#Jo Carthage

[scififr]

Nuclear sunrise, par Jo Carthage (Ninestar Press, décembre 2023)

Un jeune capitaine de l’U.S. Air Force accepte une mission de deux ans comme responsable de la sécurité de l’EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor) au fin fond de l’Idaho, afin d’éviter d’être  « Discharged under conditions other than dishonorable » à cause de son homosexualité. Là il va tomber amoureux d’un jeune chercheur, et réciproquement, qui va rapidement s’avérer étrange…

Plusieurs thématiques traversent ce roman : un retour historique sur le traitement des LGBTQIA+ et des minorités ethniques aux USA dans les années 50, un autre retour historique sur l’expérience EBR-I (le premier surgénérateur), une romance façon Arlequin mais au masculin et une pincée de SF sans aucun intérêt. Un peu longuet.

[freakwiththeknifecollection]

Maroon is about Dean and Jo if they'd gotten together in season 2 and inevitably broke up. (DeanJo haters DNI. I say inevitably because in Dean's grief and all the other plot stuff going on, he wasn't ready to be 100% in a real relationship, and he would've been too overprotective of Jo at first while she's first starting out. Plus Jo needed to have some time being independent out hunting on her own, I think that was really important for her to have that freedom and space to grow and find herself on her own.)

[scoobydoodean]

It actually is pretty interesting that Cas rides with Jo and Ellen in their station wagon all the way to Carthage. I can see why Lucifer mentioned it. Like it makes sense that Cas rides with Dean in 5.03 because Dean specifically insists he isn’t being flown—it gave him bowel issues. But then he rides with them to Carthage instead of meeting them there too. I mean he certainly wouldn’t want to arrive early on accident with no back up, but there is something about Cas choosing to ride in a car, isn’t there? Just like there’s something to him spending quality time with all of them in Bobby’s house the night before—letting Ellen and Jo ply him with alcohol just to see how it effects him. Cas is willing to mingle among humans in a way a lot of other angels we’ve met simply aren’t—Uriel, Zachariah, and as we’re about to learn—Lucifer.

Cas, Anna, and Gabriel are our angels who choose to befriend humans—Cas in ways that are inconvenient if only specifically to spend more quality time among them.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Out December 2023 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose 🧡 Heartstopper #5 by Alice Oseman 💛 This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede 💚 All The Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows 💙 Vampires of Eden: Book One by Karla Nikole 💜 Not My Type by Joe Satoria ❤️ Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck 🧡 Eternal Embrace by Luna Lawson 💛 A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford 💙 Tomb of Heart and Shadow by Cara N. Delaney 💜 Through the Embers Volume 2 by Adriana Sargent 🌈 Lucero by Maya Motayne

❤️ The Poison Paradox by Hadley Field & Felix Green 🧡 Second Chances in New Port Stephen: A Novel by TJ Alexander 💛 Matrimonial Merriment by Nicky James 💚 Under the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Ramsden 💙 Every Beat of Her Heart by KC Richardson 💜 The Memories of Marlie Rose by Morgan Lee Miller ❤️ Playing with Matches by Georgia Beers 🧡 Always Only You by Chloe Liese 💛 Fire in the Sky by Radclyffe and Julie Cannon 💙 Nuclear Sunrise by Jo Carthage 💜 The Naked Dancer by Emme C. Taylor 🌈 Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann

❤️ Destiny’s Women by Morgan Elliott 🧡 Framed by Kate Merrill 💛 The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe 💚 Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert 💙 A Cynic’s Christmas Conundrum by L.M. Bennett 💜 Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn ❤️ One Swipe Away by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue 🧡 The Gentlemen’s Club by A.V. Shener 💛 A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold 💙 Secrets of the Soul by Holly Oliver 💜 Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell 🌈 Limelight by Gun Brooke

❤️ Heart First by S.B. Barnes 🧡 Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret 💛 Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright 💚 Invisible by Anna Larner 💙 The Murders at Sugar Mill Farm by Ronica Black 💜 Coasting and Crashing by Ana Hartnett ❤️ Fairest by K.S. Trenten 🧡 A City of Abundant Opportunity by Howard Leonard 💛 The Dark Side of MIdnight by Erin Wade 💙 Mending Bones by Merlina Garance 💜 Transform by Connal Braginsky & Sean Ian O’Meidhir 🌈 The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill

❤️ TruLove by Nicole Pyland 🧡 Structural Support by Sloan Spencer 💛 Whiskey War by Stacy Lynn Miller 💚 Overkill by Lou Wilham 💙 Heart of Outcasts by Nicole Silver 💜 In the Shadow of Victory by J. E. Leak ❤️ Just Like Her by Fiona Zedde 🧡 Gingerbread: Claus For Christmas by Miski Harris 💛 Lies are Forever by C. Jean Downer 💙 The Boys in the Club by M.T. Pope 💜 Lasting Light (Metal & Magic) by Michelle Frost 🌈 Tell No Tales by Edie Montreux

❤️ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 🧡 Even Though We're Adults Vol. 7 by Takako Shimura 💛 The Accidental Bite by Michelle St. Wolf 💚 Mated to the Demons by Taylor Schafer 💙 Someday Away by Sara Elisabeth 💜 Gatherdawn Luminia Duet Volume 1 by Lee Colgin ❤️ Curse of Dawn by Richard Amos 🧡 Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix 💛 Ride Me by KD Ellis 💙 How to Bang a Vampire by Joe Satoria 💜 Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow 🌈 Prestige by Toni Reeb

