#gonna pretend he’s possessed me and suddenly be super smart

[whumpy-wyrms]

hey antonnnn i do not wanna take the ap stats exam later today for like three hours straight can you possess me abd take it instead pleaseeeee i have no idea what im doinggg

[hyrule-kingdom-updates]

Astor nodded. He and paced the hall and muttered under his breath.

“I see...I never meddled in the realm of technology...but to think that Sheikah Technology could hold such a secret.” He tapped his chin, staring at the astrolabe on the other side of the dungeon bars. “I suppose it makes sense. The advanced accomplishments and feats that such technology is capable of...it’s only naturally that it is powered by unconventional means.”

Siv spun the Sheikah Core on his index finger like it was a ball. “Yeeeep. I’m guessing that’s what allowed the super old dudes to beat the Calamity all those years ago.” He shook his head. “So, yeah. Dick Lord Ganon is gonna use that to turn the Guardians and Divine Beasts against us. And even if the science peeps keep researching into them...well.” He looked up at Astor. “Obviously, they would never figure out this crucial little detail even after a hundred years of science-ing. So this is our little secret, capiche?”

Astor nodded again. If what Asivus was saying was true (And it was) then Hyrule were truly doomed. The Calamity would exploit this secret, and use it to flip the entire war on its head. This is what Ganon would use to turn the Divine Beasts against them.

If any of the researchers found out about this aspect of Ancient Technology, and adapted to it, then Ganon would lose his biggest advantage...and it might be possible to...

The seer quickly shook away the thought. No, even if they knew, the world would be helpless all the same when the Princess fails to awaken their powers. In fact, it would probably be more brutal if Ganon’s forces were reliant completely on the bludgeoning and stabbing that came with monsters. Machines would have avoidable patterns in a post-apocalyptic world, but monsters of malice would be exceptionally harder.

So yes...We keep this info from everyone. Especially Robbie and Purah and...

“How sure are you that no one else could figure this out?” Astor asked.

“Decently sure. I mean, it’d be pretty hard to guess such a crazy thing.” Asivus shrugged.

“Are you positive? Because I know my—” He stopped in his tracks, suddenly stumbling on his words. “I—in reference to random researchers—other non-specified—she’s not—Look. There are very talented and intelligent researchers across the kingdom, surely someone—”

“Did you say it yourself? Everyone’s way to arrogant around here!” Siv threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “No one’s gonna look for faults in their perfect little war machines! They shoot lasers, and don’t talk back. It’s a general’s wet dream. Even if someone figured out this secret, no one here would listen to them.” He waved his hand in a circle and gestured towards his half brother. “Case in point: You.”

Astor folded his arms and sighed. “Alright, fine. So that’s how the Calamity will turn the Guardians and Beasts against us. But what’s the actual execution of it all? The plan? What’s your play in this? How did the Guardians in the yard get corrupted?”

Siv was silent; thinking. He seemed to be endlessly swimming through thoughts and words and memories. The man fiddled with the discs surrounding the astrolabe, eyes drooping in misery. Interesting.

“I was supposed to make them. That’s what he wanted,” Asivus finally said. “Beast of water, lightning, air, and fire. Or, demons? Blights or something. Creatures that were to take on the Divine Beasts.They’re built slightly different than Guardians, so he needed a little something special to deal with ‘em.” He blew hair off his forehead with a huff. “It all sorta just came into my head in the minutes before I fucked up those Guardians, so the details come and go, but that’s the gist. I make the Blights, Ganon does his thing, then I wait at the Sanctum to achieve true happiness or whatever he was bullshitting.”

“But you failed.” Astor interjected. “You failed to make the blights, and thus today’s calamity failed. At least, in this timeline.” Siv opened his mouth to object, but he continued to think outloud. “The Guardians were a fluke, then. You were not capable of creating Blights, but wielded enough malice to corrupt a Guardian. Although that brings into question how you control malice to begin with...and why you were chosen specifically for the task...”

Asivus was silent again, spinning the astrolabe on the floor. Astor observed him for a moment.

“Is he speaking to you? At the moment?” The seer asked. “Every time you fall silent is when you start looking down at that device. That thing I can correctly assume is the instigator of all this, given that you look at it every time I ask about the recent Guardians you ruined.”

Asivus narrowed his eyes at him, annoyed at being so readable.

“Ganon isn’t in your head, as you said you were overcome with this information in the minutes you truly held that astrolabe and walked by the Guardians.” He thought back. “Earlier before the incident you said you had a dream, and then you found the astrolabe? You leave it on your desk as a paper weight, before developing the decent moral to drop off a potential lost item to the Sheikah. But then you were holding the astrolabe in proximity to the Guardians, and subsequently are suddenly given the revelation to the Calamity’s plan...”

He locked eyes with him. “Combine that with the truth about all Sheikah Technology itself...and the fact that your eyes only change when that core is in your possession...”

