@winchesterprincessbride replied to your post “I was heartbroken to learn that SPN is going to end after S15... and...”
@zmediaoutlet Just curious....what are you (barely) hopeful they will fix? Just curious if our lists match, LOL
I don’t really have a ‘list’ necessarily, it’s just...
In the movie Trainspotting, there’s this scene where Spud sleeps over at his girlfriend’s house and accidentally shits the bed. Then, when he carries the sheets downstairs to try to hide the evidence, a Humorous Snafu ends with shit being splattered all over the girl’s parents and the breakfast table. In this analogy, the executive producers and the writing team are Spud, the writing of the plot arcs is the shit, and we’re the poor breakfast table, splattered and confused.
That’s mean. And yet, that’s how it has felt, the last few years. Plans half-made, abandoned half-done. Characterizations thought of and then not followed through, at all. Random one-offs that seem clever and then aren’t referenced again. It’s kind of embarrassing and cringey, in the same way as that Trainspotting scene--like, really? This is what you chose to do? Was it on purpose? How on earth could it have truly been on purpose?
So, s15, knowing the end date, I hope there will be a real plan. Arcs that can satisfyingly conclude. Interesting things to pluck at and change. I haven’t watched yesterday’s episode yet, but I understand that Mary bites it--that will help. No more halfbaked characterization to forget for months at a time and then come back and pretend it mattered. Nick’s gone, too, I hope permanently, and that will help a lot too. No more Lucifer nonsense. I want--Sam and Dean, and a conclusion that feels earned and not haphazardly stumbled into. That’s really it. That’s the entirety of my list.
I’m a big believer in any premise being believable, successful, etc, as long as you earn it. You bring back Mama? Okay, fine. You make Lucifer have a kid? Sure, okay. It can be made to work, as long as you put in the effort to do so. That doesn’t seem to be the writing model, this last little while. Maybe, hopefully, if everyone’s aware that this is the last hurrah, real effort will be made.
Honestly--in retrospect, President Whoever of the CW saying that they’d get an automatic renewal as long as Jared and Jensen wanted to keep going, that itself might have been the death knell. After all: if there’s no reason to try, why try?
@winchesterprincessbride reblogged your post “One For The Road” and added:
I like this….an end that isn’t really an end
There have only been a few series finales I’ve been satisfied with (”Six Feet Under” holds the #1 spot, and I was one of the few who was fine with “Battlestar Gallactica”, though neither appropriate for SPN), and in terms of sci-fi-ish shows, I’d love to see something open-ended, a la...
But if they *do* go blaze of glory, okay, though I still would like that open-ended feel, where we can make the call for what happened next, a la...
For his admitted faults, Whedon knew what he was doing for those two, and I dearly wish he’d gotten to wrap up “Firefly” in the same way, but when he couldn’t, he sure knocked it out of the park in “Serenity”, also felt solid closure. Even if side characters bite the dust, it just won’t feel “right” if Sam and/or Dean die because throughout the show it’s been established they, um, don’t. Open-ended much better for holding the line. I hope Kripke gets to have some input. I’d also like to see them get 2 hours run time. In any event, I think J&J won’t hesitate to speak up if they have issue with the plans floated out for the finale.
Characters: Cas x Reader, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, and the occasional Aztec God.
Word Count: 3,204
Warnings: There’s partial nudity, cursing, a lot of sass, and Cas not being amused with either brother about 100% of the time. In fact, Cas is 125% done with both of them for this entire fic. Just imagine his face is in a constant state of eye roll and frowns. Oh, and walking tacos. And a brief mention of hallucinogens, that may or may not have been consumed by someone in this fic. Listen, this thing goes a lot of places, so fair warning. I can’t promise anything.
A/N: This fic was written for @winchesterprincessbride‘s reverse gif challenge, and my gif will be placed below. Because this entire thing is just Cas being unamused, I will probably use different gifs for the next two parts, but the first part will be the actual challenge gif. It was supposed to be a short, Cas is angry one shot and it turned into a 3 part crack fic that I am most proud of and I have absolutely no regrets. As always, it was beta’d by my wonderful loves @trexrambling and @pinknerdpanda, and you should thank them because without them thoughts wouldn’t connect as well, my commas would be all over the place, and in general it just wouldn’t be the piece that it is right now. I love you, my dear sweet trex and panda bear. As always, tags are at the bottom. If you find that you are missing or you would like to be added, please send me a message or an ask! Feedback is always welcome.
