Transcript: Track 47: Adaptations

Links to all fics mentioned can be found on the main episode post.

Jump to:

• Dean and Cas Make a Porno by nickelkeep
• Fallout: Supernatural by insominia and MaggieMaybe160
• Revelation 13 by fullvoid
• The Best Judge of Happiness by tsujiharu
• Other recommendations

[Intro music]

Ellen: [00:00:00] Hi everyone. Welcome to the 47th episode of Mixtape Book Club podcast. My name is Ellen

MalMuses: and my name is Mal.

Ellen: In each episode we take an in depth look at a different trope or genre in the huge variety of Destiel fan fiction, and in this episode we are going to discuss fics that have been adapted from other media like books or films or video games or like, well there’s so many different types of adaptations that there are out there.[00:01:00]

MalMuses: Yeah, and joining us to discuss their fic, Dean and Cas Make a Porno, we have a returning author this week who you will have previously heard on episode 26 when we did Witch and Familiar Stories. So welcome back to Nickelkeep.

Nickelkeep: Hi.

MalMuses: Hey.

Ellen: Welcome back.

Nickelkeep: Thanks for having me again.

Ellen: Gosh, episode 26, that feels like such a long time ago.

MalMuses: Like we’re almost at 50 episodes, which is wild. That’s a lot of fanfic.

Ellen: That is a lot of fanfic. All right. So as well as Dean and Cas Make A Porno, um, we’re going to discuss three other fics plus, uh, recommend a bunch more. Uh, the main, other ones are The Best Judge of Happiness by tsujiharu, Revelation 13 by fullvoid and Fallout Supernatural by insominia and MaggieMaybe160.

MalMuses: This is a very good crop of fics and we’ve got like a nice variety of media [00:02:00] going on here as well, which is pretty nice. So links to all of the fics we’re talking about today will be available in the episode post on mixtapebookclub. com and included in our collection on AO3. And that is always with the proviso that the author has allowed them to be in the collection because some authors do not like that. Um, but we do have a very good crop of fics in there for anybody who wants to go and check them out.

Ellen: Yeah, and as always, we have to say thank you very much to all the ongoing support of our Kofi subscribers. Um, we really appreciate your support. And if you would also like to join our discord server and help us out with suggestions and like recommend us fics to read for different things, um, then you can go to kofi. com slash mixtape book club.

Um, okay. So this week we’re going to talk about adaptations. We, this is, I think, a ubiquitous thing for all fic writers who watch a movie or read a book or something and go, Dean and [00:03:00] Cas would totally do this.

MalMuses: You just start seeing them everywhere.

Ellen: Yeah. Every, every other story can be turned into Destiel.

MalMuses: Yeah. There’s nothing that can’t be fic if you don’t do it. Like, if you tried hard enough, I really think, like, there’s not a single prompt out there that someone can give me where I wouldn’t somehow be able to Destiel it, I think.

Ellen: The greatest love story and all that. Um, uh, and also so much so that you, Mal, had created the, uh, Supernatural Media Big Bang a few years ago, too, for this very purpose, right?

MalMuses: I have like such a soft spot for media adaptations because I just, I think it’s so creative and I love seeing how people take other media and get Dean and Cas in there. Um, or you know, whatever other ships they’re into at the time, like all kinds of different ones out there. Um, to the point where I really wanted more of them to read.

And I had gotten to the point where I felt like I had exhausted. [00:04:00] every adaptation I could find on AO3. So, what does any fanfic reader or writer do at that point? They obviously create a bang so that they can read more fic. Um, which is exactly how we got one of the wonderful fics we’ll be reading today.

Dean and Cas make a porno. Whee!

Nickelkeep: I know mine is as is.

Ellen: I think a few of these fics are from MBB, right?

MalMuses: I think so. Yeah. More than one because it’s, yeah, it’s, um, we ran it for

Ellen: The Fallout one is the, and the Emma one also.

MalMuses: Three out of four. Three out of four .

Ellen: Oh, and our list, um, the big list of, of fics that we’ll have on the post also feature quite a lot from, um, the, the bang over the years that, uh, it was running as well.

MalMuses: Yes, unfortunately it did not run, um, it didn’t run last year just to, due to my own health issues, um, and this summer [00:05:00] either, but, as it’s been a couple of years, I do think that maybe people have had time to, like, brew up new media ideas.

So I’m not necessarily against doing it next year. I just have to reach out to my

Nickelkeep: I mean, I’ll sign up immediately.

MalMuses: usual co mod of that, um, who I think won’t have time anymore, but might have to go recruiting for another, for another mod to be able to do it again, but we’ll see, we’ll see.

Ellen: All right. So listeners out there, if you want to MBB to come back next year.

Just let us know.

MalMuses: Yes, slide into my DMs, people, if you like these kind of fics too, and you would like another round of the Supernatural Media Bang.

Ellen: Shall we, which one, which one of these wonderful fics shall we start with?

MalMuses: Oh, start with the porno. Go for it.

Ellen: Start with the porno as always. Okay. Let’s do it.

Only in fanfic. Come on.

[00:05:55] Dean and Cas Make A Porno

Ellen: Uh, okay. So this is called Dean and Cas Make A Porno and it is by [00:06:00] nickelkeep. Um, this one was for the first, I believe, was 2020 the first round of Media Big Bang?

MalMuses: Um, that’s a great question. There wasn’t,

Nickelkeep: no, it was the second one.

MalMuses: It was the second? Yeah, I was going to say Time. Timey Wimey. Yeah, pretty sure it was the second one.

Yes, so that was my 2019. That was my horror fic. And then, because the next time, I went completely in the opposite direction and did a rom com. So there we go. Okay.

Ellen: Okay, cool. Um, so this one is 37, 000 words and it’s explicit. It’s got some art in it, which is by Bees Are Awesome, which is a great name.

Nickel, would you be willing to read the summary for us?

Nickelkeep: Let me just pull it up here. I’m so horrible at writing summaries, I don’t remember them after I write them.

Ellen: That’s okay. It’s not something you really look at again, is it?

MalMuses: I always either get the summary first or very last minute.

Nickelkeep: Um, it is based on Zack and Miri Make a Porno.[00:07:00]

Lifelong platonic best friends Dean and Cas are stuck in shit jobs with no opportunities on the horizon. They’re behind on bills and can’t climb out of the hole of debt they found themselves in. The night of their ten year high school reunion, they find the water and heat shut off in their apartment.

What’s worse, is at their 10 year reunion, they’re reminded of how far they could have gone and how little they’ve done with their lives. But a chance encounter with a porn star gets Dean’s brain working. What if the answer to all their financial issues is making their porno? Together, Dean and Cas, along with their friends Ash and Charlie, set off to make a porno.

However, as Dean and Cas know all too well, luck has never on their side. With Cas and crew, a great script, and support and encouragement, everything seems to go smoothly, until Dean and Cas realize they’ve caught feels for each other. Will their sex scene ruin 20 plus years of friendship, or will it be the catalyst to something more?

Such a great [00:08:00] fic.

Ellen: I have not actually seen this movie, so I feel like I’m behind the eight ball but, um, but yeah, what a great story.

MalMuses: You better see it.

Nickelkeep: I am such a huge Kevin Smith fan.

MalMuses: Yeah, I think he’s great.

Nickelkeep: I love his movies. And if you were to ask me my top five favorite movies, this will always be in the top five.

Like, I have, like, two spots that never change.

Ellen: Yeah, what’s the other one?

Nickelkeep: Well, and there’s a reason, like, I always know the saying about more cake. But my number one favorite movie is The Princess Bride.

Ellen: Oh, yes.

MalMuses: Oh, yeah.

Nickelkeep: And I know that a bunch of people have already done, uh, The Princess Bride, actually within, um, The Bang, and I know that, you know, there’s always more cake, and I actually did a slight adaptation of that in a story called A Kissing Story, um, where Cas [00:09:00] makes a version of, um, he, he basically opens up a book and starts retelling his and Dean’s love story, kind of like how the grandfather reads the book to the grandson.

Ellen: Oh,

MalMuses: I like that.

Nickelkeep: Um, it’s one of my early ones. I think that one actually is back in 2019, but it was for one of PB’s exchanges, PB exchange fairytale actually. Um, but yeah, that’s my favorite. That’s my number one favorite. And my number two favorite, which I think has also been done for the bang is, um, Howl’s Moving Castle.

MalMuses: Oh yeah. Yep. I think we’ve had that one too. Like, we did have a lot over the, I mean, it was quite a few years worth of Bang, so we, we did have a lot, so I think most of the, kind of like, commonly loved movies, um, books, video games, there, there was probably something in there at some point, um, [00:10:00] but one of my favorite things about that Bang is kind of, you know, like you were saying about more cake, there, even though we’ve had the same movie done a couple of different times.

They are just so completely different fics. It’s wild how you can not even recognize one from the other when you’re

Nickelkeep: absolutely and that’s what I love

MalMuses: It’s really interesting how so yes, please do do another one and and do another Princess Bride for me

Nickelkeep: Zack and Miri is my number three and I remember when I was, my arm was twisted so hard, let me tell you, to join the Bang.

I was torn between doing this one and another movie, which, if you do the Bang back, I promise, Mal, you know what the movie is. Because we’ve had this conversation multiple times, I promise, because it’s like halfway written. If you do the Bang, I’ll finish it for you.

MalMuses: Now you’re just dangling carrots in front of me.

I’m just going [00:11:00] to say,

Nickelkeep: hold on. It’s I’ll just say three words and you’ll remember what the movie is if you don’t already.

MalMuses: I’m pretty sure I remember us conversing specifically about a fic that you were going to write based on a movie, but go on, give me, give me the three words so I can verify.

Nickelkeep: Finger licking good.

MalMuses: Yeah, definitely. You gotta do it. Okay. Now that I’ve been effectively bribed by Nickel.

Ellen: Excellent.

Nickelkeep: But um, so, we were talking about it, and then, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it, but we were talking and we were talking and we were talking. And we were talking, actually we were talking about Kevin Smith, and somebody else in that round had talked about their love of Kevin Smith, and I’m like, oh, I love Kevin Smith, Zack and Miri is one of my all time favorite movies.

And they’re like, well. Can you make Dean and Cas, Zack and Miri? and I’m like, I absolutely can. And I had this written so fast. Like, it’s probably one of the fastest fics I’ve written.

MalMuses: Sometimes they just, they just [00:12:00] flow. Yeah.

Ellen: How much of the, of the sort of events of this actually happen in the movie? Like, Like, obviously they go to their reunion.

Nickelkeep: Um, it is actually, this one’s pretty true to the movie. I did add a couple of scenes that aren’t in the movie. Um, a lot of people, um, I don’t know if you guys read the comments at the very end, but the ending is different from the ending of the movie. Like very different from the ending of the movie. Well, it’s not very different, but significantly different.

