#everything expect for Donna who was only there to be a wanna be replacement for Jessica in Harvey's life

[midwesternfields]

In June we finished up Echoes, picked up the miniseries Treason (2021) with baby boy Charlie Cox, and then got around to s6 of Black Mirror – I'll say my favorites were Beyond the Sea and Demon 79

Decided to start of Dead to Me, have only watched s1 and so far I really like it (James Marsden, I love you and you will always be famous)

S9 of Suits is a go, took me so long to finish s8 lmaoooo; idk what they were thinking with having Mike leave like pLEASE the plot would have been so much better if either Rachel went to work in Seattle on her own (when they didn't know what future they wanted anymore while filling out the wedding questionnair, that was honestly were I thought the whole thing would go) or like she was killed as a way of getting payback at Mike or Robert (think along the lines of they go to represent someone from a pro-bono case, it turns into something more like dealing with gun violence or other politics of that sort and then she's targeted; s9 is the trial for her killer and then would have tied in with seeing Mike in therapy like they did with Louis, plus grieving like Harvey with his mom) – also a a thanks to peacock for still having the full series bc I noticed that it's not complete on n*tflix 🥴

Films watched included Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) which was cute and honestly having Mulany & Samburg as the duo turned out nicer than I thought it would, overall it was cute plus bonus points for the technical 4th wall breaking (the nick jr incident™ alone had me dead); The Mule (2018) a rewatch from the one time I saw it in theaters that I remember nothing of because I was on a date and obviously distracted (like I didn't recall Bradly Cooper being in it lmaooo); and finally Extraction 2 (2023) that I paused within the first ten minutes because I realized I'd completely forgotten the plot of the first one so I had to go read the damn wikia plot summary 😭 [those last two were on movie evenings with my Mom, she loves action/thrillers with an easy to follow plot]

January's brain rot was mostly Obikin, plus whatever else my brain has decided to completely blank on (it was a long month okay?)

February would like to add on Longmire & Miraculous to the mix, along with the yearly switching from football to baseball mode

[garrothromeave]

let’s talk about minecraft diaries rebirth.

and why it’s literally amazing. (warning: this will contain spoilers. lots of them. also, long post ahead.)

i think a lot of people hate mcdr because they were expecting a remake; but the point of rebirth is for jess to rewrite it. it wasn't supposed to be exactly the same.

honestly i went into mcdr with a closed mind. as an og mcd fan, i thought that this was going to suck ass and that i'd rant about how bad it was to my friends later. but actually watching it, i just... couldn't help but immediately fall in love with it.

ik im probably the only motherfucker that likes mcdr, but honestly how could i not? for one, garroth and zenix actually have personalities at the beginning. AND; the villagers? actually amazing. donna made me smile, visher made me laugh and cry, brendan was just bein as good as ever. like... i even didn't despise emmalyn with every ounce of my soul like i usually do?? the characterizations of them were GOOD, man.

and honestly, aphmau like--the way she spoke, her whole thing. it was reallyyy well done in my opinion. she was oblivious to things, but it wasn't overdone and wasn't done in a way to make her annoying. she's a very appealing character in mcdr, a main protagonist i do not mind following along with. her dynamics to the characters are really cool and all very unique.  gonna cut it here so i don’t clog y’all’s feed cuz i got a lot to say :)

the early use of aphmau’s powers was actually pretty cool as well, it also really showed how clueless aphmau really was to everything going on around her. AND UH, THE FACT THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT GARROTH FELT FAMILIAR? GOLDEN. absolutely golden.

AND GENE OH BOY, the early introduction of gene? ik a lot of people are upset about it, but god DAMN i love it so much. his role in the story is very important in original, and i cannot express how much joy this brought me learning that he was actually getting the proper attention for it. and the fact that gene and aphmau were working together?? i mean ik gene was just trying to use her to get back to the "shadow abyss" (pretty pog replacement for the nether, gg) but god DAMN i loved every moment of it. i found their dynamic to be pretty fuckin funny to be honest, would absolutely love to see more of it.

i might be biased considering gene is one of my absolute favorite characters, but i honestly think that introducing gene this early on in the story was a good move. again, he's literally the right-hand man to the shadow lord. it makes you really wonder why he didn't have as much of an important role in season 1 or even 2 of the original mcd plotline. also, we get some of that good-ol-fashioned exposition with seeing early on how vylad and gene interact. vylad’s at a very strange point in the story right now; his motives are unclear, even to the side he’s ‘supposed’ to be taking (aka, a shadow knight.)  another early introduction to a character is zane! this, my friends, is good. really good. i’d say that zane is the main antagonist of season 1 in the original series--and he wasn’t even introduced until like, episode 50. it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but him being introduced this early on really gives the audience a better understanding of what threats are out there and what our protagonist will have to encounter in the future. in the original series, there’s not much explanation as to why lords are disappearing/dying left and right--and while yes, that was supposed to be the mystery of it, having some of that early information is a better move in terms of writing. 

AND IVAN?? BEING A PART OF THE JURY OF NINE?? I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR ANYTHING MORE LIKE GOD DAMN that was a very pleasant surprise i'll just say that, thank you jess :)

and no i did not loop the 4 minutes of screentime laurance got in that one episode haha who would do that i would never do that anyways

SPEAKING of laurance, im so glad jess actually wrote him in this early :) she totally could have just waited for the first time aphmau visits meteli and meets him there, but no! she put him in an early episode. i dont even care if she did it just to shut up the fans about laurance but man that made me so happy seeing him, even if it was only for a bit.