Right Freakin’ Now
In a hotel somewhere in Nebraska
Cas stood silently, his hands dangling at his sides as he looked over the clothing spread across the bed with narrowed eyes. Sam and Dean stood to the side, both brothers leaning against the dresser as they tried to keep straight faces while watching Cas’s obvious discomfort at the task at hand.
“I cannot make this decision. These are not good options, Dean.”
“Cas, buddy, I know it’s not ideal, but you’ve gotta do it. Me and Sam...we’re too recognizable, we’ll never be able make it in without getting caught. It’s gotta be you, man.”
Cas glared at Dean, “Not ideal? I am an Angel of the Lord. If my Father saw me doing this…”
“But he won’t, Cas. God’s not around, and he certainly won’t be in a place like that.”
Cas’s glare shifted from Dean to Sam, “Oh, I am sorry, I forgot that the Almighty cannot see through walls. Sam, what do you think being the God of all entails, exactly?” Sam huffed but remained quiet, and Dean choked back a snort as he watched Cas’s attention turn back to the clothing. “I cannot choose. All of these are inappropriate.”
Dean walked over and clapped Cas on the shoulder, earning him a severe side eye from the angel, “That’s kinda the point of this, Cas. Here…” Dean’s eyes skimmed over the outfits, and he grinned when his eyes landed on what he’d been looking for. He grabbed the somewhat flimsy fabric and held it out to Cas, “What about this? It’s not as...revealing.”
Cas looked at the garment Dean was holding up and frowned, “Can I wear something underneath? I believe the original purpose of this outfit used more accessories.”
Dean shook his head, “Where you’re going, you ain’t gonna need more accessories.”
Instead of glaring, Cas looked at Dean with almost pleading eyes, “Must I really do this? Is there really no other way to accomplish our task? I am an angel, after all, I could just go in and come right back out.”
Sam was the one to shake his head this time, “No, Cas. There are too many moving parts. This isn’t just a rescue mission, we have to actually stop the thing too.”
“Listen, Cas, if we had any other options, we wouldn’t have you do it. But we have to kill a god and we have to get Y/N back, and this is what we’re left with. I promise that we will take care of it before you actually have to do anything. So for Y/N, huh?” Dean gently shook the clothing at Cas, his eyebrows raised.
Cas sighed as he grabbed the offending garment from Dean, “Fine. I will do it, but both of you will keep your comments to yourselves. I fully expect you to resolve this before I have to make a fool out of myself.”
Dean made an X over his heart and looked at Cas solemnly, “Cross my heart, buddy. You won’t have to do a thing other than find Y/N and get her out of there.”
Unfortunately for Cas, he missed the look Sam and Dean shared behind his back as the brothers ushered him out of the room and towards the hotel’s parking lot.
Three days earlier…
Sam, Dean, and Cas were all sitting around the worn table in the hotel room, their eyes trained on Y/N as she explained her plan. She looked quite pleased with herself, although the three men looked less than excited.
“So, what do you think?”
Dean looked at Sam, then glanced over to find Cas looking straight ahead, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, “Well, umm...it’s a plan. Definitely...yea. Definitely a plan.’”
Sam cleared his throat, “Just...are we even sure that it’s Xochipilli? Why would an Aztec god be in Nebraska?”
Y/N put a hand on one of her hips and frowned, “Why are half the things we hunt where they are? Does it matter why he’s here? Nope. What matters is that people keep disappearing in that new corn maze and showing up with missing organs, strung up like scarecrows. And you know who loves corn? Xochipilli loves corn.”
“Maize,” Cas’s deep voice startled all three of them.
Y/N raised an eyebrow, “What?”
Cas shifted his gaze to Y/N, “He’s actually associated with Cinteotl, who is the god of maize. Xochipilli is responsible for agricultural produce, technically.”
Sam nodded, “Which brings up another important question: Why is the god of agricultural produce in a strip club?”
Y/N spun her laptop around and jabbed a finger at it for emphasis, “He’s also the god of beauty, dance, and song, among other things. And what does stripping involve? Dance and song.”
