#*looks directly at garth*

[floralovebot]

so like,, hypothetically,,, if one wanted to do a deep dive into spider-man comics and specifically peter comics,,,, what would one read,,,,

[alicentsgf]

Re: Alicent Margaery thing

They get so mad because they like to revel in the fact that Alicent has no known direct descendants. They like to headcanon that Daemyra’s direct descendants are the most important characters in Westeros from the North to Dorne, so they say that Margaery is a direct descendant of Daemon’s through Rhaena when there is no real evidence to support that. She became the wife of a third Hightower son and had 6 daughters and no sons of her own and because there is no political advantage and nothing to gain from Lord Lyonel marrying his heirs to his brother Garmund’s daughters. His brother is already his ally, Lyonel is the Lord and inherited everything and there are no more dragons to claim by then so Dragon’s blood is not important anymore. Targaryen Princes are unlikely to ever marry a Hightower daughter again. So marriages between the cousins probably didn’t happen, especially when more important alliances within the Reach and Realm had to be reformed.

On the other hand we can say with just about 100% certainty that although Margaery is not a direct descendant of Alicent, they both directly descended from the same line of the Hightowers. We viewers/readers are definitely meant to draw parallels between Margaery and Alicent. Both of their Grandfathers were the Lord of House Hightower. Both are the youngest of their siblings and are the only daughters amongst multiple brothers (book Alicent, although Condal also mentioned that he hasn’t forgot about Alicent’s other brother?) they have brothers that are knights and are very protective of them. Both happen to have mothers named Alerie/Alyrie and that’s a purposeful decision by the writers meant to remind us that they have a familial link.

One had a scheming father and uncle and the other had a scheming Grandmother and father. They were both the favorites over their brothers and their families had all of their ambitions riding on and invested in them and not their brothers, they were taught how to play the game at a young age and then they made them Queens. Both worshipped the Seven and were beloved by the smallfolk. Both were clever, witty girls with snappy one liners who had big hearts but could also be scheming, cunning and cruel. They were ambitious Queens who wanted their sons to end up on the iron throne. Both were smarter than their husbands who were both shitty Kings. Margaery wanted to manipulate and tame Joffrey so she could rule the Kingdom for him, while Alicent actually got to rule in place of Viserys for many years while he rotted away

We can also look at Alicent and draw similarities to Margaery in appearance too. While their actresses look nothing alike both were stunningly beautiful and stylish girls. Their hair colors and textures are close as is the way it’s styled at times. Green is also a shared theme between them. It’s a color constantly linked to the reach, which is the hub of agriculture in Westeros. They’re descendants of Garth the Greenhand whose name evokes thoughts of greenery, flowers, planting and growing, Margaery’s house words are “Growing Strong” and it’s colors are Green and Gold, a color Marg wore often in the book. While Alicent adopts green as hers and her children’s Official colors in relation to the color that the Hightower lights up when declaring war. In addition to the green. Aegon incorporates the color gold as well in honor of his Dragon. The Greens were constantly surrounded by the colors green and gold. Helaena wears gold and she dresses their children in Golds and greens.

There are no links like that from Margaery to Rhaena and there are no parallels between them. We aren’t meant to think of Margaery when we see or read about Rhaena.

Disclaimer: This is in no way implying that Rhaena’s children are not real Hightowers because whichever houses her daughters and their children ended up in, they still descended from the Hightowers too.

Literally not gonna say anything. You said it all perfectly.

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

That Summer, Chapter 1

Pairing: Frank Castle x F!Reader

Rating: M

Story Summary: Frank Castle has been on the move ever since he "retired" as The Punisher after finding out the truth about his family's murder and handing his former best friend, Billy Russo, off to the Feds.

With his new identity as Pete Castiglione, Frank decides to settle down in a small town in Iowa, where he finds employment as a farmhand/handyman for you, a widow who's struggling to keep your farm running by yourself after the untimely death of your husband a year prior.

As Frank grows closer to you, his past -- and true identity -- begin to catch up with him, putting his chance of finding peace -- and both of your lives -- at risk.

Warnings/Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, The Punisher S1 Compliant ONLY, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Frank calling Reader "Ma'am" is it's own warning 🥵

Word Count: ~3k

A/N: This is all Jon Bernthal's fault for looking so damn good in a flannel shirt and jeans.

Title from the Garth Brooks song of the same name.

Taglist: @danzer8705 @carolinaxvz @thepunisherfrankcastle

BangBangBangBangBang!

Frank Castle grabbed his pistol out from under his pillow as a sudden loud knocking on his motel room door startled him awake.

He had pulled into a small town in Iowa around 2 AM and had gotten a room, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep… but apparently there was no such luck since someone was banging on his door at fuck-o’clock in the morning.

He let out a deep breath and relaxed as he realized that the commotion was actually coming from a few doors down, the banging now followed by a woman's angry voice yelling that she knew that someone named Roger was ‘in there with that skank’. Sounds like a lover's quarrel . 

He stashed his gun back underneath his pillow then looked at the bedside clock, which read 7:23 AM. 

He sighed. Might as well get some breakfast since I'm up anyway.

He took a quick shower then dressed, noting by the silence that whatever had been going on between the angry woman and the allegedly-cheating Roger had apparently already been resolved.

There was a small hole-in-the-wall diner directly across the street from the motel, so Frank decided to just walk over there for breakfast.

He headed in and sat at the end of the counter, groaning when his back cracked. 

He pulled out the bottle of aspirin he had bought at a gas station on his way into town and opened it, shaking out a couple of pills before popping them into his mouth and swallowing them dry. He'd certainly slept in worse places than the back of a van and cheap, shitty motel rooms back when he was in the military, but now that he was getting older his joints were definitely preferring a nice, soft bed to sleep in.

The waitress, an older woman whose nametag read Mildred , walked over and poured him a cup of coffee. “Welcome to Sal's, what can I getcha?” she said.

Frank quickly scanned the menu. “Uh, I'll have the bacon and eggs, eggs over easy, please.”

“Sure thing, hon. Coming right up.”

Frank looked around the mostly-empty diner as Mildred shuffled off to go put his order in with the cook.

An old jukebox stood along the far wall -- its choice of music being country ranging from the 1950’s to the 1980’s if Frank had to guess -- while a framed black-and-white photo of the diner sat above the jukebox, the presumed Sal standing proudly in front of the building and pointing to a brand-new sign.

Frank glanced back towards the door, a hand-written flyer pinned to a bulletin board catching his eye.

“You lookin' for a job?” the waitress asked, setting a plate in front of him.

“Uh, yeah, actually, I might be,” Frank replied, still looking at the flyer. He had been considering settling down somewhere for a while and figured that The Middle of Nowhere, Iowa might be just as good a place as any.

He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, only to notice that he had forgotten to charge it the night before and that the battery had died. “Ah, damn, my phone's dead. You happen to know where this is located?”

Mildred nodded. “Yeah, it's down at the end of Route Six, just past Eureka Creek at the edge of town.”

“Mind giving me directions?”

“Sure, when ya leave here head right on Route 3, go down a ways ‘till ya see the sign for the hardware store, then hang a left on the road right past it and go all the way down. Ya can't miss it.”

“Can I take the flyer?”

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks.” Frank finished his breakfast and coffee then pulled out enough cash to cover his bill and leave Mildred a nice tip before setting it on the counter. “Here ya go.”

Mildred walked over and took the money, counting it quickly before heading towards the register at the other end of the counter to close Frank out. “Thank ya, hon. You have a nice day now.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Frank took the flyer off of the bulletin board and folded it before sticking it in his pocket.

He headed back across the street and packed his duffle bag before checking out of the motel. 

He unlocked his van and climbed in, reviewing the directions in his head before starting it up. Right outta here, left onto Route 6 after the hardware store… past Eureka Creek all the way to the end of the road. Got it.

He turned out of the diner's parking lot onto Route 3 and headed towards the edge of town, turning left past the hardware store down a gravel road with a faded sign that declared it Route 6 .

After a few minutes of bumpy driving he crossed a rickety-looking wooden bridge built over a small waterway (what Frank presumed to be the aforementioned Eureka Creek), which transitioned to a winding dirt road leading to a two-story farmhouse.

To the right of the house was another building that appeared to be a cabin, and beyond that was a barn, an older model truck half-covered with a tarp, a tractor that clearly hadn't run in a while, and a fenced-in pasture whose fence was in dire need of repair.

Definitely seems like there'd be plenty for me to do around here, Frank thought as he climbed out of the van.

He could hear barking coming from inside the house as he shut the door and began walking towards the front porch.

He paused just shy of the front steps as the front door opened slightly and you appeared.

You eyed him warily from behind a screen door, which remained closed. “Yes, may I help you?”

“I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, especially with it being so early,” Frank began as he dug the flyer out of his pocket and unfolded it. “But I was told you were looking for someone to help out around here?”

You nodded, glancing briefly at the flyer in his hands before looking back up at him. “Yes, that's right.”

Frank cleared his throat. “I apologize for not calling first but my phone is dead, so Mildred over at the diner gave me your address. Is now a good time to talk?”

You hesitated momentarily. “Yeah, now’s fine, just give me a minute though.”

Frank nodded. “Sure thing, ma'am.”

He waited as you closed the door, hearing a heavy lock turn on the other side. He couldn't blame you -- he'd be cautious too if some strange person turned up on his doorstep unannounced.

After a few minutes, he heard the lock click again and the door open.

A large black and white dog came bounding out past the screen door, stopping in front of Frank and sniffing cautiously at his boots.

You followed, this time carrying a tray holding a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses and wearing a much friendlier look on your face. “Sorry about him,” you said as you set the tray down on a small side table and closed the door once again. “He's friendly though, I promise.”

“Ah, that's alright.” Frank squatted down to rub the dog’s muzzle. “What’s his name?”

“Frank.”

Frank chuckled. Guess that's a sign that this was a good idea. “Frank, huh?”

You shrugged. “That was the name he came with. He's a rescue.”

Frank turned his attention to Canine Frank. “Nah, that's a good name, huh boy?”

He stood. “I'm Pete. Pete Castiglione.”

You introduced yourself in return. “Would you like some lemonade, Pete?”

Frank nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I'd love some.”

He walked up the steps to the porch as you poured two glasses of lemonade.

You handed him one of the glasses. “Here, have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Frank took the glass and sat before taking a sip of the cool, perfectly sweet drink. “Mmm. This is excellent. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” You took a sip of your own lemonade as Canine Frank settled himself at your feet. “So, Pete, do you have any farming experience?”

Frank shook his head. “Actually, no ma'am, I don't, but I'm a real fast learner and I don't have a problem with getting my hands dirty. And whatever needs fixing, I can do as well.”

Your eyes flicked down to Frank's battle-scarred hands. “Well that's good to know, at least. I'm afraid it's been a bit of a struggle trying to keep up with repairs around this place while also tending to the animals.” 

You took another sip of your lemonade. “Where’ya from, if ya don't mind me asking?”

“New York.” 

You eyed him carefully. “Long way from home. Running from or towards something?”

Frank chuckled and shook his head. “Bit of both, I guess.”

“Honest answer. That's good. Honesty’s important around here.”

Frank nodded. “Yes, ma'am. Honesty's important to me too.”

You looked out towards the farm, then sighed. “I’ll take you on on a trial basis -- let's say two weeks. If it seems like you're at least starting to catch on to everything then you can have the position permanently, if not then I'll give you the half month’s pay that I'll owe you and we'll go our separate ways. Sound fair?”

Frank nodded in return. “Yes, ma’am, sounds completely fair.”

You stood. “In that case, how about I show you around?”

Frank finished his lemonade and set his glass down on the table. “That'd be great.”

You led Frank towards the barn. “We're a small farm, with just 6 horses and 5 cows, a dozen hens, a couple of bee boxes, and Frankie boy here. We used to be much bigger but… well, it became too much to handle on my own.”

Frank had a feeling there was more to that story, but said nothing.

You tugged on the barn door, grunting in frustration when it didn't budge. “That's one thing on the repair list -- this damn door. It's always getting stuck.”

You tugged one more time, the door finally letting loose with a loud pop and sliding open.

