#like. it’s used as a threat to spur Crowley into action. but it’s not the actual danger in this season.

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

I’m still thinking about the Book of Life because it’s such an obvious Chekhov’s gun. I don’t recall it ever being mentioned in S1, but in S2 it is highlighted twice as a very real, serious threat, and then it’s never brought up again. It can’t just hang indefinitely in the air like that, so I expect it will be used at some point in S3.

But in a way, this threat is kind of hollow when used towards Crowley, because Heaven can’t erase him from history, and they know they can’t. The Fall of Man is such a crucial point in the Great/Ineffable Plan that I doubt they would be willing to mess with that, as much as they hate him. He’s the literal Serpent of Eden! How can the Plan proceed if there’s no one to tempt Eve? The existence of The Serpent is such a core part of the Fall of Man (both in the GO universe and in biblical lore in general) that I think it would be simply too big a risk to take.

From our point of view, Aziraphale is also crucial for the history of humanity until this point. It’s not explicitly stated, but think about it for a moment: would Adam and Eve have survived, had Aziraphale not given them his sword? There’s beasts out there, and it’s cold, and she’s expecting already. We literally see Adam fight a lion with the sword mere moments after being exiled from Eden; I don’t think their odds would have been all that good without it. It’s at least likely that Humanity has managed to survive the Fall and thrive because of Aziraphale’s actions.

Here’s the thing, though: we know this, but Heaven doesn’t, because Aziraphale has been lying to them (and to God!!!) about this ever since the Beginning. What has he done of worth in the eyes of Heaven? Sure, he was guarding the Eastern Gate, he’s been on Earth thwarting demons and all that jazz, but as far as they know, he’s never had a pivotal role in the Plan (except for. You know. Stopping Armageddon. But they didn’t want him to have that role, and they still resent him for it). There’s no reason for them to hesitate, should they be threatened by his existence, because to them he’s not necessary to carry out the will of God (as opposed to Crowley).

So yeah. I think the Book of Life will make another appearance in S3. And, if it does, I think Aziraphale is the most likely candidate as its victim.

#a big part of me would actually prefer to see Aziraphale saving and/or protecting Crowley #as a subversion to their current dynamic #(and also because I love BAMF!Aziraphale and I want to see him furious and powerful) #but also… the book of life has to have a role in S3. #like. it’s used as a threat to spur Crowley into action. but it’s not the actual danger in this season. #it’s just the initial spark? if you will? but the actual threat is the demonic attack on the bookshop #and I don’t believe Neil would use something with such deep implications for the narrative and then just dump it like that #so yeah. it has to come back. and it will come for aziraphale. #it would also be a nice parallel to the whole Gabriel thing. we’ve already witnessed love conquer divine punishment and restore memories #and it would be a cool way to up the ante. we’re not just gonna destroy you with a material substance. we won’t just render you from your #history and identity and relations. we will actually erase you from existence for daring to disobey #it ties everything together and it gives aziracrow’s love a great way to shine #(because Crowley will bring him back #if Aziraphale doesn’t find his way back to Crowley by himself that is) #ineffable husbands #good omens 2

[caesarclowningaround]

I was tagged by @flightsofwonder! Thanks dearie!! This was interesting and fun!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

Felt With the Heart (MCU, 1123 words) Jane fiddled with the skirt of her dress for the thirtieth time. 

The Pure and Simple Truth (MCU/Mr. Robot, 2500 words) Gods and monsters. It’s all real. Who knew? For some reason, Elliot wasn’t at all surprised as he stared across the room at the ‘god’ before him. 

Next Stop (Good Omens, 620 words) It wasn’t that Crowley meant to smack his shoulder into the other man’s as he walked through the subway car… but he meant to. 

voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast, 1163 words) Adam could have anyone he wanted. This wasn’t just hubris, it was a fact. 

Shadows (Trouble in the Heights, 561 words) The room is a swirling mass of color and fabrics. 

my happy ending is right next to me (IT movie franchise, 246 words) Richie couldn’t wait to dive into the champagne at the reception. 

Baking Without Flour (Good Omens, 961 words) Aziraphale wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he entered Crowley’s apartment, but he at least expected that he’d be unpacked by now.  

Violet Skies (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast, 42622 words (and counting)) Another day, another suitor. This one was from the far west with flowered silks and bright pastels. Prince Adam from France. 

Horizon (Star Wars, 1397 words) It was so different than anything Armitage could have imagined. And oh, he had imagined.

the booze and the bell chimes (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast/2015!Cinderella, 6272 words) 11:00 AM - 6 HOURS BEFORE THE WEDDING “BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY ROCKIN’ EVERYWHERE” Jafar nearly jumped out of bed, his heart pounding in time with the pounding in his head. 

