#look I know the destiel confession is how we do news

[kapreday]

[queermania]

Wait wait wait. Jensen picked the writer who gave Dean a lesbian best friend and made him a nerd to be the show runner for his little fixit fic show? This is amazing!

when you look at robbie's run of episodes (that he wrote specifically, not produced or was the executive story editor on), a very specific version of supernatural and dean starts to emerge and it is insanity-inducing. here's a very brief rundown of the episodes robbie wrote:

slash fiction -swayze always gets a pass -dean singing air supply -"it's like eating self-righteousness' -the creation and introduction of frank devereaux -"applications for sainthood" -dean letting sam go

time after time -"what are you gonna look up more anime or are you strictly into dick now?" -dean being a nerdy little fanboy about eliott ness (and checking out a dude in a uniform but that was probably jacting joices) -dean getting excited about dressing up in period clothing!! -understanding that rufus matters and that family isn't just blood -original sam is milf!bait (and he's into it) truther -actually writing grief in nuanced ways -dean is smart and resourceful actually! -your future is "covered in thick black ooze" (which i know is just a very lucky coincidence but i don't care!)

the girl with the dungeons and dragons tattoo -CHARLIE!!! he gave us charlie. he said "actually what if hardcore fans were cool and fun and GAY and they were dean's new best friend" -charlie/dean/security guard flirting split screen -"she's kinda like the little sister I never wanted." "how does a high-school dropout become one of the brightest minds…" -basically this entire episode is just "be gay, do crime" and i love that for me specifically

bitten -not my favorite episode but as @ilarual says "it's very fun in how it illustrates Robbie's willingness to play with form, since it's all done as found footage" -and as @doctorprofessorsong says it "has the concept of monsters aren’t always bad guys" -and apparently it contains a brokeback reference? my memory of this episode is hovering at around 1% tbh but you get it

larp and the real girl -dressing dean up in little outfits AGAIN -and he likes it!!! -and he likes being a nerd! (dean is getting into it and sam is the one who is unamused mr serious guy!!!!) -and charlie is dean's new best friend! -"belladonna" "the pornstar?" -"did you break up with someone too?" -honestly you already know all of it. this is a fan favorite for a reason. what more can i say about this episode??

goodbye stranger -yes robbie was the first writer to try to give us a destiel love confession -cas practicing killing dean over and over and over and still not being able to do it when it comes down to it -"what broke the connection?" gee i wonder -first episode writing cas and he nailed the sort of unintentional deadpan humor that makes cas so lovable ("would it kill you to watch a movie? read a book?" "a movie, no, but with a book with the proper spells—yeah, it could theoretically kill me.") -"if he's so sketchy then why are you praying to him?" -pizza man reference -"do you really think we can trust megstiel?" (we get both megstiel and jealous!dean) -dean quoting lord of the rings (because he's a nerd! and he reads!) -meg roasting the shit out of sam for the amelia stuff -etc

pac-man fever -charlie reading the carver edlund books -charlie and dean being besties/getting a montage -dean telling charlie that what happened with her parents wasn't her fault/understanding the guilt she feels -"i love you" "i know" -"what about castiel? he seems helpful, and dreamy" -again, putting dean in little outfits -charlie knows how to shoot/aim a gun

slumber party -dorothy!! -oz!!! -look, is this episode cheesy? yes. but it's fun and it's so obviously a love letter to the oz source material and i love that about robbie. he does his research and he commits

first born -cain!!!! -drowley team up!!!!! ("friends. besties, actually." im sorry but drowley means so much to me personally and this is the start of their beautiful bromance) -"this is by far the dumbest idea you've ever had." "yeah, well, it's early" -cas liked pb&js!! jelly, not jam. he found jam unsettling!! -"you have a guinea pig? where?" -"you're a terrible liar?" "that is not true. i once deceived and betrayed both you and your brother." -just. sastiel shenanigans (and hugs!) -"she only asked for one thing." "to stop" -anyway. you get it.

meta fiction -dean and cas phone call smiles!! they LIKE each other -metatron media dump -"what makes a story work? is it the plot, the characters, the text? the subtext? and who gives a story meaning? is the writer? or you?" -i think it's important to note that robbie who wrote gabriel faking his own death -cas noticing something is wrong with dean pretty much instantly and then discovering the mark of cain

fan fiction -i mean. come on. -"although we do explore the nature of destiel in act two." -"you can't spell subtext without s-e-x" -sam being such a younger brother and trolling dean about "destiel" -"BM scene" -dean "you know they're brothers, right?"-ing the w*ncest stuff but just being flustered about the destiel stuff ayyyy -dean casually referencing andrew lloyd webber -"transformative fiction" -"i want you to put as much sub into that text as you possibly can" -dean quoting rent -the samulet is back! -"i have my version, and you have yours." -"he took away our own free will" <- about john!! -THE RETURN OF CHUCK!

there's no place like home -"i forgive you dean" "yeah well i don't" "i know, kinda your move" -"you hurt my friend" -"you lied to me" "you lied to yourself. that's kinda your move." -i mean. robbie just gets it, ya know?

book of the damned -cas being a huge bitch (love that) -sam being the excessively codependent one -cas and charlie get to meet! -found family goodness if only for a little bit!!

angel heart -ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! -"i got it at the hot topical" (and claire keeping grumpy cat) -no seriously. dean and cas went birthday present shopping together for claire and they did it at a mall -castiel feeling guilt for what he did to the novak family (and amelia recognizing that cas has changed/grown) -"you were both troubled teens. you speak her language." -"bring your daughter to work day" -"i'm saying she might be stronger on her own." which is a controversial line but i think it says something really significant about how dean feels about his childhood "in fact you're not anything to her except a constant reminder of someone that's gone." -mini golf!!!!!! dean and claire bonding!!!! -the introduction of the grigori, a class of angels which may or may not be important at some point -claire roasting the shit out of dean with "you seem pretty old" <3 -"happy birthday. don't shoot me."

baby -do i really need to explain anything about this one? -"okay first of all, never use swayze's name in vain, okay? ever." -"mistakes were made" -dean having a dream about john teaching him to drive but under normal and appropriate circumstances -werepire…. ghoulpyre… -honestly just the whole episde. you know what i'm talking about. the unique perspective. the insight into their day-to-day lives. the moments that live in between.

into the mystic -eileen! my best friend eileen! -dean x mildred otp -remembering sam's lucifer/hell trauma -the whole "follow your heart" speech -"banshees go after the vulnerable, so why'd it go after you?" -dean recognizing there's something off with cas -but really the most important thing here is EILEEN

safe house -bobby and rufus!!!! -i repeat BOBBY AND RUFUS!!!! -"were you ever nice?" "1985. worst year of my life." -robbie just really GETS that this show is more fun when it's not centered entirely on the brothers. -bobby referring to sam and dean as his boys -timey wimey shenanigans -there were some interesting implications in this episode too but i'm losing steam here so i'm gonna let you rewatch and figure it out lol

don't call me shurley -the reveal of chuck as god!!!! -bisexual chuck -dean does sam's laundry (sometimes with beer) -chuck is a shitty egotistical writer -he also plays the guitar and: "i like front row seats. you know, i figured i'd hide out in plain sight." -"i thought if i could show my sister that there was something more than just us, something better than us, then maybe she'd change. maybe she'd stop being… her. but every time I'd build a new world, she'd destroy it." -"the world would still be spinning with demon dean in it but sam couldn't have that though could he?" -"you were gonna choose amara over me."

so. yeah. jensen chose THIS GUY to helm the winchesters. bold move, sir. full respect.

also, this tweet always makes me crack up

one of us! one of us! one of us!

[type-40-nightingales]

Ok. My idea of the last 3 episodes of secret good spn

E17. Pretending it chuck was manipulating deans actions more directly than was shown bc no fucking way hed do that especially pulling a gun on sammy

E18 fucking hurts. . I wont change it

In reailty, only thing id change abt e19 is just jack mentioning he'll drop by now and again and some more explict dean & jack forgiving each other for the shit they did

E20 is completly different. None of that happens ok. Not one thing. Wdym dean lets cas jut rot in the empty love confession or not 😭

I know there was the covid factor but in an ideal world here are loose ends id like tied up:

Sam and elieen getting into a more commjted relationship/elieen moving into the bunker

dean/jack getting cas out of the empty AND REUNIONS GODDAMIT

Sam and dean dissusing talking about going on hunts less, and sam talking about opening up the bunker as a hunter safe house and dean n sam being like the new bobbys.

And i want it to end smth like this:

Sam opening the door, then the door opening again and again, shot of jacks 'hi', jody, patience and alex w donna, claire and kaia, garth & his wife and rowena, maybe even adam.