Frank followed you into the barn, which was neat and tidy -- well, as neat and tidy as a barn could be. “I can take a look at that door for you now, if you'd like.”

You nodded and waved a hand at the door. “By all means, go right ahead.”

“Got a ladder?”

“Yeah, just a second.”

You walked towards the back of the barn and unhooked a short folding ladder that was hanging on the left wall. “Will this do?”

Frank nodded. “Yes ma'am, that'll work.”

He waited as you brought the ladder to him then climbed up. “Ahh, yeah, I see the problem right here. One of the tracks is loose so they keep catching on each other.”

He looked down at you. “You got a screwdriver handy?”

“Yeah, there's a toolbox over here.” You walked over to a large tool chest and began rummaging through it, quickly producing a screwdriver. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Frank quickly screwed the track back into place and stepped off of the ladder. “Go ahead and try that door now.”

You walked back over to the door, which now slid easily in both directions. “Ah yeah, there we go. Thanks.”

Frank shrugged. “No problem, ma’am.”

You led him towards the stables. “Alrighty, so here are the horses. We've got Sunshine, Missy, Eclipse, Nutmeg, and Amaretto.”

You stopped at a stable that was further away from the others. “And this is the aptly-named Midnight.”

Frank looked between the jet-black horse and you. “Why is he being kept separate from the other horses?” 

“He's not tame yet. I've been trying but haven't had any success.” You paused. “My husband was the horse trainer, I just don't seem to have the knack for it.”

There it is. “Was?”

You nodded. “Tom passed away just over a year ago -- car accident. He was coming back from Des Moines with a load of feed when his tire blew out and he ran off the road. Struck a tree, killed him instantly.”

Frank winced. “I'm so sorry. I know what that's like, though, I… I lost my wife and kids a few years ago too.”

“I'm sorry for your loss as well.”

Next you showed him the cows -- Lulu, Clarabelle, Daisy, Petunia, and Millie -- then the area where you kept the bees. “I usually handle them on my own but there might be an occasion where I would need you to help me harvest honey. You're not allergic, are you?”

Frank shook his head. “No, ma'am. That won't be a problem.”

“Okay, good. Let me show you where you'll be staying.”

You took him back around to the cabin. “Here it is.”

Frank followed you up the steps to the small porch and waited as you unlocked the door.

You opened it. “Come on in.”

He followed you inside and took a look around. To the left of the entranceway was a small kitchen, complete with a stove/oven combo, microwave and coffee maker.

“There’s a grocery store in town if you want to stock up on groceries,” you explained, “but you're also welcome to come have meals in the main house too if you'd like.”

Frank nodded. “I’m not much of a cook, so that would be nice if you wouldn't mind the company.”

“Not at all.”

Beyond the kitchen was a living area that connected to another side porch, then a small laundry room with a washer and dryer. “This was Tom’s and my place before we built the main house,” you explained as you showed him the bedroom and bathroom. “It wasn't much, but it was home while we needed it to be.”

Frank shook his head. “Nah, this is perfect.”

You handed him a key. “Breakfast is at six, lunch at noon, dinner at seven. Work starts tomorrow morning after breakfast.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Alrighty then, I'll give you your privacy, leave ya to get settled in. Let me know if ya need anything.”

“I will.”

Frank went out to the van to get his duffle bag as you headed back to the main house, Canine Frank on your heels. 

He headed back into the cabin and unpacked his meager belongings, hiding his pistol in the nightstand next to the bed before plugging his phone in to charge.

He put a load of laundry on to wash, glad to have his own washer and dryer to use rather than having to find a laundromat.

He returned to the bedroom intending on taking a nap when he looked out of the window, spotting you carrying a large square bale of hay towards the barn and looking like you were struggling.

He headed outside and walked towards you. “Here, let me help you with that.”

You stopped and handed him the hay bale. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

“No problem. Where we headed?”

“Horse stalls.” You wiped the back of your arm across your forehead. “It's been taking a lot longer than it's supposed to to muck them out because I've been having to transport the hay by hand and in smaller bales ever since that tractor’s been broken, not to mention having to move the horses to another stall instead of being able to let them pasture during the day because of the fence.”

Frank glanced over at the broken-down tractor. “Listen, I'm not really one to sit around and be idle, so instead of starting tomorrow why don't I help you with the stalls then go ahead and get started on that repair list for you? I can fix the fence then maybe take a look at that tractor, see if I can't get it running for ya tonight.”

You nodded. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

You quickly showed Frank how to muck out the horses' stalls, and together the two of you managed to get them cleaned and re-lined with bedding in just a few hours.

“Okay, that's the last one,” you said as you finished mucking out the stall you used to temporarily house each of the horses. “Thanks a lot for your help.”

Frank shrugged. “That's what I'm here for.”

You looked at your watch. “It's just about time for lunch, so how about you wait till after we eat before starting on the fence?”

Frank nodded. “Alright.”

You led him to the back of the main house. “Lunch usually consists of something simple like sandwiches and chips,” you explained as you went up the steps of the back porch and took off your boots. “But there's chili cooking in the Crock-Pot for dinner tonight.”

“Both sound great,” Frank replied, taking his own boots off before following you into the kitchen. “I'm not a very picky eater.”

You washed your hands then went to the refrigerator and began to gather the makings for sandwiches. “I've got turkey and ham, cheese, and fresh lettuce and tomatoes from the garden along with some pickles. Help yourself to whatever you like on your sandwich.”

Frank washed his own hands as you set everything out on the counter along with two plates, a bag of chips, and some condiments. “Thank you.”

You made your sandwich and set your plate on the dining room table. “Something to drink?”

Frank nodded as he made his own sandwich. “Some more of that lemonade would be really nice.”

“Sure thing.” You walked back to the cabinet, pulled out two glasses, and set them on the counter, then pulled the pitcher of lemonade out of the refrigerator. “Go ahead and have a seat, I'll bring this over.”

Frank sat a couple of seats down from you, thanking you as you set his glass of lemonade in front of him.

He picked up his sandwich and took a bite, chewing and swallowing before asking, “What else is on the repair list?”

You huffed out a light laugh and shook your head. “Honestly too much to name, but I can give you a detailed list tomorrow.”

Frank nodded. “Okay.”

The two of you continued eating in silence, Frank stealing a glance at you as you looked thoughtfully out of the window. 

He could see the pain of loss on your face as well as determination to keep the farm afloat and silently vowed to do whatever it took to help you succeed.

[type-40-nightingales]

Ok. My idea of the last 3 episodes of secret good spn

E17. Pretending it chuck was manipulating deans actions more directly than was shown bc no fucking way hed do that especially pulling a gun on sammy

E18 fucking hurts. . I wont change it

In reailty, only thing id change abt e19 is just jack mentioning he'll drop by now and again and some more explict dean & jack forgiving each other for the shit they did

E20 is completly different. None of that happens ok. Not one thing. Wdym dean lets cas jut rot in the empty love confession or not 😭

I know there was the covid factor but in an ideal world here are loose ends id like tied up:

Sam and elieen getting into a more commjted relationship/elieen moving into the bunker

dean/jack getting cas out of the empty AND REUNIONS GODDAMIT

Sam and dean dissusing talking about going on hunts less, and sam talking about opening up the bunker as a hunter safe house and dean n sam being like the new bobbys.

And i want it to end smth like this:

Sam opening the door, then the door opening again and again, shot of jacks 'hi', jody, patience and alex w donna, claire and kaia, garth & his wife and rowena, maybe even adam.

That intercut with shots of dean lookign up from him cooking in the kitchen smiling.

Hugs, smiling, cas leaning over and kissing dean on the cheek or smth, elieen and sam holding hands, laughing, and them all js chilling drinking beer & eating pie together, then a pan over to some shrine or just some photos of a wall of everyone whos not there, aka bobby, charlie, kevin, mary, Jo, Ellen, benny, ect. (Id put crowley but no way in or out of hell dean would do that, and tbh, theyd probably put john there but no<3)

Then sam and dean and cas going over there looking at the photos, and jack coming over and telling them smth abt how he fixed heaven, and theyre waiting for them, but that they should take their time. And sam and dean hugging jack and telling him theyre proud of them and them just being happy okay? Coz they fucking deserve it. They did it. They beat god. This is their story now.

And dean can look over at sm and be like "hey sammy. We didnt do to bad in the end huh?"

And sam will smile. "No. I guess not."

And wayward son would come on as th camera zooms out and cuts.

Dean deserves to have a proper relationship with jack when hes not being manipulated into using him or trying to kill him, and having a balance between family and hunting.

Jack deserves three dads who love him.

Sam deserves to do what he cannonically wants to do and is good at.

Cas deserves to be happy, with his family, out of the empty

Destiel deserves cannonization.

[according2thelore]

this es/ls thing is so fun!! i’m imagining that LS dean would make so many inside joke/references to things that happened after 2006 just to leave his younger self out. “haha doesn’t she look like jody? you wouldn’t get it.” “obama, am i right, sam?” “wow is this just like that werewolf hunt outside of boston, huh.” LS sam is staring at him like 🫥

HAHAHA you're so right omg

some of it's normal inside jokes/references meant to exclude ES!Dean generally ("wow haha don't be such a garth about this, it's not a big deal. oh sorry, i guess u wouldn't understand" "this case smells like Tupelo, 2011" "dean smith car no punch-backs" "this guy is the kim kardashian of witches. give it two years, squirt, it'll be hilarious.")

and some of it is straight-up petty, meant to openly target ES!Dean ("hey, doesn't that guy look like the new spock in the star trek reboot?" *ES!Dean whips around so hard that the coffee cup he's holding shatters against the wall* "THE FUCKING WHAT??") ("man, we need to refill on our angel-killing bullets" "OUR GODDAMN WHAT") ("this is almost as devastating as the time *turns to look directly at ES!Dean* they made a hybrid chevy impala in 2014")

and LS!Sam is -_- every time, exasperatedly trying to explain every micro-reference dean makes, and turns around to glare only to find dean's shit-eating grin. like this man WILL make sure he is sam's favourite! they've been through so much! this kid could never understand!

GAHHH ahah this is such a fun idea!!! thank you for the ask anon!!!! <3

-lizzy

[keirou-kun]

So because I have zero self control and no one told me not to, I'm gonna scream about my favorite story from the original 1960s Teen Titans comics. This is Issue 14, the story entitled 'Requiem for a Titan!', and it is my go-to example for how Dick Grayson has just always been Like That™. A lot of the stories from this era are a little cheesy for my taste. Not bad! Just clearly products of their time. This one, though, with a little updating of the language, could have been written in a more modern series and I adore it. This got long, so I'm just gonna hide it under a cut.

So! Let's begin with the set-up! This story starts in medias res, with our bad guy meeting Robin in a creepy-ass graveyard and no information on how or why they're even there. Our bad guy, by the way, is called the Gargoyle, for obvious reasons.

that is, indeed, a fucking gargoyle.

The open grave is Robin's, of course, and Gargoyle has Robin throw in his cape, his tunic [revealing that beneath the tunic Dick Grayson is wearing what looks like a freakin' onesie with scale armor on the lower half, good lord XD] and - after some serious hesitation on Dick's part, bc secret identity oh no! - his mask. During this hesitation, we also find out that somehow Gargoyle has not only captured but somehow turned the other three Titans [Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Aqualad] over to his side, because they get used as a threat to force Dick's hand: do it, or fight your friends, basically.

not my secret identity...! fine, you win, Gargoyle.

So he does it and then has to focus on…something, we don't know what, but whatever it is makes him look hideous for a hot second before Gargoyle beams him off to a place called Limbo, where the Gargoyle rules supreme, oh no!

nice Two-Face imitation there, Dick.

Now we flash back to see just how the fuck Robin ended up in this predicament to begin with. So, in this run, there's various ways for people to get in touch with the Teen Titans directly, and one of them is apparently via a thing called Titan Hook-Up, where anyone can demand a five minute spot on TV if they have a message for the Titans. Apparently the Titans themselves pay for it, but since they're all literal teenagers who probably don't have part-time jobs due to, y'know, being junior superheroes, I gotta wonder who's actually footing the bill.

it's probably Bruce, let's be real here.

