#is a lot of the time with as diplomatic as jensen is you can take things he says multiple ways | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dotthings · 6 months ago

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Let me make this even clearer. Because Jensen and Misha both deserve better.

Given that we know they talk a lot about Destiel among themselves. They have told us, repeatedly. They've shared each other's perspectives with each other. They have an understanding.

Early misunderstandings and conflicts in pov aside (and do people want to keep circle jerking as if it's still 2014? Okay then. Have at it, but time moved on and you didn't): Jensen doesn't speak over Misha. Misha doesn't speak over Jensen.

Some things Misha has said about Dean or Destiel has resulted in Jensen stans attacking him. They always have some excuse--this past weekend it was because Misha acknowledged the idea of Dean and Cas having sex.

In the past, another example, backlash came at Misha for saying Cas saw love and acceptance in Dean's eyes.

(Which...sure does seem like the pearl-clutching about Misha's CR8 comments being too ribald is fake virtue signaling doesn't it, since even a statement from Misha wide open to platonic or romantic reading, that is 100% true about Dean, and how loving he is, how loving we know Dean is, how much we know Dean is going to accept and love Cas either way, got hatred aimed at Misha as if he had said something heinous. Tells me all I need to know about certain stans).

While Jensen's "Cas is an angel therefore his love is cosmic and unknowable impossible for humans to grasp let's not define it" and "open to interpretation" middleground to appease both sides and treading carefully for reasons, on a topic that's napalm in fandom (it shouldn't be, but that's the reality), might be construed as speaking over Misha.

But here's the thing!!! It's not!! From either of them!!

It seems very obvious by now that they decided Misha would be the loud one, with Jensen holding his cape, even if he doesn't join in , and Jensen walking a diplomatic middle line, also with Misha's understanding and support in turn.

When Misha goes off boldly about Destiel? People need to kick out that hate fantasy about Jensen being disrespected and Jensen must be wanting to punch Misha and Jensen must be so mad at Misha how dare Misha out of their heads, or get to the point where they can comprehend the difference between their own feelings vs Jensen's and quit projecting.

They didn't shut each other out. They talked about Destiel. They listened to each other. Highly likely, in fact, that they helped each develop or refine their talking points.

Neither of them has been shooting off their mouth about the other's character without having spoken to each other.

I don't have any hope for fans to stop the endless fighting and concern trolling and attacking either Jensen or Misha over it, needlessly, perpetually, but when it comes to Jensen and Misha...that's a hopeful space.

Misha's bluntness vs Jensen's carefully chosen middleground words complement each other are not in fact oppositional takes--they complement each other, there's room for both. They both know it's a mutually loving relationship.

Neither is trampling on the other's pov, and any views that don't perfectly align, they've already discussed and they respect each other.

These accusations at either of them are not true, they are not fair, and they both deserve better.

And now I'm staring right at a recent thing where Misha full on absolved Jensen of an accusation that various lanes kept throwing at him, and still weaponize, including Jensen stans who claim to be defending Jensen, because they want it to be true.

The response was manufactured drama where people called Misha a liar and doubling down.

They'd rather Jensen take the fall and they'd rather call Misha a liar than believe a soulless corporation that has been caught more than once exercising queer censorship could have committed queer censorship in a TV industry where it's common knowledge that queer censorship by broadcast TV networks happen???????

Wow gee can you feel the love in this Chili's. Great going. Excellent defense strategy. You're really such a big help. With fans like these, Jensen and Misha don't need antis.

A lot of it is agenda driven, and some anxiety driven, every lane's worried about other lanes react, because spn fandom is always a pain in the neck that way. Some people hate Destiel so much they need Jensen to be their antidestiel warrior they'll throw Jensen under a bus and stan for the corporation, or they're so anxious about how Destiel gets treated they blame Jensen and forever hold against him his past foot in mouth about the ship (which was a long time ago. Please stop punishing him endlessly when he's moved on and his perspectives are respectful, yet you're still stuck back there) rather than comprehending the actual systemic factors.

Jensen and Misha are both doing what they can to make it better.

They are trying to fix it!!!

People should show them more respect!!!!

#Jensen Ackles #Misha Collins #Destiel

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kickingitwithkirk · 4 years ago

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Deuxième Omega

Summary: Jensen is not dealing well with his unexpected divorce and before the ink is even dry, he is pushed into another union with a complete stranger.

Pairing: Alpha!Jensen Ackles x Omega!OFC

Word Count: 3363

Warnings: A/B/O, angst, angry Jensen, cursing, alcohol abuse, parental manipulation, arranged marriage, Alpha dominance over Omega, unintended injuries.

A/N: So, get this; a lot of my original writing ideas from my weird as hell dreams about Sam Winchester but for some reason Jensen is starring in this one. I’m gonna blame the bad PMS I’m having for all the angst in this.

A/N II: There is no intentional hate or malevolence intended towards any of the Ackles family. This is a purely fictional piece containing real and created persons/names/events set in the fictional A/B/O verse.

*Supernatural doesn’t end in season 15 and some dates/events have been altered to fit the story.

*no beta, all mistakes are mine *photos found online

Jensen was sitting slouched on the leather couch staring at the paperwork that had been dropped off by courier this morning, official notification of the dissolution of his marriage to Danneel when Jared entered his trailer. “It’s not gonna say anything different no matter how many times you look at it.”

“I know,” Jensen sighed heavily, “never thought I’d be in this position.” He tossed the papers on the table and picked up his beer draining it in one go.

“You better not drink anymore, we’ve still got two more scenes to get through before we can leave tonight.”

Jensen rolled his head towards Jared leaning across the kitchenettes bar counter with a very concerned expression.

Jensen had always been a social drinker, he did love his beer, the slight softness over his toned stomach was the biggest indicator. But there had been constant uptick in his drinking during the mandatory two year waiting period for an Alpha/Beta divorce. So far, it hadn’t seriously interfered with work but there had been several instances of his obvious imbidding that Jared, Alex, even Misha ended up pumping him full of coffee to get him through.

“Then let’s get them done so I can get really fucked up before that shit show happens tomorrow.”

“Jack, give this new marriage a chance. Your dad said she’s a good match right? You never know, maybe it’ll work out like Gen and me.” Jared’s marriage had been a private match and he was happy with the Omega that his family had chosen.

Jensen snorted, getting up and walking out of his trailer, “Yeah, you lucked out with her, not always the case. Look at me, I’m getting a second hand Omega.”

*** To say the atmosphere in the private arrivals area was strained was an understatement. The Ackles were seating several feet apart awaiting their son.

“Mommy…daddy, how’s it..go..going?” They both turned in unison to see their very drunk middle child staggering towards them followed closely by Jared and Clif.

“Jensen Ross Ackles, how could you show up in this condition!” Donna Ackles snapped as he gave her a cheeky smile before passing out. “Fuck!” Jared blurted out, catching him before he face planted onto the tiled floor.

“Jared Tristan Padalecki you’re to blame for this!”

