In honor of tonight being a thousand and one nights since the confession, have a small fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49084819

Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu, dir. Celine Sciamma | No Children, The Mountain Goats | Scheherazade, Richard Siken | IT JUST APPEARED ONE DAY AND KEPT COMING CLOSER, Michelle Kwon | 15.18, Supernatural | unknown | @oozins​ | Everything Everywhere All At Once, dir. Daniels

Welcome to the Eldest Daughter Showdown!!

Here’s the bracket! I’ll queue the left bracket of polls to start going up at noon tomorrow =) The initial matchups are:

Jonathan Byers (Stranger Things) vs. Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things)

Fiona Gallagher (Shameless) vs. Marcia Brady (The Brady Bunch)

Jane Bennet (Pride & Prejudice) vs Meg March (Little Women)

Junie B Jones (Junie B. Jones) vs. Judy Moody (Judy Moody)

Angelica Schyler (Hamilton) vs. Constance Blackwood (Ride the Cyclone)

Liesel Von Trapp (The Sound of Music) vs. Tzeitel (Fiddler on the Roof)

Candence Flynn (Phineas & Ferb) vs. DeeDee (Dexter’s Laboratory)

Margo Gru (Despicable Me) vs. Jasmine Fenton (Danny Phantom)

Lori Loud (The Loud House) vs. Emira Blight (The Owl House)

Shizuku Hinomori (Project Seikai) vs. Mob Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100)

Shamura (Cult of the Lamb) vs. Hestia (Greek Mythology)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural)  vs. Fleur Delacour (Harry Potter)

Leonardo Hamato (TMNT 2012) vs. Leonardo Splinterson (TMNT 2003)

Tori Spring (Heartstopper) vs. Sae Nijima (Persona 5)

Satan (The Bible) vs. Gamora (Marvel)

Raphael Hamato (ROTTMNT) vs. April O'Neil (ROTTMNT)

--

Dick Grayson (Nightwing) vs. Isabella Madrigal (Encanto)

Elsa (Frozen) vs. Dess Holiday (Deltarune)

Anissa Pierce (Black Lightning) vs. Temari No Sabaku (Naruto)

Ayano Tateyama (Kagerou Project) vs. Son Gohan (Dragon Ball)

Kendra Sorenson (Fablehaven) vs. The Glass Cat (Oz)

Pearl Took (Lord of The Rings) vs. Katherine Minola (Taming of the Shrew)

Violet Baudliere (A Series of Unfortunate Events) vs. Sophie Hatter (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Teru Minamoto (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)  vs. Scheherazade (Arabian Nights)

Tsunami (Wings of Fire) vs. Allison Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy)

Katara (Avatar The Last Airbender) vs. Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)

Bianca Di Angelo (Percy Jackson) vs. Vi (Arcane)

Scarlet (The Path) vs. Aguri Yukimaru (Assassination Classroom)

Katnis Everdeen (The Hunger Games) vs. Morgana Le Fey (Merlin)

Fuyumi Todoroki (My Hero Academia) vs. Mia Fey (Ace Attorney)

Mari (OMORI) vs. Lucina ( Fire Emblem: Awakening)

Esme Cullen (Twilight) vs. Satsuki Kusakabe (My Neighbor Totoro)

The Ottoman Empire, one of the most influential empires in world history, was known for its rich cultural and social traditions. One of the most intriguing aspects of Ottoman society was the institution of the harem, a term derived from the Arabic word "haram," meaning sacred or prohibited. The harem was a space in which the sultan and his household lived and where women were kept apart from the outside world. It was a symbol of the sultan's wealth and power, and it played a significant role in Ottoman culture, including its literary tradition.

One of the most famous literary works that came out of the Ottoman harem was the "Harem Nights," also known as "1001 Nights" or "Arabian Nights." This collection of stories, believed to have been compiled in the 8th century, has been translated into many languages and has become a popular piece of world literature. The stories in the "Harem Nights" are mostly set in the Middle East and South Asia and contain elements of fantasy, adventure, and romance.

The stories in the "Harem Nights" were originally oral tales told by storytellers, or "hakawatis," in the bazaars, marketplaces, and coffee houses of the Arab world. The stories were eventually written down and collected by authors from different parts of the Islamic world. The most famous version of the "Harem Nights" was compiled in the 14th century by a Syrian author named Abu Abdallah al-Ma'arri.

The tales in the "Harem Nights" often feature strong female characters who use their wit and intelligence to overcome adversity. For example, the story of "Scheherazade" is about a clever and resourceful woman who marries a king who had a habit of marrying and executing his wives. Scheherazade tells the king a story every night but leaves it unfinished, which compels the king to keep her alive so he can hear the end of the story the next night. Scheherazade continues this tactic for 1,001 nights, by which time the king has fallen in love with her and makes her his queen.