The Dream (MCU/Loki: Where Mischief Lies, 602 words) There is pain as he feels the grip tighten around his throat. He struggles for air, knowing it to be futile at this point. Then, a sharp crack of agony… and he’s gone.

Submerge (Star Wars, 8750 words) His father had warned him many times as a boy to stay away from the Dark Shoals. When Kylo took to the sea as an adult, still his father warned him that morning.

Good at Waiting (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast, 618 words) Adam wasn’t sure where he was at first. But as the world came into focus around him, he remembered. He remembered dinner the night before, celebrating their six-month anniversary. 

Boom, Clap! (Crash Pad/MCU, 12175 words (and counting)) I need to lay off the weed. It certainly wasn’t the first time Stensland had thought this (or even attempted to put the thought into action soon after), much less the first time he had thought it the moment he had woken up from some batshit crazy trippy dream.

The Ocean Under the Moon (2019!Aladdin/They Call Me Jeeg, 1525 words (and counting)) Fabio had a weird, mostly unknown love for thrift stores. 

a lil something (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast, 728 words) Jafar’s phone vibrates in his pocket for the second time in the past ten minutes. 

Love is a Battlefield (The Old Guard, 1328 words) There was an excitement in the air as they all stood in formation. Syrus pawed at the ground, his hoof kicking up grass and dust that hung around his legs. 

when push comes to shove (2019!Aladdin/Trust, 1371 words) It had started with Jafar grabbing fistfuls of Primo’s ass and a mocking comment about how thin his pants were, which somehow had led to Jafar assuming Primo wasn’t wearing anything under the blue trousers. He assumed correctly.

play us an encore (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast, 2400 words) “Open your robe.” Jafar didn’t move from where he was standing in the bathroom doorway. Dressed in only his silk red robe, he stared back at Adam, who was smiling in a way that Jafar couldn’t read.

break the bubble (2019!Aladdin/2017!Beauty and the Beast/2015!Cinderella, 1092 words) “Love is like a bomb, baby, c’mon get it on…” The lights flashed as three gorgeous men walked onto the stage, lip synching with the loud lyrics of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" playing over the speakers. 

Analysis:

First of all, the fact that 11/20 of these are crossovers is pretty telling of what my favorite thing to write is. Most are either Aladdin crossovers or Marvel crossovers (and involve either Jafar or Loki, respectively) so there’s that.

This list goes back about two years, which is interesting because in the past two years I’ve been working on bigger projects most of the time. Notice how most of these fics are under 2k? Most of these started as small fic prompts or 2am spur-of-the-moment ideas and the longer ones are the more self-indulgent fics.

5 of these fics start with a line that’s mostly used to catch a reader’s attention before a tag, which is then followed by a bit of exposition or action. Twice I use song lyrics as a way of grabbing attention because the POV of the character is also having their attention grabbed.

Several times I just jump right into a character’s POV and begin with them thinking about something or essentially telling the reader “what is happening is normal” or “what is happening is not normal” depending on the situation. It’s also sometimes a quick recap or the statement of a fact about our POV character.

Most of the time, I just jump right into the action to get the story moving. I’ve noticed I prefer to do this over giving a description of where we are. If I do give a description, it almost always comes after the opening line. With the exception of Shadows, none of these opening lines are a setting description.

I really do have a thing for crossovers, especially the weird ones LOL I just love the idea of two different worlds connecting in some way and having the characters themselves connect on another level. D*sney’s been crossing over their stuff since well before I was even born, so while it’s not surprising to see a disney crossover fic, I do think there’s something to writing that odd lil ship I’ve written about 7 fics for (dang!)

I tend to deal with themes of forbidden love in various ways and how the characters make those connections despite the fact they shouldn’t be together. Whether it’s as simple as unrequited romance, or they’re enemies, or they’re not necessarily enemies but they really shouldn’t be together... and yet they always find a way. IDK maybe I’m just a romantic at heart who loves seeing love stories about love conquering all. But that being said, the obstacles these characters face aren’t typical ones?? Like, from this list at least, love triangles aren’t something I’m interested in, but if there is a third party (like in Violet Skies) the third party is never really considered to be a “threat” to the main couple. 

That’s probably another reason why I dig crossover ships, because they inherently shouldn’t be together. they’re from vastly different worlds with maybe one or two things in common (like genre or setting or a character detail or just a vibe).

Or I’m just here to have fun and I’m dragging these characters into the fun zone whether they like it or not :P

But really, all of these are love stories in some way or another. Not that I’ve never written gen fic and I love reading gen fic! But I guess my fave fics to write are the shippy stuff. I just enjoy exploring these types of relationships, despite whether or not they “should” be together. Heck, a couple of these do not have happy endings nor should they. It’s really interesting seeing exactly how drawn to that stuff I am.

