Summary: Sam and Cas have a falling out when Cas confesses his secret. Soon after, Sam and Dean learn from Cas that Jack’s destiny is lost. The future of their very world is in grave danger if they fail to get back Jack’s destiny.
Sam makes a great sacrifice to save Jack. Feeling guilty for his break up with Sam, Cas is determined to do whatever it takes to help him.
(Canon divergent for 15x18 – after Jack returns from The Empty; before they find out hunters are going missing like Charlie’s girlfriend)
Author: fogsrollingin Art by: jenniferb-art Pairings: queerplatonic wincestiel Rating: mature Word Count: 6798 Warnings: no archive warnings apply Summary: S12 canon divergence. Dean carried a cosmic suicide bomb into a meeting with God and his sister, Amara. Cas was thrown clear across the state by a powerful banishing sigil, and Sam got shot and kidnapped and tortured, all while thinking his brother was dead. And Mary Winchester was resurrected.
Summary: After both Sam and a depowered Castiel fall through the ice during a frigid hunt in Northern Minnesota, Dean manages to drag them to a nearby cabin to recover. There, long-buried feelings begin to crack and thaw.
Story by: Trenchcoat_Paradigm Art by: Verobatto Pairings: Dean Winchester/ Castiel & Sam Winchester/ Eileen Leahy Rating: Teen and Up Word Count: 19393 Warnings: None
Summary:
Sam needed everything to be perfect. Anything less just wouldn’t do. When he was given permission to plan his brother wedding, he made it his full priority. After everything they have been through, he and Cas deserved this. However, the one thing he never expected to uncover was his brother’s disappearance the night before the wedding. Roping in Jack for assistance, Sam sets out to find the missing Groom.
Castiel can’t know that Dean is missing.
Dean knew his brother worked hard to make his wedding perfect. The place, the food, he was pulling out all the stops. The one thing he never considered is that the building hosting their ‘big day’ would be haunted. After a close encounter with a vengeful spirit, and not wanting to stress his brother out any more than he already was, Dean calls upon his soon to be husband to help track down the ghost and lay her to rest.
Major warnings and tags: Angst, Established Relationship, Canon Divergence, Sacrifice, spn 15x18 AU
Summary:
Sam and Cas have a falling out when Cas confesses his secret. Soon after, Sam and Dean learn from Cas that Jack's destiny is lost. The future of their very world is in grave danger if they fail to get back Jack's destiny.
Sam makes a great sacrifice to save Jack. Feeling guilty for his break up with Sam, Cas is determined to do whatever it takes to help him.
Cas discovers a risky way to save Sam. The real threat of losing Cas may be just what Sam needs to come back to himself.
(Canon divergent for 15x18 -- after Jack returns from The Empty; before they find out hunters are going missing like Charlie's girlfriend)
Extract:
Some of Cas’s favorite times were when they were intimate, but he knew that those moments would very likely never happen again. His face fell when he saw that there was only one pillow on Sam’s bed now. Sam had spoken volumes with that small action.
Cas wished Sam was here, that Sam was working with him to help Jack. He missed when he and Sam researched together. He truly felt that he could cope better with Jack’s affliction if Sam was on his side, that they would be united in the common goal of helping Jack. But now, Sam was working with Eileen and Cas was left with Dean who was not too happy with him either.
Cas pulled out the chair at Sam’s desk and he put his face in his hands, feeling absolutely miserable.
Major warnings and tags: acknowledges canonical rape of Sam Winchester
Summary:
S12 canon divergence. Dean carried a cosmic suicide bomb into a meeting with God and his sister, Amara. Cas was thrown clear across the state by a powerful banishing sigil, and Sam got shot and kidnapped and tortured, all while thinking his brother was dead.
And Mary Winchester was resurrected.
