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thepokyone · 6 years

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Superwholock Extravaganza: Dean Edition

Gif not mine

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Content/Warnings: fluff, humor, angst

Words: 3150

A/N: Happy Halloween, everyone! I have something really special for you guys today! Not one, not two, not three, but four awesome fics, four different pairings, same theme: Superwholock! Each fic will involve a different pairing that will be released throughout the day. First up: Dean Winchester! Enjoy, guys, and have a spooky Halloween!

...two may end up coming out tomorrow, depending on how much I’m able to finish.

Episode 1: The Empty Soldiers

“I can’t believe we’re in London!” You gushed, staring in awe at the sights around you. As someone who had barely been out of the Americas, everything was new and incredible. “London!”

You heard Dean chuckle as he wrapped a loose arm around your waist. “Yeah, it’s pretty incredible.”

“Too bad we’re here on business,” Sam said. “It must be something pretty big, if you had to bring us here, Cas.”

“Bigger than you could possibly imagine,” Cas said gravely. “Imagine or understand. Like you said, Sam, I did not bring you to London to sightsee.”

“Then why did you bring us here, Cas?” You asked, glancing over at the angel.

His face was just as serious as his tone. “Unfortunately, I am not permitted to tell you. Rest assured, however, knowing you will find out soon.”

“What’s that supposed to - Cas!” Dean started, yelling at the angel as he disappeared. “Cas!”

“It’s no use, Dean, he’s gone,” Sam said with a frustrated sigh. “Let’s just find a place to stay. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can figure out whatever it is he brought us here for.”

You sighed, taking Dean’s hand as the two of you walked out of the empty alley Cas had brought you to. “I’m starting to wish we were here for sightseeing.”

“Same here,” Sam agreed. “But hey, maybe we’ll see that famous detective guy.”

“Sherlock Holmes?” You asked, eyebrows raising. “I doubt it.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I am ashamed to even know you two right now. Only you two would know about some obscure London detective.”

“Obscure?” You and Sam said together. How had Dean not heard of him? “Dean, Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in Great Britain! How have you not heard of him? He’s gained a lot of fame as of late!”

“Yeah, well, I’ll take your word for it,” Dean snorted. “Nerds.”

You punched him in the arm, causing him to wince. Sam snickered, shaking his head. “C’mon, Dean, you asked for that one. I think this is a motel up here.”

“Slow down, Sam, not all of us can keep up with your moose-length strides,” You complained.

“You’ve been spending too much time around Crowley,” Sam chuckled, shaking his head, though he slowed down none the less.

“Guys, did you see that?” Dean said, interrupting your conversation. His gaze was pointed off to your right, towards the road.

You blinked. “See what? The cars driving on the other side of the road? We’re in London, Dean, that’s how things work here.”

“No, not that,” The oldest Winchester groaned. “Past the road. The police box.”

“The bright blue one?” You clarified, pausing to see what he was looking at. “What about it?”

“It wasn’t there before,” Sam answered for Dean. “I looked over there barely a minute ago, and it definitely wasn’t there.”

“Maybe this is what Cas was talking about?” You suggested.

Sam shrugged, already moving towards the crosswalk. “Let’s check it out. It could be nothing, but then again…”

“It could be something,” Dean finished. The three of you jogged across the road, dodging cars and almost getting run over once.

“London streets are a whole other level of crazy,” You panted once you reached the other side of the road. “I thought I saw heaven there for a minute.”

“Trust me, not that great,” Dean said with a chuckle, glancing around. “What the hell? Where’d it go?”

“Uhh…” You said, spinning around. “I don’t see it anywhere.”

Sam sighed. “So Cas sent us to London after a possessed police box. Great.”

Later, after the three of you had finally managed to locate a hotel, Dean was off getting food while you and Sam did research. “It just sounds so familiar,” You said with a groan, flopping back on the bed.

Sam glanced up from his laptop. “What?”

“The telephone box!” You exclaimed, furrowing your brow. “The blue telephone box. Like I’ve heard it somewhere before, I just can’t put my finger on it…”

“Well, I haven’t been able to find anything on a possessed police box, especially considering that one was easily from the 60s,” Sam said. “Maybe we’re just looking at the wrong angle.”

“Meaning…” You drawled out, staring at the ceiling. “What, exactly? It’s not supernatural, and we’ve just lost our minds? I mean, what’s next, aliens?”

“Maybe,” He said with a shrug. “I mean, if you look at some of these conspiracies surrounding this box…”

You groaned. “No, no, no, we’ve already previously established that there are no such thing as aliens.”

“I’m just saying,” Sam defended. “It’s improbable, but not impossible.”

“Let’s just keep it to the supernatural realm, thank you,” You said, looking back down at your mother’s hunting journal splayed out on your legs. “So your dear old dad didn’t have anything?”

“Nope,” He sighed. “Not a thing. What about your mom?”

“I’m going back through and hoping that I missed something,” You said, flipping through a few more pages. A picture fluttered out from the back, landing on the floor. It contained a snapshot of a blue police box - the same blue police box that the three of you had seen earlier - and a man exiting it. You leaned down to pick it up, staring at the photo. “Uh, Sam? I think I found something.”

“So you two, what, think this blue-box-guy is somehow connected to the whole thing?” Dean asked. “I still have my money on possession.”

“I don’t think it’s possession, Dean,” Sam said. “Hell, I’m starting to think it’s not even anything… spooky.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked. “Well, what are you thinking?”

