#but they aren’t the majority. i mean I want destiel to be canon but not at the cost of the shows “family don’t end with blood” theme

[worstqueerbaittournament]

Submission messagefor Merlin and Arthur: merthur (merlin and Arthur from the BBC show merlin

Submission message for Steve and Bucky: Does Stucky count? Steve and Bucky from Captain America

Additional propaganda: I refuse to shut up about this. Merlin is not queerbait!! At no point during the show is there a genuine possibility of Arthur and Merlin to be in a romantic relationship. They are queer coded but they do not create a false impression of their relationship. See Sherlock for good example: they constantly bring it up in the show itself and dangle it in front of the viewers, only to not follow through. The show Merlin does not set them up. There are no offhanded remarks, comments, or jokes that they’re more than friends. There is simply no chance in the show that they will get together. They are queer coded, which is not the same. Coding says: this character displays some traits and characteristics that ___ people may relate to. Baiting says: oh you want these two together? hmm, you wanna see that? wouldn’t that be nifty? what if they talk about it and act like it? aren’t you gonna keep watching to find out if they really do? Then follows up with: SIKE! Wow we got you, of course they’re not together! All of that was meaningless! Let’s please stop confusing these two entirely separate concepts!

Merthur is just gay I don’t have to explain merthur on the merthur site. They’re talking to each other at night and giving each other flowers and shit— things Arthur NEVER does with his canon romantic love interest and if I’m not mistaken I think Arthur like goes to sleep for a hundred years and Merlin is like. Still waiting for him? Let them kiss, damn!

Stucky: "Of course, this is still a rollicking adventure tale and no adventure is complete without a love story.....the longest, most tortured one in Marvel history" - Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (writers of Captain America movies + Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame)

"from the meet cute to the tragic separation, their bond has all the elements of a classic romance." - Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

"Just as Jeph and Tim’’s earlier Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Gray all dealt with the major love interests in, the heroes’ lives, so too does Captain America: White. Steve and Bucky are each other’s soulmate." - Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

“So you have a character in Captain America who is searching for the only thing that he has left from his past that has any meaning to him, and that’s Bucky; and people have interpreted that relationship all kinds of ways and it’s great...we will never define it, as filmmakers, explicitly." - The Russos (Captain America: Civil War press)

"You mean, aside from Cap and Bucky?" - Anthony Russo (co-director of Cap 2 and 3 and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) when asked about romance in Captain Amierca: Civil War

"Moderator: But you already had a romantic B story with Cap and Bucky, right?

Anthony: We sure do

Joe: We still do

Moderator: Did you ever had to dial down the sexual tension on set?

Joe: Why would we?" - Anthony and Joe Russo (directors of Cap 2 and 3 and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) at a screening of Captain America: Civil War

Just a few examples directly from Marvel and the writers and directors.

merthur totally should win for so many reasons but mostly. most because the show writer, when advertising the last episode, said it was “a love story between two men” and then arthur just died in merlin’s arms for 42 minutes. on the day before christmas.

I put the first episode of Merlin, because I heard it was such a great show. I knew nothing about the ship at that point. I only put it on because i love shows like that. Before the first episode was over I was like OMG those two are gayer than later seasons Destiel. There is no way it was not intentional. NONE. Big time homoerotic vibes. It was great

I get the coding critique, but I think I disagree with the person who said they never teased a relationship with Merthur. If we’re talking “offhanded jokes that they’re more than friends” (or that other characters thought they were together a la Sherlock), I think the poetry and pants scenes fit that.

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection 2021 | Day 1: Fallen!Cas

In A Fortress of Pine Trees | @mistofstars Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3,380 Main Tags/Warnings: Endverse, Croatoan, 2014, 5x04, Smut, bottom!Dean, Angst, Top!Cas Summary: Future!Dean / Future!Castiel "Cas", he finally exhales. "I could need one of your amazing hippie massages right now" -it starts with a simple massage and ends somewhere else; Dean gives in to long neglected needs... DESTIEL in 2014

The Warmth of your skin | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3,414 Main Tags/Warnings: Sharing Body Heat, Hurt!Cas, First Kiss, Naked Cuddling, Sharing a Bed, no explicit sex, human!Cas Summary: Dean and Castiel are in the middle of a forest, when a snowstorm surprises them in the middle of the summer. To make their luck perfect, Castiel breaks into the ice of a lake. There is only one way to survive this cold. Body Heat.

Are We Human? | @one-more-offbeat-anthem

Rating: General Word Count: 3,766 Main Tags/Warnings: human!/fallen!Castiel, first kiss, love confessions, pet cats Summary: After losing his grace, Cas struggles with being human. Dean tries to help him out—and in showing the former angel how to find joy in the little things, starts to find joy himself (if he's brave enough to reach for it). And also discovers that maybe cats aren't so bad.

The End Of The Beginning | @vampamber

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3,885 Main Tags/Warnings: ABO, omega Dean, alpha Cas, endverse, endverse Cas, heat, pwp, S5E4 The End, there's a sequel Summary: He just wished that Zach-y boy had picked a better time. Dean could feel those deep seated aches in his abdomen that could only mean he was a day or so away from his damn heat starting. Hopefully he could learn his little lesson before he had to lock himself away for a few days to keep himself from presenting to every damn alpha in a five mile radius. He usually took suppressants, but dealing with Lucifer had kind of taken front seat just long enough for Dean to miss a few too many doses. “Damn it,” he muttered to himself as he rubbed at his wrists, finally free. He wandered out to see where the hell he was. It was an old summer camp, that much he could tell, but that was about it. But as weird as all this was, as unreal and impossible as it had to be, the most mind blowing part was definitely Cas. Fuzzy, stoned out of his gourd, sex guru to a gathering of betas and omegas Cas. Cas, who smelled so strongly of alpha and everything that Dean had ever wanted that he had to shift himself when the guy wasn't looking to try and hide the quickly growing erection in his pants, praying that he wouldn't slick right through his jeans.

Finally Realized | @vampamber

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4,018 Main Tags/Warnings: ABO, alpha Cas, omega Dean, Dean in heat, human Cas, first time, porn with plot Summary: Dean is sick in bed, so Sam calls in a now-human Cas to come and take care of the cranky patient while he escapes goes on a hunt. Dean cooperates with Cas, but it just figures, when the cold is finally gone, his heat takes its place. Now denial stops being an options as Dean begs Cas for the thing he's always wanted, but could never admit to.

Sweet Cherry Pie | @imbiowaresbitch

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4,801 Main Tags/Warnings: No archive warnings apply, first kiss, first time, friends to lovers, top dean/bottom cas Summary: Dean takes the newly-human Cas to a diner to try some new foods. Cas wants more than a taste.

Tick Tock Goes The Clock | @vampamber

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 5,784 Main Tags/Warnings: ABO, omega Dean, alpha Cas, human Cas, alcohol as a coping mechanism, implied mpreg, angst, porn with plot, drunken confessions, drunken sex Summary: It was a well known fact that every omega had a metaphorical biological clock ticking away inside of them, just waiting to spring the alarm and make the poor guy or girl go just a wee bit baby crazy. And as much as Dean Winchester tried to deny it, mostly to himself, the one inside him was gonna blow at any second. Even though Dean would never admit it to anybody, especially his brother, he had always felt pretty maternal towards Lisa's son, Ben. He’d always wanted a nice, big family with plenty of pups of his own, ever since he had presented as an omega as a teenager. At least, whenever John hadn't been pressuring him to act like the alpha his dad thought he should've been, that is. It had only gotten worse when Sam presented as a beta, so Dean had shoved that dream so far back in his mind that he completely forgot about it ninety-five percent of the time. That was exactly why the omega knew that his biological clock was gonna kick his ass any day now. Where he used to mostly forget about the idea of having a bunch of pups, it was now taking up the vast majority of his thoughts lately.

I Been Blind | @jemariel

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 22,387 Main Tags/Warnings: Human!Cas, porn-watching, masturbation, mutual pining, porn with feelings, suggestion of m/f and m/m/f sex (in porn), oral sex, frottage, anal fingering, suggestion of bottom!Cas. Summary: Castiel is in love with humanity. At least, so long as he's not the one experiencing it. A lighthearted smutty romp wherein Dean helps Cas navigate the tricky minefield of human needs.

Roaming in the Dark (WIP) | @casbelieves

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 24,624 Main Tags/Warnings: Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Explicit Sexual Content, Alternate Universe - Croatoan/Endverse, Bottom!Cas, Top!Dean, Heavy Angst, Smut, Fallen Angels, Apocalypse, Croatoan Virus, Canonverse, Minor Character Death Summary: A reimagined look into how "The End" came to be. Castiel does not return to heaven after he rescues Dean from his stint in an apocalyptical 2014. The brothers don't reunite. The angels do fall. A dangerous and deadly virus spreads worldwide. But, without fail, Castiel follows Dean and, perhaps, that is his only fault.

Room A Thousand Years Wide | @mittensmorgul

Rating: Mature Word Count: 34,921 Main Tags/Warnings: Case Fic, Getting Together, Long-Suffering Sam Winchester Summary: Once the world and their lives are finally their own, and Cas has chosen humanity once and for all, he begins to find a new routine of daily life with Dean. Sam doesn't know how much longer he can take their apparently oblivious platonic domesticity, when their regularly scheduled evening goes out the window with a single text message from someone they never expected to hear from again. Ex-Ghostfacer Ed Zeddmore is afraid he's stumbled over something too big to let slide, and sends them a link to a potentially dangerous Ghostfacer wannabe, and a case that isn't at all what it appears to be on the surface. What they uncover dredges up a lot of interesting feelings all around, and they must finally face a few ghosts of their own.

Empty Spaces | @thisisapaige

Rating: Mature Word Count: 48,411 Main Tags/Warnings: Angst, Drug Use, Drug Abuse, Drug Withdrawl, Fallen Castiel, Pre-series Dean, Canonverse, Internalized Biphobia, Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort Summary: [Castiel] found the colour. It was a green, one of the few gentle colours at the edges of his dreams and the one he tried to capture in his paintings, never quite finding the right hue. He spent so long chasing the colours, trying to find it though pills and needles, but they always evaded his grasp. Yet he found one, right here, hiding in the eyes of a stranger. He studied the colour, the subtle differences between dark and light, the little flecks of gold nearly hidden in the sea of green, the ring around the outside. He studied it, trying to commit the colour to memory. The other man cleared his throat. “Uh, dude?” Oh. Castiel forgot the colour was attached to a person. ~~~ What if Castiel had fallen before the start of the series and met Dean on a routine hunt? Set in the spring before Dean goes to find Sam in Stanford.

Gates of Bronze and Bars of Iron | iCeDreams (AO3)

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 80,466 Main Tags/Warnings: Season 9 Divergent, Dean in Heaven Summary: Dean realizes that staying in Heaven and catching endless fish isn't living up to its hype. Especially since the gates of Heaven are still closed and there are no angels to guide you in the hereafter. Castiel is surviving Earth, fallen and human until a reaper brings his attention to a hunt forcing him to seek out his fallen brothers.

[impostoradult]

This is time that was allotted to these storylines by canon, offering an expectation of meaning and importance, offering what results in a promise—not time the fans imagined or made up, not something they feel nebulously entitled to, but time they spent on plots the canon gave to them. (Cas means something to Dean after all these years and a love confession. Bucky means something to Steve after all these years and a snap. Jaime’s project of growth and his meaningful relationship with Brienne is something worth investing in.) But instead of saying, yes, you spent all this time watching these scenes, feeling these moments, taking this in—you grew with this character, with these relationships (grew in many cases away from the set starting point)—here is your promised meaning, again and again, these properties snatch the rug away and then pretend blithely they cannot understand why “entitled fans” are so upset.

I’ve been meaning to write my version of this argument for a while now, and I suppose this article is just as good a reason as any.

My thesis, in short, is that lack of queer representation actually isn’t what is creating ~the problem~ here. What’s creating the problem is the overriding power of heteronormativity as a kind of ‘trump’ story logic that is allowed to steamroller everything else into oblivion. (And yes, there actually is a substantial difference between those two things)

Sub-thesis 1: Representation Actually Isn’t A Strong Argument for Destiel (or any particular ship/character)

Controversial, I know.  The representation argument (while an extremely valid argument as applies to popular culture in general) is actually not a very good argument when it comes to why Dean should be explicitly queer and Destiel should have been consummated. 

For one, there’s no reason -- exclusively from the standpoint that it is a moral imperative that queer people are represented in media -- why any particular character or set of characters should be that representation. The ethical cultural mandate to represent marginalized groups does not mandate that any one character or set of characters in any particular given story be that representation*. Yes, even if you as a member of that marginalized group happen to identify with that character. Even then, it isn’t OWED to you. (I think writers should take those trends of identification seriously, and think about what it means to marginalized groups, and act accordingly. But I don’t think it creates an OBLIGATION)

*I’d argue the primary caveat to this would be in stories where the character’s situation or arc is directly related to struggles experienced by that marginalized group (i.e., casting mostly white actors in stories where those characters are experiencing racial oppression)

For another, if representation of queer characters were primarily dictated by fandoms, 90% of queer characters in media would be white, conventionally attractive men. (That might be overstating it a bit, but fandoms have serious biases when it comes to shipping and what kind of characters they latch onto for queer interpretation, and that’s one of the reasons I’m grateful queer representation is not primarily linked to our tastes/preferences). 