That intercut with shots of dean lookign up from him cooking in the kitchen smiling.

Hugs, smiling, cas leaning over and kissing dean on the cheek or smth, elieen and sam holding hands, laughing, and them all js chilling drinking beer & eating pie together, then a pan over to some shrine or just some photos of a wall of everyone whos not there, aka bobby, charlie, kevin, mary, Jo, Ellen, benny, ect. (Id put crowley but no way in or out of hell dean would do that, and tbh, theyd probably put john there but no<3)

Then sam and dean and cas going over there looking at the photos, and jack coming over and telling them smth abt how he fixed heaven, and theyre waiting for them, but that they should take their time. And sam and dean hugging jack and telling him theyre proud of them and them just being happy okay? Coz they fucking deserve it. They did it. They beat god. This is their story now.

And dean can look over at sm and be like "hey sammy. We didnt do to bad in the end huh?"

And sam will smile. "No. I guess not."

And wayward son would come on as th camera zooms out and cuts.

Dean deserves to have a proper relationship with jack when hes not being manipulated into using him or trying to kill him, and having a balance between family and hunting.

Jack deserves three dads who love him.

Sam deserves to do what he cannonically wants to do and is good at.

Cas deserves to be happy, with his family, out of the empty

Destiel deserves cannonization.

[just-prime]

Here's the thing about the Castiel confession that I don't think people from the-fandom-not-to-be-named (lest they find this and start sending me death threats) understand...

No one knew it was coming. In no one's mind were we all going into Despair (15x18) thinking "Oh I know, Cas is going to confess his love to Dean." We never thought it because it was never something that was on the table to begin with. It was one of those things of where we knew that they loved each other, and honestly that was fine. After 11 years of dealing with those two dumbasses, this was nothing new. I didn't even watch it live because I was like "You know, it's election night, I need to get some sleep" and it wasn't until @sledgehamur called me and was like "you need to watch it now, and you need to not look at your phone until you are done" that I was like "Aw shit, something big happened. Cas probably died, that's probably it."

But then the speech happened and we were all gobsmacked. And again, 11 years...we are a monster of a fandom that has a variety of sleeper agents who hadn't watched the show in 8 years but tuned back in because of the immediate collective scream unleashed by the active fandom.

So this is all a really round about way of saying that it's really really adorable that fans think their little firefighters are going to 'outdo destiel' and therein lies the problem. All of them are going into the Nov 5th episode (titled Confessions) with expectations and entitlement to their two faves are going to start making out on screen. And I don't know if feels like the ST people screaming about queerbaiting again...

All in all, if your already canonically bi character dumps his canonically queer boyfriend just to be with a character that he's been shipped with more but has no actual set up with whatsoever...

That isn't Destiel 2 : Electric Boogaloo, that's just crap writing.

But then again, this is why I watch everything to do with this show from at least 4 miles away with a telescope and from behind an electrified fence with a lab coat on and a scientific notebook in hand.

Well, I hope this makes sense. It were very much shower thoughts I put down on the page as rambles and my one hope this validates someone with a buddie stan in their life who's going on and on and on about how it's going to be just like how it was in 2020 without actually understanding any of the context behind it.

[kelpeigh]

To this day my feathers get ruffled when people call Destiel "queerbait" because the thing about Despair. is. I think they (the cast, crew, producers, etc) gave us everything they possibly could have.

Remember this show started when Bush Jr was freakin POTUS and salmondean couldn't hold umbrellas because it was too gay. WB and the CW have different stakeholders than the BBC so they couldn't go around pulling Torchwoods wrt representation-- representation wasn't largely talked about yet, let alone profitable enough for big studios to give a shit about even giving nods. sitcoms like New Girl and HIMYM were still routinely making jokes at trans folks expense every other minute. Gay marriage was still legal on a state-by-state basis until Supernatural had just wrapped season 10.

I'm not going to keep going with context because I don't want to look like I'm making excuse because, yeah, plenty more progressive shows came out between 2005 and 2020 but SPN always seemed. like. grandfathered in for being a man's man's show. Supernatural is about TWO DUDES in a classic car fighting MONSTERS it's GRITTY it's DARK and we make meta jokes about the brutthers talking about their feelingz

So even before Despair, SPN never felt like queerbait to me-- not in the sinister sense, anyway-- because the jokes about Dean being Cas's boyfriend felt like the most writers could possibly do to nod to the fans. It's a little-- okay, it's very sad to think of how happy we were to collect breadcrumbs. But Supernatural was always unfortunately in a very tenuous position. Gender contamination was always this big looming threat to stakeholders, I'm sure-- the Fandom was always overwhelmingly female and queer but it was still a widely-known show with casual viewers the networks couldn't deign to upset. The fact that market research was ever done to test the viability of more progressive content is such a huge deal in itself, even if it stalled out.

And okay. Look. That last paragraph was basically going off vibes, I don't actually know the ins and outs of tv production. But. BUT. Point is, SPN got progressively friendlier to its fans. And by the end, in Dabb and Berens's hands, I think we really truly got the most canon deancas we possibly could have in this fucked up hellscape of a society.

I see it all over the confession scene. The way Dean's reaction is obviously cut, as confirmed by Jackles (#releasethetapes). The way it was penned to be the most uplifting thing possible despite Cas being doomed. The rogue translator not being rogue after all.

I really think Dabb and Berens gave a shit and saw that it made sense for the story they inherited and built upon, and gave us every scrap of deancas they could. Having watched the show from the start, I thought we'd get metaphors and subtext to the end. But no, we got "I love you".

So idk. Maybe it is queerbait to you-- that word hasn't actually had one coherent functional definition for years now. But it was earnest and it gave a shit and to joke about the confession scene being paltry in any way is mean and I pity your estranged relationship with joy.

[destielfanfic]

from the inbox, #10

I love to see new asks about post season 15 destiel fics but my answers are mostly the same, unfortunately. The usual disclaimer applies - our blog transitioned to archive in January 2018, during season 13, and our new fic recs drastically decreased.

Hello, could you recommend any plot-driven fics set post-15x20 that are a bit longer and also explore the relationship between Dean and Castiel? I'm mostly looking for something that is canon compliant (Dean dies and goes to heaven in 15x20)

I’ve answered similar asks on our previous from the inbox posts, so definitely check out those. But for the sake of convenience, here are some links - post 15x20 rec lists Happiness isn’t in the Having and Good things Do Happen . These are mostly short fics, but you can always check out the authors and see if they have longer fics. 

This is random, but do you know any fics where Dean starts dating cas because he feels bad? Something like dean dates castiel as a pity date? I've really been wanting to read something like that :p 

This is very random indeed! Especially if that is meant in a post 15x20 setting. I must admit I’m drawing a blank here. 

hi! not sure if this is the right place to ask this (if it’s not im rly sorry!) but can u rec me some destiel fics where like . dean thought they were dating all along and cas didn’t? sorry if it didn’t make a lot of sense! thanks  

And this is an opposite of the previous ask!

OK, guys, since there is huge interest in post finale destiel fics, I’m opening floor for follower recs/ self recs on this post. Please add in reblogs or notes destiel fics that fit these criteria: 

A - longer, plot driven post 15x20 fics that explore Dean and Cas relationship

B - fics where Dean takes Cas on a pity date after Cas confessed his love in 15x18; canon verse fics are preferred but if you have some AUs, feel free to add

C - fics where Dan thought they were dating while Cas had no idea

＊＊＊＊

We have some fic suggestions from our followers！

A - canon verse fics dealing with 15x20

The Blood Curse by Labgeek2002 [M, 32,700 word count]

Castiel has been rescued from the Empty, but the spell used to retrieve him tears a hole in the dimensional wall that acts as barrier protecting Earth from the pull of everlasting darkness. As the Empty feeds off of Castiel's grace to sustain itself, driving him closer to death with every passing minute, Dean becomes desperate to save him. The only way to repair the damage is for Dean, Sam, and Cas to travel back in time to obtain a witch's stone that's in the possession of John Winchester, circa 2002. A twenty-three year old Dean Winchester will serve as their guide as they navigate the tumultuous father-son relationship that transcends time itself before the Empty draws its final curtain.

