Down to Agincourt

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Fanfiction
Title: Down to Agincourt
Author(s): Seperis
Date(s): 2014-present
Length: 1,121,318 words; 4 works (WIP)
Genre(s): Slash, Endverse (Apocalypse AU), Canon Divergence AU
Fandom(s): Supernatural
Relationship(s): Dean Winchester/Castiel
External Links: Down to Agincourt series on AO3
Cover Art created by bratfarrar for the series, the artist also created several pieces for each story in the series

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Down to Agincourt (often shortened to DtoA or DtA) is an epic-length canon-divergent Supernatural fanfiction series by Seperis. It is set in the post-apocalyptic "Endverse", a parallel reality featured in Supernatural season 5 episode 4, "The End", and focuses on the pairing of Dean Winchester/Castiel (Destiel). The fanfiction diverges from "The End" when canon-universe Dean is trapped with Endverse Castiel and his group of survivors. Rather than returning to his own universe like in episode canon, Dean decides to join their fight.

The fanfiction is noted for having its own "micro-fandom" that creates fanworks, runs a subreddit, and organizes events such as challenges.

The series is known among fans for its literary tone, expansive worldbuilding, plot twists, and well-written OCs, as well as being extremely slow burn, in a way that one commenter remarked "gives new meaning to the word". As of January 2024, the series has nearly 6,000 comments on AO3. It is often recced and sometimes considered a must read in Destiel fandom. In academia, Agincourt has been analyzed as a case of transmedia spin-off and a source of renewed interest in fanbinding and book arts.[1][2]

The title comes from a fanpoem about Shakespeare's play Henry V: "Harry Takes the Field" by Bratfarrar. From the series description on AO3:

There is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to war.

The outcome's known. Why try?
Return your rusty sword to battered sheath,
bow your head and bend your stubborn knee. Why
take the field when you cannot win the war?
But Harry -- he went down to Agincourt.

- Harry Takes the Field by Bratfarrar

The Series

While technically a WIP, the author has stated in private communication that the series, which will eventually be comprised of eight books, has already been completed in advance of its release. The series was last updated on August 20, 2020.

seperis also posted the first section of The Game of God Chapter 24 to Tumblr on December 25, 2017.

The Forever King

seperis posted an AU of their own series - specifically a spin-off of Chapter 10 of A Game of God - called The Forever King. It currently has three installments, posted between December 2015 and December 2018:

  • The Once and Future King (prequel to In the Hall of the Mountain King)
  • In the Hall of the Mountain King
  • All the King's Men

All three are completed oneshots. In the Tumblr post for All the King's Men, seperis talked about how much fun they had with it, writing,

I don’t say this is my offering of guilt to DtA readers, because hey, I love this story, but–it is a little, which is of benefit to all. When I’m frustrated with the bullshit that is my mental health, I remember I’ve never had this much fun with my fic, and that helps.[3]

Reactions and Reviews

This is the Endverse fic you always wanted without the hate fucking and abuse. It is honestly publish worthy, but unfortunately there’s no way to change the plot enough to make that happen. Give it a try I guarantee you’ll love it.[4]

My single favorite thing to happen to the supernatural fandom.[4]

If you think you might like extremely slow burn Destiel in a surprisingly upbeat End!Verse, with a very well drawn End!Verse Cas, and you can handle 500, 000 plus words and counting (!) then go read Down to Agincourt[5]

First, this fic takes place in End!verse, which sometimes people (read, me) shy away from because it can be emotionally draining. In End!verse, Cas and Dean are just so broken that it can be hard to read. But this fic is different. Mainly because there is a twist. It starts with the Cas of 2014 but throw into that Dean from a different timeline, one where Sam didn’t say “yes” and the whole dynamic between these characters is changed. With the knowledge that Sam is alive and well in another universe, Dean can focus on Cas and the ongoing Apocalypse. And he throws himself into these missions beautifully. Dean working so hard to slowly build Castiel up and bring him back from the disaster that his life has become is so inspiring and heartwarming you will squee with joy at their interactions. And while End!verse is usually gut wrenching, this is actually one of the funniest fics you will ever read.[6]

ever since the destiel fandom emerged from the primordial ocean, this is the best thing that has ever happened to it and honestly? we don’t deserve it[7]

This is the slow burn to end all slow burns. DtA is not one of those fanfics where Dean and Cas get together early on, or have massive amounts of sexual tension throughout the fic. Instead, it’s in it for the long haul, which I love as in many ways it’s more realistic. The fic’s all about Dean and Cas growing closer together and evolving with each other as they’re stuck in impossibly awful circumstances. Hence, massive amounts of emotional investment and reader tears as we just want them to “kiss already”.[8]

