#jay is iconic just from that one little scene he did

[ashes-in-a-meadow]

i know jay is insignificant to the whole show but him getting on his knees and ripping his shirt open revealing his chest binder and telling little destiny to stab him will never not be iconic

#fionna and cake #fionna and cake spoilers #jay mertens #fionna and cake episode 5 #jay is iconic just from that one little scene he did #fav character that’s never going to show up again #adventure time fionna and cake #adventure time #trans

[livwritesstuff]

Hazel posts a tiktok that starts with her elbowing her way between her dads where they sit on the couch watching the evening news.

“The people want to know how your Valentine’s Day was,” she says, holding her phone out at arms-length so all three of them are in frame.

“We’re boring old guys, Hazy-Jay,” Eddie reminds her, “Go ask Moe or Robbie or some other young person.”

“Okay,” Hazel pauses, thinking, “Alright, what do you think is your most iconic Valentine’s Day.”

“Iconic?” Steve repeats tiredly, “Does it have to be for a good reason?”

“Any reason.”

“Uh, then probably the time a florist accused me of having an affair.”

Hazel’s jaw drops open.

“What?”

Beside her, Eddie cackles.

“Holy shit – I totally forgot about that!”

“Wait – storytime,” Hazel said gleefully, “Why did a florist accuse you of having an affair?”

“Well, you know how I always get you and Moe and Robbie each your own bouquet of flowers every year?”

“Yeah.”

“Right, so I went to the florist and–”

“Wait, when was this? Like, what year?”

“Uh, you were probably four or five, so 2011, maybe? Are you gonna interrupt me the whole time?”

“No, just that time,” Hazel shakes her head, “Gotta set the scene, Pop.”

“Sure. Anyways, I went to the florist to place the orders or whatever, and the kid working the register at the time was no older than sixteen, probably, and we got to the part where I add a note to each of the bouquets, and, like, I get it, you know? From her side of this, it was three pretty similar messages to three different girls, and I’m sure they see that kind of thing all the time where it’s actually some idiot buying flowers for their partner and the person they’re cheating on them with, so–”

“Yeah, she’s a real one, honestly,” Hazel giggled, “A little confused, maybe.”

“Right, so this girl starts completely laying into me about how shitty I was, and how could I do that, and don’t I care about people’s feelings, and I think that’s when your dad walked in, and–” he looks at Eddie over Hazel’s head, “Do you remember what you did? You, like, you did something that made it very clear that we were together.”

Eddie laughed, “Yeah, I think I said something like almost done, baby? and stuck my hand in your back pocket.”

Hazel wrinkled her nose, “Ugh, don’t be gross.”

“Well, anyways,” Steve continued, “This poor kid looked so confused, and I remember saying something like, yep, almost done getting the flowers for our daughters – really emphasized the our daughters part. She was mortified.”

“Damn,” Hazel says, “Yeah, that's pretty iconic.”

#inspired by when I hosted at a restaurant and some guy brought his mistress in on feb 13th and his wife in on feb 14th #it wasn't even a nice restaurant either this guy was just a loser #steddie #liv’s steddie dads verse #steddie dads #hazel's tiktok page #steve harrington #eddie munson

[thebluestbluewords]

cinderellaverse?? In my 2024??

it’s more likely than you think!

(for context: the rotten ot4 are wildly codependent, Ben is possibly seducing them all via unreciprocated acts of kindness, and this takes place directly after the iconic Good Boy scene, only with some AU changes that aren’t ready to post yet).

(why am i posting this if no other context is finished yet??? Because I’m needy and crave validation. Next question, please).

+

“Ugh,” Mal agrees. She looks mostly asleep still, which is understandable. “Weird. Did you eat yet?” 

Carlos lifts the napkin-wrapped bundle in his hands. “I brought food. To share. If you want.” 

This, predictably, gets Mal up. They’re far enough away from the isle that Carlos can almost believe that their parents aren’t lurking behind every dark corner of the castle, but not so far that they’ll turn down fresh food, even at stupid early hours.

“Berries?” 

“Yeah. Brought berries for you. And muffins.” 

“Evie wants chocolate,” Mal says immediately, stretching out both hands for the napkin-wrapped bundle. “And weird that Ben made you meet someone new. I thought we’d already been subjected to every princess-type in the school by now.” 

“Not a person. He made me meet a— a dog.” 

Mal stops with the muffins in her hands still outstretched. “Oh,” she says carefully, which is nice of her. Their Auradon education must be kicking in, or some shit. “And you’re not halfway home?” 

“I was. But Ben sort of—put the dog away and tracked me down? He was cool about it. We went over afterwards to check out the stables, cause he thought maybe it was like, just animals I don’t like, and they’ve got cats and stuff there. And the dog was on a leash, and he’s actually super tiny and not murderous.” Carlos shrugs, telegraphing the motion as much as he can. Which isn’t much. He’s supposed to be working on the whole expressing emotions thing. Even though it’s so much easier to shut down entirely whenever he feels an emotion. “So yeah. Still alive, still here! And Ben’s being weird.” 

“Weird how?” 

“Just weird. He was being all nice and stuff. D’you think he’s been bribed by Fairy Godmother to get info on us?” 

“Might be,” Mal agrees, tearing into her muffin. She’s unwrapped the whole bundle, and laid them out in an order that’s got to make sense in her head. (it shouldn’t make sense. They can’t afford to be predictable. Predictable is how you get your lunch stolen, or poisoned, or eaten by pirates who think it’s funny to take a perfectly rotten sandwich and swap it out for seaweed slime). “You should eat though. You didn’t tell him anything, right?” 

Carlos pulls a scrap off the cinnamon sugar muffin. It’s the one Mal’s put in his assigned spot, which is directly across from her own, with Evie’s double chocolate on the left and Jay’s lemon poppyseed on the right. He’s not really hungry, but it’s still too much to turn down food, so he rolls it between his fingers until half of the sugar falls off into the napkin, and the rest of it is compressed into the smallest possible ball of muffin flesh. He can eat a little piece of it, and then Mal will stop asking, and he can eat for real later. Once he’s alone. 

He pops the ball of muffin into his mouth. “No. Not really.” 

Mal shoves another mouthful of muffin into her mouth. She picked the blueberry one, and it turns the whole mess of it vividly purple as she chews. “Cool. He’s probably just being a royal brat then, trying to get some new intel for the gossip mill. But hey, it’s cool that he showed you the stables. Maybe next time we need to get to town you can steal us a horse, yeah?” 

Carlos snorts. He’s seen a horse now, and there’s no way they can get away with stealing something that big and ornery. Cars might be bigger, but they don’t bite and they don’t poop and they don’t have teeth the size of his fingers and a desire to bite through anything that looks even remotely like a carrot. “Yeah, no. Horses are fucking giant.” 

“I wouldn’t know,” Mal says casually. She throws one of her loose berries up so she can catch it in her teeth. Sometimes, when it’s just the four of them, Mal forgets to act human and does things like this. Things where she snatches treats out of the air with her teeth, when her neck bends in ways that a human’s shouldn’t, like she’s forgotten that she only has seven bones in her neck and not seventeen like a standard dragon. “Nobody ever wakes me up at the crack of dawn to show me cool shit.” 

Carlos wants to laugh and make this whole thing normal, but he’s fucking exhausted and the cinnamon sugar from the muffin is sticky on his fingers. He’s been trying to pull it apart carefully so that his whole hands don’t get covered in the crumbly topping, but that’s been working about as well as their escape plan so far, which is to say not at fucking all. “Yeah, yeah. He also made us run laps first, don’t be jealous.” 

Mal snaps her teeth. “I’ll be whatever I want. He didn’t do anything else?“ 

“Nope.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yes, mom. He just wanted to talk a bunch about how we’re settling in. And how we’re doing emotionally.” 

#emotions are really hard when you’re…. from the isle #(I haven’t worked on this section of this fic in genuinely ages and I’m HAVING THOTS AGAIN) #mostly about how these two are soooo bad at communicating #anyway on a totally unrelated note!!! #(I say. Lying.) #I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I am possibly. less than stellar at processing emotions. because of the way my brain is wire #which is to say #my husband (diagnosed autistic) #thinks I may also be on the spectrum #and i am choosing to make that a fictional character problem #so anyway specifically these two will be having an AWFUL time before I do some. toning down in the editing process. #this doesn’t get a real fic tag don’t look at me

[filmnoirfoundation]

ASK EDDIE returns Thursday, September 21, 7:00 PM PT to our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/filmnoirfoundation/live

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this episode, we discuss Eddie’s short story “Doc’s Oscar”, the essential Italian noirs and film museums, the disreputable noir characters of wholesome TV icons, memorable bell tower scenes, and more. We wind up the show with a discussion of our favorite film noir openings. On the cat front, Charlotte and Emily are too tired to participate.

Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/signup.html

Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here: https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/contribute.html

Can’t join us on Thursday? No problem! A recording will be up on our YouTube channel, @NoirCity, on Friday, September 22: https://www.youtube.com/user/NoirCitySF

Note: Eddie will not be able to answer questions posted during the livestream nor ones left on our social media accounts

This week's questions:

In a recent episode, Eddie highly recommended the film ROSAURA AT 10 O’CLOCK [ROSAURA A LA 10]. Is it possible for ROSAURA to be restored by the Foundation and made available through Flicker Alley?

Michael, Post Falls, Idaho

Just read your short story, "Doc's Oscar", in the JEWISH NOIR VOLUME 1. Can you give us a little background on its origin? When did you write it?

Jay and Connie, Ann Arbor, MI

I'm planning a trip to Italy.  Please recommend your essential Italian crime/noir films.  Also, I hope to visit a museum dedicated to cinema. Any ideas

Steve in Mississippi

Have you read “Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City” written by Nicholas Christopher? 

Sean Land O Lakes, FL

For me one of the biggest surprises of seeing familiar actors in Film Noir was seeing Raymond Burr as the heavy. What other later-known actors are the biggest surprises for someone getting into Film Noir.

Carlton, Atlanta, GA

Why does Eddie sometimes use the alias "Eddy von Mueller" for some of his Blu-Ray commentary tracks?

David

The late-'60s and the '70's are thought of as the time of the great neo-noir films, but what about offerings designed to play at drive-in theaters or so-called grindhouses? I'm also curious about regional films or filmmakers since that era was rich with localized film production. Are you aware of any that could fall under the mantle of film noir?

Kathy and Michael, Rockford, Illinois

In the past Eddie has mentioned certain movies that he considers to be more “message pictures” than full blown noir for him. I would love to hear you both talk about what the difference for you is between movies like NO WAY OUT, CROSSFIRE, FORCE OF EVIL etc. and movies that have tinges of Noir but fall into the Message Picture category and maybe some examples of those and why they don’t make the cut. Thanks!

Nathanael from New Braunfels, Texas

I recently watched the Douglas Sirk 1951 film noir, THUNDER ON THE HILL, and noted the similarities between the bell tower scene in that movie with the great bell tower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 VERTIGO.  Are there other films noir that include a bell tower scene?  And, more generally, what other films noir have great staircase scenes? 

Cliff in Fort Collins

Wondering if you know anything about scenes cut from THE MAN I LOVE DVD. The film is listed as being 96 minutes long, but the DVD version is only 90 minutes.

Michael, Chicago, IL

My question is about some very difficult to find Alan Ladd titles, specifically, CHICAGO DEADLINE with Donna Reed and SAIGON. Are these Alan Ladd films tied up in litigation or bound in some type of financial dispute? Is there any hope for their release in the US?  

Don

Openings.  I have always been fascinated by the first 90 seconds of noir films and I’d just like to pay tribute to my favorite openings and listen as you add in yours as well.

Chuck

#film noir #noir city #eddie muller #anne hockens #film noir foundation #jewish noir #raymond burr #william conrad #grindhouse films #odds against tomorrow #the stranger #i the jury #criss cross #crossfire #doc's oscar #noir city detroit #noir city dc

[imjustwritingg]

Different anon here! I loved seeing your list of favorite Upstead moments from season 5. You feeling up to listing your favorite season 6 moments!? I don’t know about you, but season 6 Upstead will forever have me in a choke hold.

I do feel up to it and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to answer you pal! Season six Upstead is in a league of its own. So, so good! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

6x02:

The ENTIRETY of this episode is ✨CHEF’S KISS✨

Hailey suggesting Jay should sit out on the case…Jay snapping at Hailey, “I’m sorry my heart doesn’t bleed like yours” and then the immediate look of regret that flashes over his face…

When Jay goes with Hailey and Adam to question one of the suspect’s sons and Hailey has to hold Jay back… 🥵🥵

Jay snapping at Hailey AGAIN when Voight benches him… “You’re just projecting whatever daddy-daughter crap got you screwed up.” I think all our hearts broke with that scene.

THE ENDING?? Hailey rushing towards Jay thinking he was shot, pulling open his shirt and checking his vest…the way she cradles his head… SWOON

Their little scene at the back of the ambulance…the relief on Hailey’s face and the guilt on Jay’s, and then that little touch Hailey gives of his knee… 🥺

And then… *sigh* Hailey saying “I thought he was dead” as her and Adam are walking off because SHE HAS FEELINGS FOR JAY AND THOUGHT SHE HAD LOST HIM. Dead. Gone. Goodbye.

6x06:

Jay and Hailey talking about the case at her house…Adam shows up and after he leaves, Jay makes the comment “I hope he doesn’t think you and I are…” and then the workplace romance comment. THE WAY I STILL SQUEAL OVER THAT LINE AND THE LOOK ON THOSE IDIOTS’ FACES 🥰

Also in the truck when Jay checks in on Hailey and assures her she did it right…the way they showed how much he cares about her in that 30 second scene is everything.

6x07:

When Hailey and Jay go into the house and he has a PTSD moment thinking it’s a bomb under the woman’s burqa, but it’s a baby instead. How Hailey is so soft with him when they’re talking afterwards and says “You’re not in Afghanistan anymore.”

The ending scene and the thing that works… 💗

6x10:

Hailey apologizes to Jay for not telling him about her and Adam. Jay says, “We’re good and we’re always gonna be good.”

6x12:

This episode was full of worried Hailey and it was wonderful, but that ending scene between her and Jay at the bar… the look in their eyes that just tells you they feel something more between them. When Jay asks her if it’s Adam calling her and tells her she should go, you can see the hesitation on her face…the look on his that says he wants to ask her to stay. Ughhhh. The way they communicate with their eyes alone should be a required element of all ships. No one is doing it like them.

6x14:

When Hailey returns to the bullpen, Jay immediately stands up and when he sits back down there’s a moment where we see the concern for her and the guilt he feels written on his face. It’s just a few seconds, but it’s so good.

6x15:

There are four moments in this episode where Hailey and Jay share a look between them and communicate only with their eyes. *happy sigh*

Hailey and Jay talk in the viewing room and he asks her why she backed him. She says he looked at her and she got it, then says the iconic line, “I’ve trusted you from the day I met you, and if I was gonna follow someone blind it, it’d be you.”

6x22:

Jay tells Hailey, “I’m going where you go.”

THE. VAN. SCENE. If that scene isn’t one of your favorite pre-canon Upstead moments, then sorry, but you’re so wrong for that. The way Jay covers her body with his, reaches for a Kevlar vest to protect her instead of himself. That man really has loved her for YEARS. 😭

And then the break room scene…their first almost love confession…

Hailey says, “Kelton is who he is…his time for reckoning is coming” and Jay responds with “Yeah, but not in time for this unit…for us.” Hailey tells him, “We’ve only been partners a couple years. You’ll forget about me just fine.”

Jay breathes out her name and kinda shakes his head, and she says they’ll be alright. They share a look and it’s very obvious there are feelings between the two of them. Goddddd. The chemistry is so palpable between them. ❤️

Season six truly is the superior pre-canon Upstead season and I will never not swoon over it. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

#anon ask #upstead #hailey upton #jay halstead #chicago pd #favorite upstead moments

[destinysbounty]

zane and nya for character opinion bingo

ZANE

Oh god blorbo supreme. The original blorbo. This nindroid can fit so much trauma in him. I could rant about him for a million years. Im like this close to giving into temptation and making a 20-minute compilation of all my favorite Zane moments (listen, the party pooper scene lives in my head rent-free at all times). Oh god he needs so much therapy, and no, locking your trauma in a digital puzzle box does not count as therapy.

Some people characterize him as some emotionless and boring lawful good. Some people characterize him as an uwu wholesome softboi. But in my opinion, the most correct interpretation is Dorky Suburban Dad.

Think about it. He wore a button-up and khakis to the beach. He dresses up in a full scuba skin-suit whenever they have a party in their own damn hot tub. He once wore a sweater vest with snowflakes on it. On their lil desert road trip he entertained himself by reading about regional trivia, and delighted in sharing this trivia with his friends. He loves playing board games, especially chess. He likes to make ice puns. He loves cooking. He's the closest thing they have to a responsible adult. When he became the team leader in season 5 he kept everyone pumped with all those silly little sayings like "one team one dream!" He apparently loves detective fiction. He thinks that walking like a pirate with a peg-leg will get people to respect him. He loves astronomy and, according to Lloyd, "knows the solar system better than anyone". Whenever someone is upset he's always there providing a comforting smile and a pat on the shoulder. He spent 5 minutes debating the morality of making an ice ramp for a slug. He doesn't understand pop culture. Zane is a dorky suburban dad and you can't change my mind.

He's also a fashion icon. For example, when he died, the ninja all became a total fashion disaster in his absence. We all saw it. None of them matched. Like did you see Kai's horrendous lil fight club costume? Jay's atrocious tv host suit? And Cole just straight up wasn't even wearing a shirt anymore. And even when they came back together, their ninja suits still didn't match! And sure, it was meant to symbolize how disjointed they'd become in the wake of his loss, but STILL. The fact that their CLOTHES of all things were out of wack indicates to me that he's the only one on the team with any fashion sense.

And let's not forget the moment from Seabound where he decided to wear the breathing mask despite not needing oxygen because "I like how it completes my attire". And his Snake Jaguar costume!!! And his titty-out look in The Island! And not to mention how the Detective Zane outfit is a LOOK. He rocks the hell out of that trenchcoat.

This is all to say, Lego needs to release the forbidden bikini Zane content or I'm gonna break in and find it myself.

NYA

Ohoho, the fandom does Nya SOOO dirty. Especially since she's not as outwardly affectionate as Jay, so a lot of people interpret this as her being more callous and unloving towards him. She A) has a metric ton of childhood baggage, and B) expresses her affection in different ways! Jay might say 'I love you' with words more often, but she shows how much she cares through acts of service and quality time and whatnot.

Also. Hot take but Nya has some of the most compelling character arcs and subplots in this entire goddamn show. Teaming up with Dareth to spy on Chen? Overcoming her gifted child syndrome in season 5? The X Cave fight in season 7????? Struggling to keep the resistance alive even when all her friends were dead, doing everything in her power to keep Lloyd from losing hope even though they were the only ones left???????????? The entirety of Seabound??????????

The show definitely blunders often in terms of the whole sexism/performative feminism thing, for sure. Looking at you, Skybound. But she also has a LOT of character arcs where her being the Girl^TM isn't even at all relevant. Season 5. Season 7. Season 9. Season 10. Season 11. Season 15.

Anyway Nya is amazing and she deserves better from the fandom, and I will die on this hill. Nya didn't singlehandedly destroy hell itself just to be reduced to some shallow Designated Love Interest.

#also minor gripe but it bugs me when people say nya and zane arent close/dont know each other very well #like??? nya full on sobbed when zane died #and when zane lost nya...well that involves crystalized spoilers but lets just say he is Not Handling It Well #and when the og4 return from the first realm nya hugs jay and then immediately hugs zane next #and when aspheera blasted zane she was one of the first people to rush over to where hed once been standing #and their whole thing in ns7! with zanes word catalogue scrambled and nya as the only one capable of interpreting him #and zane asking nya to help with his lil video diary project in decoded #and zane and nyas reunion in season 4 gives me SO many feelings #they are BESTIES your honor #ninjago #destiny post

[b0yishgirl]

Did this a little late but here are my favorite reads of September!!

1. Daisy jones and the six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Read this toward the end of September in maybe a week or so. I really liked it! It was super interesting to learn about this fictional band and the iconic Daisy Jones! Still watching the show though but so far so good!

2. Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sāenz. Read this in about three days and sadly didn’t get to see the movie but once it releases psychically me and some of my friends are gonna have a movie night and watch together so!! Anyways back to the book. Aristotle and Dante is a YA book set in the 80s about these two boys Aristotle and Dante who are both Mexican and queer. Over two summers we see these boys go through so much and become best friends to eventually more. I’m currently reading the sequel so I’ll probably review that one once I finish it.

3. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. I read this in a little under 4hours and it was super good. In Convenience Store Woman we follow 36 year old Keiko who has worked at smile mart since it’s opening when she was 18. Over the 163 pages we read about Keiko’s day to day life working at the convenience store and so more stuff but I don’t want to spoil this book so go read it for yourself!!

4. Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June. In Jay’s gay agenda we read about this teenage boy Jay moving from some small town in Washington to Seattle. One big thing about jay is he loves lists so he writes a list of things he wants to do, like kiss a boy, have a date at the space needle, so on. Eventually he ends up hooking up with one boy and going out with another and albert(the boy he’s going out with) finds out and confronts him. In the end he has to decide wether to go to the hoedown with his best friend back at home or go to homecoming in seattle. This book was a little cheesy but generally good would love to see a movie out of this one day!!

5. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. This took me a month to finish just because of long it was. The secret history was about as long and took me about the same time to read it. in The vampire Lestat we follow Lestat from before he was a vampire to his like vampire rebirth to him starting an 80s rock back under the same title as the book which is his memoir. There was some weird scenes between Gabrielle and Lestat who are genetically mother and son. So obviously it wasn’t five stars but it was interesting to read from Lestat’s point of view and learn more about Anne rice’s vampire world!

I’m gonna end this here see y’all later byee!

#the vampire lestat #ya books #aristotle and dante discover the universe #daisy jones and the six

[whovianwholikesgirls]

Top 5 REM songs

Top 5 Stranger Things moments (in the show, not your au 😂)

Top 5 Lyrics (ok I know this is cruel so you can just pick 5 you like rn)

Top 5 Favorite Things About Yourself 😘

Top Five REM Songs:

Fuck they’re mostly going to be from murmur aren’t they? Yep!!!

Perfect Circle

Moral Kiosk (for the riff and the hook honestly)

Laughing

Try not to breathe

Turn you inside out

Top 5 ST moments:

Dustin and Suzie’s never ending story moment. Easily my favorite scene

When Joyce is comforting El in s1 while she’s in the sensory deprivation tank? Rip my heart out of my fucking chest and my inner child said, “Joyce is our mom now”

In S2:

Nancy: you don’t have to do this you know?

Jonathan: stop saying that

It just reminds me of us and it makes me happy🥰Also it’s just a nice reminder that your people will be there for you always and you’re never a burden (which is like a daily affirmation I need at this point.) Damn, when did this get so dark? Fuck ableism. Moving on…..

Joyce and Hop getting Murried will never not make me laugh

At the beginning of S2 when Joyce and Jonathan are looking for Will like, “shit it happened again” and when Joyce finds Will in the bathroom and asks what he’s doing he’s just like, “peeing?!?!?” Iconic

Top five lyrics right now:

“Emotion-bound

Martyed

Misconstrued” Laughing, REM

“It's these little things, they can pull you under

Live your life filled with joy and wonder

I always knew this altogether thunder

Was lost in our little lives

Oh, but sweetness follows

Oh, but sweetness follows” Sweetness Follows, REM

This one is cheating a little but it’s my fav song rn now I’m giving three examples counting as one:

“And if you never saved me from boredom

I could've gone on as I was

But, Lord, you made me feel important

And then you tried to erase us

Oh, oh

You're a crisis of my faith”

“And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts

Memories feel like weapons”

“If clarity's in death, then why won't this die?

Years of tearing down our banners, you and I

Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts

Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first”

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve, Taylor Swift

“I asked my friends

Am I a good man?” Tayls, First Cure (I Can’t Hide)

Istg it’s not just because it’s your lyric and I’m not being a kiss ass but:

”Your mind is on fire but so is the world

And you want to escape but where on Earth could you go?

Every single day is some paradoxical mind-numbing mashup of boring and terrible”

Road Ahead, Jay Van Raalte (my fav human🥰)

Top five things that I like about myself

My ability to love people and things. It’s very deep and vast and loyal and in the past has def been given to the wrong people but we’re working on it

My ability to make my inner child feel safe and heard. We’re still working on the internalized ableism stuff for adult me but as far as making sure that little me is safe and her feelings and pain are heard and vailed? Ooff it’s been a long 4+ year journey with an awesome therapist but as a kid who was constantly physically violated by being forced to leave home where it was safe to go stay with her emotionally and physically abusive father for months out of the year, it’s nice that she finally has an adult who puts her needs first

When I have an idea I’ll cling to it until it becomes a thing. (Getting into my dream school for undergrad, saving up for Taylor bc I’ve wanted to see her for years and my parents weren’t going to make it a thing when I was a teenager either bc of money or usually when my mom and I would go to a concert it had to be someone we both liked so it was always Rob Thomas/Matchbox so instead I’m doing it myself, hopefully moving to Seattle etc)

I love my life long love for reading. It’s something that’s really cool and I love that it has always stuck with me

My appreciation for simple things (books, tea, rain, new music, deep pressure therapy, being held. No I did not just say that last one bc you asked😉These are just the simplest things in the word but they make me the happiest)

[bustyasianbeautiespod]

Episode 36 Transcript: I'm Not Thinking Anything!

[intro guitar music]

G: Hello, my name is Grey.

C: And my name is Crystal.

G: And this is Busty Asian Beauties, the Supernatural commentary podcast where I, someone who has seen this show several times…

C: And I, someone who only knows the show through social media, discuss every single episode of Supernatural from start to finish. Also, we're both Asian.

G: Both Asian!

So for today's episode, we will be discussing Season 2, Episode 14: “Born Under A Bad Sign,” written by Cathryn Humphrys, directed by Jay Miller Tobin.

C: Yeah, what else has Jay Miller Tobin directed?

G: I actually checked, and he directs one episode per season until season five, so from season two to five, he has four episodes in total.

C: Okay, interesting.

G: And all of them are iconic episodes.

C: Yeah, yeah, I'm looking now. That is interesting.

G: Yeah.

C: Because I feel like the main feature of this episode was the bad slow-mo/fast-mo.

G: Well, no, I- that's true, but I think- we'll get into it later, but I really like the way the first- the teaser portion of the episode was directed, you know, so I thought that was coo,l and then we get the, like, really bad slow-mo, and I was like, "Okay. Okay, fine." [C laughs] But, you know, I think this one was pretty dece when it comes to directing. I would like to point out that- Are you familiar with the car door, slide down hand on the window scene?

C: The sex one?

G: The sex one-

C: Oh my god, this was him!

G: It was him! So, looking forward to that.

C: So grateful for that.

G: Literally. I love it when people make AMVs, and it's like, a completely random pairing, and then they put that in there, just to be like, "They had sex. Don't even think about it." [laughs]

C: [laughing] Is this about my Megkelly video?

G: [laughing] Don't even think about it! Never think about anything.

C: Okay, but I did use- [laughs] I used the hand sliding down the window to say that Meg and Kelly had sex in the Impala. Which they did. Canonically.

G: So true.

So yeah, I guess we can start with, what did you know about this episode before going in?

C: So I guess I didn't actually know what it was entirely until the "then" sequence where it shows Jo and then Meg, and I was like, "Oh, okay." So in general, I know that at some point in this episode, Meg possesses Sam and that he tells Jo, "My daddy shot your daddy in the head," but I guess I didn't really know that many other details about it, and I didn't know when Sam was gonna be Meg and when he was gonna be Sam.

G: Yeah, I actually, like, this, for some reason, like, this episode title is seared into my head as an important episode, but I have absolutely no idea what the episode is about. So I just know it's important that we're here, but I don't know what it's about. So like you said, like, the the moment I knew, it was like, "Oh, the teaser is happening. Oh, okay it's this episode." Yeah, so yeah. [laughing] And I knew I was in for a fucking ride!

C: Yep.

G: So, hell yeah.

-

G: So the episode starts with Dean just hanging out. [both laugh] And he is taking a call, and it's from Ellen, and he's like, freaking out ,and he's saying that Sam has been missing for a while, and he's asking like, "Has anyone heard about him?" And then Ellen's like, saying no, blah blah blah, when the phone rings, and it's Sam, and Dean answers it and then goes to a hotel- to a motel and enters a room. And Sam is there, and he is bloody and just staring into the ether. Dean asks if he's bleeding. Sam says, "I tried to wash it off." Agh!

C: He's so Lady Macbeth for this.

G: Ooh! Ooh! I love that. And he says, "I don't think the blood is my blood." And Dean asks what the hell happened, and Sam says, "Dean, I don't remember... anything!"

C: And he looks so sad and vulnerable, and it's such a good line. Like, his voice does a little crack.

G: Whoo!

C: Like, hello.

G: Ah! This entire episode, like, I don't know. Like, it's so- mm! It's so- nuh!

C: [laughs[ It's spicy, yeah.

G: It's delicious. [C laughs] Anyway, like I said earlier-

C: Love to see a man in distress.

G: Yeah, like, this entire portion was directed in a way that it's like, super choppy. You know, how like, in vlogs, they would like, transfer to another shot, but like, the audio of the previous shot is still going, like it's that kind of editing? I think- I thought it's pretty cool. I liked it. And I thought it added to the frantic nature of the scene, which is something that they have attempted in the past, but failed at, I feel. Like, the whole frantic, like, "it's a bit choppy!" but like, in the past, it just looked like incredibly bad slow motion. Which is also in this episode, but [laughs] we can't always get what we want.

C: Yeah. Yep. [laughs] We're not talking about House M.D. this episode. [G laughs]

G: Is that a promise?

C: No. [laughs]

G: [laughs] No.

C: 'Cause I don't break prommies.

G: For real.

C: Honestly, I don't know that the choppiness worked for me as well visually as it did for you, but it had its moments where it worked out, it showed Dean’s disorientation pretty well.

So we go to the next scene. A little bit of time has passed in the motel room, and apparently, Dean found out that Sam checked in two days ago under the name of Richard Sambora. And he says, "The scariest part about this whole thing is that you're a Bon Jovi fan."

G: I'm sure that Dean has listened to Bon Jovi at some point.

C: Yeah.

G: What a hypocrite! [C laughs] [laughing] Imagine if, like, this entire episode, I was just like, bashing on Dean. Truly a moment.

C: I feel like Dean, at least in the first half of this like, episode has been surprisingly likable to me.

G: Oh, he's extremely likable in this episode, 'cause he's so pathetic! [C laughs] Literally so pathetic. At some point, he is wet and pathetic, so like, it works.

C: Yes! He's- no, I love the scene where Jo has to rescue him from under the bridge, because you know that she's fantasized about having him wet, pathetic, and poor little meow-meowed like this before.

G: He is literally- like, he was going, "Ouch! Yeowch!"

C: [laughing] "Owie!"

G: Literally.

C: Just like Jack- what's his last time?

G: Literally, he was like, "Ow! Agh!" Good for him. [C laughing]

C: Yeah.

G: I love this episode. Yeah.

C: Except for when he leaves Jo behind and is like, the biggest dick about it. But we'll get there.

G: We'll get to it. [laughs]

C: Yeah. Okay. So no one's noticed anything unusual or loud about Sam's room, and Sam is still clearly very upset. He goes, like, “Oh, you mean no one saw me walking around covered in blood?” and like, “How the hell did I get here, Dean? What happened to me?” Dean says, like, "It's okay, we'll just deal with the situation." And Sam goes, “Really? Because what if I hurt someone, or worse? What if this is what Dad warned you about?” And Dean's like, "Calm down there, buddy. Let's like, just solve this mystery." So the last thing Sam remembers is him and Dean in West Texas, and he went out to grab some burgers, and apparently, that was an entire week ago, and then he woke up here, bloody and feeling like he'd been asleep for a month. Dean notices that there's blood on the window, so Sam’s probably been coming in through there. So they go out to investigate.

G: Yeah. And as they're walking, they pass by this- I don't know how to describe it. Like storage units, I guess?

C: Yeah, like garages?

G: Yeah, like, garage storage unit thing. And it's like, a whole suspense thing. Sam's like, "Oh my god, I recognize this." And Dean's like, "Really?" and he was like, "Nah. [both laugh] I just get the vibes." But, you know, he feels like he has been here before, so he like, points at like, a garage, and goes like, “Why don't we open that one?” And it's locked, and Sam goes, “Wait,” and then reaches into his pocket, pulls out a key, and, as we know, if there's a key, there must be a lock, so they unlock the lock, and they open the garage door to see a car. And like, Dean still joking that he's like- because the car is like, one of those like, Beetle car, I guess. You know, what I mean.

C: Yeah.

G: And he's like, "Oh, you didn't steal this, didn't you?" [C laughs] And, you know, he's just a goofy silly little guy. He's just joking around in a very serious situation because it's his coping mechanism. And they open the doors, and they see that there's blood everywhere in the steering wheel, and Dean points out the backseat, which has a bloody knife.

C: Ooh!

G: At some point, like, Sam says, "You think I used this on someone?" and Dean just goes, “I'm not thinking anything.” [laughs] Which I like.

C: Dean was like, "Maybe you just used the knife to spread some strawberry jam on some toast. Have you considered that, Sam?"

G: Literally this would be my response every time anyone goes, like, “What do you think?" I'll just go, "I'm not thinking anything!" And I love that.

Anyway, like, Dean makes other comments about like, there being like, a pack of cigarettes in the car, and he's like, "You're not a smoker. This can't be you! You don't smoke menthols." And then they find a gas receipt from a couple towns over so they go to that gas station to see if Sam has been there.

-

C: Yeah, so they go over, and Dean asks if Sam is getting any deja vu about this, and he's like, "Nah," so they go into the like, convenience store attached to the gas station to see if anyone remembers Sam. And the cashier there is like, "Oh my god, what the fuck, get out of here, what," and Dean's like, "Are you talking to like, him? To Sam?" And the clerk is like, "Yeah, this guy came in yesterday completely drunk, grabbed like, a malt liquor from the fridge, and just started chugging right in front of me." And, apparently, he also threw the bottle at the cashier's head. And the whole time, Dean's going, "This guy?? [G laughing] This guy did it? Sweet little Sammy did that?" And it's so fun.

And Sam’s like, looking all pathetic, going like, “I'm really sorry if I did anything." And the- [laughs] the cashier threatens to call the police, and he says, "Tell your story walking, pal. Popo will be here in five." And that- [laughing] no one in the history of the universe has tried to sound intimidating while calling the cops "popo." [G laughs]

G: Well, you know.

C: Do I know?

G: Well, I've heard it in some rap songs, and they sound pretty intense about it, so.

C: I suppose so.

G: I think it's just something people say. Yeah. I think this is something- like, maybe it's of a time. Maybe it's of a certain time, you know. [laughing] We're Gen Z-ers, we don't know anything.

C: It's true. We're not thinking anything.

G: Yeah. I'm not thinking anything! Yeah.

C: Yeah. So Dean sends Sam to go wait in the car, and he questions the cashier, asking what direction Sam went in after he left the gas station. And basically, the cashier is trying to get Dean to bribe him, so he's like, "You know, like, your buddy didn't pay for the booze or the smokes." And then Dean's like, "Ugh, fine," and puts some bills down, and then the cashier's like, "Actually, I'm starting to remember that he took two packs," and Dean's like, "Okay, fine," and then after bribing him enough, he learns that Sam went North Route 71 out of town, and then Dean like, grabs two candy bars without paying for them directly and then leaves.

G: I was so fascinated by this. Because when the guy said, like, "Actually, I'm recalling it better now. He took two packs," I would have never gotten in my life that he was saying, like, "Give me more money." [laughing] I would just have been like, "This is the information he's giving me!" [both laughing] Literally, I would have never connected those dots. I would have just stood there and been like, "Do you have any more information, other than he took two packs?" [both laughing] So when Dean like, handed more money, I was like, "Oh, that's interesting." But yeah. [laughing] That's literally my only commentary for this scene. Love that!

C: I mean, are we gonna- at what point are we gonna say what the situation was? 'Cause I do think it's very hot girl moment of Meg to like, go into a store, start chugging alcohol, and then throw the bottle at someone.

G: Well, I think it's safe to say that, like, that portion of Sam, he was possessed. So we'll say that. Like-

C: Okay.

G: Good for- good for Meg, you know?

C: Yeah.

G: Go into a store, drink it, a la Cascore, I guess.

C: Yeah, yeah! He went into a liquor store, "And?" [both] "And I drank it."

G: Good for him! And, well, have you ever smoked a cigarette?

C: No.

G: No, okay [laughing], then let's drop this conversation.

C: Have you?

G: Oh, yeah.

C: Okay, did you have anything you wanted to say about it?

G: Oh, no, I was just like, wondering like, do you think Meg would be like, a menthol type person?

C: Hmm. I don't know. My only thought there was that it was a crime that we didn't get to see Rachel Miner!Meg smoke, because I know smoking kills, but also like... hi. [G laughs]

G: Yeah, smoking kills. Don't smoke, even though I have smoked in my life, and also [laughing] considering taking up smoking because I want to buy a Zippo, and I want to use it for something. [C laughing] Like, I want to justify my Zippo purchase-

C: Being Deancoded literally kills.

G: So I am thinking- Literally, I'm thinking of getting into tobacco. [C laughing] Like, as in, the big, like, cigars. And I, like- like, I was doing like, some reading up about it, and then like, it hit me suddenly like, right in the middle of doing it, I was like, "What am I doing?" [C laughing] I was literally like- I was having like, a revelation. Like, "You're literally going all in just so you can justify buying a Zippo." Like, other people literally buy, like, dolls and merch that they just display their house for no reason, you can do this for a Zippo as well. [laughs] Like, just say it's a Supernatural-related purchase and then you'll be fine. You don't have to smoke. [both laugh] But yeah. Again, if you want to- [laughing] if you want me to buy a Zippo, [both laughing] you can give us money at our Ko-Fi, and put-

C: And Grey will not use it to smoke, so you will not be responsible for lung cancer.

G: Exactly. Just put in the note portion of your Ko-Fi donation [laughing], "For Grey's Zippo." [laughs]

Don't actually do that. We have said it last episode, we'll say it again, don't actually do that. I will spend my own money for my own Zippo.

-

G: Anyway, they drive to a house, and the house is quite secure, or at least looks like it is, because it has like, cameras and like, security, you know, security stuff set up. But they knock at the door, and they open it up, and nothing happens. And Dean says, like, "Oh, isn't that weird?" Like, "Wouldn't this guy have more security?" Specifically, he says, like, "You'd think it'd have an alarm," and then Sam walks towards the side of the house and finds that the electricity, or like, the alarm setup has been wrangled and hacked into. And he goes, “Yeah, you would.” Which I thought was such a good line, like, the response to like, "You'd think it'd have an alarm," and Sam going, "Yeah, you would" as being like, a "We would think that. So like, if I was responsible for this, I would disable it." And I was like, "Hell yeah."

C: Yep.

G: Hell yeah!

C: As they head in, the place is fucked up. A lot of shattered glass and stuff. And then they get to a back room, and there is a corpse on the ground. Dean tells Sam to turn the lights on, and we see that it's some guy and his throat is slit really hard. And Dean looks shocked, and Sam looks like he's having a terrible time. And he goes, “Dean, I did this." And Dean goes like, "We don't know that!" [laughs] And Sam's like, "Um, no, I mean like, this is the only explanation." And Dean's going like, "Uh, even if you did it, I'm sure you had a good reason, like, like, you know, self-defense, he was like, a bad guy, you know?" And Sam tells him that he needs his lockpick, and they open up a closet in the back of the room with a bunch of guns and symbols and stuff in it. And Dean goes like, “Oh, either this guy's the Unabomber," and then Sam goes, "Or a hunter." Fascinating that hunters' [G laughs] closets look exactly the same as terrorists'. How interesting.

Yeah, Sam goes, "Dean, I think I killed a hunter."

G: Ooh!

C: Ooh! And we see that there's a security camera, so Dean goes, "Let's find out." And we look at the tape and it's just, Sam comes into the house [G laughing], he stumbles into the room beating the shit out of this guy, but like, he looks really funny. Like-

G: [laughing] I know!

C: Something about the security tape thing.

G: He looks- he looks like an animal. Like, he looks like- he's so big and lumbering.

C: Yeah.