The representation argument is a very valid argument when examining popular culture as whole, and when looking at broader trends for example, within a genre, or a whole network. But no particular TV show is obligated to make particular characters within it queer just because representation is a moral imperative as a broader cultural issue. 

Sub-Thesis 2: Heteronormativity Creates Stupid/Badly Constructed Stories

The actual problem here is how heteronormativity creates a kind of trump logic that overrides coherent storytelling. 

I’m not upset about what happened on Supernatural because I think we missed out on representation. There is actually plenty of ~better~ representation elsewhere, and there will continue to be more as time goes on. The representation issue is peripheral at best when it comes to analyzing what went ‘wrong’ with Supernatural. 

The key issue here is that stories need to make sense, not just in terms of plot (although that matters), but in terms of character growth, emotional arcs, etc. The ending of Supernatural is bad because it treated massive pieces of character growth and one of the most significant emotional arcs of the whole show as if it was ultimately inconsequential -- which is bad storytelling and doesn’t make sense. 

And YES, we are ‘owed’ stories that make sense. It’s not entitled to want a story to be coherent, because coherence is what makes a story a story, and not just a series of random meaninglessly assembled plot points/fictional anecdotes. 

The problem is, Hollywood writers keep writing themselves into situations where emotional coherence basically requires an explicitly queer dynamic (or at least a strongly subtextual one), and then just being like...but these characters aren’t queer so we can’t do that. Instead, let’s end Steve’s arc by sending him back in time to live a heterosexual life with Peggy, disregarding the HUGELY significant plot points related to Steve/Bucky which grounded multiple entire movies within the MCU (Winter Solider, Civil War). Let’s end Sherlock by inventing a random, long-lost Holmes sister never remotely hinted at or foreshadowed and make that incomprehensible plot point the finale, when the entire series has been grounded in John and Sherlock’s relationship. 

Let’s make it canonically clear Cas’s love for Dean is the one single act of pure free will in a world with a malevolent God trying to manipulate everyone’s lives for his own amusement, and that Cas’s love for Dean is the only thing keeping the primary story-universe of Supernatural intact, because every other version of Sam and Dean in every other universe kill each other as God intended. Let’s make it clear that Cas’s betrayal of heaven due to his love for Dean is literally propping up their entire universe, but then end the story by pretending like it’s not that important after all. Castiel who?

And it’s just like...THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE! It doesn’t make fucking sense. It’s bad writing. So why would you do it? (I mean, I being a bit facetious here. I know exactly why. Because the precious feelings of homophobes will be hurt, and companies don’t want to lose out on their money) 

It’s not entitled to want a story to make sense. It’s not entitled to want major plot points and character arcs and emotional dynamics to have resolutions that follow from what came before in the story. 

And I’m sorry, but you are a ridiculous person if you watched Dean grieve Castiel’s ostensible deaths in s7 and s13 (both times becoming nearly catatonic, nihilistic, more self-destructive than usual, and borderline suicidal over losing Cas) and try to argue to me that his shrug-it-off attitude towards Cas’s death/loss in the finale makes any goddamn sense at all. 

It is utterly inconsistent with everything that has happened before in Supernatural regarding Dean and Castiel’s relationship. It’s incomprehensibly incoherent and just stupid. (And that is just the absolute tip of the incoherence iceberg because to fully explain why the ending of Supernatural re: Destiel doesn’t make sense we’d have to review over 300 episode’s worth of content, and there isn’t time for that) 

I’m just so sick and so tired of being asked to pretend to be stupid because you know, man, heterosexuality. They’re not gay!!1! 

The exhaustion I feel, as a queer viewer, in fact is not borne out of lack of representation. The representation issue is very much on an upward trajectory and I’m not worried about the future of TV not being queer enough. I’m not. 

The exhaustion and frustration and anger I feel as a queer viewer is borne of having to repeatedly watch stupid endings to good stories because the story can only make sense if you make it queer (you cowards). I’m tired of being asked to develop dumb amnesia disease in order to consume endings to stories that had to blow everything up at the end to (re)enforce a heterosexuality that can only stand on a foundation of utter incoherence and contradiction to monumental things that came before it.

I am JUST SO TIRED of being asked to sacrifice my intelligence, my basic logic and critical thinking skills, and my ability to remember basic narrative beats at the alter of almighty Heterosexuality, supreme ruler of all cultural output and destroyer of good queer things. 

Heterosexuality isn’t owed my stupidity, and I’m not entitled for wanting stories to make sense. YOU are entitled for demanding my stupidity when you wrote that dumb shit and expected me to act like it wasn’t dumb simply because it was heterosexual. 

No, the heterosexuality is exactly the reason it IS dumb. 

[dotthings]

Let’s talk about why Dean dancing with a lamp is subtext, but it’s subtext that supports textual arcs. Dean dancing with a lamp is not random. Meta on why Dean dancing with a lamp is part of the build of a textual arc for Dean, thematically, which also connects to his relationship with Cas. This symbolic moment being tacitly about Destiel will only feel like reaching if you ignore context, ignore canon, ignore long arcing, ignore textual material surrounding it. This isn’t just me talking about a ship, this is an important arc for Dean himself emotionally and the way canon’s working, Cas has become the star player in this specific emotional Dean arc about yearning. 

Here are some canon quotes. I could just leave these here and not write another word of meta because the canon wrote it for me. But I’ve added some further commentary to spell out clearly what I’m getting at.

Dean in 8.14 “Trial and Error” by Andrew Dabb:

“You see a light at the end of this ugly-ass tunnel. I don't. But I tell you what I do know – it's that I'm gonna die with a gun in my hand. 'Cause that's what I have waiting for me – that's all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out. I want you to have a life – become a man of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and kids and – and – and grandkids, living till you're fat and bald and chugging Viagra – that is my perfect ending, and it's the only one that I'm gonna get.”

Dean in 10.16 “Paint it Black” by Eugenie Ross-Lemming and Brad Buckner:

“You know, the life I live, the work I do…I pretty much just figured that that was all there was to me, you know? Tear around and jam the key in the ignition and haul ass until I ran out of gas. I guess I just thought sooner or later, I’d go out the same way that I live – pedal to the metal, and that would be it....Now, um… recent events, uh… make me think I might be closer to that than I really thought. And…I don’t know. I mean, you know, there’s – there’s things, there’s…people, feelings that I-I-I want to experience differently than I have before, or maybe even for the first time.”

Sam and Dean in 11.04 “Baby” by Robbie Thompson:

SAM: Really? You don't . . . Ever want something more? DEAN: I'm sorry, have you met us? We're batting a whopping zero in domestic life, man. Goose eggs. SAM: You don't ever think about something? Not marriage or whatever. But . . . Something? You know, with a hunter? Somebody who understands the life?

Sam and Dean in 13.23 “Let the Good Times Roll” by Andrew Dabb:

DEAN: But on a beach somewhere, you know? Can you imagine? You, me, Cas, toes in the sand, couple of them little umbrella drinks. Matching Hawaiian shirts, obviously. Some hula girls. SAM: You talking about retiring? You? DEAN: If I knew the world was safe? Hell, yeah. And you know why? 'Cause we freaking earned it, man.

Sam and Dean in 15.08 “Our Father, Who Aren’t in Heaven” by Eugenie Ross-Lemming and Brad Buckner:

DEAN: Look, man, I didn't want to say anything, okay, 'cause I was kind of in in a bad place, and, uh, yeah, I didn't want to jinx it or whatever, but, you know, I tried the family thing, right? SAM: Yeah, me too. And that's not for us. DEAN: No, not really. But I'm just saying if it was to work, Eileen, you know, she gets it. She gets us. She gets the life. She's hot. SAM: Dean. I mean, I'm not even- DEAN: Look, all I'm saying is you- you could do worse, okay? And she could certainly do better. Like, so much better. I'm happy for you, Sammy.

Dean and Garth in 15.10 “The  Heroes’ Journey” written by Andrew Dabb:

DEAN: You know, I gotta say, aside from pincushion in there… this is pretty nice. GARTH: Yeah, better than I ever thought I'd get. I mean, hunting -- I figured I'd be dead before I'm 40. You know, go out young and pretty. But now I've got a great wife, great kids. I guess...sometimes things work out.

Dean in 15.10 “The Heroes’ Journey” by Andrew Dabb:

Dean, wistful, watching through the window as Garth and Bess dance: You know, I always thought I could be a good dancer if I wanted to be.

Ok, let those roll around in your brain for moment. 

Now: CONTEXT. CONTEXT. CONTEXT.

There’s this long running arc about maybe Sam and Dean could each find a significant other, not white picket fence, but...something, with someone already in the life, who gets their life. There’s Dean’s move from despairing and believing the only ending he could have, the only ending any hunter could have, is dying with a gun in hand, to Dean’s enthusiasm for the concept of retirement, Dean’s wistfulness about finding a significant other, for what he thinks he can’t have, and he starts the cycle all over again, if he can’t have it, then he wants Sam to have it, so Dean encourages Sam with Eileen. Saileen, the Dean-blessed, Dean-approved Sam ship. Dean ships it. And that is how the canon is trending, complete with Sam and Eileen kissing goodbye and saying “this is real” and even God himself saying their feelings were real, “that was all you,” even if God manipulated events around them. Which is an overt mirror to Dean and Cas and Dean’s expressly stated doubts about what’s real and what isn’t, and Cas telling Dean “we are.” 

Much the way Sam has been witness to Destiel, and has often pointed out Dean’s Cas feelings. Dean’s got a front row seat to Saileen and approves; Sam’s had a front row seat to Destiel and approves. 

Let’s throw in Robert Berens’ work in The Trap here, since that’s relevant to this specific topic as well, because why did Sam and Dean in the potential future timeline where they’d killed Chuck give up and cave in to their vampire instincts? The world being overwhelmed with monsters...and losing Eileen and losing Cas. It’s right there in the dialogue. I’ll give you the quote and everything:

Sam and Dean in 15.09 “The Trap” by Robert Berens:

SAM: You want to quit? What's happened to you, Dean? Ever since -- DEAN: Ever since what? We lost pretty much everyone we've ever cared about? Ever since the Mark made Cas go crazy? Ever since I had to bury him in a Ma'lak box? Ever since then? Yeah. You know why? 'Cause the monsters -- they're everywhere. Everywhere! What we do -- it's not even Hunting anymore. It's whack-a-mole. We don't even save people. Every friend we've ever had is either dead, or they got wise and they packed it in. SAM: Jody's still fighting, and Bobby -- DEAN: Bobby has a death wish, and you know it. And Jody -- ever since what happened to Donna and the girls, she does, too. And after Eileen... so do you.

“Ever since” Dean had to bury Cas in a Ma’lak box. “After Eileen...so do you.” 

So there’s this canonical long, long thread across multiple authors (and those weren’t even all the quotes, I’m sure people could dig up more) about Dean in particular yearning towards finding a significant other, some contentment, with someone who already is in the hunting life, who gets it, who understands.  

An episode that flat out shows how losing their significant others is the final straw that rips out Sam and Dean’s last will to fight, and they lose themselves, and after they’re turned into vampires, they just...give into the darkness. Where Sam gives up their shot at destroying the big bad because losing everyone they love is too high a cost. Where losing Cas makes Dean lose hope, where losing Eileen sends Sam into a death wish mindset. Sam and Dean don’t just need each other. That’s not canon, it never has been.

And then right after that, along comes meta episode The Heroes’ Journey. Sorry if you don’t like The Heroes’ Journey, but it’s what the canon did, it’s textual, along with everything else I’ve pointed out here, and in among the crackish humor are some real emotional narrative points. 

In The Heroes’ Journey, Dean gets to see Garth’s life. Garth found his significant other, Bess, and she’s another werewolf. Now, Garth’s life resembles the traditional white picket fence idea a lot more than what Team Free Will are headed for. Garth has a big house with a porch, and he’s a dentist. He’s also a werewolf and his wife is a werewolf and his kids are werewolves because Bess is a pureblood werewolf, Garth didn’t exactly leave the life, and he helps Sam and Dean on a case. But nothing’s been indicating to me that anyone in Team Free Will is headed for that kind of settling down, with a house, becoming a dentist. However, the canon has been practically shouting now, as we near final episodes of SPN, to make the point about a desirable outcome--some kind of stability, contentment, and a significant other. Dean gets a front row seat to seeing a hunter can have that. Garth’s a hunter who turned into a werewolf and he can have that. 

When EP’s talk about how they aren’t headed for a white picket fence or driving off into the sunset or settling down, none of that rules out them finding...something...with someone, and some form of stability and contentment.  Nope, I can’t really imagine them in the suburbs becoming dentists. But canon sure is putting up big neon arrows to...something. Think outside the box. This isn’t about the white picket fence. 

And in The Heroes’ Journey, Dean, conked out on the good gas so Garth can fix his teeth, has a trippy dream where he dances with a lamp.

Rewatch the ep. Look at how the dance is choreographed not just the use of light, because that’s a clue too. The whole dance could have been Dean and Garth being dancing bros, but Garth fades off the stage, and Dean dances alone...until he grabs the standing lamp. In a season where Dean and Cas’s relationship is an A-plot, define it how you like, it’s A-plot. Their breakup and their reconciliation, which played like a marital breakup and reconciliation, are tied to major mytharc beats. In a season where a long-running textual theme about Dean’s developing hope for retirement and his wistfulness about “things...people...feelings...” is getting further play. Where Dean and Cas’s relationship continues to be one of the show’s most central ones.

