But we keep breaking them more and crippling them more, and "rewarding" them in the most peculiar ways.
Both of them, Sam especially, were more broken in that fic than makes me happy.
But I think that fandom especially keeps breaking Dean physically because it's symbolic, whether that's conscious or not. Dean is action, strength, the physical, so breaking his body is hitting the hardest. And Sam has always been so cerebral and emotional, pouring on the crazy sauce probably seems like the natural thing.
Maybe it's hard to imagine them not hunting unless they're forced not to? Because almost every curtain fic I've read (and some I've imagined writing) makes hunting impossible, or at least improbable, before stashing them in a home somewhere. Except that old age one where they'd finally retired to Key West, which was adorable, but almost too adorable. And Wincesty, iirc.
Maybe it's hard to imagine them not hunting unless they're forced not to?
I think that's a large part of it. Also, for me, stories like that one aren't so much about the brokenness as they are about the fact that Sam and Dean are still
Sam and Dean
even if you take away the things that make them effective hunters.
I'm still torn on how I want the series itself to end. One of the many things I love about fanfic is that it allows us to explore a wide range of different (and differently satisfying) endings that would never happen on the show itself.
Also, for me, stories like that one aren't so much about the brokenness as they are about the fact that Sam and Dean are still Sam and Dean even if you take away the things that make them effective hunters.
That's true, although I think it never occurs to me that they wouldn't be?
Because almost every curtain fic I've read (and some I've imagined writing) makes hunting impossible
I've read a mad amount where they just decide to hang up their shotguns. And I don't like them. It makes me anxious and sad for the characters. I know there are fans that think that hunting is the unhappy ending for them, and there's no way they can resolve their issues and still keep on in *any* sort of a hunting lifestyle.
But I don't agree.
I guess I just don't like curtain fic.
Give me a story where they age out, but don't renounce the life and I much prefer it.
I also don't get much out of stories where they remove all the supernatural elements from the world as the result of whatever happens at the end of a given season, and then that's why they have to retire, but then they discover "Oh! This is kind of nice, now that I think about it! We should have done this earlier!"
I want equitable hunters, dammit. I'm not asking for happy, of course, because I have my issues, but I am not asking for that much broken misery. I want Dean to keep drinking, carousing, and shooting things. I want him to not deal all *that* well with his anger. That's who I like, dammit. Sam, I think of as much healthier. I don't need his pain for my amusement so much.
Both of them, Sam especially, were more broken in that fic than makes me happy.
I didn't get too far into it. It's just not my sort of beautiful cake. But I am not really reading fic right now anyway, so I can't tell if it's general avoidance, or specific to that fic. But Roque does tend to do more damage to them than I'm comfortable with.
That's true, although I think it never occurs to me that they wouldn't be?
I think it's more affirmation than proof, if that makes sense. I think it's the
how
that sameness plays out than the fact that it does that's important.
If they age enough, at some point they will need to add someone(s) to the team for muscle. At another point there would be hunts that would have to be left entirely to the muscle. Past that, most hunts would have to be left to muscle, which means from day one they had better be more than just muscle. Or maybe Sam and Dean could operate drones...
OMG, one of my team's items made it to the next round of bonus competition. (Bacon dress)
I don't see anything in updates about that--did you get an email? What is the bonus?