So the Gargoyle goes on, gets his time, and immediately claims to be an ex-con the Titans not only unjustly accused but deliberately withheld evidence of innocence of just to ensure they'd put him away. Not all of them, though! Only one of them did this dastardly deed, because only one of them actively knew. The Gargoyle threatens revenge on all four if the guilty party doesn't fess up. Of course, none of the Titans have any idea who this guy is or what the hell he's talking about, especially since he doesn't match the description of any of the bad guys they've caught so far, but, uh-oh…trouble in paradise; Wally, Garth, and Donna all immediately jump to Robin as the potentially guilty party!

gee thanks guys

An unspecified while later, the team gets called out to go deal with a potential riot at a theatre over a concert that got canceled. That bit of suspicion has been growing in the minds of Robin's teammates, though Robin himself apparently has no concerns of his own on that score.

thanks for that vote of confidence guys.

Unfortunately for the team, it turns out the theatre is empty and the whole thing was a ruse; they've been lured straight into a trap by the Gargoyle, oh no! Robin, naturally, starts doing what he's always done, taking the lead and trying to get the team to jump into action to deal with their enemy. Unfortunately for him, his teammates' suspicion paired with the Gargoyle reminding them that only one of them supposedly screwed him over means that…well…

nice to know you care, team.

At which point the Gargoyle uses his magic ring - just go with it - and a beam of energy transports everyone but Robin to a place called Limbo, a plane ruled by none other than the Gargoyle. He'd wanted to trap all four of them in Limbo, but it seems that our Boy Wonder hadn't harbored any doubts or suspicions about his team at all! Typical Dick Grayson tbh.

that's our boy tbh

Robin, intent on trying to defeat the Gargoyle on his own and get his friends back, immediately goes after the guy, only to find himself suddenly attacked by each of his former teammates in turn; turns out, anyone in Limbo hates everyone in the real world. Even worse, they're all somehow giant-sized. Kid Flash literally flicks Robin across the theatre, Wonder Girl uses the power of her bracelets to throw him into one of the balconies, Aqualad chucks him right back at the stage where Wally's waiting to turn this into a game of catch. Things are not going well for the Boy Wonder, especially since in amongst all this is the Gargoyle egging them on.

Ultimately Robin manages to break his momentum by grabbing a cable, but a poorly-timed sandbag knocks him out, leaving him helpless. Meanwhile the cable he grabbed turns out to be a high voltage cable which starts a fire, driving the Gargoyle away before he can kill Robin himself and leaving Dick unconscious as the fire spreads through the theatre.

that can't be good.

Fortunately the fire trucks are already responding and Robin, of course makes it out while everyone else assumes the other three are dead in the fire. I mean, their helicopter even explodes [it was parked on the roof] and there's no sign of anyone but Robin coming out of the blaze, so why would they? And Robin can't tell anyone the truth, because who'd actually believe it? So he gets to walk all the way back to their secret base trying to figure out how he's going to keep on crime-fighting as a solo act.

you couldn't find a better nickname for wally? come on.

Except, guess who's waiting for him at the secret hideout! Gargoyle and the others, oh no! The Gargoyle's going to take his now-evil Titans and start doing crime and evil, and probably use this as their base, which of course means they can't have Robin interfering. Rather than stay and fight, Dick dives through an escape hatch - a convenient laundry chute, actually; unsurprisingly his own design - that the others can't use right now because their phantasmic Limbo-created forms are too big.

whoops.jpg

So now Dick has no team, no base, and no idea what to do. His costume's torn, he's narrowly escaped death by inferno, he's just really not having a good time of it right now. So what's a Boy Wonder to do? Call it quits and go home? Oh hell no.

he's just always been like this, okay.

He takes on a sudden crime wave - spiked by the apparent death of three of the Titans - on his own, because of course he does. And it doesn't really go too well for him, because this boy is probably all of fifteen years old and not exactly used to being a solo act right now but he's too damn stubborn to stop and ask for help. Things come to a breaking point when he's got civilians feeling sorry for him.

dick honey no

And that leads us to that hill with the gravestones and the Gargoyle, so now we're all caught back up. The Gargoyle now has all four Titans in Limbo and, therefore, under his control to begin a crime wave the likes of which the world has never seen…

Or does he?

you sneaky son of a bitch, Grayson.

Turns out this is just part of Dick's own plan to find his teammates. He's exactly where he wants to be, and it doesn't take him long to find the others. Takes him even less time to start fighting them, knocking Aqualad for a loop wth a single kick and throwing Kid Flash at him a second later. Wonder Girl, however, takes a little more finesse than Robin apparently has, considering she not only lands one hit on him, she lands several.

dick is now really the time...?

But this, too, is all part of Dick's plan, since what he needed was for her to get angry enough for Limbo to start resonating with her emotions, thereby bringing the Gargoyle back from the real world so Dick can actually fight the real bad guy. Because Dick has managed to come to Limbo without being twisted or changed by doubt or suspicion or evil, even though that's the only way the ring can send people from the real world to Limbo. So how did he manage this?

He faked it.

HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS. fuckin' "That's what spies do. We lie." energy right here.

Dick fucking Grayson managed to fake out a magic ring by faking evil thoughts…and he did it by focusing on his anger, I guarantee you, considering he himself states he did it by concentrating on how good the Gargoyle would look behind bars. He did this with spite and anger and somehow managed to look more evil than any other human the Gargoyle has ever seen before in the process.

So now Dick takes the fight to the Gargoyle. Or tries, anyway. He might not have his cape or mask, but he does still have his utility belt. Unfortunately, in Limbo, everything is the reverse of the real world, so a smokescreen automatically disperses, magnetic repulsion actually attracts, and nothing's really working. The Gargoyle finally manages to sever the belt entirely, which not only removes Robin's access to his gadgets but also reveals the truth about what he wears under that red tunic.

that's a fucking leotard. he's wearing a onesie. not even short-shorts, it's a onesie. Dick why XD

However! Robin's not out of the fight yet! He manages to grab his belt and use it as an impromptu arm guard, while also pulling out one last gadget that will save the day!

no, tiny tools, my one weakness!

The pliers are used to break the Gargoyle's magic ring - the one that transported everyone to Limbo to begin with - and doing that means that neither the Gargoyle nor Dick - nor the others - can stay in Limbo any longer. Unfortunately, since the Gargoyle is currently stuck to Dick's arm that means that they're both getting sucked into the space between worlds…until the release of energy throws the Gargoyle clear. Too far out of reach for Robin to even try to grab hold of him again. Not that he wants to.

dick pls

Fortunately, our heroes all reappear on that creepy hilltop in the real world, and even more fortunately none of the three who got caught seem to have any memory of what happened or how they got there. Dick gambled on destroying the thing that brought them into Limbo and it paid off. And he was willing to reveal his identity to his teammates to do it.

okay technically she has back in issue 11 but shh we'll just pretend that never happened it's fine >w>

Are some plot elements a little ridiculous or cheesy? Sure, but no more so than some of the shit we see; cheesy and ridiculous is a comic book staple, after all. It's mostly the dialogue being used, but give it a bit of an update in terms of phrasing and slang and possibly nicknames and honestly this story wouldn't be at all out of place in a modern run. I really kinda love it.

[zahri-melitor]

Okay I opened Titans 1999 to see if I could triangulate the JLApe plot more precisely (looking for Garth stuff) and…

- Titans #1 definitely comes after Young Justice #1 as Impulse is referenced being on the team (thank goodness there)

- “Who’s running the Justice League these days” includes answers of ‘Batman’ (Dick) and ‘Oracle’ (Lian). Now Lian is probably not FULLY across JLA politics, being 3ish, but this suggests we are either immediately before or immediately after NML

- Dick is wearing his Blüdhaven police uniform in Titans #3, so we have to be…after NML? HAS to be after Nightwing #32 when he starts the Academy which is mid NML, but if Dick’s still at the Academy this is either during NW #32-34 or #41, or if he’s a cop proper it’s #48, which is super SUPER late timeline wise. (Also noting this issue in our universe is published the month BEFORE the first NW issue where Dick’s at the Academy sooo)

- Blockbuster finds out about his heart condition in Nightwing #34 (ok I started skimming to check the Academy start date) which is the issue DIRECTLY PRIOR to Dick entering NML. *throws hands in the air*

JLAPE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE! BRUCE MUST HAVE HAD A WORKING TELEPORTER HE ONLY USED FOR JLA MISSIONS BUT NO OTHER PURPOSE! The troops blockading Gotham apparently let Batman in and out by motorboat!

- still haven’t spotted a Dolphin pregnant/Cerdian reference in Titans, which given these are Garth’s FRIENDS I’m side eyeing. (Cerdian apparently appears in Titans #15, which is May 2000, far too late to help with this timeline mess)

[garthofshayeris]

MY OFFICIAL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM. Spoilers ahead.

OKAY. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was very fun and it did not have the problem of too many villains that I was expecting based on everything I read. If that was the result of the rewrites and reshoots, I am happy for them.

A lot of the visuals and smaller adventures felt very Silver Age! There were certain creatures that were directly from the 60s, which I appreciated. Topo was lovely. If you know me, you know one of my major gripes with some of the recent Aquaman comics is that they do not lean into the animal sidekick thing anymore. And the group of whales straight up killing all those people? THAT is the Aquaman content I like to see.

The horror elements were just enough to balance out the sillier parts. Although I knew Arthur Jr was never in any actual danger, this is the closest DC has come since the 70s to making it even somewhat realistic that they would kill a baby. Like, I knew they wouldn't. But for once I said to myself, "they've established this enough that I believe this threat." You know my stance on DC trying to bait another Death of a Prince...

The cursed Trident possessing Manta was giving such Preboot Orm vibes. I liked it, I appreciate a slow possession arc. Manta was scary and felt like a real threat, which is difficult to achieve when he's a human and he's fighting people so much stronger than him. Shin was also SO good, you knew he was going to redeem himself but it still felt very natural for him to do so. Idk why Manta trusted him with the baby duffel bag tho, after all the times Shin clearly was snooping and giving Manta disapproving looks. Also why did they put that baby in a duffel bag lmao

Overall, it was a pretty straightforward story that felt easy to follow. This isn't always the case for superhero films, so it was refreshing. And a good end to the franchise. This actually felt like it would have been a great end to a TRILOGY, and that we were missing a middle story...

HOWEVER.

Not to make this about me and my blorbo but.......this would have made a lot more sense as a story about Arthur and Garth. I'm sorry, but it's true. Every time I saw a Silver Age reference, I just said to myself "oh yeah, that's a story with Aqualad in it, but now it's Orm." I KNOW that Orm needed his lil redemption arc, but if Patrick Wilson was not besties with James Wan, I don't think he would have gotten one.

Because Kordax was Slizzath. He just was. They took Slizzath's story and renamed him Kordax. So many parts of the movie I was like "this is adapted from Tempest (1996)" BUT IF THEY HAD USED SLIZZATH WITHOUT GARTH I WOULD HAVE BEEN PISSED so I get it but I don't get it, you know? But Kordax was just Slizzath.

I posted a few years ago about my ideal Aquaman trilogy, and tbh this felt like my ideal third movie, plot-wise and tone-wise......except my vision was about Garth, not Orm. Orm could be there, I guess, but imo he should have had a sequel redemption and then the third movie should have introduced the evil sorcerer thing. It would have made perfect sense to need Atlan's blood, thinking they're fine because they saved the baby but then Garth accidentally bleeds on the altar and unlocking his powers, and releasing Slizzath. PLUS then he could freeze the ice caps again with his new found powers lmao I'm worried about the implications.........nobody in this universe has ice powers.....

I get that it would have been hard to introduce a new character for a sequel with absolutely no chance at a third movie, so I do understand that Garth was never an option....but holy shit, Garth would have been a perfect fit for this movie.

