#hmmmm. what else. it was all very good. OH YEAH there was an exhibition of old instruments in one place

[seaofreverie]

I'm back from my trip and ready to return to the drawing things for Sparkstember grind, I mean, well, I need to rest first for even a little bit and also get used to having more than 1 hour of free time a day tops. Yeag it's been kind of intense but still a great adventure and a good time. And most importantly, I have this photo from it

[danveresque]

SO! A while back I watched this smashing show called Guardian. Seeing as Twitter is imploding or something at the moment, here is that thread of tweets as I really did rather enjoy that show.

To begin my #Guardian thread, I'd just like to say, helloooooo motor-bike guy, I am already hoping you're going to be ruffling up that neat neat Shen Wei chap.

2. [enters the Special Investigations Department of the #Guardian]. Uh oh.

3. Just #GuardianEpisode1 and 2 dudes stroking a cat between them

4. Oh no

5. Ugh. Zhao Yunlan sitting on desks and sucking lollipops and being all heeey I'm so cool. Which he is. I'm already #teamthisguy. Dear Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan looks like the kind of person who is going to hear you call yourself ordinary and respond by assuming the opposite is true.

6. The opposite of that look is true

7. Unh??? 0.0 Hmmm

8. Whatwhatwhat???

9. Yeah, I mean, I'll just watch however many episodes of whatever's happening here

10. I like how the first ten minutes of #GuardianEpisode2 seem to be Zhao Yunlan trying to find out if Shen Wei is single and them arranging to go out on a date, or at least I think that's what happened. #Guardian

11. So #GuardianEpisode2 really gives me Merlin vibes, with Shen Wei disappearing in order to magic. Zhao Yunlan also has an Arthuresque leadership style (brash and confident). The episode plot with Li Qian and her grandmother tho. Very moving. Is Chu the Han Ying to SW's ZZS? :D

12. The only thing I care about in #GuardianEpisode3 is this scene. And all the other scenes with these two. #Guardian

13. Watching #GuardianEpisode4 (it's taking a while because I'm also watching the Hot Neighbour Does Mundane Things And Somehow Makes Them Hot show). Once again, it's making me think of Sanctuary a lot.

14. No need to walk that close, no need at all. #GuardianEpisode4

15. Exhibit A: Longing face #GuardianEpisode4

16. That was a very long walk in the park scene. I approve. #GuardianEpisode4

17. Me watching Zhao Yunlan tell Shen Wei off for pricking his finger: Gooood. Verry goood. #GuardianEpisode4

18. Oh noes, I made him mad face. Wonderful #GuardianEpisode4

19. This era, whenever it is, must be what all the fic is about, right? #GuardianEpisode4

20. In #GuardianEpisode5, a question the audience already has the answer to is asked.

21. Apparently this show has some pretty dodgy CGI, but watching #GuardianEpisode6, I didn't really notice that to be the case...

22. Every show has a bunch of episodes that are THE EPISODES, the ones that establish canon (as in an actual canon that fires heavy balls of fic-plotting into fandom). #GuardianEpisode7 must absolutely be one of those canon balls.

23. Oh man, I adore this scene. ADORE.

24. Okay. #GuardianEpisode8 is THE EPISODE of THE EPISODES. Shen Wei being so mad at Zhao Yunlan self-neglect is so gooood. Also, him trying not to hurl every time he opens the fridge is hi-larious.

25. This scene though is so SO good because only someone who loves you will ever get THAT mad at you for neglecting yourself. And therefore...Shen Wei has loved this man

26. Mmm yes, more #Guardian time. Now the bar has been set and it is called "my fave episode, episode 9". Even #GuardianEpisode10 doesn't raise the bar just yet. Also Zhao Yunlan is SO annoying I love him he is my favourite LOOK AFTER YOURSELF BETTER YOU IDIOT dreamboat

27. Ah yes, I has developed gut feelings about my fave, which is why as soon as I saw that jacket on him, I was like, hmmmm 🧐 And then I was like aaahhhh 🥰 And Shei Wen was like 😶

28. Yeah, #GuardianEpisode11 kicked the bar so hard it hit my face and gave me a nosebleed. Shen Wei drinking for Zhao Yunlan because who else is going to stop this idiot from being an idiot? 😭 And then and then and then 😭

29. Fucking hell I absolutely adore this show. #GuardianEpisode12 is all about known unknowns and a little dance of pretending and guessing. I love this scene. I have included my fanficcer reaction at the end.

30. Errmahgad. #GuardianEpisode13 was 😍 All those moments Shen Wei looked like he was going to crack under the strain of however many years he's been carrying around his secrets and his feelings. And Zhao Yunlan's frustration at the beginning of the ep was just 👌 Love this episode

31. Perfect. They're living across the hall *and* working together in #GuardianEpisode14. There must be at least a 1000 fics devoted to just this episode (please). I need that #Guardian translation yesterday.