Extract: The three of them knew by now how to handle each other under these much too frequent circumstances. It was rarer for Castiel because he was an angel and so he rarely endured the torture they did, but they figured it out quick when Castiel's wings had been forced into tangible existence and battered bloody. In helping him recuperate in the bunker, they discovered there was some kind of emotional-spiritual connection he had with his wings. Baring them to reality was opening himself up as raw as an angel could get, apparently. Just a gentle touch and Cas broke down. Water, a soft cleanser, careful strokes and affectionate kisses and it was like a direct line to the angel's heart.
When it came to Dean, Castiel often took point because Dean didn't even remember a time when he was afraid and didn't have Sam to hold, to protect. It was an instinct now, backed by comforting logic, and in an effort not to rob him of it when he needed it most, it nevertheless kind of put Sam out of commission when it came to orchestrating anything more for him. That's where Cas came in, where he could add another dimension to it. Literally.
And finally there was Sam.
Of course, Sam being Sam, he was a little trickier.
Major warnings and tags: Caretaking, hypothermia, huddling for warmth
Summary:
After both Sam and a depowered Castiel fall through the ice during a frigid hunt in Northern Minnesota, Dean manages to drag them to a nearby cabin to recover. There, long-buried feelings begin to crack and thaw.
Extract:
“It’s not working fast enough,” said Dean, shaking his head. “You know what that means. Cuddle puddle.”
“Oh god,” said Sam, through chattering teeth. “Dean, please d-d-don’t call it that.”
“What is that?” asked Castiel.
“Old home remedy. Sammy here is still cold, and you’re an inhuman temperature at the best of times, so we’ll get everybody situated with some good old fashioned body heat,” said Dean, stripping the bed. “It won’t shock the body and you’ll warm up gradually. Come over here into the blanket fort and I’ll show you.”
“Dean, we don’t need to do this,” said Sam. “You’re half frozen yourself already, you don’t need to – ”
“Sammy, come on, little brother,” said Dean, opening his arms. “It’s okay. Free pass on this one. What happens in Bemidji stays in Bemidji.”
We’re back and ready to celebrate all things Team Free Will.
The stories in this bang can feature Team Free Will and Team Free Will 2.0 (we also accept RPF). For more details on what this means for potential ships you’ll see and more, check the Rules and FAQ.
Bang participation requirements for artists:
For big bangs (stories over 15,000 words)—a cover and two pieces of art.
For mini bangs (stories over 5000 words)—a cover and one piece of art.
(Covers can be derived from the main art piece rather than a wholly original piece in of itself.)
Please note: This schedule is subject to change, should the community have a need for it to do so.
And: When creators need to send us things for check ins, we will email ahead of time and specifically state what it is that needs to be sent. The same for when posting starts.
February 1st 2021: Author, artist and beta sign ups open.
March 1st: Author sign ups close.
April 4th: Author check in with Google form.
May 2nd: Author check in with Google form.
June 6th: 80% fic drafts and summaries due, via email.
June 6th: Artist sign ups close.
June 9th: Fic summaries emailed to artists, by a link to a Google doc.
June 12th: Art claims open at 4pm UTC (5pm BST, 12pm EDT, 2pm AEST (next day)), artists send art preferences via Google form and matches are made on a first come basis.
June 16th: Artists and Authors check in with mods to say they’ve talked.
June 20th: Teams revealed.
July 31st: Latest Artists can send in rough sketches/outlines to mods via email to show progress.
August 2nd: Authors or Artists tell us when they can’t post in September.
August 9th: Posting dates revealed.
August 16th to 31st: Story promos on TFWBB blogs and Twitter.
August 22nd:
Authors final check in - fic should be pretty much complete and in the process of being edited by author and beta.
You must be aged 18 or over upon registration in order to take part in this bang. If you lie about your age, you will be banned from all future TFW Big Bangs and other events run by this bang’s mods.
Authors, Artists and Betas will be sent a confirmation email within 48 hours of signing up. You must reply to this email to complete sign up.
What do I create?
Authors:
A story of a minimum of 15,000 words (big bang).
Or a story of a minimum of 5000 words (mini bang).
The story must feature Team Free Will (Dean, Sam and Cas) at the center of the story or Team Free Will 2.0 (Dean, Sam, Cas and Jack).