“Xochipilli is a busy man,” Dean chuckled and elbowed Sam, which earned him one of Sam’s patented eye rolls. “Anyway, I don’t see where that means you need to go undercover. Why can’t we just go in after hours and gank the son of a bitch? Business as usual.”
Y/N clicked another tab on the web browser and pointed at the picture, “Because he wears a talisman, an oyohualli. So we have to find the person wearing it and then destroy the pendant. That should take care of it. I’m assuming he’ll be in male form, but I couldn’t find a ton of lore about him. Thus the need for undercover.”
Dean laughed, “I think Y/N just wants to get up on that pole.” He waggled his eyebrows and Y/N smacked him on the shoulder. Sam didn’t miss the especially pointed glare that Cas sent Dean’s way, despite staying quiet.
“Okay,” Sam said louder than necessary, “the plan is for Y/N to go to the club and pose as a stripper looking for a job, and then what? Just wander around looking for someone wearing a corn pendant-”
“Maize,” Cas interrupted, his gaze still on Y/N.
Sam rolled his eyes, “Maize pendant. And then-”
“The pendant doesn’t look like maize. It’s a tear drop made out of mother of pearl. Why would it look like maize?” Y/N interrupted Sam this time, and he dropped his head in his hands.
“Fine. We find the tear drop pendant and then what? How are we supposed to get it? We’re talking about a god. I know we’ve killed them before, but it's not like it's a walk in the park. Do we know if destroying that pendant will kill him?”
Y/N winked, “Don't worry, I’ll find a way. I don't know for sure, but if we can sever his ties to it, then...well, the rest should be cake.” She grabbed a bag, which up until that point the guys had not seen, and skipped to the bathroom.
Sam turned his attention to Cas, “What was that?”
Cas’s eyes narrowed, “What was what?”
Sam nodded his head towards the bathroom, “That face you made when Dean mentioned Y/N pole dancing. If looks could kill, man.”
Cas tilted his head in confusion, “I do not know what you mean. I simply looked at him.”
Sam leaned towards Cas and lowered his voice, “Nope, that wasn’t just a glance in his general direction. You glared at him.” Cas’s eyes dropped to where his hands were nervously straightening his tie, but he remained quiet. “Are you....are you jealous?”
Cas looked sharply at Sam, his brows furrowed, “Sam, I am an angel, I do not feel jealousy. Even if I did exhibit such a human emotion, I have no reason to be jealous of Dean. The suggestion is ridiculous-”
“Holy hell!” Dean’s exclamation interrupted them, and Sam’s mouth dropped open as he looked towards the disruption. Y/N had come out of the bathroom wearing something that could barely classify as clothing. She was wearing a black, skin tight, low-cut crop top and a pair of jean shorts that were barely clinging to the idea of being considered shorts. She’d topped off the ensemble with black heels that were at least six inches tall and had taken the time to straighten her hair and put makeup on. Y/N was beautiful even during the filthiest hunts, but none of them were prepared for the sight standing in front of them.
“What do you think? Convincing enough?” Sam and Dean both just nodded.
Cas, looking perplexed, asked the question that all three were thinking, “How does dressing provocatively prove that you can dance? I don't understand the correlation.”
Y/N focused her gaze on Cas and smiled, “You don’t think I can dance?” Sam’s eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do.
“I do not know what kind of education you’ve received, Y/N, only that it seemed you were implying that your outfit alone proved your ability to provoke arousal through dance.” Y/N began to walk slowly towards Cas, her eyes trained on him as she stopped just short of where he was sitting.
“So are you saying that my outfit isn’t convincing?” She shoved his knees apart and slipped between them as she grabbed his tie and forced him to look up at her.
“I...I did not say that. ...What are you doing?”
Y/N bent down so that she was leaning over him, her cleavage practically in his face, “Well, I want to make sure I can get the job done, I don’t want to go in there all half-cocked and blow it.” Y/N winked slyly at Sam, then dropped suddenly so that she was sitting in Cas’s lap. “I watched some YouTube videos, it didn’t seem that hard.” She slowly kicked her leg up and over his head so that she was straddling his hips when it came back down, and her arms were looped loosely around his neck.
“I’m not so sure she learned those moves from YouTube, Sammy,” Dean practically croaked.
