#how do i tell her. how do i tell her she lives in cookie purgatory. take my hand grandmama. ill show you how to cream butter.

[quietwingsinthesky]

when i learned how to bake, i could not have foreseen the consequences: my grandmother, who has been making brownies/cookies/etc for our family my whole life, actually doesn’t and has been using betty crocker quick mixes this whole time. and now that i have tasted the forbidden fruit of self-made brownies that are so squishy and delicious, the storebought mix ones taste like sand in my mouth. sand made with love! but sand.

[soulfireblue]

i have so many thoughts about phil and sunny and tubbo and this is going under a read more because it got really long lol

disclaimer that i don't watch phil super often! i watch qsmp with a crow friend who keeps me updated on his streams, so he's probably one of the characters i'm most familiar with outside of tubbo, but that's obviously not quite the same as me directly watching his streams. also this is only my interpretation and understanding of the characters, of course!

Phil is a bit of a hermit and doesn't know the other eggs that well; Chayanne and Tallulah are actually more social than their dad is. There are very few people on this island that Phil is actually close to, and Tubbo is one of them. That's kind of a double-edged sword when it comes to Phil's relationship with Sunny.

Phil kind of tends to extrapolate his relationship with Tubbo onto Sunny, because he doesn't know her well enough to realize that what works for him and Tubbo is not going to work for him and Sunny. It becomes a cycle, because Phil unknowingly does or says something that hurts Sunny, and then Sunny avoids being alone with him, so he doesn't get to know her well enough to realize that the way he treats Tubbo is not how Sunny wants or needs to be treated.

This sets up a really interesting conflict and character dynamic here, especially because Tubbo is also extrapolating his own relationship with Phil onto Sunny. He doesn't really understand that Sunny has issues with Phil, because when he and Sunny are with Phil, he's usually focused more on his own interactions with Phil and the godkids' than Sunny's. Plus it's not like Tubbo and Sunny are often with Phil alone; usually Chayanne and Tallulah are there too, and there's not much reason for Sunny to be needing to interact with Phil one-on-one.

And while Sunny has told Tubbo a little bit about how they feel with Phil, he's also observed them having issues with Tallulah, Leo, and even Richas now, and he's also watched those issues clear up. There's no reason for Tubbo to assume that her issues with Phil are any different. The nature of Tubbo's role as a buffer between Sunny and Phil means that he hasn't been able to observe the interactions that caused the problem. If Tubbo's there, Tubbo's the one they're both interacting with more just due to the fact that he's more present in both of their lives.

But here's the thing with Phil being a hermit. The issue isn't just his relationship with Tubbo; it's also that his children always come first. We've seen that even before we met Sunny. He was completely convinced that he had to win Purgatory because no one would be looking out for his kids except himself, not realizing that the leader of Soulfire was trying to get back the exact same eggs. For Phil, it's extremely black and white.

And so when he's alone with Sunny, when he's looking at her as an egg rather than as Tubbo's daughter, he puts his kids first. He's happy to do whatever he can to help. He collected items for cookies for all of the eggs on the island for a reason! He cares a lot about the eggs, even from a distance. He's just not the type of person to wait to feed his kids until the other kids are fed too, because his first priority has to be Chayanne and Tallulah.

But his limit is anything that could put his own family at risk. Which is understandable! He has two kids to look out for. But Phil is extremely pragmatic, and so he tells Sunny exactly the truth. She can stay with him, but his kids come first. Tallulah has been hurt, so her feelings come first. He's very good at making sure his kids are taken care of, and he's very good at weighing the risks, and he's honest about it once he has.

Which would maybe be perfectly fine for some other eggs, but the thing is, Phil doesn't know Sunny. He's treating her the exact opposite of the way she needs to be treated, but he doesn't know her well enough to realize it. He's spent a lot of time around her without actually getting to know her, because there's always that Tubbo and Chayanne buffer. So he doesn't realize that they don't need to be treated the way he treats Tubbo. She needs to be treated the way he treats Tallulah. They need to be told that it's okay to feel scared and abandoned, and that they are loved, and that someone will always be there for them.

(Chayanne does realize that. He's a very good godbrother.)

I hope someday Phil will get to know Sunny better and realize better ways to communicate with her, though I do understand that there will always be the issue of his kids coming first, while Sunny desperately needs people who put her first. (And gosh, how awful must it have been for them to lose Creation, who called them rank one, and told them they were loved, and then left them just like everybody else.) They'll never have the relationship Tubbo has with Phil's kids, and that's okay. But I hope that Sunny can one day look at Phil and know that she is loved, even if it's not exactly the kind of love she's been searching for.

[bucky-hues]

bucky barnes fic recs

here are some bucky fics i loved reading!

many of these are 18+ and there are some dark fics in here, so please read the warnings for each fic! if any of the writers i’ve included want anything removed/edited, please let me know!

one shots

jack pendleton | @roger-that-cap

author!bucky x reader

moving into an apartment to get away from your last relationship was fun all fun and games until you met your extremely attractive across-the-hall neighbor, who makes awesome cookies and even better novels.

grip | @pellucid-constellations

bucky x reader

You knew Bucky didn’t like his arm. You just didn’t know how much until he accidentally hurt you with it.

voicemails to an unmanned inbox | @pellucid-constellations

bucky x reader

When Bucky takes an argument a little too far, you take off. All he wants is for you to come back home.

can’t get the words out | @pellucid-constellations

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky’s been awfully distant lately. You don’t think your heart can take what you know he’s about to say.

his everything | @likeahorribledream

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky has trouble talking about his feelings and he ends up pushing away the one person he needs the most.

eavesdrop | @bestofbucky

bucky x avenger!reader

things spies don't notice | @starrysebastians

bucky x avenger!reader

don't you worry (your pretty little head) | @babyboibucky

guitarist!bucky x reader

You agree to spend twelve hours with Bucky whom you just met.

suburbia | @wkemeup

bucky x avenger!reader

Posing as husband and wife, you and Bucky infiltrate a quaint suburban neighborhood in search of a Hydra hacker. Perhaps if you weren’t so in love with him and he hadn’t broken your heart, the act of pretending wouldn’t hurt so much.

sparklin' eyes | @19ana45

roommate!bucky x reader

Prompt: Character A’s current boyfriend/girlfriend/partner mocks Character B for their crush on their best friend, [A]. [B], feeling humiliated, withdraws from the friendship with [A], who is completely oblivious [B] has feelings for them.

reoccurring face | @swtbbybarnes

bucky x reader

he’s been around a lot lately, sometimes multiple times a day, and you’re starting to wonder how much coffee one man can actually drink.

falling for you | @comfortbucky

roommate!bucky

moving on | @bucky-bucket-barnes

bucky x reader

After Bucky had been missing for a year, you had presumed him dead. Time passed, yet you seemed unable to move on from his death. That was until a familiar face came to your doorstep one winter night.

bucky bitchass barnes to the rescue | @bucky-bucket-barnes

bucky x avenger!reader

In an attempt to escape from hectic life as an Avenger, you decided to go out on a date. Unfortunately, you got stood up. While Bucky hates you, he hates seeing you embarrassed more and decides to fill in for your M.I.A. date.

pansies, pain, and other things about bucky | @bucky-bucket-barnes

bucky x avenger!reader

You and Bucky are begrudgingly paired on a mission together. This is less than ideal considering neither of you are too keen on the other tagging along. All goes as normal until a surprise attack severely hurts both of you. Feeling incredibly guilty, Bucky helps you tend to your wounds. He has trouble admitting it, but he wants to make sure you’re safe.

the lost converse | @firefly-in-darkness

bucky x reader

Last nights party was a bit of a mad one, what do you do when you wake up in someone else’s bed?

nervous | @dailyreverie

bucky x reader

A nervous Bucky introduces you to his fellow Avengers during game night

fever | @dailyreverie

bucky x reader

a little old fashioned | @gogolucky13

bucky x reader

Bucky is a bit subtle in telling you he likes you.

sweetart | @onlyjamesbarnes

soft!bucky x baker!reader

your best friend bucky tries to stay platonic with you, letting you live out your dreams, but his instincts soon get the better of him.

the things you've done | @divine-mistake

bucky x reader

what if the world ended tomorrow and all he did was spend his last day with you thinking about how you never hold his metal hand and you never walk on his left side and you constantly reach out for his right arm?

do you still love me? | @thatfangirl42

bucky x reader

2:00am | @thatfangirl42

bucky x avenger!reader

miscommunications | @empyreanwritings

bucky x avenger!reader

cookies, kisses, and such | @sweetbucky

neighbour!bucky

pretending | @multifandomwriter

bucky x reader

Bucky notices you at a party and is instantly attracted to you. Steve instantly notices the lovestruck look in his eyes, but also his nerves that are stopping him from talking to you. So Steve plays on Bucky’s jealousy to get him to make a move.

good together | @irndad

bucky barnes x avenger!reader

bucky and his girlfriend are in secret, and they think they are absolutely perfect for each other. literally everyone else in the compound thinks bucky and nat are made for each other.

l-o-v-e | @irndad

college!bucky x reader

college!bucky meets reader in a library and it’s all downhill from there. He’s desperately in love and pining and it’s all ridiculous and he doesn’t think she could like him back.

tell me the truth | @bwhitewolfbarnes 

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky finds himself overhearing your conversation with his younger self, and he hates the way it makes him ache. He needs to know what is real.

the staring contest | @jobean12-blog

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky has a staring/glaring problem and you can’t figure out why!

lavender | @wkemeup

bucky x reader

Not every nightmare is the same and Bucky doesn’t always wake up as the man you know.

little lion man | @wkemeup

bucky x avenger!reader 

Sent on an assignment back to 1943, you encounter a drastically different version of the man you know

purgatory | @wkemeup

bucky x avenger!reader

While on a mission, Bucky becomes dissociated into the Winter Soldier. But instead of becoming a threat, his instinct is to protect.

i love you, you idiot | @chrisevansjellybeans 

bucky x reader

all the good things | @houseravenclaws 

bucky x avenger!reader

bucky’s been more than a little happy recently. sam thinks it has something to do with the pretty girl on the team.

tap | @houseravenclaws

bucky x avenger!reader

bucky never talked much. he fell in love anyway.

shaking | @clintbartonswife

bucky x avengers!reader

after you get injured on a mission, the usually stoic Bucky breaks, and you see a side to him that he’s kept hidden ever since his acceptance into the Avengers.

deserving | @hanoella 

bucky x healer!reader

When someone bad mouths Bucky in your presence, you set things straight.

keep me cool | @chouettedubois

bucky x avenger!reader

You and Bucky are on your third undercover mission acting as a couple. Things go awry when you fall ill. Cue caretaker!Bucky to the rescue.

on, off and repeat | @avasparks

neighbour!bucky x reader

i wished on the moon for you | @sunmoonandbucky 

bucky x reader

After losing Bucky, you were devastated. So when Howard Stark asks for volunteers for an experiment, you’re the first in line.

the hottest avenger | @watchmegetobsessed

bucky x avenger!reader

Being locked together with Sam and Bucky brings the worst out of you, picking on each other constantly. Following an arguement Bucky accidentally calls you his girlfriend in front of Sam when your relationship was supposed to be a secret.

hey daddy | @watchmegetobsessed

bucky x avenger!reader

You join Peter and his friends for a game of Truth Or Dare but you wish you stayed in your room when MJ challenges you to do a task that will definitely out your secret relationship with Bucky.

crash course | @watchmegetobsessed

bucky x reader

Bucky is a regular at the café where you work at and seeing him struggling with technology, you offer to help him, teaching him the basics while you are both thinking about taking it a little further than just a crash course.

little things | @watchmegetobsessed 

bucky x avenger!reader

missed chances | @soap-bubble-nebula 

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky is about to ask out the reader, but right before she could answer him her ex calls her up and she answers happily as she always wanted a second chance with said ex

truth or dare? | @soap-bubble-nebula 

bucky x avenger!reader

the experiment | @soap-bubble-nebula 

bucky x reader

make believe on christmas eve | @green-eyeddragonfanfiction 

bucky x reader

When your family insists you bring your [nonexistent] long-term boyfriend over for Christmas, you panic. You hadn’t expected to be put in this situation; you never thought you’d actually have to bring “him” over.

sick day | @nastybuckybarnes

bucky x avenger!reader

you tell a little white lie to escape Avenging for a day, and Bucky finds out. He’s hurt and upset, until he finds out your reason why.

spies and secrets | @barnesandco 

bucky x reader

Bucky buys a new jacket that is… uncharacteristically bright. Sam ribs him for it, and you- you don’t know what to do with yourself.

the bar rules | @buckyhoney (18+)

bartender!bucky x reader

the family lunch |  @buckyhoney​ (18+)

dad'sbestfriend!bucky x reader

forbidden fruit | @bucksfucks (18+)

dad'sbestfriend!bucky x reader

you attempt to set your ex’s things on fire. bucky has a better idea.

mr. brightside | @bucksfucks (18+)

ex'sdad!bucky x reader

the one where you fuck your ex's dad

left gasping for air | @bucksfucks (18+)

bucky x reader

doused with sex pollen, you & bucky are met with a difficult decision.

love me harder | @celestialbarnes (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

you and bucky have been flirting and screwing around for months now, after seeing him getting frisky with someone else, you decide to do the same and bucky’s just about had enough.

sweeter than sugar | @angrythingstarlight (18+)

chubbybaker!bucky x reader

look my way | @sableseb (18+)

neighbour!bucky x reader

boyfriend upgrade | @multifandomwriter (18+)

roommate!bucky x reader

You have always been close with your roommate, Bucky, but tensions start to rise when your boyfriend begins to stay over at your apartment. You feel like you’re drifting apart until Bucky accidentally sees you almost naked.

lure | @bccky (18+) dark

bucky x reader

it’s all about the perfect lure

plan | @sergeantxrogers (18+)

bucky x reader

“I was supposed to forget about you, and you were supposed to forget about me, but damn it if I could ever forget about you because since the day I saw you, you never left my mind and you were all I thought about,” he rambled, focusing on anything his eyes could land on that wasn’t you. “You’re… you’re still all I think about,” he whispered, voice tired and beaten, like the very sentence had been waiting in his throat for years just to get a chance to come out into the open.

play pretend | @wkemeup (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

When Bucky is injected with a substance that leaves him desperate for release, you offer your help.

you’re mine | @marveicinematics (18+)

bucky x reader

Having a secret relationship with a man as insecure and complex as James Buchanan Barnes may not have been the best idea you had, but one thing was certain: you knew how to make him feel better about the things that bothered him.

white lies and truth serum | @mariessecretfantasies (18+) dark

dark!bucky x avenger!reader

You and Bucky share a dance, a few too many drinks, and a night in bed together. Unfortunately, he neglects to tell you that he can’t get drunk.

bitter fruit | @divine-mistake (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

“The mission was already a success!” you say and you can feel tears burning the back of your eyes. You will yourself to blink them back. “You had the files, the base was set to detonate, I don’t understand why you didn’t just stay on the fucking jet.”

“Because you were going to die.”

always here | @simsadventures (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

You have an obvious crush on Bucky, and kind of hope he feels the same. But when you overhear agents talking about you, and then even Bucky, you realise there is no hope for you. At least you think there isn’t.

your captain | @onlyjamesbarnes (18+)

dark!bucky x reader, husband!steve x reader

a perfect anniversary night gets interrupted by his best friend, who happens to be your boss.

series/multi-chap

graveyard , sacrifice | @wkemeup

bucky x healer!reader

As the unofficial healer for the Avengers, you pride yourself on the ability to mend heroes with the touch of your hand. Only, your gift comes at a heavy price — one you keep secret from your friends —and when Bucky asks you to do the impossible, they’ll discover why your gift is called a sacrifice, too.

sunrise | @wkemeup​ (18+)

veteran!bucky x librarian!reader

After an explosion takes his arm and his only sense of belonging, Bucky is discharged from active duty and sent back to civilian life. Left with a storm of unchecked guilt, Bucky is content to live out the rest of his days in the hollow comfort of the dark. This is, until Sam drags him down to the local VA and he meets you.

TiMER | @xbuchananbarnes (ongoing) (18+)

bartender!bucky x reader (soulmate au)

“If a clock could count down to the exact moment you’ll meet your soulmate, would you want to know?”

the match | @babyboibucky (ongoing) (18+)

ceo!bucky x reader

You come across your boss’ Tinder profile.

the holiday hack | @gogolucky13 

bucky x reader (modern au)

You ask Bucky to be your stand-in boyfriend for your family’s Christmas party.

sexual healing , medicine | @gogolucky13 (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

You ask a touch-starved Bucky if he wants to try something new in an attempt to take your minds off work.

vacant mirrors | @whirlybirbs (18+)

bucky x reader

shit's been rough. shit was rough even before the blip. dr. hart shares an office with dr. raynor, and you share with waiting room with bucky barnes. set before tfatws; a friends-to-lovers, slowburn, eventual smut.

salvatore | @nsfwsebbie (18+) dark

dark!bucky x reader

Bucky Barnes doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the tragic, unknown death of his wife, Natasha. He thinks it’s stupid and a waste of time and- oh my. Hello there, you. There you were, with your notebooks and your novels, writing your heart away. He’s hellbent on saving you from this nasty world, his elusive neighbor that has him under the stupid spell of love. You soon find yourself trapped in a tragic love story with Bluebeard, not Prince Charming.

polyonymous | @bubblebuckys

bucky x reader (social media au)

You met James on Twitter three months ago, and you’ve talked everyday since. You really like him, and you don’t think you’ve met anyone like him. That is, until the fateful night that brings the Avengers to you. You meet Bucky Barnes, and then you’re stuck choosing between two guys so alike you find yourself asking why they couldn’t be the same person.

going live , offline | @ritesofreverie (18+)

camboy!bucky x reader

your new neighbour looks so familiar, where had you seen him before?

heavy metal lover | @mypoisonedvine (ongoing) (18+)

sub!bucky x dominatrix!reader

working as a dominatrix is never exactly easy, but a new client brings challenges you never expected.

fake boyfriend real orgasms | @bucksfucks (ongoing) (18+)

roommate!bucky x reader

when bucky needs a date to sam’s wedding, he makes a deal with you. when it starts to turn into something a little more real, you realize how deep you’re in.

almost had me believing it | @tuiccim (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

An undercover operation playing Bucky Barnes’ wife is a dream come true. Playing house in the suburbs while trying to take down a drug ring brings you and Bucky closer but a nosy neighbor causes trouble in paradise.

it's brooklyn, baby | @my-divine-death (ongoing) (18+)

college!bucky x reader

hush 1 2 | @starbuckie (ongoing)

bucky x reader

in quiet corners and selfish moments, y/n and bucky have kept their relationship a secret, one love that was pure and untouched by the darkness that surrounded them. but after bucky is able to walk the streets a free man once again, will their love be able to survive?

misconceptions | @firefly-in-darkness (18+)

bucky x avenger!reader

Bucky Barnes overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t have…

what a night | @jurassicbarnes

bucky x reader

Bucky Barnes is out in the new world, navigating through everyday life and it’s trials and tribulations. His therapist insists he tries new things. He has collected a few new hobbies. But when it comes to making new acquaintances, what’s a better way to meet new people than a little dating site called Tinder.

hey, professor | @balenciagabucky (ongoing) (18+) dark

professor!bucky x reader

professor barnes always had his eye on you, you noticed it, your girlfriend noticed it, even his friends and after one raunchy photo sent to him, a joke, nothing more, in his world you become more than just a student

missing piece 1 2 3 4 | @likeahorribledream

bucky x avenger!reader

seeing red | @mypoisonedvine (18+)

bodyguard!bucky x actress!reader

bucky used to brag that he didn’t have a celebrity crush, or really care about famous people at all, which is what made him the perfect person to start working for a celebrity like yourself.  except, of course, it’s just his luck that he’d fall for you.

flight risk , no control | @wkemeup

bucky barnes x avenger!reader

Bucky becomes a flight risk after a failed mission and is put in lockup under Steve’s orders. Even though Bucky won’t say a word of what happened, you camp outside the door to his cell so he knows he isn’t alone.

bad match | @justreadingfics (18+)

bucky x reader

Bucky and the Reader are set up on a date, but things don’t go as well as expected.  

unbroken | @constantwriter85 (18+)

bucky x hacker!reader

Bucky isn’t happy about being paired with a snarky, untested hacker on a stealth mission to infiltrate Hammer Industries. But when the mission spirals out of control and they’re both captured, he finds out just how much heart his hacker has–and how far she’s willing to go to protect the lives of others.

if i only had a heart 1 2 | @chouettedubois​ (18+)

bucky x reader

Team Cap is back at the compound after being pardoned. Bucky is suffering from the shoddy work HYDRA did with his prosthetic. Tony brings reader in to fix it—and maybe help him find his heart in the process.

text me | @soap-bubble-nebula​ 

bucky x reader

Tony and the other’s are off on a mission, and it’s up to you to help Bucky get comfortable and assimilate into normal life. He texts you because Tony told him he could.

[oh-boy-me]

Alright I'm curious about your take on movie night with the undateables, including Luke since this is non- romance. Snack preferences, what movies they choose, funny stories from movie night. Whatever strikes your fancy with the idea is good with me. Thanks in advance!

Sorry it took a little bit (´ω｀。) It’s my first time working with these characters so I wanted to give it my absolute best

I’m setting this up as individual movie nights so that each character can get the spotlight for a while; I hope that’s ok!  Also, a lot of them somehow ended up in a context of it being the first time you’d hung out one on one lol

Simeon:

It feels like Simeon spends just about all of his time with Luke and Solomon, while you spend just about all of yours with the brothers.  So, you decide to have a movie night to finally spend some time together without having to divide your attention.  Purgatory Hall is the obvious choice of location, since its residents are much more ready to leave you alone when asked.

This angel is a traditional kind of guy, as angels tend to be, so popcorn is the only snack idea that comes to mind.  Traditional doesn’t mean close-minded, though, so he’s more than willing to try out any snacks you bring along.  Actually, he encourages you to bring a bunch of snacks to try out together!  You can have a taste test while you watch the movies!