Or be a real person fanfic (RPF) featuring Jared, Jensen and Misha at the center of the story (Alexander Calvert can also be included as a central character if you so desire).
Nostory may feature anyone under the age of 16 in an explicit sexual situation, this rises to 18 for RPF.
Your story must be posted in full on your assigned posting day.
See further in the FAQ for more details.
Artists:
For a big bang: a coverandtwo pieces of art connected to the fic (cover can be derived from main art).
For a mini bang: a cover and a piece of art connected to the fic (cover can be derived from main art).
Noart may feature anyone under the age of 18 in an explicit sexual situation.
Noexplicit art may be posted to Tumblr.
No art can be made of photo manipulations.
Notethat this bang runs a no fic left behind policy.
See further in the FAQ for more details
Authors must not discuss their stories publicly on places like social media or Discord servers before claims, unless it is in vague terms to secure a beta reader.You may discuss your story with your beta reader and on the TFWBB Discord server.
All authors and artists must familiarize themselves with the bang schedule.
All authors and artists must make attempts to regularly communicate with each other once paired.
For those taking part, we have created a Discord server. Details about this are available upon bang sign-up.
What are the differences between mini and big bangs?
Basically how long your story is. The Big Bang has a minimum of 15,000 words, and will receive a minimum of two art pieces from the artist plus a fic cover, while the Minibang has a minimum of 5,000 words, and will receive a cover and at least one piece of art.
Do covers have to be completely separate pieces of art from the rest of the bang’s art?
Covers can be remixes of art already created for the fic. But they need to feature the fic title, the names of the artist and the author(s).
How/where do I submit my draft?
We will provide details about this directly to creators nearer posting time.
How long does my story need to be?
You have two options: for a Big Bang, you need a minimum of 15,000 words. For a Minibang, you need at least 5,000.
What does the focus of my story need to be?
Your story must focus on all three members of Team Free Will: Dean, Sam, and Castiel. This means the story can be Dean/Sam, Dean/Cas, Sam/Cas, Sam/Dean/Cas or gen. If you choose a two-person pairing, the third character must be an equal focus on the story.
We won’t be counting words, but please try to stay within the spirit of the challenge. This is about celebrating Team Free Will characters, so have fun with them.
Since 2018, we have accepted interpretations of Team Free Will that include Jack Kline (Team Free Will 2.0), but everyone must still have equal importance in your story.
Team Free Love (Sam/Castiel/Dean/Gabriel) is not accepted for this bang.
Reader inserts are not accepted for this bang.
We will allow pairings where the four are with other characters, such as Sam/Eileen or Dean/Gabriel, BUT that pairing cannot be the main focus of the story.
Are AUs, crossovers and fusions allowed?
Yes, all are allowed. However, the more obscure the other fandom, the harder finding an artist who knows both will be, so keep that in mind.
What about RPF?
RPF is welcome, but must focus on Jared, Misha, Jensen and (if you want) Alexander, and their relationships with each other. So any combination of these four is welcome, as is a gen RPF where no one’s together. Everyone of these three (or four) needs equal weight in your plot.
What about underage?
Please ensure that all fanfic doesn’t include under 16s depicted in sexual situations—this raises to 18 for RPF. Basically, off the page is fine, but not on the page. All explicit art can only feature characters aged 18 and upwards.
Is it okay to write a sequel or prequel to an existing fic?
No, it needs to be a completely new story.
Can I sign up as both an author and an artist?
Yes, but you cannot claim your own fic.
Can I create additional art for my fic/have other artists make banners and art?
Not until a year after your post date.
May I do photo manipulations for art?
Due to issues of quality with manips in previous years, we have decided that photo manipulations are no longer welcome in the Team Free Will Big Bang.
May I do paper art or use alternative physical mediums like textiles or clay?
Yes.
Covers—can they feature explicit art?
Due to masterposts being posted on Tumblr, covers cannot feature explicit imagery.
Will there be promos? Can I advertise my fic on my Tumblr, Pillowfort, Dreamwidth, Twitter, etc?