“We’ve been doing research, Dean, and although you may not like it,” You trailed. “We think he might be something a bit more… I don’t know, alien.”

“Wha - alien?” Dean sputtered. “We’ve been over this, there’s no such thing!”

“Well, there’s one way to find out,” Sam said, pushing himself to his feet. “We gotta find that box.”

“We’ve been looking for hours, I don’t think we’re going to find anything,” Dean grumbled. You wrapped your coat tighter as the wind blew. “What are we supposed to do when we find this guy anyways?”

“Uh, Dean?” You asked, spotting the police box only a short distance away.

“I mean, if he’s not supernatural, what is he? Alien? We’re not trained to deal with aliens, we barely got through the apocalypse!” Dean exclaimed, still ranting.

“Dean?” Sam tried this time as a man - the same man from the photo - exited the police box, followed by a red-head and another man.

“How does one get rid of an alien?” Dean’s voice was steadily raising, and you figured it was fortunate that the three of you were in the middle of an empty park (sans the police box people). “I mean, is it even a threat? Is this like an ET ripoff? How do we kill it? Do we need a fancy bullet to kill an alien? I mean, remember when we had to track down the Colt? It didn’t even kill Lucifer so how do we know it’s gonna -”

“DEAN!” You and Sam both shouted, finally ending the oldest Winchester’s rant. You jerked your head meaningfully towards the other three, who were now hovering awkwardly only a few yards away. “I think they heard you.”

“Hmm, yes, well, it was kind of hard not to, you know,” The man from the photo, dressed in tweed and wearing a bowtie, said awkwardly. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to kill me, that hasn’t worked out well for anyone else.”

“You should take his word for it,” The redhead said, her accent distinctly Scottish. “Trust me.”

“Yeah, well, you haven’t given us a reason to,” Dean said, hand reaching for his gun. “So why don’t you tell us what the hell you are, and if you’re lucky, we’ll -”

“Not kill you,” You cut off your boyfriend, giving him a look. “It hasn’t gone funky town yet, Dean.”

“Well, I’m the Doctor,” The man pointed at himself, “And this is Amy and Rory.”

“Doctor -” The previously unnamed man, who you now knew to be Rory, said, eyes darting towards the gun that Dean was openly displaying. At the very least, you and Sam were more discreet.

“Not now, Rory, the adults are talking,” The Doctor said, quickly shushing the man. He pointed back towards the police box. “That’s the TARDIS, which is a bit like a mobile telephone -” Amy snorted. “- and we really haven’t done anything to deserve to be shot.”

“Well, Doctor,” Sam said, pursing his lips. “You haven’t told us what you are. Shapeshifter, vampire, angel, maybe?”

“Like Cas would have sent us here after a rogue angel,” You snorted. “Don’t you think he would have told us, if that was the case? None of this ‘bigger than you can imagine or understand’ crap.”

“I’m not following,” Amy said.

“Yeah,” Rory cut in. “Vampires, shapeshifters, angels? Doctor, what are they on about?”

“I believe they are conspiracy theorists, Rory,” The Doctor said. “Obviously, there’s no such thing as -”

“Like hell there’s not!” Dean snapped, interrupting the Doctor. He drew his gun, prompting you and Sam to move aside your jackets to reach for your own. “Now tell us what you are!”

“Okay, okay, put the gun down,” The Doctor said frantically, pushing his two friends behind him. “If we could just talk about this -”

“Doctor, I suggest you answer the question,” You said coolly. “Before he doesn’t give you a chance to.”

“He’s a Time Lord!” Amy exclaimed, causing the three of you to gaze questioningly at her. “From outer space.”

“You’re an alien.” Dean said flatly. “Right.”

“Like I was saying earlier, Dean, it’s not impossible, at the very least it makes more sense than a possessed police box,” Sam said. “We’re hunters. Of the supernatural. You know, ghosts, demons, werewolves, that sort of thing.”

“What?” The Doctor said confusedly. “No, no, don’t be ridiculous, that sort of thing doesn’t exist.”

Before the conversation could be continued, however, Dean was hit in a flying tackle, sending him off to the side. You and Sam drew your guns, as the Doctor pulled out some sort of wand… thing. You and Sam stopped a short blond man in his tracks while Dean grappled with his attacker, gun knocked aside in favor of hand-to-hand combat. You couldn’t shoot for risk of hitting him, and wasn’t about to step in, though Sam looked like he wanted to. After several long moments, Dean gained the upper hand, managing to pin the man down.

“Dean, that’s Sherlock Holmes!” Sam exclaimed, gun leveled at the man’s head as Dean stepped away, rubbing a trickle of blood away from his mouth.

“Yes, well who else would be stupid enough to pick a fight with three obviously armed blokes,” The short man grumbled.

“Good, you’re all together,” Cas’ voice sounded from behind you, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin.

“Dammit, Cas,” Dean grumbled. “I’d like an explanation as to what the hell is going on.”

“Put away your weapons, you’re all on the same side,” Cas said calmly, pushing down your arm which held your gun as he passed. “I apologize I could not explain earlier, you must understand that some things require subtlety. Regardless, everything seems to be coming together.”

“What is going on?” Sherlock demanded angrily, rising to his feet and brushing off his coat. “Who are you?”

“My name is Castiel,” Cas said. “Though Y/N and the Winchesters prefer to call me Cas. I am an angel of the Lord.”