The "Harem Nights" also features magical and supernatural elements, such as genies, flying carpets, and talking animals. These elements reflect the Islamic belief in the existence of supernatural beings and the ability of humans to communicate with them.

The "Harem Nights" is an important piece of world literature and a fascinating insight into the world of the Ottoman harem. It showcases the diversity and richness of Islamic culture and provides a glimpse into the lives of women in the Ottoman Empire. The stories are still enjoyed today, and they continue to inspire modern literature and popular culture.

Hey :) what OC are you working on right now? What inspired them?

Oh, hello! This was so nice to see in my inbox. Hope you're doing well! :-D

What aren't I working on? Let's do something old and something new, because my brain is actually active of late.

1- Something Old

Kendis: I'm currently working on them re: a multiverse storyline that's been recurring in the RP I have her in, and there's a current event up.

What Inspired Kendis?: I honestly don't remember what inspires half my characters 1234ew. I DO recall, wanting - as most desires usually strike me - to make a sibling for my friend's character, Ben. And I definitely wanted that teenaged energy (og Kendis - as Kendis, and not my first incarnation of Ben's baby sister - was 18). A lot of what influenced Kendis was wanting to catch that 'drunk girl you meet in the bathroom and becomes your strongest advocate' energy.

I like to sometimes dip into canons I know, so I'd say some of Cordelia Chase influenced Kendis (in the blunt aspect, in the seemingly shallow/egotistical, in the 'wtf is the supernatural ... well, fuck I guess I'm going to help you fight after all, ugh', in the being a lot smarter than you might think, in the unexpected vulnerability), especially Cordelia vis a vis Buffy in Buffy's vulnerable moments (never over Cordy, for all that wish-verse existed, being the one continously to have Buffy's back when shit was rotten).

Buffy herself is a factor, especially for Kendis as I play them now. And Caroline Forbes. (All these white women qwerwawq lmao) But Cordy was the OG.

2 - Something New (RP Style)

Ori Zhou: I mostly finished his app. But I haven't played him yet. I've dipped him a little bit into the RP canon, woven his past life and abilities into the plot I am working on for Kendis, but I haven't written him written him yet. But he counts, because I'm going to send his app soon ... and because I love him so much already.

What Inspired Ori?: So many things. This is easier because I started his app like two weeks ago. So, okay. OG Autumn Grove had a group of teens to mid-twenties called GAS (Gender Agnostic Sisterhood) and AG 2.0 doesn't have many YouthsTM, so I was like OG GAS characters have either grown or moved away, but I miss them. So, let me try my hand at another youth (because I TOTALLY need more characters that I don't play because Kendis has been loud and obnoxious lately).

My friends wanted someone with a magical girl past life. And I really wanted to create a storyteller sort (think Henry from OUAT, think Scheherazade), so I'm going to work on smashing that. I'm really proud of his powers tho. I'm also trying to challenge myself to play a himbo. I haven't before, so in his current life, my baby is a himbo with self-worth issues. A lot of his vibes is inspired by the quote 'how am i going to be an optimist about this' and the song '100 Bad Days' by AJR. So many little things went into this beeb, but Ima stop here. His pb/fc is Chella Man because Chella is deathly too cute (and I need more trans mascs in my roster. Like wtf Nat. MOAR!!!!)

3 - Something New (IF Style)

Isidor "Izzy" Sero: I can't say I'm working on Iz so much rotating him (and my other Wayfarer MC) in my head like a pig on a spit and very, very occasionally poking him with a stick. Izzy is present in the background in my mind but he's not active. Still, he's here because my Wayfarer MCs, like my Speaker and Bloomic OCs, are OCs that I definitely want to do more with and be current on but I don't have that strong a spark on yet. So I work on them passively.

What Inspired Isidor?: MOSTLY my desire for a Sero kid but also him coming out to be the 'opposite of Peitho' (my other Wayfarer MC). Basically, sometimes when I play an IF and I have a vague desire for another MC, a concept will solidify from the Choices Not Chosen. And that is how Izzy came about. A lot of 'what if I had chosen this instead' created more of a tortoise than a hare type of character. He's very slow going to start, but when he starts he goes. I also like to play gender roles with certain IFs -- particularly with fantasy/supernatural sorts. So, though he's very strength based, he's - as mentioned - not the first to jump into the fray with fits flying. Though he may seem the quiet, "stoic" sort, when he does speak he's spoken directly to -- yet he is also highly fucking sentimental. And though that governs so much of his credo, bein a Sero kid he apprecites adaptiblity and resourcefulness. (Actually that's one of the things I like about Wayfarer, so much of the in game lore and character backgrounds help inspire and shape your OCs as you go along. So, where I'd be a little more set with an OC in another IF, here there's a lot more wiggle room).

