#maybe chuck was bitten in the writing process

[thegoodbitchofthesouth]

Chuck as a writer, his 'favorite show'

Couple of thoughts, really. I'm not sure how other writers go about it, but when I plot out a story about original characters, usually I will have an idea about a specific plot point or story, then figure out my main character(s), and from there start building their back story, creating other characters that are needed to help tell the story, ect... the secondary characters and all the background stuff are created specifically for those main characters. So did Chuck create Castiel millenia ago, intentionally with his crack in his chassis, specifically for Dean? We know that John and Mary getting together was planned so that Sam and Dean could be born, and Cain said their lineage goes all the way back to Eden, so it could be assumed that Chuck was planning his 'favorite show' from way back then. So it doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility to me that he created all of the people who have had the biggest impact on their lives, like Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, and so on, just for these two characters, which makes those people seem more important to the narrative. But it's kind of mindblowing to think that all those thousands of years before Dean was even born, Chuck knew he was going to need a special angel, one that was just a bit different, who would be willing to walk away from heaven and millennia of being a soldier and not thinking for himself, and multiple brainwashings to 'fix' him and still be able to keep going, so he created Cas for Dean. Kind of like how he created Eve in the bible for Adam.

Chuck is a douche, but I think that is kind of cool. To add to the coolness of it, he created Castiel for this purpose so well that it actually backfired on him. Cas was able to stand up to God Himself and exercise his own free will. Chuck tried to drive them apart and he almost did, but in the end, they all defied Chuck and stayed together.

BTW, I just realized how awesome it is that Naomi used the phrase "came off the line with a crack in your chassis" for Cass because if you were speaking literally, you would be talking about a car. It sets up a metaphor or a parallel between Cas and Baby, and I really like that considering how deeply Dean loves Baby and how important she is. And how she has been completely totalled more than once, besides the little imperfections like the legos in the vent, the army man, and even the squeaky door, she also probably has some cracks in her chassis as well. And Dean loves her so much that he rebuilt her when most people would have scrapped her, and he kept the imperfections, he loved her probably even more after he had to weld those cracks back together so that she probably looks like she has scars underneath.

Wow. Dean really is better than Chuck. By this point, he basically is Baby's creator the same way Chuck is the creator of everyone and everything else, but he never gave up on her or turned his back on her. He knew she wasn't perfect and he didn't care. He showed more care for a single inanimate object than Chuck has shown for all of his creations. And the episode 'Baby' kind of makes it seem like maybe she isn't completely inanimate, and somehow returns that love when she takes such a beating and struggles to start, but she does because he asks her to, and if she were sentient, she would have faith that no matter what he had to put her through, he was going to fix it and make it up to her.

So, that was rambling and weird, but I had too much coffee.

@metafest

[mittensmorgul]

8.01, We Need To Talk About Kevin.

and

8.02, What's Up, Tiger Mommy?

Dean's back from his vacation to Purgatory, again completely not processing Cas's decision to stay there. Much the same way Cas had refused to engage with his own guilt in the latter part of s7, Dean is now playing the same game with his own guilt and grief, battling feelings of worthlessness at not having been able to "save" Cas.

And like at the beginning of s7, he's once again lost Cas to Purgatory.

DEAN: Yeah, Cas didn't make it. SAM: What exactly does that mean? DEAN: Something happened to him down there. Things got pretty hairy towards the end, and he... just let go. SAM: So Cas is dead? You saw him die? DEAN: I saw enough. SAM: So, then what, you're not sure? DEAN: [turning back to SAM] I said I saw enough, Sam.

And here we have Dean refusing to face what happened...

Meanwhile we also learn how Sam has effectively been running away from his entire life again.

DEAN: I wasn't dead. [He stands up and walks around SAM.] In fact, I was knee-deep in God's armpit killing monsters, which, I thought, is what we actually do. SAM: Yes, Dean. And far as I knew, what we do is the thing that got every single member of my family killed. I had no one – no one. And for the first time in my life, I was completely alone. And, honestly, I-I didn't exactly have a roadmap. So, yeah, I-I fixed up the Impala, and I just... drove. DEAN: After you looked for me. [SAM says nothing.] Did you look for me, Sam? [SAM looks away.] Good. That's good. Now, we – we... always told each other not to look for each other. That's smart. Good for you. Of course, we always ignored that because of our deep, abiding love for each another, but not this time, right, Sammy? SAM: Look, I'm still the same guy, Dean. DEAN: Well, bully for you. I'm not.

And here we have the upcoming character conflict that will power us through all the rest of s8 (and s9, and s10... and through a good bit of s11) (welcome to Marshmallow Era).

(CROWLEY: Really, Dean, who writes your stuff? A marshmallow?)