Simeon likes Hallmark movie-type movies a lot, mainly because they demand little emotional investment.  Movies like horror don’t scare him, but they do stress him out because he wants all the protagonists to get their happy ending!  Another benefit of Hallmark movies is that it’s fun to try to guess exactly what will happen, since they can be so predictable.

Of course, he doesn’t want to monopolize your movie lineup, so if there’s something you want to see he’s all for it.  If you want to go for something more thrilling, he’ll power through it like a champ, but you can see him visibly cringing at some points.

Simeon is lowkey a movie cuddler, but like in a way that still respects your personal space bubble.  He won’t spend the film with you in his arms or anything, but the entire couch is fair game.

Simeon apparently likes to talk during movies–he doesn’t mean to, but the thoughts kind of just come out.  He’s brutally honest about what he’s thinking, so if you’re down with it, talking about and roasting the movie as it’s happening is a load of fun.  “I don’t know MC, I don’t think this guy’s all that great either?  Sure maybe he isn’t completely ignoring her, but look, he obviously has commitment issues; at least her ex was just busy all the time.  Look, Mr. Lone Wolf’s beard is uneven.  Why does she want a man who wants to look rugged but can’t get it right?”

Simeon also will accidentally spoil any movie he’s already seen like this, so you’re best off watching films that are new to both of you.

He knew that you were a nice and fun person, but honestly he’s kind of taken aback by how good you are to be around.  Since the only human he’s usually around is Solomon, talking to one and not feeling like you need to second-guess everything you’re told is a new and welcome feeling.

Before you split for the night, he asks if you’d like to do something like this again.  As an angel, there’s a lot that he hasn’t experienced–a lot of food, a lot of activities, a lot of media–and you’re someone that he feels like he would be comfortable trying new things with.  You can expect lots of texts like, “Hello!  I hope you’re doing wellヾ(＾-＾)ノ Are you free tomorrow?”

Luke:

You probably decide to have a movie night after Luke ends up spending way longer than he expected to in the kitchen at the House of Lamentation.  On the condition that absolutely no demons are to join you two!  Ok maybe Beel and Levi are ok but absolutely no one else!  After a call to Simeon explaining that he isn’t coming back to Purgatory Hall tonight you guys are good to go.

He always brings baked goods when he comes over, plus whatever he was working on in the kitchen, so you’re more than covered!  The majority of it is things like cookies and fudge bark.  They’re easy snacks to grab a handful of.

Luke tries to insist that he wants to watch a movie with lots of violence or a horror film, or any other kind of movie that teenagers sneak into.  He’s doing it because he’s so frustrated with everyone calling him a kid when he’s centuries older than a human will ever be, stop making fun of him!!  For his sake and yours, you should tell him that you don’t want to watch that sort of movie, because if you let him get away with it he’ll get too freaked out in the first 20 minutes.

Most likely you’ll end up having a Disney marathon.  They’re so fun, and since the Celestial Realm is pretty isolated when it comes to cultural exchange, he’s only seen a couple, so you can show him your favorites!  Also, he’s not crying.  No, you saw that wrong.

He starts off on the other side of the couch, one again trying to be mature and shit, but that won’t last long.  Anyone who sees you huddled together like that will be punched in the gut with the sheer level of sibling energy y’all are radiating.  Lucifer almost doesn’t want to mock him.  Almost.

That thing where immediately after consuming a piece of media, you imagine yourself as part of that universe?  Luke loves to talk about that sort of thing.  “If I lived there, I’d have given Gaston a piece of my mind!”  “Ok but if I was a piece of furniture what do you think I’d be?  I can totally see you being a…”

“I think you’d be the footstool that acts like a dog, Luke.”  “Hey, Lucifer, you weren’t invited to our party!!”

You might (will) have to fend off a few nosy demon brothers to protect your demon-free movie lair.  Luke swears that next time you have to come over to Purgatory Hall, but he’s having way more fun here than he’s willing to admit.

He also learns that most of the brothers will listen to you without complaint.  He will definitely keep this in mind.

This kid angel has so much energy, how is he still awake after five movies?  You absolutely have to establish a bedtime because he literally will not go to bed until you do.

Solomon:

It’s quite rare for you to have a break from the seven avatars of attention hogging, so if you’re going to have a movie night, Purgatory Hall may as well be a godsend.

You may want to be careful about getting there, because if Asmo catches wind that you and Solomon are having a movie night without him, he’s going to show up unannounced and then refuse to leave.  Solomon can come pick you up if you need.  Just, he’ll be waiting a block away so Asmo can’t catch up.

Solomon is a “dinner and a show” kinda guy.  He will offer to make dinner.  Do not let him do this.  Either make it yourself or order takeout.

You’ll pretty easily agree on alternating who chooses the movie.  You get the first, he gets the second, you get the third, etc.  Definitely isn’t letting you choose first to lure you into a false sense of security about the DVD in his hand, what made you think that?

Solomon is the kind of person to lie about what sort of movie he’s put in.  “Solomon what is this supposed to be?”  “Oh, don’t worry about it.”  It’s gonna be a weird movie.  You just have to wait and see.

He is going to rip into your movie choices.  He liked how they worked with this, and that was impressive, but these bits?  Did they think they could get away with that?  What was the budget?  Rest assured, though, he expects you to do the same for him.  In fact, he’ll be quite disappointed if you don’t.

He prefers a setup on his bed rather than on the couch.  He’s also one of the ones who keeps to himself in terms of personal space, although that’s not to say that he isn’t relaxed.  Some might say he’s too relaxed, but that’s just who he is: too relaxed in any situation.  On the surface, at least.

As the only humans in the Devildom, some of the night is probably spent reminiscing on how different things tend to be here.  Solomon does feel bad that you in particular have had to make so many changes to your life and habits with no warning.  He has his magic to rely on, so he’s glad you have your reputation of “the human that made a pact with the student council” to keep demons from messing with you.

If you want, he’s happy to let you sleep over so that you don’t have to explain why you’re coming home so late.  He also encourages you to not say anything to your dorm mates.  Wouldn’t it be fun to make them wonder?  They’re always breathing down your neck, aren’t they?  Make them squirm a little bit.  You’re going to get a scolding for sneaking out regardless.  It’s incredibly cruel; you know they worry sick about you more than is called for.  Will you play along?  That’s up to you.  I advise you not to.

Like Simeon felt like he needed to second-guess everything around a bunch of demons and Solomon, Solomon sometimes feels like he needs to keep himself guarded around a bunch of demons and two literal angels.  You, however, are a human.  You have common ground, and Solomon can see how your vulnerability here translates into strength.  He’s not quite ready to admit it but, your ability to survive on character and not power is inspiring to him.  Shortly before you go home/to sleep, he mentions something about himself, and for once it seems like he’s being honest.

Barbatos:

You have the movie night at the House of Lamentation, under Lucifer’s promise that he’d keep everyone else busy.  It’s Barbatos’ first day off in 325 years, and he doesn’t want to take any chances of Diavolo forgetting that fact and giving him an order.

It may come as a surprise, but Barbatos wants nothing more than to order a pizza.  If he managed to get enough time off to have a movie night with you, he doesn’t want to have to think about preparing food.  A single night where he can just hang out and eat less than perfectly prepared cuisine is exactly what he needs to unwind.

Out of habit, he insists that whatever you want to watch is fine.  If you remind him that this is just as much for him as it is for you, he’ll suggest you look up what new psychological thrillers are trending.  Whenever a scary scene is playing on the screen, there’s the tiniest smile gracing his face the whole time.  It’s a little disconcerting, but something tells you that you shouldn’t bring it up.

If you do bring it up against all better judgement, though, he’ll explain that the villain in the film is being so messy.  Given the circumstances, it’d be better for him to do this or that.

“Don’t ask how I know all of this.  I’m just saying, if you find yourself with a body to dispose of, alive or not, you know who to call.”

Time spent with an off-duty Barbatos grows more relaxed as the night progresses.  You split the sofa 50/50, and over time you can see his posture relax from stiff and straight to leaning against the arm with his feet up.

Oh, yes, he’s also brought along a nice bottle of wine to share.  He made sure to get something that should affect demons and humans equally, of course.  If he’s going to get inebriated, you’re going down with him.

Turns out, working for the Demon Prince for all eternity gives you a few grievances.  Also turns out that the Demon Prince’s butler becomes quite loose lipped and downright snarky when he’s had enough to drink.  “‘Which flavor do you think Lucifer would like best?’  I don’t know, My Lord, might I suggest you ask him yourself?  No, no, I hear you laughing, MC!  This happens every time!”

There’s still a movie playing, but why would you watch a movie when Diavolo’s butler is such a gossip?  You definitely know things you shouldn’t by the time the night is over, but you swear an oath of secrecy.  And, although he regrets how liberal he was with his stories the next day, it does feel nice to have some of that off his chest.

And, well, he’s already gone this far, so he hopes you aren’t too surprised when you receive a text from him a week later: “Ok SO.”

Diavolo:

You guys decide to do the movie night at the palace, mainly to avoid Lucifer.  Diavolo wants to get to know you better, and he knows that if Lucifer is around he’ll end up making you the third-wheel.

Barbatos is going to be around, so Diavolo leaves it up to you whether you want to make it a party of three.  (Barbatos is still in on-duty mode, of course, so his time here is much less relaxed than in his solo scenario.)

Diavolo’s read about movie nights in Youthful Fun 101, and he wants to try out the whole snack list.  Popcorn, pizza rolls, sodas, you name it, he’s got mountains of it.

If you suggest also making ice cream sundaes, he’ll be the happiest demon in the entire Devildom.  It seems that the esteemed Demon Prince really loves chocolate sauce.

Really really wants to watch your favorite movie.  What sort of Devildom host would he be if he didn’t get to understand the Human World from his guest’s perspective?  Whether it’s something like Gone with the Wind or something like Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2, he’s enthralled.  So this is Human World cinema!  There’s something so imaginative about it, even in the driest moments!

After your favorite, he’s got a checklist of iconic movies to get under his belt.  Not all of them end up holding your attention, and you develop a voting system–after the first 15 minutes, you hold a vote on whether to keep the movie going or to move on.  Since there’s only two of you, only one of you needs to like the movie to keep it going, so you give yourselves one immediate veto each.

Diavolo uses his veto on the first movie he wasn’t super into, and you have to keep reminding him that there’s no secret second veto that he can use.  Cut him some slack, this level of democracy is unfamiliar to the future Demon King.  He does end up really liking some of the movies he tried to avoid, so he learns to chill pretty quickly.

Also insists on watching the movies in a massive blanket fort.  He’s not a movie cuddler, per se, but he is an emotional movie watcher, so you can expect him to grab your arm during an especially sweet or sad scene.

You’re going to have to clarify what’s realistic and what isn’t sometimes.  No, that’s not a real animal.  Yes, that event really happened.  That may or may not be true, we aren’t sure.  Diavolo please this is a conspiracy theory.

If you thought that this wouldn’t end up in a sleepover, I don’t know what to tell you.  Maybe you just tried to watch way too many movies and passed out in the fort.  Maybe you tried to call it quits and then he gave you big puppy dog eyes until you agreed to have a slumber party.

Side note, but Lucifer is still recovering from seeing Diavolo’s car appear unannounced at the House of Lamentation and then being told that it’s actually here to pick you up and that he absolutely can’t come along.  Has he been replaced?

Masterlist

[lovelyirony]

uhh made up fic title: heaven won't hold it against you

but hell absolutely will 

Tony was the worst demon of all time. Of all time. 

He let humans wiggle out of deals like a worm that wasn’t hooked properly, takes pity on those who are having a rough time, and tries to warn people about what their actions are going to be like as they’re on the tipping scales of justice. 

“You are literally the worst demon of all time,” Lucifer says, flicking flames at him. He scrambles to get them off of his suit. 

“Second worst,” Tony argues weakly. “I wear nicer ties than Barry.” 

“Barry can at least drive a millionaire to the edge of a twelve-story building,” he growls. “Who gives a shit about his ties when he can give results?!” 

Tony is silent, not sure how he wants him to answer. 

“Look. We’re sending you down to earth. It’ll remind you of how shitty everyone is and you can get back to torturing people and selling their souls.” 

-

He’s in New York City. 

He’s missed it, all things considered. It’s actually chaotic, fun, and there are so many people. 

So many opportunities as well. People are driven by anger more than usual here; there are way more stressors, the subway system sucks in general, and there are at least four different ways he can ruin someone’s day in two minutes or less. 

Except that Tony can’t do it. 

He cannot ruin people’s days. It sucks. The only people that he can really ruin are the people who are already destined for Hell. He doesn’t like tempting others to go to his side, he knows exactly how bad it is. 

-

On the other end of the spectrum, Rhodey is getting his assignment to tail a demon and do some damage control. 

In New York City. 

He has a love-hate relationship with the city: they’re capable of doing incredible things, and just as quickly you will get someone who would push their grandmother off of a train platform to get a leading role in a stage production. 

But this demon is someone that Rhodey hasn’t really heard about. Which is unusual, because angels usually hear about every demon of note. 

His name, according to Pepper, is Tony. He’s pretty high level which is...odd. They know high level. 

He asks Bruce, the guy who runs kind of runs purgatory. 

(He just doesn’t really like a lot of the big shots and enjoys learning more about people.) 

“Tony’s literally the worst,” Bruce groans. 

Rhodey raises his eyebrows. 

“And why haven’t we heard about him?” 

“He’s funny. I didn’t let you know,” Bruce says with a shrug. 

“So you didn’t let me know about a dangerous demon because he’s funny?” 

“I didn’t say he was dangerous, just that he was the worst,” Bruce says with a shrug. “That term can be used in a lot of different contexts.” 

“What kind of context are you talking about?” 

“Go down and find him, and you’ll see. He has a weird goatee.” 

-

New York City is not what Rhodey remembers, but then again he hadn’t been there since 1982, and that was a whole other world away, nearly. 

Tony the Demon, otherwise known as Tony Stark, lives in the basement of an old woman’s house which is odd. Rhodey checks on the old woman only to find her alive and kicking and having tea with Tony. 

He looks...different. 

Well of course he looks different. Demons can’t exactly show off their best assets to humans: the humans would probably die. 

But what surprises him is that they’re eating cookies together and the old woman is telling him about how she used to dance to music with her husband. 

And then they dance. 

They dance, and it’s surprising. 

Tony should be telling her that her husband is never coming back and she’s going to die alone, and he...he isn’t. 

-

There are more instances of it. 

Tony pays for someone’s coffee and holds open doors. He listens to people talk even when it’s complete nonsense, but he listens to them all the same. 

He does puzzles on his days off. 

Tony works in a coffee shop. 

Rhodey’s not sure what kind of long game he’s been attempting to play, but it’s not going to work on him. He’s here for as long as it takes. 

-

Then Tony Stark notices him. 

He doesn’t notice he’s an angel, but he notices his stormy expression and the way that he’s boring holes into the seat across from him at the coffee shop. 

(Look, their peppermint mocha is literally the only good one Rhodey’s had for years, and so he’s not going to go anywhere else.) 

But he usually goes when Tony isn’t there. 

But Tony covered someone’s shift. 

What a fucking angel. 

“You alright today?” Tony asks, his voice softer, eyebrows slightly raised. “Because you kinda look like you want to kill that seat, and I’m not gonna lie to you: we still need that one.” 

Rhodey smiles, shaking his head. 

“Just thinking about work troubles.” 

“Must be some trouble. What can I get for you?” 

“Uh...sixteen ounce peppermint mocha?” 

“Oh my god, you’re peppermint mocha dude?” 

“Why is that important?” Rhodey asks. “Why do you know me?” 

Tony blushes, and it looks...nice. Not evil. That’s weird. Demons don’t usually blush. 

“Uh, just that...my coworker noticed your robot tie. I wanted to see it, but I’m never around when you’re here. But I like your tie today! It’s a good stripe-pattern.” 

He’s being genuinely nice. 

Rhodey knows demons, has heard all the stories from the old-timers. They’re not good at being genuinely nice, ever. The only being they’re ever...respectful of is the Big Guy Upstairs, and even that’s questionable. 

“I’ll...wear it next time,” Rhodey says carefully. “How much do I owe you?” 

“Two-sixteen,” Tony chirps, and he gives him a look. 

“Did you...did you just give me a discount?” 

“Well you seem to be having a rough time, and I had to give you some incentive to show off your tie,” Tony smiles. “Besides, everyone needs something nice every once in a while.” 

Bruce was right: Tony really was the worst demon. 

-

He visits more during Tony’s shifts. He usually works the really early mornings or the really late nights. The shifts that people don’t want, he takes. 

Rhodey sees him a lot. 

“I see you more often than I think I should, honestly,” Tony says with a laugh. “Do you work from home?” 

“I keep my own hours,” Rhodey says with a shrug, “and I like your coffee more than I probably should.” 

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Tony says. 

“Well, you’re an angel for making it,” Rhodey teases, mostly looking to see Tony’s reaction. 

He smiles softly. 

“You really think so?” 

“Yeah. I really do,” Rhodey says, smiling. “You’re the nicest guy I know.” 

“I try my best.” 

“Your best is always good,” he answers. He walks out of the shop, telling him that he’d see him tomorrow. 

As Rhodey exits, he doesn’t see the person watching them across the street. 

-

Hell keeps tabs on their own. 

Even if they don’t like their own. 

And Tony...well. He’s a bit too good. 

[leviskokoro]

Christmas in The Devildom | Home Alone Edition

desc :: Mari tells a tale of what happened during her Christmas during her exchange student program.

word count :: 2247

note/s :: I got this idea about Mari having to defend herself from demons while she’s alone on Christmas. But then I realised... “Hey! This is literally just the premise of Home Alone!” so I decided to write it.

relationship/s :: implied fluffwings | jack x mari / implied greedwings | mammon x mari

art credit :: KEMM01 on Deviantart

edit credit :: me

Holiday season was a lovely time of cheer and giving for most people. Mari gave a sigh of relief, finally done giving her last gift of the day. Yes, seeing the generally happy reactions of the people she cared for brought joy to her weary heart, even if those people didn’t necessarily care for her back. Now it was just time to relax during the NRC Christmas party.

Everyone from every dorm had gathered to the cafeteria to partake in the festivities. Every nook and cranny had been decorated to perfection. But maybe that was pushing things a bit since Mari was the one that had to decorate everything after Crowley pushed the work onto her for the hundredth time she’s lived in Twisted Wonderland at the last minute when he just decided that a Christmas party might help bring students together more. At least she can rest while the first years talked about how they spent their Christmas at home.

“Mari.” The girl looked up to see Epel looking at her with a curious gaze. “What was Christmas like for you when you were in your world?”

“Yeah, we’ve been the ones talking here but you haven’t shared anything the whole time,” Ace spoke up as he bit into some cookies.

“Ah, sorry—”

“Didn’t you live in Hell for a year? What’s Christmas there like?” Deuce asked, placing a finger to his chin in thought.

Mari was silent for a moment, trying to get her thoughts and memories in order.

���Um… it’s kind of a long story. Are you guys alright with that?” She glanced at each of their faces for confirmation.

“You’re an excellent storyteller, Mari. It’d be wonderful to hear it,” Sebek chimed in, placing his food on the table and sitting with them.

She nodded, relieved that they seemed to be alright to tell them.

“So… I was mostly left alone during the holidays—”

“Eh? Left alone?” Ace raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah… We were going to celebrate but the demon brothers and the folks at Purgatory Hall were called to a meeting and had to take care of some business in a farther area in the Devildom. I wasn’t able to come because that place had particularly deadly air for humans…”

“Why do I have to go?! There’s gonna be a whole bunch of Christmas special limited edition figurines for Rurichan and all my favorite idols!” Levi had complained as he stuffed his fifth Rurichan figurine into his luggage.

“I was planning on eating a Christmas feast…” Beel had also whined, rubbing his stomach. In his hands were three gigantic bags filled with snacks and snacks only.

“Is it really okay to leave Mari here?” Asmo asked, who was mostly just clinging onto her body; She’s had to swat his grabby hands from touching her more intimate parts a couple times but cuddles with him were generally still quite lovely. Among them, he had the most packed luggages that was all dedicated to his beauty and fashion.

“Yeah, lesser demons might take this opportunity to sneak into this place and eat Mari.” Satan at least had a reasonable amount of bags. Though, he held one novel in his arm.

She sighed, running her hand through her sift chocolate locks. “Guys, no offense but you were the ones to put me in the most danger here during my exchange program here.”

They all seemed sheepish now. “Uhh—“

“Enough whining. We’re going to be late already,” Lucifer spoke up. “Mari should be fine. No one would be stupid enough to harm her if they knew the consequence will be being charged with treason and being tortured for eternity.”

Mari gave a thumbs up. “Yeah. There’s nothing to worry about.” Her eyes widened, noticing something rather odd.

She looked around. “Where’s Mammon?” She asked.

“He said he had something to do,” Satan answered.

Lucifer turned around and started walking. “We’ll leave him behind. He can catch up,” he spoke. His shoes made light clicking noises against the floor as he left the premises, the rest of the brothers followed him.

“Hey! Wait up!” Mammon yelled as he darted out of his room, carrying a bunch of stuff with him.

“Hey! Are you guys telling stories?” Kalim’s bright voice interrupted her speech. A large grin was plastered on his face.

“Kalim, don’t just barge into conversations like that,” Jamil scolded him. He carried two trays filled with food, one for him and one for Kalim.

“It’s fine! I was getting to the interesting part.”

“Très bien! How wonderful to see you all spending quality time during this festive party! It touches my heart,” Rook’s voice appeared from behind them, causing some of the first years to jump in surprise.

“Your bodyguards left you alone during Christmas? That seems rather irresponsible of them if they knew there was still a chance of you being attacked by demons,” Vil spoke as the two also sat down at the table next to theirs.

She nodded, looking down and biting her lip. “Well… The house did end up being attacked.”

“EH?!” Their eyes were as wide as the plates they were eating from.

“How did you manage to survive?”