G: Like, he looks like- I don't know. Like, because he's so big, and he's just going at it at this guy, like, the whole time, I was like, "This is so funny!" [laughing] Like, I think this is hilarious. And the only time- like, I'm actually quite eugh about violence on screen. Like, it's just not something I particularly like watching. But like, this entire time, I was like, "This is so funny," and the only time I actually looked away was at like the throat slit moment. So like, that's saying a lot, 'cause I would have looked away. [laughing] This scene was so fucking funny! Like, I don't even know how to describe it. You have to watch it. Like, he's just literally- he's standing there. He pushes the guy, and he, like, monkey walks towards the guy [C laughing], and I was like, "Goddamn. What is happening?"

C: [laughing] Right, no. He has like, crab legs and his arms are out, like he's trying to scare off a bear, but he is the bear, like-

G: He's literally doing those- you know, like, those thigh garter things that you wear when you work out. Like, he's literally walking towards the guy like he's wearing that. [C laughing] Good for him.

C: Yeah, but unfortunately, Sam and Dean don't see the humor in this situation [both laughing].

G: Yeah. They do not. They are looking in distress.

C: Yep.

G: So Sam, he is sitting down at the desk. He has like, a little paper out. He's reading it, and Dean is like, going around, like, "How do you erase this? I need your help," and Sam's just lamenting-

C: Yeah, I think this is the moment when I was-

G: Oh, yes.

C: This is when I was like, "Oh my god."

G: This is it.

C: Like, Dean- maybe I like Dean sometimes. [laughs]

G: He's literally like- Cathryn Humphrys, doing so much for the Deangirl community. [C laughing] She is putting in so much work. But basically, like, you can imagine the scene. It's Sam sitting, and he is basically lamenting that "I killed a guy. I broke in, I killed him, and this is his name, it's Steve Wandell. This is a letter from his daughter." You know, he's just emoting. And Dean is off the side, going, "There are hunters who will look for who killed this guy, so we need to cover our fucking tracks. So how do we get rid of this tape?" And because Sam is not responding, Dean just picks up the computer and then smashes it to the floor. Like, stomps on it. And he goes, “Wipe your prints. Then we go.”

C: Yeah. Agh, God.

G: This entire moment, I was thinking, like, "If I find out one of my siblings or close friends killed someone, would I do this?" 'Cause like-

C: Yes, I would.

G: I think I would. But like... I don't know. Like, I think- yeah, like, Dean is tapping into that instinct, right? Like, Dean in this scene is tapping into that instinct of like- I, too, would do whatever it takes to keep- Should we cut that out? [C laughs] What if I get involved in a murder case, and, like, the police listen to our podcast and is like, "Oh, this person said, like, they would-"

C: Cover up a murder?

G: "That they would cover up a murder." [laughs] I'll be- yeah. It's not a good look. But, like, yeah, Dean is so interesting to me.

C: Who wouldn't?

G: Yeah, for a close friend- And, like, the thing is, this is not like, a clear-cut, like, you know, like, "My friend is an evil person who killed someone out of cold blood." This is a like, "This was not my person, and if anything, they probably need like, a lot of psychological help first and foremost, and they're not gonna get that in prison." So like, you know. It's like a no-brainer at that point.

C: Right.

G: But- agh! Like, Dean in this scene is...

C: Yeah.

G: He's such a big brother. He's so protective. And I...

C: Yeah.

G: I kind of love him [laughs] at this moment. He's slaying, as I like to say.

C: Yeah. I think it's just that I feel like Sam and Dean are not often very relatable to me just because their situations do not translate to my life, but like, this moment, I was like, "Yeah, okay. I understand you, Dean. You're a real guy."

G: Yeah.

C: So they head into a new motel room, and Dean's saying, "Okay, we'll sleep here for a bit, and then we're gonna get the fuck out of here." And then he says, like, "I know this is bad, but you've gotta snap out of it, Sam." And Sam goes, like, “What? I'm just supposed to get some sleep and leave in the morning?” Like, “Dean, I did murder. That's what I did.” And Dean goes like, "Um, maybe? [both laughing] Maybe he was like, a shapeshifter!"

G: "It can be murder, but it can also be some other creature! Come on, Sam!"

C: Yeah, "We don't do murder! It doesn't count when we kill monsters. Yeah!"

So Sam goes like, "Well, no, because you saw the tape, and there was no eye shit," and then Dean goes, "Okay, yeah, but it wasn't you, alright? Like, it might have been you, but it wasn't you." [laughs]

G: I'm surprised Dean hasn't figured out the possession thing at this point. Or is he so trusting that Sam is not possessed right now, and that also, like, if he says to Sam, like, "You got possessed," that will scare Sam a bit more, so if he's like, keeping it to himself.

C: I think- I also think it's possible that Dean suspects that this was actually Sam, though.

G: Ooh! Hell yeah.

C: Yeah, like, he hasn't thought of the possession thing because he was like-

G: "My brother just blacked out, and there's no supernatural reason. He just went out on a murder spree." Yeah, that makes sense.

C: Yeah. Oof. Yeah. And Sam goes, “Well, I think it was. I think maybe more than you know.” And Dean goes, "What the hell does that mean?" And Sam says, like, "For the last few weeks, I've been having these feelings." [G laughing] Not even gay feelings.

G: Literally, not even gay feelings.

C: He says, "The feelings are rage and hate." Like, yes, girl, bite.

G: Yeah, so maybe gay feelings. [laughing] So maybe those are gay feelings.

C: Yes, girl, bite and kill.

G: Literally rage and hate.

C: Yeah. He says, "I can't stop it. It just gets worse. Day by day, it gets worse." And like, Sam ,you're just going through a faith crisis and having gay feelings. Like, that's normal. [G laughs] Calm down, dude.

G: Literally.

C: I love rage and hate. So Dean goes, “You never told me this.” Which- yeah, okay. [both laugh]

I'm just- I'm just trying to think of- I feel like all the times that Sam tells Dean "You never told me this," it's about Mary stuff, right?

G: Yeah.

C: Yeah. So I guess it's interesting that- I mean, I guess Sam doesn't have any secrets he can keep to Dean, besides himself.

G: Yeah. That's true.

C: So, yeah. Sam says, "I didn't want to scare you." And Dean's like, "Well, great. You did a great job on that one." [both laugh] Yeah. Sam says, like, "You know, that the yellow-eyed demon has plans for me, and he's turned other children into killers before, to": Dean says, "No one can control you but you." Sure, Dean. And also, it's your own fault if you die because you don't fight. [both laughing] God, what a man. And Sam goes like, "It doesn't seem like that, Dean. It feels like no matter what I do, slowly but surely, I'm just becoming... who I'm meant to be." [laughs] Ugh, love this.

G: Ooh!

C: I love this. I love drama. I love drama.

Yeah, Sam says like, "You told me once yourself that I have to face up to who I am. Dean's like, I didn't mean this!" Sam says, "It's still true. You know that. Dad knew that too. That's why he told you, if you ever came to this..." Dean's telling him to shut up, and Sam says, "Dean, you promised him. You promised me." Ooh! And Dean's saying, like, "No, there's gotta be a way out! Come on!" And Sam says, "Yeah, there is." And he takes out a gun and hands it to Dean! He says, "I don't want to hurt anyone else. I don't want to hurt you." Dean says, like, "You can fight this!" And Sam, he's like, his eyes are getting a little watery. Agh, this is such a good continuation from "Houses of the Holy" where he's like, halfway crying in every single scene. [G laughing] I love it. I love it. He says, like, "No, I can't do this forever." He says, "Here. You gotta do it." And, like, Dean won't take the gun, so Sam just takes his hand and like, slams the gun into it like, forcing Dean to hold it And, like, he looks so like, determined and fierce in that moment, and then, after the gun's in Dean's hands, he suddenly looks like, so young and scared, like, his lip is a wobbling, and like, he does a little nervous bounce. And it's good. It's good. Because he's like- well, he's not, but if this was real, he'd be realizing like, the gravity of the situation, and it's Ah! Hello. And Dean says, "You know, I've tried so hard to keep you safe." And Sam’s like, nodding, and like, he- like in a way that's like, he thinks that this is a goodbye speech. And he says, like, "I know." And he's like, sort of waiting for Dean to shoot him. He's like, leaning forward. Like, he looks kind of hungry for it in a way. And like, there's a moment of suspense that's not actually suspense, 'cause obviously, Dean shakes his head-

G: He's not gonna shoot Sam, yeah.

C: And he says, "I can't. I'd rather die." And then he drops the gun on the bed. Ah!

G: The thing is, like, my immediate thought in this moment was like, "Sure. Just drop this gun in this bed-"

C: I know, right! Like-

G: Your brother is obviously suicidal, and there's a gun, literally not even a foot away from his hand. I wonder what will happen!

C: I know, right! You need to have weapons away.

G: Yeah, I mean, obviously that's not how this episode pans out, but like, if Dean just like, walked away with that gun, there would have been more of a fight, you know, like, it would have happened differently.

C: Yeah, agreed.

I guess Dean's main thought is just that he really needs to get away from this situation, so he wasn't thinking that clearly. Or, I don't know. Maybe he- I feel like maybe he just doesn't want to cope with the fact that Sam would kill himself. Like maybe he's hoping that Sam keeps telling Dean to do it because Sam can't do it himself, so he's thinking that Sam will be safe as long as he doesn't do it. I don't know. Or, he's been in this mindset that he has to be the one who kills Sam for so long that he's probably forgotten that Sam can just kill Sam.

G: [laughs] Yeah.

C: Yeah.

And obviously, Sam picks up the gun. And [laughing] my first thought when he did that was like, "In the motel room? Someone's gonna have to clean that up, Sam!"

G: [laughing] Literally, you cannot die in a motel room.

C: Fucking rude!

G: Like, think  of the couple who will show up the next day and find your body. Come on.

C: Yeah, no, you need to go to the woods or something. Like, at least give the animals a meal out of it, dude. Like, come on.

Yeah, so Sam says, "No, you'll live." And then he says, "You'll live to regret this." And then he hits Dean with the gun and Dean blacks out. And, okay, so this is the moment that we realize that Sam is still possessed.

G: Is still possessed!

C: Yes. And, oh my god.

G: You know what's funny?

C: Uh-huh.

G: I didn't- I wasn't so clear on whether Meg is still there or is gonna come back.

C: Yeah, same.

G: So this whole episode, I was thinking, like, until this point, I was thinking, "I don't think Jared is acting well this episode. Like, I don't think- I think he's like, acting too much." And, like, the whole time I was thinking, like, "This is so- he's acting so weirdly, like, maybe Jared, like, something was up with him this day, and his acting was just off." [C laughs] And so when the revealed happened that like, he was actually possessed the entire time, I was like, is that- is that an acting- like, was that a conscious acting choice, and if so, good job, honestly.

C: Yeah, I think-

G: Jared Padalecki praise. [C laughs] Who would've thought? Not me.

C: I think the- yeah, again, I didn't know for sure if it was Meg or Sam, and I think I was mostly watching this like it was Sam, or I was reacting to it emotionally like it was Sam. Because I think that if this was the actual situation Sam was in, he'd also like, basically do all the same things. But yeah, I think the main moments where I was like, "Huh. I feel like he's still possessed." were all the moments where he was like, "Wait! I remember this!" Like- [laughing]

G: Yeah, like, he was really overacting in those scenes, and it was a matter of "is this, like, a TV show thing where the actor's overacting, or is it like, layers, you know?" But it turns out it is layers, so.

C: Yeah.

G: Hell yeah.

C: Hell yeah.

G: Anyway, Dean blacks out, as we said earlier, and then he wakes up to someone knocking on the door insistently. The guy opens the door and says, "You need to leave. Like, you're past the time. And someone is gonna use your room." And, like, they pan to a couple, and, like, all I was thinking of was like, first off, are they not gonna clean this room?

C: Yeah! It's a motel, so probably not. I don't know.

G: Well, I mean. [laughs] Pre-COVID, everything was just up in the air.

C: True.

G: Literally no one was cleaning anything. You can do whatever you want.

C: Yeah, people were just kissing sick people with tongue, you know.

G: You know. Everything was up for grabs. [C laughs] But yeah.

Dean asks, like, "Have you seen the guy who was with me?" and the manager was like, "Yeah, he went out a little bit earlier and he took your car-"

C: Okay, wait, we should note the, like, the joke when it pans to the couple is, like, the woman has like, a lot of makeup on-

G: Yeah, he says, like, "I bet they do," yeah.

C: - and like, you're supposed to think that she's a sex worker, and it's not a good joke. Like, they didn't need it.

G: I didn't really think that, but the transcript says, like, it is a hooker.

C: Yeah, no, this is like- like, this is like, the way that they costume and do like, makeup for like, sex worker characters like, on Les Mis and stuff. Like, at least, I could tell immediately like, that was what they were going for.

G: Dean asks if he can use the guy's computer. The guy's like, "Why would I let you use my computer?" And then we cut to Dean using the computer, and the guy is in the back, like, counting stacks of money [C laughs], so, good for them.

Dean says, like- [laughs]

C: [laughing] This is the funniest fucking scene.

G: He says, like, "My son snuck out of the house and went to a Justin Timberlake concert, [C laughing] and I'm starting to worry. Like, he's diabetic ,so he needs his insulin." Like, he's really- he's really weaving these excuses, but like, it's so funny, because Sam ends up to be in Duluth, Minnesota [C laughing], which, I believe is not a destination for a Justin Timberlake concert. And I- I just thought this scene was so funny. Like-

C: It is. And I just love that Dean chose, like, Justin Timberlake concert. Like, he's like, "What are the kids into? Justin Timberlake?"

G: [laughs] Literally.

C: Yeah, and at some point, someone on the other side of the phone says something, and Dean's like, "What? Oh, yeah, Justin is quite the triple threat." So like, [laughing] the person on the phone was like, "Justin Timberlake? He's soo hot," or something. Like-

G: Literally. God. I don't even know who Justin Timberlake is. [laughing] I know he- I know he... did that thing.

C: Did he do "Sexy Back" or, no- who was that?

G: No, that's Backstreet Boys.

C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he- no, Justin Timberlake also-

G: Was in Backstreet Boys?

C: No, no, no, he, like, he also did "Sexy Back," like, the song- wait, is it even by- no, it's by Justin Timberlake.

G: He's bisexual?!

C: No, no, no, "Sexy Back." The song "Sexy Back."

G: Wait [laughing], why did you say "bi"? What does that mean-

C: No, I said the song is by him.

G: [laughing] Okay. [both laughing] Justin Timberlake bisexual, confirmed.

C: Yeah, no, okay.

G: It's an exclusive scoop from BAB-

C: Oh my god, wait. Wait, do you think Dean is actually a Justin Timberlake fan because demon!Dean does "Sexy Back" karaoke?

G: Okay, can you remind me what "Sexy Back" is? And I want you to sing it with your heart out. Like, full on performance [laughs]. I just wanna hear it. I'm not sure-

C: Wait, wait, wait, wait, nevermind, nevermind. Dean's song is "I'm too sexy for my shirt" or whatever. That was his thing.

G: Yeah.

C: Yeah, no, "Sexy Back" is the one that goes like, “I'm bringing sexy back / Them other boys don't know how to act," etc, etc. I'm not singing it with my heart [G laughs], especially because there are no actual notes in it, he's just singing the same note over and over again.

G: [laughing] No, yeah, I recognize this song, yeah.

C: Okay, nevermind, Dean's not a Justin Timberlake fan. And he shouldn't be.

G: Apparently, you're not, either. [laughs]

C: Yeah.

G: I do not know anything about this man.

C: I mean, he kind of sucks.

G: Is he the guy who did the thing with the- Janet Jackson?

C: At the Super Bowl? Yep. Yeah. So he sucks.

G: Yeah, oh, okay, so this guy sucks.

C: Yeah.

G: We're kicking him out of the LGBT community. [C laughs]

C: God, I need to make sure he's not actually bi, because that would just- I would be very upset.

G: Wait, let's [laughs]- let's look it up. "Justin Timberlake sexuality." Noo.

C: No, okay, I'm not getting anything, but Pink News has a story called "Justin Timberlake declares himself and LGBT+ ally."

-

C: Yeah, so we go to Minnesota, and we see Jo! Hi, Jo!

G: Hi, Jo!

C: Yeah, Jo looks like she's doing well, like, I don't know. She looks healthy. I'm happy for her.

G: She has like, some beach waves going on. She looks popping.

C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mm-hm. She looks great. And like, I like the long-sleeved shirt she has on. I mean, she's in Minnesota, and like, and this is probably around the winter, so she should probably have like, more layers on, but like, go, girl. Like, dress for the weather. So true.

So, Sam who is not Sam comes in, and like, now that you know that he's not Sam, he, like, looks a lot more menacing, or like, he's acting a lot weirder, and I don't know if that's just because I know or because there was a conscious acting choice made after- in scenes after the reveal. So he comes in, and Jo's saying like, "Sorry, we're closed," and Sam says, "How about just one for the road?" And Jo sees him and greets him, gets him a beer, and asks how he found her. Sam just goes like, "It's kind of what we do, you know?" Like, [laughing] Meg is so cosplaying being a hunter right now. Yeah, and says that Dean couldn't make it. Jo asks why he's here because they didn't part on the best of terms. And Sam says, like, "That's why I'm here." And like, he takes off his jacket, but like- and I feel like, normally, you wouldn't think anything of it, but like, they showed Jo like, looking oddly at the thing, and then you're like, "Ah. Ah, shit." So, yeah, Sam says that he came here to like, make up, and Jo sees that there's a burn on his arm, and we don't see it very clearly, but when we see it later, it literally is just the letter Q. [both laughing] Happy pride month. So, yeah, so Sam, when she points it out, he's like, "Oh, no I just ran in with a hot stove." When would Sam even be encountering a stove? It's not like you can cook in motels.

G: That's true.

C: I also wonder what Sam's cooking is like.

G: I don't think Sam has ever touched a stove at this point.

C: [laughing] Which is why he just touches stoves with his bare hands in the bunker, no one ever taught him.

G: Literally, that's exactly why. Yeah. He just touches a raw, unprotected pots of heated chili. [C laughs]

C: Yeah. Though I guess Dean had to have cooked for him before. Like, was there a stove in the Spaghetti-O's stuff?

G: Probably.

C: Yeah, okay, so there are some stoves in their lives.

So, Sam goes, like, "Look, I know how you feel about my dad, and I can't say I blame you. He was obsessed, consumed with hunting. And he didn't care who got caught in the crossfire." So true, I can't believe it's not Sam saying this. And he says, "And I guess that included your dad. But that was my father. That's not me." Why is this even fucking relevant, Sam? How is "I'm not like that" even relevant to your apology?

G: [laughs] Well, it's not him.

C: I know it's not him. Okay, fine. Meg, you're bad at this.

G: But also, they- like, this scene, like, it, you know, it does a good job of making you hate this character, you know?

C: Yeah.

G: Like, "Oh, this character's an asshole!" So, job well done.

C: Yeah. And Jo asks, "What about Dean?" And Sam goes, "Well, Dean's more like my father than I am, but..." And then he, like, sees Jo's face- Okay, wait, so why is Jo asking this? Just like a "Is Dean a good guy 'cause I still think he's hot" kind of question?

G: No, I think this question was like, "You're saying that to me, but does your brother even share the same sentiment?"

C: Oh, yeah, right. Like, "Is he gonna apologize to me, too?" Yeah, okay, right, and then Meg starts really not acting like Sam. Like, he, like, does this laugh, and he's going like, "Oh, wow, you're like, really hung up on him, right? Too bad. Because, see, Dean, he likes you, sure, but not in the way you want. I mean, maybe it's kind of like, a little sister, you know, but romance? That's just out of the question!" And he, like, does this like, mean laugh-

G: Literally-

C: -and he's like, "He thinks you're kind of a schoolgirl, you know?"

What was- what were you gonna say?

G: I was like, literally Mean Girls era. [C laughs]

C: Yeah. And it's- he's acting very unnatural in this scene, I suppose. Perhaps even supernatural. [both laugh] And I think Meg, like, remembers that she's supposed to be Sam and like, pulls it back a little, I guess, like, "I'm not trying to hurt you, Jo." And then Sam says, "I'm telling you because I care." And then, ugh, he like, puts his hand over hers, like, and you can tell it's a tight grip. And he says, "I mean it. I care about you a lot." And Jo asks, "Sam, what's going on?" And she tries to pull away, but he won't let go, and he says, "I can be more to you, Jo." What is- what is even the point of this? What is even the point of this? Like-

G: I also wonder that because-

C: Because we find out later that he's just there- she's just there for like, bait-

G: Bait, yeah.

