#also second person? why second person. why did Crowley of all people appeal to my second person writing

[quietwingsinthesky]

For the fic thing: Crowley + Lucifer + hellhounds in one of what I imagine to be the very few peaceful discussions they’ve ever had.

Peaceful. Yeah. Peaceful:

What a thing it is to stand trial before a false god, the Colt undeniably passed from you to the Winchesters, with Lucifer playing judge to pass the time rather than to convict.

“I can’t deny your work ethic, child,” he says, like you are his creation and not your own, “crossroads king,” with more contempt, “but you could learn a thing or two from your hound.”

Growley sits quiet at his feet, Lucifer’s hand in his fur, like a good dog should, but you and your hound both know how well deference can mask deceit.

[gentlemanjuniper]

If I could inject just a little positivity to the news...

Season 2 has a lot of filler and stretches out a pretty simple mystery to six episodes. That's the appeal to some, I get it. But tightness and focus was not its strong suit. I remember feeling like it wasted a ton of time on side characters and it's possible shaving the story down to 90 minutes will skim things down to its most essential beats and be stronger for it. Basically, S2 got a lot of time given to it, and this is obviously my personal opinion but I don't think it used all of it well. I think S2 itself could have been half the length simply by employing more efficient storytelling and we'd not mourn too much.

A lot of S2's weaker plotlines feel built around people that Neil wanted to work with again, with so many recurring actors (I'm thinking of the zombies specifically, when that minisode could have easily been tighter without them). A lot of s2 to me feels like Neil just making work for the people he likes and wants to work with and a movie has to be more accountable to things like that.

Lots of entire fandoms exist around single movies. 90 minutes is not nothing. It's enough for many, many films to tell a complete story with cute character interactions and satisfying emotional arcs, especially when A&C are the only real significant connecting threads between both seasons thus far.

I don't think there are as many loose threads that absolutely need resolving as people may be thinking. Would I like to know why Aziraphale did the '40s apology dance? Would I like to see his bookshop gun? Sure. Are either of those necessarily essential to closing out the story? I don't think so. Really, what needs resolving is the second coming and, directly connected to that, Aziraphale and Crowley's rift. To me, not knowing the story obviously, that seems super reasonable to do in 90 minutes?

I don't think anyone involved in the final season can possibly be blind to the appeal of the show being Aziraphale and Crowley over anything else. That's certainly the reason why their roles were expanded to begin with from the book and why the second season was, nominally, all about them. They also now have to pay MS and DT for appearing in a movie rather than an ensemble show, there's no way they won't be front and center. Amazon wants a show that will make money and market itself; there's a reason why all the promo material for S2 was of Crowley and Aziraphale, because people engage with that stuff, reblog it, make art that promotes the show, etc. It makes no artistic or financial sense to make a movie that sidelines them.

GO is at its best when it has Terry's voice most strongly in it. That's why to me, S2 was a weaker, more meandering season overall (that, and I think the minisodes, while fun, just make the season feel comprised of different voices not always working in tandem towards a common goal). If I was a writer hired to condense a season into a film, and one of the authors had been rightfully disgraced, I would go out of my way to ensure the clearly Terry stuff is most significantly emphasized. It's telling to me that the Pratchett estate is producing and it's possible that the end result will result in more Terry, less Neil.

Think of it this way: everything we've gotten after S1 has always been extra. Imagine telling a fan of the book in the 90s that not only will you get a six episode adaptation, you also get a totally new second season, AND a movie?

Basically: I know this is disappointing but I think a lot of the pleasure of the Good Omens fandom was ALWAYS people picking up on and expanding on details, and y'all managed to do that just fine when A&C were only ensemble members in S1. You can and will do that with a movie too. And this solution both a) ensures first and foremost that Neil won't be involved or the allegations swept under the rug, and b) gives an opportunity for the heart of the story to be emphasized with greater focus, clarity and less filler.

Will we lose good stuff? Probably. But it's also possible we will get a tighter, more condensed, focused version of the best bits, the Terry Pratchett-est bits. I can easily see a 90 minute movie that, knowing they HAVE to focus on the important stuff now, is more Crowley and Aziraphale centric than ever.

[grassangel]

Thoughts on GO2

Spoilers ahead

So I might just be a bit pleased with myself that I read Bad Grace, oh, 15 years ago? Which I always muddle up with Manchester Lost, but is definitely the superior fanfic because it's actually kind of likely. And given the ending of GO2? Very definitely likely that like Bad Grace, the second coming of Christ is going to be a girl and she, like Adam, will agree that Earth's quite nice actually. (And be implied to get together.)

Which will make some fans complain that Gneil has been reading fanfic on the sly, but like. that's the hallmark of good fanfic: working with the same ingredients and stirring in a similar fashion landing you a similar dish. And the Good Omens fandom is over 30 years old, there's been plenty of time to experiment with technique and ingredient combos.

And possibly also why Gneil has emphasised he can't read fanfic, because yeah, this does happen often enough that writers/authors will tread the same path as fic writers and have to prove their independent working.

Am I a bit miffed that the third act isn't Heaven, Hell and humans waging war against God? A little. But I suppose my personal second act headcanon of Heaven & Hell vs humans as the official third/final act is good too.

Anyway, I did feel the six episodes was a bit too long for what Gneil admits is pretty much a bridging season to get everyone into position for how the sequel would have started. Even if having s1: 6 episodes, s2: 6 episodes and s3: 6 episodes all lined up read like 666 is very funny. I did like that we finally got a bit more of Crowley Questioning things, Aziraphale's awful 'the poor have more chances to do good!' stance and showing, if not saying, that demons are from angelic stock. (I might have been mentally shouting 'Angelic stock!' every time I saw Crowley in his heavenly disguise before watching this season.)

There was a lot of 'Aziraphale and Crowley through history' - which yes, we all loved the cold open in s1, but I at least liked it because it was a depiction of The Arrangement and how it came about - and these bits in this season were decidedly NOT about The Arrangement. (Though again, I did like how we were shown Crowley is skeptical of this whole 'God's plan' thing.)

I would have appreciated more layering to the narrative and more parallels to Crowley and Aziraphale. Yes, we got Maggie and Nina, Gabriel and Beezlebub, but both of those pairings barely featured. Personally I'd have included Beezlebub in the Job sequence to further ram home the whole 'equal but opposite' thing. I'm surprised there wasn't a flashback to Jane Austen's heist with pointedly familiar people, and I would have rather had that than the WWII sequence, which rather lacked the opposite, but equally incompetent, heavenly snooping. Maybe have Nina and Maggie going around after Aziraphale and Crowley talking to the other shopkeepers about Nina's stance on the lights. Have a bit more demonic grumbling about Beezlebub - whether about her being a hardass trying to track Gabriel down or her not doing much since the Armagedidn't. Also, more of the fly and Jim being protective about it.

Because yeah, the last episode didn't quite feel earned. It would have felt more fitting to keep the general last 10 minutes, but like how Maggie and Nina aren't a certain thing, Aziraphale and Crowley aren't either so what is the point of the kiss? Like keep Aziraphale's notion of turning Crowley 'good' (please read that in the same way Michelle Gomez said 'good' in an extremely thick Scottish accent as Missy) and his extremely misguided belief that Heaven is good because they're heaven, but less kissing and more appealing that they're the same and humans don't need either demons or angels to do good or evil. (I personally love to hate Aziraphale being an asshole, and that was possibly the truest to the book part of the series.) (And while I do love a 'Crowley turns back into an angel' fic, I pretty much only like it when it's incidental/he does too many 'good' things/God decides to fuck around.)

No notes given on Muriel. I love her and want to be her friend.

[captainclickycat]

(God I wish I knew how to do this properly but here goes nothing...) For the fandom ask game can I give you Cabin Pressure, Wooden Overcoats and Good Omens?

Referencing this ask, I think?

Thank you @offshootrosebud ! I’ll answer them in the order you sent.

Blorbo (favourite character, character I think about the most)

Ok this is near-impossible with CP, because I think a massive key part of the show’s appeal and why it works so well is the way the main four interact and play off each other. I can’t select just one! They don’t come separate! They’re pack animals! So I’ll cheat and say Gerti, because Gerti usually contains the main four.

WO: it’s a hard one, but at the moment it probably has to be Antigone. Is it the voice? I’ll be honest, a good chunk of it is probably the voice. But also she’s so entertainingly hammy at times (“it’s alive it’s alive it’s aliiiiiiiiive!!”) and enthusiastic about corpses and has some very thoughtful character development and is a great character to invoke in times of anger and frustration… there’s a lot to be said for saying things like “I never dream at night because my days are full of nightmaaaaaaaares” in your head in times of stress (or indeed mild inconvenience.) Also she has a really nice voice. Did I mention that?

Crowley. Bit of a toss-up between him and Aziraphale, but Crowley wins out because, like Antigone, he has a lot of therapeutic appeal. Even now when I have to deal with some everyday annoyance, I can still amuse myself a little by saying to myself that Crowley invented it. He’s entertainingly dorky in only the way that people who are trying very hard to be Cool can be, and if I’m writing GO fics his POV tends to be the one I gravitate to, even though Aziraphale is probably the character I have more in common with. Plus David Tennant is pretty, if we’re going with the TV version.

Scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is so shaped)

I suppose Arthur is the most likely contender here? I’d be nice to him if I was a customer, even if he dumped coffee in my lap by mistake or something.

Well, Madeleine is very small, so she’s a contender. But Mayor Desmond also has a lot of endearing appeal. Look at him hiding under his desk.

It’s tricky with GO. Crowley has his “heartstrings” moments, but I feel like if I tried to fuss over him he’d find it condescending and possibly bite me. Same goes for Aziraphale, really… if anyone else tried to fuss over him, Crowley would bite them. Maybe Dog. Shall we say Dog?

Scrimblo Bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

He’s not really underrated or underappreciated, but Mr Birling does deserve a mention for being the first character to really make me laugh. Like “doubled over in pain” laugh.

I’d say Nana Crusoe, but to be fair I feel like she probably does get her share of positive attention. Still, she’s probably not necessarily the first character people think of when asked who their favourite is, so I’m claiming this one. She’s one of the funniest characters and it’s cool how she gets around and when she died I was Very Sad.

The Bikers of the Apocalypse! Listen, I get why they didn’t make it into the TV adaptation. I know you can’t get everything in. But all the same, I missed them and their arguments about what their horseman names were going to be. I still lose it at “really cool people”.

Glup shitto (Obscure fave: character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Ruth’s husband, whose name I’ve forgotten. He was a laugh.

Baron von Undercrackers. I’d have liked to see him running for mayor.

Sarah Young! I have so many questions about Sarah. Why did she only warrant exactly two mentions in the book before never turning up again or playing any part in the story whatsoever? What kind of a person is she? Did she and her boyfriend go to Spain again one day and never come back? Did she notice there was something weird going on with her little brother? We’ve got a treasure trove of potential on our hands here. (I suppose there’s also that guy in the turban who grins at A&C in the TV show, but tbf he’s already got his fair share of fandom appreciation)

Poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Martin Crieff is a poor little meow meow if ever I saw one. Of course I realise that in fandom terms he’s actually pretty popular, but in-universe not really. As an audience member I can sort of root for him, but I know that if I met him in real life I’d likely just find him really annoying.

Rudyard, for largely similar reasons.

Urgh this one’s tricky. There’s Newt, I suppose. Sometimes I find myself relating to him and I feel weird about that. Shadwell also crossed my mind for this one, because he’s so stupid and over-the-top it’s funny, but I’m planning on mentioning him later on and no way is he making it on here twice.

Horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason):

Herc. I’m sorry Herc. You’re perfectly decent. But I would also like to see you try to square off against a sheep.

Eric, hands down. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed at an episode as much as The Sunshine Treatment. Absolutely lost it at “Maybe Mr Sunshine Man will know what to do?…Oh, that’s right. He’s dead.”

Gabriel. I’d want some scenario where he has to confront everyday human things, like getting ketchup on his suit or stepping in a dog turd, or when he has to explain the whole pregnancy thing to Mary, and absolutely goes to pieces because he’s not used to having to deal with this sort of thing.

Eeby Deeby (character I would send to superhell)

Mr Leeman. At least he could smoke there.

Mr Askey. Although he’d probably get kicked out for upsetting the rest of the damned.

Shadwell. He’d manage fine, anyway. He’d just headbutt the devil.

[mostweakhamlets]

Cake Heals All Wounds Pt. 2

this was initially posted on my patreon check that out if you have a few dollars to spare a month and enjoy content about the husbands, historical lesbians, and sheep. can also be read on my ao3

Aziraphale took a step closer to Crowley as directed. It was a bit chilly on the field. His hands were frigid, and the tip of his nose felt like ice.

“Half a step closer.”

Aziraphale took the half step. They were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. They had been told to stand closer, to do more together in bits during baking, since the first series did so well. The producers told them that they were half of the appeal of the show for the audience. They were charming, apparently, and had good chemistry.

Aziraphale wasn’t sure how to feel about any of it. Of course, he adored working with Crowley. There wasn’t anyone else he’d rather do the show with every week. But he felt butterflies whenever he came across an article online complementing his and Crowley’s partnership or whenever producers asked for them to be a bit more chummy on camera.