32. Have glomped another 8 episodes of #Guardian. Fave bits upcoming. In #GuardianEpisode15 we have Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan hanging out glasses and shoes off all cozy like, and then Zhao Yunlan talking about repaying debts, making Shen Wei swallow nervously 😏

33. Also in this episode Old Chu brooding at Olympic level which was just lovely. I particularly liked tho that Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan feel even more joint at the hip in this episode.

34. In #GuardianEpisode16 Zhao Daddy turns up. Typical that carefree flippant guys are the product of dicks for dads. Loved the time in Dixing, which is an intense place. Particularly enjoyed Zhao Yunlan in peril the entire time he was in Dixing and loved the flirting pillar.

35. In #GuardianEpisode17 as sad as Zhao Yunlan's backstory was, my Ghostbusters related love of fireman's poles (shut up) was stoked by the fact that Zhao Yunlan has one that goes from the library to his office. I want that for my next job, a library-to-office pole.

36. As much as I do like Old Chu and his biceps and brooding, #GuardianEpisode18 was probably the first ep where my concentration wavered because I'm just 100% only obsessed with WeiLan and occasionally find catboy very amusing and obviously Chuceps and Chubrooding.

37. I do not remember anything about #GuardianEpisode19 other than this scene and it's because I don't want to or need to remember anything else about this episode except for how angry Shen Wei is with this idiot he clearly loves beyond measure.

38. AND THEN #GUARDIANEPISODE20. Omg. Ye Zun. [whispers] omg. Also, Zhao Yunlan may or may not have known how Shen Wei would come, but he knew Shen Wei would come. 🤗

39. In #GuardianEpisode21 Zhao Yunlan is blind and Shen Wei walks around looking even more of a pressure cooker than usual. 10,000 years of feelings clammed up inside him while he watches Zhao Yunlan act like a dick on the regular, probably wanting to both kiss and throttle him 😏

40. In #GuardianEpisode22 when the doctor asks Shen Wei to kneel 😶 Shen Wei doing this for Zhao Yunlan's sake says a lot. But kneeling is nothing. Shen Wei would probably do anything for Zhao Yunlan 😭

41. THIS SCENE in #GuardianEpisode23! I saw this scene floating around Twitter ages ago and wondered what gay movie it was from. Now I know which gay movie it's from. Also, OMG, THIS SCENE. Oh Shen Wei [sad-face sigh]. He would do anything for Zhao Yunlan [shakes head, searching AO3]

42. I'm over halfway through #Guardian now and very sad about it almost being over :( There's so much I love about this show: the main pair and their history, the team, the little team HQ, the weekly case. Top comfort telly. Also, I love this thread: https://twitter.com/ladysisyphus/status/1503784153178947591

43. So #GuardianEpisode24 felt very filler-ep but with some nice bits (Zhao Yunlan really defeated his mind-controlled team with a feather duster 😂). Love the fact Shen Wei just seems to be living with Zhao Yunlan these days. The bomb disposal scene was a nice moment too 😏

44. Ok. #GuardianEpisode25 was quite a wild ride. But at least Zhao Yunlan pointed out that Shen Wei practically lives with him. Also there was this.

45. There's a lot to talk about in #GuardianEpisode26 (Daqing remembering Kunlun, Shen Wei seeing someone he killed and being all 'oh, glad to see you alive'), but my brain pretty much ground to a halt here. He just gonna sit there and watch over him. Right 😭

45. I do like Lin Jing and this was a nice episode for his character (quite sweet actually). But I would be lying if I said I cared about anything in #GuardianEpisode27 other than this (whispers: because you are two sides of the same coiiin...maybeee?)

46. Poor Zhao Yunlan in #GuardianEpisode28 with his dad missing and omg Shen Wei is not healing, this is it, this is the road to the inevitable miserable ending. But at least Shen Wei is back to being a good bro watching over his stupid bro. I hate this show 😭

47. Oh it's all kicking off in #GuardianEpisode29. Ye Zun is gearing up to be a pain in the butt (also, I love me an energy monster promising peril for all, delicious). There's also this bro kiss before everything goes tits up I'm guessing.

48. Lin Jing nooooooooooooooooo ;_: Waaaaait a second. Has he gone double double agent? I can see Zhao Yunlan patting himself on the back for a plan like that. Also, Shen Wei nooooooooo. Everything is falling apart. Love it. Gowan Ye Zun. #GuardianEpisode30.

49. Aww #GuardianEpisode31 was good. Poor Zhu Hong. She said how she felt and Zhao Yunlun was not a jerk about it. I dunno, I really liked this episode, it was soft. Also the fact that she asked whether she could never take Shen Wei's place in his heart? That was wow.

50. Eps 32 & 33 of #Guardian were awesome. Chu is very much a Teal'c character. Strong & silent and any humour comes from his masculinity. But then on character-centric eps it's A game. Chu's grief and emotional chaos is devastating. I was glued to the screen. Mingyang Jiang is fab.