“I’m the one who’s been there for him, not the one forcing him to do something he’s not ready for! This is on you, I’ve tried to get him to stop but he’s hurting like hell and you don’t care!”

“You can’t speak to me that way young man! I always knew you came from trash and this proves it.”

Jared let his inner Alpha surface, eyes glowing red in anger, “If you ever speak disparagingly about my family again…” Clif quickly stepped in between them giving Jared a look.

“I’ve had it with you inserting yourself in our family business! I’ll make sure you never have contact with Jensen outside of work ever again!”

“You go ahead and try, Jensen’s forty two years old and more than capable of making his own choices. The only reason he’s agreed to this is because you’ve duped him into believing this is the only way to uphold your family’s social standing in the Dallas Pack because all you care about is how you look to those fucking country club bitches!”

“Alan, could you please bring the car around so we can get away from this embarrassing situation.” The older Alpha gripped his mates arm giving her a firm look of disapproval and steered her towards the exit. They could still hear her grousing, “how dare he deliver Jensen in this state,” as they went out the door.

Jared hefted his friend over his broad shoulder and carried Jensen back out the private entrance as the SUV pulled up. Clif opened the back door and helped Jared place him in the vehicle, carefully laying him across the seat.

“How bad has it been for him?” Alan inquired after Clif shut the door so his mate couldn’t hear.

Jared pulled off his beanie, running both hands through his hair, not hiding his frustration before answering, “He’s been in a downward spiral, drinking continuously, got him to stick to beer. I found him looking at the divorce papers and as you see… ”

Alan sighed heavily. Jensen’s divorce came out of nowhere, everything on the surface appeared good between him and Danneel but in hindsight he realized there were telltale signs all along, the biggest was her reluctance to have children.

Anytime anyone inquired she waved it off, saying she wanted to wait till Supernatural had ended, it wouldn’t be fair to leave all the responsibility for rearing their pups predominantly on her, she wanted Jensen there, to be a hands-on father.

Alphas were involved to an extent in care and raising of pups, but it was unusual for one to be as hands on as the Betas or Omegas were.

Jensen was one of those exceptions. Whenever with his siblings, he was right in there helping, never turning down a chance to play with them, even princess tea parties with his only niece. When on vacation or at conventions with Jared and his mate, he always was willing to help with their pups.

“I want to formally apologize for what Donna said, she overstepped the lines of etiquette. This is no excuse but she doesn’t know how to handle this situation. Jensen’s always been her favorite and she personally picked Danneel as his mate, it’s been a slap to her ego.”

Jared smiled, “I accept your apology Alan. Jensen’s always said his mother has been a…handful.”

Alan laughed, “That’s the diplomatic way of putting it,” he signed again, “Donna’s family always spoiled her being the only Omega, somewhere along the way she’s forgetting that being part of Dallas society doesn’t give you the right to treat others badly.”

*** Late next morning

Jensen was sitting on the edge of his hotel bed contemplating how he got here.

He thought Danneel was the one. When they were introduced by his mother a few months before his twenty seventh birthday they instantly clicked and started dating that night.

Jensen proposed six months later, couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found a love match. Danneel stated she wasn’t ready to give up her career yet, so they compromised and decided on a long engagement.

Supernatural started filming its fourth season when Kripke announced that the series would end with season five. Danneel also found out her current role was being written out of the series she was in about the same time so they set the date for May 2010.

Jared’s surprise wedding in February that year reaffirmed Jensen’s desire to settle down and start his family in a few months. They bought a home outside Austin like Jared and his new mate Genevieve. Things were going as planned, then the unexpected happened.

A couple months before they finished filming the CW announced Supernatural was being picked up for season six under new leadership.

Jensen returned to Vancouver not long after they were married. Danneel continued working, doing guest starring roles on other series and was cast in the occasional recurring role of Jo.

Every year when the show went on hiatus Jensen would bring up about starting their own family, he was feeling the biological pull more and more. Once again, she stated it wouldn’t be fair for them to have a family and him be a drop-in father, and moving to Vancouver full time, nope, he worked too many hours.

Danneel started dabbling in other interests outside of acting and in 2018 they opened The Family Business Brewery with her family. A few months later Jensen was served with the divorce announcement.

*** “Jensen, it’s time.” He looked up and Alan was saddened by the lost look in his son’s eyes. There was a resignation in those green eyes that never existed before. Saying nothing Jensen got up, slipped on his suit jacket and walked out of the room.

Alan mentally shook himself but that nagging feeling was back once again, something wasn’t right about this whole situation.

*** The Uber stopped at the back door of the small country church. The woman in the backseat thanked the driver and got out, pulling the garment bag with her. She walked to the door and rang the bell. It opened revealing the minister’s wife.

“You’re very late, the wedding is starting in fifteen minutes.” She said, hurrying up a staircase to the second floor and entered an empty room. “Where is your family? They should have arrived already to help you get ready.”

“There is no one coming,” the woman replied as she hung the garment bag over a closet door next to the mirror attached to it. The minister’s wife’s jaw dropped in surprise, “and it won’t take me long to get ready. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

She unzipped the bag removing a veil and shoes having arrived already in her dress, chosen by the groom’s mother, and attached the veil to the headpiece holding back part of her simply styled hair. She looked at herself for a moment before pulling the front part of the veil over her face then joined the minister’s wife who was to escort her to the chapel. She placed the shoes she wouldn’t wear until after the ceremony on the small table outside the double doors and took her place in front of them.

Jensen was sitting in the first pew of the small country church wondering why this place was chosen for the wedding as Donna and Alan made their way to sit next to him. His siblings, Joshua and Mackenzie, were already seated in the one behind him with their mates as the rest of the Ackles clan that had been invited filled up the rest of the pews.

He looked over at the bride’s side. There was not a single person seated in any of those pews. He frowned, finding it strange, wondering where her family was when the intro music started.

The minister took his place and gestured for him to rise. Jensen couldn’t move, his body feeling like it was tied down with lead weights. “Jensen!” His mother hissed at him in a low tone.

Suddenly, he felt himself get up, urgently needing to get away from her as his inner Alpha became agitated, as if it sensed something was amiss.

Each secondary gender pairing had their own ceremonial traditions so he was required to remain facing forward when the music changed and the doors behind him opened.

As the guests stood Jensen focused his senses on her as she proceeded down the aisle. He couldn’t scent her, too many different scents mingling together to isolate hers. He listened to the whispering material of the dress as she slowly walked, finally stopping next to him. In his peripheral vision he could see her head bowed under the thick veil obscuring her face and hair, her hands were clasped together in front of her, devoid of a bouquet.

The minister started speaking, talking about the obligations each Alpha and Omega were required to follow as dictated by the book. Jensen inhaled sharply, realizing what was occurring.

This wasn’t the common ceremony but the ancient, traditional version that only the extreme believers still used today. There was absolutely no out for either party from once the proceedings started.

If he objected to the ceremony he would be shunned by his pack, his family would be forced to never acknowledge him again or suffer the same censure; if the marriage didn’t work and they separated, he was responsible for her care as she would be set aside from society and forced to live in isolation.

