#When will Rowena return from war?

[deancasbigbang]

Title: Did I save you? ('Cause I know you saved me too)

Author: shroomiethedoomie

Artist: szlez

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, background Sam Winchester/Eileen Leahy

Length: 25000

Warnings: No major archive warnings apply. Depictions of mental health struggles.

Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Claire Novak, Canon divergent from 15.18, appearances from Jack Rowena and Crowley, Dean and Cas POVs

Posting Date: October 15, 2024

Summary: When Cas calls on his empty deal, Dean grabs him and won't let go. The Empty takes them both. A few weeks later- after Chuck has been defeated- they return, but while the world's problems may be solved, their own are still waiting for them. And the Empty may have left more of a mark than they realize.

Excerpt: When Dean comes to, the first thing he notices is there's a sense of... wrongness to it. The disconcerting, misaligned feeling he always gets when he switches between realms, like his soul is adapting to the environment on a metaphysical level. It's the same kind of feeling, whether it's Hell or Heaven or Purgatory, whether he's coming or going. The funny thing, though, is there's a kind of... peace beneath it all. There's a panic in his body- in the physical- adrenaline and fear chugging through his veins, his heart beating like a war drum, but in the center of him, deep down in his very soul there's a warmth. A calmness, like he somehow knows, despite his terror, that's he's safe. The next thing he notices, then, is that he's falling, and a second later that he's hitting the ground. It smacks hard against his side- some sort of smooth, flat rock, though he's not going to try to guess what kind until he at least figures out what realm he's in- but there's something soft and warm wrapped around the front of his body, offshoots of it separating his waist from the rock, poking between his legs, going into his shoulder. The sound seems to begin all at once, scuffling and crackling and chanting. A second later, pain- something he'd been blissfully free from just moments before. It feels like he's hit the ground, sure, but there's more than that, layers of agony so deep and so sudden he cries out. His voice only starts halfway through the scream. Finally, light floods his vision; he's suddenly aware his eyes have been open the entire time, unseeing. It's hazy, but he recognizes it regardless- it's the bunker's dungeon. And then he remembers. \*\*Before\*\* "Why does this sound like a goodbye?" It's his voice, but it doesn't feel like it's coming from him. He's floating, somewhere, drifting away from his body. He's watching the scene before him play out, as if he's not a part of it. He's turned away, left it behind, but it still plays out in front of him, unchanged, unaffected. The dread sits heavy, an immutable fact of the universe, yet distant as a dream. "Because it is," Cas says. And then, "I love you." "Don't do this, Cas." The room presses in on him, feeling too small, even before the goo from the Empty begins to drip through the walls, before the door gives way to Billie. Cas' hand has barely touched his shoulder when his body, his whole being, just snaps, moving all at once. He wraps himself around Cas, refuses to let go. Cas tries to push him away, but he doesn't relent, not sure he could if he wanted to. He doesn't want to.

DCBB 2024 Posting Schedule

[curioushabitforarivergod]

midstory line-tag game

(10 lines from the middle of 10 fics & tagging 10 people)

thank you @rowena-rain for the tag !! these are some of my favourite lines ive written over the past few years

--

growing pains (hp — trans!tom/harry)

Tom watches as the streetlights get gradually further apart and the red lights of cars that wash over the space get fewer and fewer as they make their way to the bad part of town — the poor part filled with crackheads and drunkards — where Tom has spent most of her life.

with a slip of the moon in his hair (nerves) (hp — voldemort/harry)

When he discards the knickers into the dark mass of the floor below, Harry can finally breathe — shattered, wrecked noises as Voldemort prises him open like a clam, as if to draw from Harry the very pearls he is decorated in.

death will not do us part but he will bid the devil to ruin (hp — tom/harry)

And when Harry’s mouth descended on him, the only thing that answered were the flies that destroyed and decayed.

nangiri'o ora (hp — euphemia/fleamont)

She keeps her palm facing up, willing the magic to flow through her, to warm the space between the small bones of her hand, to hum and burst to light. Fire, she thinks. Then, ganalung, ganalung, ganalung, for the flames to burst up.

tell me how to be more than a shell of me (hp — gen)

He lays them around the man's body like an ancient burial; women buried with jewellry, men buried with swords and shields, Voldemort buried with his Horcruxes.

god's hands (hp — voldemort/harry)

He is sixteen and a child. He has had his first drink and he hated it — the taste, the concept of losing control. He has never been kissed. He no longer mourns for his mother in quite the same way as before.

there is a light that never goes out (torchwood — jack/ianto)

“You’ve got blood in your hair,” Jack says quietly. “Do you want me to wash it out?”

Mock Orange (star wars — obi-wan/anakin)

When the nightmares returned at fourteen, Obi-wan was already climbing into his bed, large hands touching, taking, pushing, making them come true.

Hard-Hearted Men (a missing scene from Half-Hearted Circles) (slow horses — river/spider)

It burns because River loves James, loves James so much, but they’re mutually demolishing each other before something else can come along and destroy them first.

the apple cores of tomorrow and every day after (haikyuu!! —hitoka/kiyoko)

The books watch these sleepy mornings, and their louder, more intimately wild, nightly counterparts, and they keep those secrets and all the words whispered in between. 

no pressure, but tagging: @aitafrog, @known-concepts, @chaos-bear, @d00medbythenarrative, @sc0rpiflow3r & also anyone else who feels like sharing their writing !!

[1000roughdrafts]

Supporting Characters x Reader Master List

Lots of stuff in here - Gabriel x Reader, John Winchester x Reader, Rowena x Reader, Charlie x Reader, Donna x Reader, Crowley x Reader, and more (general/no pairings)

Remember that there are some 18+ explicit works, so please heed all warnings!

Gabriel X Reader

💘Coffee Shop ~ fluff, Gabriel is very much alive and just full of surprises, isn’t he?

John Winchester x Reader 

Mini Series xx 

💚Stop Asking Me To Come Back ~ flangst, kissing; Y/N and John have always had a cat and mouse chase type of relationship, where one runs and the other chases, and vice versa, but typically fall into a Dom/Sub type of relationship. John is tired of the games and when Y/N realizes she wants something more she’s too little too late. 

💚Stop Asking Me To Come Back (2) ~ 18+, smut

Wayward Women x Reader 

Charlie x Reader 

💖Confessions ~ one shot, flangst, heavy topics; You were best friends with Charlie since elementary school. One day, she just vanished. During the years you spent without her, you went down a dark path that brought you onto a road of addiction. Now she has returned to spend a day with you and talk about all the years that have passed without each other.   

Rowena x Reader 

💖What Happens During Research ~ fluff; no plot, just silliness 

💖 You Look Yummy ~ 18+ 100% smut literally nothing but sex

Donna X Reader 

💖Don’t Leave Me, Not Again ~ flangst; When a hunt in Minnesota goes awry and the Winchester’s go silent, you ask your ex-girlfriend, Donna, for help

Crowley x Reader

One Shots xx Both 18+ / Explicit

Hush -  unprotected vaginal penetration, oral sex (female receiving), BDSM, this isnt ddlg but it kinda has that vibe, a bit of an OOC Crowley,

A Night With The King - Request from Anon: Can I have Crowley flirting with a v nervous and quiet reader? Maybe w a splash of Dean jealousy because he’s been pining after her forever?

General:Supernatual x Reader (no pairings) 

💛Cop Car ~ (Dean, Sam, Reader) Drabble; reader stole a cop car and Dean wants to drive it. 

💛Saving Dean ~(Dean, Reader, Sam) imagine 

💛Live and Let Die ~(Sam, Dean, LittleSister!Reader) angstish,fluff; After years of arguing with your older brothers, they finally let you go out and hunt on your own, but it was nothing like what you expected. After killing your first demon, you call them up for some comfort.   

💛Cherry Pie ~ Drabble; Dean loves pie, what else can I say?

💛It’s Time to Let Me Go ~ angst; Raphael has started a war with only one request to end it all: you. Are Sam and Dean willing to let you go to save the world?   

💛Hi Dad ~ Drabble; based off of this prompt -  “She stared at him, holding her favorite teddy bear in one hand and his pistol in the other. “Hi dad,” she whispered.

💛Little Tree Part One | Part Two ~ Being a sheriff in a small town, you were surprised when a body was found, making it the first murder in over 50 years. The alarm bells really went off when the FBI showed up as quick as they did. Despite your initial thoughts, you were lucky that they had. (completed)  

💛 Coming Out - Request from @the-nb-florist "I was wondering if you could make a brotherly sam and dean where the reader comes out as Non Binary? The Reader is like Fem but they identify more with mass stuff. I just want supper fluff and sweet. Thank you so much!!"

[secretly-a-catamount]

Thinking again about how The Crane Wives and Robert Beatty must share a brain, because of how well so much of their music matches with the Serafina Series.

Curses is Serafina talking to Braeden, a girl who is so tired of everything, a girl who, in her own eyes, will never be good enough, who thinks she’s cursed, a girl who feels so guilty about dragging her lover from his world into hers, a girl who creeps down the empty corridors of a house — her lover’s last named engraved on it like an elegy — with cobwebs in the corner, the backyard full of bones, knowing full well that war is always about to knock on their door, and burn them, ashes to ashes and dust to dust, because her enemies are after them both.

Tongues and Teeth and Never Love an Anchor is Rowena’s justification for leaving Waysa after he helped her heal from her wounds before the events of Splintered Heart, how she believed that every kiss would just leave Waysa bleeding, how, due to her father’s abuse and her own past actions, she thought that she could only ever hurt him, because she thought it was simply her nature to hurt and ruin and destroy.

Allies or Enemies is Rowena and Waysa’s relationship during Splintered Heart, once enemies who were then allies, Waysa having nursed her back to health in what Rowena considered a “moment of weakness”. Rowena, who felt guilty about how she treated him and the people he loved, Waysa, who forgave her for what she’d done, for disappearing. Waysa, who never doubted that she could change, even when she denied her feelings, even when she spoke words made of thorns and plagues and the cloying smoke of a wildfire.

The Garden is how consumed by grief and borderline suicidal Braeden was after he buried Serafina. Braeden, whose world was torn down by Serafina’s dying breaths. Braeden, who buried his best friend and lover — who was both his shield and his stone — with a spade and dug her up after she returned to life with shaking fingers. Braeden, who lied to his aunt and his uncle and the Estate as a whole. Braeden, who longed to make her grave their bed on his darkest days, who longed to give the crows who laughed at him their pound of flesh. Braeden, whom her ghost whispered to, when it returned in her blood-stained clothes, drifting into the manor from the window, pressing her lips to his neck, her teeth to his throat. Braeden, who considered a deal with the devil, the Black Cloak, if it meant saving her. Braeden, who fell to his knees and ripped up the ground with his bare hands until they bled.

Thinking about love and tragedy and broken children.

Thinking about the Serafina Series and The Crane Wives.

