Previous | First ----- Chapter 13 Art: The Flower of Alhamkara Chapter 14: A Return (art to follow) ----- A/N: I will start by saying that HJ 2021 will premier on the 21st, as I'm sure many are wondering. For those of you not on my patreon or discord who are curious about why there’s a chapter for Coronation Day today and not HEL Jumper, I spent the last part of the year gauging the desire within the community for more HJ versus spending a bit of time each month on other works. As a result of community feedback and my own personal desires, you can expect two HJ chapters each month going forward, along with a full length installment of either CD or some other OC of mine. I hope you’ll all give some of my other work a shot if you haven’t already. Happy New Year everyone, it's great to be back. Special Thanks to Big_Papa_Dakky, Darth_Android, bloblob, AMERICUH, Ironwing, Mr_Polygon, Krystalin, Mamish, Mike, Vikairious, Sam_Berry, KillTech, LilLaussa, Daddy_Talon, Gruecifer, Gaelan_Darkwater, Konrahd_Verdammt, red-shirt, DaPorkchop, Benjamin Durbin, Siddabear, and everyone else supporting me on patreon. ----- When Spot left Eina behind in the medical wing he’d expected the nerves, the shaking. He was going to kill other faunum in the name of the King and Queen. He’d proceeded to do so several times, in some cases brutally, like the animals to which they were all so closely related. What he hadn’t expected was the same sensations on the way back. The operation against the Oro had gone off almost without a hitch but the one casualty had been his partner, and he had no idea if Eina would still be waiting for him when he got back, if she would still be alive. Fortunately for his nerves, he, Idris, and his comatose partner were rocketing back towards the palace in a shuttle that, on the outside, appeared as nothing more than an ambulance. It was one of the best armed and armored ambulances in the kingdom, but nobody watching needed to know that. The remainder of the Sekhama were either still at the Oro’s base of operations securing evidence and ensuring a perimeter, or returning to the various military bases from which they deployed, using a randomly generated dispersal pattern to throw off those who might be looking at things they shouldn’t with technology they shouldn’t possess. If katana anti-air launchers were filtering down into the hands of street gangs, who was to say what else they had on hand? “Spot,” Octavia got his attention in a low, almost fatherly voice. “I’m only going to say this once. You are a member of the Sekhama now. You will always be watched, scrutinized, and appraised for weakness or strength, just like the rest of us. Find yourself somewhere private if you need to mourn or deal with what happened tonight. Maintaining your health as a professional soldier is just as much your job as the actual killing of the Crown’s enemies. Am I clear?” “Yes sir,” Spot managed to reply, feeling like he was forcing the words through a tightening rubber tube. With every second he was getting closer to an answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to know, and what a third party observer would have described as an unhealthy obsession with a street whore. Idris Octavia was not that sort of observer. “Good. There are those in the employ of the Matriarch who are skilled in the art of conversation and are as loyal to her as any of us are to the Queen or King. Or go to the heavy ordinance range. Both are fine.” “But you said rookies aren’t normally allowed into the harem after their first mission. You don’t need to-” “I have had this conversation with every single rookie since I assumed command of this force, Spot. The harem is not some street corner sex den where your brothers in arms get to fool around either by the grace of or for the enjoyment of the upper crust of society, though I understand well its appeal in that regard. You can get anything there from a perfectly brewed cup of tea to things unmentionable even in the corridors when you think no one is listening. Speaking to somebody about what you’ve seen and done is a far cry from getting your cock wet. You are not special,” the lion insisted gruffly, ensuring silence as the pilot radioed the cabin from the cockpit, informing them that they’d entered the palace’s direct airspace and were about to touch down atop the medical wing’s helipad. Spot had little time to reflect upon the Commander’s words as the side of the shuttle opened and he leapt out onto the tarmac, ready to assist the two medical staff who had accompanied Doc Oz in moving Tark’s gurney from the vehicle to solid ground. “So you are the partner?” the doctor noted as he walked around to get a head on view of the shattered limb of Spot’s partner. “You removed the arm?” “I uh, yes sir.” “Commander Octavia, who was the field medic who saw to the injury?” “Pteris. And if you could hold your evaluations until the sun comes up at least, Doctor?” Oz waved him off with a feathered arm as the medical staff began wheeling the injured Sekhama to the elevator that would lead directly to the back end of the medbay, with Spot hot in tow. “I will only submit a complaint if they screwed up and cost our brave Sekhama here some amount of functionality in his new limb, Commander. Otherwise I suppose congratulations are in order?” “You’re always a riot, Oz. Enjoy it while you can. We have a lot you’re going to have to sift through come morning and none of it is pretty,” Octavia explained, joining them in the elevator as the shuttle pilot threw them a salute and kicked his bird back into the air, bound for the palace’s vehicle storage and maintenance depot. The large, fortified structure was located well within the palace’s security perimeter, but distant enough so as not to ruin the experience of visiting dignitaries or other patrons of the crown. Spot watched it go, soaring gracefully over the palms and other greenery of the palace grounds before becoming naught but a dim light in the black night sky, faintly reminding him of the first time he’d been brought to the palace. That life seemed far away, as though something he could only remember through a looking glass. His was that of a Sekhama now, and all the grief and triumph that came along with it. After a tense, silent ride in the elevator, broken only by the clicking of Spot’s shotgun bolt as the rookie did his best to remain calm, the doors opened and Oz went to work as bright, white lights guiding their way to an already prepared operating suite. Spot barely had a chance to look around the room before the medical professionals had passed through the sterilization bubble and began transferring Tark to the operating table. By the time he’d checked every bed visually and noted every single one of them was empty, pristine, and awaiting new patients, Oz was already determining his partner’s reactions to electronic stimuli via the protective artificial socket that had been fixed to the arm in the field. “Eina…” Octavia inhaled a deep breath through his nose and placed a heavy paw on Spot’s shoulder. “Welcome to the other half of being a Sekhama.” Spot did his best to control his lips and eyes, feeling the natural reactions tugging at him, willing tears to spring from his lids. “They’re dead, at least,” was all he could say, his voice parched and cracked. “They are, Spot, by your hand. What you’re feeling right now is the bittersweet line between justice and vengeance. If you choose to cleanse your palate with some of the harem’s jasmine tea, I will meet you there.” “Do you really give this talk to every rookie, sir?” Spot wondered as their heavy boots rang off the sterile, linoleum floor and they moved to observe the beginnings of Tark’s operation from a respectful distance. Octavia allowed himself to smile then, just a bit. “Not all of my rookies fall in love with street whores, Spot. And before you snap at me as I know you so desperately want to… I find it reassuring that even in this line of work something so unreasonably hopeful can happen. If she is gone, be strong for that boy.” “You have… I don’t know if I can do that,” Spot replied, clenching his fists so tightly the creaking of his gloves could be heard against the handle of his shotgun. Octavia crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “That’s why it wasn’t an order, Spot. You have thirty minutes. Otherwise, wait until after your next op or put in a request directly with one of the Matriarch’s staff to speak with one of her healers. It’s your choice.” Spot lowered his head, closing his eyes as the lights from over head reflected up at him off the spotless floor. It felt a mockery in a way, light and dead. “I appreciate this, sir. I’ll be there.” Octavia hummed approvingly. “Good, but ditch the shotgun.” ----- “So, you’re the one? Hmmm, our Lady did always have an eye for quality and an unhealthy obsession with the underbelly of society. You are her diamond in the rough, I suppose. I assume you know who I am?” the matronly hyena demanded in a silken voice, walking slowly in a full circle around where Eina sat, straight backed on a plush ottoman in the middle of one of the several private chambers that made up the south wing of the glistening jewel of Alhamkara’s palace, the harem. “You’re the Matriarch,” the cheetah replied in a weak voice. The hyena nodded, taking her chin between her fingers as she considered her from every angle. “Oh they’ll like you, my dear. Meek and mild mannered with an alluring, voluptuous street body, with modifications to match. I know a few gentlemen and more than one lady who would pay dearly to spend a night with you if that is still to your liking. Ah ah ah now Eina, you cannot ever show fear or they will eat you alive. It is not wise to allow the clientele to believe they hold power here. That rests with you. So tell me little cat, why did you come knocking at my door the moment you were able to walk again?” Matriarch asked, sitting in a chair opposite Eina and crossing her legs one over the other. Her body was clad in a voluminous robe of the finest silks dyed a deep, earthen red and trimmed with gold. The symbol of the palace, the dawning sun, adorned the collar below her left cheek. The sight of her left Eina speechless for a moment. Her elegant dress was modest, covering her entire upper body, arms, and most of her legs when standing, but she understood how to arrange herself just so, ensuring a tantalizing glance of her thighs and calves when seated. The queen of the harem smiled at her, keeping her teeth behind her lips. “I’m flattered, my dear. Now introductions? Let’s start there.” “I am Eina, my lady,” the cheetah replied quietly. “And you’re quite honest. Not always a good quality but I demand absolute loyalty from those who serve me, just as is demanded of me by those I serve. Now, apart from my wonderful decor,” the Matriarch said, gesturing with a smooth sweep of her arm to the room around them. Sandstone walls, a rich dark wood bed frame, silks and pillows trimmed in gold, ornate hookah pipes and vases of rare desert flowers all set the scene where the wealthiest and most powerful might indulge themselves, and where Eina never in a million years dreamed she might be. “Why did you come to the harem, Eina?” She stammered a reply. “I w-wish to repay her majesty, Lady Keiko. I am without s-skills, so I thought-” “You thought that a dancer from an illicit brothel could just waltz into the harem and begin to serve as the Crown requires,” the Matriarch finished playfully, cowing Eina into silence. After a moment under her gaze, withering before her stern, mahogany eyes she looked away, feeling shame grow within her breast. “Honest and brave. Unpolished stones have no place in my collection, but I called you a diamond for a reason, your eyes not the least of them. I already know what you went through to get them and why, so we will not waste our time on such matters as your past. The kitchens would take you, Eina, as well as the other handmaidens. We could always use someone else to air out the bedding. You do not have to do this.” Eina looked up at her again curiously, finding that the Matriarch had procured a thin, wooden pipe from somewhere on her person. The material was dark, almost black, polished to a fine sheen and inlaid with ivory. With practiced motions she packed the small bowl and lit it with a strike of her fingers, catalysing a reaction that sent a thin trail of haunting, blue smoke into the air. She puffed lightly, exhaling a vibrant, sparkling cloud of azure fumes. “I’ve only ever seen it so pure once in my life,” Eina remarked. That comment actually elicited a reaction from the seasoned hyena as she cocked her brow ever so slightly. “Indeed? We do not serve anything else here, and we refine it ourselves.” “I can only imagine what that would cost,” Eina replied wistfully, feeling her mouth begin to salivate as the smell reached her. “That is… utterly divine.” “And your relationship with the substance is exceedingly complicated,” the Matriarch pointed out, removing the pipe from between her lips and allowing it to rest comfortably on one knee. “Perhaps that is the answer?” “N-No! I would never… no,” Eina pleaded. “If I require it I was told to return to the medical wing.” “And where is the fun in that?” the hyena chuckled, finally relenting. “Eina, this is but a taste of the sort of games that are played in my world. I admire your devotion to our Lady, but I need to know you can survive this place. If a client comes to anticipate your services, I cannot simply inform them that you are no longer available.” Eina shook her head briefly, partially to clear the sinful smell of azure smoke from her nostrils and partially to contemplate the idea of not just being the piece of meat that was on duty that day of the week, to have clients in the true sense of the word, to be a service in demand. “Do all of your employees engage in my old line of work?” she finally asked. “The dancing, or the sex in exchange for money?” Matriarch replied without a hint of sympathy. “Sex in exchange for the ability to feed myself and my children,” Eina shot back after a deep breath. Her interviewer nodded her head curtly. “I would like to make two things clear to you, Eina. The first is that your children will be cared for regardless of what happens after this conversation. They are innocent, and will be treated as such. The second is that sex is only one of the wide array of services I, my staff, and possibly you might offer to our clientele. And I personally hold both sides of sexual transactions to exacting standards of professionalism and pleasure. This is not the world you came from, Eina.” “Then I will have no problem surviving it,” she replied, her human-like eyes narrowing in determination. She did not care how devious or brutal the palace’s guests were. There were rules within those mighty sandstone walls. At the Oasis, where money and muscle did the talking, there were none. “I admire your determination, but that remains to be seen.” “Then if you have the time, Matriarch, I’d like to tell you about the birth of my first child, Keiko.” ----- “Elandri, they have you on night shift again?” Octavia demanded, approaching the vaulted double doors of wrought metal that led to the palace harem. The entire surface was lovingly detailed, depicting scenes both carnal and beautiful, and flanked by two of the harem’s ceremonial guards. They sported the same sort of armor worn by Idris for official functions, overwrought with expressive metalwork on large pauldrons and intricate embroidery in gold on deep navy tunics and skirts. Bangles of gold and shining metallic greaves adorned their lower legs, with each wielding a spear and a knife at their belts. They were there both to enforce and to entice, perhaps the only truly forbidden fruit within the harem and a reminder that impropriety would not be tolerated under the gaze of the Crown. The commander of the Sekhama stepped forward and embraced Elandri, the lioness returning the hug briefly before stepping back and running a hand through the close cropped, crimson ‘mane’ that ran down the back of her head and neck. Such female manes were rare but not unheard of in Alhamkara. Among the bloodline of the Octavias, it was practically expected. “I requested it, uncle. And I’m well past the age you need to be intervening on my behalf around the palace, especially in matters as mundane as guard shifts,” she said in a soft tone, her voice nevertheless carrying a fair distance through the curved, stone hallways that made up the central elements of the palace. “I would never!” Octavia protested, wilting quickly under Elandri’s keen gaze before smiling genuinely for the first time in more than a day. “How are things in there?” “Plenty of room for your boys if that’s what you’re asking,” she reported. “The esteemed Lord Torando tends to mope about more often than not, but he keeps his dour thoughts to himself and pays well. I assume the operation was a success?” “You know I can’t speak about such things openly. You’ll see tomorrow,” he replied calmly, knowing full well he’d answered the question regardless. “Good, that’s good then. I have a message for you, by the way.” “From the Matriarch?” “Yeah, who else?” Elandri wondered, leaning against her spear. “She’s with a new girl tonight, so you’ll have to wait a bit.” “New girl?” the Commander asked curiously. “Don’t sound so eager, dear uncle,” his niece teased. The lion tossed his mane lightly and scoffed back at her. “I don’t need to take that from you, whelp. But very well. I suppose once she accepts a new member she considers them one of her children in a way. I can wait for the rookie out here then,” Idris decided, leaning against the wall next to his niece. “Rookie? You don’t usually let rookies in here,” she pointed out. “I don’t, but this is a bit of a unique circumstance,” Octavia replied. “It was a mentally difficult operation, and if he dies on his next op I’d likely go to my grave regretting that I didn’t give a street urchin at least one taste of this place.” “So that dog’s not so wet behind the ears anymore?” Elandri deduced easily. “Well good for him. Not sure any of the regulars will be that impressed by a rook, but there are always plenty of serving girls and handmaidens who’d jump at him.” “I’m not sure how to feel about my niece appraising the sexual potential of my own troops,” Octavia chuckled with a shake of his head. Elandri joined him. “Part of the territory, uncle. And you know well enough I’ve always wanted this job. So try not to treat me like the little girl you’d let ride on your shoulders?” Her words had Octavia walking to the other side of the corridor, looking out through the archways of stone over the western half of the palace. The harem’s main room faced east, allowing the rising sun to warm its gardens and beds. “You