#saving the big gun spoilers for first thing tomorrow but. This + the one I'll post later was too cute not to share immediately | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

laf-outloud · 3 years

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Supernatural Novel: Witch's Canyon

I'm continuing my reviews of the Supernatural novels that started back in 2007 with the 2nd of the series, Witch's Canyon. Again, this won't be a regular book review, but rather stuff I find in the book that either contradicts canon/matches with canon, or just provides some additional insight that I think is interesting.

Author: Jeff Mariotte

Timeline: Post Nevermore - Book 1 (Post Episode 2.04 Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things)

Location: Cedar Wells, AZ

Synopsis: Sam and Dean visit a town outside the Grand Canyon where every 40 years, there is a mass killing of residents. Is it a ghost, a werewolf, or something more sinister? (Warning: Spoilers ahead).

Right off the bat, we venture completely out of canon because the first scene with Sam and Dean has them looking out at the Grand Canyon! I can forgive the writer for this because at this point in the TV series, we didn't know the brothers had never been to the Grand Canyon (or went as kids and rode donkeys, 8x21 - silly TV canon mistakes). As predicted though, Dean just considers it a big hole in the ground. Pretty in-character, if you ask me. I did struggle with some parts of this novel and the one before in that, when I hear Sam and Dean's dialogue, they don't sound like Sam and Dean as we know them. It makes me wonder if the authors had even watched the series or were just given standard character profiles/show synopsis.

On to some fun character nods/canon re-writes:

We get some more insight into the novel version of John Winchester. There's a scene with him training his boys at ages 12 and 8. He's sending them through an obstacle course where they have to climb over wooden planks, then turn and fire a gun (Sam uses his finger because he's not old enough for a gun). Sam also has some trouble with the course and ends up falling and scraping his knee. John doesn't offer any comfort, just tells him to move on. Dean promises a Snickers if he can finish the course.

Another example later on is of John packing their camping bags, taking them into the woods at ages 14 and 10, and leaving them there. His instructions: "You boys sit there for one hour... by then it'll be almost dark, and you'll need to make camp. Tomorrow you can head back to the cabin - if you remember the way. I don't expect I'll see you until the day after, or maybe the day after that." With instructions to never trust anyone, even him (he packed their bags with crap instead of gear) he leaves. Dean decides to head back right away and when Sam mentions they were supposed to wait, we get this response: "That's what Dad said. He also told us our backpacks held supplies for three days. You want to believe everything he says, or you want to eat tonight?" They made it back just after dark the next day.

Now, I understand John had to train his kids to be self-reliant, but to leave them out in the words for potentially up to three days when Dean's only 14 seems out-of-character. I could see him doing that when they're older, and maybe it's my own idea of what kids that age can do, but it just doesn't jive with the hard, but loving, John we get in the TV series.

In addition to that, there's a couple of cases of hurt Sam, but there's a distinct lack of the caring Dean that we usually see.

In one instance, Sam is knocked unconscious and all there is from Dean is "Oh good, you're alive," and "He whacked you good." Even his actions don't quite jive: 'Dean helped him to a sitting position, but none too gently.'

Even near the end (after the boys had split up and come back together) Sam had been punched multiple times and gotten a couple of shallow knife wounds, but there is absolutely no mention of that when the brothers reunite. It makes me want to write a fix-it reunion fic. 🤣

We do get some insight into the motivations of Sam and Dean. Dean is in the hunting business to kill things, to go after the evil monsters, whereas Sam is in the business to save lives.

Sam's thoughts: 'His brother was a hunter through and through. Nothing wrong with that - the world needed hunters. But he knew that would never be him. He'd been headed down that road, but got lucky, tasted real life - the lives most people led - and couldn't leave that behind.'

I think part of that can be true, particularly in the TV series. I know Dean understands the end result of hunting is saving lives, but he does seem to go after it with zeal. Sam has a more people driven approach. Save the life. If killing something does that, great. If people can be saved just be reasoning with the evil thing, he'll do that instead (much like with Lenora or Amy).

The actual plot of the story was very good (much better than Nevermore). It had some great side characters, but a really high body count before the big bad is defeated; higher than I think we've ever seen on TV. While the plot was good, what's disappointing is that these books are mostly plot driven and spend very little time developing the brotherly relationship. There are extra insights into each others character, but not as the two of them together. I'm hoping future books remedy this.

Favorite banter:

'"Case you haven't noticed, Sammy, women don't exactly flock around hunters. And you can't really blame 'em. We're not the most stable individuals around."

"No, we're not. We're bad bets for long-term things, but good investments on life insurance."

"There's a selling point I hadn't thought of." Dean started the engine and got the Impala back on the road, headed for the Trail's End. "Hook up with us and see a quick return on your premiums." He laughed. "I like it, Sammy. Think we can fit it on a bumper sticker?"

I laughed because that was written before either of them had ever died in the series. Which, now I'm thinking about it, I'd like to take out a life insurance policy on either of them.🤣

One last note - favorite Out-of-Context quote:

'But Sam wasn't in the hunting business for the nailing, although that was a fine perk.'

