(No new episode to discuss, wah!)

So, I think my muse has died. I'm signed up for two big bangs right now and I'm definitely going to have to drop out of one and most likely the other as well, because every time I open a document I re-read what I have and spend half an hour making minuscule changes to what I've already written and then I'm done. I'm dried up.

But Tumblr put me in a meta kind of mood today, when someone commented that we know Sam takes his coffee black because that's how he orders it in 7.07, "The Mentalists," and someone else mentioned that he doesn't take it black any other time.




(expanded from my Tumblr post)

Okay but this is when he’s separated from Dean, and he keeps telling himself it’s a good thing, it was the right decision, Dean killed Amy, for fuck’s sake, and lied about it and he had to hear it from a fucking leviathan and he just can’t look at the guy right now, can’t even think about him without feeling his blood pressure spike and being swept away on a surging wave of anger; it’s the right decision, he knows it’s the right decision.

And yet, on the other hand, he can’t stand it, is constantly worrying about Dean, wants to know if he’s okay, because what if something happens to him because Sam doesn’t have his back, it’ll just be one more person who was hurt or killed because of him, and Cas isn’t going to save him now, and Bobby’s not there to back him up, and beyond the worrying, he finds it difficult to sleep without the sound of Dean breathing in the bed next to his, wakes up in a cold panic when he does manage to doze off, slips into a downward spiral of worry and despair and no, he’s not sleeping much at all.

And what about Jacob, what about the child Amy was so desperate to protect, he doesn't know if Dean killed him too (is ashamed he didn't think to ask), because if he didn't, that means Jacob is alive and alone out there, and Sam should try to find him, try to help him (although he's afraid Jacob would end up as another entry on the list of those who died because Sam Winchester crossed their paths) but if he did, if Dean killed the kid, it means his whole she kills people, Sam excuse is a bunch of bullshit because Jacob didn't kill anybody.

(But the worst part is that Lucifer knows now, and he's never going to stop gloating about it.)

So, yeah, black coffee with an extra shot. That's what Sam's having today.

(Years from now, he'll find out about Magda, what the BMoL did to the sweet psychic girl he thought he'd saved, and Dean will be furious, will be spitting fire, will rage that the BMoL had no right to kill someone who wasn't going to hurt anyone, had no right to override their decision, should not have killed someone so safe and harmless, and Sam will relive this pain, will avoid catching his brother's eye, will bite back the urge to confess this is bringing up some old shit that I thought I'd forgotten because he doesn't know which would be worse - if Dean remembers, or if he doesn't.)

Come lay bones on the alabaster stones
Genre: Horror, gen
Length: about 11700 words
Rating: R for language and subject matter
Warnings: Torture
Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Hallucifer
Spoilers: Through S7
Synopsis: A season 7 AU that takes place after Sam gets his memories of Hell back. At night, Sam dreams of being tortured in Hell. During the day, his dreams start coming true, except they're happening to other people.

Also available on AO3.

Notes:

Written for the 2016 spnhorrorbang. The awesomely creepy art is by stormbrite - please check out the art master post on LJ or AO3 and show some love!

Thanks to my wonderful and ever-so-helpful beta readers, celtic_forest and firesign10.

The song Lucifer sings is Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby.



Sam's laid flat, pinned to the rack, arms and legs spread wide, iron spikes thrust through his wrists and ankles, and they're unnecessary, Lucifer can hold him motionless with his mind alone, they're simply decorative, the same way Sam is decorative.

Because I'm a very visual creature, Lucifer explains, over the sound of Sam's bones splintering as the spikes are hammered into his flesh, I like beautiful things, and you're so beautiful like this.

Lucifer runs a hand through Sam's hair, familiar caress that makes his blood run cold, picks up a knife and starts the cut on Sam's right wrist, just above the bloody wound gouged by the spike, pretty bracelet of blood curling around his wrist, isn't that nice, Sam, don't you like that.

He makes his way up Sam's arm, along his shoulder, and across his throat, carving a warm line of pain all along the way, down Sam's left arm, slicing a matching circle around that wrist, so beautiful.

Sings as he cuts, go to sleep little baby, go to sleep little baby, your mama's gone away and your daddy's gone to stay, didn't leave nobody but the baby.

Glides the blade further, cutting a trail down Sam's torso, splitting into a Y just above his navel, continues the cut down each leg, ending with circles of blood around both ankles.

Hold still, Lucifer murmurs, I think I can get it all off in one piece this time, shoves his fingers into the cuts, forcing his hand inside, and Sam doesn't want to scream, doesn't want to give Lucifer the pleasure of hearing him scream, but it's ripped from his throat as the skin is ripped from his body, and Sam's shrieks don't quite drown out the horrible wet tearing sound of skin separating from muscle.

As he lies gasping and whimpering, bloody flaps of skin folded on top of bare muscle and bone, he feels the knife again, this time tracing along his forehead, down the side of his face, around his chin and back up again, and Lucifer grasps the edge of the laceration and pulls and peels as Sam screams -

Sam wakes with a shout and sits up, gasping for air.

( Read more... )

Again, no new episode this week, so let's talk about the old ones. It's time to narrow down our list of finalists and pick the most rewatchable episode of season 7. Please vote by midnight (your time zone) on Sunday, March 8.

( Take the poll )

What shall we do during the long, dark period before our show comes back? How about a poll? How about season 7? How about we pick the most rewatchable epsiode of season 7?

For this round, pick as many episodes as you like; we'll narrow it down later. And as always, send your friends and followers, because the more vote we get, the more scientifically accurate the poll is, and I'm all about the accuracy.

Please vote by midnight (your time zone) on Sunday, March 1.

( Take the poll! )