#bc all my 2016 interests are coming back i guess

[greenokapi]

So… what do y’all do when you wanna do a bajillion things but you can’t settle on which thing to do so you just kind of end up doing nothing?

… lissen I’m still only recently diagnosed with adhd so I still don’t know how to work with it… I wanna draw so many things, wanna make merch, comics, I wanna write a fuckton of silly cringe fanfics… I wanna make videos? Like maybe youtube videos rambling abt stuff while drawing but then I don’t know if anyone would even be interested in that, and besides I haven’t done video editing in…. Probably close to 20years? What program should I use? Anyone got any tips on that?

I also wanna make stuff, lil bead things like these guys I made a while ago for example

I also wanna try doll customization cause it’s kinda only been the last decade or so where I’ve allowed myself to like dolls… reasons for that being … uh… gender stuff… it’s like only now in my life, around 30 have I finally gotten somewhat close to getting a grasp on my gender and sexuality, and I never even really realized before that this was something I had a problem with? Which probably makes no sense tbh…

I also wanna do sculpting and even paint, after art school teachers made me feel like I should never paint again bcs idk man I wasn’t up to their standards 🤷

And… I wanna do all this stuff but not only does brain say ‘adhd my guy’ but there’s also my increasing health issues that… I mean I’ve always had them but I guess getting older makes it harder and harder to constantly deal with them… and that’s another thing I never really realized was so bad until back when I was in Japan in 2015-2016 as an exchange student and would have to go to the hospital increasingly often bcs of pain nobody could diagnose… aand then I was shamed for it bcs having to go to the hospital in the middle of the night sometimes was a huge hassle to the dorm staff, idk I was a problem…

Since then I’ve had two operations and will probably need to have more in the future. Also, amusingly, when I finally got diagnosed I was looking at the list of symptoms, all of which I could relate to in at least some way, but the ones that stood out, for some reason, were ‘constant exhaustion’ and then below it was ‘insomnia’ and… maybe I’m not actually lazy when I’m tired all the time? But y’know, I don’t really wanna use a chronic condition as an excuse to just do nothing, plenty of ppl have chronic problems but still do stuff with their life… but when I think like that I also remember this isn’t a ‘pain competition’ or something like that and different people just have different capabilities to deal with chronic pain and such… idk, I honestly think I’m still trying to come to terms with the realization that being exhausted and in pain all the time probably counts as some kind of disability….. but I don’t feel like I’m allowed to say I’m disabled bcs I do also have good days, you know? I should probably try harder to just DO things?

Ahem, it’s like 9AM and I haven’t been able to sleep and stuff hurts… I just wanna go do something productive but instead I’m whining on here which I probably shouldn’t do bcs this is the internet and strangers can see what you post and maybe use it against you but also sometimes you just really wanna rant into the void… or maybe more like semi-void cause idk, maybe someone reads this and can relate or give advice or just talk or something? Buuut you suck at talking… then later you feel embarrassed about your tired rambles and probably end up deleting them and just bring them up in therapy later like you should…

Anyway, until this embarrassment pops up I’m probably gonna try to find some painkillers and go draw or something -3-

#Rambles #Negative #I guess #sorry about that jgchhf

[jerrydevine]

ok movie may rankingsssss its quite frankly soooo fucking long so i put it under a read more :) MWAH

31. moonage daydream 2022 um so when todd haynes basically said that reagan being in power was david bowies fault in velvet goldmine i get what he was saying when i watched the second half of this. it was so annoying listening to bowie talk about how he was like crazyyyy back then now hes normal (annoying and not in a fun way) boo

30. ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous stains 1982. ok this was actually a flop i wanted to like it so bad but i did not. boo

29. the daytrippers 1996. this was such a movie my indie snob cousin loves. it kind of felt like a long ass seinfeld episode. sorry women. the gay reveal was not. fun. it was 90s straight people trying to do a twist :/

28. muppet treasure island 1996 was ok. it was no the great muppet caper ..

27. spontaneous 2020 i did cry because of this movie i thought it was just gonna be a silly heheh good bad movie but i did cry. and they played forth of july sufjan stevens :(

all the movies after here i would rewatch and i liked :) i had a good movie may !!

26. descendants 2 2017 was not as good as descendants 1 or 3 to me now .. but thats ok they literally had chillin like a villain and the letterkenny guy

25. descendants 3 2019. hmmm i wanna keep her by descendants 2 just so theyre not lonely in this list. the plot was like ok mal having to do her morality thing again thats ok. evie was soooooo izzy lightwood and her loser ass march band boyfriend was sooo simon :)

24. murder on the orient express 1974 was better than death on the nile 1978 and there was a character with my name :) but i think i do not care as much about agatha christie mysteries as i thought i would. thats ok :)

23. arrival 2016 is prob one of the first times i knew about the specific field of the protag and it made me so mad because i spent the whole movie like. she would not fucking do that. she would not say that. come on. and of course the u.s. propaganda was like a frontal migraine but i guess it was good

22. the handmaiden 2016. why didnt anyone tell me about. you know. the plot of the movie. great lesbian sex but what the hell wasall that. 

21. donnie darko 2001 was like ok what . fine ok whatever

20. emma 1996 holy shit i watched a lot of 1996 movies this month. ummmmm ewan was there and it was literally emma. what more do you want me to say. it was good ish :P

19. dungeons & dragons: honor among thieves 2023 was so long no movie should be longer than 2 hours but it did feel like playing d&d with my buddies and sophia lillis was there :')

18. i know what you did last summer 1997. its like none of you even care that kevin williamson who wrote this AND scream 1996 is literally a gay ass homosexual man. and my friend.

17. red army 2014. i feel like this should be its own other thing because it was just a movie i would watch at 15 to learn as much about hockey as humanly possible. and not for fun for like mental illness reasons. anyway hockey :)

16. crip camp: a disability revolution 2020 is like red army 2014 like. informative and interesting documentary ! not able to rank it with fiction films i dont think so dont take its spot too seriously.

15. poison 1991. dont worry about it im just studying todd haynes and this movie was not as good as other movies i watched this month but actually its the best movie ever after velvet goldmine. or not its not in my top 3 todd movies of all time but thats ok it still set up many of the things he talks about in his later films esp the connection between the horror section and safe 1995 :)

14. the secret world of arrietty 2010. i didnt watch this until this year bc it was released just after when i would sit down and watch a new little ghibli movie. i wanted to rewatch totoro more than watch new ones.but it WAS the borrowers sooo fun :)

13. monty python and the holy grail 1975. they made lancelot soooooooo ugly which was like a joke in itself to me because lancelot would never look like that. but umm yeah my dad loves this movie and so many little jokes i thought were just family jokes were actually from this movie hehehe

12. the great muppet caper 1981 literally had peter falk in it and they knew they were in a silly movie and they kept saying kermit and fozzie were twins it was so silly and fun :)

11. seven up! 1964. british people getting studied is literally so real and true. i cant wait to continue in the series and see how these kids change.. 

10. some like it hot 1959. I NEED TO WATCH MORE MARILYN MONROE MOVIES ASAP BTW THIS MOVIE ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. this is spinal tap 1984. ummm yeah this was good. very good even. and christopher guest from my movies was there doing a horrible accent it was awesome :)

8. dottie gets spanked 1993. okok this is my todd haynes auteur studies and it is such a short film that foreshadows his future work i love you forever and ever my best friend todd haynes :D!!!!!!!!!!

7. videodrome 1983 had crazyyyyyyyyyyyy special effects i enjoyed the blowing up bodies and the tvs trying to kill you and the toronto..

6. big eden 2000 i wish they didnt have that whole plot with his high school bestie that was annoying and not whimsy but everything else and i mean EVERYTHING else was sooooo good and beautiful and i love you movie

5. elvira's haunted hills 2001 YIPPEE ELVIRA!!!!!!! RIFF RAFF WAS THERE!!! she talked like she was still a 2000s california girl but in 1850s europe it was awesome

4. rye lane 2023 was sooooo good and love is real and i need to go to england or i will die . woah that was an anglophile ass sentence but its true.

3. stardust 2007 YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO basically thats it. it was a movie that loves whimsy and the power of love. beth please watch it i mean it you would love it soooooo much 

2. the watermelon woman 1996 i love you lesbians i love you movies i love you movie lesbians. everyone should watch it its soooo good

1. velvet goldmine 1998 my best friend forever of course no one could be better <33

#ok heheheh thank you beth and abby for the reminders :) #if you guess the top movie you know me for realzies plus i love you <3 #talk #ref

[justwhumpythings]

just saw the poll you reblogged and it confirmed something that i've been noticing lately, which is that the whump community now is very focused on interpersonal whump, torture etc. i find it really interesting bc i think that's a change from 5-6 years ago. i've been lurking in the whump community for almost a decade, and it's interesting to see how the culture changes. does anyone else feel like this? like the major focus on torture and interpersonal whump is somewhat new? (and, imo, the term whumper. i feel like I used to only see caretaker & whumpees talked about) (or maybe i'm just sad bc i only like situational whump and i feel pretty isolated for that nowadays lol)

I totally get where you're coming from anon, and I agree with you about the prevelance of interpersonal whump, but also...

Maybe it's the dashboard I cultivate and my personal likes, but I don't feel like the proportion of interpersonal whump has changed hugely drastically in the 6 years I've been around? Like, there's loads of it, and loads more than there used to be by shere mass, but back when we all posted less in general, I don't feel like environmental whump etc. was ever King, you know? And I guess while lots of new people have joined that like interpersonal whump, I don't feel like the people who like situational whump, like, switched over, particularly?

Idk, I do agree with you that the culture has changed and focuses a lot on interpersonal whump, but also something about feeling like it was never focused on it in the past doesn't quite mesh with my feelings about it?

You know what I would say, I think within interpersonal whump as a sub-genre, there's been a lot of intensification in more recent years, actually. Sometimes whump genres getting popular can lead to a sort of arms race to come up with the most extreme and innovative scenarios, and the interpersonal whump genre has really expanded it's scope in the past few years, where situational whump has been sticking to the same old favourites. Maybe that can account for the feeling that it's more prevelant but at the same time was always here? This is a hard one to enunciate.

Re: whumper/whumpee/caretaker, I know when I joined in 2016 only whumpee was a commonly used term, and whumper was still only what we called ourselves. From my recollection, caretaker and whumper came in at around the same time, when people began to write posts with these as the three central roles and needed terms for each.

Sorry that you're feeling isolated 💙 I feel that sometimes too, and can only imagine what it's like if your interests are further from the cultural norm than mine. I hope you can cultivate spaces and connections that cater to your needs!

#this one feels like kind of a mess #but i've been turning it over for a few days and it wasn't getting any better lol #whump #ask #replies #meta

[xmoonlitxdreamx]

How'd you get into overwatch ships? I saw you mention that you haven't played any ovw so it got me curious!

tbh i have no idea LMAO;; I've been drawing pokemon swsh ships for the past 2-ish years, then my sister mentioned something abt overwatch 2 back in December so I decided to look up the ow2 designs, drew junkrat, then abruptly fell head-first into drawing roadrat again fjndngndn;;; and then I guess my brain is just used to multishipping (I ship a ton of the gym leaders w each other in pokemon swsh for no discernable reason), so I ended up imagining a lot of random junkrat n roadhog pairings (??????). Idk I think my brain kinda just wanted a break from drawing pokemon fsr.

I actually used to be interested in Overwatch back in 2016~2017 when it first came out (I was in college at the time), which is when I watched some of the official animatics and read some of the comics (basically only the stuff w Junkrat and Roadhog). I also looked at/read a lot of roadrat art/comics then too so that's kinda when I got interested in Junkrat and Roadhog as characters. Ovw was like HUGE back then, like even if u didn't play most ppl knew the characters... feel like it wasn't particularly uncommon for ppl who didn't play to draw fan art/etc.

I think I gravitated toward Junkrat and Roadhog bc they reminded me of my OCs Lafayette and Dmitri (short character who gets into trouble + tall character who keeps them in line kinda thing). I think the way I draw them has changed since 2016, but yeah.... I think that was the true initial reason for why I started drawing them.

