#I'd probably write a proper fanfic of this one day in the future but that's going to be suuuuper private.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

10 Jikook Fanfictions Part 1

I said I'd make a list before the end of the year and I kept my promise. Now, it's difficult to choose, especially when I have more than 300 bookmarks and unfortunately I also started doing that some year and a half ago. Safe to say, there's probably plenty of good fics I read that are now lost. Anyway, enough with the boring chit chat, here's 10 random jikook fics in no particular order and most likely, several other parts will follow, probably next year 😉

1. Dead in the Water

It's been a couple of years since I read this and honestly, I barely remember much, but what I do know it's that it had an impact on me. Usually fics that have death as a central theme end up resonating with me, but perhaps it's because I've always been attracted to more darker fiction. This one is gritty and there's a lot of pain and I must have cried a lot (those tend to stick in my head)

2. we're holding hands beneath the silver screen

I think this story is taking place in the 90s (you'll see that a lot of the fics I recommend are taking place in the past). I think I ended up reading everything ChimneyCricket wrote, but this one remained a favorite. Coming of age during a summer in Jeju in the 90s. Apart from the theme, it's the writing that made me stick with it.

I'm not the biggest fan of young adult stories. Or better yet, it's not something that I'd go to as a preference. When I do, it's more of an indulgence and thankfully, I found some writers (like this one) who can do a really good job with the genre.

3. Stockwell

Another writer that I've become a big fan of after reading one fic of theirs. And I think it might have been Stockwell that did it for me. I like that it's fanfiction with adult themes for an adult audience. And I also resonate with a lot of the cultural references and themes. I will also admit that this fic leaning into the enemies to lovers trope was a selling point because I'm a sucker for it. I can't help myself.

4. Burn for You

This is a complete self indulgence for me and I embrace it. Just like watching Bridgerton is a guilty pleasure for which I don't actually feel guilty (and the inspo for this fic). This story has everything and I must say the combination of lust, fear of revealing feelings, rumors, proper behavior and hidden romance is a lethal combination!

5. Light of a century

I might have recommended this story before, but it being inspired by Up on Poppy Hill is not just due to the plot, but the writing is able to evoke that studio Ghibli mood. This fic is to be read on a hot weekend afternoon.

6. Map of the Soul

This might be one of the most complex fanfictions I read due to the amount of research needed, but also in the depiction of political contexts and identity politics. Most of all, I like it because as much as relationships are a vital part of the story, there is an entire world surrounding the main characters. Events and other people that have also room to develop and not just remain props that advance the story.

7. Proceed with Caution

I don't know what snatchim did with this fic, but it's the only one I ever reread multiple times and I'll probably do it again in the future. I don't even reread books from my library, let alone fanfics. But Proceed with Caution did it for me. Perhaps it's because of the process of Jungkook inevitably falling for Jimin and even though it's a bad thing considering the context, it's so good. Maybe it's the image of Jimin with a bellybutton ring or maybe because the picture of hot Californian days in the 70s is so vivid, it feels like a nostalgic Paul Thomas Anderson movie.

8. Dishwater World They Said Was Lemonade

The description does not do this story justice because it's so much more than that. It's a canon compliant thriller with really complicated and complex characters and once again, a story meant for adults who understand that it's fiction. Unfortunately, judging by the comment section, a lot of people cannot distinguish betweem real people and characters. For those of you who might be fans of Korean thrillers, this story might be the one for you. It's also one of my favorite jikook fics as well.

9. souvlaki

Need I say more, considering the description? This is a self indulgence as well, but of a different kind. If I happily read tropey fics, I also like the ones that can sound like a uni course. Set during the 1997 FMI crisis in SK, any reader will get familiar with a socioeconomic and political perspective of that time through the eyes of the main characters. If you're only looking for romance, this one is not for you.

10. you wouldn't remember

I think littleflumes might be currently my favorite writer of canon compliant jikook. I think the author really captured their dynamic in its essence and the room left for fiction perfectly fills in the holes left in the last 2 years and up until the present. But what did it for me, not only with this story, but the others in the series as well, is that it's concentrated almost entirely on the two main characters, almost living in a bubble of their own in which their relationship can be explored.

[khalaris]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Ooh lots of fun questions, thank you @justhugsplz for tagging me <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

25.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

61,430 which is absolutely mind-boggling to me. And of those about 45k are Tatort Wien. Which I started writing exactly one year ago. For comparison, I've been writing fanfic for over 20 years and until I fell into Tatort fandom in 2021 I'd posted less than 3k in total.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Exclusively Tatort Wien at the moment. If I ever manage to peek my head out of that particular rabbit hole, I might get back to some Münster WIPs. Not in the near future, though :D

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Aufgeben -> Der Anruf -> Die Welt in unseren Händen -> Bordsteingespräche -> Loslassen

Haha, Tatort Münster with a little sprinkle of Wien. I don't usually sort by kudos, so it's a bit surprising to see Die Welt in unseren Händen rank so high. Well, high in a range between 75 and 34. That's just how it is in small fandoms :D

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, always. Sometimes it takes a while to get to it. But I always want to take the time and energy to write a proper response, because a) if someone else took the time and energy to tell me how they feel about my story, the least I can do is tell them how much I appreciate them commenting. and b) A comment always feels like the start of a conversation to me. I remember the long comment/discussion threads under fanfic on Livejournal and I miss the community of that. Nowadays it often feels like there's this growing gulf between author and reader, probably because of the current content creator/consumer culture that does little to invite equality or discussion.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Silence, a Torchwood CoE fic about John Frobisher's last moments.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Bordsteingespräche. I'm really proud of how everything came together in the end in that one :)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope, thankfully never.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

If you'd asked me that a month ago, I would have said no. But recently I kind of got over my terminal embarrassment at even trying to write anything smutty. I haven't posted anything yet, but there's several fics/chapters in the works. Tbh I don't find vanilla sex interesting and most of the usual kinks in fanfic are either squicks or a snooze-fest to me. The stuff that I am writing is either weirdly specific kink or just downright unsexy (which my characters are having a frankly outrageous amount of fun with atm, bless them).

