Might again!  He is actively working with Deku instead of just not knowing where his protege is.  He’s wearing casual clothes (jacket, jeans, sunglasses, the works) when he meets up with Deku in an alleyway.  I’m honestly glad that All Might is still supervising Deku.  I mean, Deku on his own would’ve been badass, but when you’re going up against people like AFO and Shigaraki, you’re going to need some help.  Especially when laying low.  Even with supervision, I still think Deku counts as a vigilante b/c I don’t think his license works if he’s not at UA.  I will believe this unless proven otherwise.  

It’s explained that the “wrapping” on Deku’s arms are actually gauntlets called “Mid-Gauntlets”, which are what are helping hold Deku’s arms together.  And they are VERY similar to the gauntlets that Melissa Shield from Two Heroes gave Deku.  Deku even says that All Might ordered them from the USA before travel restrictions were put in place.  I know that it’s only implied, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Deku’s new gauntlets were made by Melissa.  Even if you want to doubt it, at this point, Two Heroes (and by extension Heroes Rising and probably the upcoming 3rd movie, World Heroes Mission) are canon.  Honestly, I’m cool with it.  I liked Melissa and I’m glad her presence is still around (she was even in a Team-Up Mission chapter with Hatsume).  I do wonder if we’re ever going to see her in the main story.  It would be nice to see Melissa again.

The gauntlets are test samples and are used to enhance endurance.  All Might says that they can’t withstand 100% of OFA yet.  Which means that Deku actually beat Muscular with less than 100% unlike their first fight where Deku had to use over 100% just to knock him out.  So, does this mean that, say, Deku’s current 45% is stronger than his 100+% back in the Forest Camp?  Or maybe it was just the combo of moves and strategy rather then Deku just punching his way through things.

Small detail, but All Might’s phone goes off with that “I AM HERE” ringtone we heard before and Deku comments that this particular one is from All Might’s Silver Age TV Special!  It’s such a small thing, but I love that Deku still has that All Might fanboy in him despite everything 💚!  Somethings truly never change.

And back to the Top 3: Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist!  Endeavor and Best Jeanist are teaming up to kick a villain’s ass while Hawks is talking to All Might on the phone.  It looks like Hawks got a few costume changes particularly his visor/glasses which look more boxy than they did before if that makes sense.  Oh, and they’re also helping All Might work with Deku.  Makes sense since all three vowed to help take down Dabi earlier and Shigaraki and AFO definitely extend from that.

Deku’s Danger Sense is going off, so he’s probably going to check out any danger he can find in case it’s the LoV.  I do wonder if that harms Deku still.  It was said that it felt like a stabbing in his head and it must’ve been bad enough for the 4th OFA Holder to live in the forest away from society.  Man, I really hope our boy is ok (I know he’s not really, let me have this).

But yeah, Hawks (still wingless, but with a nice little undercut btw😳) explains that Deku's afraid of dragging other people in his battles like All Might.  Hawks also goes on to say that it’s best to take the initiative in taking down AFO and Shigaraki rather than waiting for them to appear all powered up.  He also wants All Might to keep supporting him despite the difficult position he’s in (remember that All Might’s technically Qurikless again and can’t really fight on his own).  It makes sense for them to go after the Villains again while they can.  If Deku fought Shigaraki while Shigaraki was at full strength, Deku would lose easily.  Even at 75%, Shigaraki was able to kill and injure A LOT of people, and Deku was lucky to even make it out there alive.  They need to find Shigaraki SOON!  

Flashback to Central Hospital before Deku jumped UA ship!  Recover Girl and Central Hospital’s high-tech were responsible for many of the patience recovering quickly and being discarged.  Deku was just there a little longer than the others.  So, we can assume that all our UA kids and some notable heroes made it out alive after being treated.  Still don’t know what happened to some people like Tamaki and Fat Gum tho 😭.  