Dean dances with a lamp. While his emotionally fraught, intense close relationship with Cas--A BEING MADE OF LIGHT--has a long-running arc and recently more and more textual level content spelling out the sublimated romantic interest in small words, while there’s an arc about Dean’s yearning for that stability, contentment, a significant other.

CONTEXT. 

We don’t think Destiel’s “going canon” because Dean dances with a lamp, it’s that Dean dancing with a lamp is kinda loud serving as reflection of canon textual arcing. Sometimes subtext adds a layer. Sometimes subtext is directly tied to the surface layers, an echo, a highlighter.

I’ll just be over here, crying because Dean danced with a lamp.

[ugh-againwiththenames]

So Many Fanfics So Little Time

This is just my list, I have seen so many (but if you want to use it it’s all yours too!).  I’m not a writer.  But I am a hell of a reader. Voracious one might argue. I just wanted to track my progress through the weeds of the absolutely never ending supply of Destiel and Cockles fanfic. 

Read on if you want to see what I’ve read, and what I’ve thought. I am but one person with opinions - some of them may be unpopular - some of them you might agree with, but if you find something you haven’t read here, I encourage you to do so. 

Honestly, this is just so I can track what I have read already, and when my friends ask, I can reference something easily. I have found some different fics on all kinds of ‘best of’ lists all over the interwebs. And I love recs - so rec away friends. 

As someone who reads a solid 40 novels a year typically, I don’t come by the “I read a lot” innocently. I do actually read a LOT.  When not reading fanfic (a new obsession, all things being fair), I usually read a lot of Fantasy/high fantasy, romance/erotica, and or YA (yeah, that was a bit of a ride no?).  So from this one might digress that I like fluffy, cute stories, complicated and supernatural/paranormal type stories, and I sure do not shy away from violence or smut (or maybe violence with smut? *smirk*). 

I have read all of these in the last 2-3 months (I will continue to add as I go). I had never read a fanfic until 2-3 months ago.  A lot of these wonderful people are on here, and I mean you no offence by not directly tagging you - I’m still learning how to actually properly use this site. Links to AO3 are included (and I love you all). 

These aren’t necessarily in any real order - I did read T&S first, followed by 91W, and 4LW...after that it’s just a shit show of Long or Short, Destiel or Cockles - smorgasbord. Some of these are the most popular Fics out there, and others I’ve never seen recc’d anywhere (just sort of accidentally happened upon them).  So let’s get to it, shall we? 

Twist and Shout - ok look. I understand the stigma associated with this one, but it was the FIRST one I read. It was the ball that shot me down the hill, and I haven’t stopped since. So. I loved it. I CRIED like a baby. SOBBED. It was not the quality of the writing but the way the story was developed and delivered. I have Never Cried Like This Reading a Story IN MY LIFE. It’s a rite of passage. Read It and have an opinion - it doesn’t need to be mine.  

Author(s): gabriel, standbyme   https://archiveofourown.org/works/537876/chapters/955188

Ninety-One Whiskey - aka 91W, it is mentioned so much, and is SO worth the read.  I continued my dive into the war fics (not typically my bag really and here I was reading 2 in a row).  There are a couple of followup stories as well to this series (and yes, I’ve read them all).  Although I’ll say that the original is my favourite. I often got lost in a bit of the War/Tactical descriptions, but would recommend it to anyone anyway. Ugh...the “stolen moments”...they were at the same time tragic and the most amazing things ever.  You feel me? no? go read it. 

Author:  komodobits   https://archiveofourown.org/works/2362190/chapters/5214500

Four Letter Word for Intercourse - aka 4LW.  OMG just, OMG. I loved this story. I loved it so much. I think I read it in a day.  Devoured it. It’s so HOT. Just read it. If you haven’t you’re missing out.  LEMME AT IT. I loved “knowing the secret”, and had some major anxiety about that realization dawning (I had to take a breath, and be like, no, no, this is gonna be a mess, but it’s gonna be SO GOOD - I was not disappointed).  There’s more than one work here too - read them all. PLEASE. 

Author: bendingsignpost  https://archiveofourown.org/works/16086839/chapters/37568591

Memories Bring Back Memories (Bring Back You) - This was the first Sobs one I read, but it sent me on a spree.  this is the Memory Loss one.  I have one piece of advice here - read everything by Sobsicles. You can thank me later...just go to her page, and fucking sort to supernatural (or not, read it all!) I’d list them but I’d fucking seriously be here all day.  Also, her tags make me laugh so hard.

Author:  sobsicles https://archiveofourown.org/works/24022945/chapters/57796885

Orpheus - I love this one too, Tattooed!Cas, my LOVE. paired with Mechanic!Dean, my HEART, #help.  Read this one in one evening as well. (I was on a roll).  It’s a one night stand that turns into more (much like my last relationship)....hmm...maybe this is why I was pulled in - although to be fair that is the last similarity to my shitty love life! I do not remember how I stumbled onto this one (tattooed Cas may have been the draw...tbh). Read the warnings though, there is some triggering stuff in this one - but if you can handle it, it’s definitely worth the read. 

Author: sysrae       https://archiveofourown.org/works/2364347/chapters/5220227

Have Love, Will Travel - Can you say no to Stripper!Dean? Cause I sure as hell cannot. Typical sort of character development here with Dean having trust issues, and Cas being painfully awkward...(but in like a super cute way?).  Would Recommend. 

Author: squeemonster   https://archiveofourown.org/works/565455/chapters/1011747

The Inexhaustible Silence of Houses - Change of pace here...It’s got a nice twist.  I didn’t actually clue into how it was going to end until very near the end (maybe I was being oblivious), when the realization came over me and I was...man. I was DONE IN.  I hope that doesn’t spoil (I need some kind of way of remembering them). Voiceless!Cas Hunter!Dean

Author: Askance (doomcountry)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/560268/chapters/1000755

Adagio - This is super short, and super cute. Honestly, I would read the whole thing just for the last line. It’ll take you less than an hour if I remember correctly. Go, I’ll wait. I squeeed. did you? 

Author: noangelsinthegarrison   https://archiveofourown.org/works/1397248/chapters/2928145

Any Little Heartache - super easy read (not in a bad way, but in a ‘you’ll fly through it’ way).  It’s mid-length, not graphic, but really fun hospital AU. HeartSurgeon!Dean / Nurse!Cas - enemies to lovers anyone? Fuck you to Fuck me? yeah. YUM. 

Author: followthattardis https://archiveofourown.org/works/5143376/chapters/11838311

Ad Astra - This is another short(ish) one, just one chapter.  And by that I mean that this is written like a very long poem. Cas as a star who has visited Dean many times over the years of his life, that culminates in 4x01 barn scene. It’s ‘awe’ sad. ‘puppy dog eyes’ sad. The writing format took me a bit to understand what was happening - it’s my lack of poetry knowledge, not the writing.  

Author: nhixxie https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013491

Ad Astra Per Aspera - This is a cute story.  ESL writer, no judgement.  I found this while looking for the one above, and thought the premise looked cute - and it was. Misunderstanding leading to Dean realizing he’s actually Bi.  Miscommunication leading to realization.  

Author: Riverchester https://archiveofourown.org/works/12354336/chapters/28101816

Psalm 40:2 - Time travel post-canon Cas and Pre-series Dean.  If you’re wondering how that works, strap in for this ride, it’s well worth it. 

Author: unicornpoe https://archiveofourown.org/works/30786425/chapters/75992444

Addicted to You - Warlock!Dean/Incubus!Cas - accidental ‘mating’ (I actually really don’t like that word, but there’s sort of no avoiding it in this situation). Cute story.  When you drunk dial a succubus and get an incubus instead...Whatever will we do? 

Author: Ltleflrt https://archiveofourown.org/works/4387346/chapters/9959288 

A Glimpse Beyond - End Fix-it. Not yet complete, 10 chapters so far...I want MORE! Reliving memories Dean/Cas & Sam/Eileen.   

Author: NorthernSparrow https://archiveofourown.org/works/27731689/chapters/67875925

Cas-ti-el - Please I want more...It’s like the story just started. Please write more of this story!! 1 chapter, it’s a trope prompt challenge, but I want it to be a full on story of its own. Imprinted names of their soul mates, Dean doesn’t understand his (because it’s in a different language)...I’m frustrated by wanting this story to keep going. 

Author:  Valinde (Valyria)  https://archiveofourown.org/works/1941591

Our Bodies, Posessed by Light - another short one. Not going to lie, this one took a little getting used to, and I can’t say that I enjoyed it too much for the sole purpose that the premise gave me the willies.  Cas has to vessel jump - ends up in Sam...I got through it, it had a good ending, but yeah, sorry. This just wasn’t for me. 

Author:  obstinatrix  https://archiveofourown.org/works/260289

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Wedding Cake - Waiter!Dean / Writer!Cas - This is so effing cute, just misunderstanding after misunderstanding bumbling around like the couple of dorks that they are. It’s only one chapter. 100% would recommend. 

Author:  Sparseparsley https://archiveofourown.org/works/223962

Destiel, Actually - This is another super cute story, 5 chapters. Gabriel playing a singular role in putting Dean and Cas in awkward positions to push them together.  I fucking DIED at “oh, I am the sub” - needs context, but I guarantee you that you’ll laugh out loud...

Author:  Bexism  https://archiveofourown.org/works/399934/chapters/658398

The Smell Before the Rain - This was my first A/B/O - a big apology to all those who are into mpreg and whatnot, this was my lesson that I am not. this was not for me. Also - I’m a firm Cas (Alpha/Dom) believer, and i’m good with switch Cas, but it’s hard for me to take him being the full Omega here, when paired with the rest I just couldn’t do it. I finished it, but, not my thing. I know now. 

Author: jscribbles https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355230/chapters/53406127

Crazy Diamonds - This is another short one, only 3 chapters - it’s a body swap for Dean, 4x02 him and 2018 him swap places (assumption that 2018 him is “with” Cas).  It’s a super cute little story. 

Author:  pantheon_of_discord https://archiveofourown.org/works/16151642/chapters/37738631

The Breath of All Things - Wheelchair!Dean / Volunteer!Cas.  This is a lovely story, typical Dean self-hatred etc. Triggering for those with suicide warnings. It had me in tears at the end. There’s a really spectacular quote near the end that I found so romantic I screen grabbed it. 

Author:  KismetJeska https://archiveofourown.org/works/994750/chapters/1967519

Kind of a Forever Deal - SummerCamp!AU This is just a really cute and fluffy summer camp AU.  Which is so different from 91W (That’s right, check the author)! I was a little disappointed with the ending, but otherwise really enjoyed this all the way through and was loving all the discovery and young characterizations of all the characters. 

Author: komodobits https://archiveofourown.org/works/999291/chapters/1978478

Everytown, USA - Best way I can break this one down? Wanderer!Dean (listless and without a place in the world, he ends up in a small town...), Twin!Cas (that leads to some fun things). There are a number of points where you’re gonna yell at Dean for doing stupid shit (that are very much in character for him to do), you think, well, yes, obviously you’re going to do that you silly fucking boy [affectionate]; but whyyy? (but we know). 

Author: aileenrose https://archiveofourown.org/works/1797559/chapters/3854836

Chalk and Chainmail - HighSchool!AU, Cas is an artist, Dean LARP’s - it’s cute and angsty. 

Author:  lemonsorbae https://archiveofourown.org/works/804704/chapters/1517551

A Little Patience - Ok. you want smut? This is your story. You want Kink? This is your story.  I actually did not finish this. It got a little carried away in my opinion. It was VERY panty kink oriented (which, while essentially canon isn’t really my kink) so, if you want that Panty Kink on full display? Go forth and enjoy! it  is thirty something chapters, I got to the mid-twenties I Think. 

Author: riseofthefallenone https://archiveofourown.org/works/1750058/chapters/3739232

Control - I REALLY ENJOYED THIS. Which is saying a lot for someone who has already admitted that a Subby Cas isn’t really my HC - so to so thoroughly enjoy a Sub!Cas story? (maybe it’s the tattooes...*wink*). It’s an AU where Cas is the head of a company - Dean is a callboy I guess, for lack of a better term. Just read it.

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden  https://archiveofourown.org/works/31156601/chapters/76993217

More (I copy pasted the next lot from my google doc, I’ll flush them out later - no i wont...)

Teach Me (short) - movie night in the bunker, things get a little carried away   Author:  Chiyume  https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961327

You Light the Spark (in my bonfire heart) (short) - when cas doesn't realize that dean is unaware of his feelings, super short, super cute                      Author: noangelsinthegarrison https://archiveofourown.org/works/1193910 

Communication Breakdown (short/cockles) - dean ends up in Jensen's head while he films the confession scene, no sexual content Author: jujubiest   https://archiveofourown.org/works/29669601/chapters/72951339

Look What You Made Me Do (short/cockles) -      -  Vegas Con 2020 / jensen comes out with a song     - cute short - no sexual content Author:  green_blue_heller https://archiveofourown.org/works/30251592 Full House (short/cockles) - reimagined version of the rented house story - putting it in order (so to speak). funny / cute / fluffy not explicit   Author: n_nami  https://archiveofourown.org/works/30855827

Cyber Sex (short/cockles) - anastiel https://archiveofourown.org/works/31467086      - shameless post GISH Fest zoom call porn      - Short (very short)

It's Complicated (cockles) - gail_morgan https://archiveofourown.org/works/31434938/chapters/77747519       The GISHtake (short/cockles) - MellyCrazyCoconut https://archiveofourown.org/works/31508099     - cute short post GISH zoom     - oops "babe, really?"  