Sherlock gave an incredulous scoff, while the Doctor sputtered from his spot. “Angel? That’s impossible, I’ve never seen -”

“There’s a lot of things you have never seen, Doctor of Gallifrey,” Castiel said. “However considering the circumstances it was decided that the most powerful forces and brilliant minds must come together to save the world.”

“Are you hearing yourself?” Sherlock snorted. “Angels? There has never been any proof that -”

Thunder boomed overhead, Castiel’s form seeming to flicker into something incomprehensible, the shadow of wings cast behind him on the grass. The ones that had never witnessed this were stunned to silence. The angel continued. “Now that we are all on the same page, I must implore you to work together for the good of the world. An army is coming. It is larger than ever before, full of empty men with no feeling.”

You and Dean exchanged glances. “Cas, we’re not -”

“Cybermen,” The Doctor said. Upon seeing everyone else’s confused gazes (besides Cas), he explained. “They’re robot men, devoid of emotion. They are determined to ‘upgrade’ the world, turning everyone into emotionless soldiers.”

“I think I prefer demons,” Dean said. “Any chance an exorcism would work on these tin men?”

“No,” The Doctor said. “Though that would be easier.”

“Do you have any idea how they work?” Sherlock demanded. The legendary detective seemed to have recovered from his shock, brain now running at a million miles an hour.

“Yes, of course,” The Doctor said. “I have a book about them in the TARDIS that you can look through.”

“I don’t get why we have to handle this, though,” Sam interjected. “I mean, isn’t that the Doctor’s job? Aliens aren’t exactly on our resume.”

“Neither are they on Sherlock or John’s,” Cas said. So that was the short guy’s name. “But you must work together to stop them.”

“Couldn’t the angels -” Amy started.

Castiel shook his head. “I am not permitted to interfere. Not directly, anyways.”

“Then why are you telling us this?” Rory asked. “If you’re not allowed to interfere, then…”

“I am simply nudging you in the right direction,” Castiel said. “I can help you no further.”

“Wait, I have a question about -” Sherlock said, but Cas had already disappeared in a flutter of wings, causing the detective to look extremely annoyed.

“Yeah,” You said with a slight smirk. “You get used to it.”

“This is weird,” Dean said, looking around the inside of the TARDIS. You couldn’t help but to agree. “I’m just going to try not to think about it.”

“Impossible,” Sherlock was muttering to himself.

The Doctor was grinning, flipping various switches and levers. “Well, off we go! It’s a bit rough the first time around, so I’d hold on if I were you! Off we go, to meet the Cybermen, nothing like a good invasion on a Tuesday!”

You sniggered as Sam groaned. “Probably best not to bring up Tuesdays, Doctor.” Moving to stand next to Dean, he wrapped an arm around your waist as the TARDIS jerked, causing you to grab Dean’s arm as he grabbed a railing. “Little warning, next time!”

“That was a warning!” The Doctor protested. “Anyways, here we are, hope you’re ready!”

“What’s the plan?” John asked. “We’re not just running in there half-cocked now, are we?”

“Well, it usually works for me…” The Doctor suggested. “But I suppose you and Sherlock can take a look at their machinery while I try to find a way to power them down remotely. You three can…”

“We’ll be your distraction to get in,” Dean said. “Anything else you forgot to mention?”

“They shoot lasers,” Rory said. “Just so you know.”

“Great, thanks,” Sam said. “Metal men with death lasers, sounds like a party.”

“We’ve faced worse odds,” You said with a shrug. “It’s just like… a really intense game of dodge ball.”

“That’s very comforting,” Dean grumbled. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

Everyone stepped out of the TARDIS, and your hand slipped into Dean’s as you saw the thousands of metal men everywhere. ‘Go’, The Doctor mouthed, herding off Sherlock, John, and his companions. You, Sam, and Dean slipped off in the other direction, sneaking through corridors to reach where most of the Cybermen were stored. You had a tight grip on the taser the Doctor had given you. Dean held up three fingers once you managed to reach your destination without detection. 3… 2… 1…

“Hey tin soldiers!” Dean bellowed, gaining the attention of literally every Cyberman there. “It’s time to introduce you to our family business!”

Two seconds later all three of you were in an all-out sprint down the corridors, running for your lives and hoping you would, by some, miracle, run in to the Doctor or Sherlock. At the very least, you had gained the Cybermen’s attention.

“I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d die being chased by robots,” You panted, the three of you backpedaling out of a corridor and running in another direction. “I figured it would be something cooler, like facing off against Lucifer or something.”

“Lucifer is in the cage,” Sam retorted. Even he was out of breath, making sure to keep pace with you and Dean. “This way - never mind!”

“We’re cornered,” Dean snarled, the three of you forming a loose circle and looking desperately for a way to escape. “Shit, we’re gonna die!”

“I’m blaming Cas,” You said, once again reaching for Dean’s hand. He took it as the Cybermen closed in, not shooting.

“Three compatible humans found!” One said.

“You will be upgraded!” Another chimed in.

“No way in hell!” You said, firing your taser at the closest one. “Death first!”

“The humans have exhibited hostile activity!” A Cyberman said. “You will be deleted!”

“Sorry to break up the party, boys, but something has come up!” The three of you grinned at the sound of Sherlock’s voice over the speaker. “Deleting them will just have to wait!” And as if all the Cybermen had been hit with some sort of electric shock, they toppled over on to the floor.