Y/N gave Dean a wicked grin over Cas’s shoulder then leaned forward, her lips barely ghosting over the shell of Cas’s ear, “What do you think now, Angel of the Lord?” She stood suddenly and walked towards the door, “You boys comin’ or not?” She walked outside, and both Sam and Dean turned their attention to Cas.
“I think someone might be,” Dean whispered loudly to Sam, who had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Sam and Dean stood to leave, and Dean looked back over his shoulder at the still sitting angel, “You coming, Cas?”
Cas gave an almost imperceptible head shake, “No, I...uh... “ His normally deep voice had dropped even lower, and Dean had to take a step toward Cas to even hear him, “I will be a moment. I will..uhm...I will be there shortly.” Dean chuckled but retreated without saying anything else, closing the door behind him.
Sam, Dean, and Cas stood next to the Impala outside of Poppin’ Pacoani as they waited for Y/N to let them know if she’d gotten the job or not. Cas stared at the “Now Hiring” sign with a frown, his eyebrows knitted more tightly together than usual.
“Cas, come on, we’ve gotta go inside. Y/N texted me, she said they hired her on the spot.” Sam shoved his phone in his pocket and walked quickly to the entrance, quickly followed by a muttering Dean.
“Of course they hired her on the spot, she probably just had to look at them and wink. Sweet Jesus…”
Cas frowned, “I do not think we should allow her to do this. She should not have to take her clothes off to find the information we are looking for.”
Dean turned back to Cas, who looked dejected as he leaned against the Impala, “We shouldn't let her do it? I don’t know if we’re talking about the same girl, but no one lets her do anything. She just does it. What’s your problem? You’ve been acting weird this whole time, is it because this is a ‘den of inequity’ or something?”
Sam stopped at the door and watched as Dean retraced his steps back to the car, sighed, then followed his brother, “We don’t have time for this, Y/N is expecting us in there.”
Dean waved his hand at Sam, “Nuh-uh, we’re talking about this. Cas has had a stick up his ass this entire time, and we have done far worse than a strip joint. Hell, Sam, we impersonated priests, and not a word out of this guy. So what? What’s your problem?”
Cas glanced at Sam, who shrugged, then back to Dean, “First, I do not have a stick in any of my orifices, just to be clear. Second, I have no problem. I just do not think that Y/N should have to remove her clothes in front of a room of men. Would you want to remove your clothes in front of a group of complete strangers?”
Dean raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips as if thinking about it, “Eh, I’ve done worse.” He crossed his arms, “So, what gives?”
Cas fidgeted with his tie again, his eyes focused on what his fingers were doing, “I just do not believe Y/N should let all those men see her unclothed.”
Dean looked at Cas, then to Sam, then back to Cas, his eyes wide, “You’re jealous!” He waved his hand toward Cas as he looked at Sam, “He’s jealous!”
“Angels don't get jealous, Dean. Leave him alone and come on. Cas, you can stay out here. We’ll call if we need anything. Let’s go.” Sam began walking back toward the strip club, and Dean lingered for a moment as he looked questioningly at Cas.
When Cas remained silent, Dean threw his hands up and rolled his eyes, “Fine. We’ll talk about it later.” He stormed after Sam, and Cas sighed in relief.
Castiel looked over at the door as it swung shut behind the brothers and frowned. “This is not ideal,” he muttered to himself as he opened the back door of the Impala and sat down to wait.
“Dude, they have these things called ‘walking tacos’. Kinda sounds like an STD, but they’re damn delicious. Wanna try it?” Dean offered Sam the bag of what looked like Fritos mixed with a conglomeration of various taco toppings and Sam shook his head, a look of disgust on his face.
“First, you’re disgusting. Second, you need to focus. Do you see anyone that could fit Xochipilli’s description?”
Dean rolled his eyes as he shoved another bite of taco into his mouth, “Yea, because he’s obviously going to look exactly like what an Aztec god is described as,” he mumbled around corn chips and cheese. “Did you forget about that freaking hotel? Ganesh didn’t exactly look like an elephant.”
It was Sam’s turn to roll his eyes, “Whatever, dude. Do you see anyone suspicious, anyone wearing the talisman Y/N described?”
