#jo's theory corner

[jolynejay]

I think Ch. 7/4 may have just given us both Crowley's identity as well as the identity of his "dear esteemed benefactor"

Obvs. Spoilers Ahead in this analysis and speculative hypothesis (which will link the prologue to the current events in Ch. 7):

This moment is the moment that sent me down this rabbit hole:

General Lilia essentially calling Lady Malenore Briar Country's "most evil" princess.

I went over the prologue again semi-recently to see if the knowledge we have gathered since the start of the game recontextulizes some things. And while the purpose of the analysis then was different, what I did take special note of was that Crowley is speaking to a different but very specific person. To quote the man himself (from the English version):

"Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor...

My proud, beautiful flower of evil.

You are truly the fairiest one of all."

The way Crowley addresses this person is very interesting because it at once seems very subservient and almost intimate.

But what is even more interesting is the original Japanese phrasing. I will go through the lines one by one to point out the notable details:

ああ‥‥‥愛しい我が君

"愛しい" (itoshii) is generally used to describe something that is lovely, dear. "我が君" (waga kimi) is generally understood to mean "my lord/ruler/master". The translation as "my dear esteemed benefactor" is... alright, though it does seem to detract a bit from the portrayal of this person as someone that has a lot of power over Crowley.

What I'd like to note though is that since Japanese is a very context dependent language this line might also be read a very different way: if "kimi" was used in the context that Crowley knows this person very well, being allowed to address them directly like this... then the line could also be read as Crowley calling this person "My beloved." There is still the underlying power dynamic underneath but it is more finely tuned and something that reminds me more of a pair of royals.

This would certainly not be the first way for someone to understand this line but subtext and double meanings can reveal a lot.

気高く麗しい悪の華

Notable here is mainly that Crowley is using a lot of archaic words to describe the person he is speaking to (e.g. using the kanji "華" instead of the modern "花" - both pronounced "hana," meaning flower). This may indicate that this person is of a people whose culture does not move as fast as the rest of the world's - still bound to old ways of speaking and thinking.

貴女こそが世界で一番美しい

Now, this last line is spicy. The English version of this line is pretty gender neutral after all - the fairest of them all. But what the original line makes very explicit is that Crowley is talking to/about a woman.

"貴女" (anata) - not "貴方" (anata), not "我が君" (waga kimi) but "貴女"

Crowley is addressing a noble woman directly in a manner that implies they are of equal standing. Like a husband addressing his wife.

Now let's circle back to that conversation Lilia, Silver, Sebek and co. are having about Malenore for a minute.

Because what Lilia also calls Malenore is this:

Malenore is the only daughter to Queen Maleficia and she the ruling Lady of "Wild Rose Castle" (野ばら城). Which is known to Silver only as "Black Scale Castle" (黒鱗城).

In other words, Malenore is one of the most powerful noble women in the Twisted Wonderland, she is strongly associated with with Wild Roses/ Briar Roses, and on top of that described as the "most evil" princess by her own general (whether in jest or not is of little consequence).

And this description should ring very familiar after going over Crowley's introductory monolog. A noble, beautiful "Flower of Evil" as it were.

But if that is the truth, then the familiar way Crowley addresses Malenore can only mean that Crowley's true identity is Malenore's husband. Who else would be allowed to speak to her im such an intimate and familiar manner.

Malenore's husband whose status hasn't actually been confirmed, other than he is missing in some capacity. And while I have seen a many transcriptions of his name, no one seems to have gotten it right yet:

"竜眠公レヴァーン"

The Sleeping Dragon Lord Raven

And what is the associated animal of our dear Night Raven's headmaster?

A crow.

A corvid.

A raven.

Crowley did always had something of the mad hatter to him, didn't he? And he might just have something with a raven and a writing desk..

After all, a raven is nevar the same front to back as back to front.

And thus, at the end, we have the lost parents of a little dragon, summoning a human with no magical ability to this Twisted Wonderland - a human that cannot be influenced by blot.

Curious, curious...

Curious indeed...

[jolynejay]

i. this is so good, i cannot fathom this, it makes brain go brrrrrr

ii. some unhinged stream of consciousness thoughts:

Guda is a single person. An absolutely normal, average person that has some special skills here and there, and that falls below average in other regards. They are all in all a zero - a fool - bumbling through the world trying to find their place in it.

Guda is zero and infinity all at once.

Guda is a single person, but also the potentiality of Every Single Person.

Guda isn't humanity.

Guda is humanity's hope.

Humanity's will to live, to fight on in the face of impossible odds. Facing pains and horrors and joys and grace.

Being unable to do much and change anything by themselves, but through even just the choice to stand up and fight inspiring -inviting- others to join them.

Even if the universe is go dark and loose it's brightest stars to doubt and despair, there remains a single, tiny speck of light. A little star that has not given up, still reaching out. And as long as it remains, people will reach out in turn to that person that still belives in humanity - with all that is good and all that is bad and all that is inbetween.

That person that still belives in heroes,no matter the path in life and death that those heroes have chosen.

A person that is a single person but also every person.

Unknown to death. Not known by life.

A hope at a future as humanity is. Change occuring naturally within humanity, not have change forced upon humanity from powers beyond. A hope to find a path all of their own by their own volition, even if that path will eventually lead to the inevitable end.

Not everlasting. Not eradicated. Not regressed. Not purely a dream of an ideal world.

Simply, moving forward. Simply, living.

And it is a blessing.

And it is a curse.

For living means conflict. For living means strive. For living means dying. For living means grieving.

But it also means compromise. And living means comradery. And living means healing. And living means the pursuit of happiness.

And Guda is all of that and more. Compassion and cruelty. A dream and a nightmare. A reality impacting dreams, and a dream impacting reality.

Guda is seeking heaven while decending into hell. Still hoping. Still holding on. For if even a single person reaches out, someone will take that hand. You just have to keep on living. You just have to keep going. You just have to keep hoping.

Guda is humanity's "what if?"

Guda is that which remains at the bottom of Pandora's box, even as its evils are unleashed upon humanity.

Guda is everybody and nobody.

Guda is every player of FGO and their own person.

Guda is hope.

Guda is Humanity's Last Master.

[-> from someone that started fgo recently, got through part 1 and is halfway through epic of remnant, while knowing quite a lot of spoilers (bc the way i consume media is very chaotic)]

Guda is like. Reverse unlimited blade works. Unknown to death nor known to life. But by god. These hands held many things. These hands held so many things.