okay i kinda wanna go over the guards real fast firstly; garroth. ignoring how weird the helmet showing emotions is, i really like how garroth is portrayed. he's under a lot of pressure because the village is putting a lot of the blame on him for malik's death, and he's trying his hardest to keep things running. the fact that garroth utterly refused the to take up the position of lord and even got a little snappy about it was actually really cool to see as well. and while he doesn’t have that same “reserved, quiet, observant” feel as the original mcd version of him had, this version of garroth is absolutely awesome. he’s more direct and blunt, is significantly more sarcastic, and isn’t as stiff or as much as a pushover as he is in the original. he even has a sense of humour. also, no homo, but he’s kinda adorable.  plus, the desperation that he goes through during the whole thing is just--it’s really cool to see how hard he’s trying to prove himself and help the village. my rating for mcdr garroth? 9/10. the helmet... the helmet is the main thing throwin me off, i can’t lie. next, zenix. oh BOY do i have a lot to say about this man. first of all, his and garroth’s dynamic is incredible. when i saw how the interacted with each other, my first thought was: father and son. zenix has this immaturity to him that is so fucking fun and interesting to watch, and seeing how garroth scolds him is so fuckin good man. and! seeing how he interacts with the rest of the village... honestly, if jess ever picks this story up again, i would probably cry when zenix (literally) backstabs garroth. HELL, i hope that’s something that still happens, it’d be heartbreaking to witness this character that we’ve come to love hurting his mentor, the man who took him in. he’s just a really good character all in all, and much more appealing than the original mcd zenix. ...except season 3 zenix. no zenix can be better than that one.  either way, zenix is amazing written to be the comic relief and he’s just an all-out lovable character in this series.  finally, dale and brian. yes i’m going to group them up because there’s not much to say regarding them, but i do want to address them. for starters, we have brian; who’s already 16 when the story starts. good on jess for doing that, because in the original aphmau watched brian be born and age INCREDIBLY quick, haha. THOUGH i do feel like there’s a slight connection lost there--one of the hardest things about brian’s betrayal in the original series in the fact that we watched him grow up in phoenix drop. we were there from the moment he was born, to the second he betrayed phoenix drop. BUT OF COURSE, this version is a lot more realistic, so it’s understandable. i just think that if it’s brian who’ll be betraying phoenix drop again (if it even goes down that same route), it won’t hit as hard unless jess really takes the time to grow the connection between brian and aphmau.  as for dale; gotta admit, love it. and like, i think one of the main things about how good of a call it was to make him a drunkard from the beginning is considering how much the village is struggling. the fact that the second-in-command is literally drunk all of the time really conveys the message of, “yeah. this village needs help.” plus, he’s another good comic relief character. i loved seeing molly and dale’s relationship too, it was very funny.  PLUS. we were blessed with a well scene, in which aphmau had to help villagers out of the well. i don’t know about you guys, but that was one of my favorite nods to the original series. i cannot thank jess enough for that, there was a smile on my face the entire time. another amazing thing--visher’s character. instead of just being introduced to this quirky lil merchant who only had one or two interactions with aphmau like in the first one, we got to sit there and really get a feel for someone worth remembering and worth mourning over. we had a reason to be sad over his death, it wasn’t just some npc getting blown up suddenly. this was different, and this hurt.  one of the major things that i hope is to come out of this is for jess to fix the major mistakes she had when writing the first series. she’d expressed how unhappy she was with some of the decisions she made, and i’m glad that she’s getting that second chance to undo the things she didn’t like. this series also gives her a second chance to really, really dig into characters and their motives. like, gimme laurance backstory in better detail. or like, garroth and zane’s relationship from back when they were kids? or how vylad died and who killed him? etc etc. she’s already done an excellent job so far, and i can’t wait to see where this goes. that is, if she ever continues it. god, i wish there were more episodes so that i could seriously let you guys know how beautiful of a series this is. there’s so much i want to say about rebirth, but i think i’ll stop here. i might say some more shit about it later, but if there’s anything i’d want you to take away from this, it’s: give minecraft diaries rebirth a chance. there’s a lot of potential, and this is a chance for jess to really change things for the better! ... but again, that is if this ever is continued. 

[kkusuka]

Third year songs <3

this is most of the thrid years- not all 

from my spotify liked playlist <3

comes with a side of slight character analysis 

These are my interpretations of HQ characters and these songs!!

Time-skip spoilers!! (very slight) 

---

Karasuno 

Daichi Sawamura

 Waiting for Superman- Daughtry

She's waiting for Superman

To lift her up

And take her anywhere

Show her love

And climbing through the air

Save her now

Before it's too late tonight

She's waiting for Superman

Daichi seems like he makes a  lot of promises, that he just can’t physically keep. He just has so many things going on that he just can’t pay attention to all of them at once. This leads to far too many forgotten dates and even more broken promises. You know its not his fault and he does too, he just can’t leave anyone hanging. 

Koushi Sugawara

 Island- Florida Georgia Line

We might as well be on an island

Like we're the last two on this Earth

Like we're frozen here in time

Like it's empty here tonight

I feel like suga likes to put himself back into happier times. And that he tries to hold into happy moments as they are happening. He says he is a man of the moment, but when he feels down, he tries to put himself back into the more joyous times. 

Asahi Azumane 

You say- Lauren Daigle 

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing

You say I am strong when I think I am weak

And you say I am held when I am falling short

And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours

And I believe (I)

Oh, I believe (I)

What You say of me (I)

I believe

Asahi is clearly very attached to how people perceive him. So when people shower him with compliments, he attaches onto them. He likes what makes him comfortable and he wants to stay comfortable for as long as he can. Words are important to him, so when he hears something bad it can ruin him for a while. He really does believe what the people he loves say to him. 

Kiyoko Shimizu

 Mothers daughter- Miley Cyrus 

Oh my gosh, she got the power

Oh, look at her, she got the power

So, so, so

…

Must be something in the water

Or that I'm my mother's daughter

The power this woman carries. She’s built her confidence and she’s not letting anyone ruin it for her. I truly believe that her friends all become more confident because she wants everyone around her to feel confident too. Since she doesn't speak all that much she lets her body language do most of the expression. 

--

Nekoma 

Tetsurō Kuroo

 High school sweethearts- Melanie Martinez 

Could you hold me through the night?

Put your lips all over my mine

Salty face when I start cryin'

Could you be my first time?

Eat me up like apple pie

Kuroo definitely takes trust very seriously. I feel he’s also really scared of someone breaking this trust, so he does form it with a lot of people. That saying if he does, he wants it to last forever.

 (...Step twoThis is a waste if you can't walk me down the finish line…) 

He truly believes in the people he surrounds himself with. 

Nobuyuki Kai 

Kill the Lights- Set it Off

Now I am cutting ties clean off

And I can breathe at last

So we all stand enthralled by this bland curtain call

And the truth we pursue as we all, we all beg you to

 Kai seems like he wasn't really that invested in volleyball, so having all these passionate people around him was a shock.  But he really got into third year, and he wants people to feel that passion too. In the back of his mind he feels bad for not feeling it like the rest of the team, but since looking in the past means nothing now, he tries to move on. 

Morisuke Yaku

 Mama- Mcr

And when we go don't blame us, yeah

We'll let the fires just bathe us, yeah

You made us oh so famous;

We'll never let you go

And when you go don't return to me my love

I mean, he is part of the mom squad. But it's ever so slightly more deep. I’m gonna say it's momma-bird syndrome. He doesn't want people to move on without him, seeing people achieve their dreams is great but he doesn't want you to do it if that means loving him. 

--

Seijoh

Tōru Oikawa

Prom Queen- Beach Bunny

Maybe I should try harder

You should lower your expectations

I'm no quick-curl barbie

I was never cut out for prom queen

I feel like oikawa is constantly feeling like he has to catch up to everyone around him. At some point in Argentina he came to the conclusion that he was good enough and didn't need to rise to anyone's standards of him, but when he got picked for the national team everything came back. He still has all of those feelings from high-school. Never making it to nationals, feeling like he failed his team. 

Issei Matsukawa

Bubblegum Bitch- Marina and the diamonds 

Got a figure like a pin-up, got a figure like a doll

Don't care if you think I'm dumb, I don't care at all

Candy bear, sweetie pie, wanna be adored

I'm the girl you'd die for

I feel like to earn Mattsun’s trust, he would put you through some ridiculous trial of sorts. I also feel that he is very comfortable with who he is, and he takes no shit about it. But that comes with the fact that he rarely takes fault in things, and that sparks arguments. He’ll use your love for him against you, he’ll be as cold as he can muster, until YOU take fault. 

Takahiro Hanamaki

 OUT THE ROOF- Chase Atlantic 

Yeah, we stay lit

We fuck bitches, pop on pillies, that is it, yeah

Holy moly, holy shit, yeah

Me and all my people are heaven sent, yeah, yup

9this is a strait vibe for Makki) 

I feel like Makki drowns his problems out with meaningless activities. Like smoking or one-night stands. He’d rather drown out his problems then have them in his  face. Or when he’s forced to face them, he’ll deflect until he has nothing else to deflect. Because when you’re high there nothing to worry about! Why stress about meaningless problems when he can be having fun!  

Hajime Iwaizumi

 Endlessly- The Cab

Yeah, your friends may think I'm crazy

Cause they can only see

I'm not perfect, but I swear, I'm perfect for you.

And there's no guarantee

That this will be easy.