Anyway overall............ who knows. Idk what motivates my brain to draw, all this stuff kinda comes out of nowhere LMAO;;

#replies #tbh my art motivation is kinda random and complicated. i was kind of exclusively drawing my ocs from 2010 ~ 2020 #i had the hardest time drawing fan art it was always so like. excruciating i just wanted to draw my ocs instead #in 2020 i somehow started drawing zero escape and pokemon swsh fan art which was my first times being semi-active in fandoms #and actually having hcs and wtv (idk usually i dont get so preoccupied w characters other than my own to have hcs) #and now a similar thing is happening again w ovw. fsr. idk why LMAO #other than ZE swsh and ovw I dont rly like drawing fan art tbh

[theloveinc]

not a vague post at all but it's interesting to see this conversation of ... fandom being dead or whatever bc... ive been on tumblr since 2011 and i've never seen such an interest boom as during the pandemic. and normally i chalk this new deadness up to us all going back to work/the fact i don't truly understand what fandom was like "back in the day" bc i was a teenager who mostly just read stuff.

but at the same time... i wonder, really how much has ACTUALLY changed and died and how many new things + expectations + functions have been created from this recent surge?

it's so interesting to me bc a couple months ago i reached out to an overwatch reader insert account i followed back in... 2016? maybe. and spoke to them just like i'd send anyone an ask, asking how they were, if they had any writing plans coming up and saying i missed them. and they never responded, which was fine honestly.... but what i found a little baffling was that they went on to say they still accepted requests? and still wanted to run their account the same way they did back in 2016????

(it truly felt so alien. i was like... we're people now!!! we talk to each other now!!!!!!!!!!!!)

and that isn't to say anything in particular, but i feel like things have changed since then... at the same this request system has spoiled some readers with the notion they can ask for what they want and receive it... seems like some writers have also been tainted by the expectation that people should like everything they post. it's hard to express, but it feels like one of those snakes that's eating itself ... wanting a certain amount of praise for doing things u "technically" enjoy doing.

which isn't to say it's reasonable to ignore fandom writers or demand things on the other hand (it's not)... but i guess a lot of functions here have changed now?

and tho fandom has always been alive and well, communities can def run their courses and get smaller and more........ dead, as shows progress or end or take hiatuses and interest wanes naturally....

and tho i don't remember the point i was trying to make, i just wonder how much of this is a natural decline that's being clung to irrationally. i miss having a large community too. fanfic writers deserve the utmost of praise for the care and dedication they put into their work. but setting urself up for disappointment... isn't anyone's fault. and blaming people for that isolates u from those you want supporting u. i have no idea.

-

you know, i feel so inadequate bc i have such a lack of long fics and have a really hard time writing them (tho i do, just ... slowly and silently). but this is why i like answering to asks so much, bc the words of others inspire me (even if i've gotten a bit burnt out from my persona). and if this isn't u... you know, u write ur own stuff by urself, great!

but i feel like... in turn, this community is now in a transition stage (because we went from a community where everyone was having fun / getting asks + praise... to one that's smaller, isn't as buoyant or forgiving), and is readjusting itself to fit the new needs of writers, those who want to write their own complex ideas and those who need interaction to do so... and the readers that make both things possible finding their new places.

idk but... i think we're all relearning how to do this. and that shouldn't be blamed on anyone, regardless of feelings.

thanks for reading all of this if u did!! no need to comment or anything. and whatever if u didn't i don't mind <3

#imho #thinking out loud here i have no idea if im making the points i want to make #or if im even correct #but ive been in fandom communities that have died before and it happens #we find our way elsewhere. to where ppl recognize us. its alright #honestly i woulda left tumblr fandom but im gonna be here anyway on my main so why bother #back to the point tho. i think everyone is right and like cal said.. its abt being kind #and this isnt directed at anyone fyi #i hope u know i never say things with hateful intentions #caitie blabs #caitie rants

[fallingsunflower]

https://sunflowerdiscussion.tumblr.com/post/694883829140324352/but-people-said-olivia-cant-mention-that-harry-is

It is very weird. I feel like 🐙 could mention H but had to word things very carefully bc of a loophole in their agreement/contract or she was allowed to talk about him more.

I have a theory that they were going to push the deeply in love, happy happy, obviously in a very serious relationship narrative (🙄) leading up to Venice, at the film festival and through MP promo bc they (label, management, idk?) couldn't possibly have anyone thinking H could be queer. And I think people would be even more likely to question H's sexuality if they listened to things the director and producer were saying like "Harry is Tom", they wanted a queer cast and how passionate H was about the story.

Back to pushing the relationship narrative...

- We got the RS article that was basically dwd & 🐙 promo disguised as a Harry article and it included an interview with her as well as the writer pushing a specific narrative

-We saw the pap walks ramp up as soon as they got to NYC, both together and alone. The amount of paparazzi and "fans" they had waiting for them when they left the restaurant was insane and a huge spectacle.

-🐙 was attending ALL of H's shows

-Then we have her other articles, which were mostly written before the Shia/Flo/🐙 shitstorm & they seemed to talk about the relationship more than we'd previously seen.

-In the VF article 🐙 mentioned the quote abt filling up your own cup. She originally tweeted that in 2016. H used it as advice to a fan at his show on July 16th. 🐙 then brings up the quote in the VF article and it sounds like that part of the interview was done on July 29th at the photoshoot. So two weeks after H said it in front of thousands. I think they were going to wait for either shippers or tabloids to connect it back to her so they could use the quote to push how happy & in love they are. How they're obviously on the same page. Blah blah blah.

But then we got the mess with Shia. I think the backlash, the very high possibility that she lied (again) to H & his team about Shia's exit, and the condescending attitude towards Flo, made H and his team change course. I think they were either going to heavily hint at their relationship throughout the film festival or go full on happy couple but this latest mess was the final straw. Obviously only time will tell if it's over but I think H's behavior in Venice was extremely telling as well as 🐙 not being at his shows. We could get a bua soon or not until after MP but I think H and his team would be incredibly stupid to have him seen with her again. I'm just thankful all of this Shia and Flo stuff came out when it did because I really do feel like we were going to have a different Venice Film Festival.

Anyways, sorry this was rambling and long. I could be completely off but I'd be interested to hear what you think.

I agree that the Venice Film Festival could have gone a lot different if the Shia stuff didn't come out, but I'm not sure in what way. It would't change the messy plot of DWD or the reviews. It might have made people more accepting of Olivia as a filmmaker though. She probably would have gotten better press and the focus, more than likely, would have been on holivia and DWD rather than the other behind the scenes drama.

I could see the whole "deeply in love" narrative. It's pretty obvious they were going that way. The Variety article clearly was pushing it, and that was written in July I think? As were some other magazines that had a bit of a roll out around that time.

I'm not sure which direction they're going in now. It would be stupid to continue, especially on Harry's part. I could potentially seeing them just fading this thing out. It might be down low for a while and then all of a sudden we get word they split. But I'm not sure. No one knows.

I guess we'll find out. And I'll leave my asks on for the MP premiere at the TIFF, btw. So we can chat if you'd like. that's why I haven't turned them off yet

in regards to this

[bomnun]

I recall someone saying Jinho didn’t like Dawn for reasons I do not remember (and that annoys me!) . Tbh, as a Uni since 2017, I felt like Dawn did not really want to be in the group and was grabbing onto Hyuna’s fame, now that we know what we know

putting my response beneath a read more bc i feel like it's going to be pretty long, and also i don't want anyone to use this as ´, like, a serious reason to dislike any part of this because it's complicated and as we're not any of the 11 people directly involved we really only know a fraction of what really happened.

i've heard that about jinho and dawn as well,, and i can't really begin to guess if that's true or not. all that's sure is that they weren't as close as dawn was with, like, hui, kino or yanan. iirc the "evidence" people use is a vlive from dec 2016 where dawn says "being together as 10 is the most important" and jinho says "he's lying", but that could just be them joking around.

plus a video a few days before dawn officially leaves the group where jinho says their formation looks neater now because they're an odd number and looks around... 🤷🤷 (this one i actually managed to find) could just be him taking the piss at the absolute mess then too, or spoiling that the official announcement is coming two days later. who knows.

View on Twitter

interesting. as i...was not a uni back then i didn't catch that, but sort of realized retroactively that, maybe he didn't want to be there lmao. basing this mainly on the fact that in his 2019 solo debut documentary he talks about feeling empty even though he "should" have been happy after debuting and doing well, and how he prioir to that was the least interested/motivated trainee and couldn't make himself keep up with how hard everyone else was working.

i cannnot find thissss again (but i k now this happened so if someone has the link or knows which show at least... please tell me) but in like one of his first official schedules after leaving cube he and h.yuna were on a radio show together and he made some slightly pointed comment about how he's "much more comfortable with ´just hyuna than ever with that group" too .

those things make me wonder if he'd have left the group eventually scandal or not. i don't reaaaally want to speculate/guess too much on their inter-personal relationships because it makes me feel uncomofrtable and feels invasive and... what do we know anyway, but, idk, i really get hints that he wouldn't have stayed until now even without the controversies.

#ask #anoymous #it's a topic we could discuss more for sure ! #send me another ask or a message if you want #i was not present in 2018 so this is very patchy

[fizzingwizard]

my cousin who I havent talked to in years randomly messaged me to ask if I play/know people in Japan who play Pokemon Go

I assume it's something to do with exclusive regional pokemon? I think I remember that was a thing way back in 2016

I played Pokemon Go when it first came out, but I had an old iPhone 5C because it's all I could afford, and they stopped supporting older iPhones. Because of how expensive they are I never bothered getting a new one. I have Android now. It's an old Android too now because I've had it for six years x'D but both it and the iPhone 5C still work decently (although the latter has charging issues which I'm not sure if it's due to the cable or the phone itself, I haven't bothered to look into it bc android and all). like why do I have to shell out the pennies I earn teaching pre-K for the newest and expensivest just because it's the bestest (for one year until the next newest expensivest and bestest comes out)?

*ahem* anywaaay... I stopped playing Pokemon Go because it wasn't supported on my phone. By the time I got the Android phone, I had completely forgotten about the game, and never even checked to see if it's supported on Android. It looks like it is, so now that my cousin's reminded me it exists, I'm kinda tempted to get it...

But I have a 2 gb plan because I'm cheap as hell and I don't want to pay more x'D my data is always used up by the end of the month anyway and I don't even know what is eating up all of my storage. So to get Pokemon Go I'd definitely need a better plan or a new provider (which I kind of do want, a coworker told me of a provider recently which sounds like it has better plans than mine. it's just that canceling phone contracts is such a bitch and I don't want to pay cancellation fee)

Normally I wouldn't pay more just to play a game on my phone which I recall only mildly liking anyway (it was so tough to find Pokemon that weren't Rattata. The only interesting catches I made happened when I went to the airport). But lately every single company is (in my opinion) wasting its money and time making its own tailored app and demanding we all download it to our phones. Bank and gas and stuff I don't mind, but restaurants - stores - etc etc. It is honestly so annoying. Even work tried to make me download an app to do my taxes, even though the tax program was already installed on the computers and we only need it once a year...

I really hate the app craze but it seems impossible to avoid. Sooo. Maybe time for a new plan with more data and storage. Ahh if only salaries ever went up like the prices of everything else. Guess I shoud apply for a job at Uniqlo buhahaha.

#fizz's life

[babesonly]

fic recs 2.0!

hello kings (gn) ive got significantly more fic than last time which means this is gonna be a little more organized than the last post bc it is much longer <3 categories in order are non casefic canonverse, casefic/roadtrip fic, finale fixits, endverse, non supernatural aus, and then non destiel ones. titles will be in bold for my favs! also within each category they’re in order from shortest to longest

Canonverse

I’m a tulip in a cup by godtiering (1.2k)

I worry that I never really came back from hell. I wonder why, if I got remade by heaven, I’m still the same screwed up kid that I always was.

Sometimes I worry I’m not into women at all.

"Guess not,” he looks at his shoes.

a REALLY good fic that’s basically just a look inside dean’s head during my bloody valentine do not read this looking for a fun time but please do read it

on vessels by flightsofangels (1.9k)

“You know,” Cas mutters into Dean’s bare skin. “When I was still… an angel, I used to dream that I would take you as my vessel.”

hello consumehimnatural fans!!!!! read newt’s fic right now its incredible

dean winchester is not a nicholas sparks protagonist by microcomets (1.9k)

Dean fell in love with Cas the way you fall asleep--slowly, and then all at once. Or some other hackneyed and trite bullshit. God, this is embarrassing.

dean is in LOVE. he’s also a disaster who keeps staring at cas’ hands. sigh

Stay by aeli_kindara (2.5k)

Coda to 13.06 (Tombstone). In which Castiel reckons with the aftermath of Dean's grief.

hello fellow widow arc fans <3 click here to see cas find out abt the events of advanced thanatology !

walking on a string by swordfishtrombones (2.7k)

Between the doomed offensive at the Firmament and the impending retreat from the ravaged northeast border, Castiel left camp long enough to answer one of Dean Winchester's prayers.

S6 DEAN IS A WAR WIFE. been really into early seasons deancas lately and this one is very good. god

the flesh of the mighty by Mudprophet (2.7k)

Ezekiel 39:17 "you shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth."

