whynot: etc: oh deer (Default)
Las ([personal profile] whynot) wrote2010-05-16 01:00 am

second person pov strikes back

I sat down to write my finale reaction post, then wrote episode tags instead. Oh well.

459 words for Lisa:
lisa

Dean Winchester shoehorning himself into your life, Attempt #3: showing up at your door talking like a condemned man, warning you about a condemned world. He's called you a couple of times since then, strange phone calls incoherent with things unsaid. He just keeps telling you that there's bad shit going down, and you and Ben need to stay safe. Just tell me what's going on, but you're relieved when he refuses you a straight answer. He says just be careful. These phone calls set you on edge, and you're not sure whether you're more worried about him or yourself.

What if he shows up on your doorstep one night and axes you and Ben in your sleep?

Ha, oh god, don't even think that. Dean's a little crazy, but he's a good man.

What if he shows up and--

What. What if what? You don't even know. What if he shows up and does something as bad as how he sounds on the phone? Meandering despair cut through with angry conviction: what if he does something like that?

You don't have the heart to shut him out, this man who's on the brink, this man who saved your son, this one night stand. Ah fuck, Lise, I shouldn't have called, all slurry and blurred, and you say Don't worry about it. You think This guy is gonna get himself killed as your gut goes cold. Dean's world is crumbling, and for some reason you're the one he calls.

He calls you one more time this afternoon and tells you he's gonna be passing through town. It's over, it's all over, he says, so you ask what's over, and he says Everything.

He shows up on your doorstep looking like shit and sounding like hell, Attempt #4, and gives you one of those hugs that scrabbles for purchase at every point of contact. You don't ask what happened. You don't ask where Sam is. You tell him it's never too late for that beer, and then Ben comes running in from the living room and goes Dean! and Dean's face lights up. Hey buddy.

You microwave leftovers as the men discuss new Transformers versus old-school Transformers, and you sit at the kitchen table, letting Ben captain the conversation as every smile of Dean's, every joke, every resurfacing of his old wisecracking tone loosens the knots in your stomach. By the end of the meal, your smile is genuine. After Ben goes to bed, you massage Dean's shoulders, but when he turns his head to kiss your wrist, you stop. Look at the time.

He sleeps on your couch that night. It's the least you can do. Maybe it's the most.


270 words for Sam:
sam

You drive around and around the lower forty-eight, and you think maybe you should check out Hawai'i one of these days. Why not? What's stopping you? You are tethered to nothing. Not this boosted car, not the false identities you carry around in your wallet. You can go to fucking India, or Johannesburg, or the Pyrenees. Nothing is holding you down.

You start your own journal, fill it with monsters. Aswangs in Walpole and chupacabras outside of Reno: you think maybe this is how Dean felt when you were in Stanford. This is what he was doing. Blood and ichor on his hands, staining his clothes, motel rooms with just one bed. An empty passenger seat. This was his everyday, and this is your penance. You drive across America haunting your brother's old life, and it's only fitting.

You're okay. You can do this. You can do this, so you're okay.

There's a payphone in a bar outside of Milwaukee, and you think maybe you'll call him. You won't say anything. You'll just be a creep and hear him say hello. Maybe you can get away with that. Bartender asks if you want another one, sugar, and you wonder how many times Dean wanted to call you but then changed his mind.

Bartender says honey, you want another one?

You would, but you should save the money for food. You think Dean would probably get the booze instead of food. Fucking Dean. What an idiot. You down the rest of your beer, and the lamp above you flickers and flares.

+

That's all for now. FOR NOW.

The following showed up on Fuck Yeah Merlin and now my heart is equal parts LOL and :(


In other news of beautiful symmetry, [livejournal.com profile] castielfest has 42 members and 24 sign-ups thus far omg yay \o/

[originally posted at http://whynot.dreamwidth.org/21848.html | comment count unavailable comments]

[identity profile] 22by7.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I think canon is leaning towards it? Although that would make the inevitable break between Dean and the Braedens that much more bitter.
LOL D/C THE NEXT GENERATION. Like those stories were the children of long-alienated and separated people who were once maybe in love fall in love, and the parents are wistfully sighing over their heads while pretending like they don't give a shit.

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
The lessons stop after that. No more guns, no more knives. When Ben asks Dean about it, Dean just asks him if he wants to throw the old pigskin around. Who says that anymore? Pigskin.

Dean's gone more often, for longer periods of time. "Hunting," he replies, when they ask him.

"What are you hunting?" Ben asks. "Monsters? Like, werewolves? Vampires?"

"No," Dean says, and Mom just presses her mouth in a thin line.

[identity profile] 22by7.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Ben starts taking the bus to school, again. He's never felt comfortable in the Impala anyway: the one time he made for the passenger door Dean gave him a look that made him cold to the bone.