It's not a miracle you need, believe me.

Yeah, I'm no angel, I'm just me

But I will love you endlessly.

Iwa knows that he can't be there for you all the time. Physically he tries his best, mentally he can help when he can. But you both know that you're perfect for one another. He just can't help but listen to the people around him sometimes. You deserve the world, but he doesn't know if he can give that to you. 

--

Fukurodani

Kōtarō Bokuto 

Prima Donna- Andrew Lloyd Webber 

Can you bow out when they're shouting your name?

Think of how they all adore you

We’ve all seen how Bokuto gets what he’s praised for literally anything remotely impressive. So that makes him a cannon prima donna! but that also means the lows and really bad mood swings. This song just fits him so well it’s scary.  

-- 

Shiratorizawa

Wakatoshi Ushijim

 More- Usher 

If you really want more, scream it out louder,

If you on the floor, bring out the fire,

And light it up, take it up higher,

Gotta push it to the limit, give it more.

This seems kinda obvious, but Ushijima never gives up. Ever since he was a kid, he set a goal for himself and he went beyond what he even set out for. And that comes with a lot of work and training for every new level of volleyball. He’s just going to get better and better until he retires, or is forced to retire. 

Eita Semi

 strawberries and cigarettes- troye sivan

Long nights, daydreams

Sugar and smoke rings, I've been a fool

But strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you

Headlights, on me

Racing to 60, I've been a fool

But strawberries and cigarettes always taste like

Blue eyes, black jeans

Lighters and candy, I've been a fool

But strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you

I feel like semi always thinks about how Shirabu replaced him on the starting line-up. But he’s mostly gotten over it, but certain things bring him back into that stage of his life. Then the cycle starts all over again. He constantly looks back on the game against Karasuno and thinks about wat would have happened if he was the setter instead. 

Reon Ōhira

 Remember when- Chris Wallace 

So can we push push push rewind,

Go go back in time,

When we were kids sneaking bottles of wine,

Take take take me back, I wanna go back,

Back to what we had! Do you remember when we started this mess,

My heart was beating out of my chest!,

Remember when we stole your dad's car,

Reon gives me the vibe that his days at Shiratorizawa were some of the best of his life. How can they not be? He made the greatest friends of his life there. And I also feel like he looks back on them a bit more than he wants to admit.

Satori Tendō

 This Side of Paradise- Coyote theory

Are you lonely?

Passion is crashing as we speak

You seem so lonely

You're the ground my feet won't reach

So if you're lonely

Darling you're glowing

If you're lonely come be lonely with me.

I get the vibe that Tendou attaches himself to whatever makes him feel wanted/safe. (ex. volleyball) he knows it isn't healthy, but he can't help it. This does lead to him completely distancing himself from you over and over because he thinks you’ll leave him. 

Hayato Yamagata- House of gold- Twenty one Pilots 

I will make you

Queen of everything you see

I'll put you on the map

I'll cure you of disease (Ooh)

And since we know that dreams are dead

And life turns plans up on their head

I will plan to be a bum

So I just might become someone

Even though we don't see a lot of him, I get the feeling he treats people really well. Like he cherishes people a lot more than some of them deserve. As you can see this leads to some unfair relationships and toxic people. He just wants to hold on until a good person comes along. 

--

Nohebi 

Suguru Daishō

Mr Loverman - Ricky Montgomery 

I'm Mr. Loverman

And I miss my lover, man

I'm Mr. Loverman

Oh, and I miss my lover

I feel like this was way too obvious, but it really is his song. It’s literally cannon, every lyric in this song is what happened with Mika. but in the end he got her back and made his promise  to be a better loverman <3. 

Kazuma Numai

 Nonstop- Drake 

Future took the business and ran it for me

I let Ollie take the owl, told him brand it for me

I get two million a pop and that's standard for me

Like I went blind dog, you gotta hand it to me

He looks and acts like a guy who listens to drake. He just seems like a guy who won't stop or give up even when things take a turn. He’ll just keep fighting until nothing’s left. 

Kōji Hiroo

 At the Wheel- Colorblind 

I need something to wake me up

It's never strong enough

I'm just getting colder and starting over

Going numb is just the way I run from

All my problems when I can't solve them

Need to break away

Escape the way I'm feeling

Hate to be fake, but I'm just dealing

This one doesn't really have a true reason, i really just felt like this was his song.  Sorry just the vibe. 

;)

Inarizaki

Shinsuke Kita

 Oh Ms Believer- twenty one pilots 

Oh, Ms. Believer, my pretty sleeper

Your twisted mind is like snow on the road

Your shaking shoulders prove that it's colder

Inside your head than the winter of dead

I will tell you I love you

But the muffs on your ears will cater your fears

My nose and feet are running as we start

To travel through snow

Together we go

I feel like kita is unintentionally cold towards the world, like he wants to open up but can't figure out how. But in turn if you can get him to feel “warmer” (get closer to him) he’ll share everything with you, almost oversharing. Just because he can't help it, he’s kept it all in for so long. Sometimes he just needs someone to hold him and make HIM feel better, because he does it for everyone. If you can manage all of this i feel like he’ll keep you with him forever. 

Ren Ōmimi

 Armor- Landon Austin

I'm not bullet proof when it comes to you

Don't know what to say when you made me the enemy

After the war is won

There's always the next one

I'm not bullet proof when it comes to you

I feel like not a lot of people approach ren because of how intimidating he looks. This has made him weary when people are really enthused to first meet him, because he thinks it’s a joke. After getting over that hurdle i feel like he just isn't an open person so it’ll take a long time to even get to a point where he trusts you. Hence the other wars after the first. 

Aran Ojiro-

 Never really over- Katy perry

Two years, and just like that, my head still takes me back

Thought it was done, but I guess it's never really over

Oh, we were such a mess, but wasn't it the best?

Thought it was done, but I guess it's never really over

Just because it's over doesn't mean it's really over

And if I think it over, maybe you'll be coming over again

And I'll have to get over you all over again

After all of these years, I really don't think Aran has truly gotten over losing at nationals in third year. And now on the national team he sees Hinata and Kageyama all the time and it takes him back. It makes him re-feel all the emotions he felt after the game. It hurt him to know that he gave his everything and still lost.  Like when he’s in bed he puts himself back into that self loathing phase of his life. 

Michinari Akagi

Try Hard - 5sos

It's obvious she’s so out of reach

And I'm finding it hard 'cause

She makes me feel, makes me feel

Like I try, like I try, like I'm trying too hard

'Cause I'm not being me

And it’s getting me down that

She makes me think, makes me think

That I try, that I try, that I'm trying too hard again

Akagi gives off boy best friend vibes.  But like to EVERYONE, so the person he liked just thought he was making fun of them and he didn't like them back. And i feel like that kinda traumatized him a bit, so when he got a new s/o he tried really really hard to make them special, but the same thing happened. 

i may do some with the second and first years, idk this took so long :)

[ifliamsmile]

Slow Dancing In a Burning Room - Dick Grayson l Chapter 1; The savior

summary:When your Grandmother was killed by a burglar your life suddenly turns upside down and you find a way to search for revenge. But when it all goes wrong and your life is in danger, there’s only one person that can save you. 

Your world was falling apart so suddenly that you barely had time to understand it all. It was night, when you got home from work, seeing that your house was completely messed up, doors broken and things thrown all around the place.

Your grandma was lying on the cold floor, bleeding out with a wound on her chest. You yelled, unable to believe what was happening to you. To her. The crying and the desperate feeling of loss made you try to run to her and almost immediately be stopped by the cops that were inside your house.