“Ready? Action.”

“Hello,” Crowley said. “It’s our second week of baking.”

Crowley was wonderfully professional in his own way. Aziraphale admired how his takes were nearly always perfect despite him reading the scripts the morning of. He admired how he strayed from suggestions on set to let his true personality shine through. Crowley won him over the day he helped a crying baker move her cracking cake from the cooling rack to the presentation tray. They had been instructed to not help contestants, but Crowley insisted later that it would have been too cruel to stand by and watch. It wasn’t a big deal, he had said, because someone else would have stepped in if he hadn’t been the first to spot the disaster.

“Which means it’s French week,” Aziraphale said.

“I thought it was bread week.”

Aziraphale looked away from the camera and to Crowley. He was smiling, eyes hidden behind his signature sunglasses.

“What?”

“It’s bread week,” Gabriel called out, arms crossed over his suit-clad chest.

Aziraphale grabbed his fingers on his left hand and rubbed. “Oh! Oh, that’s right. I’ve got my weeks all mixed up.”

“Bread week and French week might as well be all rolled into one,” Crowley said, nudging Aziraphale gently.

“Take it from the beginning. Quiet on set. And action!”

“Hello,” Crowley repeated. “It’s our second week of baking.”

“Which means that it’s bread week!”

“And it’s no easy feat to impress our judges with yeasty creations.” Crowley turned to Aziraphale. “The bakers will have a lot to prove, yeah?”

Aziraphale genuinely laughed. He had read the script and groaned at the pun, but Crowley delivering it was different. He said it so casually. It would take viewers a second to realize a joke was even told and then join Aziraphale in his breathy chuckle.

And that was the fun of working with Crowley. He was good at taking their hammy lines and making them palatable.

“That was awful,” Crowley said once they were on their way back to the tent. Aziraphale enjoyed the peace off camera. It was a short walk from one filming spot to another, but they took their time with a slow saunter. “Think they’d let me start writing my own jokes?”

“Why? Are you funny?”

“Hey! I can be!”

“Oh!” Aziraphale’s cheeks burned, and he raised his hands to them. “I didn’t mean it like that!”

“How’d you mean it, then?”

“Just that… well, you know. There’s skill to it. There’s people who spend a lot of time working on our jokes and other jokes. I just don’t know if they’d pass it on to someone without experience.”

Perhaps if they knew each other better, Aziraphale wouldn’t be so flustered. He would continue on as he accidentally started—picking on Crowley in a way close friends did. But for now, there was fear that Crowley took it the wrong way.

“I have over 40 years experience of being funny,” Crowley said. “They should be lucky to have me.”

“We are—they are.”

They take their places behind the wall of the baking room and wait to be called out. Aziraphale sips at the cup of tea that was brought to him, glancing nervously at Crowley who’s on his phone. Probably texting someone about how the twat he works with just fucked up their first take and then insulted him.

Aziraphale could hear the contestants walk in and be directed to stand at their stations. There was commotion and then silence, and then Aziraphale and Crowley were being prepped to step out.

Aziraphale forced a smile as he stood next to Crowley. His heart raced.

“Welcome back to week two,” Crowley said. He was so relaxed. Hands in pockets, a slight slouch, a lazy smile. “Your first challenge is about to start.”

“You’re being asked to bake brioche buns today…”

They nailed the announcement without Aziraphale flubbing again. The bakers laughed and readied their bowls and spoons.

After two hours of watching frantic mixing and decorating, Aziraphale and Crowley took their places at the front of the kitchen and announced that time was up.

In person, it wasn’t too dramatic. The bakers laid their bread at the end of the table, wiped their hands, and looked around to see what everyone else had done. On TV, there would be dramatic music and those with the most worried faces would get close-ups.

Aziraphale tried his best to keep a reasonable distance between him and Crowley. Through the baking, Crowley had done his part and talked to the bakers, keeping them calm when they needed it and joking about the state of some messy doughs. Aziraphale had given out his signature pep talks and shared stories about the best brioche he had 10 years before. But neither had come too close when they were allowing the contestants to bake in peace.

Crowley had sneakily checked his phone a few times when cameras were pointed away. Aziraphale had another cup of tea. They barely said a word to one another until they were joined by the judges and traveling from station to station, and Aziraphale could tell it was deliberate. His stomach churned whenever he looked at Crowley.

Of course, he couldn’t have expected Crowley to want him as company. He didn’t even want himself as company. Surely, there would be a way for either of them to get out of their contracts early.

The cameras were on them, though, and he had to smile through it. There would be time to wallow in his own self-pity when he was in the privacy of his own home.

“They came out beautifully,” Aziraphale whispered to Newt, who had six brioche cherubs in front of him. They were simple. Nothing more than a slightly-chubby figure one would see from a cookie cutter.

“Look at their little smiles and eyes!” Crowley pointed to the scoring that made tiny smiles and eyes of candy buttons. “They look like you.”

Aziraphale blinked. “Me?”

“Yeah. I’ve always thought you looked like an angel.”

He didn’t know how to respond. Crowley smiled at him. That dumb, charming smile that melted everyone.

“Really?”

Aziraphale didn’t listen to the judges say that the bread was underproved or that they had been baked just right. He only thought about Crowley snagging a wing off the plate and leaning in to apologize for eating “one of your own, angel.”

Angel.

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

(Vol. XXIV)

It was a love story, from the very beginning.

Heartbroken

(6x20/6x21/6x22)

Hello my dears! How are you? This is another Chronicle and the last one for season 6!!

This is gonna be a hard meta... *Sobbing* we're here together so...

Thanks to my friend @agusvedder she made the gifs for this meta and discussed a while crying profusely, with me.

Ok, let's start with this!

When Cas broke Dean's heart

Still in episode 6x20...

When Cas saves the guys from demons, Dean is happy to see him, and everyone in the room felt sorry for doubt about him, but...

Remember all that blind trust Dean had in Castiel, even with the proof on the table? Well... Cas said something that broke Dean's heart and trust. He mentioned the whole Superman going to the dark side thing. A talk Bobby, Dean and Sam had gotten alone, well, they thought they were alone.

And Dean's face is... Gah... He realizes Cas is spying on them, and lying, and cheating... And... His heart breaks and is all over his face.

Even his smile is sad, very sad... Mixed with anger.

And then we are dragged again to Cas's memories...

You know when you watch your crush with longing eyes... Yes... Cas contemplating Dean, is a very romantic scene, he didn't want to perturbed him, and in his own words...

CASTIEL So I went to an old friend for help. But watching him, I stopped. Everything he sacrificed, and I was about to ask him for more.

Is curious how an ancient creature as Cas thinks his friendship with Dean is old. Dean is an old friend of Castiel.

And also... He saw Dean was having a good life, well, that's what he thought, and because he loves him, he didn't want to break that life. He, as Bobby and Sam, thought Dean wanted that life, they assumed Dean was happy having that life. And they were wrong.

In this point, Crowley appears... He's the temptation here, and Cas fell for it. The devil tempting a desperate angel that needs more power to stop the new Apocalypse and save the world and his friends. His old friend, mostly, Dean Winchester.

So, he did it for him? Sure. He'll say that later...

Falling in Temptation

Is very interesting to analyze the sequence of how Crowley tempts Castiel... Is the same mechanism the devil uses with his victims...

First of all... The adulation...

CASTIEL: I'm not strong enough, and you know it.

CROWLEY: Ah, not on your own, you're not. But you're not on your own, are you? There's a lot of angels swooning over you. "God's favorite." Buddy boy, you've got what they call sex appeal.

CASTIEL: Thank you. Get to the point.

Watch here how Crowley praises him, you're the God's fav, angels follow you, you have sex appeal... I mean... Is obvious he's trying to seduce Castiel to make him accept a deal with Hell... Is the same method the devil uses for tempting humanity.

The second part of this is the offer... Generally, the offer is POWER, so here... Is the same.

CASTIEL: This is ridiculous. I mean, the amount of power that it would take to mount a war...

CROWLEY: More than either of us have ever seen, yeah. But what if I said I knew how to go nuclear?

CASTIEL What do you mean?

CROWLEY: Purgatory, my fine feathered friend. Purgatory. Just think about it. An untapped oil well of every fanged, clawed soul. I mean, what's that over the years? 30 million? 40 million? Just sitting there, plump and rich for the taking.

Here is when Crowley put the coin, he does adulated Cas and now he offered him a way to win the war... Becoming nuclear, the immense power of souls... So Cas takes it.

But there's something interesting too when Crowley designed the plan, he infered he needed Sam and Dean to get the monsters, and Cas was determinant here ...

CASTIEL No. Not Dean. He's retired, and he's to stay that way.

He's protecting Dean's apple pie life, he thought this was a way to protect him. He wouldn't let Crowley to hurt Dean or to get him into that war.

The Betrayal

Well, we need enter now in the worst par of all... Let me cry under that tree for a moment... I'll be right back...

Ok... Let's start this...

Dean prays to Castiel and he appears, they lock Cas in an angel trap, and Bobby and Sam began to confront him.

And because he's desperately looking to one side and another but avoiding Dean's gaze... This is what happens... (Damn...)

You know how sacred are our Destiel's stares... They talk with their eyes. Is the way they share their emotions... So Dean needed that, Castiel look at me in the eye!

It hurts a lot, because Dean's facial expression when Cas averted his eyes to the ground, because it was truth. Dean is heartbroken.

Dean named the things Bobby and Sam had been trying to make him see. And he can't believe it. He can't believe HIS CAS, the one he was defending with his whole body and soul against the suspicious, had betrayed him... And everything was truth.

I need some ice cream and cry a lot...

After this the confrontation goes on, and Sam is thinking Cas saved him from Hell without soul on purpose? That's the extreme of Castiel becoming evil, but Sam is thinking that because he never trusted blindly in Castiel, because he was Dean's best friend, not his... (But this will change in the next season. Their relationship will have an important turn.)

The next time Dean talks is here...

CASTIEL Listen. Raphael will kill us all. He'll turn the world into a graveyard. I had no choice.

DEAN: No, you had a choice. You just made the wrong one.

(This is the next thing Dean said to Cas, he had a choice, ask him for help, he's showing him the path he should choose. He's teaching him, as always.)

CASTIEL: You don't understand. It's complicated.

DEAN: No, actually, it's not, and you know that. Why else would you keep this whole thing a secret, huh, unless you knew that it was wrong? When crap like this comes around, we deal with it... Like we always have. What we don't do is we don't go out and make another deal with the Devil!

Here, Dean gets mad because he more listen Castiel's excuses, he more understands Castiel's is covering his lies with more lies.

CASTIEL: It sounds so simple when you say it like that. 

This is so, so romantic people, the longing stares, the sadness in their eyes. Is like loosing a precious thing you found, a precious, beautiful and warm thing, that vanishes. It was Dean's hopes and faith. Cas was his savior, his best friend, his angel.

Give me just a minute, I need to roll on the floor and cry a little more ...

And then... The danger is near again, and Cas is trapped but he's worried about them, and he asks them to leave, to run... And that last looks between them... People who says this isn't a romantic scene... Fight me, because that's Dean saying... "Why you did this to me?, I love you," and Cas is saying "I love you too, but I had to do it. The mission comes first."

They talk with their eyes people...

Destiel breakup

Ok... Idk if Bobby draw the no angel sigil wrong, I like to think it was Dean. Because is weird Bobby not doing things like that well... And Dean wanted to talk with CAS again... It's obvious because he will try twice to convince him.

CASTIEL: I'm doing this for you, Dean. I'm doing this because of you.

Well we have the confirmation here, is for him, for Dean, to protect him.

DEAN Because of me. Yeah. You got to be kidding me.

CASTIEL You're the one who taught me that freedom and free will --

DEAN You're a freakin' child, you know that? Just because you can do what you want doesn't mean that you get to do whatever you want!

Dean knows Cas tries to do things right, he was his free will teacher, that's why now, he'll try to convince Cas.

Now... First try...

DEAN I'm not gonna logic you, okay? I'm saying don't...Just 'cause. I'm asking you not to. That's it.

CASTIEL I don't understand.

Dean is asking desperately, because he sees Castiel has his mission in first place, and it doesn't let him see things as Dean want him to see it. So he says I SAY YOU DON'T, SO YOU DON'T, THAT'S IT. Like a father to a child.

Second intent...

DEAN Look, next to Sam, you and Bobby are the closest things I have to family -- that you are like a brother to me. So, if I'm asking you not to do something...You got to trust me, man.

Again, he uses the same technic, but Cas just gets it as an attempt of defiance... Bc he's at war.

CASTIEL Or what?

Here's a different way to impose his power over Dean with that time Soulless!Sam tried to defy him. He went straight to confront him physically, invading his personal space, showing him not fear, "Would you, boy? How?"

This time... Is Dean... So... The way he says these words, with sorrow in his face. That's the difference between you and me, Dean... I'm an angel, you're just a man. We're from two different worlds... I'm stronger than you. So don't say you would stop me as if I was a monster.

DEAN I don't know. I've taken some pretty big fish.