He looked over at his parents, Alan was pinching the bridge of his nose trying to quell his anger knowing that his mate had put Jensen in an impossible situation as Donna sat there with a fake, placid look.

His own mother had irrevocably bound him to this Omega for the rest of his life.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur, neither party was required to say anything, there was no exchange of rings or a kiss at the end. The minister finished the ceremony and turned to the altar signing the marriage certificate with a quill pen dipped in ink. Jensen signed next, his hand was shaking so violently in anger making his signature barely legible.

The Omega didn’t sign, only her name was required for legality and the minister filled it in. He poured a powder on it to set the ink, blew off the access, rolled it up and tied it with a piece of twine before handing it to Jensen offering his blessings for a fruitful marriage. It took every ounce of his acting ability to politely smile, shake his hand, thanking the minister for the proceedings.

He turned, marching out without acknowledging his bride and she obediently followed behind him, pausing to grab her shoes along the way and scurrying to the waiting limousine climbing in after him.

Jensen sat in the back on the farthest side pouring himself a drink from the bar as his new wife sat quietly near the still open door. A few minutes later Jensen was on his third glass of whiskey when his parents climbed in and the chauffeur shut the door. He started the limo and as they pulled out Alan pressed the button to close the privacy window between them.

The tension in the back was so palatable an icebreaker couldn’t have cut through it. “Donna how could you…” Alan was unable to say anymore, his disgust for what had happened thick in those few words. “I did nothing wrong,” she snapped back, “I only had Jensen’s best interests…”

“Like when you threatened to sabotage my friendship with Jared again? By the way, Clif’s the one who dropped the dime on what happened after I passed out last night, not Jared, so you don’t get to blame him for that too.” Jensen threw back the rest of his drink before continuing.

“Oh, don’t think I’ve ever been ignorant of your disdain for him ‘cause the clan he comes from isn’t good enough for those highfalutin bitches in your social circle. Or how you’ve persuaded me to do this only to find out you took it to the extreme, forcing me into an impossible situation, accept this marriage or lose everything. Congratulations mom, you are still the queen bitch, sorry, bee, your precious reputation is secure.”

They traveled the rest of the way in silence. The limousine pulled onto the grounds of the country club in front of its grand entrance. Jensen got out before the chauffeur finished putting the car in park leaving his new wife to scramble out behind him as Alan and Donna got out the other side.

Jensen finally took a good look at his bride. She was in a simple, modestly cut, long sleeved dress, the only adornments a row of buttons down the bodice, no jewelry and apparently a pair of shoes that didn’t fit as she was struggling to get them on.

She was still fussing with her left shoe when he spoke in a stern voice, “Since our wedding was in the traditional, we’ll continue with its edicts. You are not to remove that veil, acknowledge or speak to anyone. You will not leave my side for any reason. Where I go, you go, three steps behind me. Nod once if you understand.” She nodded once.

“Son, I think…”

“Dad, as the traditional also states, I’m well within my rights to make demands of my Omega without interference, am I not?”

Alan acquiesced, “Yes, you are.”

“So” Jensen rubbed his hands together, “let’s go celebrate this disaster, shall we.” Putting on a fake smile, he went into the venue to greet his family with his Omega obediently three steps behind him.

*** Several hours later

“This shit has got to stop cause I swear it’s the only time I’m doing this dad.” Josh grunts, annoyance thickening his voice as he helped guide his inebriated brother to his hotel room. “Come on.. have ‘nother drunk, ‘posed to be celebrating my disaster marriage to that…’mega..don’t even want her.”

“Jensen, shut the fuck up! I’m not gonna stand here and let you insult your mate.” Josh snapped at him.

Jensen ripped his arm loose, “ ‘en go, not stopping you…and she’s not my mate,” his free arm waves unsteadily as he points towards his new wife standing by the main door, “my real mate took my money, my home, my fucking heart!!!”

Josh turned his back on his brother, “Jensen, I can’t stand seeing you like this, you need to get it together.” He headed for the main door, pausing to speak to his brother’s new wife, “I’m sorry he’s taken his anger out on you now. My brother is a good man, an honorable Alpha,” he stepped close to her and lowered his voice, “there is far more to this than what you’ve been told, please be patient with him.” He left slamming the door behind him.

“Fuck him,” Jensen muttered staggering into the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed slumped over.

“Jensen, your brother is right, you have got to pull yourself together. Therefore, as the Alpha of our clan, you are banned from our family. When you are back to being yourself, the Alpha you once were, you may appeal for re-admittance.”

Alan then did something he hadn’t done since Jensen was a small child, he bent over and placed a kiss on his son’s head, “I love you and I want my son back.” Nodding to his new daughter in law he left.

It hurt him tremendously knowing he wouldn’t see his son for a long time but it was for his own good. Now his Omega was the only one who could help him mend. Hopefully Jensen would see this marriage wasn’t the biggest mistake he’s imagined it to be.

Jensen didn’t move until he heard someone shuffling their feet. He looked up squinting at his new wife still standing by the bedroom door. Sitting up straight he grunted at her and passed out, falling backwards on the mattress. She slowly walked over and hesitated a moment before reaching out touching his shoulder, shaking him.

Getting no response she sat down near him lifting her right foot, gingerly removing the ill fitting shoe with a gasp and then repeated with her left. The blisters on both her heels that had busted open earlier were raw and had bleed. She detached her veil and wadded it up, stuffing it in a shoe and bent over untying Jensen’s and removed them too.

Standing up she gripped both his jacket lapels and hefted him upright to lean against her as she worked it off letting him flop back down and unbuttons his shirt leaving him sleep the case of everything he drank off. She left a pain reliever and bottled water on the nightstand.

Quietly shutting the bath door she found the dress had too many small buttons down the back. She laughed mirthlessly at the irony she was stuck in the dress like this marriage. Pulling the skirt up over her knees she sat on the counter to soak and clean her sore feet in the basin.

Once the worst of the ache was gone she pulled the drain and climbed off to finish washing up the best she could. The mirror reflects back the emotional toll of the last few months in her eyes.

She went over to the bed only to find her husband had moved, sprawled out over its entire surface. Searching for extra bedding and not finding any she gave up going back into the main room and curled up on the couch hoping to find a comfortable position to get some sleep for a few hours so she could briefly forget what her life had become.

Part II

SPN: @donnaintx

Dean/Jensen: @flamencodiva

#alpha!jensen ackles x omega!ofc #alpha!jensen ackles #alpha!jared padalecki #a/b/o ofc #supernatural a/b/o #alpha!jensen ackles x omega #jensen ackles #jared padalecki #a/b/o rp

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trulycertain · 3 years ago

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fic writer interview

Tagged by @skogrr Thank you very much! It's a while since I've done one of these, and I've missed them.