FAVE OPENING LINE This is kind of a weird thing to say, but I really don’t care a lot of my opening lines most of the time. I think they are what they need to be, but they don’t hit me the way they should? Some of these I kinda wish I could go back and change, though that’s mostly cuz out of all the lines in each of these fics the first lines I’ve read and reread the most. So it’s mostly me being my own worst critic, but I think my best writing comes more in the middle and ends of my fics, not the beginnings. 

That said, I gotta go with Violet Skies: Another day, another suitor. This one was from the far west with flowered silks and bright pastels. Prince Adam from France.

This is one of those opening lines I’d never change. The fic starts off from Jafar’s POV and he is bored of these princes coming and going and starting this big fic off with him being like “here we go again” with this basic description of Adam is exactly where the fic needed to start, so by the time the reader gets to the end of the first chapter, we know this is definitely not “here we go again” with Prince Adam~

TAGGING: @pigsinablanketfort, @heroofshield, @thenightisfullofangels, @raptorwhisperer, @theresatvjoe, aaaaaaand anybody else who wants to do it!!!!

#my fic #all about me #well that was a lot

[berniesrevolution]

A liberal woman of color with zero name recognition and little funding takes down a powerful, long serving congressman from her own political party.

When Tahirah Amatul-Wadud heard about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning upset over U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in New York's Democratic primary last month, the first-time candidate saw parallels with her own longshot campaign for Congress in western Massachusetts.

The 44-year-old Muslim, African-American civil rights lawyer, who is taking on a 30-year congressman and ranking Democrat on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, said she wasn't alone, as encouragement, volunteers and donations started pouring in.

"We could barely stay on top of the residual love," said Amatul-Wadud, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's lone challenger in the state's Sept. 4 Democratic primary. "It sent a message to all of our volunteers, voters and supporters that winning is very possible."

From Congress to state legislatures and school boards, Muslim Americans spurred to action by the anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump and his supporters are running for elected offices in numbers not seen since before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, say Muslim groups and political observers.

Many, like Amatul-Wadud, hope to ride the surge of progressive activism within the Democratic Party that delivered Ocasio-Cortez's unlikely win and could help propel the Democrats back to power in November.

Still, the path to victory can be tougher for a Muslim American. Some promising campaigns already have fizzled out while many more face strong anti-Muslim backlash.

In Michigan, Democrat candidate for governor Abdul El-Sayed continues to face unfounded claims from a GOP rival that he has ties to the controversial Muslim Brotherhood, even though Republican and Democratic politicians alike have denounced the accusations as "conspiracy theories."

In Rochester, Minnesota, mayoral candidate Regina Mustafa has notified authorities of at least two instances where anti-Muslim threats were posted on her social media accounts.

And in Arizona, U.S. Senate candidate Deedra Abboud received a torrent of Islamophobic attacks on Facebook last July that prompted outgoing U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, the Republican lawmaker Abboud is hoping to replace, to come to her defense on Twitter.

"I'm a strong believer that we have to face this rhetoric," said Abboud, who has also had right-wing militant groups the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights and the Proud Boys stage armed protests her campaign events. "We can't ignore it or pretend like it's a fringe element anymore. We have to let the ugly face show so that we can decide if that is us."

There were as many as 90 Muslim-Americans running for national or statewide offices this election cycle, a number that Muslim groups say was unprecedented, at least in the post-9/11 era.

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #muslim americans #progressive #progressive movement

[hekate1308]

All I Want for Christmas is Drowley - Day 1 (Prompt: Snow!)

Hello there! So my Day 1 submission for you got a little…long. Sorry? Takes place in some amorphous winter time point in S12. All ref’s to roadside attractions are legit places, honest to Chuck.

Roadside Attractions

It’s half-past who the hell knows o’clock. The sun’s up and he’s yet to get any sleep, that’s all that really matters about the time at the moment, far as Dean’s concerned.

It’s also damn cold. Dean can see his breath as it wafts out in front of his face; a threat of ice and snow building up around him. All things being equal, he’d rather be sitting down to a heaping helping of pancakes smothered in glorious maple syrup, or tucked away in a warm bed, then hanging out in an auto-yard looking at…

“What the hell are we looking at here?”

Crowley shrugs, the movement shifting the demon’s body just a hair closer to Dean. Neither of them move to accommodate the change. “Not sure. It’s…certainly an interesting form of artistic expression.”

“Art?” Dean cocks an eyebrow as he spares a glance to the man next to him. “It’s a giant gorilla holding a Volkswagen in the air by one hand.”

“Like I said, an interesting choice. Not my preferred style, but not everyone is as discerning as yours truly. It does have a certain panache, don’t you think?”

Dean tries and fails to bite back a laugh. “Not the word I would use.” Dean looks at the, whatever it is, tilting his head to the side to see if that helps it make more sense.

It doesn’t.

“Why’s it holding a hand out like that?”

“That’s for photo-ops, Squirrel. Shall we snap a selfie, for old time’s sake?”

