#angel is in charge of EXPLAINING references to me tho

[dipplinduo]

Incorrect S&S Ds —

Drayton, bemused, as he walks in on Kieran in Juliana’s room: Hey Kieran!

Kieran, slowly and murderously turning Drayton’s way:

Drayton: Nice Shirt!

Kieran: asgfjduekskc—

~~

Kieran, about Juliana: I. Am sick and tired. Of being IGNORED.

Drayton: I wish we could ignore you.

Kieran, about to blow a gasket:

~~

Kieran: As for me, I will find a level of strength beyond Champion Rank!

Drayton: So what, like— Mega Champion? Ultra Champion?

Kieran:

Kieran: You’re mocking me.

Drayton: MAXIMUM Over Champion-!

Kieran: FUCK OFF Toothpaste!

Kieran, storming away to go train:

Crispin: Why do you antagonize him like that, you know he could team swipe you right?

Drayton: At this point it’s a game! If he gives in, I win. And he knows that. ;))

Proud to say I recognize these references for once, and they are immaculate.

(Yes - Cosmic is in charge of letting me know when they fly over my head)

[soldmysoultootomeboys]

Obey Me Brothers Wedding HCS

Just some wedding headcanons for the boys bcuz i’m soft for them, Gn MC

Thinks about marrying Asmo => 😡💕💕

Lucifer

I can not stress how much this man would be a bridezilla

He’s probably the MOST high maintenance demon when it comes to this, even over Asmo

He gets so stressed over it too and when he's stressed he gets extremely snippy

It takes you knocking a little sense into him to get him back on track

He just wants your day to be perfect and with his brothers causing trouble it's hard to really focus on choosing a tablecloth

He won’t be any nicer to his brothers but he will try to avoid causing fights at this time simply because it's really important to him that ALL of his family is there. 

The night after proposing you find a beautiful envelope on white paper with gold trim in your room you realize it's a congratulation note from the celestial realm, presumably from the big man upstairs, it's still a heartstopping realization when you realize who your father in law technically is

Are you committing a sin marrying a fallen angel? Do you care?

It’s easier to ignore it than do anything else, although you do appreciate them registering for the coffee maker you had on your registry. You needed that. Mammon broke the last one.

Kindly begs asks you NOT to do anything crazy in the week leading up to it

Please MC his heart he's about to explode from stress please don't add to it, just for one week

Diavolo plans his bachelor party at the Fall with Barbatos. Invites you along and you have to explain how bachelor parties work

If it’s up to him the wedding will be all black with red accents eDgY mUcH?

At the altar he kisses you twice, first to show everyone that your his, the second time is just for you two, he hides you away from sight curling his black wings around you and holding you as close as he can bear

In the end it's a very happy celebration filled with good food, family, and friends

When you cut the cake feel free to smash a little bit in his face, this is your only chance, he'll be in too much of a good mood to retaliate...much

Mammon

Luxury luxury luxury

He wants solid gold altars, diamond encrusted bouquets, jewels imported from every corner of the world

He has so many plans (as well as a ridiculously long wedding registry)

But the moment you say you want anything he abandons them 

Whatever you want he wants, but if you wanted some diamonds too that would be great

He absolutely would be down for a wedding bouncy castle

He gets you the biggest diamond ring ever that he buys with his own money from a lot of shifts at Hell's kitchen and modelling gigs

He totally believes in the tradition of not seeing you until your wedding day but he also forgets so he walks in and as soon as he realizes you're getting ready he shuts his eyes and tries to run out. He'll only talk to you from behind the door. 

When he sees you walking down the aisle he falls in love all over again. And he feels like that a hundred different moments. It doesn't matter what you're doing, playing with your veil, wiping cake off the corner of your mouth, yawning, he loves you and loves that you’re his.

He could get married to you in a ditch and still be the happiest man in the world.

He's an absolute goofball and is smiling the entire time

The couple that during their wedding night end up jumping on the bed and having pillow fights while play wrestling

Levi

You really want to marry a gross otaku like him??? Why??

Not that he's complaining! He just doesn't get it. His brothers are so cool and Asmo is so much prettier than him and he doesn't have anything to offer.

It takes a lot of reassuring to convince that this is what you want to do

You two have this same conversation about a million times before the wedding. He just doesn't get why you actually like him. Once it finally sets in that this really is happening and it's not just some big joke he gets really into it and definitely puffs up around his brothers to show off

His first thought is a cosplay wedding and he'll beg for it to be Ruri-chan themed

Good luck getting Lucifer or any of his brothers to agree to dressing up, as funny as it may be

If you shoot that down it's pretty easy to convince him to do something else since mostly he's just excited to be with you

He still has a little Ruri pin on his suit collar and cufflinks

When you walk down the aisle he feels like he’s going to faint from nerves and when it’s time for vows he pulls out a huge list of all the reasons he loves you and why your his Henry, although about half of it compares things you’ve done to things in TSL

He only makes it through a quarter of the way before he gets embarrassed

When he lifts your veil he panics because your so pretty and he can’t handle it

You have to initiate the kiss and when you do he turns as red as a tomato

He tries to play it off but keep a strong arm around his waist unless he really does decide to pass out

He cools down once you guys are at the reception and gets especially excited the little custom made toppers of you two in cartoon form

Satan

He's a bridezilla but in the lightest sense of the word

He won't get upset over mix ups or even really wedding stuff like Asmo or Lucifer but his temper will be extremely fine during this time, especially when it comes to his brothers.

Throws an entire table through the window when Lucifer asks him if he knew where Mammon was

It’s a lot of stress to create the perfect wedding and he buries his nose in different books that can help him

He’s a bit of a perfectionist

The most classic and elegant wedding ever and he’d want to be involved in every step of the way

Very interested in your opinion and if it compares to human weddings

He flushes with pride whenever you compliment something he picked out

Includes casual literary references in his wedding but only so people who really know will realize

Wears a navy suit 

Asmo

Also a bridezilla and a petty one at that

There will be drama, there will be tears, there will be a part where he cries off his mascara because Andrealphus of the damned brought the white bouquets and he wanted the PINK ones. This is HIS day why is she trying to ruin it.

It’s a lot of work trying to keep the damage to a minimal

Part of the reason he gets so upset is because this is your day too and he wants it to be perfect. 

Prepare for a million dress rehearsals.

He wants to help pick out your outfit and makeup! But he also doesn't want to break human tradition...But he wants to help pick out your outfit and makeup so bad!!

If he manages to restrain himself he picks out the makeup artist and the stylizer because he knows what makeup you like and what looks best on your skin.

Most likely tho he'll want to see anyways and bugs you to let him in

You compromise by going shopping with him as he tries on a million dresses and suits

MC the suit on the right or the one on the left?

They both look exactly the same.

"...Left love." "That's exactly what I was thinking. I knew I could trust you to pick out the right answer!"

Even though he's very good at fashion your opinion matters a lot to him. Sure he could make himself look perfect but he wants to look perfect for YOU. He wants to be your version of perfect and if that means he picks the high cut dress instead of the low cut which flatters his waist better then he'll do it. For you.

He's the type to want to have all the spotlight on him so if you're walking down the aisle he's going to do it too! He does it first. HE says for the attention. In reality he wants to be able to see you the moment you step out the doors and down that hall.

Looks super perfect as he waits for you at the aisle but the moment you get married he starts ugly crying. He throws his veil back on so no one can see it but you just lift it up and kiss away his tears.