C: - for Dean to come here and then shoot Sam to stop him from killing Jo. Like, none of this shit was necessary. Like, Meg could have just come in, knocked Jo out, and tied her to a pole.

G: No, exactly. I think this is just, like, to show that Meg is, quote, "having fun," you know?

C: Yeah. Ugh. Well, I don't like Meg's definition of fun. Yeah, and maybe it's just to cue us in that it's Meg or give us hints that it's Meg, 'cause I feel like, at least, you know, in "Shadow," she does a sexual assault. I feel like, they're like, making it part of her character or something.

G: Mm-hm.

C: Yeah. So Jo tells Sam to leave, and he says, "Okay," and starts going away, but when she turns away, like, he, like, attacks her, and like, grabs her. And she- she still thinks he's Sam right now, which I think is the saddest part of the situation. Like, yeah, no, like, near the end of the fight, like, yeah, no, it's like, bad. It seems like, he's like, getting her into position to rape her, and she's screaming, like, "Sam, no, please." Like oh, god. Like, this sucks for Jo! This sucks so bad for Jo. Like, I guess she and Sam weren't like, besties before this-

G: Yeah.

C: - and like, she generally thought that Dean was kind of misogynistic and probably thought that Sam was also misogynistic as an offshoot, but like, she trusted him enough to let him use her as bait in "No Exit," and like, generally probably thought he was like, a guy to be trusted, and like, I don't know, it just sucks that like, this is happening, and she still thinks it's him, and it's- ugh. It just has to hurt.

G: I do wonder, like, how they proceed with Sam and Jo.

C: Yeah, I don't know how she looks at him anymore.

G: And I have no idea. I genuinely have no idea. I- 'cause, like, the only thing I remember about Jo is like, season 4 onwards. I don't know anything about what happens in season 2 and 3 to Jo, so, who knows, you know? I don't.

C: Yeah. Yeah.

So he knocks her out by like, slamming her forehead into the bar, and he says, like, "It didn't have to be this way. Or maybe it did." And like, he does it really creepily because he's really close to her face and stroking her hair, and like, why, though? Like, why? [laughs] Yeah. So that's the end of that scene.

G: So Jo wakes up, and she's being tied to a pole, and it's- we're back to the really bad slow-mo for a little bit.

C: Uh-huh.

G: And this is like, the start of Sam taunting Jo about what happened with her dad. So, like, at first, Jo immediately knows at this point that like, this is not Sam. Like, she says immediately, as soon as she wakes up, like, "You're not Sam."

C: I wonder what part clued her in. Like, 'cause she still thought it was him up until the knockout.

G: No, I think, like, at that point, she was like, "Oh, well, this person is not really acting like Sam," but, like, I guess, like, because it's like, she's screaming, so like, what else would you scream at that moment?

C: Right. That's true. Then I guess I wonder at what earlier point she knew it wasn't him.

G: Maybe it's like, connect the dots. Like, he has a weird symbol on his arm, and he's acting weird, and it's like, "Well, maybe this guy's not Sam."

C: And also, "He's trying to hit on me by first saying that his brother views me as a sister. Like, Sam hasn't read The Game: Infiltrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists." [G laughs] [laughs] Like, yeah, no, the negging tactics that Meg used there were like, come on.

G: Anyway, Jo basically reveals that John and Bill, her dad, were like, setting a trap up somewhere in California for some monster, and that her dad was bait, and John was in hiding, but John like, stepped in too early and like, revealed the whole plan, and the monster killed Bill. And Sam’s like, “No no no, you got that wrong. You don't even know the truth. Your mom probably doesn't even know the truth." And he says, like, that the monster didn't kill him. It just hurt him real bad to the point that he was holding his insides in his hands.

C: Geez.

G: And he was gurgling blood, and he was just praying to see you and your mom one more time. So John shot him. Put him out of his misery like a sick dog. Ooh!

Jo, in denial, says, like, "You're lying." She's crying.

C: Yeah, god.

G: And Sam says, "I'm not. It's true. My daddy shot your daddy in the head." Hell yeah!

C: It's such an iconic line.

G: It is an iconic line.

C: And it's delivered, like, yeah, I love the way it's delivered all sing-songy.

G: Jo like, asks, "Why are you doing this to me?" And Sam says, "Because, like father, like daughter. I'm using you as bait." And then he starts like, tying her mouth up when Dean busts into the door. And he's holding a gun up at Sam, and Sam immediately changes. Like, just at a snap.

C: It's a really good scene where you see him, transfer to Sam mode.

G: It's so good! It's so good. Yeah! And he, like- because the entire Jo scene, he was acting so different. And then suddenly, it's like, [lowers pitch] "I told you to shoot me, Dean!"

C: [laughs] Yeah.

G: That's my Sam voice. [laughs]

C: Right. You know what I'm mad about? I'm mad that Jared Padalecki didn't put on the Meg sexy voice when he was being regular Meg. Like, I think that he should have. [laughs] I think it's misogynistic to not.

G: You mean the slur? The like, little flowy "ooh!"

C: Mm-hm.

G: Sam is saying like, "I told you to kill me. You would have done me a favor. Shoot me! I would kill Jo if you don't kill me." And Dean puts down his gun, and Sam approaches him and says, like, "What's wrong with you? You're so scared of being alone that you'd rather let Jo die?" Ooh!

C: Ahh! Spicy!

G: And then Dean turns around and splashes Sam with holy water. And it, you know, it burns him up and shit. So Dean finally figures out that this is a demon. Sam does the black eyes thing, and, you know, more holy water. Sam [laughs] literally just jumps out a window. Good for him. [C laughing] He literally just- he literally just goes straight out the window and jumps out of it. And then Dean-

C: I mean, I think Meg just really likes jumping out of windows. Honestly, I'm really pissed that they didn't do the thing where it's like, after like, Meg Masters's body fell out of the window, all her bones are broken, and as soon as Meg gets exorcised, she'll die. But like, Sam's completely fine after Meg gets exorcised? No. I want every bone in his body to be broken. [laughs]

G: [laughs] Yeah. Anyway, Dean unties Jo and then jumps out of the window after Sam, but right before that, like, Jo screams, "He was possessed?" And then Dean just looks at her and runs. What a loser! You could have just said that.

C: Yeah, I know! He's such a fucking dick. Yeah, like, you aren't wasting any time if you say "Yes" while you're running. I just- don't- It just sucks, 'cause, like, he shows up, and like, just, first, Jo knows that Dean wouldn't even like, shoot Sam in the foot to prevent her from dying. [both laughing] Like-!

G: Literally shoot him in like, the pinky.

C: Yeah, like, literally, he could have just thrown something at him. Like, that whole scene, I know it was supposed to be high drama or whatever, but like, literally, like, [laughing] "Uh-oh, Dean! I'm gonna kill her! You better shoot me! Oh no!" Like, literally at any point, you could have just thrown something at Sam and gotten Jo out. Like, I don't know. It was not even a good setup as an ultimatum. But also, the fact that Dean does nothing is wild.

But yeah, Jo knows that Dean wouldn't even shoot Sam in the foot to save her entire life. The last time she saw Dean, Dean was using her as bait. And also, earlier, she got like, basically sexually assaulted by a ghost. And now, like, this is happening to her again, and Dean's like, completely ignoring her. And like, the only thing he did was untie her. Like, this sucks for Jo. This sucks so bad.

G: Yeah.

C: And Dean's a dick.

-

C: So we're in a warehouse where we're basically getting a scene from Tom and Jerry. [both laugh]

G: This entire scene is exposition. Like, nothing happens. They point guns at each other [C laughing], and, like, the moment you think someone is gonna take a shot, they just don't, and it's like, "Okay, cool. So we're literally just here to talk." And I mean, it's fine to just be here to talk, but like [laughs]-

C: It is kind of comical.

G: - Can we get some action, pwease? Pwease? Can we get some action, pwease?

C: Yeah. So they're like, in the warehouse, and they're both like, trying to go at each other, they all have guns. And they're like, walking around on tiptoes, like, backwards; peeking around corners and stuff. So Dean's questioning Sam and asking who the demon is, and there's like- Meg just says, "I've got lots of names." And says, like [laughs], "You should have seen your face when you thought he murdered that guy. Pathetic." So fucking true. Pathetic.

Dean asks why Meg didn't kill him, but she says, like, "No, that would've been too easy. This was a test. I wanted to see if I could push you far enough to waste Sam. Should've known you wouldn't have the sack." [laughing] Do people say that instead of "balls"?

G: I mean, they're allowed to say "balls" in Supernatural.

C: Yeah, like, Bobby says "balls," right?

G: Yeah.

C: As like, a swear?

G: Yeah.

C: Well, yeah.

G: Well.

C: And Dean says, like, "You're gonna pay hell for this." And Meg says, "How? You can't hurt me. Not without hurting your little brother." And just, at that, Dean just puts the gun away. He just puts the gun away. And he just takes out the flask of holy water instead. And it does make me emo.

And yeah, Meg says, "I think you're gonna die, Dean. You and every other hunter I can find. [laughing] One look at Sam's dewy, sensitive eyes, they'll let me right in their door." So fucking true. One look at Sam's dewy, sensitive eyes. [laughs] Me too.

So Meg gets out of the warehouse, and they're like, on this dock, like, overlooking a bunch of water near a bridge, and Meg just shoots Dean in the shoulder, and he falls right into the water. And she like, looks over to where Dean fell, and then, does like, a little smirk. And it is very fun seeing Meg’s smirk on Sam's face.

G: We go to Jo, who's walking around the water area- I don't know if this is a river. This is not a river, this is a lake. Yeah. We get Jo, who's walking around through the docks, and she's calling Dean, and Dean's phone, for some reason, was not broken in this dip into the water [C laughs], but instead is-

C: But we're Gen-Zers, you know? Like, flip phones are strong. Our iPhones, like, cry and scream if they touch a little bit of water.

G: Yeah. Yeah, but his like, a voicemail rings up, and so she finds him. And, for some reason, he is in the docks, not in the middle of the water. And he's unconscious, too. Why is he here?

C: Maybe he swam and then passed out?

G: I mean, perhaps. But Jo picks him up, and Dean's like, "Where's Sam?" And Jo says, basically, "I don't know. Let's patch you up." And then they go to the Roadhouse.

C: No, just the Minnesota bar.

G: This is- this is a different place? This is not the Roadhouse.

C: The Roadhouse isn't in Minnesota. It's in like, Nevada or something, right?

G: Hm. That makes sense.

C: Because, remember when Jo left- Jo left home, so she's been hunting and working around the country.

G: Around- yeah. Yeah, anyway, she proceeds to go to the bar, and like, [laughs] Dean is like, drinking whiskey as Jo is digging out the bullet from his shoulder. And like, he goes “Eugh!” And Jo goes, “Don't be a baby!” Love that. [C laughs]

C: Yeah, love that.

G: Yeah. And, you know, they do the whole like, patching up thing. And at some point, Dean says, "You're a butcher," and Jo just looks at him like, "Wow, the audacity of this guy-"

C: I know!

G: And says, "You're welcome."

C: She literally should have left him there to die. [both laugh]

G: Literally leave him there to die. Jo makes conversation, asked how he knew Sam was possessed, and Dean basically says, like, "I didn't. I just knew that it wasn't him." And Jo asks-

C: Yeah, which, okay, Dean. And you didn't even shoot him in the fucking foot to save Jo's life. [laughs] Alright.

G: Jo asks, like, "I know demons lie, but can they also tell the truth?" And Dean, probably reminiscing about what the demon said about John in "Crossroad Blues" says, like, "Yeah, I guess they tell the truth sometimes when they know it'll fuck you up. Why do you ask?"

C: Do you think Meg learned about Bill's death by talking to John in Hell?

G: Maybe. Or maybe this is like- because the way they talk about it, like, they were trapping a "hellspawn," right?

C: Oh, yeah.

G: It's implied that it's a demon. So it's probably, like, running around in demon, I don't know, newsletters. [both laugh] Like, they have an email, and they send it out every month to update you on the happenings.

C: [laughs] Yeah, okay, that makes sense.

G: [laughing] They have a Ko-Fi account, and it's like, pay us $3 each month, and we will send out an email about all the hunters that we have killed so far. [C laughing]

Jo is like, "Oh, okay, then. Fuck." and asks where Sam is gonna head to next. And Dean Says, like, "Nearest hunter is in South Dakota, so I guess he's going there." So, yeah. They're done.

C: That's very far from Minnesota. I don't know how they drive that fast.

G: Is it?

C: I think so because is really up north because it's very cold. Let me actually check the drive time from Minnesota to South Dakota.

Also, we learned that Bobby lives in South Dakota. I don't think I knew what state he was in before.

It's an 8-hour drive.

G: Ooh. Not that bad.

C: Yeah, not that bad, but like, Dean needs his 4 hours of sleep.

G: I remember one time, I was writing a fic, and I was like, "I want to get Cas to go to-" what's this? That cold place that's in the Midwest? I want him to get in Missoula, Montana. I want him to end up in Missoula, 'cause like- convoluted reason. I want him to be in Missoula. And like, [laughs] I looked up the time between Kansas to Missoula, and it was like, 24 hours or something, and I was like, "Okay! Cool..." [both laugh]

C: So yeah. That seems too- are you sure? That seems too long, like, it's not- is it that far?

G: Let me look up. "Lebanon to Missoula."

C: Okay, no, you're right. I'm getting- yeah, no, it is very long. My god. Yeah, no, it's a 17-hour drive.

G: Anyway, like, Dean heads out, and Jo's like, "Okay, let's go." But Dean says, "You're not coming with me. If you try to follow me, I will tie you up"!? [C sighs] This is like- I get that he doesn't know-

C: Honestly, I hope he dies. [laughs] Yeah.

G: I get that he probably doesn't know what happened prior to the tying up, but, like, the mere fact that she got tied up. Like, don't you think that you're probably like, scaring the hell out of Jo by saying, like, "If you don't do this, I'm gonna tie-" like, oh my god, Dean! But basically, he says, like, "This is my fight. I'm not gonna get your blood on my hands."

C: Oh god, I hope he dies for real. Honestly, I think my note when he said that was "I think he should get 20 misogyny points for that." [both laugh]

G: He's so- ugh!

C: Oh, I hate him.

G: Anyway, they, like, linger on Jo for a while and, as he walks out she goes, “Wait.” And then she throws him like, some pain reliever and goes like, “That'll help with the pain.” And like, this kind of like, puts Dean a little bit like, out of it. Not like that. As in, like, he's like, a bit taken aback that like, "Oh, she's not like, trying to get- she's not trying to go with me. She's just giving me this painkiller. That's quite nice." Or at least that's how I read the situation. Like, he's thinking, like, "Oh, that's nice." But she gets- he says, like, "Thanks. I'll call you later, okay?" And we linger on Jo. And as Dean goes off into the world, Jo goes, “No, you won't.”

C: So true.

G: And I was like, "What are they-" like, are they trying to do, like, a pining situation here?

C: I think they are. I mean, yeah, no, Meg’s whole speech to Jo about how Dean doesn't view her as an equal was also clearly going in that direction, and, you know, Dean saying all this just confirms that for Jo.

G: I think this is a good scene, actually.

C: Yeah. I quite liked it.

G: Yeah, like, you know, Jo is perhaps pining for Dean, but like, I guess I didn't really read it that way. It's more like- well, I guess, it is. Whatever.

C: Yeah, but it's also-

G: I thought it was an interesting- okay, go on.

C: I think, yeah, no, I get what you mean by not reading it that way, because it's also just a general, like, "These guys like, come into my life, fuck it up, and then don't give me any follow-up. And like, it sucks, and I just don't have any friends, and I feel like they kind of are the closer things that I have to friends in my life, and like, that sucks." Like, I feel like you can also read it like that.

G: I read it as- you know that poem? That's like, "For M"? The title is "For M"? I forgot who wrote it. It's like-

C: Oh, the like, "leave your scarf behind in my life" one?

G: Yeah, like, "linger in the door before you leave"? "Leave your scarf behind and come back later for it"? Like, I read this scene as that. Like, you won't even- you won't even give me like, a goodbye wave. Like, you won't even like, you know, you won't even look back at me to say "Okay, bye" before you exit the door.

C: Yeah.

G: And, like, I feel that. Because that is something you look for it other people show up in your life. You're like, "Well, at least like, turn around and acknowledge that you're leavingo r something." Like, Dean is- I think this is kind of like, showing the way, like, the Winchester's are so absorbed in their problems and so absorbed in the happenings in their internal life that they tend to ignore, like, other people around them.

C: Yeah. Yeah, no, I am really glad that we ended on Jo, you know? Because-

G: Yeah.

C: In "No Exit," we like, ended on Dean after the reveal that John got Bill killed. So like, I'm glad that they're saying, like, "No, this is like, about Jo. This is Jo's story, this bit of this episode."

G: Yeah.

C: Also, ugh, did you- I really thought for a second when she gave him the pills that she was gonna have him-

G: [laughing] She was gonna poison him!

C: - take them now, and they were gonna be like, a sleeping pill or something-

G: Noo!

C: - and then she would like, drag him, unconscious, to the car and start driving to South Dakota. Ugh. But, alas. [laughs]

G: Alas, it's not what happened. Yeah, I really like this scene, and I think it really humanizes Jo, and like, I don't even see it as particularly romantic, even. I think I've said this before. Like, when they first met, I was like, "Oh, this is kind of cool, and like, I kind of ship them, I guess," blah blah blah, Now that has kind of faded. It's just more like, "This is like, a person in their life and someone that they allegedly care about. But look at how they treat her! And look at how they leave other people in their life behind."

C: Yeah.

G: It just makes me so sad.

C: Ugh. We don't see any more of Jo the rest of this episode, right?

G: Yeah. I don't think so, yeah.

C: Which makes me sad. Like, I thought, maybe- they should at least like, circle back with her and be like, " We got the demon now. Are you doing okay?" You know?

G: Yeah. I hope, like, Bobby calls her.

C: Yeah. And I also hope that Jo has someone to talk to.

G: Is it- is it even ever established at Bobby is like, sweet on Jo? Like, I know him and Ellen are a ship in the Supernatural fandom. I don't really know the particulars of their relationship. Yeah. [laughs] It's like a throuple situation. [laughs] Bobby/Rufus/Ellen.

C: Who? Oh, yeah, yeah.

G: Bobby/Rufus/Ellen. That's like, their throuple situation. Good for them.

C: Good for them.

Yeah, I mean- I guess in the family picture, it seems like Bobby and Jo are friends, at least.

G: They know each other, yeah.

C: Yeah, so hopefully, he does sort of view her in a father figure way.

G: I hope she calls her.

C: Yeah, me too. I hope that Jo has someone to talk to you after this, because it's a terrible situation, and I feel like she probably wouldn't feel comfortable telling Ellen about it. She doesn't want Ellen to get overprotective. So I guess like, she could talk to Ash, maybe, but [G laughs] I don't know he's the right one to debrief after this, you know?

G: [laughing] Yeah.

C: I hope she has more friends.

G: Yeah. Go have friends, Jo.

C: Yeah.

G: A girlfriend, even, if you feel like it.

C: Yeah. Yeah, no, I think- I think I've read like, an Eileen x Jo fic. Go find Eileen.

G: I think Eileen and Jo would, what's the term? Hit it off.

C: Mm-hm. Agreed.

C: We've lingered on this for so long, we need to fucking go on.

C: No, yeah. Jo deserves it! [laughs] But yes.

G: Jo deserves-

C: The entire BABPod episode to be about her.

G: - literally just- literally the last 20 minutes of this episode is just us talking about Jo, and then we go, "Ugh, I don't really wanna talk about anything else. Bye!" [both laughing]

-

C: Yeah, so Dean is calling Sam, and apparently- okay, so I guess we cut to Sam, and, what, he's cutting off Bobby's phone line?

G: Yeah, like, I think Dean is calling Bobby, and Sam just nips it and it's actually a pretty cool scene.

C: Yeah.

G: And Dean goes, like, “Dammit.” And we see Sam going into Bobby's house!

C: Ooh! Yeah, and Bobby, like, opens, and he seems really happy to see Sam, and he lets him in. And Sam’s like, quite cautious when he enters, keeps looking up at the ceiling, because, like, you know. Meg recalls when she got devil's trapped last time she was in here.