[adidegmez]

spn s13 spoilers

s13 ep1(lost and found)

if dean thinks cas is really dead then what did they do to his body? did they burn him, bury him or nothing? jack is just a baby right now. winchesters are maybe not superheroes but they are my heroes. dean is just telling the truth?! he is not okay. he lost everyone he cared except sam. sam is calmer than dean. jack is just a sweet little boy. sam is scared. castiel is jacks father(according to jack at least). thats nice. damian as in damian wayne? i dont think i know anyone else named damian. dean'S prayer… he even add crowley he loved him(sometimes). and Chuck he left and he just doesnt care. he left lucifer on earth. everything happened on this Show is because of him. and i still believe if they raise jack right he will be good. no one is born evil. even if lucifer was a bad guy he was an angel he was the angel. jack is half angel and this is not a bad thing. dean said goodbye to everyone cas, kelly, mom and crowley. and crowley i just cant he said his name with the other people he cared about people he respected and its sad that crowley didnt get to see this. Dean accepted the deaths of all of them. How can he do this? They can still return, why not? and mary did return she is not dead.

s13 ep2(the rising son)

im sos sorry dean but sam is right. He is right on every part of this issue. Jack is not bad, your mother is alive, the only way to save her is with Jack's help. i knew jack was watching scooby i thought dean would let him watch. but i think he needs a little time to know jack. sam is nerveous when talking to jack because he never had an experience with kids like dean had. dean would calm jack down he wouldve known what to do but he is mourning the people he lost and he is angry. and that prevents him see the way that sam sees. sam did a good job with jack. i expected dean to say he is batman but i guess its not the time. lucifer is funny sometimes. good job jack. i think dean will understand jack, eventually. i hope that time comes soon.

s13 ep3(patience)

kelly was a great mother. i get deans point of view but he needs to calm down. it's been a long time missouri. she died! jack really cares about deans opinions just like his dad(cas). dean will get over this and he will be nicw to jack eventually, i just hope it wont be late. yes, sam is the best person to understand jack. this is brilliant. i really love how he treats jack. i love sam. i know dean is in pain but sam is right this is resembles to sam's situation. sam deserved to be saved so does jack. and jack didnt do anything wrong yet he has been on earth like a week. and cas mary it wasnt his fault. dean lost them and he is blaming jack. but its lucifers fault. and jack doesnt deserves a this treatment from dean. dean should help sam save jack. i have always been on the same page as dean always but not this time. i hope dean changes his mind soon. because i need both winchesters in the same page. cas! im glad he is back but if he could return does this mean crowley could return too. and i think i finally understand something. Charlie and now rowena are dead and they wont return cause the story doesnt need them anymore. but i need them to return. i always see spoilers but ive never heard rowenas death. and ive never seen anything about charlie's return. but i want them to return. I didn't even like Rowena that much in the beginning but lately I've started to like her. Charlie is a completely different matter, i always loved her, I need her to come back.

s13 ep4(the big empty)

clone wars!!!!!!! i didnt see that coming. clone wars is my favorite star wars Show. i love ahsoka too but anakin is not bad sam. well he turned to vader but he was a good master palpatine manipulated. i hope jack loves clones. they are my favorite thing about star wars. clones are amazing. dean cas sam and crowley closed the door. crowley sacrificed himself. i think i love jack. cas where are you? why does lucifer need mary? Dean needs to pull himself together as soon as possible, he scares Jack, he even upsets Sam. misha is amazing. finally dean complimented jack. i needed that. finally dean is thinking like sam. thank you dean. cas is back.

s13 ep5(advanced thanatology)

yes, something is wrong with sam. dean wears sunglasses indoors. Do the w's represent how many times the winchesters died? did billie become death? she is death thats not good. I wish Dean hadn't killed death. I loved him. thats a good thing afterall. billie let dean live. Dean lost his faith. But when Cas comes, he will be happy. hi cas. welcome back. look in their eyes. team free will together again.

s13 ep6(tombstone)

cas is back. everyone is happy. i missed you cas. and the hugs. jack did it jack brought him back. team free will 2.0 . dean is back. he really missed cas. his eyes are shining. i missed funny dean. Seeing Dean happy makes me happy. cas… all i can think about is his character development. he is an amazing character. he changed so much. his talk with jack was beautiful. hats, dean is really back. dean finally said it, jack is not a monster. i wish he didnt leave. i hope hell come back.

s13 ep7(war of the worlds)

what happened to mary? So will Michael be the villain of this season? i knew it was kevin. hi kevin! i missed you. i think i would prefer lucifer to that Michael. lucifer is so funny. lucifer is back, Mary stayed in the other World. i thought ketch was a clone. I don't remember seeing anything about clones in this series, but for some reason the first thing that comes to my mind is always clones. But it turned out to be an evil twin. i believe that story hes telling the truth. rowena isnt dead right? cas and lucifer, lucifer is so funny. and he is trying to save the World for himself probably. i believed ketch. asmodeus and ketch, they will trouble the Winchesters. If Dean had said yes to Ketch, would Ketch have worked with them instead of Asmodeus?

s13 ep8(the scorpion and the frog)

supernatural really did everything. now there is a heist episode. and it was funny. yes, i missed hopeful dean. it was nice to see that. Didn't Bart say there were copies of the spell? Couldn't they find them? The bus scene reminded me of the scene where they left Charlie on the bus. i missed Charlie.

s13 ep9(the bad place)

i think jack wants to bring mary back not lucifer. Jack gets very happy when he gets a "good job" from Dean. And that makes me happy too. Jack also joined the family. I love him. dean! why did you treat her like that? well at least jack found mary and the winchesters are together. but idk where kaia is.

s13 ep10(wayward sisters)

claire is getting better at hunting. they are on a hunting trip… they said it again. i like it. i love donna and the others, we should see them more. i love jody. Claire's speech was like the beginning of a new series. I researched but they haven't made a mini series, I hope they tell this story here. i love the girls they are amazing.

s13 ep11(breakdown)

the real fbi is here. The beginnings of the episodes always resemble Criminal Minds. but almost the entire episode was really like cm. garcia would find her quickly. i liked doug. i hoped he would become a hunter. doug and donna were good. come on, first dean now sam they lost hope but it was always like this and they believed this job. but now they are in a dark place. i need hopeful winchesters back.

s13 ep12(various & sundry villans)

lucifer is hilarious. omg not the love spell. not dean please. yes sam save dean. hello boys(crowley said it the best). hi rowena. welcome back. how are you alive? they all forgot about adam. cas loves his son. i love how he talks about jack. Rowena asked about Crowley because she wondered if he might pose a risk to her, right? I wish there were nice mother and son scenes. I don't even think Rowena would be upset about Crowley's death, but I wish she would be. she is sad?! rowena is right. when is lucifer ever gone. he always comes back. cas and lucifer made a good team. that was a little brutal. Rowena took the page, didn't she? i thought sam would give her but i didnt think would do it. but he did. lucifer is not dead. We forget the traumas of the Winchesters very quickly, they are not even mentioned. They always show themselves strong, they don't show what's inside them. Dean spent 40 years in hell, Sam was tortured by Lucifer, Dean had to survive in purgatory… I hope Rowena doesn't cause trouble for the boys.

s13 ep13(devil's bargain)

i thought lucifer would let cupid live but he killed him and i suppose he did it just for fun. i forgot about ketch. How did Lucifer not die? i missed kevin. sister jo(daneel ive been waiting for this, i thought we would saw her earlier on the show). Doesn't the prophet know the difference between Cas and Asmodeus? ketch is right. lucifer cant do the things he promised, right? gabriel!!! well, i hope winchesters can save him.

s13 ep14(good intentions)

Dean you are amazing Cas you are amazing too. Mary is not Mary. They're still messing with Jack's head, right? hi bobby! sometimes jack's smiles are sweet but sometimes he scared me he smiles like lucifer sometimes, other than that he is just a sweet boy. and i love him. i love this bobby too but i want old bobby. mary made the deal she brought so much pain to her boys but we saw what the world would be like if she hadn't made that deal, and I think Mary did the right thing. If that deal hadn't happened, we would never have met the boys. cas! i dont like where this is going. i hope cas wont go far. Dean and Sam are Jack's role models, I think he chose very good role models. Whatever it takes… both Dean and Cas go too far. They need to calm down and think a bit. I hope nothing bad happens to them. I'm sorry about Donatello, I didn't like him as much as Kevin, but he was still a good guy. He didn't deserve what happened to him (like all the good characters in the series)

s13 ep15(a most holy man)

While Dean was saying enjoy, he was thinking things like this will be the last time you drive and he was imagining how he would kill that man. yes i totally believe dean would kill for the baby. I heard that that scene was improvised and it's really a perfect scene. I never thought that the blood would come from that man. I thought it would be from someone we knew before or someone very important.

s13 ep16(scoobynatural)

do you know how long i've been waiting for this. I've seen a lot of clips about this episode and I was very curious about it. When I started this season, I was thinking that they were opening a portal to the Scooby universe with Jack. I even thought that they would travel to different universes throughout the season thanks to Jack's portals. just for fun. But when it comes to SPN, sometimes this is only possible for a few episodes. There is a villain in every season and the world is in danger, so team Free Will has to save the World all over again. But did the trickster really die and come back, or was he never dead? i really love when dean is being a fanboy. he genuinely loves them and he shows that he loves them. and i love him for this. i love deans love for scooby-doo. this is one of my favorite episodes now. it was awesome. i love dean. i love sam and cas too but dean has a special place in my heart.

s13 ep17(the thing)

poor gabriel, I hope he can get out of there. Ketch is saving Gabriel right now, even if it's for himself. where is cas? why aent they waiting for him? ketch did some bad things, idk how to feel about him. gabriel is okay for nw with sam. dean really has a death wish. he doesnt care if he dies he only care about the others. yeah this is a nice thing but he would die to protect them and i dont want him to die.

s13 ep18(bring 'em back alive)

Charlie! Until two days ago, I didn't see anything about whether we would see Charlie in this series again but then I learned that we will see the apocalyptic world version of her. I knew she would come but I didn't expect that we would see her now. i missed her. She shouldn't have died. why didnt they wait for cas? i think ketch really cared about mary. gabriel is back! and he left. Asmodeus is dead, right? i hope he wont come back. ketch is complicated. Charlie is acting like our Charlie. i couldnt believe charlie's death and i still cant. she shouldn't have died.

s13 ep19(funeralia)

rowena what are you doing? i thought maybe rowena was trying to get crowley back but then i said she wouldnt do that. is she really trying to get fergus back? if thatsthe truth please let her try. i want crowley back. rowena is kinda right only team free will gets to come back from the dead. naomi is alive. I hope Sam doesn't have to kill Rowena. I started to love Rowena even more. I think there is such a thing as the Winchester Effect. They changed an angel, the king of hell, the most powerful witch and many more people and turned them into better people, and it is great to watch the character development of those characters. They changed Rowena as well as Crowley. I think Rowena loved Crowley. I wish she had the chance to tell Crowley that, or at least show it.

s13 ep20(unfinished business)

Fenrir from Norse mythology, right? I realized the last part was similar to Steve and Tony's argument (Marvel). we'll löse, we'll do that together too… they lost, steve wasn't there. i hope sam could be there when it comes to that. I can't be sure about deaths when it comes to tricksters. I even wondered if Loki replaced Gabriel at the end, but they wouldn't do such a thing because the story would be extended unnecessarily and there is no need for such a thing. i missed our kevin, he wouldnt do that. poor jack. mary sees her as a son:)

s13 ep21(beat the devil)

rowena and gabriel? little awkward but funny. In the beginning ep was hilarious but then it all went dark. rowena didn't run, this time she stayed. she has changed(the winchester effect). lucifer's bar scene was awesome. Sam died and came back, thanks to Lucifer. I'm glad he is back but lucifer brought him. they found jack and mary. dean watched his brother die, again. and the look on his face is telling everything. im glad the brothers are back together.

s13 ep22(exodus)

no, mary. i know you want to help the other World but your boys came for you. you shouldnt do that to them. lucifer is not entirely wrong. yes he does so many bad things but sometimes he does good things. like most of the villains on spn he is complicated. I've seen the scene where Cas and Lucifer drive the bus on the internet before, but I didn't think it was real. I thought it was someone's dream or something. i know lucifer is bad but he tried to do the right thing. he fought Michael, and now he is doing bad things because sam wouldnt let him come with them. sam has hs reasons but now lucifer is going to help Michael nd i think he is not happy about it because h will have brought Michael to the other world, just as his relationship with Jack was getting better. and he knows this will upset his son. Gabriel isn't really dead, right? Otherwise they woudn't have zoomed in on his face. its always good to see bobby but i wish we couldve seen our bobby with the boys and our Charlie.

s13 ep23(let the good times roll)

I would like to see charlie and rowena together. Dean's dream is very beautiful, but with their luck, it is impossible. I wish it could happen, no one deserved retirement more than them. but i dont think they would get a happy ending. This is how I wanted Dean to treat Jack from the beginning. Dean's speech was beautiful. soft dean is my favorite, he is kind and sweet when he needs to be. I love him. I was going to believe in Lucifer because he wanted his son and was doing good things just for him, but in the end he ruined everything again. Dean, you tried so hard to keep Michael from getting to you. I wanna cry. michael has dean, i hope dean can beat him. Is Lucifer really gone? dean… i want to kill Michael. i hope dean will be the one to kill him. The suit and hat suit Dean very well. Just when good things are happening, everything turns bad, and every season, boys cannot find comfort. Can't the kids relax for just one season? There won't be a big bad guy for the end of the season, maybe if they want they can hunt like in the first season or just have a good time together in the

bunker. only 1 season. I wish… but it's impossible. i just want to see them happy.

[nauticalparamour]

ALL TOO SOON

Adrian x Hermione, Salazar x Hermione | M | Complete | 23k song inspo. ephemera. Hermione, Ron and Ginny return to Hogwarts after the war to help with rebuilding the castle. Hermione puts long hours in to salvage the library's impressive historical collection under the supervision of Adrian Pucey — Ron and Ginny would prefer to spend their time at the Three Broomsticks. Hogwarts has something special planned for Hermione, though. As she peels back the layers of time, she gets the chance to explore a completely different sort of magic and a better insight into Hogwarts' mysterious founders.

