#but they’re all inevitably *someone’s* azazel

[shallowseeker]

You’re someone’s Azazel.

[mariswxt]

we could be more | dean winchester | 16

Summary: Ivonne Rainer was practically a trained killing machine. Stripped to the bone then built back up by her father in order to become one of the best, like he was. She was forced into hunting when she was nineteen, having developed powers that couldn’t be explained. That is, until she was paid a visit by Azazel’s lackey. Her powers were gone, she needed help, and that’s when she found her father’s journal. Pointing to Sam and Dean Winchester.

SERIES MASTERLIST

TALL TALES

“Dude. You mind not eating those on MY bed?” 

Here we go again. 

“Yeah, I don’t mind.” Dean shrugged, munching on chilli cheese fries. “How’s research going?” 

“You wanna know how research is going? Slow. Cause it would be a heck of a lot faster if I had my computer.” 

“Bobby, are you almost here?” I muttered into the phone. 

‘Yeah, don’t blow your fuse. I’ll be here in five minutes.’ 

“I will in a moment.” 

“Can you turn that down please?” Sam snapped. I quickly said bye and cut the call, covering my ears.

“Sure.” Dean reached to the radio, and turned it up. 

“You know what? Maybe, uh, maybe you should just go somewhere for a while.” 

Dean shut the radio, fuming. “Hey, I'd love to. That's a great idea. Unfortunately, my car's all screwed to hell.” 

“I told you, I have nothing to do with-“ 

“SHUT UP!” I yelled, sitting up on my bed. They both stopped arguing, and I ran a hand through my hair. “You both have been at each other’s throats for a straight WEEK! Five minutes of silence, both of you, until Bobby comes to help.” 

Dean and Sam instantly started protesting. “Come on, Beanie-“

”Ivy, he started it-“

”Shut up you little weasel-“

”You first, you rhino-“

”ZIP IT!” I retorted, snapping my fingers and they both stopped. 

“Yes, ma’am.” They chorused, sitting down. I sighed in relief, about to flop back onto the bed when I got a call from Bobby. I frowned, excusing myself before walking outside and finding him there. 

“Bobby. Hey.” 

“Hullo, mini.” Bobby smiled, hugging me.

“What’s up?”

”Ellen told me about this ‘droplet of love’ you’ve been tryna find. Well, word spread, and our old pal Bela managed to find out what it was. Gave the info for free because it was you she was doing it for. And thank god it was, cause she would’ve charged if otherwise.” 

“What is it?” I stepped forward, clutching my rune. I was desperate at this point, really. Poring over books made me tired of them.

“You’re not gonna like it.” 

“Try me.” 

“A droplet of love is blood. Blood-” 

“That’s easy-“

”Let me finish. Blood obtained from the sacrifice of the rune bearer’s life for someone they’d truly love and give everything for. Meaning even if you do break the curse, you wouldn’t live to celebrate.” 

“Are… you… KIDDING ME?!” I shrieked. “All this? To ensure what, that I get possessed and eventually die? I can’t tell Sam and Dean this! How would that go? Oh, hey, guys. I found a way to break my curse but it involves me dying- Dean will fricking tie me to a chair and put a shedload of sedatives in me to stop me from moving. Sam’s gonna rip apart every book he can find before he finds a solution, which he inevitably won’t be able to, and James, what’s he gonna do? Mourn, knowing he could’ve done something? And Dad, oh fudging hell, Dad…”

”I know, Ivonne, but there’s no other option.” 

“I know, I know, it’s just…” I ran a hand through my hair. “I’ve been tracking every murder that has something to do with knives and throats or hearts being carved out of hunter’s bodies, about nine or ten in my direction. They’re trailing me, and at this point I have it figured out. There were a few of those that happened at the same time, so I’m not being tracked by just one dreamwalking freak, I’m being tracked by multiple. And they’re closing in fast, cause my presence is a homing signal. Sam and Dean could be collateral because of this, Bobby, so I need your word. Do one thing for me.” 

“Do what?” 

“If the dreamwalker gets too close, cause I know you’re trackin’ it too, the first thing I need you to do is get Sam and Dean away from here. Say I’ve got some problem I need to sort out with finances and put ‘em in a case across a couple of states- just far enough so I don’t hurt them.” 

“I can’t do that, mini.” Bobby shook his head, frowning. “You could benefit from their help-“ 

“They would die if they helped!” My voice started rising, but I toned it down. “That thing gets stronger every day, and if it inhabits me, there’s no telling how long it’ll be before I knock ‘em out and stick a knife in them, and you too. James and Dad already know protocol-“ 

“How come they’re the ones helping you out? Mick, I can understand, but James?” 

“James can call the PD in if necessary, and cover my tracks. And his and Dad’s combined strength could be enough to keep me at bay for some time. Sam and Dean need to live.” 

We knocked on the door to the motel, and Sam and Dean opened it. 

“Hey, Bobby.” Sam smiled, letting Sam in. 

“Boys.” Bobby nodded. 

“Hey, Bobby.” Dean stood up, approaching us.

“So good to see you three again.” 

“Thanks for coming out here, Bobby.” I grinned, “I needed it.” 

“Thank god you're here.” Dean sighed. 

“So um, what didn't you want to talk to me on the phone about?” Bobby asked, and I pulled up a chair for him to sit on. 

“It's this job we're working.” Sam stammered. “We-We weren't sure you'd believe us.” 

“Oh, I can believe a lot.” 

“We haven’t seen anything like it.” 

“Not even close.” I chuckled. “There’s some weird malarkey going on and fresh eyes are extremely useful.”

“Well, why don't you begin at the beginning?” Bobby shrugged, so Sam took the lead. 

“So, it all started when we caught wind of an obit.” He explained, “See, a professor took a nosedive from a fourth story window, only there's a campus legend that the building's haunted. So we pretexted as reporters from the local paper.” 

I sat down at the bar, watching Dean flirt, Sam gather in information while I got an idea of what the students and staff were like. I ordered a whiskey, and sipped it, looking around. 

“Reporter, huh?” The bartender stepped out of the dim lighting, and I laughed, realising who it was. “Is the name Lily Carter?” 

“James.” I giggled, accepting a kiss on the cheek from him. “Why am I not surprised?” 

“Cause I’m startlingly good at finding you. Just wanted to gather some ideas about this case and give it to you” James smirked, winking. “What information have you bagged?” 

“Professor was a douche, not much else.” I shrugged. “You? Bartenders hear a lot, so tell me you’ve got something good.” 

“There’s a couple of urban legends floating around. Girl taking a nose dive after having an affair with a professor, and this one has a wife and kids. Dude was famous too.” 

“Ok, I’ll look into it. Thanks, James.” 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart, now, I’ve got to prepare some purple nurples for the blonde girl and Dean.” 

“Purple nurples?” I got up and walked over to the boys. 

“I've got some feisty little wildcat on the hook, I'm about to – zzzzp – reel her in. I'll introduce you.” Dean grinned, and then I saw Starla, a blonde girl dressed like she was going to take Dean back to her house and do the nasty. “Starla! Starla, hey. This is my shuttle co-pilot Major Tom. Major Tom, Starla.” 

“Enchanté.” Starla smirked, draping an arm over Dean’s shoulder. 

“Hi.” Sam raised his hand. 

“Don’t forget me, guys.” I laughed, and then got an overexaggerated side eye from Starla. “Hey, I’m Heather.” 

“And who are you?” Starla narrowed her eyes. I chuckled cynically, looking her up and down. 

“I’m Dean’s ex-girlfriend. Got a problem?” 

She bit her lip angrily, then put on a smile. “Not. At. All.” She then gagged, covering her mouth, and then when she was done, she smiled sweetly again. “Sorry. Have to keep my liquor in!” 

“Good job.” Dean smirked, then turned to Sam. “Great news. She’s got a sister.” Then he turned back to Starla, who draped an arm around his shoulder, both of them giggling.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute.” Dean frowned. 

“What?” Sam blinked. 

“That’s not how it happened.” 

“So you didn’t have any purple nurples?” 

“Yes, I did.”

“And, uh, I was not jealous of Dean hanging out with that girl.” I scoffed. “And she wasn’t that classless.” 

“Yeah, and her name wasn’t Starla.” 

“Then what was it?” Sam shrugged. 

Dean paused. “I don’t know, but she was a classy chick. She was a grad student, anthropology and folklore. We were talking about local ghost stories.“ 

“Here we go again.” I sighed, cracking open a bottle of beer.

I was staring longingly at Dean from across the bar, not sipping my Cosmopolitan. It was no secret to me that I was madly in love with him, despite being with James in a long-distance relationship-

“Geez, was my Cosmo that bad?” I looked up to see James, and I instantly put on a false grin. 

“James!” I gasped. “What are you doing here?” 

“Gathering intel, same as you.” He leaned forward, kissing me gently. “Whatcha got?” 

“So far? Not much, I’m just drowning myself in drinks for the time being. I know that the professor was quite a famous one, has a famous book, gives autographs everywhere, the works. There was also a similar story where there was a young girl who had an affair with a professor, but she took a jump. Room 669, and apparently it’s significant because you can flip one of the numbers and make 666.” I saw Dean kissing the girl in the stilettos, so I excused myself and made my way to where Sam was standing with a prissy grimace. 

“Dean!” Sam snapped. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

“Sam, please. If you wouldn't mind, give me five minutes here.” Dean smirked. 

“Dean, this is a very serious investigation. We don't have any time for any of your blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah Blah!” Dean leaned in to kiss the girl again, while Sam continued bladibiblah-ing behind him. I gave him a weird look, pinching him to reassure myself that it was him. “Blah!” 

I’m gonna assume that’s an ‘ow’.

“Right! And that's how it really happened.” Sam scoffed. “I don’t sound like that, Dean!” 

“That’s what you sound like to me.” Dean shrugged. 

“You guys literally sound like idiots.” I groaned. “That’s not how it happened, you asses. Sam talked to the students, Dean flirted with an average girl, not a classy chick or one that struggled to keep her barf in, I wasn’t jealous or longing for anyone, I got intel from James, and we got the hell out of there after Dean scoffed some last purple nurples.” 

“What’s going on with you three?” Bobby frowned. 

“What is?” 

“You’re bickering like an old married couple.” 

“Married couples can divorce.” Dean contradicted. “We’re like Siamese twins, except it’s triplets.” 

“It’s conjoined triplets!” Sam snapped. 

“See what I mean?”

”Look, it…” I sighed, “we've just been on the road for too long. Tight quarters, all that. Don't worry about it.” 

“Ok.” Bobby nodded. 

“So anyway. We figured it might be a haunting, so we went to check out the scene of the crime.” 

“So, how long've you been working here?” Sam asked the janitor. We were posing as electricians for the day.

“I’ve been moppin’ these floors for six years.” He let us into the office. “There you go, guys.” He spotted the EMF reader in Sam’s hand. ”What the heck's that for?” 

“To find a wire in the walls.” I replied smoothly. 

“Huh. Wow. Not sure why you're wiring up this office. Not gonna do the professor much good.” 

“Why’s that?” Dean asked. 

“Cause he’s dead.” 

“Oh. What happened?” 

“He fell out of that window. Right there.” 

“Yeah?” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Were you working that night?” 

“I'm the one who found him.” 

“Did you see it happen?” I questioned, looking for security cameras. 

“Nope. I just saw him come up here, and uh... well.” 

“Well what?” 

“He wasn’t alone.”

”Who was he with?” 

“He was with a young lady. I told the cops about her, but uh, I guess they never found her.” 

“You saw this girl go in, huh?” Sam frowned. “But did you ever see her come out?” 

“Now that you mention it,” The janitor shrugged, “no.”

”You ever see her before, around?” 

“Well, not her.” 

“What do you mean?” Dean asked, munching on peanuts. 

“I don't mean to cast aspersions on a dead guy, but uh… Mister Morality here? He brought a lot of girls up here.” 

“One more thing. This building, it only has four stories, right?” Sam looked around. 

“Yeah.” 

“So there wouldn't be a room six-six-nine?” 

“‘Course not. Why would there be?” 

“Just curious.” 

“Well, no traces of EMF, that's for sure.” Sam sighed when we got back to the motel. 

“And the room six-six-nine's a load of bull.” Dean grimaced. I looked through Carl’s notes, clicking my tongue. 

“So what do you think? The professor's just a jumper? A legend's just a legend? What d’you say, Ivy?”

”I don't know. I mean, the uh, girl the janitor described, that's pretty weird.” I shrugged. “I say we check out the records and see if any co-ed matching the description took a nose dive.” 

“Yeah, you're right.” Sam opened his computer. “Dean, were you on my laptop?” 

“No.” Dean frowned. “Why?” 

“Oh really? 'Cause it's frozen now. On uh, bustyasianbeauties.com.” I frowned, staring at Dean with a look that said ‘what the hell’.

“Would you – just – don't touch my stuff anymore, okay?” 

Dean bristled. “Why don't you control your O.C.D.?” 

“Can you both shut up?” I snapped. “Asian beauties or not, we need to get to research.” 

“But did you dig up anything about the building? Or on the suicidal co-ed?” Bobby asked.

”History’s clean.” Sam sighed. 

“Then it’s not a haunting.” 

I shrugged, clicking my tongue. “I’d say that too, had it not been for act two of this whole thing. And it’s beyond weird.” 

“What’s ’beyond weird’?” 

“Well, to put it in as few words as possible… alien abduction.” 

“Aliens?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Aliens?!” Bobby exclaimed. 

“Yeah.” 

“Look, even if they are real, they're sure as hell not coming to earth and swiping people.” 

“Hey, believe me. We know.” Dean chuckled.

”My whole life i've never found evidence of an honest-to-God abduction. It's all just cranks and pranks.” 

“Yeah, that's what we thought.” Sam agreed. “But...we figured we'd at least talk to the guy.” 

“At least they did, I didn’t.” I excused. 

“The dude said that…” Dean snickered, “he got probed. A lot.” 

“Oh, grow up.” Sam snapped. 

“Stop.” I groaned. “And he was made to fricking slow dance with an alien. Doesn’t sound real, but apparently it’s real.”

”You guys are exaggerating again, huh?” Bobby grimaced. 

“No.” 

“Then this frat boy’s just nuts.” 

“I’d say the same had it not been for the giant scorch mark set into the ground.” 

“But what could we do?” Dean shrugged. “So we just kept on digging.” 

“I decided to take the reins, cause frat boys were more likely to answer to a girl who looked like she was still in college rather than two men.” I smirked. “I decided to adopt a different look this time, in case anyone had seen me before. It was Miss Missouri this time. Names are cheesy, but I have no other option.” 

I walked into the dormitories wearing a brown wig and green contacts, and I immediately ran into a couple of frat boys. I worked the charm and whatnot, got them to let their guard down, then started my interrogation. 

“So, you and this guy, Curtis – You were in the same house?” I asked, hands in my pockets. 

“Yeah.” The college student, Mike, responded monotonously.

“You heard what happened to him, right?” 

“He says it was aliens and whatnot, but whatever.” He paused. “To tell you the truth, whatever happened to Curtis, he had it coming.” 

“Why so?” 

“He's our pledge master. Put us through hell this semester, and got off on it. So now he knows how we feel.”

”Right.” 

“Well, there’s a connection.” I paced, clicking my tongue. 

“Like?” Sam asked. 

“Both the professor and Curtis? They’re douches.” 

“That’s a connection?” 

“Got a better option?” 

“Dean, where’s my laptop?” Sam groaned, searching through his bag. 

“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “But yeah, makes sense. A philandering professor gets a dead girl. A pledge master gets hazed.“ 

“I swear I put it in here.” 

“Well, you obviously didn’t.” 

“Guys, focus.” I sighed. “These punishments- they're almost poetic. Actually, it'd be more like a limerick, but still-“ 

“Dean, where did you hide it?” Sam interrogated, approaching Dean. 

“What, your computer?” Dean scoffed. 

“Yeah, where'd you hide it?” 

“Why would I hide your computer?” 

“Because no one else could have, Dean! We keep the door locked. Ivy has no business taking my computer. We never let any maids in.” 

“Looks like you lost it, Poindexter.” 

“Dude, you know something? I put up with a lot from you.” 

Dean frowned. “What are you talking about? I'm a joy to be around.” 

Sam scoffed. “Yeah? Your dirty socks in the sink, your food in the fridge-“ 

“What’s wrong with my food?” 

“It's not food anymore, Dean! It's DARWINISM!” 

“I like it.” 

“All I ask from you, the one thing, is that you don't mess with my stuff!” 

“You done?” 

Sam grimaced, sizing Dean up, which was working since Sam was a full four inches taller. “Y’know, how would you feel if I messed with the Impala?” 

Dean bristled, fire in his eyes. “It’d be the last thing you ever do-“ 

“GUYS!” I yelled, separating them. “Sam, we’ll find your computer. In that time, use Carl. Dean, your food is edible and barely borderlines on Darwinism. And I? I need a frickin’ shower.” 

“Did you take his computer?” Bobby asked Dean sternly. 

“I’d say he deserves it, but no.” Dean snivelled. 

“Well, I didn't lose it. 'Cause I don't lose things.” Sam retorted. 

“Yeah, right, ‘cause you’re Mr Perfect.” 

“Shut up! Again!” I snapped. “There was one more victim. We weren’t there for this one, so we kind of put it together from the evidence. But this guy – He was, uh, he was a research scientist. Animal testing.” 

“A douche.” Dean added. “Which fits the pattern. Cops didn't release the cause of death 'cause they had no clue what the cause was.“ 

“So we decided to check it out.” Sam said. 

“Turns out the dude was mauled by an alligator.” I grimaced. “We decided to search the sewer, so we split up, each taking one end of campus.” 

“Did you find anything?” Bobby asked. 

“Oh, I found something, just not in the sewer.” Dean snarled, glaring at Sam.

”Not again.” I groaned.

“You think this is funny?” Dean fumed, storming in. 

“It depends.” Sam shrugged. “What?” 

“Th-th-the car!” 

“What about it?” 

“You can’t just let the air out of the tires; it’s gonna bend the rims!” 

“Back up.” I frowned, standing up. “Sam let the air out of the tyres? Sam?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I didn’t do it!” Sam snapped. 

“Then why’d I find this?” Dean held up a money clip, which Sam made a grab for. I quickly typed out a message to Bobby, my patience wearing thin.

“Give me back my money!” 

“No, no, no. Think of it as compensation for emotional trauma.” 

“Yeah, very funny. Now, give it back.” 

“No!” 

“I’ve had it with you!” 

“Yeah? Well, right back at you!” Sam tackled Dean, and they both started rolling around on the bed like little kids. I sent the message, rolled my eyes, then pushed them both off the bed. They landed with a groan on the floor, and then stood up, rubbing whatever was lightly thumped. 

“I’ve had it up to HERE with you two!” I yelled, pointing at the ceiling. “And I’m not enduring any more! I’ve called Bobby because we obviously can’t solve this damn thing on our own, like actual, functional adults. So while he’s on his way, we’re going to be getting on with as few arguments as possible, because right now I feel like I’m too old for this. I shouldn’t be feeling that way. I’m 27, young and youthful, you hear me?” 

“Beanie-“ 

“Dean Henry Winchester, do not say a word that’ll get your ass kicked. Goes for you too, Samuel William Winchester.” I picked up my book, flopping down on the bed-

“Ok, that’s enough.” Bobby sighed.

”You showed up about an hour or two after that.” I grimaced. 

“I’m surprised at you three. Firstly, Sam, Dean did not steal your computer.” 