Even though it's a lot of work it's worth it to be with the demon you love...but if you shove cake in his face he'll seriously kill you, MC do you know how long this took?!!!!! :'(

Beel

He’s more than happy to do whatever you want

Whatever vision you have he's willing to make happen

He does his best but feels a little useless since keeps having to break for snacks

Wonders why you’d want to be with him when all he ever does it eat but he tries not to bring it up in case it would upset you

He honestly does have a lot of fun planning with you and his favorite part was when you got to taste test different cakes because he got to impress you by explaining all the little differences between each one

He ends up being in charge of everything food related and it helps him feel a bit better

Barbatos ends up cooking the dishes 

During the rehearsal he falls in love with you all over again and doesn’t want to let you go the entire time

He gets especially nervous during the month of the wedding

He starts stress eating, going through even more food than normal, but then he gets worried about fitting into his suit and starts working out even more than normal, which makes him hungry again. It’s a terrible cycle

Belphie manages to break him out of it by reminding Beel that you love him more than anyone else

Even though its his wedding he starts setting up just to get out some of his nervous tension until the others shoo him back inside

A huge 20 layer cake each tier a different flavor

He has his own personal cake that's even bigger than the other cake but he’s more than willing to share with you

You two do the cute bit where you smash cake in each others faces

Beel still eats it tho

As much as he loves his family he's so happy to be able to steal you away at the end

Belphie

Planning a wedding is sooo much work

He lets you choose whatever you want as long as you let him sleep

if it was up to him he'd want a small informal celebration with his family but if you want something bigger than he guesses it's fine. As long as he doesn't have to talk to anyone like Diavolo 

He uninvites Lucifer like three times, each time using extremely formal paper with beautiful cursive that must have taken hours. When Lucifer confronts him Belphie just says that it’s too late because he already gave away his seat. 

He only brings him back when you make him

He sleeps more than usual in the weeks leading up to the wedding. You think it’s because of the stress but in actuality he’s trying to save up his sleep so he’s more awake for the ceremony

As much as he may act like he doesn’t care, he really does want to marry you and it makes him happy to think that you’re going to be all his

Beel is obviously his best man and while Belphie waits for you to come down the aisle he leans against him to take a small nap. Or that's what he had planned. The moment the music starts he perks up and finds himself unable to even close his eyes, too fixated on the doors about to open. 

Feeds you the first bite of cake and then just...doesn't stop

He’s so in love with you all he can do is stare

Gives his slice of cake to Beel he'd much rather pay attention to you than eat

However he does smash a little in your face but it’s out of love <3

[galadrieljones]

There’s a TWD article out by someone who’s previewed some of 10C that says Daryl and Leah were out in the woods for five years. (So most of the timeskip after the bridge blew.)

It’s not a biblical seven years, but it’s close. Though it’s probably been seven years since they first met, what with Leah’s actress apparently back for season 11 🤔

Oh wow. What. 👀 For anyone who’s confused, this is a reference to my Daryl/Jacob Biblical symbolism post, and I have...more to say now! SHOCK.

Wait, it’s speculated that they were together for FIVE YEARS?! I’m super curious about this. See, I don’t look at Leah as a usurper, so much as just like a major symbolic opportunity. I know a lot of people are quick to dismiss everything this show does that bothers them as “bad writing,” but I find too much of that to be a cope. I can see how having to deal with seasons 7-8 over a period of years could wear a person down, but the writing for TWD is actually...often...good! It’s weird. It takes chances. Yes, it disappoints us at times, but that’s the rub. When it’s on, it’s fucking on. Seasons 7-8 were NOT on. In general, I noticed a really obvious, periodic decline in quality post-Coda and 5b tbh, and I’m not just saying that because of Beth. (Tho I am starting to believe more and more that Beth was not initially supposed to die, that her death was pressured based on some sort of perceived, utterly cracked backlash per the age difference. The writers then had to grapple for a while, and it was the beginning of the end for Gimple, who never got his shit back on track ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Anyway, I know I’m far from the first person to point out that Angela Kang wrote both “Still” and “Coda.” She wrote the first and final moments of Daryl and Beth, as we know it. Her vision for The Walking Dead also feels much more genre-forward to me, ie: post-Gimple, TWD has become much more of a genre piece, and I kind of think that’s important here when talking about Biblical allegory as a genre in and of itself. The Walking Dead begins and sustains for a long time as a sort of 00s era fabulism, a la shows like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos, which take place in a familiar world and focus on realistic relationships and situations, but the settings and scenes contain a light fabulism, or just this spare, Lynchian layer of magic, ghosts, mysticism, dream states. But in seasons 9/10, with Kang at the wheel, elements of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and even the American Western have really been ratcheted up. There are kings and queens and princes, tigers and horses and knights in shining armor and cowboys. There’s even a movie theatre. Plus the Whisperers, who are initially presented as supernatural, lead by Sycorax and Caliban creatures, and now the hard scif-fi nature of what’s going on with Jade, the helicopters, and finally the insane cliffhanger with Eugene, Yumiko, Ezekiel, and Princess. 

I’m just saying: I think we can only expect more of this. Like, rather than the very Frank-Darabont-esque “gestures” to genre in favor of realism, we can expect big, sweeping oceans of genre, in which “realism” becomes whatever the creators want it to be. When you start steering a show or a story this way, you’re opening up all sorts of possibilities, a la, anyone who’s watched Supernatural or the X-Files knows that where science fiction and fantasy are concerned, NOBODY IS EVER REALLY DEAD, NOT REALLY. We know that the show is priming us for the return of Rick. We know that Connie is not dead. No matter what, the notion of resurrection in this show is not only possible at this point, it’s inevitable. We know, too, that @twdmusicboxmystery​ and other TD sleuths have established in aces that even after five seasons, the writers have still never definitively closed the door to opportunity for Beth’s return, not in-show, not offset. In some ways, they even seem to invite it! I mean?

So now, with genre on display, and resurrection on the table, when I think about them bringing in LEAH, magically, like, I KNOW it’s on purpose. The writers could have named her anything. But they named her...Leah. Leah?? They also mysteriously removed one of the wings from Daryl’s vest during the 6yr time jump, something that has still never been overtly explained (which is on purpose, it’s a symbol, but of what?). In reading Daryl as a Jacob character, I see his lost wing as a symbol that he has fallen from his ascent to heaven, re: Jacob’s Ladder:

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. - Genesis 28:12

Jacob’s Ladder is a unique symbol in Judaism and Christianity because it not only communicates the traditional spiritual story of ascent (mainly: to heaven, or a to a heaven place, Elysium, spirit realm, etc), but also DESCENT. Angels are going up, but they’re also falling down. We cannot ascend in life without periods of descent, or backsliding, etc. Nobody is perfect. Season 10 (and honestly, seasons 5-10 but that’s another post) shows a period of obvious “descent” for Daryl. He is a fallen angel, but at the end of season 10, Judith (with her Beth braid and her Sheriff’s hat and her many resounding Beth themes), gives Daryl a new wing. Season 10 then ends on an upswing for Daryl. He defeats Beta, atones with Negan, and saves his people. He is heading up again. 

It’s worth remembering, too, that Daryl’s relationship with Leah is not new, or present. It is past-tense. It took place during a major descent for him. It is not Leah who lifts Daryl up out of this descent. In a purposeful choice by the writers, it is Judith--a clear symbol of his past, of Rick, and of Beth--who returns his wing to him. Judith is also an important symbol of the future. She survived against all odds, the firstborn of the apocalypse, a shepherd of her father’s people. 