will always be that girl to me, but you are a fine young woman as well. Just don’t run off with any of my boys and we’ll be fine.” “You have that little faith in them?” Elandri wondered in surprise. “No, just the opposite. I would hate for my grandnephews or grandnieces to come home one day to a world without their father is all,” he said with open remorse. His niece shook her head. “How many times do I need to tell you that wasn’t your fault, uncle?” she demanded hotly. “You’ve always been kind to me on that account Elandri, but there is plenty of blame to be placed on the shoulders of all parties, mine included. Enough about that, though,” he insisted as the firm footfalls of another individual could be heard from down the corridor. “Ready to have a little fun?” “Best part of my job, minus the azure and baths,” Elandri said with a hint of eagerness in her voice. “Wonder who will catch his eye first. Bet you it’ll be Lycia. She loves herself a fresh cut of meat. Never understood why she doesn’t join up full time. Guess she enjoys the allure of being the outsider.” “Then I’ll be sure to steer him in the opposite direction,” Octavia insisted as Spot slowed to stop in front of them and saluted. “Sir,” he said respectfully. The commander looked him over and nodded in approval. The rookie had possessed the common sense to leave his bloodstained armor back in the armory. He addressed Elandri as well. “Good evening.” “Ah he’ll get along just fine,” the lioness laughed. “Word of advice, kid, don’t stare. Surest sign of a newbie.” “Oh stop it, Elandri. No one gets to just walk through these doors, and you know everyone who does. They’ll know he’s new. That said she’s right, Spot. Act like you’ve been there before if you want to return, and no matter what you do remember your place,” Octavia commanded without elaborating on exactly what that entailed. Spot nodded humbly, looking at his boots. “I won’t cause trouble, sir.” “I’m more worried about our esteemed Commander here if my dear employer finds herself busy,” Elandri ribbed her uncle. “So the name Spot stuck, did it? Well you don’t look a thing like you did when you first showed up. Have fun in there.” Spot felt his heart catch in his throat as Elandri and her partner took a step towards the center of the doors, each grabbing a knocker in the shape of a lion’s head. They rapped twice, the clang of metal on metal echoing through the hallways and surely on the other side as well. As the guards stood aside the doors opened inward, leaving only a moment for Octavia to give his recently graduated rookie one final piece of advice. “Remember, you’re a killer. Most of them aren’t.” Spot’s brow furrowed as he remembered the kick of his shotgun against his shoulder and the smell of blood. The sight before him had to have been its exact opposite, even before he stepped across the threshold. “So that’s what the inside of the central tower looks like,” he murmured, walking forward with Octavia as the guards on the other side of the doors bowed and closed the entryway behind them. Spot did his best to keep his face stern and rigid, but found it difficult as every one of his senses was assailed at once. Towering columns formed a ring from just behind him at each side of the doors all the way out to the far point of the central area of the harem. Those more cultured than he would have referred to what lay before him as an amphitheater, with a sunken performance stage in the middle surrounded by comfortable seating at every angle. Cushions that had to be worth more than a month of his salary were scattered about in a pattern that appeared haphazard, but each invited him to be seated at a perfect distance from other guests while enjoying azure hookah or simple flavored tobacco instead. He noticed both. Small tables were set up every so often to entertain groups of two to four, or individuals who might wish to take a meal along with their show. In the center of the amphitheater, or arena as far as Spot was concerned, a young gazelle clad in translucent crimson silks and gold jewelry danced to a beautiful melody played by a pair of wild dogs. The gentlemen were around Spot’s age, if he had to guess, and were dressed far better than he was. Their tunics and pants were done in the same crimson and gold motif that seemed to accompany all of the staff. Conservative and regal, they ensured the musicians were pleasing to the eye without taking away from the performer herself. Spot contented himself knowing he had them beat on musculature, at least. Tearing his eyes away from the body of the gazelle, which he figured he’d be able to see forever in his mind’s eye, he noticed two smaller wooden doors to either side of him. They were both made of wood and designed to blend in with the walls. Spot figured easily enough that they were for the staff as one of them opened and a serving girl no less beautiful than the dancing gazelle stepped through. The hyena lass was carrying an opulent tray with a bottle of amber alcohol, a gilded crystal glass, a small chest of ice, and a mahogany box of cigars along with all of the necessary accoutrements. With practiced grace she moved down the stairs of the ‘arena’ and walked along the row to where her patron awaited her, a rhinoceros who had to be a commodity magnate of some kind or another based on his well tailored suit and carved horns, one of which bore a guild emblem that he couldn’t make out at distance. The rookie watched as the server went about pouring a glass for him over a single cube of ice, not wasting a drop, before cutting a cigar and offering it to him. The businessman leaned forward slightly, taking in the center of her cleavage left exposed by her uniform, as she struck a match and lit the cigar with a tiny, blue flame. What was perhaps most surprising to Spot was the fact that the older man dismissed her casually without so much as a second glance, much less a slap on the ass or some other unbecoming action that nevertheless would surely be permitted in that place. The smoke from the cigar carried up and away from the wealthy gentleman, wafting slowly away from the guests and out through the several open arches across the way. “Damn,” Spot whispered, realizing just how large the gardens that rested beyond those columns had to be given the size of the room they were in and the fact that it clearly made up a concentric circle within the main tower. He noticed a well lit fountain at the center of well-manicured, branching paths, but the majority of the area was concealed from him, likely intentionally. He figured more than a few secrets had been shared in the ‘privacy’ of the trees and bushes there, to say nothing of the several rooms that made up the rest of the inner circle between the serving entrances, the grand corridors to the north and south, and the gardens to the east. He counted four on each side, each situated under one arch between two columns, and each of which was concealed by drapes and tapestries just as fine as the rest of the place. Some were dark and unused, while others were lit. One in particular caught his attention due to the fact that while obviously occupied, the occupants had only seen fit to close the thinnest of the privacy curtains. He wasn’t sure what miracle of material engineering allowed light and silhouettes through while concealing much of the sound from beyond, but little was left to the imagination regarding just what sort of carnal pleasures the occupants were indulging in. Given how few attendees were paying direct attention, with little more than a laugh or two shared between a couple of well dressed ladies eating delicate pastries one of the tables, Spot came to the somewhat horrifying conclusion that semi-public, if not downright public sex was a key feature of the harem. He tore his eyes away and rubbed the bristly hair on the back of his neck, wondering if such a performance ever took place within the arena proper. “I’d say that’s a proper reaction,” Octavia chuckled deep in his belly. “Baths are that way, through the south corridor. Maybe make that your first stop? North is the main dining room. Unless you want your ear talked off by visiting dignitaries for hours on end, I’d avoid it.” Spot nodded, but wouldn’t have been able to repeat Octavia’s words if his life depended on it. He was far too focused on an older hyena dressed in flattering, red robes escorting a young cheetah female through the space. She was dressed in the same clothing as the rest of the staff and had no tail. It was easy for the Commander to spot what had captured the rookie’s attention. He pursed his lips, impressed at the sight. “Well what do you know? Oz pulled it off.” ----- “Try not to stare so much, my dear. You are not here to look at them; they are here to look at you,” the Matriarch advised as she led Eina from the northern servant’s corridor, which connected to the vast kitchens that kept the various guests of the harem sated, into the main chamber. The cheetah clutched her hands in front of her and bowed slightly. “My apologies, Mistress,” Eina offered, returning her gaze primarily to her new employer. For whatever else it was worth, the Oasis had made her an expert on ignoring trouble, no matter how alluring. “I have just never seen such wonders before.” The Matriarch tugged the corner of one of her lips into a smile. “You may just find yourself suited to serving tea yet. As you can see we have a performance hall, if you will. Currently the display is a more refined version of your old profession, but it can range from feats of strength and combat to sex and other displays of the flesh. As a server you will find yourself walking those stairs quite often. When you are finished with your tour today you will spend time walking up and down the stairs of the palace and you will be evaluated each day by other more experienced ladies or gentlemen of the harem. You will learn the preparation, presentation, and art of serving tea in the same manner. If your performance is acceptable, you will be permitted to serve the men and women who pay for and expect nothing but the best.” “I understand, Mistress. Thank you for this opportunity,” Eina said quietly, doing her best to keep her posture appropriate next to the Matriarch, who comported herself as though she were in fact the reigning queen of Alhamkara. Eina supposed that within the harem at least, that might be true. “You can thank me with impeccable service to our guests,” the Matriarch replied quietly. “Now then, allow me to show you the gardens. You will learn them as though they are the back of your paw so as to-” The Matriarch paused and looked out over the seating of the harem. After a second of silence she inclined her head politely towards a guest on the other side of the amphitheater. “Follow me, Eina. Speak only when spoken to and do not under any circumstances fail at the curtsey you were taught just now.” It had felt like an eternity since Eina’s fight or flight response had engaged, sometime in a past life perhaps, but it came roaring back with a vengeance at the Matriarch’s words and tone. She’d been nothing but serious since Eina had met her, but there always seemed to be an underlying satisfaction and love for her job in everything she said and did. That levity was utterly gone, though her polite, welcoming smile remained as she led Eina around the circle to the stairway nearest the individual who had made eye contact with her. The man in question was a jackal with a serious face, dressed in royal purple with silver trim. She understood immediately as the Matriarch bent at the knee before him and lowered her head. “How may I be of service to you this evening, Lord Torando?” The jackal looked past her and met Eina’s eyes instead, his gaze scrutinous and cold. She just barely managed to dip into a curtsey herself, not trusting herself to speak in his presence. “So, you are her? I expected to have to find you myself. She will accompany me to my private room,” the jackal said in an authoritarian, quiet tone. The Matriarch attempted to intervene. “My Lord, she has only just joined us here and has not yet been trained to provide service in keeping with your status. Might I perhaps interest you in-” “Last I checked, Matriarch, I remain betrothed to your princess, the Lady Keiko. She will accompany me, and I will not have you questioning my intentions again,” Tornado responded, his voice not allowing any compromise. “I know your rules. That you would consider me the type of person to break them is… insulting.” Eina tried to keep herself from fainting, wondering if her heart and other organs would withstand the stress as the Matriarch salvaged the situation, bowing low to Torando with the same, pleasant smile on her face. “It was never my intention to imply such a thing, Lord Torando. Please accept my humblest apologies as well as a bottle or box from the palaces reserves with my compliments,” she offered. He accepted the olive branch in keeping with diplomacy, though his expression did not mellow. “Scotch. Second era, azure infused.” “Would your lordship prefer Sunrise Distillery or Chateau Antares?” “Antares,” the jackal replied immediately before standing from his seat, turning several eyes as he did so. Those eyes included two of the Sekhama, having recently entered the harem via the front entrance. “I will receive it when I am finished with her.” “As you wish, Lord Torando,” the Matriarch replied, glancing once at Octavia and his rookie before turning to Eina. “It is a great honor to be requested by such a man. See to his every need.” It wasn’t particularly difficult to interpret the Matriarch’s words as Eina curtseyed once more in due reverence. “It is my pleasure and honor to serve you this evening, Lord Torando. My name is Eina.” “Come,” the jackal commanded with a snap of his fingers, leading her up the stairs and away from the central amphitheater. The Matriarch did not linger either, walking her way calmly to the nearest server and whispering something into her ear. That young woman stopped by a guard on her way back to the kitchens and conveyed the message, ensuring that Lord Torando would be ‘trusted but verified’ that evening. Meanwhile, Spot stood rooted to the ground as the woman he thought dead instead glanced his way for a fleeting second, just recognizing his face before being spirited away down the corridor to the wing of the harem that contained the baths and, among other destinations, Lord Torando’s personal quarters for the duration of his stay at the palace. “Don’t so much as even follow her with your eyes,” Octavia growled threateningly, his hand on Spot’s shoulder as the rookie fought back his desire to move, to sprint. Stupid, youthful passions boiled to the surface as he realized that even without his arms and armor he could easily kill Torando. He wasn’t dumb enough to believe he’d survive the attempt however. The flame burned out just as quick as it had come, and he hung his shoulders instead. Octavia didn’t have the heart to tell him to not wear his emotions on his sleeve inside the harem. Not even he was that callous. “The Wise Ones seem content to both give and take away this evening,” he observed quietly as the Matriarch, no longer instructing her newest serving girl, slowly made her way over to them. “I guess that’s what you meant by remembering my place?” Spot asked. The lion nodded. “Our delights are their table scraps,” Idris confirmed as the Matriarch of the harem stood before them. “Waxing poetic again, Idris?” she asked knowingly, offering him a fond smile before turning to Spot. “And this one was on the ground tonight?” “He was. He was also the one who received your newest serving girl at the gates before her stint with Doctor Oswald,” Octavia supplied. If the Matriarch was moved by that tidbit of information she chose not to show it. “I see. I trust you will enjoy what we have to offer here as much as your brothers,” she replied. “You have a name?” “Spot,” the rookie replied, looking between her and Octavia as he pulled a blank. “Spot? I’ll remember it. You may refer to me either as Matriarch or Mistress, my dear,” she clarified. “Might I suggest the baths? The Sekhama always seem to enjoy them.” He nodded, swallowed, and gave her her due in as level a voice as he could manage given how much life had thrown at him in the prior day. “Thank you for welcoming me, Matriarch. If it’s all the same to you I think I’d like some fresh air. It smells a bit strongly in here,” he excused himself. It was true that the air smelled of azure, tobacco, jasmine, and other flowers, but she recognized the statement for what it was, glancing back at Octavia with an approving cock of her brow. “The gardens are open to you, Spot. Enjoy your time here,” she offered, watching as the rookie turned and saluted Octavia silently, a hand over his heart, before beginning his walk around the central room, scrutinized by almost every pair of eyes in the place. “Mmm, look at him, even keeping his back straight,” the hyena noted approvingly before turning back to Octavia. “Now, what’s got you so eager to see me, Idris, other than the obvious?” “By humanity, I missed you,” he replied, a twang of need in his voice. She picked up on it immediately and placed her hand on his upper arm before escorting him towards the same corridor Torando has disappeared through minutes before. On the way she signaled one of her more seasoned staff and conveyed a handful of instructions to her. She crooned seductively at him. “There, now I can give you my full attention this evening.” ----- Previous | First