Thank you for the ask @worldstogetlostin! Sorry for the tl;dr but you've given me stuff to ponder :-D

The Carceridiots In Drac's Castle

So, I've been reading...(glances away from screen) definitely a normal amount of @canyourfavesurvivecastledracula's posts. A very normal amount. Therefore: here, have The Carceridiots (a trio of characters in the Forgotten Realms universe, all stuck in Carceri--not a campaign party just a story.). Under the readmore. Because. Uh. Blorbos From My Brain No One Knows About. that said please look at them I'm begging you, (fair warning this ended up. LONG.)

1. Rev(elation) Lochlara Low-wisdom reborn artificer who only pissed off the cult of Orcus a little bit when they were alive. Supposed to die; being a very, very good artificer, did not. Unfortunately for them the wizard that killed them stuck their corpse in Carceri so no one would find it and revive or talk to it. They woke up knowing very little and slowly remembering Hey I Know How To Do Artificing. Kind of a sarcastic feral bastard. The key thing with Rev (and all of them to be fair) is timing. If it's pre-Carceri versus post-Carcering but pre-partying up with Codex and Alister versus post-escaping Carceri everything's wildly different. That said I'm normal about them so let's just talk about all the options,

Pre-Carceri: Dracula is already dead. Kidding, kidding, but pre-death Rev (or, more accurately, Revelation) is a terrifyingly skilled artificer who Does Not Put Up With This and also, like, can recognize a vampire. They're from the Forgotten Realms. Revelation assumes Drac's working off normal D&D vampire rules but it doesn't actually end up mattering because even if the Daylight Glyph of Warding doesn't kill him a Catapult'd knife to the throat will. The traps on their door are enough to take out Strahd, Dracula's doomed. Or they just Planeshift themself out. Or they--you get the idea. Usually I try not to go 'ohh they're just So Scary dracula couldn't even touch them' but for Revelation that is unfortunately true. Revelation, Terrifying Reclusive Artificer, can survive Castle Dracula.

Post-getting dumped into Carceri but pre-meeting the other idiots: honestly it's a tossup. Overall supernatural belivingness is the same as everyone else's and I'm not gonna keep mentioning it--they're from the Forgotten Realms. Takes the crucifix, not because they're polite but because they hoard things with a vengeance and on account of the amnesia have no idea if it's important or not but like they're pretty sure gods are real. On account of how people keep trying to smite them. That said it doesn't really matter because they don't shave. Scheherazadeing Dracula's a tossup also--the actual answer is funny, I think, which is that Rev can keep Drac's attention as long as they don't realize they need to. Unlike Revelation they can't immediately recognize a vampire (and, like, so what if the dude doesn't breathe! Rev doesn't either!) and while I think their knowledge of artifice, general talkativeness, and also maybe being a little dead is enough to keep Drac entertained for a while I do think their genuine sarcastic bastardness might win out and get them killed. Also, if they realize they need to be keeping Drac entertained, they're screwed because they're not as charismatic as they think they are. 100% goes exploring. Quite possibly dies there also. Gets salty about Drac stealing their Favorite Gun. Goes through a lot of the rest like they're Jonathan; almost gets killed a few times, doesn't hit Drac with a shovel but does shoot him, possibly dies from just Not Being Fun Enough. In general, is probably okay about most of the weirdness especially since they don't actually have moving blood, but, they don't make it out for a major reason--they have a tasty 8 strength and Cannot Climb to save their life. Literally. They fall off the wall and to their death*. *hypothetically if the dice rolled very very nicely and they succeeded on their death saves they could live but they'd get eaten by wolves probably and 1000 feet fall damage is probably enough to instakill a low-level artificer, which means that Rev, Weird Dude In Carceri Who Knows How Guns Work, cannot survive Castle Dracula.

Post-Escaping: Might be okay. Maybe. They're a much higher-level artificer and can probably just, like, cast Feather Fall. Might not take the crucifix, though--at this point they're salty about gods. That said they still do not shave. So it's fine. Still can't really Scheherazade that well, but they know more about artificing and have more cool stories to tell, so...it's probably okay. Ish. Has established some decent mind-control wards, so that helps. Still does not have blood. Still will not stop exploring, however they can cast Invisibility now. Unfortunately, the thing that saved them in Carceri might be their undoing--after everything, they're really codependent with Alister and Codex. So the loneliness sucks. But, who knows! Maybe Drac doesn't steal their Sending Stones! (He does. Rev is sad.) All that said, Rev can cast a lot more stuff. And, like, cast Fly. Which helps a lot with the climbing part. It's also entirely possible that Codex or Alister teleports to Rev and gets them out. On the whole, I do think Rev, Weird Artificer Who Escaped Carceri, can survive Castle Dracula; however, they have a much worse time of it than Revelation, and it's almost certainly a close shave sometimes.