You nudged one with the toe of your shoe. “Are they dead?”

“I hope so,” Dean said.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Sherlock said, causing the three of you to jump. Dean ignored him, in favor of bringing his lips to yours in a kiss.

“It was a pleasure to meet all of you,” The Doctor said cheerfully, as you, Dean, and Sam stepped out of the TARDIS and back on to American soil, by where the Impala was parked. “Let’s try and stick to our designated jobs, though?”

“Yeah, I’d much rather be ganking demons and vampires,” Dean agreed. “Feel free to take the Cybermen off our hands.”

“Seconded,” You said. “So as long as Sherlock keeps taking care of the human threats?”

“Gladly,” The detective said. “I have enough on my hand with humans, much less aliens and monsters.”

“So that’s that then,” Sam said, lifting his hand in an awkward wave. The rest of you did the same, the Doctor and Sherlock disappearing back into the TARDIS. A few moments later it disappeared with a wheeze.

You leaned into Dean’s side, heaving a sigh of relief. “Let’s never do that again.”

He chucked. “Agreed.”

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honorbourne · 6 years

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▒ ▌❛ CHROM !

The alliance of the two countries, Chon’sin and Ylisse, was blossoming at last! It was a bumpy ride with how the two cultures were different but in the end, with transparency and sincerity, it worked marvelously! Yes, Chrom had some doubts whether he could be a decent representative of Ylisse but all his worries melted away with each passing day, seeing as though his country is now restored to its former glory, all thanks to the Princess who vouched for them to her brother, Prince, Yen’fey.

To tell the truth, if it weren’t for her, the Naga worshipers would have been still fighting to fund a new infrastructure. Aside from the country, the princess not only helped to change it but its ruler as well. Her determination and perseverance to be on top of everything, Chon’sin or Ylisse alike, made him respect her more. Say’ri was the princess model that all princesses should follow suit of; earnest, intelligent, responsible, modest, and oh gods yes, beautiful and witty. He could go on and on about her traits but it ill suits him and her. For him, the more you gush about a person, the more they lose what makes them special. Say’ri does not need Chrom’s flowery words to describe her; her OWN ACTIONS speak more than any poet would ever sing. Words can be empty, as mere air puffs dissolving into the atmosphere but actions... actions serve as an impact for eternity!

She always surprises the exalt with her new and revolutionary ideas to restore what the war had trashed. Chrom often finds himself lost whenever she starts speaking. It’s out of his control! He cannot figure why he would zone out whenever she is around him.

He traced his behavior around her since day one and by the gods! With each passing day, it becomes harder and harder for him to be in the same vicinity as her without acting like a dead. At first, he thought he was being anxious to not cause her trouble after what she had done for him and for Ylisse but on the other hand, why now? His anxiety should have been at the beginning, not at the end! It does not make any goddamn sense! To his chagrin, Frederick was aware of his ‘crisis’ and suggested to take a day or a week off in the summer house all alone without the princess’ presence around him, if only to see how he fares in the meantime.

Chrom did not know how this will help but accepted the offer and thus, he went to the other royal house, alone. The first day was normal. He had to finish some papers that Frederick KINDLY brought them over with him. The second day, he kept fidgeting and looking around as if he misses something but cannot put his finger on it. The third day, he lost his will to do anything but to train and nothing more. The fourth day, he was nagging Frederick with any news from the castle, including even a tiny one to be reported but ‘Frederick the cunning’ reported everything but anything about Say’ri, which made Chrom agitated to know how she is faring (without him.) The fifth day, he returned back to his paperwork but with less enthusiasm to do anything. The sixth day, he kept poking around for more information but alas, he was shot down every time he wanted to know more about the princess. On the seventh day, Frederick brought him a letter written by the Chon’sinese princess. The colors returned back to the exalt’s face as he regained his composure, before hurriedly opening the letter to see a single sentence written:

Milord, you are very smitten with our guest of honor, Princess of Chon’sin, Say’ri; please admit to it, for your own sanity.

Chrom’s face went pale, denying these feelings. He considered her as A FRIEND! What kind of vulgar ruffian would he be to break his promise to her brother, Yen’fay, of treating her with all dignity and hospitality that he wishes for his own sister to have if she were in her place? HOW CRUDE WAS THIS ASSUMPTION! His face went red after the previous paleness and demanded to not be spoken about this matter EVER AGAIN.

Once he got back to the castle, after his little trip of self-discovery and isolation, the first person to greet his safe arrival was none other than the princess. It made the prince a complete mess. He retired to his room claiming that he is still weary of traveling to sit in his room and recall everything so far.

Was he… missing her? Back in the castle, was he missing Say’ri so much that he often forgot that he is alone and spent an hour looking for her, only to be reminded that this is not the castle and she is elsewhere? Does he like her that much that he cannot see his own foolishness? Frederick is probably – no, he is definitely right.

He’s in love with Say’ri.

Gods above shall smite him if he was not sincere in his thoughts! The woman pretty much holds a special place in his heart. How can she not when she simply came over like a beautiful sakura storm and took everything bad in its wake while leaving the seeds of revival... seeds of life behind? She changed him for the best and who would he find better than her to rule his heart?

The revelation is too much for him that he spent the entire day in his room, gathering his courage to go out and ask her opinion on himself. Regardless of her answer, he’ll respect her and nothing will be changed. Yes, he will be… saddened, but at least he will know what ills him every time he looks at her.