Dean snorts. An image flashing to the front of his mind from that summer, when the two of them had ended up at some weird-ass ketchup festival and antique car show in Illinois. There may or may not be photographic evidence saved within the depths of Dean’s phone (and Crowley’s Flickr album), of him and the King of Hell looking absolutely ridiculous standing in front of the world’s largest bottle of ketchup. The memory sends a bolt through Dean that’s not quite nostalgia, but isn’t all that far off either. “Nah. I’m good.”

“Your loss, darling.”

Dean shifts his weight a little, pressing back against the hood of the Impala until he can feel the cold of the metal seeping through his jacket. Crowley does the same a few scant inches away. This close to Dean, the demon’s body heat is a tangible thing, and with his own body temperature dropping what feels like several degrees every second he stays outside, Dean finds he has to curb the urge to lean closer so that he can suck up some of that warmth for himself.

He should probably be worried that his initial reaction is to move closer to the demon, but really, considering their history, he hardly thinks it matters. 

Exhaustion seeping in at the edges, Dean yawns, a big open-mouthed breath. The action spurs on a full body shiver as he sucks in the frigid winter morning air. Which is when a smattering of fat snowflakes hits the ground in front of them.

Snow. Great. That’s, that’s just great.

“Cold, Squirrel?”

In time with the snarky question, a round droplet of snow lands on Crowley’s forehead, melting instantly at the contact so that a droplet of water rolls down into the other man’s eyes. He blinks his eyelids rapidly to brush it away. The action, comical as it is, is also - if Dean was willing to admit to such things, which he is not - a little endearing. Dean doesn’t bother trying to bite back his laugh this time.

“Gotta little snow in your eye there, Boris?” The demon glares at him, grumbling out a nonverbal response and tucking his hands deeper into his coat pockets. Dean mirrors the action, pulling his jacket in closer to hold in what little warmth remains. As the snow begins to fall faster, he gives serious consideration to just getting back into the car. “How long we gotta wait here?”

“My contact should be here soon. Never fear.”

Dean grunts in response. Trusting Crowley on that count. Crowley might not feel the cold the way that Dean does, but he doubts the demon wants to risk his suit by hanging out in this weather for much longer either.  

The fact that Dean’s willing to put any amount of faith, or trust, in the things that Crowley says and does is another thing that should worry Dean.

But it doesn’t, not really. He’s past the point of trying to pretend like everything between them is the same as it always was. Hell, there’s no use in trying to pretend like there isn’t a between them at all. Though sometimes the demon pulls shit that makes Dean wish he could.

Now’s not one of those times though. Not so far as Dean can tell at least. No, at the moment, Crowley appears for all the world to be helping them. Again.

Which is why, despite the cold and falling snow, Dean is left in this weird space where hanging out with Crowley is more comfortable than anything else. Like he can just…relax around him.

Doesn’t mean he needs to stand outside like a fool while a blizzard rolls in. “Screw this. I’m waiting in the car.”

He pushes off from the hood and makes his way to the driver’s side, pulling the door open. He pauses before climbing in when he notices that Crowley hasn’t moved an inch, scrunching his forehead in confusion in his direction. “You comin’ or what?”

There’s a brief flicker of surprise that passes over Crowley’s face before he nods his head and heads to the passenger side, climbing in right as Dean starts the engine and turns the heat up.

His muscles relax as the heat begins to blast out of the vents in counterpoint to Sabbath coming out the speakers at a low volume, Baby revving to life around them

“This contact of yours - can we summon his ass to get him here any faster?”

“Not a demon, unfortunately. He’ll be here.”

“He better. We stick around much longer, we’re gonna be stuck.”

Logically, Dean knows that Crowley could leave whenever he wanted. The demon teleported here to meet Dean. It stands to reason he’ll teleport out when their done.

Dean also knows that if he gets stuck here, Crowley isn’t going anywhere. 

“Why, Squirrel, don’t want to be snowed in with me? I’m hurt.” Crowley waggles his eyebrows. “We can huddle for warmth.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “Keep dreamin’, Crowley.”

“Every night, Dean.” The inflection on the words is heavier than Dean would expect. Not the light type of teasing they sometimes do, or the hotter, dirtier kind that they once indulged in (and that Crowley still tries to employ to his advantage on occasion). There’s a serious quality to it that makes Dean’s spine straighten.

Dean meets Crowley’s gaze across the seats, trying to gauge the intent behind the words best he can. He’s not sure exactly what he sees there, but he knows it’s not what he was expecting. It makes something warm settle over him that has nothing to do with the forced air blowing at him from the dash. His tongue darts out to lick his suddenly dry lips. Focused as he is on Crowley’s expression, he can’t miss the way the demon’s eyes follow the motion. When he speaks, his voice is rougher than it has any cause to be.”Crowley…”

He’s interrupted by a well-timed (or horribly timed, depending on your perspective) series of taps on the passenger side window.