Astor walked closer and gripped one of the bars, calmly. “That astrolabe is the link between you and the Calamity. It speaking to you through it. It’s lending you the power to control malice. It’s a manifested vessel of Ganon’s ill intent for this world...perhaps made of whatever malice plagues yourself. Perhaps he chose you for the job because you’re brimming with his favourite substance.”

Assivus started at the seer, and blinked once. Astor took that as confirmation, but asked anyways: “Am I wrong?”

Siv bit his tongue for a moment, before sighing in defeat. “You’ve got Ligero’s mannerisms down to the T. The perceptiveness nearly makes me wish I had actually paid attention to his parenting attempts.”

Something twisted inside Astor at that comment, and his voice grew a dangerous edge. “I’m nothing like him.”

“It’s alright, don’t take it personally. I just have a love-hate relationship with smart people.”

“Tsk.” The prophet stared down the corridor in thought. “Don’t we all.”

“But you’re wrong about one thing.” Siv added, and he looked up at Astor with a new seriousness. “I didn’t ‘fail’ to make the blights.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I didn’t fail to make the blights, I didn’t want to.” Asivus raised his voice, and rolled the astrolabe to the other side of the cell. “You can’t fail something you never really attempted in the first place.” He winked. “I mean, that’s been my philosophy on life for the last 15 years, heh.”

Astor blinked in surprise. “But...why? The world is doomed, and you were handed a position of life and power on a silver tray. Chosen above anyone else.  Why wouldn’t—?”

“I didn’t do it because I’m not like you, pissface!” Siv snapped. “I jump outta my socks to make a selfish decision. I don’t just run away from any inconvenience in my life.”

Astor nearly laughed. “Oh? And what exactly is it that you do, then? You’re really going to preach to me, Mr. Assivus Asunder?”

“YEAH! That name is exactly why I decided this!” He waved his arms in the air, and gestured to himself as he slumped against the wall. “Taking action and fighting for anything, regardless of what, sucks ass. Initiating change? Bad. Acting on what you care about? No likey.” Siv pounded his chest proudly. “The ideal ending for Asivus Ex-Hartell is to just chill out, and wait for the end. Drink in hand!”

He raised his empty flask, but nonetheless pretended to drink.

Astor frowned, but let the distant drip of leaking water echo in the corridor.

He watched Siv for a few more minutes, silently tapping his fingers on his elbow.

“You still care about your brother.”

It was a good think his flask was empty, as otherwise he would have spit out his drink. Siv angrily sputtered. “The fuck does that have to do with anything—?!”

“Why are you just relaxing in there after all this time?  You think you deserve this? Don’t want to be a burden for others?” Astor looked him up and down.

“Listen, you little shit. I know at this point it shouldn’t be a surprise that my family is made up of asshole, but—”

“You know when I first saw you around the castle, I did recognize you. The eyes, you see. But of course, I didn’t see the need to trouble you with my story, but I did watch you.” The prophet sneered. “Dear Asivus Hartell, sneaking into town to share a peach cobbler with his niece. Assivus Asunder, teaching his nephew to shield surf, and trying to encourage him down a more righteous path than his own. The Royal Orator Siv, who thanks his little brother for taking care of him by spending four hours making perfect hand drawn rat doodle cards.” Astor leaned down with a smirk. “You’re not the only one who paid attention to the captain’s birthday presents.”

“Alright get to the point, fuckface.” He waved the prophet off. “What? I screw around with my dumb family. What’s it gotta do with anything?”

“It means that for all your talk of laying down and dying and giving up, your action seems to indicate that you don’t actually believe that.” He jabbed a finger at Siv through the bars. “Or at least you don’t fully. Maybe you don’t want to. So don’t go blathering about your sorry life, only to try and insult me in the next minute. This isn’t about your apathy. You’re just scrambling at this low bar Ganon gives you as you drool the rare opportunity to unequivocally be an undeniably good person. You just want to tell yourself you’re a hero.”

Quiet.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

“OK.” Asivus curled his lip. “I didn’t want to join Ganon, because I’m still stupidly trying to not be an asshole. I’m too much of a wuss to commit to the dickhead role I was probably meant to fulfill. I’m pathetically trying to keep control over my image—is THAT what you want to hear, magic man? Congratu-fucking-lations. You turned the tables, you can see how pathetic I am and can feel better about yourself. How do ya feel?” The astrolabe had rolled by Asivus’ lap, and gold speckled in his eyes.

Astor sighed and answered honestly. “...Well. I’m envious, truth be told.” Siv blinked, but let him continue. “I haven’t bothered trying to be a hero my whole life, much less have such a driven (and these days useless) hunger to be ‘good.’” The seer shook his head, staring down the hall again. “I’m envious, but I do think you’re a fool. I’d take the opportunity to wield the future in a heartbeat, no matter the consequences.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” Siv chuckled. “This malice stuff is fucked up.”

“Only because you don’t understand it.” Astor replied, offended. “I’ve studies it for years, and it’s often misunderstood. There’s a beauty and usefulness to it, even detached from the Calamity. You’re just not intelligent enough to get it, I understand. ‘Love-hate relationship,’ like you said.” He snorted.