Before supper, he requests her audience out at the balcony – a suitable place, since it is quite chilly to help with his speeding heart pace and the feeling of burning up like the volcano at Valm. Please, Naga! Let it be swift! Either a yes or no! Once she came, he immediately starts speaking before losing his wits.

“It’s MY HONOR to have you all this time, princess. I’ll cut to the chase because...I’m really not a man to flower up my words and I know you do not like the twists and turns, so here I go.” Eyes close momentarily, as he takes a deep breath. Blue irises stare at her with the same determination & sincerity he has shown her when they first met or on every other meeting. Nothing is changed with those eyes; it is him, but a better version thanks to her constant constructive criticism. “I appreciate your existence around me, Say’ri. I’d love it more if you were to permanently stay here, in Ylisse, not as its special guest but as…its QUEEN. I love you and I hope you give my words the time to consider them.”

Oh, she couldn’t have been any more prouder that her cordial negotiations and advising remarks made way for such expansive progress. Truly, as Chon’sin’s very own princess, Say’ri viewed this to be a major accomplishment! Sure, she may never rule her own country, but having taken over Yen’fay’s original role as ambassador and succeeding at it has proven enough for her.

Why, to think that even while standing on foreign soil, she would be welcomed here so openly! Though Chon’sin did not lack friendly people by any means, the Ylisseans were still quite the accepting bunch. In fact, it was partly thanks to them that her stay became much more enjoyable - that, and the exalted prince who contributed her longevity had inevitably captured her sights, little by little. Up until now, there had never been an exhilarating thrum which blossomed within her chest or a tender touch of his hand that lingered over her fingers long after they had parted. Truthfully, it had been the first time in a long while where she has fallen for another man this handsome, rather than another elegant baroness from Roseanne.

It may have been an impolitic feeling, but who was to say Chrom would remain a single bachelor forever or Yen’fay would approve? Furthermore, Say’ri was all but convinced that the prince she longed for oh so dearly grew oblivious to her subtleties. It ensued over such a long period of time, she hadn’t been at all surprised that Frederick would catch on sooner rather than later. At some point too, Say’ri had returned back to Chon’sin, all to no avail.

Despite the change of pace, neither the paintings she made nor the training she did qualified to her standards. It was simply just... subpar. Quite honestly, Yen’fay had also noticed this while sparring with her and on the fifth day, he came to the conclusion that her business still involved Ylisse. Upon surmising this, he insisted she go BACK. Of course, she had reluctantly done so and by the seventh day, returned hours before Chrom had arrived back at the castle.

At the very least, she was determined to face him and speak frankly about her feelings for once; only, once face to face, it was evident that a change had occurred with the exhausted prince but Say’ri couldn’t quite fathom why. Additionally enough, Frederick was acting more surreptitious than usual. No sooner had Chrom requested her company by the balcony, however, pleasant surprise would immediately overcome her. Even then, she was not convinced so imagine her surprise when the man of her dreams awaited her with such earnest eyes.

Say’ri couldn’t help but hold her breath, the longer she listened. By the time he finishes, however, a bright red hue would erupt over her cheeks before curled digits arose to half conceal her parting lips.

“ Z-Zounds, truly?! ” she utters aloud in complete shock. “ Chrom, I... ” Say’ri began and self consciously steps back upon being at a loss for words. “ I have... nary a clue on what to say. My heart soars so strongly for you and delight near ensnares me, I fear I might collapse, ” Say’ri admits, as she entwines her hand along the rail behind her. “ ‘Twas unforeseen you would confess first, b-but what of Yen’fay? Are you not afraid our blessed union would ATTRACT his displeasure? ”

@convxction / continued from here ;;

#convxction #〔 ❛ ♕ ⋮ EXCHANGE •• ─ 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 〕#〔 ❛ ♕ ⋮ QUEUED •• ─ 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝑒 〕#｡ v: diplomatic relations ⋮ 🌸 ››#｡ convxction ;; regally exalted prince ⋮ 🌸 ››#[ see fai i tOLD YOU I WOULD DO IT ]#[ I ALSO GOT PRETTY CARRIED AWAY WITH THE LENGTH OTL ]#[ but ahhhh with this the ship has finally sailed -- ]#[ and i finally had a reason to use a blushu blushu icon too god bless ]#[ THEY ARE JUST SO DAMN PRECIOUS ]

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atrocitycl · 7 years

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Drama Review - “Fight My Way”

(Official Trailer 2)

Lee Najeong (Director) – Fight My Way

Reviewed on September 3, 2017

I highly recommend this drama. While it is not perfect at all and does contain—in my argument—certain, significant flaws, I find that this drama is still one of the best I have ever seen. Furthermore, as I will focus on in this review, this drama’s main strength lies in how it is incredibly versatile and this reason is, perhaps, why the drama was incredibly popular—both in South Korea and even elsewhere. After all, Fight My Way arguably flourishes in the two main aspects of dramas: it appeals to a wide audience; and, it contains solid theatrical features in order to maintain said wide audience.

Personal Message: Edit: As one can tell, I intended to post this review far sooner. I am incredibly busy with university, so I hope for readers to be understanding with the lack of content lately. It has been two weeks since the prior post, but I will sincerely attempt to still be active with this blog despite how hectic my university schedule is. In fact, just finishing this review was incredibly fun and rewarding and it is moments such as these that I regret not writing every day.