MY GOD. anyone who saw the @autisticandroids​ purgatory cannibalism talk and was interested read this right now. also anyone who enjoyed nbc hannibal OR raw (2016). if romantic cannibalism is remotely aligned with your interests read this right now. god

Sam Winchester, Ally At Law by alittleduck (3.3k)

Sam was pretty sure he could read every single gay friendly guide to coming out or supporting queer family members ever written and literally none of them would even imply that arguing with gay people that they were actually just homophobic constituted as "ally behavior". However, Sam was equally sure that none of those book authors had found themselves accidentally watching their brother get pounded by an Angel of the Lord at 9 am on Tuesday, so Sam was pretty sure he might actually still have the higher ground. Now, if only Jack would stop trying to bond with Dean using gay slurs long enough for Sam to convince everyone of that, he might just be able to cobble together some remnant of sanity or, failing that, dignity.

Or, the one where Sam desperately wants to invent PFLAG but Dean won't stop teaching Jack gay slurs

JACK VOICE HEY COCKSUCKERS. 

hummed low by microcomets (3.3k)

Dean pulls the Impala over at a cider barn about thirty miles out; doesn't really think about it, just sees the hokey orange lettering off the roadside and lets his hands guide the Impala off the interstate with gravel spitting under the wheels.

they get a nice day out together and dean has a gay crisis and it’s written beautifully mwah

Vena Amoris and Other Old-Fashioned Bullshit by pyrebi (3.9k)

In which angelic marriage bonds are apparently stupidly easy to trigger, Cas wages multidimensional war in Heaven, Dean can't catch a break like ever, Sam rather enjoys being a dick, love saves the day, and nobody consummates anything.

sometimes i think about this fic and it hits that at this point dean and cas would have been married for more than a year. cas my beloved...

an exploration of gender; angelic by sometimeswelose (4k)

Castiel's true form is made of electromagnetic radiation. He has spent the majority of his life, if you really want to add it all up and average the whole thing out, as a wavelength of celestial intent.

The thing about being made of light: it's light in the physics sense of the word. Castiel's waves are gamma, x-ray, micro, and radio. He's visible light too, of course, a visible light so intense that it is blinding to most humans.

hello trans cas community <3 he’s literally trans he was assigned genderless and then went hm actually i will be a man! love of my life

Some Boys are Sleeping Alone by prosopopeya (4.2k)

This isn't something that's okay, not for him, but it chases him through the years until it turns into something he can't -- doesn't want to deny. 

ohhh deans tenuous relationship with his sexuality my beloved...

love. worship. consummation. consumption. by redeyedwrath (4.3k)

ConsumehimNatural (copyright marcusantonius) the Series!

These are all snapshots centered around the idea of you know. Hunger in Supernatural. Both carnal hunger and other kinds. Fics are shown in semi-chronological order but this series is generally nebulously early seasons.

for ANYONE who is a consumehimnaturual this is required reading it is INCREDIBLE and gorgeous and very visceral and i am so very obsessed with it. thank you redeyedwrath for enabling my brainrot

the reach of human sense by perilously (4.5k)

“You know what Jimmy Novak looked like. You think he was beautiful—gorgeous, hot, all of it. It’s him. Not me. This isn’t my face.”

“But,” Dean says. He doesn’t know where he’s going with it. Just that Cas’ face is right there, brows drawn together and cheekbones gleaming in the lamplight. It’s a face that’s made his heart skip probably a couple hundred beats collectively since they met.

And it used to belong to someone else.

this one is just very nice <3 cas gets uncomfortable w dean calling him attractive since dean has never seen his trueform and they work it out

Down in the River by Ias (4.7k)

Alone in Purgatory and hunted by Leviathans, Castiel finds himself praying to the one person who can't hear him.

cas i love you <3 cas alone in purgatory praying to dean bc dean is the only thing he still worships i love you so much

Creature of Habit by trinityofone (5.1k)

The more you love someone, the more you want to kill them. Or: How Cas developed some bad habits, and Dean coped surprisingly well.

written in s5 when cas was depowered and completely nails the later seasons bitchy husbands dynamic it’s very good and fun <3

sink by crackers4jenn (5.4k)

"Where to?" A 9.06 coda.

very bittersweet very well written and also canon compliant so do not go into this one looking for a happy ending but i DO recommend it it’s very good

Sensational by castiowl (6.1k)

“When I first came to earth, it was advised that we temper the senses bound to our vessels. They were a distraction, we were told. An antiquated form of experiencing existence that would hinder our ability to complete our missions, whatever that may be. My true form can better facilitate these experiences. What you would recognize as heightened senses of sight and sound, among other things.”

Or, how Dean helps Cas experience all five human senses for the first time in one night.

early seasons deancas man. i love the sound part i love dean being so worried about doing a good job with this. god. read this please

Something to Protect by Sass_Master (6.2k)

Dean’s violent reaction to being unexpectedly woken has become something of a running joke among them, but Castiel can’t help but look past it to the underlying cause. It makes him ache to think that Dean feels so unsafe, so persecuted, before he’s even fully conscious.

Secretly, Castiel has been determined to work on that, to ease Dean into awareness in a less jarring way, smooth away one of the many stresses that follow him even in sleep. Now’s as good a time as any to try.

oh to sleep more soundly in the presence of someone you love...this fic is very nice i enjoyed it a lot

all this and heaven too by ftmsteverogers (7k)

“Hey,” Dean said. “I’m not ashamed of you, okay?”

Cas raised skeptical eyes to meet his.

“I mean it,” Dean insisted.

“I understand you mean it,” Cas said. “But I don’t think it’s any better if you’re only ashamed of yourself.”

hello trans dean community here is 7k of trans dean having to deal with his internalized homophobia now that he’s sleeping with cas <3 it is SO good

The wilderness. by orange_crushed (8k)

He takes a shower and the pressure is not especially good, but it doesn’t matter. It’s warm and he stands under the spray a long time. Human skin, he knows, constantly renews itself, shedding the dead cells of the epidermis. He wonders how long it will take until he is an entirely new person, until every cell on his surface is a new one. He looks at his hands under the water. It might take less than a month.

this might be the only post 9x03 fic on here with a happy ending actually? plenty of good melancholy leading up to it though <3 canon divergent after 9x03 though which means no 9x06 fanfiction gap but it is absolutely worth reading

till the juice runs by deathbanjo (8.4k)

Apparently whoever drew up the venn diagram of Dean’s sex life decided the circle labelled ‘good sex’ and the one labelled ‘sex with men’ should be kept far apart.

hello this one is SO funny dean finally gets comfortable enough with his bisexuality to start having sex with men and it goes so very bad every time so sorry about your shitty choices beloved </3

First Date by aeli_kindara (8.9k)

“We should go on a date. You and me.”

Castiel wishes he could see Dean’s face. He wishes he had any idea what to say.

“I’m asking you out, Cas.”

this one is very sweet i liked it a lot <3 good refreshing little fic where they just get to have a nice evening together

Entertaining Strangers by cadignan (9k)

Dean settles on to his side, lying in the bed facing Castiel. “So you had sex without me and you bit all my moves. I think I deserve to hear about it, at least. What was her name?”

op im in love with you. premise is established relationship deancas and cas mentions he did have sex before dean and not only that it was a threesome. good for him <3 this fic is cas describing the story of what led up to the threesome and what happened during it while dean interrupts regularly. incredible

the shape you take by noviembre (10k)

“What?” Dean says, fake-offended. “I’d be hot as a girl, you know I would.”

And this is when he really, really should have stopped talking. When he shouldn't have whipped back around and asked, “Cas, if I was a woman, you’d fuck me, right?”

Because if he hadn’t said that, then he wouldn’t have had to deal with this:

Cas, meeting his eyes, forehead wrinkles all smoothed out like there’s nothing to be confused about anymore. Cas with something at the corner of his mouth that might barely be called a smile.

Cas saying, calmly and without hesitation, “Yes, Dean.”

--

Dean Winchester fucks around and, with the inadvertent help of some witches, Finds Out.

dean winchester your gender is diabolical. this fic is insane and its the only thing that matters actually. dean fully convinced its normal and straight to think about being a woman so you can fuck your male friend. incredible. op im proposing to you

Sinnerman by a_good_soldier (10k)

Dean listens to Nina Simone, reads Anne Carson, and makes out with a dude (sort of).

yall want to read about dean realizing he’s in love with a man as a direct result of learning to better respect women right?

you’re fooling yourself by cowboydeanwinchester (13k)

Dean Winchester and Castiel retire from hunting to raise baby Jack. Dean struggles to allow himself the things he truly wants.

Jack is two, Castiel and Dean are idiots, and Sam's gotta solve everyone's problems.

love a married couple who doesn’t know they’re married <3 everyone say thank you sam for bullying dean 

The Girlfriend Experience by rageprufrock (15k)

While it's not like Dean hasn't had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.

a classic for good fucking reason. we’ve all talked about dean thinking holding hands is too gay after having just had gay sex but my personal favorite was sam accusing dean of cheating on cas because dean bought condoms. incredible

No Kingdom To Come by domesticadventures (16k)

“We should fuck,” Dean says.

Cas looks up from where he sits on his bed, hair still damp from the shower, frowning as he places a finger on the page of his book to mark where he left off.

There are a million things Cas could say here; Dean has rehearsed them. After lunch, his restlessness had given way to a vague panic, a dread that matched his every step and crept along with him from room to room. Eventually, he had returned to his bedroom and spent the rest of the afternoon pacing back and forth, playing out all the possible scenarios. When Cas asks him Why? or Are you being serious? or when he sighs and says, in that way he has, Dean, he knows exactly what he’s going to do. He’s going to shrug casually, like he isn’t invested in the answer, like he isn’t desperate for an outlet, and say, Why not? He’s going to raise an eyebrow and say, What, are you not interested? He’s going to crowd into Cas’ personal space, he’s going to shove himself right up in there and whisper Cas against his ear.

Instead, Cas says, carefully, “Okay.”

literally the only quarantine fic i’ve ever bothered to read in any fandom and completely worth it it’s SO good. they become fwb and dean has an existential crisis and he keeps bringing up meaninglessness and death during sex

Bodies by Speary (18k)

It was a secret they never acknowledged even with each other. It would change everything, end everything if either of them ever dropped the act. So they became very good at acting, at keeping up the lie that gave them what they wanted. Even if that lie involved constantly seeking out temporary, consenting female vessels, Cas would do it. He told himself it was worth it for Dean. He just hoped that he could stop wanting more, or maybe one day Dean might stop pretending that he wasn't really sleeping with Cas every time.

i don’t even have anything to add tbh if that summary did not immediately make you click we are very different this fic is incredible. god. fellas do you ever make yourself a woman so you can fuck the man you love without him having to talk about it or confront his sexuality

it’s such a mystery (the way you know me) by fleeceframe (20k)

So the man crouching in front of Castiel is named Dean. He wonders if that’s supposed to mean something to him.

“Cas must’ve got hit with something earlier. He just dropped like a sack of fucking potatoes a minute ago. By the time I was checking on him, he had already woken up again, but now he doesn’t fucking know who we are.”

“I’m right here you know,” Castiel says testily.

Sam’s eyes are wide even as his eyebrows are furrowed, and he looks between Dean and Castiel again.

“What do you remember, Cas?”

“Firstly, that I’m not Cas. I don’t know who Cas is, but it’s not me. I don’t know who either of you are, either."

or the one where castiel is hit with a memory curse that makes him forget the winchester brothers and is stunned to find out he has a family... also why can't he stop thinking about dean?

BEST amnesia fic oh my god. cas my beloved you deserve the world. everyone read this that is not a request.

More Than Ever by Sass_Master (20k)

Dean’s getting some pancakes together for breakfast when Cas saunters in after a run.

He’s trying to focus on whisking batter, unfairly distracted by Cas a few feet away, breathing heavily and shining with perspiration. Dean’s been painfully aware for a long time that Cas is pretty easy on the eyes, but he’s used to seeing Cas buttoned-up and unflappable, looking straight-laced in a stiff oxford and an unflattering trenchcoat.

Now Cas is sweating, Dean’s borrowed t-shirt clinging to his skin, flushed from exertion and Dean really can’t deal with that in his kitchen right now.

this entire series is really good i enjoyed it a lot, i’m just putting this one specifically on the list bc the rest of the series is very explicit and this is really good as a standalone for anyone who wouldn’t be into the rest of the series!!

Being Dean Winchester by Anonymous (20k)

"You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of hell. I can throw you back in."

Who the fuck was this bitchy "warrior of God" doing talking to him like that? Fuck Cas-tee-el and his dumbass trench coat and abrasive motherfucking attitude.

Dean was done with this shit.