SO, YEAH. It IS interesting. I am SUPER interested. In the wake of seasons 9/10, crazy genre-heavy seasons that introduce resurrection as a distinct, inevitable theme, Daryl’s weird, overt angel imagery, Jacob-parallels, and now: LEAH. Why would Kang toss in some random LI for Daryl, knowing full well what the reaction will be, only to then NAME HER LEAH? Jacob worked for seven years to marry Rachel, but he was deceived into marrying Leah instead. The notable caveat to this story is that, ofc, Jacob also gets to marry Rachel! but not until after his wedding period with Leah, and he has to work SEVEN MORE YEARS, too. Jacob gets kicked down a lot! His name literally means “heeled.” But in the end, he is the wrestler of angels, contender with God, father of Joseph, etc. etc. He ascends.

So I honestly have no idea what any of this means! But it makes me type a lot. And I DO know it means something, because it is true that, in The Walking Dead, everything means something, especially now, with Angela Kang, Bethyl writer and genre/symbol lover in charge, and with every bit of genre and every symbol ratcheted up to like, 11, and LEAH. No matter what, we can’t take it for granted!!

[mittensmorgul]

1- Oh, I guess we must have different interpretations of it then. Cuz in 7.21, Cas says, "They're from the Garrison – my old Garrison... I was there captain." And then in season 4.16, Dean says to Cas, "Since when does Uriel put a leash on you?" implying Cas had previously been in charge, but his superiors switched things up when they saw how he was acting with Dean.

2- It seemed to me that Cas took over the garrison after Anna fell. I know Zachariah was always his superior, but Cas was still captain of the garrison. Anyway, I always just thought it strange that Cas was given any authority, even tho we know from Naomi that he's "Never done as he's told. Not completely." I know in canon, we only SEE him being reprogrammed a couple times, but this line implies he's always been a troublemaker.

***

Ok, I was confused. In 7.21, the only time he ever mentions being captain, it’s... odd. It’s hesitant, almost like he can’t really believe it. It’s practically an afterthought. It’s possible he was just the next guy in line in the hierarchy after Anna fell. But knowing what we know of his position even in 1901 (when he wasn’t even in charge of his own flight yet), and that Anna had been in charge until her fall (which we know happened in 1985, making her human body 25 in 4.09, so Cas’s leadership role would’ve spanned less than that amount of time), and the fact we don’t know what exactly being a “Captain” entails-- was that (with later canon about him having his own flight) equivalent to Ishim’s position in 12.10? Or was that equivalent to Anna’s position before her fall? It’s just... not clear enough for me to make firm statements about it. Heaven hierarchies in this show are just... mishmosh mostly.

Regardless: Here’s the quote from the superwiki transcript:

DEAN: Cas, what happened back there? Who were those guys?CASTIEL: They're from the Garrison – my old Garrison. Looks like Hester's taken over. We were assigned to watch the earth. Often, it was boring. The wars were very boring and the sex – you know, the repetition. Anyway, I was, uh... I was their captain. Isn't that strange?

There’s also the fact that Cas was... really, really not himself in this episode. Since this is the only time he gives himself the label of “captain,” and it happens to be in the same episode where he repeatedly refused to engage with reality, declared “I watch the bees,” booped a prophet on the nose, and deflected all responsibility for, like... everything... 

I think his OWN surprise (and the “Isn’t that strange?”) at the fact he was ever a leader of any sort in Heaven (especially considering he led the rebellion in s6, not because he wanted to, but because he was the rallying point for all the angels who didn’t want the apocalypse) lines up pretty well with YOUR feeling of confusion over why such a rebel would’ve ever been put in a position of authority like that. But honestly? If you’ve got someone who breaks rules a lot, put them at the top of the pile where you can keep an eye on them. I mean, that’s one strategy to deal with a troublemaker, I suppose?

It’s also possible that during one of his reprogramming attempts, they programmed him to believe he’d been in charge before, but now I’m getting into “this is definitely not canon” territory, just trying to explain away Cas’s obvious bewilderment by that statement. Because it’s weird.

You’d think if he’d been In Charge at the time he rescued Dean from Hell, he would’ve announced himself like he was in charge, and not just another subordinate following orders. It’s yet another reason that waiting nearly four years after he’s introduced as a character to reveal that tidbit of info, and then only giving it to us in this strange non sequitur of a comment while Cas is barely engaged with reality, and then never mentioned the fact again over the ensuing 7 seasons... I have a hard time giving it much weight, you know? Especially knowing how LITTLE trust Heaven showed in Cas, right from the start. Throughout s4, even before Cas rebelled, had to be reprogrammed, and then broke free again in 4.22, he... was not anywhere NEAR the top of the information food chain.

Cas had no idea that Uriel was a double agent for Team Lucifer until after it nearly cost Dean his life. Cas had no idea that the angels weren’t trying to STOP the apocalypse, but were actively working to bring it about. When he found out their true plan... that’s when Heaven brought him back for reprogramming, in 4.20, before he could pass that information on to Dean. Which makes me think if Cas ever was in charge of the garrison, it was a largely ceremonial title, since he was otherwise entirely left out of the loop of actual in-charge-ness, you know? Even Uriel, his supposed subordinate before 4.16, seemed far more aware of what was really going on.

And considering the fact that it was later widely known that the apocalypse had been long prophesied, and Dean himself had been a part of that prophecy, it seems like they had to actively withhold that information from Cas for him not to have been aware of it, you know? Was that part of the reason they had to mind wipe him so many times? Because he HAD been aware (like, if he was in charge of the garrison for a time) and OBJECTED? To all of it? And that’s why he lost his position, as we saw happening throughout s4?

(as an aside here, it also makes one wonder if that’s why Anna chose to fall, as well. As sort of a conscientious objector to the entire apocalypse agenda... until she was again reprogrammed after Cas turned her in in 4.21)

Now all of this is conjecture, but I’ve never adequately been able to justify the fact of Cas having been in charge of the Garrison, considering just how little he’d known of what was really going on. And that, combined with Zachariah collectively lumping him in with the foot soldiers of Heaven in 4.22... well, that sort of makes Cas out to be a dupe of heaven if he had been placed in the Captain’s Chair, you know? So I think I personally prefer to not think of him as actually having been in charge, of any of it. From 4.22:

DEAN: But me and Sam, we can stop... (he cuts off, having an epiphany) You don't want to stop it, do you?ZACHARIAH: Nope. Never did. The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming, kiddo, to a theater near you.DEAN: What was all that crap about saving seals?ZACHARIAH: Our grunts on the ground -- we couldn't just tell them the whole truth. We'd have a full-scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it. Would we really let 65 seals get broken unless senior management wanted it that way?DEAN: But why?ZACHARIAH: Why not? The apocalypse? Poor name, bad marketing -- puts people off. When all it is is Ali/Foreman. On a... slightly larger scale. And we like our chances. When our side wins -- and we will -- it's paradise on earth. Now, what's not to like about that?

The angels who hadn’t known the truth were what Zachariah considered “grunts.” Not management, you know? I have such a difficult time reconciling the reality of what we knew from s4 with the baffled statement Cas made in 7.21. Almost as if he realized how he’d been used by Heaven while the real control happened way above his own head. He was just as manipulated as the Winchesters were. I think that realization truly did baffle him at the time.

But the line in 4.16 I assumed was referencing 4.07, 4.09, and 4.10, in which Uriel followed Cas’s lead throughout those episodes. It was clear there that Uriel was the subordinate, even when he appeared to be barely restrained and visibly and vocally didn’t approve of Cas’s orders. I think that’s what Dean’s referencing there.