Mom barely touches Dean anymore, which Ben is totally happy with. It still dredges something ugly up in his gut when Mom leans over his body when he's sitting out on the porch, when she reaches out to brush her fingers over his left shoulder. Dean reacts almost explosively, throwing her arm off hard enough to unbalance her. Ben's out of his chair just in time to see Mom right herself and take two steps back. Dean is on his feet and walking backwards, one hand clutched over his shoulder.

An hour later Dean is packing up.
Edited 2010-05-16 17:57 (UTC)

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's been screaming (in my head) about "What about what LISA wants?"

Dean might or might not be a family man in the long run, but right now he's all screwed up in the head, and he's no good for Ben or Lisa. Lisa's had her life together for a really long time now (ten years). She can be his friend, offer him a place to crash for a while, but I never ever got the impression she wanted him to come back and be her One True Loveā„¢ or whatever.

It's just ridiculous, and God bless Sammy's well-meaning little heart, but in his desperation for Dean to have "normal and happy" he's willing to torch the life Lisa built so carefully for herself, and that is so many kinds of wrong I don't even know where to start.

[identity profile] marycontraire.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I love Lisa so much! I hope she's a in the next series more. Like, it would be cool if that shot that we saw at the end was "several months later" and Dean was living with them. I have also just decided that Lisa never did do a paternity test (where would she get the sample anyway?), and she lied about it to let Dean off the hook, but Ben is actually Dean's kid, just no one knows it.

Also! Castiel! ASSBUTT! I love you! But I can't decide if I'm happy that you have your powers back-- it was pretty funny when you were human.

TEN YEARS LATER (which is totally enough time to develop interplanetary cellphone reception)

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
They've shouted themselves out, and now Ben is fuming in the driver's seat, Claire is seated on the trunk, smoking a second cigarette and sending Jesse a third text: still stranded on i-95. where r u, freak

They're miles away from anywhere and their car has broken down.

A text from her mother: did u check d engine?

Claire doesn't even dignify that with a response.

Her phone beeps with another text, and she hears Ben's phone inside beep too. A text from Jesse: stop, im busy

"Goddammit," says Ben. "He's always fucking busy."

"If you had just taken the time to check the rattling--" Claire says as she composes another text.

"The cops were after us, Claire, whaddya want me to do?" Ben sighs dramatically. "'Nother chump's gonna die by werewolf if we don't--"

"I am not your fucking Triple A," Jesse says, suddenly on the side of the road.

Ben says, "Well, hell. Check out the cavalry."

"Where were you?" Claire asks.

"Mars," Jesse answers, dusting off his clothes, and Claire isn't sure that he's joking. "Now what seems to be the problem?"

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah Lisa's body language in that episode was kinda shifty. I think she just wanted Dean to fuck off because there wasn't a permanent place in her life for a guy like him.

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, at best she's gonna be a sympathetic friend, and there miiiiiiight be an ill-advised fuck somewhere, but I cannot see her readily opening herself up to be committed to this hot mess Dean Winchester. I imagine eventually she's gonna start dropping hints about him finding his own place. She's not just something for Dean to keep a promise to Sam about.

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-16 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
ASSBUTT

I can't really see Lisa letting this mess of a man stay with her for a months. I imagine after a few weeks she starts dropping hints that Dean needs to find his own place. God, I hope she doesn't get fridged. ENOUGH WITH THAT.

I agree re: Ben is Dean's kid. Her body language in S3 was kinda shifty. As for the paternity test though, she could get the genetic material from Ben's supposed dad.

What was the point of Cas losing his powers if he's just gonna level up in the next episode?! That was a waste, they could've done so much more with that. Fic to the rescue, man. Oh Cas, your character arc is full of holes. (I forget sometimes that I'm not watching The Castiel Show.)

ASSBUTT

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
I don't have anything to add, since we seem to be in agreement, but I thought I would say that the phrase "ill-advised fuck" made me giggle like a twelve-year-old. ;)

[identity profile] marycontraire.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I certainly don't think that Lisa is all waiting around for Dean to come back and Be Her Man or whatever, either. I think it would be really interesting if Dean DID want that relationship to work out, and then had to actually WORK FOR IT in the next season. Unfortunately, I don't think Kripke is interested in showing us that. So Lisa will probably a) disappear or b) get turned into a 2-dimensional love interest. Boo. (Not to be a pessimist or anything.) IT WOULD BE COOL IF SHE GOT TO SHOOT SOMETHING, THOUGH.