(10.02.2021 updated) Since last update: New reads - Fuck i’m gonna be here all day - there’s not gonna be as much gonna be NO detail in these breakdowns...sorry! This has now just become a “what i’ve read list” as opposed to a Rec list...

Love, All Alike (Pt. 1 Love, All Alike) - Phantoms_and_Foxgloves   https://archiveofourown.org/works/4555599/chapters/10370646                             - Though The Stars Walk Backward (pt 2 Love, All alike) - Phantoms_and_Foxgloves

And this, your living kiss - opal_bullets   https://archiveofourown.org/works/18083927/chapters/42744872

Come On, Let's Strike a Match (Domination and Submission: a love story pt 1) - anyrei & queerwerewolf ***   https://archiveofourown.org/works/25722478/chapters/62458810    - Playing With Fire (D&S: a love story pt 2)    - We Kiss and the Flames Get Higher (D&S: a love story pt 3)     - Sparking That Old Flame (D&S: a love story pt 4) 

Cinderwings - bendingsignpost Cinderella!AU**   https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847041/chapters/29336421

Linden - fleeceframe Swan!AU**   https://archiveofourown.org/works/33126730/chapters/82236118

No Netflix, No Chill (short) - dorian_they   https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764966

Can't Drink You Away (short) - dorian_they   https://archiveofourown.org/works/28785792 

Jensen Totally (Does Not!) Snore (short RPF) - Dorian_they   https://archiveofourown.org/works/30315717

Dean Ships It (short) - dorian_they   https://archiveofourown.org/works/30349434

All about control - wingless   https://archiveofourown.org/works/9151930/chapters/20791243

Aesthetics in Autoerotica (pt 1 Aesthetics in Autoerotica) - relucant   https://archiveofourown.org/works/3885544                                                             - The Ties that Bind (pt 2 Aesthetics in Autoerotica) - relucant

Let's take a drive - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32581027/chapters/80819581 

Enchanted ink - castielslostwings TattooArtist!Dean TattooArtist!Castiel AU ***   https://archiveofourown.org/works/23043622/chapters/55109530

The bones beneath our skin - darknessbound   https://archiveofourown.org/works/24633754/chapters/59515804

The Plot (RPF) - Castiel_Left_His_Mark_On_Me   https://archiveofourown.org/works/2795588/chapters/6274970

The Gentle Force with which you Take Me (RPF) - Phoenix_Ascended   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32110120/chapters/79549183

According to all known laws of Life (Pt. 1 Cursed Metaphors) - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207901                                                          - and he's back (with a mind of his own) (pt. 2 Cursed Metaphors) - sobsicles

Six hundred sundays (and many more) - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/31158776

Aching in the Absence of you - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/31832977/chapters/78811378

gorging myself on you, still can’t get full (insatiable) (Short) - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32203291

memories bring back memories (bring back you) - sobsicles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/24022945/chapters/57796885

Dream Come True (short) - bendingsignpost   https://archiveofourown.org/works/28071159

tall grass - aeli_kindara   https://archiveofourown.org/works/13127040/chapters/30030726

asunder (Short) - rageprufrock https://archiveofourown.org/works/62115

Apheresis - bendingsignpost BloodDonor!AU **   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32674783/chapters/81056680

we always were but never knew it - frightfullyrude   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32698324/chapters/81119503

In this Louisiana Bar (Short) - fleeceframe   https://archiveofourown.org/works/31764487

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Alternate Universes - n_nami   https://archiveofourown.org/works/32687929/chapters/81092785

my heart a compass - lagaudiere https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629951

Unsound Inverses - sp8ce (not complete)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/29836881/chapters/73413300

The Jensen Mistake (RPFish) - fellshish   https://archiveofourown.org/works/31950169

tell me about the dream (Pt. 1 Kids are coming home) - playedwright   https://archiveofourown.org/works/27984813/chapters/68544450

It's handy to know (FIMMF Themed ;)) - RosaMarloes   https://archiveofourown.org/works/31761322

So Says The Sword - komodobits AngelTrueform!AU**   https://archiveofourown.org/works/12597892/chapters/28695592

Communication Breakdown (RPFish)- darkshrimpemotions (jujubiest)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/29669601/chapters/72951339

Carry You Home - Casloveshisfreckles   https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982637/chapters/65862916

In the Shadow of your Wings - Enochian Things (Salr323)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531294/chapters/17121655

When Harry Met Sally (RPF) (Pt. 1 When Harry Met Sally ‘verse) - mnwood   https://archiveofourown.org/works/7622347/chapters/17351845    - Eight Dildos (RPF) (Pt. 2 When Harry Met Sally ‘verse) - mnwood    - Attention, Please (RPF) (Pt. 3 When Harry Met Sally ‘verse) - mnwood             - Boat Trip (RPF) (Pt. 4 When Harry Met Sally ‘verse) - mnwood

A Winter's Tale - NorthernSparrow   https://archiveofourown.org/works/2654327/chapters/5930561

A Close Shave - NorthernSparrow https://archiveofourown.org/works/3090167

r/supernatural - renrub (short) https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626783

sam reads destiel fics - rebshome (short - funny!)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/33721624

Angel Cookies - noxsoulmate Chirstmas!AU **  https://archiveofourown.org/works/11729640/chapters/26427765

Under The Midnight Sun - NorthernSparrow Arctic!AU **   https://archiveofourown.org/works/16690645/chapters/39143677

Bron-Yr-Aur - mrbluesky (Short) https://archiveofourown.org/works/28225335

The Dean Winchester Beat Sheet - saltyfeathers   https://archiveofourown.org/works/19258594/chapters/45800209

The Meaning On My Skin - saltnhalo   https://archiveofourown.org/works/18005378/chapters/42538133

Red Right Hand (Pt. 1 Murder Ballads)  - Duckyboos   https://archiveofourown.org/works/4306110/chapters/9760008    - Are you the One that I've been waiting for? (pt. 2 Murder Ballads) - Duckyboos   

Riptides - sharkfish   https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230426/chapters/30263556

Damn Fine Ride - Cimorene105 (pt 1 - rodeo) Cowboy!AU** (I’m a horse girl, sue me...)  https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342340    - My Face Just Does This, Sometimes - Cimorene105 (pt. 2 rodeo)    - The Kinkiest Thing I've Ever Done- Cimorene105 (pt 3 rodeo)    - All Signs Point to Love - Cimorene105 (pt. 4 rodeo)    - Monster Love - Cimorene105 (pt. 5 rodeo)    - My Man, The Siren - Cimorene105 (pt. 6 rodeo)    - A Pain in My Ass - Cimorene105 (pt. 7 rodeo)

Astrolabe (terra incognita pt 1) - reluctantabandon, Winter_of_our_Discontent   https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348812/chapters/7326794    - Drollery (terra incognita pt 2) - reluctantabandon Winter_of_our_Discontent    - Rubrication (terra incognita pt 3) - reluctantabandon Winter_of_our_Discontent

Go Down With This Ship - PorcupineGirl   https://archiveofourown.org/works/8023642/chapters/18370474

Fire and Ice - Castielslostwings (Firefighter/Paramedic AU!) **   https://archiveofourown.org/works/23286295/chapters/55768486

The Structural Similarities of Hunters and Onions - Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound (Short)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/33383101

Castiel Novak's Office, This is Dean - emmbrancsxx0   https://archiveofourown.org/works/22411336/chapters/53545840

Out of the Deep (out of the deep pt. 1) - riseofthefallenone - MERMAID AU! **   https://archiveofourown.org/works/548878/chapters/977676

Dean (and Cas') Top 13 Zepp Traxx - pantheon_of_discord   https://archiveofourown.org/works/10909440/chapters/24256989

I'll Be Good - LittleAngelCassie   https://archiveofourown.org/works/4118334/chapters/9282234

Kenosis - CastielsCarma (Short - part of Destiel ABC collection)   https://archiveofourown.org/works/30411720

[nancylou444]

I'm probably deleting my Tumblr now that SPN is done, so here's 15 years of pent-up emotions (@chez-marie submit)

Two points (Really one point and several addendums): 

1) If you think this is worse than the final season of Game of Thrones, you’re a fucking idiot. Nothing is worse than that. 

2) Destiel is not canon. A ship cannot be half-canon. Destiel is not canon. Get over it. 

2a) If the only reason you hate the finale is no Cas, you’ve been watching for the wrong reason and I pity you deeply. Supernatural started with Sam and Dean, and it ended with Sam and Dean. Every single person involved in Supernatural has called their relationship the core of the show, so of fucking course it’s going to be the focus of the finale. Stop spreading hate because you didn’t get what you want - grow up. 

2b) Dean was never canonically bisexual, he was never canonically gay, he was never canonically queer. Lighting, food choices, clothes and the way a person sits does not define their sexuality. Most LGBTQIA individuals would be furious if you tried to tell them somebody was gay because of the way they sat in a chair, or that they wore a certain colored shirt. That’s not how it works, so get the fuck over it. 

2c) The only person involved in Supernatural actually supporting and pushing the idea of Destiel becoming canon was Misha. Destiel is not canon. Misha lied to you in order to advance his own popularity and interests. Apart from Misha, nobody actually involved in the production of Supernatural has ever supported or encouraged Destiel becoming canon. Grow up, realize you got played and get the fuck over it. 

2d) If any of you even so much as think about sending hate, threats, or any sort of malice to anybody involved in Supernatural for a fanon ship not becoming canon, you are deeply deluded, twisted and pathetic people. Seek help immediately. It’s a fucking television show. 

2d continued) Seriously. It’s a fucking fictional goddamn tv show and I’ve seen at least 200 examples in the past two weeks of Destiel fans posting threats of violence against anybody who works for the CW if their ship didn’t become canon. Grow the literal fuck up you whiny children. 

2e) Destiel not becoming canon does not mean that anybody in the show is homophobic. Calling a person homophobic and threatening to ruin their career because they didn’t bow down to a subsection of (quite frankly) rabid fans and abandon legitimate canon to do what the fans whined for is fucking disgusting. Grow up. 

2f) I’ve been watching Supernatural since the premiere, and I’ve been on Tumblr since about season 7, and I am quite frankly disgusted by the behavior of certain fans - and by this point in the post you should know who you are - so I’m gonna wrap this post up by coming out and saying it. 

The vast majority (Used to think it was less, but posts I’ve seen tonight changed my mind) of Destiel/Castiel fans are the most entitled, whiny, stuck-up, bratty, malicious bitches I’ve ever come across in my entire life.

Nothing matters except for what you want, and anybody who doesn’t do what you want is the worst person who ever existed.

Finale didn’t give you Castiel in every single frame sticking his tongue down Dean’s throat? Must mean it was the worst thing on television in history. Cas and Dean didn’t get married in heaven? Well, everybody must be raging homophobes. Castiel and Misha Collins aren’t worshiped as literal gods by everybody involved in Supernatural? Time to send out the death threats. 

If you truly believe that, fuck each and every last one of you. 

You’ve attacked, belittled, threatened and insulted anybody who disagrees with you - including Jensen and Jared - and that is quite frankly appalling behavior. 

To threaten total strangers because they didn’t do what you wanted is disgusting, and you should be deeply ashamed and embarrassed by anybody who proclaims themselves to be a fan of Destiel or Castiel and demonstrated or endorsed anything like that. 

Your behavior has been truly pathetic and insulting to everybody involved in 15 years of Supernatural, especially the fandom, and I’m quite frankly glad to be rid of you now. 

The end. 

[mittensmorgul]

"he was literally tortured for decades by more than just pesky gay thoughts..." lmao thank you, dying for this tag, feels like it's definitely a reminder that could be slapped onto more than half of the Dean meta out there

Gosh... I mean, I get that some posts are just for laughs, and those tend to be the ones that cross my dash with a thousand notes already, but I don't think of them as in any way "meta." Like the post in question here. At least, *I* don't think of them as meta... they're created for a bit of fun. Clearly lots of folks are having fun with them.

If that was created as actual *meta* (i.e. with the intent of being a serious analysis of Dean's character, or an exploration of the events in canon), then it's one of the easiest meta concepts to be debunked, you know? You just have to ~watch the series~ to understand there was way more to that entire arc.

Which is something actually concerning, regarding the state of meta in a post-finale fandom. There's been a massive influx of new viewers post 15.18 who have "watched through tumblr* and maybe seen a handful of actual episodes creating a lot of content for other fans who are in similar circumstances. The quips are entertaining to long-time fans (and especially meta writers), but many of them are also Made Of Cringe for anyone who actually has followed the character arcs for years.

I absolutely do not want to step on anyone's fun time here. Everyone engages in fandom in their own way, and that's perfectly valid. But as far as actual meta? Actual character analysis that should be seriously considered? The majority of the quippy posts aren't it. I really hope the casual/new/"I watched 15.18 and half a dozen other top rated eps for the destiel content" fans understand that.

We saw what Hell did to Dean. We saw what the Mark of Cain did to Dean. We saw him fight that valiantly, and succumb to it eventually. We KNOW that Dean "Free Will" Winchester has a force of will that can literally shake the cosmos. And it has almost nothing to do with his internal struggle against the gay thoughts.

