#chainedtoacomet

About: I’m an art historian, a writer, and I really like pancakes. Waffles are kinda great too. I started watching Supernatural the night the pilot first aired. Urban legends and ghost stories have always been my weak spot, so the show hooked me, and I was always surprised by how much I cared about the Winchesters. I wanted them to find John, though I regretted that a lot when he finally showed up. I wanted Dean to save Sam, and I wanted Sam to save Dean. But there isn’t always a way to save the people we love, not in the way we would plan or hope for. Dean’s despair in Long Distance Call at the end of season three is affecting. “Hope doesn't get you jack squat. I can't expect Dad to show up with some miracle at the last minute. I can't expect anybody to, you know. I mean the only person that can get me out of this thing is me.” But even Dean knows he can’t save himself. Enter season four and Castiel, who completely turned that despair on its head. I didn’t start off shipping Dean and Castiel. I loved their dynamic. I loved their friendship. I don’t ship easily, so it takes a lot for me to really let my mind wander with possibilities. Dean and Castiel always had a amazing amount of chemistry, and it wasn’t really until season six when Dean’s oft-extreme demands of Castiel and insistence on his presence that I really started to dissect the possible undercurrents of their relationship. The thing I love most about Dean and Castiel is that they are both so hopelessly flawed. Dean—with all his co-dependency, alcoholism, and propensity for brusque stubbornness—and Castiel—with all his unwavering stoicism, tendency toward tunnel vision, and his if-it’s-the-last-thing-I-do mentality—are so incredibly imperfect that they are beautiful. Their scars give them depth and vibrance and make them come alive both on-screen and in our collective imaginations. Relationships are hard. They are seldom the happily-ever-after we see in movies and read about in books. As a result, we can end up placing entirely too much on the shoulders of the people we love and want to love us back, thinking—quite naively—that everything seems so much easier in the fiction we hold close to our hearts. Dean has experienced this with everyone he cares about, from John to Sam to Bobby. But I think the way he struggles with Castiel’s failings is especially poignant. Just as Castiel accepts that Dean is only human and capable of great failings, Dean learns to accept that even his favorite angel isn’t infallible. This is such a crucial, important point in my eyes. Love—real, genuine, trying-even-when-it’s-tough love—happens when you accept that the person you love is flawed and still make the choice to love them anyway. To me, this is what makes the Dean and Castiel dynamic so beautiful, so worth talking about, so worth supporting. Their potential for a realistic, adult—but probably not always mature—relationship is phenomenal. I love them as a ship, and I love that they get so much support from the fandom. Destiel has always been—and will always be—about so much more than some whimsical idea of “Dean in an angelic embrace.”

Destiel Fanfic Highlights: Use Your Illusions [M, 60,000 word count]

In trying to defeat Raphael’s armies, Castiel has employed a desperate and dangerous gambit which backfired in the worst way, and now must turn to the Winchesters for help. Meanwhile, Dean slowly comes to understand he doesn’t have all the time in the world to accept his 'stupid girly feelings'. And Sam finds himself, quite literally. Every possible wall comes tumbling down, for everyone.

If my fuzzy memory recalls correctly, I am fairly certain that Use Your Illusions by Quantum_Witch and wandaramaranth was the first longfic I read for Dean/Castiel. I was lucky in this sense because the story is intense, believably in sync with canon, and littered with details that show us the authors did their research on the Biblical concepts they implemented in wholly original ways. To me, Use Your Illusions was like reading a really good book over Christmas break and spending the entirety of the next year chasing after other stories that you hope will move you as profoundly, but you never seem to find the experience again. The characterization is compelling. The authors do a fantastic job of not simply giving us Dean, Castiel, and Sam, but they also shower us with motivations and conflict, particularly on the Castiel side of things. I was desperate to get to the end, but I was devastated when it was over. This one is probably not for the faint of heart, though there is a sequel called Somewhere to Elsewhere. Truthfully, this story is my favorite piece of fic in all of fandom, though it also seems to be one of the most underrated as I rarely see it on rec lists. If you want solid, fluid writing, fantastic characterization, and the kind of story that makes you clutch at your chest and gasp for air, read Use Your Illusions. Immediately. Convenient Husbands [NC-17, 40,000 word count]

"It's only temporary, right?" Dean says. "Just until you're healed up, and then we'll never have to see each other again. So what do you say, Castiel, do you want to marry me or not?"

Convenient Husbands Annie D (scaramouche) is an incredibly enjoyable read. There’s a lightheartedness to the story that complements the stakes set by the plot. The characterization is a great example of how AUs allow writers absolute creative license while also sticking close to deconstructed versions of canon characters. I love Annie D’s grumpy, snarky, protective Cas, and I adore the way the author introduced an entirely different concept for his true being. The story features one of the loveliest evolutions of the Dean/Castiel relationship I have ever read, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them progress from awkward and wary to the full-fledged pairing. Freefall [NC-17, 129,000 word count]

AU. The most exciting kindergarten teacher Dean Winchester's life ever gets is when he plays mechanic in his uncle Bobby's shop on the weekends. That is until a birthday party goes tequila-nova and he trips into a one-night stand with an incredibly hot firefighter named Castiel. Dean's life gets a lot more exciting after that.

Lost Souls

[NC-17, 77,000 word count]

AU. Homicide detective Dean Winchester is thrust into a past he has tried hard to forget when he finds himself leading a manhunt for an unlikely killer: his childhood best friend, Castiel.

Past Present

[NC-17, 84,000 word count]

AU. When a handsome stranger wanders into his bar one warm fall night, Dean Winchester is charmed by the archaeology professor. As their friendship deepens, Dean will discover that there are a few simple truths about love: it can sneak up on you when you least expect it, and it will level you without warning. But it can also save you, when you’re lost.

I’m putting three in one, but it’s only because lastknownwriter is fantastic. She is an absolute gem amongst fanfic writers. I enjoyed all three stories, though I do think Freefall is my favorite in terms of plot and characterization. The dialogue had me smiling more often than not, and the realism displayed in the approach to the relationship as it develops is something that stands out as both striking and refreshing. I love AUs. They’re a cathartic experience. Reading and/or writing an AU is like playing in a giant sandbox where you can dig as many holes and build as many castles as you want. Lastknownwriter captures this notion, and she does it with wit and artistic integrity.

Self-Written Fanfic Highlights: Point Pleasant [NC-17, 173,000 word count]

Dean Winchester grew up in the idyllic town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A terrifying encounter with the supernatural during his childhood shaped his worldview and served as the catalyst for his successful career as a bestselling horror writer. Dean left Point Pleasant at the age of twenty, driven from his hometown by rejection and heartbreak, but thirteen years after abandoning his home and family, Dean finds himself drawn back to the town by the promise of investigating the apparent reemergence of the supernatural creature responsible for Dean’s childhood nightmares. Once back in Point Pleasant, Dean is confronted not only by the town’s resident monster, the Mothman, but also by his childhood best friend, Castiel Novak. Together, with Bobby Singer—the old drunk who lives on the edge of town—Dean and Castiel uncover the mystery of Point Pleasant’s Mothman in all its terrifying reality. Point Pleasant is a horror story, but aims to show that the ghosts that haunt us are sometimes made of flesh and blood. And sometimes, they lead us home.