“During the last day of school, a bunch of lesser demons had whispered about taking the opportunity to come by and eat my soul after classes. Little did they know, I had overheard their conversation and that gave me some time to prepare…”

Mari rushed around the House of Lamentation, rope and other sorts of equipment that she hastily purchased from Akuzon in her arm. Knowing that this house had a variety of magical items that even she could use despite having a lack of it.

Satan’s room had all sorts of cursed books and Levi’s room had magical merch. If worse comes to worst, she’ll use the grimoire underground. It’s more of a last resort since she knew what happened when Luke was lost and ended up there. Lucifer would’ve killed her if it weren’t for Diavolo.

She stopped in her tracks when she looked into Mammon’s stuff in case he had anything that could be used. Her eyes widened to see a murder of crows in his room.

… What?

One of the crows flew up and landed on her shoulder. “Hey there! You’re Mari, right? We’re Mammon’s familiars! He told us a lot about you. He had us stay here to watch over you.”

“That idiot is so reckless that she’d probably get herself into trouble without me so make sure nothing bad happens to her!” … were his exact words.” A different crow spoke up, imitating his voice and tone with such perfect accuracy that it startled the girl.

A grim pulled at her lips. “Great! A bunch of demons are coming here soon and I’ll be needing your help to defend the place.” She explained her plan to them.

“Wow! You already got this thing planned out,” the first crow commented. “Just give us the order and we’ll do our best!”

Mari nodded, smiling in gratitude for them. She turned around and rushed out the room to start setting everything up.

Using her knowledge of the items in the House of Lamentation, she set up a bunch of traps around the place and sat in the living room, waiting for them to trigger. Near each trap was at least one crow to lure the demons into the traps. In one hand was a controller for one of Levi’s consoles. The other held a specific book that was just titled “Void”.

“Really hope this works…” The girl muttered, her grip around the items tightened.

A cacophony of screams echoed throughout the place and several crows flew to her from different directions, signalling that the traps were successful.

She gave a sigh of relief, happy that they worked. There had been this worry that gnawed at her heart when she thought of the possibility of her ropework being too weak. Fortunately, that seemed to not be the case.

Mari checked the bands she put on their feet. Each crow had a different color so that she would know which traps got triggered.

Red, white, yellow, and green… Ah!

Red was in charge of luring the demon into a tripwire trap where if they triggered it, it’d pull the pin from a makeshift grenade she made out of Ruri-chan’s Extra Devilish Spicy Powder that she got from Levi’s room. Levi described it to be so spicy that it can cause a demon to pass out as soon as it comes into contact with their nose and eyes.

White was in charge of watching the catapult. If the door with the trap gets opened, the demon would get Asmo’s “special rope” launched at them. It would completely immobilise anyone if it makes contact with someone’s skin.

Yellow was the one watching over the gun trap. If the window was opened, it’d pull the trigger on the replica gun she got from Levi’s room. It had been from “I Got Isekai’d To A Fantasy Historical Drama But I Didn’t Expect To Find Out That 7 Generals Would Fall For Me”. The bullets weren’t lethal or anything, but they were the magical sort that could knock out a demon with one bullet.

Last but not least was green, who watched over the back door. She roped up a bunch of cursed books from Satan’s room, careful not to touch them with her bare hands, and hung them over the door. If triggered, it would drop all the books and curse the demon into 5 months of deep slumber. 5 months felt a bit excessive, but it was probably better than being charged of treason and being tortured for eternity.

However, it seemed that the other two crows didn’t return just yet.

Then, rushed footsteps started approaching the living room. She looked up to see the last crows flying and two demons running towards her. The looks on their faces oozed with murderous intent as they neared her.

… Shit, looks like the last two traps either didn’t get triggered or they found a way around them.

But all she did was bite her lip and opened the book with the pages facing them.

The room started shaking as a dark aura covered the book. The demons screamed when they started getting pulled into the pages of the book, scrambling to keep their ground. However this was in vain, as they ended up getting sucked into the book anyway.

And with that, Mari gave a loud sigh of relief, dropping her body onto the couch. She pressed a button on the controller.

Nothing around her really happened upon pressing it. But the other demons that were immobilised were put into Levi’s game. She had to know their identities first, which was surprisingly easy to find on Devilgram. She should be able to let them out later. Hopefully they don’t die in the game. She had set it to easy mode, after all.

“Yay! We did it!” The crows cheered, gathering close to each other and even doing a little dance in the process.

“... And that was the end of that story. After that night, the demon brothers came back and we spent a lovely Christmas together, the Devildom way.” Mari’s story came to a close. She looked at all the students that were immersed in her story.

“You were able to defend yourself against a whole group of demons in a single night?!” Ace’s eyes were wide open. His expression was mirrored by the others.

“Très bien! You’ve displayed such wonderful resourcefulness against opponents who are much stronger than you!” Rook praised her in his own fashion, gazing at her with his amused hunter green irises.

Jamil nodded, placing his hand to his chin in thought. A small smile could be seen on his face if one were to look close enough. “Using what you had around the house to use as traps… How clever,” he mumbled.

“You’d be a great fit for Scarabia!” Kalim grinned.

“You were able to set all those traps in such a short amount of time. With that sort of workspeed, Pomefiore could make use of your efforts,” Vil retorted, crossing his arms.

A new voice spoke up, “Oh, but her cunning wit should be further honed in Octavinelle. I’m sure I’d make better use of her skill.”

Jamil’s expression turned sour at the sight of the dorm leader of Octavinelle.

“Nonsense! She belongs in Diasomnia with the young master!” Sebek’s voice boomed across the cafeteria.

“Oi! Quiet down, you noisy brat,” Leona spoke up from another table beside them. He glared at the first year.

And that was the start of a rather chaotic argument between all the dorms.

Jack and Mari looked at each other with exasperated expressions.

“You wanna get out of here?” She offered.

All he did was scratch the back of his head and nod. “Yeah, it’d be better if we just went somewhere else.”

The two of them got up and sneaked away from the group that was too absorbed in their fight.

Although, Mari couldn’t help the smile creeping on her face as she processed the fact that they had complimented her. At the time, she didn’t think it was all too special. But it felt really nice to receive such validation.

Perhaps they saw her better now. Someone who isn’t weak all because she had no magic.

The thought soothed her.

[whydoyouwantmyname]

Imagine not telling the boys something important (Part 2)

Part one

“Tell me something Ailsa?” Eve asked, her voice echoed through the walls of the motel room your mind had manifested as you laid on the queen bed, the static now replaced by the projection of the world that Eve was seeing, it looked like a truck stop.

“Why do you keep calling me that.” You groaned

“I think it is cute.”

“Of course you do, alright Eve, what is your question.”

“Out of everyone I didn’t think a 207 year old cambion would be a virgin, care to enlighten me?”

“I figured you already creeped around in my memories and found it.” You answered as you sat up, and made your way to the mini bar, which instantly restocked itself, as she replied, “Nah, I didn’t feel like digging too deep.”

“Just deep enough to figure out my whole life story?”

“Exactly.”

“Well if you must know, it is so much easier to avoid feeling, and the annoying humanity I have if I just don’t let people in romantically.”

“Which is why you never made an attempt on dating Dean, even though you two are obviously meant for each other.”

“Exactly, and honestly if you do see them, please don’t tell them, I would rather..”

“I understand, I swear not a word.”

“Thanks Eve, if you weren’t investing people with your spawns, and possessing me, I would say you were pretty cool.”

“You have no idea what Crowley is up to, do you?” She asked, her voice soft as you opened your fifth miniature and downed it with no issue.

“Not a clue, but knowing the king of hell, I am sure it is something designed to get him into a position of greater power.”

“Well he is seeking to open the doors to Purgatory, for what I am not aware, but he is killing my supernatural children’s souls and imprisoning them. Rumor has it, he is not working alone, he has an angel on his side.”

You stopped mid sip, your whole body frozen as you thought, slowly lowering your arm you asked, “An angel.”

“Do you know him?”

“I fear I might.” You whispered, reflecting on your memory as a previous conversation played in your head.

You were standing alone in the living room, a lore book in hand as you paced the room, it was a rare moment where both Winchester’s were outside, leaving you alone in a blissful silence, which was soon to be interrupted by the sounds of angel wings.

“How they ever allowed you in this house is still a foreign concept to me.” He formulated the statement as you lifted your head towards him, his blue eyes piercing your figure as you raised an eyebrow, “I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean Castiel?”

“How have you managed to hid the sins you drag around with you, suppress the screams of the souls your precious hounds have torn to shred, how do you manage not to shiver in the nippy air of earth, when the flames of hell flicker at your flesh?”

“Cas, what are you implying?”

“You are a liar, and a…”

“I would choose your next sentence extremely carefully, unless you want an angel blade driven through your chest.” You warned, his face grim as he growled, “The trap will reveal who you really are, don’t worry.”

“Oh you mean that one?” You stated, pointing to the ceiling, where a classic Singer masterpiece decorated the ceiling, the book slamming shut in your single hand before being placed on the desk, as Cas smiled, almost pleased that you were caught, until you approached him slowly, his eyes filling with confusion as you got right up in his face,”Looks like you should do your homework Castiel, before you make threats to the woman who has been traveling with the Winchester’s for three years now.” Your once filled hand extends quickly, seizing his throat in your digits before using your strength to push him into the wall, leaning in you got right up in his ear, “Unless you want to see what these red eyes can really do.”

It wasn’t until you saved his ass that he truly learned who you were as a hunter, all negative feelings drifting further away with time, until he was finally comfortable enough to call you a nickname, Angel.

“So your father is working with the man who calls you Angel?” Eve replied, almost forgetting she could also see your thoughts.

“He must, Cas is the only angel I could imagine him trusting.”

“Well you’re a smart cookie, any idea…”

“Not a clue.” You answered, glancing at the TV screen as you noticed the tv screen, her eyes set on a trucker before she pushed off the wall. As she started towards the 18 wheeler, you couldn’t help but notice that Eve glanced over at the wall, the corner of your mouth lifting.

“What are you smirking about?” Eve questioned

“Nothing at all.” You replied, before a pie magically appeared.

“Like I said fellas, I remember pulling into the truck stop, and next thing I knew I was at work. I have no idea how I ended up there, or anything that happened after I pulled in.” He stated, looking to Sam and I, my head somewhere else as he spoke.

“And where do you work?” Sam asked

“Starlight Canney. After I came to, I called home, hoping my family was there. I didn’t think anything of it when she didn’t pick up, that was…” a small sob escaped his lips as Dean looked to the other officer, “mind if I have a look at the security cameras footage?”

“Not at all, let me just pull ‘em up.” The officer answered as Dean left Sam and Bobby to question Rick.

As the other officer set Dean up, all his mind could do but wander back to a memory where she was.

“Jesse.” You pleaded, the small boy's eyes flickered towards you as you remained frozen in between Sam and Dean, neither of them could see you, but the demon possessing Julia could, and Jesse.

However Sam and Dean remember it much differently then what truly happened, they remember Sam stopping Jesse, and Julia’s demon, before driving off to the next motel. However you knew it went differently

“Don’t listen to her son, you are going to do great…” As the demon talked, you lowered your own head, as Sam and Dean’s heads suddenly fell forward as the demon laughed, “So you do still know how to use your powers.”

Looking up your eyes were completely crimson red, and glued to the demon, “I can’t wait to tell my father about what you are doing, and I hope I have the pleasure of…”

“You haven’t stepped foot in hell for over 20 years, what makes you think…”

“Do you even know who my father is?” You screamed, suddenly whatever held your body stiff slowly melted away, as your arms lowered, “You’re just like me?”

Looking from the black eyed demon to Jesse, you slowly stepped forward and crouched in front of the small boy, “Yeah, my dad is a demon just like yours.”

“Jesse, don’t listen to her.” She started forward, however she suddenly became mute, and frozen, Jesse looking towards her as it happened before turning back to you, “Did they tell you lies too?”

“No, they actually don’t know, but I know that they wanted to tell you this to protect you, because it is really scary at first to learn that you are part evil.”

“Does that mean I am going to do what she said, am I going to end the world?” You could hear the small boy’s voice quicken in fear, as you put a hand on his arm and smiled, “No, all it means is that you are going to be able to do things other kids can’t, cause even though you are different, you are still human, and that means you have good in you. Listen Jesse, I am 206 years old, and have had a lot of opportunities to do some wicked stuff, and instead of doing that, I am helping people just like you.”

“You aren’t evil.” He whispered, almost as a reassurance to himself, as you responded, “And neither are you.”

“How do I beat this?”

“Well, you are going to have to run away, here.” You reaches into your bag and pulled out a notebook you had been filling with all things to do with the life since 1981, the pages worn and the book spine was well used, and with a smile you stated, “This has everything in it that I have learned over the years, it will help protect you from both angels and demons.”

“I need protection from angels?”

“Yes darling. See the angels don’t understand that we aren’t all bad, they just see the demon side of us.”

“They’re narrow minded.” He replied as you smiled, “They are just scared. You will have to move around a lot but just lay low, here you can also use this.” You pulled out a 100 dollar bill, and handed it to him, “Do you understand?”

“What will happen to my parents?” He asked

“Well they will stay here, it is too dangerous to bring them, just because the demons and angels might try to hurt them if they know where you are.”

“Have they ever done that to you?” Your face lifted to Julia, a wicked smile on your face as you thought of all the shit the demons did to Dean while in hell, and what Ruby did to Sam. “Yeah, but the Winchesters are the two strongest men I know, and no punk ass, black eyed scumbag is going to break them, not as long as I’m around to stop it.”

Looking towards you Jesse whispered, “How do I run away?”

“Just think of yourself going to a place, and just like that…” you looked down to see him gone and heard a slight thud behind you, a smile on your face as you slowly rose and looked at Julia,who went to move but remained frozen, and mute, “I like you better as a mute statue.”

As you approached her, you monologued, “Everything I said about the Winchesters is true, and I hope you all figure it out soon that nothing you do will ever make them stop hunting the bad guys. So just drop your little obsession with these two, because you got what you wanted, Lucy is running all around creation, trying to end the world. I just hope for your sake he doesn’t turn on you like he did God.”

With a single lift of your palm you sent her back to hell, her scream echoing the empty space as you watched the black goo melt into the floor from her eyes, once she was gone you turned to see Sam and Dean had fallen to the floor, the invisible force holding them still disappearing with Jesse. You walked over to the two of them and placed your hands on their heads, filling it with false memories as you mentally called out to your father.

“I was busy.” He snapped as you lifted your head to see Crowley standing before you, his eyes lifting from you to Julia’s body, “Have I ever mentioned I love it when you get feisty with your own kind?”

“All the time, yet you only allowed me to file your paperwork. Now help me get these two idiots in the Impala.”

“Here ya go, this is the footage from that night. Not really anything exciting.” The officer told Dean, snapping him from the false memory you had planted in his head. Taking a seat in the Rollie chair he muttered a thanks and started fast forwarding through the tape, until he saw something that made him stop, looking at the camera was a pair of glowing eyes, and upon rewinding and going frame by frame he saw the way the face distorted, and the eyes clearer, along with something he was not expecting to see.

“[Y/N].” He whispered, backing up the frames to before your face distorted, a slight smile was on your face, your hair was down, and you were dressed in a tank top and skinny jeans. He couldn’t take his eyes off of your face, the way your lips smeriked up as though you were taunting the camera, like you knew they would find out you were the one doing this. With the frame still pulled up he quickly rose, the chair pushing back so quickly it hit the wall, alerting Sam and Bobby to his distress, before he stormed out of the office. Frustration filling his body as his mind stated over and over that he had failed you.

When Sam and Bobby finally came out they found Dean sitting on the hood of the impala, his eyes just staring into a void above as they approached him, “Dean?” Bobby asked

“It’s her.” His eyes never leaving the sky as his voice was gruff and soft, “whatever we are hunting is inside her head.”

“We will figure it out.” Sam whispered as Dean finally lowered his head, his eyes red rimmed, bloodshot and puffy.

“Will we?” He replied.

About an hour later Dean and Sam were sitting in the motel, milling over notebooks trying to find anything on what could be possessing [y/n], “I mean it could be a shapeshifter.” Sam offered as a possible answer as Dean knitted his fingers into his greasy hair.

“Sam you saw her face distorted on the security footage, no shapeshifter has done that before.” He sighed out as Sam lowered the book.

“Are you sure you are okay dude?” Sam asked, the sound of his own question making him feel like it was a dumb thing to say, anyone with two eyes could have been able to tell that Dean was falling apart every second, especially now that he knew that something had possessed you. Dean’s index and thumb moved from his hair to the bridge of his nose, the two digits squeezed the flesh between his eyes as he let out a sigh, “This is why hunters can never fall in love.”

“Dean..”

“Sammy, please don’t feed me your positive outcome bullshit right now, we have no leads, no information of what is possessing her, we have nothing. As far as we know there could be no cure, it is possible that we could try everything and that thing will still be in her head.”

“And we will, don’t forget Dean, she wasn’t just your friend. She was mine and Bobby’s too, and we will save her.”

Before Dean could respond his burner was ringing, his response turned into him flipping it open and muttering, “Whatcha got Bobby?”

“I need you and Sam to get your asses down to Starlight Canney, Rufus and I will meet ya outside.”

“Rufus is with…” Dean started but he was cut off by Bobby’s like going dead, Dean looked at Sam and promptly stated, “Bobby found something, I think.”

While the boys drove to the canney, Cas was opening the doors to an abandoned warehouse, a glowing light seeped out from under it as he revealed the grey lab space that he and Crowley had built. Crowley was seated at the table, a sheet of paper before him as his hand scribbled across the page with a pen. Cas looked over the railing at him, as he stated, “Stop staring at me like you do the Winchester boy.”

“I have news.”

“Did you find me more souls?” Crowley’s head still did not lift as he spoke, it wasn’t until Cas replied that he finally became alert, “No, it is about [Y/N].”

“What about her?”

“She has been possessed, the boys are trying to track her down, but whatever is inside of her is ancient.”

“Eve.” Crowley hissed

“Why would Eve be…”

“She knows we are trying to open purgatory, and wants to stop us. Is she creating an army?”

“I won’t call it an army, but she is creating hybrids.”

“And she has my little girl on like a meat suit.” He stated more than asked, frustration clear in his brow as he slammed the pen down, “I thought the Winchesters…”

“They are looking for her right now. I can’t see her though, so I was wondering…”

“Eve will make her go dark to everyone who could have been able to find her, I can have my spies on the lookout for her, but Castiel….” He started before pausing, the reality of his next statement taking a toll on his still beating heart, “[Y/N] will die if you remove Eve.”

“Not all of her.” Cas replied before leaving, as Crowley leaned back in his chair, his heart breaking for his little girl.

[mayora97]

Bakery by Melanie Martinez

Let's talk about it, cause I'm not buying that she did all this just over a job she did years ago.

Not my first pick but I'll do it

Make the cash right so I could move quick

Out the shithole with a new whip

Cream on top I'm about to prove it

Y'know, okay fair enough! But explain the rest of it. Choices were made in its production and you can't tell me they were random

Her song and video are on the following topics (besides her job) as far as I can tell:

Sexuality

Well, first of all:

Melanie has talked about being raised in a "traditional Latin household" and how she'd been made to feel ashamed of her sexuality.

But also:

Eating all the rainbow cookies

Rainbow associating with LGBT, and cookies I'll talk about in a minute. For those who don't know btw, Melanie is bisexual herself. While she's LBTQ herself, she can still pass as straight.

Next,

The unforgiving nature of the church

My boss is Mother Mary

Catch me slipping through the concrete

Show no mercy, step right on me

Stiletto death, send me to purgatory

And,

Arbitrary, the way they all go

Knock 'em down like she a dodge ball

Little mess up and she's angry

One downfall, she blame the whole team

Oppressive and nitpicky huh?

I don't know if she was raised in a Christian household to be fair but there's no other way for me to interpret this when she outright tells us her boss is Mother freaking Mary. This whole bakery represents Christianity/ the church.

Moving on,

The role of women

The bakery, tryna make some more

They expect me to stay when I should go

Grab the bag for when I cross the door

It ain't for me to roll it out

It's just for me to raise the dough

Bearing and raising children. Except she has no real say in their actual upbringing, cause that's where the Church takes over. Their minds, lives, outlook, morality and identity are shaped according to Christian standards

Cookie cutter

We talked about rainbow cookies earlier, and we just talked about the Church rolling out the dough... Melanie herself is the dough being shaped and formed... The shape is a girl in a skirt, which later gets decorated very plainly... I mean 2 + 2 + 2 + 2= ?

Ignore this part

Pack it, box it, flip it, top it

With a bow tied, ribbon, stop it

Eating all the rainbow cookies

Okay so this might be a total stretch, but hear me out:

She only mentions the rainbow cookies getting eaten. Like the faulty products that aren't good enough to be sold, so they're consumed and done away with by the staff members. The others are packed, tied with a ribbon and sent off.

Melanie was prettied up in a pink dress and blue accessories and packed off, presumably, to her mother in law's house. Where she isn't eaten but still cut up and layed out bleeding:

Finally,

Angel v.s. devil

I don't know what to do with this... but:

I'm sorry, but this girl has horns^

And hooves^!!

There's parts in this song that I can't figure out what she could possibly mean by them, so I'm not drawing any conclusions but I do want to open this discussion.

If anyone has anything to add or contest this please share your thoughts.

