#i have a big soft spot for au michael and mary and jack as it turns out

[shallowrambles]

Michael + wants

Revelations of key SPN themes in 14x01

In 14x01, Michael visits a devout human, a rebel angel, and a vampire. In trying to figure out who he wants to have on his side, we get a window into some of the key themes of the series. I've put this in my side blog, because I know my pessimistic views on Purgatory and vampires are not sexy nor preferred in the world of Supernatural, but I do like to throw out contrary themes from time to time...so here I go.

1. Humans: They don't know what they want.

Why are we here? (Later, we will learn that AU Michael believes it's all meaningless.)

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Interestingly, even though AU Michael scoffs at love, two characters (Dean & Anael) will want LOVE in the very next Michael meeting.

This taunt is something Michael drums up specifically to taunt this "devout man." Michael wants to call out his hypocrisy of pretending to care and not caring.

More importantly, is it true? Probably not completely. AU Michaels' whole shtick is taking truths and applying the worst possible conclusion in order to get under your skin.

This devout man may indeed want love and peace, but he's indecisive and self-sabotaging because life is fuckin' hard. (We know that repeat trauma can cause an emotional numbing, too.) This man's made so many mistakes, like betraying loved ones. But those mistakes don't magically cancel out the desire for love and peace. Michael is either being willfully cruel OR in his perfectionism and rigid worldview, he can't process nuance or the concept of forgiveness.

This devout man calls to mind Sam, at least when it comes to Sam's constant search for meaning and answers. (Sam is Solomonari). There's also a bit about this Jamil leaving his friends behind in the war to die (soldier-deserter) and being unfaithful to his wife/family, and now, he performs religious rituals to soothe his inner anxieties and find comfort.

Of course, he calls to mind all alcoholics, as well. Which is most hunters. (John, Bobby, Dean, Sam, even Mary... Also Raphael's despair in just wanting to escape/for it to all be over.)

Michael's verdict: Humans are a mishmash of complicated imperfections. In the world of Supernatural, phrases like "simple, pure" are a warning signs of unreality and idealizations. Humans, on the other hand, are messy. To Michael, they're not worth saving because they're complicated.

We can almost hear Chuck talking to Amara in 15x17 Unity: "Humans...they'll let you down every time."

That's humanity! Because people are real and imperfect.

You can also hear echoes of Metatron from 11x20: "Yeah, sure, they're weak and they cheat and steal and... destroy and disappoint. But they also give and create and they sing and dance and love. And above all, they never give up! But, you do!"

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2. Beaten-down soldiers: longing for home

Next, we come to Jo (Anael). She counts a wad of cash:

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LOVE.

So, indirectly, Michael IS telling us what Dean wants, too. It's a bookend to OG Famine wondering what is the thing that Dean can't fill up, not with booze or drugs, not even with sex. (Ergo, love is the thing Dean wants but he can't have. His core wound.)

And Oh, Sister Jo.

Her is a reverse of Jamil: it's a hypocrisy of pretending NOT to care to cover up how much she actually cares.

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Anael wants love, not material things.

Dean also wants love. He passes the time with other things to try to cover up what he really wants, because going after what he really wants is scary, and more importantly, not allowed. He is like Anael.

///

So, washed-up angels soldiers are lost, sad, fallen things. They're weak.

This could call to mind Cas, especially the part about "rebellious angel who never played by the rules," but I still think this Anael is mostly about Dean, like Jamil Hamed is mostly about Sam.

///

3. Vampires: Pure, won't let you down, no baggage

So, Michael finally settles on vampires. But why?