I mean, I stopped really having an interest in "Dean's queer panic" fic a decade ago, because it didn't make sense anymore in canon. I know those stories are valuable and interesting and engaging and affirming to loads of people, but they don't feel true to his character *to me.*

And I don't personally feel like they are why his force of will was enough to cage the Archangel that had been trying to jump his bones since s4...

[fandomshatelgbtqpeople]

Some time ago I was extremely irritated, as I saw a post accusing Korrasami and Bubbline of being both as bad as destiel, for just establishing canon at the end. Using more recent cartoons and series as arguments. Seriously what's the matter with that person? Does this person know that before the rupphire kiss things were not so easy for people who wanted to put queer content in cartoons ? A 10-second joke on paranorman mentioning a boyfriend, gave a fucking controversy.

It bothers to me no end when people refuse to acknowledge that the progress we’ve made has been over such a short period of time. “2014 wasn’t that long ago.” Yes it was. When we’re talking about mainstream acceptance of queer people, it was. “It was 2014, not 1965.” Right, because in 1965 that episode would never have been allowed to air due to the Hays Code. It probably would have been too radical even in 2012, when supporting same-sex marriage was still sort of a bold statement.  

Like, listen, I understand that some people watched it after the fact expecting them to be in a relationship on the show and were disappointed, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t incredibly meaningful and incredibly important. Invalidating older media and by extension, everyone who found it meaningful, is the opposite of helpful. It’s natural that things that were progressive six years ago aren’t anymore. It means we’ve made progress. It’s a good thing. Also like, nothing was stopping those people from looking up when Korra and Asami actually got together before they watched the show.

Secondly, “main character doesn’t get together with their love interest until the series finale” is like... very much a major, long-running trope in kids’ TV. LoK and Adventure Time are not at all out of the ordinary in that regard.

mod k

[claraxbarton]

Probably literally no one wants to read this, but on the off chance anyone wants to CHOOSE to read my thoughts on fanworks in relation to traditional western culture and not merely be subjected to them via DM during an innocent (though angsty as all hell) convo on the parallels between Stucky and Destiel well, here’s 1700 words on it:

—-

Actually. And here’s the thing that works so damn well with both bucky/Steve and Dean/Cas is that there is no clear “damsel/hero” dichotomy that we see in classic heteronormative relationships.

But like.

The thing about fan fiction, and AO3 specifically, is that it primarily features homoerotic and homoromatic relationships between two cisgender white men. Yes that is changing- mostly thanks to the rise of KPOP (the surprise lord and savior of 2020) and Hulu and Netflix optioning East Asian movies and television series to spread those narratives. Which is an entire thing on its own because so many of those like- is it Untamed? Feature homosocial environments and thus- the point is. The landscape is changing and yay.

But AO3s success is largely predicated on two main ships: Stucky and Destiel. Yes there are others that are huge and continue to grow, but these are the two that I feel (with no data or research to support my assertion) helped AO3 take precedence over ffnet as THE site for fan work hosting.

Now, the contradictory thing about fan work, the thing that is so often described as hypocritical and/or fetishizing is that the majority feature two cisgender white men engaged in homoerotic and/or homoromantic relationships when the majority of the readers and creators of fan works are neither.

Data supports the supposition that most fan work creators and consumers identify as non-male. And in that subset the majority identify as female.

Simply based on generic population data, the correlation can be made (again no effort put into googling this because I have sewing to do) that the majority of this group is likely cisgendered heterosexual (white) women.

However, fan works and fan engagement are a proven community for fans who do not ascribe to the heteronormative gender binary or heterosexual and/or heteroromantic relationship structure and are, in fact, not just white. Again- imagine numbers that are factual because sewing.

Fandom is not unique to entertainment media. We can trace it back to, well, as long as we can trace it back. What are the Venus of Willendorf statues of not fanart? The Parthenon? Egyptian funereal pyramids and their contents? Renaissance art in general? Is the King James Bible not a “fix it” for the previously canonical literature (that’s a hot take don’t come for me.) (you could also consider the King James Version an attempt at song fic).

In more contemporary culture, we have sports fandoms- primarily male dominated. Primarily cisgendered heterosexual white male dominated.

The fandom culture of sports fans has been described as that of collectors and curators- they want memorabilia and statistics and gatekeeping actions often require proof of knowledge or commitment via possessions.

Meanwhile, entertainment media fandoms- such as those experiences on AO3- are more creative than curatorial. Instead of efforts to organize, delineate and create hierarchies within fandoms (yes this happens but is not the overriding force), these sorts of fandoms seek to create fanWORKS and fanCOMMUNITIES. Yes, fantasy sports leagues exist and so do sports teams fan communities. But I ask you, where in sports fandoms is there a GISH?Or an AO3?

The reality of contemporary western dominated culture (entertainment,sports,economic,political, artistic and philosophical) is one that features white cisgendered heterosexual men at the apex-

Both as creators and consumers despite prevailing realities in population and cultural zeitgeist.

As such, most western dominated fandoms are homosocial: dominated by one group, that of white cisgendered heterosexual men.

All that is to say, most star athletes are straight white dudes. Most movie stars are straight white dudes. Most politicians. Most wealth holders and distributors. Most creators.

Why? Because patriarchy. But the WHY isn’t the point of this long ass word vomit.

It’s the So What?

Sports fandoms are the territory of these same homosocial networks.

But media fandoms are the territory of those NOT at the top of that hierarchy.

While the CONTENT and the original content creators remain part of that homosocial white cisgendered heterosexual group, the consumers of media are largely NOT OF THAT GROUP despite what the content creators may desire or believe (see: the creatives behind supernatural and their ridiculous ability to convince themselves that their core demographic are straight white dudes 15-40).

As such, content that features the patriarchy is primarily heterosexual, heteronormative, racist (acutely or passively), misogynistic, homophobic, homosocial and, well, lacking.

Take, for example, MCU and Supernatural as franchises. Our main characters are primarily white dudes. White dudes who mostly interact with other white dudes, whose “tribes” (brethren, compatriots, coworkers) are also white dudes. Yes, smurfs exist- the token woman or non-white person. Sometimes even a queer person (gender or sexual, though very, very rarely gender queer).

The fact that whenever our “heroes” interact with anyone outside their tribe or homosocial group they are almost inevitably evil, dead or about to die is telling. How many women die in supernatural? How many people of color? How many villains in the MCU (and while the X-MEN franchise isn’t necessarily within the MCU because Hollywood, the queer coding within X-MEN is encyclopedic) are queer coded?

Now, I’ve said repeatedly that heterosexual and heteronormative relationships are the mean within such media. Our white dudes bang white ladies, love white ladies, but act like manly white men and don’t put romantic feelings ahead of things like patriotism and pain unless they have “earned” the right to such (a trial that often involves a lot of deaths that are never addressed or given recourse. See:endgame)

Bros before hoes is more or less the rule of western mainstream media.

As such, relationships that demonstrate respect, trust, vulnerability, compassion and resiliency are almost always homosocial: or they are between two bros (no homo) and not between a man and a woman.

You trust the guy at your back, not the woman because you 1. Want to bang her 2. She’s probably going to die 3. She’s a damsel 4. Seriously she’s probably going to die.

Which all means: most of the well developed characters and relationships within mainstream western media are homosocial- they exist between two members of the same group. In our case, those straight white bros (which of course within supernatural can sometimes be taken literally in the case of Wincest).

Which means, the consumers of this media- mostly not white straight cisgendered dudes- are left with content that doesn’t represent who they are or what they want or even can aspire to.

So what’s the solution? Collect data and memorabilia? Sure why not.

OR: use your beloved media, those well developed characters and relationships, to create something new.

Fan work.

We circle back, at last, to the idea that fan work creators and consumers can be hypocritical or contradictory by creating works that feature that which they are not- these white dudes in love (romantic, sexual) with each other.

This supposition suggests that creators and consumers are using the characters and situations in fan work as replacements for what they lack in heterosocial relationships- either in media or in their own lives. Or, put another way, fans replace either Bucky or Steve with themselves and image the other to be their “love” interest.

To an extent, this may be true. That both parties are usually written to have male genitalia while most fans do not is where so many of the hypocritical and fetishization issues come into play.

But the reality is, fans are working with what they are given. Most fans don’t have dicks. A generous portion of fans don’t want to engage with dicks is sexual ways (or engage in sex at all) (and it must be emphasized that the majority of works on AO3 are rated T not E).

But the value in reimagining, subtextualizing, or deconstructing the mostly platonically presented homosocial relationships in western media as homosexual or homoerotic or homoromantic is not (for the most part) about fetish or about placeholders and substitutions for the fan.

It is about creating fanwork that reflects the society a fan lives in or wishes to live in.

Just as the sports fan will go to a bar and paint themselves blue and deride the Yankees because they want to envision a society that upholds a white cisgendered male patriarchy, media fanWORKS are created because we do NOT have a society that values romantic or erotic relationships between equals (for in traditional western society the only equal to a white cisgendered man is another white dude).

So, at last, a return to Stucky and Destiel.

The relationships created in fanWORKS between these two aren’t simply those where one is the “‘man” in the relationship and the other is the “woman”.

Yes those fanWORKS exist.

But most utilize the strong bonds of trust and respect and vulnerability and dare I say shared experience to create romantic and erotic relationships that are both more complex and more realistic than those actually portrayed in the same media.

In Stucky, we see Steve save Bucky and Bucky save Steve. We see Bucky hurt Steve and Steve hurt Bucky. We see their positions as EQUALS as a means by which to create a world where fulfilling relationships can exist that do not automatically restrict one (or more) parties to that of “chattel”.

The same is true of Destiel.

And both relationships feature key similarities within the original media that make for such rich possibilities.

Castiel saves Dean from hell. Castiel is brainwashed by the patriarchy to view Dean as lesser and even to kill him (this happens multiple times).

While Steve saves Bucky from Azzano, it is Bucky who saved Steve for almost their entire lives before that point. And after that point the two go back and forth to save each other. And let us not forget that Bucky was ordered to kill Steve but “he knew me”.

Dean and Castiel go through a similar ping pong match of saving each other.

This isn’t just about being equal in strength- it’s about being equal in vulnerability.

Which, to belabor the point, doesn’t exist in mainstream media’s romantic or erotic relationships nor is it widely taught or reinforced in western culture as a whole.

In conclusion.

Stucky and Destiel can save the world.

But probably KPOP would do it better and faster and cooler.

—-

Totally feel free to engage with your own opinions. Because I have to go sew now but later? Later we should talk friends and foes.

[impatient14]

Not to be “annoying on main” but like most things here in the year 2020, a lot of the nuance and reason surrounding the fandom’s fight over Dean’s queerness is lost to the wily temptress that is extremity, and I want to throw some stuff out there in case anyone is thinking the same things and just needs to hear that someone else is too.

To my followers and anyone who dares look through my blog (honestly don’t recommend it), it’s obvious I’m someone who enjoys the Dean/Cas pairing. And when I say enjoy, I mean I absolutely get feral about a wide range of topics that involve their relationship, depiction, and reception. I’ve always kept my opinions within the confines of my blog, though, and I’ve never--not once in the decade of my life on Tumblr--gone into inboxes to send hate or even indirect someone with hate or drama on my blog. That shit just ain’t kosher.

That being said, some of the anti-destiel arguments out there have merit.

Like, for example, Destiel shippers not liking the show. Personally, I did like Supernatural originally, but I also recently recommended new watchers who came for Destiel to just watch certain episodes. I’ve stopped watching Supernatural several times throughout my Supernatural journey (which started in real time with season one), because the writing can be down right awful. There were lots of great examples of writing too, but it wasn’t consistent enough for me to keep watching in real time. So I'd watch a season behind on Netflix. At some point, things got bad enough (the bro-dependence, recycled or unimaginative plotlines, the terrible treatment and fridging of female characters) that I did keep coming back for Dean and Cas only (and honestly, it was sometimes only Castiel). 

Another worthy anti-destiel point for consideration is the fact that other than destiel shippers, a lot of people who watch Supernatural don’t care about Castiel. This seems to be correct. I’d wager to say that the vast majority of Supernatural watchers did not invest even a portion of time, energy, or emotions in Castiel that we did. That’s cool. I’ve been a casual viewer of a show and been blindsided by things that their fanon saw coming a mile away. Everyone has different perspectives, and the idea that Castiel isn’t integral to the plot when you remove the possibility of Destiel is absolutely correct.

However.

Why did they keep bringing him back? It’s true that he could easily be written out when his relationship with Dean is bro-ified, but his deaths never took until the end (and even then it didn’t). Sure, it could be “pandering,” but if only 1% of the Supernatural fandom ships destiel (as stated in one argument), it seems like a strange choice monetarily. Misha, as a series regular, wasn’t exactly giving out his services for free (eyyoo), so producers and the network wouldn’t give a second thought to the vitroil and threats creators and actors would get if Misha were written off. (Side note: I categorically *hate* the social media accessibility that lets people directly interact so negatively with creators to the point of dangerous conditions. It’s the most ugly and embarrassing side of fandom.)

It could be argued they kept bringing him back because they knew hellers and Cas lovers would continue to buy his Merch and what not, but I can’t imagine the small percentage of viewers who are invested enough in Castiel to buy his Merch would compensate for Misha’s annual salary. (But honestly, numbers aren’t my thing so *shrug*) But it could also be argued that the perceived destiel headache for creators, plus the retention of Misha’s salary, would be enough to get rid of him if not for a crucial role he plays in the show. Creators have repeatedly said that Cas’ whole character revolves around his relationship with Dean, so that means the writers felt that the Cas/Dean relationship was important to the fabric of the show--in whatever way you’d like to see it. Does that mean viewers have to see it that way? Definitely not. But that’s not the story the writers are telling you they’re writing--

Oh, that sounds familiar!