[lunelantern]

~~~~🌙Uchiha Sasuke 🌙- - the light of the darkness🌙~~~

[~~Escaping the matrix / Infinite TSUKUYOMI dreamland~~]

{***💗💝💝💖Sakura's pure love and their unbreakable bond ***}

To put it bluntly, Sasuke's character shouts the following message: DO NOT BE A SLEEPY SHEEPLE PRAYING TO THE LIFE SCRIPT!🐑🐑🐑

BE YOURSELF!💡💖

I've always had this hunch that there's much more about Sasuke's character than the eye can see and how after minutely rewinding the manga and the philosophy behind his character, I've come to realize that his construction is a wending breadcrumb trail for the secret educational message of the manga: question everything, do not take anything for granted, think with an open mind, ward off manipulation, walk away from the clever manipulators who try to crush your free Will and whirlwind you back into the flock of obedient sleepy sheeple🐑🐑🐑

Uzumaki Naruto as the hero and the promoter of the status quo fits into the pattern of the cookie-cutter hero that flatters the vast majority; he's the Serpent 🐍🐍🐍 disguised as the guiding lighthouse through the storm in the "Happy-ever-after" fable. Naruto keeps the Life Script narrative a-flame under the guise of morally and politically righteousness.

Funny thing is that the allegory of the manga illustrates this warped, reverse herd mentality that's meant to crush the free Will and freedom of speech. The real Serpent of the manga isn't Orochimaru who quests the ylem of our existence as presented and struggles to free himself from the "Infinite dream", but Naruto himself who tries to lure and "guide" us back to the cattle of loopholed slaves in the prison-like cage of so called democracy and status quo. When in reality, he shoves the Life Script under our noses served on a silver plate with the false promise of accessing to spirit elevation, freedom, love and peaceful cohabitation and happiness.

Which contradicts the sequel of the manga as per Orochimaru's statement in Sasuke's Novel: there is always upcoming conflict bubbling and waiting to erupt. Which is reiterated in Boruto Manga's narration.

Obito Uchiha too makes us alert not to fall for this clever web when he mocks Naruto's vehement lifetime goal to whip Sasuke's ass back on what he calls the "real track", stating that without considering and acknowledging Sasuke's worldview is yet another form of manipulation. 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧠🤪

Sasuke is presented as the tragic anti-hero who lost his path, the fallen angel who needs to be guided from the Purgatory and led to heaven. When in reality, he warns against manipulation, indoctrination under the false pretense of righteousness and politically correct. 💡

Sasuke is the character who seeks constant enlightment🧠🧠🧠. He doesn't take anything for granted. He questions everything he hears and he won't stop until he unearthed the truth. He encourages us not to fall for the sugary coated words of the society who'd do anything to whoosh us back into the chain of slavery🔗🔗🐑 and punishing us for trying to be our own true selves.

Sasuke is correct in brazenly throwing the truth into the flabbergasted faces of the Rookie Nine🐑🐑🐑 upon joining the war: "I don't care what you think about me."👏👏👏 Meaning that he won't alter his own true way to fit into the Life Script. He won't forgo his true self in lieu of having their acceptance.👌💡💯

In this case, being accepted and acknowledged by the masses is yet another false validation of self served as politically and morally correct. The shinobi world won't accept Uchiha Sasuke for what he is (only Sakura does 😉), unless he follows the predetermined scenario of Life. 😍💖💗💝💋

Haku himself admitted to having fallen for the Life Script willfully because he lacked inner power and self-identity🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️; he accepted the Life Script, he mirthfully accepted to be a mindless obedient voiceless and kitless sheep 🐑 in the hands of a criminal, in lack of a life purpose.

The ones with a different onset of life principles with always be shunned and rejected and antagonized by the masses. Because they poses as a real threat to the self-identities of the masses of obedient Life Script devotees (which perfectly explains racial and gender discrimination).

People have a natural instinct to reject what's different and Naruto is a prime exemple of this survival instinct. He never accepted anyone who does not share his worldview and always fought to curb everyone back into the Life Script.

Sasuke's rejection by the society only proves it that breakthrough ideas, inovative and creative people who think differently will always struggle in a tug - of - war with the Life Script consisting of obedient sheeple.

Don't be inovative, don't think differently, don't behave differently, be like us and follow wordlessly and mindlessly is the message that Uzumaki Naruto spreads through the Manga 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️ under the pretense of acquiring universal peace. Which proved to be a sublime faux pas because naruto's installment as Hokage proved not to solve anything; there's still a lot of conflict undergoing (see the clownish grotesque circus of the Manga's Las Vegas aka the "reformed" Hidden Mist 🎠🎡🎢🎪💈 village the shambolic motherboard of crimes and conspiracies as the drain pools is ready to flood), there's still pain and remorse bubbling hot and there's still a deep state with an abscound agenda (Boruto - Kara and Otsutsuki aliens 👽👽👽) unfolding right under the flimsy veil of peace.

Not coincidentally, Sasuke is the only one who tapped his real conscience that's hidden deep into the soul and awakened true enlightment, through the spiritual journey of his inner dialogue with the Creator of Ninshu, the Sage of Six Paths as the prophet of the manga: the ultimate visual Doujutsu which raises the veil of deceit off the eyes, the key to unlock the ultimate truth - - the Rinnegan (aka the Third Eye of eternal knowledge in Buddhism).

Sasuke is the only living in the universe who is immune to the dreamland cast by Infinite TSUKUYOMI. Sasuke is the only one who can break free from the matrix and ward off any deceit and manipulation.

Even having knowledge of his true intentions and his peculiar vision of a Hokage, the Sage of Six Paths imparts half of his chakra with Sasuke.

There are interesting theories about consciousness and reincarnation which profer that, upon death, our souls are presented with two choices: either go back to earth and reincarnate as a recycled soul with erased memories or ward off the light and walk into the void of darkness to reunite with your true form (remember, Naruto is the deceiving "light" 💡🌞 and Sasuke is the blissful "darkness" 🌑🌙).

Without sounding like a far-fetched conspirationist who went too far into the rabbit hole, there are challenging theories which go as far as to assert that our recycled souls are lured and trapped by mishiveous entities which would use an entire repertoire of manipulations into trick us back into reincarnation and rebirth, in order to feed from our souls and energies, which makes it impossible for us to break the matrix of Earth and reunite with our true selves in the afterlife. Which is exactly what the Otuatuski Clan of unearthly entities do in the Manga: use the earth shinobi as chakra vessels to feed from 🤔👀

Sasuke Uchiha shares a very strong, soul-enriching message: never trust what you see, never take it for granted what the other say, break free from the mind-benumbing spirit-crushing Life Script scenario, never blindly follow the herd without using your own mind, always think, always ask questions, always seek for answers, always make sure to see things for what they are, always look behind the veil, always trust your gut, trust your instinct, open your mind and let them atune to your senses and trust only your own self. Sasuke teaches us that the truth and the real source of light must be sought only inside our own hearts and pure, selfless and love is the answer.

Sasuke teaches us how to break free from IT😉😎 and not to be scared to do so.

Sasuke tells us to not be scared to be us, to think differently and to seek our own answers (he's the only one who didn't take anything for granted, who didn't blindly join the Shinobi War without digging for the truth - - he resurrected the former Shinobi who created the village to seek for the truth and filter it through his own mind).

"I am not a child nor I am pure", his answer to Hashirama's remark means that he isn't an obedient sheep into the flock who accepts the Life Script obediently. "impure" in this context means that Sasuke is not corruptible or brainwashed. Sai was wrong when he stated that Sasuke "is a blank canvas ready to be painted in colors", namely he's a naive idiot ignoramus to the manipulation going afloat who's bend to every puppet master's commands. That's Sai, he unconsciously perfectly depicted himself.

Sasuke incites us to find the light withing ourselves and find the answers inside us because that's the only source of truth.

If you'd like a movie analogy, Naruto Manga suggest that we're living in a matrix, a simulated dreamworld and you're presented with the two pills - the red pill or the blue pill, with Naruto and Sasuke as the avatars of the two pills (Naruto will trap you into the matrix and Sasuke is your ticket to break free from it).

🌅⛩️⛩️⛩️⛩️⛩️⛩️⛩️⛲🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌

➡️ Now for what true love means...

... Sakura.

She's the whirlpool from where pure love stems. She is the only manga character who loves Sasuke for what he really is. She's the only one who'd follow him unconditionally without abandoning her own true self.

Sakura surrendered to Sasuke unconditionally. She gave herself to him so intimately with abandonment and unadulterated heart. She offered her heart selflessly without asking him for anything in return. And that's why her love is benediction; she remains an angel who only wants to shower Sasuke with her love.

And that's why sasuke is the sole keeper of her heart. The only man who can love her. Because sasuke is the only man who reached spiritual enlightment. He's the only one who can see her love for what it is - sacrosanct, noble and pure.

Sakura would have followed him when he joined Orochimaru only because she wanted him to feel loved, to give him her love.

Sakura knew something that only Kakashi, Obito and Zetsu knew because they were witnesses, namely that a clash between Sasuke and Naruto would inevitably result in both dying. And that's why she pleaded with him one last time before being silenced with a RINNEGAN genjutsu by sasuke who desperately tried to break from the matrix. 🔗🔗🔗. She simply wanted to give him love, selflessly, with nothing in return.

Even Itachi tried to place sasuke under a matrix by fabricating a credible past for him and possibly channeling his future back into the Life Script - - Itachi knew that the less he knew, the less he'd suffer. Which obviously didn't work out well and in the end, Itachi admitted his fault for trying to change his little brother and manipulate him.

Sakura's love is transcendental, is pure and unbiased. She's the only legitimate source of love in the manga, the paramount of it. Because one who loves forgives and accepts unconditionally.

The one who loves you genuinely will never try to manipulate change you.

Sakura love the real Sasuke. She loves him for everything he represents, his soul, his mind, his heart, his history, his body.

Naruto selfishly suggests that they'd finally get along in death when he'd not be a kyuubi vessel anymore snd he won't bear the curse of knowledge the Uchiha on his shoulders, which is a romanticized brainwashing way of stating that Naruto attempts to erase Sasuke's hystory, roots and ancestry by cutting the ropes with the Uchiha. Ultimately, Naruto suggests that Sasuke gives up with his true self and join the cattle.

Sakura doesn't do this. She accepts Sasuke's true self and loves him unconditionally and that's what true love means, one that glows, heals, accepts and surrenders unconditionally, with no prior ado or conditions. 💖💝💗

[ice-cream-nekogirl]

Amy Martinez (Character Sheet TV Tropes Style) K-O

Kick The Dog: Several times…

When she and Midoriya fought each other over how he handled the debacle with Overhaul, he attempted to apologize to her and give her an All-Might figure as a gift (Shinsou’s suggestion), but she rejected the gift and crushed it with her telekinesis.

Much like with Midoriya, Aizawa attempts to appease Amy when she’s upset with him for not taking her in after her parents died when he and the other pro-heroes could have, by apologizing and buying her a cat plushie, but Amy tells him it’s too late, denounces it as garbage and incinerates it with her pyrokinesis.

At the Christmas party, after Eri ate her cookie not knowing it was hers, an incensed Amy pretends to call Santa on her to not give her any presents.

Amy also wrote everyone angry letters (not knowing she wasn’t supposed to send them) and she simply wrote for Eri to “Get out.”  

As stated, Amy wrote angry letters to most of her classmates, but ended up accidentally sending them as her classmates end up reading her actual, cruel opinions of them and she later says them word-for-word which made Iida,Yaoyorozu and Ojiro cry:

Calls Uraraka a ‘basic bitch’.

Tells Kirishima that he’s an idiot if he thinks being manly means anything.

Says that Yaoyorozu is ‘really stupid for the smartest girl in the class’ and is a ‘privileged bubblehead’

Similarly she calls Iida an ‘uptight robot’ and a ‘priveleged rich boy with no real meaningful goal’.

Asks Sero what he’s even doing in the Hero Course because he’s a “fucking human tape dispenser”

Calls Ojiro the “worst one in the class” because he’s “boring”, then insults his hero costume on top of it all.

Really just about anything she and Shinsou do to Ojiro as they relentlessly mock his generic personality by calling him ‘boring’ or steal his things for no reason other than amusement.

When she, Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo intern with Endeavor and visit his family at his house, she calls Fuyumi an idiot for being so forgiving towards Endeavor.

Kick The Son Of A Bitch: She always punishes Mineta for his perversion usually in the form of groin attacks, tossing him out the window or using him as an expendable decoy in battle.

She also beats the shit out of Tate Langdon with Shinsou before letting the former be dragged to Hell when together them and Madison free the residents in the Murder House from their purgatory and let their souls move into the afterlife.

Kiddie Kid: She’s a high schooler and yet she tends to act MUCH younger than that as it shows through her fondness for toys and My Little Pony, her excitable attitude and her dislike of work. Iida even frequently tells her that she needs to grow up.

Shinsou straight up says that having Amy as a friend is the same as having a child, one that he and Ashlen constantly look after with him being the ‘dad’ and Ashlen being the ‘mom’. 

Kill It With Water: Her second death at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Damien as he drowned her in a bathtub. Much like above, she gets better as Madison this time revives her.  

Killer Rabbit: Small, cute and for the most part sweet, but Amy can and WILL kill you if you cross her, if you’re lucky, she’ll just curse you or hex you. 

Knife Nut: She’s handy with a knife and clearly gets a high out of using them.

Lack of Empathy: While she IS capable of feeling empathy for others, Amy can also easily show a disturbing lack of empathy for others due to her selfish nature and sense of entitlement as she can easily dismiss other people’s problems and feelings.

Amy: Greenie I’m not some urchin you found on the street I matter.

Lady Swears A Lot: She’s VERY foul-mouthed and has an affinity for F-bombs and other vulgar language. Iida has frequently told her to watch her language, denouncing it as unladylike while she just says “Shut the fuck up” in return.

Lame Comeback: Although she and Shinsou are normally very witty and quick to come up with a smart remark, when they are too angry to come up with anything clever, their insults are... less effective.

Large Ham: She’s super dramatic and almost always at 11, not to mention she loves to dramatic sing songs when she hears anything that even remotely sounds like a lyric to a song she knows.

Laughing Mad: Since she’s not very stable to begin with, Amy has a habit of bursting into laughter at inappropriate times. As she laughs during her fight with Midoriya after he punches her, which greatly unsettles him.

Leitmotif:

La la la la la da…

All the good girls go to hell…

so what if i’m crazy? (the best people are)

Like Brother and Sister: Her and Shinsou have known each other since they were four years old and have a very close friendship built entirely on trust and unfiltered honesty to the point where it’s almost inappropriate but it nonetheless displays that they only love each other like family and have nothing romantic between them whatsoever as they found out during a so-called date and they realized that while they love each other, the thought of being together repulses them.

Light Feminine, Dark Feminine: Although she’s just as wicked as Madison is, Amy’s definitely a Light Feminine compared to Madison’s Dark Feminine.

However, Amy is the Dark Feminine to Ashlen’s Light Feminine, as well as her other female classmates, especially Ashido, Uraraka and Yaoyorozu.

Light Is Not Good: While Amy wears black like many of her witch sisters, she also is fond of light clothing such as pink and other pastel colors, but she’s not exactly the most heroic girl in the world.

Limp and Livid: When pissed off beyond belief, Amy slouches even more to signify her very fragile stability and fights even more viciously, letting her rage literally take control in battle. 

Little Miss Badass: Ever since she was 11 years old Amy’s enter a world of bloodshed and action and has gotten VERY good with her powers and magic, and only gets stronger as she gets older.

Living Emotional Crutch: She’s one to Shinsou as he broke down hard when she left for New Orleans and fell into a depression. While he managed to pick himself back up he never stopped thinking about Amy, imagined that she was there with him and made her one of his motivations in his goal to become a pro-hero. And he’s absolutely elated when she returns and gains even more drive to fulfill his dream with his friend back to him. And Amy is one of the few people that Shinsou trusts enough to turn to when he’s at his lowest point and his loneliest and Amy is quick to give him all the support and comfort he needs.

And vice-versa when Amy returns, Shinsou is easily the only living being that keeps her from going insane as she thinks about him whenever she’s having a meltdown as he can reason with her before she acts recklessly while at the same time comforting her and reassuring her. It helps that he’s the last piece she has from her childhood that reminds her of a time where things were easy, innocent and fun for her as she thinks fondly of their happier times where nothing other than having fun mattered.  

She’s one to Ashlen as well, who has expressed of fear of not having her best friend in her life anymore to the point of crying and panicking. She even tearfully begs Amy to not leave her alone, because she can’t be without the person she views as her best friend in the world. And vice-versa, Ashlen becomes one to Amy, as she falls right back into insanity and depression when she thinks she’s hurt her and can’t bear to live with herself with that fact knowing that she harmed her. Amy even says that she doesn’t think she’d be able to live in a world without Ashlen, and confesses that she’d probably have gone on another homicidal rampage she’d never come back from without Ashlen in her life. 

Logical Weakness: Amy might seem like the lucky one with her variety of powers, but in actuality having more powers also forces her to utilize more energy depending on the power she’s using and thus leaves her very vulnerable when using too energy to fuel her powers drains her and renders her weaker with nosebleeds and headaches, and she’s even realized that should she overdo it with her telekinesis that she could suffer brain damage.

Love Makes You Evil: Not quite as bad as Toga, but still very present.

The Mad Hatter: Amy goes insane during her time in New Orleans, is well aware that she’s no longer sane by the time she gets to UA, but embraces her insanity as part of who she is and how she’s grown. While it unnerves her friends at first, they wouldn’t have her any other way.

Amy: (laughs) I wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I were sane. All the best people are crazy~.

Manic Pixie Dream Girl: She can sometimes act like this, especially for Ashlen surprisingly enough, as her wild behavior encourages her to loosen up a little bit and find more confidence in herself. 

Manipulative Bitch: Fiona did raise her for a short-time, but boy did she rub off on her. Amy’s learned how to use her appearance and earn sympathy from others while also bending the truth to get people to do what she wants or fall into her traps. Shown during the end of the Culture Festival where she pretends to be remorseful to Aizawa, only to blind him with a potion and begin her rampage. 

Masculine Girl and Feminine Boy: She has this dynamic whenever she’s with Midoriya. Amy might dress and act femininely, but she’s far more ruthless, vulgar and crude compared to the soft-spoken and gentle Midoriya. Although Midoriya isn’t really effeminate, he’s the one who has to keep Amy from acting too rough and aggressive. 

Likewise, while Todoroki and Iida aren’t anymore feminine and masculine in their own ways, they’re much less crude and shameless than Amy is so she’s also the Masculine Girl to their Feminine Boys. 

Meaningful Name: Amy means “beloved” or “worthy of love” which may have to do with her loving nature as despite all of her flaws, Amy loves VERY strongly and her powers are connected to her strong emotions including her capacity to love others as she even states that she wants to become a hero because she believes in love and wants to fight for it. Also, Amy herself is very beloved by several that she is close to such as Shinsou, Ashlen, Bakugo, Madison, Todoroki, Cordelia, and many more.

Martinez is derived from ‘Mars’ which is the Roman name for Ares, the God of War, which MAY allude to Amy’s love for fighting and affinity for violence and chaos.

Her middle name ‘Ophelia’ also means ‘help’ which ultimately refers to her helpful nature as she becomes an ally to the heroes, women, witches and other groups she wants to fight for and support. Also could refer to the character ‘Ophelia’ in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who slowly lost her sanity after her father’s death and Hamlet’s behavior, much like how Amy herself lost her sanity after her parent’s deaths.

Mood Swinger: Can go from cheerfully happy and sweetly smiling to fuming and screaming angrily to bitterly cold and threatening murder to crying miserably and sulking sadly all within the span of a single hour or day.  

Morality Chain: Shinsou is one of the few people she actually treats with equal respect and genuinely cares about enough to stop during a meltdown. Similarly, her coven and her classmates serve as hers as her friendship with them kept her from going over to the villain’s side or returning to New Orleans. Shinsou, Bakugo, Midoriya and Todoroki in particular are some of the only people that she is willing to reason with, likewise, Kaminari, Hagakure, Kouda, Shouji and Aoyama are the only classmates she consistently treats nicely.

Her new best friend Ashlen is one of the few people aside from Shinsou and Todoroki that she is willing to reason with, is always respectful towards her aside from teasing, and the only person who can get her to behave and be nice to her other classmates. And thus far is the only one who’s inspired Amy to treat people around her better as she reflects on her actions after following Ashlen’s example and has learned to be kinder and more respectful.

Morality Pet: She’s one for Madison, as the older, crueler witch will hold back on her meaner impulses when tormenting her classmates, most of the time, for Amy’s sake and will go out of her way to make sure the younger witch is happy. Likewise, she also served as one for Fiona, the former Supreme who treated her like a granddaughter, it didn’t stop her from attempting to murder Amy, but she feels regret for it and still cares for the young witch and watches over her to ensure she is safe and being treated well. Lastly, she’s one for her Ax-Crazy friend Darcy, who became less violent due to Amy’s influence. 

More Deadly Than The Male: Witches are stronger than warlocks, and it shows in that Amy was always stronger than her ex boyfriend Damien. And when she interns with Endeavor alongside Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki, the three strongest males of 1-A. Endeavor reluctantly admits to himself that despite being the only female, Amy’s unpredictable temper, array of powers and tendency to fight from a distance makes her the most dangerous of the group.

The Music Meister: Sort of. When she breaks out into song and dance she can get some of her more outgoing friends to sing and dance along with her. Even Shinsou, especially when she starts singing Panic! At The Disco. 

My God What Have I Done?: As she fights Midoriya and gains the upper hand by trapping and grabbing him with her Sentio Compassios form, she’s ready to maim him in her form’s hands but as soon as she sees him crying and pleading with her to stop, Amy finally pauses when she remembers that she protected him first, only to hurt him and as she lets him go she leaves without a word but it’s clear she felt horrible for intending to maim him. And then she feels even more horrible when she stops to see the damage she’s done to UA and all the heroes she’s harmed. Despite claiming to be sick of UA, Amy mostly withdraws from the school because she felt too guilty to return. 

Never My Fault: Would rather shift the blame onto something or someone else even when it’s clearly her fault. Not only that but Amy generally doesn’t take much responsibility for her actions nor is she willing to own up to her mistakes. 

However, this is ultimately subverted as Amy is well aware when things are her fault and DOES apologize for them, it just takes a while for her to admit it due to shame and guilt.

Nice Hat: Just like her sisters, Amy has an affinity for wearing some very nice black hats in the style of witches.

Nice, Mean, and In-Between: Of The Zombie Trio, she is more the “In-Between” to Ashlen’s “Nice” and Shinsou’s “Mean”.

