fic from left field
Title: I protect him
Ficverse: SPN
Series: SPN comment!fic
Rating: PG
Length: 400 ish
Characters: Dean ... sort of.
Prompted and posted: from 1.13, Route 666
Cassie: Why didn't you tell me?
Mrs. Robinson: I thought I was protecting them. And now there's no one left to protect.
Notes: I do not know where this one came from. Just kind of ambushed me on the ( Read more... )
Ficverse: SPN
Series: SPN comment!fic
Rating: PG
Length: 400 ish
Characters: Dean ... sort of.
Prompted and posted: from 1.13, Route 666
Cassie: Why didn't you tell me?
Mrs. Robinson: I thought I was protecting them. And now there's no one left to protect.
Notes: I do not know where this one came from. Just kind of ambushed me on the ( Read more... )
... DUDE.
THIS IS SO FREAKIN GOOD. I mean, I actually... this is... Wonderful. This is one of the finest pieces of fanwork I've ever read, by anyone, about anything, anywhere. It's just one of the damn finest pieces of writing. And you KNOW how much I love your stuff anyway, but THIS? This.
The language and the rhythm are just aching, and the imagery!!! Good gracious. And I know I'm speaking from a place of Peak Fangirl right now, but seriously, this has me feeling... quite emotional.
And because I'm all depressing and melancholic, I can't help but hear the first three stanzas almost as an incantation or an invocation or a litany, being said as he places each of those items (well, the Impala's keys anyway) in that box, divesting himself of them. Which makes the final line of each stanza so desperately sad and distressing, because ultimately they couldn't protect him from what he planned to do, and he was deliberately stripping himself of their prote-- NO. SOB. CANNOT.
The final two... I just... OUCH. SO OUCH. And this is no doubt because of where I'm at in the story right now, but the refrain's fooling itself, essentially. It's a plaintive and optimistic and ultimately thwarted expression of intent, rather than accomplishment. Because who or what can protect him, really?
Just excruciatingly and powerfully and completely beautiful. Well done you.
HOLDING BACK TEARS IN PUBLIC TRYING TO LOOK NORMAL NOW, MONKEYTWIN. WHAT HAS BECOME OF ME.
[Edited because in the company of writing like this, using 'ultimately' three times in one paragraph is just embarrassing. :)]
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Peak Fangirl is a pretty good boost reading it though, along with where you are in the story; I was somewhere in that vicinity when I wrote it, so you know. It helps.
But yeah, I think Point of No Return was lingering in there somewhere to come out like this, because it's got all the ingredients right there, coming back to Sam as always. (Even if this was written before the progression of season six made it, no, really, no, there is something seriously wrong with Sam NOOOOOO, and got itself quietly Jossed. Oh well.)
Plus I think the Impala has always had her own voice in my head. (And, lbr, we all love Lisa but the woman in Dean's life is always going to be Baby, for better or worse.) Once she piped up, the other two did too, and like I said it went silly-quick from there. The intense loyalty bond that Dean gives and inspires, crossed with his errant knight tools-of-the-trade dependence on his steed/armour/sword, all just ... worked.
See, though, it makes me ridiculously happy (heh) that the last two especially got you right in the ouch, and I agree, they can only protect him to the extent that he'll allow, and that's ... shall we say, limited, or as you said much better,
It's a plaintive and optimistic and ultimately thwarted expression of intent, rather than accomplishment.
Filled with alllllll the issues he brings to it all. But at the same time, in the context of the tragedy that's in the very structure of Show, there was a ... not hopefulness, that's the wrong word, but maybe a warm reverence to the voices as they each spoke their piece? Like, just because they can't protect him perfectly, or even close to forever, there's an honour in their position, in being able to extend what they have to give to one that they love? The honour guard, sort of. And there may not be quantity, but of infinite quality, and anyone would be blessed to have that kind of devotion in their lives. So, yes, painful? But also beautiful, and the quality of beauty outweighs any quantity of pain. Which I guess was the aspects I see in the show that I was trying to give expression to.
Aaaand.... Huh. Well, that's me being all publicly weird for you, in return for your delightful squee and struggling to look normal in public, which as you know is like the highest compliment for fic. :):)
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I love this about us, as fangirls, that this is so true.
I think Point of No Return was lingering in there somewhere
Might just be me, but I'm starting to think No Return is going to keep lingering over the whole shebang. It's just... such a high water mark, really. Stuff moves and changes about our characters, and who they are and what they're capable of, and where and how they're weak, and where and how they're strong, that... that lingers, y'know. It casts a long shadow over all that follows. So far for me at least, anyway.
Plus I think the Impala has always had her own voice in my head. (And, lbr, we all love Lisa but the woman in Dean's life is always going to be Baby, for better or worse.)
This is where I need to learn gif-ing, so I can get and use one of the Sesame Street aliens... yiiipyipyipyipyipyip uh-HUH uh-HUH
in the context of the tragedy that's in the very structure of Show, there was a ... not hopefulness, that's the wrong word, but maybe a warm reverence to the voices as they each spoke their piece?
ABSOLUTELY. This is what I love most about this piece, actually. Because you absolutely capture the sense of that warmth, as you say, the honour guard, definitely. I think that's what gives it that incantation-esque quality, for me, in its language and tone. Oh Dean. Because his own devotion engenders devotion, and his loyalty, loyalty. And the beauty of that, the honour in that, is what you capture so beautifully here, I say. :)
OK, going away again now. Just, y'know, nice work here my friend. :DDDDDDD
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