MalMuses: Mm hm,

Nickelkeep: and then I, the scene with where they go to the pizza parlor is not in the movie. Um, and because, um, it’s Zach and Miri, it’s a very, um, it’s clearly heterosexual couple in the, in the film, um, had to make a lot of changes to make it two men. And so [00:13:00] also made, um, flipped it so the couple that they run into, the girl that Cas was head over heels for, Anna, um, that was originally, um, Miri was into a guy who was played by Brandon Ruth in the movie, and he actually turned out to be gay.

So we ended up making Anna a lesbian who was in love, who ends up being in love with Anael, and That was actually the hardest role to cast when I wrote the fic. Because the role of, um, I’m blanking on his name all of a sudden because I’m on the spot, but the boyfriend of Miri slash Cas character, is played by Justin Long.

And Justin Long is playing this, [00:14:00] I don’t want to say holier than thou, because he is a porn star and he’s down to fuck, but he is like looking down at you while also trying to be on the same level with you. He’s like, Oh God, no, I’m not from here. Yeah. So like the, the line that Anael says to Dean where, um, I’m not from around here.

Oh, God. No. That is the line that is said to Zach in the movie. And I needed to capture that line. And I was going through the list of characters of trying to find somebody who could say that with such preciseness to Dean. And I was working with MaggieMaybe160, who is one of my dearest, closest friends.

And she sat there and we were just talking and she goes, It’s Anael, Sister Jo, and she’s like, yeah, I’m like, oh my God, yeah.[00:15:00]

MalMuses: Yeah, she really does fit that where it’s like, there’s something about her that is kind of like likable and everything else, but she has this, she does definitely consider herself to be a little, a little better than some of the people around her.

Nickelkeep: It also helped that that day, um, the outfit that I have her described in, Danneel had actually worn that outfit.

The picture of her in that dress had come out that day.

MalMuses: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Nickelkeep: And a bunch of us had been drooling over it.

MalMuses: And any time we get to describe Danneel, it’s always good. Love describing that woman. It’s, it’s a beautiful experience from beginning to end.

Ellen: I just love when she interacts with Dean in fics.

Nickelkeep: Oh, yeah, I know. If anybody needs

MalMuses: just a momentary Danneel drool, we’ll be right,

Nickelkeep: we need a moment to praise Danneel. We can, we can take a second.[00:16:00]

Okay. But know that, like I said, if you ever need to picture the dress, if you’ve read the fic and you need to actually see what that dress looks like, go back to that timeframe when the fic came out and there is a picture of Daniel wearing that exact dress. And that is the dress that I’m describing in the fic.

MalMuses: Excellent. Not me quietly Googling, like, I’m pretty sure I remember that dress. So, yeah. Quick little Google here.

Nickelkeep: Yep, it’s a black lace tight fitting dress.

MalMuses: Yep. And then she’s got like a little leather jacket over the top, and yeah, okay, yeah, I’m good. I did remember it fairly accurately, it must be said.

May have spent some time staring at that dress, it must be said, okay. Onto the fic then! Um, you did the music thing that I love with this fic, where not only did you name your chapters after songs, but then [00:17:00] you gave me links to them so I have a built in playlist and that makes me so happy.

Nickelkeep: So, this was a true 110 percent homage to Kevin Smith.

So, I don’t, for listeners who have never seen a Kevin Smith film, which, Shame on you. Not really, but you know, he is all about music in his films. He will go to hell and back to license songs. Like he will do anything he can to get that exact song that he wants. And so in this case, I, you know, this is a fanfic.

I can just go to Spotify, make the list. And actually the list still exists. So if you click on the songs and I think at the beginning, I actually have the link to the, um, playlist. It’s still there. I haven’t gotten rid of it, but, um, with the exception of like, [00:18:00] or I’m trying to remember, I know I picked a couple of songs from the movie that are actually in there to be on the list, but, um, he breaks his movies down to go around a song, so his movies are broken down in chapters to fit the theme of song.

Ellen: Well, it works really well in the, in the fic as well, having a song for each chapter.

Nickelkeep: See, we can all take lessons from Kevin Smith. And the two songs in this one that I know that I took exactly from the movie were “Steal My Sunshine” and, um, oh God, the, what’s the Live song. It’s the song where, um, Dean and Cas have their sex scene.

MalMuses: Not me trying to find the sex scene in the fic, which chapter is that in?

Nickelkeep: But yeah, those two songs. And actually, if you buy the soundtrack or find the soundtrack for the movie, the Live song is [00:19:00] actually not on the soundtrack. Because the only way that he could get the rights for the song from Live is by not allowing it to be on the soundtrack.

It could be in the movie, but not on the CD or any, um, recordings.

MalMuses: “Hold Me Up”. Is that the right one?

Nickelkeep: The Live song is “Hold Me Up”. Right.

MalMuses: Okay. Oh, huh. I wonder why that is. I always, I always wonder like with music licensing, like why people make the decisions that they do. Cause obviously we’ve all created things and felt somewhat protective of the things that we create and things like that.

So I understand that aspect of it, but yeah, music is, I don’t know, music is one of those things where it feels like it’s meant to be shared. So I wonder what made them make the decision that they could share it in one particular way, but not in a different way. Interesting.

Ellen: I just loved in this, um, how on board everyone was with it, with their idea.

Like they go to Charlie and she’s just like, yeah, okay. [00:20:00] Like at first she’s a little bit resistant, but then, um, in the end she’s like funding the whole thing and she’s helping them find people to be in it. And, you know, it was very. I don’t know if my friends came to me and said, we’re going to make a porno, I’d be like, um,

MalMuses: saying, you’re saying I’d need to persuade you a bit more than that.

Dang. Okay. I’ll keep it in mind. Yeah. Yeah.

Nickelkeep: Charlie is a very simple creature. Charlie’s like, hold on, hold on, all you had to tell me was boobs and Star Wars, and I was there.

Ellen: Yes! Is the Star Wars theme in the original movie as well?

Nickelkeep: Yes, and they actually called it “Star Whores” in that movie too.

Ellen: Uh, I’m just gonna have to hunt down, I was gonna try and find a copy of the movie so I could watch it before now and I haven’t, so now I’m gonna have to definitely find it.

MalMuses: Yeah, you’ve gotta find it. It’s a good movie. I haven’t seen it for years, but I think I’m gonna have to watch it now that [00:21:00] I’ve re read this fic. I just loved all of the different, um, kind of, what do you mean to say pairings, but like groupings of people that you have, because obviously it’s a fairly large and well cast porno that they’ve got going on here.

Um, so I just love all the different people that you’ve got in it. I absolutely adore Meg in this fic. I adore Meg in most fics, to be honest, but, um, I really like her in this one. And I love how, You’re showing, like, such a range of things, which is something that, obviously, being a lot more heterosexual focused, the movie doesn’t do as well.

But the Nickel version does amazingly, because we have a bunch of different, like, combinations of people. There’s, like, one, there’s even one, like, I’m the straight dude, but I’m here to make the porno anyway. Like, we’ve got, um, Everything in this, and I love it.

Nickelkeep: Yeah, Meg was actually, for me, the easiest in the entire I mean, obviously, outside of Dean and Cas, was the easiest one to [00:22:00] cast for me.

Because, um, Meg’s character in the movie, uh, his name is Lester. And, um, from the get go, Zach’s just like, I don’t want him. I don’t want him in this movie. I want nothing to do with him. He just No. No. Miri, you can’t go anywhere near him. Uh, just, no. He gives No. Um, no. It’s like the only thing that he really gets possessive over when it comes to Miri.

And then, he’s just like, I, no.

And that’s exactly how Dean turns out when Meg comes around. And, I mean, in most fics that we have in the fandom, and even in the show, there’s those scenes with Dean where he’s like, Get the fuck away from him, Meg. I’m gonna smack you. Like, you can just see that, like, that hatred in his eyes, especially the kissing.

He’s like, no, no, you get up, that’s, get, get away, get away. [00:23:00]

MalMuses: That’s mine. Even if not officially, still mine. Yeah,

Nickelkeep: exactly. And I just felt like there was no one else who could fit those shoes other than Meg.

MalMuses: Perfect casting in that one. I love how in, um, Adaptation fics, you can either have, a character that slots in there that feels exactly right, and like, yep, that was a perfect fit, it was made for that character.

Or you can have these really, like, off the wall castings sometimes, where the writer decides to just completely change up a character, or how a character works. And you have somebody else in there entirely. Because obviously some people, when they’re doing media, they do stick quite close to Um, the movie or the book or the game, whatever it may be, depending on, I guess, how much they liked it, how much of it they want to change, um, how much of it has, you know, the, the Supernatural issue where there were parts of it that they love and then parts of it went kind of off the rails.

So they’re like, you know what, I’m going to fics it. Um, [00:24:00] one of, one of the great things about the variety, but this one, so it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the movie, but reading the fic again, I was like, no, I can picture it. Like a lot of what’s happening here. Like I can, it definitely brings back memories.

So I can definitely tell that you did stick to a lot of the overall format of the movie. Let’s put it that way.

Nickelkeep: Yeah, I wanted, I wanted to do it justice, but I also wanted to make it. stand far enough away on its own where it wasn’t like an exact play by play of the movie. Like, um, like I said, the ending is definitely different.

I added the scene, um, at, yeah, with the pizzeria after the reunion. Then there’s also the scene where they meet up at the mall. I changed that, um, because you actually never know what Miri’s job is in the movie. You just know that she has some dead end job. So I actually [00:25:00] fleshed out what Cas does.

MalMuses: Okay. Yeah, I never realized that.

Nickelkeep: Um, so yeah. And then like Ash, his character, um, doesn’t actually come in until a little bit later on. In the movies, or not the movies, but the movie, and so I wanted to have him, like, he’s the bartender now, too, whereas in the movie, he’s just brought in later.

MalMuses: Yeah, in every Supernatural fic, Ash has to be the bartender. If you’re having a bartender, it’s gotta be Ash. We will not accept anything else.

Nickelkeep: Unless it’s already Dean.

MalMuses: Well, yeah, that’s acceptable. That’s acceptable. One of my favorite characters that’s not used. enough in fic to make my heart happy. I do just adore Ash.

And we’ve actually got a couple of fics today where Ash is very present, even if not in the fic, but. Yeah. Okay. Is there anything that you particularly want to share about this fic, [00:26:00] Nicole? Because I’m just thinking back to, um, when you were writing it and actually had a really good time in the bang that year.

We had so many good fics. I’m so glad I got to re read this one, because I think I read this one, like, probably the day it came out. So, probably the very day that you posted it, most likely, was when I read this the first time. So it’s been a few years since I read it. It’s great to have an excuse to go back to it.

Nickelkeep: I mean, this one will forever probably be one of my favorite fics that I’ve written, because It is also one of my favorite movies, and it is, again, an homage to Kevin Smith, who has been a big influence on a lot of my writing, a lot of my, a lot of my humor, a lot of, just a lot of how I’ve grown up in life and everything, a lot of the way that I face the world.