The other thing is that, as much as I love him and his writing, 7.21 was written by Ben Edlund, who has famously put a few other odd lines like this into Cas’s mouth over the years. Edlund... adored Cas. And he often elevated Cas in these sorts of subtle ways. Like in 8.05, having Cas refer to himself as a seraph (the only time in canon Cas ever uses that word for himself, and the only other time it’s ever been said in canon was in 12.10 as part of Akobel’s death sentence that Cas read out). No other angel has referred to themselves nor any other angel with this title in canon. So... let’s say I have a few items on the list of “this is Edlund canon” in the same way I have my feud with Robbie Thompson over his obsession with the Samulet. It’s one of those things I would really need to hear from any other writer in any other context for me to assume it was the full and honest truth in a way that fit in with the reality of the entire rest of canon. Because it kinda... doesn’t...

[obaewankenope]

on the ranking of angels

the whole ranking of angels kinda comes from one guy: pseudo-dionysius the areopagite from 5th century ad, this dude gave us the basis for ranking angels in groups, levels, grades, choirs etc

we don’t really know who tf he was since he literally just made himself out to be some psuedo version of dionysius (because we obviously needed another dionysius in human history) and i’d love to time travel and kick him in the nads if i could.

anyway. so yeah. ranking angels. 

my upbringing is catholic and i went to communion and read that godsawful bible and blah-blah and so on so like, a lot of my own understanding stems from that and then the deranged Research Frenzies i’m known for. this means i’ve done learning about this topic and generally, i feel like there’s a bit of a... misunderstanding in the good omens fandom as to where aziraphale, crowley (as raphael or not), gabriel and co seem to land in terms of ranks and power levels.

cherubim, seraphim, archangels... fancy words we sort of know but don’t really Get. time to get em.

.

F I R S T  S P H E R E

saraph/seraph-im:

according to tradition, these boys are top dog in christian theology but fifth in jewish. my memory serves to remind me that archangels are also seraphim and that the three main types of angels are cherubs, saraph, and thrones with the other spheres being more titles for them to have on top of that. i’ve read online where the archangels michael, gabriel, and samael/lucifer are either saraph or cherubs but this is... well, thanks to pseudo-dionysius, not exactly easy to frickin’ parse. the book of isaiah describes saraphs as having six wings (two on the back, two hiding the face, two at the feet/genitals).

this means that gabriel, lucifer, michael, uriel and even sandalphon (dude why no ‘iel’ on the end, it’s sad) are higher ranks than aziraphale in terms of sheer power even if they may be outranked by aziraphale regarding humans proper. make sense? nope? not surprising.

cherub-im:

cherubs attend to god and are also kinda shoved into the joyous role of guarding eden. in jewish theology, cherubs are either second or third lowest ranked (eighth or ninth) compared to the saraphs who are middle of the way. it’s from cherubs -- described in the book of ezekiel -- that we have that many faced, multi-winged conception of angels btw. usually a lion, ox, human, and eagle to represent all types of animals (where’s the snake you say? crowley nicked it... probably). thanks to some later western christian traditions we kinda see cherubs as plump, little, babies with those bows with love-heart arrows (probably crowley’s doing to piss aziraphale off). cherubs do have two pairs of wings (four in total) compared to the six that saraphs have, making them different at least there.

so aziraphale being a cherub makes sense. but he’s gonna be second-tier to saraphs like gab’ and co thus he does still obey gabriel as and when required--only in regards to humans can aziraphale kinda disobey because principality trumps archangel with humans but again, gabriel has more pull in heaven and can still punish him (plus gabriel is an asshole in the show and is Just Like That)

thrones aka ophanim:

these fellas are kinda just guards of gods throne. they’re called thrones or galgalim (refers to ezekiel’s wheels during his vision of the chariot). a dead sea scroll calls them angels and puts them below saraphs and cherubs while the book of enoch says they never sleep (like saraphs and cherubs) and guard god’s throne. i can’t really find any names ascribed to this group but are associated with meting out divine justice and maintain cosmic harmony.

i can only imagine how Done they are with crowley over him stopping time...

.

i’m just gonna straight up skip the second sphere because, well; dominions organise lower angels and keep things ticking over; virtues are the sign post makers of divine shit; and powers/authorities just watch a lot and keep things running along on a cosmic scale. so, administrators. literally. poor civil servants of heaven. they probably don’t even get a decent pay.

.

the third sphere is what we’re interested in anyway, because of the whole “principalities outrank archangels tho” stuff. so here we are

.

T H I R D  S P H E R E

principalities:

principalities/rulers are guides and protectors of nations and institutions. so you’d have a principality guarding the catholic church, one covering the orthodox church, another who deals with maybe protecting italy and so on. aziraphale is the principality of the eastern gate of eden, that- that’s a pretty big thing. principalities wear crowns and carry sceptres, and carry out the orders given to them by upper sphere angels.

in canon, aziraphale is a principality, but i can’t recall him being called anything. i’m not sure if it’s fandom deciding here’s a cherub or not, ignoring the spheres or not, or whatever, but he doesn’t Really rank above gabriel. gaiman himself made a note of the difference between Archangels and archangels - the capital A makes the difference. so see seraphs as Archangels and third sphere archangels as the generic boys. 

in my mind, gabriel and michael -- as pretty much the only really named archangels in christian theology -- are the Archangels whilst sandalphon and uriel are archangels. so aziraphale can ignore two of the four but not michael or gabriel outright (we’re not discussing the disobedience by avoidance tactic he employs a lot). expanding the Archangel category to include maybe Raphael (angel of healing) and Azrael (angel of death) works too, but generally, aziraphale can’t disobey direct orders from them because they are his bosses. unless -- and this is the thing -- it comes to something involving His Specific Principality. but being the principality of eden is... well, eden doesn’t exist anymore. some major mental gymnastics would be required for aziraphale to decide Earth Is Eden Thus Earth Is My Principality SUCK IT GABRIEL and ignore heaven... actually... this might well explain a fair amount of his behaviour lmao. someone else can play with That tho. 

archangels:

funnily enough, archangels aren’t mentioned in the bible more than two or three times. in christianity, gabriel is called an archangel but there’s actually nothing in the bible to support that. michael is called an archangel in the new testament tho. the word means “chief angel” coming from greek archein for first in rank or power -- hence why it’s a bit odd for archangels to be ranked below others. archangel is only ever a singular term and used Only for michael btw. 

but in the book of tobit/tobias, we get an archangel raphael, an archangel uriel is also brought up in anglican and russian orthodox religions. raphael isn’t really considered a Canon angel outside of roman catholicism (my lot btw), eastern orthodox and anglicans, whilst uriel isn’t mentioned in the western christian bible at all. 

raphael gives us the idea of seven archangels btw - from the book of tobit where he says he’s “one of the seven who stand before the Lord”. 

in the books of enoch and revelations, we’re told that there are seven spirits of god that stand before the throne and some interpretations have the seven archangels as those seven spirits.

depending on the theological tradition, the names of the archangels vary. the ones i know of as roman catholic are gabriel, michael, and raphael (lucifer doesn’t count bc he’s fallen obvs), whereas eastern orthodox has seven and even an extra one depending: michael, gabriel, raphael, uriel, selaphiel/salathiel, jegudiel/jehudiel, barachiel, and jerahmeel/jeremiel.

the names vary depending on what faith you are but, generally, the three most common are gabriel, michael, and raphael - who are described as seraphim or cherubim and archangels as like their job title.

angels:

regular dudes. i cba even going Into This One Okay?