FFN | AO3

• • •    • • •     • • •     • • •     • • •    • • •    • • •

"I'm really sorry to bother you. My questions must seem so preposterous," she said, wanting to apologize for annoying him when she clearly had. "I just...I feel a little bit like I've hit my head. These people...these famous witches and wizards shouldn't be here."

Before he was able to formulate an answer to her apology, Hermione was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

"And just who is this little witch?" a booming voice asked.

"Oh Godric, you scared me!" Hermione said, pressing a hand to her chest to slow her rapidly beating heart.

"You don't say?" the wizard said with a great belly laugh, before lifting his mug to his lips. His great, red mustache rested in the foam of whatever ale he was drinking.

Hermione blinked at him, taking in every inch of him. He was barrel-chested and broad, with long ginger hair and beard. He seemed to be of an age with Rowena. It was with that thought that Hermione realized who he was. "Godric Gryffindor?" she stammered, wondering how it was true. "Hogwarts founder?"

"Ha, yes, the very same," he said, staring at her with twinkling green eyes. "Salazar, where did you find this delightful witch and why have you been hiding her away from everyone else?"

Salazar, Hermione said to herself, her eyes widening. Could it be that the wizard she'd run into was none other than Salazar Slytherin? Oh no, something really must have gone wrong.

[garmonboziasworld]

Danni Winchester has left her brothers in 2006 after the death of their father, John Winchester. The siblings haven't spoken in years but when the Darkness is released, Danni reunites with her brothers. If she had known what turn her life would take from that moment on, maybe she wouldn't have come back at all. But you can't run from destiny, can you? A Supernatural Lucifer x OC Corruption Arc/Soulmate Trope

Also on ao3

Masterlist

Tumblr: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Chapter 10: Don't think, Danni, feel

Weeks had passed without anything on Amara or Castiel. Until one day, they finally got a lead.

“Sam! Danni!”

Dean yelled through the whole bunker until his siblings were joining him in the war room.

“What is it?” Sam asked.

“Crowley just called. Looks like he broke free from Lucifer's chains and now he claims to have a Hand of God. He wants to meet us so get in the car, I'll explain the rest later.”

They did as they were told and just a few minutes later, they were on their way to St. Louis to meet with Crowley at the old post office. After a small rant about how Lucifer had kept him as his prisoner and that he must be dealt with, Dean had enough.

“That's what we came here for? Some lousy grudge match with Lucifer? Where's that Hand of God you talked about?”

“The Horn of Joshua. I have it. And I'm willing to entrust it to your capable hands.”

“If we do what?”

“If you help me exorcise Lucifer from Castiel's vessel. And then, return him to his cage immediately.”

“Even if we could exorcise him out of Cas,” Danni said, “there's no way to put him back into the cage without Rowena. Lucifer snapped her neck.”

Crowley eyed her cautiously. “And how do you know that?”

“He told me.”

“Ah, of course he did. You're his darling after all.”

“Hey, that's not the topic here right now, okay?” Dean said. “Fact is, we need Lucifer to defeat Amara. He has defeated her before. He might be the only one powerful enough to use the Horn.”

“Dean's right,” Sam said. “Priority is to put the Horn in Lucifer's hands and set him loose on Amara.”

“After we exorcised him out of Cas and put him into a new vessel,” Dean added.

“What?” Sam asked. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Dean answered. “We're not gonna send Lucifer into battle inside Cas. What if he doesn't make it?”

“Dean, it's a strong vessel. It's held Cas for years and we know what he's been through. It can hold Lucifer.”

“It? It's not an it, Sam, it's Cas. He's family.”

“And he wanted to do it,” Sam remarked. “Look, this is exactly how we always screw ourselves. We make the heart choice, not the smart choice. Cas’ choice deserves to be respected.”

“Even if it kills him?”

“It's killing me listening to you two bitches bicker!” Crowley's angered voice stopped Sam and Dean. “I gave you the terms of my deal. You put Lucifer back in the cage, then you get the Horn. And if he's not back in the cage, the Horn stays hidden.”

“That's not reasonable, Crowley,” Sam said, “even for you.”

“I don't need to be reasonable. I'm the King.”

Danni sighed. “Crowley, Lucifer is strong enough already but with the Hand of God, he'll be strong enough to defeat Amara. And he's the only one who can do it. Sending him back to the cage won't do any good in the fight against Amara. What are we supposed to do with a Hand of God if we have no one suitable to use it? We need him.”

“Oh that you need him is no surprise to any of us.”

But their conversation was interrupted by a rumbling of the ground. They all stepped outside the post office and looked into the sky which had darkened with thunder.

“I think that's her,” Dean said and they quickly went back inside.

“So what now?” Sam asked.

“Was that enough reality for you, Crowley?” Dean asked but Crowley stayed stubborn.

“Why are we arguing?” Crowley asked. “We all know that he has to go back to the cage.”

“Yes, when it makes sense,” Sam said. “Amara is the bigger picture here. He gets rid of her with the Horn of Joshua, then we get rid of him. Check. So are you with us now or what?”

“No,” Crowley answered. “I have the Horn and without that, you're lost.”

Dean approached Crowley. “When we sprung Lucifer from his cage, we had Rowena and the Book of the Damned. And we'd need both to put him back there. And both of which are gone.”

“Ah, guys?” Sam interrupted them. “Look at this.”

He pointed at a rusted cabinet with a burned message on it.

Back from the dead, Fergus.

Dean was spraying a huge enochian sigil onto the ground. They had met with Rowena in an abandoned church, prepared to summon Lucifer and exorcise him out of Castiel.

“I hate this,” Sam said. “And by the way, where's Crowley? We're essentially all set up.”

“Yeah,” Dean said. “He boxed us into this so the least thing he could do is-”

“Show up?” Crowley completed his sentence. He was suddenly standing in the church with the Horn in his hands. “Here it is. Our bait. Because without bait, a trap wouldn't be a trap, right?”

“For the record, we still think this is a bad idea,” Dean said. “We should be using him, not icing him.”

“I know. You told me often enough now. So Mommy,” Crowley said, facing Rowena, “tell us the fascinating story about your resurrection.”

“Thanks to a spell I had embedded in my body,” Rowena explained. “And once it sensed my life energy draining, the spell was activated and resurrected me. And since then, I have been hiding. Because if he knew I'd be alive, I wouldn't be so any longer.”

“Oh, and no mucking around like last time,” Crowley warned her. “The warding and the holy fire won't keep an archangel but for a moment. If he shows up at all.”

“He'll show,” Danni said. “He's too eager to take Amara out.”

“If you say so,” Crowley said and wanted to hand her over the Horn but he stopped and gave her a warning look. “No tricks.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don't know, like handing him over a powerful weapon without hesitation? Because you can't help yourself? How about that?”

“You think I'll just place it into his hands?”

“All I think is that it shouldn't be you talking to him.”

“Are you expressing concerns about betrayal and backstabbing? You, Crowley? Seriously?”

“Crowley’s kind of right, you know?” Dean asked. “Are you sure you want to cast the summoning spell? We can do it as well and you hide with Rowena.”

“No,” Danni answered. “We talked about this. The second he sees you, he'll know it's a trap.”

“Alright,” Dean nodded. “Fine. But as soon as we get the feeling that this is getting out of hand, we're stepping in.”

“Dean, I know what I'm supposed to do. Making sure he takes the bait, then we exorcise him. Which is still a stupid idea.”

“You tell him,” Dean said and nodded into Crowley's direction.

“And you wonder why I don't trust you?” Crowley asked. Tired of arguing, he gave Danni the Hand of God. “Go ahead whenever you're ready.”

She sat down on one of the benches and started to recite the spell to summon Lucifer. Loud thunder rolled through the air and the others hid before Lucifer appeared in the centre of the sigil. Danni quickly lighted the holy oil around it, creating a ring of holy fire that trapped Lucifer, just to be sure. He looked around, amused and his eyes landed on Danni holding the Hand of God.

“Hello gorgeous. And hello Danni.”

She scoffed quietly. “Charming as ever.”

“I've got a reputation to lose.”

“It wouldn't do you any harm to lose that reputation.”

Lucifer laughed quietly. “Oh, I hate to admit it but I missed this.”

“I didn't summon you to bicker.”

“No? Too bad. Then why did you? Changed your mind about moving downstairs? Honeymoon in hell?”

She looked down at the Horn, then she looked at him again. “A gift of reconciliation. Considered how our last meeting in the bunker went.”

“Aw, you shouldn't have.”

“Listen, our best chance to take Amara out is you using a Hand of God. I'll give it to you. But I have a few conditions.”

“Are you in a position to make conditions?”

Danni ignored his question. “You will deal with Amara, get out of Cas’ vessel, and you'll leave. Just like you promised you would.”

“Yes. If you keep your mouth shut and don't say a word to anyone. We know how that turned out. So why should I still do it?”

“Will you do it, yes or no?”

“If I say yes, how would you know I don't lie?”

“I guess I just have to trust you.”

Lucifer's amused laugh echoed from the church walls. “Oh my, you have to start learning that you can't trust me. I mean look at you, the last time we saw each other I tried to kill your brothers and now here you are, bringing me a Hand of God. It's pathetic how much you want to please me.”

“You think that's what this is all about? You? Not the nearing end of the world and all our death?”

“You tell me,” he said and shrugged. “You're the one who's bringing me a powerful weapon like a dog who's playing fetch. Where did you get that anyway? It's not like they're lying around every corner.”

“I spared no expense and effort for you.”

“Didn't expect anything else from you.”

“Will you help us now, yes or no?”

“Alright, how about that … I’ll handle Amara and leave Cas’ vessel. The rest is up for negotiation.”

Danni looked at him and slowly nodded her head. “Okay.”

“Pleasure doing business with you, darling.” He clapped his hands and looked at Danni. “Let's get to it. Douse the flames.”

“Just one more thing,” Danni said and looked at his anticipatory face. “The order wasn't quite correct.”

“What?”

She put the Horn aside and quickly sliced the inside of her hand and activated a sigil drawn on the table. The sigil on which Lucifer was standing started to glow and he slowly lost control of the vessel. As soon as he was unconscious, her brothers and Crowley rushed out of her hiding place. Dean didn't lose any time.

“Cas?” Dean called. “Cas, show yourself.”

After a few seconds, Castiel was back in control. “Dean?”

“Cas?”

“What … what are you doing? What's going on?”

“Cas, listen to me. We don't have a whole lot of time, okay? You've got to-”

But Dean didn't get far. Castiel was struggling to keep the upper hand and after a short moment, it was clear that he was gone. And that Lucifer was back in control. He laughed, visibly amused and straightened again.

“Look at that. It's Crowley, Sam and Dean. Smells like betrayal in here, doesn't it?” He laughed once more and shook his head. “Wow, you guys almost had me there for a minute. But these spells are not just what they used to be, right?”

“Cas!” Dean yelled. “Expel him! You got to kick Lucifer out. You hear me?”

“Honestly?” Lucifer asked. “I think he's happy with the arrangement. I mean, he did invite me in after all, Dean.” He slowly walked to the end of the sigil near the burning fire ring and eyed Danni. “That was a huge mistake, Danni. Tricking me. You should know better than that. Hand over the weapon. Or we can just wait for this warding to fail and I'll just take it.”

Danni saw how the sigil on the table slowly stopped burning, meaning that the sigil controlling Lucifer's powers wouldn't work any longer.

“Guys?” she called.

Before her brothers could react, Crowley quickly left his vessel and the red smoke of his essence entered Castiel's vessel which was standing in front of them motionless.

“What the hell?” Dean asked. “What is he doing?”

“Don't know,” Sam said and eyed the motionless vessel. “Let's just hope Crowley knows.”

“What do you think is going on in there?” Danni asked.

“No idea,” Dean said.

In the background, Rowena left her hiding space. “We're losing time! Look, the warding starts to fail.”

“Come on, Cas,” Dean grunted. “What the hell.”

“Dean? Sam? Look at that …” Danni pointed at Crowley's empty vessel. On his forehead, the words Help me appeared burned into his skin.

“Alright, we'll get him out of there,” Dean said. “Sam? Grab the cross, we're exorcising him.”

Sam started to chant in latin. Castiel's vessel was shaking and Dean splashed holy water on it. It took a bit but eventually Crowley pulled back out and entered his original vessel again. 