Sam frowned. “But-“ 

“Shh! And Dean, Sam did not touch your car.” 

“Yeah!” 

“Lastly, Ivy does not need to act as a mother to you two.” 

“Damn straight.” I snapped. 

“And if you three bothered to pull your heads outta your asses, it all would have been pretty clear.” 

“What?” Dean asked. 

“What you’re dealing with.” 

Sam looked like his brain short-circuited. “Uh…” 

“I’ve got nothing.” Dean shrugged. 

“Me neither.” 

“I’ve got it.” I clicked my fingers, sitting up. “It’s a trickster. We’ve got a trickster on our hands.” 

“That’s what I thought.” Dean agreed smugly. 

“Shush, no you didn’t.” I stood up, pulling out a supernatural creature encyclopaedia while smacking his shoulder. “It makes complete sense now. We’re the biggest clue.” 

“What do you mean?” Sam frowned. 

“These things create chaos and mischief as easily as we breathe. It knows we’re here, and it’s got us so tightly wound that we can’t even think straight. The computer, the tires, you arguing, it’s messing with us.” 

“So, what is it, what, what, spirit, demon, what?” Dean stammered. 

“Well, more like demigods, really. There's Loki in Scandinavia. There's Anansi in West Africa. Dozens of them. They're immortal, and they can create things out of thin air. Things as real as you and me. Make them vanish just as quick.” 

“You mean like an angry spirit or an alien or an alligator.” 

“The victims fit the M.O., too. Tricksters target the high and the mighty, knock them down a peg, usually with a sense of humour – deadly pranks, things like that.” Bobby added.

”Beanie, what do these things look like?” 

“Anything, but mostly? Human.” I informed, flicking through my books. 

“And which human do we know has been at ground zero this whole time?” 

I snapped the book shut, turning around. 

“Sweet beans.”

We were walking up the stairs, in tow of the janitor, aka trickster. “Sorry I'm dragging a little ass today, boys. Had quite the night last night.” The janitor turned to us smugly. “Lots of sex, if you catch my drift.” 

“Hard not to.” I commented, signalling to Sam.

“We just need to check a couple offices up on three.” Dean smiled.

”No problem.” The janitor nodded. 

“I, uh, forgot something in the truck. You know what? I'll catch up with you guys.” Sam stammered, then hung back. 

“I’m telling you, he’s our guy.” Dean persisted as we walked out of the building.

“Just 'cause he reads the Weekly World News doesn't mean he's our guy. I mean, you read it, too.” Sam vouched. 

“Let’s just get some hard proof.” I suggested. 

“Okay, another thing Bobby mentioned was that these suckers have a metabolism like an insect, a real sweet tooth.” Dean brought up. 

“Well, I didn't find any candy bars or sugar.” Sam shrugged. “Not even Equal.” 

“Eh, that's probably 'cause you missed something.” 

“I don’t miss things.” 

“Yeah, cause you’re Mr Perfect.” 

“What? Are you really still pissed at me 'cause of what the trickster did?” 

“You’ve been a tight ass even before the trickster wound us up.” 

“Not this again.” I huffed. “Ok, Dean, you can keep an eye on the janitor. Sam and I’ll go back to his place to find any more evidence before we go staking the man! Yeah? We good?” 

“We’re good.” They reluctantly admitted. 

“Alright, let’s go.” We split off opposite ways, then Sam and I took a detour to meet Bobby. “You have the stakes?” 

“I’d be damned if I didn’t, short stack.” Bobby replied, handing me one. “Let’s get this trickster.” We made our way to the theatre, where Dean was at the foot of the stairs. The trickster turned, spotting all three of us due to the loud door slam. 

“That fight you guys had outside – that was a trick?” He asked, and took the answer off Dean’s smile. “Hm. Not bad. But you want to see a real trick?” A masked man with a chainsaw appeared beside Sam, attacking. Bobby rushed to help, while I dodged the blow of… myself? Dressed in a bikini? 

“Do you have any respect?” I scoffed to the trickster, kicking myself to the next wall. My stake clattered to the floor, rolling down the steps.

“No, I don’t think so.” He shrugged, then I got pinned to an aisle seat by my copy (god, this is weird and awkward), her hand at my throat. I gasped for air, then felt my gun’s copy be trailed from my forehead to over my lung. I panicked, so I quickly elbowed her and took out my gun, pistolwhipping her with the barrel, knocking her out. I then took off my jacket, putting it on her so it covered her.

“Have some modesty. But I’ve got to say, I look good.” I breathed, rolling my shoulders back with a grin. “Still got it. Right, uh, evil trickster.” I ran across the aisles, leaping down the rows lightly. 

“I did not want to have to do this.” 

“Me neither.” I growled, hooking my arm around the trickster’s neck and pulling him towards me, sticking the stake right in his heart. I drove it in, and he went limp, the illusions disappearing. I let the body go, then went back up to where my unconscious copy was, picking up my jacket and putting it on. “God, fighting myself in a bikini is so uncomfortable.” 

“What?” Sam blinked. “What’re you talking about? I was busy fighting chainsaw dude with Bobby.”

“I need yet another shower, that’s what I’m talking about. It’s not everyday that you pistolwhip yourself.”

“Hey, uh, Dean?” Sam asked while Dean was tucking into dinner and I was in the shower. We were now at my safe house, and much less angry at each other. 

“Hm?” Dean looked up, mouth full. 

“Take your time. Um, do you still like Ivy?” 

Dean swelled, then shook his head, chuckling. “Nah. She’s happy with James, and I can let her be that way.” 

“It’s cause, uh, I dunno, I don’t think her and James are gonna last much longer.” 

“They’re solid. Why not?” 

“Something seems off. Ever since Bobby came to help, she seems more, how do I put it? Tense.” 

“I’m sure you’re just thinking things, Sammy. She’d tell us if something was the problem.”

I was already out of the shower and on the phone with James, pacing. “James, this is a big problem.” 

‘I know, sweetheart.’

”I can’t get my powers cause I’ll die, and if the dreamwalker finds me, I die. The crossroads demon played it well, I’ll give it that.” 

‘Ash is searching for a way out, just hang tight for me, ok?’ 

“I can’t just hang tight, James. It’s getting closer, all of them are getting closer. Bobby’s agreed to get them out if things go south. Thanks for showing up at the bar to keep an eye on me, though. Now that I know, it’s a reassurance.” 

‘I don’t want to lose you, Ivonne.’ 

“You’re gonna have to.” I stated firmly. “You have no choice.” 

‘Yes, yes, we do. You can’t just-‘ 

“I can. It’s one over seven. I think seven takes priority.” 

‘What about what we think? We think it’s bull, and we can get you out.’ 

“You can’t.” 

‘Ivy-‘ 

“James-“ 

‘Listen to me-‘ 

“Listening won’t do anything.” I sighed. “That feeling, that weighted feeling that I had when I was possessed, I can feel it more and more every hour, even slightly more, but I feel it. This could be the end, and all I want to figure out is who’s after me. That’s all I want.” For the first time, I had no control. 

I was powerless.

PREVIOUS | NEXT

[azazelsconfessional]

Fave food(s)? Fave drink(s)?

"Pudding!" That was fast. His tail's even wagging. "In particular, Maria's special pudding.

"Ah, I suppose 'crème caramel' or 'flan' is a more specific term for it. Which isn't to say I don't enjoy other kinds of custard or pudding--there are, after all, so many kinds in different flavors.  Sweet, savory. . .it’s a wonder they’re considered in the same ‘family' of foods. . .ah, but crème caramel is my favorite pudding."

Ooh. . .now he wants pudding. . . .

"Excuse me a moment." He quickly makes his way to a door leading deeper into the church. When he opens the door, the sound of the giggles and chattering of children is clear from inside. Maria's voice can barely be heard above them. "Sister Maria!"

A brief pause. His voice doesn't sound urgent, nor is he yelling too loud, just enough so to get her attention. She must not be too far inside, nor does he want to upset the children by raising his voice.

"Do we have any pudding. . .?"

Another pause. He also greets the children who call out to him to say hello, calling him ‘Father,’ 'Father Azazel,' and 'Mister Goat.' (One or two say 'Papa'--they're confused, but they've got the spirit. And possibly no father of their own besides him.) After a moment, Azazel's tail begins to wag again and he goes through the door which creeps closed behind him.

Triumphantly, he returns with delicious flan--he has some to share, too, if you'd like!

"Ah, where was I?" Right, his favorite food. He puts a spoonful of the pudding in his mouth.

"If pudding doesn't count due to it being a dessert. . .hmm, I deeply enjoy food, so it’s hard to choose a favorite. But, perhaps surprising given goats are herbivores, I like meat. Venison has become more common in this Tokyo since the appearance of the Gates, and we have it now and then.  But I also like chicken.  And beef. . .and fish. . .this Tokyo has so many dishes made with fish thanks to the country being an island--and that’s only Japan. . . .

"I like pork, but we rarely have it due to some angels keeping dietary restrictions in the Scriptures. If we do, we keep it as separated as possible from other foods to prevent contamination and handle it with separate tools and utensils.  There are other ‘unclean’ foods as well--but I’ll eat them all.

"Noodles are versatile. . .as are sandwiches. Most soup isn’t very filling, but--oh.”  He comes back to his senses.  There isn’t even food in front of him, aside from the pudding he’s snacking on as he talks.  “Excuse me, I. . .lost control of myself somewhat. I apologize, but I don’t think I can decide on a favorite food. Admittedly, I can rarely even decide what to order from restaurants. . .this response was an unfortunate but inevitable outcome.

“I suppose I could say that my favorite food is anything that’s been cooked for me or for someone else. The love in such dishes is palpable. . .the more there is the better.  . . .By which I mean more food is better. But love as well.”

He tries to compose himself with another bite of pudding.  He looks blissful and almost childish.

"Beverages. . .I spent most of my early time bound to the human world in the desert. So I find cold water to be a welcome luxury anytime I have it, even now that freezers and taps exist. But otherwise I like warm drinks the most.

"And," He pulls a labelled bottle out of a nearby cabinet. "The communion wine."

A nearby angel quickly takes the bottle from him and puts it back while he laughs at the fretting winged one. "I'm only joking. There’s hardly even any alcohol in it! But I do like to do a little bit of drinking, especially when I'm out with Ahab."

He would drink more, but. . .well. Anti-sin chains keep him from doing things like easily drinking as much as the captain.

[ambiguousdisorderken]

If you could introduce cas at any one time between s1-s3 where would you do it and why?

as much as i ADORE the dynamic between s1dean and cas, i’ll go with something different, and perhaps a bit sadder, but in my opinion all the more poignant and impactful for it: dean meets cas at the end of s2, see all hell breaks loose pt. ii, cemetery battle against azazel.

as designed by chuck, dean was supposed to be michael’s vessel once armageddon was set afoot, but the whole divine plan was jeopardized when sam died. neither faction (chuck’s machinations aside) expected dean to make a deal to bring his brother back to life, but he did. so we have hell rejoicing and we have heaven somewhat placated because their holy father’s scriptures remain true and the order has been restored, at least for the time being.

whatever happens from here until the first seal breaks is not heaven’s business, they’re above petty humanity, and after all, the winchesters are mere instruments to be used once the apocalypse comes.

castiel though, he’s got a crack on his chassis. he’s curious. there’s celebration in heaven but he wants to know the real cause for celebration, he wants to meet this human who saved god’s plan with an act his siblings deem stupid, but he considers rather noble. so he goes to earth, for the first time in many years. his vessel, jimmy novak, a devoted man whose faith came to him as naturally as breathing, accepted castiel willingly and without much questioning.

it’s cas who helps dean defeat azazel instead of john. after all, john is only a human soul, a very tortured one in hell, if alastair’s words from 4.16 can be taken as truthful. he would be in no shape to climb all the way out of hell, not that fast, and especially, he wouldn’t be able to restrain azazel or force him out of his vessel the way he did. also, i just dislike the idea of john “redeeming” himself, it was executed poorly and it is a bit too easy and convenient for him to show up and save the day. [¡¡¡also fuck john winchester!!!.]

so yes, it’s cas who, in his haste to meet thee dean winchester stumbles into the battle and overpowers azazel, giving dean the perfect opportunity to shoot the demon and killing him for good. 

of course dean would be apprehensive of cas, but literally all hell had just broke loose, and if there was a point in time angels -should they exist- would appear on earth, surely that would be one of them, right?

it takes him some time, all of them, to trust cas, who appears every other day, sometimes just once a week, sometimes he stays two whole days. he’s a low profile seraph these days and he’s always diligent. besides, he’s not the most social of angels, so if anybody notices his absence, they’re angelic enough about it not to care. as long as heaven runs smooth, all is well. chuck is entertained and much too comfortable lying low to bother about a rogue angel.

cas tells dean he’s been charged with helping them out, seeing as they helped shut the gates of hell, or any other excuse. he’s not very good lying, but dean buys it. he’s still hopeful , a stranger to the rack and the sulphur of the pit.

inevitably, dean falls in love with cas. it’s quick and unexpected, as if someone hit the back of his head with the full force of it, of cas. it’s also the easiest thing he’s ever done. castiel, this angel... cas... he’s everything dean knows he can’t have, he is all the good dean could never be, he’s touched by god while dean is tainted by the filth of demons, literally. 

he’s never regretted making that deal to save sammy, but he wishes the demon had given him more than a year. most people get 10. a lot could be done in ten years, and maybe cas, maybe he’d still be around. maybe dean would be able to call him his friend, maybe he’d be able to know cas better (because he doesn’t really say much about himself, and always seems so interested in learning more about dean, what he likes, how he feels, why he acts in certain ways, why he likes making cas laugh so much, why he blushes at odd times and why his smile falls when he seems the happiest). or maybe 10 years wouldn’t be enough to make an angel of the lord care about a poor sod like him anyway.

it’s a relationship filled with what ifs and insecurity and fear and passion, because dean is running out of time and he wants to make the most of it, but he’s only a sad excuse of a hunter, and he has to be a good brother and he’s got bobby whom he’s also made miserable with his decision. but there’s also cas... and that... he never, not in a million years, expected cas to appear into his life. he just wants a little more time with him, a little less guilt for wanting this, wanting what...it?, no, him. he’s living on borrowed time so labels, he doesn’t give a shit about. so he goes for it. he kisses cas, and cas kisses him back. and it comes to them just as natural and easy, and it pains dean even more knowing that he could have this, if only his ass wasn’t expected in hell in a few days time. 

but hell doesn’t forgive, and it comes to collect alright. 

cas knows he can’t intervene, he’s still a soldier, with a human weakness, yes. but a soldier nonetheless. still, when the hellhounds  come after dean he tries to save him, only to be stopped by other angels sent to maintain the order. he’s sent to prison during the same 40 years dean is sent to hell, but in heaven time moves even slower, so he ends up waiting longer than that, all the while tortured by his own inability to protect the one thing he cares about, to save dean from the worst of fates. needless to say he feels guity and conflicted.

it comes to him as a surprise when he’s called upon the ranks of the army who’ll retrieve the righteous man from hell. apparently previous campaigns have failed to even locate the asset, so castiel, rebellious as he’s proven to be in the past, is tasked with leading as commander. he knows dean’s soul thoroughly, if anyone can decipher the twists and folds of hell (more intricate version than og) it’s castiel. 

and that he does.

cas is the one to free dean from his agony, the one who throws away the bloody whip dean was flogging another poor soul with, the one who sees dean so broken and mangled, stripped from his kindness, forced into sin and depravity. he hold dean in his arms while the man thrashes, crying and screaming, so unlike himself and yet becoming dean. 

for the first time since he was created, castiel cries. he also kisses dean and the taste is salty, but it feels like paradise despite the brimstone and the howls of anguish that echo in their ears.

cas’ hold is so strong and dean is so raw, naked soul burning up, that the touch leaves a mark that later will show as his handprint seared on dean’s shoulder.

[tragedynatural]

Hey I know you posted it like a month ago but I would love a detailed song-by song reasoning/annotations for your Sam/jake mix. If you have time it would be great to hear your thoughts!

anon i've never jumped so hard at the chance to explain my totally normal thought process in depth before. thank you! yes of course! i will try to be as brief as possible! but probably not!

the first caveat i have to give you is that this mix was based mostly on a concept where cold oak lasts for ~2 weeks. so there's time for complicated relationships and despair to set in and a lot of this won't match the like..two days? it takes in the show. also this tracklist might be different from the post. i was editing.

we must be killers (mikky ekko) - "children of the wild ones" - references demon blood and my loose interpretation of what it might feel like to have these burgeoning powers, and then the "killer" refrain is because imo a key part of boyking4boyking is about how they both Know one of them is going to die, probably by the other's hand. also i'm compelled by similarities i see between jake and sam and both have spent their adult lives (hunting, military) being trained to kill. and i think neither of them want to do that, and in this situation they're forced to consider killing their peers..oof. thinking about jake's face when he has to kill ava, thinking about how sam and jake have been in situations where they've needed to kill someone in order to ensure the safety of someone else (in the logic of spn universe's approach to hunting & military)

like real people do (hozier) - this is abt that sense of knowing i was talking about. in the 2 week cold oak au jake and sam both find out from azazel early on how things are supposed to go. and they spend a week not killing each other! but they don't know each other very well and each fears that the other will snap first. "i will not ask why you were creeping / in some sad way i already know" - a sense of like, scorpion-and-frog anticipation that the other's going to turn on you but wanting to prolong the peace before it happens. also this dynamic is a product of a horrible time for them, they know that they probably won't both make it out - the "kiss like real people do" refrain is about an idle wish of like, what would it have been like if we were normal?

damn these vampires (the mountain goats) - i just like this song i think. this was rlly about the atmosphere, capturing the sense of being changed against your will that jake is reckoning with for the first time and sam is still struggling with. also, you know, there's a little bit of a defiant feel to this song. "scream when captured... let this whole town hear your knuckles crack." at this point they think maybe they can refuse to play along with azazel, and that it might be possible to get out anyway.

our time is short (gang of youths) - look, you know, rn they've been here for a ~week? they're not sure if they're ever making it out. the other kids died in the first couple days so it's just jake and sam and i think they're going through 'last 2 people on earth' feelings at warp speed. this is .... a moment of feeling good b/c they know it won't last very long, and there's a bit of last hurrah energy. "so let's drink the best wine now..before lightning strikes us down" etc.

another place (bastille) - the jake/sam connection is a genuine feeling but it's also very much....a foxhole thing to quote bobby. they like each other genuinely but both are aware this is the result of an extraordinary situation. even if they were both getting out alive...they live completely different lives. this song is about, don't make this more than it is because even though maybe we'd both want it to be, it's not attainable.

heavy in your arms (florence + the machine) - "who is the betrayer? / who's the killer in the crowd?" is absolutely my concept for the 2 week cold oak. sam and jake being plagued by dreams from yellow-eyes, and they don't want to suspect or betray the other but. well. they'll be stuck here forever. this is both of them wondering who'll crack first. also "heavy in your arms" is a little foreshadowing for when jake stabs sam and holds him while he bleeds out. thanks!

as the world caves in (matt maltese) - look. they're going to nuke each other up boys till old satan stands impressed...on their final night alive it's YOUUU that i lie with.... this is last few days of peace before Inevitable Conflict as the tension hits a peak. it's about "i like you and i care for you and i know eventually one of us is going to kill the other but i can't be the person to pick up the knife first. so every night i sleep across the fire from you and hope you fall asleep before i do." and azazel is there.