All the textual gay jokes, narrative devices, and creator interactions (not just Misha, but writers, producers, and other actors too) created the metaphorical pink elephant, not the shippers themselves. And to be told otherwise is some gaslighting bullshit. I agree some fans take it too far and freak out at the mere mention of a non-destiel reading, but the foundation for a destiel reading is based in text, not just in the shippers heads. The relationship between the Supernatural creators, actors, and fandom is undoubtedly toxic, which is why I think it makes it easier for them to deny various romantic interpretations of Dean and Castiel's relationship, but (and i hate to do it) in their defense, they definitely wrote enough into the text to justifiably claim Dean's a nohomodudebro. However, they've also written enough into the text to legitimately doubt (not definitively deny) his heterosexuality.

IMO (for the maybe two people wondering) Dean became bisexually coded in a very complicated conglomeration of a homophobic “its funny to be gay” kind of way, the chemistry between Jensen and Misha, countless production decisions, and Castiel’s growing and canonical love for Dean---which all makes the matter impossible to ignore. On more than one occasion the writers made choices that welcomed a destiel reading--not confirmed--but welcomed (which is, wait for it, queerbaiting!). I’d be shocked if no one read Dean as being queer coded and secretly in love with Castiel, who btw, is absolutely 100% romantically in love with Dean Winchester. The writers kept making decisions that fed hellers so well because Castiel is in love with Dean. It’s not just Misha who has confirmed it btw, but the writers themselves. You’re allowed to read it differently, just like destiel shippers read Dean differently than the writers have claimed, but you don’t get to tell other people they’re wrong--just like destiel shipping should never have gotten to the point were anyone who didn’t see destiel was reading the show wrong. However, the difference between saying Cas’ love is platonic and saying Dean’s love is queer is the difference between having zero textual evidence for a platonic reading of Cas’ love, and having lots of textual evidence for Dean’s heterosexuality. (Personally? My headcannon for Dean fluctuates between “so closeted he doesn’t even know he’s actually bisexual” and “very much aware he’s also into dudes but is pushing it down because : Winchester ™.” However, I’m more than happy to admit that my headcannon can’t be reasonably confirmed as fact. It can, however and like most headcannons within the destiel fandom, be comprehensively and intelligently argued to the point of exhaustion.)

The only reason to deny that 1.) it’s reasonable to read Dean as being queer-coded, not canonically bisexual, but queer-coded via textual and production decisions, and 2.) Castiel is romantically in love with Dean-- is if you’re someone who can’t give credit to the opposition just because they’re the opposition. Just because I hate Trump and think he’s the spawn of Putin’s asshole doesn’t mean I can’t admit he did *some* good work for criminal justice reform. The credibility of your argument goes to crap when you can’t admit when someone else has a good point- even if you don’t agree with their overarching theory or idea.

Obviously, the state of the Supernatural fandom is pretty much what it will be forever. Getting thousands of people to admit that its normal to find evidence to support an argument you don’t agree with (something philosophers do all the time because there is no such thing as truth and the world isn’t black and white and its shades of grey that make the rainbow bright and on and on and on), is definitely not in the cards for us. But, this is just me, throwing my altogether unnecessary opinion out there. 

(If you’re one of those people that like to troll people just for having an opinion and expressing it respectfully, please consider not doing that. I am but a baby in a trench coat.)

[orionsangel86]

what are your thoughts on the deancas endgame.. how will they resolve the Empty.. any thoughts?

Ah that old question! How it pains us all! :P

What are my thoughts on DeanCas endgame now? Honestly it changes everyday!

When Cas first made his deal with the Empty, it seemed so damn obvious to me that it would be a lead up to overt canon Destiel. At the time I was pretty sure that there was nothing else that could bring Cas that level of happiness. Now I’m not so sure. Cas’s devotion to Jack has only grown, and the fracturing of the Winchester family at the end of Season 14 was a huge hit to him. I can now easily envisage something as simple as Cas being invited to carve his name on the bunker table being the trigger point, so long as Jack is alive and well. Being part of the Winchester family has definitely been the principle factor the writers have built on for Cas over the past season. I therefore think that if the Empty does come for Cas, it will be from something familial, something like Jack and the Winchesters all sitting around and them paying specific attention to Cas for doing something great, like actually stopping a monster, saving a ton of people, and doing it all the human way, leading to a very impressed Sam and a loved up Dean beaming at him and telling him to carve his initials, and making sure he adds the W.

As much as I would love it and ascend to fandom heaven if it happened, I don’t think the empty deal is gonna be triggered by Dean grabbing and kissing Cas up against his bedroom door, or even actually saying a very clearly romantic “I love you”. Not that I don’t think that will happen at all, but I feel the Empty deal will need to be addressed very soon, and I just can’t see any overt confirmation of Destiel in text before the very end (if at all) at this point.

Please let me explain my thought process on this before anyone get’s upset or jumps on me.

Season 15, imo, has done a lot for Destiel. Since the very first episode we have had a clear emotional storyline specific to Dean and Cas. Their relationship drama has basically fuelled the emotional heart of the season so far. It has lead to journalists, interviewers, and plenty of check marks on Twitter agreeing that whatever Dean and Cas have, it’s something very special, and important to Supernaturals beating core.

The fact is, Dean and Cas are already being written as a romantic couple. They are being written as two people who deeply love each other, to the point that they get ridiculously overly emotional around each other and when the other hurts them. Their relationship is constantly called out by other characters (Belphegor, Rowena) and mirrored to the more overt (however unfair that is) heterosexual relationship in the show (Sam and Eileen).

If we were still living within the era of the Hays Code, if this was The Celluloid Closet, then we would already be championing Destiel as an epic example of queer romance. It IS a queer romance after all. Destiel is real, it exists within the Supernatural story, and the SPN writing team including actual queer writers are 100% on our side and writing Destiel as best they can. This I am 100% certain of at this stage. As a meta writer, I am already validated that my reading of the show and of Destiel as a queer romance in the show is correct. Destiel isn’t something anyone can justifiably call us delusional for seeing anymore. We have come way far beyond that point here. If you see Destiel as a romantic love story, your reading is a correct reading because that IS the story the writers are writing. Season 15 has confirmed that with the Destiel break up story arc and Dean’s prayer. This I say with absolute certainty. Your reading of Destiel as valid and an actual queer love story is correct. It is the story they are telling. People can’t deny Destiel anymore because it is those deniers who at this stage look pretty damn delusional ya know?

I have bolded several lines above because they are important and I really want to stress that this is my stance on the matter. Do not let anyone try to convince you that I feel differently here. If you are a young queer person who sees yourself and your relationship in the DeanCas love story you are valid in seeing that. Exactly as it is, right now, without any need for further confirmation within the story. I am in no way trying to invalidate you by what I am about to say next.

I mentioned the Hays Code and the Celluloid Closet. If you haven’t seen the Celluloid Closet I urge you to watch it as it is a fascinating look into queer coding within the Hays code era. Also, quickly, if you aren’t aware of what I mean by the Hays Code it’s basically the code that Hollywood had to adhere to, setting out rules of what could and couldn’t be portrayed in cinema at the time. Here’s a link to the Wiki article on the history of queer cinema. The introduction of the Hay’s code also meant the introduction of queer coding and subtext rather than explicit dipictions of queer romance in cinema. When I refer to this in relation to Dean and Cas, basically what Supernatural is doing with Dean and Cas is exactly what was done to dipict queer romance in order to get around the Hays code during the era when it was enforced.

So when I say that Destiel is real and valid and being written as a love story, I mean that the writers are basically doing with Destiel what savvy filmmakers had to do to circumvent the Hay’s code during Hollywoods golden age.

Do you see the issue yet?

It is 2020. The Hay’s Code has been abolished for around 50 years.

I fully respect the SPN writing team for trying to tell the Destiel love story as best they can, but at this point in time, even with everything they have already given us, it is still subtext.

Subtext IS a part of the text. What is Canon? What isn’t Canon? Honestly? I’m done with the arguments about it. Believe what each of you want to believe. What I will say is that I don’t think we are going to get anything more overt from the show at this point. The reason I say this is because the writers have now had plenty of ideal opportunities to actually bring the Destiel love story into text. They could have had a single line in 15x07 that confirmed Dean and Lee had a romantic relationship when they were younger. It would have been so easy to do. But they didn’t. Dean’s prayer to Cas, in all it’s glory, could have given us one line more as well. We could have had a love confession. They could have taken it there. Again, it would have been so easy, and it was the ideal opportune moment for Dean to confess. But they didn’t.

I have gone back and forth on this particular question over and over again. The question being will Destiel be brought into explicit undeniable text by series end?

Again, I stress, this question is completely separate to the question of the validity of Destiel already within the text and I swear to God if I get a single argumentative person in my mentions coming at me because they’ve been brainwashed by *people* trying to twist and blur these lines I am going on an even bigger blocking spree to the one I’ve already been on.

In my opinion, the answer to this question resides not with the decisions of the writers (who I fully believe would make it overtly canon in a heartbeat if they could) but with the CW execs. I have my own theories about what goes on behind the scenes, and what I think Dabb has been fighting with since he first took over as showrunner in season 11, and I just really hope that at some point once this is all over we will get a big expose on the truth about Destiel which confirms my speculation and slams the CW execs for not wanting to go there with Supernatural in particular (something I have previously talked about here). I would love for the execs to have given the green light on Destiel being overt by season end, and I am still hoping they have been more lenient this season even if the okay is only for one small moment. Whatever we get or do not get, it will be at the hands of the CW execs and not the writers. That’s the one thing I ask everyone to please keep in mind whatever happens in the end.

As far as what I think may or may not happen...

I would love for the Empty to take Cas because Dean confesses his love and kisses him. Or even if the Empty takes Cas because of other things, having Dean then rescue Cas from the Empty in a poetic reverse of Cas rescuing Dean from Hell, with the big reunion being their overt textual getting together. I feel like the story could go in so many different directions right now as I don’t actually feel like the plot of season 15 is all that coherant so far. The main key notes were Dean and Cas’s relationship drama, Sam and Eileen’s reunion, Chuck messing with the boys and Jack’s return. I think that things will ramp up pretty quickly in this final run of episodes from mid March to the finale, and I think a lot of storylines will get addressed and resolved in a short space of time, at this point, if anything overt does happen for Dean and Cas, it will happen quickly, and the story will move on, or it will be left in the subtext until the very final episode, or it will remain in subtext completely.

Personally, I think that Dean and Cas’s love story will remain subtextual until the very end, with potentially an “I love you” from Dean that will be interpreted as platonic by all major media sources much to all of our frustrations (a repeat of the Season 12 Cas “I love you”) (As Dean needs to tell Cas he loves him as a plot point at this stage, regardless of whether it is romantic or platonic the story basically demands it be said). I am still quietly confident that Dean and Cas will end the season together in some way, either living or dead, I don’t think that their story or their individual story arcs work if they are separated, and I will be stunned and hurt the same way I was for Game Of Thrones if the show does take a different route.

Therefore, since I see the show ending with Dean and Cas together, I can potentially see them taking each others hands in one final shot that basically subtly confirms that they are an item without ever actually textually stating anything more or giving us a kiss or anything. I personally, would be very satisfied with this. If it doesn’t happen though, if I’m totally honest, I would also be satisfied so long as they are still together by the shows end, as I have continually stressed, Destiel is already a real and valid love story that totally validates me as a meta writer, even if it isn’t technically “canon” by all major definitions of the term. (Again I stg if anyone comes at me for saying this I am blocking without devoting a second of my time to arguing with you I am literally at zero tolerance on this ridiculous argument right now and refuse to be dragged back into the bullshit).

Whatever happens, I am loving what we are getting so far. I’ve really been enjoying this season especially the Dean and Cas storyline because it has been so intense and emotional and I LIVE FOR IT! :D I know I’ll be a puddle of tears whatever happens and I just hope that it keeps up this excellent trajectory because so far I’ve been really pleased with everything else we’ve got even if I was slightly disappointed by the show not pushing 15x07 and 15x09 just that tiny bit further into overt canon confirmation of Bi!Dean and Destiel. We’ll see. As I have already said several times, I am feeling pretty validated by my interpretation of Dean and Cas’s relationship over the past so many years I’ve been writing about them. I am confident that I will continue to feel validated as we reach the final run of episodes, and I will continue to be optimistic that Dean and Cas will get a satisfying ending together, whether that includes overt textual Destiel confirmation or not.

[queerwolfsstuff]

What it’s like being a cynical Destiel clown.

Spoilers ahead for SPN Season 15 Episode 18

I’ve been through the emotional ringer this last week, and don’t even get me started on the producers’ decision to air Cas’s death episode the week of the election, but I digress.

Let me give you some backstory, I have been seeking out LGBTQ+ content in film and television since I was 12. So, this started in the mid 90s, where a majority of content was either castrated to make it palatable for straight viewers, toxic character stereotypes, and most of the time ended in the kill/bury your gays trope. Look at the oscars, the only time an actor wins for portraying a gay/bi/trans character is when said character dies.

