#searching for a rainbow

[shallowseeker]

i wonder if the empty deal would've made a bit more sense as like. framing castiel being stagnant as being miserable for him, while allowing himself to change and move onto the next stage of his life would be happiness. like him confessing is not necessarily the Peak of happiness but rather him allowing himself to move past where he's been stuck for the past year, and giving himself permission to be truthful and open, and the empty is punishing him for being willing to change.

You know, I actually quite like that—angels being framed as a kind of prolonged stasis.

ANNA: SICK FOR HOME

Anna hints that this is especially relevant for the soldier class of angels. In 4x10, she talks about being kept in the dark while she was stationed on earth, far away from home/Heaven:

ANNA: I was stationed on earth 2,000 years. Just... watching... silent... invisible... out on the road... sick for home... waiting on orders from an unknowable father I can't begin to understand. So don't tell me that -- 4x10

Anna struggled with being a non-participant in the beauty of her own life. That seems to be a primary reason she fell—this intense loneliness.

//

CAS: LIMITATIONS & REPETITION

And if we go back to Cas’s Ecclesiastes-like breakdown in Season 7, you can see glimmers of that theme there, too—this idea of repetition, futility, the weight of an existence that just is, without real progress or change.

(Aside// Ecclesiastes is a book in the Bible that explores the meaning/meaninglessness of life, and in one of the scripts, Cas mentions favoring it in a conversation with Jack. I've found it fitting ever since.)

In 7x21, Cas talks about the (symbolic) futility of striving for resources, for happiness:

MEG: Oh. Okay. He's at a dog track in Perth. CASTIEL: I’m surrounded by large unhappy dogs. MEG: Yeah, they're unhappy 'cause the rabbit's fake.  [...] CASTIEL: [to MEG] You know, those racing dogs were absolutely miserable. They can only think in ovals. 7x21

Cas talks about this again with respect to the horror of the repetition. It's boring being a non-participant. The wars and sex mean nothing when you love nothing.

CASTIEL: They're from the Garrison – my old Garrison. Looks like Hester's taken over. We were assigned to watch the earth. Often, it was boring. The wars were very boring and the sex – you know, the repetition. Anyway, I was, uh... I was their captain. Isn't that strange? 7x21

CAS: DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM HUMANITY

Here, Cas is retreating into a shell. He's purposely distancing himself from his own life (and mistakes). His breakdown is regression to the nihilism of non-participation.

He distances himself from humanity, from his own feelings, from Dean. He talks about humans in the abstract ("monkeys"), and he seems to retreat into accepting his place as being "a station above them," prospering from humanity's misfortune.

CASTIEL: You know, we weren't sure at first which monkeys were gonna make it. No offense, but I [DEAN moves a marker on the board] was backing the Neanderthals because their poetry was... just amazing. It's in perfect tune [CASTIEL picks up a card] with the spheres. But in the end, it was you – the [CASTIEL moves a marker] homo sapiens sapiens. You guys ate the apple, invented pants. [...] CASTIEL: We live in a "sorry" universe. It's engineered to create conflict. I mean, why should I prosper from... your misfortune? [CASTIEL puts down a marker and moves DEAN’s marker back to the start.] But these are the rules. I didn't make them. 7x21

The human-angel divide is a deep throughline from s6 through s10—and probably beyond. Cas’s struggle with free will, the angel wars, Metatron’s schemes, Gadreel’s arc, even Dean’s Mark. It’s a constant power imbalance, always circling back to what truly makes someone human—or angelic. "I need your blood... I'm not human." / "I'm not human. It won't work for me." / "I just want to be an angel (again)." / "I'm a lot like people." / "Don't make things complicated as you humans tend to do."

//

And yeah, that's a lot of words to say I agree that Cas retains this sense of angelic stoicism/asceticism, even after coming to Earth and loving and protecting his human family.

He's been trained his entire life to hold back emotions (SEE: The implications of the existence of Rit Zien, period). As late as season 10, he's (hypocritically) working to scoop up other angels and send them back to Heaven, even when they want to stay on earth! Then there's his whole... thing with guilt and penance.

Cas is so complicated!

him confessing is not necessarily the Peak of happiness but rather him allowing himself to move past where he's been stuck for the past year, and giving himself permission to be truthful and open ... and the empty is punishing him for being willing to change.

But you're right that this deal has a horrific implication because, as empowering as it is that Cas is breaking out of stasis, in pushing past his angelic asceticism, it reads as punishment.

Even the visual language reinforces punishment. The abyss opens between two handcuffs—literal restraints:

And even at the end, it reads like an empty chair, but not just any empty chair. It's a chair caught in a snare, a devil's trap! Even after the sacrifice is over, Dean’s feet are still inside the circle.

Still trapped there, too (symbolically).

I’ve said it before, but there really is something fascinating about the respective traps in 15x09 "The Trap" and 15x18 "Despair." In both, Cas disappears from the circle. In both, Dean is left desolate and alone.

First, in a Purgatory of the non-participatory non-living. Then, in a torture dungeon.

I mean… deep sigh. I think you're right that there's no way getting around the structural, visceral, visible specter of it being a cruel punishment.

It’s devastating on so many levels.