“Are you sick?! This Ancient Core thing made me walk through so many shitty memories and thoughts...I wouldn’t walk through that again to end OR save the world.”

“Again. All due to your plight of ignorance. It’s not your fault.”

Asivus rolled his eyes. “You know what? Why don’t you explain it me then?! If you’re so excited about it? Talk aaall about how I’m not fit to properly wield this and how pathetic I am?”

Siv dangled the astrolabe in the air between his fingers.

“Go on! Explain how great this malice is, and maybe then if you’re so eager I’ll just leave the thing in your care!”

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S3 Ep 11 pt 2: Seto Discovers Vulture Capitalism

Where were we on this arc that ended up being hella longer than I thought it would be? Oh yeah, Last we left the crew, Tristan’s body, now possessed by Nezbitt, was just racing away with Mokuba. This kid gets abducted so often, it’s never occurred to me that anyone in this show would think this is weird. So, when Noah showed up to intervene with actual common sense it was a good bit of whiplash for me.

It’s like the same whiplash I got back when Noah attempted to forfeit a rigged game (for the first time in this entire series). Like I get that Noah is the villain, but how is the evil kid way better at this common sense thing than...a lot of people who’ve been on this show? Not that Noah’s always smart, of course, he still doesn’t seem totally with it on a lot of things (like interior design, which we will get to in a sec) but wow. Noah actually called out this entire show with “Really? Mokuba? Again?”

And so you know what that means? We get to see Noah’s sweet pad in this VR world where Noah could have created anything. Literally anything. To start, he made himself a fireplace with a tiny tiny stack of wood (pretty sure Noah might not know how fires work) and...some sort of...curse on the mantle.

Maybe the mantle couldn’t read the typeface that Noah wanted to use on the mantle?

The rest of the room is just this. Just this.

You know what this no-walls aesthetic SUPER reminds me of?

Pocket Camp. Like this just looks like a Pocket Camp set up to me. In fact...I’m pretty sure I can make almost this exact room in Pocket Camp.

Noah’s just inviting Mokuba over with the bare minimum of ugly ass furniture he needs to have a person over at his campsite he pretends is a house while he waits patiently for the real version of Animal Crossing to come to Switch.

Leichter has an accent that is very old-fashioned Americana and doesn’t wholly make sense in the context of him living in urban Japan, like there’s a whole story there I’d be curious about. But most likely, they were probably trying to cover up the fact that they were using the same 5 voice actors by having him pull out the Clark Gable impression.

And then Seto did not use a Blue Eyes as his deck Master. Instead he used....this guy.

This is a lot of guy to take in. I...I don’t like it.

During this duel we get a Seto Kaiba flashback--and it’s an honest flashback this time, no clones are going to show up and reenact this performance, this is just a straight up flashback.

We’re transported back to Gozoboro’s long buffet table. He really, really loves this thing. It’s like the only place he and his kids ever seem to hang out. Surprised Mokuba and Seto don’t need glasses after squinting so hard to see their own Father for so many years. Also surprised Mokuba and Seto even know what their Dad looks like up close.

Anyways, he sits down at the table and shouts really loudly so it can reach the other side of the room.

Also, just gonna bring this up, we’ve only seen one other guy obsessed with long tables--let me do some digging to a S1 cap, one sec:

Maybe this is just what evil Dads who wear Salmon do?  They get hella long tables to seat their 0 friends and just sit at one of the ends and monologue until something important happens. I mean y’all know how much I love this storyboarder but boy they have a thing for villains and long tables.

Anyways, back to Season 3.

(bro’s telling me he does not know about Thoroughly Modern Millie and like can you believe neither Hulu or Netflix has that musical? I mean that musical is problematic as hell, as is all Broadway but maybe I want to watch some 1920′s dancing.)

Anyways, cue Gozaboro shuffling in a comedically large pile of money on a very small pushcart. About 1,099,520,000.00 Yen’s worth. But the show will simplify it for the Americans.

This episode of Yugioh was made around 2002, and this just followed the .com bubble bursting in California. (and before that happened, it was preceded by a recession in Japan that affected the .com bubble quite a bit) For those here who were not born yet and do not remember this happening, this was like, pretty horrifying. I grew up in the Bay where 90% of everyone still works in tech, so I remember that after the bubble burst there were kids in our school who’s parents used to have great salaries and a steady income, who suddenly had to pick up shifts at Starbucks to get back on their feet.

So, it’s interesting that we have this kid’s show basically showing us point blank what Vulture Capitalism is and how it works. You’d think this business stuff would normally go over kid’s heads, but at the time, I think a lot of kids wanted to know what happened to their families but maybe didn’t understand it?

So Kaiba is gonna get into investing all of a sudden, which is kind of weird, mostly because it involved no playing cards. Also because this happened:

Yeah, what? He’s apparently not even adopted yet, which means Seto could still turn around and tell the News that he beat Gozaboro in a match but, I guess that old threat has aged out.

It’s inferred that Seto’s been living here like for several years now. You’d think this guy would list some dependents just for the tax cuts, but nah, Gozaboro just shoved these two into the gigantic 5000 sq ft closet under the stairs of his huge mansion and forgot about them for a couple years.