Crowley sighs, turning away from Dean to look up and out the window, rolling it down after taking the time to observe the person on the other side, barking out an angry “What?!”

The contact, an oddly familiar looking frail man with sallow skin and tightly coiled hair that’s begun to gray at the edges, doesn’t seem at all bothered by Crowley’s annoyed demeanor. Just hands him an oblong package wrapped in brown paper. “Your order, sir.”

Crowley’s countenance relaxes a fraction, though when he speaks it sounds a little strained to Dean. “Thank you, Gerald. You’ll find your payment has been delivered to the usual address.”

“Pleasure doing business, as always.” Gerald tilts his head in a half nod, dark eyes glancing over Dean before he straightens and heads towards the giant gorilla statue. To Dean’s astonishment, the man climbs into the thing’s open hand (Crowley’s self-proclaimed selfie spot), and takes a seat.

In the middle of the snowstorm.

Dean narrows his eyes in the man’s general direction. Trying - and failing - to place him. “Your contact - I met him before?”

Crowley clucks his tongue. “You have, briefly.”

Dean thinks back, surprised by the large quantity of people he’s been introduced to - unwilling or not - by Crowley. A moment of reflection later, and it comes to him. “That the same odd bastard we met up with at the giant talking penguin statue?”

“One and the same.” Crowley slides a glance at Dean, mouth curling up at the corners in the hint of a smirk that makes Dean wish he hadn’t asked. Because while the giant talking penguin statue was hard to forget as far as weird-ass “art” pieces were concerned, the memory of the motel located at the same place - or rather, what Dean and Crowley had gotten up to at said motel - is even harder to forget.

Dean swallows, hoping his cheeks aren’t heating up as much as he suspects that they are. In a poorly concealed effort to deflect, he says “Dude’s got a real thing for roadside attractions, huh?”

Crowley, to Dean’s surprise, let’s it go. “Gerald is…eccentric. Don’t worry, he’s harmless.” He slips the package - still wrapped - beneath the seat, and claps his hands together, rubbing his palms briskly back and forth for a few seconds. “What do you say we get some breakfast? I know a place just a short drive away. Serves the best waffles you’ll ever have.”

Dean furrows his brow. “You’re not gonna open it?”

Crowley shrugs. “No reason. It’ll keep until after we’ve eaten.”

Dean gaps at him. Wondering what the hell he called him out here for if all that was happening was a hand off for a package that Crowley can’t even be bothered to check.

He says as much to Crowley, anger flaring through him the whole while. Crowley just huffs out a slow whiff of air in response. “Relax, Squirrel. I asked you here as backup, in case things went sideways. They didn’t so…” He spreads his hands out, palms up. “It’ll keep.”

“What if it’s not what it’s supposed to be?”

Crowley just looks at Dean, holding his gaze for a half a beat longer than is really comfortable. His words are slow, and measured when he answers. “Then I’ll have to activate the warding spell on Gerald’s payment, won’t I?“

Dean considers this for a moment, the anger draining out of him slowly at the explanation, thin as it is.

Trusting Crowley? Not all that easy yet. (But also not as difficult as it once would have been.)

Dean’s not sure if that’s progress, or something else. He knows what Sam’s opinion on it would be. But Sam’s not here, off chasing another lead with Cas instead, so Dean’s not sure it matters what his brother would think.

“Now, breakfast?” There’s a tight smile on Crowley’s face as he makes the offer a second time, and Dean knows that he’s well aware of what Dean’s response is going to be.

It’s almost enough to make Dean want to do the opposite, just to be contrary. Almost. Instead he does the expected, shaking his head. ”Crowley-”

“Did I mention that they have bison sausage too?”

As if on queue, Dean’s stomach growls. “Bison? Like bison bison? Not cow labeled as bison?”

“MmmHmm. Come on, Squirrel. Live a little. What’s the point of coming to Vermont if you don’t stop for something smothered in artery clogging genuine maple syrup?”

Dean thinks on it for a few moments. His stomach arguing in favor, his brain arguing against. He looks away from Crowley and towards the man sitting in the giant gorilla hand catching snow on his tongue, and makes a decision.

Dean wraps his hand around the gear shift, and puts the car in reverse, easing her back slow on the slippery snow. “Fine. But you’re paying.”

“Of course, darling. What kind a date would I be if I didn’t?”

OMFG THIS IS AMAZING THANK YOU SO MUCH

#drowley #all i want for christmas is drowley #everything about this is wonderful #submission

[mittensmorgul]

Today’s jaunt through the TNT loop hit the part of s11 that points the car toward the finish line and revs the engine. 11.15-11.18  (and really 11.14 is where it starts, but I watched that one yesterday, so it feels weird to include it in a post specifically about what I’m watching today... stupid brain refusing to organize itself more practically) takes the themes of the season spelled out in the triptych of 11.11, 11.12, and 11.13 and begins driving them home with purpose.