51. Just rewatching #GuardianEpisode33 and love this scene 🥰

52. Aw, #GuardianEpisode34 opens with some sad-sweet Chu/Xia Guo 😥 And they're shutting down the SID! Oh man, the unravelling continues. Of course Zhao Yunlan is going to go get the Hallows and get into peril. eye twitches at number of episodes remaining

53. Remarkable. Zhu Zhilong seems to with bare minimum effort create a whole new vibe with Ye Zun. The smile, the gait (me walking to A03 looking for Ye Zun/Zhao Yunlun). This bit tho 😆 Is this what Ye Zun thinks goes on between Shen Wei and his BF? Love it!

54. Has reached the end of #GuardianEpisode34 and Is unable to compose coherent tweet at this time without saying things like WHAT? WHAAAAAAAAAT? Is this less or more sad than what I had envisioned? Whaaaaaat...

55. Send help. I have been kniiiiiiived [sigh] Oh Shen Wei 😭

56. Me trying to work today: Oh man, I think Shen Wei took a total of five minutes to fall in love with Zhao Yunlun. And why not? I would have. Dropping through a wormhole made Zhao Yunlan about trillion times even more charming than usual. #Guardian has fucked up my whole week.

57. Just watched #GuardianEpisode35 and I think from here to the end I'm just going to be sighing and saying 'Shen Wei' alot. Also, Zhao Yunlan must have fallen in love twice. Once with Prof Shen Wei, and once with this sweet bebe envoy.

58. I am charmed by this show I tell you, charmed

59. This guy literally held onto a scrap of Zhao Yunlan. He literally gathered the dust from Yunlan's feet as a memento. 10,000 years of hero worship. [makes motion of knifing self]

60. Oh Ye Zun. #GuardianEpisode36 truly giveth with the cane wielding smirky villain. Absolute Loki vibes. [sighs] Can't believe I'll be reading all the Ye Zun/Zhao Yunlun fic before the Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlun/Kunlun fic. Actually, no, that's pretty on brand, I can believe it.

61. Xia Guo has the absolute most miserable super power poor thing. Of course Zhao Yunlun had the lantern amongst random tat. Lin Jing, world wide handsome of SID, literally somewhere inside of Ye Zun 🤣 Luvvit! #GuardianEpisode37

62. There's a lot of good stuff in #GuardianEpiside38 in terms of team and peripheral characters and overall arc. But do I give two fucks about this? No, because THIS

63. I love #GuardianEpiside39. There's so much good stuff in this from the opening with Zhao Yunlun just losing it over Shen Wei, then the good guy/bad guy tango between him and Ye Zun, ending with TeamSID back by his side. Below tho, I could watch two seasons of that back and forth.

64. Oh ffs Zhao Yunlun, we all know who would be so stupid. It's you! You are stupid! 😭

65. Well that's it, #GuardianEpisode40 is over. What to say. Okay, it's not the most polished thing ever. There are some things that clearly got changed in post-production for whatever reasons which stick out. The CGI, sure. But, I really have zero shits for any of that.

66. I love #Guardian whole-heartedly. I love the cast/characters. I love the format with a team and their cool HQ, and some mysterious guy becoming a kind of member of that team. The primary characters have so much charisma and chemistry to boot, you can't help but love them.

67. Though the overall arc is important and the cases drive the series forward, it was the interpersonal relationships that made me watch, and the fact that those relationships are given time. Characters being tender with each other is my kink ok? This show has a ton of it.

68. Then there is #WeiLan. I love the idea of Zhao Yunlun having some odd sense of the future (maybe it's a collapsing universe and things run backwards and remembers the future). Zhao Yunlun as Kunlun is just...I dunno, it just seems obvious that Shen Wei would be instantly besotted

69. I also have this obsessive thought that after meeting the sweet bebe envoy, Zhao Yunlun sees more of the man he left behind and less of the professor (whilst seeing both). It seems that Shen Wei charms him twice, but harder on the second first meeting.

70. Anyway, many thoughts, many fics to read, cannot wait. To reiterate, love the show. It gave me a lot of Merlin vibes as in all the flaws were more than made up for by performances. The ending was beautifully tragic, but it's ok, they will find each other again, right? Right??

71. And so ends my #Guardian thread. Some of my fave bits below.

[astermacguffin]

Okay. I warn y'all that this is very much a Poast™. This is another one of Those Poasts™. You have been warned.

I very much blame (affectionate) @autisticandroids for this, since this is pretty much me trying to combine as many concepts as possible from the #mpregpocalypse tag.

In this au, Cas is pretty much just collecting babies left and right. The following stuff are all simultaneously true in this spn mpreg rewrite:

- Cas absorbs the deanlisa baby and carries the child himself. This is his first pregnancy. This is also the most "monstrous" of his children because of the godstiel stuff and the leviathans.