Ruberiot knew, if nothing else, that he had really done it now. Standing in front of him was a gigantic crowd of angry people, but not a single gaze was fixed on him. Rather, they were fixed on the small group that was currently rushing away from the high balcony they stood on: The Butterfly Royal family and the Magical High Commission. Corn cobs, Star Butterfly merch, and a monkey (?) were just some of the objects flung towards the departing leaders of the Butterfly kingdom, and in no time at all they had vanished inside the castle. Ruberiot stood and waited for a moment, wondering what he had done wrong to provoke this response from the people, before realizing that since the crowd had chased the Butterflies away, they were likely going to go after another target now. Namely him. So moving as quietly as possible, Ruberiot bolted from the stage, disappearing within seconds behind the curtain, where a whole new mess awaited him. The dozen workers that he had gathered together to create and control the giant cutouts, puppets, and other features of the song were rushing about, also wondering what had gone wrong. Once they noticed his presence, they all simultaneously turned towards him, as if silently begging for an answer. An answer that he did not possess. So just like with the stage, Ruberiot ran away from them into the dirtied streets of Mewni, where there wasn’t a single soul to be seen. He must have run for about five minutes until he was far away enough that he was satisfied no one would follow him. Then he fell to his knees, staining his sparkling gold outfit with mud, and panting as he desperately tried to catch his breath. But he still didn’t feel entirely safe. Not yet, at least. He knew from the start that Star Butterfly would be angry for the “addition” he had added to her song about her secret love for the Earth boy, but he had hoped the punishment wouldn’t be too brutal. Still, he had planned to run and hide after the song anyways, until she had calmed down. But now he had the Princess and the mob of angry bystanders after him. So that made finding a hiding spot doubly important. He looked around, searching for a suitable place, but all he saw were the houses of the townsfolk, and he’d have to be an absolute idiot to attempt to hide himself in- “Hey! Over here!” A sudden voice hissed, and Ruberiot gasped as he turned towards his right, where he saw a shadowy figure in a dark alleyway, too obscure for him to make out. He raised his double-necked guitar, fearing that he was about to be stabbed, but the person merely chuckled at the sight of this. But it wasn’t a sadistic or arrogant chuckle. It was more like one a person amused with the antics of their friend might give off. The person spoke again, and this time Ruberiot recognized their voice, but it couldn’t be her...could it? “Follow me. I’ll take you someplace safe. Better than standing here in the streets...” They said, before running off. Ruberiot contemplated following them, knowing that if he made the wrong decision, then things could go very wrong very fast. But at the same time, if he stayed here, things could go the same way. Follow a stranger and potentially get axed murdered? Not something he wanted to risk. But stay here and get torn apart by a crowd of people? Likely to be much more painful, depending on how fast that axe was swung. So he gulped, threw his guitar over his back, and ran after the person, trying to catch up with them. Once he did so he put on an extra burst of speed so that he was right behind them, upon which he opened his mouth, having plenty of questions of his own. “Hey! Who are you? Why are you helping me like this?” He asked. He was pretty sure he knew who that voice belonged to, but she was supposed to be miles away at the moment. Unless, of course, she followed him… “I mean, I appreciate it, but I just want to know why.” “I’ll tell you everything when we get to where we’re going.” The person replied. “For now, just keep your voice down. The townsfolk don’t probably hate you right now as much as you believe they do, but if they catch you you’ll likely wake up with an ungodly amount of bruises from all the tomatoes that had been thrown at you.” Ruberiot was about to speak again, before realizing that this person had a good point. He also felt a small amount of relief that his visions of getting mauled to death by the ravenous villagers were likely nothing more than an absolute worst-case scenario, even if it still meant they hated him at the moment. For now, he decided to listen and kept his mouth shut, continuing to run after the stranger in silence. Eventually, they left the town behind and started moving towards a dirt path that looked like it hadn’t seen any visitors in years. The stranger suddenly turned a hard left minute after this, and Ruberiot nearly fell over as he attempted to follow them. Nevertheless, he kept his balance and the mad dash continued, until he saw a huge shadow loom in the distance, one that appeared to be a dilapidated windmill. The stranger slowed down as they approached it, and Ruberiot did the same, gasping for breath again after his second long-distance sprint of the night. They walked up to the door and pushed it open, before signaling for him to follow in. He did so with only a moment's hesitation, and he felt total darkness surround him as the door was shut behind him and the draft from outside was cut off like a knife. Until, at least, several candles ignited across the room, presenting to him a run-down room, with several amenities that one would not expect to find in a normal windmill. A bed, a rack with several costumes and what looked like theatre props lined up on it, and a magic-powered mini-fridge, which explained the odd humming sound that he was hearing. “This...is where you live?” Ruberiot asked, before he recalled that this was far from the most important thing he wanted to be answered right now. He shook his head and turned towards his savior, who was still wearing their cloak. “No. Not that. Not yet. First off...can you tell me who you are?” “Seriously? I can’t believe you didn’t notice…” The person replied, lifting back their hood to reveal the face of none other than Foolduke, the Royal Jester of the Butterflies, smiling widely. Ruberiot paused for a moment, not about to explain how he had suspected it was her, he just didn’t think it possible, so instead he set his guitar on the ground and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not sure what to do now that they were alone...and presumably safe. “Well...it’s me!” Foolduke said, out spreading her arms. “Aren’t you surprised?” “Yeah! I am!” Ruberiot said. “Just...wondering why you saved me.” “Are you kidding? Us Royal performers have to stick together. Especially when it comes to something like this.” Foolduke said, shaking her head. “Seriously. I don’t want to be mean, dude, but you sorta botched that song day performance. It was a nice song, but as we both know, there were some things that you probably should have left out.” “I know. But the Princess convinced me to.” Ruberiot said. “And then, of course, there were those lyrics I added myself at the end…” “Yeah...but we’ll talk about those in a moment,” Foolduke said, before flinging off her cloak and revealing her jester outfit underneath. “For now, we’re holding up here. And before you ask, no, this is not where I live, it’s just a place I found and made my own since no one else was using it. Now...are you hungry? Or thirsty? We did just run like five miles…” “...Do you have any corn?” “Who doesn’t around here?” Foolduke scoffed, before walking over towards her mini-fridge, opening it, and getting some half-frozen cobs from it. “Let me start a fire going so I can boil these for us. I have to admit though, I never expected the crowd to go that crazy. I was honestly kinda afraid they would storm the stage next. It was a good idea getting out of there while you still could, and it was definitely a good thing that I followed you…” She then turned and looked at Ruberiot, who was staring at the ground as if he had just been dejected. She tilted her head in confusion, before making a fire in the corner and putting a pot filled with water over it, throwing the cobs in, and finally sitting down on her bed. “Are you okay?” She asked, in a rather concerned tone. “You’re looking kinda depressed there.” “No, it’s just…” Ruberiot started, before sighing. “I feel like you’re right. I totally botched this. That song should have been simple like Queen Moons, but I just had to go and agree with Star. I just had to go with those lights and fireworks and giant puppets and revelations that I shouldn’t have ever learned in the first place! Now the kingdom might go into turmoil, nobody will trust the Royal family for a while, all because of my stupid song.” Foolduke paused for a moment, trying to figure out the right thing to say. A second later, she smiled and lowered her head, much to Ruberiot’s confusion. “Maybe that’s true.” She said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you did single-handedly cause what could grow into a full-scale revolution with your song. But you know what? If I were you, I wouldn’t be focusing on that.” “Then what should I be focusing on?” Ruberiot asked. “Because there’s not really that much for me to focus on at the moment besides that show.” “Really...what’s your job, Ruberiot?” “The Royal songster, of course,” Ruberiot replied. “Yes. You’re the songster, not the town crier that bears news.” Foolduke said. “It’s not your fault that all this happened. You weren’t the one who lied to the people, or got the spellbook taken, or fell in love with someone from another dimension…” She giggled. “...You’re just the guy who broke the news to everyone via a song, because of Star. She wanted a song, she gave you a song, you performed the song. What happened afterward is not your fault. The people decide what they like, and that’s the end of it. They can’t blame you for just doing your job, especially if it was done on Royal orders.” “You make a few good points, but I still wouldn’t be so sure about that…” Ruberiot said. “Again, I did add a few things in there myself.” “Yeah, I know. We all know. I suspect that it’ll be the hot topic of gossip in Mewni for a few months.” Foolduke said, rolling her eyes. “Hear ye, hear ye! The princess has fallen in love with the Earth boy! Will this love continue?! Will they get married and have a child that can’t do magic, born from Star and a commoner who wasn’t born Royal?!” She shouted, in a fake newscaster voice. “And other such nonsense. Honestly, though, I didn’t think anyone cares that much about that. Heck, I think most of the crowd was still too focused on the revelation beforehand to even notice the end of your song.” “And the part that did notice?” “What did I say? Gossipers.” Foolduke chuckled. “No one will care about what they have to say outside of hair salons. And I think that part was pretty great, anyways. Really added something. Looks like Star wanted everything about her to be told in that song, and you delivered quite nicely.” For the first time since leaving the stage, Ruberiot smiled and looked at the ground. “I suppose you’re right.” He admitted. “I did give her everything she wanted…” “That’s the spirit!” Foolduke said. “I mean, this is all still pretty concerning. This crazy Ludo guy has Glossaryck, the books of spells, and who knows what else, but right now, who cares? We’re here. Not out there, and we have each other to keep company. Frankly, we shouldn’t even be discussing that stuff right now. After what just happened...I think you deserve one heck of a vacation.” “I’m sure Star will request that I get an exile…” Ruberiot said, although this time the grin on his face stayed there, and he spoke with a greatly amused tone, much to Foolduke’s visible happiness. She had already accomplished what she had set out to do, the second she saw Ruberiot run away with a look of despair on his face. Make her fellow Royal performer happy again after the bonanza that just occurred. As a jester, she hated seeing people in a foul mood, and when it came to her fellow performers, this trait was the most important of them all. They had been working together for the same people in the same place for years. To abandon him at a time like this was too horrible to think about. So hopefully he would remain in this happy state for the rest of the night... “I’m betting Queen Moon will stop her if she tries,” Foolduke said. “Now, I think those corn cobs are just about done…” “Already? But it’s only been a few minutes! You just took them out of that fridge...and I don’t even know how you managed to get your hands on one of those.” “Star gave it to me the second time we met,” Foolduke explained. “It was originally from Earth, but then she modified it with her wand so that it was powered by magic. Then she gave me some batteries that had magic inside them and not...not…” “Not?” “I forgot the word, sorry.” Foolduke apologized. “I think it was elect-something. The same stuff that lighting bolts are made out of. It’s what Earth batteries are normally powered by. I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Anyways, here we go!” She then took the cobs out of the pit and put two on two plates, handing one to Ruberiot, who took a seat in a nearby chair. They waited for them to cool down, and then the two ate in silence for a whole before Ruberiot spoke up again, sighing with every word. “So what are we gonna do after this?” He asked. “You can’t stay here for the night. I don’t mind.” Foolduke said. “Although I’ll have to get an extra cot from upstairs, and some spare clothes for you, since I’m sure you don’t want to sleep in that thing. Like, seriously, no offense, but what even is it?” Ruberiot looked down at his sparkling outfit, now dirty and slightly ragged from all the running and falling he had done earlier. He remembered the conversation he had with Star, how long it had taken her to convince him to wear it. Somehow, she had managed to find a size that fit him… “I honestly don’t know.” He finally said. “I think it’s based on some Earth musician, but I don’t think even Star was sure for certain. Regardless, I’ll be happy to get out of it the first chance I get. It may look nice and fancy, but this thing is super uncomfortable.” “Heh. I know what you mean. Look at me.” Foolduke said, pointing at herself. “I have to wear a jester costume all day long. Eventually, your body realizes that a normal person is not supposed to wear clothing like this for extended periods of time, and it reacts accordingly. Not to mention how hot my head gets with this thing.” She then took off her jester hat and threw it to the side, revealing a forehead that was covered in so much sweat it almost glistened in the candlelight. Ruberiot looked at the corn cob he was eating and then set it aside, now having completely lost his appetite. He really should have asked that question after they had finished eating. “Yeesh. What a mess. I don’t even know why I dye my hair. All this sweat basically ruins it anyway.” Foolduke complained, and Ruberiot raised an eyebrow at this statement. “You dye your hair?” He asked. “You mean that’s not your natural hair color?” “Heck no!” Foolduke said. “But I just think I look better with blond hair. You won’t believe how much it costs, though. Sometimes it feels like half of my living expenses go towards this…” “But if it costs that much just to dye your hair...and most of it is covered usually while you’re in that costume...why do it?” Ruberiot asked. “I don’t want to be mean, I’m just wondering why you would bother.” “It’s like I said. I think I look best in it. And since I’m the Royal jester, I always have to be the best.” She sighed. “It’s a tiring job, jumping and making jokes all day, not to mention staying up all night writing my jokes for the next day, but I manage. I just wish I could take a break…” Ruberiot stared at her for a moment, before his smile returned and he stood up. “Then why don’t you?” “Huh?” “Why don’t you take a vacation?” He asked. “You told me that I needed one. And you clearly need one as well. And in the middle of all this hullabaloo, going off for a week or two will be easy! The Royals will be so caught up in the aftermath of this song day that they won’t even notice we’re gone!” “...You...you think so?” Foolduke asked, a sudden hopeful look in her eyes. “Definitely,” Ruberiot said, before grabbing his guitar. “Who are the two that are the best performers in the land, beloved by all royals even those that are bland! There’s one with a hat, and one with a song, they’re the best of the best and have been friends for so looooong...oh, their names are-” “Okay, okay, I get it!” Foolduke said, attempting (and failing) to hide her gigantic grin. “Sorry, I don’t mind, but if you play too loud then other people might hear, and we’re, uh…still hiding at the moment.” “Oh, right, sorry,” Ruberiot said, before slinging his guitar over his back. “Just got a little excited. And you know, it doesn’t have to be just us. Isn’t there a mime in the castle as well? I’m sure that’s a thankless job! Maybe we could bring them along with us! All three of it! The terrific trio of performers!” “Hmm...perhaps! I’ll see if I can contact them.” Foolduke said. “But for now, I think we should go to bed. Try to get some rest and recover from all that craziness. It’s dark and late, and honestly...those corn cobs should have been better.” She glanced towards her and Ruberiot’s plates, where the cobs were only half-finished. “I’ll try to get something better in the morning.” “Nah, it’s okay, those were actually pretty good,” Ruberiot said. “I just don’t have much of an appetite right now. Still nervous and all that…” “Ah, I get it,” Foolduke said. “Well, then let me go upstairs and get you that cot. It’s a little old and dusty, but if I shake it out then it should get rid of most of the bugs that have taken residence there...I’m pretty sure.” “Err...thanks,” Ruberiot said, and with that Foolduke began walking towards the wooden spiral staircase that led to the next level of the windmill. Ruberiot watched her go, before something inside of him told him that he couldn’t just let her go upstairs like that. So almost moving on instinct, he jumped up, speed-walked over to her, and hugged the jester from behind, causing her to stop in place. “Uh, what are you-” “Thank you.” He said softly. “After that song, I thought I was truly screwed. But then you appeared out of nowhere, took me back to your home, gave me a meal, started a conversation with me...all because we’re performers for the same people. All because of the friendship we’ve built over the years. Just...thank you.” He repeated. “For being there when I was sure no one would be.” “...It’s no trouble,” Foolduke said, feeling the smallest hint of a blush growing on her face. “What kind of friend would I be if I just left you like that? A terrible one, that’s what. And I don’t intend to ever be like that. So once we wake up, we’ll make plans for that vacation you suggested, pack up our things, and get far, far away from here for a while. And maybe pick up that crazy mime along the way.” “Sounds great.” “...” “...” “...We’re kinda in an awkward position, so could you-” “Right, sorry, sorry,” Ruberiot said, letting go of her and backing away. “I’ll see you in a minute.” “Might take longer than that to find bedding actually suitable for sleeping on…” Foolduke guffawed, before smiling one last time as she ascended the staircase and was swallowed up by the shadows. And Ruberiot stared at those shadows for a moment, before sitting back down in his chair, a single thought on his mind. ‘If nothing else, she’ll still be there for me.’ He thought, before picking up his guitar. ‘I should write some songs to play on the vacation...make it as memorable as possible. For the both of us.’ With that, another small grin spread over his face, and his mind was on his friend upstairs as he placed his fingers on the strings and started to play. The End