There will be a formal promo period available to you during August, once posting dates are known. Promos will be promoted on all our blogs and Twitter. Details on how to promo will be made available in August.
Please do not promote stories ahead of this. You will be welcome to reblog/retweet your promos from our official blogs and Twitter.
Where do I post my fic/art when it’s complete?
All fics must be posted to AO3 and made live on your posting date, with the art embedded in the appropriate scenes if the artist allows.
All art must have a masterpost on either Dreamwidth, Pillowfort, AO3, or Tumblr made live on your posting day. Remember that explicit art should not be posted to Tumblr, unless it is extensively censored.
On or before your posting day, both links must be submitted in a post to the TFW Big Bang Dreamwidth, Pillowfort community and/or Tumblr blog. We will share the posting format nearer the time of posting. We will check over the masterpost, and make it public on the appropriate day on all platforms.
Do I need to link back to my artist’s master art post on my AO3 story?
Yes, all stories must have a link that goes to the art masterpost made by your artist. We advise you add this link in your notes using HTML like:
Will there be an AO3 collection for posted fics and art?
You will be able to add your fics and art to the moderated collection via: tfw_bb_2021.
Do I need a Dreamwidth/Pillowfort/Tumblr/AO3 account to participate?
Artists should have at least one to post their art to, and authors should have at least AO3 to post their fic to. No account besides an email address is required for claims.
Masterpost submissions to Pillowfort or Dreamwidth will require an account on the service you want to use. Tumblr may be submitted to without an account. Submit the fic and art masterpost to your preferred platform and it will be crossposted by the mods.
Due to changes in LiveJournal’s terms of service in April 2017, the bang is no longer being actively run on LJ, though may be promoted there.
Can I write more than one story/collaborate on a story?
Each author can write only one story for this challenge. You are welcome to collaborate on a story, but that counts as your one story.
Can I claim more than one fic to make art for?
The first round of claiming will allow artists to claim only one story. If there are still unclaimed stories 24 hours after the claiming begins, we’ll open a second round for artists to claim a second piece or for artists who didn’t originally sign up to participate. If artists drop out after assignments are set, artists can pinch hit as well regardless of whether they’re already assigned one story.
What do I need to provide for claims?
Fic writers will need to provide drafts that are at least 80% complete (with a beginning, middle and (almost an) end) for claims, along with a summary. Specifics on how to do this will be shared via email ahead of the submissions date.
We will not accept drafts that fail to meet this criteria, as it’s not fair on artists.
What is “no fic left behind”?
If an artist fails to meet art draft check-ins, providing proof of art, when required: they will be removed from the bang and a new artist found for the affected bang story.
The only exception to this is those affected by extenuating circumstances who manage to communicate with their author or the mods—in this instance an extension will be given.
What if something happens in RL and I need to post on a different day or get an extension, or something?
Contact the mods, or get your teammate to contact the mods, or get a friend to contact the mods. Stuff happens and we don’t want our bang to be an extra stress, but you need to let us know that you need help so that we can help you. We can be pretty flexible, so please don’t worry and get in touch. You can reach us at teamfreewillbigbang(at)gmail(dot)com.
How will claims work?
There will be a preview doc with each summary posted at least 48 hours before claims and emailed to artists who have already signed up. When claims open, we will email a link to a Google Form where we’ll ask you to resubmit some of your artist details and your top five picks for doing art. We’ll update the preview summaries with notes on fics as they’re assigned.
Do writers need beta readers?
Yes, all fic needs to be beta read for at least spelling, punctuation and grammar.
If you don’t have a beta reader, you can try asking someone from our beta list to beta for you.
Ask on /r/fandomnatural or you can check out our list of beta readers for the bang. Details of this list will be emailed to authors once available.
May I post a WIP?
Works in progress (WIP) are not permitted to be posted for this bang. Fics must be posted complete (i.e. no serial posting).
You didn’t answer my question
Please contact hit_the_books,majesticduxk and fogsrollingin at teamfreewillbigbang(at)gmail(dot)com.
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