❤️ Don't Look Down by Jessica Ann 🧡 Winter and the Wolves by Chris Storm and Kinkaid Knight 💛 Hat Trick by Ajay Daniel 💚 Starborn Husbands: Return to the Pleiades by S. Legend 💙 Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume by Vawn Cassidy 💜 Practice for Toby by Amy Bellows ❤️ The Siren's Song by Crista Crown 🧡 Hers to Hunt K.J. Devoir

[watchingspnagain]

Rewatching Abandon All Hope

Welcome to “If the Female Character Has Agency In Her Own Death, Does It Still Count as Fridging?: A Supernatural Rewatch Blog” with Lor and Mace!

Up today, s5e10: Abandon All Hope.

Cas tracks down Crowley, and Sam and Dean then go to confront him, hoping to retrieve the Colt. Crowley hands over the Colt on his own, telling the boys he wants Luci dead because he suspects that Luci will kill all the demons. He tells them where to find Luci, and after an evening at Bobby’s, Sam, Dean, Cas, Jo, and Ellen head to Carthage, Missouri, to go devil hunting. Things go awry immediately—the town is deserted, except for dozens of Reapers, who Cas claims only gather in such numbers when a mass death is in the offing. Meg arrives, taunts her some Winchesters, summons some hell hounds, and sends the boys and co. running. Jo gets big maimed, and with Dean consulting with Bobby over a short-wave radio and barely keeping it together, Jo convinces everyone that they need to build a bomb in the hardware store they’re sheltering in and let her stay to blow it up so the others can escape the hell hounds and continue looking for Luci. We get kind of a great and painful death scene for Jo and Ellen, who can’t stand to leave Jo to die on her own, and Sam and Dean take off to find Luci. And find him, they do, and Sam shoots him. The end. Ha! YOU THOUGHT. The Colt can’t kill the devil, silly. Oops. Cas swoops the boys back to Bobby’s, and they all have A Moment over Jo and Ellen.

Below is a log of our real-time reactions as we watched. Remember that there may be spoilers for any part of SPN’s 15-season run here. Note also that the nature of our conversation is adult and thus it may contain adult language and themes.

 [and we begin:]

Mace:

CROWLEY YAAASSSS

Lor:

YAAAAAAAAAS

Lor:

I always forget he doesn't have a beard at the start

Mace:

he is so adorable

Mace:

AND THAT VOICE

Lor:

YES

Mace:

oooh peeping Cas, eh?

Lor:

awwww Cas hiding behind his pillar

Lor:

LOLOLOLOL

Mace:

“its…going…down"

Mace:

HUGGY BEAR

Mace:

OMG

"it's going... down"

Lor:

HUGGY BEAR

Lor:

DEAN

Lor:

"took you long enough" I love him

Mace:

YAS

Lor:

um. Becky told them and she read it in Chuck's book. How's that rumors, Crowley, my love?

Mace:

“you’re functioning…morons"

Mace:

HAHAHAHA

Lor:

"yeah, you're functioning... morons" LOLOLOLOLOL

Mace:

CROWLEY just standing there when Sam tries to shoot him

Mace:

OMG HE’S AMAZING

YAAAAAAS

Mace:

“HOW ABOUT YOU DONT MISS OKAY?! MORONS!"

Mace:

I. LOVE. HIM.

Lor:

I love when he gets all angry

Mace:

YES

Lor:

omg Cas

Lor:

he's adorable

Mace:

YES

Mace:

and Ellen is an idiot for thinking she could drink him under the table

Lor:

"thank you again for your continued support"

Lor:

RIGHT?

Mace:

“since when have we ever done anything smart"

Lor:

"since when have we ever done anything smart"

Lor:

YES

Dean. No.

Lor:

right?

Lor:

I mean, among other things, Cas is RIGHT THERE

Mace:

There’s a perfectly good angel just over there, idiot

Mace:

HAHAHAHA OMG

Lor:

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Mace:

But Jo. sleeping with a hot dude on your own terms is not losing self-respect.

Lor:

the look Dean gives Cas. you could try again, hon

Lor:

RIGHT?

Mace:

YES

Lor:

you stick those flip phones out the car windows, boys, you stick em out good

Mace:

HAHAHA

“of course I have" CAAAAAAAS

Mace:

YAS

Lor:

well spotted, Ellen

Mace:

CREEPY AS HELL

Mace:

SNORK

Lor:

YES

Lor:

she annoys me SO HARD

Mace:

AGREED

Mace:

this is what you get when dudebros try to write a strong woman character

Lor:

YYYEP

Lor:

"I came alone" aw Cas

Lor:

"I'm told you came here in an automobile"

Lor:

"slow. confining" hAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA

“what a peculiar thing you are” Gay, Lucifer. The proper term is gay.

Mace:

HAHAHAHA

Lor:

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YES

Mace:

Oh sweet Dean. That scared face

Lor:

ooooof Dean's face when he realizes it's hellhounds

Lor:

YES

Mace:

YES

Lor:

hellhounds on your trail, boy

Mace:

oh. look out, jo.