What are vampires in this context? They're pure. Simple. They won't let Michael down. I've said before, of Purgatory's "pureness":

Dean's simplified Purgatory world of black-and-white kill-or-be-killed (no-mistakes-can-be-made-here-no-one-can-let-me-down-here) is his False Answer to ending the difficult decision-making associated with hunting in a complex world AND maladaptively dealing with disappointment

This is Michael's False Answer, too. Because the world is meaningless, Michael doesn't appreciate metaphorical shades of gray, much less colors and vibrancy. Michael's better world is just simple, with clear rules. Michael is bringing back heavy season 8 vibes, what with calling out Jamil's deserting of his friends in Syria, and now bringing up the "purity" of vampires.

Season 8 is all about figment-like wisps of Romanticization, all the way up to romanticizing solutions to the world’s messy problems and romanticizing relationships that either don’t fit in the real world, or don’t allow for the full expression of your imperfect self. It creates ghosts that represent the perfect home life + companion, with no baggage and the perfect war + perfect comrade, with no baggage.

Here, Michael is looking for perfect war companions, his blood brothers if you prefer, because "war is what Michael does." Michael has become his worst self. He's fruitlessly killed everything he cares about, just to get his father's attention. After all, there seemed to be no archangels left in AU Earth, and the complicated civil wars of the angels are not pure. Angels were never simple; it was always brother-against-brother and extreme politicking in the world of the angels. So here, he arrives in a new world and finds an ally in something he views as pure. There's no baggage.

But importantly, these figments (a) cannot disappoint you due to their purity and/or simplicity and (b) elegantly solve issues by eliminating the messy business of decision-making and disappointment.

I know vampires have a lot of valid sexy themes, but often in Supernatural another theme swirls around them more strongly, and that is this one: simplicity. Like Purgatory. They're one-dimensional, uncomplicated, and they do what you want / never let you down. They are perfect war companions. Keep them fed, and they'll owe you.

Not like complicated humans.

That's why, in season 15 (The Trap), Sam and Dean's "worst" ending is becoming vampires. They devolve into singularly driven, one-dimensional characters that lack complexity. They are devolving into a metaphorical Purgatory, a "suicide" of no longer being willing to engage in a complex world. It all becomes blood.

Michael (God) doesn't want Jamil (Sam) -- he's too unmotivated and messy and he lets you down. Michael (God) also doesn't want Anael (Dean), because she's weak and wants that ooey-gooey love stuff. Gross. What Michael (God) wants are vampires and Leviathans.

It's as if Chuck is a symbolic fourteen-year-old dudebro writer, insisting his show is about "only two brothers who hunt," and that's all. (No messy human shit, and certainly not love n' romance.) As he tells Becky in season 15: "Monsters are so cool, right? All those teeth! People read for the monsters!"

#spn + purgatory as the unthinking black and white world of war #spn + purgatory as symbolic suicide #au michael #i have a big soft spot for au michael and mary and jack as it turns out

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection 2019 Day 21: Hurt/Comfort (and Whump) 

Lie To Me | @castielslostwings Rating: Explicit Word Count: 27476 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate season 14, canon divergent at s13e23 “let the good times roll”, angst with a happy ending, Michael!Dean, fix-it, pining, temporary MCD, human castiel, casturbation, top Cas/bottom Dean, Sam & Cas brother moments, alcohol as a coping mechanism, Chuck Ex Machina, hurt/comfort, Castiel whump, Dean whump Summary: Castiel and Sam's plan to expel Michael from Dean's body backfires in a big way, leaving them with an unexpectedly human archangel and the horrifying possibility that Dean's soul is gone forever. Can they bring Dean home from wherever he's gone? What will become of a human Michael trapped in Dean's body? How will Castiel survive losing the love of his life, just when things were starting to fall together?

Worlds Away | @hefellfordean Rating: Mature Word Count: 4240 Main Tags and Warnings: Multiple Universes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Interdimensional Travel, Getting Together, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: "In all the infinite, incalculable number of worlds, you don’t love me. But what’s worse, is that I didn’t need to ask to know that I love you in any world, unconditionally – and unrequited.”, Cas says, pulling away from Dean. Castiel is sent to a place between worlds, with infinite doorways through which he must travel to return home. All of the worlds he visits have something in common: Dean doesn't love him. His world is the same - or is it?