2. Alister Seacrest A once-very-good water genasi Oath of the Watchers paladin who fucked up so so bad and accidentally let the Far Realm in through his own cowardice, permanently making him weird and eldritch and also super duper breaking his oath and losing his powers. So so depressed and sad. Scary when he's motivated to actually not die; unfortunately that is rarely true.

Pre-Carceri: Honestly this is equally likely to be the thing that breaks his Watcher's Oath. He absolutely takes the crucifix (he is PREPARED! he is READY! he is going to be THE BEST PALADIN!), at this point in his life he has great charisma and is 100% able to Scheherazade his way through the Count, doesn't explore (or at least stealths decently well)... and then he runs into the whole baby situation, tries to fight because he is being a GOOD PALADIN DAMMIT and either wins (on account of how he was a pretty good paladin) or starts losing, panics, bolts, possibly breaks his oath, falls into despair, and dies. Or just gets severely slurped, because mmmm righteousness. If he somehow makes it through that (which he won't), the same thing happens with Dracula. In sort: Alister Seacrest, Warden of Reality, cannot survive Castle Dracula. Despite it being literally his job.

Pre-Partying-Up: Oh he's so dead. He is so dead. Unless Dracula forgets about him because he's just sitting around moping, he's so so dead. Does not take the crucifix, however he does not shave so it doesn't matter. Cannot keep Dracula entertained at all. Dracula asks about his past and he just has a breakdown. Doesn't go exploring but it doesn't matter Dracula's already killed him. Alister Seacrest, Sad Ex-Paladin, cannot survive Castle Dracula, and none of us should be surprised by this fact.

Post-Carceri: ...Maybe. Maybe. Look, he's still Severely Sad, but he's not as bad. Like Rev, pretty codependent. Still does not take the crucifix; still does not shave. He has a beard because he didn't shave for so much of Carceri and then he shaved it off because he was going 'well okay I'm gonna be okay now! I am cleaning up!' and then his face looked weird and he decided to just have a well-groomed beard instead. Probably also goes exploring, but probably doesn't get caught. Can't Scheherazade super well, but honestly, he probably makes up for that by just genuinely being a very interesting person. The baby incident does mean that he wants Dracula dead, but! He has grown as a person! And he knows he can't take down Dracula alone. So he bides his time, definitely gets hypnotized again and definitely is annoyed about it, and then yeets himself out the window at the first opportunity he has, climbs down the wall, and vanishes into the woods. He's got pretty solid Wisdom. The Jon-a-than is nothing, he could live in those woods. Wolves? Pffft, he lived in Carceri for years. This is fine. He fucks off and finds Rev and Codex to help him kill Dracula. So, honestly surprising me a tiny bit, Alister Seacrest, Kind Of Okay Dude, can survive Castle Dracula! He's gonna be reaaaaal sad though. Dracula took his favorite bow :(

3. Codex Nolastname Mildly terrifying warforged wizard-rogue situation. Pissed off a very powerful wizard by stealing an even more powerful artifact that essentially fused with her; can kind-of-sort-of command its power. Shakily. Has never put up with anyone's shit a day in her life, but occasionally does like people. Occasionally. Climbs walls constantly, to the frustration of everyone around her.

It is important that we note that Codex, as a robot, does not have blood. Moving on,

Pre-Carceri: The closest to a normal human we're sending in here, honestly. Probably is here to rob Dracula. Takes the crucifix 'cos it looks shiny and she can probably sell it to some theologist for a few gold; does not shave anyway so it doesn't matter. Why do none of my blorbos shave? Anyway. Obviously she explores--she's here for a heist! Might not even bother Scheherazadeing Dracula, which could get her killed--she doesn't have great charisma. But she is a very good thief, so...she might just be hiding in his walls for a month? I'm not sure. I don't think she eats food. Or drinks. Or needs to breathe. So...*shrug*. Either way, as a rogue who can cast Invisibility, her Stealth is through the roof. She finds the hoard, stuffs it in a bag of holding, and then bolts. At which point Dracula probably thinks she's already gone. I really thought she'd die, but no, her obscene Stealth modifier and propensity for a) being fully awake while she sleeps, b) never eating, drinking, or breathing, and c) climbing walls means that Codex, Crime Master, can survive Castle Dracula, probably.