So, armed with money that is printed on single Yen bills and being pushed around Kaiba in a little tiny cart, Seto has to formulate a plan. Problem is, his business skills include a.) beating up other orphans b.) doing math pretty good and c.) playing cards.

When Seto is like “I don’t care what the company sells, just get me a company to buy” that’s like a straight reference to the .com bubble, but minus the complicated stock market stuff.

For the kid’s in the room that don’t know a thing about this era, tech companies were being created en masse, and because the internet was new and exciting, all of their worth was in their stock rather than in their products--if they even had a product. Mostly they just had big overreaching ideas they were pretty sure would make them all millionaires. But the product didn’t really matter since no one ever reads any numbers when all they plan to do is turn around and immediately sell anyway. They just assumed that if they put on the pressure, they would drive up the value, and would sell before anyone figured out it was all worthless.

This actually worked for so many years, up until people at the top all started demanding real money from the people at the bottom, much like how Seto needed 100 million dollars ASAP from an unsuspecting...whatever company this was. Vulture Capitalism at it’s finest, expecting exponential and unrealistic growth from any company, and if, the growth isn’t met, just selling the whole damn thing after driving every employee to the hospital for overwork.

Now, normally Vulture Capitalism is only if an investor buys a struggling company intending to sell directly afterwards, but since Seto made them struggle like immediately after purchasing, I think we can still call this that.

(And we still do this to this day, PS, we’ve learned nothing from the .com crash.)

This really bad child’s outfit is my favorite Mokuba outfit. I mean...it’s so bad. No wonder Mokuba was picked on so often as a child, wow. He’s like a late-80′s news anchor.

Also, I have NO idea how Seto got any money back so quickly. That doesn’t...totally make sense. But, this is a kid’s show and we have to simplify this whole thing into a sensible package. I mean there’s way more to the whole  .com problem but...this show wasn’t literally doing a .com...just a really heavy reference to it.

And much like how people valued stock more than what companies actually were, Seto’s value was a lot of the same. His worth to his Father wasn’t that of a son, it was entirely held up in potential dollar signs. To Gozaboro, Seto's nothing more than a small company he’ll extort straight into...a more emotional type of bankruptcy. Framed alongside the .com crash, this is sort of like, ah, I see what you’re doing, Yugioh. The way Seto was screwing this company was the same way he was already screwed. It’s basically all he knows, and it is a lot of heavy handed foreshadowing.

Anyway, Seto destroyed a company with 10 mill, which is nothing compared to the amount of money vulture capitalists toss around nowadays.

The Big 5 may have honestly done a better job raising Kaiba than Gozoburo since this guy acted as an advisor rather than a boss, but it’s a very, very low bar these boys have set and so far, very few adults have met it. All you have to do is just try and not kill them and you’re already better than all of Kaiba’s father figures.

With the exception of Roland, of course. Youknow, other than Grandpa, Roland is like the only good Dad on this show. Never thought Roland would look like such a shining star. Man, Roland better not screw everyone over or I will be so disappointed in him.

Anyways, the Yugi crew found a fully fueled truck from Soviet Era Russia buried in one of those warehouses.

They censor so much stuff that gives away that Yugioh is from another country, and they kept in the 3-wheeler pickup? As if any North American child would have any idea what they’re looking at right now? Maybe they just assumed we’d think it was sci-fi?

Also, then this happened?

...OK then.

Not sure how Satellite Laser works outside the context of VR. But, at least here in the VR Zone, we can send a Satellite Laser into space because...Space exists here? In VR?

This world is weirdly very small but also very big at the same time. It’s like Katamari.

Anyway, that’s all for this episode, next episode we find out if Kaiba will hack a laser for the second time in this series. Also we find out if Joey can jump a sonic-the-hedgehog broken highway with a 3-wheeled European-as-hell Pickup Truck.

Also...close enough?

Pocket camp really needs more yellow sleeveless puff jackets.

And here’s a link to read the recaps in Chrono order from Ep1 S1

[mittensmorgul]

Since your anons are on the subject, there is another nitpick I have always had about 4.1. :) What is the point of Sam and Ruby pretending that Ruby is some random chick in front of Dean and Bobby? Ruby knows who Dean and Bobby are and of course we learn later that Sam has been hooking up with Ruby for a while. Why not just say thanks it’s been real and she leaves. We would find out soon enough that Sam is with the new Ruby, who is 3.0 not the blond 2.0 btw. 1/2

2/2 Then if Dean or Bobby asked who she was, Sam could have just shrugged and blown it off as a deflection since the more important conversation was about Dean’s resurrection. Did Sam and Ruby discuss a plan in advance that if Bobby or anyone they knew met up with them at any unannounced time, just pretend she is a one night stand kind of stranger? And why would she act like they are the pizza delivery people too right when she opened the door? Why not say hey Sam, you’ve got company? Weird!