Apologies for the lack of content. University has indeed started as of this sentence and thus, I will be busy with upcoming classes. I expect this semester to be by far the busiest, but I will do my best to post around six or so reviews per month. I also will still try to catch up on other reviews from the summer that I have not reviewed: GFRIEND’s “Love Whisper” and Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last.” But, considering there are recent comebacks that might be more relevant to review such as PRISTIN’s “We Like,” those mentioned reviews might have to unfortunately be skipped.

Regarding this review, this will be a “bonus” review: a review that still attempts to bring critical, thoughtful discussion but one that will ultimately be hindered by lack of experience. Therefore, readers should feel free to openly challenge this review’s take to the drama or at least interpret the review lightly. After all, while I do enjoy watching dramas from time to time, I am exceptionally inexperienced with the theatrical aspects that are involved. Lastly, for the remaining clarification needed, while it should be noted that there are many to praise and credit for the production of a drama, in this review I will explicitly credit and oftentimes refer to Lee Najeong—the director of Fight My Way. I have decided on doing this as, if I am correct, the directors are the ones in charge of directly guiding how each scene appears in the drama—this being akin to, say, an author of a novel. As a result, she will be who I explicitly credit but of course, in the overall scheme of creating a drama, I hope to remind readers that all staff members deserve credit.

With all of that, let us head into the review for Fight My Way.

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Recommendation: I highly recommend this drama. While it is not perfect at all and does contain—in my argument—certain, significant flaws, I find that this drama is still one of the best I have ever seen. Furthermore, as I will focus on in this review, this drama’s main strength lies in how it is incredibly versatile and this reason is, perhaps, why the drama was incredibly popular—both in South Korea and even elsewhere. After all, Fight My Way arguably flourishes in the two main aspects of dramas: it appeals to a wide audience; and, it contains solid theatrical features in order to maintain said wide audience.

Plot Summary: Summarizing this drama is a bit difficult. Overall, Fight My Way focuses on four main characters: Aera, Dongman, Seolhee, and Jooman. Rather than a singular event being the driving force of the plot, this drama differs in that it is solely minor events that move the plot. For example, the drama might focus on how Aera and Dongman are developing romantic feelings towards each other and the comedy that such brings, or it might opt for a more serious route with showcasing how the two—and even Seolhee and Jooman—constantly face failures with their careers. Ultimately, what can be most appreciated is how relatively tame the plot is and yet how deep and impacting it can be upon viewers; it truly is a drama that addresses “life” in of itself—though in a comedic, romantic, and serious manner.

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Analysis: One distinct aspect to the drama, and perhaps its strongest point, is how it manages to capture a wide audience. This is a surprising point given the typical trends of dramas: targeting a specific audience and then complying with that very audience’s desires. However, with Fight My Way, despite the drama being explicitly labeled as a romantic-comedy, Lee Najeong’s directing is not limited to fulfilling the ideas such a genre encompasses. Without spoiling too much about the drama—hopefully, that is—let us home in on a scene that perhaps best illuminates Lee Najeong’s and the drama’s versatility with genres. (I will be vague so as to not spoil moments.)

During one specific scene and episode, we find that Aera fails to acquire a certain job role due to unjust decisions. In her defeated state, she ends up running into Dongman. Fast forwarding, we find the two sitting together on a bench as Aera eventually reveals that she did not in fact get the job. After Dongman’s insightful, lingering quote of how, in summary, pretending to be fine and refusing to cry are not “cool acts,” Aera finally sheds tears—though, comically, she mentions that if anyone sees her cry, Dongman will become her murdered victim. And, for the remaining details, as avid drama watchers might predict, Dongman indeed shields Aera with his jacket before finally pulling her head into his chest for her to cry into.

Now, for what makes this scene so momentous, it is due to how well the director balances various tones and even genres if we dare go that far. Simplistically, the director could have opted to focus on one specific tone and flesh it out—a simple example being heavily emphasizing the romantic aspects to this scene. But, instead, Lee Najeong includes the three main points to the drama: seriousness, comedy, and romance. With the serious take to this scene, for example, Aera’s depicted situation is far from merely being “only in dramas”; her being rejected of that dream job had a lot of social commentary if we dare analyze Fight My Way in this lens. For what occurred, Aera lacked—or more accurately, lacks—“social capital”; she is not young nor deemed pretty, she lacks formal education via college degrees, and she lacks “experience.” The most upsetting aspect, though, is that she is skilled and has the passion and work ethics. Sadly, none of those traits matter when her overall social capital does not suffice—“capital” that is hard for a lower-classed individual to have due to their circumstances.

And so for what this reveals, Fight My Way despite being a romantic-comedy does at times become incredibly solemn—a feature that not only helps balance out the drama, but is one that attracts viewers who otherwise would be repelled away by excessive romance and comedy. Likewise, though, the director still accommodates for those who are watching primarily for the romance and comedy—such as, admittedly, in my case. Quite clearly, those aspects are also fulfilled within this very episode and scene given Aera’s remark of threatening Dongman’s life to maintain her tough persona and how Dongman does very sweetly hold her close and comforts her. All in all, this versatility is arguably why the drama does well in terms of having a very broad yet loyal audience: it simply captures the spectrum of viewers who care more for serious aspects such as social commentary (be it gender or class as the drama tended to focus on), but also for viewers who merely want to gush over the romance.