“Crowley?” Sam called.

“Useless,” he said. “Lucifer's hold on him is too strong.”

“Lads, the fire!” Rowena yelled and quickly hid herself again.

The holy fire went out and as soon as it did, Lucifer came back to consciousness. 

“Oh shit …” Danni mumbled and grabbed the Horn.

“Well …” Crowley said and simply left them.

“It's just like Crowley to leave right when the party is getting started,” Lucifer said. “Have a seat.” With a gesture of his hand, Sam and Dean were forcefully pulled down on the church pews. The only one still standing was Danni since his force didn't work on her. 

“Really, Danni? I mean all of this? Come on,” he said and looked at her, shaking his head. “Trick me? Lying to me? Trapping me? Exorcising me?”

“To be fair,” she started, “it was Crowley's idea.”

“I'm not interested in your excuses.” His voice left no doubt that he was angered. 

Danni raised her hands placatingly. “Let’s prepone those negotiations you talked about.”

Lucifer laughed his dark, quiet laugh which didn't mean anything good. “You were in a bad position to negotiate before but it even got worse.” He took a few steps into her direction since there was no holy fire or sigil left to trap him. “I thought you're supposed to be on my side? Fulfilling my every wish? But see, that's exactly why I have trust issues in our relationship, that's why I said I don't need someone like you. You're just like everybody else. I mean, you said yes, you accepted being my soulmate and still here we are. You betrayed me, just like everyone before you. But, I tell you what, I don't hold grudges. I'll give you one more chance.”

Danni felt her brothers’ eyes on her. This was probably one of the worst scenarios how this could have ended for them. She sighed deeply. “What do you want me to do?”

“Don't worry, all you have to do is give me the Hand of God.”

“Danni, don't,” Dean said.

“Oh right, you two are still here as well.” Lucifer chuckled and eyed Sam and Dean. “Right on cue, I'm reminded of your existence. Because you see,” he said and looked at Danni again, “if you won't give me the Horn, I'm going to kill them. Maybe just one to start with, so in case you'll change your mind, you're left with at least one of them. Or I'm feeling generous and I'll free you from both of them.”

“You don't have to blackmail me,” Danni said. “You can have it.”

“Danni, what the hell?” Dean grunted.

“Dean, we need Lucifer to defeat Amara. He might be the only one powerful enough to use the Horn against her. I know you're worried about Cas, we all are. But our priority is to get rid of Amara. Crowley's plan was stupid right from the beginning. We all know it. Just because his ego was too big for that tiny vessel of his.”

“He had the Horn, we didn't have a choice,” Dean said.

“Yeah, but now we have it,” Danni responded. “So now we're doing it our way. Lucifer gets the Hand of God, and he'll take care of Amara. And once he did, we'll take care of the rest. But first of all, Amara needs to go.”

Danni looked at Lucifer and after taking a deep breath, she handed him the Horn. Lucifer took it from her with a mischievous grin.

“I do have a little gift for you as well. I hope you like it.”

He balled his fist and Sam and Dean started to grunt in pain. 

“Sam? Dean?” Danni watched her brothers who had difficulties breathing. “What are you doing? You got what you wanted! You said you wouldn't hurt them!”

“Didn't I tell you that you'll have to learn not to trust me?” 

“No,” Danni exhaled and looked at her brothers. “No, no, no. Don't. Please. You're killing them!”

“That's the intention, darling.” He kept on torturing them until the wall of the church exploded. And to everyone's surprise, Amara entered the church.

“Lucifer,” she said. “Dear Nephew. My, you've changed. I came here because I could feel you hurt Dean.”

“You were safely sealed away,” Lucifer responded. “You're going to wish you'd stayed there.”

Lucifer absorbed the power from the Horn and used it against Amara. A stream of Energy engulfed Amara in a white light. But after Lucifer had used all of the Horn's power, Amara was still standing. Now it was her who used her force against him. She raised her hand and pulled him over to her. She grabbed his face and looked at him.

“I think you and I need to have a nice, long chat.”

And then, she disappeared, together with Lucifer.

Sam entered the war room with three new bottles of beer.

“So, Rowena and Crowley. Like mother, like son. They both took only the split of a second to take off and leave us alone with him.”

“Yep,” Dean said and took the new beer out of Sam's hand. “Anyone who's surprised about that may raise his or her hands.”

“Who cares,” Danni said and peeled off the label of her beer bottle. “Archangel plus God power isn't enough to defeat Amara.”

“But,” Dean said, “if the thing has to be used by God's chosen, then maybe an archangel who got kicked out of heaven's cool kids club doesn't qualify.”

“And the Horn is out of ammo so back to square one,” Sam sighed. 

“So what now?” Danni asked.

“We can find another Hand of God.”

“Even if we can, then what?” Danni shook her head. “Do you know another one of God's chosen?”

“Actually, we do,” Sam said and looked at her. “You were chosen by God, weren't you?”

Danni scoffed. “Yeah, but chosen for what, Sam? I think being chosen as a soulmate doesn't qualify me for the job.”

“We can think about that later,” Dean said. “We don't have a Hand of God at the moment. Until we do, we find Cas and bring him back home.”

Danni massaged her temples and sighed. 

“You alright?” Dean asked her.

“Yeah, just … headache. I don't feel so well.”

“Hey, why don't you lie down, hm? It has been a rough day.”

“Guess you're right,” Danni said and stood up. She took a few steps but then she suddenly stopped and struggled, convulsing in pain.

“Danni?” Sam asked and when she stumbled to the floor, screaming in pain, he and Dean jumped off their chairs and quickly hurried to her side. “Danni!”

“What's wrong?” Dean asked and looked at her, suffering in agony. “What's going on?”

“I don't know, I … It just hurts,” she groaned in pain. “It hurts like hell.”

“What hurts like hell?” Sam asked concerned.

“My soul.”

A week had passed since Amara had taken Lucifer with her. And since then, Dean and Sam were desperately looking for any leads. On Amara, on Castiel and Lucifer, anything. One day, Sam came back into the library and saw Dean researching. He looked over his shoulder as he heard Sam approaching.

“How is she?” Dean asked.

“She's sleeping. For now,” Sam said and sat down next to Dean. A deep sigh escaped his throat and he stroked over his face.

“Any more of those pain attacks?”

“Yeah. They come and go. But it seems they're getting worse.”

“What the hell is that, Sam?”

“I don't know. But Danni still thinks it's her feeling Lucifer being in pain. She thinks Amara is torturing him.”

“Even if she is, why would Danni feel it?”

“Dean, she's his committed soulmate after all. They're connected. If he's in pain then maybe she can feel it, too? It sounds reasonable.”

“Great,” Dean said. “So it's not only Cas who's suffering but also our sister.”

“Well, it may sound awful but at least we know Cas is alive as long as Danni feels this pain.”

“I don't understand, Sam. Amara has beef with God, with Lucifer. But someone like Cas or Danni? She doesn't care about them. And if it meant hurting Lucifer, then killing Cas would mean nothing to her. We need to find him, Sammy. As soon as possible. Not just for his sake but also for Danni's. I mean how long do you think she can endure this? Look at her, she's looking awful.”

“I know, Dean, but what are we supposed to do? We have no clues at all.”

“You think I don't know that? We have to find some, Sam.”

“And we will. Okay? And until then, maybe it's best if we go out there, back to work. Keep moving, keep working.”

“And what about Danni? Do you want to leave her alone? She can't stay here all by herself. I mean what if something happens?”

“Of course I don't.” Sam scoffed.

“So what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can take her with us either.”

“Dean, we won't find Amara or Cas staying here in the bunker.”

“I'm not going out there while our sister is in the state she is in now.”

“I'll be fine.”

Sam and Dean turned around and saw Danni leaning in the door frame to the library.

“I thought you were sleeping,” Sam said.

“I was. But guess what, being in agony is quite the sleep killer.”

Dean eyed her and her pale face. “You are not fine, Danni, and we won't leave you alone. Not now.”

“Dean, there's nothing we can do,” she said. “And Sam's right, maybe you'll find something while being out there. I'll call you if anything happens or it gets worse, okay?”

“I don't like this.”

“Neither do I,” she admitted. “But we need to save Cas and defeat Amara and we won't do that while sitting around here in the bunker. So get out there.”

Dean sighed and Sam showed him something on his tablet. “Check this out, Dean. Hope Springs, Idaho. Guy named Wes Cooper killed himself after killing a coworker. According to reports, nobody knows why. Apparently, he was a perfectly happy guy, and then, snap. Could be soulless, right? And who is known for eating souls?”

“Amara,” Dean said. “Well, it ain't much but given what we got? I'll take it.” He looked over to Danni once more. “And you're sure that you'll be fine?”

“Fine is relative but yeah, I will. And if I won't, I'll call you.”

“Alright.” Dean sighed. “Then let's go, Sammy.”

Her brothers packed their stuff and left. Danni went back to bed and tried to get some sleep. But it wasn't easy. The rare times she could actually manage, it didn't last long because the pain woke her up quickly again. Whatever Amara was doing to Lucifer, it was awful. And she bet that it would even feel worse for Lucifer. She really hoped that her brothers would find any hints while being out there. She didn't want to worry them but she had no idea for how much longer she could endure this.

Dean and Sam had been gone for roughly a day now. Danni slowly crawled out of bed after sleeping for a bit. She felt weak, but given the circumstances, that was no surprise. Slowly, she made her way out of her room and into the kitchen. And to her surprise, she spotted Sam and Dean.

And Chuck. God.

“What the … Is that really you?”

He looked at her and smiled. “Hey Danni. It's good to see you again. Though I wish you'd be in a better condition.”

“ … how?” She asked and looked at her brothers.

“He just showed up,” Dean said. “Standing there in the middle of the road.”

“Why did you come back?” She asked Chuck. “Why now? Couldn't you have shown up a little earlier?”

“Uh, Danni, you better do not piss off God, okay?” Sam said.

“I don't care, Sam. He didn't care about anything. Or anyone. He just …” Danni looked at Chuck. “You told me everything would be alright once I did what you wanted me to. And I did it. But nothing is alright. We're-”

A sudden wave of pain hit her and Dean was quickly at her side, catching her before she collapsed onto the ground.

“Breathe, Danni. Okay? Just breathe.”

“I … I can't,” she gasped and held on tight to Dean's shirt.

“You can. Don't panic. Just breathe, in and out.”

The pain stopped as quickly as it started and Danni finally took a deep breath. She looked up at Dean. “It's getting worse. We don't have much time left.”

“What's wrong with her?” Chuck asked Dean.

“She's feeling pain. Probably Lucifer's.”

“Of course she does,” Chuck said. “She's his soulmate. That's why she shares his pain. By saying yes, her soul intertwined with his grace and now she's feeling whatever he's feeling. If he's suffering pain, then so is she. To take some of the burden off of him and endure it herself. That's the magic of soulmates.”

“There's nothing magical about being in cruelsome agony,” Danni spat at him. “And it's your sister who's doing this to him. I did what you asked me to so at least have the decency to return the favour. If she wins and kills all of us then saying yes to your screw-up son was worth shit.”

Chuck looked at her and he sighed deeply. “You're right. You're totally right.”

Dean helped Danni to sit down and Chuck continued.

“You have to understand this about the Darkness. She's relentless. A force beyond human comprehension. It's the only reason I came off the sidelines.”

“So, where is she?” Dean asked.

“I don't know. She warded herself specifically against me. What have you guys come up with?”

“Nothing,” Dean said. “And we're at it for months.”

“Well,” Chuck said, “matter of time.”

“We don't have time!” Danni said angrily. “Amara has Lucifer and he isn't doing well. And probably Cas neither.”

Chuck looked at her and sighed. “Didn't I tell you that your connection is a powerful one?”

“Yeah.” Danni said. “And?”

“Well then use it.”

Danni huffed and looked at her brothers before she looked at Chuck again. “What do you mean, use it? How?”

“If you can feel his pain, you can also feel him.”

“You mean I can locate him?”

“You can, yes. Use your connection, use your shared pain. Reach out to his soul. Or grace, in his case.”

“You think you can do this?” Dean asked her.

“I uh … maybe? I don't know,” Danni answered. “It's … I don't know how.”

“Trust yourself, Danni,” Chuck said. “Just open up. To everything. To your feelings. You did it once, you can do it again.”

“You say it, I already did that. So what exactly do you want me to do?”