CASTIEL I'm sorry, Dean.

DEAN Well, I'm sorry, too, then.

Mission comes first. Cas is a soldier.

This was their break up.

Loosing people, loosing you

If you were sobbing with 6x20, now 6x21 is... A sea of tear... "Let it Bleed".

At the beginning of the episode they're talking about Cas, Dean's face is a mix of sadness and longing, he's asking a question he maybe already knew, why did Cas come last night? If he didn't want to fix things?

Dean wanted to fix things with CAS, so when he saw him he tried fiercely to convince him, but he couldn't, then Bobby reveals Cas stole some book.

More dagas in Dean's heart. So he didn't come to see me, but to steel some book?

Crowley kidnapped Lisa and Ben, and Dean got crazy... Sam wanted to help him but he didn't know how... Balthazar didn't want to help, so he proposed something...

SAM: Look, Dean. Let's just call Cas. Maybe he doesn't know anything about this.

DEAN: We are not calling Cas.

SAM: Yeah, but Dean.

DEAN: We're not calling Cas!

Definitely not calling Cas, Dean is tremendously mad at him.

He will try to get some info from demons, and one will attack him... Cas will save him, and again... The struggling with the feelings...

This time is Cas trying to convince Dean he had not choice and he has to do it.

And the following lines...

Gah!!! That had to hurt... Damn, Cas you don't have to say Dean things he already knew... You was his ally, his best friend. He trusted you with his life. But Castiel's face is like someone who's pleading... Please Dean understand, forgive me, I love you. I'm doing this for you.

Can I die now?

And Dean's face is... Ugh! Suffering, suffering... I love you man, but you just screwed things up, badly, I can't forgive you.

And then...

CASTIEL: I came to tell you that I will find Lisa and Ben, and I will bring them back. Stand behind me, the one time I ask.

DEAN: You're asking me to stand down?

CASTIEL: Dean.

DEAN: That's the same damn ransom note that Crowley handed me. You know that, right? Well no thanks. I'll find 'em myself. In fact, why don't you go back to Crowley and tell him that I said you can both kiss my ass.

Now he's mad, very mad... He walks away and gives Castiel his back, clenching his fist with anger.

He's trying to control himself, he can't believe CAS is talking like Crowley, is the worst, where's his Castiel???

The face he made after Cas is gone is priceless, is a mix between pain, anger and sadness... Gah.

Ok, hospital... Lisa is in bad shape... And Castiel appears...

DEAN: What do you want?

He's so, so mad at Cas.

CASTIEL: Dean, listen.

DEAN: What do you want me to say? She'll be dead by midnight.

CASTIEL: I'm sorry.

DEAN: I don't care. It's too little, too late.

CASTIEL: Okay. Well, regardless, I didn't come for you.

DEAN: Meaning?

CASTIEL: (he walks up to Lisa and places his hand on her forehead, healing her) She's fine now. She'll wake soon. Dean, I said I'm sorry and I meant it.

Ok... This was sad and it'll be the last time they will talk about it before Cas become Godstiel.

Dean is heartbroken, he lost Lisa, Ben and now Cas... Because he can't elaborate in his head Cas isn't his friend anymore. So heartbroken, his face is priceless here. His eyes with unshed tears. Because of CAS. He will ask him to erase Ben and Lisa memories, but Castiel's Betrayal, as he will say in 7x17, he couldn't swallow it... So yes, this face is mostly for Castiel. Bc he lost him.

Godstiel, and the last intent to get Cas back

In episode 6x22, the last of the season, Cas did two things, in my opinion, were out of character.

1) He broke Sam's mental war (when in Season 5 he will kill anyone who tries to hurt him) he never NEVER would do something to hurt Sam.

2) He killed Balthazar, another friend, bc he felt he'd betrayed him.

Ok... This maybe was used by the showrunner to present us the wrong path Cas was following to his mere death.

Don't worry, she'll be asked to fix this by writing Castiel's return to the show in 7x17 (oops).

After doing these two things, he become Godstiel, he wasn't Cas, he was a new entity.

The way he was talking to Dean showed us that. He was like a heartless powerful creature.

Even so, Dean will try to get to him...

We can see in the hunter's face fears and concern about his friend...

DEAN: Listen to me. Listen, I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once. I'd have died for you. I almost did a few times. So if that means anything to you... Please. I've lost Lisa, I've lost Ben, and now I've lost Sam. Don't make me lose you too. You don't need this kind of juice anymore, Cas. Get rid of it before it kills us all.

So desperate, he knew it was a huge danger Cas was like a nuclear bomb, but there's love in his words. He's trying his best to get his angel back. It was in vain, as we know...

To Conclude

Dean and Cas break up showed us the profound love they feel for each other, 6x20 and 6x21 were purely romantic, and you can feel the pain and the longing all over it.

It was clear that loosing Cas wasn't loosing just a friend, it hurted badly to Dean because, as I said in the last volume, Cas was more than family to him.

The performance from the actor was deliberately played as a romantic scene. Jensen and Misha knew what they were doing there. It was two people in love breaking up.

Ok, we finished this season people, sorry for the long post! But next one we will get into season 7, I assume it'll be less volumes.

I hope you like this, see you in the next chronicle.

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weirddorkylittlediana @michyribeiro @whyjm @koshisekisen @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @angelneedshunter @trickster-archangel @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @mishka-the-angel-of-saturday @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @xsghn @foxyroxe-art @authorsararayne @anonymoustitans @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @wildligia @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-is--endgame @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

If you want to be tagged, please let me know.

If you want to check the previous volumes...

Vol. XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII

Buenos Aires, Augusto 14th 2019 8:07 PM

[nat-20s]

Top 5 Breakdowns over David Tennant- any fandom/show/ play you've seen? I really liked the dw one you did, just hoping you could expand over/ include other things he's been in.

Oh anon you are QUITE the enabler thank you.

So this is like half actual breakdown list and half just like David Tennant recommendations in general because I love that funky little scot.

+1. This isn’t going on the official list because I already did the previous list you mentioned (i’m glad you liked it, btw!!!) but yeah. Doctor Who. He plays the doctor in a very fuckin uhh mercutial way (he plays a lot of characters that way and I am 100% enamored by it every fuckin time he just does it SO WELL AUGH) and like highs were so high and the lows were so low and he was so FURIOUS AND CRUEL but also so GENTLE AND KIND and like oof!! The multifacetedness bitch!!!! That’s what it’s all about babey!!!

5. Good omens. I mean, duh. There was no fucking way I was gonna survive good omens. Like, honestly, even without miss tennant I wouldn’t have survived it because HA HA HA HA H O L Y SHIT MY FAVORITE BOOK FOR THE LAST DECADE WAS GETTING AN ACTUAL SCREEN ADAPTATION I GENUINELY DID NOT THINK WE WOULD EVER BE HERE THIS SHIT IS LIT. but then but THEN it was like. The way that he portrayed crowley definitely fit into a particular niche that david tennant KILLS. Like god okay I could spend an whole fucking essay on this point so I’m gonna distill this down to just. THE moment that I was like “okay okay okay okay fuck I’m GOING THROUGH IT” was when his voice cracks as he tells aziraphale that he lost his best friend because like in context OOF and out of context I have been Pavlovian trained for the past decade to Utterly Lose My Shit when David Tennant is like this close to crying and he expresses that with his whole body THE ASSHOLE! LET ME REST. I THOUGHT I WAS OVER THIS MISTER!!

4. The Escape Artist. Lesser known (I think?), but a VERY GOOD miniseries! The tone is much darker, and he’s a much more serious character. Similar vibes, role wise, to broadchurch. I’m not sure how much rewatch value it has but watching it for the first time had me like MISSION STATUS: SICK!!!! It’s like a cat and mouse mystery and like. I’m not gonna go to in depth into the story because I think it’s more enjoyable to go into it not knowing much and too me it was one of those things that took like 3 hours to watch all of and a full week or two to like. Process. Also I’m not usually one for drama and I was ABOUT it so I would recommend!!!

3. JESSICA JONES (season 1). Holy FUCK dude. Definitely his darkest and most evil role, and the subject matter is VERY heavy and I definitely would NOT recommend it for everyone because it could be, how you say, triggering as fuck or even just because it is incredibly dark and that might not be your thing. Funnily enough, it’s DEFINITELY not my thing, personally, I tend to avoid narratives about sexual assault because so many of them are, uh, ya know, bad, but Jessica Jones season 1 really is done FANTASTICALLY! The David Tennant breakdown was just a level of cognitive dissonance because I had never seen him play like a VILLAIN villain. I mean, yeah, he was Barty Crouch Jr., but that was for like 30 seconds and while the dude was creepy there was a layer of campy over the topness that is present in most fun fantasy franchises. I remember when he was cast as the purple man me and my parents were like. Yeah he’ll obviously crush the role because he’s talented but in the back of our minds we’ll probably still be thinking of like the doctor and I wonder if we can fully accept him playing the role. Yeah there was fucking NONE OF THAT. When he played Purple Man I never ONCE thought of his other roles and I didn’t even, like, think of David Tennant, ya know. I was just like oh shit this man is evil and terrifying and I want him dead! Please die!!! And yes, I know that that’s how acting works or whatever but also ACTING ya know!!! Of any of the roles on this list this one definitely made me be the most like SHE HAS THE RANGE because I really think it highlights how INCREDIBLY GOOD at his job he is!!! I have not ever rewatched Jessica Jones season 1 though because while it is honestly like a triumph of television it is also A Lot to deal with and I am very rarely in the kind of mindset where I’m able to watch it. But yeah. David Tennant knows what the fuck he’s doing and it is very good.

2. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING BABEY. Literally I knew nothing about the play or why I should care but the promo material was like. Catherine Tate and David Tennant are costars again and I was like OKAY SIGN ME THE FUCK UP HELL YEAH HELL YEAH HELL YEAH. For real I think on screen chemistry Catherine Tate and David Tennant are one of if not just straight up my favorite duo of all time. They are just so DELIGHTFUL and ENCHANTING and BEWITCHING and basically I want them to costar in everything ever. @azirafeathers was like “sherlock holmes adaptation where she’s sherlock and he’s watson” and I haven’t stopped thinking about that since!!! I would give my left thumb or at least like a solid $60 to see that. Like PLEASE it would be PERFECT. I LOVE THEM. And god this production of much ado is definitely like. “Here’s Benedick and Beatrice. They’re two chaotic dumbass bisexuals that are like fives on the kinsey scale and they fall in love much to their surprise” and it’s TERRIFIC. That’s exactly what I like to see. Like it’s set in the 80s and the set design? The visual gags? The costumes? The soundtrack? THE PHYSICAL COMEDY? It all SLAPS. David Tennant really balances “fun and funky slut” and “utterly PINING idiot” so fucking well. I have said it before and I will say it again David Tennant peaks when Catherine Tate is being mean to him. Also really iconic to give him the role that is like the only man in the play that is (after a bit) CHUGGING his respect women juice. I mean LOOK at this utter buffoon.

I’m in love. This play made me a proud morosexual. Plus it’s all FREE ON YOUTUBE THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE THREE HOURS AND WANT TO HAVE A GOOD FUCKIN TIME GO WATCH MUCH ADO!!

1. H A M L E T. So imagine that you’re 14 and it’s 3 am and you’re casually watching David Tennant’s hamlet on youtube or at least the parts they put up and you’re painting stars on your ceiling with glow in the dark paint and it makes you realize that you have an excess of black bile and a melancholic temperment and you’ll understand why, while this might not be my all time favorite david tennant role (though it definitely is high up on the list) , this is absolutely my number one David Tennant Related Breakdown. Hoo boy. This probably doesn’t come as a shock to literally anybody that knows me irl bc I Will Not shut up about Hamlet and it is this productions fault. Different people will respond differently too it, and I’m definitely 1000% biased because a: I love him and b: it was the first production I ever watched and it’s what got me On My Bullshit, but this production honestly makes me like. Get Hamlet. Or not get hamlet, personally, as a character, we’re never meant to fully understand him honestly, but it made me understand the ALLURE of the play. I watched it and I was like oh. Yeah. Okay. I can see why people have been obsessed with this for 400 years. I know why it’s considered one of the greatest roles and one of the greatest plays of all time. And I went absolutely feral for it. It solidified Horatio permanently as one of my all time favorite characters in anything ever. David Tennant has this tendency to put manic and desperate energy into the characters that he plays, and that of course works extremely well for hamlet. Plus, like, he plays characters that are drowning, that need the assistance and kindness of love to try and float, and even with that might not be able to keep their heads above water, and the characters that are opposite him are basically always wonderful. Because I am deeply deeply predictable, the core dynamic of Hamlet and Horatio’s relationship is probably like THE most appealing and interesting and important aspect of the play to me, and Peter de Jersey (who is absolutely INCREDIBLE in this production) and David Tennant pull it of breathtakingly beautifully. Every time I watch this I have to lie down for a while. Every time I THINK about this I have to lie down for awhile. So, yeah, number one David Tennant based breakdown is over his hamlet.