Amara and the Darkness hang like a metaphorical raincloud of escalating depression over this run of episodes, contrasted with the light and power of the Hands of God “weapons” that equally elude their grasp. The larger metaphorical and thematic struggle of the season plays out offscreen for the most part, since these two opposing fundamental forces of the universe-- creation vs destruction, light vs darkness, order vs chaos (hello my old friends my s11 meta tags!)-- are where the main a-plot action of the season is happening. We see that cosmic struggle through the lens of what TFW are struggling with.

As above, so below. Gabriel once referred to that concept (in 5.08) to explain why Sam and Dean were the “perfect vessels” for Michael and Lucifer. It’s the same concept as “the river shall end at its source,” as Metatron once said. And it’s the essential narrative structure of the entire series as far as the individual character arcs are concerned. S11 is where this entire concept pivots around and shows us the pivot point-- Dean Winchester, the firewall between light and darkness. Chuck and Amara both literally pointed at him as their exemplar, and in 11.23 he (armed with the power of Humanity) became the vehicle that finally united them both. Such is the power of the duality of humanity the show (and Dean specifically) has been wrestling with for years (hello entire MoC arc summed up in the themes of 10.11).

I know I’ve written about Dean’s descent into depression over the Cas-Lucifer situation, and there are hundreds of posts on my blog in the tags for these episodes detailing all of this already. But I can’t help it. Dammit, s11 let me love you.

in 11.15, we find Dean already packed to head out to The Hangman’s funeral. He’s concerned for Cas, but that concern hasn’t hit DESPERATION levels yet. He’s still rational, still hasn’t really come to grips with what they can do about Cas yet beyond being positive that Cas WANTS to be saved. He’s still at loose ends over his own confession about how incapable he feels in Amara’s presence, but is still confident that Sam is handling that end of the research for now.

11.16 escalates his growing depression and frustration at any lack of progress despite the “win” he’d had in 11.15 and the reaffirmation of the whole “keep grinding” theme. What they believe will be an easy vengeful spirit case turns out to hit very close to home, bringing them back to the comparable feeling of frustrated desperation of the apocalypse era by literally existing in both times at once via the Soul Eater’s nest. It may not have been the easy win Sam had hoped it would be, but it was still a necessary diversion that allowed them to set their own pasts (via saving Bobby from the Soul Eater) to rights. A major theme of s12, as well-- rectifying their own past via Mary’s resurrection and personally coming to terms with their own legacy via the Men of Letters.

11.17 opens with Dean reaching a state of abject depression over their inability to gain any ground on either the hunt for Amara or a way to save Cas, and for the first time he drags his heels on taking on a case that Sam suggests could be a good distraction for them. Sam is clearly concerned for Dean, and despite Dean including Amara, Lucifer, and the Hands of God in the list of things they’re trying to handle, Sam narrows Dean’s reasons for wanting to hand this suspected case over to another hunt to one singular point:

Dean: All right, well, we make a call and we put somebody on it. Sam: Yeah, but... [He sighs, closes his laptop and looks at Dean]. We'll get him back. Dean: How? Sam: I... I don't know. But we'll figure it out. Meantime, we got to get out of here. Clear our heads. I mean, this is a case. Let's do what we do. Let's work it.

None of their other pressing concerns is weighing on Dean like Cas is. That one line is the foundation for the rest of the action in the entire episode. Poor dumb Corbin had no idea just how badly he underestimated Dean in forcing his hand by “killing” Sam, and selfishly using a rational mathematical argument to push Dean into walking away from his brother there. The underlying hesitation and depression Dean had been fighting through BECAUSE SAM HAD ASKED HIM TO HELP ON THIS CASE, because SAM had been trying to help get Dean out of his own head for a few days, essentially washed away when Corbin killed him.

When he finds Sam dead, Dean’s ready to give up everything. It had been SAM who’d kept him going, who’d given him a reason to “keep grinding.” Without Sam, Dean had lost hope for everything else.

It was Michelle who gave Dean a reason to keep fighting right there, and the walk through the woods to save her gave Dean enough time and space to reorganize his priorities. And it was Michelle again reminding him of Billie’s threat of the Empty that spurred him into desperate action yet again. It brought back the reminder that Dean was helpless to deal with Amara on his own, and that it was Sam that the fate of the entire universe was resting on.

And it was his chat with Billie there that finally taught him that the universe didn’t really care about fate... It gave him the push to begin fighting the depression and helplessness that was metaphorically the “thrall” Amara had over him.

11.18 is where Dean begins taking back the reins of his own fate. It’s also the first time he faces Amara and is able to ignore her completely, calling out for Cas instead. He’s begun to disconnect himself from the power she’s had over him since he took the Mark of Cain, because he chose something different. It’s also where we distinctly see the difference between Sam and Dean’s relationship with Cas, and the seeds are sown for expanding on that difference in s12.