[bisexuallsokka]

jo. bestie. hi. i’m holding your hands and asking u to please if u want deal us all permanent psychic damage with “you’re just as beautiful as the day i lost you” (the httyd divorced zukka agenda has to continue and nobody can do it as well as u <3)

Sokka had spent the entire journey to the Fire Nation imagining himself being so overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of Zuko that, decorum be damned, he would run into his arms as soon as they made eye contact.

The sting of disappointment he felt when he realized that Zuko wasn't even there to greet him and Katara was enough to extinguish most of the excitement he had felt and make him second-guess everything about this trip. It was odd enough that after over a decade of being broken up they had rekindled their relationship over letters, what would it be like when they saw each other in person for the first time in years? Did they only know how to be in love again in theory? Was Zuko truly ready to leave the throne and his home in a few months and start a life with Sokka?

He's hiding out on some balcony that the two of them frequented in his Ambassador days, and he jumps when he hears the door open behind him. It's probably Katara telling him to stop moping, and he's about to tell her that he just needs a minute when he sees Zuko there, giving him a tentative smile.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," Sokka says, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Sorry about," Zuko gestures, and Sokka knows what he means.

"I get it. You're a busy guy," Sokka says.

That makes Zuko frown, and he walks over and takes a seat on the bench next to him. "Not too busy for you," he says. Which, historically, is kind of a lie, but Sokka appreciates the sentiment all the same. Especially since soon, they won't have to worry about the Fire Lord nonsense ever again.

Zuko seems to be thinking the same thing. "For what it's worth, it wasn't 'official business' keeping me away again," he clarifies. "Izumi was getting a little overwhelmed with everything going on to get ready for the party, and I spent longer in the garden with her than I realized. She's with Uncle, now."

Sokka softens at that, his doubts slowly starting to fade away. "That's understandable."

"Thanks for coming all the way here," Zuko says quickly. "It means a lot and it...it's really good to see you."

The sincerity in his tone is a little overwhelming. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sokka says, despite having missed the last ten or so of Zuko's birthday celebrations.

It makes Zuko smile, though, which Sokka relaxes at the sight of.

"You look good," Sokka says, smiling back.

"You look..." Zuko trails off, a strange expression on his face as he just keeps staring at Sokka.

"What?" Sokka asks suspiciously. "Is there something on my face?"

"You're just as beautiful as the day I lost you," Zuko says, so softly Sokka might have missed it had he not been hanging onto every word from those lips.

"I..." Sokka says, feeling speechless for once as heat rises in his cheeks. "That's...great, thank you."

As soon as the words leave his mouth he groans, putting his head in his hands as Zuko laughs loudly at him.

"You can't just say things like that," Sokka complains, even if he can't stop smiling.

"I can and I will, especially if that is the kind of reaction I can expect," Zuko teases. Sokka looks over at him and feels his cheeks flushing again at the soft look on Zuko's face.

Sokka takes a shaky breath, calling upon every ounce of bravery he's ever possessed to help him reach for Zuko's hand. "Twelve years?" he asks, giving it a squeeze.

"Twelve years," Zuko confirms, squeezing back. “It’s not that I haven’t seen you that whole time. I just…never let myself really look.”

Sokka nods. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

Zuko raises his eyebrow. "I've started packing."

Sokka rolls his eyes and shoves Zuko's shoulder with his own. "Oh, so romantic, run away with me just because you're already packing."

Zuko laughs again, and Sokka feels lightheaded. He's not going to get used to constantly hearing that sound anytime soon.

“I've had all this time to think about it, and my answer is still the same," Zuko tells him seriously. "This is best for the Fire Nation, best for us. Are you sure, though? Six year olds are pretty crazy.”

“Raising a kid with you?" Sokka asks. "That's all I've ever wanted. Craziness and all."

The way Zuko looks at Sokka erases any of the doubts, the questions, the worries Sokka had about this. About them. After the years of heartbreak and separation, Sokka knows that's behind them, and the future looks much brighter.

[tyrian-witch]

In This World of My Own | Chapter One: Something Normal For Once

(Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader)

Takes place in the fall of 1985, after the events of season 3 (aka Starcourt Mall fire womp womp), reader is graduating high school as it’s her last year.

*Reader is afab and goes by she/her pronouns, given last name (to be revealed*

A/N: This is my first time writing a fic on tumblr so I’m a little new to it, and this is also my first time writing a Stranger Things fic :P

Warnings: None that I know of (unless you count my crappy writing), semi-proof read, fluff question mark? Robin being a good wingman for Steve. Slow burn?? Oh and some minor swearing

Word count: don’t know, don’t care

masterlist

~~~

October, 1985

Fall is the superior season, and what better place to enjoy it than in the small town of Hawkins? Sure, it wasn’t perfect (nothing really is to be honest), and it had this eeriness to it, but it wasn’t that bad.

If anything, the beauty of fall made up for any lingering spookiness that might have lurked in the shadows, but it was fine!

You’ve heard rumours and conspiracy theories of aliens and other things when you moved to Hawkins 2 months ago, but you thought those rumours were silly.

You didn’t really pay any mind to it, simply because you thought it might be some sort of silly hoax or whatnot. Maybe, just maybe it could be possible, but at the same time time, who knows!

For now though, it was your time to enjoy the lovely autumn environment that currently surrounded you.

It was a cloudy Thursday afternoon in October, and as soon as school finishes at 3 o’clock, you gather your things and book it out of there.

You mount on your bike, but you weren’t really in a hurry given that your shift at the local coffee shop wasn’t for another thirty minutes and it wasn’t too far away either - you figure you could get there early anyways because why not? You had nothing better to do, you were pretty much caught up on everything.

On your way there, you take in the beauty of your environment and silently thank Mother Nature for it as you cruise by yourself along the road, all while the jaunty tune of Pink Shoelaces plays on your Walkman. You feel good.

~~~

It’s very slow today, there’s hardly any customers.

You think there’d be some people coming in, especially after school. Maybe that’s just you. The Hawkins Cafe is a cozy spot, just on the corner of Main Street. In a way, you were glad it wasn’t very crowded, but again, it was concerning if you were at work doing nothing. What would be the point? You’re still getting paid, but no customers to serve. Bummer.

To kill the time, you decided to tidy up your station.