Angel Whisperer | @noiproksa Rating: General Word Count: 2767 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt Castiel, Concussions Summary: Taking care of a concussed angel is a lot harder than anticipated. Dean might be out of his depth, but that doesn’t mean he won’t do everything he can to make his angel feel better. (Intended as gen, but can be read as Destiel pre-slash.)

Anti-Cuddle Curse | @noiproksa Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 5155 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt Castiel, Cuddling & Snuggling, Witch Curses, Hurt/Comfort Summary: When a witch curses Team Free Will, Dean realizes how much being able to touch Cas really means to him. (Intended as gen, but can be read as Destiel pre-slash.)

Touch Deprived | @noiproksa Rating: General Word Count: 4132 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt Castiel, Angel Healing, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Confused by all the human rules for personal space and touching, Cas has to come up with excuses in order to be able to touch Dean and Sam. Or is it the other way around? (Intended as gen, but can be read as Destiel pre-slash.)

longing for grapefruit | @reallyelegantsharkfish Rating: Explicit Word Count: 1686 Main Tags and Warnings: Friends to Lovers, Recreational Drug Use, Marijuana, Oral Sex, Mental Health Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Shotgunning, Demisexual Castiel Summary: Dean lights up and takes the first hit, but instead of exhaling, he leans over towards Cas. It’s not a proper kiss, breathing in Dean’s air, but it’s intimate, and they take turns sharing hits in between kisses. Cas is flying. Cas can feel everything, Cas is out of his body. “Baby,” Dean says, soft in between them. “Let me make you feel good.”

Green Corners | @rustling-pages Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 72533 Main Tags and Warnings: Elemental Magic AU, (Threat of) Main Character Death, (Past) Child Death, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn Summary: After the death of his son, there is nothing left for Dean other than his garden market. His days are tough, the nights are tougher, but at least there's a reason to get up in the morning. And with the new boom on do-it-yourself garden magic, his business is going okay. Amidst the passing of time, there is only one thing that distracts him from functioning like a normal human being: Diagonally across the street, in the display window of that traditional Herb and Potion shop, plants are dying in masses. Storming in to confront the owner goes differently than he imagined, though. Castiel Novak may be the kind of guy who wears old-fashioned mage robes and keeps his shop in sweltering heat, but he's also a talented herbalist, the kindest soul Dean has ever met, and utterly beautiful. Not that Dean is ready for anything other than friendship. (Not that Cas doesn’t get sick a bit too often.)

The Bone Eater (WIP) | @rachelhaimowitz Rating: Explicit Word Count: 111259 Main Tags and Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester/Original Male Character(s), Castiel/Original Male Character(s), Hurt/Comfort, Prisoner Dean, Monsters, Dean Whump, Season/Series 09, Set somewhere between Bad Boys and Holy Terror, Size Kink, Non-Consensual Bondage, Violent Sex, Manhandling, Torture, Castiel Whump, Forced Orgasm, Prisoner Castiel, Possessive Behavior Summary: When Dean wakes in a strange prison cell, he quickly realizes he's become another victim of the mystery monster he and Sam have been hunting: a creature who sucks the marrow right out of people's bones. There are years--sometimes decades--between the killings, and no connection between them but men who were big, strong, and healthy when they disappeared. Dean learns right up close and personal why the monster picks who he picks. Unfortunately, stuck behind bars, consistently outmatched, and growing weaker by the day, he's having a tough time putting that information to good use. But Cas can't hear his prayers anymore (and doesn't owe him shit anyway, the way he left the guy), and Zeke might or might not have his ears on (and might or might not let Sam do anything about it even if he did), and Dean ain't no damsel in distress besides. He's gonna get out of there no matter what it takes, and he's damn well gonna make sure this monster never hurts anyone again--especially not the guy he finally finds the courage to admit he loves.

