#‹ v.? › tbd .

[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

[sexierthanaman]

@glitchexmachina

Melinda had been overseeing Danielle's physical training since she joined SHIELD. She had improved a lot, learning to rely less on her powers and increasing her stamina. She had lasted longer than normal this session.

Melinda finally pinned Danielle to the ground, raising an eyebrow as the redhead let out a moan. She felt her knee grow a little damp from where it was pressed against her core. "Someone seems to enjoy being pinned," she said with a smirk.

[enden-k]

i love how my headphones vibrate from the bass whenever ivan sings bc his voice is just so LOW and wonderfully smooth n silky aughAHHA

[galedekarios]

i wasn't going to say anything more about the ama, but... i just found out that there are ppl who think the devs villainised s*las in veilg*ard&the ama

[escortingsecrets]

Starter for @xxofloveandlossxx

The usual night at the Honeybee Inn was filled with people. It was a constant stream of regulars, many familiar faces that only came every few months for certain people. Many bees were listed to be in their designated rooms or on the stage performing. But some of them, those who had less clientele or none for the night, were set to be out front, entertaining those who were waiting or finished.

Shivan was- thankfully- not busy that night. His regulars were done for the night, he was free to sit at the front of the inn or on the floor. He chose the front of the inn- the floor was packed with Andrea's performance and he still had a headache from the last performance he had been there for. The music could be hear faintly from the front, but it was better than hearing the song full blast in the room.

"Welcome to the Honeybee Inn." He cooed as a new person entered- they didn't look familiar with the inn, or anything going on. That wasn't totally uncommon. Not everyone who came in knew what to expect. The receptionist was still dealing with the last person to come in, scheduling a room for one of the other bees, and Shivan moved over, hips swaying with a practised ease to move the abdomen behind him. "Might I be so bold as to ask for your name, darling?"

[forgotten-retrouvaille]

@pretty-isnt-pretty-enough [catalina] to JILL VALENTINE .

RELUCTANT ALLIES STARTERS

‘ if it comes between you or the mission, i’m choosing the mission. without question. ’

If Catalina didn't like working with Jill , the ex-cop liked it even less . The two had often butted heads , especially in their earlier encounters , and it did little to slow down , even now .

"Don't worry . So am I ." A curt response , not even looking at the other as she checked her pistol over , removing the magazine for only a moment . She studied the bullets before sliding it back into her holster with an expert hand , fastening her knife to her belt a little tighter .

Upon arriving to the location sent and seeing the other , Jill had half considered just leaving . She had begrudgingly stayed , and was now likely stuck with her for the next good while . The ex-cop made no move to hide her dislike , she did not care for what Catalina thought of her .

Hiking a jacket over her bulletproof vest , Jill was no stranger to the cold night air . She was used to working in the dark - from her days as a thief , to her days in the B.S.A.A . The ex-cop often found herself preferring the solace of the night - oh how easy it was to go undetected .

"I don't want to be here any longer than you do . So let's get moving ."

[hirak0s]

Hot Cocoa for your Thoughts? (cont'd from here) || @kuurosakiis || Ayame & Ichigo

"Ya looked chilly out here in the autumn air!" She blinked after watching his reaction, trying to make her intentions clear. That... usually worked with people who were recovering from an injury who just woke up.

"Hmm!?" She blinked at the mention of her brother. "Oh, yeh, he's my cap'n an' my brother. Twin, specifically, if ya'd believe it." It wasn't like she knew this man other than, well, he did save the Seireitei once or twice and then she heard of him from Shinji. So she knew of him, but not personally.

"Um, I'm Ayame Hirako…" She'd introduce herself before bowing gently.

[polaroidcats]

friends i am going thru it and feeing very sad and damp atm, does anyone have cosy fluffy wolfstar fic recs for me?

[theharellan]

i don't really want to post them directly on this blog bc they are mainly about characters that i don't write but:

myth*l critical just btw!

i've been chewing on this post (abuse cw) and this post this morning.

like i said in the tags i don't 100% agree with either post but it put into words a lot of the tragedy i felt watching the murals (specifically the spirit one, rebellion, and secret meeting ones). the second one i mostly just disagree with morr*gan's take on benevolence/retribution. as i said i think benevolence fits but i think the warping of her nature/spirit began long before her murder.

[sacredarts]

Knocking on @dragonmasterhiccup's door, Jack couldn't wait to tell Hiccup the good news. "Come on, you lazy bum. Open the door."

[soracities]

i think reading wuthering heights at the tender age of 15 caused monumental shifts in my psyche but it did so at levels i could not comprehend until years and years later. i'd forgotten all about the "you said i killed you--haunt me then!" line until i joined tumblr but in actually i did not forget it not once bc it's been marinating deep in my bones for over a decade and then came out full force during a random listen of one (1) hozier song. you know what heathcliff and cathy were so right and i WILL haunt you actually and you ARE more myself than i am down until death and beyond babyyyy 💗💗💗💗

[sexierthanaman]

@isitrecording continued from x.

Melinda smirked at his blush. He wasn't bad looking and it had been awhile since she had sex, so she decided to have some fun. She moved closer towards him. "No one else is here. Just me," she said with a hum. "Come join me, the water feels great."

[therapardalis]

[Starter for @peterbsideparker.]

Port of New York, warehouse district ... evening ...

Thank goodness for cooler weather. Not that Thera was a fan of the cold, leaning more toward the opposite, but it made being dressed head to toe in black, with a bike jacket over the top, more bearable.

You could hardly go clandestinely lurking about the docks in a summer frock, after all.

A forklift was rolling along the carriageway between the buildings, an innocent looking crate on the pallet hoisted on its jaws. Hmm ... Thera watched it from above, lifting dark-tinted thermos to her lips. The Port itself rarely ever slept, but it was less common for cargo to be ferried about after dark. Especially one single crate rather than a bunch all at once. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe ... She settled back, waiting, but she was already fairly sure which door was going to be 'moe'.

Container Warehouse 333, one of the older section with a suspiciously new-looking office space added up above. It had taken a bit of detective work to find the location (some of it the more ruthless kind), and she felt her pulse speed up a little as the forklift driver stopped and climbed down to open the rollerdoor.

Thera used the metallic clatter of the ascending roller as distraction and cover, darting to the nearest overhead crossway and skipping to the other side. Everything pointed to that lonely singular crate holding what she was here to find, and the new pre-fab office section was going to be her way in ...

[forgotten-retrouvaille]

@pretty-isnt-pretty-enough [catalina] to JILL VALENTINE .

❛ if i didn't know any better, i'd say you were jealous. ❜

"Jealous is a stretch ."

Jill doesn't know how or why she puts up with Catalina Cisneros. It always seemed to be a competition with her to see who had the snarkiest remarks , who had the better banter, who flirted better . Jealous was a long , long way from whatever this feeling was - loathing was a good descriptor, if she had to say anything .

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

[frznwarmth]

me trying to manifest more l&ds rp blogs: pspspspsps--

[uptownhags]

i am packing to go on an out of town final interview! for a tiny city entirely run by women! where everything i could ever need is on one street or the other! and my dog would have a yard! i am gonna be CALM!