Lor:

oh. no. jo. do not get ripped to shreds. oh no

Mace:

should have slept with the hottie hunter when you had the chance, girl.

Lor:

LOL

the best part of this is how it affects Dean and as much I don't care about Jo I HATE that they killed off a female character for the effect it would have on one of the heroes and IT WORKS

Mace:

yeah

Lor:

god this scene bt Bobby and Dean

Mace:

YES

Mace:

“the devil’s in the details, Dean"

Lor:

YES

Lor:

"I've died several times myself"

Mace:

HA

Mace:

poor Dean. he is FRAYED

Lor:

RIGHT?

Lor:

he is so close to falling apart

Mace:

HE IS

Lor:

I could hold him together

Mace:

uhhuh. such a sacrificer, you

Lor:

that's me. always ready to take one for the team

Mace:

indeed

Lor:

god his FACE

Mace:

YES

Lor:

when he gets out of this situation, I will be speaking to him about leaving the “rather” out of the phrase "sooner rather than later"

Mace:

HA

Mace:

DEAN. Her innards are outards. She doesn’t feel like macking right now.

Lor:

RIGHT?

I wish they had left it at the forehead kiss

Mace:

right?!

Mace:

I’m not an Ellen fan either, but I do like the dynamic here of not leaving her daughter but choosing to die with her

Lor:

also that he hadn't tried to sleep with her earlier. it feels out of character (unless he was just looking for comfort and that's the only way he knows how to try to find any. but still. it's Jo. he's not into her)

Lor:

YES

Mace:

(yep)

Mace:

(I’m convinced that these occasional eps in which Dean acts un-Dean-like are all written by the same person)

Lor:

(yeah I wouldn't be surprised)

Mace:

UGH. the fact that Ellen has to experience Jo dying first. GAH

Lor:

RIGHT?

and that it was her refusal to leave her that made this work. bc Jo died before she could have set the bomb off

Mace:

YES

Mace:

they both can’t really believe it would be that easy and you can see it in their faces

Lor:

I love the faces like even they don't believe at first that it was that easy

Lor:

LOLOLOLOL

Mace:

YES

Lor:

ooof Sammy

Mace:

yeah

Mace:

huh. a little Dark Side dialogue there, guys

Lor:

ha!

Mace:

cloud-hopping pansies is such a good insult

Lor:

YES

he just stone-cold throws her over the holy fire and uses her as a bridge daaaaang

Mace:

he can be such a badass when he needs

Lor:

YAAAAAAS

Mace:

why take the commemorative photo if you’re just gonna burn it?

Lor:

i was JUST thinking that!

Mace:

such drama queens

Lor:

...maybe he's afraid their spriits could latch onto it and not move on?

Mace:

huh

Mace:

I’m sticking with drama queens as the reason

Lor:

or maybe someone just thought it was be a cool shot and they needed a bit of business bc otherwise SDandB and just standing there like dopes

Lor:

YES

Mace:

snork

 

[after the episode ended:]

Lor:

so I was just grabbing this convo to dump in a word doc for the post and I was looking at some of our reactions to Cas and Luci talking to each other and I had a thought (I feel like this ought to be obvious but). The behaviours in Cas that read like autism are CAS behaviours, not angel behaviours. none of the other angels are like him. he's the only socially awkward bean who doesn't get sarcasm and takes things literally. that's HIM

Mace:

Oooh, yep, that’s right

[anamelessfool]

For Marian and Jo: 3, 6, 9, and 12 ✨

Oh these were good! I had to come up with some new stuff on the fly!

OC Character Ask Link Here. I'm answering questions about Cardinal Marian, Edelweiss Ghoul, Papa Camino and Mater Jocasta.

3. Did you choose their names for how it sounds or its meaning?

Marian: I chose it originally for the sound, but I seredipitously remembered the Sisters of Mercy song Marian so I will tell you that yes, I definitely named her after that! hehe

Jocasta: I wanted a regal name, but not too biblical so I went into mythology for it. Originally considered Dido (Aeneas' lover and Queen of Carthage) but it was too soft to my ears. I didn't want any specific goddess name, it's distracting. Jocasta sounds intense and the story is dramatic and profane: Jocasta was Oedipus' Queen and Mother in the myths.

They both have full legal names. That may one day be revealed!

6. Relationship with parents?

Marian: Marian was born July 25, 1978 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania USA. Marian never had contact with her father. Her mother was a person who struggled with alcoholism and so Marian spent most of her childhood under the care of her grandmother. Her grandmother was kind but was extremely critical of Marian, especially in regards to her dark interests and her weight. Marian's grandmother died when Marian was 17 and so Marian had to move back in to her mother's care. It was eighteen months of hell and she moved out with a friend as quickly as she could.

Jocasta: Jocasta was born September 1, 1942 in a small town outside of Salzburg, Austria. She was a middle child with an older and younger brother. Her family owned the town bakery. Her father was conscripted into the army and was KIA in 1943. Both sets of grandparents, two aunts, five cousins and her mother took care of her and her siblings. She had a very supportive family that encouraged her musical talent as long as she helped the family business. (One of her jobs in the Ministry before being Nihil's protegee was baking bread for the kitchens.)