Fighting My Way Back | @deans-jiggly-pudding Rating: Explicit Word Count: 81740 Main Tags and Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death, canon compliant up to S13, Slow Burn, PTSD Summary: Sam, Cas, and Mary are trying and failing to break Dean out of Michael’s stronghold. Jack is exploring his potential while slowly recovering his power. He has the ability to create, but until his grace is at full strength, his creation must be made out of something already existing. Our favorite nephilim has a plan to use his newfound power to snap Dean out of Michael's control, but what will become of Dean after the ejection? And can Team Free Will 2.0 stop Michael before he destroys the world?

don't leave me | @breathingdestiel Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1016 Main Tags and Warnings: au, established relationship, angst with a happy ending Summary: Dean is a mess after Cas leaves him. And it's all his fault.

Angeleech | @noiproksa Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 14457 Main Tags and Warnings: hurt/comfort, hurt castiel, case fic, platonic cuddling, sharing a bed, team free will Summary: It was supposed to be an easy hunt, but then everything goes sideways. Dean and Sam have to take care of an injured Cas and find out what is going on with the angel before it is too late.

Keeper of the Garden | @pherryt Rating: Mature Word Count: 5672 Main Tags and Warnings: Perceived MCD but not really, Season 13 Finale Coda, possessed!dean, Michael!Dean, Hurt/Comfort, Saving Dean, Recovering Dean, Angst, Hope, Hopeful Ending, Caretakers Sam and Cas (but mostly Cas), Gardening Dean, Canon, until next season starts anyway, broken!dean, Crazy!Dean, Hurt!Cas, Confessions Summary: Michael backed out of their deal and now Dean's stuck, trapped in his own mind with a crazy Archangel who keeps showing him Cas's death over and over again, keeps making Dean kill Cas over and over again... till he really does and Dean snaps... Finally free of Michael but not of his own sins, Dean is slow to recover from the possession, and is convinced Cas is dead at his own hands. Dean has done a lot of things, both good and bad, but there's nothing that will ever make up for that.

Any Other Day (WIP) | @peanutbutterjelly-pie Rating: Mature Word Count: 21679  Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers Summary: Victor just wants to finally enjoy his weekend. But when weird reports of a man in a trench coat having been arrested for murder in some small town in Colorado are coming in and the names of the Winchester brothers are all of a sudden mentioned for the very first time in almost a decade inside the FBI building, Victor needs to kiss his free time goodbye. So instead of spending his days on the couch, eating all the takeout he can find and watching crappy movies, he all at once sees himself confronted with an unstable angel, incapable of controlling his powers, a hunter missing from the scene, nowhere to be found, and the other one worried out of his mind about his family. Yeah, that's not the quiet weekend Victor had been hoping for. At all.

You are my home | @DesiraeLovesDestiel Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4774 Main Tags and Warnings: canon verse, bunker fic, post season 11, Castiel whump, love confessions, profound bond, smut, angst Summary: “Cas? Hey buddy, wake up.” Castiel blinked his eyes open slowly, looking up at Dean owlishly before jolting up, nearly clipping Dean’s jaw on the way. “Hey, hey,” Dean said, concern lacing his tone. “You okay, man?” Castiel cleared his throat. “Yes. My apologies, Dean.” “S’okay. You wanna tell me why you’re sleeping in Baby?” Things have settled down since rescuing Sam. Mary is bonding with her sons, and Castiel is nearly back to full capacity, just needing a little sleep here and there. When Dean discovers Cas' unusual resting spot, what starts as a series confessions leads to the emotional healing they both needed.

If This Is To End In Fire | @reaperlove77 Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16279 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Dean Winchester Whump, Supernatural Elements, Smut, Anal Sex, Temporary Character Death, Happy Ending, Past Abuse, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Dean-Centric, Haunted Houses, Domestic Violence (not Dean/Cas), BAMF Castiel, Panic Attacks, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Slurs, Bottom Dean, Top Castiel, Gothic Elements Summary: Dean Winchester doesn't trust easy, not after everything he's been through. When he finds a new home and a new job in Kelvin's Point, he's almost ready to believe he also found happiness for the first time in his life. But what does he really know about this Castiel and is their love enough to keep the ghosts from the past away for good?