All Might and Deku’s mom, Inko (thank god she’s ok), are by Deku’s bedside as his casts are taken off.  Deku’s doctor (who looks like Super Mario/Luigi; the whole Super Mario crew must run this damn place.  Where’s Bowser and Princess Peach) explains that despite his former warnings about his ligaments, Deku’s limbs are still functioning because he’s not the same as he was before.  So, before, Deku’s injuries were like his limbs were exploding from the inside, but this time those “explosions” were able to escape his body.  Also his Black Whip cast helped keep Deku’s arm in tact so that he wouldn’t pulverize himself.  His ligimates are still degrading too, so Deku still has to be careful.  I think he might have a few more small scars too, but that could just be shadows or muscle lining from Horikoshi’s pen-work.  

Ok, honestly, I’m not sure how this logically works...  I’m no medical professional, but I assume this means that Deku’s built his body up so much that it’s naturally able to withstand more damage than before and that’s why he’s more durable.  But, I don’t know how Deku was able to let the “explosions” escape this time.  I get the reverse; I get how he got injured before, but I don’t get this.  Was it the Black Whip brace he made for himself?  I honestly don’t really understand this.  Maybe the official translations will clear this up.  Or Horikoshi will in a Tweet or Volume Extra.

And Inko is finally informed of OFA thank the gods!  She was in the top of my list of “People who should really, really know OFA and what’s going on with Deku because I swear...”.  She’s clearly shaken up as anyone would be, but I’m glad she at least knows what’s going on with her son.  Yes, she’s still worried, but at least she can stop guessing why all this is happening.  

Deku announces the reason why he won’t go back to UA and it’s basically that Shigaraki can sense where Deku is and he doesn’t want to see anyone else close to him get hurt and/or die.  So, basically what I thought would be the reason.  Absolutely no surprise there.  But, going after Shigaraki and AFO first was originally Deku’s idea, so that’s something new.  Kid’s bold.

And this broke my heart 💔!  Inko insists that Deku stay with her to stay safe, but Deku knows what he has to do.  So, he thanks his mom, thanks her for making him happy, and tells her that he’ll be ok and that he’ll come back home with a somber smile on his face.  We see a flashback to Little Deku and Inko too when they were happier.  Bro, I don’t even know what to say.  I am in tears just writing this 😭  I’ll just post these two panels so y’all can cry with me.  I will never recover from this.  I’m fucking devastated.  You better come home, Deku: 

*sniffs* All Might remembers what he said to Inko.  He remembers how he said that he will protect Deku with his life.  All Might encourages Deku to go and he says that he’ll go with him with tears in his eyes.  He asks the Top 3 to help with this mission (finding Dabi) as their own mission coincides with Deku’s (finding Shigaraki and AFO).  I’m so glad all these adults are staying by Deku’s side throughout this.  It’s good to know that Deku still has support, though I wish it were from some of his friends too.  Maybe one day.

Deku goes to see Grand Torino in his hospital room to talk to him about OFA.  He mentions his friend and 7th Holder Nana Shimura.  Torino thinks he was responsible for killing Shigaraki (he really wasn’t let's be real).  He also tells Deku that Deku shouldn’t be so persistent in saving Shigaraki as killing can sometimes lead to salvation. Ok, few things:

1. I am surprised Grand Tarino is still alive.  I mean, we don’t know what happened to him after this talk, but at least he got to hear from Deku again.  It’s kind of nice to know that Tarino willingly passed down his cape to Deku too instead of Deku just taking it after his death.  Also, I’ve been watching some of Jujutsu Kaisen like everyone else has and this give me some Yuji & his grandfather vibes to it.  Knowing what happens there and that JJK’s magaka is good friends with Horikoshi, I have a sinking feeling I know what happened after this talk...

2. Deku looks so much older here.  Like, it’s not that cute, innocent baby face we knew at the beginning.  I don’t even know what it is exactly (maybe the eyes), but he just looks more mature here.  Also, his uniform some buttons down looks really good on him, I’m sorry but I need to mention that too 💚.

