#to deny the fact sam becomes a side character

[mrcowboydeanwinchester]

sam not being the main character wasn't really the point of this post. and i mean. learning about characters through their dialogue is an intrinsic part of storytelling and dean doing scenes with people such as charlie, bobby, benny, cas, donna means we learn about their story AND his. and usually in scenes with women, for example, the story is particularly focused on dean - think his violent arc with charlie during his moc era displaying his loss of control and guilt due to the mark, and his conversation with donna is s14 when he's building the ma'lak box, revolving around his emotional wellbeing - this means that he is the main character.

and then you list the characters that have scenes with sam - rowena, dean, jack, jody, etc - and that is not as long a list as the characters you associated with dean. one of those characters IS dean. and arguably sam's relationship with jody is less explored than dean's (dean using her as a maternal figure etc). so if we are measuring being the main character by the amount and depth of developed relationships with other characters, sam is much less so the main character than dean.

and that is what i am critising in my post! i am not being positive here about sam being seen as a side character! in fact, i would argue that sam being pushed to a supporting character rather than the main character understands his lackluster character development to be MORE unjust than saying he is the main character. recognising that dean becomes the main character over sam is recognising that sam's emotional story narratively becomes seen as less important... thus him appearing not to grieve cas. sam is not the silent hero he is the #silenced hero

i support your samgirling wholeheartedly but objectively dean is the main character. to the detriment of our best friend sam. which is the cause for criticism

the start of s13 is wild because it's so focused on dean's grief that sam just. doesn't get any. so maybe he thinks mary's still alive but his mother is still physically unreachable and he has no idea what has happened to her, which is arguably just as mentally draining and horrific a thing to go through. and cas was his closest friend and he's properly dead; sam was at his funeral. sam watched his best friend die but because cas is closer to dean sam cannot mourn him. and i know it's because dean is the Main Character and has the closest emotional ties with everyone and sam is trying to be the one that helps him and is prioritising dean's grief over his own but god. there's literally no room for his sadness he's hiding his grief in his own house

[deathbxnny]

Have I watched/read JJBA kinda. Is it my new hyper fixation yes. Anyways Giorno Giovanna, Jotaro Kujo, & Jolyne Cujoh with a reader (platonic or romantic idc) that’s like Firefly and her stance is just Sam but it’s called Iron Maiden!

(＃＞＜)

JJBA characters with a Firefly-like! Fem! Reader | Jolyne Cujoh, Jotaro Kujo, Giorno Giovanna

As someone who can easily say that JJBA is their favorite anime, I absolutely love this idea, Anon!! I made this a romantic hc, so I hope you'll like it!<33

Content: Vague mentions of chronical illness, mentions of potential future death by illness, angst, hurt/comfort, sfw

Reader is fem/afab in this, but no pronouns are mentioned!

((Not proofread))

》JOLYNE CUJOH

Jolyne met you in jail as a cell mate, one she quickly found a lot in common with, especially regarding your rather special stand abilities. But your illness is what really drew her to you and made her determined to keep you safe after you became a couple. Her heart ached knowing you were stuck in a prison, when you should be out there experiencing life as much as you still could, but alas, you were here with her, and she tried to make things easier for you with her presence.

She was left stunned however, when you were attacked by some stand users and quickly found out that you perhaps didn't need the extensive help and care she had given you after all. Sam, your stand, was more than enough to destroy any enemy in sight, something she found absolutely awesome. Jolyne would absolutely cheer you on from the sidelines, completely forgetting that she had to fight too.

It makes her proud to see how strong you are despite your potential deadly fate and hopes to stay at your side until the end.

》JOTARO KUJO

You both were childhood friends turned lovers, and so he was very much aware of your condition from day one. He watched as your illness progressed to become worse and worse until you were left unable to walk properly anywhere. But what hurt the most deep down was that you always remind me so gentle and calm with him anyway, despite his rather aloof and indifferent personality. His mother often teased him playfully for being so soft with you and only you, but he'd just stubbornly deny it every time.

With that said, anyone that hurts you is practically dead before they know it. He doesn't play around when it comes to your health or well-being, and so it does come to some sort of relief that your stand is extremely powerful. It made protecting and keeping you safe a lot easier when you could just do it yourself, too. This doesn't mean he won't keep his eyes on you at all times anyway.

Jotaro is somewhat in denial about what's most likely going to be your early passing due to your sickness, despite his rational mind. He doesn't want to think or hear about it, as it hurts too much to lose you as well.

》GIORNO GIOVANNA

Giorno met you through Bucciarati, and whilst you weren't directly a part of the gang, you were still an important person in it due to your stands immense strength. You immideatly introduced him to it through a battle against an enemy stand user, which made him take interest in you initially. You were gentle and soft-spoken, so it was definitely a contrast he quickly became infatuated with over time. But what really got him about you was that you were able to do all these great things despite being gravely ill.

It served as a reminder that life was cruel, and yet Giorno wasn't phased by it. In fact, he hoped that once he was successful with the mission of overtaking the boss, he'd eventually be able to get you the medical care you needed. He was determined to find a way to stop the illness or at least make life better for you, so you became another goal for him to fight for.

You can always count on him for anything and everything, that's for sure. He loves you greatly and wants to show you that by staying by you even when things get worse. So if you inevitably die, then he'll be there until your last breath.

[esther-dot]

You know sometimes fans forget that Dany was raised by Viserys and he fed Targ exceptionalism and blood purity to her. He taught her that Targs have right to Westeros. Plus she is surrounded by toxic people who generally feeds her Targ propaganda. At many times she started emaluting like her toxic family. Yet they think that Dany an underdog shouldn't be punished by narrative. That her becoming like her evil family is reductive story.

I understand the discomfort fans have with some of Martin’s choices here, but he said that the Targaryens were inspired by the Ptolemy dynasty, which imo indicates he always intended to tell the story of the end of house Targaryen. I really don’t think he expected fans to believe Dany would be victorious and restore House Targaryen, simply because, it isn’t a good thing for people to liken themselves to gods or believe in blood purity. The fact that the fandom has ostracized those who point to such things as bad is…interesting.

At the same time, I do have a lot of sympathy for those who feel that it is offensive to write an abuse victim turning into an abuser. But, we can have objections to things Martin has written without denying what he’s done. I think that’s an essential aspect of engaging with this series, actually. Viserys is such an abusive, horrible force in Dany’s life, and I do think she could have been different / had a different end if she wasn’t so influenced by him/the Targ beliefs. She still has good instincts, the desire to do good, but it isn’t enough for her to reject all the Targ ideas he inculcated in her at such a young age.

I think it’s gonna get so much worse because the fear that “waking the dragon” inspires in Dany (and us!) because of Viserys’ abuse makes that an especially worrisome phrase, and while it features a lot in AGOT, we understandably start to see it far less as the series goes on until it pops up again from Dany’s own lips in ADWD. To me, that must be a deliberate choice on the author’s part to indicate where this is heading. I suppose the frustration is that it feels like Dany is doomed by her blood because we know she has better instincts. We know she doesn’t *want* to be evil, but Martin has talked about being the hero in one’s own story, the villain being the hero of the other side, and no other character has the potential to carry that the way Dany does. We either have people who are recognized as villains by everyone, heroes, and then those who are clearly doing bad things but people deny it means anything. The interest in having a psychological reason for why someone makes the choices they do (Cersei has them, Tyrion, the Hound, even LF…) means that we can relate and see them as humans, which is a worthy goal artistically, even though for some people, the abused to abuser take is too much.

I suppose what saves the story from being reductive is how many characters we have? As in, Jon is a Targ, and we know he will not give into the worst Targaryen impulses—this isn’t about blood. Sam was raised in a toxic/abusive environment, and he is kind and good — this isn’t a story in which your fate is written by your abusers. Bran was driven from his home and starved in the North but will ultimately have some hand in saving Westeros— this isn’t a story in which all those who are wronged are forever exiled / doomed to failure.

I know we all pick our favs and think “of this happens to X, the story is saying Y,” but it isn’t quite that simple, and Dany is only part of a much more complex whole.

[theredpharaoah]

Except it’s been established from the literal beginning of the show that the girls can summon spirits. Hell, it’s established that spirits can summon themselves; Grams is constantly telling them what spells to use, Patty saves Prue in the first Friday the 13th episode, etc. All that changed in later seasons was that they became more skilled and powerful and they could summon spirits to the point they were corporeal. This didn’t change the fact that the dead couldn’t stay permanently and that they still existed in two different worlds. I loved this aspect of the show. Because the girls being Wiccan mean they had a different relationship with death - one many religions other than mainstream Christianity do; The Dead aren’t gone, they’ve just gone over the next hill. We are in constant community with the Dead and Charmed showed that beautifully.

I also don’t agree with them saying her character degenerated over the course of the series like the girls. This was the original statement of this post. They were talking about lot in the comments about her misandry and saying that she couldn’t see that all men weren’t bad….Leo? Andy? Grams and her comments about men were 1. True and 2. Obviously there are men this doesn’t apply to. Are we really doing “Not all men…” with Grams? Be serious. Grams shows up more often because the girls become more comfortable with death and because it’s needed so that Paige can establish familial connections. She doesn’t know Grams or Patty at all.

Someone also said that they didn’t like Grams because she casted spells on them as children and made Viktor leave. God. The spell Grams cast was to protect them from Nicholas. Did you even watch the series? And after Patty died, I’m assuming Grams didn’t think she could handle him on her own. I mean we see that Grams’ heart condition is already a thing when the Girls are toddlers/gestating in “That 70s Episode”. The demon-hunting/vanquishing duties of the Halliwell line seemed to have been taken up by Patty at that point. Grams wasn’t there when she died at the camp. And Grams did not make Viktor leave. Grams and Viktor constantly argued but she did not make him leave. Viktor, Patty, and Penny constantly argued about how to raise the girls. The former wanted to raise them as mortals and the latter two wanted to raise them as witches. Viktor left for a bit the year Phoebe was conceived/born, and came back that same year after discovering she was born. He also didn’t like Sam because Patty started spending a lot of time with him. And she most likely started doing this because Viktor was so anti-Wicca and Sam obviously wasn’t. He left when they had an affair and came back when Patty died. Grams was a grandmother and overbearing and Viktor and her constantly argued. He left after a demon attacked on Piper’s fifth birthday. Grams told the girls he was dangerous after that. She most likely did this because he didn’t want them to be witches at all. It would seem like him and Grams would align but they really don’t.

