#sam's view of dean

[anassemblageofpassions]

The thing abt john winchester is that he is too complex for the majority of the spn fandom and for a good portion of the writers on the show too.

Because at his core john is about love over everything else. When he looks up at his sons (yes, up, the fact that they’re both taller than him>>>>>), there is love seeping achingly from every single pore of his being even as he abuses them, as he destroys their souls beyond belief. He does it all entirely out of love. And he is so, so wrong for it. A part of him knows it. But he wants to keep dean alive, and he wants to keep Sam pure. And he loves them so much. And he damages them so horribly. John Winchester is the foundation upon which they are both built, they only become more of what he made them as the series goes on. Sam stops fighting it, Dean continues to mold into his image no matter how hard he tries to fight it.

Hell puts them both on steroids, but their individual trauma responses that influence this are the foundations that John built into them. No wonder azazel wanted sam to win so badly. John Winchester crafted his sons into alastair and Lucifer’s ideal victims, respectively, and dean was a better (worse) john than John ever was. John held out in hell. Dean acquiesced to his abuser despite all of his efforts to fight him, and he’s never been the same since.

Sam fought like hell, and he fought destiny, but at his core, he did what John always wanted him to by doing what dean wanted him to do, and then he stops fighting at all, loses the fire he showed john in adolescence that john immediately notices when he returns in s14.

And the sad thing is. They filled their roles so well that John is saddened by what they’ve become. He didn’t want dean to break. He didn’t want Sam to be dimmed. He’s sad to see what Sam is like in s14. In the process of recovering his wife, he ensured he would mold his sons into what he wanted them to be, and when he got what he wanted, he was devastated.

John Winchester is so driven by love and grief and he’s so filled to the brim with both that it’s painful to watch him on screen because he destroyed his family because of it. And he wanted this all along but he didn’t realize what he’d have to give up to get it.

[daily-castiel]

Cringetober prompt 1: screenshot redraw (day 52)

[shallowseeker]

Cas is right. Dean, with all of his free will intact, would NOT have murdered the Stynes kid.

Like Cas, with his free will intact, would never have murdered Samandriel.

Their assessments of one another are actually correct.

///

Both are on their way to becoming mindless super-soldiers who feel nothing.

And essentially, they tell each other, "you're gonna have to go through me" (to become that).

///

Some similarities in the fight scenes:

They both reach out a hand to the other's shoulder, saying the other's name:

///

Both twist the other's hand away:

///

They ask each other to: "Stop," both telling the other in so many words that "this isn't you."

Their styles differ, of course. Dean goads Cas defiantly: "Come on you coward, do it!" Cas tries to remain level-headed and controlled, only moving to block and restrain.

Essentially, their desires are the same, for the other to stop.

///

With everyone telling them who they should be, and trying to make them into things other than what their big hearts would actually want, they beg each other to stay as they are.

I don't want you to be what they want you to be.

Just be you. Just be.

///

///

And then, much like Cas in the crypt... flight. Cas leaves.

Dean leaves.

///

And here's what's on my mind... They were both GOOD at being soldiers. Unbelievably good.

Their talents were recognized early and exploited. They became chained to their respective battle aptitudes.

Both had to reckon with becoming addicted to war, to the feeling of adrenaline and black-and-white causes (see: Purgatory, hunting, etc.). Both often feel too much responsibility, punishing themselves and undertaking penance.

They struggled with thinking it's all they were good for, battle or WORK.

Or worse. For Dean, it was often being one of the "crazy ones," only "good for a fling." For Cas, it was often "being expendable."

They're looked down upon by the likes of Metatron: Cas is like a "dumb puppy," a "stupid, lumbering jock." Even Crowley talks to Dean this way on occasion: "It's math (idiot)."

It's also like when Death calls Cas a "stupid soldier." Or when the British Men of Letters call the ones on the ground doing the fighting and getting their hands dirty "dogs." Or when Henry calls hunters "apes."