Beyond This Illusion by tiaevans87 [NC-17, 161,400 word count]

“Are you serious, Dean? Your djinn-dream started with you dying?” Sam asks incredulously from the passenger seat on the way back to the bunker. “Well, technically it started with us going on a hunt,” Dean points out. He licks his lips, jaw clenching. “I mean, there was Heaven, too, and that was pretty cool.” Sam stares at him. “Unbelievable,” he breathes, scrunching his face up in distaste. When Dean glares at him, he holds his hands up defensively and chuckles weakly. “Sorry, man, but that just sounds pretty lame.” He leans back and folds his arms. “It just…I dunno. Kinda sounds like something Chuck would cook up. Just you and me. No one else. I mean, really?” He scoffs, slumping. *~*~* In which some people come back, Cas learns to be human (the right way, this time), Dean Winchester finally realizes that good things do happen, and they all get their version of the post-credits, apple-pie life they deserved. AKA: Screw Chuck's narrative.

B - Dean takes Cas on a pity date

On Labor by a_good_soldier [NC-17, 24,600 word count]

Cas is back from the Empty, and Dean knows how to be grateful.

because he wears cowboy boots by mmtion [NC-17, 65,300 word count]

When Cas comes back from the Empty, Dean has to rethink everything about their relationship, and Dean’s new, post-Chuck duty. He wants Cas to be happy and get what he wants. So, if he wants Dean, then he has him. Dean’s new responsibility is to be the best boyfriend Cas will ever want or need. If that means moving out of the bunker, and not driving the Impala, and letting Cas fuck him, then that’s what he has to do. It’s an easy deal. It should be an easy life. So how come Dean still can’t quite make sense of it?

[lol-jackles]

"Anonymous:Hi. Why do you say that Jared fans are the most chill and nice part of the spn fandom, when in twitter, they were the first to be happy and mock jensen's work? I dont care about anyone but it was cringe to read the pettiness and bad taste of JP fans" lollll considering there are not one but TWO heller cults that we know of that abuse their own members and encourage them to abuse others this is the most hilarious tale of fake woe

Oh yeah, I saw on my dash that escapees from Destiel-heller Jaistiel's merry band of mean girls cult are apologizing for their own non-specific crime of toxic behavior. Notice that the escapees aren't confessing and making amends, their apologies are largely about making themselves feel better, but still, could be step in the right direction.

Before Destiel hellers, there were and are the Ackles Army and I've told my story many times that my petty bickering with them on the defunct IMDb forum was half the reason why I started this blog on this hellsite. These two groups of fuckwits all have the same goal: to get rid of Jared because that is the only way Jensen and/or Misha can succeed in their careers, not because, you know, no producers wanted them as leads for expensive tv projects.

I recall Will of The Teamfreewill2pointo blog said many times that escapees of Goob's cult have contacted him saying how terrified they are of Min/Occam/Aaron and their merry band of make-believe-terrorist. Speaking of Goob, that blog is gone. I'm guessing they're just show up under a new identity, complete with new gender and racial identity looking to grift SPN new fans or migrate to another fandom to terrorize. They're still active on twitter and this is one of my favorite of their's ...

Look at that, no retweets and no likes and barely a hundred people read it. Buddy, it's you who is going away because none of your claims panned out. You took nothing. The SPN fandom has and will always belong to the fans of Sam and Dean and Codependeny Bro Bonds.

[marnz]

Destiel anon again! Aha! hopefully you’ll be living your destiel autumn soon then 😄

For fics tbh I dont have any specific criteria, just that it needs to make ur brain a little crazyyy like american oracle or the new rec ziz gave with the author you like! Anything posted after the confession is the best since you know the author cooked.

For other recs Id actually love to hear your stucky recs if you have any! Im rereading NEC bc it made my brain crazy, but any other ones are appreciated!!

Also tbh for any fandom, if you have like really good recs, I always like reading in different fandoms if the writing is really really good!

Thank you so much!

it's been literal years since i've posted fic recs anon, this is great. as always my caveat is that i like to have some fun with it. for stucky, it's been about one hundred thousand years since i've read stucky but i do have very fond memories. let's get to it

Destiel

to be restored by serenityfalls E - 47k - graphic depictions of violence The Empty sends Cas back different

commentary: every time I think of this fic I start rotating like i'm in the exorcist.

he showed me what was love E - 11k - no warnings season 9 fic from when Cas was homeless

commentary: incredible prose! incredible characterization. so tender and aching 😭

on labor E - 24.6k - chose not to use warnings Cas is back from the Empty, and Dean knows how to be grateful.

commentary: thee repression......thank you.

Stucky

i of course recommend not easily conquered and all other old stalwarts but here are my favs. hopefully at least 1 is new to you

ain't no grave (can keep my body down) E - 107k - chose not to use warnings commentary: you know...just trust me.

4 minute window series - 23 works - variety of warnings "Look, if they catch me," Bucky muttered, "they're either going to kill me or they're going to put me in a box with a little window and—Steve, I can't."

commentary: i love this series, it's so original, and I look forward to thanksgiving and the first few days of december every year, which is when the fic updates <3

timestamp series E - 5 works, 30k summary from the first work: april, 1939 Bucky knows what Steve wants when he comes in like that, hair wet, robe slipping off his shoulder. commentary: I looooove this series and I remember it so clearly...really good Bucky characterization and narrative voice.

good boy E - 13.4k - no archive warnings Bucky is still adjusting to life with the Avengers, and Steve is willing to do whatever it takes to make him feel comfortable. Increasingly, though, what seems to make him comfortable is strangely intimate.

commentary: when I first read this 10+ years ago I had not encountered petplay before but given, like, everything in CATWS all I could think was "wow" and "this makes perfect sense!" anyway, read it, let yourself be changed, enjoy.

stuff I have filed under my 'ultimate fic rec' tag

leave no soul behind star trek - 258k - graphic depictions of violence If you're Starfleet, you spend your whole life wishing you never see an EPAS uniform right up until the moment they become your only hope. Whether you're dying a slow, cold death in space, or a long painful one on some godforsaken planet, they're going to come for you. So count your last breaths, son, and hold on tight. They leave no soul behind. commentary: save this for a holiday or when you are sick and need something to curl up with and lose yourself in. an incredible canon au of star trek that will completely carry you away. have patience and you will be rewarded.

so wise we grow star trek - 81k - chose not to use archive warnings* "Commander Spock, we have located your son," the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock's face that he's never heard of this kid before in his life.

commentary: this is one of my favorite fics of all time, period. it's sooooooo good. i love the characterization, the banter, the pacing, it's just exquisitely crafted. please read it, but: please mindful that this fic deals with themes of CSA.

world ain't ready les miserables - 185k - no archive warnings apply* High school AU. Grantaire the disaffected stoner is pulled into a cause bigger than himself. Or: in which there are pretend boyfriends for great justice.

commentary: if you're like, that's a long fic/i don't know canon/i don't like high school aus -- who cares? would I steer you wrong? on this my ultimate fic rec list? no! read this, if it's the last thing you do. let yourself be overcome. warnings for bullying and child abuse

an ever-fixed mark pride & prejudice - 190k - major character death A deconstruction of the "soulmate identifying mark" trope, using "Pride and Prejudice." Trigger warnings in the tags.

commentary: i've got this friend @lady-sci who exclusively recs me very long life changing fic. life changing. she recommended me this (and leave no soul behind, mentioned earlier) and I sat down to read it and emerged so shaken and so changed and so amazed that I count it as one of the most pivotal reading experiences of my life. just incredible stuff.

you're in my blood like holy wine by magneticwave game of thrones - 72k - chose not to use archive warnings* Sansa finds it difficult to look at Jon’s face, with its weathered lines and cragginess. It is the face of the North and a face that northerners trust; the face of Sansa’s brothers and her father, who had been loved and respected by their tenants as their forefathers had been when they were kings. How can Sansa feel anything but resentment, looking into that face and knowing that all of her years of hard work will never earn her the respect that that profile engenders within seconds? But she does. It is a small, burning coal of something that must be smothered.

commentary: I urge you to read this even if you do not care about a) game of thrones b) regency romance novels c) the weird cousin situation. i also urge you to read everything, yes everything, by this author, who is one of my favorite fic authors of all time. impeccable vibes. anyway this fic KILLED ME and kept me going thru the early days of covid lockdown. please be aware this fic deals with past sexual assault

teen wolf

please. understand it is teen wolf autumn. just like it was for the past 2 autumns. here are the fruits of my labor.

what I did on my summer vacation by grimm sterek - 118k - chose not to use archive warnings There's something weird about Beacon Hills that Stiles can't quite put his finger on.

commentary: trust me <3

stand fast in your enchantments sterek - 76k - E - graphic depictions of violence "Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf." An AU in which Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they eat a lot of fast food.

commentary: this is my favorite teen wolf fic of all time.

the broken radio is playing suicide sterek - 73k - E - graphic depictions of violence Stiles only wishes they could actually be safe. They haven’t been for nine months now.

commentary: teen wolf with a decidedly spn flavor.

enjoy anon <3

[angelsdean]

ok ok finally watched the last half of the ep and !! many thoughts. another moment where a character is trapped in a room thinking they’re gonna die while someone is banging on the door trying to get in. john figuring out how to loophole his fate !!! like hello hello. 

but thennn. there’s another little thread throughout this ep I caught on and haven’t seen many talking about, which ties into last week’s ep where John and Mary decided to “live with the consequences” of their life or death heat of the moment kiss because they do not !! want !! to sweep it under the rug !! they WANT to acknowledge and confront that thing that happened when they thought they were gonna die in that room where there was no way out (literally despair parallels be louder) 

So this ep we see them navigating their new relationship after acknowledging that they want to live with the consequences of their life-or-death kiss. And one of the central “issues” (small but there) throughout this ep is them sneaking around, trying to keep their relationship a secret, one of the main reasons for this being Mary (Dean’s mirror) is concerned that having the others know will change the group dynamics. so, lets just look at this with some destiel goggles on for a second. 