Sam: I thought Lucifer had a shot. Apparently, uh, archangel plus God power doesn't trump God’s sister. Dean: But if the thing has to be used by God's chosen, then maybe an archangel who got the boot doesn't qualify. Either way, horn's out of ammo, so... Sam: So, back to square one. Dean: Yep. [Sighing.] Sam: Listen, um... I know I came down on the side of wanting Cas to deal with Amara, so... Dean: Well, that's what he wanted, though, right? Besides, didn't we say that we were gonna swear off getting in the way when one person makes a choice the other doesn't agree with? Sam: Yeah, um... Yeah, we did say that. Dean: So... Sam: Okay. So, that's our policy. Dean: Which sounds damn good. [Sam chuckles.] Well, let's go find that idiot and bring him home.

Yes, their policy is to honor the other’s choices, but Cas’s choice to say yes to Lucifer has played out. He thought Lucifer could defeat her, and Lucifer failed. Cas had been wrong, but that only reinforced Dean’s need to save him now. From what Crowley said about Cas being unreachable because of Lucifer’s control over him, Dean understood that Cas couldn’t just kick Lucifer out on his own, despite now having proof that Lucifer either lied about being able to defeat Amara or was just wrong about it. Cas’s “choice to say yes” hinged on that promise, and now that it was null and void, they could save Cas without wondering if it’s what he’d actually want.

It was heartbreaking for Dean to watch Amara zap Cas away, but it was actually the shot of hope he’d been needing-- the certainty that he needed to intervene in any way he could to rescue Cas.

Okay, I guess that’s enough jibberjabber about stuff I’ve already talked about ad nauseum. :P

#s12 hellatus rewatch #spn 11.15 #spn 11.16 #spn 11.17 #spn 11.18 #the scheherazade of supernatural #*mittens attempts to become one with the universe amid the sea of duality* #order vs chaos and darkness vs light #it's spirals all the way down #and now the darkness #this season's getting handsy #here have my belated thoughts on the whole love... and love #because why not maybe the lock and key are a function of hands and hearts #holy crap it's fun to haul out all my s11 meta tags *makes out passionately with s11 meta tags* #spn duality

[zmediaoutlet]

So, Tumblr is always toxically depressing after a Supernatural episode and probably the thing to do would be to just log off and go work out or something, and in fact I think that will be the plan for the rest of the morning. But I’ve been thinking a lot about two things, having seen all the dramatic rending of clothing and vicious anger and whatnot, so I might as well get it down somewhere.

1. The function of secondary characters.

So, you’re writing a text. The first thing to do is decide what the text is about and the character(s) you’re going to use to explore that about. In an ensemble television show, you often have a ‘main’-ish character or two, but they share the load of the about with their co-stars. Game of Thrones is actually a great example of an ensemble cast--there are big ‘mains’ with Cersei, Jamie, Arya, Sansa, etc., but no one character bears the full burden of the storyline; the story is told through all of their combined mini-stories. A slightly different ensemble-style show would be House, where House himself is obviously the main character, but Wilson, Cuddy, Foreman, etc., get their own storylines to spread the load slightly from House. Most of the show will be about him, of course, but there are times when the side-characters hold an equal share of the storytelling load.

Then we have Supernatural. This is absolutely not an ensemble-style show. There are two main characters, Sam and Dean, and everyone else is reduced to secondary status. (There is an argument to be made for Castiel and Crowley, given the extra-textual contractual status of Misha and Mark, but functionally the show remains entirely about Sam and Dean.) ((Or did, but that’s something to return to later.)) There are no real storylines external to Sam and Dean; they carry the entire weight of the show, because it is about the two of them, their relationship, and how they grow as people.

So. What function do secondary characters serve, in that context? They can’t meaningfully bear storylines or real weight, because they’re necessarily extremely secondary in importance to the actual mains. When we’re writing, we create secondary characters not to be interesting characters in themselves (though if they are interesting, that’s a nice bonus), but to serve as support for the story of the mains. What does this mean? Secondary characters can be a goad to action for the mains (villains often serve this function); they can act as guide or support (Bobby, Jody); they can provide an emotional spur (Mary, John), or teach a lesson (Garth), or give them an opportunity to be heroes (Claire). They can also just be friends (Eileen), but that’s part of it, too--the importance of the friendship doesn’t rest in the secondary character, it rests in how the main’s feelings and character are expressed with that friendship.