Honorable mentions

this gifset-I have not seen what this is actually from but it made me have a conniption. I’m in love with her. She’s my idealized self. I don’t know what to do with myself. I spent 5 hours looking at this now. What the fuck. 

The Decoy Bride- I didn’t have a breakdown over it BUT it is a recommendation. Very silly rom com, very much a comfort movie like music and lyrics or singing in the rain for me. Great for sleep overs or rainy sunday afternoons. 

Richard II- I haven’t seen it but based on one (1) clip and some stills I would be lost in the sauce for a week after a viewing. 

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger- watch nativity 2 danger in the manger. 

Fright Night- jesus fucking CHRIST mister tennant went full slut

Casanova- Mister Tennant Goes Full Slut part 2- has blue colored contacts and it’s weird

[they-handed-me-the-moon]

Okay I’m gonna do the thing and just get my complaints with the show out, if you’re not interested in reading criticisms (half of which are just being attached to the way things were in the book) please ignore this, I’m going to say all sorts of nice things in a minute. Also please don’t rb this one. If we’ve talked before feel free to comment or disagree, if we haven’t please don’t just this once—I’m usually happy to have people jump off things, but I just got back and I’m not in the mood to start any Discussions just now. Cool thanks!

1. I’m not saying that the show going in for more angst and making some of the central characters more insecure and making Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship more tenuous and uncertain was *objectively* the wrong choice. I mean I could argue that it was but ultimately it’s probably more just different than right or wrong. But it did make me realize how much I had appreciated having a fandom that was built around material that for all its angst potential (which I also enjoyed) was so fundamentally cozy.

2. Yes I am of course going to take issue with Anathema and Newt. For the record I found Newt notably more likable in the show than the book, even if watching Anathema have sex with a guy she had shown no interest in just because a book told her to was even more uncomfortable than reading it. And there was more of a sense of mutuality in the show—partly because of Adria Arjona playing Anathema as genuinely liking and being charmed by Newt at times, and partly because Newt actually does offer her emotional support and contributes to decision-making at several points instead of only with the “do you want to be a descendent for the rest of your life” line at the end. And that’s nice—mutuality in a relationship is important! The lack of it is one of my biggest issues with their relationship in the book! What really gets to me here is that they got to that mutuality not through strengthening Newt’s character but by weakening Anathema’s—by making her more uncertain and insecure so that Newt could sweep in to support her. And look—obviously there’s nothing wrong with female characters having insecurities and needing support, like everyone does. But we’ve got an awful shortage of weird-looking female characters who swagger around with breadknives and bucketloads of well-earned confidence and decide to try and stop the apocalypse without being told because it’s worth a shot, and the fact that they seem to have undercut her confidence and independence specifically so that she would have to lean on the sub-par dude she’s saddled with as a love-interest reeeally rubs me the wrong way. (Shoutout to my brother for pinpointing this before I was able figure out exactly what was bothering me).

3. Okay and while I’m on the topic of Anathema, the way they played up the whole ‘professional descendent’ thing? Hmmmm, not a fan. I think I kinda get why they did it, (it makes her fit more neatly into the ‘people breaking out of their prescribed roles’ theme), but they make it into a sort of ‘chosen one’ storyline where she was ‘fated’ to help stop the end of the world, which is fine, I guess? But to me one of the central appeals of the book is a motley crew motivated not by duty or predestination but instead by love of the earth and plain old selfish, stubborn attachment to the lives they had built there going ‘okay realistically there is no way we, of all people, can keep the world from ending, but I guess we’re just gonna try anyway!!!’ Making Anathema some sort of prophesied savior sort of removed her from that narrative, and reduced the strength of that narrative thread overall.

4. Oh and I think I’m in the minority here but I also did not enjoy the kids getting stabby with the horsepeople. There were some great elements to the scene for sure, but that just didn’t feel good to me. The children felt a little more ... protected from enacting that kind of violence in the book, and while there could be legitimate reason for changing it, on a thematic level it also took attention away from the whole ‘power of human belief’ thing, so it felt unnecessary and weaker as well as harsher.

5. I’m not ... actually particularly bothered by any of the changes to Aziraphale? I mean don’t get me wrong I do miss him being a much more overt bastard who is comfortable in his own skin, who collects blasphemous Bibles and is rude to  customers and still walks around with his sanctimonious Holier Than Thou convictions because he is THE WORST. But tv Aziraphale is still a proper bastard, even if you’ve got to pay attention a bit more to see it, and I do rather like the way his softness is in itself framed as a rebellion against Heaven. So yeah, I think the changes they made worked and were compelling, and I don’t really have comprehensive complaints about his character. HOWEVER I did not like him indirectly killing the executioner. Having a scene where he indirectly but intentionally causes a death was a good idea in concept, but to my mind it was the wrong circumstances, wrong target, and wrong tone for the scene. Still, it doesn’t bother me that much because it just felt SO off that it feels kinda laughable and my mind just cheerily decided that the filmmakers were misinformed and that did not actually happen.

6. Crowley’s changes I’m having a bit of a harder time reconciling myself to, although I’m having a bit of a hard time pinpointing why? Some of the changes are of the ‘I don’t prefer the change but that’s more personal preference and attachment to my initial vision of the character than critique’ variety, like the ways in which his fear manifests less as anxiety and more as anger in the show. But if I had one central complaint (and this might sound weird at first) I think it would be the way that his world is reduced to Aziraphale. And okay, let me explain—I’m not complaining that their relationship was more emphasized in the show, which I actually loved, and also this is probably a bit hypocritical coming from me when 80% of my posts are about their relationship. The thing is, I find romances more interesting and compelling and moving when both parties have defined personalities and interests and attachments and character arcs outside of one another. And Aziraphale did have that—arguably he has a more defined and complete arc than in the book, in fact. And Crowley definitely has a defined personality. But besides the Bently, what does he love? What are his interests? How does he feel about humanity and the earth? Why does he prefer the earth to hell beyond ‘hell sucks’? How does he feel about his fellow demons? Why does he want to save the earth? Does he care about saving the earth, or is it really only about saving and being with Aziraphale? Idk, I’m exaggerating a bit here, and certain answers to these questions can definitely  be inferred. But I miss the Crowley who loves humanity in all its mess, who finds in it an alternative to the restrictive roles demanded by heaven and hell alike, and who has his own arc of going from knowing that he is harming humanity but not doing anything about it, to facing Satan with a tire iron because Aziraphale convinces him to face up to the harm he has caused and do something about it, even if the odds are impossible.

7. I cannot BELIEVE they took out Tim.

8. And I’m running out of steam here so I’m not fully going into it, but it did feel like the show lost a bit of its sense of the earth in all its disastrous glory. I mean, there are plenty of stories that compare Heaven and Hell, but part of what set Good Omens apart for me was the particular way it triangulates Heaven vs Hell vs earth. I haven’t read enough similar fiction to know if it does this in an especially complex or unique way, but what comes of it is this gloriously defiant optimism. The show goes further into Heaven vs Hell (which I enjoyed) but it felt to me as if the earth was a little (although certainly not entirely) lost in the mix.

9. Also definitely not a fan on how hard Crowley pushes for child murder as long as he’s not the one doing it, but so far as I’ve seen the fandom has chosen to collectively forget those lines in favor of ‘you can’t kill kids,’ ‘I’m not personally up for killing kids,’ and THE LULLABY, so I’m the end those lines aren’t anything like the disaster they could have been. Good going, folks.

10. There are of course big-picture things like racism and sexism and homophobia that are. there in varying degrees. Not necessarily more than average, though that’s an even more depressing sentence. But for some of those things I’m not the best person to dissect them, and for the rest I’m tired and I don’t wanna.

11. In conclusion I have a pithy line that encapsulates what I’m having a hard time adjusting to in the show, but I’m pretty sure the first clause would annoy one half of the fandom, and the second clause would annoy the other half, so I’m gonna to cut my losses and shut up now.

[ogygia]

What the fuck is the LBRP?: A guide

Your Reddit occultist friends have mentioned it, it’s popping up on all these Tumblr posts about banishing and stuff, but you still haven’t the foggiest clue: what the fuck is the LBRP? 

Fret not: here’s a handy guide. Warning: long post ahead!

Disclaimer: This guide represents the sum total of roughly thirteen years of on-and-off experience with the ritual and my own study and understanding of the Kabbalah and the Golden Dawn system, but emphasis is on the words my own. There will be points that I’m sure other occultists will disagree on, but I’m of the conviction that the principles underlying my understanding of the ritual are unlikely to be controversial among most ceremonial magicians.

So:

What the fuck is the LBRP?

‘LBRP’ stands for the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and is a classic ritual that almost every occultist will come across at some point after they have grown out of their early Silver RavenWolf years. 80s and 90s kids are likely to have first encountered it in that seminal classic Modern Magick, probably in the earlier blue edition that had that ridiculous illustration of a fantastically-robed man drawing a massive blue pentagram before him. 

What the fuck is a pentagram?

It’s a five-pointed star as it would look if you drew it with five straight lines (rather than going around the edges and leaving the insides empty). 

It’s a symbol commonly associated with modern witchcraft, but it was already important in early Greek thought.

Most occultists are likely to have been introduced to the LBRP as a ‘banishing ritual’ (mainly because that is literally what it is called), or been told that it is the first thing they should learn if they want to learn magick. It is my opinion that this is completely bullshit.

So how the fuck do you do the LBRP?

I’m tempted to link you to Let Me Google That For You, but I’m feeling charitable so I’ll quote the ritual instructions in full from the First Knowledge Lecture, the secret (ooooh) material given to Neophytes in the Golden Dawn system—

Wait, the Golden Dawn?

Yes, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Late Victorian magical organisation based on the Freemasons, did fancy rituals and wore ridiculous Egyptian-inspired headgear and shit. Also a bunch of massive nerds who were obsessed with astrology, the Tarot and the Kabbalah and trying to find ways of corresponding all these different symbol systems with each other to create one gigantic, hopefully organised matrix of magical ideas and symbols that would allow them to explain – and magically manipulate – existence and the cosmos.

We’re not talking science here, of course: we’re talking spirituality. Not that they’re mutually exclusive.

Anyway, you interrupted me. Here’s the ritual, according to these folks:

The Qabalistic Cross And Lesser Ritual Of The Pentagram 1. Touching the forehead, say Ateh (Thou art)   2. Touching the breast, say Malkuth (The Kingdom)   4. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-Geburah. (And The Power)   5. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-Gedulah. (And the Glory)   6. Place the two palms of the hands together upon the breast, and say le-Olahm (Forever). 7. Fingers pointing up, say Amen.   8. Advance to the East, trace the Pentagram with the proper weapon (Wand to invoke, Dagger to banish). Say (i.e., vibrate) Yod He Vau He - imagining that your voice carried forward to the East of the Universe.   9. Turning to the South, the same, but say Adonai 10. Turning to the West, the same, but say Eheieh 11. Turning to the North, the same, but say Agla 12. Return to the East, completing the Circle, extend the arms in the form of a Cross, and say:   13. Before me Raphael;   14. Behind me Gabriel; 15. On my right hand, Michael; 16. On my left hand, Auriel; 17. Before me flames the Pentagram,   18. And in the Column shines the Six-rayed Star.   19-24. Repeat 1 through 6, the Qabalistic Cross.

What in the actual fuck—

Yeah. Riveting. 

But this will help me banish stuff, right?

Uh, yes, and no. 

The problem with the LBRP is that it’s become a victim of its own success. Before the LBRP there was no single ritual that had instructions as clearly given as this one (or so it appeared, anyway), or one that had such a clear, universal purpose as ‘banishing’. When Israel Regardie published this material it took off in a way that I’m not even sure the Golden Dawn themselves would’ve expected. 

A number of things, I suspect, make the LBRP immediately appealing to many newcomers: the safety aspect, which targets the fear a lot of people coming to the occult bring with them; the Judeo-Christian names, which while putting a lot of people off, offers a way in for those who still fear that magick might be ‘Satanic’; and also its simplicity, in that it merely requires the memorising of words and gestures and no major preparation, either in the way of extensive fasts, elaborate tools or space that no one, especially not avocado-toting millennials like me, could possibly afford.

But this is where the problem lies: the dissemination of the LBRP beyond its Golden Dawn context means a lot of people are doing the ritual without realising they’re tapping into a specific current. When you employ a specific symbol set, you enter into the current – the wider symbol set – represented by that system. The LBRP is steeped in the Golden Dawn current, and it is the nexus of important Hermetic and Kabbalistic principles. To describe it merely as a ‘banishing’ ritual – and to use it as such – is like saying that flying to the moon on a rocket is just a form of transport. There’s a lot more going on here.

So what the fuck does the LBRP actually do?

It ‘banishes’, yes. But more specifically, it’s a ritual that tunes into your most fundamental level of existence, and then creates what is essentially a magical vacuum, a kind of ‘empty space’, within it. It also aligns you within a very specific tradition of thought known as Hermeticism, which finds its origins in late antique philosophy and a fusion of Greco-Egyptian thought.