[00:27:00] Um, and so, yeah. That’s why this is near and dear to my heart. Um, I’m going to do a small little shout out to, um, Chaotic Dean for those of you who know Jus. Jus, um, absolutely in the best way possible. Broke my heart and surprised me by, um, with a Christmas gift of, uh, making a, um, uh, they typeset this for me.

I was, I was completely blown away and it’s one of my, one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever gotten. And the fact that they did that for me, I love it. Yeah.

MalMuses: Yeah. It just does amazing typesetting work. So

Ellen: it’s always amazing to hold your words in your hands.

MalMuses: Yes. Especially when it’s like, you know, a fic like this that you kind of like have a connection to and is on multiple layers gets to be a favorite.

So yeah. Oh, that’s awesome. What can we say to make people go and read this [00:28:00] fic? I feel like the entire concept just sells this instantly.

Ellen: Yeah, I was going to say, for people who haven’t seen the movie, it’s, um, it just, it ends up being one of those fics where everyone knows that Dean and Cas are in love with each other except them.

But you do want to beat their heads together a little bit, as you do, as happens in a lot of figs. Um, and they have, uh, you know, they do film a lovely, you know, heartfelt and beautiful sex scene in the, like, on camera, and then it all gets a bit weird after that, so, between them. Um, but you know, there’s a happy ending, and it’s just, you It’s a beautiful ending, um, definitely worth a read.

MalMuses: Yeah, I really like your ending, you did a good job with, uh, ending it in a way that I was more satisfied with than the movie, honestly.

Ellen: Mostly because I was screaming over the, um, you know, the reveal in the epilogue. That’s what made it extra special. [00:29:00]

Nickelkeep: I got so many comments on that epilogue because so many people were angry with the absence of a character.

I don’t want to say anything more, but there was, at the very, it wasn’t the very beginning, but there was this very specific character that I had said, they’re not here. This character is not around. This is what happened. This character doesn’t exist. And then at the end, that character showed up and everybody was freaking out.

And that was like, the best, that was the best feeling was everybody like, “Oh my God. Yes.”

MalMuses: It’s fun to make people yell at you, right?

Nickelkeep: I love, I love, I want one of those mugs. And I know, I know for a fact when she hears this, because I’m going to make sure she listens to this since, since her fic is in here.

But MaggieMaybe, um, has it and I want one too. It says “tears of my readers”. [00:30:00] I want that mug. Yes. But I do want to point out, since you shouted out the fic, uh, I’ve gotten a couple new comments on it. And, um, I just want to point out that I got this comment from, um, KF Reads that says, “bloody hell, I did not expect to cry reading a fic entitled Dean and Cas Make a Porno.”

So if that doesn’t sell it to you, I’m sorry.

MalMuses: Come for the porn and the emotions. Okay. Yes.

Amazing. All right. Well, yeah, there is no other way I can sell this fic. It was a great movie. It’s an even better fic. It’s written by Nickel. It has your favorite characters in it. Go read it.

Ellen: It has all of your favourite characters in it, eventually.

MalMuses: A big cast in this one, which actually you juggled really well, especially, like we’re always talking about how if you’re writing something smutty with like, you know, how many arms and legs have you got and what are they doing and where are they going at all times?[00:31:00]

Like, but I could picture what was happening during all of the important scenes in this without any, without any chaos or confusion, so it was good. Yes. Yes, you succeeded exceedingly well.

Ellen: There was one, uh, I was just looking at the fic header kind of, you know, tags and whatever, and I just noticed that it has exactly 37, 000 words.

Did you do that on purpose? Cause I love it when that happens.

Nickelkeep: I had to, I had to.

MalMuses: Yeah, I do think if I had a fic that was like, you know, like 999, I’d have to go in and just add a word somewhere.

Nickelkeep: I was, like, six words off. Just, just find an extra sentence. So I kind of took apart a couple of contractions and whatnot.

But no, I, I, I, I threw in a tiny little bit of purple prose somewhere and I, I found those six words and I got it up there.

MalMuses: Yes.

Ellen: So satisfying.

MalMuses: Had to be

Ellen: done.

MalMuses: Round numbers like that please my brain immensely. Yeah. So. [00:32:00]

[00:32:00] Fallout: Supernatural

Ellen: Uh, maybe we should move on to, uh, the Fallout.

MalMuses: We’re going to pick on next. Yes, we’ve already mentioned Maggie.

Let’s move into Fallout: Supernatural by insomnia and MaggieMaybe one six zero or one sixty. However, they like to be referenced. I don’t know. Um, this one was another media bang fic. This was in 2021. Um, and it’s fifty thousand three hundred and ninety eight Words. Um, it is explicit. Um, and obviously this is based on the, or in, I would say the Fallout universe.

So that is a video game for anybody who’s not a gamer, a series of video games. Um, this borrows, I would say more heavily from particular games than others, but, um, it’s taking place in that universe with a really good Supernatural twist. So the summary is Castiel has one job and that is to deliver a package to the strip.

Unfortunately, [00:33:00] after finding Dean Winchester in the mouth of a dinosaur, what should have taken a few days has taken months, what started as a partnership of circumstance becomes fueled with untold feelings, but to find any kind of happily ever after Cas and Dean have to push the NCR demons and angels from the Mojave wasteland.

Ellen: Uh, so this was published before the TV show of Fallout was released as well.

MalMuses: Yes, so very, very different Fallout to that Fallout, though same, same universe realistically. So I guess quick show of hands, who is familiar with Fallout, the media, initially? I am, I’ve played multiple of those games and love them.

So I was probably predisposed to love this fic before I read it. But then I think I also I’ve read most of Maggie’s things by now, so I’m also predisposed to love Maggie fics, so.

Ellen: I have not, uh, played or seen any of Fallout, but I love post apocalyptic stuff, so now I feel like I need to go and watch the show or [00:34:00]

MalMuses: Yeah, I think they did a pretty good job, um, of the show because they didn’t try to make it the games, if that makes any sense.

They went, like, you know, different characters, different direction, instead of trying to make something and then messing it up like certain other recent franchises I could mention.

Ellen: Uh, yeah,

Nickelkeep: I am familiar. I have only ever played, um, New Vegas. So that’s the only game I’m actually familiar with, but I love Maggie’s writing.

Obviously I’ve been a beta for Maggie multiple times. Um, I love insominia, um, them writing together. I don’t know if you guys know this. They actually have a book published,

um, like an actual physical book. Um, about Pompeii. It’s a non, it’s a fiction book that they’ve written. It’s downstairs. I don’t have it.

I’m up in my bedroom, but I know they actually have a book that they’ve written [00:35:00] together that’s published and everything. Um, they are an amazing writing team. Amazing. So obviously this is awesome. And thank you. That alone and the little bit of information I had about Fallout knowing that it’s, you know, an apocalyptic game and you know I obviously I know more now and But no this I don’t think you actually have to really know anything about Fallout to appreciate this fic

MalMuses: No, they do a really good job of setting the scene well enough that it’s not boring to somebody who is familiar but really gives enough detail for somebody who has no idea I think I think they really walk kind of that line really well in this particular fic

Ellen: Yep.

MalMuses: I have to give a quick shout out as well. It does have multiple gorgeous art pieces by Gio, which are just, just beautiful. I could just stare at them for hours. So just watching two of my favorite characters stumbling around in the wasteland in one of my favorite [00:36:00] universes. So absolutely gorgeous.

Nickelkeep: Yep. Always shout out to Gio.

MalMuses: Oh yeah, we love some Gio.

Ellen: So I guess this fic, uh, aside from the post apocalyptic sort of setting, is, um, basically, kind of follows like the events of season four. Like it’s the

MalMuses: A little bit, yeah.

Ellen: Um, trying to take down Michael and Lucifer and, you know, the angels, the demons, um, it’s all there and they’ve done such a brilliant job of just pulling in so much canon into this story.

Like there’s, there’s a lot of lines that are straight from canon, but woven into this story in like a way that makes total sense. Like I was, I was really impressed by the way they brought all that canon stuff in.

MalMuses: Yep. They’ve got, a bunch of, um, Balthazar in here as well, which is another one of my favorite, but underrated characters, and he’s used really well in this as well.[00:37:00]

Absolutely love that. We’ve got an indication of not a past Balthazar Cas relationship, but certainly a past connection between the two of them, which is I won’t necessarily call it one sided, but probably just that only one side was even vaguely aware of what was happening at the time. In typical cast fashion.

And then we have a previous Ash and Dean relationship, which I love. I absolutely love like past Dean and Ash and things. But it is, I will say, like a fairly important past relationship in this, this fic. We do see a lot of Dean’s kind of like grief and things that he’s dealing with, um, as the fact that Ash is no longer there is a fairly big point early on in the fic, I would say.

So, so sadly no Ash actually in the fic, but his, his presence. is felt a lot. And then we have this fun idea that [00:38:00] the legion and super, uh, in the supernatural for that universe are like the actual demons. Um, and so we do get to pull in a little bit of one of my favorite tropes, which is our whole, um, blood boy, Sam.

Which I love, I don’t know why, and I’m not a Sam hater, I love him as a character, but I also love it when he goes a little bit off the rails. Yeah,

Ellen: I was always, I was sad when they sort of pulled that off and went, no, he can’t, he can no longer do magic or any of that stuff, you know. Any of those things that Demon Blood gave him, I’m like, come on, that’s cool.

MalMuses: They should have let him keep it.

Ellen: Right?

MalMuses: Yeah, I really liked that too.

Ellen: It was pretty messed up, but it was cool.

MalMuses: I, I think that was underutilized, disappeared too quickly, and then they could have, they could have made up for it by giving us more, like, witch Sam later on in the later seasons, but they never really delivered on that either, so I was just like, come on now.

Nickelkeep: So much. Yes.

MalMuses: Give me some magic, boy.

Ellen: Ah, untapped potential.

MalMuses: I [00:39:00] know. Luckily, this is what we have fic for. So we get a good healthy dose of, um, Sam’s bad decisions in this particular fig. Decisions made with good intentions, most likely, but you know, bad paths to go down.

Ellen: And they have like, um, they have to travel to New Vegas, to, confront Michael, I guess, and then go and confront Lucifer afterwards.

And they have the most epic showdown in the last couple of chapters. And this. Fick, I was trying to read the end of it, like, while AO3 kept going down this week. And I was like, I just need to read the last two chapters, please!

MalMuses: Don’t leave me hanging, I need to know!

Ellen: It was like, right, though, because this, this fic does a really great job of like, gradually building up their relationship too, like, um, Because Cas starts at the beginning of this fic as his angel self, basically, like, not thinking that he can, like, not feeling, I guess.[00:40:00]

And then, by the end, they just both want to kiss each other so badly. And they just haven’t had the opportunity because they’ve been in the middle of this, kind of, uh, journey to the ending, kind of thing. So they haven’t had a chance. And then, you know, they finally, finally, finally get together, like, right before the sort of big showdown.