Anyway, this has meant I have had to thrive and survive on subtext. With the exception of Gallavich, none of the pairings I’ve shipped have ever become canon, so I’ve always been content to just read into the subtext and build from there. And there’s a long history of subtext in media (see this video here: https://youtu.be/nwrTU-FnGlw)

Anyway, prior to Misha’s confirmation, I could feel and see the canonization of Destiel in that beautiful moment, albeit one-sided, but I could also see it’s ambiguity. And that’s because the writers have made it abundantly clear over the years that destiel does not exist.

From shooting fans down in panels or on social media, even to the point of mockery and blocking. Adamant stances that destiel doesn’t exist. Remember the last time Cas said those three little words? The destiel fandom collectively lost their shit, while the non destiel fans and the writers shot us down. We were delusional, we were reading too much into things.

It’s why, despite the supreme joy I feel at this confession, at this canon romantic love Castiel has for Dean, I’m wary AF. I don’t trust the writers to not completely ignore the confession in the final two episodes, and knowing that Misha isn’t slated for the final two episodes, the lack of acknowledgement and/or reciprocity will only exacerbate the problematic approach to making this ship canon.

Yes, technically they won’t go down as the longest queerbaiting show in television history now (and don’t think I’m not grateful to Bobo for making that happen, and I’m so fucking glad he was the one to give it to us), but now, knowing the projected ending, that means they pulled out the bury/kill your gays trope, and that’s a problem.

What message does that send to young queer kids? Hell, even to adults who struggle with their sexuality? For those who aren’t aware, I’m in grad school, getting my MFA in creative writing, and I am constantly addressing the severe lack of representation and healthy representation in mainstream media. As a queer person, I’m sick and fucking tired of lgbtq+ characters being side lined or worse, and let’s be real here, Supernatural has a tendency to kill off female, queer, and/or BIPOC characters. They’ve gotten away with it because, technically, all the characters on this show have died at least once or more.

This is why I’m conflicted, Destiel became canon at the expense of the queer viewers, but I’m still happy it became canon.

But shouldn’t I just be happy they addressed it at all? I mean, you’re not wrong. For the fans who see the significance of this, after years and years of being told we were crazy, we were reading too much into things, this is a form of validation and it’s “greedy” to expect anything more.

I don’t expect more for my personal preference, I don’t expect more just because I want to see a canon kiss or reciprocity (although I wouldn’t say no to that), I expect more because us queer viewers should be more than a statistic or ratings grab.

Maybe I got spoiled by Dan Levy, and seeing a world where queer representation isn’t just there, but embraced, loved, handled with care and shown that homophobia no longer has a place.

If you’re psyched destiel went canon, I get it. You want to bask in your happiness, enjoy this moment, and may I suggest you subscribe to @angeldoveyt’s YouTube channel for even more breathtaking content.

If you’re pissed that the show didn’t make it more blatant and perpetuated toxic tropes, I get that too. It’s problematic and after the year we had, seems kind of shitty. And in that case, may I suggest you watch Schitt’s Creek if you haven’t already.

If you’re like me, and have whiplash from feeling both of these emotions, shit, I have no recommendations other than, let’s stop turning on each other. Those of us who are mad are not trying to ruin it for the rest of you. Those of us who are excited aren’t simply ignoring the problematic implementation of canon destiel.

However this went down, someone was going to be mad, because for some reason, this show made us care. Care about the actors, care about these fictional characters, care about each other.

As Cas said, maybe it isn’t in the having, but in being, in just saying it. Destiel is canon, whether or not you liked how it went down, and that’s not nothing.

[dotthings]

Misha’s not the problem, this was never about 15.18 it was about 15.20, and twitter’s context description on Misha trending mis-stated canon events and said fans were upset Cas didn’t say “I love you to Dean.”

ON SCREEN CANON EVENTS THAT ARE NOT EVEN IN CONTENTION BEING ERASED ON THE CONTEXT STATEMENT FOR A MAJOR TREND ON TWITTER.

Also dismissals as “confirmation bias” the fact of all the Destiel we have seen so far and fans realizing that the writers room was crafting a love story under network restriction using queer coding and very low key textual points, even if might never get explicitly confirmed, can gtfo. Your queer erasure is showing, your deletion of queer readings, you deletion of queer text that queer authors created under network restriction because it’s a story they wanted to tell, not to bait fans, but to defy restrictions.

All this still going on after Cas made his love confession. This after several seasons of Dean showing how he feels, even if he never got his chance (in US airing) to explicitly state his feelings the way Cas did by the end of the show, and a massive online blowout over that among many other reasons 15.20 is a problem. I’m going to confiscate “confirmation bias” I STFG people don’t know how to use it right.

It was pretty amazing seeing after 15.18 aired fans making the connection, and recognizing not just how 15.18 bled backwards, but that what was already there more deliberately in recent seasons was, in fact, deliberate and was there and that their reading was valid. Same thing going on after the Spanish dub for 15.18 got out, from Dean’s side, the bleedback effect that line from Dean has, and people realizing it was, in fact, part of deliberate crafting from writers who like Destiel and were building the story purposefully.

The weird hand-waving some people are doing—by which I mean fans, who actually should know better—to make the Spanish dub somehow invalid, as if it didn’t happen. Regardless of what may or may not have been cut from the US version, in the countries Warner tv airs in, it is explicitly confirmed that Destiel is mutual. Warner tv Spanish dub covers all Latin American countries except for Brazil. Destiel is mutual confirmed canon to a large number of people because of the official dub. There’s an excellent twitter thread about dubbing here. You don’t have to like it, but that’s what happened in some parts of the world. That’s the story conveyed, best of luck trying to tell every Latin American destiel shipper that what they watched on their tv’s didn’t happen.

Mostly I’m just ready to burn down the gaslighting over canon content, in multiple countries now. You’re not going to be dictating to me that what I saw on screen in the story isn’t what I saw, trying to convince me Dean doesn’t return the feelings won’t work either, and it not only contradicts what I have seen on screen for myself it basically scraps a ton of development for Dean and Dean pov. But Dean being silenced and Dean erasure was basically a theme of the big series finale so I shouldn’t be surprised people are still trying it. Some aren’t doing it willfully, they genuinely don’t understand the pov of fans who see it yet, but would probably listen with an open mind at least, and some are doing it because Destiel threatens their convictions that Dean must only love Sam and that second group is not acting in good faith with their shutdowns and gaslighting and I’m seeing people taken in by it and boosting those messages out of not understanding the implications.

[misha-moose-dean-burger-lover]

Don’t Leave Me Now

Your (lack of) warning is that I almost named this, *Fixing It*, so ~ 2.5k 15x08 coda, implied Destiel, (canon compliant), based in PurGaytory ~ 

***

They’re past the rift, and Dean’s still in the stage of checking himself and his weapons for damages caused by inter-realm travel, and glancing at Cas to do the same for him as subtly as he can, when Cas ups and say something that makes his insides riot. 

“I’ll take this way, you could -” Cas begins, dryly pointing to the faintest traces of paths on either side of where they’re standing - and reserving the particularly morose region in the generally morose land for himself. As one does. 

Dean hears himself interrupt. “No.” He says, and stops, wondering how he would proceed from there.

“Okay.” Cas lets out, with a long-suffering sigh, and Dean knows he’s probably earned it in all their time together enough times with his winning personality and proneness to accepting other people’s decisions, that Cas gets to use it at any hint of an opportunity now. But this time’s not about him wanting to do the opposite of what Cas suggests.

He doesn’t want to go down the road Cas chose for himself. He just doesn’t want to go a different way than him, at all. 

Cas doesn’t get it. “You can take that path, and I’ll -”

“Wrong.” Dean cuts him off again, and decides to be clearer this time. Screw denial. He’s not going to let this happen again. 

“Listen,” He continues, wanting to get rid of the frown which has settled harder in the curve of Cas’s lips now, but not really knowing how. So he takes a blind shot. That’s all he’s been up to lately, anyways. “I need you to give me your word.”

“My word?” Cas repeats, not necessarily invigorated by the progress Dean’s made in getting the words out. 

“Yeah. A promise.” Dean elaborates, needlessly. He rubs the back of his neck, and lets his feet carry him closer to Cas. They’ve been standing way too apart. It feels strange, somehow. 

Also, he’s hoping if he whispers, he’ll be able to get it out.

Cas raises his eyebrows, waiting for Dean to go on.

“I need you to say,” Dean tries again, and breaks it off by a loud exhale. A breath that he’d been holding in for too long. Up comes the urge to pack this conversation up, and go in one of the four goddamn directions known to man, and just beat himself up over this later. 

But he fights it. 

He can say this. They’re just words. Cas is listening to him. Cas is waiting. And the longer Dean takes, the more obvious his struggles will be. He’s making this a way bigger deal than it is. They’re simple words he’s trying to say, and he’s just going to say them.

Cas raises his eyebrows some more. 

“I need you to swear that you’re not going to leave this time.” Dean manages, and looks down at the ground, trying to keep up the momentum, and get it out there, off his chest. “That you won’t bunk in the middle of the night again.”

Cas doesn’t say a thing, and after a beat, Dean painfully looks up at him, trying to figure out how to let the angel know that Dean really fucking needs to hear him say something right now.  

And then he does, but it’s not the right thing. When do either of them ever say the right things?

“We aren’t going to spend any nights here.” His voice is earnest, thoughtful, and handsomely low. He’s not been saying much to Dean lately, Dean thinks balefully in a split second of weakness, and immediately forbids himself to think about that.

But newly fueled by the ridiculous remark, Dean pushes on. “You know what I mean, Cas.” Cas twitches when Dean says his name, because it’s really been a while since he’s done it. “The time you leave isn’t the goddamn point.”

He waits, stalls, and then draws in a deep breath. Cas is not saying a thing, though he should - he really fucking should. But Dean’s started off now, and all he can do is finish.

“You won’t leave.” He declares.

Don't leave me, is too raw to be said out loud. He flipped the voice of the sentence, changed the auxiliary verb, and he’s good to go. 

Cas still doesn’t say anything, and when Dean ventures a look straight at his face, he’s got a completely unreadable expression, which isn’t helpful at all. 

Cas isn’t agreeing, and Dean needs him to, so he swallows the uncertainties and rambles on. “This isn’t like last time, Cas. It’s not the same -”

“It is.” Finally, the sonuvabitch speaks up. Dean shuts up entirely. “How would you say it’s any different?” Cas counters, not quite glaring, but also definitely doing so. “This is still the barren, wretched realm monsters arrive at past their demise on Earth, at the hands of your kind and mine, and I am still the only being of Grace -”

“That’s not what I meant.” Dean scowls. “The situations are different. Back then, you had to,” Dean hasn’t talked about this in years, if he ever did. “You felt you had to redeem yourself, and -”

Dean hears himself say those words, and the irony drops on him in the same second, crushing the rest of the sentence on this tongue. His words feel like lead, heavy and poisonous. He’s momentarily scared Cas will call him out on it, and repeat, with a snicker, that it’s still the same. That he still needs to redeem himself, doesn’t be - because Dean’s not yet told him that he doesn’t think Cas does, because he doesn’t know how to do it. 

He’s positive it’ll happen, that they’ll have a conversation where Dean’ll end up angrily confessing that it’s not Cas’s fucking fault, when the latter goes off on some self-righteous self-loathing. Because he isn’t going to let this turn out like that night at the bunker.

This isn’t the bunker, after he’s lost a handful of friends, and has already begun to try and fill the hole with whiskey. 

This is purgatory.

It’s always been easier to be truthful here. Something about the atmosphere in this place compels him to be true to himself. 

He doesn’t remember why, but he does remember how he’d felt. And he doesn’t have to think hard either, because he’s feeling it again. Right now. 

He waits, in the present time, Cas’s justified retaliation to his broken off words, but receives one different from what he’d been expecting. 

“I did seek redemption, Dean.” Cas confesses, in a heavy tone. “But that isn’t what made me leave. It was more about keeping you safe.”

Dean’s thrown off. He’s - he knows he’s heard this before, but that had been years back. Right now, it doesn’t feel like familiar information. 

It feels enormous.

A burden of a truth seems to have been placed on his shoulders. Cas separated himself from the safety of a team, the company of a friend, and his only chance at freedom - for Dean’s safety. 

Dean has never borne the weight of this admission before, in all it’s profoundness, and now it leaves him speechless. 

“Every evil around could sense me,” Cas goes on, as if repaying Dean’s debt of uttered truths, by telling him something else that’s true. “And you’re brave, Dean, and you’re strong, but you couldn’t have fought them all. I couldn’t do that to you. But away?” Maybe his voice cracks, maybe Dean’s ears are ringing. “Away, I could keep them at bay. Away, I knew I could protect you.”

“Then protect me again,” Dean says, and hasn’t even thought about it before it’s rolled off his tongue. “But from right next to me, this time.”

Cas looks down at Dean’s boots, but Dean stares at him anyways. 

“When we come across a monster who picked up on your angel scent, or whatever? You take your blade in hand and fucking fight by my side like we used to, Cas.” He chokes out, and he’s trying not to let his defenses come in the way of letting the words out - finally getting them out, like he knows he should’ve, a long time ago. 

“Call me a goddamn dumbass, but you and me against a world of already dead undead? I’m going to go out on a limb and say, I fancy our fucking chances.” He seethes, tone laced with a sardonic sarcasm. He clenches his fists.

“Dean.” Is all Cas says, so it’s his turn again. He’s aware he’s yelling now, and he’s aware he’s standing much closer to Cas than he was in the beginning, but he’s saying things now, and he’s going to keep doing it. It’s terrifying, but it feels right. 