You were working by yourself, but whoever was in your place last did not do a good job of keeping the space clean. You even found a big coffee leak under the coffee maker that was left unattended.

“The hell happened here?” you mutter. You lift it up and some of the liquid spreads on the counter. “Ah shit, what the fuck? Seriously, are you kidding me?”

As you begin wiping down the spill, the sound of the doorbell chimes, signalling that someone has entered.

“Just a second!” you call out.

You finish cleaning up, before turning around to see, not one, but two customers: a guy and a girl. The girl had short blonde hair and freckles, and the guy had brown hair, and by the way it was styled, you could tell he took pride in it. It looked so soft, you could just reach out and touch it.

Huh?

You put on your best customer service face and smile. Wiping your hands on your apron, you say “Hi, what can I get for you today?”

“Hi!” the girl says. “I’ll have an espresso, please.”

“Okay, can I get your name?”

“Robin” the girl says with a smile. “We have biology together.”

You look at her, squinting briefly. Then it hits you: “Oh, yeah that’s right. Robin Buckley?”

She nods, still smiling.

You turn to the guy and say: “And what can I get for you?”

“Oh uh, I’ll just have a black coffee with some milk and 2 sugars, please.”

You nod, jotting both their orders down. Looking back at him again you ask for his name.

“Steve,” he tells you, offering a friendly smile.

“Okay, one espresso and one black coffee with milk and two sugars coming up” you affirm, heading to your station.

Meanwhile, Robin and Steve were sitting at one of the tables, talking amongst themselves.

“Veronica canceled on me,” Steve says, almost dejectedly.

“And why would that be?” Robin asks.

He pulls a face and shrugs before running a hand through his hair. “I dunno.”

Robin lowers her voice. “I think the issue is that you try to hard to charm the ladies, you just… fling yourself at them,” she tells him, doing a flinging motion with her hands to demonstrate.

“For your information, Buckley, I was this close,” he pinches his index finger and thumb together, “to going on a date with her.”

“Then why did she cancel?” 

“She said she had a family emergency,” Steve says matter-of-factly.

Robin scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Family emergency? Yeah, right.”

“What?” Steve has a confused look. “What’s wrong with that?” he asks.

He receives a look of disbelief from his friend. “Oh my gosh- okay,” she says. “You do realize that a “‘family emergency’,” she air quotes, “is just an excuse to get out of stuff, like a date, right?” She goes on.

As she’s explaining this, you catch his attention as your making their beverages. He wonders about you. Come to think of it, you’re really pretty. Wait-

“Hello, are you listening?” Robin waves a hand in his face.

Before he could say anything, he sees you coming over and stops his staring you make your way to their table, drinks in hand. “Here you go, is there anything else you two would like? you ask.

“No, thank you” they politely tell you.

You smile. “All right then. Enjoy!” Turning on your heal, you resume your front-of-house duties at the counter, awaiting new customers.

Steve watches you while you work, taking sips of his drink. In the midst of enjoying the caffeine, Robin catches this. Her eyes light up, as if a switch just went on.

“You should ask her out” she tells him.

“Huh?

Robin briefly glances in your direction.

“No, I- there’s no way-”

“Why not?” she almost yells.

“I don’t- wanna scare her off,” he says in a hushed voice.

“You don’t have to scare her off, dingus. Have you ever thought about taking things slow? Just relax.” Robin swiftly gets up from her seat then, making her way to the counter.

“Nonononono wait! What are you doing?” Steve whispers through gritted teeth.”

Robin grins cheekily. “Getting you back in your game!”

Steve was worried you could hear their conversation this entire time, but you had put your Walkman back on since it seemed like it was going to be empty for a little while longer, meaning your service wasn’t needed.

Steve feels nervous about whatever Robin is planning. If she even blows his chance to go on a date with you, he doesn’t know how he’d handle it. He normally doesn’t get flustered or embarrassed often. But he sees you now. He recalls seeing you around before, yes, you were new, but he never really paid you any mind. But he sees you - what could he do? Scare the new girl away before she even had a chance to know him, and vice versa? No way.

He wants to learn how to take things slow and easy, and not to “fling” himself like Robin said. He’d at least like to properly get to know you first, to have a chance at that. Now that he’s finally gotten a break from having to fight monsters from another dimension, he actually has the time on his hands to do something normal for once; in this case, meeting you.

“Hi again!”

Through the corner of your eye, you see Robin at the counter and immediately take off your headphones. “Oh! Yes, what can I- what can I get for you?” you stammer.

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to wear headphones. Whoops!

She sees the look of embarrassment on your face and reassures you. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell,” she winks. “I wanted to ask, you’re new here, right?”

“Mhm.” You nod.

“Have you been to Family Video?”

“No, I haven’t really got the chance to check out the stores here,” you say. “Why do you ask?”

She squeals in excitements “Oh! Perfect! When are you free?”

You shrug, thinking about it for a moment. “Tomorrow after my shift at 7, 7:30-ish, I guess?”

Robin, who continues to smile, taps the counter before heading back to sit with Steve. She points at you. “We will see you tomorrow then. Bye!”

She drags Steve from his chair, urging him that they were “gonna be late for work” followed by “hey, my coffee!”

You watch the scene unfold, finding it almost odd, like something you’d see in a comedy.

“Okay, weird. But okay,” you say to yourself. “…Oh well.”

~~~

“Dude, what the hell was that?” Steve asks exasperatedly.

He’s driving now to Family Video, with Robin in the passenger seat. She’s looking out the window, then faces him.

With raised eyebrows, she says, “Uh, you’re welcome?”

“Nuh-uh, not ‘you’re welcome,’ you didn’t have to do that for me! I could have done it myself. I would have.”

She only looks at him and laughs.

Noticing the look on her face l, he rolls his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” She feigns innocence.

He shakes his head. “I would have done it.”

“Yeah, buuuuut you didn’t.”

Steve can only glare at her.

“Relax, lover boy. As your wingman, I just did you a huge favour.” She clicks her teeth and proudly points to herself. “You’re welcome.”

“Yeah, thanks” he sasses.

Let’s hope it’s different this time, he thinks.