When Angels Cry | @sweetdaydreamsblog Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1068 Main Tags and Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Mentions of Suicide, Happy Ending, Hurt Dean Winchester, Emotionally Hurt Castiel Summary: Castiel remembers the events that transpired during Dean's last night on Earth, as well as what happened after.

Eyes Shut | @galaxystiel Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1493 Main Tags and Warnings: AU, Human!Castiel, alcoholism, drunk driving, supernatural elements, angst with a happy ending Summary: Dean learns a lesson about the dangers of drink-driving, and in the process learns a few things about his future.

And I swear | @notfunnydean Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4413 Main Tags and Warnings: abusive relationship, Dean dates Arthur Ketch at first, hurt!Dean, break up between Arthur and Dean, first time, first kiss, bottom!Dean, top!Cas, crying Dean, Cas saves Dean Summary: Dean knows that Arthur is treating him badly, but he had worse in his life and besides, it’s not like the person he really loves wants him back.

I'm a sucker for you | @notfunnydean Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 3148 Main Tags and Warnings: Drunk!Dean, hurt!Cas Summary: Dean knows he and Castiel are a good team, but he only talks about his feelings for Castiel when he’s drunk and doesn’t remember their kisses in the morning. Someday Castiel has enough.

Event Horizon | @cas-lost-grace Rating: Mature Word Count: 6442 Main Tags and Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Suicidal Dean, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Past Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst,Texting, Sharing a Bed, Happy Ending, Veteran Dean, Doctor Dean, Writer Castiel Summary: Castiel couldn't have helped his sister. That's why being offered a chance to help somebody else dealing with suicidal thoughts he took it without hesitation. When he gets the first text from someone who needs his help, nothing goes as he expected.

Finding You, in Pieces of Me | @lunastories Rating: Mature Word Count: 21263 Main Tags and Warnings: Trueform Castiel, Angst with a happy ending, Post Sam's fall into the pit Summary: Dean is jaded after the loss of his brother and left with little to no hope in humanity. Castiel decides to show the world and humanity from his perspective so that Dean can regain the spark that he’s lost. They visit seven locations that have significance to Castiel. From the Cave of Crystals inhabited by an ancient eel spirit, to the Atacama Desert haunted by a heartbroken woman, Dean goes through a journey of self discovery. Slowly, Dean falls for Castiel and the world the angel sees.

Love me to Death | @lunastories Rating: Mature Word Count: 9219 Main Tags and Warnings: Death!Dean, Temporary Character Death, Reincarnation, Angst, Self harm Summary: There once was a man who feared Death. He feared him so much he tried to seek immortality, but his efforts were in vain. Eventually, he learned to love Death and everything he represented. This is the story of a mortal and a god and their love for one another.

Mixtapes (WIP) | silverstar2419 (Wattpad) Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 8407 Main Tags and Warnings: Depression, dealing with depression, mentions of attempted suicide Summary: Two years ago Dean tried to kill himself but Bobby stepped in and saved his life. Now he deals with his unwanted life the same he used to, strippers and beer. What happens when he finds out the person he loves as more than a friend (or brother for that matter) has the same feelings? Let's find out.