Moving on to focusing on the drama in a theatrical sense, we will transition to this point as while we understand why the audience is broad, we now need to understand why that very audience remains loyal to watching the drama. The answer, then, is we need to focus on how the drama plays out in a technical, theatrical sense.

For what initially caught my attention and perhaps many other viewers, Fight My Way’s aesthetic appeal—this ranges from the overall setting to as specific as what the actresses and actors wear—entirely goes against the average drama: it is humble. In fact, even Park Seojoon, the actor who portrays Dongman, addresses this point and embraces it as he finds that this allows the drama to focus less on sheer visual appeal and more on the actual acting that occurs. But even without the added bonus of the acting having a greater presence, there is another benefit to the drama’s lack of exquisite fashion or a setting that is luxurious: the drama unveils the beauty of “normal”—that there is, indeed, beauty to sceneries that would seldom exist in dramas. From simple t-shirts and sweatpants to smaller apartments to a roughly established rooftop hangout spot, Fight My Way boldly challenges the way many other dramas utilize their settings. In many cases, gorgeous settings are used to help viewers escape reality but with this drama, Lee Najeong seems to want viewers to see reality—to see that their own lives, to certain degrees, are reflected in the drama.

For another theatrical aspect that I do wish to cover, as with any drama, we definitely need to spend time covering the acting—the skill that brings dramas to life akin to vocalists bringing a song to life. Regarding the acting, as stale as the following will sound, I find that the actresses and actors have all done an excellent job. There were minimal—if at all any—moments where I found the acting to be far too exaggerated or simply unfitting. To perhaps best explain why the acting is quite impressive, I think we ought to look not at emotional scenes—scenes that typically are used to gauge acting—but rather we need to look at comical scenes. After all, emotional scenes are easily manipulated beyond just acting: music; mere empathy; tears on everyone; and so forth. In other words, I find that it requires much more acting to make someone laugh versus to make them cry and hence why I believe that focusing on comical scenes is important if we are to gauge the acting.

Once again to prevent spoilers, I will be extremely vague but I do wish to refer to a certain scene. There is a time where Dongman finds that Aera is dating someone, and in short, much laughter is to come. Most impressively, though, is that the humor has less to do with witty scriptwriting and more with Park Seojoon’s performance (and, of course, Lee Najeong’s directing). Through purely facial expressions for example, viewers are able to gather many details: that Dongman’s world has shattered. It is through his horrified look that viewers not only get basic comedy out of such, but it is also when viewers could start piecing together that, perhaps, Dongman does have a crush on Aera and thus we are able to laugh at Dongman’s regrets and poor decisions of being mean to Aera. Similar types of acting-based comedic scenes also occur—a notable one being when Dongman begins to finally notice how Aera is attractive to him and seems to be struggling for breath as he wonders why her legs are now pretty despite, quite obviously, Aera’s leg never physically changed at all. (And, this is even more comedic when we factor in how, in many prior episodes, Dongman was extremely repulsed at having to touch Aera’s hair.)

(That said, for a serious moment and digression, readers who know what scene I am referring to might have found it disturbing—and that is not due to sexual undertones as that was not there. Rather, I refer to Dongman controlling Aera’s fashion. In terms of what viewers need to understand, this is where viewers need to be aware of cultural context—that, indeed, Dongman’s act was less of being oppressive and more of protecting, though that can and should be openly challenged or even defended depending on one’s argument. Nevertheless, it is worth bearing in mind why such a very stereotypical drama romance scene was used there, and of course that it added the comedic element of, as explained, Dongman acting as if Aera’s leg had suddenly changed.

Ultimately, how viewers interpret that scene is up to individual ideas: one can find it disturbing and offensive and rightfully so, but equally one has to bear in mind different cultural takes and how the “fashion control” that occurs is, in the appropriate cultural context, less about a man controlling a woman and more as merely “protecting” an individual. And, overall, I hope this single scene does not entirely detract from the drama’s otherwise very positive messages about gender equality and feminism—after all, both Aera’s and Seolhee’s depicted characters offer the most balanced perspective one could ask for and I admire the drama for offering what I argue is true feminism: that a woman should behave how she wants. Aera’s character presents the typical “strong woman” that many appreciate and love when it comes instantly thinking of feminism, but Seolhee’s character also presents the side that is oftentimes forgotten: that there is nothing wrong with desiring to be a stay-at-home-Mom and that her main dream in life is “to be a mother”—though I have now arguably just spoiled a very powerful line from her as viewers who watch the drama will see. Without this tangent getting any further, I simply wish to end it with the drama’s message about feminism: that it is not just only about a “strong woman” like Aera; feminism also means giving a voice to women who do not want to be like Aera but instead are more like Seolhee. And, before men are dismissed, much is also to be appreciated for the drama showcasing that a man crying, being emotional, and showing moments of weakness is, as Dongman would say, in fact “cool.”)

On topic, now that we have covered many reasons for why the drama is a stronger one, I unfortunately cannot end the review here. I recommend Fight My Way and will claim it is by far one of the best dramas I have seen, but it would be erroneous to claim it was objectively the best. It does have, as any drama does, many flaws—some of which, I will argue, are too significant to ignore.