Grams always intended for them to be witches, but she didn’t think they were ready in the time leading up to her death. And we see that they really weren’t. Phoebe’s time in New York on her own obviously caused her to mature to a level she was not exhibiting in the time around Grams’ death. Prue and Piper also needed some time to sort out their issues. The sad fact of the matter is that they were too dependent on Grams, and they really couldn’t grow until she was gone. And we know that Grams was still able to influence them from the other side cuz she literally does that all throughout the show. She’s most likely the one who opens the attic for Phoebe in episode 1. I don’t think Grams would’ve ever denied them their powers if they found out and confronted her. And if they’d already began their job as Charmed Ones, I don’t think she would’ve took them away(she really wouldn’t have been able to) from them if she didn’t agree with how they were doing something or if they were in danger. Viktor would. We see that in episode 2 of season 1. He doesn’t care how the girls feel about the matter and works with evil if it gets him what he wants - the girls to be safe mortals. Not realizing that if the girls were mortal their enemies would quickly move to get rid of them in their vulnerable state. This is what Grams meant when she said he was a danger to them. Viktor is ignorant of the supernatural world and would try to protect them without becoming educated on the world or the girls’ duty and this would endanger them.

It’s also clear that Grams did care for Viktor. Viktor talks about how horrified she was when he saved Prue from the Demonic Ice Cream Truck. He probably was offended when she said he survived purely cuz of luck, but I think she was just being realistic. Viktor had no powers and he wasn’t likely to fare well against demons. I think she was really hurt when he left her alone to take care of the girls.

[nowandforalways]

I'm having emotions again and I think that this point about Michael!Sam is actually really exemplified by the way that Spencer!Frodo delivered a specific line in Now And For Always: "tired and cold".

So, for anyone who doesn't know (though you're literally reading a post from a blog called "nowandforalways" so I'm not sure how you got here if you don't know but either way I'm very happy that you're here :D ), in the second verse of Now And For Always, Sam is singing about Frodo like he's a hero in hobbit stories. He sings

Sing me a story of Frodo and the Ring! Fearless and bold,

To which Frodo replies

Tired and cold!

In most performances of the song, this line is played as Frodo correcting Sam. Like "No, no, Samwise dear. You're very sweet, but I'm not fearless or bold. I'm tired and cold." which can almost be...condescending is too strong of a word (not that I think upperclass mega-nerd Frodo Baggins is above being condescending, but I don't think it's happening here). But there's definitely an energy of like "Oh, sweet, innocent, silly Sam. He's being totally earnest, but he's wrong."

The way that Spencer!Frodo does it, however; is different. For starters, Michael!Sam is definitely being a lot more obvious about his intention to cheer Frodo up with the verse - he does a big sort of swooping, pointing gesture with his hand right at Frodo as he starts singing - he's making a production of it. And instead of chuckling a little and shutting Sam down by correcting him, Frodo "yes, and"s him - he leans forward, and does his own little gesture (if my sieve-like memory of what I saw last weekend serves, he sort of spread his hands like he was presenting the words on a page) as he adds his contribution. His vocal delivery added to the vibes - I'm having a hard time putting it into words, but the basic gist of it was that he was more or less matching Sam's tone as best he could, making his words just the next part of that line, opposed to making it sound like a totally new musical phrase. The overall effect was less "It should be this instead" and more "It should be this also". Which is furthered when, a few seconds later, Sam sings

Sword at his side: an elf blade called Sting

and Frodo pulls the sword in question out of his belt with the cutest little "rah!" sound, and holds it up triumphantly. He's not shutting Sam down. He's not ignoring Sam's words. He's letting himself be cheered up. He's playing along with him in an incredibly genuine way. He's playing.

He's not denying that what Sam says may in fact become real one day. He's just adding more details, both to be funny (cause it is funny), and because he wants to join in with his dear friend in making up words to a song that they both know, and to have a moment of home & joy & comfort in the middle of awful places, and to acknowledge that yes, he is in fact a hero in a story just like the ones they used to tell at home. Sam is right, and Frodo knows it. So "tired and cold" is still a joke, but it's a joke because of Frodo's goofy body language and the whiplash of the words themselves when compared to everything before them, and it has nothing to do with Sam.

tldr; "tired and cold" is still a joke, but not at Sam's expense, therefore adding to the excellent way that the Chicago production of the musical portrays Sam as an interesting, 3-dimensional character who is obviously intelligent and respected by those around him but still has that typical Sam-ness that we have all come to expect.

Thank you and heyday

I'm back and I'm having emotions about Samwise Gamgee.

I'm trying to articulate why Michael Kurowski's Sam is actually possibly surpassing Bill Nighy for my favorite Sam and is at the very least tied and I think it's because the way that he plays him (and the way that everyone else plays off of him), Sam is allowed to not know things, without his social class ever being the butt of a joke.

Like he was much closer to movie Sam and BBC radio Sam than Watermill Sam in that he was wide-eyed and wondering and very straightforward and emotionally effusive and a lot like what you'd picture when you picture in your mind's eye how Samwise Gamgee acts.

But it was never his lack of knowledge that was the butt of the joke. Or, like, the fact that he was Sam that made things funny, if that makes any sense.

He wasn't being a caricature of a country bumpkin. He was being...a realistic country bumpkin? One who's still a 3-dimensional person with loads of intelligence and also is respected by the people around him?

Yeah. Michael!Sam, man. So freakin good.

[doctorprofessorsong]

Destiel fic recs

A little something for everyone this time around as I ping ponged through a lot of great fics recently. I contain multitudes, okay?

A Novel Affair by EllenofOz and MalMuses @ellen-of-oz @malmuses (Explicit, 77k)

Ok, look. If you read my brain waves and used them to whip up a fic perfectly tailored to me, this is probably what the ficometer 2000 would spit out. A 2plt Regency fic with book porn, talk of little cakes and horses. It wasn’t enough to read it. Etch it onto my skull.

The story is a delightful, mostly fluffy rom com style fic with low angst and lots of fun. Cas inherits a tea shop and reading room (a dream come true for every bookstore gay). He can't help but be distracted by Dean, a local wealthy landowner who is obviously not interested in him (and who is on the marriage mart seeking a title). Unless . . . .

The story is sweet and light. These versions of Dean and Cas are so earnest and I can't say enough about the amazing cast of characters featured in the town. It has all the yearning of a Regency fic and vintage gay feels. But it's also so hopeful and joyous.

Revelation 13 by fullvoid @fullvoidao3 (Explicit, 43k)

And now for something completely different: murder husbands. This fic is a Silent Hill 4 AU. If you've played the game, it brings the creepiness and the gore (and you definitely don't have to have played to enjoy this fic). Dean and Sam wake up to discover they're trapped in their apartment. The only way out is a terrifying hole that appeared in the bathroom wall overnight. What they find on the other side is a dangerous hellscape ruled by terrifying and sadistic monsters.

Please mind the tags. This is unapologetically a horror fic with blood and guts and monsters, but it is a fantastic one with some pretty delightful grossouts if that's your thing (it's definitely mine). Also Dean and Cas are 100% murder boyfriends and morally pretty dark. But that’s what makes their dynamic fun. They would burn down the world for each other without a second thought. In addition to some top notch horror writing, this fic brings the humor. I was laughing my ass off. And it has the nerve to have some deeply poetic and haunting lines. It's seriously a fantastic romp in this genre.

The Parts of Our Sum by Annie D (scaramouche) @no-gorms (Explicit, 55k)

I am foaming at the mouth over this one, y'all. It's older and fairly well known, so you may have heard of it, but I am still going to scream into the void and stomp my feet and tell you to read it.

A sci fi AU where Cas is essentially a cyborg. A guy raised to fight for a nameless conglomerate Corporation. He was enhanced for battle and now that war is over, he has settled into a quiet routine of working on a training base and trying to save up enough money to buy his freedom. Dean is a civilian with deep animosity for the Corporation reluctantly working on the base so that he can be near his friends and family who are training to go into space. Both of them can't deny the pull they feel towards the other that seems to be challenging their plans.

This one is a Cas perspective that gives me deep canon angel Cas feels. Particularly the way Cas sees himself as company property defined solely by his utility. Despite being an AU, this one is deeply rooted in canon and it becomes at times a masterful character study, made more impressive by the fact that it was written in 2013. In fact, there were parts that felt so much like Despair and some of the late seasons that I kept double checking the post date. In summary, it grabs all the gooey Cas defines himself by his utility character beats and squashes them into your brain like play dough. The story is deeply satisfying and had me on edge despite the promise of a happy ending through all of the angst.

our lights in ashes by teen_dean @urne-buriall (Mature, 68k)

This fic is a masterpiece and a bit brain melting and crunchy and it's also a bit of a challenge to explain. It's really two fics in one. Dean and Jack on a delightfully Supernatural road trip solving cases (with some OCs who will live in my brain forever). The cases are fun. Inventive and clever, unusual monsters. Great stuff. Tying them all together is Cas and the other half of the story.

See, post 15x19 Jack tried and failed to get Cas back. But he's been appearing. To Dean and to save people being attacked by monsters. I don't want to spoil anything, but its deliciously high concept with some really fascinating elements.

Intertwined in this are some staggeringly beautiful themes about family and rebuilding after trauma. About love. About doing the work. It’s gorgeous.

Friends this one is a ride and a fantastic one.

Non Solum by thisisapaige @thisisapaige (Explicit, 16k)

Witchy!Cas meets Hunter!Dean in a fun fantasy story with phenomenal worldbuilding and lots of delightful details. When Dean is seriously injured during a hunt, he's sure that it's all over. That is until he stumbles upon a cabin in the woods. Cas is a witch trying to leave his complicated and dark past behind. When a man who would probably just as soon kill him as look at him collapses on his doorstep, he has to decide whether his own protection is more important than saving a life.

Dean and Cas are both so lonely. They have early season vibes. That plus the amazing worldbuilding makes this a really fun read.

Wavelength-gasm by Mumble_Bee (Explicit, 11k)

If you are in the mood for some absurd comedy and smut, you are in luck. The premise is simple: Cas gets hit with a fuck or die spell only it's his trueform that needs to have sex. Dean finds himself presented with the unique challenge of giving a celestial beam of light a hand job. It's horny, kinky and hilarious. Plus the true form descriptions are top notch. It's a delightful romp.

The State of You by TrenchcoatBaby (Explicit, 101k)

Writer Dean Winchester has a problem. After three successful books, he finds himself with severe writer’s block. Writer’s block stemming from a rather surprising discovery about himself. But his editor, Anna, isn't going to let him fail, even if I means sending her collegue to troubleshoot in person. She knows Castiel can help, if he and Dean don't strangle each other first.

This one has some delightful rom com elements including an awkward meet ugly and some rather stark misunderstandings, but it manages to pack an emotional punch at times as well. It was one of those fics that I could barely put down. Entertaining and sweet, sometimes heartbreaking but with a soft landing.

Carnival Oasis (Series) by violue @violue (Explicit, 47k with 10 installments)

I love a story that really leans into Cas as a strange, somewhat alien ancient creature. This story definitely fits the bill. Dean is a hunter who encounters a strange creature that feeds on sin/regret. He's fairly sure Castiel isn't malevolent, so why can't he stop going back?

Dean is a bit softer than in canon, taking a nuanced approach to hunting. Cas is less human as well. It makes for a really fun combination. I don't want to spoil anything, but the backstory for Cas is a amazing in this fic. Overall, it's a really fun take with low angst and lots of softness and humor.