~~~

Hope you enjoyed! :D

-M. ♉️

➤ next part

[soft-pine]

spn20rewatch 2.02 everybody loves a clown

oh golly this episode has it all! dean's closed-off expression at john's pyre! dean in a t-shirt working on baby (layers theory!) sam all of a sudden wanting to do what john would have wanted and grieving his loss heavily while dean is coming apart at the seams! sam accidentally phrasing something so it ends up sounding like CSA implications and dean making a face. after they have to ditch the car, sam only carrying a backpack while dean carries two duffles. dean biting his nails!!

there are so many superficially little moments in this episode that feel like little pieces in a much larger puzzle.

but one of the most interesting ones to me is dean starting to flirt with jo and then stopping himself.

DEAN: So, I guess I've got fifty-one hours to waste. Maybe tonight we should, uh... No, you know what? Never mind. JO: What? DEAN: Nothing, just, uh, wrong place, wrong time.

at my core, i really do think dean is gay. and it's moments like this that solidify it for me. because, while i do think he craves the touch and intimacy and public ease of hooking up with women, sometimes the necessary performance can be too much.

dean, here, is very vulnerable. he's grieving his dad. he's furious with his dad. he's raw and undone and could really, really use some comfort. and yet, there is something about trying to seek out that kind of physical comfort that exhausts him.

and, of course, there are other possible readings of this but we'll revisit this theme in 5.14 and 13.05...

and we just have to talk about the smashing baby scene. visceral and musicless and furious and agonized. it is magnificent. and deeply meaningful to me that dean smashes up baby's trunk - the part of the car that represents his life as a hunter and all that entails.

and, like dean's face looking at john's pyre with a single tear down his face, dean's face here in the end of episode shot with his damp eyes and slumping shoulders and trembling lips, contains so many layers. confusion and anger and grief and feeling cornered.

[blakelysco-pilot]

23 for both of your pairings please!

Thank you for requesting this, sweet nonnie, and for being so patient while I got this done.

prompt from this list

18+ under the cut; minors DNI

Ev & Val

23. “Relax, I’ve got you.”

Breaths were harsh; deep inhales and sharp exhales, the nose of Just A Snappin fogged up as Val clung to Everett. Working her through her second, no, third orgasm of the night, he couldn’t help but admire the way she looked in the dim light, the moon giving just enough cover for him to see her, to appreciate her body laid out for him. His jacket was balled up under her head, her dark curls spilling over the green fabric as she gripped it with one hand, the other secured behind his neck. 

“I…Ev, I can’t…”

“Shh, you’re okay, I’m right here baby.”

He slowed his hips, his hands sliding up behind her back until he found enough leverage to pull her up, sitting her in his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, her face buried in the crook of his shoulder. Her chest pressed against his he could feel her heart hammering against her ribs as she came down from her high. 

“Relax, I’ve got you.” He soothed. 

“Hmm, okay…” 

It took him a moment to realize she was crying, panic suddenly filling his chest at the thought of possibly hurting her.  Carefully, he tipped her face up from his shoulder, and his heart almost shattered at the sight of the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, her red lips stretched into a smile. 

“Honey…”

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” A laugh punched from her chest, shaking her head vigorously. “It’s just, god, I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Neither have I…” He gently smoothed her hair back, hand cupping her jaw as he guided her mouth to his. “You’re it for me, Val.”

“Ev…”

“Want this with you forever, if you’ll have me.”

“Are you proposing?” She raised an eyebrow, fixing him with a look. 

“No, not yet. Just, giving you a heads up.” He grinned, shifting her in his lap, momentarily forgetting he was still buried inside of her. 

“Oh!” Her gasp filled the plane, and he grinned devilishly. 

“Think you can give me one more?”

“Oh baby, She kissed him deeply. “I can give you forever.”

Rosie & Jo

23. “Relax, I’ve got you.”

The room is suddenly entirely too warm, and he’s not sure when it started, but he can hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. Why is he so nervous? He served two tours, flew 52 missions, and made it out of Russia alive; this should not scare him and yet… Yet, it’s having Jo so close to where he’s dreamed of having her that’s causing his head to spin as if he had been drinking all night. Suddenly he was home and everything they had promised each other while he was gone was coming true. He had prepared for this in words, and in theory, for years it had been a romance between the pages. Now, the pages were gone. 

When they had gone out that night, they both knew where they had wanted the evening to go; now that he was down to his boxers, and she was standing in front of him in just her nightgown, the reality of it had him worrying. And he couldn’t figure out why. 

“Robbie?” Her voice sounded far away, but he knew she was close because he could feel her hands in his, her thumbs drawing gentle circles against his palms. 

“Hmm, I’m right here…”

“I know you’re here, honey, but you’re white as a sheet.”

“I am?”

“Yes, do you feel alright?”

“Yea, I feel alright, I promise.”

Her right hand slipped from his grasp and came up to cup his cheek, her thumb gently rubbing back and forth. Soothing him into a state of relaxation, and causing him to momentarily forget what had his head so foggy in the first place. He was responsible for making sure she enjoyed tonight, that she felt good, and most importantly that he didn’t hurt her. 

“Robbie, honey, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yea, I just… no, I’m fine.”

“Come here,” gently, she tugged him to the bed, sitting down on the edge, she waited for hin to take a seat next to her. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”

“Aren’t you nervous?” He all but blurted out. 

“Of course I’m nervous!”

“Then how are you so calm?”

“Because I’m with you, and I trust you.”

“You trust me not to hurt you?”

“Robbie, I trust you with my life,” Jo smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “I know you would never intentionally hurt me. Is that what you’re worried about?”

“Yes…” He sighed. 

Nodding, Jo stood from the bed and moved to stand in front of him. Taking his hands in hers, she pulled him up to his feet before wrapping him in her arms and fitting her lips over his. Her fingers carded through his mused curls, the pomade all but gone, until she reached the nape of his neck. Softly, she pulled back, her forehead resting against his as she caught her breath, his chest rising and falling in time with hers. 

Jo let her lips trail softly from his lips, up and across his cheek, until she reached his ear. Nipping at his earlobe gently, with a soft tug to the pliant flesh, she chose her next words carefully. She hoped that she could convey the message to him, so that he knew that tonight they would take care of each other. 

“Relax,” she whispered. “I’ve got you and you’ve got me. We’ll figure this out together.”

“Together…” Rosie smiled. 

[the-elusive-soleil]

Silm x Doctor Who: Curufin

Still later in the Long Peace, after Caranthir's and Ambarussa's adventures (that he has no knowledge of), Curufin is minding his own business in his workshop and gets abruptly vworped across time and space to a room he roughly recognizes as a workshop, but with absolutely no familiar equipment.