- For maximum effect, I don't want Cas to give birth just yet. I want Benny to see Cas with the baby bump and put the dots together in his head. I want Cas to give birth alone, after Dean and Benny already went through the rift. I want Naomi to take Cas out of purgatory and leave his child alone there. I want Cas to grieve for the loss of his child when he remembers. (We'll go back to this in the future.)

- Dean fucks Casifer at one point and impregnates Cas' body. (I mean, with Casifer peeling off his layers and thotting up the place while in the bunker? Not surprising tbh.) NOTE. I wanna be clear with something: this baby is Dean and Lucifer's nephil. I mean, biologically it's a Destiel baby, but with Cas' grace growing weaker and him being possessed by Lucifer, in terms of grace this is pretty much Lucifer's nephil. (But also not??? Because what allowed the conception to happen in the first place is Cas wanting it SO BAD.)

- No one else notices the conception of this baby because Cas hides it within himself (the same way he did with the deanlisa baby) and pauses the pregnancy at will.

- When Cas meets Kelly, they are very much BOTH pregnant with Lucifer's kid. Remember that screenshot where they both look pregnant and bonding about their babies? Yeah, this is inspired by that. When Cas touches Kelly's baby bump and they like soulbond or whatever, Kelly looks at him and goes "oh you're pregnant too?"

- Cas tells him that it's Dean's child, but leaves out the Lucifer part. They already have one Lucifer nephil in danger, he doesn't need anyone else knowing this secret (especially since he hid the nature of this child so well for so long). Kelly thinks he's hiding it because of the Dean part.

- They both know Kelly's not gonna survive giving birth, so they already have a plan: Cas will transfer the pregnancy to himself when it's almost time for Jack to come out (the same way he did with the deanlisa baby). Cas is confident that he'll survive what Kelly cannot. (His hubris, of course, always tend to bite him back.) Dean, Mary, and Sam arrive just in time to see Cas pregnant and about to give birth. Kelly catches them up on the plot.

- Cas dies of childbirth due to an unexpected complication: the pregnancy transfer triggers the birth of the other child inside him, which makes him give birth to TWO children. The strength of the explosion unfortunately kills both him and Kelly, rendering Cas' sacrifice as pointless. (As much as I wanna keep Kelly alive, the point of this au is to inflict as much damage as possible)

- Lucifer and Mary still get stuck in Apocalypse world, and now Dean and Sam have to care for TWO children, one of which is Jack (who still grows quickly) and...another baby? They have no idea who the fuck this baby is until they find two videos: one made by Kelly and one by Cas (a backup plan they made just in case one or both of them don't survive).

- In the video, Cas reveals that the child is his and Dean's nephil (again, removing the Lucifer part). Dean just takes it in stride (since they had enough sex in the later seasons for it to be a genuine possibility) and takes Cas's word.

- In any other scenario, Sam would definitely be teasing Dean for impregnating Cas. But since Cas is dead and they're still grieving, he shelves this conversation for a future time. (With so much plot happening, Sam never finds the right chance and eventually just forgets it. He's just happy that he was right all along.)

- They agree to never let anyone else learn about the baby's nature, which the baby seems to understand as well, choosing to not manifest any angelic abilities. In fact, the baby internalized Cas' instructions to keep all their secrets under wraps that the kid goes selectively mute throughout the series. (I wanna see Eileen teaching ASL to the kid.)

- The two babies scenario works great for two reasons: it satisfies my "give Dean a baby" instinct (that pretty much drives my baby jack truthing) while still keeping Jack the way that he is in canon.

- Dean lets the baby rest on Cas' chest for a short while before wrapping Cas up with the curtains. Both Dean and the baby cry over the body.

- I want to give Jack as many Problems Disorders in this au. I want him to be jealous of the way Dean treats his twin (because they're pretty much twins, right? They have the same grace-father, they got birthed by the same body, so yeah).

- Dean treats the baby with as much care and love while still treating Jack like shit. Sam once calls him out on it and says "Dean, they're both Cas' children." Dean throws out an "I can hardly look at the freak" rant. Jack wakes up Cas from the Empty, yada yada.

More fucked up shit below the cut:

- I wanna keep this as close to canon as I can, so Dean would still exhibit suicidality before Tombstone. You would think that the baby would at least hinder this instinct, but he genuinely believes that he's poison and that everyone he touches dies. (And besides, Sam is good with both Jack and the baby so they won't need me anymore, right?)

- Cas comes back, and things mostly stay the same as in canon (except there's now a baby there, who honestly won't influence much of the plot until later). Dean never really apologized that much to Jack in canon (and I still hate it) but in this au, it would work perfectly. I want Jack to believe that Dean still sees him as a freak, even if he's a bit nicer now that Cas is back. (I can and will put my entire pussy into the Dean-as-John, Jack-as-Sam parallels.)

- When Jack kills Mary, Cas hides it from Dean and Sam. We're going full Torturewife on this one, folks.

- Jack's truth spell forces Cas to confess that (1) Cas hid the fact about Jack's soullessness; (2) Cas lied about Jack killing Mary, and; (3) the Destiel baby is technically a Dean/Lucifer nephil. Chaos fucking ensues.

