#hacking through life

[duckwnoeyes]

Willow didn't dig buffy's body up because then she'd have to accept buffy was dead in the first place. if she saw buffy's skeleton she would finally move on from the denial she'd been stuck in. And if buffy was truly dead, she'd have to accept that what she was about to do went against the rules. Willow knew necromancy was wrong, but her fun cheat code was that it doesn't count as necromancy if you don't accept the person is dead.

[rewrittenwrongs]

Bruce freaking the fuck out because someone vandalised his son’s grave. He is pissed, and so sick at the thought of seeing what they did to the coffin that he barely even tries to look. Tim is the one who checks if the robbers left anything behind or did something to Jasons body, and is shocked to see an empty coffin. Then he remembers how paranoid Bruce is and the sensors he put in the coffin, but strangely enough none of them were activated. Then he remembers; the sensors only go off if the coffin is breached from outside. And upon inspection the wood certainly seems to be breaking outward…

[s0fter-sin]

one of my favourite aspects of supernatural that you very rarely see in paranormal shows is that sam and dean are already versed in the world they live in. there’s no sudden discovery of ghosts and demons and now they have to learn about them along with the audience; they are born into it and already know all about it. it allows the audience to follow their personal story instead of also trying to figure out this new world and its rules

the first season is full of knowledge we never see them learn; “w*ndigoes are in the minnesota woods or- or northern michigan. i’ve never even heard of one this far west.” […] “great. well then this [his gun] is useless.” (1x02), “you don’t break a curse. you get the hell out of its way.” (1x08), d: “it’s a god. a pagan god, anyway.” […] “the annual cycle of its killings? and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. like some kind of fertility right.” […] s: “the last meal. given to sacrificial victims. d: “yeah, i’m thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god.” (1x11)

almost every episode in the first season is a monster they’ve faced before that they then explain to the audience in a way that should feel patronising; like it’s the same speech given over and over again but instead, the audience almost feels included in the knowledge. it’s stated with such an innate confidence and comfort in said knowledge that it feels like we already knew it too; “spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. if they want inside, they just go through the walls.” […] “the claws, the speed that it moves; could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog.” (1x02), “it's biblical numerology. you know noah's ark, it rained for forty days. the number means death.” (1x04), “no no no, not the reaper, a reaper. there's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names.” […] “you said it yourself that the clock stopped, right? reapers stop time. and you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why i could see it and you couldn't.” (1x12)

they already know and, at least in the first season, already have what they need to kill whatever they’re hunting; already know to salt and burn bones for spirits, fire for a w*ndigo, exorcisms for demons, a silver bullet to the heart for shapeshifters. there’s only three times in the entire first season that they run into something new to them; 1x14 when sam gets his first vision that leads him to another psychic, 1x16 when dean calls caleb for help on the sigil he put together and he tells him about daevas, and 1x20 when they find out vampires are real- and they only don’t know that bc john thought they were hunted to extinction and not worth mentioning

(there’s also technically two half instances if you count one of them knowing something the other doesn’t - sam figuring out the tulpa in 1x17 and dean already knowing about the shtriga in 1x18 - but those still rely on sam and dean having prior knowledge)

even when they’re uncertain about facing something, it’s not bc they don’t know what it is; it’s precisely bc they know what it is and acknowledge that it’ll be a difficult hunt (“i don't know, man. this isn't our normal gig. i mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. this is big. and i wish dad was here.” 1x04)

so much of the tension in paranormal shows typically comes from the main character(s) not knowing what is happening to them/the people around them and having to find out how to resolve it. supernatural is unique in that it operates more like a police procedural. the tension comes from solving the clues and identifying patterns to figure out who (what) the killer is and intercepting before they can take another victim

it’s such a different tone to go for when compared to other shows that came both before, during, and after its run. it sets sam and dean on even footing with each other since they both have the same knowledge going in, and it puts them in a place of authority usually reserved for an outside character

the shows i compare spn to most is charmed, buffy and teen wolf; every main character in those shows are brought into the paranormal world knowing nothing, putting them on the same level as the audience, and they have their mc interact with others already knowledgeable about that world in order to overcome their problem/monster of the week. the audience organically learns about this new world as the characters learn about it. it’s a sound writing strategy that prevents “as we already know”-style exposition but something that complicates it is if your world building isn’t unique or intriguing enough, this slow introduction can become boring

we’ve seen shows like these before; sitting through the same tropes of characters learning to use their powers, struggling with no longer feeling normal/relating to the regular world around them, and not knowing how much they can trust the people already involved in this new world gets repetitive. all three shows eventually reach the same level of comfort with their new world that spn starts with but if the characters aren’t enough to draw you in, you can end up dropping it before they reach that point (and often, before the overarching plot can really kick in and evolve the show beyond the villain of the week format)

it’s the superhero origin movie in tv format; dragged out and overplayed. dropping the audience into an established world of course comes with its own problems but you also have the benefit of pre-existing established character dynamics that let the audience slot in like they’ve always been there instead of just getting to know all the characters while the characters also get to know each other

sam and dean already knowing about the supernatural lets the audience immediately get to the core of the story; the conflict between sam and dean, the search for their father, and the mystery of what killed their mother