However at times she and Shinsou either switch roles where he becomes “In-Between” and Amy becomes “Mean”, but then they are also capable of both being the “Mean”. Amy and Shinsou are both only “In-Between” whenever they are joined by Madison or Bakugo.

The Nicknamer: Much like Bakugo, but her nicknames are far (most of the time) less insulting as she likes to give everyone nicknames that are usually affectionate and cutesy as she tends to especially use ‘cat’ or ‘bear’ in their

Ashlen: Ash, Ash-bear, Ash-chan

Izuku: Greenie, Zuzu, Deku-bear

Bakugo: Katsu-kitty, Katsu-kun, Kacchan (like Izuku)

Shinsou: Hito, Toshi, Tosh, Toshi-bear, Toshi-cat

Madison: Mads, Maddie

Tsuyu: Tsu, Tsu-tsu, Tsu-kun

Todoroki: Toto, Sho-kun, Sho, Shoto-cake, Shoto-bear

Iida: Ten-ten, Tenya-bear, Four-Eyes

Uraraka: Raka

Hagakure: Toorun, Ruu

Yaoyorozu: Momo-bear

Kaminari: Den-kun, Den-kitty, Denki-bear

Kirishima: Kiri-kat, Kiri

Aoyama: Twinkle-Toes

Ojiro: What’s-Your-Face

Tokoyami: Toko, Toko-bird

Sero: Sero-bear, Han-kun

Ashido: Min-chan, Mina-min

Kouda: Kody, Kouda-bear

Aizawa: ‘Back-hair’

Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Due to her love for horror, Amy is more than happy to scare the shit out of her classmates by telling them horrifying stories about death, torture and serial killers. Helps that Amy’s unsettling nature also adds to the horror whenever she makes gestures and adds sound effects to her stories and even shows pictures. 

Nightmare Fetishist: Enjoys horror-based things such as witchcraft, the occult, and also has a fondness for creepy creatures such as tarantulas, snakes and alligators as she coos at how ‘cute’ they are. She’s also ecstatic when she wanders around haunted sites with ghosts and blood-drinkers such as the Murder House, the abandoned Briarcliff Manor and the haunted Hotel Cortez.

No Indoor Voice: Prone to screaming at the top of her lungs when making a point. In fact, she’s the second loudest in the Hero Course behind Bakugo.

No Sense of Personal Space: Amy’s very hands-on and touchy, as she constantly puts her hands on her friends whether it’s on their shoulders, hugging them randomly, holding onto their arms or hands.  

No Social Skills: Downplayed. Amy’s perfectly capable of socializing with people, but doesn’t seem to see an issue with swearing in front of adults and strangers, nor does she see an issue with being overly affectionate and touching, especially shown when she happily greets Inko.

Not Good With Rejection: No... she’s really not. Just ask Midoriya.

The Not Love Interest: She’s one to Shinsou, as his best friend, she is the person he is closest to and serves as one of his motivations, thinks about her every single day, cares and looks after her and is seen with her the most out of anyone. Amy is also quite affectionate to him and Shinsou was her main reason for returning to Japan so she could see him again and rekindle their friendship. They are very comfortable with each other, aren’t against hugging and share almost all of their secrets with each other. Also, Amy is one of the few people who can bring him out of his shell as Shinsou feels very comfortable loosening up around Amy and has no issue looking foolish in front of her. However, Amy and Shinsou have NO romantic interest in each other whatsoever, comically express how disgusted they are by each other and Shinsou’s true love interest in Ashlen, Amy’s best friend who she happily pairs Shinsou with.

Similarly, she’s also one to Madison, as the bitchy witch becomes slowly kinder to Amy’s friends because of her care for the younger witch. Madison also goes out of her way to make sure Amy is happy because she can’t stand to see her sad, even rescues her from All For One and the League of Villains by herself and often consoles her when she is upset. Amy’s overall influence has made Madison something of a better person who has become more considerate of others, but she gets jealous of other people who spend time with her and ‘steal’ her away, despite having no romantic feelings for each other. Helps that they even argue at times like an Old Married Couple.

She can also be one to Ashlen at times, as aside from Shinsou, Amy is one of the most important people in her life, acts as her main emotional support as she allows her to talk about her feelings and vent to about her past whenever she is sad or feeling insecure and Amy becomes one of her newer inspirations as she gradually grows more confident and secure with herself due to her influence. 

Not So Different: She realizes this with the League of Villains, particularly Toga and Twice, who she forms a bond with over feeling outcasted by society and lack of mental stability. She also manages to have a pleasant conversation with Shigaraki when she can relate to him on feeling like one of the ‘losers’ of Hero Society, it’s the reason why he tried to convince her to join his League, while she didn’t reply, she ultimately ends up staying with the heroes because of her friendship with 1-A.

She ends up bonding with Bakugo after they got kidnapped together, where she points out that they’re really not that different from each other because she has a similar goal and mindset which leads them to talking more despite Bakugo trying to claim that they’re ‘night and day’.

Oblivious To Love: Averted. Amy is well aware of who’s crushing on who, or who has feelings for her as she is clearly flattered by Todoroki’s feelings for her and Monoma’s even more obvious crush on her.

Odd Friendship: With many of her classmates but particularly Midoriya,Tsuyu,  Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami and Kouda.

Midoriya was the first friend she made aside from Shinsou, but while he’s a humble and shy nice guy, she’s shameless and arrogant.

Amy took a liking to Tsuyu as they are shown to work together quite well in combat and bond over tastes in aesthetics.

Despite mocking her in the beginning, she grows fond of Yaoyorozu even though they’re starkly different in terms of intelligence, personality and mannerisms.

Amy says that she likes Tokoyami because he’s a ‘boy witch’ and he’s fascinated by witch culture and they seem to get along relatively well despite him being low-key and collected and her being wild and hyper.

Kouda is the quietest student in 1-A while Amy is one of the loudest, but they easily become friends due to their love for animals and cute things.

To Bakugo’s horror, she hits it off with his mother Mitsuki due to their similarly loud, abrasive personalities and annoyance towards him. 

She also becomes quite fond of Natsuo when she’s interning with Endeavor and allows him to open up to her about how much he hates Endeavor while she happily tells him that she hates him too.

When she and Ashlen officially meet, their friendship shows to be quite odd but sweet. Amy’s off the wall with a varying morality, while Ashlen is grounded and is firmly on the side of good. 

Older Than They Look: Amy’s older than classmates such as Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, Shouji and Ashlen, but acts MUCH younger than they do and certainly looks a bit younger than they do as she frequently gets mistaken for a middle schooler. 

One Woman Army: When Amy is provoked and at her more insane, she becomes too much for even the pro-heroes to handle as she merely pushes them away with very strong telekinesis and keeps them at bay. Even the Big 3, Amajiki, Nejire and Mirio (who was quirkless) are no match for Amy as she effortlessly beats the tar out of them when they try stopping her. However, she’s still clever enough to fight older, experience heroes at a distance but her array of powers and rage (fueling her Sentio Compassios) allows her to overwhelm them and take them by surprise, and with Concilium she’s able to make some of the stronger ones simply go to sleep. 

OOC Is Serious Business: Amy’s almost always upbeat and overzealous while also cracking jokes without a care in the world, but when she’s NOT acting happy-go-lucky or muttering a joke, it becomes clear that something is very wrong with her as her classmates are alarmed when Amy shows any instance of fear or nerves.

Seeing her acting unemotional or stoic is also an indicator that something is wrong with Amy, as Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki are each quite shocked upon seeing her so detached and cold during the Internship with Endeavor.

What further contrasts her from Bakugo is that while he drops nicknames and calls people by last name out of respect, Amy instead drops the nicknames whenever she is pissed off beyond reason.

The Ophelia: She was long, wavy dirty blonde hair, often sings at random times while dancing and appears to be out of touch with reality as she puts a positive spin on even the bleakest things. However, it’s played for horror when she goes on a rampage as she lets her hair down, singing all the while she’s causing mayhem.

As a bonus, her middle name is Ophelia, and she was even killed once in a manner very similar to Ophelia as she was drowned by Damien, not unlike how Ophelia died by drowning in a pond. 

[elizabethrobertajones]

14x07 watching notes

In Which It Is Now Completely Apparent Which Of Buck And Leming Are Writing A Scene At Any Given Time

or

A Tale Of Lizbob Being Tormented By Toddlers

Hello it is 3:32am and I am awake from a dream of what the episode might have been (plus side: overt Destiel motel room sharing, downside: Jack accidentally killed Dean) because my tantruming toddler neighbour who just moved into the haunted house next door was screaming, and threw something at our adjoining wall. At 3am. So I'm not exactly well-rested and I'm kinda pissed, which isn't the best combo for a Buckleming episode, but when you wake up with a scream and a thump, you aren't going back to sleep for a lil while :P

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Kudos to the rest of the writing team, we're 7 episodes in and I've thoroughly forgotten Nick exists. I've just been assuming he was caught, featured on a true crime program, and is already gone and locked up for the new murder and likely solving of a cold case.

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Ahahahaaaa the opening of the recap is "when it comes to killing you, I'll be the one to do it" so that's ominous. As you might tell, my psyche is utterly wrapped around this whole Shakespearean tragedy of Jack vs Dean, and perhaps they're not gonna murder each other today but the constant reminders they're living in a murder or get murdered delicate thematic plot balance is exactly the sort of thing that we need to have hanging over their dynamic, as well of course as being the start point of their relationship to show how far they've come and how much they've changed and now love each other and how just last episode Dean got in his "fine i have a son now" episode a season or two later than everyone else and just in time for it to be "so now you bonded with him of course he's caught Doom because you can't have nice things for literally a single episode and this is your fault for bonding with him, Dean"

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This recap is designed to wound me, a Jack fan and lover of how TFW loves their son

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Ew, it's Nick. The first time in my life I've been tempted to skip at least a lil of the recap.

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Imagine how tight it would have been to just do a 10 second "here's Jack" recap and cut to the action

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and the action includes an episode without Nick stealing time from the boy

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You know i spend exactly 0 time speculating on how Eugenie might write her personal fave bits of the episodes but if you had to throw together "nick is now a serial killer ritually murdering priests on a satanic bender" then that would have been a pretty close thing to what I could have come up with as distilled Buckleming essence. (gross)

There's a vague continued overlap of the human!Cas arc with the parallel to the open of 9x03 and the general aesthetic of season 11's Lucifer's satanic rampage bender thrown together but you know what that's more meta than this arc deserves and my boy is sick

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OH NO CAS IS THE ONE WATCHING OVER HIM ABORT ABORT

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His grace looks pathetic. Maybe he's trying not to wake Jack up. Maybe he doesn't have a whole lot left.

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That's not helping, Cas

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ANXIOUS PARENTS OUTSIDE HIS ROOM

I bet Cas sent them away because they were hovering

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Dean this is not what happens to kids, stop trying to kid yourself that this is like having a regular demonic toddler

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Man am I glad I do not have kids right now both because I don't have to worry about them and also because they scream and throw stuff at the walls at 3am

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Dean angry at Cas cuz he's worried about Jack oh no oh no oh no look at these stressed parents. Cas is forced into the doctor role because he magic but he is just as stressed as they are and tensions are high, and then the boy starts convulsing

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Oh my god they snapped, they are actually bringing Jack to an emergency room. This is horrifying and kind of a trip to imagine what they're going to tell any authority figures about who this guy is and what their relationship is to him.

Do they remember that he has barcode fingerprints and probably is gonna be Medically Weird just as default?

(Alex is 29 like me and Misha is early 40s and Jimmy is canonically a year older than Misha for some reason, so at a push Cas could be his dad and have made some very early mistakes but the boy is biologically only like 10 years younger than them on average... JACK looks another half that at times but this is a hospital so idk if "smiles like a toddler" "early teenage adorableness" is a good measure of age)

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(I'm stress-typing)

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"His full name, please"

All 3 dads look at each other baffled.

Sam goes with Jack Kline, which, a season and a bit later, is the first canonical use of it as Jack's surname

They're cautious about using Winchester, understandably, but it's a nice reminder that Kelly is family too and as the dead parent, naming Jack in tribute to her should have been something they were doing all along (like, season 13 all along), especially as he even visited the Klines earlier this season. Sam being the one who thinks to do this is nice because he's the most dad-aligned to Jack in a traditional sense when it's come to raising him (Cas got the pre-birth role as the traditional father role) and Cas obviously had the strongest connection to Kelly before that but this isn't a moment about her so much as these 3 stressed dads.

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LOL Date of birth. Sam wins another point for knowing it, while Dean makes back and forth guesses on '99/2000, making Jack 19 or 20, which would at least mean any one of them could have fathered him and chopping 10 years off Alex's age to compromise between look and feel.

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Given Jack's symptoms the nurse should have been a lil more concerned asking about trips to West Africa or other likely Ebola places lately. (This may be poor timing on the show's part but isn't there a fresh outbreak right now?)

(Oof I googled it and there's "Congo Ebola outbreak 2nd worst in history" articles dated 6 hours ago... Maybe a bad year to write haemorraghic diseases for fun and also how comes no one is talking about this in the news and it's all blah blah brexit... Have we just stopped fearing it now a few outbreaks have shown it mostly stays contained in African countries so now they can just suffer it on their own? I'm making a 4am donation to relief efforts)

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*returns from the doctors without borders website* anyway back to the fictional sick white boy

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And his very stressed dads

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I have no idea how much of this is medically accurate but I feel like this is particularly dramatised to match hospital visits people have experienced which did not involve bringing in a stumbling, feverish, person who is having seizures and coughing blood

it's still objectively sad to see TFW lined up all stressed out and Cas and Dean holding hands while they stare through the giant window

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The doctors aren't wearing masks even though he has been COUGHING BLOOD

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sheesh this entire hospital is in quarantine now

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Nick saying he was "getting hammered" the night of the murder isn't super subtle

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Cas aggressively still trying to watch over Jack even though they won't let him in the room. Dean paces and talks about ghouls in the middle of the hospital to let off stress.

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Cas goes to watch over him in person while Sam and Dean have a personal chat. This is awful D:

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I appreciate the sentiment of busting Jack out before they pay the hospital bills because they're running out of medical options and need to turn to magic ones, a la every dramatic event ever in their lives except that one time Dean broke his leg and Sam was too out of it with the Hallucifers to sell his soul to make it better, but if Jack's in system shutdown wouldn't at least keeping him with state of the art equipment mean things like transfusion and machines that keep him propped up?

Mind you his bloodtype is probably, like, X evil negative or something Bucklemingy

It's in his DNA... He might be cute but he's still  born of their episodes and wacky non con ideas... It was gonna catch up to him eventually D: You can't outrun it forever!!

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I accidentally hit a button and 8x02 started playing on VLC

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"DEEEAN" Cas shoves him through the portal out of purgatory, credits roll, this was officially the weirdest episode ever.

(No I didn't watch the whole thing, I was literally paused on the last shot from where I was about to gif it last night when I fell asleep)

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Sam already called Rowena... Smart cookie

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obligatory yell at Cas shedding the coat to put on Jack so they don't walk him out in a hospital gown

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Oh my god Jack's so sick he's white as a sheet and being carried out by 2 of his dads and he still has a lil well of snark to be like "fine we're leaving" to the doctor.

"There's just no talking to him when he gets like this"

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We're at the promo scene and I'm still not 100% sure after sleeping on it that Rowena definitely did not have the Book of the Damned, and that she hadn't been able to make off with it at the end of season 11, never for it to be seen again, because she was very much in the process of stealing the Black Grimoire in 13x22, but this does, I guess, make sense in regards to which book would serve Jack better, and Mittens tried her best to convince me that Rowena plausibly did not have it because the Winchesters did... I'm still suspicious because I really did just assume that she took it and the implication was we didn't see it because SHE had hidden it, and from a line in a Buckleming episode as well. And either way around her showing up with it makes sense that she had it but I'd have occam's razor'd it that she stole the obvious books at the obvious times and not that 13x22 became a BotD heist on top of everything else :P

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Jack is up and about!!

He's using a more gravelly voice and it's actually a really hot voice and for literally the first time the Alex/Jack divide (gulf) in my head that one is my age and hot and the other is a 12 year old is a bit shaken. I mean Jack's canonically now supposed to be around 19-20? Which explains why he has a "wooo spring break" attitude when we see in the promo he snaps and wants to go to Vegas.

They grow up so fast.

Anyway considering he was in total organ shutdown a lil while ago it seems a night's rest has done him well if he's wandering around the bunker

Can't tell if we swapped writers or what... well, it seems like it's possible given Jack's fluctuating sickness, which of course could just be a plot thing but also a mark of the inconsistencies in Buckleming episodes. It's still odd to me that in the filming process it didn't occur to them that Jack might not at least sway on the spot at little, but he's really standing there like a little trooper, upright and talking confidently.

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And betraying to Rowena that his dads like her and say nice things about her behind her back, which is catastrophic for them. How dare. You're damaging the foundations of their relationship.

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*cough cough*

"Bollocks"

Yep, her heart has softened, Jack won her over in record time, and she's just thinking about that time she adopted a wee Polish lad and loved him as her own because Jack is genetically engineered to be a blank slate son version of a Mary Sue. You take one look at him and he is Your Son in whatever way will most harm you.

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Good grief I wish Crowley was still around to see what HILARIOUS overlap with Gavin we'd have wrung out of Jack's main superpower.

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Cas offering his grace to stabilise Jack on the spot. Halp. It's more important to him that his son lives by miles, that this isn't even an internal debate for him. In a way, obvious that Cas would be like this as a parent, in another, Cas just offered to give up his grace live on TV

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Rowena shoots down the obvious solution (oh and thank god that for once the show actually even references obvious solutions) and starts talking about how we need archangel grace and as soon as she says that I think "oh, Michael" and Dean starts to come over weird with a wooziness that makes me wonder if that was timed for the audience "oh there's one out there right now" and why would DEAN be personally affected right thiiiiiis second..............................

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When they go on spring break together we're getting right to the murderin

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I mean SOMETHING is up and Dean's right now having his own weird moment as Rowena talks about how Jack will now have a fluctuating set of symptoms for the sake of the plot so

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It's possible this is just his internal POV emotional reaction to bad news because this is what happens to me when I hear it but I suspect Dean is a lil more healthy than me in the first place so doesn't verge on passing out whenever a catastrophe happens regularly. And also Sam and Cas aren't similarly struck with physical symptoms at the news their son is dying.

-

Ya know, Buckleming, or probably Eugenie specifically which makes it all the worse, writing this woman taking a call in a dark alleyway, then not being terrified to be approached by a weird man and on top of that stopping and turning to invite him to join her in the club... this is the kind of thing where they're writing someone going against all natural instinct that it's bad characterisation for someone we've literally never met before just to put her in danger.

I mean at least they didn't make Nick stab a random woman (and a black woman at that to add to their overall awful stats)

-

I like how Jack's just decided Vegas or Tahiti are places you just kinda go to die... I mean I don't know what he's learned about them but it all has to be absorbed through the media in his most innocent way. I feel like there's something very sweet about whatever he thinks you do in these places of reputed sin and blaze of glory live fast die young lifestyles, but also utterly tragic. Consumptive tragic hero but with a twist of the reckless and dangerous later tropes of... It's 5am and I can't think but like. Vegas. Drugs and gambling high life style tropey films and books from the American tradition.

And of course it's Dean (who utterly fits into this trope and even has yearly Vegas trips with Sam since discovering his psychic powers back in season 1 and also lives a blaze of glory mindset) who brings him the deadly glass of milk (film trope about innocence but also like, people dying) and a sandwich loaded with salami. Dean went all out to make that for Jack - a couple of episodes after sending a woman off to "make him a sandwich" and regretting it as he spoke, we see the yank the cloth away reveal of Dean's nurturing side where he is the caregiver who shows affection through food and will go to the trouble of making his boy a delicious sandwich.

-

"Nice." See? He's Dean's son and Dean approves his choice of places to die. "You sure this is the best time?"

"Pretty sure it is," Jack says, backpack on, already almost out the door. He's found a brown corduroy jacket which is both unlike his beige jackets and suits from the rest of his life aside from the blue apocalypse world one, and also very very much like Sam's iconic season 1-2 brown corduroy jacket that he mostly stopped wearing although I think was the one Dean wore in 4x01 as one of its sporadic dwindling appearances, if I'm not wrong.

-

I probably am but either way, it's a change to darker colours, something Sam-associated to fit the gap of this smol dangerous dying kid Dean has to deal with, and puts Jack in thick earthier tones, thicker clothes to ward against the cold of death, and dressed more like TFW than normal as he usually has quite a distinct child-like version of their clothes.

-

Jack's concept of life and mortality is fucked, possibly because he was a functioning being after a day or two of gathering his thoughts and starting to come to terms with asking deep philosophical questions about himself, so in a way discovering he only has a couple more weeks to live is hardly anything. He's a fucking mayfly.