So, yeah, Bobby asks what's up, asks where Dean is, and Sam says, "Holed up somewhere with a girl and a 12-pack." It's usually a six-pack, right? I hope this imaginary Dean is sharing, and that's why it's a 12-pack. Like, six for each of them. [G laughs] And, yeah, Bobby goes into the back room, and [laughing] he says the most inane sentence, which is, "Oh, yeah, is she pretty?" And I'm gonna believe with all my heart that this is just him stalling for time, 'cause what an empty question.

G: As he- as he literally like, pores like, a drop of holy water into the beer. Literally, go Bobby.

C: Yeah, uh-huh, it's great. Yeah, and Meg loves the drama, so she lets Sam's eyes go over black for a moment as she says, like, "If you ask me, he's in way over his head." Love that.

[laughing] Do you think demons have exhibitionist kinks relating to their eyes? [G laughing] Like, "ooh, flashing my black eyes in public!"

Bobby hands Sam a beer and says, "It's good to see you." And he says, "To John." Girl, why? [laughs]

G: Literally- Well, I mean, it makes sense, because the last time we see him was in episode 1, right?

C: Mm-hm.

G: Wait, but they were in Bobby's house in episode 2. So, like, they spent that entire era of their life post-John death in Bobby's house. So why is Bobby now being like, "Okay, let's give your dad a toast." Come on, Bobby. [C laughs]

C: Yeah, come on, Bobby. Yeah, and Sam says, "To Dad." And then Meg takes a sip of the beer and then suddenly like, starts choking, and like, there's like gagging, and like, I think her voice is different- like it sounds like half-demonic or something.

G: Very hoarse, yeah.

C: Yeah. And like, she says, "What did you do?” Bobby says, like, “A little holy water in the beer." And then he says, "Don't try to con a conman." And then knocks Sam out.

Okay, everyone in Supernatural goes unconscious when they get like, punched once in the face. Is this how being unconscious works? Is it that easy?

G: To be unconscious? Surprisingly-

C: Yeah, if you punch them in the face. Okay, wow, okay.

G: Surprisingly, I have not been punched in the face. [C laughs] I think I deserve it, honestly. I don't know how people hold their fists back. But yeah, I don't know.

C: Yeah, oh well. I guess if I ever get punched in the face, I'll come back and tell y'all if I passed out or not.

G: We'll find out.

Sam wakes up, and he's tied to a chair. He's under the devil's trap. And it's Dean and Bobby looking at him. And [laughs], Sam says, like, "Wow, Dean. Back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you, isn't it? Like a cockroach."

C: A cockroach.

G: And I fucking adore that. He's literally like a fucking cockroach.

And Dean threatens violence, and Sam says, "Well, I'm still in Sam's body, so you won't hurt me." But, like, Dean throws holy water at Sam, and Sam literally like, does the whole "Uwah!" as he sizzles up [C laughs]. And then Sam says like-

C: Yeah, does that really not hurt the vessel? Because we've seen that holy water will burn through-

G: Deep burn, yeah.

C: - yeah, like someone's shirt, So like, surely, like, his skin must be getting burned too.

G: Yeah, well we've talked about this, but we've established the shirt becomes demonic. [both laughing]

C: Yeah.

G: So. Yeah.

C: Right.

G: Yeah. Sam like, threatens that- well, the demon - Meg - threatens that he'll bite Sam's tongue off if Dean doesn't stop. But, like, Dean just goes, "Well, Bobby. Lead the stage." And Bobby starts reading the incantation for exorcism. Sam just like, starts laughing and reveals that he's got a new trick.

C: Wait, did you skip over the part where Dean says, like, [laughing] "Also, whatever bitchboy master plan you demons are cooking up-" [laughs] Love that. Okay, well, basically, what Dean's saying is like, "Whatever like, grand plan you demons are doing, like, I'm gonna kill all of you first." And like, Meg laughs and says, like, "Oh, you think that's what this is about? Like, I don't care about that." So you know that this is a personal vendetta situation rather than a season 2 overarching plot situation.

G: Yeah, we cannot get overarching plot at episode 14. Are you insane? Episode 14, we get overarching plot? Come on. [both laugh] But Sam, well, Meg reveals that there's a new trick in town, which is she can't get exorcised out of the body. It's revealed that the burn Jo saw earlier was a spell, basically, to keep a demon inside a body. So the room starts shaking, and like, there's like, a fireplace behind them, and it like, lights the fuck up. And the ceiling cracks. Everything is being destroyed. And the demon trap gets cracked open.

C: Hell yeah.

G: So Meg is now in full power, and she blasts Bobby to the side of the room and starts going after Dean. She starts hitting him, right? So they're like, at the corner of the room, and she's holding him down. So, like, Sam says- well, Meg says that she's been in Hell, and that Hell is like... Hell.

C: [laughing] Hell.

G: Even for demons.

C: She's so funny.

G: I think we discussed this in the podcast before, but this is the first revelation in Supernatural that, like, demons also don't like Hell, right?

C: Yeah.

G: Yeah. And she describes it as "a prison made of bone and flesh and blood and fear." I love that.

C: Yeah, poetic.

G: I love the concept of Hell as like, something organic, you know? Like, you're inside a being, and you're churning over there. Agh! So good. And this is when Meg reveals like, "You sent me back there." And Dean goes, "Meg." [laughs] Love him!

Yeah, so Meg says, "Not anymore now. I'm Sam. And I also saw your dad in Hell, and what I was telling myself down there was that one day I'll climb up here and fucking torture the hell out of you." And she says- this is the part of the episode where I kind of got annoyed, because I was like, "This is supposed to be Sam's episode." [laughs]

C: Yeah! It is.

G: Stop being like "Dean is so sad. Dean is so- he feels worthless." [C laughing] And it's like, shut up. This is literally not his episode.

C: Yeah, I- right, it just it feels a lot like the season one finale where it's supposed to be about Sam, and then either Azazel or Meg corners Dean and just says a bunch of character theses about him instead of like, doing anything interesting. [laughs]

G: Literally. But basically what she says is, "Whatever I will do to torture you, what you're doing to yourself is worse. Because you're worthless; you couldn't save your dad, and you probably won't be able to save Sam. They've been better off without you." As Meg finally prepares to deal the final blow, Bobby comes up and burns the little symbol in the arm, and Meg-

C: Burns the Q off. Homophobia. [G laughs]

G: And Meg gets out of Sam's body, a la black smoke, and Sam falls over, goes, "Did I miss anything?" [C laughs]

C: Love him.

G: And Dean punches him in the face.

C: Boo.

G: Sam's literally just sitting there like, "What the hell is happening? What the fuck? Why did Dean literally just punch me right now?"

It's revealed a little bit later that he was awake for some of it, you know?

C: Uh-huh.

G: Like he was up for some stuff. But like, it would- like, in this moment, I was- I found it so funny that he was like, "What the hell is happening? I have no recollection of anything in the past week." [C laughing] And Dean just goes, boom! Like, I don't know why it's so funny.

C: Yeah. Why did Dean do it? Like, is it just like, "I'm so relieved that you're okay, and I'm angry that like, you didn't go on this emotional journey with me"?

G: I think it's the feeling of combination of relief and also to get the adrenaline off his body, you know, 'cause he's still in fight mode, and he's thinking, like, "I'm fighting something that's in Sam's body, so I'm basically fighting Sam." So.

C: Okay, yeah. Well, that was mean of Dean. [laughs]

G: Kind of mean.

C: So we cut to a few moments later, and Sam and Dean both have ice packs, and they're doing what Sam and Dean do to bond, which is telling each other that they look like.

crap. And Bobby Bobby comes in and says, like, "Have you ever heard of a hunter named Steve Wandell? Like, he got murdered in his own house." And then he says, like, meaningfully, like, "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" And Dean says, like, "Nope. Never heard of the guy." Sam seems less willing to acquiesce, but Bobby says, like, "Good, ‘cause his friends are looking for someone to pin this on. So you gotta stay out of trouble." And Dean says that they. should head out, and Bobby gives each of them a charm that will fend off possession. He says, "This will stop it from getting back up in ya." And Dean says, "That sounds vaguely dirty, but thanks." Ugh. There's like, another joke like this later-

G: Yeah, there's another joke. Let's discuss it when that happens.

C: Yeah.

Bobby says, like, "You be careful, now." Sam says, "You too," and I didn't notice this, but the. transcript says that he smiles at Bobby but Bobby doesn't smile back. Bobby, that's mean. But also, I guess it's indirectly- you are looking at the face of- the same face of the being that cracked your entire ceiling. [both laughing] I don't know how you're gonna fix your house after this, dude.

G: He's got magic house healing powers.

C: Mm. And yeah, Dean tosses like, his ice pack back to Bobby. The ice pack is like, cloth around like, a cold beer can, by the way. Yeah, so-

G: It's not!

C: Is it not?

G: It's an actual ice pack!

C: No, there was like, a can in there!

G: No, that's just how ice packs look like!

C: They look like cans?

G: They have a little- plup-plup! top. Yeah, like, you pop that open and put ice in there.

C: Huh, okay. I guess I'm more used to the bag version.

Apparently, Bobby smiles at Dean, but he doesn't smile at Sam. And this is why the Samgirls don't care about Bobby. [both laugh]

G: When Sam entered, and Bobby was so happy, I was like, "Aw, Bobby loves Sam!" And then when it was revealed that he was like, doing that to be amicable because he's gonna-he knows that this is a demon, and I was like, "Oh."

C: I know! Right, if he thought it was actually Sam, he would have just been like, "What do you want?"

G: "What do you want from me?"

-

G: Anyway, we're back in the Impala. It's night, and REO Speedwagon is playing in the car. Fun stuff.

C: Yeah, Deanjo.

G: Yeah, hashtag Deanjo moment. And Sam reveals that he was awake for some of the possession, and that he watched himself kill the hunter that died, and he saw the light go out of his eyes. Hell yeah. [laughs]

C: I'm glad he wasn't awake for the Jo thing.

G: Yeah. And he says, like, he almost carved up Jo too. So maybe he was awake for that part but not the other part, which I guess like, good for him.

C: Yeah.

G: But he says, like, "No matter what I did, you wouldn't shoot." And Dean says, like, "Of course. I mean, it wasn't you." And Sam says, "This time. yeah. But next time?" And Dean says, "Dad said I would have to kill you if I can't save you. I'm going to save you." So.

C: And the episode should have just fucking ended there.

G: Yeah. Just end the episode here! There's nothing that happens after this. [laughs]

No, but Dean says- Dean like, starts like, giggling to himself, and Sam’s like, "Oh, what are you laughing about?" And then Dean says, like, “You had a full-on girl inside you for like, a whole week." And then goes, “That's pretty naughty."

C: [laughing] What the-

G: And yeah. The episode ends. Wha- [laughing]

C: What?!

G: No, 'cause I guess they're doing the whole- I guess they're doing the whole, like, possession is akin to- like, they keep on joking that possession is akin to sex.

C: Yes.

G: And it's like, [sighs].

C: Uh-huh. Yeah.

G: Have we considered-

C: - the part where- the consent part of the sex, where if possession is akin to sex, then it's rape?

G: Have we considered the implications. Have we considered the meaning behind this jokes and it's just- The thing is, I never really figure out whether they take this aspect of possession seriously, you know?

C: Yeah.

G: I don't recall. Like, I feel like the only time they actually take possession seriously is-

C: Jimmy?

G: - with Sam and Lucifer. Like, they actually- but that's less the possession and more the torture in the Cage, you know?

C: Right.

G: I think I think with Jimmy and Cas, they do an okay job. I mean, I think it's actually a good job. But, you know, it's something they revisit and they do well. And with Nick and Lucifer, that one is interesting, but I hate Nick, so, die. [C laughs] Yeah, and like, I just- I can't recall a specific line or a moment in Supernatural where they take this idea of possession being equal to sex and run with it and actually do something about it that isn't just "Isn't it so funny-" you know. Like, actually take it seriously and take the implication seriously. Kind of a missed opportunity, I feel like.

C: Yeah. Because I feel like they did do it- do like, demons and sex and consent in "Crossroad Blues" in regards to like, the consent in like, the kiss of the demon deal. But yeah, we don't see it in like possession, which seems like a bigger violation. So yeah. It's odd.

G: Yeah.

-

G: Anyway, Crystal, what do you think about this episode?

C: I wish that that Jo thing had not happened, or at least they like- I don't know if they changed the tone of it a bit or actually addressed it further. But, like, everything else was fairly delicious.

G: For me, my only complaint is that, even for a Sam episode, it's barely a Sam episode. You know what I mean?

C: Yeah.

G: I just- I wish there was more Sam.

C: Yeah.

G: And that's, you know. It's a complaint we have often, so.

C: Uh-huh.

G: Yeah, I wish there was more Sam. I wish that- no, actually, that's it, pretty much. Like, what you said, and the Sam thing. But the rest of the episode, I was genuinely cheering, like, watching this. I was incredibly entertained.

C: Yeah. The high drama.

G: I don't know how people listen to our podcast. Do they like, watch the episode, then listen to the podcast? Do they just listen to the podcast? Do they watch episodes [laughs] after they listen to the podcast? I don't know. Who knows how people listen to our podcast? But, like, I would say that this is an episode worth revisiting and watching, like, actually. I think it it's like, it has like, good thesis statements for Sam and Dean at this moment in time.

C: Yeah. Right. I think the issue with season 2 is that Sam's plot is so directly tied into Dean's storyline of having to kill Sam. And they put more emotional weight on like, Dean's like, pain over having to kill Sam than they do over Sam's pain about-

G: Dying, yeah.

C: - becoming a monster or being killed..

G: Yeah. There's an imbalance with who gets the spotlight. Yeah.

C: Mm-hm.

G: Yeah, maybe a little bit later in the season-

C: Please.

G: - we'll get more Sam. [laughs] Pwease, can we get more Sam? We want more Sam. Yeah. Anyway, what's the next one? Best Line/Worst Line.

Worst line. I think the worst line is- I just don't like the last joke Dean cracks.

C: Yeah, same.

G: I don't like it! Ugh.

It wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't literally the way they end the episode. Like, this is the last thing on your tongue. This is the last thing you taste. It's like, okay, cool, I guess, whatever. But yeah. I don't like that one. For best line... Do you agree with the worst line, or do you have another one?

C: Yeah, I agree with the worst line.

G: Okay, I'll look for a best line.

C: Yeah, there are some good lines here, but I don't know if there's any one that stands out too much.

G: I mean, there is one.

C: Okay.

G: "Your daddy-"

C: Yeah, okay, so true.

G: Well, "My daddy shot your daddy in the head." That's a standout line. And I like it and I like the delivery, and the reveal that happens in that scene, it's pretty good. Like, it's compelling shit.

C: I agree. Especially 'cause like, John could have called Ellen and at least let Bill say goodbye, you know?

G: Yeah.

Anyway, IMDB rating.

C: After we got burned so bad by IMDB last time, I don't even know.

G: I think- I have no idea. I think this one is rated high because it's a good episode.

C: Mm-hm.

G: But I also said that last week, and, my god. [laughs] I think this one is like, an 8.7.

C: Hm. Yeah. I think "Nightshifter" being an 8.9 has just like, thrown my whole score calibration off, you know?

G: Yeah! Why the fuck is that an 8.9?

C: Because like, I feel like this was better than "Nightshifter," but also, I don't think that "Nightshifter" is a representative 8.9 IMDB episode.

Huh. Okay, I think I'm just gonna go 0.1 lower than- ugh. No, okay, I'll go higher. I'll go 8.8 on this one. 'Cause I think the suspense and the twist will make people happy. [G gasps] What?

G: I got it! I got it.

C: You got it? Oh, hell yeah.

G: Yeah. 8.7. Who would have thought? Who would have thought that, after all this time, we would get one.

C: Yay!

G: I would get it right on the nose.

C: Happy for you. Glad I found out from somewhere other than Twitter. [G laughs]

G: This one says, "Nice job, Jared." [C laughs] Actually, I agree. Not to be a Jared stan anywhere, really. And I am not. If you love Jared Padalecki, [laughs] I don't know why you're listening to our podcast, honestly. [C laughing] I don't know what led you here. But you know, it's-

C: And to be clear, we don't like any of the actors. So like, if you're like, a Cockles shipper and you're like, "Ah, I'm safe," [both laugh] no, you're not.

G: Well, yeah. I mean, I wouldn't go as far as to say I hate the actors, but like [C laughs], some of them, I'm ambivalent about, and some of them, I abhor, you know? Some of them are like, "Who cares?" and then the others I'm like, "You should die, Mark Pellegrino," you know?

Aw, this one says, "Okay, not as good as some make out. I'm getting a little bored of the Sam slash demon storyline."

C: Boo.

G: "I much prefer the standalone episodes that have a good beginning, middle, and end. But I agree that Jo adds a little extra dimension. It's good having a female hunter." I think Jo like, brings so much good stuff into the show.

C: Yeah.

G: I miss her! And like, honestly, like, the way season 5 is, I actually am not upset- I mean, because, you know. I don't know if you know this, but I was around when Charlie was killed.

C: Oh. Sorry.

G: And that was- it was atrocious. Like, the her being killed. And the way, like, the fandom reacted was like, accordingly, you know? Like, the fandom was very angry about that. 'Cause her death was just- for a show that was gonna go on for forever, and at the middle of it, they just kill a character that's so beloved, and like, like, iconic and queer and all that, and they kill her for like, shock value and for, like, manpain, basically, right?

I think Ellen and Jo, killed for similar reasons, but the gravity of the situation at that point is so different. Like it wasn't just like, collateral damage in the middle of what shit or another. It was like, "It's the apocalypse, and this scene- this like, death is like, symbolic of like, we are losing people. Important people. And we're not gonna get them back, and people are gonna die." You know, like, it's meaningful in that way.

C: Yeah.

G: Like, their death meant something, and it was a big deal. So I'm not gonna be like, "I'm mad that they killed off Jo." But like, I do think occasionally, like, if Jo made it, would Dean have settled with her, you know? It's something I wonder about. What would have happened in that? Like, would the Deanlisa plotline be a Deanjo plotline? What would she up to? Would we discover she's a lesbian? You know, shit like that.

C: Yeah. I don't- yeah- I guess she- I guess I don't know enough about Jo to know how she would fare in future seasons. But it'd be nice to see her sort of become part of Team Free Will.

G: Yeah. Yeah.

C: I don't think she would live in the bunker, but otherwise-

G: Oh, fuck no.

C: Fuck no, yeah. Get her out.

G: Nobody deserves to live in the bunker. Get out of there, guys! [both laugh]

C: Yeah, what I would have liked to see her basically in, like, every other episode, joining them.

G: Yeah, it's fascinating to me. Because I'm not really a particular type of person that's like, "I love all the characters on Supernatural!" you know? Like, I have been incredibly one-track mind about watching Supernatural.

C: For Cas.

G: Yeah, basically just as a Cas fan. Yeah, like, I'm literally just here for him. And now that we're doing this rewatch, like, when Bobby showed up, I was cheering, you know?

C: Yeah, no, I was happy to see him.

G: Yeah, and now that we're talking about Jo, I'm so compelled by her and like, I adore her. I love her character. And it's- it's nice. [laughs] I'm so earnest! Eugh! But it is nice.

C: It is.

Half of these reviews have the phrase "female hunter" in them. This is like- this was apparently a big fandom argument at the time, where people are like, "I'm glad that there's a female hunter" "I don't think there needs to be a female hunter," etc. etc. Like, whatever! Just enjoy Jo and her beach waves and how she's interesting and how we don't have to look at Sam and Dean the whole time.

G: [laughs] Literally.

C: And there's not really a gender gap in the ratings for this one. I still really want to know what the fuck happened to "Houses of the Holy"!

G: I have no idea! Why is it a 7.9?? I hate everyone.

C: Same.

G: Whatever. Let's cut this off. [laughs] Goodbye, everyone. [both laugh]

No, that's it for this episode of Busty Asian Beauties. Next week, we will be talking about Season 2, Episode 15: "Tall Tales"? Okay. It's "Tall Tales." So leave us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts.

C: Follow us on social media! We are on Twitter at twitter.com/BeautiesPodcast, and on Tumblr at bustyasianbeautiespod.tumblr.com. And thank you to everyone who's donated to our Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/bustyasianbeautiespod.