---tag list---

@varlysca @naturallyathief @greatbigbugger @fandoms-and-things @cascodedtech @you-cant-spell-subtext-without @deanwasalwaysbi @fellshish @valleydean

[jackoshadows]

I think even if by any chance Arya forgives Sansa they would never be besties, they are just way too different. And especially now they had such different life experiences, the only thing they have in common is seeing their father die. It's really forced whenever people say they'll be besties.

Agree. I don't see them being besties. They are too different for that.

Which is why I really hope that Arya and Daenerys meet and GRRM is able to give us that one good female relationship between main characters. Dany and Missandei is great, however Missandei is a tertiary character. Meanwhile we have Jon/Sam and Jon/Robb and Bran/Robb and Tyrion/Jon and all these great male friendships and brotherhood between main male characters.

GRRM has the chance to do that with Arya and Daenerys and I hope he does. They are even in the same continent right now! They share the same philosophy, sense of right and wrong, empathy for the smallfolk, desire for justice.

Sansa is such a thinly written character, especially in the early books that I am not even looking forward to the resolution of the Sansa-Arya relationship. For example, GRRM mentioned that Sansa becomes more sympathetic once she accepted responsibility for her role in Ned's death

Sansa was the least sympathetic of the Starks in the first book; she has become more sympathetic, partly because she comes to accept responsibility for her part in her father's death. - GRRM (Amazon UK interview)

Where exactly in the text did Sansa accept responsibility or feel sorry for what she did? That's one of the issues I have with the character - the lack of instrospection. At no point does she feel any remorse or guilt for her actions. Even Arya feels guilt for Mycah - despite not being in the wrong for what she did. Jon feels guilt and apologizes all the time. He has some savage dark dreams because of what he did to Gilly. Daenerys feels guilt for leaving Astapor to the mercy of barbarians - that's why she stays on in Meereen. Characters feel guilt and remorse for their actions and try to do things differently the second time around - that's what makes them human.

We just don't see this with Sansa. She rightly blames the Lannisters and thinks she was stupid to trust them - which, yes she was an idiot considering how cartoonishly evil Joffrey was in AGoT. However, she still blames Arya for what happened to Lady, still does not think of how she was wrong to tattle all of Ned's plans to Cersei and give away the whereabouts of the ship that was supposed to take her, Arya and Jeyne away to the North. Still does not feel any kind of way about how she treated her little sister and kept siding with Joffrey against her.

This is also why it's easy for fandom to point fingers at characters like Dany, Jon and Arya etc. because they, rightly or wrongly, exhibit guilt and remorse. Instead of finding it admirable that these characters feel guilt and apologize and learn from their mistakes and make it right, fandom crucifies these characters for their mistakes.

Jon gets rightly called out as a bully because he acknowledges this and apologizes. Arya feels guilt for Mycah and certain fans use this to blame her for what happened. Dany is critiqued as a bad/evil ruler because she feels guilt for Astapor. Introspection is a good thing for any ruler/leader! It's in fact a necessary trait.

Sansa however feels no guilt or remorse or never thinks of apologizing for mocking and bullying and just her general treatment of Arya - and we get the 'just siblings being typical siblings' discourse every other day. The author comes right out and says that Sansa played a part in what happened to Ned and she accepts responsibilty for this, and they still deny it. Sansa is just not a well written character IMO for all the love her fans have for her.

Maybe the Arya-Sansa reunion is when GRRM writes in Sansa finally acknowledging how much of a toxic elder sister she was to Arya and begins to repair that relationship by genuinely apologizing.

[ruby-whistler]

/dsmp /rp

"c!Dream was never manipulated or influenced by anybody, he became a villain through his own bad decisions and he deserves what he got."

look me in the eyes and tell me that anyone, anyone on the smp tried to help him. i dare you.

george, who manipulated the public opinion against him for fun? who turned people against dream? who twisted dream's words, guilt-tripped him, made him out to be the bad guy when he tried to protect him? george, who never once visited him, or showed to be of any support, after everything dream had done for him since the very beginning of the server?

sapnap, who never tried to support him? who never told dream they were wrong about him? who dream covered for, again and again, taking the blame for sapnap's mistakes and fixing his mess, just for sapnap to turn against him, and believe the first bad thing tommy or george said, without ever listening to dream? sapnap, who visited him in prison, only to say he deserves to stay there, in terrible conditions, until his death, and that he'll kill him if he won't?

puffy, his self-proclaimed "guardian", who enabled his plans in giving him obsidian to build the walls without him ever saying a word? who never tried to talk him out of it, or to talk to him at all, then proceeded to say he should be in prison and that he doesn't deserve therapy or for her to visit him?

wilbur, who crafted a narrative in which dream was a tyrant for trying to preserve freedom and unity? who spread lies and forced this worldview onto everyone he met? who only ever sided with dream after proclaiming himself evil?

tommy, who doesn't look out or empathize with anyone besides himself and the small group of people that he cares about? who believed wilbur's every word, called dream the ultimate villain of the server, long before dream ever hurt him?

quackity, who condemned dream for seeking out power when he himself was hungry for control? who supported george and sapnap, the only people he had left, in leaving him?

sam, who worked alongside dream as he was spiralling? who tortured dream through starvation and punishment in the prison even before quackity came in? who dehumanized him, called him a monster, denied him basic human rights?

punz, the last person dream was hanging on to? who knew what dream wanted, and knew exactly how far he was willing to take it, but did nothing to stop him or try suggest a different approach? who betrayed him for a better pay with no regrets whatsoever?

don't get me wrong, some of these characters i don't blame for their actions, but the point is that dream was completely and utterly alone.

as much as cc!dream's said himself c!dream is "reserved" and likes to "withhold emotions" (aka he's an emotionally repressed bastard), there were big red flags blowing in the wind for his friends. just the fact that everyone seemed to hate dream just for trying to help and mediate since the beginning. that he isolated himself emotionally and acted so unlike what he was before. that he felt so lost and scared that he became desperate to try and control the situation. that he cut all attachments, accepted he was a "monster".

no one in the entire server of mostly adults, many of whom were older than him, tried to help him in any way, before villainizing, dehumanizing, and attempting to kill him.

when you're trying to do what's right and repeatedly get told you're in the wrong, doesn't that mess with your morals, your perception? when everyone says you're a bad person for trying to keep people from creating division, and no one disputes it, doesn't that make you feel lost and confused?

dream was going through a spiral, even if we didn't see it on screen. the dream from the l'manberg war is so much different from the dream during the disc war finale.

i wish more people realized that people's utter ignorance of that, of all the characters' choice to believe dream's a villain without any proof, until he became one, was in essence what caused him to become as corrupted as he did.

dream's choices were his own, but the reason he was willing to go to such lengths was the product of the environment he was in.

that is why i believe c!dream's a product of his environment, the entire dream smp is absolutely screwed, and every single one of them needs therapy.

thanks for something to my tedtalk.

[docholligay]

It occurs to me, now that I am sane, that while pounce has played the running game, and probably read that and went "oooh yeah" the rest of you have not in fact played 4 seasons of a game based around running.

ANYWAY, so Zombies, Run had a fairly decent story for every single episode having to involve you running, and it had a half-assed anyone can die ethos. Anyone could die, but not the main characters. Not unusual. Fine. Cool.

So then, they do this whole thing. With Paula, one of the either light main characters or heavy side characters, depending on how you choose to look at it, but certainly a very involved character. For reasons that don't matter here, she was infected with a zombie virus, but had access to treatment that can hold it at bay, but not stop it. Seasons 3 and 4 have this REALLY good arc, where the treatment gets less and less effective, and Paula is staring down the barrel of realizing eventually she will die. There's a great--again, for a game based on running--bit about her wife Maxine, and how she won't stop trying to fix it, how she can't admit to herself that Paula is going to die, and Paula has this incredible bit where she's basically like, 'Listen I need everyone to get fucking real here, because you are all making this harder for me by denying what's happening."

A great arc, for this show/game. Paula's dying, presumably, is done really well, and there were parts I found genuinely moving.

But.

Then they save her. She's out of it, she's basically only not been killed because maxine can't fucking handle it and we could have done a whole fun thing there I guess, but then WE FIND OUT THAT MIRACULOUSLY ANOTHER ONE OF THE CHARACTERS MAKES ANTI-ZOM BLOOD PRODUCTS AND THEY INFUSE HER AND SAVE HER LIFE. Back to normal. Becomes a runner. Oh, also, the anti-zom thing only works once because we can't be using Sam like a pharmacy, even though that would be a far more interesting way to take this if it had to exist.

I was SO PISSED. I got dicked around, emotionally toyed with, for NOTHING. I cannot STAND that shit. You want to kill a character, you want to spend weeks making me care about it, talking about acceptance and grief and all that? Wonderful. Love it. But you cannot do that and then say "just kidding!" and then keep me as a monthly subscriber. I had been subscribing for YEARS. I'd played a bunch of the side missions and stories (which is why it took me so long to get to season four) I was HAPPY to give my money every month.

Canceled, haven't touched it since.

Season four. SO YOU CAN GUESS

[babyboibucky]

Deserve Better

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky disappeared and came back only to say goodbye.

Word Count: 2,887

Warnings: angsty angsty angsty angsty angsty

A/N: Post-endgame timeline with lotsa angst! Included Andy Barber here because why the fuck not but he’s really not a major character lol

Deserve Better || Undeserving || Deserve The Best

MAIN MASTERLIST

-

The day you got Bucky back was the same day he said goodbye. He left you— said it was for the best— just as when your fingertips touched him for the first time after five years of longing.

Your reunion with Bucky after the snap was nothing like the movies, far from it actually. A lot of things happened when he was snapped back, in between the battle with Thanos and Tony’s funeral. Besides, you weren’t an Avenger; you didn’t work for SHIELD nor the CIA. In fact, you remained oblivious of the battle that was going on until the moment of chaos caused by the sudden reappearances of half of the world’s population.

And then you received a message from Steve, about the tragedy and the sacrifice of Tony Stark. He was inviting you to the funeral and as much as you felt devastated from the loss of a hero, you couldn’t help but focus your attention on the last line of Steve’s message.

Bucky’s going to be there too. He’s back. He needs you to be there with him.

It wasn’t until the funeral was over that you finally got to have Bucky all to yourself. You had locked gazes when you arrived and staring back into his beautiful blue eyes again made your knees weak.

Bucky was really back.

“Hi.” He greeted you first, his voice remained the same— soft and gentle.

One word was enough to make you feel the warmth of his existence. Hearing him, seeing him again felt like finally coming home after a very long, tiring day.

“Hi, Buck.” You whispered.

Bucky’s smile was all it took for the dam to finally break. You’d burst into tears right then and there and you were more than ready to feel his arms around you after years of hugging yourself to sleep during his absence.

But the warmth never came. If any, Bucky stopped himself from doing so. You frowned when he took a step back from you, extending his metal arm to keep you at a certain length away from him.

“I’m sorry.” He uttered, refusing to meet your gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“I have to go.” He explained, gently squeezing your arm before rubbing circles on your skin using his thumb.