Dean glanced around, his crunching eliciting another glare from Sam, and shook his head, “I don’t see anyone that stands out, definitely no talisman. Maybe Y/N has found something.”
Sam elbowed Dean and pointed towards the stage, “I think she found something. Not so sure it’s a talisman.”
Dean slowly turned to face the stage and his mouth gaped open, lettuce and taco meat dropping onto his shirt, “Whoa.”
“Next up, a new face in our beautiful ranks, please welcome Angel to the stage!” The lights dimmed, and Sam and Dean watched as Y/N walked slowly out on stage. Her outfit was different than she'd had on before; she had swapped out her crop top and jean shorts for a black leather halter dress, the hem of which stopped just below giving everything away. She had switched out her high heels for knee-high stiletto boots and had added black fishnet thigh-highs. The boys watched as the music started, and they were treated to a punk version of Umbrella as Y/N began her routine.
Dean leaned towards Sam, “What could she possibly take off, there's barely anything there! She's not actually going to do it, is she?” he hissed, the idea not seeming as appealing as it had when he'd been talking to Cas earlier.
Sam shrugged, “I don’t know, but she’s got this. She’ll be fine. Just...eat your walking taco and calm down.” Dean’s attention moved back to the stage when he heard a shout rise from the crowd. Despite the high tempo of the song, Y/N was alternating between fast spins and slow splits, and by the time he looked up she was holding herself upside down on the pole with just her legs as she reached out and grabbed dollar bills from the men in the front row.
As she flipped off of the pole, Dean punched Sam in the arm, then gesticulated wildly towards Y/N, “She has angel wing tattoos! When did she get those?! How….what is happening…?”
Sam shook out his arm and glared at Dean, “Still not our problem, Dean. It’s not like she has to tell us everything, and she’s not always lived and hunted with us. Our actual problem is finding an Aztec god hell bent on sacrificing everyone in his path so that he can have a nice cornfield, so maybe look for that.” Dean glanced around the room, but nothing caught his eye until his gaze returned to the stage. Y/N pulled her hair down and shook it out, her y/h/c locks spilling down almost to her elbows, and her hands went to the knot at the back of her neck as she moved to untie her halter.
Dean threw the walking taco, nearly hitting a nearby patron, and started marching towards the stage, “I can’t let her do this. I can’t. This...it’s wrong, man.”
“Dean!” Sam whispered loudly, his eyes searching the room for any bouncers that were lurking, “Dean!”
Dean rushed towards the stage, so focused on his mission that he never saw the two large men begin to flank him on both sides, “Y...Angel! Stop! You don’t have to do this!”
Sam saw the two men gunning for Dean and groaned, “Seriously?!” He ran after Dean with the hope that he would reach him before the bouncers would. Sam had half of his wish granted when one of the two bouncers veered off and collided into him, their bodies slamming into one of the tables. Dean, momentarily distracted by the sound of breaking wood and shattering glass, turned to see what the commotion was just as the second bouncer plowed into him. Unlike Sam, he was able to keep his balance and attempted to throw a punch but was quickly stopped by a meaty fist as it connected with his face. Dean hit the floor and groaned, allowing the bouncer to lift him up and carry him to the door. He cast one last look towards the stage where he saw Y/N standing with a hand on her hip, top half off and frowning. Dean groaned again and let his head fall back, his eyes closed.
I got the idea for this when I heard about the Marvel series coming to Disney Plus. So here’s how this is going to work: Fifteen one shots, one for each season. Each will begin with a question, which will change a key plot point. First up, season 1 of course.
What if John died in the fire instead of Mary?
November 2nd, 1983- Lawrence Kansas
Mary Winchester yawned tiredly as she finished up the last of the dinner dishes. Sam was teething and had woken up several times the previous night. John had been working late at the garage, and keeping 4- year old Dean entertained was practically a full-time job.
John had given Dean his bath, which Dean loved because he idolized his father. It was their special time together. No matter how busy John was a work, he always tried his best to be home by bath time.
“C’mon, let’s go say goodnight to your brother,” Mary told Dean, taking him by the hand.
“G’night, Sam,” Dean said to his baby brother as he kissed the top of his head before running into his father’s arms.
“You got him?” Mary asked John as she walked from the room. John nodded.
“Sweet dreams, Sam,” John whispered over Dean’s soft hair.