Say, Dean gets Cas back and they decide to acknowledge Cas’s love confession. Because Dean wants to live with the consequences of it. And say, Dean, like Mary, ends up reciprocating (Mary kisses John at the end of last week’s ep and tells him she wants to be with him and ‘live in the moment’). And okay! Now they’re together. But it’s still secret! Because maybe Dean’s scared or anxious abt telling other people. Maybe he’s worried them knowing will change things. especially thinking abt team free will and their group dynamics. Like, how will Sam and Jack react ? will they care? will it be an issue? like, even if Dean’s pretty sure they’ll be accepting, this is still new! He’s never done this before, not really. And not talking about a relationship with a man, but a steady long-term relationship that he can really see lasting. Like this is IT for him. 

Anyways, so we see Mary and John sneak around the whole episode until finally the cat’s out of the bag. Carlos and Lata find out and they are incredibly supportive and excited for their friends. And then this is Mary and John’s closing conversation. Destiel goggles back on, Mary is Dean, John is Cas (sorry Cas): 

John: So now that everyone knows? No more hiding, right? Mary: Yeah, the cat is definitely out of the bag. John: Do you think the group dynamic's gonna change? Mary: I don't know. But we're stronger together, with no secrets. And, I don't mind getting out of the moment thinking about the future as long as I know you're in the picture. John: Hope looks good on you, Campbell.

SO. No more secrets. Dean’s ready to think about the future, as long as Cas is with him. Hope looks good on Dean. HI. HELLO. 

And thennn they go out on a proper date. A very Dean-style date, if you ask me: 

Mary: Okay, so, how 'bout dinner and a movie. But it's your treat since you scared the hell outta me.

(like. dean is LITERALLY narrating this story. he is telling it to us, do not think for a minute his narration is not being influenced by his own experiences and feelings!) anyways. I feel normal. 

[deanstudies101]

4x10, Heaven and Hell

[mid-season finale]

Critical theory: Doubt, disobedience. Fathers. Secrets and confessions pt. 2 [Dean]. The handprint <3 Perfectly normal reactions. 

Discussion point/question(s): What do we think about the heaven/hell positioning of Sam and Dean? 

Key quotes: Dean, “How I feel… This… inside me… I wish I couldn’t feel anything, Sammy. I wish I couldn’t feel a damn thing.” 

Further reading: 

Perfectly normal reaction to seeing your buddy kiss a girl (@bloodydeanwinchester)

Discussion: 

[I love the one perfect tear as much as the next man, but. Damn I love to see Dean sobbing.]

John is God confirmed. 

Dean wants to be an angel—Anna says angels can’t feel anything. She wants to be human, to feel. He wishes he couldn’t feel anything. 

Dean/Anna, the handprint, destiel. Iga, “This is just a loaf of bread.” Me, “Buddy, this is nothing. We’re just preheating the oven.”* 

[I looked up when Cas was supposed to leave.] [They gave a lot of Anna’s stuff to Cas. Dean and Anna just fucked on screen. So.] So obviously Dean and Anna would’ve had significant romance. And they took her out of the show and replaced her with Cas. And then… Well. [I think certain plotlines, ie. the finale, would’ve been less impactful if it had been Anna. We’ll discuss.] Did Jensen have a say in this character switch, was it partially because of their chemistry? 

[We’ve discussed that demons are camp. I mentioned in the episode that angels are homophobic.] It’s giving disney villain. Was flamboyant demons an acting or writing choice? Was homophobic angels a response to this? Iga, always imagined demons as very emotional, very chaotic (Vampire Diaries vampires, bpd), and angels as stoic, not giving a shit about humans etc. And this… is kinda that? [I’m talking about Paradise Lost, of course. Lucifer is emotional, emotionally driven, persuasive etc. He convinced a whole chunk of the host of heaven to fall.] They have to be like that for it to make sense! 

We’re seeing how humans become demons. They get tortured until they break and start to torture, and we can assume that leads them to becoming demons… so what happened with Lucifer? Did he fall, become human, and then go through this process? Or did he go straight to hell, and go insane because he was alone? [I just read them Paradise Lost Book 1 242-263 aka my favourite bit.] 

Ruby is a real one. She literally put herself through torture for that plan. They love the alliance, the relationship between her and Dean. A lot of feelings

Ruby understands Dean in a way that Sam doesn't. They exchange looks that Sam doesn’t get. He doesn’t feel the need to put up the protective wall, to protect her. He doesn’t need to parent her. And she sees him. And maybe Dean sees her in a way Sam doesn’t, they’ve both had the hell experience, and maybe he respects the fact that she would’ve been in hell much longer than he was. Iga, “Sam doesn’t see Dean and never will, because Dean is his mummy.” And this isn’t an attack on Sam, he’s religious and has a lot of guilt about himself and him and Ruby, and now he knows the angels kinda sucks maybe he’s looking for something to fight for. He sees demons as evil—he trusts her and doesn’t consciously see her as evil—but he does see demons this way, so he has a lot of shame. 

Re: the sex scene. Dean is intimate and soft and… always on the bottom. 

Julio, maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but if Sam is the antichrist, Dean is the new Jesus. He’s destined to go to heaven. He masks it in his dedication to his job, but he is sad at the state of the world, and mourns what is going on. Ying to Sam’s yang, which makes him the new Jesus, which is why he has to be kept alive, because that is his purpose. Kai’s addition, Jesus doesn’t have a good time on earth. He suffers. He dies on a cross because God told him to. Deancore. Julio again, Dean has all the elements to be Jesus. 

Anna, even as a two-year old human, was terrified of God. She was convinced he would kill her—and eventually the angel’s orders were to kill her. The demons love Lucifer, they’re excited for him to rise, they worship him in a “chill Christian kinda way.” That’s embarrassing for the angels actually. How is God the good guy? He’s not. He’s a dick. Even outside of the ~they just obey, they follow orders, kill humans, kill their own kind. This child was so scared of her father. [I would like to add, though. A lot of demons didn’t believe Lucifer really existed, he was ~just a story told in demon Sunday school. Whereas the angels truly believe all their orders are coming from God. Does that change things? Is it not easier to love something whose presence you don’t feel as much?] If you know someone better, you see their flaws more.  If Lucifer is just an ideal in their minds, they can project on him. However, it seems like Lilith knows Lucifer in some way? And she’s terrifying. So. Not a good reflection on Lucifer.

Re: heaven/hell positioning. Kind of on the nose. Can’t infer much from it literally, Sam having demon blood, Dean saved from hell, Dena is Sam’s guardian, he fucked an angel. Julio, “angels have an affinity for Dean.” Demons have plans for Sam, angels have plans for Dean. But, before the angels and demons got this involved, Sam was the pious one, Dean was the ‘sinful’ one. So a nice reverse. 

[Cas is autistic. He just stands there like (does the Kubrick stare)] Julio, I feel like he’s not really looking in the eyes though. [The thing is, often when he’s talking to people he’s like. Looking around. But with Dean it’s. Full on intense eye contact. Obsessed.]

Mid-season finale—finale predictions. Iga, Angels will be in the finale. Something about Dean’s time in hell, losing touch with his humanity, he doesn’t want to feel anything, he was transitioning into a demon. Kai, Big clash between heaven and hell. Lucifer is gonna get out, and now God is back too. Lucifer and God have some kind of face off. Julio, Sam and Dean need some time apart, they’re going in different directions. Kai, ohh, maybe Sam and Dean fight each other. Iga, Sam, or someone, comes up with a plan to make both sides fight each other again. Maybe Dean has to choose between his brother and someone else to save. Kai, Dean 1v1 Lucifer. Iga, Ruby gets in a predicament, and they have to sacrifice something to save her. Kai, maybe Dean has to die again… following the Jesus route. Iga, no, it’s Sam’s turn, he���s demon Jesus, and he gets reborn slightly more demon. But we’ve already done ‘came back wrong’. 