Really 3/3, sorry! Since it would have been a surprise to Ruby that Dean returned, some reaction to that makes more sense even ever so slightly, than acting like she thought they were delivering pizza. She would recognize them but they would not recognize her in her new meat suit. Ok, I’m done! LOL!Hi hi! (I saw these messages come in earlier just as I was leaving the house, so I’ve been thinking about this for hours now... :P)

First off, this is Ruby 2.0 (there have only ever been two “main Rubys.” 1.0 was Katie Cassidy (blonde Ruby), and then Gen in s4. there were two “temporary Rubys” in 4.09-- the woman she possessed when she first returned to Sam who he insisted she stop possessing immediately when she went and found an unoccupied vessel (Gen), as well as the housekeeper at the motel she possessed for “a hot minute” to deliver the message to Sam and Dean.

Okay, now that we have our Rubys all sorted. :P

We-the-audience don’t know the girl in Sam’s motel room is Ruby at first, either. That’s a “surprise” they spring on us near the end of the episode. As Dean finally summons his angel, we get confirmation that Sam’s been siding with a demon all along.

We learn about just how much Ruby has wormed her way into Sam’s life, and just how she manipulated him into trusting her as the season progresses, but we don’t know the full extent of his dependence on her until MUCH later in the season. It’s a progression of creeping horror that you almost don’t see happening because it’s all just so gradual, until the betrayal is complete in 4.22. And it starts with small deceptions...

She’d spent a very long time building up Sam’s trust, and Dean returning was great for Sam in some ways, but heck if there wasn’t an aspect of scrambling to hide the porn under the mattress when your parent walks into your room, you know? Sam had even been out of touch with BOBBY for MONTHS at this point. 

When Dean first gets to Bobby’s and asks about Sam:

BOBBY: Oh, he's alive. As far as I know.DEAN: Good.... Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?BOBBY: I haven't talked to him for months.DEAN: You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?BOBBY: He was dead set on it.

Because Sam KNEW that working with Ruby was suspicious at best and outright wrong at worst. I mean, here’s a chat between Sam and Dean later in 4.01:

DEAN: Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?SAM: Dead. For now.DEAN: (bites his lip, like he's not sure he wants to ask) So you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?SAM: No.DEAN: You sure about that? Well, I mean, now that you've got... immunity, whatever the hell that is... just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on.SAM: Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish.DEAN: Yeah, well, let's keep it that way.

He lies about Ruby AND using his “freaky ESP stuff,” because IT WAS PRACTICALLY DEAN’S DYING WISH. And yet... he’s been seeing Ruby and using his powers practically the whole time Dean’s been gone.

In 3.16, Dean essentially called the whole of s4 regarding Ruby:

DEAN: Come on man, she is the Miss Universe of lying skanks, okay. She told you that she could save me, huh – lie. She seems to know everything about Lilith but forgot to mention, oh right – Lilith owns my soul!SAM: Okay, fine. She's a liar. She's still got that knife.BOBBY: Dean.DEAN: For all we know, she works for Lilith.

But now that Dean’s at the end of the line, and Sam will be more vulnerable to her influence once Dean’s dead and out of the way... She tried to bargain with Sam in 13.16, telling him that he had the power to save Dean:

RUBY: Sam, you've got some God-given talent. Well, not "God"-given but you get the gist. SAM: All that psychic crap? That's gone ever since Yellow-Eyes died. RUBY: Not gone, dormant. And not just visions either. Why do you think Lilith is so scared of you? SAM: Right... she's scared of me. RUBY: If you wanted, you could wipe her off the map without moving a muscle.

(which is what he eventually does in 4.22, because that had been their entire plan all along).

I mean, we know how Ruby manipulates. She set up the entire situation in 3.12 at the police station just to prove that she was right-- that people died because Sam and Dean refused to listen to her advice. And that’s what happened again in 3.16, at least the way she explained it to Sam after the fact. But it was ALL a manipulation, to convince Sam to trust her and not Dean.

She used Sam’s desire to save people to lure him into becoming dependent on drinking demon blood, into strengthening his powers until he could kill demons by 4.16. Meanwhile Dean’s being told by the angels that Sam needs to cease his “extracurricular activities,” which Dean discovers in 4.04 when he sees Sam exorcise a demon with Ruby.

I’d pull the quotes from 4.04, but honestly that entire scene from “if I didn’t know you, I’d wanna hunt you” right through Dean telling Sam that an angel told Dean to stop Sam from doing what he was doing... and I mean... it explains why Sam had been lying to Dean about it. Dean even ASKED him point blank: “Well, tell me. If it's so terrific... then why'd you lie about it to me?“ And Sam doesn’t have an answer for that.

So yeah, that’s another part of why he didn’t introduce Ruby to Dean immediately in 4,01. I think he needed some time to figure out how the heck to even explain just how “far off the reservation” he’d gone while Dean had been in Hell.

Ruby does start trying to win Dean over in small ways, but she spends far more time manipulating Sam into trusting Dean less and less. She makes a just enough inroads with Dean for Sam to at least wonder if Dean was just being unreasonable in his dislike of Ruby and her methods, and if Ruby was right about Sam knowing better, being stronger, being more capable of Dean, and being “morally in the right” for using his powers the way she instructed him to.