What We Ache For | @almaasi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 93115 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Sex Work, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Fluff, Consent, Sex Worker Castiel, Demisexual Castiel, Police Officer Dean, Affectionate Dean, Dean bottoms for the first time, Making Love, Cuddling and Snuggling, Injury Recovery, Temporary Amnesia, Supportive Sam, Castiel loves dogs, Domestic Fluff Summary: Working as a prostitute (that’s ‘sex worker’ to the decent folks), Castiel has heard more than his fair share of odd requests. When he’s paid to spend a night with Dean Winchester (handsome, dork of all dorks, has a nice car... secretly a cop), the last thing Castiel expects to hear are the words “I wanna make love.” That's the one thing he’s never done before – so Dean is going to show him how to do it. But then, barely a month after that night is over, Castiel finds himself in a difficult situation, and Dean is mistakenly summoned to help. They begin to share again: Dean’s apartment, the spare bed, their deepest secrets. Over time, with the support of Dean’s brother Sam, a mystery dog, and lots of cuddles, kisses, comfort, and tea, maybe Cas can finally be loved the way he deserves.

Lost Night | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 2608 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Brief Angst, Pre-Slash, Best Friends, Holding Hands, Dreams, Dreamwalking, Lucid Dreaming, Angel Castiel, Sad Dean, Mutual Pining Summary: Dean is so afraid of losing his best friend that he dreams Cas is floating away. His longing is great enough that the real-life Castiel is summoned, dreamwalking into Dean's subconscious – and, as The Beatles once said: "the minute you let him under your skin... then you begin to make it better..."

Unconditional | @almaasi Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2676 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Unconditional Love, Human Castiel, Injured Castiel, Caring Dean, Abused Dean, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Abusive John Winchester Summary: Over the years, Dean's learned a lot about himself, and the way he loves those around him. Now Cas is back from the dead, and he came back human - and hurt. As Dean soothes Cas' wounds in the front seat of the Impala, an ache in his heart drives him to find words to explain.

Mostly in Silence | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 4216 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Depression, Executive Dysfunction, Mental Health Issues, Self Care, Fallen Angel Castiel, Human Castiel, Castiel in the Bunker, Depressed Castiel, Sick Castiel, Caring Dean, Stargazing, Stars, Holding Hands, First Kiss, Poetic, No Spoilers, Always Keep Fighting, You are not alone Summary: Dean returns home to the bunker, only to find Castiel is lost in a deep depression. Taking their cues from the night sky (perhaps holding hands, perhaps sharing their first kiss), Dean helps Castiel rediscover a small but shining sense of hope.

Delirium and Doctor Sexy | @almaasi Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 9388 Main Tags and Warnings: Crack, Comfort, Fluff, Pre-Slash, Doctor Sexy M.D., Hunt Gone Wrong, Dean Hallucinates, Age Regression/De-Aging (mentally only), Bisexual Dean, Closeted Dean, Innocent Dean, Character Analysis, Dean Projects His Insecurities, Dean in Panties, Magic Made Them Do It, Sexual References, No Sex, Unresolved Romantic Tension Summary: Dean got hit by a wave of magical gas while protecting Sam, and now he's curled up in a motel bed, watching comfort TV on his laptop and hallucinating. Cas hangs around to look after him. But Dean thinks the friendly angel at his bedside is actually his favourite fictional beefcake, Dr. Sexy, M.D.. With all inhibitions on standby, Dean might admit a few things about himself he never dared to tell anyone before.

Dean, 2 pm | @sternchencas Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1464 Main Tags and Warnings: suicidal thoughts, emotional hurt/comfort Summary: Cas is done with his life. He's ready to end it all. The only thing that might be able to change his mind is one little note in his calendar that says 'Dean, 2 pm'.

Patch Me Up | @babybluecas Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1426 Main Tags and Warnings: canon universe, fallen!Cas, minor injury Summary: When Dean gets injured on a hunt, it's Cas's turn to take care of him.