Name: Tru/"Oi you" Fandoms (that I write for): Dragon Age, mostly. Still the fandom of my heart. Mass Effect, Deus Ex... uh, accidentally GreedFall? I don't know how or when that happened. Two-shot: Hmm... The actual last two-shot I wrote was Terms & Conditions, a very silly Dorian/Inquisitor modern AU where Gal is the guy Dorian hires to stop his late father's house falling apart. Recently? I suspect that's going to be Driftwood, which can stand on its own as a sort of weird post-canon first-meeting AU, but is trying to tempt me to continue it. (Vasco ends up going looking for Tír Fradí, which has disappeared - and finds it. He also finds De Sardet as a highly avoidant tree god of the island, post-Bad Ending, who transformed against her will. And he ends up falling in love with her anyway.) Weird tree gods! Pining by literal pine! An eventual happy ending! More grumpy commentary by Vasco!

Most popular multi-chapter: Either An Unquenchable Flame or Distraction, probably - both juggernaut pairings, the former close to the game's release and the latter with some fancy forbidden romance, so not so surprising. But surprisingly, Prague, 10:42 PM has done really well, considering it's for a small fandom (Deus Ex) and a rarepair age/rank-difference pairing that I thought would be a one-off experiment? I get it, guys. I like sad repressed stoics too.

Actual worst part of writing: Editing - which can be fun, but that "over and over" stage when you're about to post, especially in a longfic if you fear you've lost the spirit of the thing and the character voices and you can't see the wood for the trees. And when I have to remove a whole scene which Jenga-unbalances the fic, and then I have to redux from the top. Basically, most things to do with pacing. How you choose your titles: I like double-meanings and one word titles. If that fails: quote from a song. If that fails: quote from poetry, but very rarely. Do you outline: Only a little. A bulletpointed list of events or noted-down major lines of dialogue, that's usually it.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to but wouldn’t it be nice: Uh... oh god. I blame so many people for some of these.

Post-Destroy ending where John is attempting to build a shed on Rannoch because that's the kind of thing retired people do, right? and Tali is far better at it than him, and it's just... disgusting fluff.

Actually, just reduxing the early John/Tali stuff with a bit more nuance and a stronger style.

Eva and Kaidan, and their mutually wary first meeting. ("Wow, that's a lot of pomade." "Wow, that's a lot of death-glare.")

AU where Gal and Dorian never met in DAI, and after everything went down, Gal tried to fade into the shadows and leave. He ended up working in Tevinter as an occasional informant/odd-jobs guy the way he was pre-Inquisition. He ends up being a gardener for a bitter, wry magister who seems to hate the entire Magisterium, has recently lost his father to political scheming and murder, and wants to take down the entirety of the remaining Venatori with one staff and maybe his teeth if he has to (hi, Dorian). But first, Dorian's going to drink his own body weight in whiskey and be a recluse for a while and start thinking about time magic again. Gal is trying to keep his head down and should definitely not be falling in love with said magister. Who's someday going to end up at one of the more southerly ports, come across a statue of the great Inquisitor, and go, Oh.

Stuff on Jensen's PT and rebuilding himself post-augs. More of Proprioception, basically.

Mer-AU where Marie De Sardet is still a diplomat attempting to make new connections, just not a human one, and it's a disaster. An awkward disaster. Highlights include her being framed as the beast trying to drown their best captain; her attempting to wobble about on brand-new legs and Vasco's coat while everyone assumes the dear captain has had a few too many; her asking Vasco if his "fascinating markings" glow; them getting into a duel, and her (fondly) getting punted off the side of the ship going "Woo-hoo." OK, I wrote a bit of that, but only a 1k doodle I'll probably never return to.

Non-Naut court AU where Marie gets promised to Bastien D'Arcy, because he's a bit of a layabout but he's also rich, popular at court, and amenable to bribe - [cough] suggestion, and the D'Arcys have prominent trading links with the Alliance. Instead she falls for his far less of a social butterfly, tired, worried-numbers-guy brother Léandre, who's pretty damn uncomfortable around Nauts because he's well aware he nearly got sold to them and he is not the favourite.

Straight-up role-reversal AU (another thing where I've put down 1k that I'll probably never return to), where Marie's Naut name is Paz, and she's a fed-up second-mate who's tired of noble idiots and feels a little strange and conflicted about her mark (and has context for it, because they make frequent crossings to Tír Fradí). Also a little more jaded, without the love of her mother, and not nearly as much of a tryhard as Vasco in canon; she ended up here because she had nowhere else to go and the Nauts were like "Ooh, free kid," and she's well aware. She gets stuck escorting the D'Arcy brothers to Tír Fradí for their new venture and is not looking forward to it. Except one of them is intensely bright and wry and keeps asking questions about the ship and noticing shit he is definitely not meant to notice, and they keep ending up in strange conversations, even if he seems really, really wary and uncomfortable about Nauts.

Some vague stuff about Vasco's thoughts on Jonas and that whole side quest, considering he's also a sea-given and implies sea-given take some shit in the Nauts, and also how damn difficult it must be watching a sea-given's parents endeavour to get their kid back when he knows full well his didn't do that for him.

Actually, just more Vasco POV in general, even though he's damn hard to nail down. I've written much pining for him from Marie's perspective, and I'd like to try things from the opposite. This guy's idea of wooing someone perfectly normally is to panic and then recite Baroque poetry. You know he's sappy as hell in the privacy of his own head, even if he's trying not to be.

Jean and Síora having the "I'm a sad healer who just lost my mother and I'm trying so hard not to crumble under the weight of assisting the leader" mutual talk way too late at night around the campfire and maybe him crying on her shoulder a little, with mutual kindness and the beginnings of attraction, and her finally getting past his jokey-smug facade to understand him.

More stuff about Jean's past in general, and how he wanted to be a doctor before he was dragged away from it by looking after Constantin and being nobility.

Síora and Eseld and the ways they changed over the years; something like an exploration of grief and growing her own will and the ways they very differently view the renaigse. Also maybe more about the en ol menawi magic, if I can worldbuild well enough?

I'd also love to do a GreedFall soulmark AU - it's generally not my kind of trope, I'm not into biological determinism type tropes - just because names and aliases and assumed identities are such a mess in GreedFall and it's a repeated plot point. That said, I feel like it's been done so beautifully in this fandom before that I wouldn't have much to add.

Callouts @ me: So. Many. Commas. So much over-explaining everything. If they get out of the car, your readers do not need a five-page manual of "and then he undid his seatbelt and leaned over to grasp the door handle, and then pulled it, and then stepped a foot out before he almost thought better of it - but no, he was going to get out of this car. The other foot joined the first, and he nearly banged his head on the doorframe."

Best writing traits: People say I have a head for finding small-but-important moments. I'm also told I write likeable protags. People have more than once said my writing makes them feel safe or makes them smile, and I really couldn't ask for more than that. I'll take those.

Spicy tangential opinion: I don't think I have any, really? Oh god, that makes me sound so very boring. Oh! Um. There should be more tree body horror in fandom. And body horror in general. *thumbsup*

No pressure tagging: @artemis-crimson, @eridanidreams,@rainypixel, @aphreal42.