Because that was the rub, wasn’t it? The only way for Ruby to eventually be able to convince Sam to sacrifice an innocent human in order to kill Lilith, to go through with breaking the final seal, was to convince Sam that it was the morally justified thing to do.

And it was all lies.

We-the-audience only find out how Sam’s been building up his powers in 4.16-- by drinking Ruby’s blood. And we see just how shaky and strung out he gets when she withholds it from him in 4.20. He’s too weak to even focus on keeping Jimmy safe, until Dean and Cas find out in horrific fashion when Sam drinks down some random demon to power himself up during a fight. Sure he saves Amelia’s life, but yeeessssshhhh.

This is all... super dark for Sam. This is addiction, you know? That’s how his behavior is framed, from keeping his association with Ruby secret from his loved ones right on through detox, relapse, and ultimately overdose.

My guess on how she answered the door in 4.01? I think, first of all, that Ruby knew all along that Dean would be back. She would’ve known just as Alastair did about the Righteous Man breaking the first seal in Hell, and likely the fact that Dean would be resurrected. That’s why all the demons Sam and Ruby had been “tracking” suddenly converged on Pontiac... Like Ruby said in 4.02, it was cosmic... She also planted a seed of doubt about angels in Sam’s head, mainly just by being terrified of them (seemingly...)

But Sam had been keeping his distance from Bobby, because Bobby would’ve sussed out the fact that Ruby was a demon, if not that she was the same Ruby he already knew, in short order. If the two of them had been traveling together for several months at that point, it only made sense that they would have a “code word” for “hey there’s hunters here.” Which was probably something about pizza... We already know that Sam and Dean had used code words like that (Poughkeepsie, Funkytown, etc.). But Sam, a hunter working with a demon, who might run across other hunters who would like to exorcise or kill that demon, or kill Sam for the audacity of working with a demon... I mean, he’s already under suspicion from the larger hunting community as demonstrated by Gordon Walker, Kubrick, and Creedy. And as Ellen warned them way back in s2, other hunters were smart enough to piece stuff like that together for themselves...

Sam had been living a doubly risky life during his summer with Ruby, and until he figured out how the heck to adapt to Dean suddenly being back, he wasn’t gonna be just spitting out just how far he’d fallen, you know?

[ss-staubrey]

Auction

Omega Beta Zeta’s charity auction was one of the biggest annual fundraisers by a Barden student group. Stacie had heard about the auction from the older girls, but she hadn’t expect the turnout to be this large. Fidgeting nervously, she peeked from behind the curtain as the bids for the girl before her went up to a hundred dollars. She hoped she could bring in just as much, not that she doubted her appeal, but being a freshman meant she went after all of the older girls were bid on, emptying people’s pockets before they could even see her.

Stacie wasn’t thrilled when she found out about the fact that they were auctioning themselves, but the girls were quick to assure her that it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Only Barden students could bid on her, and they couldn’t ask her to do anything illegal, ask her to wear anything specific, or touch her. Most of the bidders were boys from Barden’s fraternities and they knew that, if either of them got out of line they would be severely punished, not to mention risk losing their charter. So guys mostly asked for the girls to do their chores or help them study for a class.

The auctioneer, their chapter president, closed the bidding for the girl at one hundred and eighty dollars, leading her off the stage and starting Stacie’s introduction. After letting out a nervous breath, Stacie smiled broadly and stepped onto the stage, waving at the audience which she, thankfully, couldn’t see well because of the spotlights on her.

She relaxed a little when the bidding started way over the twenty dollars the auctioneer suggested, quickly escalating and reaching three hundred dollars when two particularly stubborn frat boys started trying to outbid each other, and ending when one of them shouted his final five hundred dollar bid. Stacie chuckled when the guy whooped loudly, pumping his fists as his frat brothers lifted him up. Blowing a kiss at him, Stacie walked off the stage where a group of her sorority sisters surrounded her immediately to congratulate her.

The excitement over the successful auction passed quickly, and Stacie started dreading the day the guy, Howie apparently, was set to pick her up. Stacie fretted over what to wear, not wanting to wear something too revealing so he didn’t get the wrong idea, but looking good enough so that he wouldn’t feel like he overpaid. She finally decided on yoga pants and a t-shirt, in case whatever he asked her to do required something more comfortable than jeans, but didn’t show off her assets too much.

When the day finally came Stacie was ready to bolt. She was thinking of excuses she could use to get out of it, but her hope that frat boys weren’t punctual were dashed when the doorbell rang right on time and one of the other girls called her to the door. She threw on a hoodie as an afterthought, feeling more comfortable with the extra layer even though it wasn’t particularly cold out.

Stacie jogged down the stairs, taking a breath before opening the door and freezing when she found a girl on the other side. “Hi.” The girl at the door was a really hot blonde, gorgeous eyes, and looked a little bit confused. “I’m Stacie and… you’re not that frat guy.”