Fundamental to Hermeticism is the notion of ‘As above, so below’ (you’ve probably heard of this). I’m not paid enough to teach you Neoplatonic philosophy here (you can Google that shit), but essentially this is the idea that there is a greater spiritual plane (the macrocosm) that ‘mirrors’ the lesser, more tangible realm of existence (microcosm), and vice versa. The LBRP, performed correctly, will situate you neatly at the point of interaction between the macrocosm and the microcosm.

This is why the LBRP isn’t just a banishing ritual. I quote Crowley:

Those who regard this ritual as a mere device to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy to possess it. Properly understood, it is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise.

How the hell does all that work?

Where am I getting all of this from? This is where analysing the ritual itself, especially in Golden Dawn terms, can help.

To begin with, you’ll notice that the Knowledge Lecture provides two options for how to draw the Pentagram (that’ll be a five-pointed star in case you’re wondering) in Step 8:

Invoking Pentagram

Banishing Pentagram

The commonly described LBRP utilises the second pentagram – because it is the banishing one, duh. But where do these pentagrams come from?

For that, we turn to Aleister Crowley, that shit-head every pearl-clutching witchblr person likes to hate. Don’t get me wrong, Aleister Crowley was a shit-head. But he was also well-travelled (he had a lot of money) and well-read (he probably read more widely than most occultists on this website ever will) and, as his diaries show, an incredibly hard-working magician (though I suppose you’ll have time to do that if Daddy’s paying for everything else).

In Liber O, his treatise on basic practical work for a Probationer of the A.’.A.’., his magical teaching order, Crowley outlines the instructions for performing the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, an advanced version of the Lesser ritual. Like Regardie, he gave no fucks about his oaths to secrecy, and republished a lot of material that was secret to the Golden Dawn. We see diagrams showing how the pentagrams are to be drawn in the GRP – and, aha, they’re drawn differently depending on which element you’re manipulating!

As you can see, the pentagrams used in the LBRP are the Earth pentagrams (ignore the Hebrew God name in this instance: that’s a can of worms I’m not opening right now). 

In the Golden Dawn scheme of things the elements are hierarchically arranged from highest to lowest as follows: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. This isn’t necessarily a hierarchy of superiority or value; in fact, they don’t in a sense correspond literally to fire, air, water and earth. Instead, think of them as broad labels for levels of spiritual manifestation. Fire is spirit in its “purest” form (think of how fire flashes and shines but has no real ‘bodily’ presence); Air ‘exists’, but you can only vaguely feel its body; Water is tangible, but it flows and moves and fills; while Earth is the most solid of these. In the same sense, we exist across these levels, too, from our highest spiritual selves to our solid existence in the physical realm. 

The Kabbalists call these four levels Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah, but I’m guessing you’re not here for the fancy words.

Anyway, what the LBRP does is to tune into our most basic level of existence – the Earth level, where our body and our ego resides – and clear it of any extraneous influences. Traditionally, after the pentagram is traced in each quarter, you don’t just say the name; you project it through the pentagram using what is called the Sign of the Enterer, followed by what is called the Sign of Silence. The Knowledge Lecture itself recommends that

the Banishing Ritual can be used to get rid of obsessing or disturbing thoughts. Give a mental image to your obsession and imagine it formulated before you. Project it out of your aura with the Saluting Sign of a Neophyte, and when it is away about three feet prevent its return with the Sign of Silence.

Thus at each quarter you are essentially opening up a portal to an elemental realm, and then casting the sum total of that element’s influence in your life back into the infinite. The Sign of Silence seals off the process and ensures those influences don’t return.

After having completely cleared off every element’s influence at your fundamental level of existence, you invoke the archangels at each quarter not just to ‘protect’ the space you’ve cleared, but also to ensure that you don’t suffocate in the vacuum. Having got rid of everything, you now restore balance in your sphere by summoning the positive and pure elemental energies of the archangels.

Tangibly, this can manifest itself in many ways: a lot of occultists have found that performing the ritual regularly initiates some serious shifts in their everyday life. Unhealthy excesses begin to make their negative effects shown, imbalances dramatically correct themselves and magicians often find themselves forced to make decisions about key aspects of their lives. Remember: the ritual primarily functions at the most basic level of manifestation – and that includes your everyday life.

Following the invocation of the archangels, you then proclaim yourself at the point of interaction between the macrocosm and the microcosm. This is signified by Steps 17-18, when you say, ‘Before me flames the Pentagram, and in the Column shines the Six-rayed Star.’ The Pentagram signifies the microcosm, with its five points corresponding to the five basic elements (the four classical ones plus Spirit); the Hexagram signifies the macrocosm, with its six points corresponding to the planets apart from the Sun, which is at its centre (that’s another can of worms I’m not opening now).

This is magically significant, because it is a declaration of your spiritual independence and power, and positions you to receive and activate the higher energies of the cosmos.

That sounds pretty intense.

It is. But my point is that by performing this ritual, you superimpose the Hermetic / Golden Dawn view of the world onto yourself, which is why anyone who tells you the LBRP is just a banishing ritual is completely missing the point. And anyone who tells you that the LBRP is the first thing every magician should learn is ignoring the fact that you may not even be interested in Hermeticism (even if it is the foundation of modern Western occultism). 

What I’m saying is, you do not need to waste your time with this ritual if you have no interest in the Golden Dawn system, or occultism as it is espoused by old dead white men. No point introducing its energies into your life if you want nothing to do with the rest of it.

On the other hand, if you’re keen on taking a splash into magick and don’t know where to start, and you’re willing to go where the magick takes you, the LBRP is, frankly speaking, not a bad place to begin.

Happy Pentagramming.

Wait, I’ve got some more questions—

I have a few other things I’d like to address re: the LBRP, but I’ll do that in an appendix to this post. This guide is long enough as it is, and God knows you Tumblr slobs have the attention span of a dead goldfish.

Before you @ me, I count myself among you lot. Why the hell do you think I’m still here?

[elizabethrobertajones]

Dean & Cas Are In Love

A hopefully one day conclusive study of these assholes, hopefully told as briefly as I can.

Written for the people in the fandom who care but sometimes need a pick me up on this, and not written to prove a point to anyone who doesn't already care. <3

Dean needs Cas to get Dick

... They boned him together. 

Slightly less visually erotic and more punnery innuendo-y parallel of Sam and Dean killing Ruby together in 4x22 >.> 

Anyways. 

Season 7 ends, and this episode is dependant on the journey Dean and Cas go through to make amends. There is no formal goodbye or even good luck between Sam and Dean - their last conversation is about Bobby, and the funeral scene is their last real shared scene; after that it’s Dean n Cas paired together until the end.

But let’s start at the top :D

While Carver era isn’t utterly devoid of barbs like this, I’m honestly struggling to think of one that is so overt aside from the deleted 10x14 scene than Meg’s “he was your boyfriend first” line. I feel like this is the end of the really on the nose teasing and jabbing at them as if being in love is an insult, and the beginning of a more nuanced handling - and don’t worry, deleted scenes are on my to-do list as we get deeper into Wonderland >.> 

Through Cas’s return, Meg has acted as a block and a romantic rival, in both overt and not so overt ways. She shows up to get between Dean n Cas having more private reconciliation and then seems to “win” who gets Cas, while admitting freely it’s a power grab and for her own protection against Crowley. By 7x23 she shows up fed up with Cas and unable to deal with him, handing him off to Dean to talk to and try and reason with him. Considering the ownership battle she conjured on her end, it has the feeling of conceding ground, and in this case she frames it in the romantic terms of Cas having been Dean’s boyfriend first. She treats it as if it were a fling and she is resigning from the competition to bag Cas as a boyfriend, and returning him to Dean. While she hangs around and helps some more, for the rest of the episode, she no longer hits on Cas or does more than look at him a few times, while Dean is left to deal with him.

The moment where Dean goes to talk to Cas in the car, I like that moment where Dean takes a breath... Those top two gifs have been thrown around fandom a lot out of context or for fun, but there’s serious stuff going on in them - as often with this show and/or fandom, the funny things have a real story to them. I like that Dean is still struggling to face Cas, but he will make the effort in a way that Meg clearly won’t, and talks him to come inside with gentle, friendly persuasion. But like with 7x21 before he goes to talk to him in the day room, he needs a moment to face Cas in this state, as he finds it saddening and troublesome to talk to him, though, unlike Meg, he makes an effort. 

Then, we have their ongoing argument which builds up over the course of the episode, but by this point bubbles over about WHY they need Cas to get Dick. And why Cas has been resisting the entire time. His self-worth from the whole betrayal and Godstiel thing is obviously his most prominent, painful trauma. He has to spell out for Dean why he won't help, but this is the most clarity he shows in a while, and in this episode Gamble writes his non-sequiturs as very clearly labelled avoidance of questions or thinking about his problems. In 8x08 we'll get another look into his head when he talks about avoiding going back to Heaven with Dean, and I suspect that's based on the intention with how he was feeling during this time as well.

Dean responds by bubbling over with his own shit; this is for both sides of the argument, their stuff in 7x21 finally reaching its conclusion, and of course both are mis-handling it in some ways, through avoidance or anger, and are not at their optimal harmony... To be delicate about it >.> It's harsh to watch, but Dean's anger about Cas is not (just) selfish or motivated to save them - we see multiple times his own pain at seeing Cas in this state, and lines which betray how much it hurts and how he wants Cas back to how he was because, you know, Cas is his friend and he cares a lot about him. Translated into anger, he lashes out with his pain in the situation, the unfairness that Cas can avoid and refuse to help when he caused all that harm, and even to this day is something where Cas still feels bound to make amends for things that he broke - season 13 finally returning to the theme of how much damage he did to Heaven. Dean telling Cas this so harshly is the painful shock that pokes at Cas's guilt, but also betrays Dean's own pain and investment in Cas's situation.

As with moments when they physically attack each other, obviously emotional lashing out betrays care but shouldn't be like... romanticised and stuff. Just, taking this in a fictional story setting etc.

Anyways, after this, Cas goes into a defensive full denial mode for a bit, and they turn to doing Bobby's passing on; at the end of this scene, the camera dramatically pans to Cas with rising dramatic music, and it turns out he watched the whole scene. Of course though he was not a part of his, his presence is necessary and important, because he cared for Bobby too, and Bobby died fighting the leviathans, which Cas unleashed. This is part of his "mess" as Dean put it, and something he confronts, silently, on his terms. There's no camera work to suggest Dean sees Cas watching but I like to think that he does, as he was facing the right way, and between Dean yelling at Cas, and him going to him in peace, this is the only thing that happens. I think Cas's remorse is very important even though it may be silent, as is bridges these moments, giving Cas honest reflection which he can't divert from - seeing Bobby, someone he cared about a great deal, as a ghost that they're forcing to move on. And Dean knowing that Cas came and watched this and was a part of the family scene despite his current withdrawal from helping them.

Dean approaching Cas is wonderful because finally he doesn't demand Cas help them, but finds a peaceful middle ground of something Cas can do to help but that doesn't involve violence, meaning that despite all of Dean's anger, he wants to help Cas find a way to help them, to clean up his mess, but to do it on terms which Cas can handle. This peace also allows Cas to think about it in non-confrontational terms, and to face up to what sending Dean in to fight Dick alone will mean if he doesn't help.

The "I'd rather have you, cursed or not" line has been picked over a lot, both positively on gifsets and general squeeing, and negatively about its connotations that it can still carry a suggestion that Dean only wants Cas to help them because he's the only one who WILL help them, at this stage, and they know that they need him. I like the line after it better, as it's the much more personal appeal, the sense of them being in it together, and that it's not just anything - this is something that Dean feels as a connection between them. The less emotional pep talk and more personal nonsense the line, the more it really means, as he's not saying this in the same tone of voice as rallying Cas, just pointing out that they're all in shit creek together.

Cas understands what Dean's getting :D

I should have giffed as well, but no room and I have to make cuts somewhere, Cas asking about what the plan was - because the plan involves Cas being brought along PEACEFULLY, only for Dick identification, while Dean was supposed to be the one to fight Dick alone, Cas at his side, but the expectation was that Cas had one role and Dean had the other.

In the end, they tag-team him. :')

Also: Dean's absolute trust that Cas knows Dick when he sees him, and Cas defending Dean from Dick advancing on him, after all that stuff about not fighting, once again as with deflecting Hester away from Dean, he steps in to protect Dean, and even grabs Dick from behind so Dean gets his clean second shot at him that does the job.

Of all season finales, 7x23 really floors me for how embedded the Destiel narrative is in it, when this isn't even a majorly Destiel season for obvious reasons, and I never felt like Gamble wanted much to do with them in that sense. Whether it's just because of leading into Carver era or what, or the need to make amends both in the writing for Cas and in the meta level for the writers, once Cas was back this story was oh so very much about and for him, as he was the one responsible, and he had both emotional damage with Sam and Dean, and plot damage to handle. If he was to return as a main character next season and have even halfway a reboot back to a regular Cas, he needed a full redemption in the narrative, and to be brought back into play alongside Dean and back in his rightful place at his side. And this is the set up to get them there, from the awful mess left at the beginning of the season. :D

[dreamytfw]

I’m bored and impatient again, so I’m answering stuff from an ask game. OP here. I just want to say preemptively that the shipping questions only pertain to me and how I ship or don’t ship them. I don’t care what y’all ship.