AGAIN, not to make it about my blorbo .......

also I cannot believe they killed Vulko via plague?? I almost laughed out loud. It's absolutely because they could not reconcile that if Vulko was alive, Arthur would not need Orm's help lmao RIP Vulko I choose to believe you were hanging around as a ghost like in Vol 5

One last gripe but omg Atlan's trident looked so BAD in some scenes??? It looked very prop-like, and not metal at all??? did anyone else notice it? It's really bad on the iceberg scene. The costumes were actually great but omg that trident prop lmao

OVERALL, it was a really fun movie. I'm happy to say that I liked it. I think it will get bad critic reviews and really good audience reviews. It just felt very fun and heartfelt. The action scenes were also well lit and easy to follow, and that alone should convince people to see it

I'm going to see it again tomorrow and I want to make a list of the other random things that I noticed. I know I'm missing a lot. How did ya'll feel about it??

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

SPN POSTCANON UPDATE: Dean sighted in Roanoke VA, then soon after in Argentina

Seems alive(?), healthy and in one piece, but under a lot of stress. Has lost some weight and powers aren't working too well from what I can see. Hanging out w a pooka that's PROBABLY Baby, but with shapeshifters who even knows.

Dean is working with YET ANOTHER DUDE WHO SEEMS TO BE HIS BROTHER. Pretty clear that if they do share a parent, it's John. Their dynamic is good, a lot like Dean and Sam except this guy is NOTHING like Sam, honestly he's pretty feral. Huge guy easily meeting "giant" height, seems to prefer range combat but can hold his own in melee as well. Calls himself a hunter or tracker of some kind, mostly goes after human targets. Understands a little of what's going on w the Fae/Rome/etc but doesn't get the full picture. He's curious and eager to fuck around and find out

Physically he resembles John a LOT, and could easily be his kid- but also bears resemblance to Balor. w the whole Vessel situation going on rn its unclear who this guy's "father" actually is besides the fact that he's a piece of work. Also of note, this guy is confirmed to have a nonhuman lineage, unclear on which side. Features include giant stature/build, enhanced senses, expert/preternatural marksmanship, the usual super strength(?), animalistic/survival mindset as baseline, and hair seems more like fur, possibly seal fur. Doesn't seem to have any connection to the possible-Selkie girl in Maine.

...all in all, Balor is looking like a more likely candidate for this guy's dad, which would explain why he and Dean currently have this sibling relationship due to (THE BOYS S4 SPOILERS). Also still some chance of a Fomoire/Fae/Fuath/Campbell family connection that I haven't noticed.

Dean is tied up in more Roman nonsense and appears to have ended up owing a blood debt (in his own blood) to some late Roman military-cult god I've vaguely heard of bc he killed said god's brother. Lots of modern folk magic/esoterica, severed limbs and possibly at least one demon deal. Given the location and the events set to unfold this summer, can't rule out Croatoan fuckery going on here as well. Dean also had a new Magic Knife(tm), bone handled with a steel, iron or possibly silver blade. gave it to this new guy, probably for protection.

I'll look into if Balor had any children in the mythos (current/recent Antichrist Situation notwithstanding).

Not sure why Dean is headed south, not sure I want to know. If he weren't the type to run directly INTO danger every time, I'd say he was trying to get out ahead of the absolute shitstorm hitting the Northeast US coast in a month. I rly hope he's not planning on picking a fight w that Brazilian pantheon over what happened w Sam... its not their fault and if anything someone should warn them. Wars between seasonal deities WILL spread just as climate change does, and if one of them was already dragged into it, that whole mythos is at risk. ...Hopefully Dean is there to warn them, not. stab them.

Dean pls just be decent to the other pagan gods this once please.

Also, Garth and his wife are now in a threesome! with BENNY.

and they are ALL married to each other

that's odd, its not bad, its just ODD, I'm happy for them. 10/10, they were always like the 3 most functional characters in the whole show anyway, and I'm sure Garth's kiddos will enjoy having yet another fun dad.

congrats to whatever's going on over there.

ALSO! Rowena's back! Yay!!! She seems to have given up trying to escape Death and now WORKS for Death, namely corralling the souls of children who don't want to go to the afterlife... or... something vaguely like that idk. She likes her job, or at least likes continuing to exist while doing something in her vague field of interest. However she DOES appear to be sniffing around near all that recent activity w Azazel's return, I hope she stays safe or just finds somewhere else to hang out. Of relevance re: Rowena's current activities are:

-two VERY talented ghosts who help other ghosts pass on and hunt the occasional monster, they are amazingly skilled and there's a lot to learn from those two.

-Tom Tildrum, or possibly Tim Toldrum, idfk its one of the cats to go by the title "The King Of Cats". I think he's Cat-sith on at least one side (Faerie/Sidhe cat) and may be in charge of them.

-Jenny Greenteeth, who may have Fomoire heritage and may ALSO be Balor's relative/child. She seems nice, if in over her head. Not sure she remembers what she is.

-Yet Another Second Generation Special Kid. this one has ALL kinds of other weird going on tho, gotta look into that

[isefyres-archive]

Lord   Connington   had   been   very   clear.   Something   in   the   eyes   of   that   man   had   shifted   once   he   had   learned   that   Eleana   had   been   on   Aegon's   chambers   alone,   at   night,   and   that   it   clear   that   there   was   something   between   them.   He   had   cited   her,   alone,   to   explain   something   she   knew   very   well.   So   he   made   small   arrangements   at   first.   Her   room   had   been   changed   to   the   other   side   of   the   castle,   to   keep   it   at   a   distance   from   Aegon's.   For   the   first   week,   she   was   able   to   skip   council   and   crossing   paths   by   simply   saying   it   was   her   women's   days.   And   when   that   didn't   work,   illness   did   just   fine.   Through   the   days   of   politics,   she   was   told   by   Connington   himself   to   entertain   the   visitors   from   the   Reach,   the   Oldflowers   who   were   there   to   make   a   claim   on   Highgarden,   she   spend   her   days   walking   with   Lord   Garth   and   his   sister   and   when   she   saw   Aegon   looking   her   way   through   the   gardens,   she   would   excuse   herself   and   leave.

  It   ache   her   to   be   so   distant   with   him,   but   maybe   he   would   finally   see   why   this   was   impossible   for   them.   Instead,   she   should've   known   better.   One   day   after   a   day   in   the   library,   mostly   hiding,   reading,   entertaining   some   of   Connington's   own   family,   she   returns   to   her   chambers.   It   was   a   long   day   and   when   eyes   settle   across   the   room,   she   knows   it's   about   to   be   longer,   when   she   sees   Aegon   standing   directly   by   the   window   of   her   room,   curtains   close.  

"Aegon."   His   name   a   surprise   whisper,   her   hands   gripping   on   the   book   she   held   tightly,   keeping   her   distance.   Eleana   does   have   the   sense   to   appear   guilty   at   the   sight.   "You   shouldn't   be   here."   It's   too   close   to   their   first   kiss,   that   first   confession   when   he   kissed   her   and   his   hands   wander   around   but   except   of   his   chambers,   he   was   in   her   own.   "It's   too   late.   You   should   be   resting.   .   ."   But   there   is   a   fire   in   those   violet   eyes   that   tell   her   she   had   done   something   wrong.   Which   she   had.   "Connington   will   know   you   are   here." @aeg3n

[arellian]

New chapter of Insomnia is now live!

Chapter 16: It

The blaring music grated against Gar’s ears, making him wince. He blinked his eyes open, trying to focus as the balcony floor gradually came into view.

“You okay, man?”

Gar scrunched his face a bit. He had heard that voice before but couldn’t place it.

Realizing he was leaning forward with his head in his hands, Gar slowly straightened and glanced toward the voice.

He blinked, confusion and disorientation washing over him.

Jaime Reyes was sitting next to him.

“You good?” Jaime asked, eyebrows knit with concern. “You drank a lot of absinthe.”

Gar scrunched his face again. He hadn’t had absinthe since…

His breath caught in his throat. Leaving Jaime’s question hanging unanswered, he looked around, taking in his surroundings.

It was night time and Gar was out on the balcony. In a semi-circle in front of him stood Wally, Roy, Vic, Jason, Garth, and Isaiah Crockett. Brow furrowed, he watched as they talked and laughed, a party raging around them.

Gar leaned forward again, moving to put his head back in his hands when he froze. He stared down at his outfit. Neon yellow pineapples with neon green leaves laid against a neon pink background, the pineapples themselves glowing in the dark.

His head swam as he swallowed the bile rising in his throat, his disorientation nauseating.

“I think he’s gonna barf,” he heard Wally say.

Gar’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. This was all strangely familiar, like it had happened before. He looked up, making eye contact with Roy.

“Rae?” Gar croaked.

“Bathroom,” Roy said.

It suddenly came back to him. Raven had gone to the bathroom with Sarah, Kori, Donna, and Jinx. And he was hanging out on the balcony, waiting for her to come back.

“I… I need some water,” Gar rasped, slowly standing.

“Want me to get it?” Jaime asked.

Gar waved him off as he began shuffling toward the door to the common area. The music inside was louder, the pounding bass threatening to give him a headache. He waded through the mass of dancing bodies toward where he vaguely remembered the drink table had been set up.

The crowd parted, allowing him to stagger forward and lean against the table as he searched for a bottle of water. Instead, he spotted Raven, making his heart leap.

She was alone, standing near the kitchen with a drink in hand, her eyes scanning the room.

She was looking for him.

“Rae!” Gar called, but his voice was drowned out by the music. He sighed, pushing off the table and walking toward her.

Knitting her brows, she glanced at her phone, clearly wondering where he was.

“Sorry, Rae, Wally gave me some weird shit outside,” Gar said once he had reached her.

Raven didn’t react. She continued to scan the room, seemingly oblivious to Gar’s presence.

Gar waved a hand in front of her face. “Rae?”

Nothing.

He stepped directly in her line of sight, bending down so he could look at her. “Are you messing with me?”

A chill ran down his spine as she stared right through him. Reaching out a hand, he gently touched her face. She didn’t seem to register the physical contact, her amethyst eyes not focusing on him even though they stood almost toe-to-toe.

“What the fuck,” Gar breathed.

Read here.

[selfieignite]

Excerpt from Selfie (2014)'s pilot draft - Makeunder scene

INT. BRYN’S APARTMENT -- MOMENTS LATER Eliza follows Bryn through her apartment, a den of girly creativity with dream catchers, chevron stripes, antlers and typography posters. Bryn motions to a plate of sandwich art. BRYN Would you like a tiny sandwich made to look like a baby grand piano? ELIZA No, thanks. Are you baking something? (Bryn smiles, proudly.) BRYN That’s my homemade floor scrub. I make it with orange rind, vanilla beans and brown sugar-- which is an excellent scouring agent. (As Bryn crosses to her vintage armoire and looks through her dress collection, Eliza discreetly grabs the spray bottle of floor cleaner and pumps a few shots onto each wrist. Behind each ear. Then directly into her mouth.) INT. HALLWAY -- LATER Henry knocks briskly on Eliza’s door. After a moment, she answers. Her wild curls have been blown smooth. Her makeup is subtle and demure. She looks lovely. Elegant. HENRY (flustered) Well. If you don’t mind my saying, Jennie Garth has nothing on you. ELIZA Thanks. HENRY And you smell remarkably well. ELIZA That’s floor cleaner. HENRY Oh! Well. Shall we?

[inawickedlittletown]

The Reunion Show (one-shot)

Summary: After another successful season of Love is Blind, it is time for the reunion show and this year one of the couples that made it to the altar looks a little different. After all, the men are supposed to date the women and find their perfect match. Dean and Cas did do that...they even proposed to women there was just the little problem of how they also fell in love with each other. 

Pairing: Dean/Castiel

Words: 6,936

on Ao3

-

It was different to be on a stage as opposed to how the rest of the experience had gone. A different animal entirely, or maybe it was the full year that had occurred since the last time Dean had been in close proximity to a camera and the knowledge that everything he did would be captured so that someone else could then cut and splice a narrative together. 

“Stop that,” Cas hissed and tapped Dean’s thigh and Dean hadn’t even realized he was tapping his foot. “Relax.” 

“You’re sure we couldn’t get out of this,” Dean whispered back. 

When Dean looked directly at Castiel, his husband shook his head. Dean knew that even if it had been an option, they both needed to actually show up and face not just the rest of the cast, but the public as well. Things had blown up online to the point where this was more than necessary. 