“You may have accepted what you are, what you're feeling. But you're not allowing it. You don't see yourself, and him, as what you are. Soulmates. You have to start viewing him as exactly that. Your destined mate. This feeling of guilt and shame, the fear of what others might think about you …” He gave Sam and Dean a short glance. “It's holding you back. It's restricting you. Don't think, Danni, feel.”

“I can't … If I do it, I … I'm scared of the consequences.”

“Don't be scared,” Chuck said. “There's nothing to be scared of.”

“Danni?” Sam put his hand on hers and squeezed it. “It's alright.”

“Sam, you don't know what you're saying. This … connection, embracing it to the fullest, accepting whatever I'm feeling, truly accepting it … There's no going back then. Do you understand?”

“Look, no matter what happens, nothing will change between us. We're your brothers. Always have been and always will be. Get that?”

Danni looked at Dean and he simply nodded. “It's okay. Sammy's right. We got you. Wherever this is going.”

“Alright …” Danni said quietly and squeezed Sam's hand in return. Suddenly, Dean's phone was ringing and he picked up the call. Whoever he was talking to, it was a short conversation.

“Who was it?” Sam asked.

“Metatron.”

“Metatron?”

“Who the hell is that?” Danni asked.

“He used to be an angel and my scribe,” Chuck answered.

“And what did he want?” Sam asked Dean.

“Said he got some information we'll need to know. He wants us to meet. Something he gotta show us. That was it.”

“Alright, then let's meet him.”

Danni and Dean were sitting at the table in the war room when the door opened and Sam entered. But he wasn't alone. He had company.

“Alright, don't touch anything, okay?”

“Dean!” The other one said and walked up to the table. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“I didn't invite you, okay? You've been circling the bunker and you sent me like 200 messages with dumb-ass emojis. You got three minutes.”

The man sat down and looked at Danni.

“Danni, right? Completing the Winchester trinity.”

“Yeah. I've been meeting an ass full of people lately, who the hell are you now?” Danni asked, looking at Metatron.

“I'm Metatron.”

“Aha …” was Danni's short answer.

“Not the chatty type, huh?”

“She's got other things to worry about, okay? She's trying to find Lucifer.”

“Lucifer? By what, just sitting around?”

Dean looked at him. “She's his soulmate.”

“Oh God the Almighty,” Metatron whispered and looked at Danni. “So it's true. I wrote the prophecy about Lucifer's soulmate myself all this time ago when I was God's scribe but I never thought it would actually come true. No one did.”

“Yeah, we all wished it would have stayed that way but look at her,” Dean grunted.

“She said yes, didn't she?”

“Yeah. And know she's trying to find him, okay? Because wherever he is, Amara is there with him.”

“And what exactly is he doing here?” Danni asked Dean and nodded at Metatron.

“He wants to help. He knows a lot of spells and he learned that God wants to suicide himself out of the whole situation, leaving us alone with the Darkness.”

“And I want to save him,” Metatron said. “I was at his side since the creation. So if there's anything I can do, I will do it.”

“Alright,” Dean said. “The plan is to rescue Lucifer from Amara once Danni finds him. Then he teleports us out of her hideout and we use him to fight Amara.”

“And how exactly are we going to keep Amara busy while liberating Lucifer?” Metatron asked. 

Dean sighed. “I guess that's up to me. She came to me, wanted to see me.”

“What?” Sam said. “When?”

“Doesn't matter when, Sam. It's a perfect diversion for her, that's what matters. So once we're ready, we go our separate ways.” Dean looked at Danni. “We're ready whenever you are.”

“I … I just need a moment.” She left the table and retreated into the kitchen. She grabbed the edges of the kitchen sink to stop her hands from shaking and looked at herself in the mirror. 

You may have accepted what you are, what you're feeling. But you're not allowing it.

Chuck’s words were echoing in her head. He was right. She didn’t allow it. Not just because she was scared of what Sam and Dean, and Castiel, would think about her, but also because of all the things Lucifer had said to her since he had been freed from the cage.

Are you afraid you could do something, let's call it, sinful? Something forbidden? Something so morally wrong and defiling that the guilt you'd be feeling would eat you up?

You'll be putty in my hands.

You'd give in to me without hesitation. And do you know what I'd do then? I would twist your soul, corrupt it, and turn you into something your brothers would hunt down.

I'll just grab you and you'll join me in hell. And you won't be able to help it but to be devoted and obedient.

And especially, she remembered one thing he said to her. After she’d asked him why he simply didn’t just take her since she was nothing but his property in his eyes and she’d already said yes.

You did. True. But somehow, that doesn't seem to be enough. Guess that's one of the many soulmate mysteries no one knows the answer to. Or maybe you just didn't mean it? Anyway, it may stop you from being, let's use a word you're familiar with, submissive, but it won't stop me from simply grabbing you and dragging you with me to wherever I want.

Was that it? Didn't she mean her ‘yes’? Was her not allowing their connection to its full content what was holding her back to be what Lucifer wanted her to be? Was that what was stopping her from becoming his willing puppet? If so, then … 

“God, I can't.”

She couldn’t do what Chuck asked her to do. Not if this was the consequence.

But then she thought about Castiel. He said yes to Lucifer as well and let him in, and he did it to save the world. Of course she couldn't compare what he did to what she was about to do. But it didn't matter. They were facing the end of the world. And as her father told her once, in order to get everything, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything. Sam and Dean had sacrificed so much already on their journey until this day. Their friends, their souls, their lives. Now it was her turn. The thought made her skin crawl, she couldn’t remember a situation in her life in which she had been more scared. But she needed to have trust. In her brothers, Castiel, herself. Maybe even God. Maybe he’d never allow any of those things Lucifer taunted her with to happen. After all, Chuck did nothing but encourage her to embrace the bond with Lucifer. He wouldn’t if he knew it would end bad for her, would he? She took a last deep breath and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her family and friends needed her. And they were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.

“Alright, Danni,” she said to herself. “No more running. And no turning back. Allow the devil in.”

She let go of the small kitchen sink and slowly walked back to the others and as she did so, she felt something deep inside of her uncoiling. Like a knot that finally loosened. She stopped in her tracks and supported herself against the wall. She felt as if she was trapped in a cocoon, unable to move. But then, as quickly as it had appeared, the numbness faded away again. And what remained was difficult for Danni to grasp. All she knew was that she felt different. And she was … cold? No, not really. She felt cold, but she wasn't.

“Is that you?” She whispered, asking herself that question. Was that Lucifer's grace she was feeling? This cold rush pumping through her veins with every heartbeat? It had to. It felt strange, and Danni had to get accustomed to this new sensation for a few moments. Then, she slowly continued to walk into the war room and all eyes were on her as she entered. She took a deep breath and looked at everyone at the table.

“Reach out to her.”

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: A Haunting in Venice

In the landscape of cinema these days, its all about the action packed superhero genre and not really about the smaller and more intimate stories. In the right hands, the smaller and more human based stories can be something special and this franchise continues to be just that. Agatha Christie's famed detective is back and I was genuinely excited because of the amazingly crafted and fun previous film entries. This time around we get something a little more spooky in the famous murder mystery series and it is perfect for the Halloween season. Seriously, think about how many murder mystery films come out around this time that are perfectly themed for the occasion. Not many are and that is why I was surprised by it. There were moments where some of the characters felt a little cartoonish because of the accents, but it was part of the charm. The characters are as rich as expected and all of them have a distinct part to play which felt essential and perfect.

Kenneth Branagh returns once again as Hercule Peroit and he continues to be so much fun to watch. His charisma and immediate attention to detail is always exciting to witness. I loved that with each entry we get to see the layers of Hercule and this time we get to see a side of him that is lonely and somewhat painful. It doesn't take long for his analytical brain to start working and when he's on the case, nobody is safe. His witty remarks and analogies were hilarious and deep cutting. Tina Fey joins the series as a fellow detective and famous friend of Hercule, Ariadne Oliver. The chemistry and banter between was fun to watch and even though her part to play in this story was a bit obvious, it was still cool to see it all deconstructed. Her accent was a bit all over the place at times as you could hear her restraining from sounding like the typically exaggerated 1940's dame. Riccardo Scamarcio was awesome and intimidating as his personal bodyguard, Vitale Portfoglio. I enjoyed his steadfast nature and his connection to Hercule. Jamie Dornan was great and endearing as Dr. Leslie Ferrier. His depiction of PTSD from World War 2 is something I haven't seen before during that time period and was refreshing. Jude Hill was outstanding as his son Leopold. The amount of insight and maturity the kid has in the most extreme situations was astounding and masterfully handled. Kelly Reilly is always wonderful to watch and as Rowena Drake, she delivers an emotionally charged performance that is layered and intense. Michelle Yeoh was excellent as Joyce Reynolds and she truly sets off the supernatural nature of the story. I liked that she was consistent for the most part, but there was one scene that really showed her hand and it was a bit disappointing. Emma Laird and Ali Khan were great as her assistants Desdemona and Nicholas Holland. They had your typical story of wanting a better life, but there is a fun twist that happens with them. Kyle Allen was good as Maxime Gerard and I liked that even though he was antagonistic, he had a sense of humanity that comes to light in the latter half of the film. Camille Cottin was good and steadfast in her faith as Olga Seminoff. I liked that she was the most honest person in the film and even though she had plenty of motive, she stayed true in the face of danger.

The score by the wonderful Hildur Guðnadóttir was excellent and haunting in the best way. She nails that slow and creepy build to the horror elements of the story and keeps the emotional beats strong when characters are talking about the victims. Visually the film is gorgeous with the use of shadows and lanterns. I always loved the look of eroided stone walls and classicly painted murals. From beginning to end, this was a fun and spooky murder mystery that dabbles in the supernatural without being overly cheesy and keeps that same quality of storytelling that started with Murder on the Orient Express. I genuinely enjoy these films and I can't wait for another mystery for Hercule to solve. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[lightinxthedark]

The Physician

((bio under the cut!))

Name: Ámaryllis Fallohide

Nickname(s): Áma, Ryll

Race: Hume

Gender: Cis female (she/her)

Age: 40 years old

Height: 5'4"

Face Claim: Angel Coulby

Hometown: Vencuro, Rozarria Archades, Archadia

Orientation: queer

Occupation: field medic, private physician/mage for House Solidor and the Judge Magisters

Family:

biological: Darith Fallohide (father); Brandis Fallohide (mother); Aden Fallohide (brother); Seban Fallohide (brother); Rowena Fallohide (sister); Palina Fallohide (sister); Valerian Fallohide (brother)

adoptive: Walden Fyrth (father); Agnes Fyrth (mother); Magnus Fyrth (brother); Josefina Fyrth, née Kantor (sister-in-law); Catrine Fyrth (neice); Olina Fyrth (neice)

Notable Habit(s): wringing her hands together; pinching the bridge of her nose

Disorder(s): C-PTSD

Personality Trait(s): Ámaryllis has a reputation for being bitter and snappy, but it's true only to an extent. In reality, underneath her prickly exterior, she's a gentle soul with a passion for helping others. She finds satisfaction and purpose in her work as a physician and mage, and takes pride in her skill in both medicine and magicks. She has little tolerance for the egos of the Judge Magisters, and isn't afraid of calling them out and putting them in their place to treat them and make sure they follow through with whatever orders she's given them. She has a private dream of one day returning home, however, and while she hides it well, it's a sadness she can't shake.

Bonus: pinterest; spotify

Background:

cw/tw for: war, familial separation, death

Vencuro was once its own kingdom, far west of Rozarria and even further south of Archadia. Although small, it flourished with open plains perfect for farmland. For years, it thrived in isolation from the city-states that would grow to become Empires, but like all good things, the flourishing kingdom soon met its end by its own hands. The plains were overworked, the soil unable to recover, and their crops dwindled rapidly. The people panicked, with some leaving to find a better place to live, and those that remained were soon met with a storm that destroyed what little they had left.

But the land was rich in a resource they had yet to access - a resource not even Rozarria could confirm was there - and Rozarria swooped in to lend a hand. Although the budding Empire was yet young, House Margrace was willing to travel the distance to offer aid in exchange for Vencuro to become part of Rozarria. The kingdom of Vencuro was hanging by a thread, and the people eagerly accepted the Empire's offer. Vencuro became a city under Rozarria's banner, and, as Rozarria had hoped, oil was found flush beneath the ground. Once again, Vencuro thrived, but remained content under the Empire.