9. How easily does your OC make friends?

Marian: She is very cagey about meeting new people. She has had so many friends move away in her life that she doesn't hold on to people too seriously. Until she joined the Church. Even then, she's suspicious of kindness.

Jocasta: She makes friends, a little too easily. She's definitely one that flits from friend to friend. She engages with people on a deep level but never confides in them. She has a flirtatious nature.

12: OC Best Friends? Worst Enemy?

Marian: After joining the Church, Marian befriended Papa Emeritus Secondo's primary lover Sandra. The two women became fast friends, and then more than friends. There was an awkward falling out and Marian was struggling through it when she first got involved with Copia. Marian doesn't have enemies although Sister Imperator is intimidating.

Jocasta: Jocasta had a childhood friend Elizabeth. They moved together to the city, lived and performed together. She lost contact with Elizabeth when she emigrated to the US. Jocasta's closest friend is Sorrel Ghoul, her first ghoul she summoned.

Thank you!<3

[spnmarchmadness]

Supernatural March Madness: Round 1, Match 6

5x10 Summary: Cas tracks down Crowley, a demon in possession of the colt. Jo, Sam, & Dean confront Crowley over the colt who gives it to them without a fight, bc he wants the devil dead as well. With a newly hatched plan, the harvelles & the winchesters head to carthage. Things go badly. Very badly.

14x14 Summary: Team's on a hunt for a gay gorgon, meanwhile Cas & Dean have a heart to heart about keeping Michael locked up. Surpise surprise, Michael does get out, but Jack is not the chicken or the snake, he's a Winchester. One with fully suped up powers- he nerfs Michael and swallows up his grace.

im trying to come up with stackednatural commentary for this match up & i guess both eps are cases where the winchesters are not the heros of the hour.

[finelythreadedsky]

if u run with dido being just an imago, what is responsible for it? would it be a cruel test by venus? foreshadowed by when she turns away from him in book i and only then shows herself instead of just talking to him without trickery. if the odyssey is supposed to be the first half, then carthage is his lotus eaters, and it's just one more way to break him down to be what rome needs him to be?

(re: this post)

i want to say juno. if anyone is going to stick a mirage of carthage pulled from four centuries in the future in front of aeneas on his path from troy to italy, i think it's got to be juno-- it's her city, after all, nobody else should get to wrench it around and refract it through time.

i think this relies on interpreting juno as genuine when she initially tries to enlist venus to get aeneas to stay in carthage permanently and be dido's consort. this would prevent rome from being founded and thus prevent rome from destroying carthage in the punic wars, and it would also have the bonus of kind of subsuming the aborted rome within carthage in a subordinate position. i don't recall if there's anything in the text that suggests otherwise, but i do like the idea that juno is sincerely trying to get aeneas to stay on as prince consort of carthage and that her aims here actually overlap with what aeneas himself seems to want.

so i guess my idea is that juno's projecting this mirage of 9th-century carthage and dido into the 12th century in order to create a sort of black hole, something that can suck aeneas in and keep him there and prevent him from ever reaching italy. maybe she's even trying to push him outside of time. anything to stop him from starting the processes of the foundation of rome that will lead to the fall of carthage.

(and i don't think venus is being cruel in that scene in book 1, i think it's a factor of the vast gulf between mortals and gods and their tragic inability to connect across that gap, even when they ought to be as close to each other as mother and child. gods operate on such different understandings of the world and such different expectations of each other-- i don't think they ever really understand how mortals work, and so they always lack some fundamental ability to see how they're hurting mortals, even the ones they love. these thoughts of mine are definitely shaped by what jo walton does with apollo at the beginning of the just city and also thetis in the iliad.)

[ulkaralakbarova]