Because it was a crime scene. Your grandma’s house had been robbed when she accidentally surprised the burglar, causing him to shot her. That was what the police said. 

You couldn’t stop thinking what would have happened if you weren’t stuck in your job. If you could have got home sooner. 

You weren’t there when she needed you. 

The woman who took care of you your entire life was dead. She took you when your parents died and she tried her best so you could have everything and turn into the woman you are today. But it wasn’t enough and destiny decided to take her away. 

A month later

What had happened devastated you. Things weren’t the same anymore, your life changed when your grandmother died and  the only thing that you had left was the feeling of revenge. Your grief was now replaced by anger, your thoughts only led you to one place: you were going to make justice for her. This feeling was addicting, you went to sleep and woke up figuring out a way to do it.

In 2 months, you learned how to fight. You were going to need more than anger to beat the guy. Sou you made yourself a suit. Nothing too fancy, given the fact that this was your first time doing something like this. You added the last piece of the suit which was a black mask.

You became Y/SH/N. Someone who sought vengeance in San Francisco’s streets.

The first few weeks, were hard to deal because you had no experience in anything related to fighting, but you did have experience with the justice and criminal system. So to find him, you found the robber’s police record. The case was still open, he hadn’t been caught and he was still free on the streets, unpunished. For now.

Night came and you decided it was time to do it. You put on your suit and left the house,with your heart racing. It was the weirdest feeling, nervousness, anxiety,but most importantly, anger. 

You tracked the camera’s on the streets and tried to identify him, you saw that the burglar was in front of a supermarket, so you headed there. It was almost midnight and the store was already closed but he clearly didn’t give a fuck and would try to steal it anyway. At least that's what he thought. You followed him until he got closer to the door.

“Going somewhere, bastard?”  You asked him and he jumped scared by the sound of your voice. You got your left arm around his neck making it impossible for him to move. He was skinny so it helped you to keep him immobilize. You walked to  dark area beside the market.

“Who are you? I-i wasn’t going to steal , i was just...” he asked you surprised by your presence. 

“Oh, yeah? And why do you carry a gun? did you expect to buy anything in a closed store?” You turned him to you, taking his gun out of the pocket and throwing it away before pressing him against the wall. The guy was scared, you could easily realize he was an amateur. So why did he kill your grandma?

“To protect myself” he made up an excuse 

“From who? From killers and robbers like yourself? I’m sorry for you because karma's a bitch and here am I.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He played dumb, and it only made you more angry. 

“Don't you remember killing a sweet old woman who was getting into her house when you were stealing three months ago?”

“No, bitch, I don’t” he hissed at you.

“Don’t fucking lie to me” you punched him in the face before connecting your knee with his stomach, he groaned in pain and looked at you.

“You crazy whore” this time, he was faster than you, punching your nose followed by another in the stomach, you stepped away because the pain was too much, after all, you were never the kind of girl who would get into fights.

“Hey, man. What went wrong bro? why didn’t you steal from the fucking market? we were waiting to get in.” What seemed to be another burglar appeared. He wasn’t alone and you? You were fucked up

Your nose was bleeding and you tried to contain it with your hand and he took the opportunity to punch you once more and you felt dizzy, falling onto the floor. 

“This bitch, she thought she could beat me” He kicked your stomach and you screamed in pain. He kicked one, two, three times and you felt the iron taste of blood in your mouth

“You know what? I killed that fucking old prostitute. I’d kill her again if you wanna know” 

He said and it killed you inside. You tried to get up to fight him but then he kicked  your face, and you blacked out, alone in the dark alley.

--

“Police, 4 station, reporting a robbery in St mary Supermarket on Lombard street. Residents informed that there’s a hurt masked woman who apparently tried to fight the robbers. Sending an ambulance”

Dick heard the report, it was a robbery next to the tower. But what really caught his attention was the fact that there was a masked woman. 

He grabbed his jacket, San Francisco’s winter was terribly cold this year.

“Where are you going, Dick?” Donna asked the boy.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” he said and left.

--

When Dick arrived at the place, the police weren't there yet, he took advantage of being close to the tower.

His gut told him that this woman needed his help. And there he was.

Dick walked into the alley to see you laying on the cold floor. Barely awake and all beaten up. By your clothes and the mask,  he could tell you really were vigilante, he was right. So he approached, crouching next to you.

You were too hurt to even open your eyes but you felt someone getting closer and the fear of being hurt again hit you

“Please, don’t kill me” you begged trying to step away from him. You tried to open your  eyes as much as you could, to see the figure of a man.

“Calm down, I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help” he said 

“Who are you?” you asked the man 

“I’m Dick Grayson”

[wantstoflyafraidtofall]

Summary: The Christmas season was always hard for the Novak family but this year Castiel has someone to help him through it. Dean is determined to help his boyfriend, Cas, get through a holiday gathering with his family.

Read on Ao3

(Fic bellow the cut)

Families can be hard. And if Dean ‘my dad’s homophobia made me too afraid to come out of the closet even after he passed’ Winchester had one goal tonight, it is to make this as easy as the universe would allow him. Having your parents know that your a biromantic asexual and actually coming home with a boyfriend are two entirely different ballparks.

Cas had insisted that Dean should come to meet his family this Christmas. The previous years they had always gone down to Dean’s basically surrogate father’s place. Bobby was a bit rough around the edges but was all gushy at the core and welcomed Cas to the family with a smile and slap on the back(He could have sworn he heard a ‘finally!’ as well).

Ellen and Jo both gave Cas some… stern talking-to’s about what getting with Dean entails that left him a little shaken, but over the past four years of being Dean’s ‘boyfriend’ instead of ‘best friend’ has shown him worthy of Dean’s heart. Jody and Donna had been more than welcoming as well, even inviting him and Dean over for a nice dinner one night.

Sam was probably the most excited. He flew all the way from California to congratulate them in person and even got a little teared up by Dean accepting himself for who he was. He had stayed the remainder of the week and spent the whole time smiling at them and helicoptering around them to make sure it was real.

Dean has to admit, he is kinda glad they aren't spending the entire Christmas weekend at the Novak’s. He loves Cas and would do anything for him but his family gives him the creeps. It’s a good thing Cas doesn’t want to stay either. He found that the Winchester Christmases with movie nights, warm fires, and eggnog, much more enjoyable than “an uncomfortable, over formal Christmas dinner where the chairs are replaced with the sticks up their asses”, as Cas once put it.

He didn’t begin to feel the pinpricks of nervousness until they steered the impala into the gated neighborhood where Cas’s family lived. The tall borderline-mansion houses could be seen across the large well-trimmed yards, illuminated by professionally hung Christmas décor and outdoor spotlights.

“What did you say the address was again?” Dean asked, leaning toward where Cas sat next to him, fidgeting nervously.

“1574 Rosealee Court-” Cas sat forward pointing out the window at the house, “-That’s it, right there.”

Dean turned into the driveway, internally judging how they had lined the entire perimeter of the pavement with tiny white lights. He slowly rolled to a stop a little past halfway around the U of the driveway, pulling the keys out of the ignition. The silence replaced the loud rumble of the engine and quietly playing songs from the Christmas cassette Dean had gotten for Cas a few years back after discovering his love for the seasons music.

“You all right, sweetheart?” Dean spoke softly and slid across the bench seat to wrap an arm around Cas’s shoulder, his other hand finding Cas’s and gentle squeezing it.