no one would riot for less (bright eyes) - "everything is eclipsed / by the shape of destiny" - the fact that the lives of the special children have been counting down to this moment! their hopes, dreams, personal morals, affections for others are eclipsed by fate baby! inescapable! the whole "little soldier" section is again about how both of them have been made into weapons to fight for various causes, and now they're being. pitted against each other. "love me now / hell is coming" and "help me out / hell is coming / could you do it now / hell is here" is obviously about them knowing shit is going to go down soon and also this sense of like. just kill me if you're going to. don't prolong the inevitable.

have to explode (the mountain goats) - similar theme here, feeling like you're counting down to the inevitable - "the stage is set / someone's going to do something someone else will regret" sam and jake are pieces in a plan that's been in motion for years and everyone's just waiting for them to buckle down and play the role. "the fuse will have to run out sometime / something here will eventually have to explode" - dean only finds sam once sam's been stabbed and jake has 'won'. if no victor emerges they stay here until one does, and they know that they can't hold out forever.

tusk (fleetwood mac) - i put this on every playlist sorry about me! also it's, okay, jake wakes up in the night to see sam stuck in a nightmare and he knows the demon's visiting both of them. what's it saying to him, he thinks, what's sam going to do? this is about creeping dread, and this sense that the person you're with maybe knows something you don't. that they're planning to betray you, that they already have. and musically the frantic melody and vocalization just ups the tension.

bite the hand (boygenius) - jake's pov. sam is the one who pushes for a truce and holding out for another option out of cold oak, and jake is on board. at first. but as time kicks on he realizes that there's no other option whereas sam is still a little bit in denial. so the "i can't love you how you want me to / i'll bite the hand that feeds me / you want what i can't give to you / who do you think you are / who do you think i am / maybe i'm afraid of you" - is about him doing a heel turn where he realizes like, i can't do this (stay indefinitely here to find a dubiously-real other way out for a guy i just met) and sam can't do it either, and one of us is going to snap, and i'm afraid it'll be sam first.

i bet on losing dogs (mitski) - sam's perspective on ^ - he does know how it's going to end but he can't quite. give up on hoping that it won't. he doesn't kill jake when he has the chance. he must know jake'll kill him if he's not dead or knocked unconscious, but he hopes. that he won't. anyway. and he's wrong. he knows he'll be wrong, i think he can sense that jake is doing a heel turn but also, they're getting played by azazel who's planting seeds of doubt and they're stuck in this depressing place alone, and sam's not sure how much he can trust himself. he's betting on losing dogs.

samson (regina spektor) - "you are my sweetest downfall / i loved you first" - jake's pov on a guy he genuinely likes who he knows he's going to kill. before the fight & the cemetery they cared for each other. "we couldn't bring the columns down / we couldn't destroy a single one" - in the end trying to hold out against azazel does nothing, the gate opens, the apocalypse happens. it's futile. and the story never mentions jake or cold oak again - i think the fact that sam tried to like, help & protect the special kids & then had to watch andy, ava, and lily die, & then jake tried to kill him, & he had to kill jake is like. pretty fucked up. those are the last people like him on this earth man he was 23!

heaven or hell (digital daggers) - vibes! also: "i’ve got the same deep wounds as you / my love can double as a weapon too" - jake and sam's similarities are so key to me. either one of them could have been the person to turn first. i'm anti-trying to make jake into a bad guy for stabbing sam! he wanted to go home! "show me the side no one else sees / turn it back on me" - what's it like for sam to be around other special kids? does he feel more normal or less than he does with dean? thinking about that "it doesn't matter if we believe it only matters that they do" scene- SO interesting! what a cool moment of jake and sam connecting on a level of both being leaders, both knowing what a lose-lose situation looks like, both knowing how to keep the hope alive, and do what has to be done. of course this is also the trait that leads to jake killing sam / sam killing jake. they're the same.

old college try (the mountain goats) - this is specifically like, night before jake stabs sam. he knows he's going to kill sam by now. "i want to say i'm sorry for stuff i haven't done yet / things will shortly get completely out of hand" - jake thinking about this last like, goodbye. and "i will walk down to the end with you / if you will come all the way down with me" - seeing it through till the end, sam has a burgeoning sense of something wrong.

it seemed the better way (leonard cohen)- again i literally just put this one on everything i can. also you know, it's jake thinking about listening to azazel and killing sam. it seemed like the better way then, but now, when azazel's threatened his family and he realizes he can't get out of it, it's too late to go back in time and do it differently. he has to obey azazel + play along. "i better hold my tongue / i better take my place / lift this glass of blood / try to say the grace". yes i know this is about religion i'm not trying to make light of the song i just think. i'm squinting okay.

don't let me be misunderstood (nina simone) - LISTEN! JAKE'S INTENTIONS ARE GOOD. this is like, meeting in the cemetery and sam is alive and they both know what's passed between them and what can never be and where it has to go now, and jake's thinking "just remember that i'm not evil. just remember i have a family that i wanted to come back to like you, don't let where this went eclipse the fact that you cared about me, that you know i'm a good person." it's also me holding a large stick and pointing it at everyone in supernatural so that they remember that he did nothing wrong.

say goodbye (fleetwood mac) - okay bear with me. in my version. of cold oak jake doesn't get killed by sam. he kills azazel and sam and dean let him go. this is a retrospective on the whole thing for both of them. "i let you slip away / there was nothing I could do / that was so long ago, yeah / still I often think of you" and "so don't let it get you down / just a time within a time / just a scheme within a scheme / a little world within a world / yes, a dream, just a dream" are the thesis lyrics for this song. cold oak's done, azazel's nuked, back to the real world now. it's a bitter way to say goodbye to a person you cared about after they killed you/you killed them, even though you both sort of. expected it to go that direction. by this point i was just like IT FEELS RIGHT (adds to playlist).

[moonbearmeliox]

X-Men Series Film Review

Welcome back to “Bren rambles about a movie/tv series.” So I just spent the past three days watching the main X-Men movies and while watching I wrote down my thoughts and what came to mind when watching the movies. Spoiler Warning(duh) for the X-Men movies. Also trigger warning because I do talk about homophobia and conversion camps.

X-Men

As the woman is talking about how mutants can be scared to revel themselve because they could be met with hostility and violence, I find this as a parellel to gay marriage and how LGBTQ+ are scared to come out because they won’t be accepted. Mutants are scared to say they’re mutants of fear of being put to death; LGBTQ+ people are scared to come out in fear of being met with violence or judgement(some places you can be put to death for being gay.

“We should decide if parents want their kids to be in school with mutants.” Sounds the same as “Do you want your child to go to the same school as a gay person? Do you want to be in the bathroom with a girl who has a dick?(in the context of conservatives who don’t want transgender people to use the bathrooms they identify with because “their genitals don’t match)”

Speaking of gay: Eric and Charles

Wolverine got anger issues

Wolverine adopting a young girl with mutant powers, how many times is this going to happen? At least twice.

Rouge really got the shortest end of the stick with the mutant gene.

Give Rouge a male love interest that will inevitably die by her hand, that’s what I’m assuming.

Jean Gray is going to be Wolverine’s love interest, calling it now

Mystique’s costume always bugs me because she’s essentially naked. Like, the directors were like “She must wear no clothes.” “That’s not practical-” “Men will eat it up. The sex appeal, yes. Because women can never have practical costume design.”

Scott looks like he’s played by the main dude in the Sonic Movie(I was right!)

Can Magneto bend the iron in people’s bodies?

“You never use your power against another mutant.” How long is that going to last?

Dad Logan is the best Logan.

The Train Splitting scene shows how powerful Magneto is but didn’t Charles tell Wolverine that Magneto can control metal. Wouldn’t Wolverine have the knowledge, “Hey using my METAL claws against a METAL bender might not be a good idea.”

Kinda figured he would want Rouge, a mutant who can literally kill someone with touch is definitely something the big bad would want.

Magento could just metal bend Charles’ wheelchair.

So Magento’s plan is to turn everyone into mutants, right?

Charles explained it more and it sounds like Terragensis from Agents of Shield with the crystals. Some come out of it with powers, others will crumble to dust.

What powers the cortex that makes it so Charles goes into a coma? Like how does the liquid get into his brain for that to happen?

Yes Jean, it is a perfect idea to put the helmet that put Charles into a coma on your head. Nothing will go wrong.

Mystique really only has like five lines in this whole movie. She really is just supposed to be eye candy.

Of course classic shapeshifter double, who’s who scene. Probably going to be resolved with Jean Gray knowing which one is the real Logan.

The fight scene isn’t that well shot but it is 2000 so

I don’t remember there being a big museum when I visited the Statue of Liberty

I doubt Mystique will stay dead.

Again they thought it would be a good idea to send Wolverine, the man with METAL CLAWS to help fight a METAL BENDER.

Nice of Magneto to put Cyclops and Jean right next to each other face to face.(Director: They’re a couple they must face each other so one can kill the other)

Yep, knew Mystique couldn’t stay dead

Why did they try and have Jean and Logan have a weird semi romance set up when Jean is dating Scott

They gave Charles a plastic wheel chair for when he visited Magneto. Ha, that’s funny.

Plastic isn’t that durable, it would be easy to break Magneto out

X2

Nightcrawler!

The fights scenes have improved, but they’re using a lot of wire rigging

Alan Cummings played NightCrawler. Knew he looked familiar.

Let’s have Wolverine follow a wolf even though wolves are wolverine's natural predators.

Watch the president be a mutant

Dad!Logan

Still painting it that Logan and Jean could possibly end up together. No thanks.

I see they didn’t change Mystique’s costume design. Is she going to say more than five lines in this movie?

Government wants to pass an act to detain and control all mutants, goes and raids a school filled with mutants, and then is SURPRISED when the mutants retaliate. “Oh we don’t want to start a war” THEN LEAVE THEM ALONE. Of course they’re not going to leave them alone because what isn’t normal scares them and must be dealt with no matter what.

Getting even more parallels between mutants and LGBTQ+. Striker wanted his son cured of the mutant gene but was ultimately upset when Charles’s school couldn’t do that. It’s similar to how when people come out to their parents, their parents send them to conversion camps to “Cure” them because they think being gay is an illness. 

Bobby don’t get horny, it will only end badly

I asked the question if Magento could bend the iron in people’s blood in the last movie. The answer is yes. Yes he can.

Bobby’s parents “Have you tried not being a mutant.” Gives more LGBTQ parreles “Have you tried being straight?” “Have you tried being your assigned gender?”

An officer shooting a white guy? Unrealistic.

Welp Bad guys and good guys team up to save Charles.

Jean and Logan kissed. Here’s my shocked face. #TeamScott.

But seriously, I hate how the main dude must have romantic interactions with the main girl. It’s never the main dude has romantic interactions with a minor(minior in the sense of not that important to the plot) girl, Storm is right there with no love interest. Pair Logan up with her, that way we aren’t running an already established romance, But nooooo, Hollywood loves to have love triangles.

Mystique changing into Jean, making out with Logan, and then changing into a bunch of different girls makes me uncomfortable.

But again, “All women who have the potential to be a love interest must kiss the main dude” now we wait for Storm to give Logan a smooch.

Female Wolverine!

Magneto had his own secret agenda? Who would have thought?

Bobby’s going to come in clutch with freezing the water

Why does Jean need to go and stop the water? Bobby has control over ice, he can stop it.

Man I really feel bad for Scott. 

But I’m miffed because it’s the classic female character dies to further male character’s development.

Oh look Jean’s alive, not surprise. Is she going to be the villain of X-men 3?

I couldn’t watch X-Men 3 because it wasn’t available on any sites but reading the wiki synopsis I was right on her being a bad guy(MY BOY SCOTT GOT MURDERED!). Upset Charles died but he was old and the mentor figure so he kinda had it coming.  On to the prequels. 

X-Men-First Class

So Charles met Mystique first. And her name is Raven. Wonder what caused their split. I just hope they weren’t romantically involved

Poor Erik, really giving him a tragic backstory

James Macavoy!

Raven and Charles call each other siblings! Oh this is going to hurt more.

Excuse me while I get distracted by Vegas women.

But also did the CIA woman plan to sneak in as a showgirl. Because who would wear lingerie under work clothes unless she planned for this(or planned to get freaky later). I mean it’s Vegas so maybe she was prepared.

Emma Frost is a telepath and can crystalize her body. Not what I was expecting with the last name Frost but I also find it odd that her two mutations don’t intersect with each other. Telepathy and crystallization have nothing in common, so the only explanation is that she got both genes from her parents. It would have to be rare since males are usually the ones to pass the gene to their kids.

Azazel. I’m guessing is Nightcrawler's dad. He and Mystique will get romantically involved and have Nightcrawler. He’ll get the blue skin from his mom but the mutant gene from his dad.

Ok I’m miffed about the costume design again. It’s London and it’s raining and they decided to have Raven and the CIA woman wear SHORTS! They’ll be freezing their asses off all so you can have some leg candy? What’s so appealing about knees? Nothing. It’s always been women’s costume designs that have to be appealing, not practical.

If Charles can’t be involved with Mystique, then he’ll have to get involved with Moira?(I don’t know if I heard her name correctly, the CIA lady). Because all male characters MUST have a romantic love interest(sarcasm)

That one CIA dude, he’s a real one.

So the dude that killed Erik’s mother, is also a mutant. 

How is Erik trending water and controlling metal? Nevermind, he’s drowning

Charles saves Erik! And thus the ship is born. “Erik, you’re not alone.”

Hank Mcoy. They zoomed in on Mystique when he was looking at her. Reading the camera angles...oh please don’t have another romantic set up.

They did the Spiderman/MJ framing with Hank upside down and Mystique very close to his face. Yep, they’re setting up a romance between them that will ultimately go nowhere because again, Mystique will do the do with Azael to get Nightcrawler.

Hank and Mystique have only known each other for like five minutes and they’re already having a picnic on top of a rocket. I hate how romance moves so fast in movies.

And Mystique was going to kiss him. Just...no

Erik, right after he walks in on Hank and Mystique’s picnic: If I looked like you, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

Are they really trying to set up a love triangle between Hank, Mystique and Erik? I know Magneto and Mystique's relationship in the first three movies is close, but that sentence just makes it sound like Erik is jealous.

“Are you sure we can’t shave your head.” “Don’t touch my hair”. I mean he’s going to lose it eventually.

I love the mutant finding montage. Especially the Wolverine cameo

My mom just informed me that the bad bad is played by Kevin Bacon so that’s what I will refer to him as since I can’t remember his name.

These recruited mutants aren’t going to last long. They’ve got the youthful team up energy, they will be the “First Class” hence the name, but we probably won’t see them again after this movie.

Charles, Erik and Moira being disappointed parents. Starting to get a family vibe that we didnt get from the last three movies.

Charles as Erik storms in: I’m sorry, I can’t leave him. They’re gay your honor.

I just realized that Frost is the second right hand woman to have no real costume. She’s just like Mystique where “she must wear the least amount of clothing possible or have no clothing at all when using her powers” I just wish it would stop.

Let’s take the right hand woman who is a telepath with us. What could go wrong?

What is Angel’s motive to go with Bacon, like I don’t get it. And the adaption dude? It’s just a turn on the dime. Nevermind it was a fakeout and one of them died. Knew they weren’t going to last long.

I feel like Chalres trying to shoot Erik as training is foreshadowing.

Training montage

SO Bacon loses Frost and now has Angle as his right hand woman? I honestly didn’t think that necessary.

Welp there goes Mystique and Hank’s relationship. He only liked her when she was in disguise.

Conflicting differences! Finally get to see Erik and Charle’’s view on humans.

Knew it! As soon as Hank dumps Mystique she goes straight to Erik. Because “She MUST be romantically involved.” Why? Why? Can’t she just...not. She doesn’t need a man.

Erik: I want to go to bed. Maybe in a few years. Ha funny.

I get Mystique going to Erik because he accepts her, unlike Hank but again, she doesn’t need to have a love interest.

Suits! But again, miffed about Mystique’s suit not being fully set up. SHE DOESN'T”T NEED TO HAVE HER CLEAVAGE TEASING IF SHE”S GOING TO BE FIGHTING!

Could Charles just stop controlling Bacon, so he can move and Erik wouldn’t have a chance to kill him.

But good cuts between Bacon and Charles.

The boyfriends are fighting!

Oh that’s how he gets parralized. I forgot about that.

Erik really does care for Charles even tho they have different viewpoints

Mystique going with Erik and having Azeal with him is setting up the perfect opportunity for Nightcrawler.

“Gentleman, this is why the CIA is no place for a woman” *Big gigantic crash* That’s what you get for being sexist.

Days of Future Past

So these machines can absorb mutant powers and transfer them to other machines. A new threat.

Oh Charles isn’t dead from being disintegrated by Dark Phoenix

Logan!

Charles confirmed Mystique was like a sister to him.

So Mystique’s dna was the cause of the Sentitnals. I understand that stopping Mystique from shooting the doctor will change that, but also if that doesn’t work they would have to kill Mystique.(which won’t happen because she’s in the next movie.

Charles tells Wolverine that he didn’t have his powers in 1973, but First Class takes place in 1962 where he definitely had his powers. So what happened to Charles that made him lose his powers?

For once the government isn’t targeting mutants

Well one dude from First Class is in this movie, but sadly I can’t remember his name. X-beam guy.

Why is Charles drunk and not parallelized?

Hank still cares for Raven. Guess the love triangle is still a thing

Oh he’s doing the equivalent of mutant heroine to get rid of his powers and walk.

Erik in gay baby jail.

Erik killed JFK?! Why?!

I feel like if Mystique is searching around the office of someone, she should still be disguised as someone so she doesn’t get caught. I get her dropping the disguise to show the audience it’s her and it builds suspense but she would draw less suspicion.

PETER! MY boy!

I love that he talks fast and that’s kinda like a teenager. I don’t know how old he actually is.

“My mom knew a guy who could do that.” They’re not even trying to be subtle here.

Slow mo Peter speed scene! Yes!

Is that all we get of Peter in this movie? I hope not.

JFK WAS A MUTANT?

So Magneto can lift a plane, a submarine, and now a baseball stadium. Why does he need a baseball stadium?

They showed a clip of Peter watching the broadcast and he’s holding a little girl. I’d like to think that’s Wanda.

Everyone’s alive. Yay!

I’ll excuse Jean being alive because time changes and all that. SCOTT! SCOTT”S ALIVE! YES!

Apocalypse

Hey Oscar Issac

Young Scott!

Young Nightcrawler!

Erik went from wanting to kill humans to being a farmer and having a wife and daughter. Still going to end up on the bad side.

Young Jean Gray! Scott and her start out rocky but we know they’re going to end up together.

Knew the wife and kid wasn’t going to last long. Always got to do something that makes Magneto the bad guy

Two birds...one arrow

For this one, I can understand Magneto’s anger

Young Storm was originally on the bad guy’s side.

Scott sees things through literal rose tinted glasses.

I love Kurt.

Scott use to be a rule breaker

At least Storm has a practical costume. 

Also if Erik really wanted to lay low, why did he choose to work at a metal factory.

Pyslocke’s costume isn’t practical. She’s got a boob and butt window. Girl there are so many places you could get stabbed.

PETER!

Charles and Erik always greet each other with old friend

So birdman gets metal armor and the girls get nothing.

Peter slow-mo! This will always be my favorite speedster scene

So the only people that can save the X-Men are Cyclops, Jean Gray, and NightCrawler. Three teenagers with no plan. They got this.

Go Charles! Fighting no matter what.

Logan!

Thankfully most of these characters can’t die.

Pyslocke  and Angel can die but the others all have plot armour

Peter didn’t tell Erik he’s his son. Why?