In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Bernie Tiede: Jack Black Marjorie Nugent: Shirley MacLaine Danny Buck Davidson: Matthew McConaughey Scrappy Holmes: Brady Coleman Lloyd Hornbuckle: Richard Robichaux Don Leggett: Rick Dial Sheriff Huckabee: Brandon Smith Rev. Woodard: Larry Jack Dotson Molly: Merrilee McCommas Carl: Mathew Greer Townsperson: Marjorie Dome Townsperson: Tim Cariker Townsperson: Fern Luker Townsperson: Jack Payne Townsperson: Sonny Carl Davis Townsperson: Chris Humphrey Mourner: Jesse Lucio Townsperson: Ann Reeves Townsperson: Kay Epperson Townsperson: Ira Bounds Townsperson: James Baker Townsperson: Kay McConaughey Townsperson: Kristi Youngblood Townsperson: Kenny Brevard Townsperson: Margaret Bowman Townsperson: Mollie Fuller Townsperson: Tanja Givens Townsperson: Glenda Jones Townsperson: Travis Blevins Townsperson: Sylvia Froman Townsperson: Martha Long Townsperson: Jo Perkins Townsperson: Reba Tarjick Townsperson: Dale Dudley Townsperson: James Wilson Townsperson: Teresa Edwards Townsperson: Billy Vaticalos Townsperson: Rob Anthony Larry Brumley: Tommy G. Kendrick Townsperson: Pam McDonald Townsperson: Kathy Gollmitzer Townsperson: Cozette McNeely Professor Fleming: Richard Andrew Jones Friend of Deceased: Charles Bailey Mrs. Pebworth: Suzi McLaughlin Mr. Estes: Grant James Mrs. Estes: Juli Erickson Dwayne Nugent: J.D. Young Dwayne Jr.: Charlie m Stewart Lewie: Joe Stevens Esmerelda: Raquel Gavia Church Goer: Amparo García Oil Worker: Toby Metcalf Chainsaw Artist: Doug Moreland Pianist: Edward Ji Guys & Dolls Performer: Jill Blackwood Mel: David Blackwell Kevin: Gabriel Luna Photographer: Deana Newcomb Assistant Director: David Steakley Bank Manager: Peter Harrell Jr. Deputy Sheriff: Joe Leroy Reynolds Truck Driver: Christian Stokes Generator Operator: John Hornbuckle Sheriff’s Deputy #2: Wray Crawford Café Waitress: Margaret Hoard IRS Agent: Charles Allen Eskew TV Reporter: Quita Culpepper Cashier: Mona Lee Fultz Judge: Jerry Biggs Lead Juror: Robert Works Community Theater Group: Chris Barfield Community Theater Group: Taylor Bryant Community Theater Group: Colin Bevis Community Theater Group: Jacqui Bloom Community Theater Group: Joshua Denning Community Theater Group: Ellie Edwards Community Theater Group: Alaina Flores Community Theater Group: Jennifer Foster Community Theater Group: Leslie Hethcox Community Theater Group: Jordan Hill Community Theater Group: Berkley Jones Community Theater Group: Trevor McGinnis Community Theater Group: Mika Odom Community Theater Group: Chell Parkins Community Theater Group: David Ponton Community Theater Group: Gray Randolph Community Theater Group: Rachel Hull-Ryde Community Theater Group: Ian Saunders Community Theater Group: Madelyn Shaffer Community Theater Group: Larissa Slota Community Theater Group: Daniel Rae Srivastava Community Theater Group: Ellen Stader Community Theater Group: Lara Wright Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Betty Andrews Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Marcia Bailey Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Umpy Bechtol Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Nita Bouldin Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Nellie Hickerson Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Jeanette Kloppe Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Geraldine Miller Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Sharon Rigsbee Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Debbie Shaw Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Flo Weiershausen Mrs. Senior Carthage Pageant Contestant: Gina Wooten Juror: Gary Askins Juror: Ben Bachelder Juror: Meredith Beal Juror: Stacey Bruck Juror: Michelle Briscoe Juror: Lesa Brooks Juror: Gayla Bruce Juror: Brenda Bunton Juror: Kristi Copeland Juror: Jeff Davis Juror: Orion Gallagher Juror: Kenneth C. Liverman Juror: Linda Rudwick Juror: Mary Stifflemir...

[welcometogrouchland]

My favourite part of writing enterprise is actually the fact that Jo is the token cishet of the group but is much weirder than all her friends combined.

[autumnsghosts]

Simple Man

Title: Simple Man Characters: Dean X Reader Word Count: 2293 Summary: On the night before you are set to hunt the Devil in Carthage, you convince Dean to dance with you in Bobby’s kitchen. Season 5, Episode 10. Warnings: none, I don't think. A little angst, a little fluff. A/N: Hi, I'm brand new! This has been in my head for YEARS though I finally felt brave enough to write it down. It’s my first fic. Constructive criticism is welcome, but I’m a baby writer and still need a whole lot of practice so, be kind? I would really love to hear your thoughts, though! Song

You weren’t used to having so many people in Bobby’s house. Once Sam and Dean had returned from their meeting with Crowley, explaining a plan that was so far-fetched only the Winchesters would be foolish enough to even attempt it, let alone be able to pull it off, you had immediately started cooking. Jo and Ellen were called, Castiel prayed for and soon Bobby’s house was full of all that was left of your family. You tried not to think about how Carthage sounded like carnage and the fact that you were literally going up against the Devil in less than 24 hours as you chopped vegetables and rolled out pie dough.

You had been staying with Bobby for a while now, claiming that you had simply missed him and wanted to come home, though you both knew you were checking on him. Making sure he could navigate his new life in a chair. Luckily this meant at least his kitchen was stocked for the occasion. By the time you placed two chicken pot pies on the table, an apple pie baking in the oven, you had flour smudged across your cheek, and strands of hair had escaped your messy bun but the table was set, the beer was flowing and your family has huddled around together.

The scene would have been cozy if you all didn’t know what was coming next.

“Well, if this is our last meal, it looks like a damn good one, Y/N.” Ellen offered, breaking the quiet tensions that had settled over the table, heavy and oppressive. You let out a bubble of a laugh, thanking her before setting down a basket of bread you had made the day before and claiming the chair between Sam and Dean. When there was a crisis, you got very domestic and there seemed to always be a crisis. Bobby claimed he gained ten pounds every time you came home.

Stories were shared as everyone dug in, talks of hunts gone wrong, pranks the brothers played on each other. The clang of silverware against plates, the melodic cadence of Dean’s laugh, the rap of hands slamming down on tables in fits of laughter was a song you never wanted to end. You had gotten up to retrieve another round of beers twice before the meal was over. Everyone leaned back in their chairs, stomachs full, heads buzzed from the alcohol, momentarily happy. Dean helped you clear the table and you were surprised when he stopped by the sink to help wash the dishes.