G: You can email us any feedback, comments, or inquiries at [email protected]. See you guys next time! Buh-bye!

C: Bye!

[guitar music]

G: Hell yeah! One recording with absolutely nothing going wrong! Who would have th- [cut off]

#transcript

[l0svers]

watching that 90’s show *ੈ✩‧₊˚

episode 01

love that they kept the silly transitions ah!

also the writing is so good — it stays so true to the original

i love kitty & red so funny

THE KELSO KID AH!

screamed when michael and jackie showed up

i want a summer like this anyways

so hyped to keep watching

episode 02

not much happened lol

love that sherri is becoming friends with kitty

FEZ!

episode 03

the commercial !!

not them going to the mall to get leia her first kiss

they had no right giving jay that much rizz for that car scene with leia — also since when was he so smart

red & his massage chair lmao

episode 04

RAVEEEE

love all the references and repeated situations from the original show

why did they do leia dirty with her hair

also their rave outfits are kinda rough — love the purple skirt overalls tho

the friends reference feels outta pocket like we’re ross & rachel even together by that point of the show being on air?

episode 05

the ✨internet✨

ew creepy hot tub lady

red being scared about the computer haha

the sex phone call lmao

“the internet is just two demons yelling at each other”

i knew hot tub girl was gonna be an issue

episode 06

i LOVE gwen’s fit

SHE WAS 14?!?! WHAT

please i thought they were at least 15

“you’ve got twice the balls, act like it” — CRYING

the who 90210 but point place version is so funny

bob singing karaoke lol

THE CAR HE GAVE HER THE CAR!!

THEY KISSED!!

THE COPS!!

episode 07

criminal mastermind without the mind a kelso lol

tattoos, babies and DUI’s the unholy trinity — CRYING SHERRI IS SO RIGHT

OH NO KITTY GOT A TATTOO

it’s a cat haha

red teaching sherri to ride a bike

episode 08

red is SPEED

ski jump arms haha

NOT THE CROTCH GRAB LMAO

the moose

episode 09

not school starting soon :,(

uh oh bf vs bff time fight

“those kids are idiots”

“i like you” haha

training montage love

kitty wanting to be the school nurse so cute

her nurse nightmare woof

uh oh couple lost in the woods ft leo

love how they snuck into the country club iconic

leia giving nate water haha

not gwen being snappy — but we love the heart to heart between nate & leia

KITTY GOT THE JOB!!

awww good friendship hug thank god

kinda loving all of jay’s stupid graphic tees — like this green one with the wolves

oh no not a serious relationship talk jay, i knew it was inevitable but ahh

episode 10

OMG THE KELSO BURN IS BACK

them dancing so cute! love!

oh nate… buddy your timing so bad

uh oh the breakup talk

OH CHEEZE WIZZ IN THE PANTS

i can’t take jay seriously with all the cheese wizz on his shirt

the phone in the pot haha

not the chili’s lol

leia turning into red lol “dumbasses”

donna figuring out about the boyfriend being a kelso and about him in general

fez’s tiny pants lmao

“i have a tv in my bathroom BITCH” crying

oh fenton

THEY ALMOST KISSED :O

WHATTTT

my literal reaction was: they are not about to kiss right now right? WRONG Z

love the throwback circle

awww they’re signing the water tower!

“well i made that birch my bitch” thank you fenton for being iconic

THE AWKWARD

THEN JAY SHOWS UP

ahhhhhh

she’s gone *sobbing*

aw so glad it showed the film

other notes

i could not for the life of me tell why jay looked so familiar — then it dawned on me (no pun intended) that he was in nicky ricky dicky and dawn haha

overall i really like the show i think it’s fun and a great tribute to the original but the pacing was a little weird especially towards the beginning/middle it felt like it reached a good pace towards the end — part of this is def the episode limit but yeah

intrigued to see how next season goes

the whole nate thing is kinda random — like i understand them having the same outlook or whatever but they barely interacted throughout the season

honestly that is one of my complaints is that there were so many characters that i didn’t get attached to a whole lot of them or know much about them by the end

#kcwatches #that 90s show #tv #that 90’s show

[midnightsconspiracy]

The Clothes Bandit

The Clothes Bandit - @midnightsconspiracy

Summary: Jay's just finding out about your little secret, you love to steal his shirts.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 419

Requested: Nope but my inbox is currently open

A/N: Wanted to write a short little Jay fic with the iconic prompt "is that my shirt?"

Masterlist

Spending your nights at Jay’s apartment was not that uncommon. You had been dating the detective for just about a year and a half, spending countless nights cuddled up to him in bed after a particularly hard shift. Initially, you had met him whilst attending a police scene to fix up a member of the public, with him arguing that he needed to talk to the person before you took them to med. But with your stubborn nature, you had told him to wait, proceeding to slam the doors of the ambulance in his face. Later you saw him at Molly’s drinking with people you assumed were his team, you walked up to the bar going to order a drink until he slid into the seat next to you and insisting on buying drinks for the both of you. That night you had really hit it off despite the incident that happened earlier, him totally understanding that you were just doing your job, doing anything in your power to help your patient. You had continued seeing Jay regularly throughout that month, going on dates and sleeping together, but eventually one night he asked you out.

Being at Jay’s apartment all the time meant you had your own little space within his wardrobes and drawers, but for the most part it overflowed into his sections, full to the brim with the majority of your clothes you had bought from home. But none of them were as comfy or gave you such a sense of security as Jay’s shirts did. They ran way too big on your body, falling just above your knees, but that didn’t matter to you. You would wear his closes regardless of what you looked like, just liking the feeling of being close to him you got from the fabric. Pulling your hair into a ponytail, you finished up in the bathroom, unlocking the door to enter the master bedroom once more.

“Is that my shirt?” Jay question, noticing the familiar clothing on your body.

“MmmHmm” You replied nonchalantly, not wanting him to take the comfort item away from you.

“Looks better on you anyway” he commented, always amazed at how you managed to look good in everything you wore.

“I know,” you said opening the covers and settling against Jay’s firm chest, snuggling into him in order to get as close as physically possible. He kissed your forehead, tightening his arms around you as he thought to himself, how many t-shirts had you stolen from him?

#chicago pd #chicago pd imagines #chicago pd x reader #jay halstead #one chicago #jay halstead imagine #jay halstead x reader

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

wendy again no problem (18 jan. 2022)

“I should make this a regular thing!” she said and failed and also died

ANYWAY, first blog-shaped post of the new year, hopefully I will be able to do this about once a week but I ain’t promising a particular day just yet

READING: I have not done as much reading lately as I would like :/  I am still chipping away at Star Wars: Ronin and enjoying it so far.  I also acquired MDZS vol. 1 and physical copies of Gideon and Harrow the Ninth (I read the latter two late last year), as well as the complete storyboards for Hayao Miyazaki’s Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979).  Someday my will to sit down and read will return long enough for me to make some gosh dang progress.

EDIT: Ah, I almost forgot!  At work this week I read some of The Secret History of the Mongols, an epic 13th century Mongolian text on Genghis Khan.  You can read it in English for free here.  This reading choice was inspired by the listening section below.

WATCHING: @stardustalix and I are still slowly streaming The Untamed together; I believe we just finished Episode 15.  I think we both lost it a little at the Homoerotic Cave Scenes (TM) a few episodes ago.  Unfortunately I don’t think I have anything constructive to say about the show at this point, but I’m at least having fun!

I watched some more of Lupin III: Part 6 despite my better judgement previous lack of investment.  I watched the second Mamoru Oshii episode (ep. 10) just for funsies: it was weird, but nowhere near as weird as I’d expected it to be, and it was a surprisingly good Fujiko-centric ep.  After that, I skipped right past eps. 11-12 because I really could not give less of a shit about the Sherlock Holmes arc and reading the Wikipedia episode summaries was enough for me.  Episodes 13 and 14, however, were rather shockingly decent; it’s the first time ANYTHING this season has felt like Lupin to me, and they did so with a good helping of domestic LupGang (esp. JigLup) content to boot!  We got to learn another piece of Lupin’s backstory, and so far, it seems competently written and I actually don’t hate it!  We shall see how the rest of this arc plays out.  I quite liked Mercedes, Lupin’s one-off, pink-haired rival here, and I really liked seeing a darker side of Lupin at the end of episode 14 even if he ultimately pulled his punch, so to speak.  Now that’s something I’d love to see explored more, especially if they’re going to restrain themselves and do the gd character work instead of just pure, unexplored edge.  (Unrelated to whatever Lupin’s up to, man, this must be a rough season for Zenigata stans.  The man’s barely showed up at all and he’s always accompanied and restrained by other characters instead of getting to be his true, unhinged, Lupin-obsessed self.)

I need to watch more of the new Lupin III: Part 1 dub, which thankfully seems to be getting better after the disastrous first episode (though to be fair that’s a rough episode all around).  I LOVED the episode 7 dub, especially the iconic ending scene with Lupin and Goemon, but the whole thing was honestly great.  Lang and Ruff in particular never disappoint.

Since I haven’t made one of these since last year, here are all the movies I’ve watched so far in 2022: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Lupin III: Dragon of Doom (1994), Encanto (2021), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Nightmare Alley (1947), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and about half of Vertigo (1958) before I got too sleepy and had to stop for the night.

LISTENING: This past week or so’s albums of choice (for my morning and evening commute) were:

The Gereg - The Hu (recommended tracks: “Yuve Yuve Yu”, “Wolf Totem”, “The Great Chinggis Khaan” - Xiran Jay Zhao mentioned Mongolian rock in one of their videos, blessedly reminding me of how much this band slaps)

Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis (recommended track: “Concierto de Aranjuez” - Lupin fans, if you like Jigen’s “Tornado” theme, this is the piece it took inspiration from)

Blue in Green - Miles Davis (secretly Jigen at it again, because the title track was mentioned in this fantastic fic which everyone should read)

Encanto - soundtrack (all the sung tracks are bangers but “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has gone particularly viral for a reason)

I did take a history of jazz course in college which left me with latent semi-informed Jazz Enjoyer Tendencies, so while it was weeb reasons that brought me back to it this week, I was glad to be reminded that hey, I like this music, I should listen to it more often.

PLAYING: A rare category!!  This week I finally, finally started playing Disco Elysium after @sybilius, @jacopo-belbo, and @venhediss all enthusiastically recommended it to me over the last year or so.  Stat-wise, I went with 2 Intellect, 3 Psyche, 4 Physique, and 3 Motorics, with Visual Calculus as my Signature Skill.  Gameplay-wise, I haven’t even gone to look at the body in the courtyard yet because 1) I’m being thorough and 2) this game ate my laptop battery for some reason (will try turning down the graphics more next session), but I have at least talked to Kim (!!) and Garte the Cafeteria Manager.  So far the vibes and the soundtrack are impeccable.  I also discovered that I’ve been mentally mispronouncing Revachol for over a year (while I’d had the stress right, I’d assumed the ch was more of a k, like in cholera or alcohol, certainly not sh).

I’ve also been kicking relative ass in Duolingo Japanese, so, there’s that.  I made it all the way to the Amethyst League but I’m not sure if I’ll bother keeping up with the leaderboard as much at this level; we shall see.  Material-wise, I’ve mostly got the hiragana down and am beginning to learn the katakana, and I have learned a few conversational basics (poorly explained as Duolingo is wont to do, but a lengthy Discord call with my brother helped clear some things up and give me a preview of some grammatical stuff that might appear soon).

OTHER: It snowed here!!! :D  I also made very tasty ramen for everyone on Thursday or Friday night and then a big batch of beef stew on Saturday.

Goodnight mes amis, sleep well, I’ll most likely subject you to more of the usual nonsense in the morning.

#tuesday again no problem #wendy again no problem #long post #personal

[sleeping-lilies]

robin era jason, dick, and babs headcanons because there’s too much comedic potential to ignore

- dick and babs were the ultimate gossip buddies. whenever dick was with the titans for long periods of time, babs always filled him in on everything

babs: dick you’ll never believe what hal said to bruce last night, i even have videos. dick, the look on his face please—

dick, immediately locking doors so his teammates don’t hear the mad shit about to be dropped on main: tell me everything

- vice versa too, dick filled babs in on everything going on with the titans and all they can say is thank god those lines are bat secured with no villains being able to listen in, imagine deathstroke hearing through bat gossip that joey’s dating who?!?! 😳

- batkids have been and always will be the holder of superhero gossip. it’s a business, you see, but we’re getting off topic 😡

- lmfao anyways this is literally how dick finds out about jason

babs: anyways, jason—

dick: who the fuck is jason

babs: ....

dick: barbara?!?!

babs: ok promise you won’t freak out

- babs and dick’s first reaction upon meeting jason being “why is he so small i wasnt that small” “dick you were literally nine when you were robin—“ “he’s tiny” it’s like those two share the same braincell

- i’m making it so that dick gave jason his number earlier because i feel like it 😡😡😡 (not that it changes much other than the fact that i want more gossip dropped in dm’s)

- when dick gave jason his number, he went to babs like “give me jason’s number” “didn’t you literally just give him your’s?” “ya but i’m gonna make sure he texts me” “ya ok that’s fair”

- whenever jason didn’t want to be in the manor (fight with bruce, boredom, etc) he went to wherever the fuck babs lived and they would facetime dick and talk mad shit. it was a thing.

- despite them all being able to drive, babs was the only one during this time with an actual, legitimate, legal license (jason was too young to have a license and dick is too lazy/busy/whatever-excuse-he-wants-to-use to take the permit and driving test) so babs drove them around everywhere and it was a mess™ consisting of a bunch of backseat drivers

- “dick omg look at this video i found from the batcave” “omg he said robin gives him magic” “robin gives him magic” they both cry about it for years to come

- babs sometimes kidnapped jason after school after telling the head of wayne manor (alfred) and took him to get ice cream, then to the library while she worked. jason was the greatest kid in the library, he even had his own throne special chair just for him whenever he came provided by library staff who adored this absolute angel.

- jason 🤝 babs 🤝 dick -> i believe in annoying yet endearing nicknames supremacy

- nicknames include (some used by some more than others or just one, or by both equally because they’re annoying pick and choose my good people)

little wing (iconic, we all know this one fellas and who uses it)

red (used for babs, absolutely fantastic, but in the future it gets confusing because some people with their goddamn hero names 😡)

boy wonder (classic, babs calls them both that)

barbie (for babs, jason uses this one and he’s the only one able to get away with it)

dickie (jason just really gets away with everything huh)

dickhead (jason’s lucky he’s cute)

baba black sheep (jeez i’m on a roll with babs’ nicknames she’s so nickname-able and that’s very cool and sexy of her)

jay z

jay allen

jay jay jay (shut up, dickhead—)

big bird

and a bunch more i’m too tired to look for them in canon or make new ones up, but you get the idea

- dick can totally bake, and babs and jason keep bugging him when he’s baking and add more chocolate chips while pretending to not notice that he can see them 😡😡😡

- headcanon that jason had hero worship for babs and dick because they’re so cool in and out of costume and it never really went away when he got older listen his older brother and pseudo sister are so cool and that’s not his fault but he’ll never admit it

- barbie movie marathons because barbie is an iconic legend and they all recognize it. they have the fucking “she’s the queen of the WA-A-A-AVES” song memorized along with all other barbie movie songs, they sing it on patrol.

- dick and jason’s sibling dynamic was and is basically “ur a little shit and i hate you but i will literally kill for you”

- dick had tension with bruce while jason was just a little shit who would totally cause drama for the sake of it, and people never take advantage of this absolute power duo for destroying bruce

- dick sending cryptid texts to jason through a burner phone because he’s dramatic jason totally knew it was him about things that drive bruce mad, like leaving the shower turned to the coldest setting before bruce got there, leaving the lights in the batcave on, etc. jason, a wise little child, totally took advantage of this. bruce came to accept his fate

- the gc names, guys the group chat names

- jason crashing into titans tower whenever he wants and dick doesn’t bat (hAH) an eye, occasionally he very sweetly asks babs to come with him and she agrees but only sometimes because some people have jobs, jason—wait dick is being flirted with by who?!?! i’ll leave it up to your imagination ;) and they totally crashed titans missions too

- one time bruce was busy with the league while alfred was on vacation and bruce absolutely could not dip (i’m imagining bruce getting a call from the headmaster during an honest to god fight and bruce just picking up while punching the daylights out of some asshole) (“mr wayne, what is that noise in the background?” “sorry, headmaster, the cat is having a seizure”), so when jason got into a “fight” (read: some jackass picking on jason before he snapped and yelled at him and the bitchass kid tried to punch him and jason’s no quitter) bruce called dick who was an adult and legally family (yes dick is adopted sometime after jason was, stay mad) like “son... son please” and dick was like “oh no need to plead with me, this is too good” but of course this bitchass doesn’t have an actual lisence yet and he was hanging out with babs anyways so he and babs rolled up to gotham academy and the kids stared at them like “holy shit they’re so cool” ya dick and babs are those power couple, whether romantic or not, that turn heads, they’re just that powerful strolled into the office, bailed jason out while intimidating the headmaster because the altercation was the result of school staff negligence of actual bullying like those cliche tropes, said “ayyy you got that brat good” and get him chili dogs or whatever the fandom made robin jason’s favorite food. omg i just made an entire fanfic in rough draft form someone please steal it and write it in full form and send me the link

- jason is very very tiny, you see. babs and dick pick him up and move him for any reason, whether because they want to sit on that chair or to just throw him out of harm’s way and take the bullet for themselves.

- jason and dick both get adorable blushes on their faces it’s genetic yes that’s how genetics work shut up meanwhile babs’ ears turn red when she’s embarrassed and all three of them clown each other for it

- i yelled about this to my mutual (cough cough @littlespaceboii) who also added to this absolute dogshit headcanon and then in the discord full of mutuals, but the basement of wayne manor is haunted. dick found it when he was a little gremlin (i stand by that dick was the original demon child) (“you see damian, before there was you there was me” the real reason he was good with damian lmfao) and was like “omg this is so cool” @littlespaceboii came up with that it was just alfred fucking with bruce and so when jason first came and dick was comfy around him he was like “so have you been in the basement” and jason was like “im literally robin i’ve been in the batcave?!?!” and dick goes “no the basement, the haunted one” and jason’s like “hAUNTED?!?!” cuz jason has at least some self preservations and knows not to fuck with the spookies until he too became a spooky and bruce was like “there’s no ghost it’s not haunted” because he’s a skeptic and a party pooper and babs is like “no go on let him finish” even though she knows full well there are no ghosts or does she? and uhhhh basically they becomes ghostbusters 2.0 but cooler and funnier

- this trio is basically baby pan/bisexual jason and two resident expert pan/bisexuals solidarity but that’s literally canon. they go to pride every year that jason’s alive what who said that?

- they all tease each other for their crushes like all siblings/family friends do, i don’t need to say it but it’s important that’s emphasized for my well being

- yelled about this in the discord to the mutuals who added onto this absolute train wreck too, but jason used to play baseball during his robin days, and dick never showed up to those games with being busy as an excuse, but babs always showed up with bruce and alfred and took pictures for dick so dick could be like “mlb players are jobless now that little wing is on the scene” babs (and sometimes bruce) always shouted loudest for jason whether he was in the field or in the dugout and jason would get this extremely adorable blush on his face (jason finds out in the future why dick never showed up (cough cough ptsd from two face’s massive baseball bat which led to everything that came after including being fired and veangance academy and nearly killing two face and omg that’s a ride) and is like oh my god my childhood is even more ruined—)

- remember when i said dick got adopted after jason did in this new absolutely fabulous canon i just created? bruce did that because “ahhh fuck that’s my kid and i want him to know i love him through every means possible since i have the ability to do so” i believe in good dad bruce supremacy and made a whole thing where he invited dick to dinner for like a week to work up the courage and bonding to ask him and show him the adoption papers and then everyone cried :) bruce decided to finally adopt dick after jason referred to dick as his brother and bruce was like “...oh” and alfred was like 👀

- dick, as the first child hero and one of the first heroes period like at least a year or two before babs, holds the “back in my day” card over literally everyone in the hero community in general and pulls it out to annoy babs and jason even tho babs literally joined the scene only a year or two after dick

jason, shaking in his panties: it’s so fucking cold

dick, standing strong in his tits out outfit, who had to wear the panties on his own decision: oh, you’re cold? back in my day—

babs, throwing her boot at his face: god shut the fuck up—

and then dick doesn’t give back her boot and it becomes a whole thing with lots of tackling and play fighting and someone nearly gets thrown off they rooftop for funsies but anyways

also on a side note, babs would take off her cape and wrap it around jason whenever she noticed his discomfort with the weather, or use the weather as an excuse whenever she saw him uneasy for whatever reason and they never mention it to each other

- yelled about this in the discord to the mutuals at some point too holy shit i have friends, but those three are team rocket. they went out as team rocket for halloween one year after bullying bruce to let jason out only jason because he can’t tell dick and babs what to do and jason is under his care and when they do convince him, dick and babs bully jason into being meowth. manifesting jason in a meowth onesie ARTISTS PLEASE—

- dick finally took his license seriously and took his driver’s test after babs became paralyzed.