“Yeah, just a little nervous.” Cas was squinting up at the house and it’s artificial Christmas feel.

“Hey, look at me,” Dean waited for Cas to turn to him, his too-blue eyes shining in the bright lights, and pressed a gentle kiss on his warm lips. “It’s going to be all right. I’m going to be here the whole time. Won’t even go for bathroom breaks.”

Cas smiled and Dean didn’t fight the grin that bubbled out of the warm feeling in his gut. He leaned forward and placed one more chaste peck on Cas’s lips before ushering him out of the car. Taking Cas’s hand in his, they made their way up to the door, ringing the doorbell and waiting for the blurry figure to appear in the  beveled glass To let them in.

“CASSIE!” Gabriel shrilled as he opened the door, pulling his younger brother into a tight hug. Dean must have been staring because next Gabriel turns to him with a wide smirk. “Aww, Dean-o, is my baby brothers boy-toy feeling left out? Come’ere-” He pulled Dean into a bone-crushing embrace that left him a little light headed when the shorter man set him down back onto his feet.

“Gabriel, I didn’t expect you to be here.” Cas said, surprised.

“Well, I wasn’t going to come but when I heard Cassie was coming and bringing ‘his significant other’ I just had to make sure it was Dean here they were talking about. I am hurt that not once you mentioned to me that you two finally pulled your heads out of your asses and got together. I mean, I am your brother and-”

“Is that Castiel?” A voice said from behind.

Gabriel stepped back to reveal its owner, and it was no one other than Naomi Novak, Cas’s mother. She walked up to the door, shooing Gabriel to the side and gesturing for them both to come inside. She smiled when Dean looked at her but it didn’t reach her eyes and looked unnatural on her tight face.

She closed the door behind them and waited for them to strip off their coats, scanning their jeans and Henleys with an air of distaste. Naomi kept that smile plastered on her face, however, as she led them deeper into the house to what must be the family room.

There was a gas-lit fire burning in the large fireplace under the mantle where the TV hung, traditional Christmas music playing off one of those music channels. Cas led him over to the couch, adjusting the throw pillows to make the stiff furniture a little more comfortable. Gabriel strode in just as they got settled and splayed himself out on a white leather chair across from them.

“I’ll just be a moment. Your brothers are in the kitchen, I’ll go bring them out to say hello to you and…” Naomi looked over at Dean questioningly.

“Dean. Dean Winchester.” Dean said, finding it a little odd that Naomi couldn’t remember his name. He’s come over for barbeques and such as a friend before, perhaps she was doing it to piss off Cas.

“Yes, Dean.” She finished, the ugly smile twisting her lips again. “Oh! And I almost forgot to mention, your father decided to join us tonight as well, he is upstairs and will be down soon.”

He felt Cas squeeze his hand tighter and his face paled slightly at the mention of Chuck. Gabriel sent a worried glance their way as Naomi strutted off to the kitchen, satisfied with her work.

“It’s going to be ok, I’ll be right here.” Dean whispered and Cas nodded in reply.

Cas hated his father. Chuck left when he was 5, disappearing until he was almost 15. Naomi welcomed him back as if he was never gone, ignoring the fact that he was a broke alcoholic. Cas had a horrid few years till he got out of the house and to college where he met Dean.

Dean was studying to be an English teacher, Cas a writer. They had met one eventful evening when Dean rounded a corner too fast, running straight(haha yeah right) into Castiel in a fatal collision that ruined 2 cups of coffee and a shit ton of papers.

“So,” Gabriel said, attempting to clear the tension, “how long?”

“What?” Dean said, looking over to where the man was sprawled out in the chair.

“How long have you two been a pair?”

“Uhh,” Dean glanced over at Cas who shrugged. “You sure you wanna know?”

“It’s not like it's been going on for that long. Spill!”

Dean cleared his throat, “about four years now.”

“Ha nice try. For real now, how long?”

“He’s right, it’ll be five years next fall.” Cas stated.

Gabe’s jaw dropped as he looked between the two of them. He seemed to catch up because the next moment he was standing up and shrieking, “ WHAT! Four years! Cassie why didn’t you tell me!”

Cas cowered back into the still cushions, but thankfully, whatever was about to happen was interrupted by someone clearing their throat from the doorway. Michael stepped into the room, tailed by Lucifer and Naomi. They all walked over and settled down one the couch and the remaining chair, leaving a space for Chuck.

They ease into a shallow conversation about the rise in profits at Michael’s company. Dean tunes out, letting the sound of Michael’s money talk become background noise to his thoughts. Cas was still gripping his hand tightly, his posture ridgid as if waiting for something to pounce.

Dean rubbed his thumb gently over Cas’s knuckles in a soothing gesture, hoping to silently comfort and remind him of his support and presence. After a while, Cas did seem to relax a bit. His grip was a bit looser and he was leaning back against the couch now. Everything seemed to be going great until Chuck Novak made his way into the room and sat down on the couch where he could look directly at Cas and Dean.

Cas immediately was on alert once more and even Dean felt the hairs on his neck rise. Chuck skimmed over them with a blank expression, pausing briefly at their conjoined hands.

The thing is, Chuck 'doesn't mind the LGBTs’ as long as it’s not his son. When it comes to this, the cowardish, skittish little man Chuck appears to be takes the back seat while a stone cold, angry version takes up front. Dean has only seen that happen once before when Gabe had mentioned relationships he has had with members of the same sex before he had met Kahli, and he is not happy to be seeing it again.

Dean tries to turn his attention to the conversation. Lucifer and Michael are explaining in extraneous detail what the company's main goal is to Naomi who seems to be understanding most of it. He thinks for a second that tonight may just go ok when the conversation ends, allowing the main focus to switch to the couple.

“So,” Naomi asks, “how long have you been together.”

“Four years.” Castiel states, looking his father in the eyes as he does so.

They all look a little taken aback that the two had been together for that long without anyone knowing about it in the slightest.

“And how’s that going for you?” She says through her fake smile.

“Quite well, actually,” Dean says, “We have an apartment together in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Im a High School English teacher there. We are really happy there.”

“Are you sure?” Chuck cut in.

“What?”

“Are you ok with… you know?” Chuck said, waving his hands around like Dean was supposed to know what he was talking about.

“If he ok with what, Chuck?” Cas said, a hint of anger in his voice. “Me being asexual?”

“Honey, there is no need to get angry, we are just making sure Dean thinks it’s a fair relationship for him.” Naomi chides.

A burst of rage sparks in Dean’s chest and he can see the turmoil in Cas’s eyes as he glares at his father. How can someone speak like that about their child? About someone as amazing as Cas?

“Dean, you can’t possibly be happy in a relationship like that! People like you love sex, right?”

This isn’t the first time the comment has been thrown his way but after what they had just said to Cas, it snaps something in Dean. A tight ball of anger bubbles in his chest as he fights to keep from blowing up. He takes a deep breath and meets Chuck’s eyes.

“People like me, meaning Bisexuals?” Dean says, keeping his voice as cool as possible.

Naomi flinches at the word a bit but agrees.

“I am perfectly happy in my relationship with Cas. Contrary to your belief, bisexuals are not sex driven animals and asexuals aren't broken people who will never find love and you have to be seriously messed up to think that sex is necessary for a relationship.” Dean snaps before standing up from the couch, pulling Cas up with him. “Thanks for having us, we’ll be leaving now.”