Oh Death, Bring Him Back | @envydean Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 3984 Main Tags and Warnings: Modern AU, accountant!Cas, mechanic!Dean, hurt!Dean, Temporary Character Death, two-sided unrequited love, Pining, Major Character Injury, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Fluff, First Kiss, Supernatural but Dean and Cas don't know about it, So much begging Summary: Dean is badly hurt after a bar fight and Castiel goes to see him only to find out that the news isn't good. However, supernatural forces are on their side. Castiel follows the doctor quickly, barely a pace behind him. It's as bad as he feared. What if he doesn't get the chance to tell Dean that he loves him. Even if Dean doesn't love him back. The room is reminiscent of a war zone. Several people are crowded around Dean's body. There's blood everywhere, machines going haywire and doctors barking orders. Castiel is frozen to the spot.

Don't Let Go | @envydean Rating: Mature Word Count: 28578 Main Tags and Warnings: EMT!Castiel, mechanic!Dean, alcoholic!Dean, Alcoholism, Car Accidents ,Hospitals, Recovery, PTSD, Descriptions of Injury, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Trying to fall in love Summary: Dean Winchester’s life is a mess. Ever since his father’s death, a downward spiral has seen his occasional beer become something of a crutch. Then, a revelation has him going to see his brother in California—except he doesn’t make it and ends up in a nasty accident, destroying the Impala. Air rescue paramedic, Castiel, and his partner Benny are the ones to pull him out of the wreck and that’s just the start of it. He forms a tentative friendship with Dean and manages to convince him he needs help and that he can be there for Dean. It should have been all uphill from there—because getting sober is easy, right?—except it isn’t and their relationship is thrown into turmoil at the wrong time. Slowly, they learn to accept each other once again.

Like Sands Through The Hourglass | BiP (AO3) Rating: General Word Count: 1643 Main Tags and Warnings: illness Summary: It's always Florida, and it's always witches.

Battle of Mind and Body | @light-in-my-darkness Rating: Explicit Word Count: 164466 Main Tags and Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Sexual Content, PTSD, Whump, Slow Build, Additional Warnings in Notes Summary: A confession. A car accident. A coma. The results of which lead Castiel and Dean on a destructive path. Their family and friends fight to alter that path, but without knowing the truth of that fateful night, they fear their efforts will fail. Determined to box up the pain and humiliation, Castiel falls into depression and self-harm. In the aftermath of that night, Dean confronts his own demons. Both the angel and the hunter struggle to repair the broken pieces of themselves. As they try, will the dark nature of their world stay at bay long enough for them to heal or will it shatter any progress they made?

Taker of Souls | jscribbles (AO3) Rating: Explicit Word Count: 128664 Main Tags and Warnings: temporary major character death, Minor Character Death, Pining, Slow Burn, non-con, dub-con, Blood, Gore, Body mutilation, Self Harm, zombie-type characters, Hallucinations, Nightmares, horror-imagery, shameless use of horror movie tropes, offensive language/insults, spoilers for The Witch ,the boys cry, Sickness, Sweat ,Mud, Possession, canon-calibre discussions of religion, the evil dead 2013 Crossover, Inspired By, Smut, minor prescription drug use, Vomiting, Summary: The angels have fallen. Castiel is human, Sam is recovering from the trials, and Dean doesn’t want to expose them to the world as it’s crumbling outside the bunker doors. To pass time in their solitude, Dean discovers a hidden room in the bunker full of dangerous magical artifacts and accidentally exposes his friends and family to an ancient horror. If Castiel thought adjusting to humanity was already a terror in itself, he experiences a world of pain when the ancient spirit Dean released chooses him as a vessel to fulfill its evil prophecy. Castiel begins to change as voices call out to him in the night and take the form of the one righteous man he desires, temptation drawing him to complete a ritual that will allow one of Hell’s most feared ancient entities to occupy his vessel. Before Sam, Dean, Kevin and Crowley know what is happening, they are thrown into a lockdown, unable to escape the bunker as the cruel, twisted monster inside of Castiel prowls the hallways, hunting them, thirsty for their blood, hungry for their souls.