You didn’t understand why Bucky needed to go when he just got back. You just got him back. You had spent years crying over his disappearance only for him to come back and disappear again?

Bucky explained that he thought he got better but things have become so vastly different after the snap that it left him feeling broken and different again. He told you about Steve’s decision to go back in time, never to return again. How Tony’s death made him feel like it was too late to set things straight and how he would probably carry the guilt and regret from not being able to apologize for what he had done.

“I’ll help you, Buck. We’ll work through this together. I want to be by your side when things get better.” You insisted, tears blurring your vision as you tried to reach for Bucky, wanting to feel him again after such a long time.

But Bucky kept on moving away from you, he kept on pushing you away and you wanted to understand why he wouldn’t let you touch him.

“I’ll only hurt you, I don’t want that to happen. I want to get better because you deserve better. But I can’t do that with you because this...this is something that I gotta figure out by myself.” He further explained.

You shook your head, unable to accept his decision. “Buck...I don’t think I can lose you again. I just got you back...I can’t afford to lose you again, please?”

When you attempted to reach for Bucky’s hand, he finally let you. You quickly entwined your fingers through his metal ones and savored how they felt against your skin. They were cold as usual, but Bucky always oozed a certain warmth that made you feel safe.

But now they’re just that— cold and hard.

“I love you. I’ll wait, Bucky.” You murmured and tugged at his hand before he could even let you go.

Bucky smiled sadly at you, “You don’t have to, doll.”

You shook your head and brought Bucky’s hand to your lips as you cried, “I want to. And I will.”

Pressing one final kiss on his hard knuckles, you watched Bucky slip his hand away from yours before turning around to leave. You felt your chest tighten as if you lost all the oxygen in your lungs the same way you lost Bucky.

Losing him the second time around proved to be even more painful. Because this time, he didn’t just disappear.

He walked away.

-

You waited for Bucky to come home to you for days and weeks until they turned into months...and then years. Still, no Bucky walked through your doorstep but you never stopped hoping.

Sleep was such a rare occurrence to you since Bucky walked away. How do you honestly cope with the loss of someone when you haven’t even healed yet from his first disappearance? You wanted to get mad at him, curse him for suddenly deciding to leave you. But you felt selfish for even thinking about that, because Bucky left to better himself.

To be better for you. He said so himself.

So you kept waiting for him to come back. You made it your reason to keep going. You looked forward to the day you’d hear your door open followed by his heavy foot steps. You wondered, would he smell the same then? Would he still be using your favorite perfume on him? One that smelled like cedar wood and mint and well, Bucky. Would his hair still be of the same length? What about his beard? Would he shave them off before coming back home?

How about his gaze? Would his blue ones still look at you as if you were his moon?

As much as these thoughts made you miss him more, they were the ones that you held onto. They were like your glimmer of hope on nights you were the loneliest, on nights you cried and dreamt of his return only to wake up to an empty, cold space beside you.

You held onto these thoughts every single day in hopes of them becoming real soon enough.

People have told you to move on, to not waste your time waiting for someone who walked away just like that. But you trusted Bucky when he said he wanted to be better because you deserved better. You couldn’t move on, not from Bucky.

You love him with your entire being, so much that his absence caused you physical pain too. You couldn’t even find the right words to describe how much you love Bucky.

In the three years that you spent waiting, you’d met a lot of people too. People who showed interest but none of them really won you over.

You’d met a man named Andy through work. He was a lawyer and was dealing with his own divorce. The connection was there and you wouldn’t deny that.

Two people dealing with the grief from losing someone they love, it wasn’t that hard not to find a common ground. And you did find some solace in Andy and him in you. But it was just that, nothing more and nothing less.

“How has it been?” You asked Andy after he had settled into the booth across of you.

The restaurant was surprisingly scarce on a Sunday morning. Usually there were plenty of customers, their chatters overpowering the soft music playing in the background. Now, it was peaceful and the radio was turned off. There were only the clinks of plates of being set on tables and the footsteps of the staff walking around the place as they attended to the few customers around.

It was serene and peaceful, pretty much like Andy’s aura when he arrived.

“I wouldn’t say I’m fine but I guess I’m at a much better place now than before.” He said with a nod, as if he was finally agreeing with himself after questioning his emotions for the past few months.

You offered a kind smile and placed a hand on top of his, “It shows, Andy. I’m glad. I’m happy for you.” You said.

He had been going through a lot of emotions since he signed the divorce papers. He didn’t want to but knew it was for the best. Andy had a son, Jacob, and he didn’t want for his son to grow up in an environment where his parents no longer slept on the same bed. As much as he loved Laurie, the relationship was no longer working and was becoming toxic the more they stayed together.

“And you?” Andy asked back before calling the waiter.

You let out a deep breath, “Still waiting.” You chuckled as your stared at your hand that remained on top of Andy’s.

Andy spared you an apologetic glance but nodded, “I do hope he knows how lucky he is.” He said, turning his palm up so he could hold your hand.

To others, the gesture may seem romantic but it really wasn’t. You and Andy both knew that despite the similarities and the comfort you found in each other, the both of you were not meant to be together in that way.

Your heart still belonged to Bucky after all.

-

When you received an invitation from Sam Wilson, you felt confused and excited. There was going to be a huge gala at the compound to honor Steve Rogers’ legacy as Captain America.

You’d heard the news about Steve’s passing not long after he went back in time. He finally got to live the life he deserved and when he came back, it was as if everything had been corrected. He may no longer be the super soldier that many knew but he remained the same person— but he wasn’t the man out of time anymore. Despite his white hair and wrinkles, Steve looked the happiest he had ever been.

You wondered how Bucky coped up with such a huge loss, you always worried for him.

It sparked debate though, Steve’s decision to leave the Avengers. Some got angry, said that Steve was selfish for doing that. Others showed sympathy, that Steve didn’t owe the world anything. He’d spent a lifetime fighting for everyone. It was time that he fought for himself and what he deserved. And Sam fought just as hard for Steve’s legacy and finally, all his hard work finally paid off.

What confused you was whether Bucky was going to be there? Does he know about the gala? Was he finally back? If he was, why hasn’t he come home to you yet? You had so many questions that you wanted to ask.

The answers though, were literally in the palm of your hand— the invitation.

-

It was no surprise how big the gala was. Just on your way inside, you’d already come across a lot of big personalities. There were politicians and popular celebrities too. You felt intimidated given that you went by yourself and that you weren’t really part of their world.

You were just you, someone who had fallen in love with one Bucky Barnes who introduced you to the world of superheroes. The rest was history.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” You turned around and found Sam approaching you with a huge smile.

You embraced him and smiled as you pulled away, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” You told him.

It was Steve and Sam that you’d met first and they were nothing but kind to you. Despite being well, ordinary, they welcomed you like their own when Bucky had introduced you.

Sam’s expression changed at your response, “I honestly thought that you wouldn’t show up after Bucky said—“

“Bucky?” You immediately cut him off upon hearing his name.

“Bucky’s back?” You asked and Sam had never looked more confused as ever.

He carefully nodded, brows knitting together as he frantically looked around. “I thought you knew about it.”

“How long? How long has it been since he came back, Sam?” You probed, feeling your throat constricting at the unexpected revelation.

Sam merely looked at you with what seemed to be pity. Why? Why was he looking at you like he was sorry? And why didn’t Bucky tell you when he came back? Was he simply not ready? Or was he waiting for the right time?

“Sam, how long?” You asked again, voice firmer this time around.

“A year ago. He decided to join the Avengers but wanted to undergo formal training before taking on the responsibility of one.” He responded.

You opened your mouth to say something but it’s as if your whole body was paralyzed. He had been back for an entire year now...and yet he kept you waiting?

A hand on your arm pulled you back to the surface, looking up at Sam you shook your head in utter confusion.

“I don’t understand why he didn’t tell me.”

Sam sighed, “I thought you knew. He said he saw you and—“

Sam’s words died on his tongue when he saw that your attention was no longer on him. Following the line of your sight, Sam turned around and saw that Bucky had walked into the venue. He swallowed and couldn’t hide the guilt he felt from assuming that you knew about his return. Before he could apologize, you’d brushed past him as you kept your gaze on Bucky.

Why he didn’t inform you of his return was beyond you and to be honest, you couldn’t bring yourself to care about it for now. Because Bucky was right in front of you and it felt like forever since you last saw him.

A lot has changed. He chopped off his hair but he still sported some scruff. Bucky looked closer to his younger self back in the 40’s. You remembered the conversation you had with him about cutting his hair.

“Should I cut it?” Bucky stood in your bathroom, observing his long locks in the mirror as he ran his fingers through them.

You walked over to him, hugging him from behind and pressing your lips on his back before moving to stand beside him.

“Do you want to?” you asked.

Bucky scrunched his nose, “Maybe in the future. I do miss my hair back then.” he smiled.

You chuckled, “Back when Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes used to sweep the ladies off of their feet?” you teased.

Bucky turned to you and wrapped an arm around your wait pulling you closer to kiss your lips, “Hmm, I wanna see if that hair will have the same effect on you.” he said and kissed your cheek.

You hummed as you caressed his face with your delicate hands, “I’d like to see that too, but maybe you should keep the scruff.”

But it wasn’t just his hair that changed. It was his entire demeanor— his aura seemed a lot lighter now, he seemed happier and confident. You knew it for a fact because he wasn’t wearing a glove to hide his metal hand. It was out on display for everyone to see and shake, apparently.

You watched in awe as Bucky interacted with the people around him. He used to avoid eye contact with strangers but now he seemed relaxed doing so. Although he would still open and close his metal hand, something he did whenever he was anxious. The crowd still made him uncomfortable but he’s shown a lot of improvement since then.

The question as to why he never told you about his return continued to linger in the back of your head. But you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling from ear to ear, eyes brimming with tears as you quickened your steps.

Your Bucky was finally back.

And then the world seemed to have stopped when a certain blonde walked over to Bucky, her hand sliding over to his cheek as she leaned up to press a quick peck on his lips.

You knew her of course, Sharon Carter; and you knew about her and Steve. It was Bucky himself who told you about them and how proud he was that Steve finally decided to try his luck at romance. Which is why you felt even more appalled at the scene playing before you.

The way Bucky slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him and how he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. How he was smiling down at her, whispering to her ear as they laughed.

Bucky was in love with Sharon. You didn’t have to ask him that anymore because he was looking at her like she was his moon, his source of light in the darkness.

You knew that because he looked at you the same way, back when you still had his heart.

Suddenly, the questions plaguing your mind found their answers. You understood now why he never came home to you.

He did get better, you could tell that by the way he smiled and laughed.

Bucky was better now, but not for you. At least, not anymore.

-

Everything Bucky Tag List:

@ddowii @jessou893 @stealapizzamyheart @bagelofthelord @mxnt @dontputyourfckingdrinkonmytable @jeeperky @ohladymacbeth @wildflowergubler @supraveng @twinerd14 @buckysmar  @bakugouswh0r3

[condorclaw]

Waiting.