- Dean has to confront the fact that both of the kids (HIS kids) are Lucifer's spawn.

- Chuck doesn't really care about the baby since it never manifested any powers (yet), unlike Jack (who is a genuine threat to him).

- Moriah happens, Jack dies. (And it's even more fucked up now because despite being soulless, Jack remembers all the insecurities he got from Dean. The "It's okay, I understand" line Jack says to Dean while having a gun pointed to him is sooooooo.) Rupture happens, their divorce is finalized and Cas takes custody of the baby.

- Cas having some father-child bonding with the baby as a breather between all this fucked up stuff.

- The Trap happens, they make up, and oh? Who's this person who helped Cas escape and get the flower? It's the deanlisa baby, but now grown! Together with Emma! She was thankfully found by her big sister, Emma, when she was a baby in purgatory. She had to grow up fast and now they survive together.

- After eating Eve in order to save Cas, the deanlisa child is now technically the new Mother of monsters. Dean explains the Chuck problem, so the two choose to come with them to help.

- Cas never really explained the deanlisa baby, huh? When they get back with their now grown child (and Emma, who doesn't really hold a grudge over the entire Sam killing her thing) and Cas explains, Dean is baffled but takes it in stride. I mean, they just made up! He doesn't wanna fight with him anymore and he wants the family together again!

- They make the two stay with the baby so they'll be safe in the bunker while they try to trap Chuck with the Mark of Cain spell. It fails, of course. (But hey, at least there was sibling bonding time in the bunker.)

- Billie brings back Jack and they formulate a plan (Billie doesn't go evil in this one btw.) They strengthen Jack, Jack knows that he'll be a bomb and is totally fine with it. "Maybe if I do this one good thing, Dean won't see me as a freak anymore." Remember, Jack internalized a lot of the shit Dean said.

- Cas attempts to call out the self-sacrificial bullshit and that Dean actually loves him, but Jack insists. "You would do the same! In fact, you have done the same! (In reference to the Empty deal, which still happens here btw.) I'm just learning from all of you." If there's one thing I'm obsessed about in fics, it's when Jack calls them out for learning martyrdom from team free will.

- Dean finds out about the plan and tries to talk Jack out of it. They have a heart-to-heart, Dean finally fucking apologizes for all the complexes that he's given Jack, and Jack (for the first time) finally believes that Dean doesn't see him as a monster anymore. Jack stops the process so he doesn't become a bomb (but at least he's stronger than he was before).

- They call Billie to come up with an alternative plan. She considers the options, and says an alternative plan would be harder and would require more players in the field. "As long as we don't have to sacrifice any of our loved ones anymore, we're good," Dean says. "I don't think that's an easy request, but we'll try," Billie says, giving a pointed look at Cas. (Hmmmm, wonder how this would come to play later?)

- Billie points out that the destiel baby is in fact not powerless, but is instead choosing to supress their own power. If the child can be convinced to unlock their own capabilities, then perhaps they might stand a better chance at winning.

- They spread out to gather more allies: Sam goes to Rowena, Dean goes to Michael, Billie goes to Gabriel (yes, he's alive here), and the kids stay in the bunker with Cas to try and explore each other's abilities. (Since I hated the Michael-Lucifer nonsense of 15x19, none of that happens here. Lucifer doesn't go back and Michael doesn't betray them.)

- Jack finds out that he can push out all the energy he gathered for the bomb into a one-time-use blast. They find out that the baby can apparently enhance the power of whoever they're holding. And the new Eve apparently has traces of Godstiel/Leviathan still in her after being in the womb with them. (She also spends the time catching up with Cas because they've not seen each other for years.) Emma is just vibing there, adoring her powerful younger siblings and interrogating her father's...husband? Boyfriend? Ex? (She's still confused about their status.)

- This goes just like in S11, and they go all out and attack Chuck together until he's weak enough for Death's scythe. There's one shot where the kids are just holding hands to power each other for Jack to deliver a fatal blow. Billie is just around the corner, ready for the final blow, when Cas turns to Dean.

- "Dean, I need to say something." Cue the 15x18 confession scene, except this time Dean knows about the deal now. So the moment Dean realizes what Cas is doing, he tries to stop him.

- "Stop, please stop. Don't say it, you don't have to say it." Because of course, happiness is in just being, it's in just saying it. And Dean knows what true happiness would do.

- But unfortunately, Cas has to do it. (Billie talked to him about it, and her scythe won't exactly do a clean job with something as powerful as a Chuck-Amara hybrid. I don't know when or why they fused together since the bomb plan was cancelled, but it happened here okay? Yeah. So they need something that is guaranteed to be older and greater than God or the Darkness—the Empty. Billie can only go there, but she can't summon it to be on Earth. Enter Cas' deal.)