***

Wherein a monster of the week steals the essence of Castiel's vessel, so he must use Dean, recently raised from hell, as a vessel instead.

it is at this point i realize that there are more fics than i expected there to be on this list that involves a threesome with only two people/using the presence of a female body to act like what’s happening is heterosexual. deangirlism is a disease 

I Shall Not Want by domesticadventures (20k)

His grace is burning out, and the wasteland it leaves inside him becomes an echo chamber for all the memories, all the fear and doubt and self-loathing he's collected over the years. Things said and done hound him on endless repeat until he's convinced they’ll break through his skin and fill the silence of the bunker.

His head is killing him, and he sits hunched over an open book, not really reading, just digging his fingers into his skull and praying nothing slips through the cracks.

this one is GORGEOUS i love it so so much. dean and cas are both struggling so much to get by and they’re trying to support each other but fucking it up and they have to grow together and learn to cope with the fact that this is where their lives are and they fall in love i need everyone to read this

To Boldly Go by 8daysuntiltheapocalypseiguess (24k)

Title: Just One of Those Things Author: Impala67 Series: TOS Rating: M Summary: Four years into their five-year mission, and all the planets start to look the same.

In which Dean is not Gene Roddenberry, but he does write Star Trek fanfiction.

mx winchester writing star trek fanfiction to process his own trauma <3 this is a wip but it’s SO good and i also have not consumed a single piece of star trek media so it IS definitely readable to anyone who isn’t a star trek fan. please read this

where the weeds take root by deathbanjo (30k)

“Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”

this is on here just for the 1.5 people who were putting off this one like i did for no reason. it’s extremely good and it is just gentle. i enjoyed it a lot

Heroes for Ghosts by pantheon_of_discord (42k)

After Sam and Dean are arrested, Castiel is left alone and scrambling to find them. He knows they’re locked away in a government facility, and he’s still able to hear their prayers, but no matter how he tries Castiel can’t seem to track them. He chases leads and even attempts to hunt on his own, but Mary is AWOL, Crowley refuses to help, and Castiel’s options are running out.

Weeks pass, Castiel’s hope dwindles, and through it all Dean prays, keeping them connected. His voice is comforting, frustrating, and occasionally annoying, but in his solitude Castiel comes to cherish it. But then one day, without warning, Dean stops praying, and Castiel is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about his feelings.

yall ever wonder what it would’ve been like if the sam and dean arrest storyline in s12 was interesting? yeah <3

Teaching Poetry to Fish by aeli_kindara (52k)

In which Castiel teaches poetry to fish. Also, himself. Also, eventually, Dean.

(A series-long story, diverging slightly from canon after S14.)

cas learning about humanity through poetry before dean and thats what led to him developing enough emotion to be lobotomized....cas i love you so much

Emergence by ellispark (58k)

Something’s been missing from Dean’s life for the past three years, a void left after a hunt gone terribly wrong. He often feels a sense of longing with no discernible cause, a need to talk to someone who isn’t there.

A call from an acquaintance leads Dean to James Novak, a man who disappeared more than a decade ago, and suddenly Dean gets the feeling he’s found what he’s been missing. But James isn’t really James — he’s the angel Castiel, who’s wanted by angels, demons and hunters alike. And he may be at the center of the storm that wrecked Dean’s life all those years ago.

another cool amnesia fic!! for unknown reasons everyone forgot cas three years ago but cas didn’t forget anything. cas deserves so much love and support. god

a turn of the earth by microcomets (95k)

Dean’s your typical half-orphaned, monster-killing 22-year-old until a trenchcoated stranger crashes into his back windshield one September night, claiming he’s an angel that knows him from the future and that he’s on the run.

Frigging fantastic.

(Or, in which Castiel gets stuck in Dean’s timeline preseries and Dean kind of hates it—until he doesn’t.)

cas getting to meet and fall in love with pre hell dean just as much as he loves the dean he already knows oh my GOD. i love this fic so much. turn of the earth my beloved

Crossing Lines by sometimeswelose (122k)

Two Deans, one Cas - it's not as sexy as it sounds

Or

An ethics lesson from Hell

Or

The one where Dean from the past meets Dean in the present. They're not sure they like each other very much.

deans intense self hatred vs cas’ unwavering love for every version of dean oh my GOD also this is a wip fair warning but it’s so worth waiting for updates i’m having such a great time with this one i cannot wait to see how it gets ended

Plot Holes by saltyfeathers (160k)

Of course it wasn’t over after the apocalypse.

There was season six. Then there was season seven. Against all expectations, there was season eight. There were the alphas and purgatory, and then the Leviathans, and then the angels fell. Enter season nine. Loose threads Metatron, Abaddon, and Crowley have to be tied up. Sam, Dean, and Cas have to try to tie them while at the same time dealing with their evolving relationships and newfound graceless states.

Amidst all the chaos, someone has started publishing the Supernatural novels again. Convinced there’s something amiss in the pages, Charlie starts her own quest to suss out the truth behind the Winchester Gospels.

With the help of various faces, old and new, they must now not only deal with the typical runs of demons and recently fallen angels, but also reconcile the battles raging inside themselves, as the fate of the world, once again, quite literally lays in the palm of their hands.

saltyfeathers said i WILL make the plot holes in this show mean something because the showrunners are sure as shit never gonna adress them ! and i thank them for it bc this was a really cool read

Casefic/Roadtrip Fic

Deprived Of Every Planet by KelpietheThundergod (9k)

Dean's breathing is audible in the scant space between them, irregular. The motel room is dark, pale blue shadows falling in through the gaps in the blinds. Throwing a pattern of uneven white stripes over the bunched up covers. Over Dean's fingers twisted in the sheets. One half of him in shadow, softened by the dark. The heat of his skin. The tremble of him under Castiel's touch.

He caresses a hand over Dean's chest, slowly. Dean's mouth falls open, his body arching into Castiel's touch. Castiel stops over Dean's heart. Through the fever of his desire, he rejoices about the wonder of experiencing another's heartbeat through one's own senses.

Dean gasps, but then he turns his face away and towards the dark. Eyes closed tight and brows furrowed like something is hurting him.

Castiel stills.

“Dean?”

the case is background on this one but it Does take place over the course of a case so im putting it here. god touchstarved dean trying so hard to work through his shit for cas head in my hands i love this fic so much

before and after breakfast by spocklee (10k)

The monster of the week is a ghost who hates meat, alcohol, and feeling yourself. Guess who it is during the commercials.

chapter 2 of this one.....god. dean and cas you are both so unwell <3 i love everything abt this fic everyone read it now

we shovel all the ashes out by xylodemon (15k)

Dean’s always known things were headed this way. He just figured getting dragged under would be cleaner and easier than jumping in feet-first.

fics that make you go Oh they love each other...also there’s lesbians in it literally what else could you want.

thunder road by dothraki_shieldmaiden (20k)

After Chuck is defeated and the Winchesters settle into life without God, Dean Winchester is bored.

OR: Dean and Cas take a road trip and figure out some stuff along the way.

this fic is just like. it’s kind! this fic is kind it’s just a pleasant experience and i enjoyed it thoroughly. they’re in love and it’s good

Suck It, Judy Garland by GlitterDwarf, midrashic (20k)

It had to be St. Louis. Or, the one where Sam and Cas get fake married for a case, and Dean loses his mind.

actually im gonna defend dean here imagine youre dean and cas gives what definitely sounded like a deathbed love confession while making eye contact with you and then immediately afterwards fake dates your brother. who among us would not have been a bitch about this

best friends without benefits by lizbobjones (20k)

It’s nearing three a.m. and they’ve been on the road a long time. Sam’s been asleep in the back seat since eleven. Giving up and handing the wheel over to Cas and letting the guy who doesn’t sleep drive had seemed like a good idea.

the premise of this fic is so funny. cas voice dean you want to fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid. everyone read this

the taste of gravel in the mouth by deathbanjo (22k)

This is what Cas gave up Heaven for: greasy diner food, shitty motel rooms with even shittier cable, long car rides spent in complete silence except for the same six tapes playing over and over again, and a burnt-out husk of a man who can barely hold a conversation anymore.

alt version of getting rid of the mark of cain, the darkness never happens. this one is VERY heavy but it’s so good and it has a hopeful ending. ive read this one twice and loved it both times

Someone Who’s Feeling For Me by ellispark (45k)

Dean sees her for the first time in nearly six years in some no-name town in Idaho, and it's panic at first sight.

Lisa Braeden, the one woman Dean ever actually had a shot at a real life with, back from where he buried her in his mind. And her hand is on Cas's arm like it's no big deal, like it belongs there. Cas, Dean's dorky, sweet, badass, angelic best friend, and he's just standing there next to Lisa and not moving her hand away.

Dean feels the jealousy rising, and it's not directed where he expected it to be. Because it takes this exact moment for Dean to realize he's in love with his best friend. He's in love with his best friend, and Lisa is looking at Cas like he's the best thing since automatic rifles, and Dean is utterly fucked.

hello op please contact me. please contact me and let me see the inside of your brain. this fic was an unparalleled experience and everyone should also go through it. i love it so very much

Bumper Cars by mansikka (111k)

Two teenagers are missing from an abandoned carnival, and there’s enough to raise suspicion that their disappearance involves a ghost. Dean, Sam, and Cas arrive in town to investigate, though what they find leads them away from those teenagers, and on the trail of a ghost story that churns up things from their past.

Can newly-human Cas, and Dean, with the help of shipper!Sam, work out the mystery behind the abandoned carnival and its ghost, and along the way, figure out the riddle that is them?

one of my absolute fav case fics it forces dean to confront some aspects of johns parenting and work through some shit and also him and cas fall in love and it’s really well done. love this one a lot <3

Finale Fix-its/Finale Denial

Sorry Jimmy by K_K_TiBal (2.1k)

Based on the tumblr textpost:

jellydeans: so are cas and jimmy novak just up in heaven existing at the same time katebushstandean: #jimmy moves to heaven timbuku so that dean stops trying to make out with him every time they run into each other at the heaven grocery store

this one is just extremely funny. local midwestern heterosexual man is forced to play relationship counselor to the dumbest gay people in existence because one of them wore his face

Dean Winchester Really Needs To Make Some Gay Friends by AreYouReady (2.2k)

“Like, I’m trying to think if I’ve had, I don’t know, crushes. If I ever had a gay thing before you came along and just didn’t notice,” Dean said.

Cas suddenly looked down, and away from Dean. If Dean didn’t know better, he would swear Cas looked guilty.

“What is it, Cas?”

“You have had several… gay things before.” Cas still wouldn’t look at him.

“What? When? How come you know this better than I do?”

There was no way the answer to this question wasn’t funny as hell.

dean learning about gay ppl via the memories of dean smith...incredible.

tiny difference (between ending and starting to begin) by sunforgrace (2.4k)

Sometimes Dean catches Cas staring at the sky.

It doesn’t happen often. Not when Dean’s around to tell, anyway. But often enough that he starts to notice.

Eventually Dean starts to recognize the pattern.

Cas just doesn’t watch the sky. He watches the birds.

Chuck is gone, Cas is human, and the world is safe. In the quiet aftermath Dean and Castiel find each other again.

i really don’t have much to say abt this one it is just very good and they love each other so much

Bring Home by cenotaphy (3.8k)

Dean's phone doesn't ring on the drive back to the Bunker, but that's okay. Because—well, maybe Cas lost his cell, what with getting shuffled back and forth between a cosmic void dimension and all. And anyway, Dean doesn't want this conversation to happen over the phone, he wants to—he wants to talk to Cas face-to-face. They should talk face-to-face.

Dean will tell him—

Dean doesn't know what he'll tell Cas. Dean is, in fact, terrified by how utterly and completely he does not know what he'll say to Cas.

cas being forced to face the consequences of sending the risky text that was despair <3

dean’s coworkers vs the heteronormative agenda by cowboydeanwinchester (4.1k)

Dean started working at a local auto repair shop in Lebanon, Kansas about a year ago. His coworkers don't know much about him. Except that he has a wife. Or maybe he doesn't. But he has a kid. Who is either a toddler or a high schooler. Who is either named Jack or Sammy. He also might have a best friend named Cas, but that also might be his wife.

Truth is nobody knows what to make of Dean.

obsessed w people not knowing a single fucking thing about dean because he talks so much and never explains anything. this fic is SO funny

Enhanced Extraction Techniques by goldenraeofsun (5.8k)

The Empty takes Meg’s shape, Samandriel’s, Duma’s, every one of the thousands of angels Cas killed up in heaven. But in the middle of lecturing Cas in the form of Balthazar, it explodes in a burst of light and sound.

Dean Winchester stands in the aftermath.

the empty playing mind games on an awake cas bc it can’t put him to sleep is a thing i like a lot and this is very very good 

Speak Silence No More by rea_sunshine (8.1k)

When Dean imagined this moment, it went like this:

Dean bursts into the Empty—guns blazing, chin high, righteous anger coursing through him. No matter what form his plans and fantasies and whiskey-drunk-whispered-promises took, he is always, always successful. When he imagined it, he was finally the hero Cas deserved.