3. “Killing is a means towards salvation”.  Oh, boy...  I mean, I get it.  Some people just can’t be saved or captured in hopes of rehabilitation/redemption.  Sometimes killing people is necessary to save others.  But, Deku is not a killer.  He will try to save Shigaraki no matter what.  That was established again last chapter.   He tried to save Muscular for god’s sake.  But, I am curious if Gran Tarino’s words are going to hold any weight in the final fight. Like, will Deku have to kill Shigaraki?  What will that do to Deku as a person?  I’m really curious if Horikoshi is going to make Deku do this.

And finally, there’s a page showing off the Top 3, Deku, and All Might team up with the resolve to beat the LoV.  I am really interested to see where this goes.  Deku is working with the big Pro Heroes instead of his classmates/friends.  This hasn’t really happened before.  I also wonder if Shoto and Bakugo know what Deku’s doing then.  Because Shoto’s going to help Endeavor and his family find Dabi.  Endeavor’s activley helping Deku.  Also, Endeavor and Best Jeanist are both Bakugo’s mentors.  All Might too actually.  Look, maybe I’m making excuses to see my Origin Trio together again, but I do have to wonder if Shoto and Bakugo are involved somehow.

Welp, that’s it.  This chapter was a rollercoaster!  I was excited, I was confused, I was worried, I cried my eyes out at one point because THOSE TWO PANELS I CANNOT 💔😭!  I’m honestly just waiting for Horokishi to drop some major time-skip on us at some point.  I don’t want him to, but I won’t be entirely surprised if he does.  The end of this chapter is a good place to end if Horikoshi wants to segway into something else like, oh IDK, THE UA KIDS LET ME SEE THEM AGAIN HORIKOSHI PLS I’M BEGGING 💸  

Me @ Horikoshi almost every week:

[quarantineroulette]

Minor Disappointments’ 10 Least Disappointing Releases of 2019

I wasn’t going to compile a 2019 year-end list for a number of reasons (lack of time to listen to new music, general malaise, little time to write), but I’ve read so much bad end of year music writing that I feel like I must either stoke the embers or assist in extinguishing it. I don’t think I’m doing either here, but everyone likes list so here’s another.

I haven’t had time to really think about 2019 in songs but my favorite this year was, no kidding, a Tindersticks song featuring Robert Pattinson. Speaking of...

10) FKA twigs - Magdalene

  I really wish I hadn’t remembered that Pattinson and twigs dated because it put a slight damper on my enjoyment of this album. Instead of appreciating it in all its genre-destroying glory, as I did on my first listen, subsequent spins led to me becoming sidetracked by tabloid speculation over what RPattz must have done to have wronged this very singular artist. So, whether this is your first listen or 50th, forget all that I just wrote and instead let twigs fill your empty mind with her sometimes delicate, sometimes Kate Bush-evoking, wholly epic songs.

Favorite moment: It’s pretty commendable and bold to place the lead single as the closing track, especially if its something as monumentally gut-wrenching as “Cellophane.” Also, that video is the visual treasure everyone says it is, no fooling. 

9) Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

If you’ve ever heard Karen Carpenter’s Beatles covers you might have some idea as to what this record is like. But beyond Natalie Mering’s cozy vocals and timeless compositions is an undercurrent of ambient mystery that sets everything ever so slightly askew. At times, Laurel Canyon vibes are completely dispelled for more crepuscular textures, as in the album’s centerpiece, the Julee Cruise-esque “Movies.” Who knows where Mering will go next, but her path, whether from the California sun or glow of the silver screen, is certainly bright. 

Favorite moment:  ��A Lot’s Gonna Change”, “Andromeda”, “Everyday” - as strong of a three song run as on any release this year. 

8) Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

The cynic in me wanted to resist this album, but as soon as the cinematic strings kicked in on “Lark” I decided the enormous amount of critical hyperbole that was being thrown at it was mostly warranted. Stately, dramatic, occasionally synthy and largely devastating, All Mirrors taught me that sometimes you may find many of your favorite things in the unlikeliest of places. Please insure your heartstrings. 

Favorite moment: “Spring” which, like a lot of great songs, sounds a little like a fairground ride breaking down. 

7) Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿

This might be the funnest album I’ve listened to all year. It can be hard to do positive but “Best Life” is as heartening as Nardwuar’s interview with Brown and fewer things are happier than that. With his fifth album, Brown has proven he can ably do every mood with aplomb. And if using cleaning references as euphemisms is your poison, then, hell, he can do that too. 

Favorite moment: “Hoes on my dick ‘cos I look like Roy Orbison.” Need I say more?

6) Omni - Networker

One of the strongest post-to-the-nth-degree-punk bands from the latter 2010s, I still have Omni’s 2016 debut, Deluxe, on heavy rotation. Networker, the trio’s third record and first on Sub Pop, has no shortage of twists, turns, technical dexterity, quirk and compositional audacity. Looks like I’ll be overplaying this one too. 

Favorite moment: I could listen to “Courtesy Call” over a hundred times and I still wouldn’t be able to guess what direction it’s going to go in. 

5) Aldous Harding - Designer

 Of all the artists on this list, I find Harding the most inspiring in both her songwriting and her performing style, which is arresting to say the least. The songs on Designer are paradoxically accessible and impenetrable, with seemingly breezy songs like “Weight of the Planets” leaving you with a feeling that’s a cross between a “wow!” and a “huh?”(perhaps a bit like this). Most impressive of all, Harding draws to mind such greats as Nick Drake, Syd Barrett and Nico while always sounding completely like herself. I honestly don’t know what layer of reality Harding is from, but we should all be thankful she’s residing in ours for the time being. 

Favorite moment: “The Barrel” had been in my YouTube queue for ages; after finally watched it I was left confused, mildly disturbed, amused and completely beguiled. This kookily hatted lady is just semi-dancing in a heavily-draped room for nearly five minutes and it’s the most fascinating video in years. If the video wasn’t entertaining enough, it also happens to have one of the funniest and sweetest comment threads on YouTube. Oh yeah, and the song is brilliant. 

4) Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?

Deerhunter have really only misstepped once for me and that was with 2015′s Fading Frontier. Seeing as this is the band’s first full length since then, I had quite a bit of trepidation going in. Of course, a lot can happen in four years and Why Hasn’t Everything... is a thankfully thrilling addition to the band’s canon. Whether it be Cate Le Bon’s production, Bradford’s growing ease as a performer and eccentric, Lockett’s unexpectedly Low-esque "Tarnung,” or all of the above, this may well be Deerhunter’s most consistent release since Halcyon Digest. I’m even slightly tempted to say it’s better than it, but the sacrilege is too great.

Favorite moment: “What Happens to People” -- totally unique to the Deerhunter canon and already a classic. 

3) Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!!

I never thought I could ever love an album with a Sublime cover on it, but here we are. In all fairness, the inclusion of “Doin’ Time” matters little when the originals on this treatise on Americana is so glorious.  Between the torchiness and the LA-specific witchiness of songs like “Bartender”, there’s not much on here that I’m able to resist. There may still be haters but “The Greatest” drowns them out a little more with each play.  Favorite Moment: “And we were so obsessed with writing the next best American record” - yeah, thank you for doing that.  2) Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima Truth be told, the first time I listened to this record I cried when it ended because I didn’t want to leave its world. There may have been more radical records by newer artists in 2019, but hearing Karen O doing what she does best, as well as trying many new things, was such a joy to me. I’m probably among only a handful of people who wanted to hear Karen do a straight up disco song in 2019, but we got it and it’s something to be treasured for years to come. To paraphrase Sparks + Franz Ferdinand, collaborations don’t (often) work, but thanks to O’s flawless vocals and Brian Burton’s sometimes Dave Fridmann-esque production, this one is an exception.  Favorite Moment:  I’m tempted to say the whole thing, but “Turn the Light” and “Redeemer” are maybe two of the biggest surprises on an album of many. 

1) Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains 

Purple Mountains is quite possibly a new touchstone in gallows humor. Given David Berman’s suicide less than a month after the record’s release, what should now be a grim and discomfiting listen is so mordant and wry that it somehow overpowers its bleakness. More striking than perhaps even the moments of humor is the album’s tenderness, so beautifully represented in songs like “Snow is Falling in Manhattan” and “I Loved Being My Mother’s Son.” Although it’s undeniably tragic that there will be no more words from Berman, the ones he’s left us with will fascinate and move us for decades to come. 

Favorite Moment: Unsurprisingly, Berman’s lyrical dexterity on this album is beyond measure. From the internal and slant rhymes in a line like “see the plod of the flawed individual looking for a nod from God” to the layers of meaning in “the light of my life is going out tonight”, the wordsmithery here is mesmerizing. If I had the time, I would gladly write an essay on how Berman used color to further emphasize a point. Thanks for the music, David, but thanks especially for the words. 

[badwolfandtimelords]

The Essence of My Soul to Keep: Provenance, Part 2

Summary:  January 1998- Portland, Oregon. Dean and Sam start over at another high school while John hunts down a mysterious aura. Meanwhile, an impossibly beautiful girl starts school at the same time as the Winchesters. Is she in any way connected to John's case, which could prove dangerous as Dean's starts to fall for her? Continues into the series main events.

Pairing: Dean Winchester X OC (Claire Shanahan)

A/N: I usually don’t post my fanfiction chapters here, but I don’t get feedback anymore, or hardly any anymore, so I’m putting it here. Hoping interest in this story is resparked. I also started this five years ago when in high school so there is a shift in writing style. Hopefully for the better...)

Provenance is going to be 4 chapters long total. As the seasons have gone by, it's brought some interesting things that I could use in this story, which has changed the original course of the narrative. So, I've had to change things. Thus, here's a look into Claire in this chapter, and her hidden past.

Find full story Here

From the auction house to the motel, not a word was exchanged between Sam and Dean until they were finally checked into a room and bringing their bags to the door.

"Grant Wood, Grandma Moses? What?" Dean finally asked with a confused laugh.

"Art history course. It's good for meeting girls." Sam explained, making Claire roll her eyes.

"My god, you two are so alike." She said, making Dean smile slightly before replying to his brother.

"It's like I don't even know you." He said, unlocking and opening the door to their room.

Following the boys into the room, Claire opened her mouth to say something as the door closed, however all the Hunters stopped to look at the disco decorated room. The room was decorated with mostly black, silver and white decor, while a small disco ball hung over the small table. Taking in the over the top style, all the Hunters were able to say was "Huh." The room wasn't the most particularly strange themed motel they had stayed in before, after all.

Moving to claim their own beds, the boys dumped their bags on the floor and started to unpack.

"What was...providence?" Dean asked.

"Prov-e-nance." Sam sounded out, correcting his brother, who soundlessly mouthed the pronunciation. "It's a certificate of origin, like a biography. You know, we can use them to check the history of the pieces, see if anything has a freaky past."

"Huh." Dean said again, thinking it over. "Well, we're not getting anything out of chuckles, but Sarah…" He snapped his fingers at Sam with a grin.

"Yeah, maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin." Sam joked in response.

Knowing where Dean was headed, Claire laughed as she sat on Dean's claimed bed. "Oh no, Sammy." She shook her head.

Both responses he heard made Dean laugh. "Not me." He amended.

Instantly realizing what Dean was insinuating, Sam laughed too. "No no no, pick ups are your thing, Dean." He protested.

"It wasn't my butt she was checking out." Dean put a hand on his chest.

Raising his head to look at his brother, Sam could see that Dean was being absolutely serious. "In other words, you want me to use her to get information."

"Sometimes you gotta take one for the team." Dean offered before pulling out his phone and holding it out. "Call her."

It was rare now that they got time alone together now that Sam was travelling with them. While both Dean and Claire had of course missed him while he was gone, it was sometimes frustrating how little time they now had to speak to one another, or at least Dean be able to fully converse with Claire. So, with Sam now gone for an extended period of time for the night, and leaving them nothing else to do, it let them lounge around the room and talk to each other.