Around them the last of the preparations were on going and they were taking far longer than Dean could have expected. Just as the thought to ask the nearest producer about the hold up came to him, he saw Gabriel make his way on stage. A producer called for them to quiet and then it all began after a silent count down. 

“Breathe,” Cas whispered. 

“Hello, and welcome to our reunion episode. There is much to discuss tonight, all the episodes are out and now we can really dive in and discuss this season and answer the question, is love really blind? This season, that was true for some couples and maybe not true for others.” Gabriel paused there for dramatic effect and then he continued on. “Now, we have three couples that walked down the altar and said yes. I’d like to check in with you first.” 

Gabriel walked back to his seat right in the middle of the stage, but he turned to the left. “First Benny and Andrea. From the looks of it, things are going strong?” 

“Yes,” Andrea said. “Very.” 

“Good. Good,” Gabriel said. “Then there is Garth and Bess. How are you guys doing?” 

“Amazing,” Garth said. “It’s been the best year.”

Next to Garth, Bess’ hand went to her growing bump. The dress she was wearing accentuated it and there was no denying her pregnancy. Apparently, it had been up for debate on social media in the last day or so because absolutely no one seemed to know when something just wasn’t their business. 

Gabriel then turned to the right and his eyes seemed to glint as he looked at him and Cas. 

“Dean and Castiel,” he said. “And how has your year been?” 

Dean didn’t have words. Cas, though, smiled. “I’d like to echo Garth. Best year.” 

Gabriel nodded and Dean braced himself because they were not like the two other couples and everyone on the stage knew it. Dean had avoided looking across the stage for a reason. He could feel the eyes regardless. 

“Of course, for Dean and Cas, things were very different than what our other couples went through. After all, you each proposed to other people at first…”

Dean let out a nervous chuckle and looking directly at Gabriel meant that he got a nod to jump in. And because this was why he and Cas had come, he took a breath and nodded. He just hadn’t expected that they would go there first. Maybe, it was for the best. Get the worst part out of the way. 

“Ah, yes. Yes. Cas and I…clearly we’re both men. So we didn’t meet in the pods.”

“In some ways, you’re kind of the antithesis to our experiment, wouldn’t you say?” Gabriel said. “And yet, you did find love in an unorthodox way.” 

“Is it unorthodox?” Dean asked. “Isn’t that the whole point of this type of show?” 

Without meaning to, his eyes went to the other end of the stage and happened to catch Meg’s eyes. Her face seemed to be frozen on a put upon smile that was actually more of a smirk. Dean hadn’t liked her even in the pods the two times that he’d been sent on dates with her. He remembered how so many of the others had felt the same and then there had been Castiel who called her thorny but still beautiful. Cas hadn’t been able to explain it well enough, and Dean had figured it was just Cas being nice since everything they said would be captured by the camera, but then the dates continued and Cas kept seeing her.

He looked away from her and found Lisa instead. Her smile was genuine. Encouraging, even. Maybe a little sad. Dean felt Cas’s fingers tap his leg and when he turned, his husband smiled lightly. 

“It is the opposite of what the show intends,” Cas said. “And I think for both Dean and I, we really leaned into the experience. We were fully ourselves in the pods and we did connect with several people. Emotional connection isn’t just romantic, but it also can have the potential of romance. And I want to make it clear that Dean and I, we had a bond from the moment we met and perhaps had we not met under these circumstances, things might have developed sooner.” 

Dean nodded along. 

They met when everyone was moving in and figuring out sleeping arrangements. A little strange and confused by most media references, Castiel was still gorgeous. His messy dark hair paired with the bluest eyes Dean had ever seen was made all the more interesting by his choice of clothes. A rumpled suit under a tan trenchcoat. Dean had since grown to love the coat that Castiel still tended to choose over almost any other outerwear. He’d been intrigued by Cas from the first. 

“So why go through with the proposals and all of that?” Gabriel asked. 

It was the number one question. The last episode had only gone to Netflix two days earlier and from that moment on it was all anyone could talk about. Dean, who barely even knew how social media worked had seen only glimpses of the insanity, was glad that despite the show’s producers trying no one had convinced him at the start to actually get on Twitter or Instagram. Castiel did use social media, but even he had learned that things were better when he didn’t engage. 

“I mean, if you were aware that you had an attraction to Castiel…if you knew that you had feelings for him, then why propose to someone else?” 

Before Dean could say anything, it was Meg that spoke. 

“You led us on. Both of you led me and Lisa on and you didn’t even care,” she said. “What I felt was real and until a few days ago, I had no idea that while I was trying on wedding dresses, you were already sure you weren’t going to say yes…that you were already together. But you let me just keep thinking everything was fine instead of actually talking to me about it.” 

Dean could feel Cas tense up. He knew exactly how guilty Cas felt about the whole thing, how despite everything Cas had cared about Meg. Maybe he had never been in love with her, as far as Dean knew, but he did care. 

“Because we had awful communication skills,” Dean said. He ignored Meg, but said it to Gabriel. “Because we were on a tv-show and…and I had never really admitted to myself that I could be attracted to men. There was that, but also the real connections that we had. Myself with Cassie and Lisa and then Cas with Hannah and Meg. And we talked about them with each other. We discussed our dates and I can say for my part that at some point, when I began to admit to myself that I maybe liked Cas as more than a friend, listening to Cas talk about them became so much harder. As hard as it was to hear Michael talk about Lisa or Mick talk about Cassie. We’ve all been in this, and it’s very confusing.” 

“It is,” Benny said. “And I was there, I saw it all. I remember when Dean realized he and Cassie weren’t gonna be going anywhere and he told me it was because he wasn’t jealous when Mick talked about their dates and I understood that so well because it was the same for me about Dean and Lisa.” 

Dean shot a thankful smile at Benny. “Because I was more jealous of whatever was going on with Cas,” Dean said, “though I didn’t say that out loud.” 

Meg was glaring daggers at them. Dean chose to focus on the warmth of Cas’ thigh pressed against his, on Cas’ hand resting on his leg in an almost possessive kind of way. On the memories of earlier in the day in the hotel and the promises Cas whispered into his ear about his reward for going through the reunion. He pushed those thoughts aside to listen to Cas. 

“It was the same for me. You play things close to the chest because you fear what may happen if you don’t. Coming into something like this, you expect everyone to be straight. I didn’t think Dean was anything other than straight and he certainly acted the part. So apart from the expectations of the show and the experiment, there was the fear of opening up about my sexuality on a tv-show where I’m supposed to be finding a female partner and the repercussions of that because the internet is a wild place and our world isn’t as tolerant as it should be. But at some point, you do have to stop and realize that your choices will affect the rest of your actual real life.” 

Cas paused and Dean reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. How much time had passed? And when could they move past their part of the show to everyone else?

“Meg, I do owe you an apology. I never meant to cause you any pain, but none of this was easy. I proposed to you because I did think the connection we had was enough and because I figured that once I met you in person it would all fall into place.”

“But it didn’t, did it?” Gabriel asked. 

“No,” Cas said. “It was different outside the pods. Awkward. In Mexico, it was hard for me to really relax and I think you felt that, Meg. In fact, I know you did. You talked about it with Andrea and Bess and even Lisa.”

“But everyone was having a similar experience,” Garth said. “I mean there’s the voice and then there’s the person. It’s not that easy to just put them together.” 

Cas nodded. “It was more than that for us. Meg, we even had a conversation where I tried to tell you that we didn’t have to continue and we could just take it slower than marriage in such a short time table. You didn’t want that and the producers said that meant we’d leave the show after Mexico and you didn’t want to do that.” 

“So now it’s my fault? I’m that one that made you stay with me just so I could stay on the show for a bit longer. So I could get left at the altar…oh, wait, we didn’t even make it that far.” Meg looked like she was seconds away from just standing up and storming off. 

“I think we all knew you were interested in the attention the show would get you,” Bess said. 

“Excuse me, but that is not why I came on this show,” Meg said. 

“I think the way you’ve been milking the attention on Instagram says otherwise,” Andrea said. “You can act like the victim now and maybe what they did was a bit shitty, but Castiel didn’t break your heart.”

No one said anything for a beat. Dean hoped it would all be over, that they had taken enough time and they could shift to the other couples or the other crazy things the show might want to address. 

“I can tell that this is all very difficult for you, Meg,” Gabriel said. “Is there anything you want to add? Otherwise I want to hear from Lisa. You’ve been a bit quieter, but this affected you just as much.” 

Meg shrugged her shoulders and then sat back. Her smile had fallen away so that her lips were pressed together hard instead. 

Lisa coughed. “Uh, yes. I think this experiment is both something that only someone that has gone through it can understand, but it is also very isolated. We each get something different from it. And I won’t say that things weren’t difficult or hurtful, but I think Dean and I hit it off right away and then I had to go back to the living quarters and see all the women gushing about him. You were very popular.”

“I never liked him,” Meg muttered. 

“Well, popular with most at the very start. And I didn’t think I could actually interest him. I was pleasantly surprised on that front. There were also others. Michael. Benny. Victor. I made a lot of connections. Dean stood out, sure, because he’s charming and interesting to talk to. He did talk about Cas a little. Actually, there was a time when I thought he was talking about Cassie and I thought he was so rude to bring up another woman the way he did. Maybe I should have seen it then. Mostly, I thought it was cute he’d made such a good friend and I did like Cas when we had a few dates. No sparks there though.”

Cas and a few of the others laughed. 

“It was Michael and Dean you were deciding between,” Gabriel said. 

“Yes and Michael proposed first and I turned him down in the hope that Dean might ask, but I was very torn between the two.”

“Dean did propose,” Gabriel said.

“He did. We met and it was everything I hoped. We got along right away and physically the attraction was there…I mean, have you looked at him? But I could tell that something was bothering him. In Mexico, sometimes he seemed far away and maybe I was too for different reasons. It kinda became clear once we all met up for the first time.”

Dean had been so happy to see Cas again at first glance. He remembered it really well, how he and Lisa had been the first to get there and he’d been contemplating how easy it would be for them to go through with the whole thing, and then he saw Cas walking hand in hand with Meg and it felt like his heart dropped down to his stomach because there before his eyes was the confirmation that Cas and Meg really were together…that they were engaged. 

What most people didn’t know was that Dean had contemplated walking away even before he proposed to Lisa. He had spoken to production staff about it because they were all expected to get to the proposals if they were going to happen. The timing on the show was kinda strange because some of the proposals had happened really early on, but others took longer. Dean’s was one of the very last. 

It was a mixture of Benny and Ash that had made Dean really think things through. The kind of conversation that got deep fast as some did on the show. Neither had really known about Dean and Cas, but it hadn’t even been about them, as much as what the next step meant. How there was a fine line between being sure of the commitment emotionally but also mentally. 

“Brother, you can like the girl all you want, but that doesn’t mean you have to marry her. Do you see a life with her? Marriage, moving in, kids…a future? Because if you don’t, then…”

He did see it with Lisa. A white picket fence, her son Ben, and maybe a dog. A few more kids sometime in the future. He did think that it could work with Lisa, but the thing was also knowing that it might work that much better with Castiel. And having that little bit of doubt…the fact that Dean could put them both as a choice and it was Cas without giving it much thought, that made him rethink Lisa. 

Dean had realized that the vulnerability that existed in the pods had made him more aware of what it meant to open up to someone and how much it hurt to not tell the truth about himself to Castiel. They had shared almost everything about themselves with each other except for that and it hurt to not do it. 

“This is all about being open to someone else learning everything about you,” Ash had said. “That’s why I think Jo is the one for me. Just follow your truth, man.” 

That morning, Dean had known that the best thing would be to leave the show. He would have a final conversation with Lisa to end it and more importantly, he would talk to Castiel. But Castiel was off on a date and Dean didn’t have anything scheduled until later that afternoon. So, Dean had hung out and waited in the living quarters hoping that Cas would be back before Dean had to go. And Cas did come back, but he came back to tell them Meg said yes. He came back engaged. He came back to break Dean’s heart without even knowing it was what he was doing. 