The reality of the moment is this:

It’s fucking cold.

dean and cas STILL managing to not communicate with each other properly after the confession is so funny to me and this fic does it really well. also i like that a human being in the empty, where humans do NOT belong, had some like. consequences

my heart is a compass by lagaudiere (10k)

“There you are,” the Empty says, in Dean’s voice. It’s cold, like Dean’s eyes are cold, his expression set in contempt. It’s the expression Cas feared, he realizes, all the times he thought about saying it. Revulsion. It makes him feel sick in the way that goes beyond physical, here where there is nothing physical left.

The moment before it happened had been so sweet it covered up all the hurt. For years, Cas had been holding back those words, biting down on his tongue to keep from saying them. And now he had said it, and he knew that it was good, knew that it was worth it. But on the other side there is only this.

--

In the Empty, Cas dreams of his regrets, until someone comes looking for him.

one of thee best dean rescues cas from the empty fics out there i love the way his memories are written i love how many of them were ones that this fic came up with to give me new things to have brainworms over instead of just making me more fixated on He Watched Him Rake Leaves than i already am

killing time by orestespdf (11k)

It's been four years since Dean saved Cas from the Empty and confessed his feelings in return, and in their Vermont lakehouse, the retired couple is now learning how to heal. One morning, Dean gives Cas a haircut.

(A character study of Castiel.)

perfect fic perfect fic no notes no complaints they love each other so much and now dean is giving cas a haircut and they’re spending the day together. god.

and every time we kiss, i swear i can fly by knameless (14k)

Every time, Dean tells himself it’s the last.

--

aka, twelve times dean and cas kiss.

a just boy best friends kiss for every season <3 mwah

for which no words exist by MediaWhore (14k)

'a prayer for which no words exist' // richard siken

"Dear Cas who art in my bathtub, give me the strength to be honest about how I feel. For your sake and for mine. Forgive me all the times I wasn’t in the past, all the words I should have said but didn’t. And please stay. Please stay with me when all is said and done. Amen. "

Dean rescues a newly human Cas from the Empty. That's the easy step.

mediawhore i am in LOVE with you oh my god this fic. this fic. dean taking care of cas after rescuing him dean wrapping cas in a blanket oh my GOD

swimming with the fish pond fish by februyuri (17k)

Some time between Dean bleeding out on a makeshift hook in a barn in Ohio and Sam making marshmallows on his funeral pyre, Dean was brought back to life. By Castiel. Again. Dean agreed to it if only to give Jack time to work out the glitches up top. So, now Dean’s back in the land of the living and things are ... actually good, for once.

Or, as good as they can be when demons are attacking Earth, Dean’s failing to get over why he died in the first place, and Cas is suddenly, inexplicably taking every opportunity to casually tell Dean that he loves him.

this is a wip! but it is so good and so worth the read i love it a lot and am very excited for the last chapter. it IS pretty heavy though dean has a LOT to work through

looking like a true survivor (feeling like a little kid) by courfeyrac (20k)

"Jack’s a clever kid—has been ever since he was born, maybe even before that—but Dean’s pretty sure he hasn’t figured out where they’re going yet. And Dean’s… Dean’s excited about it. He remembers planning surprises for Sammy when they were little—saving up quarters and sneaking off to the arcade the year he turned seven, or slipping a book Dean had seen Sammy admiring into his jacket before sprinting out of the store the year he turned twelve. There was only so much Dean could give him back then, hindered by lack of finances and transportation and a father who paid attention. Now, though, Dean’s got a wallet full of cash, a tank full of gas, and the freedom to give his kid the kind of birthday he deserves."

Or, it's Jack's fourth birthday, and the kid wants to go to Build-A-Bear.

EVERYONE READ THIS RIGHT NOW. that is not a request this fic undid me. oh my god. oh my god. they’re a family and they’re going to build a bear and they love each other. oh my god. also no it isn’t a baby jack fic he is 4 and he is also alcal

what’s missing is found (our souls can exhale now) by sobsicles (27k)

It's not the first time Claire has ever gone missing. It is, however, the first time Kaia panics about it. Dean's dragged into the mess, but he soon finds that it's the best thing that could have happened to him.

~~~

"But have you ever just met someone and maybe it wasn't from the first moment, maybe it was after all these other moments that meant more than you ever expected them to, and it seems like your soul just—just—" Kaia makes a helpless gesture with her hands, pushing out, and she breathes out loudly. "Like it can finally exhale. And that person isn't guaranteed to make you happy, but they're—they're important. You just know it, you can't even escape it, you can't let them go. Ever met someone like that, Dean?"

"I—" Dean halts, his mouth hanging open. He's looking at Kaia, who's looking at him, and his heart is fluttering in his throat like a caged bird aching to soar again. His mind threatens to spiral out of control, but he focuses, swallowing hard. "Yeah. Um. I—yeah, I have."

deancas AND dreamhunter we love to see it also dean DOES smoke weed with kaia and apologizes for pulling a gun on her what more could you want in a fic

Command Me To Be Well by prospopeya (28k)

Dean did a lot of thinking about when and how he would get Cas back. Months of it, actually, stretching into a year, because while Sam and Eileen were settling into their new lives, Dean was stuck. He was stuck in a faraway corner of the bunker, dark and empty and hollow, ringing with the sound of a vibrating phone.

So when he falls to his knees in that same room, exhausted, hurting, breathless, and he feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Cas, he realizes that he doesn't have a single clue about what to do now. Getting Cas out had been easy--actually, it'd been the opposite of that--but the planning of it, the methodical desperation of one attempt after the other had been a familiar rhythm. It'd been soothing almost, solid, something to focus on that wasn't Cas's eyes, watery and jubilant in a way Dean hadn't ever seen that up close on anyone, let alone Cas.

And now Cas is pulling him to his feet, and Dean's stumbling, and he instinctually grabs Cas's arm, and his hand lights up with a fire that he isn't prepared for.

"Hello, Dean."

oh post despair lack of communication....oh dean refusing to work through his feelings...this fic is incredible i love it everyone who enjoys dean doing everything in his power to avoid talking about feelings up to and including having sex with the guy who’s in love with him multiple times should read this

break the skin (to break the barriers) by sobsicles (29k)

The first time she meets him, he's nothing more than an almost-missed appointment.

SOBSICLES TATTOO FIC MY BELOVED. dean grieving and getting tattoos and it turns into tattoo therapy. im SO in love with mitzi it’s insane. requires some suspension of disbelief for how long a tattoo takes but it’s an incredible fic and an unparalleled experience. sobsicles does not miss

ascend by quiettewandering (53k)

Something in the world is wrong.

Demon activity is rising where mysterious black substance oozes and unusual ecological events are shaking the world. Dean, grief hanging on his shoulders, restlessly searches for answers that might lead him to the Empty… and to Cas.

But what Chuck wrote can’t be undone. The narrative thread pulls Dean along, forcing him to comply. Because once a story already has an ending, it can’t be rewritten.

Or can it?

SUPER cool concept i liked this a lot i’m pretty sure everyone’s read it already but just in case someone hasn’t you absolutely should

oh sooner or later it all comes down to faith by sobsicles (62k)

Getting used to Heaven is something of a marvel. It ain't perfect, and Dean thinks he'd hate it if it was, which is probably why it isn't.

~~~

"You don't understand," Dean whispers, exhaling shakily. "I know you don't, because even I don't. The instant you were gone, I wanted you back. Cas, I wanted you back. I wanted—I wanted—"

Cas stares at him, searching his face. After a moment, his own face falls slack, eyes widening just so. "Oh," he breathes out.

Dean wants to be furious that Cas has figured it out before he has—whatever it is—but he's not even that surprised. Cas knows him too well, always has, even more than Dean knows himself. He's been kicking Dean in the goddamn teeth with how deeply he understands him, even about the things Dean doesn't, ever since they first met. You don't think you deserve to be saved, that's what Cas had said. All bundled up in impossibilities and power, this being that looked at Dean Winchester and knew every single inch of him, as if he had a right to each part.

"What?" Dean grits out.

"I love you, too."

the ONLY heaven fic. i do not read heaven fics bc i refuse to budge in my finale denialism i refuse to read fic where it is accepted that dean dies. i was hesitant to read this but god im glad i did it was so good. literally the best possible outcome of dean dying

Endverse

final fantasy. by orange_crushed (1.9k)

“If I’d actually been born human, would I have gotten sick like everyone else? Would I be running around gnawing on the neighbors?” Castiel tilts his head up and even from here Dean can see the black ring of his pupils, wide and dark as dead stars. He’s high as fuck and he’s been loading the guns for forty-five minutes. He stares into the space where Dean is. He smiles and shows his teeth. “Maybe you’d have already put a bullet in my head.”

"This is why you don’t lead storytime anymore," Dean says. "This kind of shit."

endverse last night on earth fics are something that can be so personal actually. god

The Last Song by Moorishflower (3.5k)

The very last song is the Song of Solomon, and Castiel sings it only for Dean. Set in "The End."

this is like. pre endverse and the tone is so like. wistful? is the best word ive got? it’s gorgeous i love it but fair warning there is graphic description of like. viscera and infected wounds

to think that we could stay the same by cipherwriter (6.5k)

cas has all he needs; himself, his creation, and enough power to continue this cycle for a long time. he's fine. dean wants to take care of him anyway.

oh my GOD this one is good it’s based off the thing of how originally endverse cas was supposed to be just sitting in a room killing and resurrecting the same cockroach over and over. very bittersweet at some points i love it a lot, do not read it if youre looking for something happy though lmao

the first church at the end of the world by withbloodstainedclothingon (11k)

The angels don’t eat the brain. Only Croats do that.

this one is fucked but it’s incredible it contains very heavy and violent subject matter and cas is an Actual cult leader he doesn’t just have orgies it is SO well done and i had a great time reading it i recommend it very highly if the warnings sound like something you can stomach

Down to Agincourt by seperis (1.1 million. i know. yes it’s a wip)

There is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to war.

The outcome's known. Why try? Return your rusty sword to battered sheath, bow your head and bend your stubborn knee. Why take the field when you cannot win the war? But Harry -- he went down to Agincourt.

PLEASE. i know the length is intimidating i KNOW it’s a very long fic but please. please read down to agincourt i am begging you. head in my HANDS this series is incredible.

Non Supernatural AUS

Long-Term Relationship by bendingsignpost (2.7k)

Castiel says, budging over to make room for Dean on the couch, “I thought we should have a serious talk about our relationship.”

Reflexively, Dean laughs.

Castiel does not.

“Uh, Cas... you know we’re not dating, right?”

look man it’s bendingsignpost okay. it’s bendingsignpost it’s good and it’s sweet and you should read it

One White Lie by komodobits (11k)

Castiel takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. He doesn’t need to run through what he’s going to say – he’s already planned and edited and rehearsed it a thousand times. He is going to ask Dean Winchester out to dinner. If it’s not too forward, he’ll say, perfectly charming. You see, I’ve seen you around the neighbourhood and you always seem so earnest and I’d really like to get to know you bette— The door swings open, and Castiel panics.