In fact, his initial assumption is that he's been yanked into some corner of Angband by foul magics, and that the old man over there is a thrall, albeit an unusually well-dressed one. He's not sure whether the man's shock and bemusement at seeing him is evidence for or against such a theory. The man - the Doctor, Three - claims that he was merely trying to fix his vehicle, but it malfunctioned, bringing Curufin there instead of bringing the vehicle and the Doctor somewhere else.

Curufin demands that the Doctor reverse the process immediately if he wants to prove he's not in Morgoth's service - he has work he needs to do, his wife and son and brothers need him. The Doctor tries, but whatever he was working with explodes and becomes inoperable. Curufin is stuck.

He rages at this, but the Doctor, having picked up meanwhile that Curufin is a man of science in his own right, makes him an offer: if Curufin helps him get the TARDIS working again, he'll take him back to Arda right away, and no one will even know he was gone because it's also a time machine.

Curufin is dubious about this, but it seems like his only option, especially once he discovers that he's in an entirely different world, and that this corner of it is controlled by a heavily armed and highly suspicious military force. So he agrees (and also resolves to study UNIT's weapons as much as he can, to try and recreate them to use on orcs once he gets home).

The Brigadier and most of UNIT are suspicious of Curufin, but tolerate him because the Doctor vouched for him. Jo doesn't particularly like him, because he doesn't particularly like her - he thinks she's silly and not all that bright and a bit useless, and doesn't get why the Doctor is as taken with her as he clearly is. Curufin's romantic taste tends to run to the "shared interests, intellectual equals" kind.

(The Doctor tells him that a) he's not interested in Jo like that [a clear lie], b) his last assistant was as close to an intellectual equal as he was likely to find while stuck on this planet, and it didn't go well, and c) Jo is kind and brave and loyal, and that's why he has her as an assistant and friend.)

Curufin slowly but surely learns temporal engineering, occasionally having to craft new Quenya words for the TARDIS to translate certain concepts to, and they make progress. The Doctor is impressed. He's less impressed with Curufin's forays into learning about modern weaponry, but Curufin just gets sneakier about it.

Oh, yes, and the Master is also lurking about every so often, and once or twice tries to tempt Curufin to his side with the promise of a quicker trip home in a working TARDIS. It's a well-crafted offer, for sure, but Curufin lies too much (even now in his pre-Nargothrond era) to not recognize it from someone else.

The Brigadier ends up liking Curufin a whole lot more when he applies his new knowlege to invent a type of gun that works on the next monster of the week. The Doctor is less of a fan. Curufin ends up making a deal with him - he won't make any more weapons (on Earth) if the Doctor will quit pining and confess to Jo already. He still doesn't get it about the two of them, but he's tired of them being so obviously, irritatingly nuts about each other and pretending not to be. (Also, though he'd never admit it, he's become grudgingly fond of them and wants them to be happy.)

Finally, finally, the TARDIS gets fixed, and the Doctor fulfils his promise to get Curufin back home. Jo comes along for the ride. Naturally, they end up making a few unplanned stops along the way and having adventures. But they do finally make it to Curufin's workshop, just minutes after he was pulled from it, and they say their goodbyes, and the Doctor and Jo take off.

The multi-Doctor incident doesn't happen, since Three is freed and no longer at the Time Lords' beck and call, and Jo does not run off and marry a Welshman. She lives out a long life of adventure before dying of old age, and sometime later the Doctor returns to UNIT to mourn - where he eventually meets Sarah Jane and standard plot resumes.

Curufin, back home, works on making new weapons, citing a "burst of inspiration". He can't quite recreate what UNIT had with what's available to him, but he comes up with some things that severely inconvenience Morgoth's forces.

It's still not quite enough to stop the Bragollach, to save his wife.

He and Celegorm and Celebrimbor and other Himlad survivors make it to Nargothrond. Curufin vows that if he ever meets the Doctor again, he'll make him take him back to save his wife. In the meantime, he and Celegorm try to shore up their position with smooth talking and Curufin's advanced weapons.

(TBC)

[themuse-if]

Hello~

~I have a little ask about the Rejected Rebels!!!~

(but you don't have to answer if you don't want to, I love your work and I would feel bad if I made you upset with my asks, I apologize in advance if that's the case 😥😓)

*How would Rebel Rejects react to the situation of an MC who has anxiety, and who, in the middle of a presentation (or something similar), ends up receiving several not-so-constructive comments from some people (being a bit threatening?), and kind of their anxiety starts to appear, causing Mc to leave the room and hide in a corner while he has an anxiety attack. How would they react to this, would they be surprised? Would they know what to do?

Sorry if this is a little personal for you (or other people), I went through a similar situation with a friend of mine once, I was super nervous, but everything worked out. And before you ask, yes, he let me write about it, and he also loves his work and the band🤩😋 !!

Hello Lovely!

Your so sweet! No need to feel sorry for any questions you may have. Everyone has challenges and they are such a natural part of life that of course they're a part of the stories we tell as well. And thank you for enjoying my work! I'll be excited to see what you and your friend think once the demo is out! (though that's still a ways away 😪)

Let's dive into your scenario! I'm picturing MC presenting on something in a music theory course, feeling good about what they have put together. That is until the peer review portion of the class and everyone starts harshly tearing down each of the points they made. Then MC runs out and through the building till they find an empty classroom to cry in alone. And action!

The Rebel Rejects: *rush into the room out of breath since they've been searching all over the building for MC*

De: *slowly walks over to MC and kneels beside them* Are you ok? I mean I know you're not ok, but do you need anything?

Jo: *sits down in the desk beside MC facing their body towards them* We get that, that was a lot, and we just want you to know that we are here for you. Everything you are feeling right now is completely valid.

Ro: *sits on Jo's lap* Whatever you need. If you want space, if you want to cry *in a mock whisper* if you want us knock out all their teeth.

De: *slaps Ro's knee* What the fuck Ro shut up! *struggles to keep a smile off their face* What Ro means to say is that we want you to know that we see you. As your friends we have your back completely.

Jo: Exactly. However you need to process that, nonsense that just went down, we'll stay with you if you want us to.

Ro: *their face softens* Yeah, what they said. So MC take your time, breathe. When you're ready tell us what you need, we're more than ready to listen.

