This is a really interesting chapter! I could really do with going back and rereading some of the other stories, especially the rest of the 'walking' triptych (oh, the hardship! *g*) but I really enjoyed this part and the progression of Sam and Dean as individuals and of their (master/slave) relationship.
Needless to say, the sex was unbelievably hot *g*. I'd wondered if we would see the dick-whipping Sam promised in Eager and it didn't disappoint, and the addition of the fucking machine was great. I particularly liked how you you showed those things starting to break down Dean's denial about his masochistic side, his growing awareness in the moment of how pain turns him on, melds with and leads to pleasure. I was also intrigued by what Sam said about keeping him healthy, which seems to hint at how Dean might be not only an uninformed but also an unreliable narrator, if things are happening to him that he's not aware of (maybe like how Whore Academy gave Dean knowledge that we now have, and he has to some degree, but not consciously). It also reminded me of Just For You and the healing there - I found Sam's reference in this story to painting Dean red maybe more than once particularly creepy and horrific, since we've already seen that event, but also suggests that his doing that wasn't some sort of whim but maybe had another purpose alongside Sam wanting to see Dean in agony.
The Sam in this story was fascinating - he seemed a lot more vulnerable than in other stories in the 'verse, after that opening where he's having terrible nightmares... which seem to culminate in a need and concern for Dean not as a slave, but as a brother. Definitely shades of Dean's Sammy, no matter what he says! And again backs up Whore Academy in suggesting that somewhere in himself there's a gentler version pushing back against Mr (Commander) Winchester. The occurrence of the nightmares leading to his putting Dean on punishment are really interesting - does he want to punish Dean for leaving him there to be broken down, is he trying to protect Dean by making him into someone who obeys and wouldn't escape, is it something else. The conversation at the end was very interesting - it seemed like Sam cares just a little about how his slave feels about him, doesn't want Dean to want to die, separate from any memories about them as brothers, maybe even resents that Sammy has a hold over Dean... OTOH we've been shown before that Sam will say things to manipulate Dean, so it isn't necessarily a genuine reflection of what he thinks!
Sam's motives are very unclear: of course he wants to break Dean down to be a perfect slave, but the effect of the torture/conditioning on him was to make him (as he sees it now) strong; I'm sure he hasn't forgotten that. Even with the punishment storyline I still found Sam in this story in many ways more amenable to Dean: the questions he allows Dean in the first and last sections are much freer than in other parts of the 'verse. Outside of the punishments he also seemed more physically tender, touching Dean when he was sick at the beginning and washing him in the shower and then with more kissing and holding at the end, after Dean has submitted; I know you've commented previously about how Sam goes softer and holds Dean while they sleep, and it seemed like maybe that was something Sam had missed while he was leaving Dean uncomforted at night.
very long, rambling comment
Needless to say, the sex was unbelievably hot *g*. I'd wondered if we would see the dick-whipping Sam promised in Eager and it didn't disappoint, and the addition of the fucking machine was great. I particularly liked how you you showed those things starting to break down Dean's denial about his masochistic side, his growing awareness in the moment of how pain turns him on, melds with and leads to pleasure. I was also intrigued by what Sam said about keeping him healthy, which seems to hint at how Dean might be not only an uninformed but also an unreliable narrator, if things are happening to him that he's not aware of (maybe like how Whore Academy gave Dean knowledge that we now have, and he has to some degree, but not consciously). It also reminded me of Just For You and the healing there - I found Sam's reference in this story to painting Dean red maybe more than once particularly creepy and horrific, since we've already seen that event, but also suggests that his doing that wasn't some sort of whim but maybe had another purpose alongside Sam wanting to see Dean in agony.
The Sam in this story was fascinating - he seemed a lot more vulnerable than in other stories in the 'verse, after that opening where he's having terrible nightmares... which seem to culminate in a need and concern for Dean not as a slave, but as a brother. Definitely shades of Dean's Sammy, no matter what he says! And again backs up Whore Academy in suggesting that somewhere in himself there's a gentler version pushing back against Mr (Commander) Winchester. The occurrence of the nightmares leading to his putting Dean on punishment are really interesting - does he want to punish Dean for leaving him there to be broken down, is he trying to protect Dean by making him into someone who obeys and wouldn't escape, is it something else. The conversation at the end was very interesting - it seemed like Sam cares just a little about how his slave feels about him, doesn't want Dean to want to die, separate from any memories about them as brothers, maybe even resents that Sammy has a hold over Dean... OTOH we've been shown before that Sam will say things to manipulate Dean, so it isn't necessarily a genuine reflection of what he thinks!
Sam's motives are very unclear: of course he wants to break Dean down to be a perfect slave, but the effect of the torture/conditioning on him was to make him (as he sees it now) strong; I'm sure he hasn't forgotten that. Even with the punishment storyline I still found Sam in this story in many ways more amenable to Dean: the questions he allows Dean in the first and last sections are much freer than in other parts of the 'verse. Outside of the punishments he also seemed more physically tender, touching Dean when he was sick at the beginning and washing him in the shower and then with more kissing and holding at the end, after Dean has submitted; I know you've commented previously about how Sam goes softer and holds Dean while they sleep, and it seemed like maybe that was something Sam had missed while he was leaving Dean uncomforted at night.
(cont.)