And I’m like, thank you, finally, AO3 loaded the chapter for me so I could actually read them having the kisses.

MalMuses: Quality kisses, they are too. Very nice. Definitely a, a, a slow build up to it, but well worth it when you get there. But a lot of tension, it’s not one of those like slow builds where it’s like, you’re waiting for them to slowly like, talk to each other, and then there’s like another scene where you can’t like.

Maybe a look. It’s not a slow build like that. It’s very much like tension filled for much of it.

Ellen: Yeah, um, they’re close a lot of times, but yeah.

MalMuses: Yes. Circumstances are happening. World is ending. There’s an apocalypse in more than one way. [00:41:00] Yeah, I really like the the setting of this fic. So like I said, it’s You know, they give you enough that if you’re not at all familiar with, um, Fallout, you would still, I think, very easily be able to picture the kind of places that they’re in and the things that they’re coming across.

Um, and they also just drop, like, little names that if you are familiar with, with the story, you would instantly pick up on. So You know, like, they can drop a little sentence here and there that Dean and Cash were casually killing, like, you know, a rad scorpion or something like that, and people who’ve played Fallout will instantly have a picture in their mind of what that could be like.

Um, but there’s enough in there that even if you haven’t played, you’re just like, ooh, yeah, that sounds pretty gnarly, okay. Like, so much of the setting.

Ellen: Some of the things they’re eating, like, cans of pork and beans, and whatever, and I’m just like, that has got to come from the game, right? It’s just stuff that you have in the game that you [00:42:00]

MalMuses: Yep, pretty much.

Yeah. There’s been casually in cans since, like, the 1950s, in some cases. Yeah. There was one scene where they’re eating, um, deviled eggs, which made me, like, cringe, but at the same time was just so very accurate to the Fallout, like, universe, like the feel of the game. Um, and Like eating in the game. I was just like, oh no.

Nickelkeep: Oh, absolutely.

MalMuses: Absolutely not. Just makes you grateful to have a regular supply of food that you don’t have to you know, fight beasties for, or raid old grocery stores for, you know.

Ellen: I mean, I feel like in this, in this day and age, like the, the, um, post apocalyptic fics should be kind of scary, but.

MalMuses: As we feel like we’re, we’re teetering kind of close.

I love like anything kind of post apocalyptic or like dystopian though. So like, you know, [00:43:00] This one was really a hit for me because I got wonderful writing, I got SDL, I got Fallout Universe, which I love, I got, I kept the post apocalyptic slash about to be apocalyptic setting, like it’s very much post apocalyptic, a huge war happened in the past, but it’s still kind of rumbling along in various pockets, and then there’s a whole separate apocalypse, which is what the angels have going on.

So it’s really just all falling apart in this world. I’m now realizing. It’s a bad time. It’s a bad time to be alive. Yeah, I’ll try to think of what else I can say about this without fully spoiling the plot for people as well. Because I really think this is one way you need to go and read the plot. Like, it’s, you don’t want to be spoiled on it.

Nickelkeep: Yeah, it’s, I agree, it’s very hard to do that. Because it’s just so good and it’s like, well, if I say this, will I be spoiling something? That’s important later on because there’s, they do [00:44:00] a really good job in this fic of putting a comment in just the right spot that it’s going to come back later. Yep. Yeah. And it’s like, Oh shit. They set that up.

MalMuses: Super good. Just, just really well written. One of those fics. That’s just so satisfying to read. Like when you get to the end of it, you’re like, yeah, that was, that was a whole meal. I got everything I needed from this one fic. Yeah. Absolutely love this one.

Ellen: It made me want to go back to writing some post apocalypse.

MalMuses: Me too. When I finished reading this one, I had like a billion different ideas. I’ve got like loitering and documents where you’ve got like a sentence or like a paragraph or brief concept or something. And I was going through like, I know I have a bunch of dystopian ones in here. And I have like some that were like canon post apocalypse and all kinds of things.

I was just like, Really gave you the the itch. I think there’s nothing better than like a story that inspires other people to create things I feel like that’s a special level of fic there[00:45:00]

So great job you two if you’re out there listening by any chance.

[00:45:07] Revelation 13

MalMuses: Shall we? Which one do we want to do next?

Nickelkeep: Want to stay dark or do you want to go light?

MalMuses: Yeah, do we want to change it up or are we heading deeper into the darkness?

Ellen: No, we can go into the darkness.

MalMuses: All right. Yay. I’ll let you, I’ll let you introduce this one then.

Ellen: Okay. Um, all right. So next up we’ve got Revelation 13 by fullvoid. Which was published in, this one is, was not associated with The Bang, but it was published in 2022. Um, it’s only 44, 000 words, which it felt like it was like, I read through this very, very quickly. It felt like it was shorter than that, but maybe it was just because it was so intense that I was like reading really fast to get all the way through.

I was like, uh, um, so this is explicit. It has a lot of. Tags which should be read [00:46:00] before you go into this because it is a horror fic and, uh, has some very explicit violent scenes, so, uh, if that is not for you, you know, make sure you read the tags before you go into it. But it has some very pretty art by Hitori Alouette.

This one is based on Silent Hill, which I think it’s a movie. It’s not a game as well, right? It’s just a movie?

Nickelkeep: It is a game, and this one is specifically based on the fourth one.

Ellen: Okay.

MalMuses: Okay. There is a movie called Silent Hill Revelation, but it’s not this. Okay. Yes, it’s also not a terribly popular, not a terribly popular movie, really, compared to the other one, I don’t think.

Nickelkeep: So I am a Silent Hill fanatic. So there are two Silent Hill movies. There’s the first one and the second one. As somebody who loves Silent Hill, the second one is god awful. The first one is [00:47:00] amazing, and I’m just gonna say this, Sean Bean does not die.

Ellen: Oh my god.

MalMuses: There’s gotta be a movie out there where he doesn’t.

We’ve just found it.

Ellen: Let me read the summary and then we can have a chat about it. So the summary goes, It’s Dean’s day off and he’d like to spend it how he always does, by kicking his feet up with a cold one and watching soap operas, not by discovering an enormous creepy hole in his bathroom wall that definitely wasn’t there when he went to bed last night, but it’s no big deal. He can just patch it up and still devote plenty of time to Dr. Sexy afterwards.

There is only one problem. He can’t leave his apartment and there’s a message on his front door written in… Is that blood? And why is it signed by someone named Cas?

Things can only get better from here, right? Spoiler, no, they do not get better from here. It depends on your definition.

MalMuses: Yeah, it depends on the definition of better, really.

Ellen: Okay, it makes a lot more sense now to me that to find out that there’s definitely, [00:48:00] this is based on game, because like the premise of it, like him just, Jumping into a hole is a lot more game like than it it didn’t make sense in a movie.

MalMuses: Video game character energy, honestly.

Ellen: Yeah, yeah, that’s right.

MalMuses: But also Dean Winchester energy, somehow.

Like, there’s a deep, dark, evil looking hole, I’ll just jump in.

Ellen: That’s right. He’s done it before. You’re right. So, I guess the the premise is there’s this hole and he he and Sam can’t leave their apartment. They the door is, you know, not letting them out. And then eventually they decide that they need to go into the hole.

And when Dean sort of wakes up after falling into the hole, he meets Cas down there. And Cas is like this sort of punk badass version of himself. Like the artwork is beautiful.

MalMuses: All the tattoos, which are [00:49:00] important and relevant in many ways to his character, but are also just incredibly hot. So, yay!

Ellen: So yeah, then they spend some time running away from monsters and wading through gore, basically.

Like, I’ll have to let you guys talk about this one, because it’s not really… My thing.

MalMuses: I was so proud of you for reading this one though. I was like, okay. Cause I did when, um, we were looking for, for fics to pick for this episode and this one came up and I did, cause this is one of my favorite fics. It’s not something that I read specifically for this episode.

Um, I’ve read this. multiple times over. It’s, it’s a frequent ish reread for me. Um, and I was like, you try it. If you, you know, don’t get along with it. If you try a couple of chapters, it’s too much. We can pick something else. But then you never came back to me to be like, I can’t do it. So I was like, Oh, she’s reading it!,

Ellen: no, no.

I know that Void is an awesome writer and I know that a lot of the stuff that they [00:50:00] write is horror based. Um, and I, I wanted to give it a try because, you know, I can always skip over the bits that I. Don’t want to be. Yeah, the gory parts. Yeah.

MalMuses: But

Ellen: the thing that is really great about this is the tension, like the, they do a great job of building up that kind of terror that, um, as you, as he’s sort of trying to navigate through this maze or whatever, um, you feel like you need to find a way out of it as well.

So, uh, I, I thought that was great.

MalMuses: And this is a really good, like, breadcrumb fic as well, so kind of like we were just saying with the Fallout one, there are like, little tiny lines and tiny little clues, which, you know, if you ever do a reread, or, you know, you think back at the end, are super obvious when you know, um, and you kind of almost want to yell at Dean for not picking up on them sooner.

But you know, he was a little distracted. He fell down a hole. There was a hot man with tattoos. Like he’s, [00:51:00] you know, he’s been busy. He wasn’t. As fully aware of things as he should have been. He’s also, um, it should be said looking for Sam for most of this fic, which to me excuses his lack of attention a lot better than anything else does because he’s very focused on finding Sam as they get separated when they’re in this other, let’s call it the whole dimension for now.

Um, so they do get separated. And so Dean is obviously quite focused on finding Sam and, uh, Say enlists Cas to help him, but it very quickly becomes apparent you’re not sure who is enlisting who or what what quite is going on here. There’s a lot more going on than at first glance. But I can’t blame Dean because if you know Castiel walked up to me with a thigh holster on I would do whatever I was told also.

Ellen: Yes, amazing imagery.

MalMuses: This one, I’m just checking the tags to try and make sure. [00:52:00] Yes, so this one is tagged as as a murder husbands fic, which is very good, very good tag to choose. I think, um, there was a lot of murdering. There was a lot of killing. Not all of those people deserve to die. So, um, definitely, definitely a darker one, but somehow I absolutely love these two, like they’re somehow very adorable with each other, even though it’s like so dark, I just know how to explain it.

They’re so like. Wonderful and adorable together and they would, I guess it’s that thing of where you have a really dark fic and it’s like they would do terrible things for each other and they do do terrible things for each other. But there’s something about it that’s very sweet, you know, very gore filled, bloody.

Ellen: It’s murdery in a wholesome way.

Nickelkeep: But isn’t that the best kind of murder husbands?

MalMuses: Yeah, really, really is. It’s [00:53:00] probably the only time that Silent Hill’s ever been described as wholesome, but I really did love all of the callbacks to, like, canon Silent Hill in this as well. Like, this really did take a lot of the, the kind of essence and, and lore and destielify it very well, I think.