No not the hair! Apocalypse took Charle’s hair.

Go Peter!

No Peter!

So Charles still has the hair when he’s in Apocalypse's head. Part of me knows it won’t grow back but I hope it does.

Mind fight!

So Erik is on the good guys side until the next movie.

Mystique finally has a good costume design

Dark Phoenix

The dude they got to play Bush doesn't look like Bush

SPACE!

This mission is going to go wrong and the X-men are going to get planned. Thus leading the world going against mutants again.

They gave Scott is own eye cannon, nice

Yea absorbing a solar flare will definitely cause your powers to go way hire

Well the mission didn’t go wrong, the way i thought it would. That’s good.

Charles motives have changed

So, men, supposed gods, robots, and now we’re dealing with aliens

Charles kinda being shown as a bad guy is weird. So used to seeing him have good motives.

The aliens want Jean to use her power to take over earth. Not surprising.

Dad now is not the time to poke the super powered bear

Police always show up at the wrong time

I know Mystique can’t die. This is the prequels

But again, Stop killing female characters to further male character’s development.

Oh there’s Erik. 50 minutes in and i thought we weren’t going to see him

Jean’s got a heat signature with that solar flare so it would be easy to track her.

At least the military decided to fallback instead of shooting

And there goes humans liking mutants. This is why we can’t have nice things.

So Mystique’s death is what sets Erik on being the villain again? It’s the same as a woman losing her husband and becoming a villain for revenge. Honestly I’m tired of love revenge plots.

Guys stop fighting! You’re  friends!

Oh shit! Jean is making Charles walk. And not in the good way.

OH SHIT KURT IS KILLING PEOPLE NOW!

Dark Phoenix. A movie about family.

Legend of the Phoenix. She’ll rise from the ashes.

Bummed Peter wasn’t in this movie more

All in all, Apcolypse is my favorite X-Men movie.

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

15x11. A game of cosmic moves, heroes, and queer subtext

This was a very interesting episode that is about a game. The game being played by two cosmic forces: God and Death. The gamblers from the title refer to both the players in the pool hall, but also to the big game that is being played by Billie, who previously mentioned taking “a calculated risk” with breaking her rules. She’s playing a game and we wonder whether Chuck is realizing that.

But it’s also an episode about people handling phallic objects and playing with balls the entire time, which has a long history on the show of being associated to Dean (and men). Plus there are swords (the phallic object for excellence) and hearts, specifically hearts ripped out, which have a long history on the show of being associated to love and sex (2x17 Heart and multiple other werewolf episodes, 11x13 Love Hurts...), and it’s no coincidence Dean mentions suffering from “heartburn”: while it’s about the digestive system, the word itself evokes the heart. Of course it’s also about Sam, who’s texting Eileen at the beginning. But it’s also about Cas, who faces another soul-sucking angel, and much has been written about that kind of mirror back in the time of 10x20 Angel Heart.

So, Fortuna. And, interestingly, her son who is called Pax, which is Latin for peace, and thus drops the concept of peace/paradise in the episode. The pool hall is run by Pax, and it works a bit like heaven, especially the old way heaven was run, when the Grigori literally fed off humans’ souls. If you replace ‘luck’ with ‘soul’ you really realize what this episode is about and what it parallels to.

In fact, I think that the episode purposely blurs together callbacks to angels and demons: the pool hall Grigori torture scene is reminiscent of Alastair, for instance, there are callbacks to Crowley, to Abaddon*, to soul-selling deals (the cowboy mentions having gotten a year of extra life, the amount of time Dean got when he made his demon deal...), but also to Michael (who literally trapped Dean inside a bar, like Evie was forced to work at the bar of the pool hall) and heaven.

*In 9x17 Mother’s Little Helper, which also features Dean playing pool (and Misha’s unsubtle directing choices), demons stole souls to make an army for Abaddon quickly, and Sam released them. The episode also featured the concept of addiction - Dean and the First Blade, Crowley and human blood, the title of the episode itself refers to drugs - and now the pool players are unable to stop playing until their luck runs out, although the game is rigged.

Now, Fortuna is a clear parallel to Chuck; she keeps people trapped in her joint to play for her amusement or whatever, just like Chuck does with his narrative. But I mentioned before replacing ‘luck’ with ‘soul’, right? That makes Fortuna the goddess of ‘soul’. Who’s the cosmic lady that rules over souls and is also making someone play the moves of her own game? Yep, Fortuna is both a parallel to Chuck and Billie. Who are indeed the players of the cosmic game that is being played.

Fortuna “reads” the players like they were stories, just like Chuck writes people like characters, but also like Billie reads the destiny of people from the books in her office. Now, Fortuna calls Dean a “beach read” and laughs when he calls himself a Tolstoy, which is a clever bit because what really is a beach read is Chuck’s pulp novels, it’s Chuck’s narrative for them, while the real Dean (et alii) are much more complex and interesting than what Chuck’s story would reduce them to. Her dismissal of Dean and interest in Sam also mirrors Chuck in a way, and we wonder whether there’s some reason for that: Dean is better at pool than Sam, as Dean states and Sam doesn’t contradict him. Pool becomes the way they challenge the deity that is pulling the strings, and Sam loses. Is it a coincidence that the thing they were supposed to trap Chuck with in the last episode was shaped like a smooth ball...?

But I also think that this could be foreshadowing of Dean & co. also putting their foot down with Billie, because it’s pretty clear that whatever plan she has for Jack, they won’t accept to play it like she wants to. The Ma’lak box plan has already been labeled a bad idea by the narrative, and I’m sure that the story will frame Billie’s plan also not as the good thing to do, but they’ll find a third way between Chuck’s story and her plan.

Fortuna differs from Chuck in a fundamental way: she understands what makes a hero. Eventually she rewards them despite their loss -- it’s not about winning, it’s about trying despite zero chances of success. They went against the goddess of luck in her own joint, they were doomed from the start, yet they tried anyway, because they care. Reminds you of something? Death made a deal with Dean, his brother’s soul in exchange of being able to being Death for a full day. Dean lost, and yet Death rewarded him anyway, because Dean was never going to be able to succeed, but he showed something in his attempt.

Fortuna’s power outdoes Chuck’s “damage” (they indeed have an “average” luck: not because they are “normal” now but because they have wins and losses, they lost Jack and now they get him back, and so on...) because she acknowledges them as “heroes” -- not because they defeated her, but because they tried anyway. It’s not being exceptional, not being stronger or whatever, but it’s about being... very human. Trying against unsurmountable odds. People against something bigger than them. That’s why they are heroes -- because they’re human.

They’re human and they care about others, even if they’re strangers. Fortuna and her pool hall are a strong parallel (even in visuals, and, well, in the inevitable homoerotic subtext layer) to Lee’s bar. Lee's bar was based on the sacrifice of innocent victims so that he could prosper; Fortuna steals luck off the people in the pool hall, until they’re sucked dry, except of luck instead of blood. Lee, in fact, was killed with a pool stick, and the meta about the homoerotic subtext writes itself. Here, the homoeroticism is maybe less ridiculously blatant than in the episode with Lee, but, hey. Dean first plays a light match with a woman, then an intense match with a rugged man with a cowboy hat; Sam only plays with a woman. Yeah. *stares at the camera*

Last week, the episode with Garth was a manual of queer subtext, now the focus is more on other aspects, but it’s still an episode about pool, i.e. sticks and balls and shooting things inside openings. I think I don’t have to explain here. You have the history of pool in the show -- Dean and Ash, Dean and Crowley, Dean and Lee... but there’s also something that is not strictly about sexuality but in general about existing as a societal “other”, an outcast, a “freak” in the Dean side of the meaning since forever in the show.

Sam states that he learned to win at pool from his brother, and acknowledges that they had to hustle all their life to eat (a little reminder that they didn’t always rely on magical credit cards to pay for living expenses...), but Sam’s history with pool wasn’t an easy one. At the beginning of the story, he was against using that kind of things to get money. From 1x08 Bugs:

Dean: So what are you saying? That Dad was disappointed in you? Sam: Was? Is. Always has been. Dean: Why would you think that? Sam: Because I didn’t wanna bowhunt or hustle pool -- because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak.

Abnormality versus normality, big theme of the show and particularly clear in season 1. Sam rejects the hunting life, the life he led with Dean and John, to seek a “normal” life. But he was always trapped in a mental trap made of the concept of “freak”, because of the life he’d led growing up and the sense of being unable to fit in with normal people. On the other hand, Dean armored himself with the claim of being “abnormal”, or not fitting with normal people; but that was a mechanism of defense because he was troubled by being different. Except that the story explored how Sam’s “difference” was tied to the supernatural (his tie to Azazel, the demon blood) while Dean’s “difference” was always framed as something fundamentally human, fundamentally tied to his relationships with people. You know what the subtext was always about.

So hustling pool was always a metonymy for a wider picture, the life the Winchesters led in the margins of society, in an underclass environment Sam rejected and took a long time to accept, and Dean embraced because he felt like he couldn’t belong anywhere but there. (“I’m a freak among normal people because I’ve been raised in an abnormal environment” versus “I’m a freak so I belong in an abnormal environment”, in substance.)

So, hustling pool doesn’t equate queerness per se. In Sam’s case it definitely doesn’t, but Sam embracing it equates him embracing being different in a class sense and in a general hunting-life sense. But in Dean’s case, his “being different” was always connected to a different set of subtextual meanings. Sam was “wrong” because of the demon blood and all that jazz, Dean was “wrong” in a sense of societal expectations.

So pool is connected to queer subtext in a stricter sense but also in a larger sense, the semantic area of otherness, of outcast, of freak, of being in the margins. And they play for the ability of going against God -- a God that, in Fortuna’s speech, is framed in opposition to other deities (non-christian deities, female deities, non-white deities) and that represents societal order.

Now about the game. In 5x07, whom this episode is obviously a big parallel to, the high-stake game was poker. Another obvious parallel is to the Ingmar Bergman movie The Seventh Seal, where a man plays a game of chess against Death.

In 5x07, Sam won, now he loses. It’s a fundamental difference that brings us back to what the current narrative is telling us about what makes a hero. All the stuff about luck and whatnot is irrelevant -- Chuck wants us weak, Dean says, and he’s probably right, Chuck is doing this to undermine their confidence, but it’s not a matter of strength/weakness or even confidence. They’re heroes because they’re human, because they’re not special. Against someone stronger than them, like a deity, they lose. But the point is that they play. That’s what matters. They’ve always faced adversaries more powerful than them, situations where they couldn’t win. But they fought anyway. And now, Fortuna is right in saying that they need to fight Chuck by their own rules, not the rules of his game: Chuck will win his own game, because he’s God and they’re just human. But if they play their own game, it will become irrelevant that they’re just human and he’s all-powerful. And, of course, their game means more players, just like Garth attacked the big vampire from behind.

The point is that Dean and Sam aren’t particularly strong or special in any way. They’re going to win because they are not alone.

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, ALI! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ORIAS.

Admin Cas: Ugh, there’s so much I loved about your application, Ali. Orias is a tricky nut to crack, I think, because it would be easy to mistake their desire for worship as a desire for power, or their want of a legacy for sovereignty, but you didn’t. Their magic and incantations are such an important part of who they are — in fact, it’s the very essence of them — and you didn’t shy away from that. I think what particularly impressed me was the way that you weaved together all their separate motivations and related them to their status as the Vice of Greed: you said it best yourself, although Orias takes and takes and takes, they are also always building. I genuinely can’t wait to see what you do with our self-proclaimed False Prophet! Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Ali.

Age | 23. 

Personal Pronouns | She/her.

Activity Level | 5/10. I’m finishing up my last year of nursing school so there’s certainly days where I need to buckle down and focus. My lectures and clinical hours also happen to be quite long, so I’ll most likely pop up around the nighttime.  

Timezone | EST. 

Triggers | REMOVED.

How did you find the group?  | It was whispered to me in my sleep (Rosey gave me a lil’ rec). 

Current/Past RP Accounts | Insert ‘it’s been 84 years’ meme here.  

IN CHARACTER

Character | Orias. 

What future plots do you have in mind for the character? | 

I.                             THOU CHOSE TO FEED THY DEMONS. 

Greed, as fitting as it is, has made Orias insatiable above all else. Their heedful, yet steady rise to conquer a sense of blood-curdling worship, succession, and power is absolutely inevitable. Whether it’s by a cunning, violent force of hand or simply mere influence among distant, anguished wanderers, Orias has lived enough lives to know where they stand among a world full of futile creatures – or so they believe. I love the idea of Orias acknowledging the strength and power they hold between bared teeth and nimble fingertips. The idea of them feeding into that thought, turning a slight nose up at the inconsequentiality of their fellow demons, angels, and gifted mortals. In their own sense of the word, they are some sort of God and they’ll be gaped at as if they were one – whether you condemn the thought of their depraved divinity or not. I’m interested to explore how far their greed pushes them into believing they can modestly oversee all factions with the intent of enforcing the certainty of their future, heredity, dark sorcery, and lineage onto all beings. What will they give up in return for bleeding, unwavering worship? Will they ever be fully satiated? How callously will they tip toe the line of thunderous, earth-shattering power? Who will they decide to turn away from in the process – especially when no one is keeping a close eye on their every waking gesture? Will they succeed? Or will they fall just like Lucifer once had? Only time will tell.    

II.                         THOU CHOSE INSATIABLE GREED ABOVE ALL ELSE. 

When Lucifer had fallen from his own grace, Orias knew what they must do in order to continue their destiny, their succession, and everything in between. It took nearly little to no thought when they began to pry pieces of themself from the flesh of his skin – from the very carved bones of his ribs. You must carry on, as you were always meant to do, they thought. And that is exactly what they did, as they carried their invocations and prophecies under granite-grey feathers and silver veils. Now, don’t be so foolish. If Orias was able to look at the fall of Lucifer as a mere inconvenience to their overall plan, why would it not be the same for Damien? 

I want to explore and test the idea of Orias’ loyalty to Damien (as well as the other Vices) for the sole fact that he is the Leader of the Vices. A title they do not believe he should be able to harness for as long as he lives – a title they believe could belong to them. To Judas. It is an idea that could potentially further ensure their destiny – a position that would bleed into the pages of their legacy, along with all of their ink-stained balms and primordial secrets. If woven correctly (and approved by Judas’ and Damien’s mun, as well as the admins), this could potentially be a piece to the puzzle of their character arc. In this, I would want to explore the probability of Orias gradually turning their back on Damien and the Vices as a whole. The manipulativeness behind their biting, eloquent syllables as they speak cunningly ill of his leadership to others. Perhaps Orias even convinces Judas that the two of them could rule in equal measure – that they could promise to take the Realm of Infernum to beautiful, earth-shattering heights and smother the idea of Damien’s iron-clad God complex (and maybe – just maybe Orias fucks over Judas in the process). And all but bone-achingly slow, Orias sinks Damien’s stature a little further. To get to this point, Orias knows that they must be weary of Abaddon, Judas, and Azazel – that they must study Damien and play the part of an abiding, loyal Vice, whether they’re able to execute the will of their leader or not. But alas, Orias awaits the vision that depicts his downfall – whether it is by their force of hand or not.

Overall, I want to ensure and promise adaptability on my end when plotting with other muns. I’m wholeheartedly open to changing/altering anything mentioned – I’m even more open to Orias failing miserably, considering how tightly woven Abaddon, Judas, Azazel, and Damien are. I’m very much just interested in developing and exploring their subtle ruthlessness, gilded serpent-like ways, and sheer manipulativeness behind all covetous actions – no matter the outcome. 

III.                        THOU CHOSE WAVERING COMPANIONSHIP. 

As much as they wield their witchcraft and gape at unexpecting, anguished wanderers for some sort of promised lineage in return, it rings true that Orias has never expected anything from Azazel. I would love to explore the overall theme of this dynamic considering that Orias has never really seemed to love anything at all – nor have they granted another being without a heavy price. To have a creature of Orias’ extent love you so deeply, so openly, so raw – it’s dangerous. I so badly want to tap into that side of them, even if it’s just for a quiet moment in time. You see all of the greed, the give-and-take, the tug-and-pull – but you never see the honest grit and rose-tinted tears that go into protecting someone so fiercely. For someone that is so used to taking without caution, how does this meld into everything they’ve ever known? Will their loyalty to each other face as a haunting barrier (I would love to explore the extent of their loyalty – perhaps even test how far they would be willing to go for each other considering Orias has never quite remained loyal to anything)? Would Orias’ biting love for Azazel take precedence over their desire for heredity? For a legacy? For worship and a nearly promised destiny? And if something ever happened to Azazel, would Orias burn everything to the ground? Or would they pry the shattered pieces of themself from her ribcage just like they had once done with Lucifer? And in retrospect, would they guard Azazel the same way if they knew she may not even be able to burn her very own kingdom for them? 

I’m really so interested to see how Orias molds to this connection. The initial rise as they climb over clambered skeletons to reach a state of absolute influence and raw worship – will they bring Azazel along and respect her own vocations? Will they clutch onto the first creature that has made them feel full and so devoutly satiated? Or will they forget where their loyalties lie and extinguish the splintering fire that Azazel has pitted in their core? 

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | If it was detrimental to the flow of the plot then absolutely.  

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation | What motivates your character’s actions? How does it define them? Where does this motivation stem from?

It starts with Lucifer, clutches to Judas, sinks its bared teeth into the flesh of the Vices – but always ends with them. At large, there are a multitude of staples that contribute to Orias’ actions. As beautiful and as wickedly raw as they are, nothing that comes from their steady hand is sincere – and everything they offer the Holy Land is all but a mockery. Each passing conversation, each calculating glance, each faux notion – it’s all woven from the extenuating pillars they have built upon.

The entirety of their driving motivation seems to inhabit the notions of sacrilegious “greed”, divine “worship”, a bleeding sense of “power”, and a promised “lineage”. Whispered at the sky, the moon, and the stars, it is believed that this is all but what truly keeps the feathers of their wings stirring across the holiest of lands. Never their fellow creatures, never the Realm of Infernum, never any external force – but the outwardly prominent self-factors that dare to devour them whole.

Interestingly enough, I also believe that Orias is motivated by their abilities (the power they harness, the ability to receive something promising in exchange for it, etc.) – prognostications, incantations, the subtle but forceful touch of a wicked alchemist. They’re very much aware of their potential as the Original Witch and in turn, I think somewhat of a God complex, as well as festering greed, became a main driving force for them. It’s also no secret that Orias is convinced they’re meant to leave a blistering mark on everything they touch – and for a heavy price. Because if they weren’t, why would they be granted such heady capabilities?       

To sum this absolute mess up, Orias was never brought into this world to want or need anything besides things that contributed to their own personal gain – worship (whether it’s honest or not), a molded destiny, and a warm body to carry all of their new rites and tomes (a very one-track mind if you will). So, these outright motivations, goals, desires – it all derived from their wants, their needs, their abilities and I truly believe that’s what makes them such an unwavering force (as well as extremely selfish). 

Character Traits | OPTIONAL. Please list 3 positive traits and 3 negative traits that you identify in the character you’re applying for. 

Positive – Calculating, Influential, Authoritative, Meticulous, Entrancing.  

Negative – Insatiable, Patronizing, Egocentric, Despotic, Duplicitous. 

In-Character Para Sample | There is no minimum or maximum word count to this para sample, but we do encourage that you highlight your character’s VOICE and MANNERISMS within it.