-

Ugh it's now solidly 5am and I am clearly not going back to sleep so I give up, I'm finally getting coffee. The rest of the notes will be maybe a wee bit more coherent :P

-

Anyway kettle thought: due to Jack and Dean's murder or be murdered relationship (lordy how is this the only way you relate to fatherhood, my guy?) I kinda suspect that Dean's about to abscond with Jack without even telling dad 1 or dad 2, because he is dad 3 and that's totally cool and he's a responsible adult, but,  you know, woozy and doomed while Jack is also consumptive and doomed. BAD COMBO.

-

I charge you with grounds of diminished responsibility due to mutual murder narrative doom

-

"I'm done being special. Before my life is over, I want to live it"

Okay remember in season 1 episode 14 where Dean was like "LOL WE SHOULD GO TO VEGAS BECAUSE YOU ARE PSYCHIC"? and I referenced that like 5 minutes ago so you should, obviously I've only ever been able to headcanon the reveal of Vegas Week in season 7 (Dabb episode, take a shot) dates back to that and is one of their between episode activities which makes sense that since they only started travelling as adults together in the canon of the show (and Sam 1 year older than drinking age) that it might as well have been when they started the tradition?

Well Jack here is reacting like Dean would have if HE were the one in Sam's shoes in 1x14, and being the fun lil brother who actually would be like fuck it let's go to Vegas and see how psychic I am in the casinos! In the context of season 1 Sam is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too angsty and tragic to do anything other than come across as a stick in the mud who thinks Dean is joking and they're gonna carry on being tragic and hunting monsters instead. Dean in season 2, episode 9, also wanted to fuck off and go have fun when Sam's scary destiny got too much for him to carry, and that was when he was locked in the murder or save him vow from John's last words, which is a similar burden to the narrative bind he's in with Jack.

Jack, all of his fathers' son, finally shows up as the god damn first person to take his doom sensibly and actually want to fuck off to Vegas, and that's demon!Dean levels of fuck it.

Incidentally I half-suspect that Crowley, who has billions of dollars and once bid the moon in an auction (hi I watched 99% of 8x02 yesterday and 1% of it just now) probably was steering demon!Dean waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay carefully around the thought of wait a minute I have an extremely rich and powerful sugar daddy and no responsibilities... VEGAAAAAAAS.

Like, any time Dean started to form the thought, bam, naked triplets show up in their room.

-

Anyway Jack's busy being tragic, talking about wanting to get a tan (Beach now linked to something to do before death) or see a hockey game (oh shit we forgot Adam) or get a parking ticket (oh so that's why Dean  murders him)

-

"And when it's all over... die."

Dean looks over his shoulder, mind made up to abduct the boy and take him joyriding

-

"So that's your plan, huh?"

"I don't want to waste time arguing"

"Did I say I disagree"

jack, this is Fun Dad

-

I know, the concept is completely radical and you've never seen Dean be fun but trust me.

Even with your very, very limited options, Sam has literally had 3 episodes about how he's Scrooge, and Cas is... Cas. But Dean is legitimately fun dad when you get him on a good day. Trust me.

-

No one's speaking to Rowena??? How wild.

Poor thing is never going to get her mega coven

-

Dean (who has rocked up already wearing his jacket) spaces out as Sam starts blahing on about the culturally appropriative shaman Ketch has located.

Same, buddy

-

At least Dean isn't lying to them about stealing Jack. Somewhat. Not the whole Vegas plan.

-

Jack smiles at Sam and Cas in a kind of way that somehow conveys in its entirety "this may be the last time you see me but I'm cool with you NOT seeing me die of coughing my lungs up and fun dad has this covered and we've always had a weird death cult about our relationship anyway so I'm okay with it and you guys were the best dads but now fun dad is going to take me out back and shoot me where you can't see and I love you bye"

-

"Why don't you drive?"

Jack is like ?!?!?!?!? D:

EVEN ON HIS DEATHBED he hadn't figured this would ever happen

It's the make a wish foundation :')

This is, of course, the ultimate sign of Dean loving you and caring for you in Dean's own special way of not telling you he does but showing it with a gesture of absolute confidence and letting you in, and in the vast annuls of the show dates back to the second ever episode where Dean let Sam drive at the end for all of 1 shot (seriously, they've swapped back by the long shot at the end of 1x02 where you can't see them in the car but the prop drivers are definitely doing a generic Sam in the passenger seat Dean driving routine for stock footage :P)

-

Anyway Dean loves Jack enough that he's letting a kid who does not know how to drive learn to drive in the Impala, like he and Sam did.

-

I can see Alex sweating bullets about being seated next to Jensen in the beloved Impala and having to mess up turning it on... never mind the fact that both Jensen AND Dean will murder him if he harms the car, and being murdered on both levels at once is spiritually unsettling and he will probably end up an unquiet ghost.

And yet, the glee at being behind the wheel of this legendary gal

-

TRAGIC NYOOOOOM

-

"It's like I'm you! :D"

"No, it's not! :D (but with implied murder)"

-

"THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER"

Look if he survives this, you're creating a speed demon who will want his own classic car

-

And then you'll have to teach him how to maintain it

oh god

-

But yeah, non-toxic parenting in the John Winchester As He Could Have Been style.

-

At least as long as Dean is in the Make A Wish mode and not back to tragic murder mode

And that wooziness that he may or may not be associating with no sleep and too much stress suggests this isn't going to last as a Fun Day Trip For The Boy

-

"Cas are you sure you want to handle this alone?"

NO HE NEEDS A HUG HIS SON IS DYING

-

Sam, go hug him, you need a hug and your son is dying.

Also, of course, you mutually need each other in this instance and Sam is reaching out to Cas with presumably the intent that he wants to be in on it but is asking as if just concerned about Cas

-

Cas, being Cas, has somehow deduced that Dean is "taking this particularly hard" despite the fact all three of them are Concerned Dads and CAS WHAT THE FUCK are you doing being selflessly concerned about DEAN and sizing up his emotional state when all three of you are wrecked and your son is dying?

You literally have 3x the sitting at his bedside holding his hand moments of any of them and montaged the heck out of the concern at the start of the episode

-

I remember way back someone wankily made a chart of how often people talked to Dean about stuff and other people talked to each other about Dean, and Sam is now crying about Dean beating himself up over being mean to Jack at the start of season 13 and regretting it, so this entire conversation is Sam and Cas man paining at each other about how much man pain Dean is in.

I say with no wank in my heart, just sheer horrified amusement at this data point if they still are hate-watching the show and being horrified about how Sam never gets stuff for himself etc (I mean. He and Cas both have had extended chunks of seasons about them parenting Jack and this is Dean's time to come belatedly to what the two of them already had)

-

Cas finally says "son" a season and change after Jack was wandering around calling him "father" and Sam doesn't seem inclined to disagree that this is how it feels for all 3 of them.

-

Obviously he's crying about Jack and it was just the context above that made it look like he was crying about Dean and I always knew that, I'm not a monster, I'm just deflecting because owwwwwwwww this hurts

-

HUG EACH OTHER YOU DUMB FUCKS SO I FEEL BETTER

-

Cas walks off instead and Sam finally after 1000 years discovers how Dean feels when Cas does that when he was angling to come along and they miscommunicated and didn't say what they meant. Except Sam wanted to come out of mutual Dad Angst comfort while Dean normally wants to go with Cas places so he can hold his hand.

-

Jack's so proud of himself for being able to drive.

"Born with a wheel in your hand"

He literally stole the Impala from you when he was 7 months in the womb

-

Dean is like, we could get you laid? And Jack is like. Nah. I have a better idea.

No idea what right now but he still doesn't wanna bang anyone

-

Ugh a Nick scene. Tag yourself I'm the old tyre in the foreground

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Is this the house from Family Remains aka the self-admitted worst episode of the show by Kripke and Carver's explicit design

-

I am going to puke Jack wanted to go on a fishing trip with his dad

-

There were spoilers about them doing this but I repressed it the fuck down and lied to myself that Jensen was randomly teaching Alex to fish on set because I didn't want to think about Dean doing this with Jack because oh my god someone has taken my heart and gouged it out with a rusty spoon.

-

Also: someone design Jack a t-shirt with a witty slogan about fishing rather than hook ups. Like, dude bro fishing culture but in a world where you're as likely to get dumb slogans about not wanting sex as you are for it making you a babe magnet

"I'd rather be fishin" is a thing people get on mugs for the workplace but we could start with this sentiment and play

-

ALSO AS I MENTIONED I WATCHED 8x02 IN THE LAST 24 HOURS AND DEAN NEAR RIVERS SUCKS. We also have 10x01 and Daniel the fishing angel (who was the pizza man from Monster Movie, see above: slogans about fishing, pizza man innuendo, we got a thing going here) who was happy on Earth just fishing and enjoying the planet and not wanting to go back to Heaven, in a very heavy metaphor for Cas to deal with, as the angel who once compared free will to teaching poetry to fish. Lots and lots to unpack here, when we turn this into a Dean and Jack father son bonding moment and throw in Dean's peaceful dream of fishing in 4x20 that Cas interrupted. Fishing is about peace and idyll and comes as a temporary respite in this show. Traditionally, also, of course it's a sport of patience, and a classic father son bonding activity as the long stillness allows for both manly silence and sharing beers in peace, but also talk if they want to open up a conversation.

For Jack, it's an overlap of both Cas and Dean parental stuff, Cas's issues with angelic nature, where he wants to be, WHO he wants to be (just OFFERING to give up his grace to save Jack) and then with Dean we have more classic human cultural tropes but none less painful for Jack's nature and relationships. Especially throwing in that this was his choice and Dean is indulging him completely here.

-

John may or may not have taught them to fish but I feel like it may have had a "so you are dying in the woods" aspect to it rather than for peace and bonding. BOBBY taught Sam and Dean some basic woodsmanship so he was more likely to be the father figure teaching them to fish if anyone did.

-

Okay so obviously I typed that just after clutching my heart at the reveal and hitting pause, as Jack immediately goes on to say that John DID teach Dean how to fish and that it was his happiest memory of him - and it comes as a surprise for the expectations (like, that the above paragraph now stands as what I would expect of canon if I was only taking from it and not as an actual writer of the show being allowed to insert new details in which challenge us about the characters, which is where I find the line between fan fic and original fiction really is when it comes to characterisation... Anything out of left-field and you have to tag it as an AU version or explain why instead of just writing it as taken for granted).

And it's unexpected in the sense that it is such a peaceful thing and above all I think the message is that Jack intuited from whatever Dean said about it that it WAS a happy peaceful memory of John which stood so much at odds with the rest of his life. Filed under as well the thing where Mary started talking about how nice John was to Sam and Sam recoiled in confusion until Mary clarfied it was her John, not theirs. Good memories of a gentle soft John are alarming, and yet perhaps this is a way to really confront and exorcise his ghost more than anything - the sort of funeral servive memorialising of the good with the bad and working through it to come to peace in a different sort of way that lets the wounds heal and the anger leave those scars.

"It was how you said it. I could tell." He's such a smart cookie and I think that often takes Dean by surprise in the sense that Jack has been very shrewdly watching him and learning from him and absorbing anything and everything he does, which unfortunately gives him the ability to cold read Dean like very few people do, seeing past the layers and bluffs and into Dean's core.

-

Jack just murdered Dean by saying if he doesn't make it he wouldn't miss Tahiti or the Taj Mahal or implied going to seedy bars and hooking up, he'd miss more time with Dean.

I mean that's not a literal way to kill someone but you should see Dean's face. He's been shot.

And again, it's a metaphor for what you want from life for DEAN to absorb, the prompt that his family is right here and he doesn't need to chase pleasure outside of them, that hook up bar nearby their home base where he never strikes out, that's irrelevant to the family he has built and it's been put in the subtext of what Dean goes after that's empty pleasure when he has this core family unit around him, by the way Jack has also rejected it and is explaining to Dean the real meaning of Christmas.

Of course, this all gets a bit weird unless you account for the fact he has an angel wearing a trenchcoat made of husband material waiting back at the Bunker because the chronic singleton life otherwise probably ought to account for an outlet for Dean like a hook up bar if his happy ending is a platonic family bond so, you know, end the show 10 minutes from now with everyone happy and alive and not dying, and all Dean's learned is they're 3 dads, one son, a mom and her AUBobby, but he still has unused romantic potential and for seasons and seasons they've been trying to close the door on him seeking out random hook ups in the subtext of what Dean WANTS vs what he thinks he can have. This frank conversation about what Jack wants from life before it's all over is once again ignoring fleeting human connection for the family bonds he values above everything.

-

"I've had a good life, Dean" the other reason they're having this sentimental conversation by a river is because Jack is a fucking mayfly and I hate this

-

@ Dabb please never make me see Cas driving this car ever again

-

Why are you irritating Cas like this. First boring holy fire oh it must be thursday followed by the indignity of making him sit on a pouffe? Listen, when Cas gets irritated he gets snarky and then people die because he snarked them to death. I saw it he did it to the Empty. And Lucifer in 13x12. And Kip.

I just feel sorry for Cas. Why can't he go on fishing trips with the boy. Oh no he has to sit on a squishy pouffe that won't let him be intimidating so that he can cure the boy even though Jack's already decided he's gonna die and will probably Ophelia himself into the river at the end of the fishing trip.

-

Sergei is basically like "Have you tried turning it off and on again"

Nephilim have a reboot button on the back of their neck, if you get a paperclip and poke it in there.

-

At least Sergei is so... whatever he is... I can't even tell who he is supposed to be offensive towards :P I guess with the name, I lean Russian, and then he has world esoterica and occult nonsense in his caravan...

-

The real question is how does he know anything about Nephilim and why hasn't Cas asked that already.

-

LOL he has a vial of Gabriel grace just lying around. Of course, because Gabriel was just offering it up to everyone.

Considering how he was exploited for it by Asmodeus there's a weird tinge of retconning his own abuse by saying he was going around giving it to everyone before Asmodeus ever bought him and started stealing it on the regular.

Still, it IS awfully tempting a fix to have Uncle Gabriel help Jack out from beyond.

-

/distantly: "I'm not dead!"

sometimes I can still hear his voice.

-

It's way more likely Shit Goes Down and this is lost but then Cas has learned what to do with archangel grace to fix Jack just so long as they can pin down Michael and grab his instead.

-

But I guess in that circumstance at least once again Gabriel gave them part of the answer from beyond the grave as he did in season 5.

("Still not dead!!")

shush Gabriel. The show wants us to think you're dead and my complete disbelief in that doesn't change anything for now.

-

Except that maybe Gabriel came back, is fine, but has been removing his grace and selling it in the here and now while claiming not to be Gabriel and that he just haaaappens to have it and because he has no grace he could just be any old guy who happens to have an endless renewable resource of archangel grace secretly on tap to sell to fund his life of laying low. Sergei even says HE got it as part of keeping Gabriel hidden.

-

I'm kind of assuming Sergei isn't Gabriel unless he offers Cas kielbasa

-

I mean unless later I get a bonus cookie for immediately assuming Sergei is Gabriel based on the holy fire he just happened to have prepared and how similar it looked to Gabriel being trapped in 5x08.

-

On the other hand this may be the first time this season but pointing at literally everyone and going, that's probably Gabriel, will get old and also dock me cookie points the more wrong guesses I throw out there. Still, this one has pretty strong evidence, from messing with Cas to making him say "Porn stars"

-

To, um, having Gabriel's grace

-

Okay so Sergei gives Cas all of this out of the goodness of his heart and a "you owe me" and I AM wondering if that's a Buckleming special because remember in 8x19 where they were like hi we need to go to Hell immediately, and Ajay was like sure, I will take you to Hell and this episode is even titled after me so clearly I am an important character who *stab stab reaper dying noises* wow look I guess we don't have a bargain after all despite me saying you owe me but then Crowley just maaaaagically made it so you never had to find out what a reaper would want in exchange for taking you to Hell off the books.

-

Also fuck you I never got to finish my pizza

-

While I've been typing some random ass justice for Ajay screed, Nick has revealed a flashback to 14x02 where it turns out his neighbour said it was a cop who he saw coming out of the house. I literally went back and checked the episode and that wasn't in it, so perhaps it's a new flashback for here, fleshing out that conversation and revealing more for us, and changing the narrative of what Nick's up to, but honestly who cares enough about all this... I was double zoned out for flashbacks I'd already seen for a side story i don't care about

-

Wow, Nick, demons killed ya family. Could have told you that.

-

Aw, Dean brought Jack home. No dying out in the wilderness for you, clearly Cas phoned up before Jack could work out his plan to fling himself into the river.

Also Nick has taken up too much of this episode so there's no room for complicated twists and turns, if Buckleming are banned from introducing too many of them.

It's incredible how subdividing them so Eugenie writes all the Nick stuff and Brad writes the rest has elevated the parts of the story we care about to pretty much passable, give or take whatever Sergei was and who he was offensive to aside from the whole concept of calling yourself a shaman because you travelled the world collecting occult stuff in a sort of Aleister Crowley way.

-

'cept you can't namedrop Aleister on this show because both Alastair and Crowley have stolen too much from him.

-

So you get a knock off Sergei instead.

-

Jack hasn't been having as many of the supposed fainting fits that had everyone dogpiling him as I thought - maybe that's next episode too. Could have had one at the start but that doesn't seem enough to be a repeated annoyance of Alex's life :P

Anyway I was just going to comment on his sweater but that thought hopped in there first wondering if the spell was about to knock him flat, as he's sitting on a chair instead of safely in bed.

All the more dramatic for flinging yourself around if the spell messes you up

(honestly if the spells don't work, and they took him out of the hospital, how much of a bizarre commentary is this on trusting modern medicine and vaccinating your nephilims?)

-

It's 7:20 and my neighbours are yelling again

At least being awake since 3 meant I got a bit more peace and quiet than normal. I feel gross but I may go to yoga just to not be stuck in this room with such awful screeching on both sides of me >.>

-

Oh I can tell Sergei is Gabriel, he put the grace in a gold container instead of the silver ones

-

I'm sorry for the expenses, Zerbe

-

I wonder if they use her products on the show and I'm gonna go on my dash and find her beaming about a specially commissioned shiny gold grace that she made for them :P

-

"Here, hold this bottle of your uncle's essence"

".... okay I understand how weird that sounded on hindsight"

-

I love the idea of Jack's grace now being fuelled by Nice Uncle Gabriel who felt kindly towards him, even if this can't be a permanent fix, it changes his internal make up just a bit so that he symbolically has his grace stolen by his shitty bio father but the power only came from him in the first place and there was all the hoo ha about if Lucifer as his father made him inherently evil. Now whatever happens to Jack, he's had a grace transplant from a suitable donor, very much like a parallel of say he needed a kidney transplant and his 2 viable donors were his shitty deadbeat dad who gave him the kidney condition in the first place and his nice dead uncle who happened to have been an organ donor and was the only other one with the same type (if Lucifer's was X evil negative, then I guess Gabriel's is like X tricksy negative which has enough receptors to be a compatible transfusion, while Cas has like, Z dumbass positive grace and no compatibility)

And Gabriel is a beloved character who proved his kind feeling towards Jack even if they had very little bonding overall, he clearly cared and there was an immediate sort of uncle-y kindness about him in relation to Jack (just the comment alone about identifying that Jack liked shiny things and magic tricks is very much how uncles view small children who they may watch and entertain but not in the end have parental responsibility for), which is hilarious to me because Gabriel deeply reminds me of all 3 of my uncles on my mum's side, who are all 3 different shades of trickster god in their own right, and he always has reminded me of them, and now the show has sort of made Uncle Gabriel his new legacy.

I mean. I love it to bits.

It's not a sacrifice FOR Jack like Cas would have given up his grace, but it's still a part of him passed on to Jack.

-

I am very very aware that like me running my mouth about John (ironically the name of one of my uncles) while hitting pause, I've stopped while Jack is looking up with glowing eyes and he's almost certainly about to spew a fountain of blood across the room and fall on the floor. But I like that the grace even interacted with him and lit up his eyes and unless he physically barfs out the grace to I'm sticking by that ramble.

-

Cas smiled!! That's the once per season and we already hit it at episode 7, woe betide us

This does look, however, like the scene where they were all looking on from the door so... blood spew in 5 4 3 2 1...

-

DOGPILE THE BOY

-

Er, I mean, help him

-

God I would not want Jared to dogpile me, the man weighs literally as much as an actual moose

-

Uhoh Sergei made Cas mad

I mean

he made him sit on a pouffe, this was always coming

-

What do you mean Eugenie can't let Lucifer go wow what a shock

-

*kicks a pebble*

-

Ah, here's the concerned dads scene. I'm just going to let that be a balm to my soul while Dean laments ever taking Jack out to have fun.

-

"You made him happy. You did more for him than any of us"

1 dude you tried, 2 you took him on hunting trips and had fun already this season so he got his Cas Time before he died like he wanted 3 just fucking abduct him wrapped in a duvet and go fishing in the dead of night if you have to, trust me, he'd love it and your family is such a mess he wouldn't even think it's weird.

I mean you've literally absconded illegally with him before, what's a trip up to that beach where he was born and some fishing gear really going to cost you with annoyance from Dean

-

"What can we do?" "Watch over him," Rowena says with Cas in the background, and continues to carve me out with a rusty spoon

-

"As he dies"

Nah he'll be fine shut up Rowena D:

-

*whimper*

-

Well that was a very good episode if you act like me and pretend that none of the Nick stuff happened at all.

[mittensmorgul]

Next up on the tnt loop, 1.10, where we continue to explore the parallel of John As Chuck, controlling their lives from outside the narrative, but where we also stumble across our biggest and most obvious “nothing ever stays locked away forever” moment of the first season: The Roosevelt Asylum.

Following almost immediately on the heels of Home, where Sam and Dean feel recommitted to finding John, it’s John’s texted coordinates that lead them to this case specifically. John’s journal has an article about the place from 1972-- more than a decade before he began hunting and learned of the supernatural, so it’s always been on the radar for him to look into eventually. Or... perhaps being “saved up” for when he needed Sam and Dean out of the way, distracted with a legitimate case while he was off looking for “the truth” of what happened to Mary.

The timing couldn’t have been better in that respect. What prompted these teenagers to decide to break in, cutting through the chains that had contained Dr. Ellicott’s ghost, and the ghosts of all his victims, at this point in time? It had all been locked away and contained for 33 years at this point, and NOW it suddenly breaks open? CONVENIENT. :P