Star student: Julio, antichrist/Jesus analysis. Also commented mid-episode that maybe Sam’s powers come from drinking Ruby’s blood. This was ignored by everyone. Good job king. [Iga is annoyed by this because apaprently she knew but didn't say it because it felt too obvious.]

Notes: Visiting student Julio. 

*the trail of breadcrumbs is just entire loaves of bread / "the bread we made on supernatural" post (@tiktaalic), which I reference almost daily with lines such as "there's no such thing as bread" and "wouldn't it be crazy if bread was real" etc. etc. a very common tag on my main

[wormieapple]

you know, the conversations around how destiel should have been handled always kind of gives me pause because, to me, it feels like there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of dean and cas’ relationship and what a queer relationship should look like. the inherent need to love out loud and be visible in living queerly is important and good but not all encompassing. queer love is allowed to be quiet and private and small, it doesn’t have to be pride flags and shouting from roof tops and i’m saying this as a proud queer person in an openly queer relationship. seeing cas’ confession scene in the context of 2020 and the type of representation that we were getting and the kind of representation we still needed to fight for puts cas and deans relationship in a weird place of needing to be loud and upfront even if that doesn’t make sense for the characters. even now a lot of queer rep feels extremely loud and emphasizes coming out and visibility. it’s slowly getting better with shows like ofmd where it’s just queer, there’s no special conventions in the writing queer people just exist and fall in love with minimal question. i feel like cas and dean should have be transformative in that regard for the type of queer rep we were getting back then but instead it was just a vague nothing, which made people feel the need to fight for it to have been louder than it needed to be to be seen at all.

any and all of my romantic relationships are open secrets for lack of a better phrasing, and that’s how my partners and i like our relationships. it’s simply no one’s business if we’re queer or not so we don’t feel the need to preface our relationship or compensate for anything, but we also have zero need to hide our relationship and in that way we are openly queer in the same way anyone who’s straight is openly straight. that to me is something that feels very true of cas and dean, they wouldn’t necessarily have loud declarations of queerness or love cause they don’t do that with any of their relationships. they love quietly and reverently in all of their relationships so it feels stilted to have them express that to each other in any other way (even if the art and fan content is really cute u guys are doing great). the only thing i want of their post canon relationship is to 1) have one and 2) for it to be a place they can heal and rely on each other and love at their own pace without the pressures that come from queer relationships in media.

but i’m also new here so feel free to let me know what y’all think of all this and how their relationships was portrayed. with regards to or in-spite of how it was(n’t) handled in the finale.

[lunatic-fandom-space]

I just finished season 4 and unlike with the others I didnt have a whole lot to say as a was watching, mainly because I was actually enjoying myself and thought the season was mostly really good ? absolutely wild. Nevertheless I have some thoughts

I LOVE Alya and Marinette working together, its a delight. When I talk about "man can you imagine if MLB did like a magical girl show and focused on female friendships instead of catfighting" THIS is what Im talking about!! And Idgaf about how this affects the Love Square at this point, this is all Ive wanted! Also, I feel like Alya and Nino knowing each others identities cheapens the Love Square conflict more than anything but I cant fully articulate why so I'll just leave it at that

The Love Square is in a very strange place where, when the identity reveal finally does happen, its simultaneously going to feel like its too little too late (a la the destiel confession bc this fucking show is just straight queerbaiting) and rushed because like. what kind of development is there between these two. They barely focused on romance this season (which is definitely part of why I think its better lol) but I dont mean that in the sense that we had less catfights and Marinette making a fool of herself for no reason, I mean that in the sense that it barely felt like they interacted at all, atleast to me so thats kinda odd

In the past Ive complained about how the civillian plotline usually feels very disconnected from the superhero/akuma plotline and I think theyve done a much better job, my favorite episode of the season is probably Qilin both for tying the akuma into the civillian plot and for having a somewhat unique conflict resolution. In general, I liked that we had people rejecting akumas as well as preventative measures in form of the charms, although I do think it sucks that a few episodes afterwards Shadowmoth just figures out a way to circumvent them and then its back to business as usual. I feel like a better workaround would be that the charms can only protect you from one akumatization each, so like, the charm Ladybug gave her grandfather in Simpleman can only protect him from becoming Simpleman again, but if he turns into Bakerix, she needs to give him a different charm. But I do find the charms cute

The new heroes all suck tbh, the only design I liked was Purple Tigress and Pigella came close to looking kinda good but then they made it this intensely unflattering shade of pink, which I find impressive because Rose is already wearing an completely different intensely unflattering shade of pink in her civillian form. One thing that I appreciated about whatever Mylenes superhero form is called, Pigella and Purple Tigress is that they had more justifiable reasons for Ladybug to pick them than most of the heroes in the last season, who were mostly just picked because They Were There ig. And then Penealteam rolled around and we were back to doing exactls that kind of bullshit. great.

Also, Ive already talked about this in a seperate post, but if they absolutely insisted on looking for a replacement for the Bee, it shouldve been Sabrina and they shouldntve invented a whole new character for it

Adrien got a little more focus this season and we actually got some insight into his character when hes not either The Object Of Marinettes Idolization or Ladybugs Punny Sidekick Thats Slowly Becoming Obsolete which I enjoyed because he has a lot of potential from a dramatic standpoint what with being Hawkmoths son and all, but hes usually so bland that I dont really care too much so this was pretty nice. And it only took us 4 seasons for him to get some focus, yknow, the other superhero in the title? Well better late than never I guess

Speaking of Adrien, Ive made quite a few posts where I said that this season would be ruined for me the second the Sentiadrien reveal happens but it never did, we're getting that in season 5 and I am not looking forward it especially considering the small taste Ive already gotten of it with Adrien being very obviously controlled by that ring. Like, I'll probably talk about it in more detail when it gets fleshed out in the show but for now I'll just say it doesnt make the stakes higher like the writers seem to think, it make the story wayyyy less interesting and it feels like its supposed to be an explanation for Adriens behaviour towards his father when we absolutely do not need one beyond "hes being abused"

I know I said that I thought this season was really good and now Im just just complaining mostly like I always do but idk, Im not as good at formulating my positive thoughts as my negative ones. The last thing I'll say is that I loved Scarabella and I loved her design and I loved the whole episode she was in, as well as the entirety of Sentibubbler, Alya really served this season

Thats it, thanks for reading :D

[samcybercat]

Supernatural Characters That I Liked :D

On 2nd April 2023, we finished watching all 15 seasons of Supernatural. My history with this show is that I didn't really know it was a thing while it was popular and then by the time I joined Tumblr it was "that series people on Tumblr like that I don't think would be for me". Up until late 2021, the only things from Supernatural that I'd seen were the Destiel Confession (TM), a short scene of Dean telling Sam & Jack that Castiel was dead and the montage of Sam dying from the final episode. Beyond that, I genuinely knew nothing about the show But in 2021 (I think?) my housemates and I had finished BBC Merlin and were looking for a new long series to try, which ended up being Supernatural. Our set-up was that Gemba had seen up to Season 12 (and thus had to endure us asking many questions about it), but Amber and I had never seen any of it Now, no one needs me to review Supernatural. Enough other people who know more about it than I do have done that. But it's been a long ride and I wanted to do something to celebrate it. So instead of picking apart the good and the bad, I thought I'd simply make a list of the characters I like. This is not an all-inclusive list, as in over 15 seasons there are bound to be a few fun one-off characters who I'll forget. But I tried to include as many characters as possible Starting off with my beloved - everyone's favourite Supernatural character whose name begins with the letter C...