Now I have played the first three Silent Hill games, I think. Um, and I’ve seen the first movie, but I did not watch the second movie because everything I heard about it was not good. So I never watched it. Um, so is there any connection between the fourth, um, game and the second movie? Cause I’m just looking at, obviously the name of the fic, Revelation 13.

I’m just wondering if it was any kind of nod to the Revelation movie, or if it was just Revelation 13, as in the biblical aspect of it. So, interesting.

Nickelkeep: No, this is, this is definitely based more off of the fourth game [00:54:00] than it is anything else. I can’t, cause I’ll be honest, I try to forget that I’ve seen the second movie.

MalMuses: Good, okay.

Nickelkeep: So I can’t. If there are any connections between this and the second movie, they’re very, very slim, or very faint, like not big connection at all, but it’s mostly tied to the fourth game.

MalMuses: Okay. I had a feeling that was the case.

Nickelkeep: Because it’s the fourth game, the fourth game is literally Silent Hill: The Room.

MalMuses: I had a feeling that that was the case, and partly just because in the interactions I’ve had with this author, I can’t picture them possibly liking that second movie. Maybe they do, I don’t know, but I couldn’t picture them liking the second movie with everything that I’d heard about it, so I’m like, no, this has to be Revelation, as in Revelation 13, the, oh God, dig out my Bible knowledge brain, 13th chapter of the Book of Revelation, Apocalypse of John.

That’s, that’s all I remember, but basically it’s about, [00:55:00] um, the Antichrist. So, obviously, I’m assuming that that’s the reference that they were going for. Hang on, let me, let me look it up here.

Nickelkeep: Well, with, with, I mean, with you have playing the game and everything, I mean, there is a lot of that religious undertones in the games.

The first movie, the second movie,

MalMuses: Very culty.

Nickelkeep: Very culty. I mean, so it’s no surprise that there is, you know, the title is Revelation 13.

MalMuses: Having read the fic, and then, you know, being familiar with the characters, the title makes perfect sense.

Nickelkeep: Absolutely. So And I was just so excited to see a, um, a Silent Hill fic, because, again, Supernatural, horror, video game, you know, hand in hand.

MalMuses: We don’t have enough horror fics, given the genre of Supernatural, it’s actually really hard to find horror fics, in my opinion. I’ve read maybe like a handful of good ones over the years, [00:56:00] which just seems bizarre to me, because it just seems like the two things would go together so well.

Nickelkeep: So, I do not want to take away from Void here at all, because I love Void, I love this fic, and I, you know, I’m gonna say how much I love this fic.

But, I don’t know if you guys know. But there is another bang, um, that is the reverse bang for, um, um, Oh my goodness, I’m literally in this bang because the reason I’m bringing it up is I am actually doing a Silent Hill fic as well.

MalMuses: Oh, amazing. Okay. Well, there you go. You’ve got a reader already and it’s not even done yet.

Amazing. Yes. See, we definitely just need more horror things in, in the fandom. And I have, it’s one of the things where I have so many horror ideas, but just not enough, you know, hands and time. But there are a few good ones out there. I’m definitely not disparaging any of the horror [00:57:00] fics that are out there.

There’s just not enough of them. And it, you know, seems bizarre that there’s not enough of them, given that Supernatural, especially those like early seasons, were really kind of wanting to sell itself as like a slightly horror show, really. So why can’t Dean and Cas fall in love and also be terrified?

Nickelkeep: Hold on, I just, I think I just had a brain fart. I don’t think it’s, it’s not a crossover, it’s not a reverse, well it is a reverse thing. It’s actually, um, the Dean Cas Horror Fest.

MalMuses: Aha. Okay. I was like, I was wondering what the name of it was. That’s fine. We’ll have to make sure we have a link to that, um, on the page for when we’re talking about this one.

Nickelkeep: Because it’s, it’s actually round three of the DeanCas HorrorFest and, um, several of the arts.

Ellen: Oh, and it’s a reverse. Ooh. That’s right. I’m missing. The art

Nickelkeep: I grabbed was a hundred percent. Um, I have the wonderful [00:58:00] artist, uh, Tallulah and his art was. Uh, is Pyramid Head, and I’m like, nope, mine, and I snatched it as quickly as I could.

Ellen: Excellent, I’ll have to watch out for that.

MalMuses: Well, yes, very much looking forward to that. And also all of the, uh, other fics from that bang as well. It sounds like I’ll be getting some horror reading, some fresh horror reading finally. Amazing. Um, do you know when those are going to start to post?

Nickelkeep: Promos are coming out, uh, not next week, but the following week.

And I believe the first one actually holding, pulling up the server right now. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that they’re probably posted. Yeah. I don’t remember how many fics there are, but I actually think they start October 1st.

MalMuses: Getting slightly sidetracked by horror, but you know what? Very on theme with this fic.

Oh, one of my favorite tags for this fics is that Void does tag it as “soft, like toxic slime”, which is just exactly how I feel about these two. [00:59:00] And I’m now staring at the art of Cas and his tattoos again.

Nickelkeep: So promos actually started today.

MalMuses: Oh, okay. Excellent timing.

Nickelkeep: So today being the 5th, when we’re recording this and then, um, posting does start October around.

It starts in October is when posting starts. Um, we don’t know the exact date yet because we haven’t put in for when we’re posting yet.

MalMuses: Okay. All right, we’ll definitely have to keep an eye open for those then to get more horror fics, and I’ll probably just reread this fic again until then. Because I have read this fic multiple times.

It’s embarrassing at this point. Yeah,

Ellen: I did notice in the tag list as well as the toxic slime one, there’s one that just says “horny behavior”. Which I love. I’m going to have to just steal that for future use.

MalMuses: There is a lot of horny behavior in this, to be honest, especially considering the situation that they’re in.

They are just completely shameless.

Ellen: Yes. They just sort of met each other and went.

MalMuses: Yeah.

Ellen: [01:00:00] Yep.

MalMuses: That one.

Ellen: Oh, I’ll take this one. Oh yeah, we’re being chased by a big monster. I don’t care. There’s screaming going on. Whatever. Let’s just, you know.

MalMuses: Is that a dead body over there? Yes, it is. It’s fine.

We’re busy over here. We can deal with that after.

Nickelkeep: Actually, actually, now that I’m remembering, because, you know, I have my, my brain can be like a sieve. Sometimes I actually did a horror reverse bang. It was the crossover reverse bang. And I worked with the amazing King dumbass. That is their name guys. If you don’t know Ames, um, they did a art for, uh, Blair witch.

And so we did a fic together called Ye Mongrel Delvers, and it’s based on The Blair Witch, and that is Dean Cas.

MalMuses: Strange feeling I’ve seen that art somewhere, but then again, if you wrote it, I’ve [01:01:00] probably seen it in connection with your fic. I don’t know, because I’m pretty sure at this point, other than a few random one shots, I’m pretty sure I’ve read almost everything that you’ve got out there.

Which is a lot of fic, I have to say. You really have got a lot. Big numbers out there. Which is funny because

Nickelkeep: I’ve slowed down, but I’m trying to come back. I promise.

MalMuses: Everybody, everybody just says it’s time to breathe now and again. It’s not like you haven’t got a big juicy back catalog to keep people going through.

Alright, this is another one of those fics where like I absolutely can’t spoil it. All of the things I want to scream about with it are a hundred percent spoilers. Um, but it’s really not a fic you want to be spoiled for. I’ll just say make sure that you do read every single last one of those tags and consider them deeply before you go any further because Void is a very good writer of horror, like they will really kind of build you up and put you in the moment, and there’ll be a lot of tension, and they don’t shy away from the actual gore aspect.

There’s so much blood and gore in [01:02:00] this, um, which there really has to be for, like, a Silent Hill based, um, fic, but Void definitely does not shy away from that. So make sure that you’re comfortable with that. But in a way, if you want to read the most horrific and bloody and wholesome and lovely and soft love story, I would definitely, definitely recommend this.

Nickelkeep: I’m reading over the tags again.

MalMuses: I do think, if I remember right, I think there is, I think there is a, um, a small follow up as well, like a little extra timestamp. So technically part of the series now.

Ellen: Oh, okay.

Nickelkeep: I just saw that one of the tags is meet cute.

Ellen: Meet Cute, yeah.

One of the bloodiest Meet Cutes I think I’ve ever read.

MalMuses: Yes. Very bloody. But I just love the idea that Dean fell through this hole and then Cas was there on the other side fighting for his life and just trying to kill everything in sight and immediately sees Dean and is like, oh, you know [01:03:00] what? This one can live. Yeah. Like, this, this one’s cute. I’ll keep him.

I’ll keep this one around. And he’s completely shameless about that through the whole thing as well. That’s the best part of it. It’s like, yes, everything here is, is horrifying and must die. Apart from you.

[01:03:19] The Best Judge of Happiness

MalMuses: Okay, shall we change the tone entirely and move on to the final fic that we have?

Ellen: Let’s do that.

MalMuses: This is another Media Bang fic. This was, uh, much more recent. This was the 2023 Media Bang. It’s The Best Judge of Happiness by tsujiharu, um, and it is 72, 284 words. Um, it felt longer to me, but only because AO3 kept crashing in the middle of me trying to finish it. And it took me a very long time to get to the last couple of chapters because AO3 was having issues.

So, you [01:04:00] know,

Ellen: sometimes I just think we should download everything and then, yeah, especially when this happens.

MalMuses: We should, but my issue is if I download fics, I have a tendency to then forget to comment or kudos or anything. So that’s why I don’t. That’s the reason. But yeah, there are, there are times like this last week when.

That would have been a good idea. Um, okay. So 72, 000 words. And as long as AO3 cooperates, it does not feel that long at all. So, uh, summary goes like this. Dean Winchester lives a simple life in the small town of Oak Ridge. Life in town isn’t the most exciting, but it’s home. Dean has his friends and his family, and he’s long learned to be content with a simple, mundane, and fine.

When a fresh face moves into town, Dean takes it upon himself to introduce the awkward but devastatingly handsome Castiel to their small community. Castiel seems a little naive, and Dean knows he’s just the person to steer Castiel in the right direction. What he doesn’t expect is for Castiel’s arrival to shake up his monotonous days and open his heart back up to long lost passions and the possibility of something more.[01:05:00]

And this is based on the movie Emma, specifically the 2020 movie version, which obviously is originally based on the book by Jane Austen. And this is a reimagined kind of SPN fusion with a twist. So as far as those characters go, it’s Emma ends up with Harriet instead of the character she ends up with in the book and the movie.

So I actually did not, I think, read the summary clearly when I, first read this, I was just like, Oh, it’s based on Emma. Yay. Off I go. And so actually, initially I thought I would be reading like a, a period, like fic, like a historical fic.