He intends to excuse himself. He means to apologise and come back some other time. However, in a moment of blind fear, what comes out of his mouth instead are the words, “Could you spare a moment for Jesus Christ?”

do you ever pretend to be a jehovahs witness for months to hang out with the guy you like because you fucked up asking him out? yeah.

separate ways and sleeping dogs by sobsicles (53k)

Dean is three years sober when Cas comes back into town.

~~~

For a moment, they just stare at each other. Dean, once again, has to swallow the urge to offer to swallow something else. It's very hard to resist the gut-wrenching pull of want that hooks in his chest whenever he looks at Cas. And to think, he used to have him, used to be able to act on that want.

God, he's so fucking stupid.

Well, there's no point in kicking himself three years later for shit he can't change. He'll just sit right here and pretend that his fingers aren't twitching with the urge to reach out and touch. He can't do that anymore, and it's his own damn fault.

"Three years ago," Cas prompts.

Dean huffs a weak laugh. "Yeah. Eventful."

this fic hit me SO hard emotionally oh my god. don’t have much to say bc most of my thoughts on this fic are very personal but my god read this please

Everyone’s a Critic by Englandwouldfall (109k)

The one where uninspired chef Dean Winchester has a one night stand with the male (!) food critic who described the flavour of his garlic bread as 'closeted' and accidentally ends up dating him to try and prove that he's a kick ass chef, thank you very much.

(He may have a point about the 'closeted' thing).

this one is SO fun. dating the food critic who called your garlic bread closeted and lying about your career because you’re embarrassed and you want to redeem your food in his eyes but then you fall in love with him

Non Destiel Centric

gender? you mean that thing i have that pisses people off? by bigender dean winchester (homosexualitie) (946 words)

sam and dean paint each other's nails and dean abuses the technicalities of her gender. what more could you want? 

HELLO HE/SHE DEAN COMMUNITY oh my god the pure rush of euphoria reading this. oh my god. oh my god. 

the quiet road to a distant city by rottingbrains (1.2k)

Sam stares out the windshield again. They’re approaching a city, and she can see the lights in the distance. She’s past the danger zone, and she feels like the world around her reflects that in some way she can’t put into words- as if God is telling her that it’s okay. She did the right thing, and soon she will be past the lonely unknown and into the warm, forgiving light of acceptance. Or something. Come to think of it, the lights only look warm from far away, and she knows that the actual city will seem far less welcoming. Still. Best not to imagine the worst when it’s already going well.

required reading for transfem lesbian sam fans. fics that live in your ribcage to make your heart feel good

Four People Ruby Seduced & One She Actually Fell For (Or: Ruby's Epic Love Affair with Humanity in General and Sam in Specific) by tuesday (3.7k)

In which Ruby has a lot of sex, is not any kind of therapist that would be legal, and helps a few people out for her own reasons. (S4/S5 AU)

for everyone out there who enjoys ruby being a girlboss <3

Fractured Link by Trell (orphan_account) (5.5k)

Meg goes on, resolute despite the way Dean flinches, "He likes me. He likes me a lot, and I like him back, and that's probably good enough for both of us. But fuck me for saying so, Dean-o, he loves you, probably more than anything else on his daddy's green Earth, and you need to man up and give back what Clarence over there has been devoting to you for years."

this is meg/dean/cas which is not smth i really seek out but this was extremely good. set in s7 so it’s meg and dean and honey cas and it’s a lot of dean figuring his shit out and trying to forgive cas and i love meg a lot in this

#spn #supernatural #destiel #deancas #mine

[actualbird]

I got distracted reading 4-04 and 4-05 i totally forgot the actual thing i was supposed to ask you today, what are your thoughts on the kinds of shows the nxx team wouldve watched as kids growing up. MC and Luke have apparently watched animes and even dressed up as characters but i have this need to know the finer details. LIKE. WHAT DID YOU WATCH SPECIFICALLY?? And i remembered you said luke was the one who probably understood most of the terms zangr was saying so like?? Luke do you like these kinds of things?? -Marsh

MARSH, thank you so much for this ask and for the SPECIFIC WORDING "watched as kids growing up." because that makes me have to go back in time and thusly uncovering by far my favorite yet most under-utilized and never-brought-up detail of tears of themis:

the story of this game takes place in the year 2030

DO U HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUNNIER THIS MAKES SHIT???? AND ALSO HOW MUCH MORE SENSE STUFF MAKES??? let me explain myself by going thru all the boys one by one

luke pearce

YEAH HE SAID HE AND MC WERE RLLY INTO ANIME AS KIDS. luke pearce who is 24 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2018-2021. this period of time, anime started getting more and more accessible, most notably getting on netflix and stuff like this. so like all the anime on netflix rn? yeah luke's watched them.

though because i kin luke, imma say that his fave is fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood. ive got no characterization proof for this, i just want to give him this honor

additionally, luke is a HUUUUGE fan of the original Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle novels (ACD Sherlock) and i think this would have pushed him to watch like, just every popular sherlock media adaptation there is. he personally liked Elementary better than BBC Sherlock. he generally just gravitates to the adaptations that dont forget about the heart of all of the characters.

also also also, luke likes action movies ranging from "hey this is "good" to critics" to "this is a shit movie but MY GOD IS IT FUN!!!"

artem wing

artem wing who is 29 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2013-2016. but also artem is a MOVIE SNOB LMAOOO, hes That Guy with the Opinions On Film and you bet that his analytical ass was into just the most extra shit to watch those days because no teenager is chill, every teenager has some kind of ego, i dont know what movies he would have watched at that point to be the Smartest Teenager About Movies, but he sure did watch them

though artem also is very into sci-fi literature and 2013-2016 had a BUUUNCH of huge sci-fi movies. Pacific Rim, Gravity, Interstellar, Arrival. Arrival is deffo artem's fave, dont fight me on this, i can explain further but not in this answer bc it will get LOOONG LOL

artem also is into "classics" which uh. wait artem what do you Mean by that, what is a "classic" for somebody born in 2001??? i dont really know exactly what he means by "classics" so i just take it to mean he's a slut for period dramas which leads me to my closing point

"Once upon a time, when [Artem] was younger, around 17 years old, he pondered identifying as asexual or as one of the subsets under that term, but he put that aside after he first watched Pride and Prejudice (2005). He had then acquired a recurring fantasy in which he would be sensually accosted by Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in a secluded study after months of furtive, charged glances, lingering, split second touches, double entendres classily and subtly masked but still implying a repressed yet voracious—Moving on." -an excerpt from my comedy smut fic where artem goes thru a crisis. yeah. yeah. Pride and Prejudice dir. Joe Wright was his bisexual awakening.

MOVING ON!!

vyn richter

vyn richter who is 27 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2015-2018 but honestly that doesnt help me AT ALL LOL BECAUSE VYN IS A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.....

like honest to god i cant even imagine vyn as anything other than an adult KJBSJKFS (which is depressing, if i think about it more... but also what vyn would want, i assume he would hate for people to have known him as a child, imperfect and shunned.....which is ALSO DEPRESSING. VYN, U GOOD???)

okay yknow what im not studied enough in Vyn Richter Studies so i will come back to this once ive gotten more of his story and know more of his (what im theorizing to be a SHITASS TERRIBLE) childhood history. so vyn, i guess ur safe from me....ur safe FOR NOW, THAT IS....

marius von hagen

marius von hagen who is 21 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2021-2024. good fucking lord, marius was born in 2009 and that makes him so young that his Important Media Ages arent even DONE HAPPENING IN OUR CURRENT TIMELINE, JESUS....

2021 is an interesting era of entertainment because it is getting steadily more and more apparent that corporate greed is trying to swallow up good storytelling; movies and shows are made as fast food products to be consumed immediately and thrown away just as fast. there are smarter posts and articles talking about this, but my point here is that marius "believes SO MUCH in art and art's capability to make a difference" von hagen would HATE THIS SO MUCH and, through spite, get into a lot of indie medias that dont necessarily sell. smaller movies, tv shows that got cancelled way before they should have.

oh, hey, MARIUS WAS 12 YEARS OLD IN 2021, yeah he could have watched The Owl House and threw a fucking FIT when disne/y nerfed the show's third season. he has not forgiven and he has not forgotten.

regardless of his age, marius, at some point in his teens watches Vincent and the Doctor (s5 e10 from Doctor Who). for those who dont know this episode, it involves Vincent Van Gogh and a bunch of sci-fi stuff but, at the end, a scene where Van Gogh is taken to the future and shown the impact his art has made on people. please watch it, if you havent it, it's very good and no words can do the experience justice.

anyway yeah marius watches it and it makes him FUCKING SOB

yeah so these are my takes kdjbfdsjfs

#tears of themis #luke pearce #artem wing #vyn richter #marius von hagen #hc

[chibinightowl]

in all seriousness, how can one break into the jaytim fanfiction scene? from my perspective, there are a handful of established authors for the pairing, and they’re all great, so i’m not trying to say that they don’t deserve recognition and only get hits bc they’ve been around for years, but it seems like they’re such a long-standing and integral part of the pairing fandom that readers tend to gravitate towards their work and not others. so, it feels like newer authors struggle to even get a chance. thoughts? advice?

Hello!

This is quite the ask and, honestly, a very thought-provoking one.

When I first started writing fanfic back in...2016? (I think was around there) I started because I needed an escape from the hellscape my real life had become. It was also free, which was even more important since funds were tight. I didn't know anyone in fandom. I'd never participated in fandom. I was a complete unknown. But what I wrote, I wrote it for ME. I wrote what I wanted to read and that is something I still hold true to this day. And guess what? Apparently what I wanted to read were things other people wanted to read too.

I started as a gen-fic writer (who remembers Myth-Bats?) but I'd been reading a ton of slash. I knew what ships I liked, I knew what I didn't like, and so I eventually dipped my toe into JayTim.

I wish I could say there's some magic formula, but there really isn't. I'm lucky in the fact that I've been a huge reader of many different genres over the course of my life (I was in my mid 30s when I started writing fanfic, so do the math to where I am now) and that I also technically write for a living. I know what clean and professional business writing looks like, but trying to get that to translate into fanfic? There's a reason my fics are heavy on plot rather than scene building and description.

I do remember reading and rereading fics by my favorite fan writers and trying to pick apart what it was they did (hell, I still do it even today) to see if I could emulate that in some way because I just didn't like my style and wanted to see if I could change it. It took awhile, but eventually I found my own voice.

I know an incredible writer who has the most intricate and dramatic plots, who has a real flare for settings and world-building and character development and dialogue. Every time we talk, I'm just in awe that I have a personal friendship with her now. But guess what? She writes in 1st Person which is a turnoff for so many people. She's one the best writers I know and she and I have had many talks about why she doesn't get the kudos or hits that I do. It's depressing. It's gotten her down on more than one occasion.

But she keeps going because SHE likes what she writes and if it happens to resonate with a few people, then guess what? At least she's got a small, but dedicated group of readers.

For you, nony, I wish there was more I could offer to help beyond write what you want to read and write what you know/like. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself and don't be afraid to grow. Do what you're doing now and talk to the writers you like. Ask us questions about our fics and why we did this or that, especially if it seems very counter-intuitive to how you'd have done it. Sometimes the rationale might just be to subvert a trope, but there could be other reasons that might not only surprise you, but also give you something to really think about. I can't even begin to tell you how much of myself and my life experiences go into my writing. It's not always obvious (which is on purpose), but I really think it's touches like those that make a story more interesting.

If you are interacting in the JayTim fandom, then you know already that we might be small, but we're incredibly supportive of each other. If you aren't interacting, then come on in. The water's fine and there's a lot of us here who'd love to listen to your ideas and help spin them into a great story. Discord seems to be the place to be these days for fandom. I know the JayTim channel on the Capes & Coffee server (a Tim Drake server started by @shmoo92) is very active and, if you're at least 18, I've got a JayTim server of my own that I run. Please feel free to DM me here if you'd like a link to either one.

I hope this helps! Good luck and don't stop writing!

#chibi's asks #long reply

[thosch3i]

Hi hi! So the lost tombs and chronology all super confuse me. So tlt2 ended on a cliffhanger that was not resolved by tlt3 which is ultimate note, but now there is another tlt3 that I am guessing is made by the same studio as tlt2 (but not UN) that actually follows tlt2? And it has the same WPZ as tlt2 (but sadly different WX, ZQL though I’m sure these guys are great). You seem to know what you’re talking about so I’m hoping you can help!

UN also ended on a cliff hanger so I’m wondering if they’ll get a sequel from their studio that comes before tomb of the sea.