- those were a rough few months for those three. and then another rough few months for those two

- yikes, sorry to throw angst at you (sorry (unfeeling)) anyways, in the future alfred finds those old photos and shows the rest of the fam, so dick and babs bully jason, 6’2 jason that towers way above both of them, and once again bullies him into being meowth “for tradition, little wing!” “shut up, dickhead” the rest of the batkids lose their shit over this, naturally. bruce and alfred stand in the back teary eyed reminiscing the old days when things were a little more simple.

- discowing walked so terrifying handsome squidward red hood helmet could run (even tho the ugly helmet tripped and fell and missed the mark because discowing wasn’t ugly and will always remain superior, i feel i have committed a terrible crime comparing the two)

dick: jason what the fuck is that

jason: it’s fashion

dick: it’s terrifying

jason: i’m only following in my older brother’s footsteps 😔

dick: listen here, you little shit strangles him haha just kidding that illegal wait theyre vigilantes they don’t follow the law—

- these three and cass refer to the rest of the batkids as “the kids” (if she’s older than jason, sometimes she is and sometimes she isn’t and i’m really confused but whatever)

- babs and dick’s relationship with jason pre death literally shaped how jason treats his siblings post pit madness like he literally goes “what would red and big bird do?!??” when he needs to go into big brother mode over the “little ones” (“little” because tim and steph are adults and duke is nearly an adult himself oh my god he’ll graduate from high school soon and jason never got to do that himself he’s totally going to the ceremony legally dead or not) 🥺

- holy trinity continue hanging out with each other, whether lunch or games or whatever, and just enjoy each other’s company after long, rough years

#i believe in meowth jason supremacy #license is spelled differently every time i type it is it license or lisence #oh whatever i’m failing anyways #good dad bruce because and reconciled bruce and dick father son dynamic because good dad bruce and extremely bitter son dick cannot exist #in the same realm #like it literally ruins dick’s whole character and makes him look like a brat when that’s literally not what happened #I MADE A FUCKING TYPO NOOO #OK ANYWAYS #dick grayson #jason todd #barbara gordon #oracle #batgirl #red hood #robin #nightwing #bruce wayne #batman #alfred pennyworth #headcanons #batfam #batfam headcanons #dc comics #3am blue strikes again #long post #mine

[upsteadhq]

stay with me

prompt: requested by anon, who said “a role flip where hailey gets critically injured and jay is the one loosing his mind” and of course i was going to do it because, well, who would say no to worried!jay? so thank you anon for the request, and for your kind words on my fic “attempts”, it truly did brighten my morning, i hope this is what you were after <3

title is from he is we’s ‘kiss it better’ as well as the iconic 7x10 line “stay with me, jay”

Today was the first time in a while Jay woke up in bed on his own. It felt like forever since he had done this, and he and Hailey hadn’t been sure on the whole idea when it had been suggested to them a few weeks ago at Molly’s, it had been his brother that had proposed the idea, saying it might be fun to stick with the traditional “not staying in the same place the week before the wedding” route, so they agreed in an effort to shut him up about the fact.

He missed being able to reach out and wrap his arm around Hailey, to convince her to stay in bed just a little bit longer with lazy kisses up and down her neck before having to jump out from under the sheet quickly and skip having breakfast and coffee at home and instead grab one at the district because they were running late, if they hadn’t been interrupted that was. What could he say, sometimes the lazy kisses turned into something a little more and they would lose track of time. 

But there was no one there to do that to this morning, so Jay begrudgingly rolled out from underneath the thick sheet, not that he had really been underneath it - the sheet was too thick for the current summer heatwave overtaking Chicago right now and he had been awoken in the middle of the night to him sweating buckets so he had kicked it off. 

He checked his phone sat on the nightstand, unplugging the charger from the port and smiling at the message from Hailey already waiting on his home screen sent under ten minutes ago, presumably when she woke up.  

(07:02 - Hailey) Good morning soon-to-be husband. Just 6 more days

Jay quickly types back a response to let her know that he was awake too. 

(07:10 - Jay) The day can’t come by fast enough

He hit send and then padded out of the bedroom, the smile immediately gone when he almost tripped up the pile of somewhat damp clothes placed right outside the bathroom door, in other words two steps out of the room he had just walked out of. 

A mumbled curse escapes his lips as he carries on down the hall, finding his brother in the kitchen making himself a coffee. 

“Seriously? The wet clothes on the floor, you’re still doing that?” Jay asks, gaining the attention of his brother quickly, Will turning sharply at the sound of Jay’s voice coming from behind him, almost making the older one drop the mug held in his hand. 

After a moment to compose himself Will sighs, putting the mug down on the kitchen island and grabbing another empty one, sliding it along the top for Jay. “Sorry, I can’t help it,” he says before furrowing his eyebrows. “And whatever happened to not complaining to your host about the accommodation?” He questions. 

Jay shrugs. “I don’t remember agreeing to that,” he mumbles, not meeting his older brother’s gaze and instead he just takes the outstretched mug from his hand and walks past him to the coffee pot. “And you were the one that said it, I didn’t specifically ask for this, I was quite happy being able to see my fiancée.”  

Will rolls his eyes dramatically. “Shut up, you see her every day at work.”

The younger brother then looks up from pouring the coffee into the mug. “Speaking of work aren’t you supposed to be there right now?”

Will shakes his head. “Not for another two minutes.”

Jay’s phone on the counter beside him, making him lift up his attention from the mug to see what it was. A smile automatically appears on his face when he sees a text from Hailey, with a blurry photo attached. He slides it across, opening his messages and there he can see the photo better, it’s no longer blurry, and he didn’t think it was possible but the grin grew wider.

(07:13 - Hailey) I agree. Miss having someone there to clean up the mess, means I have to do it

The photo sent just underneath the message was one of the dining table, leftovers from breakfast everywhere. Sitting in one of the chairs was the same, it layered over the face of their two-year-old daughter, Macie. The girl had a cheeky grin on her face and oatmeal in the ends of her blonde hair, where clearly it had been accidentally dipped in the bowl. Her pajamas were covered in the food and her hands were slapping a specific spot of the mess on the table. She looked very proud of herself.

His brother’s voice rips Jay back up from his phone. “What you grinning at?” He asks over the mug in his own hands.

Jay turns the phone around so Will could see, a smile appearing on Will’s face at the sight of the picture. Jay slowly shakes his head as his older brother looks up from the phone, Jay taking it back so he could look at it again. “You know I saw her last night, but I already miss her.”

Will smirks, chugging the last of his coffee and then putting the empty mug down on the kitchen island once he catches sight of the time. He says a quick goodbye to his brother before having to rush out the door.

Jay finishes his rest of his coffee in the silence of the kitchen, putting both his and Will’s mug in the dishwasher for the cycle after dinner before heading back through to the bathroom for a quick shower before work, taking a moment to pick up the damp clothes from the floor and put them in the laundry basket because Will wouldn’t do it.

xxx

When Jay arrives into the district he’s greeted pleasantly by Trudy, as pleasantly as you could get from the desk sergeant at least, and then he makes his way up into the Intelligence bullpen, finding everyone already there.

He gives them all a smile as he passes by their desks before shrugging his lightweight jacket off and putting on the back of his chair, sitting down opposite Hailey, offering her the widest smile of them all.

“Nice to see you decided to join us.” Hailey jokes, looking across the two desks to him.

Jay leans back into his chair. “I’m sure it is.” He replies with a subtle wink in her direction, gaining a quick roll of Hailey’s eyes and then she turns around in her chair, trying to hide the smirk upturning the corner of her lips.

The moment is quickly over however when Voight leaves his office and walks over to the board, pulling it into the center of the room and starts briefing the unit on their new case.

An hour later someone was called to chase down a possible witness and Jay and Hailey being the only ones left in the bullpen - the others had also gone out to check out alibis and security footage from the surrounding area - they were sent on their way. On the drive over Jay quickly looks to Hailey, his eyes only on her for a second before back in the road.

“Did Mace go down alright last night? I know how difficult it is for her to sleep without my nightly bedtime story.”

Hailey chuckles, watching him from the corner of her eye. “You give yourself too much credit, she went down just fine without you last night.”

“Ouch.” Jay mumbles, dropping his face down to show a forced hurt expression.

Hailey then tilts her head to one side, fully turning it so she could see his profile. She reaches one hand up and places it atop his on the steering wheel, giving it a gentle squeeze before putting her hand back down in her lap.

Once they arrive at the house Jay stops the truck and they both step out simultaneously. Jay makes his way around the hood of the car and joins Hailey on that side but before they could make their way up to the house the sound of gunfire startled them both, Jay grabbing hold of Hailey’s shoulder and pulling her down into a squatted position just as another shot rings through their ears, the sound of the truck window directly above their heads smashing filling the air just after. Staying as low as they can they make their way around the other side of the truck, putting the vehicle between them and the shooter. Jay takes a shot at the window he could see the muzzle poking out of, scaring the gun away as Hailey radios it in, requesting back-up to their location.

Before the back-up could arrive however the sound of a scream coming from inside makes them jump up and advance toward the house and kick the door in and start their search in the house. In the living room they found a body of a woman on the floor.

Hailey kept watch around them as Jay knelt down, putting his fingers against her neck and leaving them there for a moment before meeting Hailey’s quick glance, shaking his head after he had felt nothing. He stood back up and they carried on their search around the house, clearing rooms as they did. When they made it to the kitchen however they were stopped by the man, said to be the witness they were there to speak to, hiding behind the wall with the gun pointed shakily at them.

Hailey and Jay didn’t lower theirs, they had seen many of these scenes in front of them before. The obvious uneasiness of the man’s hands could lead to one of two things - him dropping the gun quickly or another round would be let off.

Jay spoke in a calm manner, not wanting to scare the man anymore than he clearly was. “Chicago PD, lower your weapon and keep your hands where we can see them.”

The man shakes his head. “I didn’t mean to - I didn’t want to hurt her.”

Jay then nods. “I know,” he says, quickly carrying on but he doesn’t move his gun from up high and neither does Hailey. “But if you lower your gun and cooperate, we can talk to the State’s Attorney and work out a deal for you, but that will only happen if you put the gun down.”

It looks as though he was about to but all of a sudden he lifts it up higher, the tremors in his hand gone and he becomes swiftly confident pointing the gun toward the two detectives. He argues further for another minute before another round echoes through the room, and then another, and then another and then the gun gets thrown to the floor and the man bolts out of the back door.

Jay goes to follow him before catching the drop of someone in the corner of his eye. He looks over his shoulder to see Hailey on the floor, clutching her side and the thought of chasing the offender gets ditched as Jay throws his own gun back into the holster and kneels down beside her.

She’s insisting she’s fine the whole time he’s pulling at the strap of the vest to take it off, that it just knocked the wind out of her and that he should go after the offender.

“If patrol’s here they heard the shots. I’m not leaving you,” Jay shakes his head quickly, finally pulling the vest off of her left shoulder. “It didn’t go through, but it could have hit a rib.” He finds himself mumbling once he bunches her shirt upwards to see the skin underneath, making Hailey force a chuckle.

“Guess we might have to push the wedding back again, I was wondering what it would be this time,” she says, the words coming out gritted but despite that she carries on. “First a pregnancy, next a baby, then a huge profile case and now a bullet. What are we gonna tell people this time?” She asks, the words still an indicator on how much pain she was experiencing.

Jay tried to get her to keep her energy but he liked how she kept talking. If she was talking it meant she was alert, and if she was alert it meant she was okay - for the most part at least. After a beat he reached for his radio, having forgotten to do it before. “5021 George, officer down, I repeat officer down, need an ambo to 1812 South Racine Avenue. Offender is in the wind, blue jeans, dark sneakers, white jacket.”

The confirmation comes through the radio, telling them both there’s an ambulance on route and Jay spends the time keeping Hailey alert. As more time goes on he starts to notice her slowly drifting away, taking longer to answer questions and finish sentences, her eyelids starting to drop, the color drifting quickly away from her skin leaving her pale. The bullet didn’t penetrate through the skin, he didn’t know why this was happening and it wasn’t like he could apply pressure to try and slow the bleed. He kept tapping at her cheek to keep her awake, it working for the most part as they waited for the ambulance to show up. 

“Hey no, you stay awake,” he tells her after he taps her face for the third time to knock her back into reality. “You’re not allowed to, remember? We made a deal, no dying.”

Hailey slowly nods. “I remember.” She responds, the words barely a whisper.

They may or may not have been a little drunk the night they made that deal just a couple months into their engagement the night they picked the first date for their wedding and it may or may not have been the night they conceived their daughter, but the deal was the one thing they can recall in full from that night, the other things were blurs here and there.

Jay gives her a smile at the fact she answered quicker than normal. “Good, good. Do you remember what we said the punishment was if one of us tried to break the deal?”

There’s a quiet mumble from Hailey before she shakes her head. “We made a punishment?”

Jay nods, repositioning himself so he sat up properly, squeezing her shoulder as he went to say what the punishment was before he catches the sharp movement from Hailey, the tight grimace as he touched her shoulder. The smile previously there is wiped away and replaced with concern. “Did you get hit there too?” He asks as he peeks through the neck of her shirt to see if there was bruising or a wound from a bullet.

The words were coming out basically inaudible, just small movements of the mouth as her eyelids dropped lower. “No, it just hurts.”

There wasn’t a bruise or wound so he brought the neck of her shirt back where it was before and then he notices just how pale she had become. She was white as a sheet and by the time he realized how close to unconsciousness she was it was too late, her slipping away before he could attempt to stop it.

He quickly reached for his radio, practically shouting through it. “5021 George, I need an ETA in that ambo.”

The response is immediate. “Ambo is one minute out.”

Jay curses, trying the tips of his fingers against the side of her face again but that doesn’t work.

The next minute was hell, nothing he was doing was working and she just wasn’t waking back up again. Eventually the paramedics came rushing in through the front door and made their way to the back of the house after Jay called them through.

He explained what had happened, how she had passed out a minute before and how she had kept getting more pale despite the fact the bullet didn’t go through the vest. They did their usual quick exam and then got Hailey loaded into the back of the ambo and Jay jumped in close behind, the ambo taking off toward Med as soon as the back doors slammed shut.

On the way over there Hailey kept slipping in and out of consciousness, being out-of-it when the ambo pulled into the bay and they moved her into the ED.

One of the paramedics guiding the gurney toward the room spoke. “Hailey Upton, GCS 8, heart rate 107, BP 75/50. She’s been in and out of consciousness the entire ride over here. Non-penetrating gunshot to the upper left abdomen and was complaining about pain in her left shoulder before she fainted.”

Doctor Marcel ordered the transfer on to the bed and the paramedics took the gurney back out, disappearing out of sight again as Jay stood alert in the doorway to the trauma room, watching as the doctor and nurses poked her with IV’s and prodded at her abdomen. Jay watched as Marcel's face dropped subtly and ordered an ultrasound and that’s when he spoke up.

“What’s going on?” He asks loudly from the doorway, making everyone look up momentarily toward him before the doctor puts his focus back on to Hailey, waving in his direction and Jay’s face scrunches up, wondering what that means before he feels someone’s arms wrap around him and pull him away. He fights it, kicking his legs because he just about couldn’t put the soles of his feet on the floor and waving his arms around, demanding to be out back down.

“Stop, Jay, you can’t stand there, they need all the space they can get.” The person behind him says, Jay quickly recognizing the voice as the one who belonged to his brother. Will puts him back down on to the floor and then stands in front of him, putting his hands out to stop Jay when he punches forward to try and go back to the room.

Jay fights against it again, trying to push past his brother but it doesn’t work. “Will just let me passed, I need to see what’s going on.”

Will shakes his head, stopping the brunette. “What you need is to stay out of the way, you can’t stand there.”

Jay huffs. “I won’t get in the way, I need to see what’s going on.” He says, not only fighting off his brother as he did but the tears filling up in his eyes, making it difficult to see what was going on anyway.

Will’s hands reach for Jay’s shoulders, only to have Jay swat them away quickly. “Protocol says you can’t.”

Jay’s eyes widen, making it easier for Will to see the emotion written clear in them. “What protocol?! She’s my fiancée, my partner, I’m allowed to stand there.” He replies, his voice raising and catching at the back of his throat, causing a subtle break.

Will sighs. “The protocol in emergency situations, nobody in the doorway for easy but quick transportation to an available OR. They need to save as much time as possible.”

The volume in Jay’s voice disappears and it’s all spoken cracked. “What’s going on?” He pleads.

Will gives his younger brother a reassuring nod. “I’ll find out.” He whispers, catching Jay in for a hug when the emotion eventually overwhelms him, kicking his balance off and knocking him off his feet and he slowly falls into Will’s open arms.

They stay like that for a beat before a commotion from behind Will, making them both part away from each other just in time to watch Marcel leave the room and make his way over toward them.

Marcel doesn’t waste a beat, getting the point straight away. “Jay, the FAST scan showed Hailey has a lot of internal bleeding in her abdomen, the force from the bullet caused her spleen to rupture and she’s unstable. It’s my best recommendation to perform a splenectomy and remove the organ in its entirety. Usually we wouldn’t jump to surgery but this is a very severe case. She’s still incoherent so as her next of kin it is your decision. Do I have permission to do the surgery?”

Jay quickly nods. “Yes, do everything you can for her.”

Marcel steps backwards into the room, coming back out moments later with two nurses wheeling the hospital bed toward the elevator. Will isn’t quick enough to react, Jay jumping forward and racing through the ED to the bedside, escaping his brother’s arms by a second.

He walks alongside the bed, grabbing hold of Hailey’s hand and giving her a forced smile when he sees her slightly awake. “You’re gonna be fine, Hailey, I promise you, and we’re gonna be able to get married when you’re out of here and then we’re gonna get to grow old together, just like we said. I’m gonna be with you every step of the way, I’m not gonna leave you,” he whispers to her before being pulled away by Will as the bed boards the elevator. “I love you, Hailey.” He adds, his voice slightly louder and he says it just in time, the steel doors shutting in his face.

Jay takes in a steadying breath and he just stands there, eyes glued to the doors in front of him. Quickly he loses it, spinning around on his heels and clutches on to his brother again, wrapping his arms around him and hiding his head in Will’s shoulder.

Will brings his hand up, patting Jay’s back and tightening the hug. Will doesn’t say anything, doesn’t move, just breathes calmly and listens to the quiet cries coming from his baby brother, allowing him to have all the time he needed to let it out, knowing it would be worse off if Jay kept it in.

xxx

Jay’s eyes stung. It had been just under an hour since Hailey had been taken upstairs to surgery and he hadn’t heard a word. The rest of the unit had showed up a few minutes after Hailey had been wheeled off and had taken Jay from Will’s arms, allowing the red-head to go back to work, and Kevin had then become the leaning post for Jay hold on to for another few minutes before he pulled away apologizing and then they were taken upstairs to wait in the appropriate waiting room. Since then everyone had been sat in the chairs silently.

Some of the other people in the room were looking through something on their phone, the odd few skimming through old newspapers and magazines kept on the ankle-high coffee tables and then there was the unit, who were looking around nervously and sunk into the uncomfortable chairs obsessively drinking their third coffee in time time they had been here. Jay was picking at the now non-existent fingernails on one hand and staring down the oddly coloured and stained carpet underneath his feet. Before that he had been rubbing the base of his fourth finger on his left hand, where in just six days there’s set to be a ring there but for the time being it’s still just an empty space waiting to be filled. It was probably going to be a lot more than six days until it did now, but he was used to that feeling, knowing the wedding would more than likely have to move again.

At least the first two times had been positive reasons.