[squidkid15]

lifetimes so long past they don't even seem like mine anymore

[steveyockey]

if hacks was fanfiction deborah would be mandated by the network to go to some 26-year-old she/they therapist who would light up with the realization she and ava are doing 24/7 dom sub dynamics and teach her a bunch of stuff about consent and aftercare which is great because instead deborah is gonna physically attack ava and use the bad extensions as a gag

[thatsbelievable]

[soath]

the fact that the archheart took selena because he loved her and wanted to give her peace, and in the process left her suspended in an eternal static torment because he doesn't understand how something as fragile as a mortal soul works feels like a summary of the good intentions/bad long term outcome situation with godly soul custody. it makes sense that the gods would end up keeping some of their special followers! the first mortals to get in tight with the gods probably asked for it! the ego death of proper reincarnation is terrifying compared to staying up late hanging out with your buddy pelor. asmodeus and the hells aren't being half as kind about it yet the core motive remains—that hoarding instinct to keep what you love(or hate) and never let it go.

but you and i aren’t meant to be eternal. the kryn use anamnesis to ensure the continuity of self through endless lifetimes and they’re still losing themselves to it. selena was turned into a nighmarish human-faced star because the god she made out of metal thought that they could understand each other and she hung there in his domain burning, her last wish forever repeating on her lips, for a thousand years until he could release her. mortals don’t want to fully die and gods don’t want to let them go but nobody can stay in their frozen crystalline palace of eternity forever. eventually everything in the Real gets to change.

[a-the-human]

An Aroace Guide to Rejecting Potential Suitors this Valentine’s Day!

- Calmly and politely explain that you experience neither romantic nor sexual attraction!

- You already have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sorry.

- Explain that romance is a construct made up by Big Chocolate to sell more candies!

- Odysseus

- Tell them they have to fund your lavish expenses first! (If they say yes. See above.)

- Immediately go into a borderline comatose state to avoid the conversation.

- Sob, loudly!

- “I’m sorry, I’m already in a relationship with your mom (or dad).” (Not Recommended)

- Bring up religion AND politics, and if that doesn’t work, DEI!

- Walk away, completely silent.

- Ask them if they’re with the Tax Collectors. Belligerently insist that, you don’t care WHO they sent to ask, you are NOT PAYING.

- Screech to the mothership that you have found a suitable specimen. Swarm him or her and drag them off to never be seen again.

Having said all that, have a lovely Valentine’s Day, my fellow humans! And everyone who doesn’t fit that mold! 😎❤️👍✨

[positiveupwardspiral]

Your past may be behind, but it also beneath you. So use it as a foundation to build a stronger future.

~ Unknown

[baede-6]

The only ghost I have room in my life for is the one voiced by Nolan North.

[beaconfeels]

Awhile back I started an album called “happy stuff” in my photos, and it’s just screenshots of things I can look at when I’m down that make me happy. Things I screenshot for this album include:

- really nice compliments people left on pics of me or lovely things they said in texts

- people squeeing in the tags of my tumblr ficlets

- awesome comments on my fics on AO3

- cute texts and dm’s from friends where we’re just talking about how much we love each other and how happy we are to have found each other

Anyway, 10/10 do recommend because when you’re feeling down on yourself, it’s really nice to be reminded that you have people who love you, and that you’ve brought things into the world that have brought people joy.

[burningcomputerpersona]

i can't kill myself yet, i've got tickets to see the wonder years and arm's length this summer

[thatsbelievable]

[fountainpenguin]

Eyeballing off-campus housing that also happens to be a short walk from the zoo... lmao, will this be the return to my part-time ethogram employment?? Will I actually get to use my English degree for grad school and my veterinary/zoo background at the SAME TIME for SWEET, SWEET CASH??

[nullshocked]

Hyperfixating on Divine the Blood in order to noclip through the floor away from my anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

[catilinas]

in the mood to read like. all of florus or something