#tru talks #memes #long post

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lol-jackles · 8 years ago

Note

I find your Jensen's character bleed on cons theory very intriguing, it has been harder for me to separate Jensen and Dean in the recent years, his controlling habits, for one, though I always thought I'm just making things up. You said you've studied body language, could you enlighten me with your observations? What character flaws you discover him having? It's always fascinating to read an unpopular opinion, thus thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Jensen’s acting really took off with SPN and as Chuck as my witness I thought he was heading to Emmy territory after SPN ends in season 3. I thought he was going to be the Michelle Williams of SPN. Instead he became the Nancy Whyyyyyy Kerrigan of SPN. Nancy was an elite athletic skater dressed up as a princess to cover up her non-artistic flaw. No matter how many Vera Wang dresses she wore, she had no natural artistry. Jensen plateaued at season 3, next year he adopted a Batman’s voice that got worse every year. Jensen’s Batman voice is his Vera Wang outfit.

Notice how even A-list actors’ accents slip up in their movies? Tom Cruise was slipping in and out of his German accent in Valkayrie (GREAT MOVE BTW) and Harrison Ford’s Russian accent kept slipping back to American accent. For some actors they literally can’t walk and talk-accent at the same time. I believe this is a problem for Jensen and his Batman voice, which is basically an accent, and part of the reason why he plateaued in season 3.

One of the first thing you learn as an actor is that every character has a physicality that is unique and specific to them; their accent, speech pattern, their stance, their posture, even their breathing is unique to their character. Jensen gave far more layers to Dean than Jared did for Sam. Jared is a shallower actor but he is able to play many different characters because he can give each of his character a new phsicality. Jensen brings the same acting tic to every character he’s played. I think Jensen decided to bring his Dean person to cons because they were doing so many cons that his real personality was going to slip out and he can cover it up by saying he was just being Dean, his second Vera Wang outfit.

You said you’ve studied body language, could you enlighten me with your observations?

Do you ever have those couple-friends who get into epic fights in front of you? When they have an audience they just have to win so their fights are much worse in public than in private. Jensen tries hard to be professional in public but it doesn’t take much to upset him and set him off. Jared’s meltdown over bad customer service is nothing compared to Jensen’s drama anger. Before he brought his Dean persona to conventions, which helped control his inner alpha, he made a lot of fangirls anxious when he visibly got upset with Jared and Misha on stage in that infamous Austialian convention. Misha was being a troll and Jared, ever the passive doormat diplomat, went along with with Misha’s trolling. It wasn’t Jared’s fault but Jensen’s body language telegraphed that he completely blamed Jared, not Misha, and Jared had to apologize. Jared is always looking to Jensen for approval or permission and sometimes I fucking feel sorry for him when he gets this expression on his face when Jensen was dismissive of what he said. Jared, you’re a grown ass man with a family, stop being such a beta to Jensen. One of the reasons why AAs hate any “Dean is abusive” discussion is because deep down they fear Jensen and Dean are alike and they’re scared shitless that Sam girls or Cas girls will put two and two together. In television on all long running series, writers incorporate the actor’s real personality into their characters, it’s just easier that way.

#jensen's acting

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greenappleeyes · 8 years ago

Text

When You Go (Part 1)

Words: 1600+(including song lyrics)

Summary: You and Misha were together until insecurity and lack of communication led to an unresolved break up. He seems to have moved on fine while you are still struggling with losing him. You write a song to try and finalize that chapter of your life in hopes that you can move on without him.

A/N: So the song is not in fact an original, just using that for the story. It is a song written and performed by Jonathan Coulton. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRCWFrwJwBM Also, obviously there is no hate for Vicky; this is a fictional story and in real life I love Vicki, Misha, and their family. And lastly, this is my very first fic. I’d appreciate any constructive criticism.

Warnings: Kind of angsty, adult themes(smutish-but nothing major,) some language, mentions of growing insecurities

—————

“You’re sure he won’t be here?” you asked Jensen for the third time this evening. He sighed and reminded you again that Misha wouldn’t be attending due to a previous engagement.

You were glad he wouldn’t be there to see you perform at the Saturday Night Special. You had written a song after your breakup and had always wanted to perform it; but you weren’t ready for him to hear it.

Sighing, you asked “He’s with her, isn’t he?” Jensen knew he was, but didn’t want to rub it in your face so he didn’t answer; just offered an apologetic smile.

—————

Your relationship with Misha started out as co-stars and friends; then slowly bloomed into something more. You were completely, pathetically in love with him from day one, but tried to play it cool. He eventually asked you out and you both felt instant sparks when you shared your first kiss that night.

Misha was a flirt. It was simply part of his personality, but you couldn’t help but get jealous from time to time. You decided to turn the tables and give him a taste of his own medicine. You had no idea at the time how jealous Misha could get, and more so, how hot it was. He was usually a gentle, giving lover, unless you wanted to bring out his jealous, dominant side.

Gentle Misha was all praise and proving that you had nothing to be jealous of by showing you how much he loved you. He would kiss you in all the right places, drawing out your pleasure for as long as possible. He would rock in and out of you slowly, caressing your hair and repeating that he loved you over and over. Slow and gentle would escalate into heated passion as he would tell you how beautiful you look and beg you to come for him. These were the nights he wanted to finish with you at the same time. It felt so much more intimate and intense; it was just another way for him to feel the love you had for each other.

Jealous Misha was rough, possessive, and full of lust. He wouldn’t even bother removing all your clothes half the time and would fuck you hard and fast. As you’d approach your climax, he’d make you beg for it. “Do you really deserve it, babygirl? Huh?! Do. You!?” The last 3 words accentuated by hard thrusts. He’d finally make you come after confirming that you were his and only his; following you over the edge grunting out “Yes! Mine!” Afterwards, he’d always make sure you were ok and that he wasn’t too rough followed by those 3 little words he told you every night before you fell asleep in his arms. “I love you.”

You two went back and forth with this game for a while, constantly upping your game. It was fun and kept things interesting, but you couldn’t help that little voice in your head from telling you that it wasn’t a game for him. Every female he interacted with seemed to be more attractive than the last and soon your fun jealousy turned into full-on insecurity. Had Misha known it was actually starting to bother you, he would have dialed it back; but you kept quiet. “I started this little game,” you thought to yourself. “I’m only going to look stupid if I’m suddenly bothered by it. I’m just being silly. He loves me… right?”

It came to a head when his high school sweetheart, Vicki, came back into his life. She was smart, funny, beautiful, and just so happened to be Misha’s first love. Misha acted like his usual flirty self towards her, but you saw it as something deeper. You began seeing meaning behind every laugh, touch, and gesture which drove you crazy; but not the fun sexy kind of crazy, the insecure and paranoid kind of crazy. Misha and Vicky began spending a lot of time together working on a charity project. He was always so passionate about his charitable endeavors and would talk about them constantly. Currently, this also meant he was talking about Vicki and her contributions a lot as well. To your eyes, he was talking to her all day everyday; even though it was a text or call here and there. Once they started working late at her office you became so blinded by your insecurities that you started to question his loyalty to you.