Xant stared at the grey canopy above them, but it was not his focus. One of the many new abilities his expanded nervous system granted him was the option to process multiple things at once. He could feel the sleek, tight fabric of the ‘sun lounge’, the heat and scent of the human next to him, and the curious sensation of his own breathing motions. Feeling the air passing through his nostrils and the filling of his lungs, Xant realized he had not been consciously aware of these functions prior to joining with the human, but she was apparently conscious of them at all times. Jasmine had asked him to take a moment to ‘recoup’ after their dizzying tour of the super yacht, the height of human luxury, and he was all too co-operative. Any researcher could spend their entire lifespan studying the vessel, be it citizen, corporate or military, and would have found something of worth. Jasmine could become rich off the fabric and wood the ship held alone. More and more variables kept getting thrown their way. It would be almost impossible to calculate everything until the human’s citizenry status was decided upon, but there was a small part of him that was happy. As long as there were questions to be asked or answered, he would be able to stay by her side, especially now that both a Lieutenant Commander and an Engine Lord recognised him as part of her entourage, human and Arvas cultures notwithstanding. The doctor’s ears flicked up as he heard the oncoming footsteps of a much larger being. “What is it?” Jasmine asked, still staring up at the hangar’s immense ceiling. “I believe the captain may be approaching,” Xant replied. Jasmine audibly grinned and sat up immediately. “Rynny!!” she shouted, running over to the safety railing to see him, waving with all the grace of a drunk worm. “Up here!!” The captain was sniffing around the Pajero. He stood a clear head and shoulders above the thing, but was very surprised when he saw the small creature aboard the much taller yacht. “Now how’d ya manage to get up there without zero G?!” he laughed, impressed. “Like this!” Jasmine swung herself over the edge and slid down the short ladder, landing on top of the car with very little effort. “Huh.” Rynard folded his arms. “Nimble little thing aren’t ya?” “Only when I have to be. Come on up! There is sooo much I gotta show ya!” she insisted, climbing back down into the Pajero to retrieve her things. Rynard eyeballed the side of the yacht, specifically the tiny ladder the human had used in her descent. “That doesn’t look like it would hold me--” “Jeez, you too, Rynard?” Jasmine laughed, throwing bags out the car window. “Give me a sec and I’ll show you how to get up.” Four different bags of different sizes were lying at Rynard’s feet. “Could you throw them up on deck first though?” Rynard scooped up all four in one hand and tossed them up onto the yacht. “Thanks! And here.” Jasmine scrambled up atop the Pajero, then easily jumped across to the yacht’s ladder and tapped the edge of the deck. “Just pull yourself up from there. If you try to jump up in your suit you’ll break the whole thing. Be careful!” she laughed. Rynard scratched his chin. Delicate work was not his M.O., but he could reach the edge well enough. He hopped out of his mobile armour and made the climb up. The ‘ship’ wasn’t quite what he was expecting. The deck was a deep rich brown and made a nice timbre sound as he walked over, careful so his claws didn’t scratch the surface. Jasmine was happily dragging the four bags over to the seats where Xant was waiting for them. She plonked them down and then eagerly scrounged through a pretty yellow one, grabbing out some clothes and tucking them under her arm. “I’m going to go and get changed. Xant, why don’t you bring the captain up to speed!” She beamed, just about skipping down the lower decks for some privacy. Rynard looked down at the doctor, who was still lying flat on his back on the sun bed. “So, the entire engineering crew can feel the ‘jovial’ nature of Her Grace,” Rynard remarked. “I was coming over to check you weren’t dead,” “Dead? No. Exhausted? Absolutely,” the doctor replied. “So, uhh, what is this?” “A monument to excess,” Xant answered, sitting up. “I’d be surprised if anyone other than a minior queen held onto such luxury. There’s just so many things…” Xant saw the captain was uncomfortably out of his depth. “Anything on board I need to be worried about?” Rynard deflected. “Jasmine mentioned there might be glucose and caffeine. I’ll do my best to contain it,” Xant assured him. Rynard shifted uneasily. “Take care of the caffeine first, make sure it’s contained before the lieutenant arrives.” he ordered. Xant nodded. Rynard peeked curiously into the smaller cabins. “Any weapons the engineers might have missed?” “There was some industrial-grade cleaning fluid and perfume...” Xant joked. “But no, this is a citizen’s vessel, no weapons aboard.” “That’s good.” Rynard relaxed a little and started looking for a place to sit down, but it didn’t seem anything human was made to accommodate someone of his size. “So this is for citizens huh? All a bit flash, really.” “You don’t know the half of it.” Xant shook his head. “We barely scratched the surface. You should see what they sleep on, the craftsmanship and the detail is astounding.” “So, a lotta sparkles and no substance? Nothing I can sink my teeth into?” “No, Jasmine didn’t indicate anything of military use at all--” Xant’s ears flicked up as he felt Jasmine returning. “Drinks are on me, boys!!!” she laughed, coming up on deck, carrying with her more of the dreadful ‘whisky’ and another mysterious bottle under her arm. The human was no longer wearing the dull grey armour but instead strange tailored clothes in bright colours with flamboyant patterns, shorts that barely covered her legs and a long lacy robe that was clearly more for show than actual function. “So, what do you think of my new threads?” she asked, twirling around and lifting up the sunglasses to sit on her head. Both aliens stood there stunned for a moment, but Jasmine just pressed on, offering them both more glasses. “I think I would be fine without a drink, thank you, Jasmine.” “Ah, don’t worry, Xant.” The human smiled, plonking herself back onto the sun bed. “I’m not going to make you drink any more whisky, I found some tonic water that had rolled under a chair, it should be safe for you both!” “Should be?” “It’s water, H2O, with some minor natural minerals, and there isn’t even a hint of sugar anywhere, in case you were wondering.” She held the bottle away from her body and winced as she cracked open the white lid. The clear water inside came alive with tiny bubbles. “Ooh! It’s still carbonated. Nice!” She poured the two glasses and then filled her own with some more whisky. “Cheers!~” She took another swig and the aliens copied her motions. The ‘water’ wasn’t unpleasant, the carbonated bubbles tickling Xant’s tongue. Rynard had thrown the entirety of his drink down his throat, barely wetting his lips, once again disappointed in the quantity provided. “Now then.” Jasmine produced from her back pocket a small black dataslate that fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. “Do you guys want to see what I looked like before the brainballs picked me up?” It was a rhetorical question of course. Xant undoubtedly wanted to see more human stuff, and Jasmine was going to show him regardless of his answer. The phone booted up with a bright animation of her service provider, then settled on a background picture of a sandy beach. White sand, blue skies and a deep blue ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. It made a nice contrast with the colourful app buttons. Jasmine tapped into her library and brought up a selfie. “There we go, look how long my hair was!” There wasn’t a staggering difference between the photos, Xant noted, but Jasmine’s mane was indeed much longer, the brown hair sat neatly above her shoulders, held back by the sunglasses in the photo. But there was something in the photo that was different. “Why is that tooth not in line with the rest?” “Because it’s a stupid tooth,” Jasmine replied, “and not worth the two grand it would cost to fix it.” She shrugged and pressed her finger to the offending tooth. “It’s always been this--” she ran her finger over her teeth, but she couldn’t find the bump where her incisor stuck out. “Huh. That’s a little weird, did you fix it for me when I was under?” “I didn’t know it was possible to do such a thing.” There was an uncomfortable pause. “Stasis pods often have restorative chems, perhaps that could affect it?” “Maybe…” Jasmine shifted the photo to another, a group shot of her and her friends at a campsite on the beach. “This is where we were abducted. We were just packing up to go back home.” Xant looked over the picture. It was small, but the fidelity matched many of their own equipment. Painted in colour rather than UV, the scene was limited in depth, but otherwise very detailed. The campsite was littered with more unidentifiable objects, colourful chairs, a crude firepit, makeshift hab-tents and high tech objects scattered on tables for contrast. Jasmine flicked through more pictures, stopping on close-ups of her friends. “This is Chamkov, we worked together at (the restaurant). He’s a line cook like me, but was going to be head chef when we opened our B&B. He liked to grow veggies and stuff. He would have absolutely wet himself if he had seen your hydroponics lab.” A tall, thin human with black hair and blue eyes, he had metal studs in his ears and a curiously uniform pattern across his left pectoral. Xant wondered if such a design could even be natural and once again pondered the effects of ‘natural’ gene-splicing. “Katie was my best friend growing up. She was the one who helped me on my way to becoming a chef.” Jasmine smiled fondly at the picture. “She had a degree in tourism and it was her idea to start the business.” Katie had pastel pink hair, with eyeshadow and nails to match. Dark olive skin and obsidian eyes gave her quite the striking appearance. “And that’s Warren.” Jasmine sighed, looking at the photo. “In all honesty, I had a crush on him. He was an engineer in the army, got out after his last tour and helped us to invest. He just wanted to sit on the beach and fish.” She laughed. “It was going to be an adventure for all of us...” Xant studied the picture of ‘Warren’, getting a glimpse of what a ‘military grade’ human looked like. He was larger, muscular, but not obviously so, if Jasmine had not said anything he would not have been able to make the distinction. Perhaps he was more like the engineer’s assistants than the engine lord himself? Or perhaps humans were not as physically diverse as he expected. Jasmine continued her virtual tour, swiping through photos in her gallery, showing off the Australian countryside. Long swaths of empty, red dirt land, with sparse scatterings of plant and animal life. The settlements were small, filled with rugged vehicles and people. Jasmine pointed out the locations that her friends were looking at for their establishment, many of them isolated along a tarmac road. Then the small rim settlements made way for cities of steel and glass, sparkling in the sunlight. “There she is, ye old isolated capital,” Jasmine stated sarcastically, but Xant marvelled at the silhouette. The rising towers lit up the night sky with colourful lights and a single white moon cast its visage over the river. It was beautiful and simplistic, easily rivalling GC architecture from the newly settled planets. The scenery soon gave way to human revelry, more bright colours, more coloured drinks. “Do humans drink coloured liquids all the time?” he asked. “It’s an Australian tradition to drink whenever possible. Holiday? Drink. Party? Drink. Tuesday? Drink!” She laughed playfully, taking another sip to make her point. “Commiserating and remembering? Drink.” City life soon gave way to more intimate photos, more selfies and other people. “That’s my mum and dad…” Jasmine’s voice grew softer as pictures of the pair embracing her came onto the screen. “Mum was in real estate, and she loved to garden.” The human swiped through until she found a picture of a house with a giant, creeping plant out front. “See that? That’s jasmine, my mum’s favourite flower, and my name, of course. “Dad wanted her to cut it down. He tried a couple of times, but the thing grew back like a weed. ‘Jasmine, if you’re half as determined and tough (persistent) as that damn creeper I’d be proud.’ He worked in accounting but he always wanted to be a musician.” There were other photos in the mix: more human food (a lot of food, actually), her and Chamkov in formal, white uniforms, a party at Katie’s house where she pointed out several other friends. Then it stopped on another couple of humans that had not appeared so far. Jasmine lingered on the photo longer than the others. “That’s my brother Daniel and his fiancée, Vanessa.” Her heart sank a little, and she took another drink. “You never mentioned him before.” “No, he died before the abduction. Car crash, slippery roads, wrapped himself around a tree. It took me a long time to get over it. I dropped out of uni and everything, mum didn’t get out of bed for days, dad sat and watched TV for longer and I…” Jasmine looked guiltily at the whisky and put it down out of her reach. “But Katie, Chamkov and Warren helped bring me out of it. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have such great friends.” Xant thought over his connections with his own siblings. He had not spoken to any of them in nearly a decade since his departure from the inner planets. It wasn’t even as though they had been close to begin with, despite being literally mind-linked. Rynard had even less of a clue. He’d come out of a vat, his type mass-produced and referred to by numbers unless they lived long enough to get a name. To have such an emotional connection to anyone was quite outside their knowledge or experience. “I hope we were there to help you as much as they were,” Xant comforted her, a hand on her shoulder. “Oh god, Xant, if it weren’t for you two and the dogs…let’s just say I wouldn’t have been nearly as sane or co-operative,” she replied, half-serious. “Jasmine, you know you don’t have to be the ‘only’ human,” Xant touched on the uncomfortable subject, “we could always make more when you’re ready, pass on all the knowledge of your home to them.” Jasmine shifted uneasily and pulled herself from Xant’s hand, lying back on the sunbed. “I’m not ready for that conversation,” she replied. “I don’t know how I’d feel raising a bunch of my own clones.” “They wouldn’t be exact copies of you, we can alter their appearances if that is the--” “That’s not it. It’s complicated.” Jasmine sighed, and returned to the window of her phone, before snickering under her breath. “Do you guys want to see what happens when you mix humans and gravity?” Jasmine turned the phone around and showed the aliens a video of gymnasts jumping on a trampoline, one by one performing twisting somersaults in the air, when one fell out of sync and smashed face-first into the mat with wildly flapping arms. Xant and Rynard both bellowed in gut bursting laughter. She felt the familiar splashing water at her heels from Xant, but Rynard’s laugh was like a boom, in both freq and volume. “Look at its wiggling arms!” the captain guffawed. Slapstick humour was apparently universal. Jasmine smirked. "Do you want to see some more?" The aliens nodded their heads as they crowded around to watch humans fall over and crash cars on the tiny screen.
Disney+ - All the movies and shows announced/confirmed at Investor Day today
LUCASFILM
Ahsoka After making her long-awaited, live-action debut in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano’s story, written by Dave Filoni, will continue in a limited series, Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson and executive produced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Rangers of the New Republic Set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, Rangers of the New Republic is a new live-action series from executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni that will intersect with future stories and culminate into a climactic story event. Andor Andor, a tense nail-biting spy thriller created by Tony Gilroy, is set to arrive on Disney+ in 2022. Diego Luna, reprising the role of rebel spy Cassian Andor from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will be joined by a fantastic new cast that includes Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller and Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. Obi-Wan Kenobi Ewan McGregor returns in the iconic role of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi for a special event series on Disney+. Officially titled Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where he faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series is directed by Deborah Chow, who helmed memorable episodes of The Mandalorian Season 1, and features the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. The Bad Batch The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose. This animated series will arrive exclusively on Disney+. Star Wars: Visions Presenting all-new, creative takes on the galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: Visions will be a series of animated short films celebrating Star Wars through the lens of the world’s best anime creators. The anthology collection will bring 10 fantastic visions from several of the leading Japanese anime studios, offering a fresh and diverse cultural perspective to Star Wars. Lando The galaxy’s favorite scoundrel, Lando Calrissian, will return in Lando, a brand-new event series for Disney+. Justin Simien, creator of the critically-acclaimed Dear White People and a huge Star Wars fan, is in the early stages of developing the project. The Acolyte Leslye Headland, Emmy Award-nominated creator of the mind-bending series Russian Doll, brings a new Star Wars series to Disney+ with The Acolyte. The mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A Droid Story As Lucasfilm continues to develop new stories, the intersection of animation and visual effects offers new opportunities to explore. Lucasfilm Animation is teaming up with Lucasfilm’s visual effects team, Industrial Light & Magic, to develop a special Star Wars adventure film for Disney+, A Droid Story. This epic journey will introduce us to a new hero, guided by legendary duo R2-D2 and C-3PO. Willow Willow, set decades after Ron Howard’s 1988 movie, continues the spirit of adventure, heroics and humor of the original film in this new series debuting on Disney+ in 2022. Warwick Davis will return in the role of the great sorcerer, Willow Ufgood, with Jon Chu (director of the groundbreaking Crazy Rich Asians) directing the pilot.