It's what Sam Nook was the best at.

The large mechanical creeper spent his days standing outside the towering structure of the Big Innit Hotel, keeping watch for potential customers, or potential troublemakers.

"Don't you ever get tired of standing here?" Jack Manifold had asked one day after a hostile confrontation between the two employees.

The answer was always no. Sam Nook never got tired of guarding the hotel. The task was never as boring as his peers made it seem. In fact, it was an exciting experience.

Sam Nook had been downloaded with the basic information of every server member, learning their names, heights, and basic personality traits with ease. However, the simple information couldn't compare to all he had noticed while speaking with them himself.

They all had their own stories to tell, and their own experiences to share. While standing guard, sometimes somebody would stop to speak with Sam Nook. Regardless if it was out of pity or for a genuine conversation, Sam Nook appreciated the gesture.

Captain Puffy would tell Sam Nook tales of her adventures, going into great detail when describing the scenery. It gave Sam Nook a thirst of adventure, making him feel like he was actually experiencing the harsh waves of the sea or the burning rays of the sun.

Eret regaled Sam Nook with history stories of their home. They would especially emphasize the horrible bits, including their traitorous actions as a leading cause for so much pain. Sam Nook could tell Eret still felt guilt after all this time, so as soon as Eret would finish their stories, Sam Nook offered the king a hug, which was gladly accepted.

Ranboo and Tubbo didn't have as many stories to share about the past, preferring to discuss what was happening in current moments. It was how Sam Nook became so fine-tuned to the social dynamic occurring, able to recognize specific actions relating to specific causes.

Even Sam himself would stop by frequently, checking up on his creation and making sure that Sam Nook was at tip-top shape. Sam Nook appreciated these check-ups, wanting to perform at his very best for his tasks. As Sam would make adjustments, he would tell Sam Nook small things about his life, and revealed quite a bit that he kept hidden to his other friends. Sam Nook swore to never tell anybody else unless Sam gave him permission. It was the least he could do for his creator.

Even though he was surrounded by such a colorful cast of characters, Sam Nook always looked forward to one in particular:

The big man himself, TommyInnit.

Tommy was loud and brash. He was young, yet experienced with conflict and war, masking it behind crude jokes and fragile confidence.

According to most others, Tommy was annoying and often unwanted. He was the source of problems and too impulsive for his own good. Sam Nook had occasionally heard mutterings of people wanting to ignore him or just shut him away somewhere. To an outsider, it sounded like Tommy was just some rabid stray animal who couldn't be caught.

But Tommy was more than that, and Sam Nook could see it firsthand. Tommy was passionate, loving to show off his accomplishments to his friends and being proud that he was the one able to do them. He took pride in the little things, and would frequently hype himself up when requested to perform tasks. Sam Nook was surprised at how quickly Tommy was able to get hotel materials, the boy being quite passionate to finish the build.

Outside of hotel work, the two had nice conversations. Tommy would curl up at Sam Nook's side, watching the stars in the sky and venting about his feelings. Tommy would always deny it whenever Sam Nook would bring his words up after that point, but it did warm Sam Nook's circuits to know how much Tommy trusted him to tell the robot these things in the first place.

After all, Sam Nook was built to be Tommy's guardian, and he took pride in that.

So Sam Nook was fine to wait.

--

Waiting.

It was a lovely day, with animals gathering in groups to scrounge for food. The sun was shining as bright as ever, and the few clouds in the sky twisted into funny shapes.

Sam Nook activated his cameras, taking a couple shots of the gorgeous scenery. He mentally stashed the photos away in a specific directory, one meant for Tommy.

Ever since Tommy had become trapped in Pandora's Vault, Sam Nook found himself recording his surroundings every minute of every day. Tommy was missing so much being trapped in a gloomy place, so Sam Nook was determined to show him everything he missed.

As Sam Nook stashed away his last photo, he heard the faint sound of arguing. Turning his head 90° to the left, Sam Nook spotted Jack Manifold speaking to Tubbo, the two deep in some sort of conflict. Ranboo was towering over the two, but remained quiet, listening. The enderman spotted Sam Nook gazing in their direction, giving a nervous wave and a shrug of confusion. Sam Nook returned the wave before shifting his head back forward.

It felt like there was a lot more aggression since Tommy was gone. Normally the kid was so blunt that it made it hard to argue against him. He wasn't always right, but he could end conversations quickly when they weren't worth having.

The heated discussion only got worse as minutes stretched on, Sam Nook catching bits of it, but remained still. It was only the final shout of "FINE!" that caused Sam Nook to look over once more.

Jack Manifold passed in front of Sam Nook, his teeth clenched and his eyes narrowed as he made his way to the entrance of the hotel.

"WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE HERE, JACK MANIFOLD." Sam Nook questioned as the hotel cats started gathering by the robot's feet.

"Relax," Jack Manifold snarled, rolling his eyes. "I'm just doing a bit of redecorating. If Tommy doesn't like that, then he can tell me himself." Before Sam Nook could formulate a response, Jack Manifold had gone up the ladders in a hurry.

Sam Nook let out a huff of steam, focusing his attention on some of the cats that wandered around the hotel. Jack Manifold wasn't a good employee. He was only focused on keeping the hotel to himself, which didn't belong to him. It belonged to TommyInnit, as much as Jack Manifold tried to deny that.

Thankfully, Tommy was scheduled to be released in a few days. The news had initially made Sam Nook upset when Sam had told him, but Sam Nook immediately cheered up at the thought of Sam being with Tommy. Sam liked Tommy a lot, Tommy wouldn't be alone!

So Sam Nook was fine to wait.

--

Waiting.

It was a stormy day, rain pouring down from the sky, almost as if the clouds were crying. Sam Nook didn't understand why it had to be such a gloomy day. After all, Tommy's first days out of prison should be happy!

Sam Nook hadn't seen Tommy once since the boy was scheduled for release, but that didn't worry him. Tommy was probably very busy reconnecting with all his friends. Eventually he'd come see Sam Nook.

The sound of Sam Nook's own shuttering cameras snapped the robot out of the slight daze he was in. The image was lovely, with red and white flowers spread all along the grass at the side of the path. Sam Nook didn't understand where these flowers were coming from, but they were very beautiful. He could only imagine Tommy's reaction to the gorgeous plants. Tommy would pretend to hate it at first, but would later go and water them all himself.

Out of the darkness of the rain, Sam Nook saw Ranboo and Jack Manifold emerge from one of the buildings. The two didn't appear to be engaging in conversation, and appeared rather sad. They continued walking until they stopped at the gates to the Big Innit Hotel, Jack Manifold opening them slowly.

Ranboo gave a slow wave to Sam Nook, who gave one in return. Ranboo had changed over the last few days. His normally colored eyes were slightly duller, and in his jacket pocket, a purple flower peaked out. Sometimes the enderman's hand would go to it, lighting stroking the flower's petals as if it were a pet.

Sam Nook was very curious about it, but there was still time to ask Ranboo about it in the future.

The more urgent concern was Jack Manifold, who was approaching the front of the hotel. Sam let out a few clicks, shifting his trident in his hands threateningly. Jack Manifold had been vandalizing the hotel lately, and Sam Nook wouldn't allow him to do it again.

Despite all the other times Sam Nook had threatened him however, Jack Manifold looked up at Sam Nook, looking weaker than ever. His eyes were glazed over too, and his form was drenched with rain. When he spoke, his words were soft. "Sorry, Sam Nook. I broke something yesterday. I'm just here to fix it."

In shock, Sam Nook didn't even reply to Jack Manifold as he climbed up the ladders. Jack Manifold was a liar sometimes, but that there had been the honest truth. It didn't make sense. Why now?

"Sam Nook."

The robot turned quickly, coming face-to-face with his creator. Sam's green had paled, and his armor no longer looked as shiny as it once had. It worried Sam Nook too, but Sam knew what he was doing. He could take care of it easily.

"HELLO, AWESAMDUDE. WELCOME TO THE BIG INNIT HOTEL."

Sam flinched at the hotel's title, perplexing Sam Nook even more. Did he not like the name? He was the one who chose it, though.

"Don't you get tired, standing here?" Sam asked softly, his voice hoarse. "What if Tommy-"

"I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF MY JOB, AWESAMDUDE. IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE TOMMYINNIT AT HIS AMAZING HOTEL. WHEN TOMMY COMES BACK, HE WILL BE VERY HAPPY."

Sam shut his eyes, his fists clenched at his side as if he was in pain. There was silence between the two for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah," Sam croaked out, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "He'll be very happy with this. Thank you, Sam Nook."

Sam Nook had never felt happier. Tommy would be very happy with his hotel, and together they could beat out the competition! Sam was right!

"THANK YOU, AWESAMDUDE. PREPARE FOR THE BIG INNIT HOTEL TO RULE THIS SERVER."

Sam nodded slowly, his mouth open, with only short puffs of breath coming out. Exhaling, he looked up, gave a polite bow to Sam Nook, and departed. Jack Manifold left shortly after Sam as well, only giving a quick farewell to the robot.

The sky may have looked like it was crying, but that didn't change Sam Nook's mood. The sky was crying out of joy, surely! The server couldn't wait for TommyInnit to return to his hotel, and neither could Sam Nook.

So Sam Nook was fine to wait. 

[wenellyb]

If they ever decided to make sambucky explicitly romantic would you like there to be a moment where they realise their feelings and get together or to have a scene where something they say let's us know that they were a couple all along, or at least since the ending of the show?

Hi Anon!!!

I really like this question because obviously, I would love there to be a very romantic moment where they realize their feelings for each other, and start dating, but at the same time I know that this is the MCU, and they have never ever focused on romantic storylines, even for M/F couples. The romance is always there as a side plot, or side side plot, you rarely get to see the evolution of the feelings etc,...So I don't think they would be able to handle showing how Sam and Buck got together. If I have to choose I would love to have an explicit moment when we learn that they have been a couple since the end of the show!

I stand by this, but Sam and Bucky's relationship whether you consider it a friendship or a romantic relationship has been one of the MCU relationship that was most developed in the MCU, the only other one is Wanda & Vision, and I think it's also due to the fact that they had a TV show so they were able to focus on the relationship more.

In a movie, we wouldn't have that, because you also have to fit in all the actions sequences lol. So realistically, I would never expect any big romantic moment, where you see the characters struggling through their feelings for each other, realizing they have feelings and working up the courage to confess their love for each other, this isn't something I expect in the MCU for any couple.

If they decided to make Sam and Bucky explicitly romantic, what I would really like to have the same dynamic as the previous movies and the show, but then they say something that let us know that they are together and already a couple as you just wrote. Not necessarily a romantic scene but something EXPLICIT where people can't deny that they're a romantic couple, not some blink-if-you-miss it thing.

A few examples of what I would love to see if the want to show us that they are already together:

Sam and Bucky wearing a similar wedding band on their fingers, and several shots of their hands throughout the movie.