Pre-Partying-Up: Similar to Pre-Carceri, but she's a worse wizard but also has terrible magics within her. Honestly things probably go similarly--if all else fails, Feather Fall and yeeting yourself out a convenient window always works, which means that Codex, Thief With Some Spooky Mechanisms, can also survive Castle Dracula, probably. Unless her spooky mechanism goes out of control and she explodes and dies! Which is possible.

Post-Escape: Honestly, she's even more well off--post escaping, Codex can actually control her Spooky Mechanism, which means in addition to obscene stealth modifiers, wizard magic, and not eating breathing drinking or being unaware while sleeping, she has terrible magics that archmages want stored away at least somewhat at her command. So she's probably fine, and can still survive Castle Dracula.

...Wow apparently I had thoughts about this. Cool. Go off, me. Now go actually write things instead of rambling about your blorbos.

Nightbooks by J.A. White

Rating: This book surpassed my expectations and I enjoyed reading it, I would recommend if this is your wheelhouse. 4/5

Why did I pick up this book?

I desperately needed a book to read at a Christmas party to pass the time so I browsed through Libby and came across this book. What stuck out was the beautiful cover art. It was a retelling which fulfilled the last reading goal I had for the 2022 Reading Glasses Challenge. I also recently watched Wednesday on Netflix and was definitely in the mood for more horror, which I'm NEVER in a mood for.

Who I would recommend this book to?

if you like juvenile horror fiction

if you like fairy tale retellings

if you like stories about writers

if you're looking for books about cats

if you've ever felt weird for having niche interests

Keep reading if you're okay with spoilers!

What quotes resonated with me?

"Every sentence is a learning experience - no writing is ever wasted."

"Maybe it’s not just me who’s weird… Maybe we’re all weird in different ways."

"If I had never come here, I would still be the same old Alex Mosher, too scared and embarrassed to be who I am."

What did I like?

The themes and tropes of the story! I absolutely love the theme of self-acceptance so much as well as found family and stories about the power of stories. My favorite scene was when Alex lured the witch by reciting opening sentences that he had drafted.

I also love how this story, despite being a horror, fills you with hope and encourages the reader to pursue their interests.

Not all books have dynamic protagonists, but I think Alex was a round character who had his own fears and desires. You could see how he went from hating himself to embracing who he was. I also found it very amusing and relatable when he experienced writers' block and procrastinated on his work.

In regards to the identity of unicorn girl, I suppose I could've seen it coming, but I didn't. It was unexpected and definitely added to my enjoyment of the book!

Finally, I usually cannot deal with any sort of horror at all, but this book had the perfect amount. I'm honestly interested in checking out JA's other work to try to explore the genre even more.

What did I dislike?

The only thing I had any dislike for was how quick the ending was and how seemingly unaffected Alex and Yasmin were by the kidnapping. However, I think this type of ending is very acceptable for juvenile fiction. I also am curious if the author goes more in-depth with how they were affected psychologically in the sequel (which was just released this year!). I was also uncomfortable reading horror and a story about a kid being kidnapped, but that's a preference-thing and no fault of the story itself. Reading this book was a big step out of my comfort zone and a very positive experience. :)

What wheelhouses/doghouses does this book fall into?

absentee parents accepting outcasts adults who hates their life alchemy antagonist was also a victim books about books brothers cats characters frozen in time child abduction clever way to save the day everyone is saved everyone plays a role in saving the day facing fears fantasy world adjacent to modern-day reality first book found family happy ending hero overcame societal expectations horror if it weren't for you meddling kids its bigger on the inside juvenile fiction libraries magical apartment magical garden netflix adaptation novel sequence outsmarted a seemingly impossible situation power of friendship power of stories protagonist is an underdog protagonist is a writer protagonist solves the mystery reclaiming retelling of fairy tale retelling of hansel and gretel retelling of scheherazade self-acceptance soft magic system stories within stories supernatural elements trauma unambiguous ending unexpected twist unicorns winning standoffish person over witches

So since we know canonically and textually Cas was in love with Dean, when do you think Cas fell in love with Dean or even knew himself that he was in love?

heck, I know I've written about this in the past, but heck if I feel like going digging for those posts when I can just wail and cry about it again, you know? :'D

I do feel like those are two different questions, though. I mean, even going back to s5-- "I'm hunted. I rebelled. And I did it, all of it, for you." is... pretty intense for not having ~some kinda feelings~ for someone, you know? Even if he interpreted it as "duty" or whatever an angel would label their loyalty and faith placed in a person, it's... still pretty dang intense. Love though? Maybe in the angelic sense that they all claimed to love God and Serve Heaven and the like. Still, there's an obligation of duty overlaid on whatever a human might label "love."