Despite their supposed "legacy lineage," Sam and Dean inherited the Campbell class. The soldier class.

Interesting to me that Jack inherits this, too. Despite his aptitude for nearly everything he touches (computers, research, even blossoming machete skills when he kills Noah the Gorgon), Jack too will inherit this Campbell-coded "stupidity."

That's what Chuck charges him with in Unity: "TOO STUPID."

Jack has Cas and Dean's class: the soldier class.

[skylightangels]

[thefandomchaos]

I’m so ready for the hellers to go after me for this. But what if the reason Castiel said “Is something I know I can’t have” is because Castiel knows in the end, Dean would choose Sam over him in a heartbeat-

[420technoblazeit]

in my mind dean was always supposed to get older and become the new bobby. like ok you're a hunter, maybe a little new to the scene and still figuring things out. and you're tracking down a werewolf, easy case. except some things don't line up quite right and now you're thinking it might not actually be a werewolf. so you ask around a hunter's bar and they all say the same thing. go to this one bunker in the middle of nowhere in kansas

and you're like sure what the hell. you're stumped anyway, might as well check it out. maybe it's a weapons storehouse or something. but then you get there and there's a doorbell and a bee-shaped welcome mat out front and you're starting to think you've got the wrong place. the door swings open and there's this middle aged guy with a robe and batman pyjama bottoms. and he laughs at the look on your face and tells you to come in, he doesn't bite. not since he got that vampire cure, anyway. you're not sure what to make of that last part but he winks at you when he says it so you figure he's joking. maybe.

he gives great advice about hunting everything under the sun and if you stick around long enough he'll go on and on about how he saved the world at least five times. ok sure. you don't want to be rude so you just sit there and sip your coffee politely while he talks about some guy called chuck and how much of a bitch he is. and another guy who's aged a little more gracefully comes padding down the hallway in a metallica t-shirt and rolls his eyes. has he told you about tvland yet? ('i was just getting to that part!')

if you go to the basement you'll find shotguns filled with salt, wooden stakes, holy water, and demon-killing bullets for sale. and if you're lucky the witch who sells hex bags might be around. low-grade curses only, of course. you better leave the powerful stuff to the professionals. and she'll get in trouble if she gives you anything stronger, not that she can't be persuaded. a girl's gotta make a living after all and she's always encouraged eager new witches. it's worked out pretty well for her so far. and then a guy you swear is twice your height will raise an eyebrow at her and insist she only sell the weaker hex bags, please. you don't need any more witches in your coven, rowena. you've got plenty

pagan god giving you trouble? there's a man who swings by every once in a while who knows how to deal with those. give him some candy or a fun magic relic and he might help you out. it depends. he's a little picky about dishing out advice and he likes to play favorites. and if you've got a demon problem they can give you the number of a guy who swears up and down that he used to be the king of hell. but you've seen him walking around with a purse-sized terrier tucked under his arm and a dozen more following him so you're not really sure if you believe him

idk i like to think that dean got to grow old and retire. that doesn't mean he stops helping people, it just means he hangs up his coat and becomes an old man who rambles on and on about 'back in my day' and makes a dent in his leather armchair. there's a foosball table where the dungeon used to be and sam complains about beer bottles being everywhere and it becomes a safe haven for anyone still fighting the good fight. it's just that for dean and the rest of team free will the fight is over. they're done hunting now

[lochyard]

was rewatching season 6 so i could find some soulless Sam scenes and forgot about this interaction in the first episode,

It got me thinking about Deans undying loyalty to Sam and how no matter Sams actions to Dean Sam could do no wrong. Sam could ( and did ) bring upon the end times and Dean's love for him would not waver. To Dean Sam would always be heaven worthy. He immediately sees Sam and thinks first of heaven and I think it just says so much on how he views his little brother.