Ámaryllis was born in Vencuro many years after Rozarria took control, and a few years after they went to war with Archadia. At the time, Vencuro was left alone, for it was far from both Empires, and the oil-rich city was something Rozarria was fiercely protective of. She grew up carefree, despite it all, alongside five older siblings, and remained unaware of the horrors that were happening across the sea.

But when Archadia learned of Vencuro and the resource it offered, they struck.

When Ámaryllis was six, Archadia launched an invasion onto the western edge of Kerwon, and destroyed Vencuro completely. Rozarria was blindsided by the attack and scrambled to the defense, but it was too late - Archadia successfully claimed a chunk of territory as their own, driving Rozarria further east, and spared few survivors.

In the chaos of the attack, Ámaryllis was separated from her family, and was discovered hiding by a few Archadian soldiers. Yet, instead of killing her, they took pity on her, and shuttled her back to Archadia alongside a few others. It was their way of "saving" those poor souls from Rozarria's neglectful eye, and it wasn't long until she was adopted into a noble Archadian family.

She kept her first name, though her surname was changed to Fyrth, and she hated them. They were a family that neither loved her nor hated her, but simply used her as clout. They fed her and clothed her, and sent her to the best school in Archades, but they only cared about the attention adopting her brought. They were given money by the Archadian government for their "troubles", and their social status was elevated by their act of kindness. Even at her young age, Ámaryllis was painfully aware of the reason why they took her in, and looked forward to the day she would never have to see any of them again. Yet, she knew better than to try and rebel against them, afraid of the consequences that could follow, and kept her head down. She went along with the act, pretending to be grateful, but her resentment of them and of Archadia lodged deep into her heart. Did her family miss her, she wondered? Did they think there was a chance she was still alive, or did they think she was dead? Would she ever see them again?

Even as she grew up, those questions remained with her, but Ámaryllis continued to adapt to her changing world. She grew more distant from her adoptive family and had few friends, and tended to keep to herself and her studies - preferring to spend her time on schoolwork, or studying magicks and medicine in her spare time. As often as she dreamed of one day leaving Archadia and returning home to her true Empire, she began to set her sights on becoming a physician when she was older. She was fascinated by the world of medicine, and the stronger her magicks grew, the more she focused them on healing. Science and magick being used together was nothing new, and she wanted to be able to help others, even if it meant she would need to first help those in an Empire she'd grown to resent. It was something she loved that Archadia could not take away, and something she hoped could one day help her escape.

As soon as she was old enough to move out, Ámaryllis did just that, and changed her surname back to her original one in a small act of defiance. She got a small apartment with the money given to her from the Empire to keep her there, and joined the military. To anyone who knew her past, it was dismissed as her being loyal to the Empire that "saved" her, despite her name change, when in reality, she knew it would be the best way for her to escape. She trained specifically as a field medic, using both medicine and magick to heal, and believed she would be able to flee to Rozarria if she could escape to them during the chaos of battle.

What she hadn't expected was how different it was when Archadia had invaded her city all those years ago.

On the frontlines, Archadia kept their medics in tight check, and rarely allowed them to venture out in the thick of a fight. They were eager to keep them alive so they could do their duties, and... despite her resentment, when Ámaryllis was first deployed, the thought of leaving left her mind as she rushed in to save those that had fallen. Most soldiers were young, closer to her age, with an eagerness to serve their Empire. Some of them were seasoned veterans, and all were of different ranks and from different stations. Some injuries were minor at best, while most...

Like all the rookie medics, it took a while for Ámaryllis to be able to stomach the horrors she witnessed.

She remained a field medic despite the brutality of it all - despite the yearning to return home - and clawed her way up the ranks as her magicks grew stronger. She adapted to the bloody chaos of active war and established herself as someone worthy of respect, and her skill as a physician and mage was not lost on the Empire. She gained the attention of those higher in command without realizing it, and she was one day approached by a Judge Magister with a promotion - to become a private physician for them and House Solidor. She would be removed from the battlefront unless ordered to go back, and given her own space within the palace, as well as a handsome pay. Although it was an offer Ámaryllis knew would mean giving up her dream of finding her family, she accepted it. It offered stability, and a distraction. After all, finding her family was nothing more than a dream, and it was a dream she couldn't keep chasing forever. As much as she felt out of place, she knew she had to accept that Archadia was her home.

At first, she hated her new position. Soldiers on the battlefield were grateful for her aid, but she felt like she dealt with children when it came to the Judge Magisters, and even some members of House Solidor. Her refusal to cow to their stubbornness and arrogant egos earned her a bit of a bad reputation, but her skill couldn't be questioned. She was certain of herself and what she was doing, and her use of medicine and magicks offered a quicker recovery. But, like before, she adjusted to it, and accepted it for what it was. She cared little for the cutthroat politics and posturing of the Magisters and House Solidor, but it kept her busy, and gave her a sense of purpose.

And it was her new position that gave her a new hope. As Ámaryllis cared for House Solidor, she saw the change in Emperor Gramis. It was slow, but she saw his weariness for the war growing, and saw in his youngest son the dream to end it completely. Although she saw the opposite in Vayne, it was enough to give her the tiniest spark of hope that the war would one day end, and maybe, just maybe, she could return home after all.

[alleiradayne]

In Through The Out Door | Art Master Post

Castiel was dead. Again. And it was all Dean's fault.

After failing to drink himself into an early grave, Dean finds a little resolve to pick himself back up and do the right thing: save people. With Sam and Jack by his side, and a little help from a few other survivors, they take on Chuck, restore the world, the multiverse, and everything's back to the way it oughta be.

Everything but Castiel, that is.

Dean clings to a death wish five miles wide after that. And he gets that wish, dying on a hunt. But the worst is yet to come when he wakes up and finds himself in the Empty. And he's not alone.

Chapter 8

Summary: With new knowledge, Sam, Dean, Rowena, and Jack put together a plan to take out Chuck once and for all... Warnings/Tags: More Samwena flirting, Dean's depression getting worse Characters/Pairings: Dean Winchester, Michael (Adam vessel), Sam Winchester, Rowena, developing Sam/Rowena, Jack Word Count: 1971

“Find anything?”

Dean tossed the current book he had been staring at for the better part of an hour onto the table. It snapped closed upon impact.

“No,” he growled, then softened when he saw Jack’s crestfallen face. “Sorry, buddy. I can’t… I’m struggling for motivation.”

Jack closed the book he held and returned it to the nearest shelf. “My friends would sympathize here with ‘valid’.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and Dean almost let it take hold. But before he could, Sam burst through the northern library door, two books in hand: Death’s book on God and a small leather-bound notebook. He was about to ask what the hell had taken him so long, but then he caught movement behind Sam.

The tiny redhead skipped ahead, trying to keep up with Sam’s too-long strides, and Dean nearly leaped out of his chair. He rounded the end of the table, heading straight for Rowena, and wrapped his arms around her. Despite their past, Dean thanked… not God. Obviously. Free will? Yeah. He thanked whatever free will was left to them that someone else had survived Chuck’s assholery.

“Christ, Rowena, it’s good to see you—as much as I hate to admit it.”

She returned the hug, then leaned back. “I’m so sorry, Dean. About…”

Son of a bitch. Did everyone know? A rueful scowl raised his hackles. Everyone consisted of five people now, himself included. So yeah. Everyone did fucking know.

Rowena’s concerned frown returned him to the present. “It’s fine. I’m… managing.” He brushed it off—you know, like he always did—and pressed on. “What did you find?”

Sam scanned the room, brow furrowed. “Where’s Michael?”

“Michael?!” Rowena shouted a little louder than Dean thought necessary. “As in this universe’s Michael?”

“Yeah, didn’t you notice the Cage was a little empty?” Dean snapped.

“I did but that doesn’t mean I have any clue as to his whereabouts,” she retorted. “I thought he got raptured like the rest of the planet. I only realized Sam was alive when he said my name—”

“You Beetlejuiced her here?!” Dean shouted.

“No!” Sam insisted, but Dean continued to glare. “Okay, fine, I did, but it wasn’t on purpose. I was just thinking out loud and… poof. There she was.”

“Alright, forget it, Michael’s in the kitchen.” Both Sam and Rowena glared at him as though he’d sprouted a second head. “Apparently, he gained an appetite for cheeseburgers while he was in the Cage. I’m not gonna explain it. What did you two figure out?”

Rowena gestured at Sam. “Your brother seems to think we can reap Charles.” 

Dean glanced towards Billie’s scythe, leaning in the corner near the liquor cabinet, then he shifted to Sam. “How?”

“The scythe works no matter who swings it, we know that from… experience,” Sam began. “Billie always said she would do it, too. Maybe that’s what the end of the book says.”

Dean gestured to Billie’s book and said, “What about that word, ‘artifice’?”

Sam breathed in to speak just as Michael entered the war room. Dean gave him a passing look, but when he turned back to Sam, he froze. Sam’s wide-eyed stare and working jaw said plenty even though all he managed was a poor imitation of a fish out of water. By the time Michael topped the library stairs, Sam had recovered, and Michael appeared not to have noticed the momentary blue screen.

“Artifice. Yeah… ” 

Stalling. But for what?

“I followed a trail of leads. It took a while to get on it, but once I did, it leaped across the country from city to city.” He paused, swallowing hard. To Dean, it looked like he was still struggling to find the right words.

The right lie. 

“As far as I can tell, it’s some weird primordial artifact, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. To be honest, I think it’s a diversion.” With another pause, Sam tore his stare from Dean and looked directly at Jack. “Every trail I found led me back to a location just outside of Poughkeepsie…” He sucked in a breath as if to brace himself, then continued. “But that was it. A dead end every time.”

Poughkeepsie.

Dean’s blood ran cold as ice, like he’d cannonballed into an open lake in the dead of winter. When Sam’s stare snapped back to him, Dean saw it, plain as day. Then he shot a glare at Michael. He hoped to—son of a bitch, not God, clearly not God, but someone. Castiel, then. He hoped to Castiel that Michael had missed that trade, too.

Jack, however, had definitely not missed it. Confusion knotted his brow and he tilted his head, looking every bit the son of Castiel. That awful ache shot through Dean’s chest at the thought. Other memories, painful ones, assaulted him. The night Jack was born. Lucifer. Mary. Everything since. Then the most recent: nearly collapsing in the wake of Michael pouring his power into Chuck’s death book.

Poughkeepsie.

Beating wings buffeted him with a rush of air. Sam had his Taurus in hand before Dean had even reacted, but even he was too late. Michael was gone.

“That can’t be good,” Rowena stated. “Since when can they fly off again like that?”

“I’ll bet you a million dollars,” Sam started, “that Chuck allowed it. And Michael is doing exactly as ordered.”

“As ordered?” Rowena repeated. “Like a—”

“Yes,” Sam interjected. He couldn’t be completely sure about the Bunker’s wards. A little caution never hurt. “So we don’t have a ton of time to come up with this plan.”

Dean pointed at the scythe and nearly shouted. “You can’t be serious, Sam. I wanna kill the bastard too, but this is a suicide mission.”

“Normally, I’d agree with you. And I’d also tell you that it was worth the risk but… ” He gestured vaguely around himself at nothing in particular, and Dean understood. No one left to stick their necks out for. So that meant…

“Reaping God isn’t the real plan.”

Dean glanced at Jack again. “What do you mean?”

“Rowena, can you… cast something? Just use some of your power?”

“Won’t Charles detect it?” Rowena asked.

“I have a working theory that he will not. Please?”

Rowena’s lips narrowed to a thin line, but she raised her hands anyway. “I’m trusting you, Samuel.”

A crimson glow brightened her eyes, and Dean slowly reached for his Colt at the small of his back. Brighter and brighter, Rowena’s advanced magic surged, bright red weaves coiling from her fingers. Sam might trust her, and while Dean had forgiven her, he would never forget the pain she had put them through in the past. He trusted her about as far as he could throw her. Which, he admitted to himself, had to be at least a few feet. She was pretty damn tiny after all.

Just as his fingers reached the mother-of-pearl grip, Rowena’s magic flickered, and Jack’s surged from zero to a hundred in a single blink, eyes glowing molten gold. Then the Queen of Hell’s magic snapped, fizzling apart with a whip-crack. Jack gasped as he doubled over, gripping the table and shoulders heaving.

Sam reacted quick as lightning, catching Jack as his knees buckled. Once steadied, Jack waved off his concerned questions and straightened, spine stiff as steel. “I’m fine, I swear. It’s a lot to take in all at once, but I’m starting to get the hang of it. I felt like I had more control that time.”