MARVEL
WandaVision WandaVision, launching on Disney+ on January 15, 2021, is Marvel Studios’ first series that continues to expand the MCU. Wanda Maximoff and Vision are two super-powered beings are living idealized suburban lives, but begin to suspect everything is not as it seems. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Kat Dennings and Randall Park, WandaVision is directed by Matt Shakman; Jac Shaeffer is head writer. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, kicking off on Disney+ March 19, 2021, is a new series starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience. Directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman serving as head writer, the six-episode series also stars Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker. Loki Loki is set to debut on Disney+ in May 2021 featuring the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs Loki, and Michael Waldron is head writer. What If…? What If…? flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Coming to Disney+ in Summer 2021, Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles. The series is directed by Bryan Andrews; Ashley Bradley is head writer. Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel, launching on Disney+ in late 2021, is a new series that introduces Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City. A great student, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she has a special affinity for superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel. But Kamala struggles to fit in at home and at school—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life is easier with super powers, right? Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel; the cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, Travina Springer and Nimra Bucha. Episodes are directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Hawkeye Hawkeye, which debuts on Disney+ in late 2021, stars Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from the Marvel comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. Hawkeye is helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie. She-Hulk She-Hulk, a new comedy series coming to Disney+, stars Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. She-Hulk will welcome a host of Marvel characters to the series, including the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, and the Abomination, played by Tim Roth. The series is directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia; Jessica Gao is head writer. Moon Knight Moon Knight is a new series created for Disney+. Directed by Mohamed Diab, the action-adventure features a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities who live inside him are distinct characters who appear against a backdrop of Egyptian iconography. Secret Invasion Secret Invasion is a newly announced series heading to Disney+ that stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos—characters who first met in Captain Marvel. The crossover comic event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. Ironheart Ironheart, the second of the newly announced series coming to Disney+, stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Armor Wars Armor Wars, based on the classic Marvel comic series, comes to Disney+ starring Don Cheadle as James Rhodes aka War Machine who must face what happens when Tony Stark’s tech falls into the wrong hands. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, slated for Disney+ during the 2022 holiday season, is written and directed by Guardians of the Galaxy veteran James Gunn. I Am Groot I Am Groot features everyone’s favorite baby tree in a series of original shorts coming to Disney+.
PIXAR
Inside Pixar Inside Pixar is a new documentary series that invites Pixar fans into the studio for an up-close, never-before- seen look at the artistry, craftsmanship and storytellers behind beloved films. The first five episodes are currently available on Disney+ with more scheduled to release soon. Soul Soul, available exclusively on Disney+ beginning December 25, 2020, explores themes like appreciating the simple joys of life and finding one’s unique spark. Directed by Docter, the film introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx), a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voice of Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions. Soul is co-directed by Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short Lou). Burrow Burrow is part of Pixar’s collection of shorts called SparkShorts that are created by a diverse group of storytellers. Debuting exclusively on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, Burrow features a young rabbit who embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. The new short is directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat. Pixar Popcorn Pixar Popcorn, coming to Disney+ in January 2021, is a collection of mini shorts featuring Pixar characters in all-new, bite-size stories created by Pixar’s talented animators. Dug Days Dug Days, which premieres exclusively on Disney+ in Fall 2021, is a new collection of shorts that follows the humorous misadventures of Dug, the lovable dog from Disney and Pixar’s Up. Each short features everyday events that occur in and around Dug’s backyard, all through the exciting (and delightfully distorted) eyes of our favorite talking dog. The shorts are written and directed by Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Bob Peterson and produced by Kim Collins. Cars Cars, coming to Disney+ in Fall 2022, is an all-new series that follows Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater on a cross-country road trip. These episodes are filled with lots of fun new characters, imaginative destinations as well as old friends checking in along the way. The series is written by Steve Purcell and produced by Marc Sondheimer. Win or Lose Win or Lose, Pixar’s first-ever original long-form animated series, debuts on Disney+ in 2023. It follows a coed middle school softball team in the week leading up to their championship game. Each 20-minute episode highlights the perspective of a different character and explores the drama of bad calls made on and off the field. Written and directed by story artists Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced by David Lally, Win or Lose is a comedy about love, rivalry and the challenges we all face in our struggle to win at life.
DISNEY
Hocus Pocus 2 Hocus Pocus 2, exclusively on Disney+, is the spooky sequel to the 1993 Halloween cult classic Hocus Pocus. Adam Shankman is set to direct. Three Men and a Baby Three Men and a Baby, a modern take on the hilarious ’80s comedy, will star Zac Efron and is slated for a 2022 release on Disney+. Safety Safety, premiering tomorrow, December 11, on Disney+, is a drama inspired by the empowering story of former Clemson University football safety Ray McELrathBey, a young man facing a series of challenging circumstances, whose dedication and persistence help him to triumph over repeated adversities. Marshall director Reginald Hudlin helms the uplifting drama. The Keanon Lowe project The Keanon Lowe project, coming to Disney+, is inspired by the incredible real-life story of a high school coach who averted tragedy through compassion. Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia are on board as producers for the project through their Seven Bucks Productions. Greek Freak Greek Freak heads into production next year for Disney+. It is the remarkable story of NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family, who lifted themselves out of poverty as undocumented immigrants living in Greece. Ultimately, Giannis finds himself on the world stage. The Chris Paul Project The Chris Paul project is a biographical film in development for Disney+ about NBA superstar Chris Paul. It follows Paul’s deeply moving story of family, legacy and destiny that helped make him who he is today. Flora & Ulysses Flora & Ulysses is a delightful comedy-adventure based on the Newbery Award–winning book about 10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, who rescues a squirrel with unique superhero powers. Flora & Ulysses stars Matilda Lawler and is directed by Lena Khan (The Tiger Hunter). The film makes its debut on Disney+ February 19, 2021. Cheaper by the Dozen Cheaper by the Dozen, a reimagining of the hit comedy with Black-ish producer Kenya Barris, will air on Disney+ in 2022. The story centers on a multiracial, blended family of 12, navigating a hectic home life while managing their family business. Gabrielle Union is set to star. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which has spawned a successful live-action film franchise from the popular books, comes to Disney+ in 2021 as an all-new animated film. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild, exclusively for Disney+, is a spin-off of the popular Ice Age franchise from 20th Century Studios. The story centers on three series favorites: the prankster possum brothers Crash and Eddie, and the swashbuckling titular weasel, Buck. Simon Pegg will be returning in the role of Buck. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is slated for an early 2022 release. Night at the Museum Night at the Museum comes to Disney+ with a new twist: this time it’s animated. Shawn Levy, who has helped shape the blockbuster franchise as director of the previous films, and is also helming 20th Century Studios’ upcoming Free Guy, is on board as a producer. Night at the Museum launches on Disney+ in 2021. Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, a hybrid live-action-animated feature for Disney+, is in development. Akiva Schaffer (Popstar) directs, and John Mulaney and Andy Samberg are set to star in the title roles with Seth Rogen doing a cameo. Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is slated for spring 2022. Pinocchio Pinocchio is coming to Disney+ in a compelling new live-action retelling that will leverage state-of-the art CGI to bring Pinocchio to life. A living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy in a musical remake of the Disney animated classic. Robert Zemeckis directs and Tom Hanks stars. Peter Pan & Wendy Peter Pan & Wendy, inspired by the Disney animated classic, has David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) at the helm. A young girl rebels against “growing up” by going with her two brothers to a magical land ruled by an ageless boy obsessed with adventure who is locked in an ongoing battle with a pirate captain. The cast includes Jude Law as Captain Hook and Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) in the role of Tinker Bell. The film will premiere on Disney+. Disenchanted Disenchanted, a sequel to the hit film Enchanted, will stream exclusively on Disney+. Amy Adams returns as Giselle, who found her life flipped upside down when she fell out of her animated fantasy world and discovered herself stuck in real-life Manhattan. Sister Act 3 Sister Act 3, the third film in the beloved Sister Act series, is in development. Whoopi Goldberg is on board to star and produce, with Tyler Perry also signed on as a producer on the project. Sister Act 3 will premiere on Disney+.
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
Raya and the Last Dragon Raya and the Last Dragon, which will be released on March 5, 2021, simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access, travels to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. Raya and the Last Dragon features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, a warrior whose wit is as sharp as her blade, and Awkwafina as magical, mythical, self-deprecating dragon named Sisu. Newly revealed characters from the film include a street-savvy 10-year-old entrepreneur named Boun, the formidable giant Tong, and a thieving toddler Noi with her band of Ongis. The feature film is directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada and produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho. Baymax Baymax, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first-ever animated series, takes place in the fantastical city of San Fransokyo and features fan favorite healthcare bot, Baymax. Created by Don Hall, the Oscar-winning director of Big Hero 6, Baymax premieres on Disney+ in early 2022. Zootopia+ Zootopia+ heads back to the fast-paced mammal metropolis of Zootopia in a short-form series directed by Trent Correy and Josie Trinidad. Zootopia+ dives deeper into the lives of some of the feature film’s most intriguing characters, including Fru Fru, the newly married arctic shrew; Gazelle’s talented tiger dancers; and the sloth full of surprises, Flash. The short-form series debuts on Disney+ in Spring 2022. Iwájú Iwájú is an all-new original series coming to Disney+ in 2022. The series is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pan-African comic book entertainment company Kugali and its founders Tolu Olowofoyeku, Ziki Nelson and Hamid Ibrahim. Iwájú, which roughly translates to “The Future” in the Yoruba language, is steeped in science fiction. The long-form series is set in Lagos, Nigeria, exploring deep themes of class, innocence and challenging the status quo. Says director Ziki Nelson, “This show will combine Disney’s magic and animation expertise with Kugali’s fire and storytelling authenticity. Iwájú represents a personal childhood dream of mine to tell my story and that of my people.” Tiana Tiana, coming to Disney+ in 2023, is a long-form musical-comedy series featuring the extraordinary entrepreneur who’s now princess of the kingdom Maldonia. The all-new adventures explore both Maldonia and Tiana’s beloved hometown, New Orleans. Tiana is the first princess to have her own Walt Disney Animation Studios series. Moana, The Series Moana, The Series, coming to Disney+ in 2023, is a new long-form musical series that follows spirited voyager Moana as she ventures far beyond the reef. The studio is once again connecting with storytellers from the Pacific Islands to help tell the stories of wayfinding and other traditions brought to life for generations through oral storytelling.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Cousteau From National Geographic Documentary Films, the studio behind Oscar winner Free Solo, two-time Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?), Academy Award winner Dan Cogan (Icarus), and in partnership with Story Syndicate and The Cousteau Society, the life of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau is told through a treasure trove of previously unseen archival material. Featuring never-before-seen 4K footage from the Cousteau Society’s archives, Cousteau will provide audiences a “deep dive” into the renowned explorer’s remarkable life, revealing the man behind some of the world’s most significant contributions to contemporary environmentalism. Academy Award winner Evan Hayes of Free Solo is also a producer for this film. After festivals and a planned theatrical release, the film will be available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers. Genius: Martin Luther King, Jr. From executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the Emmy Award-winning Genius scripted franchise continues exclusively for Disney+ subscribers beginning with season four, which will explore the extraordinary life and immeasurable impact of Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr., who led seismic change in the civil rights movement in America. It will explore how Reverend King, a Baptist minister, became one of the most influential and inspirational African American leaders in history. Genius dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators, exploring their extraordinary achievements along with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. The first season starred Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein, season two starred Antonio Banderas as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, and the highly anticipated third season will feature Cynthia Erivo as music icon Aretha Franklin. Secrets of the Whales From executive producer and National Geographic Explorer-at-Large James Cameron, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, Secrets of the Whales is the work of acclaimed National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry, as he helps tell the story of a species he’s been documenting for decades. Filmed across 24 locations over three years, it’s a profoundly personal saga, venturing deep into the world of whales to reveal life and love from their perspective. The four-part event series will tell the stories of the extraordinary cultures of five different whale species—orcas, belugas, narwhals, sperm whales and humpback whales. A Real Bug’s Life A Real Bug’s Life will be one of the most ambitious and innovative natural history series ever to be made. Only now, with recent advancements in miniaturized technology, can we meet these extraordinary little characters and see our colossal world through their tiny eyes. A Real Bug’s Life takes viewers on an unforgettable journey that exposes us to how these microsized creatures keep our world turning while facing monstrous forces and threats. From New York’s Central Park to your own backyard, each episode immerses the viewer inside a microcosm, where tiny yet extraordinary creatures rely on their mighty abilities to make it through the day. In ten spellbinding episodes, we take you on adventures into a world beyond your imagination to show you what life is like on planet Earth from a bug’s eye view. America the Beautiful It’s the land we love and the land we think we know. We see America’s breathtaking landscapes and wildlife as timeless, but the truth is very different. Its unique geography drives the forces of nature to extremes, shaping and reshaping the land and throwing down new challenges for life. From the award-winning producers of Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and the Disneynature films, America the Beautiful is the ambitious story of our home. Led by the iconic species that resonate with us most, we’re going to journey through America’s visually spectacular regions: the Frozen North, the Wild West, the Grassy Heartland, the Deep South and the Mountainous High Wilderness. Limitless With Chris Hemsworth What if you could combat aging and discover the full potential of the human body? Global movie star Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers) explores this revolutionary idea in the new National Geographic original series, Limitless With Chris Hemsworth, created by Darren Aronofsky and hailing from his production company Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root’s Nutopia. New scientific research is shattering conventional wisdom about the human body and offering fascinating insights into how we can all unlock our body’s superpowers to fight illness, perform better and even reverse the aging process! This science is put to the test by Hemsworth, who, despite being in peak superhero-condition, is on a personal mission to learn how to stay young, healthy, strong, and resilient. Undergoing a series of epic trials and extraordinary challenges in order to understand the limits of the human body, he’ll learn firsthand how we can live better for longer by discovering ways to regenerate damage, maximize strength, build resilience, supercharge memory and confront mortality. Entertaining, immersive and life-changing, Limitless will rewrite the rulebook on living better for longer. Welcome to Earth (working title) Hailing from Jane Root’s Nutopia and Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures, the world’s most charismatic movie star, Will Smith, embarks on an awe-inspiring global journey to unlock the secrets of the most extraordinary and unexplained phenomena of nature. In each episode, Smith—whose curiosity and wonder is positively infectious—is guided by National Geographic Explorers traveling to different corners of the world to get up close and personal with the weirdest, most unusual, dangerous and thrilling spectacles of the planet. Their mission is to seek out the things and places beyond human perception: the hidden worlds that we can’t see, smell, hear or feel. Only with the aid of cutting-edge technology is it possible to uncover these natural wonders. Smith discovers there are hidden worlds all around us, from the farthest reaches to our doorsteps. He learns how the tiniest details have enormous consequences for this place we call home. This is Earth as you have never seen it before.