1:What is your Supernatural OTP? Destiel.

2:What’s your opinion on John Winchester? I have a lot of strong feelings about that fucking dickhead.

3:Which season finale was your favorite/least favorite? Favorite: season 8′s was really good. Least favorite: season 10. We almost had Dean in space.

4:Which is your favorite episode? Either Changing Channels or The Man Who Would Be King

5:Which episode makes you cry the most? The episode where Ellen and Jo die ALWAYS makes me cry.

6:Which episode is the funniest to you? The Real Ghostbusters

7:What’s your opinion on Megstiel? I’m okay with it up to a point. That point is crazy!Cas.

8:When did you start watching Supernatural? The hiatus between seasons 7 and 8. I finished my Netflix binge something like the day before season 8 premiered.

9:Which episode title do you think is the funniest? The French Mistake. Gotta love Mel Brooks.

10:What’s your opinion on Garth? I loved Garth! Such a massively under-utilized character.

11:If you could bring back any character, would you? If so, whom? I’d like to finally get Adam out of Hell, but I don’t think that’s quite what you’re asking.

12:Who is your favorite angel? Cas. Duh.

13:Who’s your favorite archangel? Gabriel.

14:What’s your opinion on Wincest? Squicks me the fuck out. Sibling incest does in general. Like, we’re not supposed to want to fuck our siblings guys. That’s how we get Joffery and El Hachizado.

15:What’s your opinion on Lisa? (and Ben, if you want) Ben was kind of blah outside of his first episode. I really liked Lisa and how she refused to take any of Dean’s crap.

16:When did you start blogging about Supernatural? Uh... I think I jumped on board right away?

17:Do you think that Chuck is God? How old are these questions???

18:Do you have a favorite Dick (Roman) joke? If so, what is it? Not a joke, but I’m really weirdly amused that his actor does the voice of a recurring minor character in the Kingdom Hearts series.

19:Which is your favorite episode? We had this question before.

20:Who do you ship Sam with? Samena, but I really love fluffy snuggly Samstiel.

21:What’s your opinion on Destiel? OTP

22:Did you like the first or second Ruby better? iunno.

23:Who’s your favorite demon? Demon!Dean deserved a longer arc.

24:Do you read smutty fanfiction? I fucking write smutty fan fiction (I’m just bad at finishing and publishing it).

25:Do you think Destiel will become canon in season 9? (Regardless of whether you want it to or not) Christ this is old. Unfortunately they did not. But fingers crossed for season 14, aka their 10 year anniversary.

26:Have you ever had a dream about Supernatural/the characters/the actors? If so, can you describe what you remember? All the time. I used to be able to lucid dream to some extent, but since I’ve gone off my psych meds I can’t seem to do it as much anymore. The most recent one I had was the other night. I don’t remember it too clearly, but Sam and I said bye to Dean and Cas before heading off on some sort of mission or something.

27:Which episode is the scariest to you? (Horror-movie type scary) That episode where Sam got his throat ripped out this season was the first time Supernatural has actually scared me. Other episodes have been suspenseful, but I was legit scared during those mine scenes.

28:What’s your opinion on Sabriel? I don’t really see it. MAYBE unrequited on Gabriel’s side, but other than that I just don’t get the appeal.

29:Do you think End!verse will happen? If so, are you looking forward to it? Well, Lucifer’s dead now so I’m guessing no. If End!Verse does happen, Dean and Sam’s places are going to be swapped.

30:Do you have any friends off of the Internet that watch Supernatural? Yes.

31:Do any of your family members watch Supernatural? I got my dad and my brother to watch it, but they kind of dropped it. My mom is currently watching it and I regret everything that has led to this point in my life.

32:What’s an unpopular opinion or headcanon you have? The “romantic” subplots in the Scoobynatural episode were gross and the episode would have been better without them.

33:Do you like AU fanfics? DO I!!!!

34:Have you ever written/started writing a fanfic? See my answer to number 24.

35:What’s your opinion on Samifer? That... really depends on the vessel Lucifer is in. See, I’m a fan of selfcest so if I do read Samifer stuff, I always imagine it as Sam basically fucking himself.

36:If you have an OTP, at what point did you start shipping it? First time I watched. Literally that second episode Cas was in when he was standing in the kitchen with Dean and told Dean to show him some respect I was just like “...are they gonna fuck?”

37:Do you think Sam should have completed the demon trials? Nah.

38:Which director/writer is or was your favorite/least favorite? Favorite: I don’t know. I don’t really pay attention to the good writers because I’m too busy enjoying their content. Least favorite: Bucklemming really needs to be fired or relegated to only filler episodes.

39:Which actor would you most like to meet in real life? MISHA!

40:If you could be any character on the show, would you want to? If so, whom? If not, why? Nah. I kind of like being me. I’m the only person I know how to be.

41:Do you prefer cake or pie? Both ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

42:What is your opinion on Sastiel? Is it Samstiel or Sastiel because I just don’t know. I prefer it fluffy. For whatever reason I have trouble getting into smutty Samstiel.

43:Have you ever made a Supernatural reference out loud and received strange looks from some of the people surrounding you? Yes...

44:Have you ever cried over a non-OTP ship from the show? I’m not entirely sure what this question means... Like, have I ever cried over characters in the show that I don’t ship? Yeah. It’s Supernatural.

45:What is your favorite moment from any of the gag reels? “When did you forget how to act?” “Season 2?”

46:Superwholock? Please no.

47:What is/was your favorite Sam hair length? I really liked season 10.

48:What’s an unpopular ship you have? Meg/Bela. Don’t ask, I don’t understand it either.

49:What’s your opinion on Wincestiel? I prefer it as more of a love triangle where Sam and Dean are fighting over Cas’s affection than as a throuple.

50:Can you dig Elvis? Fun fact: I never finished that fan fiction. I loved every moment of it, but I got as far as Dean meeting Adam in Vietnam before I chickened out because I knew there was a bunch more pain on the way.

51:Do you listen to Carry On Wayward Son even when you’re not just watching a finale? I used to, but I’ve since been conditioned to feel pain every time that song starts playing.

52:What’s your opinion on Zachariah? Good antagonist.

53:Do you think Adam will ever get out of the cage? (not as Michael) Not at the rate we’re going.

54:Do you think Sam should have completed the trials? Why are there repeat questions?

55:How long would you survive as a hunter? I wouldn’t.

56:What’s your opinion on Calthazar? Foxhole love/friendly former fwb.

57:Do you have a Netflix account? If so, what’s your username and password? Wait a second, just the first part. I do and I’ve basically just been watching Supernatural on it the past month or so.

58:Have you ever participated in GISHWHES? I did the first year (the one with the pigeon rat mascot). It was fun, but it was stressful to the point where I don’t want to do it again.

59:What movies/shows have you watched because of (or by coincidence) Jared, Jensen, or Misha? Jared: House of Wax... kind of. I turned it off as soon as he got murdered because it was just awful. I also tried watching Gilmore Girls, but I dropped it after two episodes because every character in that show is either a terrible person or blah. The Supernatural Anime. Jensen: My Bloody Valentine, Batman Under the Red Hood. The Supernatural Anime (I know he only voiced the last episode, but he was in it so it counts). THAT ONE EPISODE OF WISHBONE AKA MY CHILDHOOD. Misha: the TSA short films, Karla, NCIS

60:If you could change just one thing about the series, what would it be? I’d make Dean better at using his god damn words.

61:If you were at a Con, what would be a question you would ask?(can be any of the actors) UUUUHHHHHHHH...

62:Why did you start watching Supernatural? Saw it all over tumblr. Got curious. It’s all been downhill from there.

63:What’s your opinion on Sam/Crowley? That’s a thing??

64:What’s your biggest fear for season 9? I honestly don’t remember what it was.

65:What’s your favorite (or at least a memorable) pop culture reference that has been made on the show? Them referencing themselves is always pretty great.

66:Just a random confession you have regarding the show/Asker makes up their own question.

[queenof-fiction]

Crowley’s queen

Words: 1932

Summary: Y/N gets kidnapped by Sam and Dean.

If you want to be added to a Crowley or spn tag list let me know and I will make one. Also if you want an imagine don’t be afraid to ask. Also please send feedback. Thank you.

You woke up to arms reaching around you. Pulling you closer. You smiled as he pressed his lips to your shoulders.    “Good morning, my queen.” He mumbled between kisses.    “Good morning, king Crowley.” You smiled and turned to face him. He place a kiss on your forehead, slowly making his way to your lips. He pulled away, and rested his forehead against yours. He smiled, then started to get out of bed. You sighed.    “Babe. Please stay?” You asked gently shutting your eyes. Feeling cold now that he left.    “Babe. I have to. I hate to go, but hell needs me. When I’m not there it’s complete chaos. I’ll make it up to you later.” He said bending down to kiss you again.    You sighed, “Fine. I was planning on heading up anyways.” You smiled.    “Y/N, I said I’d go with you once I got off.” The king said.    “I know, and we still can. I just wanted to go out and shop for a while. I promise we can go out later. Besides I told Judith that I’d meet up with her. It’s been about a year since we have done something together.” You said standing up. The cool air wrapping itself around your bare body.    “Alright. Tonight I’m taking you out to dinner, then you’re all mine.” He smirked pulling you closer.    You smiled, “Anything for my king.” You turned opening your shared wardrobe. You pulled out a white and black striped dress that hugged your curves perfectly.    “Does this look alright?” You asked turning in the mirror.    “Maybe a little too good. They’ll be all over you.” He said wrapping his arms around you. You smiled and shook your head.    “The only person who’s allowed to have me is you, and well Liam Hemsworth, but he declined my offer.” You laughed.    “Anyone stupid enough to decline you simply doesn’t deserve you.” He explained. You smiled and blushed slightly. You turned back to the mirror and applied red lipstick and mascara and you were ready to go.    “I’m heading out now, love.” You said as Crowley walked out of the bathroom.    “Alright, Love. I’ll see you tonight.” He winked, “Do you wanna take Juliet with you? Just to be safe.” He asked.    “No, I’ll be fine.” You declined. “I’ll be back in a few hours. No need to worry.” You smiled. Crowley sighed slightly, then wrapped his arms around you. “See you later, Love.” You smiled and walked out the door. You walked through the halls of Hell. Your heels clicking loudly. Every demon you walked by bowed their heads as you passed. At first, this made you feel weird. Now, it still felt weird, but in a good way. You finally made it to the end of the hall.    You just walked through the doors of hell. Now in the middle of a busy town. You walked down the street stopping at a few of your favorite stores. You didn’t find anything that appealed to you. You decided to head over to the place you were supposed to be Judith at. As you arrived at the little cafe you noticed Judith was already there.    You walked in a sat down across from her.    “Long time no see.” You smiled.    Judith jumped up out of her seat and hugged you tightly, “Y/N, how have you been. I haven’t seen you in like forever.” She almost yelled. You noticed a few people glancing your way.    “Shhh. Sit. I’ll go order us coffee and we’ll talk.” You smiled. Judith sat back down in her seat. Her long blonde curly hair covering her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes. She has always been so beautiful.    You ordered your guys coffee and sat back down at the table. You guys talked for a good 2 hours, until Judith had to leave for work. You guys hugged and split ways. You couldn’t believe Judith had a kid now.    You decided to just walk around and window shop for a while. Not wanting to go back to hell just yet. You found this little antique store. You thought it looked interesting enough and decided to browse. You heard some guys asking questions about some old necklace. You thought nothing of it, and continued browsing. You found some old knick knacks, but nothing you absolutely needed, or even wanted for that matter. You figured it was time to head back to hell. There was nothing up here that appealed to you. You walked out of the little antique store and headed back to the entrance of hell. As you were walking back, you started to feel uneasy. Not like an ‘I’m going to be sick’ uneasy, but more like an ‘I feel like someone’s watching me’ kind of way. You looked around, but you didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. You continued walking, when the feeling started getting stronger. You turned into the alley where the entrance to hell is. You almost made it to the hidden entrance when a pair of arms wrapped around your waist and mouth. You tried to scream, but you couldn’t make any noise. A car pulled up from behind, and the guy holding you pushed you into the back seat. He hit you in the head with the butt of the gun. Everything went black. You never did get a good look at the people kidnapping you. You were too stunned to even fight back. You slowly regained consciousness, and slowly opened your eyes. As your eyes slowly adjust to the dark room you noticed two figures walking in. One was tall with long hair, and the other was a little shorter, but still tall. They walked closer to you, and that’s when you recognized their faces. Sam and Dean Winchester. “Sam and Dean Winchester. Long time no see.” You smiled. “Y/N.”  Sam mumbled. “What can I do for you?” You asked smiling. You were just trying to get under their skin now.  In reality you were terrified. “We need information, and you’re going to give it to us.” Dean said as angry as usual. “Am I now?” You smirked. “Yes. Or else.” Dean threatened. “Or else what?” You asked calling their bluff.    Sam walked over and slammed a tray down onto the table in front of you. The tray had many little metal gadgets on it.    “We have our ways. Just answer some questions, and you’ll be able to go.” Sam said from behind you. He was making sure all the things restraining you were still intact.    “First off,” Dean started, “Where’s the Brísingamen?” he demanded.    “I don’t know.” You snapped. You did. It was somewhere in hell. Crowley had it protected. He didn’t trust anyone to protect it, so he protected it himself. He had it hidden in his throne. The Brísingamen was the goddess’ Freyja's necklace. The necklace to Freja was just like Thor’s hammer to Thor. They both symbolize the deity and embody their power. Although, you weren’t sure why they wanted it you still refused to tell them where it was. Crowley had it hidden for a reason.    “Yes. You do!” Dean screamed.    “I have no clue where that damn Brísingamen is.” You screamed.    Sam pulled out a knife and held it to your neck.    “Tell me where it’s at Y/n!” Dean yelled.    “I don’t know.” you hissed.    “Sam! Come here!” Dean yelled.    Sam slide the knife through his belt loop, and followed Dean out of the room. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Dean was the only one who came back. You heard Sam doing things outside the door. Things be dropped and thrown around, but you were to worried about Dean to focus on Sam.    “I’m going to ask one more time, and you are going to tell me where the damn Brísingamen is.” Dean yelled.      “I. Don’t. Know.” You hissed.    “Fine.” Dean pulled a knife out of his back pocket. He pressed the blade to your cheek.    “Where?” He hissed.    You didn’t say anything. There was no point in arguing. He wasn’t going to believe you anyways. He pressed the blade against your skin harder. You felt the warmth of your blood traveling down your cheek.    “Where?” He demanded.    Again you said nothing. He pulled the knife down leaving a trail down your cheek. You hissed in pain.    “I told you. I. Don’t. Know.” You hissed.    He stabbed the knife into your leg and walked back to the table. You cried out in pain. Dean looked out the door and nodded to Sam, then turned and walked back in. He pulled an old cloth from his back pocket and tied it around your mouth. You mumbled in response. You struggled to get out, but it was useless. Dean walked out of the room. You barely heard what they were saying. All you could hear were mumbles. Then, you heard a familiar voice. One you knew too well. Crowley’s    “Hello boy’s. What do you want. I was in a meeting, and I after that I was going to spend some time with my queen. Once again, you two boneheads got in the middle of it. “ Crowley muttered.    You tried screaming, but only a mumbled came out. You even tried to do that as loud as you could.    “What’s that noise?” Crowley asked.    The door swung open, and you saw Crowley standing in the middle of a demon trap. Once he saw you his face turned white.    “What the Hell!” Crowley screamed. He saw how hurt and sad you looked. “Let her go! Now!”    “Not until you tell us where the Brísingamen is. Until then you stay here.” Dean said.    “I don’t have it.” Crowley hissed angrily.    Sam walked over to you and pulled the knife out of your leg, and held it against your neck. Crowley looked terrified.    “Fine. I’ll bring it to you.” Crowley muttered.    “No you are not leaving. How do we know you won’t just appear in her and kill us, then free her?” Dean asked.    “Because I wouldn’t put her in any danger.” Crowley said worriedly.    Sam pulled out a gun and held it to your head, “If you try anything. And I mean anything. She’s dead.” Sam said.    “Fine.” Crowley nodded and Dean broke the trap. Crowley disappeared. Within seconds he was back. He shoved the box at Dean and ran over to you.    “Love! Are you ok?” He asked worriedly. Sam undid the restraints and you tried to stand up, but you almost fell over due to blood loss. Crowley picked you up in his arms, and held you tight. Sam and Dean stood awkwardly at the door. Crowley snapped his fingers, and we were back in hell. Crowley helped remove your dress, so he could make sure you weren’t injured anywhere else.    He sat you on the bathroom counter and helped clean you up. He bandaged your leg and cheek and carried you to bed. He shut of the lights, and climbed in next to you.    “I am so so sorry, my love.” He apologized as you curled up against his chest.    “It’s not your fault.” you whispered.    “I should have protected you. That’s what I am here for. I am so sorry. I wish I would have known. I swear I am going to kill them once you get better.” He explained.    “I’ll be ok. Don’t worry about it.” You whispered.    “I know you will, because you’re my queen and I won’t let nothing hurt you again.” He whispered into your ear.    “I know.” You whispered and soon fell asleep.