.

so all of this means that aziraphale is second to gabriel no matter what unless he does some awesome mental gymnastics and claims earth as eden and argues it’s his job to oversee it as fit (just imagine the vein in gabriel’s head popping from That Conversation).

aziraphale is definitely powerful, he’d have to be as a principality of eden - it’s kind of a Big Deal to be in charge of eden, even if you might share the job with three others - but he’s not quite as powerful as an archangel who is basically the second in command of heaven after god.

unless, as i’ve said, aziraphale draws on his position as a principality and uses That over gabriel who seems very set on his “i’m the fucking archangel gabriel” spiel lmao.

so yeah. this is just A Thing for me. idk if any one else feels this way about it all or not, but you can ignore me about all of this. i’m not an Authority on it and honestly, this is more to make sense of it all For Myself than to Tell Ya’ll How It Ought To Be.

[cncobby]

What musical you take them to see/watch together

JOEL: Rent

As avid theatre nerds you both regularly go see shows as often as you can

Anytime he has a few days off you try to see whatever show is being performed

He got you guys both season tickets for Christmas so even when he’s not there you can go see shows<3

Your all time fave to watch together is rent tho

Casual date nights where you guys stay in and watch movies?

Half the time you guys choose to watch rent

Misfits in New York during the aids epidemic?? Yes

When you guys are driving theres a 99% chance you both jam out to la vie boheme and out tonight

Duets to take me or leave me<33

“Babe I could be roger right”

“I hate to break it to you baby but you’re not the tormented rocker type”

“But you could be my mimi<3”

“…I’ll pass”

tears up everytime angel dies but then pretends he doesn’t

Bonus: face timing and watching bootlegs of new shows together since you’re both impatient

RICHARD: In The Heights

you totally forgot this show existed for awhile 

when it randomly came on your broadway playlist you were like

“ohmygod YES”

we know he’s a music buff and loves all music he just never got the urge to listen to broadway songs

 so you’re like “heh im gonna surprise him so hard”

 its date night 

and usually he’s the one who likes to plan them and surprise you since he doesnt get to see you that often but this time the tables have turned

 he see’s you getting ready and is like why are u dressed so fancy???

ur just like shush go get changed into the outfit I laid out for you

And since he’s whipped for u he does it without question obviously

When u guys arrive at the theatre he’s a bit skeptical bc he’s not much of a broadway man

But when the first song he comes on and he hears:

“I emigrated from the single greatest little place in the Caribbean: Dominican Republic!”

His eyes get SO WIDE and baby gets so excited

he turns to u and is like !!!!

And you just smooch in response as to say 

“yes I know baby thats why I took you here”

He LOVES the show

is laughing the entire show at all the cultural references and jokes

Afterwards he plants the biggest kiss on your lips

“Thank you for taking me here amor, I loved it”

You guys play the soundtrack on the way home

He’s literally obsessed

Plays the soundtrack when he’s cleaning the house

when he goes back on tour the boys send you snapchats of him shaking his booty to Carnaval de barrio

Joel: “I love this show but what have you DONE HE WONT LET US LISTEN TO ANYTHING ELSE”

ERICK: Lion King

probably not the biggest theatre fan??

but he knows that you’re a fan so baby boy tries to keep up with you whenever you go on rants about it

Gets you tickets to lion king for your birthday

Had to ask Joel what show to pick since he was an ex theatre kid

Joel was like … better pick one thats super well known

Surprisingly likes it more than he thought he would??

His favorite part is watching your face throughout the show though

Getting a smile whenever your eyes widened in excitement

Or you danced in your seat to the music

(You didn’t have the heart to tell him you’ve seen this four times but)

(its fine who gets tired of lion king?? No one)

kinda zones out but still appreciates all the vocals and theatricality of it!!

Honestly he’s there to make his princess happy and by your squealing afterwards he figures its a success

you end up showing him other shows and playing your broadway playlist for him

ends u liking the heather’s soundtrack out of all of them??

you’re like noted i’ll see if there are tickets

(he most def doesn’t realize its about teenage murder but hey the songs slap)

ZABDIEL: Hamilton

honestly the perfect show to take him to

Written and performed by a fellow Puerto Rican??? Yes

(We’re gonna pretend its original cast bc I love them ok)

Also we know he loves beatboxing and rapping and both those things are v prevalent in this show

He’d read lin’s little bio thing in the playbill and be like OMG BABE HE’S Puerto Rican TOO

You’d prob have to explain certain parts of it bc American history is so fucking confusing

Also why is Lafayette also Thomas Jefferson???

Why is Peggy also Maria Reynolds??

Guns and ships … so fast and baby finds it hard to keep up but is like entranced

LOVES THE SCHUYLER SISTERS

After the show you find him humming the song

(I mean we know he loves women in charge … throwback to that one video … if u know u know)

When he’s back on tour he sends you videos of him jamming to the soundtrack

Bonus: he sends you a vid of him Joel and erick reenacting Schuyler sisters

Also bonus: you show him the Hamilton mixtape afterwords and he’s literally OBSSESED

CHRISTOPHER: Wicked

You wanted to take your baby to a CLASSIC since he doesn’t keep up with broadway

Plus it was endearing having him try and keep up with you babbling about it

He kept whining that you couldn’t play broadway when he was there bc he wanted to sing along too but he didn’t know any of the words

So you were like fine I’m taking us to watch a show

You have to keep shushing him throughout the show bc he gets too excited

“Ohmygod”

“woOOW”

During elphaba’s last note in no good deed he literally GASPS SO LOUDLY

*smacking his arm*

*whisper yelling*

“Christopher shut UP”

He’s not a soft boy at all but even he tears up at for good

Literally nuts at the vocals

After the musical he’s like in shock at how good the vocals were

you find him practicing fiyero’s parts in the next few days

(This was ur master plan bc Christopher as fiyero?? Ur dream)

buying matching wicked merch!!!

[aharris00britney]

ASKS 08

rip it’s a lot of stuff, some good, some weird….

Anonymous said: do you like eating ass? I bet your booty is thicc and juicy :)

idk who would even send this but ummm I’m a bottom so yeah.. that answers that wedhfnsh have u nice day/night <3

@thesimpley2k​  said: your cc is so beautiful! and you’re a britney stan :) ily sis

thank youuuuu omg ily2 lmao I don’t voice my Britney stanness much but once B10 starts getting more hyped up I’ll be back up there! Thank you again and rip original make me MV

Anonymous said: Oof I need all of your wip hairs right now            

oof you haven’t even seen half of them sweetie ;) I have 10 wip hairs as of now so like… you’ve seen 4 on this blog through edits/playlists. the rest are on my patreon and some go on my wips section in my discord (omg shameless plug im sorry but its true)

Anonymous said: Can we gift you packs through origin?

if u want?? idrk how that works tbh ;-; if u did tho like rsdfgfbvc thank you!!! I prob will only buy packs that I can use for cc from now on tbh ;-; my computer is at that point where i need to be really picky about stuff, plus imo they arent worth it wedfgdbfn i regret buying most of the SP’s

Anonymous said: Are you posting a shorter version of the Zoey Hair as shown in your latest post because it looks amazing?!!!!!

thank you!!! That is basically what the idea of it is lmao, but I think im gonna make an accessory hair clip for it too. Not 100% sure yet tho

@agentwashsims​ said: Crying over the wip hair and the grimes reference! Okay you’re still perfect and ily that it all okay bye. 

aaah thank you! grimes is so good omg Art Angels is my favorite album but there are a lot of ongs on Visions I like as well. I like a little bit of Halfaxa toooooo

Anonymous said: Hi, would it be possible for you to just reupload the lydia hair post? As it’s marked as sensitive content, I can’t see the picture and I’d really like to be able to have a look at it before I download it.