“Of course he’s cheating! Why wouldn’t he be fucking her?! She’s practically perfect for him!” you sobbed on the phone with your best friend. “It’s only a matter of time before he leaves me.” That is when things started to fall apart. You were so caught up with thinking he wanted someone else that you couldn’t see that you were pushing him away.

He didn’t understand why you slept facing away from him at night instead of cuddling close like you used to, why you stopped playing your game of jealousy tag, or why you didn’t seem to even want to look him in the eyes anymore. You were either listless or irritated when he was around. Every sound his phone made would put you into a worse and worse mood. He’d ask you what was wrong, you’d lie and say you were just tired. He’d make his usual cheesy jokes to cheer you up just for you to barely react. He’d try to initiate physical contact with you and you’d accuse him of only caring about sex. He loved you, but he could only take so much. He didn’t know what he had done, but you clearly no longer loved him. He couldn’t stay in a relationship with someone that didn’t feel for him the way he felt for them. To him, it seemed the longer he stayed to more unhappy you got.

“Sweetheart, I love you, but I can’t fucking do this anymore. I’m not sure what happened, but you’re not happy and neither am I. I think you know what we need to do.” He was trying to be as diplomatic as possible, even though he felt like he would shatter at any moment. You couldn’t even look at him. Maybe if you did, you would have seen in his eyes how much he loved you and how much it was killing him to leave you.

But you didn’t. You were too angry. All you could say was “Just go.”

—————

That was about a year ago. You still saw him time to time on set, but luckily your characters did not interact much which meant you could avoid having to talk to him. About six months after your breakup, he started dating Vicky. He was trying to force himself to move on, while you saw this as proof that he had been with her all along. You tried to move on as well, but still weren’t ready for another relationship. You threw yourself into your acting and song writing. “When You Go” had been the favorite thing you had ever written and getting the chance to perform it live was bittersweet. Misha had always loved listening to you sing and helped motivate you into writing your own music. A small part of you wanted him there to see you perform, to be proud of what you had accomplished. Part of you wanted to rub it in his face and prove that you didn’t need him; even if the song itself was about him. You weren’t ready for any of that, you were mostly glad that you could perform this song without confessing your pain to him.

“Alright Y/N, you’re up,” Jensen told you while patting you on the shoulder.

You took a deep breath and walked out on stage. “Folks, we’ve got something extra special for you tonight! Y/N here is gonna perform one of her original songs for the first time ever!” Rob excitedly told the crowd. “Have at it, Y/N.”

You stared out and were relieved that the lights were too bright to show how many people were anxiously waiting for you. “This is called ‘When You Go’ and it means a lot to me. Go easy on me, okay?” The crowd cheered and died down as you begin to play the solemn opening riff.

——-(Song lyrics)——- Only a moment ago we had nothing but time Everything lasted forever and you were all mine Only a dream I know Thinking you’d never go Tearing off pieces of myself Just for the time it buys me

Fold my heart up small Or break it into pieces Find somewhere and keep it there Take it when you go

There in the frame of your face, in the cast of your eyes I saw this coming but still I am caught by surprise All of this time I knew That I’d be losing you That doesn’t mean that it’s OK That doesn’t mean I’m ready

Fold my heart up small Or break it into pieces Find somewhere and keep it there Take it when you go

Some things you always remember, some things you forget No way to make it up now, no room for regret That’s no good for anyone And so I come undone Now I am less than what I was Whatever’s left is yours now

So fold my heart up small Or break it into pieces Find somewhere and keep it there Take it when you go

—————

You couldn’t believe how cathartic it was to perform that song. You finally felt like you had some semblance of closure to the situation and maybe you could move on. The cheers from the crowd and congratulations from the band only heightened the experience. You bowed and thanked everyone before stepping off stage and heading toward the back when you heard someone behind you say “Y/N, that was beautiful.”

You froze and your stomach dropped. “Misha?”

#misha collins #fanfic #supernatural rpf #misha collins x reader #misha x reader #first fanfic #mishaxreader #misha collins fanfiction #Misha reader insert #song fic #GreenAppleEyes writes

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exitpursuedbyasloth · 8 years ago

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So even though yourself and the other poster have not seen the video, you're going to assume that Jensen was being an asshole because you didn't like his answer? By all accounts, there was nothing rude about his answer or the way he said it

Who’s to say I haven’t seen the video? Just cause I was taking a brief fandom hiatus and just found out yesterday doesn’t mean I haven’t seen it since then. I did watch it. It was awkward as fuck, and his response was dismissive. And the reaction of the audience was sadly not unexpected (not after seeing the poor girl in New Jersey get booed for just mentioning she’s bisexual).

What accounts? Show me the accounts, I demand an accounting of the accounts. I mean, I believe there are some people, even Destiel shippers, who would excuse this, but you can’t just say “everybody says it was cool” and not back it up. I can show you the people pissed off or hurt by what he said, I can explain how what he said was phrased badly, delivered rudely. How his response just gave fuel to the bullies and harassers and homophobes.

And let me be clear, I’m not pissed because his answer wasn’t Destiel-positive, I’m pissed because he responded in a dickish way to the subject of queerness. Had he responded in way that wasn’t Destiel-postive but also wasn’t rude, I wouldn’t be bothered.

I admit the girls question was awkward (not for the subject matter necessarily, but more how it was phrased), but guess what? So are like two-thirds of questions at cons. FFS, I once saw Misha get asked what kind of flip-flops he likes. If Jensen can’t handle awkward questions from fans diplomatically or gently, he shouldn’t be doing cons. That’s most of what a con is, vaguely awkward fan experiences.

People pay a lot of money to go cons, and the actors are well-compensated. The very least any actor should do is not be an asshole to a fan without cause, not embarrass or dismiss them. That’s just being professional and considerate. We often talk about fans not being assholes to the talent, but that’s a street that goes both ways, the talent shouldn’t be assholes to the fans either.

And it’s not like this is the first time he’s ever heard the phrase ‘Destiel’ before. There’s no reason for him not to have a stock polite response in his pocket for these types of questions. That is what a professional would do, that’s part of being an actor (doing PR and being diplomatic about it).

His response was dickish because he would never have responded this way if the question was “Dean had a crush on Princess Leia, so why can’t he have a crush on Jo/Bela/Donna/Jodi?” His response was the way it was because it was about his character being queer. Therein lies the dickishness.

(I mean, there’s a time for a dickish responses. If someone is being hateful of vicious or vulgar or mean-spirited, okay. But a simple, if somewhat leading, questions about your male character maybe having a crush on another man? Not a time to be an asshole. There’s nothing rude or offensive about queer readings of characters.)

Do you know what a genuinely non-dickish response to that girls question would be, that would still be the same basic answer Jensen gave? “That’s not something the writers ever really addressed, so I don’t know, I can’t really answer that.” There you go. He’s not leading a fan on, not lying, but not being an asshole about fans (many of whom are queer themselves) wanting his character to be queer, and reminding the audience that it’s up to the writers to make Dean canonically queer, not him.