This is the first installment of the Down to Agincourt series and I highly recommend this fic. I am on part 4 now and I can't put it down. It's a great endervse fic with many twists and turns and leaves you wanting more. The Destiel is a very slow burn, actually it gives new meaning to the word :-) But that being said, it's well worth it. It's sad, it's emotional, and pretty true to character.[9]

This—this what? this one enormous novel? series of four long novels? Der Ring des Nibelungen? 20-volume edition of the OED? epic love poem in paragraphs?—this is, is—oh god, y’all. It’s everything. It’s life, it’s the thing. It’s—I swear on a battered stack of Carver Edlund pulps: it’s everything you didn’t know you needed. And I am tragically convinced you won’t read it, because it’s a) exhaustive, if not exhausting; and b) pretty much utterly unlike everything else on AO3, anyway anything I’ve ever read...? But that very difference is exactly why you should read it.[10]

And this is why I love Down to Agincourt so much. in SPN, magic works cause… magic. Yeah, their are vague rules but they also change depending on the writer and how they can shoehorn something they want into the story (not mentioning any names). But in this fic, magic, like science and nature, has rules and the two weave together beautifully. I love that @seperis challenges us readers to think, to investigate, to google long dead Romans, magic lore, and sheepapuses (sheepapi?).[11]

This complex, dense and beautiful story has generated its own micro-fandom with spin-off fics, artwork and lengthy philosophical comment discussions. It’s also hilarious (don't talk to us about hippos).[12]

Fanworks and Fan Activity

Down to Agincourt has inspired a fanwork collection on AO3.

Fans of the series, calling themselves Agincourt Agitators Anonymous (A3), also have a tumblr page, a twitter account, and a subreddit for discussion, as well as an annual competition called the Camp Chitaqua Games, named after the fictitious Kansas location of the story.

seperis frequently interacts with Down to Agincourt fans on Tumblr, answering fan questions and providing extra detail about the series, as well as reblogging fanworks for the series. These posts (as well as their own posts of fic installments) are collected under a Down to Agincourt tag.

In the vein of Dracula Daily, Agincourt Daily was launched in 2022.[13]

Related Fanworks

Sample Art Gallery

  • Human Skills by tkodami, Dean and Cas sittin’ on a roof, actually enjoying each other’s company!

    Human Skills by tkodami, Dean and Cas sittin’ on a roof, actually enjoying each other’s company!

  • Endverse Castiel by bamf-castiel

    Endverse Castiel by bamf-castiel

  • Images of: a finger pointing out a spot on a map; dean cocking a gun; a mug of a hot beverage on a table; silhouettes of Dean and Castiel filled wit stars, with the text 'Light the World'; a notebook and pen; Castiel loading a gun; a finger tracing a road on a map.

    Gif Set created by culturethatcounts, featuring quotes from the series

  • Gif created by okayoticneutral, featuring a quote from A Thousand Lights in Space the third novel in the series

    Gif created by okayoticneutral, featuring a quote from A Thousand Lights in Space the third novel in the series

Further Reading

References

  1. ^ Stein, L. (2018). Of Spinoffs and Spinning Off. In A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, P. Booth (Ed.). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119237211.ch25
  2. ^ Jacobs, Naomi and Lowe, JSA (2022) "The Design of Printed Fanfiction: A Case Study of Down to Agincourt Fanbinding," Proceedings from the Document Academy: Vol. 9 : Iss. 1 , Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35492/docam/9/1/5
  3. ^ Fic: All the King’s Men (SPN) by seperis via Tumblr, posted December 30, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "The must-read SPN fanfiction list: Fandomnatural's list of favorite Supernatural fics". Archived from the original on 2012-02-12.
  5. ^ "March 17, 2015 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2020-01-19.
  6. ^ "October 20, 2015 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2018-07-04.
  7. ^ "Sari Adri's fic rec". Archived from the original on 2020-01-09.
  8. ^ "August 4, 2015 Tumblr Post". Archived from the original on 2020-01-11.
  9. ^ "Destiel Fanfiction Recommendations". Archived from the original on 2015-06-03.
  10. ^ "Or, The Best End!Verse Fic You Might Never Read". Archived from the original on 2019-01-12.
  11. ^ "about the geas". {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  12. ^ "The Rec Center #73". Archived from the original on 2024-07-21.
  13. ^ Welcome to Agincourt Daily by lu, posted to the Agincourt Daily Substack 29 June 2022. (Accessed 09 January 2024.)
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