“Go ahead, I got this,” you said, nodding your head in Sam’s direction.

“I can help, you cooked for us, sweetheart. Thank you,” he said, bumping his hip against yours playfully. You didn’t want to argue, so you let him wash a few dishes before finally shooing him away towards the cooling apple pie on the counter.

You finished drying the last of the dishes, putting them away as Ellen and Jo sat drinking with Cas. You smirked, knowing that trying to get him drunk was a lost cause, but it was sweet they were trying. And that he was playing along. Your eyes drifted to Dean, as they so often did. You dried your hands on a red kitchen towel, leaning back against the sink to take him in. He truly was the most beautiful man you had ever seen.

He was sitting at the table in the study with Sam, books spread out amongst them, going over research and strategy. He was hunched over, nursing what was left of his beer before setting it back on the table. His olive green jacket made his eyes impossibly greener. He licked his lips, sighing and leaning back in his chair as he silently argued with Sam over something. You could see the resignation from where you stood, shoulders drooping, eyes downcast, head bowed. You smiled softly to yourself, reaching into the fridge for two beers before walking towards them.

“Everything okay over here?” you asked as you handed a beer to Sam, ruffling his long locks before leaning against Dean’s chair. You slid a beer to him as well, hand trailing over his shoulder and offering a gentle squeeze. You were surprised when he reached his hand up, squeezing yours in return and keeping it pinned to his shoulder. He traced tiny circles over the back of your hand with his thumb.

“Looks like Crowley was telling the truth. I’m trying to convince Sammy to stay here. If he comes with, we are marching Lucifer’s vessel right to him.” he said, his voice gruff but clear that he had already relented.

“He might be right, Sam.” you offered, worrying your bottom lip before looking up at him.

“Not you too. Like I told him, if we’re going to do this, we're going to do it together.”

You nodded at him, another soft smile gracing your lips. You felt like you were full of them lately. “Need anything?” you asked. Dean gave your hand one last squeeze before letting go.

“Nah, we’re good. Thanks, Y/N/N.” His green eyes found yours and your heart fell into your stomach. Dean had been your best friend for years, and you had been in love with him for just as long. You knew it was fruitless, that he only ever slept around and that he claimed he didn’t want to settle down. You couldn’t help but think the self-deprecating remarks he made in jest, the overwhelming guilt he carried with him everywhere he went left him feeling as if he couldn’t have anything more than casual sex, that he didn’t deserve it, and it broke your heart. You tried to show him. Tried to make him see how incredibly selfless he was, how caring and heroic and beautiful but you couldn’t push too hard or he would shrink away. All you could do was be there for him and take whatever he would give you. You were okay with that.

You gave his shoulder a pat before heading back to check on Cas. You watched as Jo got up to grab another beer from the fridge, Dean trailing after her. You didn’t want to listen to their exchange, but you couldn’t turn away. A strangled sound caught in your throat as Dean leaned down to kiss her. It was one thing to watch him pick up women at the bars, taking strangers home and using them for a physical connection they both needed, but this was Jo. You couldn’t stop the onslaught of thoughts, your brain offering cruel realizations.

It’s just you he doesn’t want.

Castiel asked if you were alright, if you were choking and needed assistance and you laughed, turning your head back to him. You had never been more glad for his complete lack of awareness towards human emotion.

“Everybody get in here! It’s time for the line-up” Bobby called a while later, setting up a camera at the far end of the room. “Usual suspects in the corner.”

Ellen wanders in, though she grumbles about no one wanting their picture taken. Everyone manages to cluster together all the same after Bobby reminds everyone who’s beer it is they are drinking.

“Anyway,” he says, wheeling back into position, “I’m going to need something to remember your sorry asses by.”

You settle in behind Bobby’s wheelchair, placing a hand over your father’s shoulder and giving it three quick pats. Dean slips his arm around your waist, fingers trailing over the patch of skin revealed below the hem of your shirt. Goosebumps canvas your skin and you hold back a shiver.

Cas sombers everyone by saying “Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the devil, this is our last night on earth.”

You can feel Dean shift, turning to look at Cas and you take a small step back, leaning against his chest, head on his shoulder for a whisper of a moment before lifting up again.

People seem to disperse after the camera flashes, left to take in the weight of Cas’ words.

Eventually, you find yourself in the kitchen, wiping down the counters and collecting empty bottles. You turned to the radio sitting in the corner, flipping through the cassette tapes littered on top before selecting one and putting it in the tape deck. The opening guitar of Simple Man fills the room and you lower the volume slightly, aware that Jo and Ellen have slipped off to sleep. Sam has wandered upstairs as well after thanking you for dinner and bending down to kiss your cheek.

You hear Dean’s footsteps behind you and you turn to him, holding out a hand for him to take. He does, eyes narrowed, eyebrows raised in a question.

“Dance with me,” you say entwining your fingers and pulling him closer. He tried to step away with a laugh, “I don’t dance, sweetheart.”

“Well, that is a flat-out lie. I have caught you on numerous occasions rocking out when you think no one is watching.”

“The point being no one is watching, and that is a lot different than dancing,” he says, pointing a finger back at you.