"So what do we think, is Sam's date gonna end with sex?" Dean asked with a flirty grin thrown at Claire.

Rolling her eyes, she buried her face in her hands. "Dean love, I don't want to imagine your brother having sex; do you?" She asked in return, her voice muffled.

Taking her words into account, his grin turned into a frown as he thought about it more. "No, you're right. I don't." He agreed.

"I can't believe you." She shook her head as she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on to walk across the room and lay on Dean's bed. "Speaking of which, while on the one hand I can't believe how you acted at the auction house earlier." Rolling onto her side, she watched as got up from the table to go and lay next to her. "And yet I'm not surprised."

"Yeah well, I was surprised how you acted there today." He replied. "No one could see you, but the moment you got out of the car you went… I don't know, proper English."

"Proper English?" She rose an eyebrow at him.

"You know, lady like." When her eyebrow rose even higher, it was his turn to roll his eyes. "You know what I mean." He grumbled.

"Prim and proper." She said. "Yes well, what can I say? Old habits die hard." She mumbled.

His brow furrowing at her comment, he shuffled closer. "You know, sometimes I forget you grew up and that kind of stuff." He noted, propping himself up to look down at her.

"Really? You don't seem to forget when you go into my bank account." She retorted.

Now he raised an eyebrow at her. "Does it bother you when I do?" He asked. "Because if it does, by all means, please say something."

"Of course it doesn't bother me. It's not like I can use it myself, love." She gestured to herself.

"Do you ever miss it though?" He asked curiously.

"Spending money?" She asked in confusion.

"No! I meant the fancy crap you grew up around." He clarified.

"Oh." Claire fell silent at this. Due to the nature of his question, Dean wasn't quite sure he'd get a response out of her. For as close as they were, and for how much they knew about and loved each other, over the years they had been together, she had spoken little of her life in Britain. There was the odd time she would open up to him about her past, various hunts she had gone on, small treasured moments with her family, how the travelling for work wasn't always crap food and hotels like he had experienced. However, he still didn't know everything about her past, and he was curious. "Do I miss the pomp and grandeur? God no." She finally said. "But the friends I had? I miss them dearly." She smiled softly.

Friends. She had never mentioned any friends before. He wasn't one for talking about the past either, but seeing as he was all she had to talk to anymore, Dean thought her talking about people she previously knew might be a good thing. "Tell me about them." He said gently, smiling when she gave him a bewildered look. "You never talk about your past. I've told you everything about mine, but I don't know a whole lot about yours."

"That's because I didn't know everything." She interjected. "Only what I was told and what I was told to do."

"Alright, that I get." He nodded. "But there's a whole lot of other things too that I want to know about. I might know everything you like, everything you don't like-"

"Not everything." She teased. "No fun in knowing everything."

"I know every, almost every," He amended when she made a face at him. "Expressions you make. I know lots about you as a person now. But what about before? Before you and me?" He said.

Chewing on her bottom lip as she thought carefully, she sat up and began to fiddle with her skirt. Moving to also sit up, Dean watched her patiently. "As I'm sure you've guessed, my childhood wasn't nearly as lonely or difficult as I've made it sound in the past." She began carefully. "But… you know how in movies when rich people need something dirty done in secret, it then technically doesn't exist?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded in understanding, following along so far.

"From what I understand, that was what my family essentially did. We were the ones who did the unspeakable dirty work, which in turn made us unspeakable. Which meant we didn't technically exist." She continued, tilting her head to the side in thought. When she saw the look of confusion on Dean's face, she shrugged. "Yes, we had money; almost more than anyone has the right to, but we were on the fringes of acceptability in society, the society that knew about what we did anyways. I don't remember much of it, but I can remember some of the looks we would get at the occasional gala. They wouldn't be to the degree of what you and Sam were getting today at the auction house, but very nearly." Furrowing her brow, she fell silent again as she seemed struggled to remember as far back as she could. "And then… something… changed, and suddenly we were acceptable, welcomed into the circles where we had previously been shunned or tolerated. We continued our work of course, but it was like we were people, instead of filth… and it was when everything changed that I met my friends. "

"What, they wouldn't be your friends before because you didn't meet their standards?" Dean asked in disgust.