DEAN: Nothing. Is that, uh, that how you rationalized taking a year off? People will be okay? SAM: People were okay, Dean. You're okay. DEAN: Wow. SAM: Look, I did what we promised we'd do. I moved on. I lived my life. DEAN: Yeah, no, I'm getting that. SAM: Look, it wasn't like I was... just oblivious. I mean, I read the paper every day. I saw the weird stories… [He sits down on the other bed facing DEAN] …the kind of stuff we used to chase. DEAN: And you said what? "Not my problem"? SAM: Yes. And you know what? The world went on. DEAN: People died, Sam. SAM: People will always die, Dean. Or maybe another hunter took care of it. I don't know, but the point is, for the first time, I realized that it wasn't only up to me to stop it.

Because this is what Sam has always tried to run away from. Only this time, Kevin was the fallout of it. I hate, hate, hate this. But heck, it does provide the drama for a good long time to come... fueling Sam's "penance" and self-sacrifice. Except it's coming from this deeply toxic place that Cas's came from in staying in Purgatory, and that Dean's will come from in taking on the Mark of Cain.

DEAN: Okay, if this kid is right, he's sitting on a bombshell. Hell, he is the bombshell. [SAM looks away.] What? SAM: That. I mean, there's no way that Kevin's getting out of this intact, is there? DEAN: Well, he's doing pretty well for himself so far. SAM: Yeah, he got out. DEAN: And now he's in it... whether he likes it or not. SAM: So...free will, that's only for you?

Aaaaahhahhhahhahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa >.>

Dear Sam: no. Dean's literally never had free will of his own. He literally gave it up the moment John put you in his arms and told him to run outside as fast as he could and not look back. Or... probably longer. Especially considering they're Chuck's favorite characters...

Does Dean like ANY of this? I mean, he's long ago accepted he's good at it. He's long ago accepted he's not really suited to any other sort of life. And he's long ago accepted that he's the kind of person who just can't sit by knowing that the bad stuff is still happening in the world, when there's a chance he might be able to stop it. He knows he can't just... know about it all, and just assume someone else will fix it, that it's not his problem anymore. Meanwhile, Sam believes (and has ALWAYS believed) that he absolutely could...

And all of this interpersonal crap continues into...

8.03, Heartache.

DEAN: All right, man, look, I get it. You took a year off to do yoga and play the lute, whatever, but I'm back. Okay, we're back, which means that we walk and kill monsters at the same time. We'll find Kevin. But in the meantime, do we ignore stuff like this? Or are innocent people supposed to die so that you can shop for produce?

DEAN: I don't know about you, but this last year has given me a new perspective. SAM: I hear you. Believe me. DEAN: I know where I'm at my best, and that is right here, driving down crazy street next to you. SAM: Makes sense. DEAN: Yes, it does. SAM: Or... maybe you don't need me. I mean, maybe you're at your best hacking and slicing your way through all the world's crap alone, not having to explain yourself to anybody. DEAN: Yeah, that makes sense, seeing as I have so many other brothers I can talk to about this stuff. SAM: Look, I'm not saying I'm bailing on you. I'm just saying make room for the possibility that we want different things. I mean, I want my time to count for something. DEAN: So, what we do doesn't count?

WELL THIS IS A MIXED BAG HERE IN CONTEXT, But in the larger context of the ongoing story, and where we know they go over the next 7 years, this... is tentatively a step in the right direction, despite it coming from a really fucked up toxic source here in the context of this episode.

Sam's spot on with the realization that they both might want different things, but right now Dean's just grateful enough to be alive and back in the real world to even think about what he might WANT, other than to return to the relatively normalcy he'd lost while in Purgatory. And for him, that's hunting on the road with Sam. The dude is NOT asking for a lot here, Sam.

Plus, Dean's already tried Sam's way, of living a normal life and pretending nothing bad exists in the world, and he HATED it, couldn't do it, and wouldn't chose that for himself again. He can't even begin to understand how Sam could pretend the vast majority of his life just didn't happen and go play house with someone as if he was a person (and not a hunter, to use Bobby's harsh metaphor from 7.09).

So therein lies their disconnect. And Sam isn't pushing this agenda just because he sees them havving their own lives, their own goals and interests, as a HEALTHY thing. No, Sam's still choosing that as a reaction, as "running away" from his life. They're nowhere CLOSE to figuring out how to balance their individual wants and needs and desires. They're still on the "all in or all out" mindset of extremes. Which drives so much of their interpersonal drama for the next few years...

DEAN: Wow. Back in business. Got the win. Admit it – feels good, huh? You know, I was thinking about what Randa said about, uh, you know, what it feels like to be a warrior. I get it, man, I do. SAM: I know. I know you do. I don't. Not anymore. Hell, maybe I never did. DEAN: Come on, Sam, don't ruin my buzz, would you? SAM: Dean, listen, when this is over – when we close up shop on Kevin and the tablet – I'm done. I mean that. DEAN: No, you don't. SAM: Dean, the year that I took off, I had something I've never had. A normal life. I mean, I got to see what that felt like. I want that. I had that.