Ellen: No, I thought the same thing. I was like, is this something from our Regency bang that, like, am I going into,

I haven’t read Regency for a while, go ahead. Um, but no, it’s modern. This is,

MalMuses: yeah, this is a modern, and it’s so well done that I could follow along and pick up like the story of Emma all the way through, even though. It was [01:06:00] completely, completely modern set. It was enchanting and took me completely by surprise because if I had taken the time to read the tags, I would have known that, but who reads tags?

I sometimes read them after the fic, just so I can laugh at them and be entertained, but I tend to go in blind and wild quite a lot.

Ellen: Like the other modern adaptation of Emma is, um, Clueless. Is that correct? Have I got the right movie?

MalMuses: I think it’s, uh, no, yes. Yeah. I was going to say Taming of the Shrew, but that’s Ten Things I Hate About You, and that’s Shakespeare, so just ignore me.

Ellen: You know, adaptations, whatever. They’re all, everything’s fanfic of other things. So Clueless is like a, a high school, like, drama thing. But this is like somehow completely different from that. Okay, so basically, if you haven’t read Emma and you’re not really sure how this all works out, Dean and Emma, are, um, they’re, they’re very popular in their sort of communities and they decide that, um, he’s [01:07:00] going to matchmake people around him.

And when Cas comes to town, he decides that he needs to match Cas up with somebody. And he, he first decides it’s going to be, um,

MalMuses: April, April. He,

Ellen: April works at the diner. He decides it’s got to be April. So he spends a lot of time trying to get Cas and April together. And Cas is like, what are you doing?

I’m not interested, but, um, you know, that that’s the high level story that’s happening here. It’s, uh, eventually, eventually, eventually he works out that it’s Cas that he he’s in love with and he wants, and they get together in the end, but along the way, um, there’s this beautiful story of like, um, Cas and Sam, I’m sorry, Dean and Sam live with Bobby and they’ve lost Karen, who’s Bobby’s wife some, some years ago.

And so Dean rediscovers his love of photography, which he [01:08:00] used to share with Karen. Um, he lets Cas use her, their darkroom to develop photos. And so they’ve had, they build their relationship on this photography that they love to do together. Yeah. I really loved the way that this all they’ve woven in all these extra sort of bits of the stories.

MalMuses: Yeah. This is one of those things where you really feel like. Yes, like, the sexual tension is there, of course it is, but you’re really, like, watching them fall in love in this fic, because they just, you know, they start off trying to be friends and by about halfway through, you’re, like, wanting to smack Dean upside the head and just be like, will you please just kiss the man, like, but it’s, it’s lovely, it’s, it’s soft and it’s warm and it’s wonderful, um, I really, really enjoyed this one, usually I was.

not sure initially how I felt about a modern interpretation of Emma, just because I am like a huge Jane Austen fan and I love the Regency, um, Emma and all of her [01:09:00] other ones. I’m like, I don’t know if I’m ready to accept another modern adaptation, but I should have trusted this wonderful author because it’s fantastic.

Yeah.

Ellen: Um, I remember Sam steps into the role of, like, the reader who gets frustrated with it, because he actually He and Charlie, I think, are both like, Can you not see? This is right in front of your face. And they But they never actually say to Dean, like, Why don’t you get to Like, they wait for him to try and work it out.

Like

MalMuses: they’re trying to be respectful, not meddle. Basically they’re trying not to do what Dean’s doing. They’re trying not to meddle in other people’s, other people’s lives. Though Dean doesn’t, doesn’t see it that way. Dean definitely sees it as, um, helping and the term mother henny comes up a lot. You know, he tries to look after everyone else.

Um, but maybe he’s being a little too overbearing and deciding what other people need. Um, which is something he works on in the process of the story, [01:10:00] but I, there’s definitely a case of Sam seeing the writing on the wall very early on, but then trying not to do what Dean’s doing and just organize his brother’s life for him.

He’s very much going to let Dean make his own mistakes. And he ships it, for sure. And then, yeah. Ends up having, honestly, a lovely friendship of his own with Cas, like, we see him develop, um, his own friendship with Cas, which I really like, we don’t always get that in fics, like, Sam and Cas interaction. So, I enjoyed that one.

Ellen: Yeah, to the point where someone suggests that him, that they, you know, were a couple And Dean’s just so horrified by this, he’s like, what, with Sam, are you sure?

MalMuses: Absolutely horrified by the idea, but doesn’t, you know, overtly object to it because he wants everybody to be happy, but just like, Dean, no! Absolutely not.

He’s [01:11:00] good at getting up in his own head, this particular Dean, which I liked and felt very canon to me.

Ellen: How about you, Nickel? Did you enjoy this one?

Nickelkeep: Yeah. Absolutely. It’s, again, just, I’ll be completely honest. Emma is one of those books, movies that just frustrates me. I think Clueless was maybe the only time where I actually enjoyed it.

And that’s because you have, you know, that as if 90s vibe to distract from the actual story. Again, as somebody who loves Regency, as, you know, you and I and, um, um, Jess run the Regency Bang, which we’ll bring back eventually. And so I love Regency. I love that era. But Emma was just never one of the books I could get into.

But this was, this fic is one of those things that can make me change my mind.

MalMuses: Cause Emma is definitely written and portrayed in the movies. Like she’s not always meant to be a likable character. [01:12:00] Like the reader is definitely supposed to.

Ellen: Oh yeah. She’s a complete twit actually, if I remember correctly. Yes. Um, which Dean definitely brings that twit energy.

MalMuses: Yeah. But I think Tsujihara actually did a pretty good job of kind of redeeming Emma and making me still like Dean in this fic. Um, cause honestly, it seems like Dean has somewhat better motivations and reasons for ending up the way he is than Emma did, possibly.

Nickelkeep: And that’s actually something Jane Austen was good at, and I think that’s probably why I don’t like Emma, is that Emma is, using your words, a twit.

And it’s like, you hate her, well not hate, hate’s a strong word, but there are times where you just dislike her so much in the book, it’s like, you want to smack her upside the head. And, um. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. It’s translated into Deen so well in here, but at the same time, it’s not so [01:13:00] overwhelming where it’s like, I can’t continue reading this.

It’s toned down just enough where it’s, it’s like Deen in canon. Like, Deen has those moments in the show where it’s just like, oh my god, Deen, why? It’s a secondhand embarrassment.

MalMuses: Yeah. Mm hmm. He’s making decisions for other people, and you know that those decisions as far as he’s concerned are genuinely coming from a good place.

He’s really, he cares a lot about the people around him and about their happiness and, you know, it’s supernatural about their survival and things like that. And sometimes that overrides his good sense.

Ellen: Exactly. And he’s not listening to what the other people want either. He just goes ahead with what he thinks, which is true to the book as well or the movie.

Mm hmm. Yes.

Nickelkeep: And it’s, uh, it’s why Dean is really well cast as Emma.

MalMuses: Yeah.

Nickelkeep: Because how many times, like, I, [01:14:00] I need, like, both my hands, both my feet, and then I need to borrow somebody else’s hand and feet for how many times Dean has done that in the show.

Ellen: Yep. Definitely. But having said all that, and this, um, author makes a, a great job of making this family kind of atmosphere, that not just, you The, the found family of their friends, but like Bobby and Sam, everyone, you know, very warm and, um, you know, it’s just a really nice, wholesome fic as well.

MalMuses: Yeah. It really is. I’d like the way we’ve been talking about it, it could sound dramatic, but it’s not. It is more wholesome feeling and warm than, than anything. There are dramatic parts though, for sure.

Nickelkeep: Also I love the use of Karen in this fic. Like, I know you said that already, but I just, Karen is not a character that’s used a lot in fic, because I mean, we don’t even really see her in the show other than, what, two episodes, I think?

Definitely just the one, but I think there’s another one where she’s, [01:15:00] like, heavily mentioned. And just to see how prominent she is, even if she’s not in the show. She’s felt so much in this fic, and she’s such an important figure in this fic, and it’s nice to see that and feel that.

MalMuses: Yeah, we have her, I said, having a big influence on this fic, but not really being in it.

And then we also have a couple of side characters that I really loved and had more of an influence on the story than I thought they were going to when they initially came in, and that was Rowena and Crowley. Oh, yeah. I really liked them and didn’t You know, when they first showed up in the fic, I thought that they were just going to be, you know, some interesting background characters for people to bounce important things off of and that kind of stuff.

But, um, particularly Rowena ended up being a lot more important than I thought she was going to without, without spoiling anything. Um, and I really liked her in this. I really liked how [01:16:00] she, um, It kind of, kind of dotes over, over her son, over Crowley, who very much have that specific era of Rowena in the show.

Um, and it’s just so shameless about it. She’s just like, no, just, just gonna talk your ear off about my wonderful son who is better than you and better than anyone. Um, and we get more explanation on that further on in the fic as, as plot happens and things happen. Um, but I actually really liked it. It was really fun seeing Rowena like that.

Ellen: And Crowley who has his dog with him all of the time and yeah

MalMuses: Yes, Juliet. We love a Juliet. I’m a sucker for a Crowley character in absolutely anything So I almost wish I’d gotten more of this particular Crowley, but it was it was just the right amount to tell the story

Ellen: So how much more did we say that we had the art in there?

It must have been when… you know how some time ago there was the art that was [01:17:00] hosted on discord or something ended up breaking all of the links.

MalMuses: Uh, yeah. The great Discord purge.

Ellen: Um, so now all of the art which is linked is no longer linked.

MalMuses: Yeah, there’s the great Discord purge of art. Um, I had so many fics where I have to go back and find the art and fix that.

I’ve done a couple but, yeah. So I’m sure that’s probably what happened with this one as well. And I do think Robbie is, um, Not really around so much, um, on the social side of fandom anymore. So I don’t know if that plays a part in whether the art is missing as well. So sad because I’m sure it was gorgeous.

Ellen: Well, if, if, if either of, um, tsujiharu or, uh, Robbie are listening, we’d love to see your art. It’s not linked anymore.

MalMuses: Oh yeah. I just went to, um, Robbie’s, uh, AO3 where it’s posted, but it’s broken there as well. [01:18:00] Sad. Okay. Sad. But yes, uh, Best Judge of Happiness, definitely a very different fic to the last two that we, um, have spoken about, um, a much more, what’s the word, like kind of a fic that covers like a, a year of time, not necessarily epic, that makes it sound like it’s going to be like battles and things in it, but it’s, it’s a, a much more kind of, um, spaced out story. The other ones we’ve read are like specific periods in time, whereas this one, I don’t know.

You feel like you get more of a sense of community and time passing and it’s very like Austin esque in that way, I think. Yeah. It’s a very unexpected, that was what I was gonna say, it’s a very unexpected Emma, um, adaptation because it, it took really what was the essence of Emma? Like if I, if I think about their story, I immediately think of something Regency and, you know, gowns and swooning across dance floors and all that kind of stuff and visiting with [01:19:00] lots of people and drinking lots and there is none of that in this and yet it still very much has.