- Cas says "I love you," Dean reciprocates, they share a final kiss, and then Billie finally reaps God. The Empty arrives to take Chuck, and Cas shares one final moment with his kids before accepting his fate.

- Billie goes to the Empty to make sure the job was done, and she finally gives the Shadow the sleep that she promised. She uses her scythe on the Shadow, because death is the final slumber. (Of course, you can't exactly kill nothingness; she only destroyed an embodiment/personification of the Empty.)

- Post-fight. They're happy because Chuck is finally defeated but also...Cas. Before they even have the chance to process what the fuck just happened, Billie is back and she has Cas with her. "I just put the Shadow into sleep, so it's not like anyone would notice," she says. The problem is that Cas is still very much asleep. (He still has some grace here btw. Maybe he's not at full angel anymore, but he's not fully human either. There wasn't a need to cut out his grace without warning.)

- Dean and the kids crowd Cas' body. The baby's touch on Cas's shoulder (which burns a mark that parallels Dean's) is what wakes him up. Reunion kiss!

- Happy ending! Michael (with Adam) goes back to heaven to fix things, and they are very much implied to be a couple. Midam rights babyyyyyy! Gabriel goes back to roaming the world and occasionally visits the kids.

- Sam and Eileen organizes a hunter's network and organizes a bunch of safety protocols and rehabilitation projects with the help of the new Eve (which most monsters obey, key word most). Oh, and Saileen definitely swings regularly with Rowena (and occasionally with Gabriel when he's around).

- Emma decides that she likes hanging out with the Wayward Sisters better (and you know what? Good for her). The new Eve decides to hang out there often as well (whenever she isn't busy with monster diplomacy or something).

- When Jack finally feels safe and peaceful enough, he reverts back to his child form. The baby, who has been selectively mute this entire time, holds their brother's face in recognition and utters their first word, which is "JACK!" Dean and Cas cry in joy over this entire exchange. (That's his twin! He missed his twin!)

- They move out of the bunker to get their own house by a lake or something. Whenever the topic of pregnancy comes up again ("Dean, when do you want another baby again?"), they can now playfully joke about it and Dean says something like "Don't steal someone else's baby again, okay? The next baby to be inside you needs to be mine." They're both stupidly horny about the subject, I hate them so much.

- Whenever there's an important event, they all celebrate it in the bunker for the extra space (because their family is, indeed, very large). END.

There's something poetic to me about the Empty being the one that beats Chuck in this mpreg rewrite because technically, the Empty is the Original Womb that gave birth to God. It it the nothingness of potential, the dark water of pregnant beginnings.

All this talk about the Empty and stuff also made me stop and think about the metaphysics of spn. The fact that the Darkness and the Empty are two distinct entities says something interesting about the metaphysical reality of spn. It doesn't treat darkness as a mere absence of light, a mere nothingness, but rather a thing/substance of its own. It's a very Manichean kind of metaphysics as opposed to a Platonic/Neoplatonic one. (Oh, St. Augustine would probably have a blast trying to unravel whatever the fuck is happening with spn.)

The fact that it's also Cas' free will that brought upon God's demise? Delicious.

(If you're still reading, congratulations for finishing my very long spn mpreg rewrite. Why did you do this to yourself tho.)

(also apologies if I didn't give a name to Jack's siblings. I haven't thought of a good name for them just yet)

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 29: Making a Plan

After school the next day, Ren messaged the group.

Ren: OK. Wanna meet at the access panel?

Ann: Wait, really?

Ren: Yeah. It’s our new hangout.

Ryuji: Wait, WHAT?!

Ren: Well, we can’t use the rooftop anymore.

Ren: Miss Nijima wouldn’t allow it.

Ren: And two of our members don’t even go to school here.

Sumire: Right. That makes sense.

Ryuji: OK, and why the access panel?

Ren: We’ve met there before, and we haven’t run into any problems really.

Ren: And I don’t think it’d be wise to meet at the diner constantly.

Ann: Yeah, I feel ya on that.

Ann: Always ordering food so it won’t get awkward.

Yusuke: I wouldn’t mind that though.

Ryuji: Of course you wouldn’t.

Jose: Did something happen?

Ryuji: Once he started eating last night, he was wolfing everything down like it was going out of style.

Yusuke: How dare you!

Ryuji: ...sorry

Yusuke: You make it sound like I was eating like a pig out of a trough.

Yuuke: When really, I was dining exquisitely.

Yusuke: Every bite had meaning.

Yusuke: I may have eaten fast, but I ate with flourish!

Ryuji: THAT’S what you’re upset about?

Yusuke: Indeed.

Sumire: Well, I also wouldn’t oppose going to a restaurant for the meeting place.

Sumire: But I can see how it would be a bit distracting.

Ren: Well then, it’s settled.

Ren: The access panel it is.

Ryuji: OK. Seeya there.

Ann: Later!

Sumire: Seeya.

Jose: We’ll meet you there.

Yusuke: Indeed.