WALT DISNEY TELEVISION
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood) and Emilio Estevez (reprising his role from the original feature films) star in the next chapter of the hit Mighty Ducks franchise, premiering in early 2021. In present day Minnesota, the Mighty Ducks have evolved from scrappy underdogs to an ultra-competitive, powerhouse youth hockey team. After 12-year-old Evan is unceremoniously cut from the Ducks, he and his mom Alex set out to build their own ragtag team of misfits to challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of competitive youth sports. Big Shot The series follows a temperamental college basketball coach who gets fired from his job and must take a teaching and coaching job at an elite all-girls private high school. Big Shot stars John Stamos and an ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors alongside Yvette Nicole Brown. The Mysterious Benedict Society Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way. Based on the bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart which Time magazine called “one of the best young adult books of all time,” the series stars Emmy Award winner Tony Hale (Veep) in the titular role and features a standout ensemble of young actors. Turner & Hooch When an ambitious, buttoned-up U.S. marshal inherits a big unruly dog, he soon realizes the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Josh Peck stars as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed in the original 1989 film by Tom Hanks. Source: https://deadline.com/2020/12/disney-plus-programming-star-wars-marvel-pixar-sports-animation-1234654686/
Yes, it's my truck and No, I won't help you move and No, you can't buy it for 50 bucks!
This is long, so grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever keeps you happy and reading. I live in a senior housing community for people aged 55 and older. We all have identical 1-bedroom cottages that’s set up in groups of four or quads so that all of our front doors face inward toward each other. So, if I open my front door, I have a very clear view of the front doors of my 3 neighbors and because I am in the back of this quad, I also have a view of the parking area. I think the purpose of grouping the houses this way was to create a friendly and safe atmosphere; however, it’s just creepy in a “you have no privacy” kind of way. I am F57, disabled, and have a 16-year-old pickup truck that gets me where I need to go most of the time. If you’ve ever owned a pickup truck, you’ll understand my frustration. If you haven’t owned one, talk to anyone who has and they will tell you that according to friends, family, acquaintances, neighbors, and even complete strangers, you have it so that you can help them move, haul furniture or a tree they cut down, and anything else they can’t fit in the trunk of their car. AND because it is a pickup truck, it can be mistreated, abused, dented, scratched, beaten up, and treated like a piece of heavy construction equipment and you shouldn’t care because well. . . it’s a truck. I have a neighbor (F - about 65 years old) that has kind of made a pest of herself since the day I moved in. I’ve done my best to be neighborly, nice, and accommodating, but each time I interact with her, I’m left feeling used. The neighbor, let's call her Karen, has come over pretending to want to visit with me, which she does for about 2 minutes, and then asks me for something. In the 3 years that I’ve been here, she’s asked me to set up 2 TVs (at different times), take a new alarm clock out of its packaging and then teach her how to operate it. I’ve been asked to fill out her food stamp paperwork, fill out information for her lease renewal, read a piece of mail to her and explain it because she didn’t understand it, to take her places and to “loan” her money for the bus. That’s just a few. Now that you get the idea of what I’ve dealt with before, it’s time for the story. One Monday morning, Karen comes beating on my door (she does what I call a “cop knock” – loud, hard, and repeated) around 8 a.m., waking me up. (I am a night owl, by the way.) I go to the door and she is standing there holding her natural gas bill telling me how she needed a ride to the gas company's office to talk to them about paying the bill and hands me the bill. I look at it, hoping to find a phone number for her to call, but there isn't one, but I do see that her bill is for about $17. So, I take her across town with her providing the directions since I had never been to this building (the gas company did not have an office in town, so I guess this was maybe a payment center). I drop her at the front, park, and wait for her. Karen comes out saying that they can't help her there and asks me if she should just call them to make arrangements to make payments since she didn't have the money. I tell her that's what I would do and bring her back home. We basically made this trip for nothing. Two days later, there is another loud, repeated banging on my door waking me up just before 9 a.m. Karen is back and seems to be a little frantic. She needs a ride again. This time she's very vague about why she wants to go, but left me with the impression that something was going to get turned off, repossessed, or turned over to collections if she didn't go. She's also vague as to where she wants to go. She keeps tell me that it's down by the casino, across the street from the gas station. I told her I'd take her but she would have to point me in the right direction since I've never been to the casino. She gives me turn by turn directions until she has me turn left onto the entrance road for the casino. I'm looking around for any other businesses or even the gas station and I'm not seeing anything other than the casino in front of us and open land on either side. So, I ask her where am I supposed to be dropping her. Karen points to an upcoming sign and says, "See the sign that says 'Valet'? Just follow that sign." Yep, you guessed it, Karen had me drop her at the front entrance to the casino. She'd lied to me by omission. She didn't ask me to take her to the casino (which I would probably have done since it's none of my business how she spends her money), she asked me to take her to a business near the casino. Yeah, well, I wasn't happy. On Monday she couldn't afford to pay her $17 gas bill and on Wednesday she's going to the casino by tricking me into taking her. A week goes by and I am in the office paying my rent when Karen comes in. Karen: Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here today. Girl, I just walked all the way here. Me: Didn’t know you needed a ride. I can give you a ride back to the house if you would like. I wait while Karen pays her rent and we walk out together. Now, I’m expecting to get in my truck and drive the 4 blocks back to my house. Karen had another idea. Karen: Take me to Everything’s Cheap store. Me: Where? Karen: To Everything’s Cheap. Just turn here at the stop sign and I’ll show you. It’s not far. Me: Karen, I’m going to take you there, but I’m not shopping and I’m not going to sit in the parking lot and wait for you. You’ll have to get another ride home or walk. Karen: It’s fine. I won’t be long. I drop her at the front door and I go home. A couple of hours later, she bangs on my door. Karen: Where did my ride go? Me: Home. I told you that I wasn’t going to wait for you. Karen: I had all my stuff that I had to carry home. Now my back hurts. Me: I’m sorry, but I warned you. Karen walks away muttering things that I didn’t understand and slammed her door. Skip ahead several months and I run into Karen again as I am paying my rent. She wants me to give her a ride to the Social Security office. I tell her that I can't as my truck is not running right and I can't get too far from home in it until I get it check out and fixed. My truck started having issues and it's been difficult trying to get it fixed with lock-down, a back issue that left me bedridden for several weeks, and 2 major hurricanes this year (there’s nothing major wrong with the truck - just needs a new starter and gaskets to fix an oil leak that's caused the starter to go bad). Karen: But it's just a few blocks away and it's hot out here. Me: I can't trust my truck not to leave me stranded with no way to get it home. Karen: It will be fine. Me: Maybe, but I'm not willing to risk it. Karen slaps the side of my truck and continues on her walk and I go home in my truck. Another 3 days go by and more banging on my door and again I am awakened (it's 7:15 a.m.). This time I'm angry and I snatched the door open. Me: What? Karen (standing there with her purse and house keys in her hand as if she knows I'll say yes): I need to go to the mattress store. I need to pick up my new queen size mattress. Me: No. My truck still isn't running right. Karen: But I need your truck to haul the mattress home. Me: No. Karen: It's not a heavy mattress. Me: Oh, so who’s going to help you get it in and out of my truck and carry it into your house? Karen: The two of us can do it. Me: Karen, I have degenerative disk disease. The disks in my spine are disintegrating. I can't lift nor carry a mattress even with someone helping. Karen: But I already bought it. How am I going to get it home? Me: Call friends or family to help you. Karen: They don't have a truck and you do! Me: Yes, I have a truck, but there is no sign anywhere on it that says Free Moving Company. I close the door on her and go back to bed. An hour later, more knocking. This time, it's an older man. Man 1: Excuse me, but is that your truck? (He points at my truck in the parking lot.) Me: Yes. Man 1: I have an upright piano I need to move and was wondering if I could use your truck. Me: No. (I glance over at the neighbor's house and I see her peeking through a crack in her door - I have a sneaking suspicion she has put this guy up to this to see if I would help him.) Man 1: You can drive the truck. I just need to have the piano hauled to my storage unit. Me: How are you going to get an upright piano into the bed of my truck? Man 1: I'll just roll it up a ramp and into the back. Me: Do you know how much an upright piano weighs? One person can't push it up a ramp. If you use a ramp on my tailgate, you will break the tailgate and probably lose the piano in the process. My truck is large, but the rear end is not made for hauling a piano and will cause the front end to lift off the ground preventing my front wheel drive truck from gaining traction and straining my 16-year-old engine. Man 1: Well, could you call 4 or 5 of your male friends to help lift it into the back of the truck? Me: No! I close the door on this man, too. He didn’t come right out and say it, but I felt like he wanted to borrow my truck so he could go pick up the mattress for Karen. Yeah, I’m a little suspicious. The following morning . . . *sigh* . . . I ignore the knocking that occurs every half hour or so over a 3-hour period until she finally gives up. Later that afternoon, I open my door to get the mail out of my box when a second man approaches me out of nowhere. It’s like he was hiding around the corner waiting for me to come out of my house. Man 2 (points at my truck - it irritates me every time someone does this): Is that your truck? Me (feeling very annoyed and snarky): What gave it away? Is it because it's parked in a space clearly labeled with my house number? Or is it because someone told you who the truck belonged to? (I point at Karen's house.) Man 2: Does it run? Me: Listen, I don't know what you're wanting me pick up, deliver, move, haul, transport, or tow, but I am not a moving company, taxi, uber, delivery service, or a tow truck. I won't be doing any of those things and before you ask, I won't be allowing you or anyone else to drive my truck either. Now, do you have any other questions? Man 2: Uh, do you want to sell it? Me: What?! Why would I want to sell it? Man 2: Well, since it needs fixing, I thought maybe you would want to sell it to someone who could afford to fix it. Me: How do you know it needs fixing? Man 2 (turns bright red and can't take his eyes off ground): I just thought if you sold it, you could buy something else and I could fix the truck. Me: Tell Karen that I'm not selling you my truck so that you can fix it to give to her. Man 2: I wasn't going to give it to her. Me (pointing at his huge truck parked in Karen's designated space): You want me to believe that you would rather have my 16-year-old truck that needs repair than your brand-new truck? How stupid do you think I am? As the older man silently stares at the ground, Karen flings her door open and marches up to me. Karen: Just sell him your truck so he can fix it. You clearly aren't going to do it any time soon. At least I will put it to good use. I need it and I need it more than you apparently do. Now, he’s willing to get it fixed for me, so just sell him the damn truck already! Me: My truck is not for sale! When or if I get my truck fixed is absolutely none of your business. Karen: I’m going to call the office and tell them that you have a broken-down truck sitting in the parking lot that needs to be hauled to the junk yard. They’ll make you get rid of it or fix it. Man 2: Karen, they can’t do anything to her . . . Karen cuts him off. She’s so angry, she’s crying, shaking, and spitting as she screams Karen: SHUT UP! STAY OUT OF THIS. I WANT THAT TRUCK AND I’M GOING TO GET IT! I’LL CALL THE POLICE. THEY WILL MAKE HER GET RID OF IT. Man 2: Karen, the police aren’t . . . She cuts him off again. Karen: YES, THEY WILL. THEY'LL LISTEN TO ME. She storms off to call the police. In the meantime, I brought a chair outside along with a can of soda and a bowl of microwave popcorn. I figured this was going to be a good show. Karen and Man 2 have gone inside her house to wait. The neighbor to my left has come out to see what’s going on. Let’s call her Mary. Mary can’t stand Karen, so she drags a chair out and sits next to me and we share my popcorn. Enter Cop 1 and Cop 2 The cops arrive in about 5-6 minutes and walk up to Karen’s door and knock while glancing around at Mary and me and grinning. She answers and tells them that I have created an eyesore in the neighborhood by having an old beat up, broken-down truck sitting in the parking lot and she wants it removed immediately. Cop 1 (pointing at my truck - yep, he does it, too and I can't help but roll my eyes): That truck? Karen: Yes. Cop 1: That truck is clean, shiny, no dents, no scratches, new tires . . . are you sure that’s the eyesore? Karen: Yes. It’s 10 years old and broken and she doesn’t want to fix it. It’s just sitting there doing nothing for months. Me: It’s 16 years old. Cop 2 (spins around, surprised): Seriously? That truck is that old? Wow! It’s in great shape. You’ve taken good care of her. Me: Thank you. Karen: I want that truck gone! Cop 2 walks over to me to discuss my truck’s mechanical history. So, I explain to him that in the 16 years that I have owned her, I have changed her oil every 3-4 months, given her a bath once a month, got her a new set of tires 6 years ago, and when I first began having problems with her starting, I bought a new battery (the old one was the original battery from when I bought the truck off the showroom floor), and when the battery wasn’t the problem, I had a mechanic come and look at it. He determined that it was the starter and the gasket was leaking. All I was waiting on was my friend to come and help me start her (someone needs to get under the truck and tap the starter while someone else turns over the ignition) so that I can get it to the mechanic’s house for him to work on it. Karen: She’s lying. That truck hasn’t moved in 3 months. Me (offering popcorn to Cop 2 who took a handful): Wrong. It hasn’t moved in 4 days. It’s had problems for 3 or 4 months. Cop 1: Ms. Karen, there really isn’t anything the police department can do for you. Her truck definitely isn’t an eyesore nor is it sitting there in pieces creating a safety hazard. Karen: She’s driving down property values. Cop 1 (starts chuckling): Ms. Karen, you are renting a house in government subsidized senior housing. Cop 2: Why don’t you tell us the real reason why you want her truck removed. Mary (who has been silent until now - stands up and turns on her best diva soul-sister voice and attitude and gives the cops the greatest Deep-South Beautiful Black Woman sermon I’ve ever heard – I’ll try to write as best I can): Ohh, Lawd Jesus, help us all! Dis here woman of the night, want everything she can’t have, Lawd! I think it’s cuz she pulls her hair back so tight, Lawd, she can only see what’s in the back o’ her mind! Uh huh! She wants her Old Saggy Boy Toy of the Day here to buy my friend’s pick’em up truck, so she can go and pick’em up, Lawd, mm-hmm, if ya gittin' what I’m sayin’. He buy it and trade it to her for a little roll on her nasty sheets! Lawd Jesus, help us! And she think she all hot and sexy so you believe her and take away my friend’s truck. She a fool, uh huh. She think she can fool you, too, uh huh! How da hell do ya think she got those 2 big ass TVs in there? Mmm-hmm! Cop 1 is bent over laughing hysterically while Cop 2 is standing with his mouth open and his eyes wide. Cop 2 (turns to Man 2): Is any of that true? Man 2 (embarrassed, humiliated, and just looking tired): She wanted the truck and 50 bucks. Karen and Man 2 are arrested. Not sure what the exact charges were but I heard words being thrown around like pandering, solicitation, scamming, and false complaint among others. A couple of days later, Mary told me that Karen returned home. I guess she found a way to get bailed out. I haven’t seen her and I am hoping that I don’t. As for my “pick’em up truck”, I’m still waiting to get her to the mechanic. My friend will be here on his next day off (he doesn't get them often) to help me. It’s a good thing I’m a patient person with a super diva as a friend and neighbor. It's also good to know that my truck is at least worth one 20-minute roll on the sheets and 50 bucks. EDIT: Thanks for the awards everyone! And just a little side note for those of you rolling your eyes at the fact that I offered a cop popcorn and he took it - I live in the Deep South in a small-ish college town. The cops here are helpful, friendly (until provoked), and generally good guys. When construction workers stole from me after Hurricane Laura, two cops came to investigate and afterwards I offered them both a bottle of water and they accepted.