#Jensen Ackles #Trashnatural #Destiel #Jensen was being an asshole #just accept that #Anonymous

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actutrends · 5 years ago

Text

EU countries gear up for post-Brexit trade battle

The EU’s Brexit unity is about to come under severe pressure.

Speaking from one script was Brussels’ greatest property in the first phase of Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson states he wishes to conclude the talks by the end of next year, without any extension of the transition duration. That’s very tight.

” It won’t be possible in this very [limited] timespan to do everything, however we will do everything that is possible,” EU Brexit mediator Michel Barnier informed the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Simply as in stage one of the talks, Barnier is currently trying to utilize the ticking clock to his benefit, by framing the trade talks as an option in between various choices made needed by the lack of time to agree something more bespoke.

” At a specific point there are going to be trade-offs essential. We need to remain joined to get an offer within this timeframe, but it will not be easy”– EU diplomat

” Does the U.K. desire to distance itself, and to what extent, from our regulative model?” Barnier asked, adding that Britain would have to address that concern “in the next weeks.”

” That will figure out the level of our ambition,” he included.

However in reality, the ticking clock likewise presents brand-new difficulties for the EU side. The constricted timescale implies it needs to make quick and unpleasant options about what to consist of in the trade deal and what to leave out.

” At a specific point there are going to be compromises required,” said one EU diplomat. “We have to remain united to get a deal within this timeframe, however it will not be easy.”

EU chief Brexit arbitrator Michel Barnier talks to reporters in Brussels on October 28, 2019|John Thys/AFP by means of Getty Images

Restricted versus enthusiastic deal

On the EU side, the fight over what to focus on in the talks is set to start in early January The Commission will utilize input from each of the 27 national capitals to frame a draft mandate by February 1, the U.K.’s very first day outside the EU.

The talks are set to be concluded at the end of February so that settlements with the U.K. can begin in March– leaving simply 10 months to conclude trade talks and validate the contract before the end of next year. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has actually called that schedule “very challenging.”

A senior German official stated that a “standard” trade agreement with the U.K. might still be reached: “We have currently shown that you can work out a lot in a short time if you set yourself clear objectives.”

” The more the negotiating partners are of the opinion that they must differ the standard in this specific case, for example due to the fact that the level playing field conditions are various or something needs to be included, the longer this takes,” he included.

But other German officials and legislators have actually considering that tried to downplay suggestions that Berlin was trying to find a less ambitious offer.

” There is a basic line that is absolutely essential: To maintain the stability of the internal market,” stated Markus Töns, a German MP and the Social Democratic Party’s spokesperson for European affairs. “I consider it essentially incorrect to endanger this by means of a restricted or scaled-down agreement.”

Countries with big fishing fleets fear that without the utilize of trade, the U.K. will not provide ground on access to its waters.

Töns argued that the U.K. could not simply gain broad market access to the EU, however would likewise have to commit to following EU rules along with social and environmental standards– with the considerable downside of no longer having a say on them.

Based Upon the Political Statement that is the plan for the U.K.’s future relationship after Brexit, numerous EU diplomats anticipate the Commission to prepare a comprehensive required that includes the desire lists of all countries.

On fisheries, for instance, the Political Statement stated that both sides should reach a contract by July but did not point out whether this need to be managed individually or as part of trade talks. Nations with huge fishing fleets such as Spain and Denmark are pushing for such a link. They fear that without the utilize of trade, the U.K. will not provide ground on access to its waters.

” It ought to belong of [the trade deal], and we are a number of nations who work for that. And likewise the signals we get from the Commission is that they see it like that as well,” Denmark’s Fisheries Minister Mogens Jensen informed POLITICO.

” This is going to be a fault line,” said another EU diplomat.

Rather, Eastern European nations like Poland and Romania wish to push for the addition of ambitious transport clauses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson aboard the Opportunis IV fishing trawler on September 6, 2019 in Peterhead, Scotland|Duncan McGlynn/Getty Images

The Walloon issue

Promoting a detailed and enthusiastic offer, even if the U.K. plays ball, will make it even harder to complete on time. If the accord surpasses exclusive EU competences and touches on “blended” skills that Brussels shares with member countries, then ratification will likely take much longer.

Such mixed arrangements require not just the thumbs-up from EU federal governments and the European Parliament but also the approval of some 40 national and local parliaments throughout the EU. It’s a process that usually takes years and threats being held up, as was the case with the EU-Canada trade accord that was on the brink of failure in 2016 when the Belgian regional parliament of Wallonia threatened to veto it.

” It will depend a lot on how things are framed,” stated Lorand Bartels, a trade law professional at the University of Cambridge.

The very same would use to fisheries if the deal went beyond trade or conservation of fish and also discussed environmental elements connected to the EU’s common fisheries policy, he added.

” An enthusiastic arrangement will probably end up being a combined arrangement,” said Franziska Brantner, the Greens’ spokesperson for European affairs in the German parliament.

Isabelle Van Damme, a trade legal representative with Van Bael & Bellis, said that although a future EU-U.K. contract might touch on shared skills in between the EU and its member nations, that would not necessarily mean that EU nations would require to end up being party to that agreement and therefore demand ratification by national lawmakers.

” If they do not exercise the skills, the offer could pass as an EU-only agreement in order to make sure quick ratification and potentially avoid a cliff-edge at the end of 2020,” she stated. Van Damme stated that such a delivering of powers by member countries had actually never taken place before in the case of a trade deal, and that nations may not desire to produce a precedent for other future trade deals.

Some EU diplomats anticipate that the intra-EU conversations about the scope of the offer– and the effects this might bring for ratification– will be held off.

EU nations are now pressing the Commission to provide more clarity on the most likely form of the arrangement. While talking about the preparations of the required settlements on Tuesday, diplomats requested an extra meeting on the legal basis of the deal, according to a number of people in the room.

” Practically everybody around the table needed to know what the set-up is,” said an EU diplomat. “Kind needs to follow compound, however the framework matters to everybody. We asked the Commission to inform us on that aspect as well.”

Change strategy

Some EU diplomats anticipate that the intra-EU conversations about the scope of the deal– and the consequences this might bring for ratification– will be held off.

EU countries might consent to a thorough required in February and then return to the concern in June, when the EU and U.K. need to consider whether to extend the shift period beyond completion of 2020.

At that point, Brussels might attempt to put pressure on London to agree to such an extension, in spite of Johnson’s unwillingness, by revealing that it was unrealistic to work out and ratify an offer prior to year’s end. If that fails, the EU might then need to change method.

” In that scenario, it will be time to focus on,” said a diplomat. “Which topics have to be agreed on prior to the due date and which are less immediate? That conversation is going to be really difficult.”

Eddy Wax contributed reporting.

Desired more analysis from POLITICO? POLITICO Pro is our premium intelligence service for professionals. From monetary services to trade, innovation, cybersecurity and more, Pro provides real-time intelligence, deep insight and breaking scoops you need to keep one action ahead. Email [email protected] to request a complimentary trial.

The post EU countries gear up for post-Brexit trade battle appeared first on Actu Trends.

