(blink)
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | (blink) |
| Author(s): | thuviaptarth |
| Date(s): | 2008-09-19 |
| Length: | 552 words |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | Supernatural |
| External Links: | LJ, Ao3 |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
(blink) is a Supernatural Dean/Castiel story written by thuvia ptarth. This oneshot was the first Dean/Castiel fanfic posted to Ao3, and is a very early example of a Destiel fic. It was originally posted on Livejournal the day after Castiel made his first appearance on Supernatural.
- A blink is so long.
As of 2016, this fic had 9 comments, 77 kudos and 2142 hits on fanfiction archive Ao3.[1] This work also saw 20 comments on LJ where it was originally posted.
As Supernatural entered its final season, (blink) began to get more engagement from fans. Following the canonization of Dean/Castiel on November 5, 2020, many more fans sought out the oldest Destiel fanfic on Ao3 to congratulate and celebrate with the author. Thuvia who had left SPN fandom many years before this, responded with confusion on Twitter.
I appreciate the enthusiastic comments on my sole Destiel story, SPN fandom, but I haven't watched an episode of the show since 2012 and have no idea what you're talking about.[2]
On November 27 2020, following the series finale, a widely circulated Tumblr post incorrectly crediting (blink) as the first Destiel fanfic, led to further engagement with this fanfiction. On the 29 November, Thuvia updated the author's notes on (blink) to thank her readers and provide clarification.
11/29/20: Hello to everyone dropping by after the Supernatural finale! Thank you for the kind comments.To answer the most common questions:
1) I don't have any opinion on the Supernatural finale because I stopped watching the show in 2012.
2) This is not the oldest Dean/Cas fic; it is probably the third or fourth oldest. In Season 4, Supernatural fandom (at least as far as I participated) was on Livejournal. A lot of the earliest Supernatural stories just never got migrated to AO3 later, or, if the authors migrated the stories, they didn't bother to backdate them.
To find the earliest Dean/Castiel stories, you're probably best off looking at the LJ Supernatural newsletter roundups for the Season 4 premiere:
As of 18 December 2020, (blink) has 94 comments, 1070 kudos and 9139 hits on AO3; with much of this engagement occurring in 2020.
Fandom Reactions
Livejournal Comments (circa 2008)
This is lovely and penetrating. I love your use of the 2nd person, and the sensuality portrayed here.
Oh, I like hearing an Angel think. I love how Castiel's enamoured of Dean, how curious he is of his human beauty.
I love the alien perspective here, the way it seems to encompass the macroscopic and the microscopic, the subjective physics of heat and light and gravity and imperfection.
AO3 Comments (circa 2020)
Wow, so this is officially the first Destiel fanfiction on AO3 huh. If only they knew how gargantuan the ship would become in the coming 12 years. Now in 2020, Supernatural is ending and Destiel might become canon and this will still be the starting point of it. Damn.
wanted to check in for history, the first destiel ao3 post (as far as i can tell). wonderful work. i am currently paralyzed by a combination of the election remaining undecided on the third day, putin retiring, destiel becoming homophobically canon, dabi confirmed as endeavor’s son, and so much more........ i’m so tired. love the detailed writing!
I have journeyed here to the nigh-beginning of a fandom ship! I've been reading fanfics since ye olde AngelFire, LiveJournal and FFdotnet era, but I wasn't into Supernatural at this point. I have to say I am very impressed by this story! It's short, sweet and is incredibly descriptive and evocative - of Dean being lifted from perdition, of the immediate impact their first encounter has on both of them. I love it and thank you so much for writing it.
From the bottom of my clown heart: YOU'RE A LEGEND, MY FRIEND!!! Not only this is the first (THE F***ING FIRST) Destiel fit ever written on AO3, but it's also HELLA GOOD!! I hope that, wherever you are, you're proud of what we accomplished as a fandom and just now that we'll be forever grateful for your contribution to our clown nation💚💙🤡
References
- ^ (blink), archived page from May 17 2016
- ^ Tweet from thuvia ptarth, 6 November 2020