And I think that goes back even earlier, to s4 when he was first experiencing these incredibly confusing emotions. 4.07 and confessing his concerns and confusion to Dean, 4.16 and uncovering the tip of the iceberg of the rot in Heaven's power structure, which could obviously explain his actions and his choice to follow Dean's lead rather than Heaven's, but at the very latest he literally overcame heaven torture brainwashing to choose Dean again in 4.22. If this wasn't due to those pesky "emotions" they labeled "doorways to doubt" in 4.16, then I don't know what else it could be. Though again, I don't think Cas would've framed it that way at the time.

Even in s5 when he fell dangerously close to being human himself, I think he was too terrified about what that could mean for him to even admit to himself what he was feeling, you know? That will all change later...

His motivations in s6-- seeking power to quash a rebellion in Heaven determined to restart the apocalypse which would drag Dean back onto the cosmic stage-- was entirely about protecting Dean, keeping him safe so he could live his normal human life. Cas effectively destroyed himself trying to save Dean from having to suffer any of that again. But again, I don't think he would've framed it as being an act of love, or that his motivations were based on feelings of love yet. It was just "the right thing to do." Even if every other character repeatedly pointed out that he was compromised by his feelings for Dean-- Crowley, Balthazar, Rachel... even if Cas didn't want to see their point, it was getting harder to deny.

After coming back from the dead yet again and then taking on Sam's hell damage, he reverted to a state of deep denial about everything, it was Dean's confirmation that forgiveness was even possible between them after the events of s6 that began to change things. And then "abandoning" Dean in purgatory only to offer himself as bait to keep the Leviathans away from Dean, to keep him safe. Again willing to sacrifice himself if it meant Dean could be okay, and completely not getting that Dean wasn't okay with that (and why).

I think in s9, when he was briefly human, he was finally able to actually feel all his own feelings, couldn't run from them or suppress them or make excuses for them. Until he had to give it up, because duty called again....

and yeah, I think on some level, that's when Cas actually *knew* and understood he was in love with Dean, but like the taste of a PBJ, it just... was impossible to fully feel and appreciate once he took on that stolen grace again. But he still *knew* it was true, despite having a tool (his grace) through which he could push it to the side (sort of like Dean just pushed his own feelings down as well). But I enjoy the abject pain of thinking of it in these terms :'D

Season 3 is weird.  Subtext wise, it’s this half-undead chimera thing that looms out of the mist and then vanishes when you’ve managed to find a flashlight.  The constant theme over the past few weeks as my meta group has started unpacking the front half of S3 is “there’s probably not that much meta in this episode this should go fast,” followed by us taking the exact same amount of time to discuss the episodes.

There is a reason for this.  There’s a ton of meta fodder (character arcs, set design, lighting, the whole nine yards); there’s exactly the normal amount of meta for the start of a season on SPN.  There just isn’t that much meta that pays off in the long run.

That’s all on the writers strike and the drastic plot shift they had to do.  You can meta the hell out of the boyking!Sam arc and this lovely short period where the special children storyline still made sense.  But.  Sam doesn’t get to rescue Dean from the demon deal like he was supposed to, and he doesn’t go darkside.  The continuous thread of “is what you brought back to life 100% pure Sam Winchester” goes nowhere.  Dean being worried about Sam’s health ends up becoming a thread in the parent!Dean narrative instead of foreshadowing Sam going dark.  Even Bela Talbot’s subtext (they were pointing at her hell deal in her first episode) falls flat, because the middle of her story is missing.  Everything about the intended season ended up being so dramatically altered, and it does weird things to the story.

The audience picks up on and remembers the subtext that’s important.  The stuff that pays off, that gets brought back into the narrative deliberately and ends up intertwining with the explicit plot.  We also end up confused by storylines that don’t have the support of the subtext in the long run.

So.  Destiel.

S3 is, in a nutshell, what happens when the writers change course and abandon the deliberate subtext for a different endgame.  Destiel may have started out as accidental subtext, but by S8 it’s pretty deliberate.  By S11 and S12, there’s parts of the storyline that stop making very good sense if the Destiel subtext isn’t there.  The writers may drop the subtextual thread for periods, but as a whole they keep coming back to it, which means it keeps paying off emotionally for the audience.

This is why there’s a constant thread of “it makes no sense not to go canon as endgame” in the destiel side of the fandom.  When you divide the text and the subtext, make them say different things, your plot and emotional payoff stop working.  And that happened in the show with S3, we know what that looks like; that hasn’t happened with Destiel.

