Someone on IO9 just posted a "he said family! you must be sad..." to me, and ::sigh::. I guess I can't blame them because so many people are freaking out for stupid reasons, but when did *I* look like an idiot? I do not need tarring with that brush, thanks.

SUICIDE THREAT, people. Really? "Look at your life, look at your choices" is on repeat in the back of my head this morning. Someone malicious cherry-picked Meg hate and freaking out, and I can quite easily hate all of fandom this morning.

And, seriously, I'd rather spend my time thinking of how Dean flinched/begged when Cas reached for him to heal him, and how gently Cas stroked his cheek instead of doing the two-finger forehead tap. Dean, Dean, Dean. You silly silly puppy. Yes, Cas did clean things up. But I think it's fair to say that Dean did not go in with that endgame. He's just way more suicidal than the next guy. Any next guy. And he hates people to die/suffer alone/instead of him.

He's just way more suicidal than the next guy.

I don't know if he's actively suicidal anymore. But he still perceives he's worthless, in the sense that if someone has to die, it might as well be him.

SUICIDE THREAT, people. Really?

Wait, what? People are threatening to commit suicide because Cas liked lippy with Meg? Seriously?

"he said family! you must be sad..."

Um, that doesn't stop the Wincest shippers ...

I don't know if he's actively suicidal anymore

You mean since when he was going to go down closing hell? That was just the other day, relatively speaking, and he made no attempt to escape or banish or anything to Cas--he's not working very hard to eliminate that options, shall we say?

People are threatening to commit suicide because Cas liked lippy with Meg? Seriously?

Yup.

I mean actively in terms of wanting to die, wishing he could die. I don't think he wants that anymore, but when it's between him and anyone else, especially Sam, he's going to be the one to go.

I think he is feeling a measure of contentment with his new room, and their new home base, too. Not enough to sustain him forever, but right now? If no one has to die, I don't think he'd volunteer.

But I do think he's not always gonna do the normal amount of work to ensure he lives either. He's a good planner and a general, but if he's pretty sure he can do it but he dies, it's a lower price for him than for most people, even most hunters. I don't think that gap is closing soon. Not without being underscored explicitly somehow.

That's putting a finer point on it than it needs, I think, and it doesn't take into account existing responsibilities. Such as, in purgatory, he had to fight for his own life because he had to find Cas, and he had to make it back to see what happened to Sam.

Right now, I think he might do a little more to make sure a creature doesn't off him *until* Sam completes the trials. Also, now he needs to find Cas. After that, all bets are off.

Does he need to find Cas? Why does he need to find Cas? And I'm not asking you. I'm asking the writers. Cas is theoretically okay. He's not being controlled any more. He has his memory, sanity, and powers.

Does he need Cas to protect Sam? Does he even have time to find Cas (well, he doesn't know they have 23 episodes either--I've got company there) considering the march to find and execute the end of the demon tablet?

I can see why Dean wants the angel tablet, but is there a really good reason for it? Naomi is an evil shithead, but she was acting out of self-preservation. It's understandable they don't want anyone getting their hands on it. Does Dean just want it for leverage? Protection against the next Raphael?

Why does he have to need to find Cas? I'm just assuming he wants to, because Cas is his friend.

As for the angel tablet, Dean seems to take responsibility for anything that can cause worldwide results, good or bad, and since he doesn't know much about this one, I assume he wants to research it before deciding it's just a hunk of rock.

Why does he have to need to find Cas? I'm just assuming he wants to, because Cas is his friend.

Because characters have motivations. And a lack of a motivation is a motivation too. He's tried to save Cas, and to get Cas to help him--this would be a first for "Oh, just because I like it better when you're here" and I would actually like to see that too.

Dean seems to take responsibility for anything that can cause worldwide results

But do you think the guy who spent the morning artefact sniffing should really get his hands on anything powerful?

Wanting something is a perfectly acceptable motivation in any plot. Dorothy wanted to go somewhere her dog would be safe. Scarlet wanted to be Ashley Wilkes' wife. There doesn't need to be an end goal other than that.

But do you think the guy who spent the morning artefact sniffing should really get his hands on anything powerful?

Wait, what?