The sound of Sam crying on the baby monitor woke Mary up. “John?” she mumbled sleepily, looking around. But his side of the bed was empty. With a sigh Mary pushed herself up out of bed and headed to Sam’s nursery, rubbing her eyes to force herself awake. She paused at the doorway when she saw a shadowy figure standing in front of Sam’s crib. “John, is he hungry?” she asked.
“Shhhhhh.” the figure whispered.
“Okay,” Mary said sleepily and headed back to bed. She was asleep within minutes.
John had dozed off in front of the TV watching an old war movie, but he was suddenly jolted awake by something. Yawning, he turned the TV off and headed upstairs. As he passed by the hall light it flickered on and off, and he gave it a tap, making a mental note to change the bulb tomorrow,
First, he looked in on Dean, who was barely visible beneath his tangle of blankets. Even in sleep, the boy is always moving, John thought to himself.
He started to walk towards the nursery when a strange sound made him pick up his pace. He skidded to a stop inside the room just in time to see a dark figure leaning over Sam. “Hey!” John yelled and ran towards the crib.
___________________________________________
Mary woke to the sound of John’s blood-curdling scream. John was a Marine and a pretty tough guy in general, and hearing him scream like that terrified her. She jumped out of bed and ran towards Sam’s room because that was where she had seen him last.
“Sammy?” she whispered as she walked over to her son’s crib. He was wide awake, but John was nowhere to be found. She stroked her son’s cheek and noticed a red spot on his blanket, like paint. Then a drop landed on her hand, and then another.
Mary turned her head and looked up, and there was John, stuck on the ceiling, arms and legs splayed out, his grey Marines t-shirt stained with blood. “John! No!” she cried as she fell to the floor in shock. His skin was waxy grey, and his eyes were staring.
There was an inhuman sound almost like a growl and fire burst out from John’s body and soon he and the entire ceiling were engulfed in flames. Sam began to wail. Mary grabbed hold of the crib’s rail and pulled herself up. Snatching Sam up in his blanket, she ran from the room, and met up with Dean.
“Take your brother outside and don’t look back! Go, Dean!” she told her older son quickly as she carefully handed Sam to him. Dean turned and headed down the steps without another word. Mary ran back to the nursery. “John! John!” she screamed helplessly. But it was too late. The entire room was immersed in flames.
Mary managed to make it outside and grab Dean who was still holding tightly to Sam just as all the upstairs windows blew out from the heat of the fire. One of the neighbors ran out and said they called 911, Mary gathered her boys close to her and they huddled next to John’s car while Lawrence’s best fought to put out the fire.
The EMTs checked everyone out and gave them some blankets since they were in their pajamas. The police came and took Mary’s statement and the Red Cross put them up in a motel since the house was a total loss and even gave them some money for necessities since they lost everything in the fire.
The Fire Marshall said it was an accident due to an faulty wiring in the nursery. But Mary knew the truth. She had tried so hard to leave hunting behind and be the perfect wife and mother. That life had already taken both her parents from her. When you were a hunter, supernatural creatures always managed to find you.
That is why she walked away and never looked back. She didn’t want her family exposed to any of that. But it didn’t matter. They found her anyway, and John had paid with his life. She knew whatever had killed John had to be a demon, because she had smelled the sulfur as soon as she entered Sam’s room.
Mary sighed. She had to protect her boys. She knew what she had to do. Most of her Campbell relatives were still hunters. Her father’s brother, her uncle William had told her at her parent’s funeral she could always call him if she needed help. John was dead because she’d tried to deny her past, and her past came back for her family.
Later when Sam and Dean were asleep on the lumpy motel bed she grabbed some change and went to the payphone and dialed a number she knew from memory.
“Hello?” she asked when someone picked up.
“Yeah?” a gruff voice said.
“Uncle Billy? It’s Mary. I need your help. John’s dead. I’m pretty sure it was a demon. I think it was after Sam….” they spoke for a few minutes, and then she hung up and went back to the motel.
In the morning she told Dean they were going on a trip to visit her family. She quickly packed up their meager belongings and settled the boys in the Impala and headed for the Campbell family compound, leaving Lawrence behind forever.
It didn’t take long for Mary to jump back into the hunting life as though she had never left, and she taught her boys everything she knew.