Dean thought he understood. Maybe. Probably. Enough to get Sam’s angle. It was risky. Sort of. But if it worked? Even if he and Sam died but it put an end to Chuck’s bullshit and brought everyone back?

Worth it.

“What in the bloody blue blazes was that?!” Rowena bellowed. “What have you done to the poor boy this time?!”

“We didn’t do shit, and we don’t have time to get into it,” Dean lied, speaking over Sam. If he had to explain how they had ended up in this situation—son of a bitch, Cas, why did you have to go and be a big damn hero again? If he had to tell it a second time, he might lose his fucking mind. “Do you think you can do it, kid?”

“If I understand the plan… I think so. But I need more,” Jack said. “I… don’t think I could even get near him yet.”

“We’ll figure out the approach. And you’ve already done it to an archangel once before,” Sam said as he glanced at Rowena. “Chuck’s terrified of you. You’re the artifice. His contrived plot device that he couldn’t control. It’ll be both a literal and figurative ‘Death of the Author’.”

Death of the Author, Dean thought. “What, like American Psycho?”

Sam blinked several times as he appeared to struggle with the analogy. “Actually… yeah, sort of. In a backwards way. Chuck had his own intentions while writing our lives. But then he introduced Jack. Hell, I’d argue that it started with Cas. He was the first character that escaped. And he helped us get out, too. All of us.”

Dammit, Cas. Dean snapped his glare down to his boots when the sting hit his eyes again. 

“But what are we going to do about Michael?” Rowena asked.

“He ran home to Daddy,” Dean grumbled. He breathed in deep, shoving the fresh ache in his chest back down. Then he picked his head up, looking Rowena in the eye. “To tattle on the humans. Again.”

“Which makes this entire plan that much easier,” Sam said. “But we gotta lean into the trap hard or it won’t work. Chuck will sniff it out so fast…” He searched the library until he settled on Rowena. He considered her a moment, his eyes narrowed, his smile crooked. Then, just as he opened his mouth to speak, Rowena bowled him over.

“Oh no,” she declared, hands raised defensively. “No. I am not bait. I won’t do it.”

“Please,” Sam begged. He set the books on the table, then held out his hands. “We need your help. And I think you need ours. I can’t imagine Hell is all that entertaining without anyone in it.”

She rolled her eyes at him, and Dean wished they’d just get a room already. Then she sighed and dropped her hands in Sam’s. “Fine. But I get the scythe. And whatever magic I want to use. This part of the plan is mine to orchestrate.”

“Deal.”

That was way too damn fast. “Did you just make a deal with the Queen of Hell?” Dean demanded. “Really, dude?”

Sam regarded Dean a beat, then returned to Rowena, one brow raised. “Do we need to… make it official?”

Rowena sized him up, looking him over from head to toe and back again. “Only if you’ll enjoy it.”

When Sam hesitated, Dean knew he had to do something. “I swear if you two do this in front of me, I will—”

 “Alright, alright, honor system then,” Sam said as he set her hands at her sides, and Rowena had the absolute audacity to appear disappointed. If he’d eaten anything recently, Dean might have puked right then and there.

Sam stepped back then, propping himself up to half-sit on the end of the library table. Rowena’s sardonic frown hardly managed to hide her smirk, and that wicked glimmer in her eye told Dean everything he needed to know. He could chew through iron if he had to keep watching them flirt.

“The floor is yours,” Sam said to her. “How are we gonna pull this off?”

Rowena pulled out the chair beside him and seated herself, reclining regally as though it were her throne.

“I think a lakefront beach would be fitting. He hates sand…”

This series is complete! Reblogs are loved and feedback is welcome!

In Through The Out Door | Art Master Post

[nukethebees]

For some reason on Monday night I started doodling all these Arthurian characters, and wound up doing 23 in total. They were all drawn in a fairly looser way on pieces of paper that were about the size of my palm.

Arthur

Kay

Sir Ector

Sir Ector's Wife (Couldn't remember what she was named, looked up the wives of Cynyr Ceinfarfog the next day, so it's a choice between Sefin and Anna.)

Constant

Maine, Constant's eldest son

Emrys, Constant's second son (I used his Welsh name as opposed to calling him Ambrosius.)

Uther, Constant's youngest

Vortigern

Vortimer, Vortigern's eldest son

Catigern, Vortigern's second son

Pascent, Vortigern's third son

Faustus, Vortigern's youngest (And I initially misremembered his name as Faustinus, hence the correction.)

Vortigern's Daughter (Again, couldn't remember if she was named, and when I went to look it up I couldn't find anything.)

Hengest

Horsa, Hengest's brother

Eosa, son of Horsa

Octa, son of Hengest

Rowena, daughter of Hengest

Osla, son of Vortigern and Rowena (That's a detail I made up. Osla is mentioned as being part of Arthur's court in Culhwch and Olwen and is Arthur's opponent at the Battle of Badon in The Dream of Rhonabwy. In my telling Rowena does not die with Vortigern but rather returns to Saxony with little Osla--not to be confused with the modern German state of Saxony--after the deaths of Vortigern and Hengest and the capture of Eosa and Octa. Years later, while Arthur is distracted by his wars with the rebel kings, Osla leads a Saxon invasion of Britain with the aim of winning the High Throne. It all culminates in the Battle of Badon in which Osla is defeated. Arthur afterwards makes a truce with Osla, in which both sides agree to live in peace and Osla recognises Arthur's kingship. Osla goes on to become a Knight of the Round Table.)

Adhan's father, a prosperous farmer

Adhan's mother

Adhan, the mother of Merlin (The name Adhan comes from the Prose Brut, which seems to be the only medieval text I've read about so far to actually gives Merlin's mother a name).

Those are the ones I've done so far.

[theoisgoneagain]

Gen 4

Ornelle Rosen

Ornelle was born as the first child of John Hawthorne in 1347. At 13 years old, in 1361, while working in the fields of her family’s farm, a 29-year-old man named Atticus Rosen passed by and took an immediate interest in her. He paid her father, John, a substantial sum of money and arranged for their marriage, a common practice in medieval times when marriages were often based on financial or social alliances rather than affection.

That same year, she gave birth to her first child, Margery Rosen. Over the following years, Ornelle bore three more children: William, Thomas, and Edith. Tragically, in 1386, at the age of 39, Ornelle died from complications related to childbirth.

(The Rosen Family, I can't find any pictures of Ornelle though)

Ryder Hawthrone

Born in 1348, Ryder was the first son of John and became the heir to the family estate. Unlike many of his siblings, Ryder witnessed the deaths of only two family members in his youth. He found solace in working the family’s fields, spending much of his time tending to the chickens and crops, responsibilities typical of peasant life in medieval England.

In 1368, at the age of 20, Ryder married Lassie Woode. That same year, their first daughter, Alice, was born. Over the years, Ryder and Lassie had seven children, though three died young, as was common due to the high child mortality rates in medieval times. In 1378, during the birth of their last child, Ida, Lassie tragically passed away from childbirth complications, leaving Ryder devastated.

In that same year, Ryder was called to serve in the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict that had raged between England and France since 1337. He left his children under the care of his father, John. While he was away, tragedy struck again when his daughter Isabelle passed away in 1382.

Fortunately, Ryder survived the war and returned home safely in 1383. Over the following years, he watched most of his surviving children marry and start families of their own. In 1395, Ryder’s father, John, passed away after a long life, marking a turning point for Ryder as he assumed full control of the family estate.

In 1408, Ryder was once again called to serve in the ongoing conflict. He returned home in 1413 but had grown weary and physically worn from the years of war and hard labor. He spent his final years working in the fields and helping his son Richard raise his children. Ryder passed away in 1420 at the age of 72. Alfred Hawthrone Alfred was born in 1349 but tragically passed away just one year later in 1350, falling victim to the Black Death. Bedelia Hawthorne

Bedelia was stillborn in 1350, never seeing the light of day. Garry Hawthrone

Garry was born in 1352 and married young to a woman named Corliss. Together, they had two children, though their names are not on record, which was not uncommon for families of lesser social standing. Garry lived a quiet life, working the land and raising his family, passing away in 1405 at the age of 53. As a child he looked like a copy of his uncle Cooper.

Edward Hawthrone Born in 1354, Edward married Rowena Hawthorne and had one child with her. Unlike some of his siblings, Edward lived a relatively peaceful life, avoiding the conflicts and tragedies that plagued many during this era. He passed away in 1400 at the age of 46.

Sims 4 History Challenge

Gen 0

(I was playing with the parents before, definitely not recreating a certain movie, before I started the challenge)

William Hawthorne was born in 1280, and three years later, in 1283, Marry Chambers was born. In 1290, both were aboard a ship that sank during the voyage. William, a cabin boy, had taken the job to earn extra money for his peasant family. Marry, the daughter of a wealthier peasant, was travelling with her father. After the shipwreck, William and Marry were stranded on an uninhabited island for several years. With the help of other survivors, they learned how to survive and make use of the island's resources.

As time passed, many of the other survivors perished due to various causes, such as illness, madness that led them to attempt escape by swimming, or violent disputes that ended in murder.

As William and Marry grew older and entered adolescence, they lacked the knowledge and guidance about proper conduct and relationships. Consequently, in 1296, they had their first child, Holden.

In 1297, the pair was finally rescued and returned to their families. However, because Marry had been involved with someone of a lower social class, her family insisted she marry William in 1298 to protect their family's honour. This marriage, however, was not unwelcome by either William or Marry, as they had grown close during their time on the island.

In 1300, shortly after their marriage, their second child and first daughter, Joslyn, was born.

[mad-as-a-box-of-frogs]

Until you forced me to get back in the game, I'd tried to forget about Lucifer. I loathe him, and I loathe that I had any part in letting him out of the pit he belongs in. [...]  But if you get Lucifer cornered and find yourself in need, I'm there.

Rowena McLeod in The Foundry (12x03): Best of SPN Ladies [245 / 327]

[deangirlsstuff67]

Death Confessions

Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: mutual pining, soft Dean, language, mentions of smut, mentions of death

Summary: the boys and you are on a hunt only things don't go according to plan...

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

You hate witches. Can't stand the miserable pricks.

Tonight, you and the boys had finally tracked down the local witch in town. Or should you say witches. Plural. And oh yeah, ex lovers as well.

The pair had decided to wage an all out war on one another and didn't seem to care that innocent people were getting hurt in the cross fire.

At some point during the battle, you were struck with a spell. You didn't think anything of it because nothing happened. The boys killed the pair while you were recovering from the blow and you got the hell out of town.

It's been 3 hours into your drive and you aren't feeling so hot anymore.

What the fuck did they do to you.

You're shivering but hot to the touch. Your stomach is in knots. And every time the oldest Winchester looks at you in the rear view mirror, you feel your underwear dampen.

Sam's asleep in the front seat and Dean is humming along with ACDC as he drives you all back to the bunker.

You don't want to panic anyone so you decide to wait it out. Rowena and Crowley are there currently and you're sure she will know what to do.

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

Another 3 hours and the impala is pulling into the underground garage the bunker has. You've managed to pretend as if your sleeping to keep the boys from worrying.

Sam turns around to wake you when he notices somethings wrong.

Very wrong.

You're covered in a thin layer of sweat. You're burning hot to touch. Your body is shaking uncontrollably, and you can barely keep your eyes open.

"Dean, something is wrong with y/n." Sam yells at his brother, who is unloading your crap from the trunk.

Dean comes running around to your door and opens it, almost ripping it off its hinges. Seeing you in this state makes his blood boil with concern and a protectivness. Reaching in he gentle cradles you to his chest and with Sam's help gets you into the bunker.

Dean's gruff voice breaks through the fog in your mind. His strong arms feel like bliss as he hold you close. His aftershave surrounds you, making your mouth water. A small moan slips from your lips as you feel your walls clench around nothing.

"Sammy go get Rowena. Tell her y/n was hit by one of the witches. I'm taking her to my room."

You vaguely feel him place you in his bed and cover you in his blankets. His scent is all around you and it's clouding your mind with nasty thoughts about the green eyed hunter.

You've always had a crush on Dean. He's charming, built like a damn model, and treats you as if you're the most precious thing on this earth.

Sadly, the womanizing Winchester has never looked at you more than a best friend. You hang, watch movies together, train once in a while, and he cooks you amazing meals. Nothing more than friends, and you're okay with that.

Better than nothing.

Whatever they hit you with is bringing out your desire for Dean. The same desire you buried deep down and try to avoid at all costs.