"I don't know, I was very young." Claire said truthfully. "But I don't remember much of my life without them. They were like family." She smiled. She hadn't thought of her friends in a very long time, so to remember all the times they shared together, both good and bad, made her happy, although sad at a life lost.

"Were they…" He said, gesturing with his hands as he tried to allude to something.

"Yes, they knew about the supernatural." She confirmed, knowing what he was trying to get at. "If you thought I was good at all this, they were even better. For the most part."

"Did you go on hunts together?" Was his next question.

"Often when we were older, yes." She nodded.

This made him chuckle slightly. "Lucky." He noted. "You know it was just Sam and me growing up, knowing this stuff. There was one Hunter's kid we knew a long time ago, near the beginning, but they tried to keep her away from this crap. She was a lot younger than us, that's all I can remember."

"Lucky girl." Claire nodded. "The four of us, five of us later on, we were an effective team when we were older…. Too good it seems."

"What were their names?" Dean asked, laying his hands on the bed in between them, his palms facing upwards.

Although they both knew her hands would go through his, she still frowned when she moved as though to rest her hands in his and it didn't work. Nevertheless, she kept her hands there in front of herself. "There was the twins, Lexi and Artie. Then also Annie. I think she was worried initially that I would be competition in the social circles, but she warmed up to me soon after. Having another girl on her team meant not having to work as hard to prove she was just as capable as the boys, and not outnumbered by the twins."

"You said later there was five of you?" He noted. "Who was the fifth?"

"Yes." She nodded, lifting her hand to trace the lines in Dean's hands, her fingers occasionally going through his palms. "When we were… nine, perhaps it was, Mickey was adopted by one of the families. Sam reminds me of him from time to time, good with the lore and book work." She laughed.

"So he was a nerd." Dean smirked.

"Hey, that nerd saved our asses many times over." Claire rebutted with a laugh.

"Okay." He relented. "Earlier you said that different people at the wasps nest reminded you of your friends. Who reminded you of who?"

"Well…" She hummed as she thought carefully. "If you didn't know Annie very well, she'd come across like Mr. Blake, cold. But once you got to know her, she wasn't that bad. She was a caring person under it all, however she would have smacked you for your lack of manners." She smiled when he made a face at this. "Which speaking of you, though he was much more proper, Artie was a Hunter, and a damn good one too; just like you. Both of you are good at what you do."

"Really?" Dean straightened up.

"Really." She nodded. "Artie and I rivalled each other in terms of skills in the field. "We would butt heads often, but the two of us made quite a team when it came down to it."

"Huh. You're just being nice." Dean said. "I still remember how you kicked my ass when we did get to spar. Or how you laid Dad flat on his ass. So your friend is probably a better Hunter than I am."

"Regardless. You both have a natural skill for it." She said.

"What about Lexi?"

Her response took longer this time, her frame sagging with each passing memory. "I loved him like the brother I never had; he and I were alike in almost every respect." She whispered. "Good at what we did… but we wanted out."

"What happened to him?" He asked. Noticing how her eyes remained downcast, he realized something bad must have happened, or there was a bad memory associated with him. Bouncing on the mattress slightly, she finally looked back up. "Do you think they're all still out there if I reached out? If you wanted me to, I mean-"

Her eyes widening in worry, she fixed him with a hard look. "No. Absolutely not." She said firmly.

"Why not?" He asked in confusion.

"Like I told you, my family's job was to do the dirty work that didn't supposedly exist. That meant none of us technically existed. For you to reach out to them now-"

"It wouldn't be the smartest idea." Dean realized. "Okay, I get it." When she didn't reply, he gently swatted his hand through her knee. "Hey, I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Tracing the stitching in the blanket again, she didn't meet his eye as she began to speak lowly. "Do you remember how I never told you directly that I was a Hunter?"