When a secondary character gets a spotlight shone on them, it is never for the sake of that character; it is because what the secondary character is going through has meaning for the main. When Claire has her little Randy storyline, it functions within the larger story because it provides contrast to Sam and Dean’s childhood with John (the CGBG story), it gives Castiel something to do (as a quasi-main), and it provides the situation where Dean slaughters the room full of men with little provocation (hooking into the larger MoC storyline). It’s not about Claire, though it’s easy to see how someone would say it was. More pressingly, when Eileen is brought in as a character in s11, she provides a parallel to Sam and Dean, as someone whose family was killed and who is now seeking her revenge. When she’s brought back in s12, what function does she serve? We know the BMoL are trying to control hunters. Functionally, the character is brought back for a minor setpiece involving the BMoL; this reminds the audience who she is and sets up the plot of that episode. We see her being friendly with Sam and Dean (=mains feel kindly toward this secondary, so there is an emotional tie-in the actual about of the story). When she kills a member of the BMoL accidentally, Sam and Dean protect her (=goad to action for mains & precursor to future conflict with larger plot arc). When she is then murdered in 12.21, we know exactly why that happened: the foreshadowing is complete, the mains feel sad, they are goaded to action to engage with the larger plot arc by now figuring out what the BMoL are up to. It isn’t just killing for shock value. It is functional. Which brings me to:

2. ‘Fandom’ is an extremely small set of the audience.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, this. So--if we go by TV by the Numbers, SPN Season 12 has carried between 1.38 million and 2.15 million viewers per episode. (The 2.15 is an outlier; the average is closer to about 1.7 per.) The population of those viewers who are actively engaged is lower than that, necessarily--most viewers will be relatively casual viewers. They like it, but not necessarily more than the other shows they watch. Of the people who do engage enough to be part of ‘fandom,’ there are subsets on Facebook, on reddit, on Tumblr. These are a small section. Of that section, the group that ships characters is even smaller.

This show is not on HBO or FX, which have a more artistic sensibility behind their decisions. It’s on the CW, and therefore is written to maintain a solid viewer base who will watch the commercials that the CW sells during SPN’s timeslot. With the changing nature of television viewership, they’re also hoping that people will be engaged enough to buy individual episodes on Amazon (this is what I do), watch on the official CW site (again--pageviews = advertisements), or watch through an officially licensed provider (Hulu, Netflix), so that the network will gain a percentage of the revenue. (This means, by the way, that if you pirate the show you really don’t have a leg to stand on as far as complaining about it.) The show is written to be broadly appealing to as many people as they can cram into these revenue-generating views as possible, and the casual viewer is a major part of that.

The point I’m circling around is that--the things that ‘fandom’ cares about are not the things that the casual viewer cares about, and therefore aren’t the things that the creators care about. Fandom randomly seizes on characters to love, often because of the opportunity to ship (since we know that ship-fic is miles more popular than gen-fic; just look at the hitcount differences on AO3). Fandom obsesses over those characters. They invent backstories and personalities for those characters. They decide, based on very little information, how the mains could relate to them, how they fit into the larger universe, etc. They elevate these secondary characters nearly to main status. Then--because of the functional reality of how secondary characters operate, particularly on this show where nearly everyone dies--one of those secondary characters dies. The fandom explodes. Screaming, rending of flesh. Threats to the writers. Demands that they be fired. Insistence that there was no point to the death, that the character deserved better, because the fandom cared about them so deeply. Forgetting, again, that Character X was never important or alive beyond the function that they served in the story. Forgetting, too, that for the casual viewer it’s an ‘oh, dang’ moment, and then the casual viewer just watches to see what happens next. ‘Aw, Sam sure is sad about that one girl dying. I guess they’re going to go after the British dudes now, huh.’ End emotional engagement--and also, therefore, end the creators’ engagement with the secondary character, because they’ve served their purpose.

I don’t know where this leads. Clearly some people deeply enjoy their anger, and I can’t say that they shouldn’t feel angry. I am also generally disappointed by season 12, so I understand those reactions (more than the ‘how dare!’ reactions after character death). Since the show is about Sam and Dean, it’s troubling that the larger season seems to have so little to do with them. Right now the show’s stuck in an awkward space between what it always has been--the Sam & Dean Love Show, per Kripke--and... like, half of an ensemble show, where the secondary characters remain unimportant and yet we’ve got to trudge along with their storylines anyway. I know the extra-textual reasons behind this (and here’s hoping J2 get vasectomies so the show doesn’t continue to be boring and not-itself), but it’s still disappointing that the executives in charge couldn’t write something more artistically pleasing, given the strictures tying their hands. Casual fans probably haven’t noticed much, though, and so there’s little incentive to change.

There are certainly problems that the show has. Killing secondary characters is so far down the list that it seems inconsequential, and the furor generated over it masks the much more important flaws that could be discussed. The ‘fuck Bucklemming’ meme, while it’s clearly enjoyable for a lot of people, is just that--a meme, repeated ad nauseum, providing a handy semi-masturbatory thing to focus on while more nuanced discussion withers away, left by the wayside.

#writing #fandom wank #this is really long but i don't feel like putting it under a cut #the wank is just so goddamn tedious #eh #time to work out