[hekate1308]

The Baggage We Carry, Chapter Eight

Read it on AO3

One and a half years sounded like enough time to ensure he’d make it to college (he thought a normal one wouldn’t be too bad, even as Crowley insisted “Ivy League, I don’t take second best“), but in reality, Dean had never paid as much attention to his grades as he should have, if he wanted to pursue this course, and he was a mediocre student at best, as far as his teachers were concerned.

Which meant they’d probably be suspicious of his efforts for a while... Except Miss Moseley, of course. Dean had the feeling that nothing got past her.  

Despite the adults’ mistrust, people started to catch on. Slowly.

“Man, you are awesome in biology!” Garth claimed one day. He’d been sitting next to Dean during the test.

“Are you telling me you cheated?”

“Never, man. Just saw how much you wrote, you must have studied your ass off!”

He shrugged.

“I had help”.

Both of his best friends had studied with him.

And Dean could have sworn that Cas didn’t need to period and Crowley didn’t even know what studying was.

“Still, though – glad for you, man! Oh hi, Cas! Hi, Crowster!”

Dean glanced up to see Crowley frown at the nickname.

Weird to see them together, really; they only had a short break between classes right now, and normally Crowley didn’t bother to show up if there was no time for a proper chat.

Dean looked at Cas and raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged.

He didn’t know what was going on either, then.

None of them realized until Crowley actually walked right into Geography class with them.

“Ahm, Crowley...” Dean began, aware of the shocked stares of their classmates as he sat down at a desk.

“This is a classroom”.

“Your observation skills will never cease to amaze me, Squirrel.”

“A classroom where class is about to start” he continued.

“I am perfectly aware where I am, thank you”.

“A class with a teacher teaching, and other students”.

“I do also happen to know the definition of “high school””.

“Dean” Cas said, “if he wants to stay, let him.”

“I’m not throwing him out, I’m just wondering – “

“You sound like a couple bickering over their teenage son, guys” Garth said.

Lisa chuckled behind Dean.

“They really do”.

Most of the class was listening to them, although half of them were pretending not to.

Because Fergus Crowley actually walking down hallways where one could see him?

It was no big deal compared to him actually attending class.

As Dean had expected, Miss Rachel entered and immediately did a double-take.

“Mr. Crowley...”

He just looked at her, completely unconcerned.

She swallowed and forced herself to begin the lesson.

Dean was impressed. She didn’t throw half the strange glances Crowley’s way the rest of the class did.

“Seriously” he asked him at lunch, “What was that? I thought you’d graduate without having spoken to a teacher once”.

Crowley shrugged.

“I was bored and you two were there”.

Dean decided to best leave it at that.

That afternoon, he was studying with Cas in the library. Karen had already brought them pie.

“Ugh, I’ll never get this. Why do physics have to be so complicated anyway?”

“You love physics” Cas reminded him.

“Yeah, well... lots of things I love tend not to treat me that well, if we’re being honest”.

Cas reached out to squeeze his hand once more.

“Dean, you can do this”.

And he returned to his own book, not seeing Dean swallow and turn away.

Because one of the other things Dean loved?

Was sitting right next to him.

It wasn’t just a crush anymore; he was in love with Cas.

Oh God.

How could he let this happen? This was Cas, one of the best friends he had on this earth... He couldn’t go and pine after him for years to come.

But exactly that would happen if he didn’t remember that they were friends and that was all there would ever be to it.

After all, he’d kind of decided that ending up with a woman and eventually producing kids might help Dad get over his disappointment from Dean not taking over the shop.

And Cas was a very clearly not a woman and b incapable of having kids. Not that that would necessary stop them from adopting one, or using a surrogate, or...

You’re supposed to work through this, not make it worse, he chastised himself, but sadly, it didn’t work, and only Cas’ hand on his shoulder lifted him from his mental freak-out.

“Dean? You look a bit pale. You should eat your pie. I’m sure it’ll help.”

Why did he have to be so perfect? It just wasn’t fair.

“Yeah, thanks Cas, I’ll do that”.

He forced himself to smile and swore that this too would pass.

It didn’t.

Cas was just... so Cas: smart, caring, cute and no sign of stopping soon. He had become good friends with Sammy too, and Dean finally decided that he could take him to his house and introduce him to his parents after all.

As long as they didn’t notice...

Well, they had no idea he was bi, so they probably wouldn’t get suspicious.

The night he brought Cas over for dinner, Dad was baffled. He could see it in the way he eyed Cas, like one of those European cars with their “needlessly complicated motors” according to him (Dean had always thought that at least with some features the Europeans had a point, but knew better than to bring it up).

Cas was just... too different from the friends Dean had brought over before. Hell, Dad could even handle Aaron (then again, he hadn’t introduced himself with “Hey I’m gay and know your son is bi” so he probably assumed the guy was looking for some tips how to score a girl from Dean).

But Cas... Cas was quiet and a bit shy at the beginning of every acquaintance, not to mention he could be rather blunt, not at all like his other teammates or the jocks he brought around now and then when Mom asked about his friends.

“So, Casteeel” he tried, and Dean winced. Sam frowned at their father, but Cas didn’t even bat an eye. Probably was used to people butchering his first name.

“You said you like... reading”.

It almost sounded like a joke, coming out of Dean’s mouth.

Cas nodded.

“Yes. Me and... my best friend often go to the library”.

He’d almost said it, good God. Mom’s questions Dean could have dealt with but Dad’s well-meant ridicule would have hurt him.

“That’s... nice. So you know Karen?”

“He went with Sam and Dean to the Singers for dinner, John” Mom said. “You really could have remembered that.”

“Sorry, son. Dean just has so many friends...”

Yes, but only two close ones, Dad, and one of them I can’t even mention because you would throw a fit.

“I know” Cas said quietly while looking at Dean, as if assuring him that he knew the truth.

“Yeah, well, that’s my boy. Always out and about with his friends” Dad boasted and Dean wondered who he wanted to impress. Cas certainly was friendly enough, and even though by no means small Dad didn’t have to feel threatened by him of all people.

“Dean is a very good friend” he said gently, smiling at him.

Dean took a sip of water so he wouldn’t start coughing.

Damn it.

Why, Cas?

He couldn’t make heart eyes at him across the table, even Dad would notice, even if Cas was thankfully still unaware of his feelings.

And Mom...

Dean had never really thought about how much his mother knew about him.

Did she suspect? He was safe from Dad; he’d never even let a suspicion come into his head; but Mom?

He glanced at her, but she was beaming as always, happy to have her family around her, making sure everyone had a full plate.

She probably expected him to look for someone like her, Dean realized, someone exactly like her. Someone who was happy being a housewife, caring, doting, and yeah, he could see the appeal, and his mother was one of the best persons he knew, but with Cas...

He couldn’t imagine living with someone like Mom as his partner.

But Cas...

Waking up, bickering, having breakfast, saying goodbye at the door with a kiss...

Sam kicked him under the table, and his expression was enough to tell Dean.

Yes.

His brother knew.

His brother knew he was in love with Cas.

He swallowed and looked away.

Cas was busy telling Dean about the Kingskiller Chronicles, a book series Dean had always found a bit dense (but then he was way more into sci fi than Cas, and he could easily see why it was called “the new Lord of the Rings” Patrick Rothfuss had some serious game) and he was obviously still trying to figure out where this guy fit into the picture he had of his son.

He didn’t, and that was the whole problem.

“Tonight was nice” Cas told him when he was about to go, “thank you, Dean.”

“Nah, thank you, Cas, for dealing with my parents.”

“They’re not so bad... they noticed me”.

He reached forward and hugged Dean close. Surprised, he hugged back before seeing Cas off and walking back into the living room where his family was waiting.

“He seems smart” Dad said when he stepped in.

That was... not a lot of praise. He knew Dad, and “being smart” was usually not something he considered that important.

But then, Dean hadn’t expected him to like Cas a lot.

“He’s definitely a sweet-tempered boy” Mom said, “And so polite”.

“Yeah”.

“How did you get to know one another?”

“We sat next to each other in geography”.

“Ah, that’s it. You needed some pointers”.

“Actually I’m pretty...”

“I thought you’d find some use for that giant brain of his”.

Dad laughed.

“Good choice of friend, Dean.”

“John”.

“Sorry, Mary. I am just joking. If Dean wants to hang out with nerds now and then...”

“As a matter of fact they’re fun” Sam chimed in, glaring at Dad. “I’m one too, if you haven’t noticed”.

“Come on Sammy, just making a bit of fun. Isn’t that the point of Dads, anyway?”

Dean preferred retiring to his room so he could Skype with his friends for the rest of the night.

To his surprise, Crowley ended up inviting them to his house after school the next day.

“I have it all for myself this week. Mother is on a cruise with Devon”.

“How are her marriage plans going?”

“Considering I’m pretty sure Devon was called Tim last week, not too well.”

And that was how Dean and Cas ended up standing in front of Crowley’s, or rather Crowley mother’s pretty big house.

Imagine that. Crowley actually had a place where he lived.