Not sure where she was going with this, he furrowed his brow. "Yeah, but you knew that Sam and I were Hunters." He recalled.

"Bobby told us about you." She admitted, looking away when she saw his eyes widen in shock. "You were supposed to join him, and us, for a surprise Christmas the month before we met. Something changed last minute and your family didn't come. So when I recognized you in Portland, I played dumb and didn't say a word. There was quite a bit I was to keep quiet or not know about when we moved here, actually…"

"What-" Dean started to ask in confusion when the door swung open and Sam came into the room.

"What, what?" Sam asked, looking at his brother in confusion as the door closed behind him.

"Uhh, nothing." Dean stuttered before shaking his head. "I just wanted to sharpen my knife, can't find the whetstone is all."

Looking at him in confusion, Sam went over to their bag of Hunting gear and opening a small pocket, pulled out the whetstone. "You didn't try looking where we always keep it?" He asked in slight amusement and disbelief.

His mouth working to find the words, Dean instead made a face as he jumped off the bed to take the whetstone case from his brother. "Bitch." He muttered as he grabbed his knife and sat back on the edge of his bed.

"Jerk." Sam threw back instantly. Watching his older brother curiously, he shrugged off his jacket as he sat down in one of the chairs across the room. "Are you okay?" He asked, noticing how Dean's eyes flicked to the side for an instance before focusing on him. "Lately you've been…"

"Been what?" Dean asked, irritated.

"I don't know; jumpy? Fidgety?" Sam suggested.

Rolling his eyes, Dean ignored the comment and began to sharpen his knife, glancing at the papers in his brother's hands. "So she just handed the providences over to you?"

"Provenances." Sam and Claire corrected him simultaneously. Making a confused face, Dean quietly but curiously trying to say it correctly, making Claire smile slightly at his attempt.

"Yes. We went back to her place, I got a copy of the papers…" Sam confirmed.

"And?"

"And nothing. That's it. I left." He finished the story.

"You didn't have to con her or do any...special favors or anything like that?" Dean asked, confused as to how his brother got what they needed so easily.

"Dean, would you get your mind out of the gutter, please?" Sam demanded in irritation. This only made Dean chuckle.

"You know when this whole thing's done, we could stick around for a little bit." Dean suggested.

"Why?"

"So you could take her out again. It's obvious you're into her, even I could see that." He noted.

"Hey, alright I think I've got something here." Sam said suddenly. At this Dean and Claire got up to stand behind Sam, who passed Dean the provenances.

"Portrait of Isaiah Merchant's family, painted 1910." Dean read aloud.

"Now compare the names of the owners with Dad's journal." Sam told him.

Looking at the journal from across the room, Dean sat across from it to see what his brother meant. "First purchased in 1912, Peter Simms. Peter Simms murdered 1912. Same thing in 1945. Oh, same thing in 1970." He compared between the papers and John's notes.

"Then stored, until it was donated to a charity auction last month. Where the Telesca's bought it." Sam finished. "So what do you think, it's haunted or cursed?"

"Either way, it's toast." Dean leaned back.

Hours later in the dead of night, they boys broke into the building and grabbed the painting; and just as Dean had said before, was toast.

"Ugly ass thing. If you ask me, we're doing the art world a favor." He noted before dropping the marches on the gas and salt soaked canvas.

"Hmp." Was all Claire said as it burst into flames. Crouching down, she studied the faces in the painting as the flames began to lick further up the image. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Glancing up, she saw Dean watching her in the firelight. He could see it in her face, the nagging doubt, but she shook her head. Even if she couldn't see what was wrong so as to tell him, he at least knew now to keep an eye out for something strange.

Find Full Story Here

A/N: As I've said, how the recent seasons have progressed, it's brought things to the table that worked with what I had already written, as well as brought about new possibilities for me to work with. Let's see if anyone has any guesses as to where this all goes?

University is done and over with, first year of college under the belt, let's see how the updates go, shall we?

Thanks.

The professional student, so as it turns out.

-B