(1/?) jaga’s titles of note,

or: a semi-regular overview of the recently released & upcoming books that have made it onto my to-read list—for your consideration!

— The Body Fantastic (The body in dreams, myths, legends, and anecdotes of the fantastic as expressions of human corporeality.)

— Music from Elsewhere: Haunting Tunes from the Afterlife, Alien Worlds and Occult Realms (A compendium of other musics, channeled from the spirit world, the fairy kingdom, outer space, secret societies and occult lodges.)

— The Penguin Book of Dragons (Two thousand years of legend and lore about the menace and majesty of dragons.)

— The Mirror of My Heart: A Thousand Years of Persian Poetry by Women (An anthology of verse by women poets writing in Persian, most of whom have never been translated into English before.)

— Doomed and Famous: Selected Obituaries (An obituarist opens his archive to celebrate the obscure and the eccentric.)

— Eaters of the Dead: Myths and Realities of Cannibal Monsters (Spanning myth, history, and contemporary culture, a terrifying and illuminating excavation of the meaning of cannibalism.)

— The Heroine with 1001 Faces (World-renowned folklorist Maria Tatar reveals an astonishing but long buried history of heroines, taking us from Cassandra and Scheherazade to Nancy Drew and Wonder Woman.)

— Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind (How engaging with the strange and wonderful writings of the past might help us live less anxiously in the present—and increase what Thomas Pynchon once called our "personal density.")

— A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible (The author addresses the dirty little secret of biblical studies—that the Bible is a weird book. It is full of surprises and contradictions, unexplained impossibilities, intriguing supernatural creatures, and heroes doing horrible deeds.)

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong

Liquid- Alyssa Monks

Scheherazade- Richard Siken

Funeral- Phoebe Bridgers

Untitled- Adam Hall

Dead in the Water (1x03, Supernatural) // Lake Mungo (2008)

Gazaboolus

Image by Walt McDougall, accessed at Monster Brains here

[I’ve read enough of McDougall’s stories at this point to notice some themes. He likes big monsters that glow and have weird numbers of limbs. He likes stories where kids make wishes that come true without realizing it. And he likes stories where a conceited child gets taken down a couple of pegs by supernatural entities in a dream. This is from one of the last type of story, where a kid who wins a poetry contest gets so full of himself that he is abducted to recite poems or die, Scheherazade style, for the Minotaur. He finally recites a nonsense poem and the Minotaur has a stroke trying to understand it. Delightful. But the little creep depicted above is the “dwarf” that brings the Minotaur his victims. It’s unclear in the text whether Gazaboolus is his given name or species name, but I went with the latter.]

Gazaboolus CR 3 CN Fey This misshapen little creature has a body that appears to be all head, with bowed legs and long arms, all ending in hooked claws.

A gazaboolus is sometimes called a “fey procurer”. They are sycophants and hangers-on, and despite their strengths feel more comfortable in the service of a more powerful creature. They are often attached to fey courts, although these can be anything from vast, sprawling organizations to a local faerie creature with aspirations. Gazabooluses roam the towns and cities of mortals looking for talented individuals, who may enrich their patron’s lives with their skills. These gifted people are then abducted, either through kind words, threat of force, or magical compulsion, and forced to work for the fey. Some gazabooluses allow their charges to go free after a set amount of work—others take permanent slaves, or let their own masters deal with the hostages as they wish.

Gazabooluses prefer to hide behind other creatures in a fair fight. Although their claws are sharp and strong, they prefer to use them to skitter out of melee range while using spells to help their allies and disrupt enemy tactics. Inherently cowardly, a gazaboolus will typically attack the weakest member of a party once it does join combat, and they tend to try to flee or bargain for their lives if combat turns against them.

Gazaboolus   CR 3 XP 800 CN Small fey Init +2; Senses low-light vision, Perception +9 Defense AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural) hp 21 (6d6) Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +6 DR 5/magic and cold iron; SR 14 Offense Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4 plus grab) Special Attacks grab (Large), pounce, rake (2 claws +6. 1d4) Spell-like Abilities CL 6th, concentration +8 At will—command (DC 13), delusional pride (DC 13), light 3/day—aid, detect thoughts (DC 14), suggestion (DC 15) 1/day—gallant inspiration, reckless infatuation (DC 15) Statistics Str 10, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 15 Base Atk +3; CMB +4 (+8 grab); CMD 15 Feats Agile Maneuvers, Dodge, Weapon Finesse Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +10, Climb +14, Diplomacy +10, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (local) +10, Perception +9, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +14 Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan SQ meddling muse Ecology Environment temperate land and urban Organization solitary or agency (2-6) Treasure standard Special Abilities Meddling Muse (Su) A creature under a gazaboolus’ suggestion gains a +2 luck bonus on all Craft, Perform and Profession skill checks made during the duration of that spell-like ability.