It was stupid enough, but he’d never even considered that he needed to sleep.

“Why does your mother even need a millionaire?” he asked when Crowley opened the door for them.

“I never asked her where she got the money for the house. I considered it safer that way”.

It was probably was, but that didn’t keep noticing through the whole afternoon just how freaking empty this house was.

Say what you want about his parents, there were more pictures of him and Sam on the walls than he could count.

He almost couldn’t tell anyone lived here, for crying out loud.

They hung out in the living room, watching movies on the giant flat screen, when Dean went to the bathroom and accidentally the only pictures in the house.

The door next to the bathroom was open, and from the copy of Edgar Allan Poe on the bedside table, Dean immediately knew it was Crowley’s room.

He shouldn’t have snooped, but them...

The room was as meticulously clean as the rest of the house and yet felt warmer somehow.

Maybe it was because of the few pictures Crowley had carefully framed and hung up.

Dean recognized them immediately.

A few weeks ago, after they’d been playing football with Sam, they had fooled around in a photo booth.

Dean had had no idea Crowley had taken the pictures with him.

He smiled even as he ignored how much he and Cas looked like a couple in some of them and went to rejoin his friends.

And if he and Cas moved closer to one another throughout the afternoon, who was he to notice?

[nomercles]

spn meme

Oh, fun!  Thanks, @zmediaoutlet​!

1.  What season did you start watching SPN?

Between 4 and 5.  I was in a game and our GM was a HAAAACK, and also a big mouth, and so he figured out that when he wholesale lifted the plot of the show he’d finally did something I liked and found interesting, and tried to curry favor by telling me all about this show I’d really love.  Except I’m actually smart, and figured out pretty damned fast that I was basically priestess!Sam, which is flattering I guess, but still pretty shitty.  And I immediately dropped the game and kept the show.

2.  Who was the first character you fell in love with?

Oh, Dean.  Absolutely.  He was exactly my type, and Jared Padalecki looks like the cleaned-up Hollywood version of the dominant who’d just dropped my ass and it freaked me out quite a lot.  Dean’s love for him won me over, though.

3.  Who was a character you hated at first, but grew to love?

I don’t know that love is as strong as I’m feeling, but I’m going to go with Rowena and Naomi.  They finally got really interesting, just before they died.  Why the hell do the writers do that?  (rhetorical question)  And a touch of Sam, because of the aforementioned bad relationship timing business, but I got over it fairly quickly.  (And bonus? ��It helped me get over the guy faster, too.  “This is who you could have been, you asshat!”)

4.  Which character would you most like to be in a long-term relationship with?

Oh.  Um.  Here’s the trick.  This answer will be different in about a week.  Ask again for variety.  Right this second, I’m going with Jody or Benny.  Jody just hits every single one of my buttons, and Benny is really not far behind.  Ohhhh, can I have Jody/Ellen/Benny?  Is that greedy?

5.  If you could go on just one date with one character, which one would you choose?

Oof.  Meanie.  Yeah, I’m going with Dean.

6.  What would you do on the date?

I do love a nice car.  I’m a girl of varied tastes.  I can do aperitifs in the parlor just as easily as burgers in a bar.  But I love someone who’s uncomplicated--or if they are complicated, they’re self-soothing.  I just think Dean could make it fun.  Unpretentious, easy, and fun.  I don’t date easily or well at all, and being with someone who could help us over the bumpy bits would be nice.  (I think I basically have been on a date with Dean, and it was just about perfect.  They made for the perfect one-night-stand, if I’m only ever going to have one.)

7.  Which character would you most want to be like?

Ellen.  It takes a hell of a woman to go through everything she has and to still have her shit together, and she still has steel and velvet in her spine.  She’s tough, but not hard, and she doesn’t tolerate fools lightly, and she will absolutely go to war for you, if you’re one of hers.  I admire the hell out of her.

8.  Which character would you most like to see brought back from the dead?

No one.  Let people fucking die.  Let death have meaning again.  The story is so much more interesting and powerful if there are some fucking consequences.  That said, I do wonder how an older and wiser Sam and Dean would handle being faced with a new roster of Special Children.

9.  Which character would you most like to punch?

Most?  That’s hard.  Balthazar.  Or Zachariah.  Or really, and this would please me greatly, lock them in a room together and never let them out and tell me how that goes.

10.  Who is your absolute favorite character?

SamDeanSam&Dean.  If I put that all together we can pretend it’s just one character, yes?  Okay, fine.  Sam and Dean, the unit.

11.  Which “big bad” do you think was the worst?

Toss up between Metatron and Azazel.  I hated Metatron the most, but Azazel was most frightening to me.  Often, it’s the lesser-bads that are more unbearable to me.

12.  Which character are you most like?

You know, someone told me just recently that I’m a lot like Donna.  I don’t think this is a question I can answer for myself.  I know myself pretty well, but I still come armed with pre- and misconceptions.  I know who I want to be, and I know who I think I’ve been.  I don’t have a solid grasp on how others see me.

13.  What death hit you the hardest?

Bobby’s, or Dean’s latest one.  Though, again, repeated returns cheapen it.  Oh, man, and Ellen and Jo going out had me bawling.  I think those are the only ones that have had me needing to take a break.

14.  What season finale hit you the hardest?

5.  And then 11.

15.  What are your ten all-time favorite episodes?

Oh, man, I hate you so much right now.  This is going to take some thinking.

(2.14) Born Under a Bad Sign

(3.10) Dream a Little Dream of Me

(4.01) Lazarus Rising

(5.04) The End

(5.14) My Bloody Valentine

(5.16) Dark Side of the Moon

(6.04) Weekend at Bobby’s

(7,10) Death’s Door

(8.06) Southern Comfort

(10.05) Fan Fiction

(12.04) American Nightmare

I tried.  I really did.  There’s eleven.  I couldn’t get it lower.  Chronological order, rather than order of preference.  And to be honest, I’m probably wrong on a couple, but now my brain hurts, and this is what you get.

16.  What’s been your favorite season?

Ohhh, so, fun discovery!  I always hate the current season for a while, and then a few watches later, I’ll realize that I fucking love that thing.  (S7 being the exception so far.  Still don’t care for it.)  But I’m going to go with S4-5, because I can’t separate them.  They flow too beautifully together.

17.  Who is your favorite angel?

Super unpopular--though not surprising--opinion: it is decidedly not Cas.  Probably Gabriel.  He’s not a good guy, but he’s fucking interesting.  And that whole “run from my problems, make things worse, try to be heroic but maybe it’s too late by now” thing is a trend for me.  Though, thank Chuck, not on quite such a cosmic scale.

18.  Who’s your favorite demon?

Meg, Ruby, Casey, Alastair, War.  I’m not good at this There Can Be Only One thing.  And all of those appeal in completely different ways, so I can’t really compare them anyway.  Meg had such an interesting character development.  Ruby was so smug, and for all that she was sly, she was also kind of clumsy.  Moments of brilliance, but she wasn’t any kind of master manipulator.  I wonder if she could have done it without the blood.  Casey seemed like she had some fascinating stories in there, and she was the first demon we really got to see as a person.  Alastair was...God.  *shudder*  And War was just so cheerful about it all.  He knew his job, he liked his job, and he was secure.

19.  Who’s your favorite evil character?

Alastair.  And a runner-up of Azazel!John.

20.  Do you have any Supernatural ships?

Have you met me?  Die-hard Wincester over here.  Dimpala.  And what’s the one for Death/Dean?  I don’t read that one very often, but there are some good fic.  And for Sam, I kinda like asexual Sastiel and cozy snuggly Sevin.

21.  Who’s your favorite supporting actor?

Oh, man, it’s between Charles Malik Whitfield, Ruth Connell, and Aldis Hodge.  I have liked literally everything I have seen Whitfield do, I followed Hodge over to Leverage, and I could watch Ruth Connell say “moose” all damned day.

22.  What’s your favorite quote from the show?

...is there a database of good SPN quotes somewhere that I can consult?  Because I think I need one for this question.  Maybe Meg: “Look, I'm simpler than you think. I've figured one thing out about this world – just one, pretty much. You find a cause, and you serve it. Give yourself over, and it orders your life. Lucifer and Yellow Eyes – their mission was it for me.”

23.  If you could cast one famous actor in an episode of SPN, who would it be?

Fuck, man, I don’t know.  *stares at DVD shelf*  Brendan Fraser or Sam Elliott. 

24.  If you could write your own episode, what kind of creature would you like to see included?

ooo!  I’d like to see them dig into some very local monsters.  Not local to me, but personal to America monsters.  Try to hunt down a Thunderbird.

25.  Who’s your favorite girl that Dean’s hooked up with?

Tara Benchley.  She just looked so satisfied.  Or Suzy Lee from (9.08) Rock and a Hard Place.

26.  Who’s your favorite girl that Sam’s hooked up with?

Dr. Cara Roberts.  I have an affection for women who are just there for fun and aren’t interested in anything more.  Not because I don’t want the guys to have outside relationships (though, I don’t, because that’s not what I’m watching the show for), but I like women who just know what they want and are interested in playfully objectifying the guys.

27.  What are some of your favorite convention moments?

I don’t really watch the con videos much.  I will every so often, but the sound is always crap, and I get a headache.  I do quite like watching Jensen sing, though.  Hot damn.

28.  If you were going to guest star (or be a recurring guest star) on spn, how would you want your character described?

Cheerful, and snarky.  I’m gonna die anyway, I might as well be fun.

29.  What do you hope to see in the next season?

The Winchesters just being Winchesters.  Unless I am very much mistaken, this is the last season, so how about we go back to the show I fell in love with?  Like all mythic characters, Sam and Dean are both inherently human, and deeply divine.  So how about we get shit like the great icons trying to find clothes that fit them, or arguing over who left red socks in the laundry and why the hell do we even have red socks, Sam.  I want the show to end as beautifully as it could have been if they’d actually stopped at the end of 5.

30-40.  If you had to choose...

Bobby or John?  After all this time, John.  Let Bobby die.

Bela or Ruby?  Ruby.

Jess or Madison?  No opinion.  Madison, just because Jess carries the same problems as Mary.

Jo or Lisa?  Jo.

Charlie or Kevin?  Kevin.

Balthazar or Ash?  ASH.

Cas or Crowley?  Crowley.

Ben or Claire?  Claire.

Jody or Donna?  Jody.  That’s a tough one, though.

Sam or Dean?  No.  I’m not even going to entertain this one.

[booksbeyondimagining]

Words in Deep Blue, by Cath Crowley

On Sale Date: June 6, 2017 (US Release)

**I received this as an e-galley from Knopf Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.**

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)

Synopsis:

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came. Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

My Review:

I was honestly really disappointed in this book almost from the start, and very nearly DNF'ed it several times. From the synopsis I thought it was going to be something that I loved, but sadly there were many things about it that just did not appeal to me and left me with a sour taste in my mouth. To begin with, the characters are kind of bland and annoying when you first meet them, and their personal growths are kind of predictable and uninteresting over the course of the novel. Rachel, for example, lost her brother ten months prior to the start of the book and can't get over it. I get it - grief is hard, especially concerning someone you love, but she also had this strange sense of "I don't want to talk about it and don't want people to pity me and yet I also want them to pity me" vibe that I just got utterly annoyed with. She kind of got better as the book progressed, but the change didn't really feel like it made an impact that's how subtle it was. Henry, the other protagonist, spent most of the story pining for another girl who never really loved him in the first place, and it honestly felt like his character growth didn't even appear until somewhere in the last half of the book. This appeared with his sister as well, who had the stereotypical "I hate everyone because they hate me" outlook on life because she was so afraid of people hating her that she put up walls before they could actually get to know her and wouldn't let anyone in. Again, she growth took far too long to really start appearing. The plot itself was mildly okay, the pacing was fine, and the story was still somewhat interesting, but I found that it often repeated scenes unnecessarily (I hate seeing the same scene from two different perspectives. It's redundant and does nothing to show any new insight on the scene that I could not have gathered from context clues and understanding the characters themselves) and relied heavily on the "lack of communication" plot device. With this, I was thoroughly angry, because it was used in the context of Rachel's brother's death. I can't even begin to understand why it was even necessary to do that. To make her lie to people, tell one character that he was still alive, to keep it a secret and to have her act like everything is okay when it's obviously not - was this drama for the sake of drama? I already hate that plot device enough as it is, but to use it concerning the death of a person just felt wrong. I get not wanting to outright tell people, but when they point-blank ask about him, lying and saying he is still alive is just an awful, awful thing to do. You aren't the only one who had a relationship with him, you know. On a positive note, I will say that the whole Letter Library thing was cute and for the most part worked well in the book (except the letter from the author to the reader because it just came at such a late point in the book that it was jarring and pulled me out of the story - it would have worked fine earlier in the book itself, I think), and some of the ideas presented in the novel were interesting and thought-provoking as well. However, I was disappointed in the whole "romance" aspect, since that didn't start happening until about three-quarters of the way in it felt like, and when it did, I didn't really feel much for it. Overall, a rather disappointing read with characters that I could care less about and a plotline based around an already annoying plot device made worse by the context of it in this book.