Macerating chaos. Outlying, starving howls that would bleed onto canvases for eons to come. The unrestrained syllables of Judas advising the rise. The uproar – the new age. But Orias heard nothing of it. Not even the unbridled rage that flooded past Lucifer’s lips, as the pillars he built upon began to deteriorate underneath his unsparing touch. 

And despite the utter destruction that threatened to swallow them whole, Orias almost looked angelic against the ruins – because not all carnivores came in teeth and claws. Nor did the loss of such features extinguish their want for blood – for starving glory. There are carnivores that hunt in stillness, in elegance, and in false prophecies. They come in heavenly entities, spines exposed to the moon’s bridal-white burn in webs of elaborate lace, throats armored in a rib of emeralds gleaming wet with starlight, the moon cut down and born as moonstones, and strangling silk ties that pooled like opaque salt water. 

There is distraction in their decadence and they are apart of the living breeds of predators that mask themselves in the distraction that innocuous beauty and debauchery allows – the drip of bleeding meat on the mouth dies out to rose-tinted lips, granite-grey wings and silver veils devouring all suspicion in its extravagant darkness. 

Good. Let that be a warning. 

Orias, whose frame was snug in translucent silk and drooping pearls, drifted over and neared the entirety of his putrescent stature. Their last encounter felt almost sincere but it was anything but. He gaped at them expectedly – as if they were meant to go to war for him. How foolish, they thought. But they’ll allow the sentiment to die with him and his kingdom. 

Fingertips reached out to nimbly splay over the crescents of his jaw, their wings nearly caging them in – almost as if to protect the disingenuous moment from prying eyes. “Oh Lucifer.” Bared teeth. A hollowed coo. “You must have known this was your fate all along, no?” An unholy smile that did not quite reach the sable of their eyes. “It is best if you accept it.”

He clutched onto them. They recoiled in revulsion. 

“Oh but you see, I cannot stay.” I am taking every piece with me. 

Aching silence – accompanied by a tight-lipped plea and a knowing stare. But Orias did not flinch.

Instead, they removed themself from his demoralized hold, granite feathers spanning behind them in the process – as if they were mirroring the image of an eclipsed halo. 

“May you find harmony with all you encounter.” A desolate hiss. A depraved leer. A vacant heart. And then they were gone.   

And darkness followed soon after. 

[shirtlesssammy]

5x22: Swan Song

In light of recent news, we thought we’d finally tackle what might have been the end (until someone went and made a demon deal, giving us 10 more years of our beloved show!) It’s weird watching this and seeing what a bummer this all would have been if it had ended like this. Sure, it was epic, but I guess I’m a sucker for a happy ending when it’s about characters I’ve come to love more than my own family. I’m also going to point to this Twitter thread about good and bad show endings. Swan Song wouldn’t have been bad had we only had TFW for five years, but we’ve watched them grow over 15 years now, and I want to see them get some peace. (Thanks to all the meta writers for throwing out the much needed hope!)

The Road So Far:

Carry on my wayward son...

Now:

We open with Chuck Shurley narrating the origin story of the most important object in pretty much the entire universe. And I’m literally two minutes into rewatching this episode and already crying. He’s tells us about it’s original owner, Sal Moriarty. (Oh, Eric Kripke, of course it was.)

And how, after he died, it ended up in the hands of John Winchester, after some persuasion by his time traveling son.

Fade to Sam and Dean in Bobby’s salvage yard, drinking beer from the little green cooler. Dean tells Sam that he’s “in” on having Sam say yes to the devil.

Dean acknowledges that Sam can make his own choices. “Watching out for you? That’s kinda been my job, you know? More than that, it’s kinda who I am.” Seeing this image Dean has of himself shift to NOT be this is really great. Dean asks if this is really what Sam wants. Sam is more resigned than enthusiastic to the plan, obv.

Cut to Team Free Will collecting demon blood like they’re stocking up for the apocalypse (err..). Dean confers with Bobby about Lucifer’s location and they determine it is Detroit.

Once on the road, Dean can’t help but notice what a cute, slumbering angel he has in the backseat. Sam logically points out that angels don’t sleep. They talk about their plan, the odds of it working, and the reality that Sam won’t be coming back from the cage. Sam makes Dean promise that he won’t try and get him back. Dean balks at the idea. Sam makes him promise that he’ll find Lisa and live “some normal, apple pie life.”

Once in Detroit, the group finds many demons out and about. Sam and Bobby have a moment. Then Sam asks Cas to “take care of these guys” for him. Cas tells Sam that it isn’t possible. Sam asks him to humor him. Cas catches on just a little too late that he’s supposed to lie. Oh Cas, you beautiful, literal goob.

Sam then gets to the business of downing four gallons of demon blood. With that done, Sam and Dean turn themselves in to the demons, who bring them to Lucifer.

Chuck continues his monologue on the Impala. He mentions the unimportant features, and then mentions the important features: Sam’s green army man, Dean’s legos, Sam and Dean’s initials. The devil doesn’t know or care about their car.

The devil wants to know what Sam and Dean are up to.

Sam says he’s ready to say “yes.” The devil reveals that he knows they have the rings that will reopen the Cage. Fuuuuuck. Sam tries bluffing, but the jig is up. Dean’s look of anguish is devastating. Lucifer likes his odds on the battle that will happen in Sam’s head. He agrees. Before Dean can do anything more than say “No”, Sam says “Yes.”

A bright light flashes and Dean finds Sam knocked out on the floor. He throws the rings on the wall and gets to opening the door to Hell. Sammy awakens and Dean helps him towards the portal. Only, PSYCH! It’s actually Lucifer. Sam didn’t stand a chance against him. He closes the portal and takes the rings.  

Once away from Dean, Lucifer has a moment with Sam, where Sam makes it very clear that he’s not done fighting.

Lucifer appeals to Sam’s worst feelings about himself, but says he wants Sam to be happy. Sam doesn’t want anything from Lucifer. Lucifer then points out the group of demons behind him. They’re all people Sam knew in his life --they were all watching Sam for Azazel.

Dean, Bobby, and Cas are watching the fallout to Sam saying yes.

Shallow Sidenote:

(Those curls!)

Cas suggests they “imbibe copious quantities of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave.” GRIM, DUDE --but he ain’t wrong. Cas doesn’t think there’s any way they can stop Lucifer and Michael meeting. Dean is not giving up (and he’s desperate guys -his insult at Cas was way harsh). Bobby’s even resigned to the reality of the situation.

We cut back to the room full of demons, but they’re all dead this time. Lucifer smugly looks at Sam in the mirror. “We having fun yet?” Ugh, Lucifer, you’re the worst.

Chuck’s narration cuts in like a road narrative, all misty colored and gentle. “They could go anywhere and do anything. They drove one thousand miles for an Ozzy show, two days for a Jayhawks game. And when it was clear, they'd park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars for hours without saying a word.” This beautiful interlude dissipates with a phone call and Chuck picks up, expecting Mistress Magda. (Eyebrow waggle.) LOL, nope! It’s Dean.

“You got a real virgin / hooker thing going on, don’t you?” Dean observes. Excuse me while I laugh forever over this line, with the confirmed Chuck-is-God context. Dean wants to know where the fight will happen. It’ll be at Stull Cemetery at high noon, just outside of Lawrence. Chuck doesn’t have any more useful information than that…but it’s a place to start.

Bobby and Cas try to prevent Dean from heading to Lawrence to intervene in the upcoming archangel showdown but their arguments are weak sauce compared to Dean’s need to save Sam. He heads off alone to Stull.

The cemetery is wispy with mist and bedraggled with age. Michael (wearing Adam) flaps in to greet Lucifer. (Side note: Saying that Michael is “wearing Adam” sounds like Adam is a fashion designer. In this epic showdown, Michael has been dressed by the FABULOUS Adam!) 

Both brothers seem regretful, but ultimately resolved. Lucifer questions why they’re fighting if neither of them wants to do it. Michael trots out the old “duty” argument. Lucifer offers an alternative: “We’re going to kill each other. And for what? One of Dad's tests. And we don't even know the answer. We're brothers. Let's just walk off the chessboard.” Hey, guys. It’s a really good point. It’s also an intentional mirror of Dean, Sam, and John that I refuse to stop getting emotional about.

Michael’s tempted for a moment. Damn serpent!! “I’m a good son,” Michael decides. “You haven't changed a bit, little brother. Always blaming everybody but yourself.” This is also an excellent fucking point, man. The rumble’s still on.

Speaking of rumbling, Dean approaches in Baby with Def Leppard cranked up loud. FUCK YEAH. “Sorry, am I interrupting something?” To quote Tess McGreer’s Twitter feed: MY SON!

Michael’s not into the whole threesome battle, and heads threateningly towards Dean when the camera cuts suddenly to Castiel and Bobby who have just flapped in. “Hey, assbutt!” Castiel shouts before lobbing a holy oil molotov cocktail at Michael. Bless.

Michael poofs away. “You got your five minutes,” Cas says to Dean just before Lucifer explodes him. NOOOOOOO

Lucifer’s pretty crabby by this point, so when Dean tries to verbally reach Sam again, he hurls Dean into Baby. Bobby shoots futilely at Lucifer before Lucifer snaps his neck. NOOOOOOO

“Sammy, are you in there?” Dean asks desperately. PROTECT.

“He’s gonna feel the snap of your bones,” Lucifer promises Dean. He’s gonna kill Dean slow. I’d chortle over the classic villain “kill you slow” trope except that Lucifer is beating Dean bloody and it’s really, really not funny.

“It’s okay. I’m here,” a very battered Dean tells Sam, leaving me to stare into space thinking about how he must have said this on quiet nights, comforting young Sam over nightmares or monster-under-the-bed scares.

Lucifer draws his fist back to deliver a killing blow as Dean slumps in his hold. His eye catches on a little army man stuck in the ashtray and we get a montage of Dean and Sam moments set to the soundtrack of howling wind. Sam’s fist uncurls.

And that’s it. Sam takes control. “I’ve got him,” Sam tells Dean. He hauls the rings out of his pocket and tosses them to the ground, chanting the incantation to open the cage. Dean sprawls on the ground, leaning against the car, bloodied and broken. Sam panics at the threshold to the cage when Michael!Adam appears. 

Sam takes one more look at Dean before he opens his arms wide, ready to plunge into the cage. As Michael tries to haul him back, Sam pulls him in as well.

With a blast, the cage closes and Dean is left alone in the quiet, wind-swept cemetery.

He looks up a while later to find Castiel standing behind him, whole and unblemished. “You’re alive?” Dean asks.

“I’m better than that,” Cas says and…okay. He heals Dean with a touch, then brings Bobby back to life. Good job, Cas bby!

“Endings are hard,” Chuck says, and the scene switches to his office once again. “Endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always gonna be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. I'm telling you, they're a raging pain in the ass.”

We switch back to Dean and Cas in the Impala. Cas is headed back to Heaven to try to bring order upstairs. He’s ready to continue his heavenly mission, but Dean’s pissed off. “Where’s my grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole.”

“You got what you asked for, Dean. No paradise. No hell. Just more of the same. I mean it, Dean. What would you rather have? Peace or freedom?”

Cas flaps out. “You really suck at goodbyes, you know that?” Always, Dean. Always.

Dean says a temporary farewell to Bobby, then shows up at Lisa’s house, CLEARLY TRAUMATIZED. What a non-booty booty call. Lisa reads the room and pulls him in for a comforting hug. (Stay tuned for my 8,000 word essay on why Lisa is the best.) 

“Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well... isn't that kinda the whole point? No doubt endings are hard. But then again nothing ever really ends, does it?” Chuck vanishes, which is apparently his equivalent of dropping the mic.

Then, the show proceeds to not end, in the best way. Dean is still lost at Lisa’s, putting on a “normal” front. And outside, Sam appears under a flickering street light. To be continued…for ten more seasons. <3

Quoting is Hard:

This 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car – no, the most important object – in pretty much the whole universe.

As far as foreboding goes, it's a little light in the loafers.

Ain’t he a little angel?

I told you. This would always happen in Detroit.

MFEO. Literally.

I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave.

Cas, are you God?

Every fiber he's got, wants to die, or find a way to bring Sam back. But he isn't gonna do either. Because he made a promise.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[axther]

Distortion

In which war touches all. 

Episode One

@multifandomgirl37 

Death was a cruel master. 

Kaleo knew all too well, with scars littering her skin from all the times that it tried to take her. She felt like they were coming to life, making her bleed again, as though the alcohol in her veins were waking them up again.  

She fingered the whiskey glass, before drinking the last. It burned her throat and woke her up from whatever delirium she was having. 

“Another,” she called, waving a hand and a coin. Her thick Buanaí accent had no place in the Gealach tavern, and some turned in confusion and distaste.

They had lost the Deireadh War. There was nothing more to be said. 

The Buanaí were the servants of Bás, Death, and longtime enemies of the Gealach peoples. The Buanaí were considered to be brutal, taking the souls of any Gealach that died, and the Gealach were considered stingy and sensitive. They bore with each other for thousands of years; after all, the average lifespan of both races was 800 years. 

All it took was a Buanaí to spit an insult at a Gealach politician.  

The war was quick, to most standards. It lasted about 3 years before both races called a stop. They had killed themselves out, leaving themselves as an endangered species. Imagine, two of the only sentient races in the world, wiping each other out to the point that one last battle would put them all to rest. 

But everyone was still holding their breath. 

Technically, the Gealach won. But to the Buanaí, they were cowards that saw them dying as weakness. The Buanaí were more than willing to go down if it was in a blaze of glory with the Gealach being dragged under. But the Gealach weren’t fighting, and what was the fun in that? 

Kaleo grit her jaw. She, at least, was willing to burn for the Buanaí and for Bás. She knew that her best friend, her dead squadmates, and two trillion Buanaí were willing to burn, and they did. 

They really did. 

The Dóigh Mountains were closed in on each other, creating a forested valley in the middle that was both dangerous and important. 

And this demanded some attention from the Buanaí. 

Kaleo started at the forest line from her squad’s camp, a black battle axe clutched in her hands. It was dark. This was good. 

That was one of the ways that the Buanaí were distinguished from the Gealach. The Buanaí always wore black trench coats and had dark hair and eyes. Their skin was never on the pale side; at lightest, it was tan. And wherever they went, there was darkness in front of them and darkness behind them. 

The Gealach, on the other hand, were pastier than snow, and always had lanterns and white all around them. You could see them coming miles away because they would have a light cloud surrounding them. But it wasn’t like the Buanaí were much better off. It was only at night, could they be sneaky under the cover of a darkness thicker than lard.  

“Kaleo,” a voice behind her said. “There’s some mild movement to the south. They’re functioning under the moonlight.” 

Kaleo looked up and spat at the moon before turning, seeing her squadmate, Nyx. She was tall, with a soft and kind face that did not belong in a war. She was too sweet, often looking out for other members and trying to avoid murder as much as possible. 

“Understood. Bring the others to my position, after packing up.” 

Nyx raised a confused eyebrow, before nodding and disappearing into the thick trees. 

Kaleo turned back to the trees, knowing that Gealach soldiers tried to stay under the moonlight as much as possible. Their patron was Gealach Mhuire, after all.

The Lady of The Moon. 

Kaleo began walking back to the camp, ducking low branches and watching three other Buanaí rush to pack everything up. Truthfully, there wasn’t a whole lot, but enough that it could lead to some time being wasted. 

She heard them before she saw them. 

There was a clattering noise to her left, and Kaleo turned with a furrowed brow. 

“Buanaí, at atten-!” Kaleo’s call was cut short when a pearly arrow went right into the middle of her chest. She could feel that it had narrowly missed her lungs, heart, and major veins, but it was still an arrow in her chest. The battle-axe fell from her fingers, as all blood flow went to the gaping wound next to her heart. Another arrow came down, hitting her in the kidney. Kaleo let out a yelp at the second shot, abruptly aware of what had happened. 

They were under attack.  

“Kaleo!” Another squad member, Azazel, rushed forward, only for a brilliant streak of light to come out of the woods and slit her throat. Kaleo felt delirious; there was no way that the Gaelach had snuck up on them in woods that were darker than the shadows the Buanaí carried with them. 

Kaleo began to feel the blood seep out, despite the arrow still there. She was wondering why she was still standing. She could hear her dying heartbeat. 

Nyx let out a scream of pure terror and darted like a doe. The last Buanaí standing was Dante, and he pulled out a greatsword. 

“Neamh Críost,” he swore. “Come at me, you cowards!” 

“Tá leathcheann ort.” She spat out miserably at Dante, her knees finally buckling. “Go! Warn others!”  

“No!” Dante began swinging at the Gealach, doing his very best. Kaleo pitied him, for what he was doing would only postpone the inevitable. 

Everyone’s death. 

Gealach fell, slowly, and Kaleo wondered for a moment if she was wrong. 

Then Dante took an arrow to the throat. 

He collapsed, sputtering last curses and grasping at the head. Kaleo watched him fall from her knees, not having the energy to cry. 

Two more Gealach came out, charging at Kaleo. She gripped her axe, standing up and shaking. One was beheaded, and the other was viscerally stabbed. No others came out, and Kaleo dropped her axe. She stumbled to a tree, falling with little grace as the adrenaline began to fade.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kaleo saw light. 

“Come on and just kill me! Or are you scared?” She glanced at her axe and turning towards the light. It shifted a little, before walking out of the woods. They were tall, wearing a helmet. An arrow was drawn, pointed at her. They approached until the arrow was lightly tapping her forehead. Kaleo smirked.  

“Scared of a dead woman, huh?” She sneered, wrinkling her nose. “Of course you’d not take any chances. Go on. Finish the job.” 

The Gealach wavered for a moment, almost dropping the arrow, before steeling up their resolve. 

But a flash of black hurtled at them, toppling them over. Kaleo’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head, watching Nyx materialise with a broad blade.  She was on top of the soldier, blade pressed against their neck. 

“Nyx!” Kaleo cried. “Do it!” 

Nyx had tears in her eyes, bubbling and landing on the soldier’s visor. There were short hiccups from her, and she raised her sword up. 

She was too slow. 

The soldier took an arrow from their quiver and thrust it into Nyx’s heart, pushing it in further when she let out a cry of pain. Kaleo watched in horror was Nyx fell to the ground, twitching for a moment before going painfully still. The soldier stood up, retrieving the arrow before turning to Kaleo. They picked up Kaleo’s axe, preparing to hit Kaleo on the head with it. 

“You’ll be the messenger,” they muttered. 

Then all Kaleo saw was blissful darkness. 

Kaleo blinked out of her reverie when someone pulled a chair beside her. She felt tears stinging her eyes, and the last thing she wanted was to be crying in public. She chugged her fresh whiskey glass in one go, hoping that the burn would make her forget it. 

“Long day, huh?” The person beside her said, before telling the bartender to get him the same Firebrand whiskey. Kaleo looked at him, popping her jaw. 

It was a Gealach, about her age, with some obvious scars on him. He was freakishly pale, even for a Gealach, with gold streaks in his white hair and silver eyes. 

Kaleo wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But it wasn’t an albino that probably tried to kill her kin 100 years ago. 

She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, sure.” She turned back to her drink, which had been refilled. The Gealach nodded, trying to make conversation. “Did you serve in the war? Well, I mean, you look old enough to have served...not that I’m saying you’re old. Sorry,” the Gealach began to mutter, panicked. Kaleo raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, I did. Why?” 

The Gealach bit his lip. “The only Buanaí that are alive are the veterans or the kids. No offence meant.” 

“None taken.” Kaleo took another sip. “From the looks of it, you did, too.” 

The Gealach nodded. “Yeah! I was in the 165th Regiment! Were you with the rebels?” 