Another moan slips out as you feel slick running down your thigh.

Fuck this is embarrassing.

Just then, Sam returns with Rowena in tow. Thank God. Please make it go away. He can't find out like this.

"Oh dear. Sweetie what are you feeling?" Out of all the witches you've developed a soft spot for the red head in front of you. Sure she always has an end game that benefits her, but the woman is strong and resilient. You've got to respect that.

"Cold and uncomfortable." You don't know how else to describe it without completely embarrassing yourself.

Rowena exams you. You see when she clues in. The knowing smirk on her face.

"Well the good news is she will be fine. However," she looks over at the boys then, "someone will have to stay with her tonight and help her work it out of her system."

Dean and Sam share a confused look before Sam speaks up, "what?"

"It's simple. For whatever reason the witch cast a fuck or die spell. I'm sure y/n here wasn't their target but either way she needs to fuck it from her system or she will die in 24 hours."

Your eyes go wide as you listen, "I'm sorry, what?!?"

"It's the only way Dear."

"No. There has to be something else you can do Rowena. Anything else." You were too busy freaking out to catch the look of disappointment the crossed Dean's face. However, Sam wasn't. Even though the oldest Winchester never admitted it out loud, Sam knew how his brother felt about you.

"Y/N it's okay. Dean can stay with you and help you any way you allow." The younger brother said before he motioned for Rowena to follow him out of Dean's room. Leaving you and the green eyed hunter alone.

--------------‐-------------------------------------------------------

"Y/N let me help you." At this point the spell has gotten so bad you won't allow Dean to touch you. Which is of course frustrating the living hell out of him.

"No, Dean its okay."

"The fuck it is. You're dying and I can help. Why won't you let me?"

"It's too much to ask from you. We're friends Dean but even friends have limits."

"If it saves you I'm willing to do anything!" He's temper has taken over. Not understanding why you won't let him save you.

What the hell, you're dying anyway.

"Are you serious Dean!" You're outburst shocks him. He goes to speak but you cut him off.

"No Winchester, shut up and listen. For three years I've watched you take home girl after girl. For three years I've sat at that table or in your Baby and listened as you told us everything you did with them the night before. Not once complaining. Not once telling you how jealous I fucking was. I'm not your type and I get it. But don't think for one minute I will throw away the closet thing I'll ever have with you just to save my life." You point your finger in his direction as you continue.

"I fucking love you dumbass. I've been waiting, hoping you'd see me more as what we are. Hoping you'd get your head out of your ass and see that I'm the perfect girl for you. I'm a freaking hunter. I know the life and the risks. But no, instead you waltz every bimbo you can in front of me like some prized fucking pig."

Before you can continue chewing him a new asshole Dean pounces on you. Strong finger tangle in your hair and his soft lips dominate yours. The surprise subsides and you begin to kiss him back.

"You done yelling at me sweetheart? Cause I got something to say. I've loved your snarky ass since the moment you told me to blow you three years ago when we crossed paths on the vampire hunt. I love everything about you and I only ever got with those women because I knew you could do better than me. I'm not worth the pain y/n, but God dammit if you feel the same than why not try. "

He pushes his large erection into your wet core. You can't help but moan at the feeling. Dean smirks down at you.

"Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to fuck you good and hard for as long as we need to so we can save your life. Then I'm going to make you breakfast before I spend the day worshiping this beauty body how I should. You okay with that princess?"

"Don't call me princess."

"Shut up and kiss me woman."

And kiss you did. Every part of your body as he did exactly as he promised. Fucking you in every position. When he's big, fat cock needed a break he was making you cum with his tongue or fingers. Over and over again until your body began to go back to normal and fatigue set in.

When you woke in his warm, safe arms you found Dean staring at you. You've never seen his eyes shine so bright.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah I am. Thank you." You lean up and kiss him.

"Let's get you some food." He jumps out of bed and walks to his dresser, finding you one of his shirts. You through it on before you walk out of his room hand in hand.

Sam is already sitting at the table when you walk in together. He looks up from his tablet and just smiles.

"Shut up Sammy." Dean barks as he swats your ass and begins to get the ingredients for breakfast.

"I'm just happy Dean. You got your girl and we didn't lose y/n."

Dean looks over at you and smiles. Fuck you love that man.

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

Taglist:

@syrma-sensei @yvonneeeee @nancymcl @foxyjwls007 @lessons-of-red @senjoritanana @leigh70 @tristanrosspada-ackles @maggiegirl17 @neii3n

[allthingslinguistic]

All Things Linguistic - 2022 Highlights

2022 was a year of opening up again and laying foundations for future projects. I spent the final 3 months of it on an extended trip to Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, which is a delightful reason to have a delay in writing this year in review post. 

Interesting new projects this year included my first piece in The Atlantic, why we have so much confusion on writing the short form of "usual" and 103 languages reading project: inspired by a paper by Evan Kidd and Rowena Garcia. 

Continuations of existing projects: 

Return of LingComm Grants

A survey for those using Because Internet for teaching

10 year Blogiversary of All Things Linguistic: highlights from the past year and highlights from the past decade

6 years of Lingthusiasm

Conferences/Talks

LSA 2022 and judging Five Minute Linguist

I was on panels about swearing in SFF and the Steerswoman books at a local literary speculative fiction con, Scintillation

I was on panels at WorldCon (ChiCon 8) in Chicago: Ask A Scientist, That's Not How That Works!, and Using SFF for Science Communication

I was a contestant for the second time in Webster's War of the Words, a virtual game show fundraiser for the Noah Webster House.

I attended the Australian Linguistics Society annual meeting in Melbourne and the New Zealand Linguistics Society annual meeting in Dunedin, where I gave a talk co-authored with Lauren Gawne called Using lingcomm to design meaningful stories about linguistics

Lingthusiasm

In our sixth year of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics which I make with Lauren Gawne and our production team, we did a redesign of how the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols are layed out in a chart, in order to correspond more closely with the principle that the location of a symbol is a key to how it's articulated. This involved much digging into the history of IPA layouts and back-and-forths with our artist, Lucy Maddox, and we were very pleased to make our aesthetic IPA design available on a special one-time edition of lens cloths for patrons as well as our general range of posters, tote bags, notebooks, and other all-time merch. 

We also did our first Lingthusiasm audience survey and Spotify for some reason gave us end-of-year stats only in French, which I guess is on brand, but we were pleased to see notebooks, and Lingthusiasm is one of Spotify's top 50 Science podcastsF/href.li/?https:/www.redbubble.com%2Fi%2Fmouse-pad%2FAesthetic-IPA-Chart-Square-by-Lingthusiasm%2F129215087.G1FH6&t=OTkxYjYxYjNmMzA1M2VhNGViOGIxZWIxOGI0NDRjYjE2YTIzYTE2NCw2YTgzNDQyZTM3MzY0YjRkNjc3NGJkNzhhYzJhMzk3ZjA2Y2NkYzIz&ts=1684794278">other all-time merch!

Main episodes from this year

Making speech visible with spectrograms

Knowledge is power, copulas are fun.

Word order, we love 

What it means for a language to be official

Tea and skyscrapers - When words get borrowed across languages

What we can, must, and should say about modals

Language in the brain - Interview with Ev Fedorenko

Various vocal fold vibes

What If Linguistics

The linguistic map is not the linguistic territory

Who questions the questions?

Love and fury at the linguistics of emotions

Bonus Episodes

We interview each other! Seasons, word games, Unicode, and more

Emoji, Mongolian, and Multiocular O ꙮ - Dispatches from the Unicode Conference

Behind the scenes on how linguists come up with research topics

Approaching word games like a linguist - Interview with Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer of Spectacular Vernacular

What makes a swear word feel sweary? A &⩐#⦫&

There’s like, so much to like about “like”

Language inside an MRI machine - Interview with Saima Malik-Moraleda

Using a rabbit to get kids chatting for science

Behind the scenes on making an aesthetic IPA chart - Interview with Lucy Maddox

Linguistics and science communication - Interview with Liz McCullough

103 ways for kids to learn languages

Speakest Thou Ye Olde English?

Selected Tweets

Linguistics Fun

aunt and niece languages

Swedish chef captions

IPA wordle

wordle vs kiki

creative use of emoji and space

resume glottal stop

dialects in a trenchcoat

which of these starter Pokemon is bouba and which is kiki

(for no author would use, because of the known rendolence of onions, onions)

acoustic bike

An extremely charming study by Bill Labov featuring a rabbit named Vincent

Rabbit Meme

Cheering on linguistics effects (Stroup and Kiki/Bouba) in a vote on the cutest scientific effect name

Old English Hrickroll

The word you get assigned with your linguistics degree

Sanskrit two-dimensional alphabet

Cognate Objects

Linguist Meetup in Linguaglossa?

baɪ ði eɪdʒ ʌv θɚti

j- prefixing

"But clerk, I am Bill Labov" (pagliacci meme)

Usual winner

Because Internet Tumblr vernacular

Linguist "Human" Costume

Cursed kiki/bouba

dot ellipsis vs comma ellipsis

intersection of signed languages and synesthesia?

Antipodean linguistic milestone

Selected Blog Posts:

Linguistic Jobs

Online Linguistics Teacher

Impact Lead

Customer Success Manager

Hawaiian and Tahitian language Instructor, Translator & Radio Host

Language Engineer

Data Manager & Digital Archivist

Linguistics fun

xkcd: neoteny recapitulated phylogeny

Eeyore Linguistic Facts

Lingthusiasm HQ: Frown Thing!

xkcd is making a vowel hypertrapezoid

Title: Ships and Ice Picks: An Ethnographic Excavation of alt.goncharov

Missed out on previous years? Here are the summary posts from 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. If you’d like to get a much shorter monthly highlights newsletter via email, with all sorts of interesting internet linguistics news, you can sign up for that at gretchenmcc.substack.com.

[ofmythsandfables]

❈ — She returns his smile, brighter even as he agrees to her taking care of him. Rowena tried her best not to be overbearing with him. The man was as independent as they came, but he needed to know that it was alright for someone else to care for him for a change. Which was why, when the sorceress felt the opportunity was there and it was a right moment, she would jump at it.

"I know. Your baths are sacred to you. Which, with your profession, it's a good thing you enjoy them so much. We can't have you wreaking of monster guts all the time, love." Rowena teases her witcher and kisses him once more, fingers toying with the strands of white near his nape.

Although it is done reluctantly, the sorceress stands from Geralt's lap and walks over to the large tub. "Get undressed while I prep everything for you." Her palms hover over the water and light sparks from them, creating heat and heating up the liquid until it's steaming. Then she grabs a cloth, towel, and a scented oil and then pours it into the water, swirling it around with her fingertips.

"You know, the other evening I had been thinking of my days in Lyria when I served Queen Meve..." Blue orbs gazed into the swirling water, remembering walking through the gilded halls and all the banquets that were held. As well as the wars. "I couldn't help but compare them to my time on my own once I left the place."

Rowena glanced at Geralt and smiled warmly at him as he settled himself in the tub. Taking up the cloth, she dipped it into the water and sat beside him, starting to gently wash his arms. "I must say, seeing where it all led me, I'd leave Meve and her palace all over again if it meant finding you and then Ciri. This life I have found, that I have chosen, I'd choose it over any palace in any part of the Continent without protest..."

@taleswritten

❈ — True. There was very little room, if any at all, for some reprieve. But if he didn't allow himself some, Rowena feared he'd wind up stressing himself to a point of practically losing his mind. Everyone, including witchers, had their breaking points. Rowena would be damned if she allowed her witcher to reach it.

She smiles at his gentle kiss, and returns it by kissing his lips and lingering a moment. "You deserve it after all the good you've done by keeping her safe, my darling. She's been in good hands with you at her lead."

Rowena could feel the pressures of keeping Ciri safe with each passing day. She was also able to sense Geralt's growing stresses and anxieties. The sorceress would never be able to fully comprehend how he felt, but the bit she was able to feel was something she wished she could take away from him entirely, for she knew it plagued him. Rowena hoped and prayed incessantly this would all be over soon with the best possible outcome for Ciri, for she was their main concern.

"Now, how do you wish to be cared for this evening?" A hand came up to cup his stubbled cheek as her thumb gently smoothed over the textured surface. "A warm bath with your favorite scents? Massage? ...that could potentially lead to other things? Reading to you by the fire with your head in my lap whilst I play with your hair? All or none of the above? Or do you have other ideas in that beautiful brain of yours?"

@taleswritten