Hi! I emailed tumblr support about it since it has been over a month since it has been up for review. Hopefully they get it worked out soon <3 there is a picture of it on my download page if you want to look at it there

Anonymous said: Hey, how do I do Patreon? I want to but i’m new to all those things of Patreon cause now I want lots of hairs that need it, and I wanna learn how can I Patreon you!

Hello! Hopefully you see this haha. Patreon is sort of like Netlfix in it is a monthly charge for goods. To get 3 cc hairs early each month, it is a $1 pledge. Higher pledges get better rewards(such as watching me work on cc, getting to vote on hair releases, and more). I think that Patreon is a great way to help support creators as long as they do it right (no exclusive CC). I really hope this helps you and thank you so much if you decide to pledge any ammount <3

Anonymous said: When are going to upload your maxis match hairlines? Like in a post

oml I am horrible lmao I deleted them and don’t seem to have them backed up, but I will maybe make more in the future?? I honestly don’t find them that usable on most hairs but everybody is different so we will see <3

Anonymous said: Is the black braided hair on your April Playlist a WIP? If not WCIF it cuz it’s gorgeous <333 Ily.

issa wip for Juneee

Anonymous said: how old are you?

18 d2f m4m

Anonymous said: What is your Origin ID?

spotharris

Anonymous said: Hey! I 🖤 ur content btw and I wanted to just like clarify something. Ur posts say u can recollect but don’t include the mesh. What does that mean exactly??? Do people still need the mesh for the recollections to show up in game?? Sorry if this is really dumb, I’m a new simblr. Thx!            

hey!! sorry for the super late reply omg, welcome to simblr!! it is kinda crazy here but hopefully u can find ur peeps and make a nice home :) anywaysssss i think u mean recoloring, which is like when people add different colors other than the 18 EA base colors. I don’t allow people to use the meshes mainly bc I know that sometimes I have to go back and update things and this way the recolors don’t have a broken mesh and require that person to redo their package.

Anonymous said: whose ur fave member of lOoNa

my rankings as of right now: Kim Lip, Go Won, Olivia Hye, JinSoul, HyunJin, Chuu, HeeJin, Choerry, HeeJin, HaSeul, ViVi, and then YeoJin

also omfg if u have jinsoul/kim lip/choerry limited edition mix&match photocard and would like to gift me it then umm PLEASE they are impossible to find and i need for my collection ;-;

@disneynsims​ said: I am also a massive Britney Spears fan, and I have to say I appreciate you naming your hairs after her songs. I do make one small request, that a hair eventually be named after one of her best bonus tracks, “Up n’ Down”.

omg Up N’ Down is one of my least favorites on femme fatale grfbg but thank you!! I don’t really name hairs after her songs anymore :(

@issharky​ said: you’ve improved so much over the time! ive been following (on tsr and tumblr since i joined) since like 2016! ♥ still love your blog!            

ygvhbjn i didnt have a tsr but go awf lmao thank you!!! i was a mess in 2016 and a lil of 2017 <3

Anonymous said: Ur such a babe austin            

thx for sending this @dogsill​ ur a babe too 😘

Anonymous said: Discord? Patreon? And this are how a good simblr die

oof discord is literally like a groupchat thing but go off also patreon makes it so i release 3 hairs a month when before it was like 1 or 2 so ummm

Anonymous said: I have recently downloaded blender to make cc hairs, but I can’t zoom in, rotate, or do anything basically. Do you know of any tutorials that explain how to use it well/ in detail? (I have a windows laptop). Anyway, I recently discovered your hairs and I am in love!! Thank you for making so many beautiful pieces of cc!

urgg i really wish i could make video tutorials and stuff for blender and hairs :( I have tried about 3 or 4 times to record/stream and it is so laggy and just pure shit on stream and twitch. I kind of just learned stuff as i went in blender but a must have is a mouse of some kind, otherwise it is 10x harder

@alexschmidt629 said: Hey! I hope you’re doing a bit better than the last time you made your last post! I’m sorry to hear about all of that, being a senior is so difficult and college stuff is even more difficult. I hope you’re doing better!

thank you! I’m doing a bit better now :)

Anonymous said: holy shit it sounds like everything that literally could’ve gone wrong did. wishing u love and luck bb. and also i think its absolutely FINE that u put ur stuff up on patreon early, it’s still free in the end!! its just a choice to actually compensate cc creators for all that they do for us. god that person was just so rude and im kinda surprised at how kindly you took it. props to u xx 

yeah dsgf everything kinda went shitty the past few months but hopefully it all turns itself around :) and I try not to pick at any rude anons/asks in general bc I feel like by doing that it just causes more attention on the issue and more people/trolls want to jump on the band wagon. Thank you!!

Anonymous said: Oh honey, you need prayers and I wish you the best of luck with fasts, college, moving, and the rest of your life. Stay strong hon you got this!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

thank you <3

Anonymous said: hi is there a version off the Ella hair that has a bun in the back or am I crazy? probs crazy honestly, but thx for answering

I think you are thinking of my Maja hair? It has a different bottom but it has those same bangs! It is here

[maewestside]

SCARLET BEGONIAS AND A TOUCH OF THE BLUES: On the Wings of Cosmic Angels & Lone Stars, a Girl Like I Hard Charges... by heidi siegmund cuda, aka @maewestside

Fighting for the rights of all Americans and the betterment of humanity is a full time job. The pay is shite, but the karma? Priceless. 

Only thing you can’t buy is Street Cred. Everything else has a price. By now, you’ve been with me as we peel it back and learn that all is not what it seems. A difficult thing if you’re still watching telly. Cuz when #BIGNEW$ #Network$ ain’t pushing product, they’re pushing $pin, and alway$ a$k your$elf, what are they $elling? And how are they $elling it? Fear! Fear! Fear! Vapidity! Vapidity! Vapidity! Bigotry! Bigotry! Bigotry! And now let’s pause while we: Con$ume! Obey! Con$ume! Obey! Now, back to misogyny, homophobia and real fake new$! 

Welcome to your 24 hour New$Cycle of Pain, which didn’t exist when I was a kid, and we were a better society because of it. Just ask the doorman of the Roxy, whose gorgeous view of the City of Angels from the Sunset Strip, is marred by the Mono-Broads who look like they’re keeping up with the ShallowCrowd. Gnarly.

The 24-hour New$Cycle of Pain (with frequent break$ for idiocracy), reflects the minority of evil that has always lurked in humanity, but it doesn’t reflect this well known fact by we ol timey members of the fourth estate: most of this world is beautiful and people love each other. We know this because y'all allowed us to bring cameras and pens everywhere, and we’ve chronicled firsthand the goodness of people for decades.

If you want a reprieve from the #BIGNEW$ mi$ery, which is meta$ticizing because children are now growing up thinking the world is dy$topian and cruel, when in fact, we traveling types who go to all parts of the world know that beauty is everywhere, particularly where people have the least (that’s generally where you find the most love). Remember, there are only two types of people: good and bad. That’s it. For reference, listen to the words of that brilliant sage, artist Isaac Cordal, who explained that to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te7T9mU8a10

Please if you take anything away from this Maewestside missive, be kinder. Know that “Cyber Treason” occurred on American soil, and it’s been muddied by tho$e who are profiting off it.

So, clear eyed with no distractions, soldier on, and please join some classy bravehearts demanding to see the microtargeted “dark” Facebook ad$ that Scamalot’s filthy lucre purcha$ed in what likely will go down in infamy as the aptly named “Project Alamo” is forced to give a Big Reveal on “spammy” “messaging” http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/investigate-project-alamo?source=c.em&r_by=18248367.