Side note: If you're caught up on the RO profiles and interviews then you already know that Jo has had to deal with some emotional trauma do to where they were raised. Luckily De is very mature and emotionally intelligent and Ro is caring and always ready to stand beside their friends. Overtime Jo has learned a how to properly cope with and work through their emotions. Usually if they feel overwhelmed they'll take a moment to meditate, talk it through with their friends, or they'll just let it all out on the drums.

[f0point5]

Is anybody else kind of uncomfortable with how confidently people talk about Max's and Jos' relationship? Like... we don't know 99% of it, Max is clearly fine with his dad, Jos is kind of an ass but also VERY FIRMLY in Max's corner, and given how his early years were in the sport, Max definitely needed that? So ppl talking about how awful and horrible Jos is and how Max should cut him off.... idk it seems so invasive to me, Max is a grown ass man, he's got his own support system, if he decides he wants his dad in his life why not? I'll still side-eye Jos but at the end of the day idk enough about the kind of environment they grew up and lived in to rlly judge

Yes, but I’m also uncomfortable with how confidently people talk about driver’s personal lives in general. It’s pretty wild 😂

People are very comfortable throwing out all kinds of words and theories in regards to people they don’t know, and they love to infantilise grown men. At the end of the day, who even asked y’all? Definitely not Max. It’s bizarre that people think Jos, who has a good relationship with his children and his ex wife, needs all this discussion like he’s the boogeyman. I assure you that whole family does not care about the psychological diagnosis of some chick on Twitter calling him a narcissist.

[palepersonaturtle]

DWY review

As much as I love this show and our main couple I think I really have to talk  the issues I had with it so that I can be at peace with myself and then go back to enjoying it with its flaws. Please guys if you have thoroughly enjoyed this show and the plot then do not read this.

This show, imo had so much potential to become one of the greatest hits of all time for me with its innovative idea of spell books, characters and brilliant actors and yet they ruined it with the inconsistency of the characters and undeveloped plot.

Episode 1& 2 review

The good-

-Okay I love their first meet it is symbolic and that was a killer opening for me. The cinematography, bgm were spot on…perfect amount of spooky fantasy vibe. Also the introduction of characters was great. Jang shinyu tapping her foot with his to see if she is dead or alive gave of his cold, stern aura. Hong jo’s humourous dialogue showed us her loneliness and her knack for dramas I mean watching dramas is the only wayout from her lonelinss

-The introduction of red hand was awesome. And I have read some theories from k-fans about the details that scene had. So it was perfectly done.

- Something I very much enjoyed was the banter between our main couple. Like it wasnt silly it had logic and humour and that made their chemistry one of the best for me.

- I liked how they portrayed Hongjo’s loneliness. She had no friends, family, relatives to talk. Her situation was compelling.

-The whole spell book revelation part was done excellently.

-Also the plot development for these two episode was really good.

The bad-

I have to say this the editing for first two episodes sucked. The aprupt scene transitions and scene placement made my head hurt.

Changes that should have been made-

-They actually made the use of the evil gardener in a very lousy way when he could have been a more compeling villain who is connected to our lead couple in the past. They could have shown us that it was his fate to get the main couple together while being the bad guy because of his past life karma.

- There are various questions like why did hongjo got transferred to the city hall. And I think that first scene where we are shown her handling a complaint would have been a perfect example for her and the evil gardener to meet indirectly and start his obsession for her since he recognizes her from his past so that he would have been able to get her to transfer to the city hall by using black magic or using his connections which could have been revealed later in the series. Because that transfer of hong jo was so abrupt it didn’t make any sense to me.

-Now onto Shinyu’s curse I think it would have been far more better if they had shown us him having blurry dreams about jang mujin killing aengcho on that snowy mountain rather than dreams of his past life love story in the first episode. Because the main point is him suffering from a curse where the gist is him killing aengcho the love of his life.

Also the explanation for his curse and illness should have been done cohesively rather than spreading it in parts throughout the first two episodes.

Relationships-

1)  Shinyu and Hongjo-

As I said earlier I love their banter. You can see the sparks but it is still platonic and I love that. And even though they are destined I am glad that the writers actually worked to build their relationship.

Shinyu is cold,stern,rude and hongjo gives him back equally.

And that scene where he saves her from the the drunkard was an ice breaker for hongjo imo to trust shinyu and be comfortable with him especially physically. Like her hitting his shoulder playfully, cornering him in the office lobby are some of the examples.

Also he was very much attracted to her subconsciously okay.

Now coming onto the bad side of their relationship- For like one and half episode shinyu was written perfectly but then his character started showing inconsistency.

That scene where he told hong jo to accept nayeon’s apology was so ooc of him. Like he is shown as a competent lawyer and he should know better than anyone else that no one is obliged to forgive the person who has inflicted hurt on them and like what was his intention to do that. Imo he should have just shut up.

Look I get that he is a flawed character. But I also believe that a cold,stern, rude character could also be written as a green flag he needn’t always be a red flag.

Onto the next scene, where he hurted hongjo  that was not ooc for there was atleast some intention for him. I get that he was jealous  of  jaekyeong and he used the information he got from his gf to be an asshole. But the fact that he says, “I just said what I saw” I was like dude you are a lawyer you shouldnt just judge someone with what you see. Though he felt  bad about what he said afterwards, he never apologized and that for me is a bad character development.

2) Shinyu and nayeon

Like many people I also think that shinyu wasn’t in love with nayeon but I also think that their relationship wasn’t political. From what I have read from nayeon’s char intro, she met shinyu in his law firm while she was there for renovation work and fell in love with him and after that chased him and then they started dating. I think shinyu liked and cared about her enough to get married with her. I mean he seems distant with her but he is also polite and humble with her. Maybe the constant nagging of his father had prompted him to get in a relationship so that his father can shut up.

3) Shinyu’s parents(sorry i dont remember their names)

This side story could have been made more compelling but they failed it awfully.

If they wanted to reprimand verbal abuse then they should have ended it with a divorce or should have made sure that his father repent and grovel at his wife’s feet for like 10 episodes before that reconcillation happened.

Or they could have simply shown a couple who is drifting apart having a midlife crisis since they got married early and how they overcome it eventually.

