Orange Otter Pops - Sparta Verse Question

[lovesrain44]

I had a question about Orange Otter Pops - Little Orphan Orange flavor, to be exact. In the past, in my Sparta verse, Sam has been wanting orange otter pops.

He's asked for them, hinted at them, written them in ghostly letters as a suggestion to Dad to get them when he's at the store. Readers have kindly asked that Sam be given otter pops. I have refused them because I want Sam to suffer, and not getting otter pops makes him suffer. That is, suffer more than he already is.

Here's a question: What event would transpire that would have Dad buying otter pops for Sam? Would it be as a reward? Or as compensation? Or just because John's damn tired of listening to Sam go on?

I have an idea about this, but I wanted to know what readers who like Sparta verse would think, and I want to make sure that I'm not softening the summer from hell any - but, I'd like to give Sam otter pops too.

Here's a picture of Otter Pops, in their natural form....

Comments

[geminigrl11.livejournal.com]

This is completely emo of me but PLEASE only give him the Otter Pop wholeheartedly!!! Not in a "then they all melt," or "John takes it away because Sam messes up again, " or "Sam's consoling himself with an Otter Pop because Dean seems to be mad at him for messing up" or "Sam fels too guilty to enjoy it because he doesn't deserve it" way. ONE PURE MOMENT OF OTTER POP HAPPINESS OH PLEASE and then right back into hell...

Can you tell that this entire series has messed with my head, maybe permanently? :) THE OTTER POPS HAVE COME TO REPRESENT WAY TOO MUCH TO ME. *flails*

(On that note, um...reward or compensation). (Feel free to mock me at will).

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

No, no, I will not mock you. No, not ever.

Besides, I really love that you want Sam to have this little treat. I want him to have it too, but it has to be for the right reasons. Just as it wouldn't be fair to give the boy the otter pop and then have it melt, or to have him get one but not enjoy it...it would also not be right for it to be too easy. You know?

So. Under what circumstances should Sam get that otter pop. What, in John's mind, would be an "Otter Pop Worthy" event?

[geminigrl11.livejournal.com]

Thank you. &hearts

Maybe Sam initiates something (research? general hunt efficiency?) on his own that particularly impresses John? Enough so that when he messes up somewhere else as he almost inevitably will (PT, weapons) it still carries through? Or John and Dean have to leave for a day or two (training? hunt? recon?) and Sam is left on his own with a set of very specific tasks and he manages to complete all of them either to John's satisfaction or close enough that John knows he was really trying?

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

I answered this part last because I wanted to think about it. I don't know if John would reward good behavior over any other kind, simply because that's the kind of behavior that he simply expects from his boys.

I'm liking the guilt angle better, even if Sam doesn't know it's because of guilt.

Thank you for this insight!

[geminigrl11.livejournal.com]

Or, from the compensation angle, maybe Sam gets hurt doing something John specifically asked him to do in the way he asked him to do it because John missed something or the weather was too hot/cold and maybe it was something Sam had tried to point out to him but John ignored him and it's John's way of saying "sorry, I should have listened this time..."

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

I love this idea, because I like the idea of John feeling guilty. I mean, he does sometimes, doesn't he. When he's been to mean to Sam, even though Sam can't see it, we can. Oh yeah, guilty John is fun to mess with. : D

[geminigrl11.livejournal.com]

I like this angle better, too. Can't wait (and yet, am simultaneously dreading) to see what you end up creating. :)

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Sam's dreading what I'm going to come up with too!

[serena64.livejournal.com]

I think I'd like it as a reward. After all, we know that Sam has his strengths and it would be nice for John to acknowledge them occasionally.
Does this mean there is new fic on the way? (please, please)

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's a new fic and I keep obsessing about otter pops, so I thought I'd check to make sure I'm not crazy in thinking Sam needs some. : D

[serena64.livejournal.com]

Oh he definitely does. Almost as much as I need new fic from you!

[sirenprincess]

Oh I love this! Thank you so much for the pictures. Wow that brings back memories.

I personally think that John would by the Otter Pops out of guilt. If John made a bad decision that really hurt Sam, in a way he hadn't planned, he might feel enough guilt about it to try to make it up to Sam. I think John does love Sam and wouldn't want to REALLY hurt him. But his plan for this summer is to toughen Sam up. So as long as pain is along the plan, or a result of something bad Sam did, well that's the way things are supposed to be. But if John messed up and got Sam hurt, now that would be something different entirely.

I can't see John giving them as a reward. It doesn't fit with the lesson he's trying to teach. In the real world you don't get cute little rewards for doing what you're supposed to. You do what you do because it's the right thing.

All that said, I'd love to read ANY story you have in your head.

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

You are welcome, my pleasure.

Guilt huh? Guilt because things went awry and he doesn't want to say sorry, yet he wants to make Sam feel better.

The thing I'm reading from all the replies is that it would have to be something significant for John to give them to Sam, because in a way, it means that John's giving in a little bit. So Sam would have to know, without John saying it, that it's a big deal.

Mmmmm. Food for thought.

[bonwriter.livejournal.com]

I agree that the guilt angle would work well. And I'm so excited that another installment is on its way!

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it'll be guilt, and maybe a dash of something else thrown in.

Thank you, yes, there's another installment on its way! : D

[unknownorigin67.livejournal.com]

I know that it might be very emo of me, but the way I see John finally caving about the otter pops is to maybe overhear Sam tell Dean that he doesn't think that their father loves him. Not in a whiny teen way, but sadly detached.

Your John might not be the touchy feely type, but I could see him slipping the pops into the freezer, just as a little sign that he loves his kid, even if he has to be tough on him. JMHO.

[lovesrain44.livejournal.com]

Now that is an incredibly sad and angsty idea! And it certainly is in keeping with the general "John is guilty" theme, so thanks for your comment because it's letting me know that I'm (mostly) going in the right direction with the story. : D