...Crowley! (Don't worry, Castiel is also on the list lol)

I cannot understate how much Crowley kept me going with this show. We'd just come off the back of the Trickster dying and I was bummed about that, but then Crowley came along with all his yelling and his bisexual villainy and I was won over immediately. Everything about Mark Sheppard's performance was a delight and all his interactions with the rest of the main cast were so fun. When Crowley ended up on the path from enemy to frenemy to begrudging ally, it never felt like character-derailment at all. Though having said that, I also fully understand and respect Sheppard's choice to leave because he was disappointed with how Crowley was being written - as much as it was a big miss for me to see Crowley go. Crowley is my blorbo for this show He is also incredibly shippable with Sam

Next up is Sam, Mr. Skrunkly Himself and the greatest shipping bicycle I could ask for Now, some of you who I have talked to about Supernatural might remember me saying that I didn't like Sam, which certainly was true in the earlier seasons. I just feel like in the beginning, Sam's stick-in-the-mud attitude needed a bit longer to bake until he became the absolutely endearing, doe-eyed giant that he would become later on. I also think that Sam becoming a better character ended up lining up quite well with Dean becoming... less of a characters that I could enjoy, so that worked out nicely. I'm sorry that I was a non-believer to start with, Sammy, but I'm 100% a Sam Girl now lol

You're on tumblr, you know who this is I now definitely understand why this website was so obsessed with Castiel. What could've easily been a throw-away character was turned into a series main-stay and I'm sure that a large part of that was due to the clear love that Misha Collins had for the character and poured into his performance. Every time Castiel was around it was always great and, like a lot of people, my biggest problem with Castiel was that they didn't use him enough. They (probably accidentally) wrote one of the best autistic characters I've seen in a while and also, his Dadstiel scenes with Claire and Jack are one of the few times I've really enjoyed seeing a character take on the role of a parent Castiel is also incredibly shippable with Sam (sorry Destiel shippers, I'm Sastiel through and through)

Queen of my heart, Rowena! The treatment of female characters in Supernatural is another topic with not a great reputation, but you've got to believe me when I say that Rowena is a brilliant character, one of the best and most-fun female villains. When she was introduced as Crowley's mum, I knew we were in for a great ride and, sure enough, every episode she was in was charming. Ruth Connell really ran with the concept of "vengeful Scottish witch". My fears for Rowena had been that she would be killed off shortly after Crowley's departure, but I was delighted to see that she continued to be a main-stay for most of the show, ending with her destined death scene with Sam, before being triumphantly crowned Queen of Hell Rowena is also incredibly shippable with Sam, though I've also gotta give a shout-out to my short-lived OTP of Rowena x Gabriel

Speaking of Gabriel, the Trickster was definitely what kept me watching at the start of the series. In the beginning, Supernatural was a bit dry for my taste and he injected that shot of fun into it that it needed to keep me interested. His episodes were few and far between, but just knowing there might be a Trickster episode on the horizon always kept me going until Crowley came along to take the mantle from him. I was glad to see Gabriel return later on, even if I feel like they didn't really use him or play to his strengths quite as much as they did in the early episodes The Trickster is also incredibly shippable with Sam

The best baby boy, Jack! On paper, the concept of Lucifer's son joining the team felt like a desperate attempt by the writers to show a new, younger audience that they were still hip and relevant, but that ended up not being the case. From the moment Jack appeared, he was wonderful, bringing the same energy as Castiel, but with that child-like optimism attached that would lead to him ultimately saving the day and making a better world for everyone. Seeing the trio raising a son was also brilliant and actually the perfect kind of fanfic-fodder the show needed. My biggest regret for Jack is that he came along after most people stopped caring about the show, so he didn't receive the appreciation I think he deserved

I actually feel bad that it's taken me so long to get to Bobby, as he's one of my big faves, but in my defence he wasn't in the later seasons very much. Bobby went from being "Guy who tells the brothers where the monster of the week is" to the actual perfect father-figure they deserved. There was a reason why when Dean gets to heaven it was Bobby waiting for him and not John, and it wasn't just because getting Neegan back was probably expensive. Bobby is another underrated autistic icon imo and excellent boyfriend-material for Crowley. Even though I was sad when his time on the show was cut short, he was one of the few characters who I felt was given the right amount of fanfare for his send-off

Ketch! I love Ketch! He's our fave in this house. After the very dull Darkness season, I had my hopes low and was rolling my eyes when the British Men of Letters were introduced, but then they ended up being so cringe that it cycled back around to being funny again. We would cheer every time Ketch appeared

Yes, I like Bela and think she was fun in her appearances, you're all just mean about her :(

This version of Meg specifically was wonderful and top-tier shippable with Castiel. It's no wonder that she was the one they called back to play The Empty all those years later. Meg's flirty banter was the perfect foil for Castiel's serious cluelessness and I would always look forward to scenes with both of them

I'm gonna be real with you: most of the season-long villains were very hit or miss for me, but Zachariah was one villain who I thought was excellent. It's a shame he was so early on, so I don't remember too much about his specifically, but I do remember enjoying him and how powerful he made the angels feel

Pamela or, as she was known in our house for a long time, The Woman Who Was Fine About Everything. When Pamela first appears she's like "Two brother? Awesome, let's have a threesome!" ...Then she gets her eyes blasted out. When we next see her, Pamela is totally cool with being blind and is even using it to help her work. ...Then she gets killed off. But when we next see her in the afterlife, wouldn't you know it, she's totally cool with being dead. Even when she later appears as a figment of Dean's imagination, she's fine with that, too. So here's to you, Pamela. Wherever you are, I know you're totally cool with it!

Kevin Tran and his mum. These two characters are the absolute example of deserving much better from the writing, especially Kevin. At least his mum got some cool scenes when she tried to rescue him, but poor Kevin was basically the Wincester's hostage who then died to give Dean more man pain. Which is a shame, because Kevin was great and I really wish we'd been given more fun scenes with him

Hannah (Agent Stone version) ...Look, it's Lee Majdoub, the guy who plays Agent Stone in the Sonic Movies! Turns out he had a brief role in Supernatural as one of Hannah's vessels. I wish he'd stuck around, but as a big Sonic fan I'm glad he moved onto other things :')

Claire Novak - I never expected the kid from Castiel's vessel's old life to come back as a full character later on, but Claire filled the role of the vengeful daughter who grew to respect Castiel so well and I definitely wish we'd seen more of both Claire and her short-lived relationship with Kaia. I also had the exact same Grumpy Cat plushie that Castiel gave to Claire, so I was very endeared by that

Both the original Death and Billie who came after him were excellent! Both very different and strong personalities who filled every scene they were in - when these two appeared, you really knew Dean had to sit up and pay attention, because shit was about to get real

Another one of my top faves, Eileen! Imagine my surprise when Supernatural of all series introduces one of the very few portrayals of a deaf character I've seen and she ends up becoming a recurring character and love interest to one of the main characters. Eileen was annoyingly killed off-screen, but then they made up for it by having Sam go to such lengths to bring her back. She had an adorable relationship with Sam. ...Then they killed her off again and left us to only assume that she must've been returned to life by Jack, but never actually showed that. Oh well, I will choose to believe that the blurry woman they showed with Sam in his montage in the last episode was Eileen and they got the happy ending they deserved

Rufus went from having a somewhat subdued first appearance to being Bobby's partner in crime and that was when he really shined. Another character who was killed off far too early, wasting his potential, but I enjoyed the few Bobby & Rufus episodes that we did get

Garth was just a nice guy and I wanted good things for him. After his short, but successful, role as The New Bobby, I'm glad that Garth was able to retire and live with his werewolf family without becoming yet another victim of characters dying by association with the Winchesters

Becky went from being a very fun nod-to-the-fandom character to having that... one very uncomfortable episode with Sam... to disappearing for a long time and finally coming back to be shown living her best life with her family and thriving. Screw Chuck for killing her off, but I choose to believe that she came back

Crowley having a son who was brought to modern day from ye olde Scotland and then let loose into a park somewhere will never not be funny to me. I liked Gavin for the few episodes he was in

...And I'm bored of looking for screenshots now, so I'll cap this off by also giving a shout-out to fan-fave, Charlie, who they once again killed off before they should've done but at least had some good episodes, Balthazar, who was the idea friend for Castiel and gave me big Dionysus Hades Game vibes, Metatron, who really grew on my from his initial introduction as villain to reluctant frenemy, and to Chuck, who was a character who really annoyed me for most of the series, but then once they started playing him as a straight up villain it felt like he was the perfect way to sing the series out. Amara also got a lot better in later seasons from her unfortunate first appearance and it was a shame about her hand-wave ending I have mixed feelings about Dean. Goodnight

[aerialworms]

hello dear mutual! I have a question. I'm no longer in the fandom but I like watching from the sidelines. there was a poll asking if destiel will still be made canon and my question is: how. isn't the prequel planned about the parents? I would love an explanation cause I don't understand. thank you so much!!

Hello there friend!! I'm happy to explain, I love rambling about this batshit show so much!