He borderline stomps to the front door and helps Cas with his coat before donning his own and they head out to the impala. He starts the car, blasting the heat and driving off in silence. They are just pulling out of the suburb area when he hears a sniffle from Cas. Dean instantly pulls the car over and flicks on his hazards before slinging across the bench seat.

Dean opens his arms and Cas slides over and buries his face in Dean’s chest, his fingers twisting up in the back of Dean’s coat as a sob slips out. Followed by another, and another until Cas is clinging to Dean, crying into his coat as Dean gently runs his hands up and down Cas’s back, whispering soft affirmations between kisses into Cas’s hair.

When Cas’s breathing evens out, he leans back from Dean, wiping at his red eyes and nose with his sleeve.

“M’sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, sunshine. Hey, how about we go to that festival we saw driving in, hmm?”

Cas nodded and buckled back into his seat while Dean buckled his own and pulled back on the road. He turned up the volume as I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas began to play. Dean smiled as he thought back to the first snow of the season. It was early November when the weather took a dip.

Cas’s cheeks were rosy and he kept wiping his nose, the cold air making their breath come out in small puffs while they trudged their way up the hill, dragging the plastic sled behind them.

When they reached the top, Dean pushed the sled down into the snow and plopped into the back of the bright orange contraption, planting his feet to make sure it wouldn't slide before they were ready. Cas straddled in front of Dean before sitting down and falling back against Dean’s chest, putting his feet in the front of the sled and trying to make enough room for Dean’s with the thick snow pants on.

Dean wrapped his arms around the front of Cas to grab the thin rope used to steer the thing, Cas grabbed a hold too, smiling in anticipation. Dean scootched forward and the sled barely moved an inch. Cas laughed and began scooching in sync with Dean and before they knew it, Dean had his feet up in the front of the sled with Cas and they rocketed down the hill, whooping and laughing all the way down.

The thought helped ease some of the emotions swirling in his stomach as they drove into town. Knowing how much Cas loves it, despite his insistence on the opposite, Dean begins singing along to the song.

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.

Just like the ones I used to know.”

Dean looked over at Cas and gave him a smile before continuing.

“ Where the tree-tops glisten,

And children listen,

To hear, sleigh bells in the snow.”

He hears Cas clear his throat and join in on the next line.

“I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

“With every Christmas card I write

“May your days be merry and bright

“And may all your Christmases be white”

Cas laid his hand palm up in the middle of the seat and Dean took it, lifting it up to his face and dropping a kiss to his knuckles before singing the next lines.

“I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

“With every Christmas card I write

“May your days be merry and bright

“And may all your Christmases be white

“May your days be merry and bright

“And may all your Christmases be white”

The song ended just as they pulled into the lot. There weren't many people here, but that’s perfect for them tonight. The soft colored lights and sweet smells of the carnival made the night seem warmer than the frigid temperature it actually was.

Dean reached over the seat and came back with some hats and gloves for him, mittens for Cas. He put his on, waiting for Cas to do the same before they got out of the car and held hands as they made their way to the small ticket booth by the entrance. Dean handed over some cash and took his tickets with a ‘thanks’ before making his way towards the rides.

“Ooo let’s go get some hot chocolate.” Dean said, pulling Cas over to the warm, coca scented tent and ordering two cups.

The heat from the paper cup could be felt through Dean’s glove as he walked, taking careful sips to not burn his tongue on the too-hot chocolate.

“Dean, can we go on the ferris wheel?” Cas asked, gesturing towards the white metal ride with red and orange lights making spirals along the beams.

“Sure, why not.”

They went up to the lady sitting by the control panel and handed her the required amount of tickets for the ride and stepped into the carriage. Dean watched Cas from his side of the car, watching how Cas looked out the window, wiping the glass when his breath fogs it up too much to see out of. He feels a small smile tug at the corner of his lips when Cas turns and meets his eyes.

“Dean,” Cas starts.

“Yeah?”

“Does it bother you? My asexuality?” Cas said, looking down at the floor.

“Of course not Cas! I love you. I don’t need sex to love you. And it’s not like we’ve never had sex, just not frequently, and I am ok with that. I love you and love to spend time with you and that’s what matters to me.” Dean says softly, leaning forwards across the narrow aisle to take Cas’s hands in his.

What did Dean do to get someone like Cas? Someone so caring and compassionate, so smart and creative, so… Cas.

“Castiel James Novak, my sex indiferent asexual boyfriend and best friend, I love you so much. More than pie, more than Baby, hell, more than anything. Any day I spend with you is a good day. You are the kindest, smartest, most caring person I know and I’ll be damned to let some asshole make you think that you could ever not be loved.”

There were tears flowing down Cas’s cheeks and Dean wiped them away with his thumbs before pulling Cas in for a caste kiss, and another, and again. He peppered Cas’s forehead, cheeks, nose, and lips with soft kisses before pressing his lips firmly but softly to Cas’s warm, slightly chapped ones.

Cas let his tongue flick out on Dean’s bottom lip and taking full advantage of the opening Dean’s gasp gives to dive deeper into his mouth with his tongue. Dean gives as much as he gets, trying to push as much of his love into one single kiss as humanly possible.

When they break away, both panting slightly, their car is stopped at the top of the Ferris wheel. They look out the small windows at the town and its rows of light adorned houses.

“It’s beautiful.” Cas sighs.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Dean replies.

“Aww getting all sappy, Dean?” Cas chuckles.

“No- I- No-” Cas cuts Dean off by pressing another kiss to his lips.

They break apart in fits of laughter, their car shaking as they laugh and laugh and laugh. They only stop once the wheel begins moving again but when they get off, they both have bright smiles on their faces.

The smiles stay the rest of the night and all the way home as they sing Christmas songs on the ride home all the way to the moment they strip out of their winter clothes and get ready for bed, curling under the soft covers in each other's arms.

