The one where Dean tortures Cas into loving him.

And he feels like shit for it, but loving Cas is all he can do to make up for it, plus they got entwined in hell, so it's not simple Stockholm syndrome. But it is definitely a sort of that. In addition, Lima syndrome.

Those crazy boys.

Lima syndrome?

Never mind -- looked it up. I'd never heard of that.

Ha! My first thought was "they break into impromptu musical numbers at the drop of a hat?"

Right?

I could only think of the bean.

But it's an interesting concept, and makes it clear that they're both fucked in the story.

There's so much fic out there with them settling down at some unspecified point after S6, either ignoring the ending or assuming they vanquished Castiel.

And I get it -- I had an idea for a story where they do just that, too. But so much of the fic seems to be from the perspective of Sam being so damaged now that he can no longer hunt, and can barely sleep, blah blah.

Sam seems ... stronger than that to me. I thought the fact that he did meet and conquer all of his other selves -- soulless Sam and hellbound Sam -- and had the presence of mind to get to Dean and Bobby on his steam was a lot of proof that he's not going to crumble into a little catatonic ball after the events of 6.6.

One of Sam's defining characteristics for me is his determination, and he's had it since he was a kid. The drive to do things his own way, to do what he wants, and to do best, is so integral to him! I can't imagine even now he wouldn't be *more* determined to keep fighting and hunting and saving people.

has everyone seen this awesome Castiel fanvid? [link]

Great vid, tiggy!

D/C: I finished Among the Wreck, and for all that it was an enormous beast, wished that it wasn't over. Really, really, like, really good. Interesting twisting and remixing of past seasons, mixing and matching and flipping things around and presenting them in new circumstances. Oddly, I liked the more fluffy and domestic first Act than the shit-hits-the-fan plot-heaviness of Act 2 (where the whump is! *gasp).

Nan has ginormous D/C fic (with dag art), and I was leery to start it. I'm still leery because it's in first person.

My criticism about Sam's fragility (and Dean being a mechanic, again) aside, if anyone wants a beautiful, really creepy case file with Sam and Dean figuring out what they mean to each other, gretaretza's The Piper is gorgeous and well worth the read. (It is wincest, not just SamandDean, to be clear.)

I spent all morning reading nan's story, and I think it was well done, except the tenses confused me a bit. Still, satisfied. I think I'll save the Wreck one for tonight.

eta: I just now read the warnings on nanoochka's story, and I have no idea where she thinks there was dub con. Man, consent is weird.