So yes, the prequel is about the parents, but I'm not sure how much you know about it so here's a little primer: from what I've seen, it's actually Dean telling the story of how his parents met and fell in love, presumably while he's up in Heaven post-finale (y'know, where Cas is also supposed to be). Jensen and his wife Daneel are executive producing, and the prequel is being showrun by Robbie Thompson, known for writing such episodes as Goodbye Stranger (the crypt scene my beloved!!!!!!), Meta Fiction ("What makes a story work? Is it the plot, the characters, the text? The subtext?"), and Fan Fiction (the musical ep! With Sam teasing Dean about destiel!). So from the get-go everyone was like 👀 because Robbie has always been a destiel-positive writer! Plus, apparently, Daneel's favourite character is Cas, so it would make sense for them to bring Cas back if they (and Misha) wanted!

Please bear in mind that I haven't actually watched any of the prequel, i've just been living vicariously through my dash. People who have actually watched it/know more than me please feel free to add on/correct me!

So, to my knowledge, the reasons people are thinking they might make Destiel canon in the prequel are (in no particular order):

a) A few weeks ago there was an episode that had Gabriel (as played by Richard Speight Jr) as the MOTW and also had a background cameo from Rob Benedict in a very bad wig (unclear if that was Chuck or not), and there have been quotes from (i think) Robbie saying that they're only having cameos from OG SPN actors if it's relevant to the story they want to tell (and since the Rob cameo was not explained or plot-relevant people are thinking they're possibly going to do a Chuck won scenario? It could turn out that he was never actually defeated in 15.19 and now Dean has to show up to fight him again (and get Cas back?? maybe??))

b) In that same episode, there was a scene where Mary and John look at a picture of some dude who'd given them a clue or talked to John or something - it was Dean! So he's alive again, briefly, in the 70s. Could be time travel, could be he's escaped from Heaven. So if Dean is around in the show, whether just as narrator or as a character in the story, he has the potential to go rogue and look for Cas, or be telling the story to Cas up in Heaven. In either case, there is the potential for canon destiel, if they (Jensen, Daneel, Robbie, Misha, etc.) decide they want to do that.

c) Jensen has said various things at cons recently which are kinda 👀, including that he'd have been happy to keep going on SPN for another 6 years, and, most recently (this weekend), which I think sparked the poll you were talking about - that if Dean and Cas reunited Dean would say "Hey, can we talk about that goodbye a little bit?" and then joked that nah, it would be more like "hey, buddy, good to see you, old pal" but THEN said "I don't know, maybe we'll get to see that, that would be interesting" (Here's a gifset of him saying that if you're interested)

Also this:

[ID: Tweet from Toni @JensFloofHair.

JENSEN WANTS TO FILM A NEW ENDING FOR SUPERNATURAL, THE ONE HE HAD DREAMED OF. ABOUT A 2 DAY SHOOTING, HE SAYS.

Misha: I mean, you have the Impala.

Damn right, nothing stopping them!!

#JIB11 /End ID]

It's no secret that Jensen Did Not like the finale, apparently Eric Kripke had to talk him into it and he still makes salty jokes about it even now. Add the fact that he got someone else to film the confession for him because he wanted to have a record of it, and has said they cut out key parts of his performance in that scene (which is why the editing of it is so janky). So it's possible that he intended for there to be actual reciprocation in that scene and, well, now he's got the reins. He could do it if he wanted!!!

d) The prequel finale - airing next Tuesday, Jack help us - is titled "Hey, that's no way to say goodbye". Which was already kinda 👀 before the con this weekend, but combined with Jensen saying Dean would say "can we talk about that goodbye a little bit?" is um. Look I don't wanna get my hopes up. But also........ 👀👀👀

I think the prevailing theories at the moment (from what I've seen on my dash) are that either:

a) They're baiting us to keep interest in the prequel (I trust Robbie but I don't really trust Jensen, so this seems likely)

b) They really are gonna bring Cas back, either as him being the one Dean is telling this story to up in Heaven, or using that Rob Benedict cameo to retcon the finale and make the show about breaking free of Chuck's control for realsies this time (which hopefully means Cas actually showing up and not being explained away in one line like the finale)

Like I said, I don't wanna get my hopes up because I don't quite trust Jensen. But. Given Robbie Thompson showrunning and Daneel loving Cas and Jensen dropping all these maybe-maybe-not hints. If they DID make destiel canon. I would not be surprised.

Well maybe a little bit but in an "I can't believe I was right" way.

[dirigibleplumbing]

So, for Destiel, Dean not really dating or even hooking up that often in the later seasons works well for the whole “he's both pining for but also emotional fulfilled by Cas so he doesn’t feel the need”, but like, why do you think they actually just stopped even trying to give Dean a real love interest? The closest they came was kinda Amara? Was it the writers wanting to show Dean's too old for hook ups to “damaged” for romance post Lisa? Jensen didn’t wanna do so many hook up/kissing scenes? They only have so much character time and actor budget they'd rather have Jensen interact with Misha and the other regulars?

(Sam and Cas not sharing storylines makes sense due to how long those scenes would take thanks to Jared fucking with Misha and that time and character is better spent with putting Misha with Jensen or Alex lol)

Sam still had a few love interests (Eileen of course, could make the case for Rowena), tho maybe less after the backlash over the season 8 love storyline? I know the writers were of course aware of Destiel (duh) but I'm not so in deep that the popularity of the pairing vs the General Audience (GA)'s tastes would mean they only catered to the fannish side with Dean's storylines. I think Lisa was liked well enough vs how bad Amelia was disliked so I don’t think Dean not having a love interest was due to a backlash from the GA…perhaps just the taste of the new show runners? That the official romances in the show aren’t really loved by the GA so why bother? But it would give an excuse for letting at least one of the two leads have a break by having scenes apart during the romance plot line, but again perhaps they’d rather use the showtime and actor budget to have both leads take a break with adding more Jack and Cas stories.

(Metatextually it’s amusing to think of Chuck trying to get his Ladykiller main character to go bed some babes and fall for someone before Dean’s tragically killed off, only for Dean to pine and mourn for his dead angel BFF so Chuck kept bringing him back so Dean would stop being sad to get back to smooching ladies, only for Dean to accidentally fall into an almost asexual romance with said BFF and he slips into this frozen state of not getting any nor looking for any cause this is almost enough*. And now Chuck can’t get rid of the BFF or else his main character just stops functioning and it’s BORING)

You could also argue the addition of Mary and Jack is kinda a “love story” for Dean, tho for familial love rather then romantic, that Dean's emotion arcs were taken up by a “Mother and Son” and a “Son becoming his Father to his Son” storyline rather then a romance or rehashing more brother drama and poor Charlie got the “bonding then fridging” storyline with Dean as a platonic relationship rather then the usual romantic on on this show.

(And we can also totally see Cas, Crowley, and Benny fulfill the quasi romantic tropes in canon with Dean but again in the GA eyes it was platonic emotional arcs rather then romantic ones)**

*I can see Dean and Cas being in basically an unofficial Queer Platonic relationship pre-confession in canon, just 2 confirmed bachelors etc etc. Or even post confessions they could wiggle out of it by No-Homoing it as “oh yeah Cas loves Dean but doesn’t want sex and Dean's cool with it besties for life also you will never see him kiss or try and hook up with any women ever again ❤️ (except once because the network made us to truly no Homo Dean)” if they had to make a season 16 and the network is like no Dean can’t kiss the angel lol. (Apparently the network even said no the giving Cas a non Dean boyfriend storyline so they would totally stamp on any official reciprocation from Dean)

** how would you trope-ify and sort Benny, Crowley, and Cas as “standard” romantic interests? Benny=the love interest ur family doesn’t approve of for historical reason but they are drawn together anyway only to depart tragically? Kinda a Juliet-ish without Romeo dying? Boy from the rival school/visiting from out of state you have summer fling with and part knowing you’re lives are going in different directions? Crowley is the reformed Bad Boy, the rival to the central Love Interest that changes for the protagonist but doesn’t “get the girl (gender neutral)”/Redemption=Death? And Cas?

Cas is… oh boy. Uneasy Allies -> Allies -> Enemies -> Comrades -> War Buddies -> Fire Forged Friends -> Estranged Friends -> Betrayer -> Enemies -> Lost Love -> Uneasy Allies -> re- Fire Forged Friends -> Lost Love (again) -> Besties/Found Family -> Brainwashed Ally ->… Maybe as a “Long running show's long term Love Interest that can be concluded until the finale due to a fear of “Moonlighting” so there are increasingly convoluted reasons they can’t be together yet” lol

I have never once watched Supernatural as it aired, and wasn't active in fandom until November 2020, so I'm not really up to date on what's been stated or not stated by the writers, showrunners, directors, etc., nor what the common fantheories are about their motivations or intentions. 