Dean was thrown. Cas hadn’t once discussed actually wanting to propose to Meg, that he was that into her. Dean had known he couldn’t say a thing. Castiel seemed happy, so Dean swallowed his feelings and he was glad that he didn’t need to stick around. A part of him had still expected to say goodbye to Lisa during their date. It wasn’t how it went. 

He told Lisa about Castiel and Meg getting engaged. Lisa told him about Michael proposing and how she had turned him down. The hint that it was because of him and maybe his despair about Cas meant that Dean wound up proposing. Things had gone quick from then and Dean had known despite how wonderful Lisa was, that he was lying to himself if he thought his whole heart was in it. After all, he’d been so brokenhearted that it didn’t take long for Lisa to notice something was wrong. Cas had noticed too. 

They weren’t alone once during Mexico. Dean had known that he couldn’t handle it and he had made it a point of having Benny or Garth near when Cas appeared. Once it had been Andrea. Lisa was even a buffer, though Cas never really approached if Lisa was around, so Dean stuck to her side. Later, Cas would tell him that he had known Dean wasn’t okay. 

Lisa noticed everything, but she didn’t bring it up until their last night in Mexico. 

“Okay, what’s going on?” She asked. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You and Castiel. Your best friend. The one you’ve been avoiding this whole trip. He was all you could talk about in the pods at times and now it’s like he has some contagious disease or something.” 

Dean brushed the whole thing off. In retrospect, it would have made sense to actually talk it all out right there and then. He was a coward. 

“Things changed after Mexico,” Lisa said. “I could tell something was wrong. Dean wouldn’t talk to me about it. When we got back home and we had to start talking about the future, Dean shut down. It wasn’t long after that that we had the conversation where we ended it. I think on the show it comes off a bit abrupt, but there’s a reason for that. Dean didn’t lie to me. He told me everything and it made so much sense to me. He came out to me and it wasn’t something that was meant for the cameras. Not to mention that Castiel and Meg were still together at that point.”

Gabriel nodded along. “Tell me more about that.” 

“Sure,” Lisa said. “We actually didn’t know what to do. Cas and Meg were still engaged, so we didn’t want to talk about it all in front of the camera. At least, Dean didn’t want to say anything until he spoke to Cas. You have to remember that all the couples are sort of isolated from each other in a sense not only are we back to normal life, but we’re also filming content and meeting friends and family but there is also a wedding to plan. We’re not in any contact with each other…it isn’t a priority.” 

“It seems like things ended more amicably between you two,” Gabriel said. 

Lisa winced. “I’m not saying there weren’t tears or that I wasn’t hurt. I just had formed a really great friendship with Dean outside of our romantic feelings. That helped. But I also didn’t want to be with someone that didn’t want me. This experiment taught me a lot. It’s been over a year since and I’ve moved past it all and looking back it’s just something that happened that led me to where I am now.” 

It had been tears and yelling and Dean had felt like the worst possible person. Lisa was a saint, way more patient than anyone had a right to be. Far too understanding. It had taken a few days before she calmed down and let him explain it all and it had been Lisa who begged Dean to actually talk to Cas and who had dragged him to the party. 

The rest of the couples hadn’t known they were already broken up at that point, and even the show had edited the whole thing in a way that made it seem like the break up happened after the party. 

It was the first time, since before Mexico, that Dean actually went looking for Cas. He remembered very clearly the way that Cas hugged him and how difficult it had been to actually let him go. That night changed everything. They spent the whole of it together, Cas even brushing Meg off when she tried to pull him to dance. 

“You broke up before the party, right?” Gabriel asked Lisa. 

“Yes. While it had been filmed for the episode, we both decided to not mention it to the others just yet. I wanted Dean to have a chance to talk to Cas before he left the show and the producers agreed, but we didn’t want to change the atmosphere of the party.”

Next to Lisa, Meg made a face, but she schooled herself quickly. 

“You and Dean got really cozy that night,” Gabriel said to Cas. 

Cas chuckled. “Yes. You could say that.” 

“You didn’t leave each other’s side all night,” Gabriel said. 

“I missed him,” Cas said. 

“I missed him too,” Dean said. 

“So what happened after that? Because the two of you didn’t really talk about how you felt for each other that night. Dean didn’t even tell you that he and Lisa were over, correct?” Gabriel asked. 

Cas nodded. He shifted a little on the loveseat and Dean tightened his hand around his in support. 

“He asked if we could meet up the next day. Just the two of us. I said yes immediately and that was around when I really started to consider that I couldn’t stay with Meg. I mean, we had been trying to live together but it wasn’t really working and like everyone saw in the episode where I met her friends, none of them liked me. My sister, Hael, had her own concerns. I guess I thought that Meg saw all of that too.” Cas looked towards Meg. “I really am sorry, Meg.” 

She didn’t respond. 

“Anyway,” Cas continued,  “we met up the next morning for breakfast. That afternoon was the tux fitting so I figured we would hang out early and then head over. I wasn’t expecting the cameras to be there, but by that point we were used to them.”

Dean had forgotten it was the day they were supposed to get fitted for their suits. Of course by that point, he wasn’t getting married so he didn’t need to go. When Cas brought it up after they were seated for breakfast, he almost chickened out. The reality had hit him that Cas really was going to marry Meg and that meant that he had to love her. 

The first twenty minutes was just them ordering food and catching up. Every minute was more difficult than the last, until Dean couldn’t keep it going anymore. 

“Lisa and I broke up,” Dean blurted and Cas almost choked on his toast. 

“What?” Cas managed. “You what?” 

“We broke up,” Dean said. 

“Last night?” 

“No. A few days ago. We, um, we didn’t want to bring the mood down at the party. But the truth is, I’m in love with someone else.” 

The way Cas looked in that moment, toast held in one hand and his blue eyes wide, brow a little furrowed in confusion would be ingrained in Dean’s memory forever. And then, it took Cas several moments before he asked in such a low tone that it was clear he was afraid of the answer: “who?”

“You,” Dean said, and he hadn’t quite been able to actually meet his eyes. “Cas, I am very much in love with you.” 

Cas’ first reaction was a gasp, followed by a sob and then the whisper of Dean’s name. Dean hadn’t known what to make of it, and between having the camera crew with them and needing everything to be fully clear, and some of his nervous energy, he had started to ramble. 

“This is…I had to tell you. I couldn’t leave the show without saying anything and I know that it can mess everything up. Our friendship. You and…you’re getting married. But I’ve been miserable for weeks because I didn’t say anything before and there wasn’t any way that I was going to go through with it with Lisa when I felt this way. I wasn’t going to propose but then…it happened and she’s a great girl. But I fell in love with you and now…now you know. And I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I just wanted you to know. I know you’re straight and I know you love Meg, but I had to say something. You don’t have to say anything, but can you just…be happy. That’s all I want for you even if that’s…no, just—”

Cas cut him off. “Even if that’s with Meg, that’s what you were going to say, right?” 

“Uh.”

“I know you never really liked her, Dean. I think the whole world will know.” Cas said and he was smiling. “She’s going to hate me, I’m sure, but I don’t care. Oh, Dean, you are the bravest person I know. The most loving. You care so much. I love you too.” 

This was something that Dean remembered clearly too, how tight his chest had been. The disbelief and the tears that had formed in his eyes. How he had looked at Cas across the table through blurry eyes unable to keep smiling. 

“Things didn’t go like you thought they would,” Gabriel said. 

“Definitely not,” Dean admitted. “I mean I cried, but not for the reasons I was expecting. I thought I’d be leaving with my heart even more broken than it already was. Instead, Cas surprised me and we realized that we had both been feeling similarly the whole time.” 

Gabriel nodded. “I guess this is where I question what was going on with you, Cas. I mean, you were still engaged to Meg at that point. Did you forget?” 

“Kind of,” Cas said. 

Meg scoffed loudly. 

“I had been loving Dean from a distance for a while at that point and seeing him the night before really cleared it up that I didn’t feel anything as close to the same for Meg. And getting back from the party, I tried to bring it up but she was too drunk and if you remember, Meg, I slept on the couch that night.”

Meg grunted in acknowledgement. They had all seen it in the episode, how Meg had thrown herself at Cas and practically stripped in front of the cameras, but Cas had pushed her into the bedroom and closed the door. He hadn’t even made sure she made it to bed. 

“The next morning I left so early that it was still dark out, but that’s how eager I was not just to see Dean, but to get away. The timing was horrible because of course it was the fittings and I knew that I wouldn’t see her until after that was over, but I also knew that a wedding wouldn’t be happening. For me it was already over. And I felt bad. I felt so guilty to have dragged this along for so long…and in the middle of that there was Dean and he was saying everything I felt, how could I not forget and focus on him and what I wanted.” 

Dean almost expected for Meg to jump in. He was waiting for it, and was surprised when it didn’t come. Gabriel actually turned to her. 

“Hearing all of that, how does that make you feel, Meg?” 

“I’m angry,” Meg said. “I’m still angry about it. I was blind sighted. The whole time, I really did think that we were going to get married. Maybe I was so convinced because even when we had disagreements, it felt like we were both still headed towards a wedding. A marriage.” 

“To be fair, it did look like that to all of us watching the show,” Gabriel said. “And I know we’re not seeing everything, but there are things we can’t ignore.”

He was talking about some of the more steamy things. The way that Cas and Meg had kissed on camera in a way that suggested more than just kissing was going on. That had been hard to watch, even with a ring on his finger and Cas at his side it had made his stomach churn with jealousy. Of course, Dean and Lisa had done a bit of that too, but they had been so acutely aware of the cameras to really push boundaries. Lisa even more so because she knew despite her best efforts that her son would end up watching it. Dean wouldn’t have been opposed to getting physical with Lisa. She was hot and Dean was just a guy, but he was glad that they hadn’t done more than a bit of kissing. 

“We never had sex,” Cas said. “I think we both said that on camera to different people at different times. Did we have an attraction to each other, sure, but there is more to love than just that. And on my part, I think it was the only way I knew to distract myself from my feelings and how much I didn’t want to think about Dean being with Lisa. But also, it meant Meg and I could ignore the important conversations and that I could lie to myself about things going well for the two of us.”

“Dean?” Gabriel asked. “You’re looking a little green there.” 

Dean chuckled. “It was really hard for me to watch all of that. Just, you know, to know that if I didn’t say anything when I did he could have gone on to marry her and—”

Cas cut him off, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t have married her.” 

“I know that now,” Dean said. “I do. But then…well clearly there was something there between them. Cas and I have talked about it and the past is the past and we’re both very secure in what we have.”

“We all saw what happened that night,” Gabriel said. “But can you tell us about your day? I mean, you’ve confessed your love for each other…what happened then?” 

Dean smiled, looking directly at Cas and he found his husband looking right back at him. 

“Well, we spent the day together and talked and talked and talked. We didn’t go to the fittings and we ignored everyone. Benny kept texting. We wanted some time to just figure it all out for ourselves and see what came next. I mean, I knew eventually that he would have to go and end things with Meg.”

They had left the restaurant and then just walked around for a bit before Dean took Cas to introduce him to Baby and then they drove around until they found a good place to park and really talk it all out. At some point, they walked to get lunch. They kept talking. Not just about their experiences and their feelings, but the future and what they wanted. A part of Dean had been afraid of going their separate ways and what might happen when Cas saw Meg again. 

He shouldn’t have worried, because it had taken less than an hour for Cas to call him asking if he could stay with him. 

That night, despite knowing it was too fast, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands from each other. The tension that had been growing between them since their time dating other people in the pods and then the time apart burst into hot and heavy kissing and then their clothes coming off and Dean had never known the meaning of making love to someone until it was Cas kissing every part of him so tenderly it could only be love. He had never been with a man before, but it was Cas and any fear of getting it wrong or not knowing something was brushed away with whispered conversations and more caresses and kisses. 

In the dawn when light was pouring in through his windows because they had been so tangled up in each other neither remembered to close the curtains, Dean remembered waking up and just gazing at Cas whose face was tucked into the crook of Dean’s neck, fitting there like a puzzle piece. 

“I’m going to marry you,” Dean remembered whispering, convinced Cas was asleep. 

“Yes,” Cas mumbled back. 