“I love you.” Dean whispers as he tetters on the verge of sleep and just as he tumbles over, he hears Cas say back, “I love you, too.”

~~~~~~(Feel free to ask to be added to the tag list)~~~~~~

@kinda-not-really-vibing

[mattzerella-sticks]

What They Should Do... (An SPN spec fic)

So, Dean and Sam are tied up in the Alternate World just waiting. But... how do they pass their time? (AO3)

This was inspired by both the 13x10 promo and a nap dream I had after taking an Advil. This is how I think the writers could use the 'Wayward Sisters' episode as a backdoor to other things as well...

           Sam tries again to pull at the rope, its coarse fibers biting through his layers and into his skin. He could already feel his wrists starting to raw, but didn’t give up. Not like Dean, who he could barely see, slumped against the tree, head lolled off to the side in defeat.

           “If you don’t mind Sam,” he growls out, “I’d like to enjoy my last few moments without having to hear your Sasquatch grunts.”

           “Why don’t you shut up,” Sam hisses back, still struggling. Dean cranes his neck as far as he can and levels him with a glare.

           “Look,” Dean says, “we’re trapped in this weird Land that Time Forgot, with no food, no guns, and no way home. I’d rather we die now then later, alright?”

           “So you’re just gonna let yourself be eaten? That sounds awful.”

           “Not the way I expected to go,” Dean admits, “But seems pretty cool. I mean, who would believe we were killed by dinosaurs, Sammy?”

           “No one because we wouldn’t be able to tell anyone since no one knows where we are!”

           Dean huffs, “Why you always gotta be such a downer.”

           Sam thunks his head back into the tree and bites back a groaned curse. “Look,” Sam says, instead, “just… let me figure a way out of this before I die from an aneurysm, okay?”

           Sam keeps struggling, only managing to aggravate his skin to the point where he can feel tiny drops of blood oozing out of him. He doesn’t stop, however, furthering his search for a loose knot or something to help them out.

           “Sam… please,” Dean says, “It’s not… you think I haven’t tried?”

           Sam looks back at Dean, at where his hands are peaking out from behind the rope. Sam can see trails of Dean’s own blood, even in the weird blue glow, snaking their way down his hands.

           Sam feels his stomach give way, and he slumps against the rope, “…Crap.”

           “Yeah,” Dean nods, “A big whole freakin’ pile of it.”

           Sam doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing he can say. Any word he tries to think of, to make the situation seem not what it is, sits heavy on his tongue like a lie. He lets the silence linger, each rustle a warning of what’s to come.

           “You know,” Dean says, “I really wish it didn’t have to end like this.”

           “Me too, Dean,” Sam says, grimacing, “Me, too…”

           “And,” Dean continues, “If we are going down… I’m glad we’re doing it together.”

           “There’s no one I’d rather die with,” Sam chuckles, “…Again.”

           “Maybe we should do it differently, then.”

           “Dean, I think getting eaten by giant reptiles is different enough –“

           “No, I mean,” Dean says, “Let’s… go out with nothing between us.”

           “You mean –“

           “No secrets,” Dean frowns, “Everything out in the open.”

           Sam huffs a small laugh. “You sure you want to do that?”

           “What do you mean?”

           “I mean,” Sam explains, “you aren’t the first to open up in any situation.”

           “Hey!” Dean cries, “I can get pretty damned emotional!”

           “Sure, Dean…”

           “And I did say between us,” Dean huffs, “So I’m not the only one who’s holding things in.”

           Sam frowns, considering Dean’s statement. While he doesn’t want to say Dean’s right… there’s nothing except his pride keeping him from actually voicing this opinion.

           “Fine,” Sam relents, “Do you… wanna start?”

           “I guess…” Dean tries his best to look Sam in the eyes, but Sam can only really see one make contact. “So,” he continues, “I know I said it before but… I really am sorry I couldn’t be there for you with Mom.”

           “Dean, it’s okay –“

           “And even when we were with Jack and Kaia I… I didn’t think we were actually gonna find anything,” he says, “I thought we’d just find her…” He doesn’t finish.

           “Thank you, Dean,” Sam says, “And with me and Mom… I feel the same about you and Cas. I didn’t know how to approach… to even helpyou out of your funk. I was so wrapped up in Mom I didn’t think about how it must have felt for you to lose Cas.”

           “It’s okay, Sam,” Dean whispers, “Cas… wherever he is, he’s going to be fine without me… us. He’ll… he’ll find Jack and make sure he’s raised right.”

           Sam isn’t sure what he hears next. There’s a rustle from somewhere nearby, and it covers up what might have been a sniffle.

           “Anyway,” Dean chuckles, “I should also admit that… when you’re asleep… I cut your hair.”

           “You – what?”

           “Not a lot,” Dean admits, “Just enough that you wouldn’t notice it but still make a difference.”

           “Dean!” Sam shouts, “Is that the reason why I wake up to find hair on my pillow? I thought I was losing my hair! Do you know how much money I spent trying to prevent that?”

           “Hey, I promise I won’t do it again,” Dean says, “…not like I’ll be able to since… y’know.”

           Sam sighs, and lets go of the anger. “Fine,” he says, “Apology accepted. And if we are… owning up to things… You know how you like to keep bottles of liquor in your room.”

           “Yeah, and?”

           “Well… I water them down.”

           “You bitch,” Dean barks, “I thought I had developed a tolerance. Do you know how scared I was?”

           Sam manages a laugh. And after a while, Dean joins in, finding some levity in their situation. They don’t stop, letting the little things roll forward, avalanching in a final brotherly bonding moment.

           “I have a wig that I put on to act like you when I feel like venting.”

           “I replaced all the burgers in the fridge with those ‘fake meat’ patties… and you haven’t noticed the difference.”

           “Every time a girl asks me if you’re available I tell them you’re in a happily committed relationship with a blow-up doll.”

           “I’ve let stray dogs sleep in the backseat of the Impala when it rains so they stay dry.”

           “I… have a set of mix-tapes that aren’t classic rock. My favorite is the ABBA one.”

           “I haven’t jogged in over three years,” Sam wheezes, laughing, “I go out in the morning and just get a donut. I only pretend to make you feel bad.”

           “You’re a horrible person Sammy,” Dean scoffs, “Truly awful.”

           “You wanted the truth!” Sam stops to breathe, “You know… I’m glad we’re doing this. At least we’ll die smiling.”

           “Yeah…” Dean says, looking down at the ground. His mood has taken a turn, having subdued itself. Sam cocks a brow at Dean’s behavior, but doesn’t have time to consider just what’s the matter with Dean (besides the obvious) when he hears a louder-than-should-be rustle from the bushes to their right.

           “Sam, I –“

           “Shh, not now, Dean,” Sam hushes him, “I hear something.”

           “No, I… I really need to say this,” Dean continues.

           “Seriously, Dean, this is not the time!”

           There’s more rustling, and Sam can hear twigs snapping as whatever it is approaches closer and closer to them. Sam’s muscles are taut, his body thrumming with adrenaline as he tries in vain to pull his body free one last time.

           “Sam, I –“

           “Dean – !”

           “I like guys!”

           “There you are!”

           Sam blinks, staring first at Claire and her friend, who stand at the edge of the clearing, blades in hand, then at Dean.

           “What?”

           “Patience and I have been looking everywhere for you!” Claire continues, walking towards them, “This place is creepier than anything I could ever think up. We need to get you two out of here –“

           “No, hold on,” Sam stops them, craning his neck to get a better look at his brother, “Dean, what did you just say?”

           “Uh – Sam, is this really the time?” Dean mumbles out, a slight blush peeking out from behind his collar, “We could get eaten at any second!”

           “No, no we have time – did you say you like guys?”

           Now Claire and her friend – Patience – turn to Dean.

           “Dean said what now?” Claire asks, interest in this topic evident by her smirk and raised brow.

           “I didn’t say that!”

           “Then what did you say?”

           “I said I…” he mumbles now, incoherent.

           “You said what?”

           “I said I liked… guises.”

           “Guises?”

           “As in disguises,” Dean explains, “You know… like dressing up?”

           “Shocker,” Claire comments, walking towards him, “I doubt that’s what you said but, like, that doesn’t surprise anyone either, Dean.” She uses her blade to cut through the rope and free him. Patience does the same with Sam.

           “Whatever,” Dean scoffs, rubbing at his wrists, “Let’s just… do you have back-up?”

           “Jody and Donna are out here as well, we’re supposed to rendezvous back at the portal in the next half-hour.”

           “There’s another portal?” Sam asks, walking up to them.

           “Yeah,” Patience says, “Alex and Kaia are on the other side, waiting for us. They’re gonna try and close it after we come back.”

           “Well then what are we waiting for,” Dean claps both Sam and Claire on the back, “Let’s go.”

           “Dean –“

           “We’re not dying anymore, Sammy,” Dean stops him, frowning, pleading, “What happened between two trees in an alternate universe stays there.”