The thieves gathered their things and left to meet at their new hideout. “Huh. So, this is the hideout” Yusuke said.

“That’s right” Ren replied nonchalantly.

Yusuke looked out the window. “How brazen.”

“Alright, so now what?” Ryuji said. “Do we take the palace today, or what?”

“Well,” Ren began, “I want to do a few things first.”

“OK then” Ryuji said.

“Like what?” Ann asked.

“Well, I called us here today to review the facts of the case before we begin,” Ren said. “This isn’t like Kamoshida where we were sure of everything.”

“The dude’s a dirtbag, what else is there to figure out?” Ryuji said bluntly.

“While that’s true, you all knew Kamoshida well enough to take on his palace” Sumire added. “However, while Jose and I seem to know bits and pieces, the one who knows Madarame the most is Yusuke-senpai.”

“She’s right,” Jose said. “If we understood Madarame better, we might have an advantage in his palace.”

“Plus, there’s also the matter of Kosuke,” Ren added. “Yusuke is the only one who knows him.” They all looked at him to his surprise. “Are you up for it?”

Yusuke got serious. “It’s time I face my inhibitions and awaken myself further.”

“Alright then” Ren said. “Where should we start? Madarame, or Kosuke?”

“I feel like we need to start with Madarame,” Ann said. “After all, Kosuke is only doing what he’s doing because of Madarame.”

“Very well,” Yusuke said. “To the general public, Madarame is an artist that is well-renowned for his mastery of various styles of art.”

“Yeah yeah, but he steals them from his students, we know this,” Ryuji said.

“Ryuji!” Ann said. “We’re doing this to help.”

“Sorry,” Ryuji said. “I just don’t see the point.”

“The point is to know your enemy,” Jose said. “That way, you can take them down more efficiently.”

“Oh. Is that so?” Ryuji said. “Well then, carry on, I guess.”

Ann sighed. “You’re just as much of a meathead as ever.”

“If I may,” Yusuke said. “As you said, Madarame’s public image differentiates from the Madarame I know. Madarame poses himself as a quiet and charming figure, but he has a tendency to unravel with his students.” Yusuke shuttered. “Still, the cruelty I’ve taken from Madarame pales in comparison to the Madarame we saw in the metaverse.”

“His shadow,” Morgana said. “I guess there are things he even hides from his students.”

“I’ll say,” Ryuji said. “That whole business of art is just a means to get rich or teaching the value of art to make people not oppose him makes me sick.”

“Yeah,” Sumire said. “If my coach believed in any of what Madarame said, it wouldn’t be long before we left.”

“Well, unfortunately, a lot of Madarame’s pupils don’t have that luxury” Yusuke said.

“Wait, couldn’t you just live in the dorms at Kosei Yusuke?” Jose asked.

“Ngh. Well, it’s true that I could” Yusuke said. “But… Madarame has been like a father to me my entire life. Giving that up would be one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But since it’s come down to it, I’ll make that decision.”

The thieves smiled. “Way to go Yusuke!” Ann said. “But still… It pisses me off knowing that Madarame takes people like you under his wing. People with nothing in the world. Pretending to be a light in the darkness. And then he just takes it all away.”

“Is that how Kosuke came under the tutelage of Madarame?” Ren asked.

Yusuke hesitated a little bit. “Kosuke’s circumstances are… well… They’re not easy to listen to…”

“Well, I think we’re all used to that kind of thing…” Sumire lamented. “At least somewhat…”

“Very well,” Yusuke said. “Kosuke’s parents were murdered by the yakuza when he was a child. This has affected him greatly. In his teens, he was violent and rambunctious because he couldn’t trust anybody. No one wanted to adopt him, or be friends with him, and he would constantly be under watch by the police. It felt like nothing could reign him in.

However, his art teacher noticed he was quiet and dedicated during art. He happened to be friends with Madarame, and turned Kosuke to him. Eventually, Kosuke calmed down and stopped getting into fights over every little thing.

However, when Kosuke realized what Madarame was doing, he didn’t take it lightly. Most students are upset when they decide that they can’t handle the pressure anymore. But Kosuke took it to a whole new level.”

“I can understand why,” Ann said. “Your source of sanctuary being ripped away from you like that. It sounds just like what Kamoshida did to Shiho.”

“No wonder Kosuke wants Madarame dead so much,” Ryuji added.

“Was this when he found out about the Sayuri?” Ren asked. Everyone was surprised.

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” Yusuke said. “I only heard the Sayuri went missing. This whole ordeal is news to me.”

“Well, I bet the two at least correlated with each other” Jose said.

“So, what do you know about the Sayuri Jose?” Sumire asked. “It seems like it’s going to be the focal point of why Madarame is acting the way he is.”

“Wait, you’re saying the treasure is this Sayuri?” Ryuji asked.

“Huh?” Sumire responded.

“Did we not explain that to you guys? We’re sorry” Ann apologized.

Morgana jumped in. “The palace ruler’s treasure is the thing that distorts a person’s heart. It’s the reason they became who they are.”