I've read some general meta on the subject and people talking about particular writers and how they viewed various aspects on the show, but I mostly can't keep the writers' names straight in my head.

All to say: my takes are based mostly on vibes and notions I have about how writing and TV production works. 

The longer the show went on, the more it departed from the original monster of the week format. To the extent there were still cases, the week-to-week ones increasingly tended to be in service to a bigger mytharc, and less time was devoted to them onscreen. 

There are certain scenarios we'd seen so many times at that point--Sam interviews a MILF; Dean wears a costume; research happens; the monster is misidentified at first; they talk their way into the morgue/station/records room/security room; we meet a red herring for the killer/monster; etc.--that they could be abbreviated or skipped entirely in favor of recurring characters, characters who directly echo one or more of the main characters and their current acts, and the latest angst about the current mytharc. 

I think at a certain point, "Dean hooks up with a hottie" was, to an extent, likewise considered superfluous. 

Some of The Powers That Be undoubtedly noticed that Cas could fulfill the dialogue roles Dean's hookups used to. Plus, absolutely, everything you're saying about Mary and Jack--non-romantic partnerships, not just his “friendship” with Cas, often replaced that kind of narrative. 

Other TPTB figured viewers would assume that the hookups were still happening, only offscreen. And in classic spn fashion, I think TPTB hoped that by not mentioning the hookups as happening or not happening, they could have it both ways: shippers get to say Dean's not hooking up; anti-shippers get to say there's no evidence Dean's not not hooking up.

As for the metatextual aspect--yeah, that's pretty much how I see it, lol.

[heaven-s-black-box]

I need a Hero pt.4- destiel

Return to File

Recovery date: December 2st, 2021

Description: Cas is banished from Heaven and place into a coma in a ring of fire. He can only be awaken if a hero crosses and cuts open his armor including his mask. Cas believes he will remain there until the apocalypse. However such a hero in the form of Dean does come and free him. Upon seeing Dean Cas professes his love onto him and Dean happily requites. But when Dean comes home to announce his new love his father, John, is outraged. He tricks Dean into drinking potion that not only erases his memories of Cas but also has him fall in love with a according to John a more suitable princess.

Notes: Recovered in conjunction with CoralQueen from research lab Ao3, we thank them for their contribution. The other entries can be found here, here, here, and here.

Word count: 1 325

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“So, how did you manage to become a princess without marrying?” Castiel asked, as he and Anna sat alone at their table. 

Their drinking had turned competitive after a while, and Dean and Sam had both long since passed out. Jo had gone to bed a few hours earlier, and Ellen had gone to get someone to bring the princes back to the castle. 

“How are you still alive?” She asked, playing with the engagement ring on her finger.

“Why did you use a love potion on Dean?”

Anna stopped her fidgeting and frowned.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb, Sam says that’s the only possibility and I see no reason why he would lie. Is it for power? You were once an angel, why leave that for such little power as a queen?”

Anna scowled and leaned closer to Cas. She lowered her voice so there would be little chance of anyone over hearing them.

“I left heaven because it was broken. Not that I had any power there in the first place, I have more power as a princess. Which is quite sad. And I would never stoop so low as using magic to make a human fall for me. Secondly, it was an arranged marriage to strengthen our armies to fight the demons. I had nothing to do with it. When I arrived this morning he was already making heart eyes at me.”

“Why would Dean do that?” Cas frowned.

“Humans are strange creatures Castiel. But if it truly is a love potion, shouldn’t you be able to reverse it?” She leaned back, and looked over at the booth Sam and Dean had been thrown in.

“I am not as powerful as I once was. My grace has slowly been draining during my time on earth, I can’t even fly anymore.”

“That’s not what I meant. While I may not know much about Dean, I’ve known you long enough to see what love looks like in your eyes.”

“It’s meaningless if-”

“Is Castiel, the angel who risked everything on the possibility of Lucifer’s son being good, backing down from a confession that may or may not be remembered?” She laughed. “Come now brother, you’re braver than that.”

---

“Ow-” Sam groaned, as he took a sip of the water Jo gave him. “So, Dean’s completely lost it.”

“And it wasn’t Anna,” Cas said. 

“How do you know that?”

“I asked her.” 

Both Jo and Sam choked on their drinks.

“Cas! You don’t just ask people if they used a love potion on someone. What if she tells the king? Or anyone else for that matter,” Jo hissed.

“She won’t. Although, it doesn’t seem like she'll help us either.” He frowned at the bite of sausage he’d taken. “This is disgusting, I will never understand how humans like food.”

“Okay, so did she tell you anything else?”

“It seems Dean was already under whatever spell it is, before she arrived. She also said it was an arranged marriage, I believe someone here must have given him the potion,” Castiel hummed.

“But who-” Sam stopped mid sentence and sighed. “My dad.”

“Why would the king do that?” Jo asked.

“So Dean wouldn’t fight him on it? So he didn’t have to worry about Dean’s feelings? So Anna would feel loved and wouldn’t want to run away? Who knows.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, the safest, and quickest way to break the spell would be true love's kiss.”

“Cas your up!” Jo cheered.

“Excuse me?” Cas’s cheeks turned pink.

“We humans are a lot smarter than you think,” Sam laughed.

“I never claimed you were stupid… What makes you think it would work?”

“He forgot about you,” Sam took a sip of water before continuing, “I went to see Rowena earlier, and she said that a side effect of strong love potions is the person forgets about the person they truly love. It’s a fatal flaw because it makes reversing it so much easier. She said if you kiss him, he should go back to normal.”

“What about your dad?” Jo asked. If they reversed the potion, there was no telling what he would do.

“At this point, the doctor doesn’t even think he’ll make it through the next few days. Confess, reverse the spell, and we’ll just wait for my dad to die before canceling the wedding.”

“That seems a little cruel.”

“Really? I thought it would be nice to let him believe he’d gotten his way one last time.” Sam shrugged. “But it could also count as petty pay back for, well, everything.”

“Wow Sam, you okay?” The two laughed.

Cas looked down at the table as he tried to think of a way to confess. If Dean was going to remember this, he wanted to do it right.

---

“Hello Dean,” Cas said, pushing off the wall he was leaning against.

Dean had just come out of the barracks, and Cas had been waiting by the door. 

“Cas, right? You’re Sam’s friend?”

“Yes… Sam’s friend.”

“Sorry, but I have wedding plans to sign off on. But if you want, we can talk on the way to the garden.”

“Please.”

Cas’ stomach was in knots. What if this didn’t work? What if they were wrong? Not only would Dean freak out both now and later, but he’d have to leave the kingdom. The running wasn’t what scared him though, it was the thought of losing Dean.

Dean was right. He was much more human now.

“So, is there something I can help you with?”

“Oh, yes. Um…” he took a deep breath, “Have you ever heard of angels?”

Dean laughed. “Yes, my mother used to tell me and Sammy stories about them before bed. Why?”

“Did you know that they’re wrong? At least partly. When an angel falls or is banished, they become human. If they fall, it’s an immediate change, but if they’re banished, it’s slow.”

“Is that so?” Dean asked, looking over at him. They were getting closer to the garden. 

“Yes. I used to think humans were weak, with so many repetitive needs like eating and evacuating their bowels. Most of all, their emotions. I never understood how humans could be so broken over a few words.” Dean raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand. Are you feeling okay?”

They stepped out into the garden, and Cas noticed it was empty. Sam had probably done something.

“But now,” Cas continued, ignoring Dean, “I understand. Because the thought of you not loving me hurts, the thought of you marrying Anna is killing me.” He expected Dean to run, but he seemed rooted in place. Cas stepped forward, and cupped Dean’s face. “I love you Dean Winchester,” Cas said before kissing him.

Dean stood frozen for a second, and Cas panicked before he felt Dean pull him closer. They stood there, kissing by the entrance to the garden, for a few moments before they heard a cough. Pulling away quickly, they turned to find Anna, and Dean panicked.

“I- I can-”

“I just came to let you know that your father is dead, he passed not long ago. Your brother is already with him. As for the arrangement, I’m sure we can find a compromise.” She smiled sweetly as Dean ran back through the door to his father’s room.

Anna and Cas went to sit in the mezzanine. 

“What did you do?” Cas asked, as they watched a few bees fly around.

“I never really liked him anyway, he’s too...reckless. I feel like being married to him would put me in unnecessary danger. It makes you two perfect for one another.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“I still don’t think you had to kill him.”

“He was going to die anyway, I just gave him a little push.”

The two laughed, as they heard the news spreading throughout the castle. John Winchester was dead, Dean Winchester would be king.