This is Dean's idea of "normal." He understands this life. And Sam feels even more like it's something he's been dragged into against his will over and over again.

What he had was an illusion. I mean, it actually all did happen, but he sees it in this weird idealistic way in his memories, with too-bright lighting, the cinematic equivalent of rose colored glasses. Which we get to see from an outsider's perspective in...

8.04, Bitten.

The couple leaves and MICHAEL or BRIAN’s camera zooms in on SAM and DEAN.

SAM: All right. There is not a case here. DEAN: There is a case here. You're rusty. We just got to dig a little deeper. Come on. DEAN walks towards the IMPALA and after a moment SAM follows him. BRIAN: Dude, it's so crazy. MICHAEL: Is it just me or are you getting a workplace-romance vibe from those two?

>.>

I mean, Dean's right, Sam's rusty, but at least a little of it is the same thing he expressed in 8.03. He doesn't want to "waste time" on these minor cases when they still have the True Mission of finding Kevin, translating the demon tablet, and slamming the gates of Hell forever... which... yiiiikes.

Reminder to anyone who hasn't read everything I've ever written about s8 before, but I still see this as the one time the Winchesters ALMOST pulled something just as horrific as Cas letting all the souls out of Purgatory, but slammed on the brakes at the last second and saving things. Unfortunately Cas was manipulated (again!) by Metatron into doing the same thing to Heaven and dumping the angels onto the Earth. I mean... thank heck Dean didn't let Sam go through with THAT particular act of hubris, right? Because they really were in the wrong trying to mess with the natural order that badly in the first place. And honestly, EVERYTHING they did after that point was cleaning up the messes they ALL made here... including the Mark of Cain and the Darkness... they stumbled into those things from a place of guilt over all this other nonsense... and they're just now FINALLY getting back to the root cause of all of it in 14.20...

but back to this episode... or these four episodes I guess...

MICHAEL: The FBI is trying to kill me. KATE: Shut up! Everybody, shut up, okay? First things first, those guys – those guys aren't FBI, all right? I'm pretty sure that FBI agents don't say "awesome" that much. You know? And – and they definitely don't hunt and kill college kids. MICHAEL: Did – did they say anything else? BRIAN: Dude, they just sat and talked about how they have been apart for a year. You were probably right about that whole office-romance thing. MICHAEL: I'm screwed. I'm screwed. BRIAN: Kate, come on. What are we supposed to do? KATE: Okay, you know what? You guys, you're missing the big picture, okay? They – they don't know about you, Michael. They're looking for whoever, whatever bit you in the first place, the pureblood. That... that gives us some time... to figure it out, you know?

Even random strangers pick up on the creepy codependency vibes.

KATE: I didn't finish Brian's movie to justify what happened. To be totally honest, I'm not really even sure if I understand it at all. I just wanted you to know that – that Michael wasn't always a monster. None of us were. I'm leaving. And you'll never hear from me ever again. Look, I know that there's another way. I can eat animal hearts. [A tear rolls down her face.] I've never hurt anyone. Nobody human, anyway. I didn't choose this. Please... please give me a chance.

Which...

SAM: Look, Kate's right. She hasn't hurt anybody – well, anybody human at least. DEAN: Yeah, she didn't – she didn't choose this. Let's give her a shot. SAM: Seriously? DEAN: Yeah, yeah. SAM: And, look, if Kate pops back up, I mean, if she strays, then no questions asked. [He unplugs the hard drive and laptop on the desk and picks them up.] We do what we got to do and, um, we take her down.

Which is a very different result from such past episodes as 7.03 and 7.13. And hey, progress... At this point in the narrative, every little step into the grey area, away from the absolutes that still rule their lives, counts.

[newtytoot]

Request By; Anon

Request; hello! would it be possible for you to write an imagine where Minho is bitten/attacked by a crank and has to tell his two best buds that he’s okay but deep down he’s scared because he doesn’t want to leave the ivy trio? I’m sorry it sounds so depressing, but maybe a little happy uplifting part at the end? Idk random but I’m curious to see how it could play out.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

hey babe! of course - i actually wrote two imagines for this - Minho getting stung in the Glade and Minho getting bit in the Scorch. if you’d like to read the one where Minho gets stung in the glade, let me know!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The sun had barely risen from over the horizon when the incident occurred. Incident is a soft way of putting it, actually. For the pact of boys that were basically brothers, it felt more like the ending of the world.

Everyone had been asleep, resting after a day of hiking through the unforgiving terrain of the scorch. Nobody thought one nights rest would lead to a pain greater than the sunburn and hot sand.