We all have learned over the years watching this show that locking something away is never a permanent solution. Everything gets free eventually-- from the hellgate being opened in 1.22 to Lucifer breaking out of the cage to the Leviathans getting out of Purgatory to Amara breaking out of her original confinement and even Cas coming back from the Empty. Curse boxes aren’t a permanent solution to any problem. And this is kind of the start of it right here...

But even more interesting is Dean’s faith in John’s orders. Sam doesn’t want to be distracted by a case when all he wants to do is find John, find out what he knows, to understand the whole situation. It’s a long time yet before we learn about Sam’s inherent faith in God, too (2.13), and in the context of John filling this role in s1, it puts Dean’s reverse crisis of faith in s14 into the exact same context.

SAM: It doesn't matter what he wants. DEAN: See. That attitude? Right there? That is why I always get the extra cookie. SAM: Dad could be in trouble, we should be looking for him. We deserve some answers, Dean. I mean, this is our family we're talking about. DEAN: I understand that, Sam, but he's given us an order.  SAM: So what, we gotta always follow Dad's orders? DEAN: Of course we do. 

They learned more about each other, about how they’re being manipulated by outside forces, by their experiences at the asylum-- the bigger picture stuff-- than they would’ve if they’d just run directly to John and demanded answers from him at this point. Dr. Ellicott’s ghost directly meddles with Sam’s mind, amplifying his own anger in a weird variation of a “truth spell.” Sam’s reactions afterward were true to him, but only one small fraction of his whole truth-- just the anger portion.

DEAN: Yeah. They were rioting against Dr. Ellicott. Dr. Feelgood was working on some sort of, like, extreme rage therapy. He thought that if he could get his patients to vent their anger then they would be cured of it. Instead it only made them worse and worse and angrier and angrier. So I'm thinking, what if his spirit is doing the same thing? To the cop? To the kids in the seventies, making them so angry they become homicidal.... Come on, we gotta find his bones and torch ’em.

The other ghosts were only trying to ask for help. Cat is trapped-- locked up-- by a ghost until she listens to what it has to say, and then frees her. The spirits locked away in this asylum all these years just wanted to be free. Even when Ellicott has locked all of them inside the asylum. The patients resort to the same technique Ellicott used on them in microcosm.

DEAN: We gotta burn Ellicott's bones and all this will be over, and you'll be back to normal. SAM: I am normal. I'm just telling the truth for the first time. I mean, why are we even here? ’Cause you're following Dad's orders like a good little solider? Because you always do what he says without question? Are you that desperate for his approval? DEAN: This isn't you talking, Sam. SAM: That's the difference between you and me. I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic, like you. DEAN: So what are you gonna do, huh? Are you gonna kill me? SAM: You know what, I am sick of doing what you tell me to do. We're no closer to finding Dad today than we were six months ago. DEAN: Well, then here. Let me make it easier for you. (He holds his Smith & Wesson toward SAM.) Come on. Take it. Real bullets are gonna work a hell of a lot better than rock salt. (SAM hesitates) Take it!!

And of course, Sam under this “truth spell” actually does shoot Dean (thank heck the gun wasn’t loaded, because Dean knew better).

But just as Sam and Dean were lured to this asylum, to this case, by a text message they assume is from John, Sam is lured to the basement by a phone call supposedly from Dean-- we even hear Dean’s voice-- that turns out to have been a false manipulation by Ellicott’s ghost. So how much of this case is just a larger manipulation in the exact same fashion?

It’s hilarious that Sam doubted the source of that original text with coordinates, since John “can barely work a toaster.” And this manipulation of technology is exactly how Dr. Ellicott’s ghost eventually deceives and lures in Sam.

And in light of 14.20? Yep, it’s all here.

[justlookfrightened]

Building a life

I got this prompt from a random generator: “As he flicked through the letters, a small, handwritten envelope caught his attention and his heart began to thump.” Warning that it begins after Jack and Bitty have broken up. Hopeful ending.

As he flicked through the letters, a small, handwritten envelope caught his attention and his heart began to thump.

Jack would recognize that scrawl anywhere. It was the handwriting that covered dozens of sticky notes: on a bag of cookies tucked into his duffel bag, on hundreds of sandwiches he ate before games, on the bathroom mirror on days that Bitty -- that Eric -- had to leave before Jack got up.

It was the handwriting on the letter -- not on a sticky note this time -- Jack found after Bitty left.

The letter had been centered at the place at the head of the dining room table. It was a modern thing, all glass and steel, and it went well with the condo Jack bought in Vegas.

The paper had looked out of place, off-white linen stationery that Jack knew Bitty’s -- Eric’s -- mother had given him when he told her he wasn’t moving back to Georgia, not after graduation, not ever.

“She said she expects me to write her real letters every now and then,” Bitty -- he had been Bitty then in Jack’s mind, and he wasn’t here to argue about it, so Jack would remember him as Bitty if he wanted -- Bitty said. “She still wants to text and call and Skype, but she says sometimes it’s easier to share your real feelings by writing them down on paper.”

At the time, thinking of the way Bitty inscribed his love in each one of those sticky notes, Jack had agreed. He never saw that paper again, until the one sheet was centered at his place at the dining room table.

Most people thought the kiss at center ice after the Falconers won the cup was a big moment in their relationship. It was, in a way. That was the moment that he and Eric declared to the world that they were a couple. He’d braced himself for the backlash, told himself he could withstand anything for Eric.

The joke was on him. Sure, not everybody was happy. But the team and the league and his agent made it so he never had to see the worst of it. The refs even started calling the anti-gay slurs that they had let go before; he lived in a well-insulated, comfortable, well-paid bubble.

But that was the start. A month later, Eric was asked not to come back to the bakery where he’d talked himself into a job, half marketing and half baking. She loved him, the owner said, and he was doing great, but his status as the man who kissed Jack Zimmermann on TV was drawing too much of the wrong kind of attention. She offered to pay him for the rest of the summer, but asked him not to come in.

Eric had been sad, but Jack tried to comfort him by saying that they could spend more time together before school and their respective seasons started. Eric gave him a weak smile, and agreed, and Jack had tried to make sure he had a good time for the rest of the summer.

It had seemed a foregone conclusion that Eric would move in when he graduated. Jack didn’t remember them ever talking about it, beyond the logistics of how and when Eric would get his stuff to Providence.

When Eric took up residence, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Now things were settled, and he could concentrate on hockey. Eric started attending games with the wives and girlfriends, started introducing himself as Eric instead of Bitty, made sure Jack’s life ran as smoothly as possible. Everyone loved him, Jack most of all.

But when they didn’t even make it to the playoffs that year, two years after winning it all, the organization started talking about making changes.

Jack had a year left on his contract, and he was costing the team a lot of money, and maybe he had just finished his third year, but 30 was looming. He wasn’t exactly expecting it, but he wasn’t exactly shocked, either, when he got the call saying he was traded.

Eric, though. Eric was devastated. He hadn’t been able to find what he called a “career track” job, but he babysat for Marty and Thirdy’s kids, he baked for special events (and did get paid for it), he was a fixture at Falconers charity events.

The year that followed was not good for either of them. St. Louis reminded Jack of nothing so much as purgatory, gray and unwelcoming and uncomfortable. Eric reached out to the team, to the WAGs, and … well, he said that he couldn’t fault them for civility. But over the months, he spent less time reaching out to people and more time on his vlog.

Jack poured his heart and soul into his hockey, hoping to attract interest from other teams as soon as he entered free agency so they could leave this godawful place.

Then came a year in LA, where Eric seemed to fit in a little better.The golden California sun loved him, Jack thought, and when they got dragged to a party with people from TV and movies, Bitty mixed and mingled with abandon.

The trade to Vegas surprised them both, but Jack figured it would be fine. How different could it be?

It turned out the difference between the shore and the desert was vast indeed. The sun that caressed Eric in Los Angeles glared at him in Vegas and exposed all his flaws. Or maybe it just showed the flaws in everything.

Eric complained about the heat, about the tourists, about the excess of everything. He didn’t like the condo, he didn’t like the furniture (the furniture he bought, because it went with the style of the condo), he didn’t like the showgirls that hung around the team. He didn’t like Kent, but he had never liked Kent.

“He just wants to be friends, Eric,” Jack explained. “And he’s the captain. I have to spend time with him, and it would be good if you did, too.”

“No, thank you, Mr. Zimmermann,” Eric said. “You suit yourself, but I’ll keep myself busy.”

That was the week before Jack found the letter at his place at the dining room table.

“Dear Jack,

“I love you. I know that’s a strange way to start a Dear John letter, but it’s true. I love you more than anything, and I know you love me.

“But it’s not enough. I used to think it would be, that we would get married and adopt babies and grow old together. But I kind of think I’ve stopped growing at all, and I can’t take root here.

“This isn’t my place, and it’s not going to be. It’s Kent Parson’s, and I guess it’s yours now. I’m putting this letter at the head of our dining room table, but I can count the number of times we’ve eaten here together on one hand.

“I guess it’s a good thing we never did get married. Not being legally bound together makes this so much easier.

“I’m not angry, and I don’t blame you. I always knew hockey was your first love, and hockey is a jealous lover.

“Please don’t worry about me. I’m going to try to disappear for a while, try to figure out what I want and what I need before I start over. Don’t try to find me.

“I know this will hurt you, and I’m sorry.

“Love, Eric.”

Jack had wanted to howl, wanted to collapse, when he read it. He called Kent, who shrugged, and said, “Is that the first  time someone cut you off like that? Doesn’t feel great, does it?”

He called Shitty, whom he hadn’t talked to in six months, and was advised to follow Eric’s instructions.

“Brah, how much time were even spending together?” Shitty asked. “I’m pretty sure Bits was lonely.”

“Do you know where he is?” Jack asked, point-blank.

“Yes,” Shitty said. “But he asked me not to tell you. He told me to be there for you -- he said you’ll need someone -- but not to say where he is.”

“Is he alright?” Jack asked.

“Brah, he’s wrecked,” Shitty said. “Says he doesn’t know who he is without being attached to you. But he doesn’t want to just be an appendage.”

“Okay,” Jack said. “But could you tell him something for me?”

“Maybe,” Shitty said.

“Tell him that I’ll always love him, and I’m sorry I didn’t see what he needed,” Jack said. “Tell him that he’s it for me, and when he finds what he needs, if he still wants me, I’ll be there. Will you tell him?”

Shitty shrugged.

“Depends,” he said. “I’m not gonna lay a guilt trip on him.”

Now, a year and another Stanley Cup later, there was a small off-white envelope, addressed to him in Bitty’s -- Eric’s -- handwriting. The return address was in Providence, the address of the bakery that had asked Eric to leave and not come back.

“Dear Jack,

“Congrats on the Cup. Now I know why everyone was so excited about you and Kent playing together. Including Kent.

“Shitty chose the night you won to pass on your message. I think he wanted to wait until I knew you were alright.

“I’m alright, too. I don’t know if you realized, but I managed to save a lot of money while we were together -- well, a lot for me. Probably not for you. But it was enough to buy myself into a partnership in this bakery. The plan is to take the whole thing over in a few years when my partner retires. Business partner, I mean.

“I have friends and a job and a life, and I guess I could say I’m happy, and it wouldn’t be a lie. Thank you for giving the space I needed to do that. But I do miss you.

“If you want to get back in touch, you have my address.”

“Love, Bitty”

Jack put the letter down, and thought about buying some stationery to write back. Then he decided to take the more direct route. He called his agent and asked her to book him on the next flight to Providence.

He didn’t know exactly how this would work. But it would, somehow. And in a few years when he retired, his partner -- his life partner -- would be in Providence, not waiting for him, but building a life they could share.

[myhearthealing]

Task: Questions

TW: DRUGS, DRUG USE

Describe your character in a few words.

Cheerful, Cautious, Outgoing, Distant.

What do you know about your character that they don’t know yet?

It’s going to get worse for him before it gets better.

What are your character’s major flaws?

Unable to trust anyone, forgets things easily. 

What would your character give their life for?

Briar.

What is your character���s greatest asset?

His outgoing personality, his ability to make friends easily.

What would completely break your character?

No longer having the support of his friends and family.

How does the image your character tries to project differ from the image they actually project?

He has a cheerful, playful exterior he keeps up to hide from people actually getting to know him.

What is your character afraid of?

Going back to purgatory. Deciding to open up to someone and having it blow up in his face.

Where would your character fall on a politeness/rudeness scale?

He is fairly polite.

If your character could choose a different identity, who would they pick?

Him, but as a wizard from Harry Potter.

In what or whom is your character’s greatest faith in?

Briar.

What was the best thing in your character’s life?

He would say his mom.

What was the worst thing in your character’s life?

When he dropped out of college after his mom passed, and got in with drugs.

What is a favorite flavor or smell of your character?

Cloves, and chocolate chip cookies. Alfalfa.

What seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character?

Maura Anastas considering the annual National Park pass as an expense in her yearly budgeting. Having a list of the parks in the glove compartment and letting Atticus mark them off as they visited.

What is your character’s secret wish?

He wishes to move past all the negative things in his past. He wished to get over his mother’s death and be able to mourn her in a healthy way. But he doesn’t know how.

What is your character’s greatest achievement?

Getting a full-time job, being able to buy a house.

What is your character’s deepest regret?

He regrets getting into drugs maybe. Overall, if he’s looking back Atticus wouldn’t really change anything. Every mistake he’s made has brought him here.

What is your character’s deepest disappointment?

Never finishing college.

What is your character reluctant to tell people?

He’s been having the urge to use for a while now, ever since he got back from purgatory. That feeling has only gotten stronger.

What is your character hiding from themselves?

The fact that there are people in his life he can trust and count on.

What makes this character angry? What calms them?

Being kidnapped/not being kidnapped. 

List situations in which your character would not have control over themselves.

Times when he’s at his lowest and wants to use again.

If anyone he cared about was ever threatened.

Whenever he’s with Adrian...

How strong is your character’s emotions? Controllable? Uncontrollable?

Leaning more towards uncontrollable.

What wakes your character up in the middle of the night?

Snoring and waking himself up. He’s a pretty sound sleeper.

Describe a recurring dream and/or nightmare.

He’s standing in the White Room. Everyone else got to leave and Atticus was left behind.

Describe your character’s family.

Atticus’ best friend and platonic other half is Briar. There’s nothing there in terms of romantic love, but they’re like two halves of one whole. Soulmates. His mother was Maura Anastas. She had his eyes and his hair, the same laugh lines. She had no interest in staying in one place, and would find excuses to leave. This job doesn’t pay enough, people around here are terrible, Atticus showed off his teleporting powers again and now people are talking. Maura and Atticus spent a large portion of time in their car, putting on too many miles to visit every place they could. Maura didn’t use credit cards; she’d tell Atticus never to depend on banks to give you money, and as a result sometimes they’d go without eating, or stuck in a desert town with no gas and the minimum price at $5 a gallon. Sometimes she’d get cranky if she went too long without smoking a cigarette. Her music taste was limited to Shania and the Chicks, and very little else. She was the only person Atticus could depend on, and when she passed, he had no one to. His little sister he’d met in the past year Phoebe, who is witty and extremely caring and not afraid to say what’s on her mind.

Name your character’s favourite person and why.

Briar; shrug emoji

How many friends does your character have?

Shit uhh...many? A few close friends but a lot of hang out friends.

How many friends does your character want?

He likes the amount he has.

How would a friend or close relative describe your character?

Self-destructive, scatterbrained.

Who depends on your character? Why?

I would say people don’t really rely on him for money or support. Briar depends on him emotionally.

Who does your character most want to please? Why?

He wants to do right by Briar, and their goat. He doesn’t want to disappoint the people he cares about.

How does your character feel about sex?

Thumbs up emoji sex is pretty all right

How does your character feel about romantic relationships?

He’s only had maybe one or two relationships where he felt more than just lust. Adrian is starting to be more than lust, which is weird for him.

If your character had to live in utter seclusion, what six items would they bring?

Probably his phone this time, a lifetime of cigarettes and lighters, a tent, a sleeping bag. Maybe a solar powered charger for that phone.

What is your character’s most noticeable trait and most noticeable physical feature?

He has some weird energy idk. Probably his hair.

How does your character feel about work?

Atticus never minded work, in fact, he often enjoyed it. The radio is what got him in trouble, and now he’s very apprehensive about it.

Write one headcanon.

He’s broken both arms, each within a year of each other.

Write one additional thing about your character.

Atticus is kind of a hot mess atm.

[the-winter-spider]

All In Your Head - Part Four

A/N: I hate building up story lines, i just want to skip ahead to all the angst and the draaaamaaaaaaa. tbh I'm not that happy with this part :/

Pairings: Sam x Dean x Reader!Sister

Word Count: 1,800

Masterlist

Flashbacks are in italics

PS i tried to tag some people and it wouldn’t let me??? Some body help a girl out???? whys that???

“It was a few years ago, i was stuck in the cage again. And after what happened last time, y/n, she took my spot with him” Sam started to sob “In there”

“Oh Sammy, I'm sorry you have that weight on your shoulders”

Sam lifted his head up “W-what?”

“I'm sorry, she put you through that”

His brows furrowed “She didn’t put me through anything, she saved me”

“Well, im sorry thats the only way you see that situation” Standing up, Mary made her way towards the door

“Where are you going?”

“Clearly i'm not welcomed here, I just keep butting heads with you and Dean. You guys aren’t my little boys anymore”

“You keep butting heads with us because you have a problem with y/n, you know nothing about what we’ve gone through all these years, of course we're not your little boys anymore, but we're still your kids”

“She’s not my kid”

++

“y/n, y/n, y/n” 

Your eyes remained shut you couldn’t see anything but you could feel everything.

“I'm going to bring you back”

His voice was getting louder, and what scared you was it wasn’t Sam or Dean’s voice.

“You know you were my favourite toy, but shhh don’t tell your brothers they might get jealous”

Everything felt scattered, your thoughts were moving a mile a minute.

“Open your eyes y/n, you’re home”

Shaking your head, you brought your knees to your chest, baking up further in the corner.

“Oh, y/n when will you realise, you will be back. Just your choice if you want to be brought back in one piece or in pieces”

++

You felt like you were on fire, but you couldn’t scream. You body was aching, but you felt yourself relax when you couldn’t hear his voice anymore instead you could hear Dean’s.

“y/n”

You peeled your eyes open, moving your head to look over at Dean “Dee”

His eyes shot open they were bloodshot, and puffy. You couldn’t help but feeling guilty again for what you were putting them through, you were nothing but trouble for them.

“He has me” You sobbed out

“Oh sweetheart, you're safe, i won't let anything happen to you, I promise.”

Pushing yourself up you had no idea what came over you, you wanted out of this room scared that at any second the walls would start caving in and you would be sucked back down there with Lucifer “You can’t keep protecting me Dean”

Dean grabbed your arm trying to push you back down as lightly as he could, his voice soft “Hey you need to lay down and get some rest”

Your body was throbbing in pain, but you pushed through it, lifting your legs you swung them over the edge “I can’t Dean” You were exhausted, but you needed to do research, you need to figure out if this could be prevented or if this was your destiny because if it was then you weren’t going to put your brothers through a fight that wasn’t worth fighting.

++

You were in seated in the back seat of the impala, in your usual spot. You eyes couldn’t help but keep glances towards Dean. His jaw clenched, he was trying to keep a hard exterior on, but you could see it in his eyes, the pain. His knuckles going white from gripping the steering wheel to hard.

“There’s a motel just off this turn” Sam pointed to the left, breaking the silence. His voice small, trying not to say the wrong thing and push Dean over the edge. Dean grunted, nodding before making a sharp turn last minute causing you to bash your head against the window.

Sam’s head whipped around as Dean pulled into a parking spot “Are you okay!?”

Lifting your hand to your head, you could feel blood “Yeah, Sammy i'm okay” You gave him a small smile.

Dean was already out of the car, slamming his door shut you winced at the loud sound, “Come on, ill check your head out in the room”

You nodded in response, truth was your head hurt like a bitch, you didn’t tell the boys how hard you really hit your head back at the warehouse trying to save Ben. Has Sam got out, you stayed a few seconds longer trying to compose yourself “You’re not going to cry” You mumbled before stepping out, just in time to see Dean coming back from the office with the room key.

“One room, two doubles. You're on the couch” Dean stated, gesturing to you. Nodding you grabbed your bags from the trunk.

Making your way into the room, Sam already had the first aid kit out. “Come” he turned to you, patting the small counter, you slid on. Wincing as Sam moved your hair out of the cut. Your eyes moved to glance at Dean a blank stare on his face. You couldn’t imagine what he was going through, after what happened tonight you weren’t sure just how long he was going to hold this with him, he would try to brush it off in a few days but he would take it out on a hunt being reckless, or he would drink himself into a coma.

You never had anyone but the boys, while at some point or another they had separate, normal lives without you, you could feel a burning in the pit of your stomach even just trying to imagine what it felt like having the memories of the only woman you ever loved erased.

Your train of thought was gone has you felt a burning pain in your head “Ow! What the hell Sammy”

“Sorry” He mumbled “This cuts really deep, did you hit your head early?”

You nodded, “why didn’t you say anything? You could have a concussion!” He scolded you.

“Because i'm fine Sam, just drop it” Sighing he nodded his head “Fine but don’t get mad at me if i  watch you like a hawk”

Rolling your eyes, you jumped down “Yes Mom”

He let out a small laugh, making his way to the washroom. Leaving Dean and you in a awkward silence. Biting your nails, a habit you encountered over the years. Sighing you're made your way to the edge of the bed, sitting beside Dean. You opened your mouth to speak but nothing ever coming out, you didn’t know what to say.

“Y/n”

Your lifted your head so fast, the throbbing pain in it coming back but you pushed through it when you seen the tears streaming down Dean’s face ‘Yes Dee?”

“Promise you won’t ever leave me? I don’t think i could handle it if you left to”

“I promise”

++

“Please y/n, do this for me” You could see the pain in his pleading eyes, you knew how much Dean loved you. But you were doing this for them,

“Dean” You breathed out “I can’t just stay here all day”

He sighed “I know, but Cas said you needed rest”

“Dean, I can’t”

“Why not? Please y/n don’t be stubborn like me, I know you’re tired, i'm tired just from looking at you, you looked like crap” He let out a small chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

You gave him a small smile “It’s not that Dee…”

His face laced with concern “Then what is it?”

“I'm scared Dean” You sobbed out, bringing your hands to cover your face. You could feel the weight on your bed shift, Dean took your hands aways from you face as gentle as he could scared at any second you would crumble into dust in his hands.

