I know you've probably been dreading me commenting on this, but I sort of had to, I'm sorry! I'm not here to argue, just wanted to clarify something I notice is different in my understanding that I didn't realise existed between us before (This seems to keep happening, I know! I guess I just find your interpretation really tricky to get a handle on, which makes it fascinating to me tbh, which is why I keep prodding you to explain more) -
I don't think Cas WAS the Winchesters' guardian in the sense you describe. There was NO mention of guardian angels existing in S04 and Cas outright told Dean he was NOT there to 'perch on Dean's shoulder' because angels are NOT guardians, they are warriors of god. So the deeply rooted instinct you describe to protect a 'charge' is not something I believe exists in SPN!angels or ever existed in Castiel towards the Winchesters. SPN!angels, as I understand it, don't HAVE charges (it's always bothered me when that term is used in SPN fic, especially in reference to Dean, because I've never felt it to be canonical).
I think when Cas said that line in TMWWBK he was talking about a role he had come to place ON HIMSELF in regards to the Winchesters. He left Heaven partly because of Sam and Dean, and as a consequence he took it upon himself, of his own free will, to be a guardian to them, in a way no angel (that we know of) had even done with humans before. So when Cas says he still considered himself the Winchesters' guardian, to me he is referring to how he came to consider himself to them through S05.
That you think differently explains LOTS.
Because it means you and me (and you and tumblr :p) interpret ENTIRELY OPPOSING things from the same thing, namely Cas' relationship to the Winchesters. To you it's obligation and thus an object to free will, to me/us it's a emotional connection that exceeds obligation and IS free will.
It's fascinating that we see it so radically differently, it really is.
The kind of obligated love/emotional connection you describe is more in line with how I feel about Cas' relationship with Heaven and angels. You think he needs to pull free from the Winchesters to properly establish his free will, while I feel he needs to pull free from Heaven for the same reason. I don't believe Heaven and angels have changed in the way you say and proved themselves a family and that they genuinely care about each other. Individual angels have come to genuinely care about each other, yes, and start forming family-like relationships, but I do not believe Heaven as a whole has reformed enough that it is a good place for Cas to go back to and be able to build a proper family relationship with his brothers and sisters.
There's no need to discuss this - we know we can't change each other's opinions, we've already tried! - I'm just sorry, sorry, sorry that we see such opposing things about a character we both love, because it makes it kinda tricky to share in our love for Cas, huh? And I'm sorry too that the show and the majority of the fandom seems to be against your interpretation x I do sympathise, even though I can't quite get my head into your thinking. What you're going through reminds me so much of how I felt in the Smallville fandom. I WISH I could be more on your side x And I wish I could tell you it's going to be okay... but I have my doubts about the show being kind to your understanding :(
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I don't think Cas WAS the Winchesters' guardian in the sense you describe. There was NO mention of guardian angels existing in S04 and Cas outright told Dean he was NOT there to 'perch on Dean's shoulder' because angels are NOT guardians, they are warriors of god. So the deeply rooted instinct you describe to protect a 'charge' is not something I believe exists in SPN!angels or ever existed in Castiel towards the Winchesters. SPN!angels, as I understand it, don't HAVE charges (it's always bothered me when that term is used in SPN fic, especially in reference to Dean, because I've never felt it to be canonical).
I think when Cas said that line in TMWWBK he was talking about a role he had come to place ON HIMSELF in regards to the Winchesters. He left Heaven partly because of Sam and Dean, and as a consequence he took it upon himself, of his own free will, to be a guardian to them, in a way no angel (that we know of) had even done with humans before. So when Cas says he still considered himself the Winchesters' guardian, to me he is referring to how he came to consider himself to them through S05.
That you think differently explains LOTS.
Because it means you and me (and you and tumblr :p) interpret ENTIRELY OPPOSING things from the same thing, namely Cas' relationship to the Winchesters. To you it's obligation and thus an object to free will, to me/us it's a emotional connection that exceeds obligation and IS free will.
It's fascinating that we see it so radically differently, it really is.
The kind of obligated love/emotional connection you describe is more in line with how I feel about Cas' relationship with Heaven and angels. You think he needs to pull free from the Winchesters to properly establish his free will, while I feel he needs to pull free from Heaven for the same reason. I don't believe Heaven and angels have changed in the way you say and proved themselves a family and that they genuinely care about each other. Individual angels have come to genuinely care about each other, yes, and start forming family-like relationships, but I do not believe Heaven as a whole has reformed enough that it is a good place for Cas to go back to and be able to build a proper family relationship with his brothers and sisters.
There's no need to discuss this - we know we can't change each other's opinions, we've already tried! - I'm just sorry, sorry, sorry that we see such opposing things about a character we both love, because it makes it kinda tricky to share in our love for Cas, huh? And I'm sorry too that the show and the majority of the fandom seems to be against your interpretation x I do sympathise, even though I can't quite get my head into your thinking. What you're going through reminds me so much of how I felt in the Smallville fandom. I WISH I could be more on your side x And I wish I could tell you it's going to be okay... but I have my doubts about the show being kind to your understanding :(