That wasn’t their official proposal story, but it may as well have been. The next time one of them asked it was in front of a camera. Still special, still a beautiful moment to cherish and actually get to witness, but not as important as the mumbled agreements in the too-early morning. 

It had taken them the whole of the next day to really talk about it and while it sounded crazy and they both admitted that going on the show hadn’t been about getting married or being ready for marriage, they were sure what it was that was between them. 

They had both been engaged to other people. Cas more recently than Dean…but still the whole experience left them wanting more than the label of boyfriends. They never intended for it to happen as fast as it did, or for the show to be involved. All of that happened accidentally. 

The contracts they signed meant that they were both still needed for a few more aspects of the show. Interviews to form the narrative, their participation in the weddings of their friends. Explanations for what happened. So despite both of them wanting everything to be over so they could move on with their lives, they couldn’t do that at once. They also refused to hide their relationship. 

“How did you come to be engaged?” Gabriel asked. 

“It was at one of the events. Everyone was together and we were both asked to go. At that point, the weddings were happening in a week and we were just trying to be there for Garth, Benny, Andrea, and Bess. Someone made a comment about how they would be at our wedding in a few years and I don’t know, I think I said it wouldn’t take years. Maybe months.” 

“I was like, wait, you guys are engaged?” Andrea said. “And they kinda looked at each other and it was like…actually they were.” 

“Kind of,” Cas said. “And then a producer pulled us aside and asked if we would get married on the show.” 

“Which meant that we had to actually get engaged because we both knew we were going to get married someday. That wasn’t a question…but neither of us had really proposed,” Dean said with a chuckle. “We fought about who would do it.” 

“I won,” Cas said. They shared a smile and Dean had to duck his face because he knew he was blushing. His eyes landed on their rings. 

It had all gone fast. From the proposal to then getting their suits fitted and telling their friends and family. Before they knew it, it was their wedding day. Dean regretted nothing. He still didn’t. 

“And now here you are. It’s been a year, and clearly everything is still going strong. Can you tell us a bit about how everything is for you now?” 

“Amazing,” Dean said. 

“Yeah. Obviously, we had a lot to do those first few months. We had to figure out where we were going to live and we had to really explain things to our families. We had to meld our lives together. Dean and I…we didn’t have the time everyone else did to experience that with each other, but none of that mattered. Even the hard parts have been great. We’re very happy.” 

“We are happy for you,” Gabriel said. “And now, I’ll turn to Benny and Andrea…”

Dean tuned out most of the rest of it. He held Cas’ hand and a few times he looked up to see the others. He didn’t think that they spent nearly as much time on Andrea and Benny and Garth and Bess as they had spent on him and Cas. But it was nice to not be on the hot seat anymore. 

Then, Gabriel turned to Lisa. She caught his eye when she was talking about how things were going for her. He was glad she was happy and that she had managed to rekindle something with Michael. She spoke about that and there was even a pre-taped message from Lisa and Michael. Michael had been unable to make the reunion due to a business trip.

Then there was Meg and she looked more and more sour as the night went on. To the point where when Gabriel turned to her, she didn’t say much other than to express that she hoped to be less blind about things in the future. 

The show came to a close when Gabriel stood up. “At last we are at the end of it. This season had a lot of surprises for all of us. And while some found love, others found heartbreak. And although love can be blind if you have the right person in the other room, it can also happen unexpectedly and come in a place you never expected to find it. Thank you to everyone watching at home, and until next time.” 

The cameras were still rolling for a few more minutes and then a producer signaled that they were done. Dean let out a breath. 

“Finally,” he said. 

Cas chuckled next to him. “I don’t think it went that bad.” 

“Better than I expected,” Dean admitted.

It took a while after that. Not only did they need to get their mics off, but there was mingling among the cast. Dean did take note that Meg left as soon as possible. He didn’t blame her. 

“I still think I should have talked to her before this,” Cas said. 

“It wasn’t going to help, brother,” Benny said. 

Gabriel approached their group. He was grinning. “Not too bad, right? And you know what…the producers have been talking about next season and the cast being more LGBTQ friendly. I don’t know the logistics of how it could work, but you guys have clearly inspired them.” 

Dean didn’t even want to know what kind of chaos that could create and he didn’t intend to find out. 

“Sounds like it could be interesting,” Dean said. 

When they finally got to leave the studio and get back to Baby what felt like another hour later, Dean was more than ready to say goodbye to the whole thing. He wanted to keep living his life as it had been in the last year. Yes, the first few months after their wedding had been more difficult than not, but all of that had made them stronger, it had brought them closer. 

“I really hope we never have to be involved in this ever again,” Dean said as he drove. 

“I don’t think they can force us into anything, but the last few seasons did have a few more filmed get togethers.”

“And we will be busy for each and every single one.” 

Cas shuffled closer, leaning his head on Dean’s shoulder. “My love, it did bring us together. I can’t hate it that much. Maybe we’re seen as the villains of the season…or maybe our love is inspiring but we’re the ones that win in the end. We found each other.” 

“We did,” Dean said.

[fictionadventurer]

Happy STS!

Are there any specific lyrics you associate with your characters?

I'm late in getting to this, but thank you for sending this ask! Most of my lyrics apply to Arateph characters from older stories, because I don't much listen to music while plotting stories these days.

Tanza: I always associate Casting Crowns' "One Step Away" with her storyline, especially the bridge, because it essentially is her story of leaving behind a life of thievery by taking up a new name: Lay down, lay down your old chains/Come now and take up your new name/Your best life up ahead now. I also associate a lot of lines from Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman" with her.

Auren: The Band Perry's "Pioneer" is Auren's song, especially the bridge, which applies both to his early life as a controversial prince living under a "curse" of an assassination threat, and to his life a hundred years later as a resurrected figure trying to help bring virtue back to the political landscape of his planet.

I won't run when bullets chase me I won't rest where arms embrace me I will love when people hate me I won't hush, no you can't make me Send the dark but it won't break me You can try, but you can't change me Take my life, they will replace me I won't hush, no you can't make me

Marastel and Jemrauth: Auren's parents, the last king and queen of their planet before getting killed in a revolution, who were deeply in love with each other for decades and overcame ridiculous obstacles to get together and stay together. Even though I haven't finished a story with them, I've got a bunch of songs that apply to them because there are a lot of love songs. I associate "Keeper of the Stars" by Tracey Byrd to them, because Jemrauth's pet name for her means "beauty of the stars", and the song's about how grateful they are to be together. Even though the song is about God, I can't keep myself from viewing the Rend Collective song "My Lighthouse" through a romantic lens, because they're light to each other and can both say to each other "You are the peace in my troubled sea". Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue" is another song about how a couple stays together despite trouble that I associate with them.

But the number one song lyrics I apply to them are from "The Dance" by Garth Brooks. These lines apply directly to Jemrauth looking back at his life after his kingdom fell to revolution.

Holding you I held everything For a moment wasn't I the king? If I'd only known how the king would fall Hey, who's to say You know I might have changed it all And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end The way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the dance

[ghostofaboy]

Rock Bottom - Tilly

Summary: Frankie is spiraling after Tom’s death. Drugs lead to some unhealthy friendships, and too ashamed to reach out to his former teammates for help, Frankie is drawn into a world he’s afraid he can’t get out of.

Frankie finally meets Garth Tilly and is made a surprising offer.

Pairing: Frankie “Catfish” Morale/Original Male Characters Rating: Explicit. Serious over 18s only Word count: 1533 Chapter: 14/?

Warnings: implied/referenced drug use, drug addiction, self-esteem issues, angst, Frankie not coping, dubious consent

Note: This has not been beta read, so apologies for any mistakes. This is a fic with gay and bi characters. Please make sure you read the tags/warnings. Header by @gasolinerainbowpuddles

Part 13 / Part 1 / Masterpost

The drive to Tilly’s was quiet but relatively quick. This was a nice part of town with lots of coffee shops, bars, and office buildings. Frankie made a point to watch out of the window to make sure he knew where he was. With each turn down a new street, Frankie mapped out the journey in case he needed to get away on foot. And with each turn, Frankie was sure they weren’t going to the gym where Gavin had previously taken him to meet Tilly.

Finally, the car pulled up outside a stark white four-story building with blue-tinted windows. Gavin let out a long breath as the two men accompanying them exited the vehicle. They each approached the car's back doors, pulling them open and waiting for Frankie and Gavin to get out.

“This way, please.” One of the men motioned to the building. He hadn’t spoken before; his much sterner-sounding colleague had done the talking in the parking lot of the workshop. This man seemed moderately more polite as he escorted Frankie and a trembling Gavin through the main doors of the office.

The receptionist nodded to the man as the four of them passed by, heading straight for the elevators where the button for the top floor was pushed.

“Any idea what I should expect?” Frankie whispered to Gavin as the elevator lurched to life. Gavin just shook his head. Sweat was dripping from his brow, and his whole body seemed to be shaking. Frankie wouldn’t have been surprised if the poor boy suddenly wet himself.

“Mr. Tilly just wants a word.” The sterner of the two men spoke.

“Uh-huh.” Frankie took a deep breath, mentally taking notes of where the elevators and stairwells were as the group left the elevator.

This floor looked like it was divided into three main areas. To the left of the elevators was a seating area with square uncomfortable-looking sofas arranged around a glass coffee table. Directly across from the elevators was another reception desk, unmanned, with filling cabinets and a coffee machine behind it. Then to the right was a fake wall of frosted glass paneling with a set of double doors. Frankie could just read Garth Tilly - CEO, on the door in bold black letters before the less stern of the two men knocked.

“Come in.” A man’s voice answered, and the men pushed the doors open, ushering Frankie and Gavin inside.

The office was modestly decorated, with large picture windows lining one wall and dark wooden bookcases lining the other two. Directly opposite the doors were plush black leather sofas framing a heavy black metal coffee table. But it was the sleek modern mahogany desk that caught Franie's attention. Or rather, it was the man who sat behind it.

Garth Tilly sat with an amused smile on his handsome face. Somewhat tanned with dark blue eyes and neatly styled short curly black hair, Tilly leaned back in his chair. After a few seconds, he stood up and, in one fluid motion, gestured to the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk.

"Please, gentlemen, have a seat." His accent had a hint of something Frankie couldn’t quite put his finger on. Irish? Maybe Scottish? Whatever it was, it was faint, probably hidden long ago.

Very aware of the two men standing right behind them, Frankie grabbed the chair on the left and sat down. Tilly's eyes followed his every movement, and once Gavin was seated, Tilly dropped back down into his chair with a grin.

“Can I get either of you anything?” Tilly raised his eyebrows as he looked from Frankie to Gavin. “Tea, coffee?”

“I’m so sorry.” Gavin blurted out. Frankie whipped his head to look at the distressed younger man. “I know I lied, but I couldn’t get hold of him. And that’s not his fault, and I know I shouldn't have lied but-”

“Gavin.” Tilly held a hand up to stop Gavin. “Oh, Gavin. I understand, I really do. But this weekend just proves that this arrangement we have just isn’t working. You lie to me, and you dodge my questions. Why should I deal with the middleman when I can come to an agreement with Mr. Morales here?”

“But-”

“No buts Gavin. I want my money from you, and I’ll get it.” Tilly shook his head, looking at Gavin like he was scolding a child. “But from now on, I think Mr. Morales would appreciate being left out of your debt.”

“I don’t have your money.” Gavin more or less sobbed.

“I know.” Tilly’s voice was almost soothing. “Don’t worry. I have a new deal to offer you, but for now, go with Henry. He’ll take you home and make sure you don’t do anything foolish.”

The sterner of the two men put his hand on Gavin’s shoulder, and with shaking legs, Gavin began to stand.

“What are you going to do with him?” Frankie glared at Tilly.

“Don’t worry.” Tilly waved his hand at Henry for him to take Gavin. “I’m not going to hurt him. I think Gavin just needs some direction in his life, don’t you? He’s offered to work for me before, and I declined as it didn’t suit my interests. But now it does.”

Frankie turned in his seat to watch as Gavin was taken helplessly by Henry. With a slow, respectful nod, the remaining man left the room, leaving Frankie alone with Tilly. Turning back to face him, Frankie frowned as Tilly leaned back in his chair, his eyes hungrily raking over Frankie.