That’s the essence of Emma. So yes, probably a very good, um, Jane Austen access point for people who don’t like, um, historical stories, honestly.

Ellen: That’s true. Yeah. Definitely give this one a go. It’s, um. Beautifully written.

MalMuses: Sorry, I’m just giggling like a child to myself because I just realized I just referenced Jane Austen’s access point.

Um, sorry.

Uh, I’m, I’m tired and more ridiculous than usual.

[01:19:36] More recommendations

Ellen: You had a busy day. All right. Yes. So have we got some more, um, things to recommend?

MalMuses: Yes. We probably do. Let me get the spreadsheet open. I’m sure I’ve got this one actually. Yeah. All right, I have one to recommend. Yes, I have one that I’ve almost been itching for a chance to recommend because, um, it’s a [01:20:00] little known fic for, for two reasons.

One, it’s a big, chunky honker of a fic. It’s 156, 000 words. Um, and the, the other, I guess, fandom, um, that it’s, um, based on is maybe not quite as well known though. It definitely should be I think so. This fic is called Shattered Dreams and it is by Darmys And it is based on Anne McCaffrey’s Crystal Singer universe,

Ellen: right

MalMuses: which is a series of books or a book for people who who are not familiar. Um, I absolutely adored the books years ago when I read them and it was like a long time ago that I read them. This was a fic that I think was in the second round of Media Bang. So I got to, you know, have a little kind of behind the scenes look as this was being written.

I was getting like little updates and things like that. Um, and I was very, very excited about it because I love the universe. I love the author’s writing [01:21:00] as well. It’s, it’s. You know, not the first fic of theirs that I have read and drooled over and they do have a tendency to write these kind of like big, um, like fantasy or sci fi kind of like epics almost, but then with really good Destiel in them.

And this is very much what that is. It’s, it’s a much bigger story plot, um, with some really, really great, um, Destiel in there. It is explicit. They do, you know, we do get there. Um, There is some body horror. There’s definitely like the science fiction aspect in there and then angst but It’s a story that stays with me for a long time after I read it.

So, if you are interested in the works of Anne McCaffrey, or you like really good Destiel and something really epic you can get into, then Shattered Dreams by Darmys is a great fig to read.

Ellen: I think I’ve had that one on my list for a long time. I should really definitely get around to reading that. It sounds great.

MalMuses: [01:22:00] Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.

Nickelkeep: I will second that Darmys does not know how to do short. Not at all. Darmys has been working on another one for a while now, probably for the past two years, and it’s going to be another chonker.

MalMuses: Actually, my absolute favorite is, um, one that they ended up publishing in, I want to say three parts.

So I’m not, and each one of those parts is a giant honky chonker. Like it’s, it’s not like they split it up into like something readable and manageable. Like it’s. It’s huge. Um, and again, that’s a science fiction one. I’ll have to remember the title of it so I can put it in the blog post, but so good.

Nickelkeep: Darmys, if you hear this, I say that lovingly. I love you.

MalMuses: Please keep writing huge giant epics for us to read. We love it.

Ellen: We have a huge list here, but they’re almost all of them are over 20, 000 words because they’re all from the bangs. So they’re, [01:23:00] um, they’re, um, you know, bigger bang fics. But I did read a short one that was from a few years ago, it’s like, I think it was from 2016 or something like almost like, you know, eight years ago now, um, which is called Lifeforce by Mayalen.

Um, it’s just over 5, 000 words. And this is one of those ones where it was written for, or it’s part of a collection called SPN Coldest Hits, which I think we’ve talked about before, sometime in the past, You know, they, they weren’t supposed to put any tags or something in there, but there are tags on this.

It is a inspired by movie. It’s horror science fiction. It’s got zombies in it. Like what more can you want in 5, 000 words? So this is based on a movie, um, like a 1985 sci fi horror called Lifeforce. And. It, I sort of, [01:24:00] I read it quickly because it was, you know, one of the shorter ones on the list and I sort of got halfway through and went, Whoa, what is, what have I got myself into here?

Because there’s like some kind of big orgy towards the end and it’s just, it was a very, like it’s very sci fi in that, um, they are in a spaceship and they find these, um, these you know, humanoid looking life forms, one of which is Cas. And, um, they bring them back to earth and then all this shit starts going down.

It’s just like, it escalates very quickly. Um, but yeah, worth a read. It’s only short, but it’s, um, yeah. Vampire, zombie, Weirdness. I don’t, I have no idea how to describe it other than that.

MalMuses: Really? Well, like, vampire, zombie, weirdness, orgy, like, I cannot read this

Ellen: fast enough.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s, uh, worth a read just for the mindfuckery of it.

I’m just reading it going, whoa, okay. Um, that was not what I expected. [01:25:00] It’s worth a read.

MalMuses: Amazing. Okay.

Ellen: Nickel, did you have any that you’d like to recommend?

Nickelkeep: I am pulling, um, well, honestly, I’m, I’m going to go with one of my favorites, um, And I’m going to get yelled at for saying it, but I’m going to say it anyway, and that’s Giant, Anguish, Danger.

Ellen: Yay.

MalMuses: No. No. Hang on. You’re gonna have to give me a second to crawl under the desk.

Nickelkeep: All right. Let me give Mal a second because this is actually Mal’s fic. And I found out about this because I was squeeing about the movie, The Ritual, on Twitter. And then Mal goes, Oh yeah, I actually wrote a fic about this.

And that’s when I found out that it was the fic that Mal had written for the first, uh, Media Bang. And I sat down as soon as I had finished watching the ritual, and I blasted through this fic in an evening. Because it’s just so [01:26:00] good.

MalMuses: I’m glad you like it. I will say it was a really, really fun fic to write.

You know, sometimes you have, um, I Experiences when you’re writing and it’s just like the people that are you’re working with and you’re kind of Batering with whatever like behind the scenes and you just have a really good time writing it And this was that was like one of those fics for me but it’s also one of those fics that I can’t go back and reread because every time I Do you want to go back and reread?

I want to change things, so I just have to stay away from it. So I was watching Nicol read it and leave comments and just being like, Oh no, they’re about to get to that bit. And I don’t want to, Oh, like, damn it. Um, so I was just super, super glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading it.

Nickelkeep: And then there’s another one and it was, um, it’s actually another Maggie one.

Cause [01:27:00] we did this in the same, um, It was the same year we did it. Um, and that was her, His Beating Heart, which is for Warm Bodies.

MalMuses: Yes. I love that one too. I remember that, that your bang buddies and, uh, that one, they were both in it together.

Ellen: Mal, do you have more that you wanted to mention?

MalMuses: Yeah, I have a couple more, um, that I can talk about actually.

Um, so I’ll do a kind of a quick fire recommendation because thanks to running The Bang, I have read a lot of different adaptations. So, um, I’m going to talk about To Spark a Flame by my lovely friend Toby the Wise. This is a Hunger Games AU, specifically, um, Catching Fire, so not the first movie, more of the second movie.

It is an A/B/O version of the Hunger Games, with, um, obviously, kind of an established Cas and Dean, because the first games have already happened [01:28:00] by the time you get to the second one. It’s just over, it’s 23, 000 words, almost 24. Um, I really enjoyed this. I love having Bobby as like a grumpy Haymitch type character.

I love, um, the interactions between Cas and Dean in this. And I love like the actual like plot and story that we’ve got going on in this one. I really enjoyed it. I. really enjoy Toby’s writing. I don’t talk about it enough. So please go read Toby’s things. They are great. Um, don’t, I don’t want to spoil anything else on that one.

So I will say read, read the tags. It’s definitely a read the tags fic. Um, but then again, it’s based on The Hunger Games. So you can probably get an idea of some of the things that happen in this, lots of violence and that sort of thing.

Ellen: I mean, we do have like quite a few on this list that we’ve spoken about before, like that have been adaptations, but we’ve spoken about in previous episodes like, um, Cinderwings, for example, by bendingsignpost. [01:29:00] We spoke to that, we spoke about that in another episode. Uh, True As It Can Be by whelvenwings. We’ve had The Nanny by Kit Mistry. I can’t remember if we actually did that as a, as a main fic or if I just raved about it in a, like a recommendation bit.

Um, so there are a bunch of fics on this list that we have spoken about in other episodes, so, um, I won’t repeat anything about those ones again, but I will say that, um, on the topic of video game, uh, adaptations, which we have had a couple of already in this episode, but More video game ones would be great.

More people write video game fics, please. Love it. Um, we have Sparks Send the Fire by thatpeculiarone. Our friend Jess, who wrote this one, um, based on Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. So this is, um, it is, is 65, 000 words. So it’s, it’s long, like it follows basically the whole [01:30:00] story of Breath of the Wild from like, you know, waking up in the future, you know, like in, in Zelda, that particular game, you wake up like Link wakes up in the future and then you’ve got to go and find all the big, um, Oh God, I don’t remember the terminology now for the game, but you’ve got to find the huge avatar guys to go and kill the final boss kind of thing.

And it follows that journey, but it’s with like Dean and Cas along the way. It’s like, it’s brilliantly, uh, sort of adapted into like a Destiel story. I really enjoyed that one.

MalMuses: Okay, well, I have a couple of additional recs here that are slightly more unusual. Like, it’s not what you would immediately think, oh, it’s a book, turn it into a fic, or it’s a TV show, turn it into a fic.

So the first one is by crowleyhasfeels, and it’s called Let’s Talk About That. And this fic is based on Good Mythical Morning, which a lot of people know as a YouTube channel. [01:31:00] Um, which has basically done kind of like a morning talk show type format with comedy and activities and games for many, many years.

Um, and, uh, And then this is a media interpretation which puts Dean and Cas in the place of the hosts of that show, um, which most people, well I’m saying most people, maybe people don’t know, I don’t know, um, are, um, Rhett and Link who have been on YouTube since like, YouTube was a baby way back when, um, and this puts them in the place of those two hosts and, um, has them, you know, eventually declaring their love for each other.

It’s, it’s great. It’s one of those things that like the concept is just amazing. I don’t know how they came up with it, but it works so well in the fic. Yeah. It’s so good. It works so well in the fic. So yeah, it’s, uh, just over 20, 000 words. Um, it’s called, Let’s Talk About That by crowleyhasfeels, um, and another kind of More unusual, like weird [01:32:00] one, which I always feel like I have to sell people on, but like, just trust me, the fic is good.

So, um, it’s called Hello Everyone by, I have no idea how to pronounce this username. I’m so sorry. I’m about to butcher it. iaoscc, possibly I-A-O-S-C-C. Mm-Hmm, . Um, it’s a 52,000 word and it is based on The Wiggles. so, the well known kids TV show, but it’s not necessarily based on the show itself, but more the people and the characters behind the show, um, and the actors within the show.

And there’s apparently a lot of really interesting, like, Wiggles lore out there. And that’s kind of what this is based on. Um, but the fic itself, I just remember binging in like one go. It’s like 52, 000 words, but I just could not put it down once I started. It was so good.

