Post 1 - Research

TRIGGER WARNING - the the works referenced within the following text contain (both referenced and explicit) themes that may be inappropriate for some people, including but not limited to: hypothermia, sexual content, existential crisis, blood and gore, self inflicted scars, referenced fratricide, serious illness, near death scenarios, guns, referenced murder, PTSD, violence, depression, self disrictive behaviour, and mental instability. This is also a series with strong religious themes and imageries.

The fanfictions I researched are linked at the bottom of the post with additional trigger lists specific to the work in question,

Please note these warnings carefully and stay safe.

Fanfiction is nothing new to me, in fact, it plays a surprisingly big part in my everyday life as casual reading. As someone who fixates obsessively on one topic for months, if not years at a time, fanfiction is a resource worth its metaphorical weight in gold. For this brief I will be looking at a fandom I return to over and over in between obsessions, Lucifer. Lucifer is a TV series on Netflix centralized on the devil. Tired of ruling hell, he pops topside for a ‘vacation’ on earth. He ends up quite taken by homicide detective Chloe Decker, who is the only human on earth immune to his supernatural charms. Together they solve crimes with a cast of eccentric characters, Lucifer’s enigmatic charisma and Chloe’s good sense making them a good team. It’s a supernatural/crimeshow/comedy aimed at adults, and it’s got some really good fanfiction, so I thought it was a good fandom to analyse.

For a majority of the series, although this changed with the most recent season, very few characters believe that Lucifer is, in fact, the devil. It’s not a secret, he proclaims it with great frequency, but nobody really believes him without proof. Proof that he is reluctant to give lest they go insane at the sight of true divinity or unholy horror. This lead to a major theme of Lucifer fanfiction being the main characters finally discovering Lucifer’s celestial origins and their subsequent reactions. This was a staple in Lucifer fanfiction for a long time, and now that Chloe finding out is canon, the reveal is still being written in alternative ways to this day! It’s not just about the other characters finding out, but them accepting him. Teaching him he is worthy of love, despite being the devil. This man is the most insecure egomaniac in history, and showing him affection with no strings attached is an act of emotional catharsis. This is a theme that I want to work into my story, not only because it’s a classic and fun to write, but it also ties in very nicely to the next theme that is so reoccuring in Lucifer fanfiction: Family

Family, both the one you build for yourself and the one that you are born into, is a major theme in the show and the resulting fandom. The titular character doesn’t hide his distaste for his ‘father’, the way his mother treats him when she makes an appearance in season two is almost abusive, and his relationship with his siblings is all but nonexistent with only a few exceptions. But, he’s not the only one. Chloe has a daughter and an ex-husband, as well as a strained relationship with her famous mother and a great but bittersweet love for her late father. Fanfiction makes a big deal of these characters growing on each other. Characters used to being loners learning to function as a unit and making families for themselves. This ‘family’ is not always limited to the two main leads either. Lucifer’s demonic right-hand, Mazikeen, never had a family. Neither did therapist-extraordinaire (seriously, she’s amazing) Linda Martin. Worthy and Forgiven, by Erya, centralizes on a budding friendship between Dan Espinosa and Lucifer as a narrative device while also incorporating drawing the other characters together, accepting each other warts (or devilish nature) and all, and being there for each other. Cutting ties properly with, or reconciling with (plot depending), their original families, while accepting and acknowledging their built one, is a commonplace trope in Lucifer fanfic. Building support systems you never had before and using it to overcome obstacles rather than self destructing, because that’s a theme too.

A more serious theme in both fanfic and the show in general is self hate and mental illnesses associated with it. Lucifer clearly struggles with self hate and depression throughout the series, in fact he outright says the words “I hate myself.” and “I don’t want to be a monster” in the show. He’s afraid of himself, and what he is, and that’s canon. It’s also fandom fodder. That’s the sort of thing fanfic loves to poke with a stick. It’s also the kind of thing they like to balm. Lucifer in particular, but most characters, display some very self destructive and impulsive behaviours. This is what makes the two above themes so effective. They all correlate. Characters supporting each other through troubled times, even though they feel they don’t deserve the help or cannot be helped. This is is predominantly explored in Function by Liannabob, where after the season four finale, Lucifer returns to hell at the degrading of his own mental health.

And finally, an indulgence, but common one. Fanfiction writers love exploring Lucifer’s power and his age. An angel older than time itself who ruled over hell for eons. Although this is supported by canon, fanon culture takes it further, writing Lucifer as a powerful creature with untold, almost eldritch, ability. It’s a fun way to write a reveal that taps into the occasional thrilling moments the series gives us where Lucifer shows a glimmer of his true nature and ramps them up to eleven. It is frequently agreed that Lucifer lit the stars, the biblical devil being ‘the morningstar’ after all. This is another theme explores wonderfully in Function, his age and time in hell affecting him in heartbreaking depth, with some lovely acceptance of his more feral side from Chloe and her daughter at the end as a balm for the angsty plot. Ariaadagio’s And There Was Light takes a different approach and focuses more on the angel than the devil side, but beautifully crafts a terrifyingly powerful Lucifer with just enough weakness to make the character feel well rounded and not overpowered. Fanfic opens the door for fans to embrace Lucifer’s angelic and demonic side, allowing him to actually use them at length. The writers of the show obviously can’t make him too powerful or they risk breaking their own show, but fanfic writers have no such reserves and can allow him to be the crazy supernatural creature the show hints at him being, but never actually shows us.

The pinnacle of all of these tropes, however, is Castaway by ariaadagio. All of the fics I’ve mentioned have had every one of these themes to a degree, they’re staples of the fandom after all, but this particular fanfic deserves a specific mention for how much it stands out. Clocking in at a truly impressive twenty six chapters and over one hundred and thirty thousand words Castaway was the most popular Lucifer fanfiction on Ao3 for years only recently having lost its throne with the rise of a Good Omens crossover. It is the perfect embodiment of all three themes I’ve identified while being just… A really good read.

I feel like I gushed for a lot of this post, but Lucifer fanfic in particular tends to be amazing. That’s a pleasant side effect that comes from a fandom of a show with an adult demographic. I’ve decided, after taking a look, that I want to write a reveal-fic with found family elements that explores the supernatural tones of the series.

I have a few ideas, so I’d better get cracking! Stay tuned to catch that coming out in a few weeks!

Reference List:

Ariaadagio - And There Was Light. Retrieved March 6th, 2020, from

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12233841?view_full_work=true

Trigger list: Hypothermia, sexual content, existential angst, near death experience, blood and gore, self inflicted scars

Erya - Worthy and Forgiven. Retrieved March 6th, 2020, from https://archiveofourown.org/works/9329171

Trigger list: Implied sexual content, referenced fratricide, self inflicted scars

Ariaadagio - Castaway. Retrieved March 6th, 2020, from https://archiveofourown.org/works/9329171

Trigger list: Near death scenario, serious illness, guns, blood and gore, referenced murder, implied sexual content

Liannabob- Function. Retrieved March 6th, 2020, from https://archiveofourown.org/works/19129918?view_full_work=true

Trigger list: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Violence, explicit sex, depression, self distructive behaviour, mental instability