They came from nowhere; they seemed to just appear. Winston was on watch, supposedly. He’d fallen asleep. Something he would now never forgive himself for. A mistake that costed him a friend; a brother.

One moment, the mighty gladers were in a peaceful sleep, slightly tossing and turning under the suns sweltering glare. The next moment, everyone had been awoken by a scream so bloodcurdling it would send even the bravest man into a state of pure fear.

It was as if they world was moving in slow motion. All the boys, and Teresa, jumped to their feet, clutching their weapons in fear. Before their very own eyes, they witnessed a sight that they had not known existed. Zombie like creatures were scrambling towards them, jaws snapping and teeth bearing. The sight was enough to send an army general running.

Thomas recalled a conversation he’d had with Janson; he’d mentioned these things. If Thomas recalled correctly, he had referred to them as ‘cranks’. And, boy, did they look cranky.

Everyone’s bodies seemed to work without them realizing it, as the drew their weapons and began shuffling backwards in the uneven sand. Bullets were firing and knives were being thrown; chaos had erupted. It seemed like an eternity later that they had killed the cranks. No fatalities to the gladers; thank God.

After that, they presumed everyone was okay. They’d moved on; went to find fresh water and the such. Nobody even wanted to talk about what they’d just witnessed. Everyone wanted the horrific sight of those things out of their minds.

But Minhos mind was consumed with these thoughts. He hadn’t been honest with his friends; yet he hadn’t lied. He just held back a vital piece of information. The bloodcurdling scream had belonged to him, and the reason it happened was due to the fact a crank had decided to take a munch on his shoulder. The wound didn’t look too bad, but the pain was close to unbearable. He guessed what his fate was - that he’d become one of them things too, cursed to roam the scorch and feast on the few innocent people left in the earths inhabitants. He had to tell Newt and Thomas; there was no question about it. He struggled to form a sentence. He didn’t know what to say. How could he explain to his best friends that he’d been bitten by a crank and was most likely going to turn into one too in the near future and try eat all his friends in their sleep. It wasn’t a conversation he quite knew how to start.

“Minho, are you alright?”

Minho was snapped out of his thoughts as Newts soft voice spoke up, the blond boy appearing at his side. Minho could guess he wasn’t looking too good; but for once he didn’t give a shit.

“Where’s Thomas? I need to talk to you guys.” Minho choked out of his dry throat, his tone brittle.

As if on cue, Thomas appeared at the side of his ill friend, a look of concern on his face.

“What’s up?” Thomas asked as they walked, glancing up to the sky. It was pretty; one of the few beautiful views left.

Without a word, Minho lifted his sleeve, revealing the clearly infected bite mark on his shoulder. His two friends stopped walking instantly, a look of pure hopelessness etched onto their pale faces.

“No. No no no!” Newt breathed in panic, horror evident in his wide eyes.

“Guys! It’s okay! I’m fine. I feel fine. Don’t even worry about it.” Minhos voice was reassuring, but his face was not. He was in pain, and it was obvious.

Nonetheless, Newt and Thomas decided against making a fuss out of the situation; the last thing on earth they wanted to do was stress out their friend.

So, Thomas just pulled the two boys into his arms in the tightest hug he could possibly give, never nearly crushing his friends in the process.

“The mighty gladers will forever be the mighty gladers; bite or no bite.” Thomas announced, wrapping his pinky around Minhos in a childish promise. “We’re here for you; we started this together, we’re gonna finish this together.”

~~Timeskip~~

Paradise.

That’s what they called this place. Thomas was grateful for it, of course. He finally got a chance to relax; to not be in charge. To mourn.

He’d lost everything. Chuck, Alby. Then Minho. Later on, he lost Newt and Teresa too.

The scorch changed him. It broke him; he was merely a shell of the person he once was.

This? This place was not paradise. Paradise would be with Minho. With Newt. Wherever the hell they were. Thomas wasn’t sure if he believed in a heaven, but he knew for sure if there was one, that’s where his friends would be.

Standing at the homemade podium, Thomas knew he had to keep their memory alive. The memory of the Ivy Trio.

“Minho was the first friend I lost to the scorch,” Thomas began, his voice shaky and his eyes misty. “And I wish he was the last. Minho is the reason we are where we are today. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been a runner, and I wouldn’t have found the way out of the Maze. So, Id like to thank him.

“He did not die in vein. You know what his last words were? ‘Thomas, you ugly shank, when you bury me make sure my hair looks good.’ Even in his dying breaths, he managed to try and cheer everyone up. He was the light, the light we needed to see.

“Minho, wherever you are, I love you, brother. I just know you and Newt are up there laughing and joking, making fun of my hair or something. And tell Chuck I say hi.”

Thomas took a shaky breath and closed his eyes, a tear dripping down his cheek.

“Goodbye to the ivy trio.”