ahhh hello anon! yes ahaha the dmbj dramas are certainly very confusing--because they keep switching the screenwriters/entire production team between dramas. huanrui did tlt1 (2015), tlt2 (2019), and the sequel to tlt2 (2021). they're also technically the production company for un (2020), but linghe did like all the directing/casting/writing so its significantly different in tone and quality from the other dramas huanrui produced. npss (dmbj author) did sha hai (2018) and tltr (2020), with sha hai being in collab with linghe, so you can see lots of parallels with un and shared cast. (gonna add that i dont know much about the m9 because that’s not what im personally interested in, so i’m only going by stories with wu xie & the iron triangle.)

unfortunately, the dramas pretty have no continuity as a result of all the weird shit and multiple studios doing different dramas and messy stuff going on behind the scenes. the author's production company currently has all the rights back for filming future dramas, which is......imo, a good thing for book fans who love the author but a 😬 thing for book fans who like the original story more than what the author is now doing with it. I'll uh avoid saying too much opinion stuff though so no more on that 😅

that aside! yes 云顶天宫 “explore with the note” part 2......is the direct sequel to tlt2 and done by the same studio. unfortunately the writers are different and im not sure how much of the production team is the same either. idk how much you know about the novels so brief summary here--for the chinese version, the main story has 9 parts split among 8 books (though the official eng tls have each part being a different book) with some important content being as follows:

official eng title “cavern of blood zombies” (first time wx goes into a tomb, first t3j meeting)

official eng title “angry sea, hidden sands” (xisha seabed tomb, introduce a-ning)

official eng title “bronze tree of death” (bronze tree in qinling, wx & lao yang solo adventure)

official eng title “palace of doom” (heavenly palace on the clouds, introduce bronze gate)

official eng title “deadly desert winds” (golmud, introduce hei xiazi, desert, rainforest, tamutuo)

official eng title “graveyard of a queen” (the rest of that arc, wu sanxing & xie lianhuan reveal, jade meteorite, amnesiac xiaoge and escape, sanshu vanishes for good--also i think the official eng tl covers a couple chapters of the beginning of the next part too)

阴山古楼 (searching for xiaoge’s memories in banai, miluotuo cave, i think introduction of wu erbai)

邛笼石影 (auction/hotel iron triangle fight, introduce xiao hua & xiuxiu, wx & xh on the mountains alone while pz & xg go with granny huo)

finale (rescue from zhang family mansion, changbai mountain goodbye, 10 years promise)

after the main story are the main sequels:

zang hai hua (tibetan sea flower; unfinished & abandoned) covers wu xie a few years after xiaoge has entered the gate, searching to understand xiaoge’s past

sha hai (tomb of the sea; unfinished & abandoned) covers wu xie’s plan to wipe out the wang family, after zhh

chongqi (reunion: the sound of the providence) covers wu xie’s lung disease and how he recovers from that, set after they pick up xiaoge again from the bronze gate. thunder city and everything.

灯海寻尸&万山极夜 (still updating on wechat) don’t worry about this one since it’s still a WIP lol

btw between sha hai and chongqi there’s also ten years later (a short story) that covers how wu xie and pangzi pick up xiaoge from the bronze gate and take him home

the dramas Do Not Connect To Each Other At All, which the exception of tlt2 & tlt2 pt2 somewhat, but they go in this order:

盗墓笔记 / the lost tomb 1 (2015): covers part 1 but with major OCs and filler, and includes the auction scene from part 8 for some reason, so introduces xiao hua early.

怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 / the lost tomb 2 (2019) technically “explore with the note”: covers parts 2 & 3 but with major OCs and filler, introduces xiao hua & xiuxiu (and hei xiazi briefly) early. last couple episodes also cover the beginning of part 4. not a direct sequel to tlt1 despite being done by the same studio.

云顶天宫 / heavenly palace on the clouds (2021) technically also “explore with the note”: covers part 4 with major OCs and filler (and the same changes carrying over from tlt2). some episodes are identical to the last couple episodes of tlt2. works as a direct sequel only if you ignore the last couple episodes of tlt2 that take place in the snowy mountains. (those episodes of tlt2 were filmed after this drama was filmed, and im still not sure why they dragged the wu xie and xiaoge from tlt2 back to changbai mountain to film those episodes.)

终极笔记 / ultimate note (2020): covers parts 5-8 with minor OCs and minimal filler, also introduces xiao hua & xiuxiu early. the only adaptation that resembles its source material most of the time.

沙海 / tomb of the sea (2018): covers the second sequel with major OCs and filler. includes some bits from zhh and the short story “three days of silence”.

重启之极海听雷 / the lost tomb reboot (2020): covers third sequel with major OCs and filler.

in addition there is the prequel series mystic nine (2016) and side movies for the dramas that the author produced. there is also a single standalone movie--time raiders (2016) that is....well it’s. very strange. it’s fully subbed on youtube if you��re interested?

the best way to watch the dramas is to assume each one is its own self-contained AU set along different points of the dmbj timeline because even the dramas the author himself worked on don’t have continuity LOL (and with the exception of ultimate note & sha hai most of the time, also assume most characters are pretty OOC from the novels).

i uh regret to inform you though, that ultimate note will not be getting a sequel unless the author magically decides to not care about making money anymore and sells the rights to film the finale to linghe or something ^^;;;; it’s....unfortunate bc un is the most highly-rated dmbj adaptation on douban by A Lot, but it’s an adaptation that the author had literally nothing to do with whatsoever.

more information on some of the side movies/stage plays/manhua/donghua here.

summaries of the main novel stories (currently through zhh) here.

edited mtl (some of which has apparently been looked over by native cn speakers) of the novels following where official eng tls end here. (there are many scattered extras as well.)

you can get the official eng tl books/ebooks on amazon or elsewhere(?), but if you have problems purchasing them or like you just dont wanna support amazon or something, dm me off anon. (also i dont want to be mean but frankly the official tls are kinda bad too ^^;;;)

a rough timeline (spoilers galore) for the dmbj novels here. (fair warning im not 100% sure how accurate all of this is--they put three days of silence as 1991 but looking at the info in zhh, it seems like it should have been before the 1950s...but it’s more than fine as a general overview.)

anyway i hope that was helpful in some way? dmbj is a Very Confusing thing to get into ahahaha, one of my twitter mutuals has made a few carrds if you think they might be helpful: book, dramas (slightly out of date bc it says heavenly palace hasn’t aired yet), ultimate note (got its own carrd by virtue of being the only adaptation aside from sha hai sometimes that most og book fans acknowledge lol ^^;;;)

also anon if anything wasn’t clear or if you had more questions feel free to ask again sorry ahahaha im kinda tired rn @.@ 

#dmbj #shouting into the void #ask #anon #....im kinda tired bc i just finished watching ydtg so i hope that doesnt come across *too much* in this post LOL #and its probably obvious which adaptation im biased towards but after reading the novels i cant really help it

[incorrectqus]

Popular DC Characters and Their Canon Religions

(Thought about doing this bc I thought it would be cool and interesting to do plus I’m still obsessed with gradient text)

(Also these are based off the Prime Earth or New Earth Versions of the characters)

(And there are a lot of characters who aren’t on this list bc they have no confirmed religion)

Edit: I re-did this with evidence directly from comics as to the character’s religion.

Batwoman (Katherine Kane) Jewish

The Kane’s are implied to be part of the Reform Judaism branch of Judaism. more evidence to her being Jewish is in DC Infinite Holiday Special (2006) we see her celebrating Hanukkah with her girlfriend, Renee. In Detective Comics #854, #858 and in Batwoman #7 you can find more evidence of her being Jewish.

Batman (Bruce Wayne) Atheist

He grew up Christian with his father, Thomas Wayne, being a big influence, but his mother, Martha Wayne was Jewish. Batman in issue Batman #30-#33 (written by Tom King) has it confirmed that he doesn’t believe in a God. Also in Justice League (2016) in #23 its also confirmed he’s an Atheist.

Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Christian

In Wonder Woman #34 Wonder Woman asks Black Canary directly if she’s Christian and she says “Yeah, I mean it's complicated, but sure.”

Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) Christian

It’s assumed he’s Christian as in Blue Beetle (Volume 7) #9 there is an imagine of Jesus in his house and in Blue Beetle (Volume 7) #21 Alberto mentions going to church with him.

Booster Gold (Michael Carter) Atheist

My favorite boi has openly admitted to being atheist in Justice League International Annual #2.

Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour) Muslim

He’s an Egyptian-American and both of his parents are Muslim and it has been confirmed by DC that he also follows Islam.

Doctor Fate (Eric Strauss) Jewish

He was mostly raised by his Jewish step-mother Linda Strauss and therefore it’s assumed that he also follows and believes Judaism.

Dove (Wiley Wolverman) Atheist

In Hawke and Dove (Volume 4) #4 it’s stated he doesn’t believe in God.

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (Christian on New Earth) (Jewish/Christian on Prime Earth)

So it’s been stated that Hal is Christian, but when Prime Earth came along he had adjustments to his background and we got a glimpse of his father, Martin Jordan, who was Catholic, and his mother, Jessica Jordan, who was Jewish and them celebrating Hanukkah. In current comics it’s shown that Hal believes in God, but whether that is the Jewish or Christian God is up to interpretation.

Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz) Atheist

In Green Lantern #42 we see Jessica and Simon’s religion clash and its confirmed that she is Atheist.

Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) Christian

In the Omega Men series we see Kyle Rayner reference back to his Catholic mother and in turn he speaks of following that faith and he even prays on several occasions.

Green Lantern (Simon Baz) Muslim

In Green Lantern #42 we see Jessica and Simon’s religion clash and its confirmed that he is Muslim.

Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) Jewish

There have been references to her being Jewish since her first comic with celebrating Hanukkah, but she was finally confirmed to be Jewish in Gotham City Sirens #7.

Huntress (Helena Bertenelli) Christian

Her backstory states she comes form an Italian Catholic family as well as the fact she has a cross on her costume.

Joker Atheist

Guy hates God and Gods and any higher power as well as doesn’t believe in them even though he’s met a few. Plus with all the sad backstories he has I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost his faith before becoming the Joker.

Lex Luthor (Alexander Luthor) Atheist

He was written during the Cold War and many villains were actually written to be atheists to basically see them as even more evil. Plus the guys ego is too big to believe in anything more powerful than himself.

Mister Freeze (Victor Fries) Atheist

In Outsiders (Volume 4) #21 its confirmed he’s an atheist as he says he doesn't believe in an afterlife.

Mister Terrific (Michael Holt) Atheist

In Infinite Crisis #5 it’s confirmed that he’s an atheist and doesn’t believe in anyone, but himself and his team.

Red Robin (Timothy Drake) Atheist

Confirmed in a Red Robin #22 he says he doesn’t believe in a higher power(s).

Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) Raoist

Easily explainable as she grew up on Krypton and follows it’s religion.

Superman (Clark Kent) Christian 

He was created by two Jewish guys, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. He was raised by two Midwestern Methodists, Martha Kent and Jonathan Kent, and therefore follows their religion

Bonus:

The Flash (Barry Allen) Jewish in the DCEU

Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) Buddhist during Flashpoint Timeline

Johnny Thunder (John Tane) Mormon only Mormon DC Comics character

Red Hood (Jason Todd) Christian during Flashpoint Timeline (so all those fanfics with Priest Jason maybe coming from somewhere)

Also Raoism (Rao-Orthodox) is the Kryptonian religion based on the god Rao. The religion has like 14 major deities, 200+ demigods and 1000+ titans. And one of their major deities name is Nightwing...guess where Dick’s name came from?

#dc comics #batman #harley quinn #justice league #supergirl #superman #red hood #green lantern #green lantern corps #black canary #blue beetle #red robin #mister terrific #mister freeze #joker #doctor fate #cyborg #booster gold #batwoman

[morethanonepage]

first lines meme

List the first lines of your last 20 stories. See if there are any patterns and choose your favorite opening line!

tagged by @aimmyarrowshigh; boy this has the potential to be embarrassing, to go back 20 stories i’ll be in 2016 again i think? let’s see (note from the future: back to january 2018, which is still -- a fair bit ago lmfao. plus the ultimate shame of TWO uncompleted WIPs on this list, oh boy).

(i’m also going to be generous about ‘opening line’ and expand it to like. i mean opening more than one sentence, but still opening line in the sense of, before the first paragraph break? if that makes sense)

1. "If I die up here," John grumbles from behind him.  "I'm gonna to haunt your arse."

ugh, cringe, but in my defense this was a prompt from an ask meme that i didn’t actually end up linking to bc i was waiting to finish the other ask prompts and then i didn’t blah blah blah anyway i did rejigger it a little to uh. fit more with john’s cadence but even then like. does it??? no.

2. The bed sags as he drops onto it. It's been months since it’s been slept on; closer to a year, actually, if he thinks about it. He tries not to.

lmfao at how many of my fics start w characters either getting into bed or waking up. also just. sleepiness is probably the biggest theme within my ~art

3. The light is warm on his face but it burns his eyes as he gropes around the room, hands sliding on smooth, cold walls. He turns away from the glare, but feels it anyway, hot across his neck, seeping into his skin. 

this is interesting (to me at least) bc it’s part of my ongoing uncertainty of how to depict dream sequences in fic -- the debate for me is always, do i want it to be immediately obvious to the reader that this is a dream/something different from the main narrative, as denoted by the italics, or do i want to like. suggest the experience of actually being in a dream, which is that sometimes you don’t immediately realize it’s a dream. 

with this fic, bc i was starting with the dream, i guess i wanted to make it obvious something was up so people wouldn’t get turned off at the kind of vague, hazy description/weirdness and keep reading till they hit the actual solid narrative?

4. “John?”

obviously this is my favorite opening line of all time. the creativity, my god!