Piggybacking off the idea echoed in other posts where the only way I would actually want to watch a Supernatural John/ Mary Prequel would be if Dean was narrating it to Cas.

I propose, Dean goes to save Cas from The Empty. He wakes Cas up but Jack needs extra time to workout how exactly they're going to get Cas back. If Cas is awake, The Empty is awake, and they are pissed-off because of it. The Empty can't get rid of Dean and can't put Cas back to sleep because Jack is working his God powers. So they're at a stalemate. To distract The Empty from figuring out how to kick Dean out or put Cas back to sleep, Dean says he knows a way. He's going to tell Cas a story, because everyone knows the best way to get an angel to sleep is a bedtime story. So yes, Dean goes full Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights and tells Cas and The Empty stories about his childhood and his parents' lives. Cas spends most of the time cutting in with comments like 'John Winchester said what to you?' Meanwhile The Empty is pretty well writhing on the floor, complaining, and being like the Venom to Cas' Eddie. Meanwhile Jack (possibly with Sam and Elieen) are working their way through more elaborate and hare-brained plans to get Cas and Dean out.

3 books and a fic: August

I read 12 books this month, half of which were novellas. I’m fond of novellas (17.5k to 40k words); they’re a great way to sample a new world and set of characters without a huge time commitment. They’re short enough to read in one sitting, but with enough meat on them to keep the reader satisfied. I’ve learned, however, that there is an art to writing a good novella. A few of them suffered from pacing issues or other ills that wouldn’t have been evident in a longer work. Short form is always more unforgiving.

My other August realisation is that hyped books are rarely my thing. I read a few this month: The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and The Wolf and the Woodsman, all of which had content, setting and themes that are very much my cup of tea. However, one was terrible in execution and the other two were decent reads, competently written, but nothing more. I suspect that the reason I didn’t love them is the same that makes them so popular: a lack of nuance. I’m tired of reading stories with black and white morality, a strong whiff of wokeness, and relationships with little complexity, but this is what seems to appeal to the mainstream — readers who like a neat line between what is good and what is bad. The more I read these novels, the more I appreciate MXTX, I tell ya. I think I might stay away from publications from the past two years for a while.

Anyhow, here are my three recs of the month; different genres but all highly recced:

3 books

Restored by Joanna Chambers (historical m/m romance)

This is part of the Enlightenment series but very much a standalone. I liked it a lot. Joanna Chambers’s prose flows in a way that immerses me in a story and she’s an expert at writing Regency, so the setting and the era come across unobtrusively and with great confidence. This is a second chance romance, a fave trope of mine, and it’s done beautifully. I’ve read romances where the reason the main leads separated was one of them being awful to the other and others where the obstacles seemed contrived, but neither is the case here. The relationship proceeded organically, the reconciliation came at a good pace, and the pairing was accompanied by great secondary characters.

When the tiger came down the mountain by Nghi Vo (fantasy, f/f)

A novella set in the same world as the previous installment, The Empress of Salt and Fortune, but can be read as a standalone. It features a Scheherazade type of structure where our cleric from book 1 and a guide tell a story to the weretigers that ambushed them on a mountain and want to eat them. This novella is smaller in scope than The Empress which dealt with the Imperial Palace and court intrigue, but it’s still a well-written tale about a tigress and her human bride and explores how stories change depending on perspective and what is remembered as true and by whom.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (horror)

Much celebrated, called “the definitive haunted house story”, praised by such authors as Stephen King and Carmen Maria Machado, this novella is an absolute masterpiece of psychological horror. The supernatural manifestations of Hill House are few and far between, but the real dread comes from the unravelling of the narrator's state of mind. It’s a chilling, subtle, masterfully written novella with strong lesbian subtext to boot. No ghosts appear on page, but still—best to read it in the daytime.

One fic

If they caught you by feybruner (hualian, M, 6k)

I loved this. It doesn’t focus on hualian’s relationship as such, but it features an excellently characterised Xie Lian, a not-quite-what-he-appears-to-be kidnapper, gorgeous prose, and lots and lots of feels.

Let me know if you read and enjoy any of these!

supernatural / richard siken “scheherazade” / taylor swift “all too well” / richard siken “straw house, straw dog”

Sam Winchester and Psychic Visions in Supernatural’s Season One

“Glory” by Radical Face / A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara / Frontispiece of Scivias by Hildegard von Bingen / “Scheherazade” by Richard Siken / “The Son” by Mary Oliver