“Come on Dean. This might be our last night on earth. Aren’t we supposed to be, what was it? Eating, drinking, making merry?” you winked at him, a laugh catching in your throat, though you were trying your best to be stone-faced.

“Heard that, huh?” he laughed, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Heard what? You getting shot down by Jo? Oh yeah...definitely heard that.” you gave him a grin, but if you were honest, it had frozen the blood in your veins watching him flirt with her. You tried not to think about the guilt that came with your relief when she had turned him down.

“Come on, please?” you asked again, stepping closer, and this time he lets you, wrapping an arm around your waist and entwining your fingers with his other hand.

“Only because it’s Skynyrd.” he says gruffly before adding, much lower “And only ‘cause it’s you, sweetheart”. You try not to feel special, sure he’s used that line before but your heart is a traitor. It’s pounding in your chest and you’re sure it is going to rip right out and fall to the floor at his feet.

At first, you aren’t doing much dancing, swaying gently to the soft rhythm of the music. You move your hand from his shoulder, playing with the scruffy hair at the base of his neck. He lets out a sigh and you move in closer, letting your mind drift for just a moment, pretending that this could mean more than it actually does.

“This song has always reminded me of you, you know?” you admitted.

“Why, because I’m simple?” he said with a laugh, but you don’t join him. You shake your head, looking down, unable to meet his eyes as your heart breaks for him.

“No, because you should get to be. Because you deserve to be. You shouldn’t have to carry the literal weight of the world on your shoulders, Dean.” your voice is a whisper and you still can’t look at him but you hear his sharp inhale and you feel his fingers digging harder into your hip.

You’re singing along lowly, the line about finding a woman and finding love when Dean rests his forehead against yours, drawing you even closer into him and your words die in your throat. His eyes are closed when he whispers “Don’t go tomorrow. Stay here. Stay safe”

You lean back, eyes wide with shock meeting rivers of jade. You bring the hand that is resting on the back of his neck to cup his cheek.

“You know I can’t do that, Dean. This is it. This is the big one. All hands on deck.”

“That’s why I’m asking. I can’t lose you. You’ve gotta know...Y/N, you HAVE to know how I feel…” but he can’t finish his thought. Your finger has trailed over to his lips, silencing him with another soft smile and watering eyes.

“Tell me tomorrow, after we beat the devil. You can tell me then, okay?” you offer. Besides, you don’t need him to say it. Not really. Because you know Dean loves you, of course you know that. But does it change anything? It never has before, and you don’t want impending doom to be the reason it finally does. At times you think you would jump through any hoop Dean throws at you, do absolutely anything for him but deep down you know you want to be a choice. You want to be his choice.

He bites his lip, clears his throat, and nods, face reverting back to the cocky facade he so famously wears. He winks at you before pushing you away from him to spin you. Your head falls back in a genuine laugh, hair flying behind you before you’re pulled back into his embrace. Dean brings your entwined hands to rest on his chest, bringing you impossibly closer, tucking your head under his chin. You’re really dancing now, twirling softly around the kitchen, bare feet on the linoleum. You can feel the vibrations of his voice as he sings along with the song and you’re sure it is the prettiest sound you’ve ever heard.

You let yourself get lost in the moment. The feel of his body pressed against yours, his breath in your hair, his heartbeat in your ear. If this is all you will ever get from him, it might be enough.

If this is the last moment you get to spend with the man you love, it might be enough. You’d be satisfied.

[freakwiththeknifecollection]

I was always curious to ask you your thoughts on Chestervelle the first time you watched spn? Did you know what was going to happen when you watched 5x10 for the first time?

OH GOOD QUESTION!! Thank you!!

Oh, from the very beginning, watching 2x02 for the first time (2014?), Jo won me over with her introduction. I was like, okay, this girl is the best. I need to see more of her. And I shipped them starting in 2x02 lol. I've been on this train for a long time haha. I've always thought Jo was the perfect match for Dean. She challenged him and called him out on his bullshit, and he needs a partner like that. Not that Jo's perfect. She isn't either. But they complement each other and have a good balance, I think. So yeah, basically my first impression hasn't changed 😂 maybe just evolved from analyzing them like it's my job lmao

And no I had NO IDEA what would happen in 5x10 I was DEVASTATED (TWICE. the kiss bait scene and then Carthage 🥲)

[interitios]

concerning the apocalypse when lucifer and the demons took over the town of carthage , killing the majority of the people and possession enough to control death himself, at the time azrael was there along with hundreds of reapers. which signals something big  is happening  and a lot of death .   

and since azrael had orders plainly laid out before her , she didn’t intervene. especially with castiel’s capture by lucifer , meg and her hellhounds chasing the winchesters , jo and helen.  as well as jo and helen’s death . she couldn’t .  it all had to happen since it was apart of the apocalypse plans. lucifer also knew azrael was in town considering her angelic essence could be felt strongly  which led them into having a little chat prior to the events of castiel’s capture .  azrael always shows up when there is something major going on and all the reapers flock to a certain area.  

  she holds a mutual respect relationship with lucifer  despite his departure from heaven. he knows that she’s a big part of the apocalypse and the fact that she’s not biased at all during it .  

she’s his littlest archangel sister and the two were once super close before he was cast out.   azrael’s own admiration of her older brother hasn’t changed at all .  she still loves him . 

