At least the first one we see, the one Dean traps in Crossroad Blues, smokes out and leaves the vessel there, completely confused about where she is.

But they all just show up, don't they? Is the assumption that they got there some way other than appearing when summoned? Or are you thinking it's the summoning that is making them travel?

And when they're not trapped, they just seem to not be there anymore, at least as far as I can think of.

I always had the impression that they possessed someone near the crossroads they were summoned to, but I don't know if the show actually supports that.

It would be a big gamble to have a set up that depended on someone wearing black to be within a couple minutes of every possible crossroad where someone might want to deal. I can see a few holes in that plan.

And isn't there an implication with the S7 crossroads deal episode that it's the same body that showed up each time? I admit up front that that's just an impression that I have not fact checked.

I'm gonna watch Crossroads Blues just because. And I might rewatch In My Time Of Dying, because I just argued for its omission as a top ten cliffhanger resolution. I feel like such a traitor. But the cliffhanger itself was unremarkable, even though Devil's Trap and IMTOD are both stellar episodes. I just don't think it makes it onto a resolution list for that reason. T-boned by an unexpected semi? Who hasn't that happened to?

This story isn't great D/C: [link] but it does have some interesting Robo!Dean. In fact, I think she writes him better that way. She is one that tends to the schmoop. But I haven't read much fic in which Dean loses his soul, set after the start of S6.

You ever read a fic and go "Huh. No confusion of narrative points of view. So they didn't make ever mistake."

Like, if I were doing an exercise to hit the top ten fic flaws, it might look something like whatever I just read. Punctuation, grammar, spelling, repetition, vocabulary errors..it was like a checklist of nos.

But the pov is solidly in Dean's head the whole time. So there's that.

I can't read fic that bad anymore. It just hurts.

I've I can see to the end of the story and I made the mistake of starting it, I usually finish it anyway, unless it messes with any of my bigger moral stances.

But, oh god, the heart does sing every time one's put together artfully. I know it's subjective and SPN is blessed with not just volume but talent, but good god--where the good writers at? Is it too much to expect at least one really well story a day...in my pairing?

Never mind. I can hear myself.

I just opened one where Dean had rented he and Sam a lakeside cabin for a week, and went out to "clear the town of supernatural beasties". Meanwhile, Sam was thrilled to see a well-stocked full kitchen, and promptly made a cherry pie.

It's like, do you watch the same show I do? Sam doesn't even make his own salad.

You know, Dean would never sleep with Castiel, because he believes God would disapprove.

God, people, that's even tired as an excuse Dean is using to prevent himself from getting what he really wants.

Why would our Dean even remotely care about that, if Castiel is initiating the lap dance? So many writers treat it like it's a real concern.

The author who wrote the soulless Dean fic I mentioned before has actually two to her credit. Weirdly, the second one is not as good--she hits evil!Dean notes instead of soulless ones. It's kind of weird. Her first one has Dean crashing the Impala to throw people off his scent so he can get away before they put the soul back. Horrible, but plausible. The second one is a total throwback to Alistair-built Dean, and I have no idea why not having a soul would have him getting so much delight out of anything psychological or emotional.