(I guess she could have gotten the test sample from the supposed dad, but from the way she talks about it, it sounds like he was just some random guy she picked up for a one-night stand... it doesn't seem like she'd be able to track him down a month later when she finds out she's pregnant any more than she would have been able to track down Dean. But I think mostly I just want Ben to be Dean's because I LOVE BEN and he is such a mini-Dean. And someday he will continue the grand Winchester tradition of fighting monsters and man-pain!)

Also, COME ON, HUMAN CAS WAS SO FUN. Grr. WTF are they even going to have him doing in the next season? (I'm sure they'll think of something, though, they know they can't write him out.)

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
Oh the things I would shoot to see Lisa shoot something.

And someday he will continue the grand Winchester tradition of fighting monsters and man-pain!
Ben, Claire, and Jesse: Team Free Will v2.0. I'm trying to not to want to write fic for this.

HUMAN CAS HAD SUCH A LONG WAY TO GOOOOO. GAH. Okay, I guess he is an archangel now or whatever. Between whipping heaven into shape (guerrilla!Castiel vs. establishment!Raphael, revolution in heaven THE SEQUEL), I'm sure he's gonna float on down to earth to deliver important exposition to the Winchesters. He probably visits Sam and Dean too these days, when he can. Gaaah, I miss Team Free Will. I guess it never really existed for real anyway though...

[identity profile] deedlit50.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
Pretty. I loved the Lisa fic especially- thank you for giving her a personality other than being Dean's "dream girl."

[identity profile] deedlit50.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
Also, is it weird that I can picture Dean teaching Ben how to shoot and "protect himself from the bad stuff out there." Maybe even take him on a few camping (hunting) trips? Turn Ben into a little version of himself. And maybe Dean's inability to cut the hunt out of his life is what drives Lisa away?

Shit, someone needs to write that.

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you! And yes, I can imagine ALL OF THAT. That sounds quite probable, actually! Oh Dean. Him/normalcy is like anti-OTP.

[identity profile] deedlit50.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
Oh man, I just read the rest all of the comment fics above and I fully approve. Ben, Claire and Jesse as next generation hunters makes me all kinds of happy and Sam could be their Bobby.

The ficcage possibilities are never ending.

[identity profile] chibifrieza.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
So I'm kind of done with anything resembling meta or analysis because 5.22 wrung me out like a sponge, and I'm mostly avoiding the fic tags because cannot really deal, but I keep seeing that awesome people have written them and somehow I am magnetically compelled. Like yours, for instance. You are so terse and succinct and don't try to make anything better, and that makes it better. Like ripping off a bandaid or setting a bone all at once. I don't know. Thank you.

Oh, and. Line that hit me hardest:

You're okay. You can do this. You can do this, so you're okay.

[identity profile] roque-clasique.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
baaaaah i'm so sad for everyone, christ.

then Ben comes running in from the living room and goes Dean! and Dean's face lights up. Hey buddy. -- it's the ONE happy line that is the most gutting to me.

SAM call your damn brother. fuck.

Re: thank YOU ;)

[identity profile] roque-clasique.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
yes, she's a person, thank you! here's the line that bothered me: "pray she's dumb enough to take you in." FOR REAL THOUGH. the show doesn't treat her like a person, it treats her like a metaphor for domesticity. *rants*

[identity profile] roque-clasique.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
separate comment to address the above commentfic:

OMG.

[identity profile] labseraph.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
I think your Lisa here rings pretty true. I don't think she sat around waiting for Dean for anything; not to mention that apart from the fond memories of the amazing one night stand, I doubt she's highly invested in him.

Being kind to someone who had saved her son made sense; being kind to a person who looked like he was on the brink of something so drastic made sense. But OTP love forever after? Ew, no.

Your Sam breaks my heart. 'nuff said.

[identity profile] blubird-pie.livejournal.com 2010-05-17 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Man, Lisa! I know its reiterating what everyone's been saying, but the more wonderful fic about her I read the more annoyed I am on her behalf. I like how in yours she half pities and is half afraid of Dean- considering his behavior, not unreasonable. And, for the record, I would read the Ben-Clair-Jesse spinoff in a hot second!

I also really liked the Sam POV one, for the S1 sort of feel that also worked in all the issues and melancholy of the later seasons, and for how Sam's freedom to go anywhere in the world is contrasted with his self-imposed restrictions. The line about the phonecall broke my heart!

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-19 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
:D! YES, THE WINCHESTERS CAN BE THEIR BOBBY <33 and 22by7 suggested that they call Bobby's panic room the Batcave, which I HEARTILY APPROVE. omg, I OT3 Team Free Will v.2.0 so hard already.

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-19 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, thank YOU! I'm glad you like, dude. I still don't know if I am up for making a full reaction post about 5.22 because WOAH, so I kinda know what you mean. <3

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2010-05-19 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Sam has learned all his emotional repression techniques from the very best. Perhaps he can soon master breathing creepily into the phone!

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