Or they could have simply been an affectionate and passionate couple where a father is worried about his son being alone when he is sick and wants him to get married asap to have someone take care of him(which is also selfish but later they could have redeemed him)

4) Other side charcters-

I may be in the minority but I really didn’t care about Ms Ma amd Mr gong’s relationship like why does she have to get into a relationship when she doesn’t want to. But I love Ms Ma as a character.

And those coworkers of hongjo were annoying af. Yes I get that the writers wanted to show Hong jo as an outcast to us but they could have handled it better.

Also I like Gidong I wish they could have given him more screen time and his own story line.

Overall, these two episodes were more of a plot building for me. I had fun yet i was bored at times.

[amakumos]

yun amakumos i come with my hypothesis about who the vb anon is and slash or who runs cupid corner 🤪✌️

okay so my first guess for the owner of cc is eunchae : doesn't make sense but it also does to me ?? i remember jake saying in ch two that the owner/s of ss is/are scary and eunchae is ,,,, well . very violently interested in everything . she's onto rikiyn agenda everyday so i might just as well claim that she could be vb anon and taki's with her in this plan ??? not backing up the last part, it's a blind guess but idk im heavy on eunchae being the owner,,, but again if she was the owner, she's know who vb anon is ,,,, in short ai dee kay 😎

second guess : harua. I KNOW U MENTIONED HOW HARUA AND YN TALKED FOR LIKE TWO SECS but i cant ignore how the vb anon also mentioned that they talked to yn and that too in the same chapter,,, u r messing with Us .

third and final guess and im confident with this one : jo . okay first of all my guy texts once in two chapters and it's almost never when the cc acc posts confessions unlike others who're basically housing in the comments ,,,,, and then he only texted when riki asked the boys ab the confession ???? maybe im reading too much but the guilty always backs themselves up with claims ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ jo my eyes are on You. OH AND HE'S ON VB TEAM, HE WANTS TO GET TO KNOW YN BETTER, THEY BARELY TALK IT MAKES SENSE ,,,, feeling very detective rn im sending this to riki as we speak asking him to team up with me

i will cb with more as the chapters are released but for now my money is on mr jojo siwa from jojo's bizzare adventure ✌️🤘 also i read formula of love yesterday idr if i've read it alr but it's cute . i hate it bc i had to spend chem w boring ass guy who asked me for electronic configurations . no help at All.

VBALL ANON BEING JO?? that is the first time i have heard that theory . and eunchae being cupids corner seems to be pretty popular Hmmm😅😅 i cannot confirm or deny but i Like ur theories !!!

[jolynejay]

Now wait a damn minute - I just figured out something important about the prologue and why MC doesn't have their phone when arriving in Twisted Wonderland

So, right off the bat the Prologue presented us with a couple mysteries in its introductory sequence:

Someone is in the middle of the mirror chamber slowly approaching the central mirror which itself flickers with green flames and mist. Over this scene we hear Crowly speak with another person: his "dear esteemed benefactor", that "proud, beautiful flower of evil" as he describes them. He seems to essentially be thanking them (almost groveling) for providing him the means to summon a specific person to him with the help of the Dark Mirror. Because he next seems to be talking through the Dark Mirror to the person slowly approaching said mirror.

Crowley says:

"O magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat... Reveal unto me the visage I seek.."

What follows is an image of a carriage arriving with a coffin at the entrance of NRC. The implication being that the one whose "visage Crowley seeks" is arriving with the carriage.

He continues:

"You, whose image the Dark Mirror did beckon forth...

If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror."

With that a hand appears in the mirror. And I think it is important to note that the hand is, because this is the first concrete depiction of a person within this sequence.

After establishing all this, we are left with a bit of a conundrum as to the sequence of events we are presented with. (Especially, since time itself in the Twisted Wonderland seems to be a little backwards of sorts)

As the hand appears to be reaching out to "us" (the player), I first thought that MC is the person approaching the mirror. However, that shouldn't be able to be the case (unless it is a dream sequence). Because it would mean that MC already was in Twisted Wonderland when being reached out to from another (?) Twisted Wonderland.

So, that would leave us with the hypothesis that the person who is approaching the Dark Mirror is actually Crowley. And that means potentially that the hand we first see reflected in the mirror is also his - but for the person on the other end of the connection, they sees someone else. They see a student from NCR that will be attending that year.

If this hypothesis is true, then that would imply that the interspersed scene of the coffin arriving with the desired "visage" follows after the summoning is completed. Crowley knew that there would be an additional student, one that doesn't belong to this world, because he had to provide them with the ceremonial robe.

Now, as to my claim that I think I know why MC doesn't have their phone: The summon is an active task. The one, "whose image the Dark Mirror did bekon forth," had to actively take someone's hand and make a choice to do so "if their heart bids it."

This means that the mirror must have connected to another - otherwise travel between the two points would not be possible. But then how would the Dark Mirror connect to another Dark Mirror in a world where magic does not exist? Simple. You are likely even looking at it right now.

Your phone screen.

I propose that MC entered the world of the Twisted Wonderland through their phone. Either, completely in body, mind, and souls. Or perhaps... maybe their spirit alone entered the Twisted Wonderland as an avatar - as the "Main Character" - for "The Player" in the real world.

After all, we are playing this game on our phones and mobile devices..

On our own Dark Mirrors...

TL;DR The initial sequence of the prologue we see is from Crowley's perspective before switching to MC's perspective as they choose the hand they will take. And the reason MC doesn't have their phone is because they couldn't take it woth them - their phone was their portal to the Twisted Wonderland.

[sapphire-writes]

The door creaks open. There's the sound of a lightbulb going on and off. There is the sound of nails scratching on the wall. there in the corner our most beloved Jo is snickering to herself, swinging back and forth. There are ripped pages thrown across the floor. Fire and Blood.

"Hey there precious pookie. How are you doing?"

"The theories! The damned theories!", she whispers harshly.

We love her all the same!

HELP IM SCREAMING 😭😭😭😭

literally me rn trying to connect dots

[droumack]

slutty princess jo wants nate to get into more fights, probably. don't ask me.

///

Jo likes feeling pretty when he’s not playing hockey. 

That works for Nate, who really likes buying him pretty things. 

Jo owns a lot of different sparkly collars, some that Nate likes, some that Nate loves, all purchased by the man himself because Jo gets tired of wearing the same thing all the time. 

Jo also owns a lot of different makeup, sultry eyeshadow palettes and soft blushes, shiny lip glosses and burgundy lip stains. 