Mirroring the end of Season 5, we see Dean with Lisa, looking very unhappy. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten over losing Sam (or Cas).
10:04 Dean chases what he thinks is a monster, but it turns out to be a little dog. It looks very similar to the dog we saw in S4E6, which Dean mistook for a hellhound. In that episode, the dog was a symbol for Dean’s metaphorical fears of falling in love with a man. This time it’s being used as a symbol for Dean’s fear of a monster attacking his new family - but it could also be seen as the fear that his homosexual desires could harm his new family. Queer people sometimes feel out of place in the suburbs. Most people grow up with the idea that getting married, moving to the suburbs and having kids will make them happy - and we know Dean used to think that. But living in heteronormative society can feel stifling, like you have to hide parts of yourself to fit in. We see how Dean struggles because of his hunter instincts. We also see him lie to Lisa and hide parts of himself from her, even though she already knows he’s a hunter.
17:13 Dean asks Sam if Cas brought him back. Sam says he doesn’t know where Cas is. Dean looks sad. Sam tells Dean that he knows Dean always wanted a family. Once again, Lisa does not exist as a love interest so much as a symbol for Dean having a family and kids.
Episode 2
In this episode, Sam calls Dean to help him take care of a baby. Dean is shown being better at childcare than Sam is. This shows Dean’s character growth in that he’s getting more comfortable with his feminine side. But it’s also worth noting that taking feminine roles (like domestic chores and childcare) is one way films used to queer code men. It’s a harmful stereotype, but Gay men (especially bottoms) were thought to be like women.
38:40 This conversation with Lisa is riddled with subtextual phrases. “You’re white knuckling it, living like this. Like what you are is some bad, awful thing. But you’re not.” Lisa understands the duality of Dean - He wants to be a loving family man, but he also wants to be a hunter. There are some parts of Dean that she can’t understand, but she accepts that. This is what makes Lisa such a great partner. Often, when a bisexual person dates a straight person, they feel like they have to choose to ignore and repress the homosexual side of themselves. It’s not about wanting to have sex with both (this is a false stereotype), but more so about trying to fit a role in straight society and feeling like an imposter. Lisa is saying that she understands there’s more to Dean’s life than just her, and she accepts him the way he is.
Episode 3
The name of this episode is The Third Man, which is the name of a 1949 film noir. One of the film’s producers, complained that the script had homoerotic undertones. This name is also similar to the name of the previous episode, Two and a Half Men, which was referring to Sam, Dean and the baby. So it’s safe to assume the third man in this case is Castiel.
10:15 Dean tells the officer, “Woah, looking sharp Kojak.” Note: Dean hasn’t flirted with any other male cops since Castiel showed up in Season 4.
13:55 Dean says, “We should call Cas.” Sam says, “You’re kidding, right? Dean, I tried.”
Dean says, “I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here.” He smiles under his breath. This is the first time we’ve seen Dean smile in this season, including all the time he’s spent with Lisa and Ben AND when he found out Sam was alive.
15:19 Sam says, “So what, you like him better or something?” Cas says, “Dean and I do share a more profound bond. I wasn’t gonna mention it.”
16:32 Cas tells Dean he came because of the case. Dean says, “Oh, well it’s nice to know what matters.” This is the season they start bickering like a married couple.
17:16 Dean says, “What is Chuck Heston’s disco stick doing down there anyway?” This is a reference to the film The Ten Commandments, which has a massive amount of gay subtext. Charles Heston, the actor Dean is referring to, is shown mostly naked, in chains and covered in oil.
Dean makes about ten times more eye contact with Cas than he ever did with Lisa
24:06 Sam asks if Balthazar was Cas’s friend, and Cas says, “A good friend.”
28:11 Dean makes a reference to Liberace, a famously gay performer. This is both an example of Dean making a queer reference, and Balthazar being queer coded.
Balthazar is the most heavily queer coded character in Supernatural. He has a lavish, frivolous lifestyle. He’s introduced in front of a piano with pink and purple lights and party music. He has a sly voice, stylish way of dressing, and is very sexual.
The way Balthazar interacts with Castiel is very familiar. There’s a lot of eye contact. He speaks in a soft, sensual tone. Castiel has already said they were close, but this scene implies a possible romantic or sexual history between them. Castiel says, “I grieved your death.” We saw him try to kill several other angel friends without mercy, including Anna and Uriel, so this puts Balthazar on a very different level from Cas’s other friends.
31:20 Balthazar says, “You proved to me that we could do anything, so I’m trying… everything.” Everything?
34:18 Balthazar, who claimed to not want to be involved in the fight, comes back to save Castiel’s life. He does this by saying, “Look at my junk.”
35:24 Balthazar expects Castiel to help him, but Cas takes Dean’s side. Balthazar looks at them and laughs. He knows.
Dean refuses to release Balthazar, but Cas lets him go. Cas disappears before Dean could ask why.
Episode 4
1:38 Bobby says, “Bite me.” Crowley says, “If that’s your thing.”
3:09 Crowley wrote a contract clause on Bobby’s genitals
13:10 I want to point out that Bobby and Rufus have the heterosexual version of Dean and Cas’s relationship. They’ve been friends for decades, they hunt together, they love each other like brothers, and they fight like a married couple. But there’s never a sense of romantic intimacy with them. They don’t stare longingly into each other’s eyes under the moonlight. They don’t have a “profound bond.”
25:28 Dean says, “I’m baring my soul here like a freaking girl.” Sexism.
36:27 Dean says, “You hear that, Crowley? That’s me flicking my BIC for you.” Why was this necessary?
Episode 5
7:13 The father expresses that he was disappointed in his daughter’s choices. Sam asks if he was talking about drugs. They find out she was into vampires. Note: Up until this point, every vampire in Supernatural has been either openly gay or bisexual, or involved in some sort of metaphor for gay sex (S1E20, S2E3, S3E7, S4E5, S6E5).
8:23 Dean picks up a vampire book and says, “Look at this, he’s watching her sleep. How is that not rapey?” Do you feel that way when Cas watches you sleep?
11:56 Dean watches two men make out at the vampire bar. Setting the tone for another gay sex analogy.
13:51 Dean says, “Are you wearing glitter?” The guy says, “I’m only doing it to get laid man.” Dean raises his eyebrows and says, “Does it work?” This boy.
A male vampire says from the alley, “You’re pretty.” Dean says, “I’m sorry pal but I don’t play for your team.” Note: This vampire is ugly and a creep. Dean gives a very different response to a cuter guy in S8E13.
15:07 The vampire attacks Dean and turns him
20:22 Dean throws Lisa against the wall, making another connection between the vampire blood lust and sexual desire
Dean pushes Ben against the wall and hurts him. Then he runs away. Lisa and Ben represent what Dean could have if he chooses to be normal (i.e. live a heterosexual life). But Dean is afraid that if he gives into his blood lust (homosexual urges), it will destroy his chances at having a family.
26:05 Dean sees a much younger, cuter vampire, checks him out and looks at his lips.
28:50 The creepy vampire continues being sexual toward Dean - calling him pretty, getting up near his face and asking how old he looks, etc.
33:30 Dean murders the vampires, starting with the cute young guy (the real threat to his heterosexuality)
35:13 The creepy vampire ominously says, “You’ve stopped nothing.” Meaning metaphorically, Dean still has that “blood lust” in him.
Episode 6
9:49 Sam says, “Dentist drilled a guy to death.” Dean opens his eyes and says, “You mean the… non-sexy kind of drilling, right?” Who hears dentist and drill and thinks about gay sex? Dean, you’re so unfulfilled.
13:36 Dean and Cas have another fight, then Cas ends up pouring Dean a drink while staring deeply into his eyes. Pouring a man a drink is sometimes used as homoerotic subtext, as it’s associated with seduction.
15:03 Dean is angry at Cas for leaving again. Cas tells Dean he will try to help with Sam - despite being in the middle of fighting a war. Dean looks lost when Cas leaves again, glances around the room, and takes another sip of his drink.
22:39 Lisa says, “You’ve got so much buried in there, and you push it down, and you push it down.” This is similar to what Dean’s ex girlfriend Cas said in S1E13. The only person who’s been able to get Dean to open up emotionally was Castiel, in S4E3.
33:23 The goddess says, “You know what happens when you base your life on lies, right?” Interesting phrasing. Dean lies a lot on the job as a hunter, but this implies a much greater lie. He recently lost Lisa because she said he’s repressing something.
Episode 7
3:18 Cas and Dean eye fucking
4:06 Very close proximity and more staring
7:13 Castiel says his true form is the size of the Chrysler building. Dean says, “Alright alright, quit bragging.” We know where your mind went.
7:46 Dean describes Cas checking Samuel’s soul as “angel cavity search”. Dean can’t stop sexualizing Cas today.
12:57 Dean pushes the guy up against a wall. Out of context this looks so homoerotic.
26:57 The alpha vampire says, “Dean, tell me, did you enjoy it?”
34:18 The alpha pinning Sam against the wall is also pretty homoerotic
35:18 Dean says, “You two know each other?” Crowley says, “Not in the Biblical sense.”
Episode 8
2:09 Crowley says, “Is that Bobby Singer? Give him a kiss from me.” Crowley makes gay jokes at straight men about as often as Dean does. Yet we know Crowley isn’t entirely joking, because we’ve seen him kiss two men now. Why do people assume Dean is just joking?
4:40 Dean says, “Crowley, he’s so far up our asses we’re coughing sulfur.” Dean has such a vivid imagination.
19:39 Sam looks through the binoculars at the naked Lucky
24:14 Dean holds up clothing and a dog collar, and says to Lucky (technically a naked man), “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Sam laughs. This sounds like a BDSM reference.
27:37 Lucky says, “Fetch this dick” to Sam
Episode 9
9:32 Dean is being chased by “aliens”. Sam says, “Third kind already? You better run man, I think the fourth kind is a butt thing.”
15:39 “Probing table!”
19:16 Dean is being attacked by a fairy. Fairy is a derogatory term for a gay man.
23:14 Sam says, “Dean… did you service Oberon, king of the fairies?” Service is sexual slang.
Episode 10
9:07 Dean asks Meg to untie him. She says, “Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy it.” Then a large man walks up and looks at Dean, and Dean says, “You gonna kiss me?” Dean looked at the guy’s ass as he walked away.
16:00 Cas finds porn on TV. Note: Cas has been angry every time he sees Dean recently, possibly because Dean was living with his new girlfriend. Cas is millions of years old. He knows what porn is. This episode really comes across as Cas trying to make his ex boyfriend jealous. Especially since he’s not helping them research or going back to his important mission in heaven right now. Cas has a lot of better things to do with his time, but he’s being petty.
16:20 Dean says, “Now he’s got a boner.” Dean looked at Cas’s dick, so I guess the attention seeking worked.
18:03 Meg says to Cas, “Keep talking dirty, makes my meat suit all dewy.” Dean looks uncomfortable and says, “Alright, simmer down.” Dean never told Meg to shut up earlier when she was talking like that to him. Cas’s attempt to make Dean jealous is definitely working.
19:16 Meg gives Cas the “fuck me eyes”. Dean looks angrily at Meg. Cas: 3 Dean: 0
19:44 Cas is across the room avoiding eye contact with Dean. Dean says, “You know, Cas, you could help.” Cas is still being prissy and trying to annoy Dean.
Close proximity, eye contact, sexual tension and Dean looking at Cas’s lips
24:57 Meg kisses Cas. Dean stops talking mid-sentence and stares incredulously. Cas flips Meg against the wall and kisses her back. Dean is in shock. At this point Castiel just spent a year watching over Dean in secret while he was with Lisa. This is definitely payback.
35:16 Crowley says, “So, to what do I owe the reach-around?”
39:25 Dean says to Cas, “I would have given you an hour with her first.” Cas says, “Why would I want that?” Proving that Cas was never attracted to Meg, he was just screwing with Dean.
39:49 Cas says, “I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time, I’d rather be here.”
Dean always swivels his head around when Cas leaves, but Sam never does.
Episode 11
13:49 Balthazar tells Sam to “go ask your boyfriend” (Cas)
14:51 Balthazar says, “I’m not a fan of your brother, so screwing him would delight me.” The only interaction he’s had with Dean so far involved Dean making him return a boy’s soul. However, Sam was also there and helped, as did Cas. The only reason I can assume Balthazar hates Dean is that Castiel chose Dean over Balthazar, his long-time “friend”. Balthazar is jealous that Castiel is in love with Dean.
28:36 This is how Supernatural portrays a man losing the love of his life. He falls apart, cries hysterically, and later tries to kill himself. This moment is very similar to the emotional response Dean has in Season 15 when Cas dies.
Episode 12
3:40 The title “Like a Virgin” flashes across the screen as Castiel walks up to Dean
Fun fact: The song “Like a Virgin” was actually written by a man, Billy Steinberg, who said it was about how he felt with a new partner. I can’t find anything conclusive about his orientation, but he never married or had any public relationships.
3:57 More eye fucking
25:00 Dean grunting while pulling repeatedly on a sword handle
33:22 The dragon says to Dean, “Where do you think you’re gonna stick that?”
Episode 14
5:30 Dean says, “You shove it down, and you let it come out in spurts of violence and alcoholism. Works for me.”
6:33 Dean grabs the heart of the (male) anatomy dummy
11:08 Sam nods at a male police officer, then Dean checks him out and looks at his crotch
11:30 Sam says, “That anatomy dummy you were molesting at the lab.” Dean says, “What exactly are you accusing me of?”
Dean gets very intimate with a male mannequin
26:32 Ben tells Dean that Lisa is going on a third date, and implies she’s going to have sex with her new boyfriend. Dean just raises his eyebrows. Compare this to dean’s face of complete shock in S6E10 when Cas kisses Meg.
Episode 15
The title of this episode is The French Mistake. According to Urbandictionary, a “French mistake” is: “When an otherwise straight male is persuaded to, or on a whim in the heat of the moment, engages in a homosexual act of which he later regrets and is ashamed.
Alluded to in the musical number of the same name in Mel Brooks' film "Blazing Saddles”.” The lyrics of the song The French Mistake are: “Throw out your hands. Stick out your tush. Hands on your hips, give them a push. You’ll be surprised you're doing the French mistake.”
2:38 Sam asks where Cas is. Balthazar says, “Oh, Cassie?” Cassie was the name of the girl Dean was in love with in S1E13, who also went by the nickname Cas.
38:34 Rafael shows up in a female body. This is the closest to transgender representation this show ever really gets. It poses the question: If Cas inhabited a female body, would it still be gay for Dean to stare at his lips?
39:51 Castiel comes in and saves Balthazar. Cas and Balthazar move in close to talk to each other, reminiscent of Cas’s body language with Dean. When the camera pans to Dean’s face, he looks a little jealous.