“No, I won a bet and I got whatever he got at this auction.” The girl frowned and handed her the ticket they gave all the auction winners. “What did he buy exactly?”

“Me!” Stacie grinned broadly, feeling like she’d won the lottery. Not only did she not have to hang out with a sleazy frat guy, but she got to hang out with a really hot girl who clearly had no idea what she was getting into. She took off her hoodie since she didn’t need it anymore, throwing it over her shoulder and stepping outside, closing the door and leading the girl down the porch steps. “For whatever you want. As long as it’s legal.”

“What?”

The girl stopped, forcing Stacie to turn. She quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. “I guess if you can assure me we won’t get caught…” She suspected she’d be willing to do a lot for this girl if she asked.

“No, that’s-” She shook her head and Stacie found her incredibly adorable in her confusion. “What do you mean he bought you?”

“He didn’t buy me.” Stacie knew how that sounded and rolled her eyes at the whole situation. “It’s more like a rental. We usually just help them with their homework or chores.”

The girl arched an eyebrow. “So you do this a lot?”

“You’d be surprised how much frat boys are willing to pay to have a cute girl wash their car. And all the money goes to charity.” Stacie shrugged, lifting herself onto her toes and smiled. “So, I’m all yours.”

“Starting now?” Stacie nodded. “Okay… I’m Aubrey.” Aubrey shook her hand and gave her a small smile, Stacie’s heart fluttering happily. She was suddenly really glad she’d participated in the auction. “Let’s go.”

Aubrey turned and Stacie walked after her, skipping for a few steps to catch up. “Where are we going?”

“Rehearsal, then home.”

“Rehearsal?”

Aubrey looked at her over her shoulder and nodded. “I the captain of the Bellas.”

Stacie had heard about the Bellas from the other girls, but she didn’t know much about them. “Oh right, that singing group.”

Aubrey scrunched up her nose and Stacie could tell she was stopping herself from saying something. Instead, Aubrey kept walking to the other side of campus.

“How much cardio do you do?”

“Cardio?” Maybe she wasn’t so excited about this anymore.

“I assume you exercise. I mean, with your… You look…” Aubrey blushed and walked a little bit faster, making Stacie smirk, at least now she knew she’d had an effect on her too which meant she wasn’t totally straight. “I just thought you could help with cardio while I go over the routine with Chloe.”

“Sure.” Stacie jogged for a few seconds to catch up, not really happy with whatever helping with cardio meant, but more importantly... “Who’s Chloe?”

“My co-captain.” Aubrey stopped when they got a door to a building Stacie had never been in, her hand stopping short of the doorknob before turning back to face her. “The girls can be a bit much sometimes, just don’t let them know you’re nervous.”

If Aubrey thought that made her less nervous, she was wrong but, before she could ask anything, Aubrey opened the door and led her into a large space where a group of girls were already waiting.

“Everyone, this is Stacie. She’s gonna be helping us today.”

Stacie waved awkwardly at the girls looking at her scrutinizingly.

A loud girl with an accent was the first one to talk. “Are you dating her?”

“No!”

“Why not?” Fat Amy asked.

Cynthia Rose nodded. “She’s hot.”

Aubrey sighed. “We’re not dating, we just met.”

Stacie smirked, satisfied by the fact that Aubrey dating a girl wasn’t a wild idea to her friends, and that her reason for not dating her was that they just met, meaning she had a chance.

The girls looked at each other confused. “Did you buy her?”

“No!”

“Sort of.” Stacie answered at the same time, endlessly amused by this conversation and Aubrey’s blatant uncomfortableness.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. “I won her on a bet.”

“Is that legal?” Beca shook her head confused.

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose and Stacie chuckled, stepping forward, figuring she could earn some brownie points if she explained. “I auctioned myself for charity, the guy who bid for me lost a bet to Aubrey so now I’m here.”

“Nice, is she for everyone?”

“She’s not.” Aubrey stepped between Stacie and the rest of the girls and Stacie felt strangely pleased by Aubrey’s possessiveness. “She’s just gonna help with rehearsal and with some stuff at the house. Now, we’ve wasted enough time so if that’s all…” She turned to Stacie and talked under her breath. “Just go up and down around the bleachers for a while. Don’t let them slack off.” She turned back to face the Bellas and clapped. “Alright, follow Stacie around the bleachers while Chloe and I go over the routine for regionals.”

Stacie couldn’t stop thinking about Aubrey all week. Yes, she might have suffered a bit running up and down those bleachers, and weeding her back yard hadn’t been the most entertaining thing she could’ve come up with, but Aubrey being there the whole time made it bearable. Aside from being super hot, Aubrey was smart and funny and Stacie really wanted to see her again, but she didn’t know how Aubrey would feel about that.

Stacie wasn’t one to be insecure, usually, but she needed more time with Aubrey before she made her move; and since Aubrey hadn’t known what the original terms of the auction were, she decided to pretend like she was still supposed to help her with things, hoping she wouldn’t get too suspicious.