[insanesonofabitch]

He was thinking about Dean wanting him back here…

[borgialucrezia]

something about cesare being neck-collared by his father by trapping him in the cardinal's robes against his will instilling a deep sense of powerlessness that drove cesare to overcompensate by seeking devotion and exerting domination as he projected the controlling behavior his father imposed on him onto two people who are so different from each other by grabbing them by the neck- the submissive masterless assassin micheletto, and his disobedient incompetent soldier younger brother juan. micheletto was an ideal vessel for cesare to fulfill his need to dominate in being a skilled but obedient killer and all while juan's rebelliousness made it difficult for cesare to control him...the contrast between the malleable (only to cesare) micheletto and the defiant juan is almost highlighting cesare's drive to assert the control that was denied to him by his father...

[genderqueersammy]

No thoughts, just Girl!Sammy with that cursed, horrorgirl pussy that ruins the lives of anyone who has sex with her.

[hoziersmilligan]

"SAM IS LUCIFER'S TRUE VESSEL BECAUSE HE WENT AGAINST HIS FATHER" THIS. SAM IS LUCIFER'S TRUE VESSEL BECAUSE HE WAS THE YOUNGER BROTHER OF A FAR MORE 'DEVOUT' BROTHER" THAT. NO. sam winchester is lucifer’s true vessel because of how much he truly, honestly, believed in god and christianity growing up. how god was one of the only things that sam could lean on during his troubled childhood, only for him to find out what god is truly like. to have to fight on the opposite side of the angels he once prayed to. to see god’s flaws so up close that sam had to aid in the death of him. much like how lucifer loved god dearly, was the favorite son, until he looked closer. until he started questioning god, instead of having pure faith. THATS why sam winchester is lucifer’s true vessel.

[biggentlemenking]

Sam shows Dean his pure young body. Dean loves the idea of being the first and only to ever touch Sam, the one who'll teach his cute stupid little brother what feels good, how to feel good. Sam is so pink and soft, so pure and innocent and only for Dean to love and cherish and kiss and touch.

[superimpulsive]

Samantha and Dean or whatever

[witha-boxofscraps]

Does anyone else find it really interesting that in the absolute climaxes of Cas betraying everyone in the S6 finale and the s7 premiere, the insult Dean comes out with is calling Cas “a child”. And in this moment, Dean is hurting in a way we really haven’t seen before. He’s been betrayed by someone he genuinely considered not just a friend (and more for those who ship Destiel), but family. Cas isn’t like Sam, who is blood, isn’t like Bobby, who was the one who essentially raised Dean. He’s someone Dean met randomly and CHOSE to trust. He’s someone Dean met randomly and BECAME family.

And the thing Dean says with absolute hurt and hatred in his voice is that Cas is a child. So that’s got me thinking, is that the most hurtful insult that Dean can throw? Is that the worst possible thing he can imagine saying to someone he loves? Being viewed as incompetent or in need of looking after? Because we know as viewers that needing care isn’t exclusive to children, there are plenty of people all over the world who are in need of additional care so this isn’t a view I’m supporting but from DEAN’S point of view, being “useless” or “incompetent” is equal to being a “child” which is bad thing.

So how many times do you think it was used against him? When he was an actual child? Being screamed at by John that he should be stronger, faster, braver, smarter, better. That he’s a child for not being a perfect soldier and that he needs to do better.

I know these scenes aren’t specifically about Dean, but the way he uses it as if it’s genuinely a really hurtful insult (bearing in mind this man is thick skinned and says objectively worse things casually every episode) is just really interesting to me.

[homehauntsyou]

thinking about prev post a bit more like. people make jokes about sam’s “”puppy dog eyes”” but if dean truly doesn’t want to do something, they aren’t going to do it. and if sam still wants to do (or even does) said thing after dean says no, then it’s a personal betrayal simply because dean does have that authority to make it so. genuinely it is so painfully clear that they are never really on equal footing once you start looking for it

[incesthemes]

"their relationship is romantic" "their relationship is familial" "their relationship is platonic" you're thinking too narrow. their relationship goes beyond labels. the family is inherently queer. their platonic love is romantic. the erotic is familial. each one is the other and the other is them