He thought back to the first time, when Hailey had been acting off for a few days, being all distant. She wasn’t herself and when he confronted her about it, when he asked what was wrong she had just shook her head, muttering how she couldn’t do it before handing back over the ring. He remembers moping at the district until Will talked some sense into him and told him to speak to Hailey. He had gone back to the apartment to find her stood by the front door and once they went inside he gave a speech about how he wasn’t going to let a little bit of cold feet stop him unless she really didn’t want to get married.

"Jay, I didn't call off the wedding because of cold feet."

It takes a second before his face screws up with confusion, him sending her a slightly very confused look. "Then why did you?"

She gives him a smile as she shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Because I didn't want to be eight months pregnant when we got married," she replies and she watches the confusion drain from Jay's face at what she said, his face becoming very straight, "I had a hunch a few days ago but it was too early to be able to take a test, and I didn't want to tell you until I was sure because I know how you felt about having kids because of your own dad and I didn't want to freak you out if it was noth-"

She's cut off suddenly by Jay stepping forward and leaning over, locking his lips against hers whilst cupping her face with his hands, tangling the ends of his fingers into the loose strands of hair she had draped over her shoulders. She smiles against his lips, just beginning to move her hands up his arms as he parted them apart a few moments later after the initial kiss, leaning his forehead against hers for a beat before edging his jaw forward again, putting a more gentle kiss to her lips this time but it was over quicker.

A beat passes of just the two of them leaning with their heads still inches apart before she lets out a single breathless laugh. "Nothing." She whispers, finishing off her sentence that had been cut short by his mouth.

He remembers what had happened next, how the rest of the night had been spent in pure bliss. About how the next few months were spent in pure bliss. About how the last few years were just spent in pure bliss.

And now everything could be crumbling apart. It could have already fallen down and he wouldn’t know about it, not just yet anyway.

He felt sick to his stomach and he knew there’s nothing he could do to make that feeling go away, that it wouldn’t leave until he knew about Hailey and her being out of surgery, and yet that could still be hours away.

He doesn’t move his gaze away from the floor as he continued to pick at his bleeding nails, finding comfort in having something to distract himself, even if it wasn’t ideally what he should be doing.

There’s scenarios rushing through his head. What-ifs taking over. He should have stopped it. Maybe if he hadn't missed that window shot outside the house this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe if he hadn't been so calm in the kitchen. What if he had dropped the offender to the floor before he got the sudden confidence spike? He easily would have been able to pounce on the guy and take the gun from his hands so why didn’t he?

Because you might have been shot yourself, dummy. He can hear Hailey’s voice in his head respond to the question he posed himself.

Although the voice was right. With the nerves clear in that guy’s hand there had been so many ways that situation could have gone wrong, ending up in a more fatal shot to one of them than the one Hailey took.

But still, he should have done it. He should have reacted faster. He was trained professionally, for the army, to be quick and have fast decisions, but he still pulled back and didn’t notice the signs early enough. He should have taken the man down there and then, disarm him before he shot, but he didn’t and now look where he was.

He feels a warm hand rest on his back and it makes him jump in his seat, shooting his head up to stare at the person standing beside him. At first the bright light coming from the ceiling blinds him, he had been looking down to the floor longer than first thought before he sees the gentle reassuring smile of Kevin hovering over him.

Kevin hesitantly sits down beside him, keeping his hand pressed against the detective’s back before pulling it away when Jay leans back in the chair to avoid having it crushed in between the two.

Jay props his elbow up on the arm of the chair and bunches his hand into a fist and leans his temple into it. After a beat the detective slowly nods, speaking his first words since Hailey had been taken into the elevator - until now he had been a silent statue sat there. “I should have stopped it.” He whispers and in the corner of his eye he could see everyone in the unit turn to look at him from their own seats, the surprise to hear him talking written on their faces.

Kevin’s face is the only one to drop though. “Jay you didn’t know, there was no way you could have stopped it.”

Jay’s voice is a lot more urgent this time, compared to the silent words he had just spoken before. “Well I should have tried.”

Kevin sends a quick look over his shoulder to the rest of the unit and they all look as lost as he feels. He doesn’t know what else to say to the detective, so he just brings his hand back up and puts it atop Jay’s shoulder.

Jay has to swallow back the lump in the back of his throat and the teary eyes that accompanied it. At this point surely he should be cried out, but the tears just kept on coming and he was quite surprised he still had that much water in his body left.

He leans back further into his fist, resting that half of his body weight on that one elbow propped up on the arm of the chair, and just lets everything play out again in silence.

xxx

He wasn’t sure at which point he fell asleep or how he even managed to, but the next thing he knows his shoulder is being shaken and someone is calling his name into his ear. He bolts up, looking around the room quickly to see what all the commotion was about before seeing doctor Marcel stood in the waiting room, being surrounded by the unit.

Jay jumps up from the seat, his legs a little uneasy at first but he gets to the other side of the waiting room without falling over so he’s calling that a plus.

Once he reaches the rest of the group and basically pushes to the front, Marcel shakes his head, gesturing for Jay to follow him. “She’s awake, wants to see you.”

Jay quickly follows, keeping less than a step behind the doctor at all times on the path across the floor to the surgical recovery. Marcel can barely open the door before Jay is already in there, walking over to the bed.

Hailey smiles when she sees him and there’s a giant wash of relief that comes over him, the weight he didn’t know was there lifted up from his shoulders.

He stops at the edge of the bed and leans down, putting a soft but long kiss to the top of her head, his lips upturned the entire time. After a moment he pulls himself away and stays put as doctor Marcel moves to the foot of the bed, running through the important information.

“You’re gonna be in the hospital the next few days so we can monitor you, and you should be fully recovered in about six weeks.” Marcel says, gaining a breathless chuckle from Jay.

“Guess we’re gonna have to push the wedding back again.” Jay cuts in.

Marcel nods. “Just a little bit.”

Marcel runs through a few more things before whispering how he’ll be back in a few minutes to go through things in more detail, and that he’d let the two of them have a moment alone, before sticking to his word and leaving the room.

Jay sat on the very edge of the bed, slowly grabbing hold of the hand that didn’t have an IV line in, rubbing the pad of his fingers along the back of her hand, giving her a weak smile. “See? I told you you would be fine.”

Hailey’s eyebrows knit together and she briefly looks down to where his hand lay on top of hers. “Did you mean what you said earlier? About growing old together?”

“You remember that?” Jay asks, gaining a nod from Hailey but nothing more. He sits sideways a little further so he could face her better. “Hailey, we’re getting married, of course I meant it. There’s no one else I’d rather grow old with.”

#anon request #i brought macie over from wattpad because why not #and that flashback is one i stole from a previous wattpad fic #upstead #upstead fic #jay halstead #hailey upton #chicago pd #chicago med #jay x hailey #hailey x jay #kevin atwater #will halstead #crockett marcel #upton x halstead #halstead x upton #jay x will #halstead brothers #one chiacgo #chicago pd fanfiction #upstead fanfiction

[weuschoiceheart]

⋘I-Land / Enhypen⋙ Love, I-Land (special chapter)

Tagging: @mari-kigold @akira-star @affectionaterainoflove @enhypenthusiast @periwinkle-ink 

Genre: just very nostalgic :))

Word Count: 2k+

Jay knew something was up when he walked into a dead silent Hybe building.

Looking around, he frowned at the emptiness. Am I too early? Too late? Checking his watch, he realized that he was exactly on time. So where is everyone? 

Sitting down on the couch, he decided to wait for everyone in the lounge. Perhaps the other members were playing some trick on him, to scare him when he lets his guard down. None of the other Hybe artists were here today, since Bang PD had let everyone take the day off, so the silence felt disorienting. 

A beep from Jay’s phone startled him out of his thoughts, and he clicked on the notification. 

Location change: go back to where we started. See you at the reunion! 

“Go back to where we started…” Jay muttered, a smile spread across his face as he thought back to the old box in the woods.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Remember when we first came here?” Youngbin sighed as he, Jimin, and Sungchul walked through the forest. “It seems so long ago.”

“Yeah…” Jimin stretched his arms above his head, pointing at the familiar building coming into view. “And we’re here.”

“It still hasn’t changed,” Sungchul said in awe, watching as the black door slowly flipped open and the three of them walked in. “I can’t wait to see everyone again.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wow...I can’t believe it’s been a year already,” K traced the sides of the egg gate. “Everything feels older.”

“No, it’s just you getting old,” Kyungmin teased, ducking behind Nicholas before K could smack him. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

“Remember when we waited for you to come back from the dance unit test?” EJ asked. “You guys were so cool performing on stage.”

K smiled, thinking back to the old memories. The feeling of being on stage again, giving all he got to keep from getting eliminated. The cheers from the other boys, the smiles at the camera. He still recalled the nervous feeling of waiting for the results, and most of all, he vividly remembered the moment he, Jungwon, and Sunghoon got back to I-Land and hearing—

“Hello~”

As if on cue, the gate opened to present Enhypen crowding around the entrance, doing the exact same move K had created a year ago. Jaw dropping in shock, he heard the yells from the other boys as they tumbled out the egg and embraced the members they haven’t seen in months. Before he could fully comprehend everything, a wild blur of blonde hair suddenly launched himself onto him and Taki, wrapping his arms around them both.

“Taki! Hyung! You’re back!” K laughed as Niki jumped up and down, bursting with excitement to see his fellow Japanese brothers. Has he grown taller? K wondered, and he felt somehow proud and sad at the same time. Ruffling Niki’s hair, he watched as the younger hugged Taki, almost lifting him off his feet. “Let him breathe, Niki, we’re not going anywhere.”

“You’re finally here.” A familiar voice said, and K turned to see Seon making his way over. Grinning, he trapped K in another hug, and K feels like he’s finally back home.        

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Did you actually framed the shirt?”

“Yes I did, do you want to come over to see it?” Jay boasted, trying to one up Nicholas. 

“He actually didn’t, he lost it when we moved into the dorms and this morning he panicked because he couldn’t wear it to the reunion,” Jake said, causing Nicholas to raise his eyebrows at Jay, who gave Jake a look of betrayal.

“You weren’t supposed to tell him that!”

“Well, it’s not like—ahhhhh!”

Before Jake could finish his sentence, a larger body wrapped his arms around him. He could sense the younger boy’s enormous smile before he could hear him. “It’s me, Jakey!”

“Daniel!” Jake tried to struggle out of Daniel’s embrace, though he was too busy laughing. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“He’s going around hugging everyone,” Jay explained, “Don’t be surprised if he actually gives you one next time.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ghost watched the boys crowding around the egg gate, a sad smile on his face. It’s been so long since he had any visitors, and seeing them back brought some light in his undead life. Literally. All the lights had been shut off since the boys left, and the ghost had to make his way around in perpetual darkness. Not that he needs any light to see, but it's nice to view the sun, even if it’s just for a little while. 

Turning around to look at the practice room he just came out of, the ghost could almost see the past images of the boys practicing there. The Fire team, organizing their formations. The Fake Love team with their hoods and shirts over their heads, trying to practice without laughing. The Flicker team, playing around with the curtains. It’s also the place where Seon first found him, and the first time the ghost ever revealed itself to anyone. 

There was the lounge connecting to it, where Niki had played the piano and Heeseung had sung. Where the infamous arm wrestling match had taken place and the boys had played with the video filters on the IPads. Where they had cried and comforted each other, and where Jay had written his heartfelt letters.

Making his way up the staircase that the Grounder boys had also walked up to see I-Land, the ghost drifted along the common room. Here, all of them had sat while playing Truth or Dare, the hoodies spread out and “Made by Jay” was created, where they waited anxiously to perform. If he concentrates just enough, the ghost can almost imagine the I-Land boys filming their PR videos, and sheep Niki making Sunghoon laugh. 

There was the dining area, the place where the morning zombies had sat, Sunoo had said “I’m cuter,” where they munched on macaroons and ramen. The ghost can almost see the nine reading letters from their parents, talking and joking around the table. There was the kitchen area, where Sunghoon had screeched about the pork, Hanbin had found the broken banana, and Heeseung had ranted about the ramen. The fridge was empty of spoons, and no one did any side squats to get rid of bloating now.

Moving on to the bedrooms. He had always wondered how K managed to fit his long limbs on the bed, or if he could at all. The mist that Sunoo had sprayed all over his face, and that Jungwon had almost eaten, was gone from the drawer, leaving only the empty reflection of the room in the mirror. The annoying fly that Geonu had tried to catch was gone, the light that Jay had turned off dark (no, the dressing room light does not automatically turn off by itself), all the beds stripped of clothes and necessities. Why Nicholas was sleeping naked would remain a mystery, no more Jay yelling at everyone to wake up and Niki going back to sleep right after.

The washrooms were next. He had to admit, Jungwon’s and Jake’s pranks against Jay worked pretty well, coming from a ghost anyway. There were the sinks lining the wall where K and Taki washed up like father and son, where K and Jay hugged and promised that they’ll debut together, where Jay scolded everyone for leaving their laundry around. 

Out of the washroom now, the ghost lingered outside the room that used to contain the stage outfits and BTS phones. The traces of the boys can be felt, thinking back to the selfies and pictures they took together, to when they marveled at the clothes for their very first “Into the I-Land” stage. He peeked into the practice rooms where he can almost see the Pretty U team helping Sunghoon struggle through aegyo, and where the I Need U team played zombies with the eye massager.

Drifting down the stairs again, remembering how Youngbin carried Jungwon down the stairs to the practice when the younger boy was barefooted, the ghost moved on to the stage itself. He recalled every performance here clearly; the nerve-wracking audition stages, the dance and vocal units battle, the incredible “I&credible” stages, the moving “Calling” performance, and the iconic “Dive Into You” stage. Jigeum Buteo saying “Standby,” Jake’s “this hyung is crazy!” and the confused “Rival? Live?” echoed through the ghost’s ears. The memories of it all hit him like a truck (not that he would feel anything if he was hit by a truck, he’s a ghost after all, but you get the simile), causing him to choke up a little. He missed them so much. 

Strolling outside now, the ghost walked into Ground, and reminisced some more. Here was where Rain taught them “Fire” and hugged every one of the boys. He could picture Jay giving back massages to Kyungmin, telling him how they must work through the pain to get to I-Land. There was Hanbin comforting Jaebeom (it’s so weird calling him Echan now), and helping the other boys learn the dance. Sunoo and Sungchul practicing “Save Me,” Jaeho practicing with Nicholas and Niki, Taki making faces at the camera. A blurry image of all the boys comparing and measuring their heights, trying to see who’s taller. Really, I-Land seems like a magical paradise, but he would never forget the fun times the Grounders had, and the hard work they put in to achieve their dreams. 

Outside once again, he spied the matted grass on the ground and smiled wistfully. It’s strange, he thought, how it was still there after Jungwon filmed his PR video in his sheep costume. He remembered how adorable he was, how all of them were, showing off their personalities to get fans to vote for them. And now it’s getting dark, so the ghost moved on to the small light from a campfire in the distance.

Settling down on the ground, he watched as all the boys talked and joked with each other. They were sitting down in front of the large screen, where the final 11 had watched the fan videos, and pulled the benches around in a circle. Their smiles lit up their faces, their arms tangled in one another, Jimin’s head leaning against Geonu’s, Taeyong holding onto Echan’s hand. The scene filled the ghost with a feeling he can’t describe, and being a ghost with no heart, it was definitely a little strange, feeling something after a long time of emptiness.

“....and I just want to say thank you, to everyone for staying by my side on this journey,” Seon concluded, snapping the ghost out of his daze as the boy sat down. As if reading his thoughts, Seon’s eyes flickered over to where the ghost sat, and smiled.

Thank you for looking after us.

Being a ghost is lonely sometimes, floating in and out of places with no purpose. The smile, that one kind thought, ignited a flame in him. In a world filled with countless people, it’s hard to spot a lone spirit, invisible in a crowd. It’s even harder to make them feel at home, in a place where they’re recognized and wanted. Yet here he is, enveloped in a family who coaxed him out of his shell. No, I should be thanking you, Seon. 

Maybe this is what the fans felt, watching them run for their dreams. Every Friday charged with anticipation and excitement, of finding who would get eliminated and who would stay. Away from lives permeated with pain, loneliness, and uncertainty, they found solace within these 23 boys as they followed them on this journey to debut. Along the way, the fans found each other as well, and a community full of eggies and engenes was born.

Thank you for the memories, I-Land.

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A/N: Thank you to all the eggies for welcoming me into this wonderful family. Whether you were a predebut stan or just started stanning Enhypen, thank you for supporting our boys. I-Land is over now, but our journey with the boys will live on. 

#iland imagines #i-land imagines #enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen reactions #enhypen blurbs #iland k #iland geonu #iland taeyong #iland taki #iland ej #iland jaeho #iland sungchul #iland echan #iland daniel #iland hanbin #iland jimin #iland youngbin #iland yoonwon #iland nicholas #iland kyungmin #iland seon #enhypen sunoo #enhypen heeseung #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen jay #enhypen niki #enhypen jungwon #enhypen jake #junjun.fic

[thebookreader12345]

Episode 1 Review

I will now be doing a post after every night of One Chicago talking about how I felt about the episodes of the night. Since I decided to do this after episode 2 aired, this review for episode 1 is a little late. PD's review will most likely always be the longest because it is my favorite of the three.

Chicago Med: You Can't Always Trust What You See

The goodbye between Will and Natalie was heartbreaking. Manstead was the couple I first shipped when I started Med, and part of me always wanted them to work out.

Good news though, Will is back in the ED, and he is looking as good as ever. His hair is flawless!

The secret investigation into Dr. Cooper seems like a pretty interesting plotline that I hope ends well.

The case with the twins was so crazy, but very creative, and the whole Archer-Charles feud had me on the edge of my seat.

Archer can go somewhere else. I do not like him one bit.

Dylan Scott is the sweetest thing! And him bringing up a connection to Jay was a nice piece added to the episode.

Stevie seems like she's gonna be an amazing doctor who always wants the best for her patients. However, I can tell the writers are building up a relationship between Will and Stevie, and while I believe they'd be a great couple, Will needs a break. He's had his heartbroken way too much throughout the seasons.

I lived for Crockett and Will sort of beginning to form a real friendship. I love the both of them and I just want them to sort things out.

Chicago Fire: Mayday

I knew that the writers weren't gonna kill anyone off from Squad 3, but I did not expect Cruz to almost die! That man is about to be a father. Leave him be!

Kelly and Stella being the number one couple as always!

Gallo, Ritter, and Violet are literally the definition of squad goals! I love seeing them together. And that moment when Herrmann showed up at Blake's place was comedy gold.

I'll admit, that save Matt did with the boy was pretty cool.

Matt and Sylvie trying to keep their relationship a secret obviously didn't last long because Capp and Tony caught on, and if they caught on, then everyone knows.

The idea for the microbrewery business is genius! Maybe Molly's will start selling Gallo's product.

Herrmann knows that something is going on with Cruz but he doesn't want to push him into talking if he's not comfortable.

Boden is leaving 51! He's so iconic and I don't know how the show will be with him not being in the firehouse anymore.

Chicago PD: Closure

Jay's immediate reaction to Hailey's proposal had be laughing for a quite a bit, and I had to pause the show to gather myself.

Adam being super worried about Kim had me reminiscing to the time when they were actually together way back in seasons 2 and 3.

Hailey being concerned over them chasing leads that could possibly lead them to being exposed, but Voight just shutting her down and assuring her it'd be okay was sort of like a parallel to season 5. And we all know what happened to Al when Voight said he'd take care of everything.

The hair tie!

Hailey snapping at the witness shocked me a little, but to be fair, he was quite annoying.

I don't know how Jay and Kevin didn't figure out something was wrong when they mentioned Mark cause Voight and Hailey were acting sus as hell.

Hailey and Jay's conversation in the gangway after Mark got away was a nice moment between the two of them, and Jay can now definitely tell that something is wrong.

Hailey saying she'd confess to everything when Mark had a hostage made me realize just how torn up she is about the whole situation.

Miller and Kevin's conversation had me dying! I lowkey kind of like them in scenes together so lets get some more of that.

Sniper Jay!

The conversation between Hailey and Kim made me a little upset cause I really want them to be great friends but if Kim finds out that Hailey is lying about Roy, I have a feeling there will be some tension there.

Jay's proposal at the end was unexpected, to say the least. Part of me is excited because I have shipped Upstead for the longest time and I just want them to be happy. However, the only reason Hailey proposed in the first place was because she was having a breakdown and wanted something stable in her life.

#one chicago #chicago med #chicago fire #chicago pd #one chicago spoilers