“I see,” Jose said.

“So, what can you tell us about the Sayuri?” Ren asked.

Yusuke thought. “Well, it’s one of Madarame’s most well-known works. Its use of technique, as well as the subject matter itself, is nothing short of amazing. I know that whenever I look at it, I feel a wave of positive emotions flow through me. It’s what made me want to become an artist in the first place.”

“Is there a chance Madarame stole this one too?” Ren asked.

“Hmmmmm” Yusuke thought. “Well, from what I’ve heard, Madarame started stealing his student’s art a little bit after that, but I can’t be certain that Madarame stole the Sayuri.”

“I see,” Ren said.

“So, we have our facts in order,” Morgana said.

“Hold on” Ren silenced him. “There’s one other thing I need to know. Yusuke. Is there a chance that Kosuke would go back on his word?”

“What do you mean?” Yusuke said.

“He told us that he would do the deed on the final day of the exhibition” Ren explained. “Do you think he’d give us a false date?”

“I see,” Yusuke said. “In all honesty, no. Kosuke might be corrupted by this Eris person, but he is an artist at heart. He views him murdering Madarame as his masterpiece. He wouldn’t dare do anything to mess that up.”

“Hm. Interesting” Ren said.

“What’s up?” Ann asked.

“Well, I wanted to get a good time frame for how long we have,” Ren explained. “If possible, I’d like to make a few preparations before we raid the palace.”

“That’s a good idea,” Morgana said. “We don’t want to go in unprepared.”

“Plus, it’ll give some of us some breathing room,” Ren added. “I mean, we did just get done with midterms.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Ryuji said.

“So, now we have a schedule,” Ren said.

“Wait, when IS the last day of the exhibition?” Ann asked.

“Oh, right,” Yusuke said. “The last day is June 5th.”

“And today is May 17th, right?” Sumire said. “That gives us some time.”

“Alright, now that that’s settled, “ Ren began, “let’s start with one bit of prepwork we can do now. Yusuke. What do you want your codename to be?”

“Huh? Codename?” Yusuke said.

“Yeah,” Ann said. “We do it to conceal our identities. After all, we are in the minds and hearts of our enemies. We don’t want them to see us coming.”

“Plus, it’s kind of cute,” Sumire said.

“Hmmmm” Yusuke said. What are your guys' codenames? I don’t wish to break any particular pattern you have.”

“Well, I’m Skull,” Ryuji said. “She Joker, he’s Mona, he’s Sunshine, she’s Panther, and she’s Violet.”

“I see. English names” Yusuke said. “How delightful. Hm. I was going to call myself Kitsune between my outfit and my username, but maybe Fox is the better name.”

“Well, if you’re cool with that” Ryuji said.

“Fox it is” Yusuke said.

“Yeah!” Ryuji said. He glanced over. “Hm?”

“What’s wrong, Ryuji-senpai?” Sumire asked.

“Ah, nothin’. I just thought I saw something” Ryuji stated.

Ren looked over where Ryuji looked. She didn’t see anything. “Hm. Well, let’s try to keep our meetings a little shorter in the future, OK?” The thieves nodded.

Meanwhile, Makoto was hiding behind a wall after spying on the thieves. She sighed, relieved that they didn’t appear to catch her. “That was close.” She looked over again, only to find that they had since left.

Meanwhile, at Madarame’s exhibit, there was a knock on the door to the security office. “Come in,” Kosuke said. Madarame entered, face full of fury. “Ah, Madarame sir. Is there anything I could help you with?”

Madarame glared at him. “You know why I’m here,” he said. “I could report you to the police.

Kosuke sighed. “Really? We’re going straight into this? No formalities? No chit-chat? Nothing? Well if you’re going to, I say do it. Let’s see what the police have to say about what I stole.”

“I’d tell them you’re lying!” Madarame snapped back.

“That might work,” Kosuke said, “IF I didn’t have the proof they needed. And once we’re in a holding cell together, you KNOW I can overpower you.” Madarame scowled. “But hey, I’m a generous man. I’m giving you the opportunity to be the master of the art world one last time. After all, you wouldn’t do anything to sully your reputation during your own exhibit, would you?”

Madarame stared at him. “Hm” Kosuke gloated. “It seems like I’m right.” He turned back to his work. “We’re done here.” Madarame started to leave. “If you can think of a way out of all this, then by all means. Just remember who you’re dealing with.”

Madarame left the room and closed the door. “Bah! ‘Remember who you’re dealing with.’ I’m dealing with a petulant child who wants the world to be more fair. Well life isn’t fair. You just have to make it unfair in your advantage.” He got out his phone. “I better make some preparations, just to be sure.”

Meanwhile, Kosuke was watching this on the cameras. “Hm. I guess I can apply one of your lessons after all. You’re so used to making it unfair in your favor that when the ball is in someone else’s court, you can’t handle it. This is almost too easy.”