“Look at me y/n/n” His voice soft making eye contact with him, he continued “You have nothing to be afraid of. Sammy and I, hell even Cass, we have your back, as long as you're with one of us, i promise with everything in me, you’re going to be okay.”

“You can’t protect me from this, he..”

Cutting you off “Like hell i can’t”

“Dean, you can’t. Whenever I close my eyes he's gonna be there, and i’ll back in the cage”

His eyes softened “Will figure it out, Okay?”

“Okay”

“Now, ill let you leave your room under one condition”

You giggled, “Dean im 30, im not a baby anymore”

He scoffed “As long as i'm alive, you might as well be a baby”

“Yeah, yeah. So whats this condition?”

++

Finally making your way towards the library, You promised Dean that you would eat whatever Sam ate, so that meant no more bacon, no more burgers, no more burgers with bacon on it. Dean had his arm wrapped around you, helping you towards the library, he insisted on giving you a piggy back, but your arms hurt too much to hold onto him, so this was the alternative. Making your way around the corner, stopping at the blood stain on the floor, you shuttered, bring your arms to hug yourself.

Dean noticed your change in mood, your exterior stiffening, “Y/n?” He questioned, but his eyes followed yours, tightening his grip on you, he rubbed his thumb in circles on your upper arm, pulling you close to his side.

The library coming into view, your face lighting up when you seen Sam, his back turned towards you, Mary’s eyes shifted from looking at Sam, towards Dean and you. Sam turned around when he noticed her eyes were no longer on him.

Making his way towards you, he pulled you into one of his famous hugs “I'm glad you’re okay y/n”

“As long as I have you two by my side, I'll always be okay”

Dean gave you a little shove “That's the spirit”

Mary walked towards you three, her eyes never landing on you, “Sam? I need your answer”

You could see Sam’s change in composure, Dean noticed it to. Becoming wary, you could feel the air get heavy, your heart started to speed up.

“Whats going on?” Dean pushed, looking between his Mother and little brother.

“I asked him to chose”

“Chose what?”

He gave you the same look he gave you when he left you when Dean was in hell, and in purgatory. “Sammy?” You questioned, but you already knew what she meant, a tear falling down your cheek.

“I’m sorry y/n” Sam spoke, his voice just below a whisper

You look towards Dean answering his question “to chose between me and her”

Dean’s face harden, his jaw clenched, his fist balling up before he brought it up, putting all his weight into it as it collided with his little brothers face.

Tags:

@fallen-castiel @cookie-dough-lova @anime-pasta @i-just-wanna-live-gc @lemonadegazeelle @tomlinsonlovers @jackjackljaqui @avenging-winter @an-emotionallycrippled-fangirl @lonelyuniverseblog @percussiongirl2017 @overcastmisfitkid @thesignpainter11@justhere1112 @rustic11816 @the-eagle-mockingbird-bookworm @mariazintili @bethabear12 @sireennotsiren

[gilbertandanne]

AU College Fic. Farkle never figured out how Riley really felt about Lucas, so it never got out. Now she’s turning 21 and the gang decides to go to Las Vegas to celebrate. Sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

Rating: M

Pairing: Rucas

Word Count: 4,338

Cross-posted at ff.net            

Soundtrack (although not at all organized and subject to edits)

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | J | Q | K | A | J |

                             Chapter Thirteen: Cowboy

Both of them were afraid to speak, to blink, to take a breath, for fear that it was just another bittersweet dream.  How could this moment possibly be real when everything around them felt so perfect?

Lucas looked down at the girl who was curled up in his arms.  His fingers traced circular patterns on her back as he tried to gather the courage to break the surreal aura of peace that enveloped them after what could only be described as the greatest moment of his life.

Riley Matthews loved him.  The girl who had held his heart from the moment he first saw her on the subway eight years ago.   The girl he had desperately tried to hold onto and, simultaneously, tried to forget because she told him to.   The girl who made him believe he could be anyone he wanted to be, although ironically enough, he only ever wanted to be hers.

Was this his reality now?  He was afraid to break the spell that seemed to have been cast over them.  After years of pining for the woman in his arms, he had a hard time believing that his residency in purgatory had ended and that he was now free to dwell in paradise for as long as this beautiful goddess decreed.

When she snuggled even closer to him, he exhaled a shaky breath.  As much as he wanted to lay there with her forever, he knew that eventually, someone had to speak.  “That wasn’t quite how I imagined it,” he murmured before he kissed the top of her head.  It wasn’t the smoothest way to pull them back down to earth, but he had to hear her speak.  He had to know that she didn’t regret a single second of it.

Riley slowly opened her eyes as a lazy smile tugged at the corners of her lips.  Hearing his voice for the first time after connecting to him on the deepest level possible set her mind at ease.  For a few moments, she was content enough to bathe the afterglow of what they had shared with one another, but as the minutes began to tick by, she started to wonder if it had all been another dream and her cruel subconscious was trying to shove her back to reality.  Hearing the sound of his voice vibrate against his chest reassured her that everything that had just transpired between them was real—and that fact made everything so much better.  “Hmm?  How did you imagine it?”

He chuckled as he slowly felt himself relax.  She was real.  This was real.  It was finally over.  The brick wall of misunderstanding had been thoroughly demolished, and if he had any say in the matter, it would never be reconstructed.  “Well, I thought that we would have gone on a date first.”

Riley frowned as she lifted her head to look at him.  “We’re doing this all out of order, aren’t we?”

He smiled as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.  “We do what we do, remember?”

There it was again: the hair tuck.  She had no idea if he was aware of how significant the seemingly insignificant gesture was.  He had done it during some of her most vulnerable moments over the weekend, and every single time, it calmed the tidal wave of insecurity that threatened to wash over her.  “Absolutely.”  In middle school, ‘we do what we do’ had been their way of informing the entire school that they weren’t going to fit into some cookie cutter mold of who they should be.  They were going to set their own rules for their lives, and they didn’t have to answer to those who didn’t understand the connection they shared.  As she rested her head on his chest once more, she looked down at their tangled limbs.  “You know, we didn’t exactly finish that conversation.”

He slowly ran his index finger down the length of her spine.  “Oh?”

Riley shivered against his touch.  For a foolish moment, she thought that she wouldn’t feel nearly as electrified whenever he brushed his fingers against her skin, but as she felt a trail of goose bumps pop up along her spine, she knew that, if anything, the sensitivity she felt under his touch had exponentially increased.  “Yeah,” she answered as another ripple coursed through her.

Lucas frowned when he felt Riley’s body stiffen up beside him.  A sense of dread filled him as his insecurities encroached on his otherwise serene thoughts.  Had she finally come down from that high only to realize that it wasn’t what she wanted?  Had she only gotten caught up in the moment?  Was she suddenly regretting stepping foot into his room?  “Do you…regret what we—“

“No,” she quickly interrupted as she leaned her head back to look at him.  She never wanted him to think, not even for a moment, that she had any regrets about what they had done.  If anything, she only regretted that it took them that long to get to this moment.  “Lucas, I’ve waited a long time for you…to tell you the truth about how I felt…how I’ve always felt.  I couldn’t…I couldn’t wait a second longer.”  She sat up further as she leaned forward to place a soft kiss against his lips.  “I feel like I could stay like this forever.”

The furrow in his eyebrows melted away as a smile slowly returned to his lips.  “Me too,” he answered as he continued to trace patterns across her back.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone is going to…” her words slowed as her eyes widened.  She wasn’t sure how long she had been in his room, but she knew that it had to have been long enough to delay their plans for the night.  “Dinner,” she gasped before she scrambled to get out of bed.  As she looked around the room for her clothes, she began to panic.  “I’m sure they’re all waiting for us.”

Lucas sat up as he reached for his phone on the nightstand.  “Wait,” he called out to her as he read through a missed text from Zay.  “They already left.”

Riley frowned as she slid her shorts back on.  “They left?”

He nodded.  “Zay said ‘don’t worry about it’ and ‘we’ll meet up with you guys in a few hours’.”

As Riley threw her shirt back over her head, she sat down at the end of the bed.  “Do you think they know?”  How was she going to explain everything to them when she wasn’t even sure what it meant?

Lucas chuckled as he sat his phone down.  “They probably do.”  As he turned back to her, another burst of insecurity flooded him.  What if she didn’t want them to know?  What if this meant something different to her than it did for him?  “Is that a problem?”

“No,” she shook her head as she ran a hand through her tangled hair.  “I mean Maya’s known for a few months now that I…I have feelings for you.”

“A few months?”

“Yeah,” she looked down at her hands.  “She…sort of figured it out at Zay’s birthday thing.”

“You kept that from her for seven years?”  He couldn’t hide the shock in his voice.  He wasn’t sure what he was more surprised by—the fact that she kept it from him or the fact that she had kept it from Maya for that long.

Riley nodded as she looked back up at him.  “It was almost as hard as keeping it from you.”

He sat up as he leaned forward to kiss her.  They both had kept it from everyone they loved for years.  Now that they were finally free, Lucas was determined to make her realize that telling him the truth was the best decision she had ever made.  He slowly inhaled as he reached for one of her hands.  He looked up at her as he interlaced her fingers with his.  “You never have to worry about keeping anything from me…ok?  I love you, Riley Matthews.  Nothing is going to change that.”  He smiled as he lifted her hand to his lips.  He brushed his lips along her knuckles as a thought came to him.  “You know, I think this might work out for the best.”

Riley bit the inside of her cheek.  She knew that she could easily get used to this.  He had treated her with nothing but reverence the moment they lowered their defenses.  Every time their eyes met, he looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world.  “What?”

“Well, we’re in Las Vegas.  It’s your birthday and I’ve waited almost eight years to ask you out on another date.  So,” he glanced at their hands before he looked back up at her, “Riley Matthews…will you let me take you out for your birthday dinner?”

Riley couldn’t keep the grin from her face.  She had hoped that they might have been able to spend a little more time with one another before they met up with the others.  Dinner together sounded wonderful.  Calling it an actual date made it sound ten times better.  “Absolutely.”

When she told him that she was going to get a shower, he really wanted to ask if she wanted some company.  He wanted nothing more than to beg for the opportunity to lather up every square inch of her perfect form, but he somehow managed to restrain himself.  He wanted to do this the right way.  He wanted to show her that he really wasn’t the guy she thought he had been for so long.  Yes, he told her the truth, but now, it was time to prove to her an even deeper truth—that he wanted every part of her, not just her body.

Riley was mildly surprised that he didn’t ask to join her.  She thought about suggesting that they do their civic duty and conserve water by showering together, but she wasn’t sure if it would be too suggestive since they had only had one real conversation about how they felt about one another.

Even though that conversation led to the loss of her virginity, she knew that if they had showered together, they might not leave the room for the rest of the night.  Besides, she knew that they needed to resume their earlier conversation.  She still had some questions about a few things, and she knew that he had to have had some as well.  She wanted to do this the right way.  If that meant pausing any physical relationship while they closed the gap on seven years of miscommunication, then so be it.  She could keep her hands off of him.

At least, she hoped she would be able to.

So, he showered in his bathroom and she showered in her bathroom.  They both got dressed in their respective rooms, and met in the living room to go to dinner at the one place in the city Lucas had dreamt of taking her.

“Lucas, this is so beautiful,” Riley breathed as she looked around the restaurant.  As soon as the group decided to go to Las Vegas, she knew that there was only one restaurant she really wanted to go to, and somehow, he knew.  Somehow, he remembered her affinity for all things Parisian.

“It’s ok,” he agreed as he glanced around the restaurant.  After his conversation with her at Zay’s birthday, he knew that he wanted to take her to the Eiffel Tower Restaurant for her birthday—even if it meant taking everyone else as well.  Riley hadn’t quite made it to Europe yet, but he hoped that the restaurant would at least give her a taste of where she really wanted to travel.  As his eyes landed on hers, he smiled.  “It still pales in comparison though.”

She tiled her head to the side.  “To what?”  To the other restaurants they had dined at while here?  Doubtful.  The lighting, the music, and the view blew everywhere else out of the water.

“You.”

A small blush crept up on her cheeks as she turned away from him.   Her eyes fell on the Bellagio Fountains as she tried to steady the rapid beating of her heart.  “What a line,” she smirked.

He shrugged.  “Not a line at all.  Just the truth.”

She took a deep breath before she turned back to him.  “Thank you.”  They both exchanged shy smiles before they looked down at their menus.  After their waiter came and took their order, Riley glanced out the window once more.  “I think I like this view of the fountains more than the one last night.  You know…we were so close to them last night, which was nice, but from this view, you can really see the whole thing.”  She turned back to him.  “Kinda makes you appreciate it more.”

He smiled.  He thought she might enjoy the view of the fountains.  Despite everything that happened last night, he knew that she seemed hypnotized by them.  So, when he called the concierge to make the last minute reservation for him, Lucas pleaded for him to make sure they had the table with the best view of the Bellagio Fountains.  “They are pretty hypnotic, aren’t they?”

Riley bit the inside of her cheek.  She couldn’t be sure, but she had a feeling that he wasn’t talking about the fountains.  “Can we talk?  About what happened last night?”

“You can talk to me about anything, Riley.”

She opened her mouth to ask him about something that had been nagging at her ever since she left his room to get ready, but the moment she began to form the words, their waiter had returned with a bottle of wine.  After he poured them each a glass, Riley and Lucas thanked him.  After he left, Lucas held up his glass to her.  “Happy Birthday, Riley.”

She smiled as she raised her glass to her lips.  After she took a sip, she slowly sat the glass down.  “This is too much, Lucas.  I mean…last night was already just…too much and now this?”  She slowly looked up at him.  “I’m scared to know how much all of it cost.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he insisted.  “I just want you to have a good birthday.”  He sat back in his seat.  “What did you want to ask me?”

She took a shaky breath.  “A-After you left Hyde last night…where did you go?”

“I went back to the hotel…to one of the bars.”  He sighed as he leaned forward in his seat.  “I’m sorry for leaving like that.  I just couldn’t see any possible positive outcome from saying what I did and how I did it.  You didn’t want to talk about it while we were drunk and I kept pushing you.  I’m sorry for that, Riley.  I thought that if I left…it would save you the embarrassment of turning me down again.”

“I’m sorry about how I acted last night.  I was…scared.”

He frowned.  “Scared?”

“Scared that maybe it wasn’t real for you…that if we got together while we were drunk t-that y-y-you might regret it in the morning.”  She sighed.  “At the same time, I didn’t want you to run off with those girls…so I thought that…that maybe I could be enough…for one night anyway.”  She scoffed as she tried to make sense of her drunken logic.  “Seems like a really stupid idea now.”

“Riley, I need you to know that my feelings for you have always been there.  There hasn’t been a day since we met that I didn’t love you.”  He paused.  “Even when I was with someone else, even as we drifted apart.  I feel…terrible for getting into relationships with other girls when I knew that I wasn’t ready for it, but I was trying to move on.  I was trying to do what you told me to.  I thought the only way to really do that…and try to maintain our friendship…was to try to find someone else…but…I…I never could.  If I’m being honest, I’m not sure I ever will.”

Riley let his words sink in as she took another sip of her wine.  This entire time, she thought that he had moved on, when in reality, he was only trying to survive.  “I tried too.  You know…I met people…dated around…but I couldn’t…I never found anyone I wanted to really get to know…not like I did with you.”

Lucas ran his fingers down the stem of the wine glass as he forced himself to not look at her.  “So…Asher?”  He knew what they had said last night and what she said earlier about their kiss, but he had to hear it again.  He had to know that it meant nothing.

“We’re friends.  He and I both agreed on that one.”

He slowly exhaled.  “And Steve?”

“He’s a guy in my English class.  We’ve gone out a few times.  He’s nice, but…”

He cut his eyes to her.  “But?”

She bit her bottom lip as her eyes fell to the table.  “But…he’s not you.”  How could she make him understand that she was doing the exact same thing he was?  “We went to a movie a few weeks ago…and I wasn’t really watching the movie because I kept thinking about the film series we went to freshman year and even though I felt completely awkward around you at the time…I still had so much fun.  I mean…you even agreed to dress up with me.  So, as I was on this date with someone else, I kept thinking that there was no way Steve would ever humor me like that and dress up for the occasion.”  She chuckled softly.  “Honestly, I don’t even think I’d ask him to.  That was…sorta our thing, you know?”  She looked back up at him.  “What was your favorite movie from that series that we went to?”

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” he answered without missing a beat.

She furrowed her eyebrows.  Out of all the movies they saw, Breakfast at Tiffany’s would be one of the last ones she’d ever guess.  “Why?  Is it because you spent half of the movie next to some stranger because you thought they were me?”

Lucas laughed.  “No,” he answered as he reached for his glass of wine.  “I guess it was because it gave me hope that if Holly and Paul could figure out a way to be together, then maybe…maybe we could too.  They were friends first...had seen one another through so many highs and lows…I don’t know.  It just made me think that one day…maybe…maybe it would work out with us.”

As Lucas sat his glass back down, he placed his hand on the table, palm up.  “I know my track record isn’t good,” he began as she placed her hand in his.  He took a deep breath before he continued, “But I know…beyond the shadow of a doubt…that it would be different with you.  I know…I know that I’m asking you to take a huge leap of faith here…and that I probably should wait until we finish our second first date, but…would you consider being my girlfriend?”

Riley looked into his eyes for a long moment.  “Yes,” she smiled.  “I want to be with you, Lucas.  Only you.”

Maya texted Riley as they were finishing up their meal.  They were headed over to the casino at Caesar’s Palace and wanted to know if Riley and Lucas wanted to join them.  As much as Riley wanted to spend the rest of the night with her newly minted boyfriend, she didn’t want to completely close herself off from spending her birthday with her friends.  So, they agreed to meet up with Maya, Zay, and Farkle at Caesar’s Palace as a couple.

They walked in, hand in hand, determined to take the jokes and questions one at a time with grace and dignity.  They knew that they deserved every jibe for what they had put their friends through on their path to figuring it all out.

As soon as Riley saw Maya, the brunette beamed.  She was fairly certain that Maya’s eyes were about to pop out of her head.

Maya grabbed Zay’s arm as she stared at the interlaced fingers of two of her best friends.  As a smile curled at the corners of her lips, she realized that she couldn’t possibly be any happier for them.  She nearly screamed in delight when the couple finally reached them.

“Hey guys,” Lucas casually greeted as he made no attempt to hide the grin that had been plastered on his face ever since Riley agreed to be his girlfriend.

“Hey,” Maya smirked as she finally looked up at the pair.  “Care to tell the entire class something?”

It took Farkle a moment, but eventually, he lowered his eyes to their clasped hands.  “What’s going on?”

“Well,” Riley began as she turned to her boyfriend, “Lucas and I…we’re sort of…dating now.”

Zay glanced at Lucas as he raised his eyebrows.  “Dating?”

He nodded as he looked at the trio in front of him.  “Yeah.  Is that…ok with everyone?”

“I swore to myself that I’d stop speaking to both of you if you weren’t dating by the end of this trip,” Maya confessed as she pulled her best friend into a hug.

“Yeah, I’m with Maya,” Zay agreed.  “Especially after last night.”

Farkle shrugged.  “I don’t know what happened last night, but it’s about time you two got together.”

Riley and Lucas turned to one another before they looked back at the genius.  “What are you talking about, Farkle?”

“Oh come on.  I see the way you two look at each other…the way you’ve always looked at one another.  I knew it was only a matter of time.  I thought it would’ve been before now, but…I knew when Lucas was asking about your dating life that it couldn’t possibly be too much longer.”

Riley raised her eyebrows as she looked at her boyfriend.  “You were trying to get some information from Farkle?”

Lucas sighed as he closed his eyes.  Embarrassment filled him as he glared at one of his best friends.  “Thanks.”

Farkle laughed as he slapped Lucas on the back.  “Anytime.”

Riley turned to Zay.  “So, what are we playing?”

“Are you ready to test your blackjack skills?”

She cringed.  “I don’t really remember everything you taught me last night.”

“Well, you have a pro for a boyfriend, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Riley looked at Lucas.  “You play blackjack?”

“And poker, and roulette, and craps,” Zay informed her.  “Lucas taught me everything I know.”

“You like to gamble?”  Her question wasn’t at all accusatory, but merely inquisitive.  She had held him at arms length for so long that she didn’t realize until now that there was a lot about him she still needed to learn.  

“Zay’s exaggerating.”  He narrowed his eyes at his best friend.  “Thanks for making it seem like a have a problem.”

“Nah, it’s only a problem if you lose,” Zay laughed.  “Riley, Lucas and I go to poker tournaments on campus all the time.  He’s racked up quite a little nest egg.”

Lucas sighed.  Could they please talk about something—anything—else?  She didn’t need to learn about all of his vices in one night.  “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Well, at least I’m in good hands, right,” Riley smiled.  She could tell that Lucas was embarrassed by it, but she didn’t care.  She knew that he would never gamble with anything he wasn’t prepared to lose.  

“The key is in knowing that the house always wins,” Zay told her as the group walked toward one of the empty tables.

“The house always wins,” she repeated as she slid into one of the seats.

“Yeah,” Zay nodded as he sat next to her.  “Well,” he smirked, “Unless you’re Lucas.”

“Ok…let’s stop yapping and start gambling,” Maya grinned as she watched the dealer shuffle the cards.

“I really thought I’d be good at it,” Maya grumbled as they walked back into the suite.  “I read all of the books.  I thought I was ready…that I knew what I was in for.”  She pouted as she trudged into the living room.

“The house always wins,” Zay reminded her.

“Yeah, that’s really reassuring, Zay” she grumbled.  “What about him,” she gestured to Lucas, “And him,” she pointed to Farkle.  “Between both of them, I think they won every hand they played.”

Farkle laughed as he looked at Lucas.  “Yeah, we did all right.”

Lucas shrugged despite the grin on his face.  “It was a group effort.  Besides,” he glanced at the brunette next to him, “I had luck on my side.”

Maya rolled her eyes.  “I’m starting to think I liked you two more when you weren’t so nauseating.”

“I lost too,” Riley offered.

“Yeah, but you stopped after a few hands.”  The blonde flopped down on one of the couches.

Riley shrugged.  “I’m not a gambler, I guess.”

“I lost too,” Zay told the blonde as he sat down beside her.  When she leaned her head on his shoulder, he smiled softly.

“Yeah, but you weren’t up $500, either,” she groaned.  “I should have stopped.  Why didn’t you guys tell me to stop?”

“We did,” Farkle said as he sat down on the other side of her.  “We tried to tell you for the last hour to quit while you were still ahead.”

She sighed.  “Well, I have definitely learned my lesson for next time.”

“Next time,” Lucas asked as he sat down on the arm of the couch across from them.  “You know that we’re leaving in the morning, right?”

She nodded as she lifted her head up.  “Yeah, but I’m definitely coming back.  I’m not going to let Vegas get the last laugh.”  She watched as Riley placed her arm around Lucas’s shoulders as she stood next to him.  “Besides, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all winners.  We all walked away with something.”