52, 000 words based on the Wiggles.

Ellen: This makes my Aussie heart happy.

MalMuses: Yeah, it’s out there. [01:33:00] Um, I also have to make your heart happy by saying, if you want a more, a more classic, um, adaptation, um, then I have to say, I want to recommend Wish I Could Be by EllenofOz, which,

Ellen: Oh no!

MalMuses: No, you’re gonna have to let me do it because Little Mermaid has always been, like, one of those absolute classic, uh, Disney movies that I absolutely love.

But as an adult, I’m way more, oh, sorry, way less pro Disney than I was as a child for various reasons. Um. And so just having a Destiel version that when I, like, we all know I love mermaids, I have spoken at length, I think, um, on this podcast about my love for any kind of creature fic in general, um, specifically mermaids as well.

And so, like, you went out there and you wrote me some, uh, Some mermaid fic, how could I possibly not mention it? Thank you. Um, it’s really, really well written as well. I absolutely loved this. I was so excited when you did this for MediaBang. I was like, [01:34:00] yes! Um, so it does, as it was in MediaBang, have some beautiful art in it as well by, um, girlinthemirrorbluenight.

I think I mentioned that it was 51, 000 words, but in case I didn’t, 51, 000 words. Um, it does, I would say, mostly follow a kind of familiar Kind of story format of The Little Mermaid, definitely some, some twists in there, some little things that make it Destiel. Um, and another thing that I love about this is that you included a non binary Hanna character in this, which It’s like a huge headcanon of mine that I absolutely love and don’t see enough out there in fandom.

So, thank you for doing that.

Ellen: Welcome. Um, I also got

MalMuses: You can crawl out from under the desk now.

Ellen: No, I wanted to say, after I can’t remember if I linked it in the fic now, but, um, I also got a, another, an artwork that was drawn for me, [01:35:00] um, by somebody. not, not, I didn’t request it or anything. They just sent it to me and I went, Oh my God.

And it was, um, Crowley in like, I don’t know how you say it. Like octopus legs, like Cecilia. I, I’m, I don’t know how to pronounce that word.

Nickelkeep: Cecaelia.

Ellen: Thank you! Yes, Crowley as, as Ursula, basically. And it was so good. And I’ve got, I’m pretty sure I’ve linked that in the fic as well, but if I haven’t, I’ll put it somewhere, but yeah, that was a, that was fun to write.

I enjoyed writing that one.

Nickelkeep: So Ellen, um, if I can do a little self rec here. Yeah. You said you were looking for more video game crossovers or video game adaptations. Yes. I actually did one as part of my Storytime series. You did? I did. It is called Thank You for All the Mistakes.

Ellen: Awesome. I’m going to have to go look that up and see if I already read it.

I may have. And that one is [01:36:00] actually Cause I did read some of your, when you were putting them all into your published book, I was reading through some of them.

Nickelkeep: And I actually didn’t say what that one was based on because I was giving people the chance to guess, but it’s, um, oh my goodness, that story is four years old now.

Um, but that is actually based on the game, Dream Daddy.

Ellen: Oh, okay. Awesome. Amazing. There are a few more in this, like, uh, most of them are based on, um, movies. Which just makes sense, really, because, like, the movie is already in a, kind of a shortish format for turning into a fic.

MalMuses: There are so many here, I’m looking down this whole list of fics, um, that we have, and that will be out there on the blog post for everyone to look at.

And I’m trying to spot ones I haven’t read, and it’s actually shamefully few of them that I haven’t. I might need a life. I might need to go do other things sometimes.

Nickelkeep: Hello, littleness. Yes. Sorry, I’m being [01:37:00] attacked by animals, which is why I’m being quiet right now with you guys. I have a dog on one side and a cat on the other.

MalMuses: Oh, Supernatural9917, um, did a really good Dirty Dancing, um, adaptation, which I have read multiple times, 20, 000 words. That was one of the, like, original crop of MBBs, I think, or close to it, one of the first couple of years. Yeah. Um, but always had a soft spot for Dirty Dancing. So, I love just, like, Take it and make it gay.

Do it. Do it. And All My Stars did These Hateful Things, which is a truly excellent, slightly longer 10 Things I Hate About You adaptation. Um, I really like 10 Things I Hate About You. That’s like one of my favorite 90s movies. Yeah. Um, so 33, 000 words of Dean and Cas doing it is absolutely great. Ooh, shout out to lovemuppet’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Again, absolutely great, really enjoyed it. 33, 000 words, seems to be a [01:38:00] theme though, suddenly all 33, 000 words. Um, and this is obviously based on the old movie, um, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, so it does have a prostitute cast and a Sheriff Dean in it. And lots of, lots of other characters as well.

Sam is Is he Gosh, I’m trying to remember now what he is in this. Is it in charge of the town? Oh, he’s the mayor. He’s the mayor in it. Lots of, like, a larger cast of people. Absolutely love this. This is one of those ones where I haven’t read it in some time, and I’m going to have to go back and read it now.

Yeah.

Ellen: I think we mentioned it during our Westerns episode, didn’t we? I don’t think we, we didn’t read it.

MalMuses: I hope we did. But I seem we mentioned it because. Yeah.

Ellen: Sounds great.

MalMuses: Yeah. All right. I will be quiet now and not keep us talking about adaptations for ages, but I do enjoy adaptations as is probably obvious from having decided to run a [01:39:00] bang about them.

Yeah.

Ellen: Keep your ears out, people, and see if the bang’s going to run again next year maybe or in the near future.

MalMuses: Yeah, we may do like a slightly adapted lower pressure version Just so that it’s something that I can cope with doing. Yeah, so we will see but yeah I’ve definitely got a lot of ideas myself

Nickelkeep: Could always do a reverse thing.

Ellen: Yes start with start with art.

MalMuses: All right, we will see

Ellen: Nickel, did you have any other the fics you wanted to mention, or are we all done?

Nickelkeep: Um, just a shout out for two more. Um, one is The Monster At the End of this Book. Mm-Hmm. . Oh. Uh, it’s by petramacneary. Um, it is a Pokemon au

MalMuses: Oh.

Ellen: Oh my gosh. . It is. How do wanna know about this?

Nickelkeep: Uh, it is 126,000 words. It is a chunker. [01:40:00] Um, I absolutely love it. It is explicit. I find hilarious because I also did a Pokemon AU and somebody said, I can’t believe there isn’t explicit Pokemon AU out here, but I wasn’t the first one to do it. I’m just saying. And then I also have to do a shout out here because this is one of my besties and they wrote a beautiful, beautiful, uh, Crow adaptation.

And that is bleuzombie. Um, it’s, uh, One for Sorrow.

MalMuses: One for Sorrow. Yes. I’m pretty sure that’s the one I’ve read. Yes. For a second, I was excited. I was like, is there another one? I was like, no.

Nickelkeep: Very good. So. And that one is, uh, I think like 20k or just over 20k.

Ellen: We’ve got, uh, like the list is huge. And there’s not only will all of the links that we’ve talked about be listed on our post on mixtapebookclub. com, but they’ll also. You can also find all of, a lot more as well, um, in all of the collections for this, the SPN [01:41:00] media big bang, like for each of the years. So I’ll make sure I link those collections as well, and you can find a bunch more adaptations in there. And the, the horror bangs all, we’ve spoken about so many different things today, we’ll try and collect all that up and link them all in the post.

Nickel, thank you so much for coming to talk to us about adaptations today.

Nickelkeep: Thank you again for having me. You know, I’m always down to come join you guys.

MalMuses: Yes. Yeah. We especially appreciate it as we did. It was a little bit last minute that we asked you this time, cause life doesn’t always go to plan. So thank you very much for jumping in.

Ellen: Have you got any, uh, fics coming up soon that you’re working on at the moment or The bang fics? No, you were saying you’ve got a bang fic that’s coming.

Nickelkeep: I actually have a few bang fics coming out. Um, I actually have, there’s, uh, my Crowley big bang fic should be coming out. It’s a little overdue, but that’s because of issues with AO3.

Um, but. If we’re doing [01:42:00] Destiel centric, I have a Silent Hill one, the Silent Hill one that I was talking about coming out in October. Um, I have a, I have mine, oh, my, um, Dean Cas, um, Bang Taylor’s Version is coming out. I’m working with the ever lovely Twin One. Uh, she is my artist and we are doing our take on, um, “No Body, No Crime”.

Um, I think I have this one, I know I’m missing it. I have other non Dean Cas ships that I’m working on, but off the top of my head, those are the only two Dean Cas ones I have. I have another, I have a couple that are out of fandom too, that I’m working on, but for Dean Cas, those are the two big ones right now.

MalMuses: Awesome.

Ellen: Exciting. You’re a busy bee. Yeah, I forgot that the, the, um, you know, the Taylor’s version bang was coming soon. There’s also, um, like DCBB fics are about to start posting too, right? [01:43:00] In the next month or so. So it’s about to be Destiel Christmas again.

MalMuses: Exciting.

Ellen: Okay. So, um, if you’ve got, uh, if there, I mean, there are a bunch of adaptation fics that we haven’t mentioned, but if you listeners have any favorites that you’d like to recommend to us to add to the list, you can get in touch with us, um, by email contact at mixtapebookclub. com or through any of our social media, um, you’re welcome to do that, or you can join, you can just chat with us on the Profound Bond Discord server in our channel there, or join our Ko fi, uh, to join our own server as well. Uh, what have we got coming up next, Mal?

MalMuses: Next episode, we are going to be discussing a very classic trope, which will be hurt comfort fics.

Ellen: Oh. So many good ones.

MalMuses: We’d love to hurt these boys as long as we can comfort them after.

Ellen: Yes. Uh, yes, please send us all of your recommendations for hurt comfort [01:44:00] fics.

MalMuses: Yes. I have a feeling we’re going to get a lot of recommendations for this one because it’s it’s just such a big trope. So we will do our best to narrow it down.

Nickelkeep: This is where we get everything written by Northern Sparrow, right? Or where you guys get everything written by Northern Sparrow. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely everything. You know what? And Maggie. This is where everybody gets, throws a Maggie at you guys.

Ellen: Oh, Maggie also likes to hurt?

You

MalMuses: know what, I’m not sure if we have ever, have we ever specifically included a sparrow fic?

I mean, I know we’ve mentioned them, but we’ve definitely mentioned some. I don’t know. Or did, no, we might have talked about the one that I beta-ed.

Ellen: Oh, yeah.

MalMuses: The birdfic. The birdfic. Um. Because they’re not all birdfics in some way. Yeah, I think maybe we spoke about that one. Anyway, off topic. Yeah.

Ellen: All right.

Well, we’ll look forward to hearing about everyone’s recommendations on that one. Thank you very much, everyone, [01:45:00] for listening, and we’ll talk to you again very soon.

MalMuses: And as always, remember that the story isn’t over until we say it is.

Ellen: Bye!

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