Kaleo nearly spit out her drink. Of course one of the few civil Gealach assumed she was with the rebels that revoked Bás and tried to kill their own race alongside the Gealach. The degenerates. 

“No. No, I was most definitely not.” Kaleo began pulling out more coin to pay for the alcohol, wanting out of the dive bar. The Gealach paled. 

“Oh. Oh, oh. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t want to...oh. You were on the other side…” He began to hastily leave his chair when Kaleo began to get up. “I am really, really, really sorry. Uh, for, you know, everything.” 

Kaleo stopped. “What?” 

The Gealach stopped, relieved she wasn’t running. “Sorry.” 

Kaleo raised an eyebrow. “No, I mean...you’re apologetic?” 

“Yeah,” the Gealach nodded. “After all, we are kinda responsible for making the Buanaí, um…” he trailed off, looking nervous. “Ya’ know, almost extinct.” 

Kaleo sat back on her seat. She tried to ignore the fact that some of the bar were listening in. The Gealach looked ecstatic. 

“Sweet! Thanks! My name is Alain!” 

Kaleo watched him sit down again and order tea. “Kaleo.” 

“Well, Kaleo! I don’t suppose we could exchange war stories or something?” Alain looked excited. 

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I have a question.”

“Shoot.” Alain was bouncing in his seat. 

“Your weapons and armour. Were they mass-produced?” She looked up from swirling her whiskey. 

“Not really.” Alain shook his head. “There wasn’t enough time for that. We kinda just...took what we had and left.” 

Kaleo nodded, then reached into her boot and pulled out two white arrows. Alain flinched, and his eyes widened. 

“Do you know who’s these are? I was shot with them, and they massacred my squad.” 

Alain looked up, slowly, before shaking his head. “No. But, I, ah, could have some of my old friends to see if they could track them.” He placed his hand on one. “Is it okay if I take it for now?” 

Kaleo nodded. “Thanks.” 

They both stowed away the arrows, and Alain turned to the clock. 

“I have to go. Maybe we could meet here again?” Alain looked suddenly anxious, and Kaleo gave a small smile. 

“Sure. Just be sure not to break that.” 

Alain nodded, before taking his leave.

Alain collapsed onto his bed in his apartment, trying to calm himself down. There was no way she knew, otherwise he wouldn’t be panting in the middle of his room, staring at his ceiling. The only way she could recognise him was by voice, and she had barely heard him.

Alain sighed. 

He held the arrow before him, sitting up and squinting at it. He then looked at the back of his closet, where a glowing white bow and quiver hung. Inside were beautiful, pearly arrows, almost calling to the one in his hand. 

It was their sibling, after all. 

Alain walked the perimeter of the woods, in the middle of the Dóigh Mountains, his bow and arrow at the ready. The new armour that they received was able to dim the Lady’s Blessing, keeping them undercover for small amounts of time. 

Alain watched as a Buanaí came into view. She was alone, with a battle axe on her shoulder. She was watching the treeline, and the other Gealach stood as still as possible. Another Buanaí talked to her, before both walked through a small trail. Alain looked at the other Gealach and nodded. 

The unfortunate Buanaí had led them right to their camp, and Alain smiled. There were only four, and it was all easy kills. 

Who he presumed to be the squad captain had just arrived, and he drew back his arrow. 

And without a moment of hesitation, he let go.  

[mikanrulz]

snb:vs ep17 aka where do I even begin with this

WARNING: nothing but salt in here, so if you think this ep is good and it makes you happy, do yourself a favor and scroll past please.

This ep post is divided into four parts:

the good part

the salt is real for azazel part

charioce the fragile baby bird part

tl;dr part

now

1. ON THE GOOD PART

first of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BOTHERING TO CARE ABOUT AZAZEL, KAISAR

currently you (and the grandpa demon chief from ep15) seem to be the only one to do so.

haha…ha… /cries

I guess I should just be thankful that kaisar at least mentioned his name, considering in ep10, 11, 12, 13, 14 not only he doesn’t get to appear, none seems to remember his name or his existence at all.

(bacchus and hamsa too seem to be forgotten, while we’re at it)

Also dang favaro looks so hot this ep? And considerably older. Something about him is just cool all over, but cool in that fun uncle whom you like to play with way, not cool cold way.

You have no idea how happy it makes me to see his armpit hair is still there hoho

Also favaro says that azazel’s not there since morning… meaning Azazel’s actually an early morning person???

That’s… unexpected lmao

I kinda thought with his being demon and also his vampire complexion, he’d have a vampire habit of sleeping in the day and be awake in the night.

But then again, he does have a job as an undertaker in the stadium, so uh, sorry for doubting your dedication azazel! Just because you’re a demon who seems used to being spoiled and egoist, doesn’t mean you’re lazy!

…why does he have to disappear just after he agrees to work together with kaisar in ep before? Doesn’t it look like he goes back on his words??? Show why you keep doing this to him yo

Well

Rita is actually good with make up and costumes. Color me surprised, bcs her doctor outfit is so…. baggy. But I guess attending patients are easier in such outfits compared to her casual ones lol

Meanwhile on heaven, a new ship is officially born

Sofiel really just says that, while fully knowing bacchus fell from grace bcs he chased after a human girl.

El officially has two moms now, aren’t you happy El >/////<

Speaking of El, nobody calls him El on earth, so probably even if azazel’s here, he would still not know that El is mugaro’s real name.

I was kinda hoping mugaro and nina are still in each other’s clothes by the time they meet azazel just to see his reaction to it and confirm what his reaction in ep7 actually was, but alas, since azazel’s not even shown at all, might as well have them back in their own clothes.

/bitter

Kaisar formally introducing himself to mugaro is weird bcs well, haven’t they met before? Countless times? Maybe not at night while azazel’s doing his rag demon routine, but during azazel’s job at the stadium? And during ep8?

But then maybe mugaro being jeanne’s kid makes a difference?

This part makes me a bit confused bcs all this time, I thought Kaisar’s actually aware of azazel being in Anatea (from the start maybe, bcs rita, so at least two years?), he just doesn’t realize until ep1 that the rag demon is azazel. And if he’s known azazel in the city for two years at least, he should’ve noticed mugaro’s existence, since mugaro hardly ever leaves azazel’s side, be it night or day.

Also, how long azazel’s been in anatea anyway? It should be more than two years, but none mentions it so far right? Even grandpa demon chief from ep15 just says azazel going away alone without any time modifier.

And yes, hamsa in that vest is cute <3

…now on to the hard part:

2. THE SALT IS REAL FOR AZAZEL

First of all, let me make it clear: I don’t care who ends up with who in the show; that’s what fics and fanworks are for.

and I know I keep repeating this, but from the start, I actually already expected nina and chari to end up together, so them ending up together, now, does not surprise me.

What surprised me is the way they (the writers) go to achieve it: which is by consistently undermining a “love rival” or another character (azazel) in order to make chari (the true love interest) looks good in comparison.

And this is… just so very painful for me as azazel’s fan.

I already wrote a bit about how azanina scenes in those early eps were actually foreshadowing for charinina plot, and it happens again in this ep.

Just compare the difference in the way the anime shows azanina and charinina interaction; same street, same place, but chari is a charming playful gentleman who ends up taking nina in a ‘romantic’ gateaway while azazel is a pushy jerkass who ends up on his ass in a comical position courtesy of rita’s punch.

Also pls compare these lines:

Those two lines technically commenting the same thing: meeting and reacting to each other.

And while Azazel’s line is more matter of fact and had a sense of inevitability to it, like “what happened happened and let’s just accept it and move on to do something about it”,

Chari’s line is unnecessarily more dramatic, and also more romantic, bcs wow how he makes nina sound so special and like she’s the only one, like he’s blaming fate or whatever, while at the same time confirming why yes fate is the one who makes us meet; if only fate isn’t so cruel blah blah blah

Sorry if I sound so skeptic bcs honestly I’m just… skeptic.

Like, wtf dude who are you? Who is this emo ooc parading around in charioce’s shoes? I don’t know him.

He has never showed sign of being emo even once during the whole 16 eps and then suddenly this??? yeah right.

But back to that line, I won’t blame nina if she falls for chari’s words hook, line and sinker bcs she always seems to be drunk in love in her own separate world and at first glance chari’s words is totally romantic – if you like your man dramatic.

So… to sum it up, from nina’s perspective (and what the show wants you to see it as) Azazel: matter of fact pushy jerkass with no romantic bone whatsoever to his body Charioce: romantic charming guy with romantic confession and is kind to kids.

Haha ha…. /bitter

AZAZEL DESERVES BETTER THAN TO BE A FODDER FOR CHARININA PLOTLINE

/phew

There I said it.

Just, you know, it seems everything azanina did is eventually going to be done also by charinina, except in a way that’s much cooler and romantic; and this is not bcs of chari or azazel’s characterization itself, but bcs the *show* needs and intends for chari to look better compared to azazel.

It’s in *the way* they show it, and not the act itself that actually really matters.

Personally, I hate how, bcs of Nina’s romantic and obvious shoujo manga view of her world, in the show Azazel’s treated like a persistent former boyfriend once ep6 rolls around and chari appears for real; like he’s suddenly being broken up by nina even tho 1) they’re not lovers in the first place, 2) he never shows romantic interest in her.

And honestly, I could understand azanina shippers’s frustration with the show’s current progress, bcs up to ep4, they have the most interaction and nina’s reactions to him is so very… leading, to say the least. Add to it the show’s marketing and main visual w/ nina surrounded by four guys, it seems at least azazel and chari had the same chance with her. (fava already has Amira and kai has rita, so they’re just not available to nina)

But then by ep5, it seems the whole 4eps doesn’t happen and azazel’s just mugaro’s boyfriend/brother/guardian aka *just* nina’s acquaintance, nothing more.

Add again to it the fact that nina doesn’t even seem to remember azazel exists ever since ep10 until now ep17. Not once does she ever wonder about how he’s doing, despite how she feels guilty over him in ep8.

Even taking the shipping issue aside, it’s just not good overall for nina’s characterization to forget about him and her guilt so easily, bcs that means once the ‘problem’ is no longer in front of her, she instantly forgets about it. That makes her so… flighty, easily distracted, and just…unreliable, to say the least. And seems unsympathetic toward others.

I’m not saying what happened to azazel is her fault; it’s completely his and his fault only.

I’m saying it’s important to follow up on her guilt and explore it a little perhaps, and not just act like it never happens, bcs she *did* say she feels sorry for what happened in ep8.

I *did* like azanina’s interaction more than charinina’s even though I didn’t ship them romantically.

But now (or more precisely, ever since that hot spring scene w/ nina and Jeanne) I just want nina to stay faaaaaaar away from Azazel.

esp since even if he meets her again, he's only going to be used for yet another charinina fodder and example how he's such a jerkass loser while chari is a charming romanticist anyway

GIVE HIM A BREAK, SHOW, GDI

I understand her head is full of charioce or something but the fact she COMPLETELY forgets about azazel despite their past interaction and what happened between them and how they saved each other at least once is just… haha… ha…

You know, if this pattern continues, nina’s actually going to forget about charioce too the moment another hot looking guy pays attention to her for a bit probably haha

So yeah.

I read someone says azazel has his own story and Nina has her own story, and that they just doesn’t care about nina’s. I AGREE COMPLETELY.

Indeed azazel and nina (and chari too tbh) have their own story, but while azazel & charioce’s story happens in the same line, Nina’s story while seems to happen in the same world, just doesn’t connect to their story at all (so far anyway, yes, even tho it’s 17th ep already).

3. CHARIOCE THE FRAGILE BABY BIRD (according to nina)

First of all, boo hoo, wtf why is she still getting red-faced by kaisar? I thought she already has her true love in charioce and no other man would do, but then kaisar appears and she’s suddenly back to her old self?

(esp when azazel no longer does it for her???)

Hamsa’s line makes it clear tho: that red-faced scene is done purely for comedy and not for any consistency or plot-relevant thing. If you’re trying to be consistent, show, then try to show her character development instead, her who is no longer easily blushing anymore. I thought this is already an established plot point, but apparently not, and it irks me greatly.

And that’s actually the biggest flaw in the show: the show is mainly story-driven and not character-driven, and for the sake of advancing plot, it sacrifices many things, including any consistency in Nina’s characterization.

I won’t be commenting much on the discomfort watching Chari & Nina playing with the demon kids bcs other ppl already covered that better than me.

But I’d like to point out the discomfort of watching Nina treating Charioce like some kind of fragile baby bird.

I’m just. WHUT.

In this ep, even tho he IS the king who enslaves and kills and destroys these demons, she’s more worried about HIS well-being than the demons who have no way of fighting back if he ever tries to attack them.

GURL PLS.

She worries about HIS clothes even though the demons kids’ clothes are far from being fit.

She screams when she sees the ball is a skull but shows no reaction at all to how HE naturally plays ball with said skull like nothing amiss, like he’s used to seeing skulls.

She trusts HIM instantly even though technically she is a fugitive and he’s the king who is hunting her and her escapee friends.

She worries more about HIM being in the slum than about the danger to HER FRIENDS by bringing their hunter to their own backyard.

All she thinks about is HER, HERself, HER feelings, HER thoughts, and HIM and I just.

GURL HOW SELF-CENTERED ARE YOU.

She really doesn’t think of things outside her immediate perspective or beyond herself. She does not even *try*.

She’s kind but she lacks empathy, which is why she needs direction and to be told to care before she could actually care.

I’ve said before how, bcs charioce never directly hurts her, she can’t think of him as a bad person.

And this scene:

I just.

the "an asshole to everybody else but a sweetheart to his girl" trope is such a popular trope in all kind of media that I'm surprised nina doesn't realize it's not weird or extraordinary at all.

ahem

I don’t understand why she can’t understand this: that both are part of him, both are *real*

On the other hand, she could accept and understand that Azazel’s kind to Mugaro but a jerkass to her. Both are facets of azazel, and she has no trouble parsing that.

But then when it comes to charioce, she suddenly loses all senses? Pfft.

Also, why does it matter which one is real? Chari still did both things; even if, say, the kind him is the real him, it doesn’t erase the fact he destroys Cocytus and enslaves demons and kills both demons and angels.

Like wtf gurl.

Also, the *wording* actually *matters*, and the way she says “making the demons and gods hate you” it’s like Chari is only pranking them or something harmless like that for the purpose of making them hate him, which is not true at all.

HE TORTURED AND MASS MURDERED THEM. WOMEN AND CHILDREN ALIKE.

No, Nina, it’s not hate what they feel for Chari; hate is too light a word to describe it. They try to murder him now bcs they’re trying to survive, since if he’s not dead he’s going to kill them all eventually.

Also, way to make this all about you, gurl.

Gods and demons being slaughtered left and right but all you care about is his attitude toward you, bcs it’s the only thing that matters to you the most apparently.

Bcs his countless victims, including Jeanne, mugaro, kaisar, azazel, the gods she called cute, totally do not matter at all to her.

Empathy what empathy.

Fuck.

I’ve written about it here, but her conversation with Jeanne in ep14 still gives me chills bcs wow, she perfectly knows chari is the one who hurts Jeanne and is the cause of Jeanne hurting her own child, yet she still dares, with no shred of guilt at all while claiming herself Jeanne’s friend, saying to Jeanne’s face that she *loves* charioce.

No consideration at all of how Jeanne’s actually one of Chari’s victims, no nothing.

The fact Nina doesn’t mention Charioce is the guy she likes is totally cheating and unfair to Jeanne, bcs now Jeanne has unknowingly approved of Charioce.

Cheating…or more like betrayal toward Jeanne, I think.

I wish Nina had done it purposefully tho, omitting Chari’s name in that scene I mean, bcs at least it means she’s aware jeanne’s chari’s victim and only trying to spare her feelings by not mentioning the name, while still keeping the conversation going.

But the fact she hadn’t is just. stupid and mostly empathy what empathy indeed.

Also this scene:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

WTF

…I feel so stupid for trying to analyze her transformation at all oh my god what a waste of time and energy

What about her mother’s words about how her transformation is realted to her father trauma and bahamut???? Where’s the follow up??? Where did that plotline go omg

I JUST.

REALLY, SHOW, REALLY?

That easy? So she’s basically, to quote someone, “just a dragon in heat.”

Wow.

Just… wow.

Also to anon from way back, I take back what I said about how nina’s ignorance is not meant as shallow; full offense, I really mean this: nina’s not only ignorant, but also shallow, only thinks of herself, and has no empathy whatsoever for others unless told to.

The fact Chari never hurts her is important, bcs to her, since she never experiences his cruelty herself, countless tales of his victims is just an unreal myth to her.

Meanwhile for Charioce himself, dude, how the fuck did you go from Charioce 13th to Charioce 17th so fast in less than 5 years, like did you kill 14th-16th or what?

They sure do love abandoning subplots left and right, don’t they haha

I thought he’s interesting at the beginning but he barely has any character development and frankly I’m bored and lost interest in him and his secretiveness just makes him irritating.

I’m not a patient person; sue me for losing interest.

Also, someone commented how Charinina’s lake scene makes them seem like Romeo and Juliet, like, if only they’re not who they are, then they must be able to be happy together.

WTF ROMEO JULIET WHERE

They both are humans, none’s stopping them from being together, he and his race are not at war with her or her race; he doesn’t even know dragonfolk exists.

Azazel thinks her a demon but then again he’s wrong about a lot of things, including mugaro’s origin.

No, dragons are not demons, and nina’s also half dragonfolk half human, so she’s mostly human.

The closest Romeo/Juliet relationship in the show is probably Chari/Mugaro or Chari/Azazel or even Mugaro/Azazel.

There’s no pre-existing condition between Nina/Chari, all the drama are recent and of their own making and not something that already exists as foundation of conflict.

4. TL;DR

I do think while Azazel deserves a lot of suffering, being comic relief and charinina’s fodder is not one of them.

Also Charioce still doesn’t have embarrassing pose and never experienced being the butt of a joke like the rest of the main casts wtf let the poor guy have his own embarrassing meme show

As protags, Nina and Charioce feel so flat to me. Nothing much happens to them personally, no mountain of problems to overcome, no nothing. Well nina has her transformation problem, but that seems so insignificant considering it only involves her and her alone.

Charioce doesn’t have problems to solve bcs he actually creates problems for other characters and somehow sit all the while being cool and charismatic doing nothing. Pfft.

I think, conflict and character development wise, Kaisar and Azazel deserve to be protags more. Kaisar has the Hero’s Righteousness ™ down to the smallest detail, while Azazel has the classic Hero Journey (starting from losing everything to trying to regain everything back).

Meanwhile, Charioce starts as a villain and continues on to be villain, while Nina just lets the waves take her.

Again, this is entirely my personal opinion.

[awed-frog]

hey! i wanted to let you know that i think your cas/stages of grief meta was absolutely amazing. cas's story never really made sense to me, it always seemed so inconsistent, like they had no idea where they were going with it, and your meta is the first i've read that made me see some central theme in it after all. so kudos for that :) just out of curiosity, you have any idea where they're going with crowley? bc his story is another one that always felt the opposite of straightforward to me.

Whats your hope for Crowleys arc on this season?

Hi! Thank you so much for all that! I am the most awful person, because not only I’m like, two months late in answering this but I’m also going to bundle it up with an anon ask. Sorry, @andallthewildthingsroared!

(I did write the overly long thing I promised you, though, so there’s that.)

I understand where you’re coming from - Crowley’s arc is sort of zigzaggy, but if you take away what was clearly bad characterization (such as that one-off threat to Sam complete with red eyes which never went anywhere), I sort of feel like we can know who Crowley is, and what he wants.