Someone (maybe another Avenger) talking about them and saying "We need to call Sam and his husband/boyfriend"

A shot of a magazine cover, and a picture of Sam and Bucky and the headline is: We interviewed Captain America and his boyfriend James Buchanan Barnes (Yeah, I'm bad at writing headlines).

A scene in couples therapy again, and they have the exact same questions, but this time during the staring contest, they're looking at each other romantically, and when they ask what aggravates you, Bucky complains about how Sam never shares his feelings with him so he's always insecure about their relationship.

Sam and Bucky visiting Steve at the retirement home, him taking one look at them and saying: "When did the two of you become a thing?"

This one will never happen but I would give all my gold for a scene of Bucky and Sam dancing together.

What I would REALLY like to see is the opening scene of the next movie being set right after the ending scene in TFATWS, we see Sam and Bucky walking to wherever they were going after the party, and then when they arrive at Sarah's house, or at the boat, Sam faces Bucky and asks him:" you're staying right? and Bucky doesn't answer, he just looks at Sam, and they start to lean into each other, and as they are about to kiss the phone rings and it's an Avengers asking them for help on another mission, and it's never mentionned again so we never know if they were already dating, or it just started.

One thing I loved in Endgame was the many references to previous movies, so I would love a "throwback" scene too:

Sam being hurt, going to the hospital, and then it's Bucky waking up at his side (like that scene with Steve in CATWS), but this time Bucky takes Sam's hand when Sam wakes up.

A scene of Sam having to carry Bucky to escape I don't know what, but he's carrying him like Vision carried Wanda in Civil War.

A flashback to the Age of Ultron era, and we find out Sam found Bucky and they had a "thing".

I already love the way Sam and Bucky's relationship has been portrayed so, to me, I don't think a lot would be needed to make it "official".

Honestly, a kiss isn't what I would like to see, I wouldn't complain or anything of course, but it's the last thing I would have on my list, given my experience of how the MCU deals with romance, they will not be able to handle any storyline leading to a kiss or anything extra romantic lol. So I want a “Surprise, they’re already a couple”.

What I don't want is something so subtle that some people will miss it if they don't pay attention, like Marvel has done already.

[melo-efcarist]

you can just enjoy villains you know that right. no need to jump hoops to justify and try to make them better than they are. morally black characters are not a bad thing, theyre not flat or uninteresting. in fact i could argue morally black characters are even more interesting than morally gray.

i like c! dream because hes a villain, an unapologetic one at that. i want to see him to do more and i also want him to suffer bc hes a horrible person who in no way deserves forgiveness from any of the countless people hes hurt. the only ‘redemption’ he should get is him leaving the server and as far away from everyone as humanly possible.

as for the torture. its a shitty plot line from an objective standpoint simply cause its been going on to long and has had no effect on the narrative other than causing undeserving sympathy for him. im not condeming the prison as a whole bc it gives us amazing sam lore and also tommy losing his last life was an amazing scene, probably one of my favorite dream scenes tbh

i mean what im trying to say is. dream is a villain. and you can enjoy that. morals of your favorite character do not reflect your own

Anon, I'm not denying the fact that he's a villain or that he did shitty actions if that's where you're getting at. Also, have you ever considered that you might be wrong about me and how I view C!Dream? Like, I was a c!dream anti as well, until I actually saw his character in a better light.

The prison arc is a setup for something much more, I reckon, but that's just a small little theory I have inside my head. Like, you're allowed to enjoy his character like that if you want to, but I do find my view on C!Dream more enjoyable now than back in February when I was an anti.

Your little side comment about the prison and torture is something that I (obviously) do not and would not agree with for very much obvious reasons. We do not share the same take on his character. However, you could ask about my view on that another time because it's pretty long, I think, I don't know, brain organization is difficult I just have lots of thoughts about him and the prison.

Morals of my favorite character do in fact not reflect my own, and I understand that. I'm not an idiot; this isn't my first fandom. I don't go out of my way to justify or excuse any actions any character does, and only provide reasoning to it.

The terms "unapologetic" and "irredeemable" when applied to a person - whether fictional or real - is just laughable to me. Call it futile optimism, but people can change. They always can. There are irredeemable actions but that's different from people. I made a post talking about this I'm pretty sure but I'm too lazy to link it.

If you're left here asking "But why? Why would they ever think he's a morally grey character?" Because that's just how I view people in general, everyone's fucked up but you can always make a grey lighter with some white (basic color theory, really). If there's a person that is actually genuinely morally black, then that person can still change, no matter what. It would be hard and incredibly difficult but that person is a person, and people can still change. I'm a pretty hopeful person, you could say.

Like take C!Wilbur for example, or even C!Sam, C!Wilbur's hurt a lot of people, and according to C!Fundy, a shitty father. C!Sam literally gave C!Quackity enchanted netherite tools to hurt C!Dream and said to "Make sure you(Quackity) do it right." The pain that they've caused can't be made up for, but they can still improve as a person because that's just how people are. They make mistakes. They make choices that they think they have to. They make decisions that they think are the best but in reality, aren't.

The last 2 sentences are very much seen in C!Dream as CC!Dream confirmed that C!Dream has that "ends justify the means" mindset which is definitely not okay. Redemption (in writing) is the process of becoming better as a person. It's the process of realizing that you've made a mistake, or a lot of mistakes, and that it's time to change for the better.

C!Dream doesn't want to become better, not now at least. Well, obviously, he doesn't, how the hell would putting him in a prison do that?

A side note, wanting a character to be redeemed is not a bad thing. Like that's literally just a person wanting a character to be less bad. I genuinely don't get why people are so against it when redemption is literally nothing but good. Genuinely, what are the cons here?

A side side note, to say that a person being literally tortured is undeserving of sympathy is uh, is kinda dehumanizing not gonna lie. He's not a monster or an animal that has no weaknesses or emotions. He can still be hurt. "Unnecessary sympathy" sounds a tad bit better, but even then it still sounds kinda iffy. People give sympathy not because it's deserved or earned, but because it's a natural emotion that some people get for some other people. I get that you don't feel sorry for him and all (which is valid), but let other people feel sorry for him at least. Man, I was planning for this to be one of my shorter posts but it ended up just not being that short. I think I worded it all pretty well, I kinda just said the stuff on my mind unfiltered. Anyway,

TL;DR - I still feel sympathy for C!Dream, people can change, and that's what gives me hope in him (hope for everyone really). If you don't like that, then I suggest blocking me instead because well, yeah.

[hawkland]

(Mostly) Destiel Fic Recs #5

This is a LONG recs post because it’s been a while since I did an update and I fell hard into reading one author’s work (DeanRH). In fact I could easily do a rec post just of their fics alone, but for this round I’m just going to pick out a handful of my absolute favorites so far, the ones I’d recommend to start out with, along with more other authors’ works I’ve especially enjoyed lately.

Absolution at the Five-and-Dime by DeanRH (125k)  - this is perhaps THEE DeanRH fic to start with if you want a good, long read with a little bit of everything (Roadtrips! Intriguing casefic! Americana! Tasty Dean/Cas pining! Wing!kink and unique angel lore! Kinky soul fisting and tentacles!) It’s kind of two of parallel stories in one: the first, a flashback to Dean and Sam's first year hunting on their own (as well as trying to avoid hunting, and John in general); the second on how Dean and Cas finally get together during an unusual case and when Dean is able to really let go of his past trauma and accept himself/accept love from Cas. 

What I love about DeanRH’s work is that they write from the unique point of view of a drifter, so they understand living on the road, traveling place to place, and the highs and lows of that life like no others I’ve encountered in SPN before. (The author’s notes are often as much fun to read as the stories themselves). They also write a kickass angel!Cas and never lose sight of his non-human traits and background. Their writing style is unique - almost poetic in nature, and I know some readers have found it difficult to get into. But it works really well for me in their SPN fic...gives it the flavor of oral story telling as might actually happen at a drifter’s camp (with one story written exactly as such). Be warned this particular fic does play up the idea of John Winchester being mentally abusive and Dean having to turn tricks when he was younger in order to support him and Sam, so there is some dark stuff. But as someone who grew up with mentally abusive parent, reading this was extremely cathartic to me and believably written (unlike some stories that go too over the top with abusive John, or just don't understand how that kind of abuse leaves lifetime psychological scars.)

The rest of this round’s recs below the cut.

Carnevale by DeanRH (18k) - Actually the first fic by this author I read, because I just couldn’t resist a story set in my favorite place in the world, Venice, Italy. Castiel is the Angel of Venice, banished there for so long he does not even know or remember the reasons why. But Carnevale season is the one time a year he can let his wings out - figuratively and literally. And during this particular Carnevale season, he meets an intriguing masked young American tourist there with his brother and their one night stand turns into something far more powerful than either expected. This one’s hot, romantic, and achingly sad at the end as it all ties together unexpectedly with canon-verse...though with a hint for the future so it’s definitely not totally sad. I loved how DeanRH clearly understands Venice as a fellow lover of the city, the side of it most tourists never see unless they spend a long time there. This story made me cry just from wanting to be back in Venice again.

Ice cream was sweeter, food more satisfying, everything was an epicurean delight. There was just something magical about Venice, and he had lived here in the city for hundreds of years, so the shine should have worn off by now.

But it didn't, and there was always something more, something wonderful to discover around the next corner. The painted eaves of a church. The beauty of two women dancing with flowers in their teeth across the Piazza San Marco one day, overcome by the sheer joy of just being there. The way the university students still created Venetian masks, like Castiel's extravagant volto mask and Dean's humble servetta muta, with crafts that had been handed down across the generations. The morning silence that lay against the stones.

Hard Landing by DeanRH (26.9k) - A bit similar in theme to Carnevale. A pre-series Dean and Sam are sight-seeing in Spain when an angel, struck by a babel-spell, crash lands right in front of Dean. A strange yet seriously hot encounter with the angel turns into something much more complicated when the brothers return home and realize something more serious is afoot and they are both trapped in the middle of it. This is another story where things are very much not as they seem at first (as fun as that is!) It features master strategist Cas at his best, with a side helping of delightful trickery care of Gabriel and Balthazar as they deal with Lucifer, Michael...and a few others along the way.

The Sacred Band of Thebes by DeanRH (14.5k) - The last DeanRH fic I’m gonna allow myself to include in this round up, because it’s just very soft and sweet and beautiful - for a story about Dean & Cas being magically transported back in time to ancient Sparta! This is another story infused with a great knowledge of place and history, with some wonderfully delightful original characters added in that make it all the more enjoyable to read.

And now on to some other authors, I promise!