#supernatural #spn novels #Witch's Canyon #sam winchester #dean winchester #long post

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pendragonfics · 7 years

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I'll Think Of You

Paring: Frank Castle/Reader

Tags: female reader, Frank Castle needs a hug (or eight), waiters & waitresses, swearing, shooting, fluff and angst, first aid, some blood, based on a song by Cub Sport (Write You A Letter), some spoilers for Daredevil (TV), Matt Murdock-centric, Reader-centric, Frank Castle-centric, enemies to friends (Frank & Matt), alcohol, references to the Avengers, no Y/N or ________ (reader’s name not mentioned), overthinking, Matt Murdock matchmakes (that’s it, that’s the fic)

Summary: A waitress at Josie’s bar connects with the Punisher, and for once, gets under his skin a different way than all the criminals in Hell’s Kitchen. Hell, even Daredevil knows it, but there’s no way for Frank to try to get close to someone…especially after what happened last time.

Word Count: 1,013

Posting Date: 2017-02-18

Current Date: 2017-06-03

It was months later you caught a glimpse of Frank, this time with his surname attached to the mugshot on the television screen. It had taken a while for Josie to clean up the crapola the shooter had caused, and even longer for the glass to be refitted into the walls, and longer still for the patrons to feel safe enough to come back to their watering hole to drink their sorrows away. Two lawyers from nearby downtown and their secretary donated much of their time to help clean up, and offered their services in case your boss wanted to press charges. But she didn't, because Josie fought her own battles, not behind a two suits in a fancy courtroom. But you appreciated Foggy Nelson's sincerity, and Matt Murdock's persistence, and Karen Page's fierceness.

When you caught a glimpse of him, the newsreader prattling off something adjacent to your interests, Karen caught on that you caught the picture of his face, and nudged you.

"I'm pretty sure that's what they call a long face," she mused, pushing her glass of sauvignon blanc against the tray filled with empty glasses you carried. "If I didn't know any better, it's the same face kids make in school, when their crush walks by...but sadder."

You huff, scooping the tray up, shaking your head. "It is not sad, and I do not have a crush...okay, maybe I do, but he's doing illegal things in the name of the law, and goodness, and I knew him before he was broadcasting the grey area around here, okay?" you mumble, catching another glimpse of Frank Castle, this time in live footage, being carted into a hospital, body broken and bloody on the screen. "I mean, thank whatever for superheroes and vigilanties, and thank whoever for keeping them on their feet, but...am I a bad person to like Frank Castle?" you ask Karen, trying to keep it low so not to flag the attention of the two attorneys at law from eavesdropping.

Karen shakes her head, and downs the rest of her glass straight, and joins you to keep cleaning the place up. "Bad person? No, a bad person is someone who does things, and doesn't tell people or explain why, and leaves without notice for periods at a time. A bad person is someone who kills for needless reasons, or hurts people for pleasure." She scoffs, taking a tray, and stacking it up with empty shot glasses, "...you're not a bad person for liking him."

Unbeknown to you, and Karen at that point in time, was an attorney at law who was listening to what Josie was talking about, sure, but had mastered the art of eavesdropping across the room thanks to a freak accident as a child, and had heard every word you'd spilled to his secretary. Mr. Matthew Michael Murdock knew about the social etiquette he was breaking by taking in your words, yes, but he had good intention, and he'd also heard your heartbeat - and heard those words to be truthful.

---

MATT MURDOCK

The next time Matthew runs into the burly man with the gun strapped to his back - as the devil of Hell's Kitchen, not the blind attorney he is by day - they're perched atop a billboard not too far from his home, where he knows Karen is staying over that night, due to not being able to pay her rent that week, and nearby to your own apartment, where he knows you're reading up on your university books, studying to be something better than you were born to be. Frank hands him something warm, that smells of hot sauce and beans - a burrito.

"Cheers, Red," he groaned, biting into the burrito, and by the smell of it, Matt could tell it was good food. Probably better than the two minute noodles he practically lived off at the end of the week when there were not too many people coming in to the office. "What, no thank you?" he chuckled darkly.

Matt ignored that, and catalogued in his memory to thank the Punisher later for the burrito, and that he has an appointment first thing tomorrow with a client before opening hours. Instead, he scratched at his nose, and taking a hunk out of the meal, he mentioned, mouth full of beans, "Waitress down at Josie's thinks you saved her life."

Frank grumbles. "I don't save lives, Red."

Taking another bite of the burrito, Matt disagrees, and like a good lawyer, backs up his facts, "Maybe not, but still I can tell when a girl is into another person despite their history. And by neither confirming or denying the existence of a waitress that works at the bar means you do know that you saved her life, you're only arguing a technicality."

The big, bad Punisher shook his head, a tiny smile on his face that the Daredevil could not see but sense. "Fuck you and your fancy degree, Red." he took a moment to configure his thoughts, and then, "So what if I saved one person's life? It's not like it's new for me to have to clean up my messes..."

Matt sighs, and lowering the burrito, turned to where he thought Frank was sitting beside him. "You know that's not what I mean. If this is about the accident that happened, then drop it, Frank, because for once, there's an opportunity out there, and it's all yours to take, dammit," his fist closes tighter around the burrito, the contents squeezing out from both ends like a novelty kids toy.

"Ease up there, Hulk," Frank jokes, slapping him on the back with a good-natured thwump.

"...Thanks for the burrito," he raises it like a glass of champagne, and silently, eats the rest on his own terms, no more bickering on his part. But Matt can hear the slightest hitch in Frank Castle's throat, the squaring of his shoulders, smell the exhale breath from his mouth.

He goes to leave, and gives him another pat on the back. "I'll get in touch with her."

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#frank castle #the punisher #frank castle x reader #frank castle/reader #punisher x reader #marvel x reader #marvel fanfic #chaotic--lovely #pendragonfics

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