At the rink, he’s Jo-the-hockey-player. Anywhere else, he’s Jo-the-omega, and anyone who has a problem with that is tasked with the enormous, if not insurmountable, feat of taking it up with Nate. 

Like tonight. 

Jo’s lipstick—pink, to match the glitter on his eyelids and the barrettes pinned in his hair—keeps getting smudged because Nate gets a little obsessed with Jo’s mouth when they’ve been drinking. Nate keeps lifting his fingers to prod at the plushness of Jo’s bottom lip, or hook a finger in the corner of Jo’s mouth, or try and get Jo to suck on his fingers only for one of their teammates to snap,

“Too fucking far, guys, Jesus Christ.” 

Nate always scowls at them, and Jo just smiles beatifically, because maybe it’s too far from them, but Jo kind of wonders if it’s not far enough. Jo wonders if anyone would really try to stop them if Nate got a hand in his jeans and started to finger him open, fast and unsubtle. Would the bouncer kick them out if Jo straddled Nate in the booth and let him slide in with one continuous slide, or would he just watch, the way Jo suspects everyone else would, as Jo’s hole is forced to gape itself wide to accommodate the impressive width of Nate’s cock?

He won’t test that theory, but he thinks about it sometimes. Nate, able to smell it on Jo every time his brain goes down that rabbit hole, tends to take him home not long after so he can do something about the way Jo is slicking up despite his best intentions. 

He slides out of the booth so that he can fix his lipstick in the bathroom, and his lips curl at the way Nate's nostrils flare, the way he can feel Nate's eyes on him for the entire journey.

There are actually a couple of nice girls in there, ones who love the color of his lipstick so much they take photos and show him ones of their own favorite shades. 

Jo leaves primped and pleased, ready to rejoin his friends, when a hand around the back of his neck suddenly has his instincts screaming deafeningly in his head. 

“There you are, beautiful.” It’s an alpha, unfamiliar to Jo, maybe a couple inches taller and built like a lumberjack. “Pretty thing, d’you fix your makeup ‘cause you saw me watching you?” 

“Let go,” Jo snaps. The way the guys hands are digging in have him involuntarily pliant, digging into all the most vulnerable parts of his scruff, parts of Jo that no one but Nate and his family should dare to touch. 

“Not before you show me how pretty that mou—”

Jo staggers back as the guy is unceremoniously ripped off of him. Eyes wide, Jo doesn’t move as Nate cocks his first back to throw his first punch. He doesn’t intervene after the second one, or the third one, just quietly observes that the sound of Nate snarling has him getting even wetter in his jeans. He hopes very badly Nate’s still up to fuck him after this. 

A crowd is forming, and Jo sees a couple of their teammates plunge into the fray, Cale frantically attempting to talk some sense into Nate while Miles and Devon just barely manage to pry him off the half-conscious alpha. 

“You’re not going to stop him?” The question comes from Sammy, who’s appeared

Jo blinks at Sammy, cocking his head curiously. “Why would I? The guy was a creep.” 

Sammy appraises Jo. “Are you okay?” 

Jo takes in the blood oozing from Nate’s knuckles and a small cut on his bottom lip. When Nate catches Jo’s eyes, he bares his teeth and lurches towards him, and Jo sees that the altercation’s got him riled up enough that his fangs have dropped. Jo wishes he weren’t on birth control.

“Never been better,” Jo says. 

He wonders if Nate fucks him hard enough tonight, he could get Jo pregnant despite his IUD. As he walks to reclaim his battle-scarred alpha and escort him from the bar, he decides that they're both going to try their very best for the rest of the night and well into the morning. 

this talk of unhinged alpha!Nate (and also other Nates who exist in a setting that allows them to be unhinged) is also making me think of enabler Jo, Jo who has IN REAL LIFE been like well I try to calm him down but sometimes he just doesn't, he's just intense, ya know? with an adorable grin on his face like he can't see anything remotely wrong with this. Princess thinks Nate is just the bees knees! What's not to love?

the image this put in my head. of like, nate leaving the bar with bloody knuckles and a split lip because he got in a fight over jo. and jo is just like :) he just loves me a lot! :)

PLEASE princess

[ladyknightskye]

Get Thee Behind Me, Assbutts - Chapter 16 "Red"

Read the full chapter here on AO3.

Read the fic from the beginning.

Excerpt:

Castiel had not fully understood the phrase, “seeing red.” It was a common saying among the humans he walked amongst, and he understood in theory what it meant. Anger so consuming that it was like everything had turned that color. 

Red had many meanings to humans, and those meanings could be heavily dependent on culture. For some cultures on the African continent red was the color of health, but for others it was the color of mourning. To Indians, red was the color of purity and fertility, and traditionally the color of bridal gowns. The Chinese saw red as a symbol of fire and courage, as well as other positive qualities. To Westerners, red was the color of blood and love and anger.

So when Castiel saw red for the first time, a small part of him was still able to be surprised by how apt the expression was.

Because there was Dean’s blood spilled on the claws of a werewolf, bloody furrows opened across his arm. The creature’s maw was wide, ready to bite, and no one else could reach him, and Castiel had just gotten permission to hold him whenever he felt like it, and -

Castiel was still adjusting to his power as a Seraph. When he’d been a regular Malahk, he’d been unable to do certain things that only higher level angels could do. He could not manifest his wings on the mortal plane by himself, and he could not smite something into bloody chunks. So, he was again surprised when he came back to himself, cradling Dean in his wings, the werewolf nothing more than a bloody smear on the concrete. Sam and Lucifer had just turned the corner, and Castiel could feel Jo and Gabriel down the street. He sent reassurances in the group chat that he and Dean were okay, but was having a hard time calming himself down. 

He looked down to Dean to ask if he was alright, and more red greeted him. This time it was the red of a blush gracing Dean’s cheeks. Castiel had caught him up into a bridal carry, his wings wrapped around him like feathery armor. Dean was cradling his injured arm, but his lips were parted, his pupils blown wide. Castiel could hear the wild pulse of his heart. Almost without thought, he leaned down, wanting to lay a kiss on Dean’s parted lips, but stopped himself. He had permission to touch, but he was not willing to push boundaries. “Are you alright?’ Castiel finally gritted out, his voice deeper than usual. 

Dean made a sound that wasn’t quite a moan, but something like “guh.”

The angel blinked. “Dean?”