Aubrey had mentioned she liked the coffee shop by the Bella house so Stacie stopped by before going over. The guy at the register knew who Aubrey was right away, giving her usual to Stacie who then made her way to the house, smiling broadly when Aubrey opened the door. “Reporting for duty?”

Aubrey looked surprised to find her there, but she grabbed the coffee Stacie held out and led her outside.

Aubrey hummed, looking at the front of the house for a while and finally pointed at the front. “I guess the windows need washing, I’ll go get a bucket and sponges.”

Stacie watched her walk away with a smile, happy at how easy Aubrey had accepted her presence there and hoping it meant that Aubrey would be open to going out with her, she just needed to find the right time to ask her, or find more reasons to spend time with her.

“Your shutters could use a new coat of paint.” Stacie commented as she wiped down the pane next to Aubrey’s.

Aubrey glanced at the shutters and nodded. “I guess.” She grabbed her sponge and dunked it in the bucket. “I don’t think we have paint.”

“I’m pretty sure there are places where they sell it.”

“Smartass.”

Aubrey lifted her sponge and waved it at Stacie making her gasp when the cold water hit her.

“You do not want to do that,” Stacie said threateningly.

“I’m so scared.” Aubrey waved her sponge again, squeezing it to get more water out.

Stacie narrowed her eyes, throwing her sponge at Aubrey’s chest, landing with a wet splat before falling to the ground.

Aubrey’s mouth opened in shock, frozen for a few seconds before she grabbed the bucket and lifted it, trying to pour the water on Stacie. Stacie grabbed her arms, keeping her from tipping it over, the water sloshing back and forth and getting them both wet, until Aubrey managed to turn it over, but Stacie was keeping her close and a lot of it landed on her too.

Aubrey let go of the bucket and jumped back, shaking off some of the water while Stacie laughed, pushing her now soaking wet hair away from her face. She looked up at Aubrey, panting. She could feel her shirt sticking to her chest and stomach and noticed Aubrey looking at it.

Aubrey took a step closer. “We should change.”

Stacie felt a shiver run down her spine at the look in Aubrey’s eyes and ran the tips of her fingers down Aubrey’s forearm, tugging her closer by the wrist and nodding.

“Bree, we need to leave for rehearsal now.” Chloe yelled from the front of the house

Aubrey jumped back and looked over Stacie’s shoulder. “I’ll be right there.”

Stacie didn’t really get how she got herself in this situation. Yes, Aubrey was amazing and hot, but Stacie had never gone to these lengths to get someone to go out with her. She usually didn’t have to do anything, she just showed up and people lined up. And now here she was, on her third weekend of doing chores at the Bella house, on top of a ladder cleaning the gutters with only an almost kiss to show for it.

The weather had helped today, allowing her to wear her shortest pair of shorts she could find in her closet and a shirt so tight it wouldn’t stick to her more if it was wet. Aubrey had been practically drooling ever since she’d shown up. She just wished there was less actual work involved and more spending time with Aubrey.

There was a particularly annoying cluster of leaves stuck on one side. Stacie tried freeing it but it wasn’t coming out. She pulled harder, cursing when it stubbornly refused to move.

She heard Aubrey chuckle “Wanna take a break?”

Stacie turned to look at her, wiping her brow with the back of her forearm and leaning with her other arm on the gutter. “I wanted to finish this early so we had time to go buy the paint for the shutters?”

“You want to do that today?”

Stacie shrugged. “We can go tomorrow if you don’t have plans.”

Aubrey tilted her head. “You don’t have plans?”

“I told you, I’m all yours.” She smiled warmly, squinting down at Aubrey and wrinkling her nose.

“Well, do you want some water? It’s pretty hot out here, you look…” She stopped, biting her lip and looking down at her feet blushing.

Stacie smiled, deciding to get off the ladder and turning to look at Aubrey with a seductive smile. “I look hot?”

Aubrey shook her head noncommittally. “You look like you could use some cold water.”

Stacie leaned down, resting her hands on the armrests of Aubrey’s lawnchair. “I am feeling a bit heated.” She licked her lips and leaned closer. “Aubrey, did you know that the deal from the auction was just for one weekend?”

Aubrey frowned confused. “Then why did you come back twice?”

“I really like cleaning gutters.” Stacie deadpanned, chuckling when Aubrey’s frown deepened. “And I wanted an excuse to hang out with you.”

Aubrey grinned, lifting her hand to trace the edge of the collar of Stacie’s t-shirt. “You could ask me out.”

“I could.” Stacie nodded, her skin tingling from Aubrey’s touch. “But then your shutters will never get painted.”

“You could still do it.”

Stacie leaned closer, her nose bumping against Aubrey’s. “I wouldn’t do it for free.”

Aubrey tilted up her chin, her lips almost brushing Stacie’s. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

Leaning down, Stacie pressed her lips against Aubrey’s softly. Aubrey straightened up, covering one of Stacie’s hands on the chair and cupping Stacie’s cheek with her free hand, sighing against Stacie’s lips and deepening the kiss.

Stacie pulled back smiling. “I might need a little more convincing.”