IPAMIS OL OLPRIT by emmbrancsxx0 (56k). A really wonderful fic that take a different look at what might have happened with a temporarily resurrected John Winchester during Season 14. Dean & Cas are in an established relationship here, and John here isn’t too happy about it — though mostly because he sees Cas (and Jack) as monsters, the kind of monsters he spent his lifetime hunting. This is a great fic for the emotional complexity of how John, Dean and Cas are all handled. John isn’t a cardboard evil dad, Dean is struggling between his loyalty to his father and to Cas, and Cas is increasingly bitchy/frustrated at Dean still being so desperate for his father’s approval (and all the more complex for not just being a quietly suffering perfect supporting boyfriend.) There’s some great action sequences in this too along with the emotional angst and a delicious dose of hurt!Cas if that’s your thing (as it is for me :D)

Abrenuntio by Neonbat (51k). A very dark but compelling AU take on the/a apocalypse universe. Dean, Sam and John are all alive in this post-angel war-apocalyptic world. They are part of a group of human survivors fighting against the angel army when they manage to capture “Blue” — a particularly feared angel of death. Dean is tasked with bringing Blue in for interrogation and he becomes a prisoner in their camp after John is killed. As mentioned, this is a pretty dark/sad fic (with some rather gruesome torture scenes) but I still found it quite compelling as a look at how things could have gone in some other parallel universe. And somehow the author manages to make the Dean/Cas relationship come together despite them starting out as complete enemies. This is one of those AUs that works for me because the core of the characters really shine through despite the differences in the setting.

if it all fell to pieces tomorrow by spocklee (37k) - a gorgeous post-Empty rescue fic that takes an approach I haven’t really seen explored in detail before (despite being something I’ve actually thought about as something that could’ve happened.) What if Cas has spent so long denying himself happiness, and then trapped in regrets and false-rescue scenarios created by the Empty, that he can’t trust that his rescue is real? And so he runs off to be on his own - literally stealing the Impala because he can’t handle being in Dean’s presence one moment longer - and only slowly comes to terms with the idea that it’s over now and he can be happy with/around his friends and family. This one’s both deliciously angsty and at times funny/sweet, looking at Cas’s relationships not just with Dean but with Sam, Jack, Claire, even Eileen. It does some fun stuff with other returned angels and demons who now find themselves back on Earth (and human), and...I just really enjoyed this one a lot.

Both Saved and Lost by angelfishofthelord (13.7k) Gen Cas character study, absolutely gorgeous and sad and one of those fic I couldn’t stop thinking about the day after reading it. AU where Apocaverse!Cas isn’t immediately killed by our Cas during 13x22 but instead hitches a ride back to the main ‘verse. Dean and Sam want to keep him alive for information on Michael; Cas is torn and trying to figure out just how similar—or different—they really are. Some great angel stuff here (I also highly recommend this author’s Jack & Cas “dadstiel” fics, they’re equally lovely and heartbreaking at the same time.)

flesh of the mighty by Mudprophet (2.7k) - THEE “What exactly did Dean eat in Purgatory, anyway?” fic you’ve probably already heard about. *cough* I’ve been trying to work up the courage to read this one for a while and finally gave in and OH MY CHUCK I’m so glad I did. It’s perversely disturbing and beautiful at the same time, Cas is wonderfully DERANGED and ALIEN in that way that I love it when fics managed to convey just how much angels are NOT human. Do heed the tags.

Full of Grace by ilovehowyouletmefall (11k) - Another one for the weird-as-fuck-angel!Cas lovers’ list. Heaven/canon-compliant fic where Dean knows he should feel happy and at peace but he just...isn’t, even with Cas and all of his friends and family there. He finally goes looking for Cas when he’s been absent for a time and, for the first time, gets to not just see but experience his true form. Another one that hits some kinks I knew I had and others I didn’t...until now. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

don't ask me where i've been by saltwound / @1x06 (8k) - I can never resist a good 09x06 fiction gap fic! What makes this one really stand out is how well it captures Cas’s internal voice - his struggles adapting to human senses, limitations and emotions versus what/how he experienced things as an angel. The longing and feelings between Dean & Cas here are so achingly beautiful and I just wanted to cry when Cas says he misses hearing Dean’s prayers, so Dean, he...oh, I’m not going to spoil it. *happy sigh* Just read it.

this room is wrong by DarkHeartInTheSky (12k) - Sometimes I like torturing myself with some good 15x03 divorce arc angst and this fic hit that button just so. It’s an alternative take on where Cas might have ended up after leaving the bunker and features some great Cas & Sam friendship feels, when Sam sets out to try to bring Cas home. It’s all the stuff you’d wish the writers would’ve let them talk out in canon.

Well that’s more than enough for this round! Go forth, read and give some great writers some kudos & comment love!

[floater0352]

TL;DR warning: TFATWS Ep. 6 / Finale There’s a lot to unpack in this series finale, and I sure as hell am not the expert to do this, but I thought I’d highlight some particular issues I have. Much of this, admittedly, will be coming from the high character tenors of the previous episodes, whereas this episode is really where the “MCU kind of movie denouement” kicks in. If you can call/criticize something as “Disney formula” writing, this might be it. Did it hamper/dampen my enjoyment of this series? Not THAT much, but it really stands out and suggests it could have been better. So let me do a few numbers. 1. PRO: A very acceptable execution of selling not only Sam’s first outing as ‘Captain America’, not only the affirmation of Bucky Barnes’ commitment to heroism, but the apotheosis long-denied to Isaiah Bradley. I’m getting the impression much of the gushing here in Tumblr will be focusing on that--and to an extent, I am in agreement.  their characters were very well fleshed out and to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. There may be still other things I would recommend as a better laid-out recognition for Isaiah (something more faithful to the Truth comic miniseries), but that’s a minor quibble compared to the others below.  

2. CON: Falling into the trap of a “GOT-layout” series ending Ok, that description might be too harsh. After all, point # 1 is near perfect. 

However, and this is a very big HOWEVER... A really good show does not rely solely on giving your main characters the best ending possible. Their supporting cast deserves at least a fair amount of character development (understandable motivations, a good appreciation of their character arcs, more moments which make you empathize with them especially if you are trying to experiment with moral ambiguity on their characters). The fact that the action sequence ate up more than half of the final episode’s near-50 minute runtime really prevented any further character development moments. How, to some extent, this became insufficient with Karli Morgenthau and John Walker become really apparent in the end.  3. CON: Under-served Character Denouements Karli and the Flag-Smashers, in practice, were basically given the “Killmonger” treatment: they’ll have to die, but the validity of their moral argument will be recognized. As someone with a very limited set of fandoms I follow, the only other place I’ve seen this done is Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. The protagonist cast was left to die, but the tragedy of their situation led their world to improve things for the better. (For those familiar with this fandom, many will understand that this did not go down well.) Compare this, in turn, to how Breaking Bad gives even the supporting cast and side-characters understandable character endings.

The reason of complaint here, being, that this kind of story flow robs these characters of agency not only in their tragedy--but also how they choose to go out. Sympathetic tragic characters, to an extent, are at least given some dignity in how they go out. The fact that Karli and the Flag-Smashers are practically disposed of by a) Sharon, now fully revealed as the criminal Power-Broker and b) Zemo, whose butler is no less capable in extreme action even while he was in prison further highlights how they are basically reduced into ‘plot elements’, not a fully-realized group/faction of people.

John Walker, for his part, is also given very little to do (and indeed, what little he was able to do in the entire fight sequence is laughable). Even his one spark of “good choice” (seeking to save the falling vehicle’s occupants), even if he failed, was ultimately overshadowed by Sam’s more flamboyant rescue. One might be able to make argument, perhaps, that that is the point: Walker’s arc in this episode, perhaps, is to finally learn why exactly he can’t become Captain America: because he remains primarily a soldier, and only good at that. Witnessing Sam arguing and pontificating in front of the cameras, perhaps, is what hammers it home to him--and why perhaps his last scene in the series is him accepting his new role as U.S. Agent. If his world is going to be small and he is going to be pigeonholed into what he is good at, so be it. If he can’t be Captain America (now that he knows why exactly that symbol is powerful, and what is required of it), he’ll find his way with people who will let him be what he can be. Notice, however, how even between these two underserved characters, John Walker has a more understandable progression. I don’t think I’ll really be able to fault ‘left-wing’ viewers of the show who will be left dissatisfied by this ending (especially those who are sympathetic to the Flag-Smashers’ demands--especially as to some extent (due to my own line of work and leanings, I’m kind of one of those). And then there’s the reveal of Sharon as the Power-Broker--its own can of worms, but I’ll fold it in the next item. 4. MIXED BAG: How the show’s social layout closes

The fact that the MCU’s undercurrent politics remains to be “institutions are bad, mob/grassroots action will always be misguided, let media-chosen/private individuals and orgs show you the ‘right way’ of doing things”--it isn’t really as helpful as it could be. The show basically ends with Sam and Bucky’s individual arcs and moral world-views affirmed. It is definitely a happy ending for them. It is, however, pretty difficult to swallow that it ends well for them when the bigger picture is left unaddressed.  (For those who may be interested in this line of critique, this video essay, “Imagining the Tyrant” by Kyle Kallgren / Brows Held High / oancitizen should be helpful.)

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in 2 instances: the setting of Walker’s rechristening as U.S. Agent, and Sharon’s “pardon” scene--now that we know she is in fact the Power Broker. Both events happen in the U.S. Senate Committee hearing hall--basically making the statement that even with a new Captain America that is more ‘home-grown’ and closer to the ground and common people (even as he literally flies high), the institutions of the U.S. government is still as impervious and clueless to its corruption and enabling of crime and injustice. Criminal elements like Valentina de Fontaine and the Power Broker foster the underground economy with impunity, and the U.S. government allows them to for a number of unbuilt/unestablished reasons. 

It’s a valid/backed-up argument to make, and with historical/real life basis at that, but this is the kind of plot development difficult to credibly sell within a 6-episode miniseries already crammed with character arcs--and it shows. Compare this, for example, with how the Netflix series The Punisher built throughout its Season 1 run how exactly can black market profiteering grow under the CIA in a believable way. There, you see exactly what needs to happen for a previously-established upstanding character living in a grey environment to turn grey--even full on black (be it Frank Castle/the Punisher himself, Dinah Madani, or even Billy Russo). I’d want to chalk this up to the possibility of merging/reintroducing that world--and by god, imagine Jon Bernthal’s Punisher returning in this kind of gray area--interacting with Captain America AND the Winter Soldier, as this series is now likely to be titled--should be very interesting.

---- These are the top points in my head after my first watch of this finale. I may be rewatching this again--who knows if I get to come back. Still, it’s been a pretty meaningful ride. P.S. I should probably admit to my Filipino background here again, but it’s hilarious how the closing shot of this series (Sam and Bucky having a party with their family/community near the Louisiana seaside) is basically how mosts 80′s/90′s era Filipino action and comedy films end (either a beach party or a wedding/outing near a beach/swimming pool). The presence of Pinoy shout-outs in this series (”Amatz” and “Isang Tao, Isang Mundo”) really emphasize how this might not be an accident.

[loserchildhotpants]

*taps the mic*

I realize that I am over a decade late to this discussion, but as I only started watching Supernatural in 2020, I would like to share some of my thoughts and meta as I watch.

*clears my throat*

1. 

“I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, "don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish."”

2.

CASTIEL: I know what I'm doing, Dean.

DEAN: I'm not gonna logic you, okay? I'm saying don't... just 'cause. I'm asking you not to. That's it.