Background

So, just as a summary - we know he was a bastard, and that he had a stable enough relationship with his mother that he remembers her (not fondly), and that she up and left soon enough that it felt like she was abandoning him (eight is a bit soon to fend for yourself, even in the seventeenth century). We know he had a son, and since Gavin’s mother is never mentioned, I want to say unremarkable entity who died in childbirth? Because if this had been his great love, and if she’d survived long enough to be remembered by Gavin, I hope to God that would have been brought up in the narrative (come on). So, either Crowley didn’t give a damn about her, and got saddled with the kid for some reason, or he cared a lot and she died pretty early on and that’s possibly the reason he started being so awful to everybody (hello, John Winchester’s parallels). We also know he was a tailor, which, in those times, and for an orphan, implies either that Rowena used magic to help him out (unlikely for a number of reasons) or that he was actually a very smart, very talented kid who had to work his ass off during his apprenticeship, as was usual for the times. In this case, we’ve got someone whose life was out of his control from a very young age, and who knows what it’s like to be at a master’s whim. 

Demon deal

Now, what doesn’t fit with this picture is the idea a kid like that would sell his soul for a longer dick, as Crowley boasted to have done (also, as amusing as it is, this would be a moot point by now, since Crowley’s in a different body). What I consider more likely is that Crowley’s current vessel - the literary agent in his late forties possibly all work and all play as that job often entails - tried to make a similar deal (and that would be a reason for Crowley to stick with the body afterwards; after all, we know he’s vain and likes to sleep around, so, vessel for vessel, why not go for a bigger dong?); as for Crowley himself, I really can’t guess what happened. Gavin remembers him as a useless drunkard, and he certainly had no riches to pass on - so much so, Gavin was forced to emigrate to the Colonies. What did Crowley gain, exactly, in exchange for his soul? An intriguing possibility is that, like Dean, he took the deal to save someone else - perhaps Gavin himself from some childhood fever - and became a drunk asshole out of blind panic the closer he got to the deadline. I like this explanation, because there was always this weird pull between Crowley and Dean, and this would go a long way towards explaining it; but, really, this is one of those things it’s useless to speculate about - either the show will tell us, or it won’t.

(Another possibility I like, but which would have come up by now, is that Rowena sold her kid’s soul to pay for her own magic - a plot bunny I explored here.)

Whatever his reasons, Crowley’s time in hell took this primal lack of control over his own life and made it a thousand times worse. We still don’t know, exactly, how demons are created, how long it takes, and who decides which eyes you’ll get, and which job you’ll do. This is, like, one of the 2000 things the show could get into instead of inventing new lore (I’m not complaining, though - S11 was magnificent, and S12 has been very good so far). What we do know is that the entire process is excruciatingly painful; that it distorts, or takes away, your human soul. If we think about other soulless creatures we’ve encountered, what Crowley is makes a lot of sense. It’s not about being evil, exactly; it’s more about a lack of caring and empathy. There are moments where Crowley actually reminds me of soulless!Sam - like when he pushed Dean into Cain’s arms just because it was convenient on the short term. 

Crowley the crossroads demon

Becoming a demon is also the worst kind of punishment, we should assume, because it completely takes away your free will.

(This is not exactly true, since we’ve seen a lot of demons doing stuff on the side and betraying their masters left, right and centre - but I want to think those demons breaking ranks parallel the mess that’s going on in Heaven - that these are creatures that, under normal circumstances, ie, pre-Winchesters and pre-Apocalypse, functioned as mindless servants under a king. Like angels, demons can, theoretically, think for themselves, but I feel like they’re not designed to? Although, where the angels craved order - and orders - Crowley was hoping to get support by promising other demons ‘a say, a virgin and all the entrails they can eat’ - which means demons are perhaps not as happy as angels to give up their agency. And, well, it would make sense: they do not belong to a different species, after all. They used to be human.)

And so we’ve got the transformation from human!Crowley, indentured to some abusive master as a boy, to demon!Crowley, who’s got no choice but to follow his torturers around. Except, well, Crowley’s smart (too smart for his own good, probably) and ballsy and free will is something he cares about, very fucking much (and this is another tie to Dean). From what we know, it looks like Crowley schemed and schmoozed his way into acquiring enough weapons, knowledge, powers and secrets that he was almost part of the inner circle which was preparing for Lucifer’s return. And here is where his story gets interesting, because, to get Roman about it, “We rob the world, but he will rifle the deep. If the enemy be rich, Lucifer will be rapacious; if he be poor, Lucifer will lust for dominion; he will make a desert and call it peace.”

Crowley and the Winchesters

I don’t remember if it’s ever explained why Crowley chose to bet on the Winchesters, of all people, to go against Lucifer. I think we’re meant to not question this - to assume that they’re our main characters and fierce hunters and yadda yadda, but it’s still interesting that Crowley would know them - and well, at that. I like to think they’d been on his radar from the very beginning (or, at least, that Sam was) because of Azazel’s demented scheme, and it’s certainly possible Crowley knew everything about their dealings with Hell, including Sam’s death, Dean’s self-sacrifice, and how and why he was saved. He’s been shown, after all, to be one of the most knowledgeable characters on the board, and if he’s been keeping track of the Winchesters for years and years, that would go a long way in explaining his fond exasperation for their antics. 

Now, Crowley is, of course, fascinating and interesting in himself, but what is also worth noting is that his character, like Cas’ (and perhaps even more than Cas’), is relevant in light of his relation to Dean - and Dean’s sexuality.

The first thing here is - unlike Cas, who, inevitably, had a very strong relationship with Dean from the start which made perfect narrative sense, Crowley could always go either way. It can even be argued that logically, it would have made more sense to pair him off with Sam. First of all, there’s the symmetry (Dean and his angel, Sam and his demon); then there’s the fact Crowley’s got more in common with Sam than he does with Dean - the books, the art, the interest in weird languages and weirder mythology, a general ‘the end justifies the means’ attitude - I know we now have years of backstory to influence how we view those characters, but if we take them in isolation - sure, Dean and Crowley would have fun on a night out (and we’ve seen what they do together: play pool, get drunk, sleep it off with a various number of partners of unspecified gender), but Sam and Crowley - now, that had the potential of a real friendship of the minds (as I said, forget about their history and put aside Crowley’s shady morals for a second - can’t you see how much fun they would have had to explore the Bunker’s library together? how they could have planned thefts, Leverage-style, to recover some painting stolen by an oil magnate - how they would have fought at the end, because, of course, Sam wanted to donate it to a museum and Crowley, well, was planning on keeping it, because he0d bloody well earned it?). Sam becoming friends with a demon after the whole Ruby ordeal would have been a huge bout of character growth, in line with his ‘forgive and don’t judge people by their birth’ personality. And as for Crowley, it would have made sense for him to bond with Sam rather than Dean - if only for the obvious reason: Sam could still be (potentially) his future boss. The boy with the demon blood; the only vessel that can hold Lucifer. Honestly, since Crowley never wanted to be king in the first place, it would have made perfect sense for him to seduce Sam (platonically) and then guide him to the throne - there, problem solved. He would have been chief advisor of The One Who Was Foretold, right there at Sam’s right hand to keep an eye on his every decision, and he would have known, because he would have taken the time to get to know Sam, that Sam (even as a demon king) would be a fair ruler - and, more importantly, a ruler loyal to his old friends.

It was, really, the perfect scheme - and yet the idea never came up at all. In fact, Sam and Crowley lost another momentous occasion to get closer to each other - even after Sam fed Crowley his own blood, the relationship between them remained distant at best, and hostile at worst. That always struck me as really, really weird. Sam saw Crowley at his most vulnerable, and despite being Mr Forgiveness, he continues to hate Crowley with a vengeance and the whole thing never comes up at all. Uh.

I mostly think the main reason for this is very simple: Sam ‘I desperately need my own plotline’ Winchester is straight. Very straight. Pairing him with a man would have been weird. Mirroring the relationship Dean has with Cas - weirder. The thing worked until Ruby was around, but with Crowley they would have missed a lot of juicy subtext. And so, once again and despite all odds, Dean got yet another character to add to his court, and Sam was left with nothing more than Lucifer’s mild interest in him (or, as Sam himself put it in entaglednow’s side-splitting series, “Great, you get the epic love story and I get the creepy sadomasochistic non-con.”).

(This is another reason, by the way, why their refusal to be clearer on the whole ‘Dean is bi’ issue is hurting the show: it is partly, or mostly, because they’re desperate to keep that subtext going that Dean gets all the characters - people like Charlie, or Benny, or even Jody offering him to talk in her most suave mom voice - all of these things make sense in the narrative because they’re feeding the underlying subtext. And since this is, objectively, a Big Story and the core of who Dean is, and Sam’s only stake in it would be a tragic ‘I know I said I’d die for him, but I’ll now reject my gay brother out of moral virtue’ nonsense which clearly doesn’t apply to the character, he’s left with literally nothing to do. Really - most of the story seems to gravitate around these two open secrets - Dean’s sexuality, and Dean’s love for Cas; and since, as I said, Sam’s got nothing to do with either, and no reason to be mad about either, he’s left with no narrative role. Only yesterday @tinkdw was saying how the entire myth arc of S11 doesn’t make any sense without Destiel, and she’s perfectly right; most things, for a lot of time, have been about Dean’s heart.

And I want to add that I’m not okay, or happy, with any of this. First, I think it’s dishonest to include so much subtext that it basically props up your whole narrative while denying anything’s going on; and second, Sam’s a fantastic character and there’s a lot he could do - it defies logic and reason that they’re not using him better. Like, I still can’t believe the entire God reveal was only about Dean, that we still haven’t heard how Sam feels about Lucifer being around, that he’s barely had one conversation with his mother, and that he basically has zero relationships with other characters. Come on - there’s so many awesome things you could do with someone like Sam, why aren’t they doing them? On a show that’s supposedly all about the two of them, and only the two of them?)

Crowley’s arc

By having Crowley’s represent Dean’s eros to Cas’ agape (and I want to say this is a learned reference, but I’m really just thinking about YOI right now), the main mirror for Crowley, and therefore his character arc, was firmly established. Crowley would parallel Cas - and viceversa. The journey, for both of them, is to get closer to humanity (and ‘humanity’), and what’s been fascinating is that, of course, they start off in two very different places.

As I said in the beginning, Crowley’s all about control. He’s very Scarlett O’Hara about things, and he’s got good reason to be. In this, he’s heavily paralleled with Cas, but where Cas focuses his newfound (?) free will on everything but himself - hence the Jesus-like characterization - Crowley’s most consistent character trait is his selfishness. All of his schemes, and most of his ambitions, are ultimately directed at saving himself and avoid pain and death, which, to be honest, would be sensible from anyone’s point of view but is particularly understandable if we consider we’re dealing with a soulless creature who’s got no capacity to love and has endured decades, if not centures, of torture. What is most significant about Crowley, therefore, is the same thing that makes Cas stands out: how Crowley is learning about himself, and how to become who he truly is, through his love for Dean. This is something that we discuss every other day, so I won’t get into it (see for instance the ‘drowley’ tag on my blog, or read here, here or here), but it’s clearly become a major part of his character arc. 

(His decision to sacrifice that spear to save Cas, for instance, was a huge step in this direction - selfishness to selflessness - so huge I still can’t believe I watched it with my own two eyes. It will probably be mirrored, quite soon, by Cas making a step of his own - in his case, towards selfishness, ie, the Winchesters’ happiness, and therefore his own, and away from yet another idiotic heavenly battle plan.) 

As for what will come of it - the problem with this kind of Are you truly my enemy? characters - or, well, the trouble with everything - is that there is a limited number pf ways their story can end. And, again, the problem with Crowley and where his story is going is the same problem we have with everything else - Dean, Sam, Destiel and so on: it all depends on which kind of story this is, and what they’re trying to say with it. So, let’s have a look at it.

A) Crowley could remain his slightly evil self and die because of it - this would place Supernatural in a kind of ‘moralistic’ narrative: the good guys triumph, and the bad guys pay the price.

B) Or, he could try to do the right thing and get killed in the process: that’s the definition of tragedy, which somehow works even better when a character was despicable to start with - think Last of the Mohicans, or Severus Snape. In this case, his death would likely be the first (or the last) of many other significant characters.

C) Another possibility is that Crowley could become human, and that would be both interesting and heartbreaking to watch, because we know Crowley is very ambitious, but, as I said, my headcanon is that he became wary and power-hungry because of what was done to him in Hell. After all, Dean did get a kind of special treatment, but what he went through was also the standard procedure to destroy someone’s soul - so drunken tailor Fergus was probably on the rack for decades, until the last shred of humanity left inside him burned and withered, and it’s likely that at some point he had his O'Hara moment and that’s why he always puts himself first: because he’s bloody scared shitless to be vulnerable again. In this sense, a human Crowley would be resentful and terrified - and therefore, a beautiful character to watch.

(Not that there would be anyone left to watch, since if they go there, I think they’ll do it at the last possible moment.)

D) Or, Crowley could remain a demon but shift his priorities so completely as to work with the Winchesters full-time, sort of like Cas did. Now, this would be quite something because Cas and Crowley are often paralleled, but at the same time it would put Crowley in a difficult position: I am sure Sam and Dean would fully accept him as a member of TFW only if Crowley repented and behaved like an unpstanding citizen from then on, and how is all that compatible with being the king of Hell? Plus, what would happen to the other demons? Was Crowley making more demons when he had complete control of Hell? We know he turned Hell more bureaucratic and 'punishment fits the crime’ and whatever, but his demons were still eating human flesh, and I’m not sure they can even survive without? So, well, however noble Crowley’s intentions, that would be an uneasy alliance. If Crowley remains his lovable and snarky demon self, I see more of an Eric Northman ending for him: sure, he gets his throne and all sort of pretty distractions, but he loses his Sookie forever.

E) And finally: Crowley could be killed in a freak ‘accident’, maybe by an ally of the Winchesters who didn’t know he was sort of a friend (Mary is a prime candidate), or by Cas or Sam because of the greater good, or maybe even by Dean himself - but not by choice - and that would be a sort of fridging because it would shift the meaning of his death to the damage it’d do to his killer.

Which hypothesis is more likely? 

Well: first of all, we need to bear in mind a few RL factors. They’ll probably want to keep Mark around because he’s awesome, the fans generally like him so that’s another plus, and I firmly believe they still don’t know how they want Supernatural to end (or even what the next season’s theme is going to be) so a character like Crowley is a godsend, because when weird shit needs to happen or you suddenly need drama or whatever, you can always count on someone like that to make it happen (and that’s another reason why I don’t think Crowley will become human any time soon: it would severely limit the weird shit they can pull off) - which means, it’s likely they’ll keep him around for a while. And also: his death would bring nothing, narratively, to the table. For instance, John’s death and Bobby’s death sort of made sense, because the boys had some growing up to do, and killing someone like Cain or defeating Lucifer was important because it told us our boys are on the Good side even when it’s difficult, but now we know all this. 

To me - if we’re looking at the very end, there are only two ways this makes sense: either Crowley is killed off, or sacrifices himself, in some heartwrenching scenario so that his death will mean Cas or Dean or even Sam lives, or he becomes human - my headcanon is that he’ll still know how to do magic, because I’m a sucker for magician!Crowley - and walks away from the boys entirely. If Supernatural ends in tragedy, then it’s the first option all the way; but if its end is more like, there are no more monsters and you’re now free to open a car repair shop, then it only makes sense that both Cas and Crowley become human. Cas will be the sort of human who still stares up at the sky from time to time and will lie to Dean when Dean asks and say it’s okay (hopefully, Dean won’t believe a word of it and kiss him extra hard that night), and Crowley - Crowley likes to be the centre of attention, so I’m thinking politics. Or maybe he’ll hoodwink his way to the very top of a renowned auction house and meet some wealthy widow at his local golf club, and that will be it - a sort of happy ending, and the occasional drunk call to Dean to reminisce about that happy, happy summer they once had.

[trisscar368]

SPN memememememe...

@chiisana-sukima has tagged me.  I must comply o.o

what season did you start watching supernatural? I started pretty soon after the s11 finale actually.  I did know about the show from stalking the fandom on Pinterest, but I’ve made up for the newness of my conversion with sheer insanity levels :D

who was the first character you fell in love with? Cas.

who was a character that you hated at first but grew to love? I... do not hate characters.  I like antagonists too much to hate any of them, and I actually really like Mary and Lisa and Bela and *continues listing off generally hated female characters*. 

which character would you most want to be in a long-term relationship with? ... is this asking me who I ship myself with?  Cause the answer is no.  I will take friendship with all of tfw.

if you could go on just one date with one character, which one would you choose? Uh... uhm... *glances at the next question* uhhhhhh...

what would you do on the date? panic

which character would you most want to be like? but they’re all flawed...  that came out wrong, I’m not saying I’m not flawed, but all of these characters are deeply flawed and it’s such a massive part of their characterization and plot arcs and... based on strengths AND weaknesses?  I can’t...

which character would you most like to see brought back from the dead? Well if that isn’t complicated by the finale... I’m saying Cas doesn’t count because he’s already coming back.  I’m tied between Crowley, Rowena, and Eileen.  I want all of them back so much...

which character would you most like to punch? That’s a tie between Lucifer and John right now (thank you s2 rewatch...)

who is your absolute favorite character? Caaaaaaaaas

which “big bad” do you think was the worst? Define worst?  s5 Lucifer was inevitable and caused so much to Sam and Dean on so many levels; Azazel did not plan for shit (seriously, the special kids storyline is made of loops and insanity); the Leviathans were... chilling in how casual they were, and at the same time there’s massive plot holes that make me scream late at night; Metatron was so... he killed Dean, the things he did to Cas make me want to commit murder, and the damage he did to Heaven is just... Amara would have actually destroyed the universe, which is more than anyone else managed; s12 Lucifer  k i l l e d  m y  a n g e l (and Crowley and Rowena and grrr).

which character are you most like? I am Cas and Cas is me -- random knowledge about things combined with general confusion at humanity (also a fondness for pointy sticks and strategy).  Just give me the wings and we’re golden.

what death hit you the hardest? Cas.

what season finale hit you the hardest? This one.  This was my first live finale.  Before that, Sacrifice is still just... painful...

what are your ten all-time favorite episodes? In no particular order: Baby, Swansong, Sacrifice, What Is and What Should Never Be, Mystery Spot, Lazarus Rising, The Man Who Would Be King, Just My Imagination, Weekend at Bobby’s, Soul Survivor

what’s been your favorite season? S4 I think... maybe 5

who is your favorite angel? ... I’m going to assume you won’t take Cas as an answer... because it’s totally Cas so I’m going to go with Balthazar.

who’s your favorite demon? Crowley

who’s your favorite evil character? Before this season I’d have said Lucifer, but baby bird has lost first place.  On the scale of truly evil, I’d have to go with Abaddon.

do you have any supernatural ships? I have an armada.  Just no one ask me about canon vs fanon or we’ll be here all day and someone will probably try to kill me

who’s your favorite supporting actor? Ruthie is adorable.

what’s your favorite quote from the show? The sheer number of crack gifs I could stick here...  “Too much heart was always Castiel’s problem.”

if you could cast one famous actor in an episode of spn, who would you chose? David Tennant

if you could write your own episode, what kind of creature would you like to see included? E l d r i t c h  b u n k e r.  Baring that, I need the Fae done properly.

who’s your favorite girl that dean’s hooked up with? Lisa.  She deserved a lot better than she got.

who’s your favorite girl that sam’s hooked up with? Mmm... I am not filing Eileen under hookups, so I am logically left with Ruby.

what are some of your favorite convention moments? The stories that get distractedly added to questions or that the actors start on instead of answering the question.  Also Misha trolling the audiences.

if you were going to guest star (or be a recurring guest star) on spn, how would you want your character described? Still alive at the end of the season?  I’d love to play a globetrotter hunter, someone who specializes in finding out the bigger pictures as well as hunting down the more obscure lore.

what do you hope to see in the next season? Rowena back, Eileen back, Sam actually being allowed to break down and deal with the abuse he went through this season, Dean admitting he loves Cas... eldritch monstrosities...