5. “It’s not working,” Chas hears himself point out, as John scowls and tosses the amulet he’s been spinning over a dusty gas station map at the wall.

always love an in media res opening line

god i really need to finish this fic i’m so disappointed in myself, not ONCE have i ever been able to finish a WIP if i start posting it before i’m done, but i never learn!!!!

6.  A gunshot,  from behind him — from behind where he’d been — and then the thud of impact, and a scream.

another in media res start! it’s just -- part of how i write plottier stuff, i.e., by writing as little as possible like buildup and detail, so i can mostly avoid having to come up with buildup and detail, bc i’m lazy and bad at it lmfao

7. “So what did you think?” Poe said, over his shoulder, as Finn’s eyes slid away from the large photograph of Spiderman’s ass which graced the wall in front of the descending escalator.

s/o to the weird spider-man butt mural at the Regal Union Square, it’s been way too long since i’ve seen you in person </3 

(obviously this fic is kind of a romcom vibe so i thought starting with a joke (or at least. an attempt at humor) made sense.

8. “Are you…” a kiss to the back of John's neck, fervent and wet, more than a little guilty; the thrusts of his hips don’t stop, but they do slow, to a wrenching, unsteady rhythm. “Are you okay? Am I…” another kiss, and a soft, snuffling sound by John’s ear. “Am I hurting you?"  

aw, snuffling. 

anyway. i always feel a LITTLE cringey having the first line of a fic be so obviously mid sex scene bc idk, it’s kind of an abrupt thing to walk in on, as a reader, but this was meant to be kind of an awks moment and kind of an awks hook up in general so i felt like that abruptness was appropriate. also the contrast between the beginning of this fic being like, a fairly explicit sex scene and the last scene being (as always) cute sleepy cuddles was some kind of point, idk.

(this was also an interesting opening scene in general bc the game of it was, how obvious to make it that it’s chas without actually using his name)

9.  He knocks on the door.

lol boring!!! this is right up there with a character waking up in the morning in terms of unoriginal/obvious starting lines. but sometimes you’re just being a basic bitch and well i’m often a basic bitch

10. John is next to him. Still asleep, a few inches away. Breathing soft and steady, shoulders loose, the beginning of a bruise blossoming on the side of his neck. Curled up, radiating satisfied warmth even though they aren’t quite touching.

what did i tell you!!! waking up in the morning, basic shit. obviously thematically the fic is about uh the relationship progressing from that distance to like, no distance (ending, as it does, with sleepy cuddles) so it’s a very basic fic, so why not have a very basic start

11.  “What’d he say?”

not much to say here except again w/ the in media res, but it’s a shame this fic doesn’t have a punchier opening bc it’s genuinely one of my favs

12.  Chas stretches — tucks his left elbow around his right, and pulls his right arm against his chest; reverses it, left hand coming perilously close to John’s chest as he does. 

this is just setting up a chas chandler thirst fic so that’s. mostly what it is.

13. John, half-awake and blissfully warm, feels the bed shift.

see??? another waking up in the morning opener lmfao. i’ve actively stopped starting fics this way, it just feels a little...easy?

14. There’s a light on in the living room when he gets home.

FAIRLY unexceptional but i do like the implications of coziness and domesticity here -- the idea of someone waiting for you, y’know? and ultimately that is kind of the point of the fic -- that john is/does wait for him to come back. anyway that’s another of my fav john/chas tropes obviously

15. “Come here often?”  

CRINGE but again. to be fair. this was meant to be chas doing a really lazy pick up line as a joke, so. 

16. COMING THIS FALL, screams the billboard above the subway entrance, in not-quite fluorescent blue letters that are still somehow reminiscent of Tron. AMADI AND KINGSLEY, across the bottom. The rest of the poster is a futuristic kind of grey, the image of a long corridor with a frosted glass door beyond, with the words THURSDAY NEXT scrawled across.

this is mostly a lot of set up for stuff - that it’s set in NYC vs London (i mean obviously, from being Washington Square); that it’s a futuristic kind of movie (which is based on the movie Anna’s promoting at the beginning of notting hill); that it’s taking place before fall (late summer i think); finn and rey’s last names in this fic 

(i went around and around on finn’s last name -- figuring, in the end, that i wanted him to be really obviously Nigerian, though now i wonder if i should’ve -- john boyega vs John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega style -- made it a slightly ~easier version of a much more ~foreign name, to really play up the assimilation aspect necessary to succeed in hollywood etc etc. rey’s last name is a play off Kiera Knightley, as that’s the kind of actress mold i saw her in, though rey kinsgley is also just objectively funny to me bc it’s like, Royalty Royalty, isn’t it)

the other thing i wish is that i’d come up with a better sci fi movie name but i think it’s legit one of the last things i came up with for this fic which means at that point i just wanted to post it and be done with the whole thing.

anyway as a more plotty longfic, this was supposed to be more of a traditional first line in the sense of, abrupt and confusing but in a way that was intriguing like -- who are these people? what is this movie? who’s seeing the poster? etc.

17. “Really?"

the contrast between this opening and #16 is making me laugh but that’s just like, my thing of mostly writing short fic i guess. with short fic, it makes sense to start with quick dialogue exchanges, and i like to do it without dialogue tags, even, almost as a flex -- how long can i get away without not identifying the speaker directly but making it obvious who the person speaking is, by virtue of dialogue alone? 

18. "Can tie me up if you’d like,” John says, too loud, in something of a rush.

getting right to the point on this one lmfao

19. Chas is a sound sleeper.

not much to say here aside from this being one of the earliest john/chas in bed, waking up/watching the other sleep fics. one of my favorite tropes apparently

20. He left the debrief with his head pounding from sheer frustration and his jaw aching from the effort of keeping his mouth shut. Military discipline and respect for General Organa was one thing; having to justify perfectly reasonable actions taken in pursuit of doing his job was another.

UGH just serves me right to have this OTHER unfinished WIP show up here. genuinely speaking i think this is kind of a boring opening -- it’s doing too much/trying to hard to like, establish context which IS kind of relevant (the set up for poe being like, stressed out => finn making a move to help ~relax him) but it just feels a little too...much for me. very unsubtle.

TAKEAWAYS: like 5 of these (25%!!) are setting things in bed right before or after a character wakes up!!! if there’s a unifying theme of my writing i guess it’s that i’m really just very tired all of the time huh.

anyway idk if i have a favorite, they’re all mostly just. functional i guess? i don’t think opening (or closing) lines are my strong suit tbh. 

#like do i even HAVE a strong suit? i mostly just see myself as a #decently competent but not exceptional writer #but anyway here we are #first lines meme

[jimines]

ok checked answered ones here hehehhee 9 27 41 42 48 49

omg its karina the love of my life😮🤲❤️

9. What/Who inspired you to start making gifs?

I think I had always kinda wanted to come back to tumblr and gif and stuff basically since i left in 2018. i had left back then bc the show my blog was dedicated to was cancelled and i didnt have any other fixations or interests to focus on after that. i think finding bts is what really pushed me to come back to tumblr at first, and then i'd say just seeing all the pretty gifs and how tumblr had noticeably changed its settings and how much gif-making had evolved kinda pulled me back into creating. i really, as im sure most of us did, hated old tumblr gif optimization and quality😭

27. Have you ever made a set, decided you hated it and deleted it? If so, what was it?

I think i've done this maybe 3 or 4 times, but i can't remember what they were😭😭 probably all just like shitty quality interview gifs or something LMAO they always look good BEFORE i post them hlsfdkjghksjdfh

41. What is your least favourite part about your gif making process?

honestly, i'd have to say vapoursynth. it's just so BIPOLAR with me sometimes. like making the psd for a 540x540+ gif with like 120 frames can, on a good day, take less than a minute, but then other times it takes 10mins or more and my laptop screams at me😭 my second least favourite is when i have to use camera raw filter and so a set of even just 3 gifs takes 3h to export😭😭 which is why its my ultimate nemesis

42. How is your gif folder organized? Is it organized at all?

...people have gif folders?👁️👄👁️ i mean.. i have like a psd folder but that's just for the times im unexpectedly tagged in those colouring before/after games LMAO i think the first time i was tagged in it i literally went and redid all the colourings and had to make them match the posts ldhfgkjdhfskg but that folder.... she is not organized even the slightest, i just throw psds in there willy nilly😭

48. How would you describe your giffing style?

glkjdsfhgkjdf at the moment, i don't see myself with a specific style, like i know many creators have a very established style and it stands out, but i don't think im there yet. i guess a couple common trends with my gifs is warm colouring and smoothness but thats about it haha

49. How much would you say you've improved since you first started giffing?

A LOT. LMAO, this is why i pretend not to see any of my gifs before late May 2021 and i deleted all my old old ones. I had no idea what anything did, especially back when i was first creating in 2016. I literally used like three adjustments and it was like brightness/contrast, vibrance/saturation, and maybe selective colour BAH now i'm more educated and my colourings have become much more complex and thank god bc my old gifs are just asdhldfkjhkdjh an eyesore😭😭

send me a number from this list of questions for gif-makers🌻

#karina🌹 #replied💌

[marrys-dream-world]

About Chloe, anon doesn't think her fans are EVER going to acknowledge how mean she actually is, and there's a reason for that: Tumblr "Woke" culture is based on Karl Marx's "conflict theory", where all conflict is between The Oppressors (men, white people, adults, etc.) and The Oppressed (women, black people, kids, etc.). Here's the key: both teenagers and girls are classified as Oppressed, so Tumblr fandoms can't allow teenagers to actually be monsters, because The Oppressed Can Never Be Evil.

Hi, anon, I let this ask stew a little cause I wanted to think about it a bit.

Sooo… I see your point, I really do, but I kinda do disagree with you. I don’t think the fandom immediately latches on “the oppressed” and become character apologists. Lila is a woc and the fandom loves to write fanfic of her completely humiliated and ruined for the rest of her life. Sure, she’s a villain and all, it’s just that people go a little too far (in my opinion) and her being a teenage girl of color doesn’t stop anyone. (Hell, Kagami is awesome and she still gets an incredible amount of hate for… *checks notes* being 14 and liking a boy). Your theory is just too simple, I think it’s something else: people like a character and, because of purity culture, they think they can’t stan a character without them being Completely Good™.

I was in the ML fandom in 2016 and there just weren’t Chloé apologists around (if there were, they were few because I didn’t see any and I was on tumblr and AO3 a lot). Sure, people liked Chloé back then and some were very invested in writing redemption arcs for her in fics. However, they rarely set aside the things she did or even that she deserved an arc like that. We were already aware something was going on with Chloé’s mom and a lot were sympathetic, we just didn’t let the things she did go. When I came back to the fandom in the beginning of season 4 (I had only heavily participated in the fandom during season 1 and a few episodes of season 2), I was surprised at her fans saying she was robbed of a redemption arc.

I can only guess that Chloé got sympathizers after we met her mother and started her redemption arc and that’s fair enough. The problem is: Chloé got a little better, but she was still mean and arrogant and seemed to sincerely believe that she deserved to use the bee miraculous. Most of her development didn’t seem to stick around and yeah, we could say that’s because the show is inconsistent. Still, it doesn’t seem so. Chloé’s arc is still going on, only stronger than ever (without the Queen Bee crutch), and Season 4 proved it (Queen Banana is right there). So saying that her arc was ruined and that she wasn’t that bad is flat out lying.

Anon, I'm sure you said it in your complementary ask (that’ll answer separately bc I want to talk about fanworks too) because you KNEW that I would bring it up, but I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna talk about B/akugou. He’s the epitome of privilege in the world of b/nha. He has a great quirk that allowed him to get away with everything he did with Izuku, he’s a man and he’s seemingly wealthy. Yet, a lot of the fandom still bends over backwards to defend him and leave his victim to rot (or say stuff like “I/zuku is a K/acchan stan :3”, like, Fuyumi isn’t angry with End*avor and we can still be angry for her but not with B/akugou for I/zuku? And it’s like they don’t know how trauma works smh). They act like 10 years of bullying is not that serious. I’ve seen a baku///deku fan that said B/akugou’s suicide baiting I/zuku in the first chapter wasn’t a big deal because they didn’t have a real bully/victim relationship. I wish I could unsee that.

(Yes, I’m aware of what’s happening in the manga and I still think his arc sucks <3. Nobody come in my inbox with B/akugou defenses)

Chloé is just like that. She’s really privileged in the world of ML, like B/akugou is in the world of b/nha. So I don’t think it’s a problem of the fandom defending who they see as the oppressed, they’ll cherry pick what they like most and defend anyways. It’s just a thing that happens and it’s not exclusive to any media. Watch any kpop fandom react when they faves get accused of bullying, suddenly the victim is an attention-seeker wh*re. In book fandom too, one my friend recommended me has the male romantic interest torture the protagonist on screen and the fandom is completely in love with him.

Bottom line: the fans will just defend who they like best, they don’t have a formula for who they choose.

(This post isn’t anti-Chloé bc I like her character and her place in the narrative, some fans just piss me off, specifically. This is anti-b/akugou though. Chloé’s ongoing redemption arc >>>>>> B/akugou's redemption arc. Maybe I’ll explain this someday, I don’t know.)

#thanks for this ask anon i LOVED the opportunity to rant about this #probably will some more someday #feel free to ask anything else about this idk #ml fandom critical #anti bakugou #miraculous ladybug #marry answers