“Now, Mr. Morales, you and I have never really had a chance to have a proper conversation. I’m Garth Tilly.”

“We’ve never had a conversation because I’ve been drugged each time you’ve fucked me.” Frankie spat back, still scowling.

“True. Very true.” Tilly’s eyes flickered away for a second as he set his mouth into a thin line. “I thought it was necessary to protect my own interests, but you’re right. What I’ve been doing is not ok. It’s really not. Also, you’ve been clean for over a week now, and I’d hate to be the reason you break that streak.”

“How-?”

“I have eyes all over town. I have a proposition for you, Mr. Morales.” Tilly’s smile returned. “A chance for you to get your life back on track. Earn good money, stay clean, and even earn visitation rights for your daughter.”

Tilly clearly knew a lot about him, and Frankie could feel the hairs on the back of his arms standing up. He was at a massive disadvantage here. Frankie knew next to nothing about Tilly, and what he did know made him very wary.

“What would I have to do?” Frankie asked carefully, watching Tilly’s face for any shifts in mood.

“Work for me.” Tilly gave a small laugh and spread his hands like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“Doing what exactly?”

“I have a classic car collection, and I’m afraid I lack the skills necessary to properly care of them. You know your way around an engine.” Tilly shrugged. “Perhaps in time, you could get your pilot's license back and become my private pilot too. But for now, I’d like to hire you as my private mechanic.”

“A mechanic?” Frankie was caught off guard. “That’s all?”

“No.” Tilly shook his head, laughing. “From time to time, I would want to make use of your other… talents.” Tilly licked his lips on the last word and smiled playfully. “This is a big decision, I understand. Go home, think on it.”

Frankie opened his mouth to speak. To tell Tilly to go to hell, but as though he sensed Frankie’s response Tilly held a hand up and reached into his top desk drawer, pulling out a folded piece of paper.

“Here is what you’d be paid working for me as well as details of your contract should you agree.” He held out the folded paper to Frankie, who hesitated for a few seconds before taking it. “Now, if you head outside, Jacque will drive you back. If you want to talk or get any more details, my number is on there, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

And with that, as though this was a regular business meeting, Tilly stood up and offered his hand to Frankie. Looking down at Tilly’s outstretched hand, Frankie sighed before standing up and taking it. Tilly’s face lit up as he shook Frankie’s hand.

Frankie left Tilly’s office with a curt nod, finding Jacque, the more talkative of the two men who had driven him here just outside the door.

“I’m ready to leave now.” Frankie eyed him carefully, but Jacque just smiled, gesturing to the elevator.

“Right this way, Mr. Morales. I’ll have you back at your truck in no time.”

Following Jacque back out of the building and to a different car waiting out front Frankie made a mental note to check in on Gavin as soon as he got home. It didn’t seem to suit Tilly’s interests to hurt the boy, but Frankie knew that meant nothing to men like Tilly. What the fuck had Gavin gotten him into?

[crinkled-emotions]

(Are We) Fixin’ to Break

2006

The first night Dee and Bradley met, she kicked him off the piano at a bar.

-

February

-

The bar was already packed to the rafters when Dee walked in. Shoving her Blackberry into her pocket she rounded the corner, trying to spot her friends. “Dee, hey! Over here!” Dee grinned, making her way through the crowds of people to get to Jade and their little group. She threw her arms around Jade, hugging her best friend who she hadn’t seen in about three weeks. “You look so tan! How was Cali?” The pair settled into the stools around the table, Jade flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder. “It was so worth it, I needed the break. I didn’t think of a single term paper and I wasn’t reciting laws in my sleep,” she giggled, Dee nodding. “That sounds-“ She was interrupted by the music blaring in the bar coming to an abrupt stop, followed by someone warming up on the piano. Jade looked to Dee in question but Dee just shrugged. “Who is that?” She asked, glancing around. Dee shook her head. “I have... no idea.” The crowd cleared a little and she saw a man with dark hair sitting at the piano in the corner of the room, preparing himself for a performance. She kind of hoped he didn’t play something sad; that was what tended to happen when the bar tenders let people use the instrument. She heard the chords and smiled. “Hey, I think I know this song!” She exclaimed. Jade raised an eyebrow, then snorted. “You fucking would.” You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain! Dee got up, making her way over to the piano. To her surprise a majority of the people in the bar were catching on and as they sang along to this charming guy, she couldn’t help but watch the way he captured the audience with his cheeky smile. He was tall, and despite the beer sitting on top of the piano Dee doubted he was over 21 for half a second. He glanced up at one point and winked directly at her. Usually that made her scoff. At that moment, she blushed.

- With the song over, Bradley basked in the cheering for a moment, then reached for his beer. He stood, only to bump into a woman who he had seen singing along. “Jerry Lee Lewis!” She exclaimed. He grinned, nodding. “It’s always a crowd pleaser!” “Do you know anything more recent?” “I-“ “-I’m going to take that as a no. Scoot.” She bumped him away from the piano, stretching out her fingers. As she started the first few lyrics of Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places, Bradley couldn’t help but laugh. The rest of the bar faded into the background as he listened to her belt the country song, panting at the end. “Like that’s much better,” he teased. She crossed her arms. “That’s so rude. It’s a classic!” He sat on the piano seat beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “We can agree to disagree, that’s cool too,” she said. Bradley extended a hand to her. “Bradley Bradshaw.” “Deanne Taylor, but my friends call me Dee.” “What’s your major?” Bradley asked, thinking of a song he could play. “Pre-law. Let me guess; pre-med?” “Fuck no!” Bradley laughed, nudging her shoulder, “political science.” “I can respect that. It’s popular around here; what drew you to it?” Bradley stopped. Swallowed. Painted a cocky smile on his face. “It’s the best way to get into the career I want.” Dee glanced at him for a moment, and then smiled. “Determined.  That’s hot.” Her fingers danced over the piano keys and Bradley immediately realised what song she was playing. It appeared the rest of the bar had caught on too and they all raised their drinks in respect. Jessie is a friend, yeah I know he’s been a good friend of mine.

- With the song over, Bradley glanced at Dee, their chests heaving. “Can I buy you a beer?” She smiled. “I’d like that.” As he got up and went over to the bar, Dee walked back to her friends. Jade grabbed her hand, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “He’s so hot! Do I need to find somewhere else tonight?” “What- no! You know I don’t do that-“ “-January last year, that blonde with a great ass?” Jade smirked and Dee smacked her shoulder, both collapsing into laughter. A cold beer was placed on the table in front of them and Dee smiled at Bradley, reaching for his shoulder. “Bradley this is Jade!” “I’m the over protective best friend!” Jade exclaimed over the noise in the bar. She glanced between Dee and Bradley after shaking his hand, an eyebrow raised. “I’m gonna go get another drink,” she said, catching the context clues. Dee and Bradley took her spot at the table, leaning in together to talk with the loud crowd behind them. “How far into your degree are you?” Dee asked. “I’m graduating in the fall,” Bradley replied, “you?” “Same. Law school after though.”

- They fell into easy conversation, and without either of them realising the rest of the night slipped by. By the time it was closing time, Dee had laughed until tears streamed down her face and Bradley had settled a little more in his seat. Jade swung past the table, putting a hand on Dee’s shoulder. “C’mon Deesaster, let’s get you home. Say good night to the nice man, honey.” Dee smiled at her, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “Hey, um, actually... I think I’m going to stay here a little longer.” “It’s nearly closing time, what are you- oh. Cool, uh, call me tomorrow morning, yeah?” Jade narrowed in on Bradley. “I’ll know if you’re a serial killer by then. I’ve got your face committed to my memory now.” He blinked, a little spooked, and the pair watched as Jade left the bar with her friends. “Well, she’s...” “Terrifying?” Dee offered, laughing sheepishly. Bradley shook his head. “No. She cares.” Dee paused. Bradley inhaled sharply when she touched his thigh, he didn’t think he was that sensitive but he definitely was now. “I know this great place nearby,” he started. Dee leaned in, an eyebrow raised. “Yeah?” “It’s... it’s got four walls, a great view of the building next door, and it only smells like burnt pizza sometimes.” Dee snorted, tapping his thigh. “Just how close is this place? It sounds like somewhere a distinguished law student shouldn’t be.” “It’s a couple streets away, but we could take back roads.” “Good. I hate walking in heels.” Bradley frowned, glancing under the table. Sure enough, Dee was wearing these cute little converse on her feet. “You’re not... wearing heels?” “Made ya look though, didn’t I?” She teased. Dee hopped off her barstool, reaching for his hand. “Have you paid the tab?”

- Sweaty, sated (and admittedly a little surprised), Dee curled up against Bradley and kissed him once more, her heart slowly returning to a normal rhythm. She hadn’t been expecting much, not even an orgasm (men at college were not concerned with making her come, they tended to be more concerned with themselves) but Bradley had proven himself to be a gentleman. He’d gone above and beyond what she’d expected and she definitely wasn’t complaining about the warm feeling in her stomach. His chest was still moving, trying to catch his breath, but he reached for the blankets and pulled them up, glancing over at her. “So...” “So, what do your parents do for work?” Dee was expecting laughter; instead, she got a short sarcastic snort and Bradley moved on to his side. “My mom hasn’t worked since I was born, too busy running around after my ass. My dad died when I was little.” “I’m sorry, that must have been really hard for you,” Dee said immediately, reaching over to cup his cheek. Bradley shrugged, clearing his throat. “It was a long time ago, mom said I was only two. I don’t really remember him anymore.” He sighed, then glanced down at her. “What about you, huh? What about your family?” Dee hummed, a fond smile crossing her features. “My mom’s an architect and my dad’s a writer. They both work from home; it gets a little chaotic, especially when all six of us kids were still at home.” “Six?” Bradley’s eyebrows shot up and he looked floored. Dee laughed, flopping on to her back. “Yeah; I have three brothers and two sisters.” “And you’re the oldest?” “Second from the top. I have an older brother who’s twenty-three and then my younger siblings are twenty, eighteen, seventeen and twelve.” “Goddamn.” Dee leaned in and kissed him, brushing a hand over his cheek. “Hey, so, I was thinking...” Dee raised an eyebrow, smiling when Bradley reached for her. “Instead of doing a walk of shame- ow- instead of doing a walk of shame, how about you stay tonight? We can have breakfast in the morning; I make a mean frozen waffle.” Dee had whacked his shoulder, but then buried into him as she laughed. “Walk of shame? Excuse you, I am more of a stride of pride girl. And, well, as for tomorrow... frozen waffles, huh? That sounds... good.” “Maple flavoured syrup and all.” “You’re hilarious.” Dee reached for her underwear while Bradley scooted to the edge of the bed to clean up too. “Hey, can I borrow a shirt?” Dee called over her shoulder. There was one placed beside her and she turned. “What?” She asked, a smile on her face. “Nothin’.” He disappeared into the main living area and Dee got up to slip into the bathroom. When they reunited in the bedroom Dee pushed Bradley on to his back and curled up beside him, revelling in the warmth he was giving off. She traced the scar on his neck, glancing up when he flinched ever so slightly. “Sorry! Did that hurt?” “No, no; it’s an old one, doesn’t have a lot of feeling in the scar tissue. Just... people don’t usually like it.” “Yeah, well, I do. Makes you look rugged and handsome.” “Are you talking lawyer to me?” “Maybe I am.” Bradley laughed, running his hand down her back. “Sleep well.”

-

Dee woke first the next morning. Her pillow was soft, warm... and rattling. Hm. She reached up to scratch at her face but found it was heavier than she remembered it being, trapped by . “Morning.” Oh fuck, it talks too? “Hey, good morning. What time is it?” Bradley yawned, gently moving over to find his alarm clock. “Nearly eight. Do you have much to do today?” “I’m a law student, I always have a list of things to do.” Dee gently nudged his arm, rolling on top of him. Pressing their lips together, she felt Bradley’s hand trail down her body. “Am I on that list?” He asked. Dee cackled, shoulders shaking as she straddled his hips. “I guess you could say that.” “Sorry, I say dumb shit when there’s a beautiful woman sitting on me.” “I can tell.” -