#destiel #destiel trope collection #writersofdestiel #deancasfanficnet #destielwritersnet #tropes #hurt comfort #hurt/comfort #whump #2019

[fallenandthefaithless]

Loose Ends

Now that we’ve made it to the midway point of the season I’ve seen a lot of posts speculating about how the season will end or discussing the big themes and how they relate to the characters. It got me thinking a bit about all the loose ends that have to be addressed and yikes there are a lot:

First off Gabriel of course is a big one. We haven’t seen him since his big reveal but I’m sure we’ll be seeing him again soon. Gabriel links the story to both Asmodeus and the Spell. Asmodeus holds Gabriel captive and has literally silenced him. He also introduced a new weapon which could play a larger role later on, the archangels blade. Asmodeus links to both the shedim and Ketch. The shedim may not come back but its probably a good idea just to keep them in mind with all these doors opening and closing. Ketch i another character we should be keeping an eye on - he’s probably the character with best idea of what’s going on as he knows about Gabriel being back, the new weapon, Lucifer’s escape, Team Free Will being united and I’m pretty sure he knows about Mary in the AU (I need to rewatch 13x07).

Going back to the Spell now, this is our key to opening the door and getting Mary and Jack back. Archangels Grace (linked to Gabriel), the fruit from the tree of life (most likely an apple from the garden of eden but does bring to mind the quince from 10x23 and the spell to break the Mark of Cain - doesn’t sound overly comforting), the Seal of Solomon (which links back to Asmodeus according to Wikipedia but also to 13x02 and the song of solomon) and of course the blood of a most holy man (I’ve already speculated here about who that could be). As I said before, this spell is our key to open a rift to save Mary and Jack.

That brings me to Billie and her house of cards. Billie warned Dean of what could happen if they tried to open a door and the last time they tried with Kaia it didn’t go as planned. Still, of course they were going to go ahead with the plan (though i don’t know if Dean has told Sam and Cas about what Billie said) (does Cas even know Billie’s alive?) which leads me to think that this could play into the season finale. I don’t think it’s going to go very well. Doors haven’t exactly been kind to the Winchesters lately - going from the literal rifts that have opened to last episode where they were locked on the other side of a door, somethings probably going to go wrong. All this talk of rifts does remind of Kaia and she is a huge loose end but I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t hear about that until Wayward Sisters. 

Next would be Michael and the AU world. Michael is, just as he was in s5, the huge threat that’s dominating TFW’s actions, most obviously Cas’s. He isn’t even in our world and he’s causing problems. Michael’s threat of war is what is pushing Cas into being a soldier again and this has led to a potential conflict within TFW. Discussing Michael also brings me to Mary, Jack and the Apocalypse World Inhabitants. We’ve just met a camp full of survivors led by Bobby Singer - which mirrors Camp Chitaqua in 5x04. Mary of course, is facing her trauma head on and will now be more open to forgiving herself and moving on. Jack has now decided to kill Michael to try and save humanity and I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose to stay in the Apocalypse World to help humanity. Kelly did say he could lift the world to it’s feet. It just might not be our world.

We’ve also got Lucifer and Anael as well as Heaven also to deal with. I think Anael and Lucifer are back in 13x18 so we’ll see more of what’s happening with that soon but I wouldn’t be surprised if Anael screws Lucifer over. He did make the equivalent of a crossroads deal with her and those never work out. Heaven is certainly making for an interesting backdrop this season with the angels going extinct - specifically with Cas’s story so I’m sure we’ll hear more about that by the end of the season if not in 13x18.

Which leaves me with the last big loose end I could think of at the moment. Rowena. She’s just had a huge level up and wants Lucifer destroyed after what he did to her. She also now owes Sam and, in my opinion anyway, has a bit of a soft spot for him - he did just help her and of course he understood her trauma. She opened up to him about it and even asked for his help. Rowena doesn’t really ask for help so this was huge. And now she’s at full power and out there free. I’m sure she’s going to come back into the narrative.

#spn s13 #team free will #rowena #gabriel #loose ends #asmodeus #jack kline #mary winchester