I am as frightened as the next Resistance Freedom Fighter because billionaire con$ alway$ cheat for the win, and I who have nothing but the power of my pen is openly penning these missives with other bravehearts because if not we, who? 

Every time I feel like the enormity of the work at hand is too crushing, I get a virtual olive branch by a twitter friend, who keeps me hard charging. Last week, a twitter pal named “Scarlet Begonia” began repurposing my writings. Because I wrote a book with the family of Bradley Nowell some years ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_WhjgI-RsE&t=1592s) I decided I had to play Sublime’s cover of the Grateful Dead song after I saw her supportive tweets. Well, that started me on a day of Sublime fueling my writing and investigative tendencies, when I otherwise would have been feeling weak. It’s a testament to People Power. Never doubt it. Always believe you can make a difference with nothing but heart and truth. 

Each morning, I wake up and read the collaborator journali$m being pu$hed on Americans by editors who $old their $oul to $camalot (see #maewestside “Thug Life” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_WhjgI-RsE&t=1592s for reference on how easily the media is purcha$ed by $wells i.e. #capone, and see Forbes “exclusive” cover story on golden doo$h Kushner and then hurl).

Look, we know at the top of nearly every food chain is an ar$e so that’s nothing new, but these are treasonous times. Times when our own people have been poi$oned with negative $hite so routinely they were ea$y prey for Scamalot “Project Alamo” microtargeting with Big $hady Data, courte$y of a company who$e parent company refined it$ cyber supre$$ion-enabling campaign$ in such beleaguered lands as the Ukraine and Nigeria, whose people have been badly injured by cyber mind game$. (For ref: SCL/Cambridge Analytica)

To my brilliant Lone Stars, those Texas subversives who don’t want the stank of Cyber Treason on their watch, thank you for supporting my efforts. Imagine this country if the 50 states in our union rise up together and demand truth, love, dignity and humanity trump greed once and for all.

Call me pollyanna, but dang it, I feel like we got this.

******

Author Heidi Siegmund Cuda and her team of excellent producers have been hired to film a doc this week and thanks to karma points, they’re filming in paradise. #nardcore

[mittensmorgul]

not only MP, now also misha said that cas will be back but we must consider there are also alternate universes, this is making me more nervous I don't want an alternate cas , all the character development and his history with dean lost, it's so upsetting :(

Yeah, I’ve had questions along this line, but I haven’t been able to really answer formally. Along these lines and also in my inbox this morning: (AN: all things in italics are other anon messages… sometimes my inbox helps me out with anons sort of answering each other… Eldritch Inbox):

Hello, i’m sorry if you answered this already, but i do have a question about a certain theory going about about the idea of an au!cas (possibly the one who got killed?) I guess i’m kind of confused about it and was wondering if you’ve either already spoken on it or can expand on the idea? thanks :)

and

Im worried now theyll just exchange Cas for AU cas and think thats fine because we still have the same actor. The flash did the same thing had the character leavd and brozgh the guys alernative version to stick around

and:

While I can see them (hopefully) using AU Cas in good way for a few eps (tho it doesn’t make sense because there would be no reason for JimmyCas in the other world, but they often don’t address stuff that doesn’t make sense well) I don’t think they would decide to not bring regular Cas back. They have 2 seasons left. I don’t think they would get rid of 1 of the mains. 50% if you counted Crowley. Tho they did that with Angel and the relationship on that show in the last season. Hmm.

Okay, I really, truly 100% honestly don’t think they’re going to use AU Cas at all as a replacement for OUR Cas. If the show is going to open up more alternate realities, I can see OUR Cas (and Sam and Dean) meeting those alternate universe versions for an episode here and there, if only to MIRROR what our Cas is going through, but WHY would they bring Cas THIS FAR in his story, to the point where HE HIMSELF has developed and grown and learned SO MUCH ABOUT HIMSELF, and been prodded by practically EVERY CHARACTER EVER about WHO HE IS and WHAT HE WOULD CHOOSE TO BE if they were just gonna toss him out and bring in replacement copies with entirely different life experiences?

We don’t just love the concept of what would essentially boil down to a random character wearing Misha’s face, WE LOVE OUR CAS. Who we’ve watched struggle FOR NINE DAMN YEARS to get to this point in his understanding of humanity, his compassion, his sense of family, and his LOVE for the Winchesters… like two steps before he was ready to make some BIG FINAL CHOICES for himself… And I can’t think of ANY reason for the writers to just erase ALL of that and start over with a “blank slate” version of Cas. Honestly if that’s what they’re planning to do, I would forever be officially done with this damn show.

Talk about your Jump The Shark moments.

BUT! Considering the Cas we saw on screen looked identical to our Cas, down to the coat and tie, and the fact that the Apocalypse AU didn’t look like they had a Dillard’s, I’m assuming that we have not met a Castiel from that AU. What reason would he have for looking like Jimmy Novak in our Castiel’s outfit when AU Bobby looked the way he did, and when AU demons LOOKED like demons (not possessed humans), and when we heard AU angels were human-hating monsters too… Something tells me AU Cas would look NOTHING like Jimmy in suit and tie. It just makes no logical sense.

Even MAGIC in that AU didn’t seem to work properly. Crowley’s spell didn’t seem to be what closed the portal. It was the nephilim’s birth that closed it.

Which brings me back around to the beginning of the line (just like the structure of the episode, and the meta-ness of the title– a song that ends at the beginning…)

Kelly grabs Cas’s hand, after he’s seen the AU that the nephilim SHOWED HIM SPECIFICALLY, of what the world without the Winchesters would look like– remember in 12.09 when Cas was ADAMANT that the world needs every last Winchester? And he was willing to break cosmic-level deals to make sure the world could keep its Winchesters? To me, in this scene where Kelly needs reassurance about Castiel’s “vision of the future” the nephilim showed him, that is something that’s ALSO forefront on his mind:

Kelly: Tell me again. Tell me again what you saw.Cas: All right. I saw… I saw (he closes his eyes and concentrates on Kelly taking his hand in 12.19, exactly as she just did now)… I saw the future. (flashback to 12.19, with the nephilim’s power flowing through Cas and lighting his eyes up gold). I saw a world without pain, or hunger, or want. I saw the world that this child– that your child– will create. And it is a world without fear, and without suffering, and without hate. I saw paradise.

As he finishes recounting the memory for her, the lights flicker and we hear the Impala pulling up outside. Like the nephilim was alerting Cas to the Winchesters’ presence.

And then Cas learns that Lucifer isn’t in the cage. He can’t even believe it at first. So that’s something the nephilim obviously didn’t bother informing him about… Dean asks Cas if he’ll be able to torch Lucifer the same way he torched Dagon, and Cas attributes that 100% to the baby (who’s a little busy being born at the moment…). But in 12.19, Cas said it was a combination of their powers… so what’s the truth?

Even as Cas tells Dean that it was only the nephilim working through him, he heals Dean in a way that is VERY DIFFERENT from every other time in history. I’m not the only one who noticed. I refer you again to my inbox:

I think it’s interesting that literally seconds after Cas tells Dean he doesn’t have the nephilim’s power at his disposal, he heals Dean’s leg with the nephilim’s gold light. It makes me wonder if Cas has some of the nephilim’s power within him that could save him. OR when Cas healed Dean, maybe that power transferred to Dean. He seemed oddly invigorated after he was healed, ya know? Like more so than usual.

and:

Hi so when I was watching the second ep after Cas first left the alternate dimension I noticed he seemed a bit off. Do u think there’s any way that he was like possessed or something?