[banshee1013]

Suptober Day 2 - Earth

Title: The Road Less Traveled (subject to change)

Overall Rating: Mature (may change to Explicit, heed the tags for each entry)

Tags: Castiel/Dean, mention of Sam/Eileen, Post-Season 15, ExAngel!Cas, MostlyRetiredHunter!Dean, Road Trip

(Note: all ficlets are unbeta’d. At the end of the month, I’ll wrap up whatever I manage to get written, clean it up, get it beta’d, and post to AO3. So please pardon any mistakes!)

============================================

CHAPTER TWO - Earth

Words: 777

“This was a wonderful idea, Dean. It’s very beautiful here.” 

Cas sighs in contentment against Dean’s shoulder. Dean drops a kiss on the top of his head and pulls him closer, his fingers drifting from Cas’ shoulder to run idly through his hair.

When Dean had proposed the road trip, he really hadn’t planned the route out. All he cared about at the time was getting the hell outta Dodge before he went insane from boredom.

But once on the road, he knew where their first stop had to be. 

They’re sitting on a blanket, backs propped against the side of the Impala, on the side of a nondescript road just off I80 outside of Gothenberg, Nebraska. A line of maple trees rose in the distance, swaying in the gentle breeze.

In the foreground, a slab of concrete. All that remained of Harvelle’s Roadhouse. 

Nature had reclaimed the surrounding area, replacing the dirt parking lot with a field of rolling prairie grass.  And, somehow, bushes of flaming yellow-orange Black-Eyed Susans sprouted all around the concrete slab.

Over the last few years, Dean had often found himself here; sometimes with Sam, but more often  just by himself. It was Ash’s last resting place - and if there would have been anything left of Ellen and Jo after the showdown in Carthage, he would have brought them here as well. 

Dean’s not a sentimental guy (or so he tells himself), but the riot of Black-Eyed Susans makes him feel like they might have made it back here anyway.

But Cas has never been here. Even though he knew Ellen and Jo (though he never got to meet Ash - now that meeting would have been hilarious), somehow he had always been somewhere else when Dean had come here. Dean knew that was something he needed to correct.

Now they sit in the late afternoon sunlight, the remnants of their picnic lunch next to them - ham and swiss for Dean, PB&J for Cas (one of the perks of being mostly-human again - Cas’ beloved PB&J no longer tastes like molecules). The noises Cas made while devouring it were rapturous enough to both turn Dean on and  make him wonder if it was wrong to be jealous of a sandwich.

Dean takes another pull from the bottle of beer in his hand and lets himself be lulled by the peace and beauty around him.

He’s stirred from his reverie by Cas pulling away from his shoulder, shifting to his knees and crawling slowly to the edge of the blanket, where a smaller bush of Black-Eyed Susans cheerily waves in the breeze. Dean follows his gaze, and sees, perched upon one of the blooms, a plump fuzzy bumblebee.

Dean watches, puzzled, as Cas approaches the bee, crouching further to be at eye level with it. The bee trundles around the center of the flower, and Cas continues to watch, his blue eyes wide with wonder and lips curling up in delight. 

The bee, apparently satisfied with its pollen load, rises from the flower, and Cas rises with it. It sails away, the buzz of its wings resonating in the stillness of the afternoon - and Cas follows.

Cas follows the bees.

And Dean follows Cas.

The bee floats on the air, and lights on another Black-Eyed Susan on one of the bushes near the Roadhouse’s foundation. Cas stops but does not kneel, for suddenly he is surrounded by bees. 

They don’t land on him; instead, one by one, they fly close and then dart away, as if sensing something wonderful and strange that must be investigated. Cas stands perfectly still, a look of pure joy on his face, and Dean’s breath catches in his chest. 

For a moment Dean sees Castiel, Angel of Thursday and Shield of God, as he was millenia ago when he walked the Earth and mankind was not even an inkling of a thought. A shaft of sunlight reflecting through the trees catches him and sets his dark hair aflame in gold, sets his blue eyes aglow. 

And then just as suddenly, the sun darts behind a cloud, the bees scatter and fly away, and it’s Cas, the love of Dean’s life, who turns to stare at him, the look of joy and wonder still shining on his face. 

“Of all my Father’s deeds, for good or ill, isn’t the Earth the most magnificent of them?” Cas asks, his voice barely above a whisper. “The most beautiful?” 

Dean approaches Cas slowly and wraps him up in his arms.

“Yeah, it’s pretty great.,” he whispers into Cas’ ear, and smiles at the shiver that rolls down Cas’ spine. “Almost as much as you.”

[darkshrimpemotions]

Okay but do you think Dean always picks out a carefully considered spot to scatter the ashes of a lost loved one? Or did he only do that for Cas because it hit him so damn hard?

Like did he do it for Charlie? Bobby? Mary? D'you think he gathered Kevin's ashes in a box or a jar and handed them to Sam and told him to do it, feeling like he had no right to make that choice because he blamed himself so much for Kevin dying?

Do you think he snuck back to the smoldering rubble of that warehouse in Carthage, took a handful of dust in each fist, and scattered them somewhere beautiful in honor of Ellen and Jo? Maybe the same place he picked for Ash three years prior?