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thisdaynews · 5 years ago

Text

EU countries gear up for post-Brexit trade battle

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/eu-countries-gear-up-for-post-brexit-trade-battle/

EU countries gear up for post-Brexit trade battle

The EU’s Brexit unity is about to come under severe strain.

Speaking from one script was Brussels’ greatest asset in the first phase of Brexit. It prevented London playing divide-and-rule and ultimately forced concessions from the U.K. in the talks. But while it was relatively easy to forge a common position on the Brexit bill, citizens’ rights and Northern Ireland, agreement on trade priorities will be much harder.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to conclude the talks by the end of next year, with no extension of the transition period. That’s very tight.

“It won’t be possible in this very limit time frame to do everything, but we will do everything that is possible,” EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Just as in phase one of the talks, Barnier is already trying to use the ticking clock to his advantage, by framing the trade talks as a choice between different options made necessary by the lack of time to agree something more bespoke.

“At a certain point there are going to be trade-offs necessary. We have to stay united to get a deal within this timeframe, but it won’t be easy” —EU diplomat

“Does the U.K. wish to distance itself, and to what extent, from our regulatory model?” Barnier asked, adding that Britain would have to answer that question “in the next weeks.”

“That will determine the level of our ambition,” he added.

But in truth, the ticking clock also presents new challenges for the EU side. The constricted timescale means it has to make rapid and uncomfortable choices about what to include in the trade deal and what to leave out.

“At a certain point there are going to be trade-offs necessary,” said one EU diplomat. “We have to stay united to get a deal within this timeframe, but it won’t be easy.”

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks to reporters in Brussels on October 28, 2019 | John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

Limited versus ambitious deal

On the EU side, the fight over what to prioritize in the talks is set to begin in early January. The Commission will use input from each of the 27 national capitals to frame a draft mandate by February 1, the U.K.’s first day outside the EU.

The talks are set to be concluded at the end of February so that negotiations with the U.K. can start in March — leaving just 10 months to conclude trade talks and ratify the agreement before the end of next year. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called that timetable “extremely challenging.”

A senior German official said that a “standard” trade agreement with the U.K. could still be reached: “We have already shown that you can negotiate a lot in a short time if you set yourself clear goals.”

“The more the negotiating partners are of the opinion that they should deviate from the standard in this particular case, for example because the level playing field conditions are different or something has to be added, the longer this takes,” he added.

But other German officials and lawmakers have since tried to downplay suggestions that Berlin was looking for a less ambitious deal.

“There is a fundamental line that is absolutely necessary: To preserve the integrity of the internal market,” said Markus Töns, a German MP and the Social Democratic Party’s spokesperson for European affairs. “I consider it fundamentally wrong to jeopardize this by means of a limited or scaled-down agreement.”

Countries with big fishing fleets fear that without the leverage of trade, the U.K. will not give ground on access to its waters.

Töns argued that the U.K. could not just gain broad market access to the EU, but would also have to commit to following EU rules as well as social and environmental standards — with the considerable downside of no longer having a say on them.

Based on the Political Declaration that is the blueprint for the U.K.’s future relationship after Brexit, many EU diplomats expect the Commission to draw up a comprehensive mandate that includes the wish lists of all countries.

On fisheries, for example, the Political Declaration said that both sides must reach an agreement by July but did not mention whether this should be handled separately or as part of trade talks. However, countries with big fishing fleets such as Spain and Denmark are pushing for such a link. They fear that without the leverage of trade, the U.K. will not give ground on access to its waters.

“It should be a part of [the trade deal], and we are a number of countries who work for that. And also the signals we get from the Commission is that they see it like that as well,” Denmark’s Fisheries Minister Mogens Jensen told POLITICO.

Financial services is another potential sticking point. “This is going to be a fault line,” said another EU diplomat. “For some Western countries, financial services is a crucial topic. For most Eastern European countries, it’s not relevant at all.”

Instead, Eastern European countries like Poland and Romania want to push for the inclusion of ambitious transport clauses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson aboard the Opportunis IV fishing trawler on September 6, 2019 in Peterhead, Scotland | Duncan McGlynn/Getty Images

The Walloon problem

Pushing for a comprehensive and ambitious deal, even if the U.K. plays ball, will make it even harder to complete on time. If the accord goes beyond exclusive EU competences and touches on “mixed” competences that Brussels shares with member countries, then ratification will likely take much longer.

Such mixed agreements require not only the green light from EU governments and the European Parliament but also the approval of some 40 national and regional parliaments across the EU. It’s a process that usually takes years and risks being held up, as was the case with the EU-Canada trade accord that was on the brink of failure in 2016 when the Belgian regional parliament of Wallonia threatened to veto it.

“It will depend a lot on how things are framed,” said Lorand Bartels, a trade law expert at the University of Cambridge. “For example, when we talk about regulations for car emissions — is that purely trade-related or more environmental policy? The latter would stretch into mixed competence.”

The same would apply to fisheries if the deal went beyond trade or conservation of fish and also touched upon environmental aspects linked to the EU’s common fisheries policy, he added.

“An ambitious agreement will almost certainly become a mixed agreement,” said Franziska Brantner, the Greens’ spokesperson for European affairs in the German parliament.

Isabelle Van Damme, a trade lawyer with Van Bael & Bellis, said that even though a future EU-U.K. agreement might touch on shared competences between the EU and its member countries, that would not necessarily mean that EU countries would need to become party to that agreement and thereby request ratification by national lawmakers.

“If they do not exercise the competences, the deal could pass as an EU-only agreement in order to ensure swift ratification and possibly avoid a cliff-edge at the end of 2020,” she said. However, van Damme said that such a ceding of powers by member countries had never happened before in the case of a trade deal, and that countries might not want to create a precedent for other future trade deals.

Some EU diplomats expect that the intra-EU discussions about the scope of the deal — and the consequences this could bring for ratification — will be postponed.

EU countries are now pushing the Commission to give them more clarity on the likely form of the agreement. While discussing the preparations of the mandate negotiations on Tuesday, diplomats asked for an additional meeting on the legal basis of the deal, according to several people in the room.

“Almost everyone around the table wanted to know what the set-up is,” said an EU diplomat. “Form should follow substance, but the framework matters to all of us. We asked the Commission to brief us on that aspect as well.”

Switch strategy

Some EU diplomats expect that the intra-EU discussions about the scope of the deal — and the consequences this could bring for ratification — will be postponed.

EU countries could agree to a comprehensive mandate in February and then come back to the issue in June, when the EU and U.K. have to consider whether to extend the transition period beyond the end of 2020.

At that point, Brussels could try to put pressure on London to agree to such an extension, despite Johnson’s reluctance, by showing that it was unrealistic to negotiate and ratify a deal before year’s end. If that fails, the EU might then have to switch strategy.

“In that scenario, it will be time to prioritize,” said a diplomat. “Which topics have to be agreed on before the deadline and which are less urgent? That discussion is going to be very tricky.”

Eddy Wax contributed reporting.

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