BECAUSE YES! HELLO! I’ve been saying that the nephilim has somehow been using Cas since 12.19. Maybe it’s not “brainwashing” or “mind control,” but I’ve been struggling to explain the nuance here. Maybe more like “infection?” or “poison?” In a similar way the Lance of Michael “poisoned” Cas in 12.12, But that’s not even right.

Like the Angel Tablet was able to direct Cas to protect it over everything else, even his relationship with the Winchesters, I think the nephilim has that kind of power over him. And that for whatever reason, he Chose Cas as his protector.

Cas also tried to prevent Sam and Dean from going out back and seeing the portal in the first place. And then he downplayed it while also being mesmerized by it. But he’s absolutely certain that Jack OPENED the door, and that he will close it too.

Cas then goes up to talk to Kelly alone, and she asks him what’s wrong… and it looks like he’s SINCERELY HAVING DOUBTS. While Dean’s downstairs telling Sam that he has faith in US… 

WE DO NOT SEE WHAT GOES DOWN BETWEEN CAS AND KELLY aside from him holding her hand AGAIN and sort of robotically saying, “Don’t worry, it will be fine. Remember, paradise.”

Did he tell her about the portal between worlds, and the horror on the other side of the doorway her child had opened? When Crowley showed up at the exact right moment, seemingly already knowing about the portal and exactly how to close it (in theory?) When Lucifer shows up out front (seemingly NOT already knowing about the portal?).

And Lucifer’s reasoning is the same as Amara’s was, and the same as Jack the Nephilim’s is– “I can do better than god, so I’m gonna burn the place down and start over to make the world just how I want it.”

Right before Cas attacks, Dean says, “See you on the other side, boys.”

THE OTHER SIDE.

The other side of the house… the other side of the portal.

THEIR PLAN, I CAN ONLY ASSUME, IS TO TRAP LUCIFER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PORTAL BEFORE JACK CAN CLOSE IT.

I think that’s what the nephilim WANTED. And also why he waited SO LONG to close it… because Crowley’s spell was never going to work there. But the nephilim wanted Sam and Dean and CAS TOO on THIS SIDE OF THE PORTAL. I think that AU was the nephilim’s solution to shoving Luci back in the cage. To send him to a world where his vessel bloodline is extinct. A world he can’t possibly destroy any more than it’s already destroyed. He wanted an apocalypse, that’s what Jack gave him.

Cas is knocked out in front of the house. I’m sort of enamored with the idea that he’s still unconscious out there, and the Cas we saw in the rest of the episode was nothing more than a construct– an illusion sent by Jack to act as a lure, for whatever reason. Because his actions after this are a bit confusing…

Sam and Dean lead Lucifer around to the portal and then cross over to lure Luci through. Dean plays bait while Sam and Crowley work the spell (why on THAT side of the rift? Why not on the “right side”?

Sam pulls Dean away to the rift as Crowley sacrifices himself, and for some reason they just stop there? They stand around watching Crowley’s demise. YET SOME VERSION OF CAS THAT DOESN’T EVEN RESPOND TO DEAN, JUST PUSHES PAST HIM AND SAYS NOTHING, just charges through the rift toward Lucifer, and then seemingly just– walks up to Lucifer, stabs him, and then turns right around and comes back out again?

All while Kelly DISAPPEARS ENTIRELY IN A FLASH OF LIGHT AS JACK IS “BORN?”

We see Lucifer completely unaffected by the bullets Dean shot him with in the AU, as if Cas hadn’t been expecting Lucifer to be able to follow him out for some reason…

Kelly’s body has mysteriously returned to the bed after the light flash, and Jack’s huddled in the corner of his nursery staring up at Sam with those creepy yellow eyes.

I think Jack’s been using Cas all along, ever since 12.19, and I have seen nothing to break me of that belief.

It’s as if every time Cas gets near Sam and Dean, Jack loses a little bit of that control though. But Jack understands that Dean is both necessary as a motivation for Cas (he does everything for the Winchesters, not for heaven, not even for himself), as well as a potential risk. It’s as if Dean is what’s opening up Cas’s “doorways to doubt,” that he told Dean about in 4.16, right after Uriel told Dean that he was Cas’s “weakness.”:

DEAN: What’s going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel put a leash on you?CASTIEL: My superiors have begun to question my sympathies.DEAN: Your sympathies?CASTIEL: I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. You. They feel I’ve begun to express emotions. The doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgment.

Then in 4.18 Cas relents and gives Dean the nudge in the right direction he needs to stop Sam from making a deal with Lilith (which could’ve potentially STOPPED the apocalypse, but that was before we knew killing Lilith would START it… but feels almost like a test of Cas’s loyalty to Heaven as much as anything, because that entire EPISODE seems in retrospect like a strange loop of Chuck getting to know the players in his own game), and leads directly to him being dragged back to Heaven Boot Camp for reprogramming.

When Cas comes back at the end of the episode, he’s changed. He serves heaven again, not man, and certainly not Dean…

I think Castiel’s “death” in 12.23 is serving the same sort of function. I’m thinking of it as Jack’s answer to Heaven Boot Camp. I am still absolutely convinced that Jack has been influencing Cas’s actions since 12.19, and that Cas is imbued with Jack’s power (hence the golden light when he healed Dean). There is no other explanation for it. Why else give Dean that little cut on his face that we got to see healed with that weird gold light, if it wasn’t to tell us that it was Jack’s power that healed him? It wasn’t clear in 12.19 because Cas was healing an internal injury beneath Dean’s jacket. We didn’t see that healing at work, because we were supposed to be asking ourselves whether or not Cas was being controlled by Jack still… but NOW WE HAVE VISUAL PROOF.

Why would Jack go through all this trouble to keep Cas close while keeping the Winchesters away unless they (or Dean, really) were interfering with that control somehow? Like Cas and his doubts in s4? And even in s5?

Like every time Cas has been “programmed” in Heaven one of his primary objectives was to STAY AWAY FROM THE WINCHESTERS? Like in 7.17 when he was Emmanuel. One day with Dean and he remembered EVERYTHING. Like Naomi controlling him in 8.17, where one day with Dean and he broke free of her control, only to be ruled by the angel tablet and immediately feel the need to run away from Dean again.

We even learned that CROWLEY spent most of s6 trying to convince Cas to stay away from Sam and Dean. It was the foundation of his entire plan to crack purgatory for the souls… 

Instead of bringing Kelly back to the bunker in 12.19, KELLY (under the control of the nephilim already) STOLE THE IMPALA and ran away from the Winchesters. And then when Cas fell under Jack’s power he booped them unconscious and fled.

WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?

Because all of heaven, earth, hell, and purgatory KNOW that Cas needs to be kept away from Dean if they want to use Cas for their own ends… and that’s exactly what Jack wants. But how can he sever Cas’s connection to the Winchesters?

FACTORY RESET.

He doesn’t have a Heaven Boot Camp with the Dentist’s Chair of Horror.

My guess? The Cas we’re going to see in 13.01 is going to be disturbingly familiar to the Cas at the end of 4.20. Instead of serving Heaven, he’s going to be all aboard the Jack bandwagon. Because Jack still needs SOMEONE, but he needs someone whose faith in him is unshakable. And as long as Cas has ties to the Winchesters as anything more than a symbolic reason for following Jack’s plan for bringing “paradise” to the world, a symbol he’d been willing to sacrifice himself for, then Cas’s loyalty was always in jeopardy.

But resurrected as something NEW, bearing Jack as the source of his power instead of Heaven or God or wherever angel Grace is hooked up to as a power source, he may have much greater control over Cas.

At least, that’s how I’ve been thinking of it…

(and I suspect that Cas will be restored to himself by midseason, and Jack will have effectively moved into Big Bad territory by then…)