Episode 16
16:15 Rufus grabs Dean’s ear. Dean says, “Hey, why don’t you buy me a drink first!”
38:34 This is Bobby’s goodbye to Rufus. Bobby and Rufus were friends for decades. They were like brothers. Rufus saved Bobby’s life many times. They hunted together. And Bobby’s last memories of him are being told that Rufus could never forgive him, then stabbing him in the heart. Bobby and Rufus should arguably be closer to each other than Cas and Dean ever were. And yet compare this incredibly stoic scene to S15E18 when Dean cries over the loss of Cas. Bobby is less emotional over stabbing his best friend to death than Dean is over watching Cas voluntarily die.
Episode 17
18:43 Balthazar says to Dean, “You have me confused with the other angel, the one in the dirty trench coat who’s in love with you.” Dean averts his gaze. This is one of those flippant lines that people incorrectly assumed was never going to be cannon. Is it even considered subtext? He literally said that Castiel was in love with Dean, yet people decided to take it as a joke until 8 years later when it was made canon. Use this same lens when approaching some of the things Dean’s friends say about his sexuality.
26:17 Cas saves Dean’s life, and Dean stares at his lips again. More eye fucking.
34:41 Cas chooses to save Dean rather than get the souls he needs to win the war - proving that he cares more about Dean’s life than he does about preventing the apocalypse.
The next scene opens with My Heart Will Go On playing as Dean wakes up. Think about the lyrics of this song, the plot of the film Titanic, and how it relates to this episode. Castiel is metaphorically on a sinking ship (losing the war in Heaven). In the end of the episode he gives up the best chance he has at winning the war to save Dean’s life. In Titanic, Jack sacrifices himself to save Rose’s life after falling madly in love with her. Dean and Cas’s relationship is a romantic tragedy, like Jack and Rose. Soulmates who are always torn apart by death. It’s not a coincidence that the episode themed around a romantic film contains the first verbal confirmation of Castiel being in love with Dean.
37:33 Castiel tells them that it was all real. Dean has a very interesting facial expression when he realizes that Balthazar telling him Cas is in love with him wasn’t a dream.
Castiel says, “You’re the ones who taught me that you can make your own destiny. You don’t have to be ruled by fate. You can choose freedom.” A lot of the language in this line and this episode is mirrored in S15E18. This episode begins to explain Cas’s motives, and it foreshadows the ending of Supernatural. Everything they do from the end of Season 4 onward - altering timelines, opening portals, killing Death, etc. - is all because of Cas’s love for Dean. And the tragedy of it is that Castiel sacrifices everything for Dean, yet Dean can’t live without him and ends up dying anyway.
Dean says, “Besides, Titanic didn’t suck that bad. Winslet’s rack?” Cas vanishes. Dean says, “Well I’ll tell you one thing about Cas, he does not appreciate the finer things.” Stop making each other jealous.
Episode 18
For anyone who thinks cowboys are the peak of heteronormativity, allow me to ruin your life. It’s not an accident that Brokeback Mountain became one of the highest grossing gay films of all time. Gay people love cowboys. Part of this is due to film history, which I’ll get to in a minute, but a lot of it is due to US history. The California Gold Rush began in 1848, and thousands of men traveled out West to make their fortune. The problem was, few women wanted to join them. Women made up only 8% of the population of California at the time, and 2% of the population in mining towns (and those were mostly prostitutes). So if you wanted to get laid on the frontier, your options were to hire a prostitute, or suck it up and “Do the French mistake” (S6E15). Gay relationships were extremely common in frontier towns. They were called “bachelor marriages”, and in many cases they were socially accepted.
Cowboy movies have been considered homoerotic since they first hit the big screen. They feature attractive men alone in the wilderness together, handling phallic objects (guns), using vulgarity, drinking together, and often wrestling on the ground. Some films famous for their gay subtext include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Wild Bunch, Red River, and Bend of the River. Just watch the gun scene from Red River - two young men fondling each other’s pistols - and you’ll see what I mean. Bonus: Compare that nose scratching gesture to S2E2 when Dean meets Ash.
5:53 Dean says, “Come on Cas, I Dream of Jeannie your ass down here.” In the TV series I Dream of Jeannie, the genie was a sexy woman who was subservient to a human man and called him Master.
6:59 After Rachel goes on a rant about how Dean and Sam use Castiel and don’t appreciate how much he does for them, Cas appears in person and tells her to go. He asks Dean, “Now what do you need?” Again comparing Castiel to Jeannie.
8:07 Dean wants to dress up as cowboys. Sam says, “You have a fetish, Dean.”
9:18 Dean says, “Alright, well, see you at high noon tomorrow - partner” and winks at Cas.
21:59 The bartender says, “New hat.” Dean nods and says, “I look good.” The bartender nods, and continues oggling Dean.
24:25 Dean gets a man to open the door by pretending to be a woman, and then they cross guns
30:38 Bobby says, “What do you want me to do, make another deal? Seal it with a kiss?” Cas says, “I need you to let me touch it.” Bobby raises his eyebrows. “Touch it?”
37:28 After shooting the phoenix, Dean blows on his gun
40:22 Cas stares up at Dean, and Dean puts his cowboy hat back on
Episode 19
4:25 Dean says, “Why’s it always gotta be me that makes the call? It’s not like Cas lives in my ass.” Cas appears directly behind him. Dean says, “Cas, get out of my ass!” Cas says, “I was never in your-“ He trails off and stares at Dean.
6:58 Lenore says, “Everyone gives in” and looks at Dean, who looks away uncomfortably. Remember, vampires and their “unholy desires” are a symbol for homosexuality in Supernatural.
8:18 Lenore asks Sam to kill her because she fed on a young girl.
10:29 Dean says, “So wait, mom’s making you limp?” Cas says, “Figuratively, yes.”
11:59 Cas tries not to look at Dean’s ass while he’s bent over picking a lock
19:39 Dean saves Cas while Cas is handcuffed up against the wall
23:03 Cas tells Dean to stay focused, but Dean insists on saving the children
24:03 Castiel stares out the window. He talks to Bobby about the boys’ “crippling empathetic response.” This scene highlights the difference between Dean and Castiel, and why Cas loves Dean. Castiel always thinks of the big picture. He can be Machiavellian, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. But Dean is all heart. The fate of the world may be hanging by a thread, but Dean is going to save those little kids no matter what. Dean’s example is what changed Cas’s heart in Season 4, and he continues to have an influence on Cas in each season. Dean literally teaches Castiel how to love.
39:29 Dean finds out that Crowley is still alive, but he refuses to believe Cas lied to them. This is another reason Cas loves Dean: Dean’s unshakeable loyalty. We’ve seen so many of Cas’s friends, family and loyal followers turn on him. Uriel, Anna, his lieutenant, even God. Dean is the only person who Cas can always trust to have his back and treat him like family.
Episode 20
6:22 Cas says, “I am holding up my end.” Crowley says, “Ah yes, but is that all you’re holding? The stench of that Impala is all over your overcoat, angel.”
8:11 Castiel is watching over Dean in secret at Lisa’s house.
12:14 “The worst part was Dean trying so hard to be loyal, with every instinct telling him otherwise.” This episode shows Castiel staring longingly at Dean’s face while invisible, both in present day and a year ago. It establishes that Cas spends a lot more time watching Dean than he tells anyone. This is reminiscent of Edward from the Twilight series watching over Bella when she sleeps. It shows Castiel longing to be with Dean, yet feeling like he needs to stay away to protect him.
19:50 Dean passionately defends Castiel’s loyalty
21:40 Cas saves Dean’s life. He says, “For a brief moment, I was me again.”
22:10 Dean says, “It’s good to see you Cas.” Cas says, “Are you alright?” Dean looks so happy and so conflicted.
23:50 Crowley says, “Come on, you think I don’t know what this is about?” … “A whore is a whore is a whore.” Cas says, “If you touch a hair on their heads, I will tear it all down.” The real reason Cas did all of this is to save Dean. He doesn’t care if he dies, if Crowley dies, if the angels lose the war, as long as Dean is okay.
25:09 Cas sees Dean in the yard raking leaves. “Watching him, I stopped. Everything he sacrificed, and I was about to ask him for more.”
25:55 Crowley says, “I’m talking about happy endings for all of us, with all possible entendres intended.” Crowley is making an innuendo to show that he knows Castiel wants to be with Dean.
27:04 Crowley says, “See, problem with the old place was most of the inmates were masochists already. A lot of, thank you sir can I have another hot spike up the jacksie?” Implying that sexual deviants go to Hell.
27:43 “Buddy boy, you’ve got what they call sex appeal.” “Thank you. Get to the point.” These are the only two canonically queer male characters. Crowley is genuinely calling Cas sexy, and Cas takes it like a queen.
32:35 Dean says, “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not working with Crowley.” The look on Dean’s face is heartbreaking.
35:36 Dean doesn’t want to leave Cas even after he betrayed them.
37:50 Dean can’t sleep. He’s thinking about Cas. Cas appears next to Dean’s bed, again in an intimate setting in moonlight. This is the inverse of the set and lighting design of S4E2, the first time they spoke like this. This time Dean stands by the window in the light, and Cas is trying to step into the light with him. Dean has become the source of love and righteousness, and Cas is trying to come back to him. Dean asks Cas to trust him. Dean says he’ll stop Cas if he has to. Cas says, “You can’t, Dean. You’re just a man. I’m an angel.” Dean says, “I don’t know, I’ve taken some pretty big fish.” Is this an innuendo?
Castiel is praying to God. He says, “I believe it’s what you would call a tragedy, from the human perspective.” In S6E17 we established Castiel’s relationship with Dean is a romantic tragedy. But unlike Titanic - which is a modern tragedy - this episode is named “The Man Who Would Be King”, which is more of a Shakespearean tragedy. One of the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy is hamartia, the hero’s tragic flaw. Castiel’s tragic character flaw in this season was his inability to trust Dean. He wanted to keep Dean safe, but he pridefully thought of himself as much stronger and more capable than Dean - that Dean was “just a man” and needed protection. When in reality, Castiel is the one who needed Dean’s help. It’s possible that Dean, Cas, Sam and Bobby could have figured out a way to stop the apocalypse again without Crowley, if only Castiel had been able to trust them.
To understand Castiel’s choice, we have to go back to the end of Season 5. In S5E22, Dean and Cas are in the car together. Dean promised Sam that he would go to Lisa, but he didn’t seem to actually want to. Dean gave Castiel the opportunity to stay with him, but Cas wanted to give Dean a chance at a happy, normal life, and he was probably also afraid. Dean and Cas had never been alone together for long. This would be opening the door for a romantic future between them. What if Dean had agreed to go with Cas instead of Lisa? What if he’d said no, and abandoned Cas just like so many of Cas’s friends? Cas was afraid to admit that he needed Deans, afraid to admit that he was in love with him, and afraid of being rejected. So he left before he could even ask what Dean wanted, and he foolishly tried to handle everything on his own, hurting Dean in the process.
Episode 21
Lisa and Ben are kidnapped, but Dean chooses not to ask Cas for help. This is the tragic result of what we saw in the last episode: Because Castiel couldn’t trust Dean, Dean is now unable to trust Cas, breaking the bond of love between them that was once powerful enough to change fate.
21:39 Castiel comes back to save Dean
22:34 Cas says, “I do everything that you ask. I always come when you call. And I am your friend. Still, despite your lack of faith in me, and now your threats. I just saved you again. Has anyone but your closest kin ever done more for you?”
23:47 Dean rejects Cas’s offer. As Dean turns away from Cas, both of them are crying. The pain of losing the love and trust they both shared is worse than their anger in this moment.
Dean and Cas’s fight is juxtaposed to Bobby talking with Eleanor. Bobby is upset that she lied to him while they were together. Bobby offers to protect Eleanor, and she says, “Bobby, you’re just a man.” This is mirroring Castiel saying the same line to Dean in the last episode. We’re meant to draw a parallel between these two couples.
37:07 Cas heals Lisa. He says, “Dean, I said I’m sorry and I meant it.” Dean says, “Thank you. I wish this changed anything.” Cas says, “I know. So do I.” They’re both in tears again. Cas is the only person Dean is able to cry in front of freely. No matter how much Cas and Dean hurt or betray each other, they still love each other. It’s these moments when they’re fighting that you can see the love in their eyes the clearest.
39:44 Dean loses Ben and Lisa forever, yet in this scene he’s less emotional than he was when he was fighting with Castiel. Dean can live without Ben and Lisa, but he can never live without Cas.
Episode 22
8:21 Bobby finds Eleanor dying. She says, “I guess I could have used your help after all.” The only purpose of Eleanor and Bobby’s (romantic and sexual) relationship is to mirror Dean and Cas’s relationship. Eleanor mirrored Cas’s vanity by underestimating Bobby and claiming not to need his help, because he is “just a man.” Castiel did the same thing to Dean.
9:28 Eleanor saying “I’m sorry” to Bobby is immediately mirrored by Castiel saying “I’m sorry.”
Cas destroys the barrier in Sam’s mind. He does the one thing he thinks is sure to make Dean hate him, just to keep Dean alive. This brings us back to Cas’s tragic character flaw and how it destroys the thing he cares about most.
21:57 Balthazar says, “How’s Sleeping Beauty? You didn’t steal any kisses I trust?” Balthazar is on team Wincest, oh dear. I guess he just wants Cas to himself.
24:01 Crowley says to Cas, “Have you forgotten that you’re the bottom in this relationship?” If anything this establishes Cas as the top, since he just pulled one over on Crowley.
30:26 Cas kills his closest friend (and possibly former lover) rather than admit he’s the one in the wrong
38:13 Cas says, “You can’t imagine what it’s like. They’re all inside me - millions upon millions of souls.” Crowley says, “Sounds sexy.”
39:05 Dean tries to convince Cas to let go of the souls so he doesn’t die. Dean says, “We were family once. I would have died for you. … I’ve lost Lisa. I’ve lost Ben. Now I’ve lost Sam. Don’t make me lose you too.” Even after Cas betrayed Dean and hurt every one of his family members, Dean phrases it as “Don’t make me lose you too.” Dean still loves Cas and wants to be with him, even at Cas’s absolute worst. This is Dean’s reciprocal act of true love. He’s still trying to save Cas and still treating him like family, no matter how much Cas lies to him, abandons him and hurts him.
Cas responds with, “You’re just saying that because I won. Because you’re afraid. You’re not my family, Dean. I have no family.” This is how Castiel’s story ends for the season - with him repeating his tragic character flaw. Cas doesn’t trust Dean, and he doesn’t believe that Dean is capable of loving him back. No matter what Dean does - offering to help, opening up to Cas, standing up for him when nobody else will - Cas is too afraid to let Dean love him, and he chooses to run away instead. And that fear turns him into a monster.
If you can think of anything I missed from this season, please post it down in the comments and I will check it out! Note: these are all inferences, and I tried to be as thorough as possible. You’re welcome to disagree with or be dismissive of some or even all of my conclusions. The point is that, among these many excerpts, you can see a story forming about the attitude toward homosexuality/bisexuality in the Supernatural universe, and how that has impacted its characters (mostly Dean). When you notice a motif appear in a character’s story dozens or hundreds of times, it’s hard to make the argument that it’s not intentional writing. Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4 (Part 1)Season 4 (Part 2)Season 4 (Part 3)Season 5
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