  30-40. if you had to choose…

bobby or john? bobby

bela or ruby? ruby

jess or madison? jess

jo or lisa? ... both...

charlie or kevin? again both

balthazar or ash? balthazar

cas or crowley? Cas

ben or claire? claire

jody or donna? both, preferably together and happy

sam or dean? BOTH STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME CHOOOSE

[elizabethrobertajones]

Wait, wait... Who is the character of the season for the other seasons?

Funnily enough I was musing on this after I said that because I don’t think I ever collected them ALL up or thought about a couple, like season 3 which I never think about much if I can help it so that’s a bit of a mess :P It’s something I’ve cared about more since I watched the show after I caught up that first time to season 6, so one of those vague trains of thought I’ve nurtured ever since then. I suppose people can disagree but it’s not really about favourite or BEST characters to me but the ones I think are absolutely the heart of the season in a way with its themes or story or just hold the plot together with the way everything ties into them.

John, I’d say obviously but I suppose you could argue Azazel. They’re like the only 2 options as the ONLY other consistent characters all season, but John’s mentioned almost every episode, it’s his legacy, revenge mission, job as a hunter etc that they inherit, and they’re either searching for him or being guided by what they think he wants them to do or what they want to do in opposition to him. He has sporadic appearances or they have sporadic direct-ish interaction with him to keep up this thread.

Azazel, because now it actually turns up a gear and he’s a character who has some serious presence in the narrative, the special kids thing takes centre stage, and he and his plan lurk in the background; Dean’s angst comes down to what John said about Sam which links back to what Azazel did to him, Sam just dreads it. His death & fruition of his plans ends the season nicely.

Bela, but a massive wasted opportunity because of the strike and her story shoved in at the end; still as a parallel to Dean she means a LOT, and she manages to stir up trouble like getting Gordon AND Victor set on them at various points; she steals the Colt which affects everything, and I cry about the wasted opportunity, because despite the stiff competition from next season’s key character, she actually personifies season 3 in a really fascinating way. The world changed and she and Ruby are the faces of what’s different - Ruby in the plot, but Bela in how the story is told and stuff like continuing subplots about side characters, and people being in the story in a much more interactive way. I really wish that she had had better writing. Ruby on the other hand is mostly a plot mechanism and I only think she really has much impact in 3x09 in the end conversation on Dean, and 3x16 to get in an awkward conversation to start the season 4 stuff: Lilith just takes over Ruby at some point in the last confrontation so she just kind of fades out of that story once she did her part to get Sam and Dean to Lilith. 

I probably SHOULD say Cas, but this is Ruby’s season (they’re played off each other as opposites so like Ruby and Bela last season it could be one or the other). Cas has an incredible arc but Ruby is still the key to everything because she’s got the big betrayal coming up, while Cas’s stuff is all personal growth for HIMSELF and honestly the reason I re-watch season 4 so much and just skip to all the Cas scenes, but still. Story-wise, Ruby plays it undercover, her manipulation of Sam is apparent in nearly every episode, even when she’s not there, and she’s reflected in his change. The conflict that SHE is creating between Sam and Dean lurks under the surface of the whole season - I’ve talked a lot about how 4x06 mirrors 4x14 which of course mirrors the fight in 4x21 which leads to Sam going off with Ruby to start the apocalypse, and each time Sam’s in a worse place. And, of course, she probably is the most successful villain of the entire show. She’s woven into everything that happens between Sam and Dean this season, so she rightfully gets the crown.

Michael. Sorry, Lucifer, but you just kinda showed up and started monologuing everywhere and killed the tension. (Again, 2 character in contention and it’s pretty hilarious it’s them in a contest, but yeah :P) The actual dread was always about your brother showing up, and he’s in 2 scenes in person, and spends the entire season scaring the crap out of Dean. Sam’s relationship to being possessed by Lucifer is advertised as inevitable, played up the entire time, and clearly part of his teased downfall/actual redemption and it’s there all season and so you COULD say it’s Lucifer, but I find Dean vs Michael to be more of the MAIN plot because Dean’s resistance, wobble where he nearly gives in and then riding in to save the day at the end to be the sort of main plot where a character had agency. That’s all done in opposition to Michael, and so being possessed by Michael and the way he can deny Dean the agency to save the world is the real threat when you look back on how Dean did it by showing up in full Dean “humanity” Winchester style. I hope I’m not just being a full on Dean!girl about this, but I think the story they told makes him the REAL antagonist, and he’s defeated in 5x18 and that allows Dean to reconcile all his emotional crap with Sam, and for all the mechanical parts of the plan to fall in place (finding out about the rings, getting them, etc), and his ABSENCE after that allows Dean’s character growth

Cas, poor thing. This time all about his absence, and the build up to what he’s doing. And then 6x20, and the reveal. It’s such a masterful episode putting everything into context that I don’t even know what to write about it except like, hey, now I want to go watch it again :P Anyway it squarely puts Cas at the heart of the drama, and from 6x01 the question of Cas’s absence and what he was doing over that year was subtly raised, and his absence and lack of help gets louder and louder as it goes on, until after the 2/3rds mark we begin to find out more of what he’s actually UP to. 

Bobby, hands down. He is the on-screen story of grief and loss that mirrors Dean losing Cas and then Cas coming back in a way Dean can’t handle; the season opens and closes with Cas and Dean, with all the Godstiel drama and Dean losing Cas, but the Leviathans just fill space with all their metaphorical depression darkness washing over the world. And Dean needs to make it right with Cas because he needs Cas to get Dick. (Sorry, I watched it last night… So much cackling about boning and Dick like they were cramming in every last joke they hadn’t made yet :P) But again Cas is absent most of the season, and we get a build up with Bobby being more present in their lives than ever, and more active a hunter than ever, and then a whole episode dedicated to losing him, and a whole arc about him returning. He indirectly stops them going after Dick the first time, which actually saves them from walking into the Dick made more Dicks trap, and allows Dean to reconcile with Cas. He lashes out at him BEFORE they move Bobby on, Cas silently attends burning Bobby’s flask, and the next scene is Dean getting it together and forgiving Cas, and learning to approach him, having let go of Bobby. I think Bobby is metaphorical for a HUGE amount of Dean’s issues, from the depression and suicidal feelings and his alcoholism, which he enabled by always pouring a drink every time something sucky happened all through season 6 and the start of 7… Bobby represented a LOT of old ways to survive hunting day after day but not to live a long and fulfilled life, and season 7 grapples with all these dark themes, and in the end they let him go. 

Ack, tough one and I have been thinking about it, and I would probably say Metatron despite his brief appearances and the fact he was mentioned in 7x21, but not again until 8x21; still, Kevin is his adjacent main character of the season and Kevin represents most of the tablet drama, because his presence enables Crowley to get all excited about having his tablet read, and for Naomi to freak out and hurry to protect HER tablet. Kevin’s presence as someone who can read all this for whoever snatches him motivates everything, BUT it’s all Metatron’s work, and Metatron’s writing, and in the end the grand scheme he and God had with the tablets and taking down the word and creating prophets. Metatron’s advice in 8x21 to Dean is haunting for season 9, and once he’s back in the game he goes for it and destroys the whole natural order as it had once been since basically Creation. Sam was attempting to do it for GOOD, but fails. Cas is duped into doing a similar struggle, and Metatron does it for evil. Anyway, he’s the heart of all the turmoil in season 8, and like Azazel in season 2 and Ruby in season 4, is the successful villain as a result of being thematically well-placed in the story.

Gadreel, who did what he had to do all the way through the season to wildly mixed results and represents the entire struggle this season. He’s paralleled to Sam, and Cas, and Dean and gets to be Metatron’s lackey for a while. Sam compares how he felt to vengeful spirit type feelings and behaviour, the same feeling that powers Dean while he has the Mark, and both take on these revenge missions which are pointless and filled with collateral damage. Metatron uses Gadreel as a weapon just as Crowley is hoping to add Dean to his collection. 

Rowena, who like Kevin in season 8 was the key to getting all the plot stuff done, but this time represents a sort of warning of the coming threat of Amara - the powerful but trapped feminine force appearing in the narrative. Always in chains or imprisoned, she lashes out with her attack dog spell that makes people rabid. She represents a way to talk about a lot of the family stuff, lurking in the background of all the big family stuff - we paralleled her meeting Crowley to Cas reconnecting with Claire, for example, or being the reason Dean explains what family is and isn’t to Crowley in 10x17, obviously paralleled to Cas and Sam off in the background trying to save him with Bobby’s help, who first said that about family. She’s in a ton of episodes and I can’t actually remember them all because I’ve only watched it once, but she and Crowley had a whole mini arc in the background of several episodes, before the whole season ended up being about her spell from the Book of the Damned and the sacrifice she had to make for it. (because of 12x13 I actually was only thinking of this one last week; up until this point I had a thought from during season 10 that it might be Cole if they went down that path of all the revengey father issues stuff, but the season was way more about mothers in the end... because it was about Cole I gave up caring about analysing that pretty quickly and never came back to fill in the gap :P)

Amara kind of hogs this one, and the same deal as with Michael back in season 5, but this time Dean’s positive growth in the end is about letting her go. Like with season 5 he overcomes this milestone shortly before the end - 11x21 I think was where he met her in the woods and resisted her properly. That’s the parallel to 5x18 and him managing not to be possessed by Michael. After that the elements fall together to resist her, and once again Dean “Humanity” Winchester, unburdened, walks in to talk it out, this time without anyone getting hurt or dying. This season seems to be all about her dark compulsion on Dean and also the consequences of her being locked away, this time setting up the stage for the next season and Mary’s return

You’ll notice I rarely list actual main characters except Cas that one time, and I stand by Ketch being the representation of this season because I think Mary fitting under the family bracket makes it all interpersonal drama, and so far I think Ketch has been written to represent all the other themes outside of family much more consistently, like with what the main plot is and what the villains truly represent… Knowing HE is awful while all the others try to play nice, especially, acts as the reminder he’s what’s underneath their nice mask. I suppose the BMoL as a whole are the key thing this season, and we still don’t know who the boss is so by the end I may change this to a season 8 Kevin > Metatron one if the leader is compelling, but Ketch is the character they built up with like 5 faceless appearances of increasing horror before he showed up with a grenade launcher and that stroll into shot, and like I said, he’s horrifying enough that I’m sticking him with Amara and Michael as the GENUINELY scary villains who hog the story. :P This season’s themes are pretty different and the style is really hard to grasp one clear thing compared to the other seasons because it’s churned up all the other seasons into it, so the family are all re-treading a ton of past emotional beats and whirring through their own stuff destroying various re-takes on ALL their past mistakes and emotional arcs. The Ketch stuff is an actual clear line through the story and completely unique to this season and its stuff. Like, “oh yeah this season one of the Winchesters is betraying another and now two of them are betraying the third and -” yeah it’s all been there done that… This guy managed to be a menacing enough presence we guessed he was stalking them from a single glance at a motorbike an episode before that was ever confirmed to be his :P 

[idontneedasymbol]

12x12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)

Wow what an ep! It was worth it for the mythology alone -- when the demon’s eyes went yellow I shrieked “HOLY SHIT!”, first time a reveal’s shocked that out of me, at least since we came back to the show (over a year ago now, whoops?) So Princes of Hell are immune to holy water. And do they stay in touch? Because Ramiel seemed to recognize Mary on some level...did Azazel talk about her? Or can he smell Azazel’s deal on her?

I’m not especially a Tarantino fan so didn’t catch more than the obvious references, but the pacing and title cards and time-flipping worked great, the ep moved. (And so did the boys, in total sync -- walking in slomo even, wow.) They can bring Richard Speight back to direct anytime, he’s batting 2 for 2, amazing.

And Team Free Will has never been so strong, oh my heart. Dean’s desperately reassuring “I’ve had worse” (yes, Dean -- ripped apart by a hell hound, shotgun to the gut, Metatron stabbing you -- you’ve definitely had worse, and you’ve died every time!), the “I love you all,” Sam dropping the spear to bolt to Cas’s side. And the double-handed helping Cas up was just the best.

Though I admit, my favorite moment, unexpectedly, might have been Crowley shutting his eyes when he heard what stabbed Cas. I can’t help it, I love what they’re doing with Crowley -- that TFW can’t trust him, should never trust him, he doesn’t deserve it, he will betray them, that’s what he is and does -- and yet he really is growing fond of them, entirely in spite of himself. That moment he just looks so upset, and it’s 50% grief for Cas, and 50% incredible frustration that this grief is genuine, something he’s really feeling, rather than something he’s faking to get on their good sides...no matter how much he tells himself that’s all it is.

One disappointment -- Dean stabbed a woman. First time in a season in a half (and the last ep was the first time he killed a female character since the end of s10...) I guess it was inevitable, but. Sigh.

The biggest question is what is going on with Mary. She’s been a strange figure all this season, not just not what we expected, but not as likable as you’d expect, either. And that seemed like poor writing, that they were burning through the good will most of the audience had for her (she’s their mom!!!) but it’s starting to look more like a deliberate choice; I’m not sure anymore that we’re supposed to be rooting for her.

She was especially odd in this ep, because on the one hand, she’s not telling them about the weapon she has that could be their best defense against the demon -- but on the other, that’s risking her life as well as theirs, because she is staying and fighting? @owehimeverything wanted to know, was the Colt even the BMOL’s request -- or was it Mary’s; did she request its location? It’s not clear at the end if she’s actually handing it over to Ketch, or just showing it off. (And if she is handing it over...is that the real Colt?) We’ve got some wild speculation about where this could be going, but while we’re likely way off, it feels like it’s a deliberate plot point. I just don’t know to what end.

The related question -- are the boys onto her? Because by the episode’s end, it really seems like they might have been. Dean shuts down Cas's question about what was stolen at the end so fast, it's the way he gets when he's trying to cover something up (that "dude was crazy, who knows what he's talking about?" is almost exactly what he tells Sam at one point to dodge the question when Sam's got Gadreel inside him). If Sam & Dean know that Team Free Will wasn't stealing anything, and Wally is dead, then by process of elimination, Mary has to be the thief.

Also, when Mary is talking to Ketch at the end, there's a brief shot of them from outside the cafe, through a window -- it could just be trying to find a cool angle, but the other shots in the ep are pretty tightly POV, so it may be implying someone is watching?

At any rate, this ep was a kick in the pants to the plot and I’m curious to see where it’s all heading (...seems pretty clear that they’re going up against another Prince, that Dagon (sp?) who is also interested in the nephilim...but without the spear or the Colt, what’s their play? The Princes are immune to holy water, the demon-killing knife, angel blades, devil’s traps; the First Blade is no longer an option. There is one more way we know of to kill powerful demons -- that could kill Lilith herself...but I don’t think the show is going to go there...is it???)

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Supermonsters, a better world, hunger, purity: this is going to be fun!

So, while I was thinking that season 14 is about to start and I haven’t really written anything about the things we know about it because there’s nothing to really write about that isn’t really new... Jensen let slip that Michael is going to make “supermonsters” as his army to cleanse the world he’s currently residing in, and “he ends up going with vampires because their desires are pure. All they want is to feed”. Thanks Jen :3

It’s extremely interesting and it makes total sense because we’ve seen that in the world Michael comes from, vampires became “supervampires” because of prolonged starvation. I’m super psyched because if those vampires from the apocalypse world are in fact foreshadowing for plot developments and not simply a plot device to kill Sam that one time... it means we’re getting a plotline about amping monsters up through starvation (or torture of sorts that produces the same effects on the body, I suppose)? Hunger/feeding is one of my favorite Supernatural themes, so I really hope so! I also love when things end up being foreshadowing for other things, so *pats Dabb’s and Berens’ heads*.

It’s no coincidence the latest Shaving People, Punting Things promo is titled after the same expression Mick Davies used - “a better world”. Michael is angling to be a big British Men of Letters mirror (or were the BMoL a mirror for him :p) because they wanted to create a better world by eradicating monsters and ‘saving’ humanity from them, while Michael wants to create a better world by eradicating humans (and angels apparently, but they’re eradicating themselves anyway...) and amping up monsters instead.

It’s also interesting how the plot of season 12 was about the British MoL trying to recruit the American hunters to achieve their goal, and now we can tell there’s some parallel there to Michael using Dean’s body to achieve his goal - I can’t really tell now how this is going to play out in narrative terms, but I strongly suspect that we’ll see a direct parallel between Mary and her brainwashing and the dynamics with Ketch and Toni Bevell, and Dean in season 14 with Michael attempting to brainwash him in some form (probably something that will parallel Mary’s mind place...) and him being saved by his family (speaking of which: if things play out this way, don’t be disappointed if it won’t be specifically romantic love to save Dean, because it was familial love that saved Mary - I mean, Dean will save himself but with the support of the people who love him, plural, because that’s what happens).

So, while the British Men of Letters had contempt for monsters because of their basic, animalistic impulses, according to Jensen Michael instead values that “purity” - vampires are not corrupted like humans and angels are, they just want to feed... (that’s not really true either, but Michael hasn’t watched the show and has not learnt the subtleties or morality and choice) “He ends up going with vampires because their desires are pure. All they want is to feed”: the thematic area around monsters, purity and desires sends us right back to Purgatory and season 8 (to be fair, the whole army of monsters things also sends us to Purgatory and season 6+7, but let’s talk about that later).

Monsters, vampires (also: a vampire who shows that vampires aren’t just the basic impulse to feed, which is gonna play out in some way if Michael just acts on the assumptions that monsters are more basic than humans, I suppose), the concept of something-monster-y as “pure” because of the only goal in play being survival and homoeroticism, the whole thematic area of desires and hunger... I don’t know where to go from here exactly in terms of season 14, but since Naomi has been recently reintroduced into to the narrative, I have the feeling that someone has made a lil season 8 rewatch at some point :) (I know I said general familial love will save Dean, I didn’t say it’s not gonna be gay in the process.)

Of course there are season 6 and season 7 vibes too, from an angel with the idea of using monsters to acquire power to supermonsters with a plan to subjugate humanity, but we’re generally in the same thematic area: hunger (when I say hunger, it’s not necessarily about food: can be power, love, as explained outright by the episode about Famine! this show is tightly spun), the relative/interwoven meanings of humanity and monstrosity... I mean, we are spelling out the core themes of the entire show, so it’s no surprise that the storyline waiting for us in season 14 will do its share to explore and develop the things that make the show.

Also: purity - and contamination - was also a theme in season 6 and 7, just look at the whole of s6 and the corn syrup vs honey symbology and everything else *waves around*, and of course those are the themes that send us straight to Sam’s relationship with his body and the supernatural manipulation going from Azazel to Lucifer. No wonder Sam is inside a process of dealing with how Lucifer impacted his life, and here goes my inevitable mention of how it would be nice to throw a little more Sam&magic meat on the barbecue.

*rubs hands together* everything is themes! there’s gonna be patterns!

Enjoy the ride guys, it’s going to be interesting :3