CASTIE: I don't understand.

DEAN: Look, next to Sam, you and Bobby are the closest things I have to family -- that you are like a brother to me. So, if I'm asking you not to do something... you gotta trust me, man.

CASTIEL: Or what?

DEAN: Or I'll have to do what I have to do to stop you.

CASTIEL: You can't, Dean. You're just a man. I'm an angel.

DEAN: I don't know. I've taken some pretty big fish.

3.

ELEANOR: No. No, Bobby, it's too dangerous for anyone to know.

BOBBY: If I found you, he ain't far behind. At least let me take you somewhere, protect you.

ELEANOR: No. Thanks. I have a couple of other places lined up. Don't worry. Bobby, you're just a man. I'm better off protecting myself.

At this point in the story, there was a stroke of genius and meta; Castiel is becoming more and more aware that he is a threat to humans, and that while he loves Dean and Sam so unconditionally, they fear him - but do not respect him. 

In fact, Dean, who outright denies Heavenly orders, doesn’t care if it’s God directly speaking to him, he does not take orders from them, he won’t put his faith in Heaven - he Demands that Castiel give him his faith, in his ‘if I’m asking you not to do something, you gotta trust me,’ OR ELSE. (Dean is such a fabulously flawed character, I love him and his giant idiot mistakes)

The frightening part of that for Castiel, I think, is that he knows Dean is right - that if Dean wanted to find a way to kill him, he would. It doesn’t matter that Castiel is incomprehensibly bigger and stronger (the big fish, here), Dean is the important one, the one destined for greatness, the one with God’s favor that Castiel (at that point in the story) still very desperately wants. 

Sure, could Castiel step on him? Yeah. Will he? Never. But, even if he wanted to, he would need to first accept that taking out Dean and/or Sam would be moving against the wishes of his Father, whose favor he so desperately wants, and who may also raise them from the dead anyway, or move Heaven and Earth to help them destroy Castiel, because He is so absent from Castiel, and cares so much more about Dean and Sam.

The interaction is so charged, and it’s like you can’t even tell if it’s charged with Castiel’s envy, mutual unspoken attraction, mutual feelings of betrayal, mutual feelings of fear of the power of the other, it could be all that and more, and then watching Dean misstep there is amazing. 

Then in the next episode?? They have this interaction with Bobby and Eleanor - former lOVERS - and make that parallel?? I have too many feelings!

Something something Bobby & Dean Mirror versus Eleanor & Cas Mirror something something Dean is more Castiel’s keeper than the other way around. 

Which is just honestly a genius moment of writing. Potentially completely unintentional, but genius all the same. And the foreshadowing included in the parallel - Eleanor thinks she can take this on her own, she feels confident that she does not need anyone else, and this is a false sense of security, because Castiel finds her and is willing to kill her for the greater good (a dark attribute of Castiel I really adore seeing) - she’s left bloodied and apologizing on the floor, so sorry to Bobby, and what happens to Castiel?

Now, here’s my big beef; this is where Castiel 100% should have been seduced onto the Dark Side. 

Lucifer has already planted the seed in Castiel’s head that his humans don’t love him, won’t love him, don’t/can’t understand him, and that he and Castiel are not so unalike. At this point, I feel strongly that Castiel should have joined Lucifer in his efforts. 

It feels like a missed opportunity; Castiel should have brought SUCH strength and gusto to Lucifer’s fight, that the ONLY way to put out the fire would be to convince Castiel that he truly is loved by his chosen family, and to return to the Light, so to speak.

The whole theme of the show is familial love of all kinds, and Castiel clearly NEEDED to know what it was to be loved, because he was directionless without it. 

He’s this super-intense being, he wants to devote himself, he wants to kneel at an altar, and he wanted that altar to be Dean’s, that’s pretty apparent, no matter how you read their canon relationship. He chooses Dean over Heaven and God, the dude-shaped entity was INTENSE, and entwined with Dean at a cosmic level. 

Castiel’s nature sort of makes him this perfect guard and soldier, by design, he is meant to serve and to love and to fight, but especially when he doubts God and God’s return? He should have been turning to Lucifer - Heaven has betrayed him multiple times already, they don’t want him, they aren’t good to him, and now his humans aren’t either, and he has that confirmation.

He tries so many times to reason with Dean, to try to get Dean to hear him, forgive him, work with him instead of against, he makes such a heartfelt plea to Dean for Dean’s loyalty, just once, just this one time, to trust him. 

And Dean chooses to be furious with him instead, won’t hear it, won’t tolerate what he perceives as a complete betrayal, rather than seeing it for what it really is; which is Castiel deep undercover, playing a long con (because he’s a tactician of a Heavenly army?? Where does Dean ever get off doubting Castiel’s abilities?? Cannot understand the confidence of white cis men but I love it as a character flaw), and he genuinely didn’t feel like he could go to Dean and potentially put him in harm’s way again.

For a guy that wheels and deals with demons every other fuckin’ day, Dean’s got a LOT to say about how it’s fucked up that Castiel seemingly learned from his example, but was better equipped to do it, because he’s incomprehensibly more powerful and ancient. 

I know there’s so much more to come, but honestly, right here? This should’ve been where the tide turned, and Castiel became Enemy Number One, devoting himself to Lucifer because it’s all the family he has left, and Lucifer would play him like a fiddle.

Can you imagine that scene?

Castiel, arriving at wherever Lucifer is hiding out - electrical storm surrounding him, he’s ultra-powered, thinks he’s God, and is furious and heartbroken, primed and groomed.

Lucifer would look on in awe, and this is his winning hand; he’d put on the charm, take care of Castiel like no one else had been willing to, whisper sweetly to him, tell him how everything is going to be okay, and that it’s not his fault that the humans fooled him into thinking they cared about him beyond his utility.

“There, there, brother,” Lucifer would coo, wrapping Castiel in his arms, “There is no need for this display, Castiel. My dear, baby brother. You should never have been discarded, and that they underestimate you will be their gravest mistake. Don’t fret any longer. We will put this world to rights, you and I.”

Can’t you see that season’s Castiel falling hook, line and sinker for that? Lucifer would pluck at his every insecurity, he’d applaud him for everything he did whether Lucifer himself would have done it or not, he’d love-bomb Castiel, then work him to the bone.

Imagine Dean and Sam keep running into Castiel on the heels of great tragedies, or supernatural occurrences that Lucifer is clearly directing, and each time they find him, he looks worse. 

He looks like he’s dying, they tell him so because they’re worried that time is running out for them all - something is wrong, but the more time goes on that Dean, in particular, doesn’t try to make things right, the further Castiel slips away, the easier he is to manipulate, and Lucifer tells him he’s evolving, not dying. 

Lucifer has not lied to him yet (to Castiel’s knowledge), “why should I believe you?” he’d ask Dean, and Dean wouldn’t have a good answer, “why should I believe a man like you, Dean? You used me just the same as he does - the only difference I see is that he cares for me. He trusts me. He is my family.”

“We were family, once,” Dean would remind him, shaking in his fuckin’ boots because he’d barely recognize the mutant Angel before him.

“Unless I was of too little use, and until I was too powerful for you to control,” Castiel would bitterly remind him, “My father is gone, my home will not have me back for all I ever did for you and your kin, and you would rather have watched Heaven and Earth burn under Raphael than to have faith in me only once. What else do I have but him?”

You have us, Dean would want to say - maybe Sam would manage to say it.

“How convenient - he told me you would do this. He told me you would try to instill doubt in me, that I might doubt him, but I won’t. I will not fall for this, Dean.”

Maybe they could’ve given Castiel something super fucked up to say, something that would have made Dean question everything for a while; he’s about to leave, his power is mutated, he is most certainly dying and Dean feels himself losing Castiel all over again (cause, oh God, he’s gonna blame himself for this one - for the Angel that rescued him from Hell, dying gruesomely and alone with only Lucifer as company?? Yeah, Dean’s gonna internalize ALL that), and Castiel turns back to look at him.

Dean perks up visibly, maybe this is one more chance to make one last heartfelt plea for Castiel to come back with him and Sam, where he belongs - but before he can say anything, Castiel informs him tonelessly, “I see now that you and my Father are not so unlike each other.”

Dean would be rocked.

“Demanding blind faith, demanding my loyalty regardless of how I am treated, feeling so certain that your way is the only righteous way of the world... strategically withholding affection, punishing those that do not behave how you wish them to, using and discarding those that love you as their ability to further your agenda waxes or wanes... abandoning us. Abandoning me. Uncaring when I leave, until I am a thorn in your side for paving my own path. I see now. I see why it is that He favored you over me. Your are more His son than I ever could have been.”

Imagine the emotional devastation.

Dean’s down and out for the count drunk as a skunk because there’s not enough therapy in the world to start unpacking all that, Sam’s losing his mind straight up insane bananas crazy town, Bobby can’t exactly refute Castiel’s points, though he tries, and it would be up to Dean to sober up, and be like ‘even if I die trying, I need to make this right.’

He’s been acting too much like his father - making bad unilateral decisions, being hard and unforgiving, pushing away those he loves the most because shit got difficult, and he’d have to dredge up that courage and strength from somewhere, and he’d put on his Big Boy Boots, and go find Castiel.

He’d spend the entire time praying to him too, knowing Castiel can hear him, but is ignoring him. He’d share parts of himself he had refused to share up until that point, he’d apologize, he’d tell Castiel about all the times Castiel unintentionally made him laugh, or inspired him, motivated him, and how important Castiel is to him for so much more than his power.

When Dean eventually manages to track them down, Castiel would finally be forced to choose between Dean and his brother, and he would choose Dean. 

Lucifer would show his true colors, try to kill both Dean and Castiel, and Castiel would nearly burn out with all the power it takes him to defend Dean and himself, and get them both to safety. But, he would. 

They could’ve still had the Leviathan plot if they wanted too, muddy the waters even more so that Lucifer and demons and the Leviathan are all on the loose, but Castiel would heal Sam, and they’d have to help take care of Castiel too until they could fix what Sam’s trauma did to Castiel’s senses, but they’d be together, and that would somehow be enough.

They could’ve written REAL, visible growth for Dean, where he shows genuine love to all those that are close to him, even when they’re confusing him or pissing him off, and Castiel being on their side would be the power shift they need to win; chosen family with Claire, Jody - everyone - it would make their rag-tag army unstoppable, Team Heart versus Team Head, and it could’VE BEEN GREAT.

(also, i’m shipper trash, so imagine that Dean was covered in dirt and blood and grime, gasping for breath, Castiel has allowed Lucifer to nearly kill him, but he can’t stand idly by anymore - he intervenes, and while he and Lucifer are still both distracted and kinda shocked that Castiel is protecting Dean, Dean gets him by the tie, tugs him close, mutters, ‘Cas, I’m so sorry I ever hurt you,’ he’d press their foreheads together, ‘come home, Cas. Please. We need you. We love you. I - I do. I need you back. I love you,’ and he’d k - he’d kK kIS - he’d  k IS i I - i caN’T EVE NSAY IT)