           Sam wants to fight him. But he knows when to fight his battles. And his brother’s sexuality is something he can put on the back burner until they’re back in their home universe and not stuck in Spielberg’s sandbox.

           “Lead the way,” he says to Claire.

           They trek out of the clearing, and back into danger.

            They’re in the Impala, close to home, and tired. Sam figures this is the perfect time to strike.

           “So,” he starts, “When you said you liked guises –“

           “Sam, can we not do this now –“

           “No, Dean, I just want to say,” Sam interrupts, remembering the script he created the second they pulled out of Jody’s drive way, “that it doesn’t matter to me – if you like to dress up, that is. You could be dressed in a t-shirt and jeans… or in a… costume; it wouldn’t change how I see you. You’d still be my brother, Dean.”

           Sam’s not watching Dean – direct eye contact would only frighten him back into his shell (or closet). But, if he were watching him, Sam would say that the relaxed posture, loose grip on the wheel, and smirk are signs that Dean understood his message.

           “…Thanks Sam,” he says, “Really.”

           “No problem.”

           And if Sam weren’t Dean’s brother, he’d leave it at that. But he can’t – which is why he follows his heartfelt message up with:

           “Hey Dean?”

           “…Yeah?”

           “So… if you like to dress up…”

           “Sam, please… drop it –”

           “If you were to pick really anything to wear –“

           “I swear I will stop this car”

           “Would you choose a trench coat?”

           The Impala skids to a halt, swerving to the side of the road. Sam barely has time to steady himself when Dean is pointing towards the door, “Get out.”  

           “Dean, come on –“

           “I told you I’d stop the car,” Dean frowns, “Now get out.”

           “You’re really gonna make me walk home?”

           “No,” Dean smirks now, “You can jog.”

[reflektormag]

Why You Should Listen To: Prince's 'Dirty Mind'

Daniel Lester

October 17, 2018

Welcome to the weekly-series “Why You Should Listen to”, where we will discuss great albums worth every music lover’s attention. In today’s society, while we do have all the possible access to everything and anything on the Internet, it can often happen for us to miss some music we would love to hear. That’s why we will try to help you discover some awesome music in this series of articles. The focus will mostly be on studio albums, be it classics or underrated gems and records that have been forgotten by time. Our focus will also stretch out across the world, from the USA and UK to the African continent, Latin America and even the Balkans. Today, we are covering Prince's legendary "Dirty Mind" album. Enjoy! The transition from the 1970's to the 1980's was a truly interesting time for music. The 70's were quite revolutionary in terms of how music was made and how it would sound years down the road. David Bowie recorded the legendary Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno, punk rock surfaced, Bob Marley popularized reggae overseas, Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder released the futuristic "I Feel Love and shook the music world to its core, while disco took over and ended up being harshly dismissed by the end of the decade. Rock bands went into interesting territory with the emerging "New Wave" sound, replacing hard rock anthems and psychedelia with sharp and jangly guitars that were played in a ska-style, static beats, dry and driving basslines, haunting synth lines and eccentric frontmen. Some of the most iconic albums came out in that transitional year of 1980, some of them being Talking Heads' "Remain in Light", The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" and Peter Gabriel's fourth self-titled record, which set the standard for the 80's drum sound with the song "Intruder". However, 1980 was the year another star entity was born, that new persona being Prince.

Prince started his career in 1978 at about 18 years of age in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a small African-American teenager with an afro hairstyle and an affinity for making music. He caught the eye of the industry by showing off his incredible multi-instrumentalist skills. They allowed him full creative control and he ended up recording his debut record "For You" where he was the sole artist, allegedly recording 27 instruments on his own!

Despite all this, Prince's debut did not catch on as was expected. Sure, he might have been impressive, but his songwriting did not give off anything unique. The only two remembered songs were the funky "Soft and Wet" and the Santana-inspired "I'm Yours". Prince decided he needed a hit, and he recorded a self-titled record the following year. While he did score a hit with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and a few other songs, it was still not quite where he wanted to be artistically. The songs sounded stuck in the disco era, and it was already 1979. Prince knew something had to change.

The next year, his third album dropped. This one, was quite different. It featured the ever-flamboyant Prince with shorter, permed hair wearing make-up. His only two clothing items were panties and a trenchcoat. It was unlike anything he had previously done, in terms of sound and presentation. There was something unique, provocative and sexy about this "new" Prince. What was even more intriguing besides the androgyny and excessive sexuality was the music on the album. "Dirty Mind" was the true birth of the legendary Prince we know and love today. The album kept Prince's funk and soul influences, but merged them with the new wave and synthpop of "white" bands, therefore uniting two unlikely factions and creating a killer sound that was quite singular for the time. This sound would quickly become known as the "Minneapolis sound", with Prince as its progenitor and movement leader. The songs were far more sexual and raunchy, featuring lyrics about giving head, threesomes and even incest in the punk-influenced "Sister".

The title track served as the opener, and it begins with a thumping kick drum and incredibly infectious synth riff. Prince delivers his signature falsetto in full force on the incredibly sexual theme of the song, singing lines such as "In my daddy's car/It's you I really wanna drive." It featured a video of Prince performing with his band, featuring the likes of Dr. Fink and Dez Dickerson. This song is incredibly catchy due to its synth lines and vocal delivery. Prince introduces something new on this album also in terms of minimalism. While his previous albums featured his incredible instrumental prowess, this one turned it down from an 11 to a 5 and featured sparse guitar lines and occasional but short synth solos. This time, the sound, the song, and the concept took first priority.

The following track, which became a fan favorite, is the incredibly bittersweet "When You Were Mine". It features such an infectious melody and Prince singing about his lover being with someone else. The lyrics talk about the oddity of this person and how Prince put up with them, even when they let another person join them in the bedroom. It's quite a quirky song, that somehow makes you feel for him, despite maybe not ever finding yourself in a similar situation. "Head" is also another memorable track, featuring funkier instrumentation and quite a strange, yet typically Prince, lyrical theme. According to the story of this song, he meets a virgin who was on her way to be wed but finds herself attracted to him. This "bride" is voiced by Lisa Coleman in the song and apparently wants to give Prince head, despite the fact that she was about to get married. Over the course of the track, she falls in love and runs away with him, marrying him instead. Another key track is the song "Uptown", that deals with some ever-present social issues. It's a very melodic and funky track, with Prince singing about meeting a girl who asks him if he's gay. He wittily replies "No, are you ?" and takes her uptown, where she will encounter the social outcasts and minorities, partying and having a good time despite the hate. It shows that he was well aware of what people thought of the LGBT and African-American populations and that all that hatred can only be deterred if one decides to join the party and have a good time with myriads of different people.

"Gotta Broken Heart Again" is a short 2-minute ballad about Prince being left by his girl in favor of his best friend and him being powerless and unable to heal his broken heart. "Do It All Night" and "Partyup" are two groove-filled tracks about, obviously, partying and making love all night. The former has nice, bouncy instrumentation and ties in perfectly with the theme of the entire record. The latter song, "Partyup" is a bit more on the interesting side. It's chorus is mostly Prince chanting "Partyup/Got to partyup" and then ending it with the "You're going to have to fight your own damn war/Because we don't want to fight no more"-lines, showing that he was more than a horny young person, but that he was also aware of the prejudices and hatred between people in America. This track is also the closer of the album, which showed in which direction Prince would go a year later with his more politically-charged follow-up album. Clocking in at about 30 minutes of runtime, Prince managed to bring a completely new sound, identity and aesthetic, merging male and female, rock and funk, white and black, gay and straight and everything else in between. While everyone mostly praises his fantastic "Purple Rain" album or "Sign O' The Times", it must not be forgotten where Prince's singular style and charisma first originated in his discography and which of his albums set the standard for his future releases in that decade. A truly iconic and important album that everyone should definitely give a shot too.