One prominent problem that the drama struggles to handle is that towards the last four or so episodes, the drama’s tone and genre versatility disappear. Suddenly, Lee Najeong’s impressive directing where there is a balance of seriousness, romance, and comedy becomes predominantly just serious. Much of the comedic aspects are lost, and given how central humor is in the drama, having it entirely put aside—while understandable as the drama is attempting to conclude neatly—leaves a noticeable void. Likewise, many of the romantic scenes are lost—though if heartbreak counts, then perhaps “romance” in a distorted sense does still remain. (And readers should watch the drama to understand this supposed “heartbreak” that occurs towards the last episodes. Before readers claim I spoiled the ending, I will say that is far more complicated.)

Even so, while one could indeed dismiss the prior point, I find that what ultimately prevents me from claiming that Fight My Way is the best drama is due to poor character developments that occur for non-lead characters. Many supporting characters are simply far too one-dimensional, and this does hinder the plot and complexity of the drama. One key example is Hyeran, Dongman’s ex-girlfriend. Her character exists to cause tensions between Aera and Dongman but, the infuriating part is Hyeran lacks reasoning for her heinous acts. The drama, in essence, simply did not develop her character enough for there to be understandable reasons—or at least, I personally do not count “Hyeran became divorced and now wants to go back to her first option: Dongman” as a thoroughly developed character. It would have been far more interesting as a character and plot if, for example, Hyeran was actually a typical, well-behaved human and that she had a deeper past with Dongman. Instead of relentlessly and disturbingly chasing Dongman after being divorced, what if the two were previously in a very respectful and close relationship and ended on good terms and that she now wonders if they could get back together? This route not only prevents Hyeran from being a superficial character, but it also suits with the drama’s realistic style and causes conflicts not due to, essentially, being stalked but because Dongman has feelings he needs to address if he is to understand how he truly feels about Aera. Other characters such as Moobin are also one-dimensional and positioned as antagonists merely for the sake of having antagonists. Rather than relying on generic, binary characters of “good versus evil,” the drama would have been more appealing by having actions that are centered as moral dilemmas rather than the characters themselves. A good example of what I mean is if we look at one of our leads, Jooman: a man whose heart is, without doubt, full of love and helping others. The “evil” that exists, then, is whether too much kindness can ironically become bad.

In Jooman’s case, I argue he was an example of excellent character development and of straying away from the generic, “good versus evil” archetype. For his situation, his kindness with a new co-worker, Yejin, has led to some misunderstanding with Seolhee, his partner—more so as Yejin begins developing feelings for Jooman and is unaware of his relationship with Seolhee (or at least initially). Certainly Jooman never did anything inappropriate with Yejin at all, but as Aera presented, the problem was not focused on that: “It doesn’t matter if you didn’t sleep (have sex) with her or not.” The problem was Jooman constantly lied to Seolhee when helping Yejin as he did not wish to cause mistrust or create suspicion of an affair that did not exist. Now of course, Jooman’s true mistake was simply the lack of open communications and being truthful, but if it took a lie of how he was meeting his friends in order to get an incredibly intoxicated Yejin home safely, Jooman valued doing “what was right” even if it meant having to lie to Seolhee. The main takeaway, overall, is that Jooman’s character presents a situation where he is innately a good person and yet it is his actions that prove complex. He never intended to betray Seolhee’s trust but, in difficult circumstances of wondering what is ethically right—of caring for the safety of a co-worker at the cost of having to lie—we find a character who does away with the typical “good versus evil” setup that Moobin and Hyeran and other character rely on. This level of depth in characters—even for the supporting ones—would have made the drama far more insightful and pleasing. As it stands, many non-lead characters are simply far too one-dimensional and lack convincing, realistic reasons for what we would perceive as inappropriate and cruel behavior.

In the end, I still find Fight My Way to be an incredible drama and the best I have seen. I recommend it to both those familiar with Korean dramas or for those who might be watching one for the first time. Assuming one can overlook poor character development in supporting characters and how the drama becomes excessively serious towards the final episodes, Fight My Way is easily one of the better dramas produced. For me, I personally came for the romance—and rightfully, bawled so much at the most climactic kiss scene I have yet to witness—but ended up very much embracing its serious aspects and social commentary about class and gender and even other aspects such as family. Dongman’s relationship with his father, for example, mirrored my own life: while my father and I are at times somewhat distant, we still do express our love. A particular scene that I heavily related to was despite Dongman and his father having a hefty argument, in the end both left each other gifts and realized they both are the same—and comically, Dongman’s father questioned where Dongman gets his behavior. And of course, there is always the romantic aspect to delight in—though for me, love is still distant. That said, I also feel similar to Dongman with developing a crush for someone but this is definitely far too embarrassing to elaborate on. All in all, as Fight My Way has proven, it truly is a drama about “life” and thus, many readers would most likely find it a worthy drama to watch.

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Apologies for the lack of content for the past two weeks. University is incredibly busy, and with other technical tasks I need to handle—scholarships, working as a writing tutor soon, and so on—it has become hard to find time to write reviews. Given that this review is, despite being a “bonus,” is exceptionally lengthy, the next post will come in a week or so. Song reviews will come as usual, but I ask for readers’ understanding and patience—and likewise, for those waiting for Fiestar subtitled videos.

Until then, look forward to usual song reviews and as always, thank you so much for reading or skimming this review.

#Fight My Way #Korean Drama Reviews #Show Reviews #Park Seojoon #Kim Jiwon #Ahn Jaehong #Song Hayoon #Lee Najeong #Im Sangchoon

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