“So help me, Cas, I’m not letting you leave.” He meets Cas’s eyes. They’re so blue, he’s reminded of all the attachments the hue has with peace. “If you want to keep me safe? Do it by my fucking side.”

He’s panting by the end of it, and Cas is staring at him with wide eyes, like Dean’s gone and said things that he’d had no business saying, and has been a major pain in the ass in general - like Dean’s shoved them up against a wall, and he can either hammer through it, or back away.

Dean stares back too, holds his gaze - and it’s been so long since he’s held his gaze, it stings. He tries to will Cas to agree, with every fibre of his being, and convince him to not fight him on this. Just fucking agree to not leave, for a goddamn change. 

They’re stuck in that moment for a while, or rather it’s a compilation of hundreds of moments, for the sentiment in the air changes with each. 

Slowly, without saying a word, there’s something different about Cas. Something warmer in his stance; something softer in his eyes. The words start to seep into the angel. Or at least, Dean hopes they do. 

Finally, at the end of a thousand moments, Cas nods. 

It’s just that much - and it sets off a smile. Dean cannot help the way it tugs at his lips, and he finally gives in - at least retaining the courtesy to turn his face away from Cas’s. He knows they still have a long way to go, but it’s a start. Cas isn’t leaving. They can work things out, starting right there.

When he eventually looks back up, Cas is smiling too - hardly noticeable, but Dean’s been staring at him too hard, for too long, to not to be able to identify a fractional change in his temperament. 

Fuck, he thinks, feeling relieved over anything else. He lets the flooding emotions wash over him. He needs to do that. He needs to let himself have this.

They’ve got this. They can still make it. Cas isn’t leaving. Cas is smiling back. There remains much more to figure out, but this is something.

It’s something he hadn’t even known he needed so badly. 

“Dean,” Cas starts, gentle. Dean puts his thoughts on hold, because he cannot do both at the same time. Even after years of practise, when he’s listening to Cas, that’s all he’s doing. He’s just staring at those eyes, absorbing his words, his voice, his movements. 

He cannot let his mind wander at the same time, it’s too risky - because he has no idea what he might do if he didn’t have all his mental faculties focused on not doing a thing. 

“Is this because of what Rowena said?” Cas adds, unsure.

Dean almost asks Cas what he means by ‘this’, but then stops himself in time. Instead, he decides to end on a high, and get all of it out as he can.

“No.” He returns, honestly. “It’s more of what Adam said.”

Cas waits, patient.

“When have any of us ever gotten what we deserve?” He repeats, in it’s essence, what Adam - his brother had said. 

He shuffles on his feet, and licks his lips. “Thing is, I deserve you walking out on me, Cas. I deserved it every time you did. I deserved it that night, and I deserve it now. I deserve to be alone, a million times.” He does, he knows he does. “But I’m hoping, like he said, that I don't get what I deserve.”

Cas’s eyes widen.

“I’m hoping you’ll stay.” 

And then, without warning, Cas lunges a step ahead, and pulls Dean into a hug. 

His hands come around Dean, feeling familiar, though it’s been so long - and he fixes his chin on Dean’s shoulder, and he holds on till Dean’s done with being surprised and is just hugging back, tight, grabbing onto Cas’s shoulder with one hand, and the other landed in the middle of his back, holding him in place.

Dean rests his head sideways against Cas’s, and closes his eyes. He can feel Cas, solid and wide and warm against his chest, against his heart - and it feels glorious to be able to hug his best friend again. It’s almost a wonder his knees don't buckle - it feels unbelievable. It’s been way too long, and they’ve been through way too much, and it all seems to melt away, as the quick seconds fly by, with them still holding onto each other. 

Cas doesn’t seem to want to let go, even when Dean’s convinced himself it’s time to pull back, and thought he doesn’t pull Dean closer - which he wouldn’t have minded, as an added piece of trivia; he certainly doesn’t budge when Dean attempts to separate himself. 

Cas apparently needs this as much as Dean does, so then he gives into his own desire to stay slotted together, without any more qualms in doing so. 

They stay like that, holding onto each other, like they mean it. 

“You know what, Cas,” Dean’s saying, but he isn’t really thinking anything through at this point. Every corner of his mind is occupied in feeling embraced by Cas, pressed against his chest, and at least begin to be forgiven. “It might be a little bit about what Rowena said.”

“Think about it,” He smiles, and he imagines Cas doing so too. “If Rowena can be queen, then no offense, but I could totally be ruling Hell someday, and I don't want to spend all of eternity dishing out advice on mending relationships to everyone who fights my guards, because I didn’t mend my own ones before.”

Cas hums, as if he agrees.

“I’d rather not spend another day even, not having made things right with us, Cas.” He adds, and it might be all he says, but it’s enough. It’s all the moment needs to be whole.

Of course, there’s plenty more apologies to be exchanged, many more truths to come out, and several more confessions to be made. Harder things will be said, and closer each time they’ll be. Each mistake will be more heartbreaking to admit, and each resolution more sweet.

But right here, and right now - in Purgatory, and in each other’s arms, they’ve at least started to fix it, and that’s what counts. 

***

The hardest part of writing this ficlet was to fight the urge to use ‘purGAYtory’ every single time i had to type the goddamn word. And the only reason I didn’t make them kiss, is cause I called it canon compliance, folks :) Keep it Sailing ~

[rowanspn]

Here’s to Being Right

It only felt right to participate the six month anniversary of our suspicions, beliefs, and hopes finally becoming canonized. Unfortunately not all the fandom has been as supportive as I would have hoped. There are still a good amount of people, SPN stans or not, that have been less than kind to the overwhelming support of Dean and Castiel. Because of this I would like to put out a few gentle reminders.

~It is not a fetishization. We aren’t here to watch two men have sex on tv. IF that is what we wanted, pornhub is way easier to access. This is about two characters who have grown together over the years finally getting the happiness they so deserve.

~This is not projection. We are not just forcing our beliefs of characters that have no canon reason for such projection. Castiel is an angel with no gender or label because he is a “wavelength of celestial intent”. He is above the labels because they do not apply to him. Dean identifies as a man and has only had onscreen sexual interactions with women but canonically had a summer of love with Crowley. While this was a tad problematic since it happened because of the Marc of Cain or whatever, it’s not the only moments. I could go in depth about his queer coding but I won’t because there is no convincing someone who is adamantly against it and that is alright. 

~This is a plea for representation. As someone who deeply identifies with Dean from his emotional constipation to sexual repression, I have spent the last seven years gripping onto his character and finally feeling like someone gets me. This is not just about something onscreen. This is about the years of queerbaiting done in cinema and television that will never be erased. This is about two characters that have spent 12 years fighting for each other because of how deeply they care, always coming back to each other even when they are fighting, and ultimately giving us a shred of hope for a future where we do not have to feel ashamed.

~Finally, we are not crazy. Like it or not, it happened. It is canon now whether you support it or not so there is no erasing that either. I fully understand if you do not support or understand this ship. That is entirely in your right and I will never put you down for that. I will never try to push you to change your mind, never degrade you for your belief, never blame you for anything in the show or otherwise, and will never blame you personally for your beliefs. 

They are just that, a belief about a fictional ship. I only get upset when someone who does not support a ship gets nasty and starts name calling, blaming hellers for things we had nothing to do with, and starts insulting us for our beliefs. There will always be more radical people on every war front. I will never excuse the words of hellers who have gone to the lengths of directly tweeting at actors with blame and hate in their hearts. That is not appropriate and I can only hope that one day those people will see that.

I fully understand if you feel personally wronged by the actions of a Destiel/Deancas supporter because they have said or done insulting or hate filled things to you and I would like to deeply apologize on behalf of the rest, and majority, of the Destiel supporters who are not in favor of that treatment. No one deserves to be attacked with insults and hateful words simply for not agreeing with a certain ship.

This however goes both ways. Just because we support a certain ship does not mean we deserve that treatment either. I have supported this ship through and through for almost a decade and I will forever because I see myself and hope for the future in it and that is my right to do so. Please, even if you do not support it, do not put others down because they do. It is just immature.

~It may be fictional, but it has real life implications for many. If you have ever felt personally invalidated or harmed by another in your life on the basis of your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other reason, please seek council with someone you feel safe talking to. It is the least you can do for yourself. You deserve so much more than to be discriminated against, but if all you can do today is to take that step towards self worth and love, it is the best you can do and that is ok.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[itsclydebitches]

(Blake Anon) What evidence do you have that they didn’t listen to the BB shippers? I can assure you, I’ve seen popular ships get confirmed in canon, but none are as blatant and pandering as BB. As you yourself point out, they aren’t canon yet, but RT themselves have accused people like you of homophobia for not buying. At the very least, they’re no better then the more aggressive BB shipper.

This is a difficult thing to unpack because at the end of the day neither side can 100% prove anything. If RT were to say straight out, “No, we didn’t include BB simply because a large portion of the fanbase wanted it” a lot of people would respond with disbelief. There’d be accusations of them lying. Once someone gets it into their head that a creator did something for such-and-such reasons, there’s no way to disprove that because every bit of evidence to the contrary is waved away with, “They’re just not willing to admit it.” What I can say though is that, again, RT is a major corporation now. We’re long past the days of a six man team with full creative control over their own content. RT is a part of  WarnerMedia. They’ve got hundreds of employees, are balancing numerous publications, hosting major cons and selling a great deal of merch... this is not a tiny, inexperienced team getting bullied into doing something they didn’t want to because the big bad fanbase was mean to them. This is a major conglomerate who has a great deal of power within popular media and - within the bounds of the whole company - full control over their own creative content. RT either a) decided independently that they wanted BB, b) decided to capitalize on the clear popularity of the ship, or c) likely engaged in some combination of the two. But none of that is the fandom’s fault. No angry reddit rants or pleading con goer forces a company worth several millions to spend years investing in a ship that they don’t actively want to be a part of their story, either for creative or representative means. Blaming the BB fandom is just fostering the blame off on queer fans. Again, fans are responsible for their own actions and behavior. They are not responsible for the decisions of a company as massive as Rooster Teeth. 

The real issue here is whether BB is written well and whether the other parts of the fanbase want a queer ship - or this ship - at all. It’s not the fanbase’s fault that they said, “We’d love for this to be canon,” the writers agreed to provide that, and then failed to execute it well. No more than it’s the customer’s fault if they say, “I’d like a hoagie please” and the chef goes, “Sure, I can make you a hoagie” but then fails to create a tasty sandwich. Storytelling is a commodity. Not exactly like any other, but a commodity nonetheless, and it’s not the buyer’s fault if the seller failed to serve up a well-made product. Asking for something does not then require that the fanbase shoulder responsibility for whether that thing turns out well. RT took on that responsibility when they started heavily coding BB as canon. It doesn’t matter why they accepted responsibility - they thought it was honestly the best direction to take the story in, they wanted to capitalize on that popularity, etc. - because at the end of the day they said, “Sure. You can have BB” and that generates expectations that it’ll be written well. Any failure to meet those expectations sits firmly in RT’s lap, not the fans who asked for it thinking it would be, you know, good. In a version of RWBY where BB took more time and was built up in a smoother manner, a lot of fans would be happier, demonstrating that it was never about the shippers asking for BB but rather RT’s ability/inability to write the ship. Or homophobic fans would still be pissed because they don’t want more queer content, also demonstrating that it’s not really about the BB shippers. Or fans would still be disappointed because they prefer Blake/Sun, Blake/Weiss, etc. ... demonstrating again that it’s not about the BB shippers. It’s about everything surrounding them. At the end of the day your claim that it’s “pandering” is just that: a claim. It’s subjective. One person’s "pandering” is another person’s “stroke of creative genius.” We can’t prove RT is pandering to the fanbase, no more than we can prove that they wanted BB for reasons outside of that popularity. Personally, I think it’s far more likely that there were numerous factors going into this decision because multi-million dollar companies don’t make creative calls about two of their protagonists based solely on what part of the fanbase is screaming loudest. If they did we’d see every major ship from destiel to johnlock becoming canon the moment shippers became vocal enough. Though individual BB fans have acted incredibly inappropriate at times (to put it mildly) there is no evil, unified BB fanbase putting a gun to RT’s head and forcing them to include this. RT decided to go down this road and thus they are responsible for what that journey looks like. 

As for accusations of homophobia, I haven’t personally heard that, but it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the concept of “canon” is incredibly complicated - and not for me to give the deciding vote on. Some fans consider the material we’ve gotten to indicate a canon BB and are thrilled with that. Other fans (like me) only consider it to be very obvious coding. Some fans are so happy that BB can have a relationship without needing to kiss or use terms like “I love you.” Other fans (like me) are looking for a more overt indication of love - not necessarily those two actions, but something - in order to stave off accusations of, “They’re just friends.” Different viewers need different things so while I personally may not be satisfied with the state of the relationship, it is indeed a personal opinion. One I feel very strongly about given queer history in media, but still. I am not the sole arbitrator of what is “right” and “wrong” with queer depictions. So though I may not agree with any claims - including from RT themselves - that I have to “buy” the relationship as it stands... I also don’t want to pretend that there’s nothing good in “buying” it either. BB in the last two volumes has brought a lot of fans joy. It’s not (currently) the kind of representation I want or need, but I can’t deny it’s a representation that’s resonating for many others. 

tl;dr: the BB fandom has a lot of problems but they’re not responsible for RT’s decisions or RT’s ability to execute the stuff they decided to write