[bloominglegumes]

hey unironically i find your human prowl design extremely attractive how do you draw women so well? is this sorcery???

thank you i love that sm,, starting now yes it is sorcery ;D

but also for prowl specifically, i have to say i feel like i owe a big part of my design for her from this pirate au series i doodled from while reading a while back and this line from a section focused on jazz/prowl that immediately took me out

LIKE???ok i guess thats the human prowl that exists in my head forever now.the strength of that line is incomparable to any other description to me..i love women

so essentially now when i think of a human prowl all thats in my head is just.gorgeous sharp stern features and also big strong shoulders + arms and also hissy bastard cop with 5+ exes and i just.im nuts is basically what it is

[littlewebtreasures]

Crystal Orbs by Living Graphics

[chimchiri]

During reference search I came across this one stock photo where that one woman is so in awe of the other lady working out it immediately reminded me of Rainbow and how she would most definitely just gawk at Spitfire during any workout

The stock photo in question:

[2000ghosts]

july 12, 2008

[sasunarualways]

this scene may be black and white but all I see is 🌈

[silentgrim]

job market so bad and audacious bcs what do u mean you have to be licensed certified and have a BA for $15/h

[zoekrystall]

Misc icons since I think I should occasionally share the ones I do for myself but I usually only do one so a set isn't happening (some older some newer).

Icon masks by revivalrequiem 🕸 💙, z0mb1tch, and from this rentry.

Some transparents by poketransparents.

Flags in order (minus rainbow and trans flag): fictive (left) fictionkin (right), yandereblood, bigender, rosboy, aroace, faggender, fag

[farkleysparkley]

"Mama look! Farkle drawing baby shows again!"

[chimerafflesia]

for the record I am very excited about the new skill but Konami is still on thin ice until I see a banlist 🥰 we haven't forgotten last time

[jordedraws]

guys dose anyone know who jonesy's VA is? it sounds so freaking familiar to me I swear I know it from somewhere I just don't know were or who,it's driving me crazy!

[rubyceazaart]

Not polished but I wanted to post these bc it took a long time. I drew a Collection of ocs in pairs (mostly) in fancy/fun outfits like they were going to a formal event. Or something.

[averlym]

lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt (but i make these high heels work)

[bl4ckr0se-3006]

I have been rewatching the Equestria Girls, shorts included and I am still getting through the shorts at the moment and plan to move onto the series aftewwards, after finishing the movies for the first time I was reminded that I created an Au of the equestria girls characters. I named each of the girls a more human name, the names being as follows:

Wondercolts:

Rainbowdash - Dasha ‘Dash’ Rainbow

Twilight Sparkle - Twyla Sparkle

Rarity - Rachel ‘Rarity’ Bouffant

Fluttershy - Shyla Flutter

Pinkie Pie - Pinkamena ‘Pinkie’ Pie

Apple Jack - Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Bright

Sunset Shimmer - Sunniva ‘Sunny’ Shimmer

Rainbow Dash family:

Sister (Scootaloo) - Sydney ‘Sid/Scoots’ Rainbow

Pinkie Pie parents:

Father (Igneous Rock Pie) - Igneous Pie

Mother (Cloudy Quartz) - Sariyah ‘Cloudy’ Pie (Maiden surname name: Quartz)

Rarity Family:

Father (Hondo Flanks/Magnum) Magnus Bouffant

Mother (Cookie Crumbles/Betty Bouffant) - Betty Bouffant

Sister (Sweetie Belle): Belle Bouffant

Applejack family:

Mother (Pear Butter) - Buttercup Pear

Father (Bright Mac) - Macintosh ‘Mac’ Bright

Brother (Big ‘Mac’ McIntosh) - Macintosh ‘Mac’ Bright Jr

Sister (Apple Bloom) - Bloom Bright

Grandma (Granny Smith) - No need humanize her name

Fluttershy parents:

Father (Mr. Shy) - Mr. Flutters

Mother (Mrs. Shy) - Mrs Flutters

Sunset Shimmer family:

Mother (Stellar Flare) - Stella Shimmer

Father (Sunspot) - Solaris Shimmer

Brother (Sunburst) - Soleil Shimmer

I have an Aus for these characters. One being a Human/College/School Au and to some extent also an Equestria Girls Horror Au - which was partially inspired by the Rainbow Factory MLP. I would want to play Dasha for either and for this Au Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash are actually related as adoptive sisters both are also orphans. Also no I would not entirely be playing Rainbow Dash as a villain, it’s complicated just know Dasha’s personality was inspired by Rainbow Dash from the Rainbow Factory. If you’re interested pm I am happy to answer whatever questions you have. I can Rp either here or discord. Any ships I haven’t thought out beyond that I would want Dasha to be bi or lesbian. I am also looking to write Dasha as gender-fluid.

[2000ghosts]

october 2, 2009

[windcarvedlyre]

If you aren't familiar with cold reading techniques I think just learning what Barnum statements and rainbow ruse statements are goes a long way for noticing when it's happening. Wikipedia's cold reading page is a good read on these.

TL:DR (at least to my understanding): Barnum statements sound really personal but actually apply to a lot of people. They could be something emotional that's kind of the human condition or something factual that's statistically likely (eg. cancer or other common health problems in the family or 'I'm getting a name beginning with [common letter]'.)

Rainbow ruse statements describe some sort of internal conflict between opposing emotions or traits, eg. needing to be alone sometimes vs enjoying company, but are vague enough that you can relate to them regardless of how heavily you lean towards either side.

The above can create things like 'You want to feel understood by others but also fear being vulnerable' that feel like they're piercing your soul... for a lot of people reading them. Fill a paragraph with these and there will inevitably be some duds but people are willing to overlook those when everything else seems so accurate.