I'm a bit hesitant to put any real smut in a fic that isn't actually primarily about the smut. I fear enough people might be put off by that, so hardly anyone would end up reading it then. Bit of a stupid fear to have, perhaps, but still...

(Yes, I know, I should just get over it and simply write and post whatever the hell I want 😅)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've had a lot of crossover ideas over the years, but the only thing I've ever written was an MCU/Agents of Shield thingie I hacked out during NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago. Let's be honest, that combination is the least crazy crossover of all time and hardly counts as a crossover at all. Like 99% of the stuff I've ever written during NaNo, it's completely horrible, unfinished and should never see the light of day again.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've translated Bordsteingespräche myself, but was very unhappy with the result, which is why it's unavailable at the moment. It's going to get reworked at some point.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Many many years ago, when the world was still young and some of you not yet born 😂, the lovely @hope-calaris and I cooked up a tentative plot for a rather ambitious Star Trek: Voyager fanfic. We didn't end up writing that one, but later co-wrote a CSI: Miami one with someone else iirc and I believe there might have been a 4400 (?) fic, also. Due to depression, my memory of that time is hazy at best, though, so it's possible that I'm missing or misremembering things there.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Didn't expect this question to be so difficult to answer, but is kinda is... 🙈 I guess any combination of my 3 Tatort Wien blorbos. Apart from that, Boerne/Thiel and Stephen Strange/Tony Stark are ships I can always come back to.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The aforementioned MCU/AoS time-travel epic.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, especially banter-y dialogue. And editing sentences/paragraphs for maximum impact (when I take the time to do it)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action. What characters are doing, how they're moving, getting them from A to B and so on. Ugh.

External conflict. I despise conflict in real life and find it extremely difficult to write. You won't find an antagonist in any of my current stories or wips. And when I do write conflict between characters, that's always rooted in their internal conflicts and mostly the result of them not communicating properly.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

It's very hard to do right. Translations in footnotes are annoying and leave me confused while reading. Translations in brackets behind the dialogue also annoying and missing the point of having different-language dialogue in the first place. It can be good when the author puts enough context there that you can get the gist of what is being said without needing an actual translation.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

X-Files. There's probably some 23-year old notebooks in the back of a drawer somewhere at my mom's house that have fanfic snippets mixed with homework assignments.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oof, that's another difficult one. I have several that are favourites for different reasons.

Bordsteingespräche for the sheer joy and ease with which it was written.

Kaputt for how much of my heart and soul I'm putting into it.

Die Welt in unseren Händen, because after twenty years of trying and failing I am now finally writing an epic long-form multi-chapter fanfic and I have so many plans and ideas for it. I cannot put into words just how wild that is. And I simply adore this version of my favourite characters.

No-pressure tagging @carlomenzinger, @kathastrophen and @all-my-worlds-a-stage if you want to :)

[couldbebetterforsure]

You should write your own version of Ash in Paldea fanfic because i would like to read it

Anon, my dear, I am sooooo sorry it took me FOREVER and a day to respond to this ask! As much as I would like it I feel that would be a bit much for me to write a proper worthy fic! Such a fic would take a shit ton of planning and time and I already had some still in progress fics that have long been waiting to be updated! But your ask did make me wanna at least do a run through of which of our Paldea Pokémon would Ash have most likely gotten had he been able to hang out in Paldea! Let’s go through them one by one (or evolution group by group)! Some of my answers will be short one sentence stuff but others might be more wordy! Overall though it’s gonna come down to “can I picture him with one based on how well I’ve gotten to know him over the past 20 something years?”

I’m leaving out the four ruinous treasures Pokémon as they are considered legendaries and Ash doesn’t officially get the legendaries unless they are the “follow you from the start” ones like Nebby in Alola was for him. As for the Paradox Pokémon I was originally gonna include them (other than the legendary versions again) since I'd generally consider them to be similar to Ash's Poipole/Naganadel in being more special than other Pokemon but still fair game. However I thought it over more and considering the game emphasizes the whole "Paradox Pokemon will more than likely cause harm to the ecosystem as they are outside their own time period and so need to be kept in Area Zero where they and those around them will be safest" I think it'd be FAR more likely for them to be used in special episodes like the Ultra Beasts were treated in the Alola anime.

For the record my own opinions and biases are at play here! If anyone reading this has their own thoughts please share them!!! I definitely wanna know what others think on this!

Koraidon-Miraidon: Like I said earlier Ash doesn’t get the legendary unless they’re with you from the start and that’s the category the raidons fall under! I think either one could work well with Ash and while personally I would love Miraidon as that’s my baby I feel like Koraidon would probably mesh better with Ash’s vibes. I can actually imagine a storyline where both Professor Sada AND Professor Turo exist and are clashing with their ideals regarding past and future (so both kinds of Paradox Pokemon will be around to run amok). And while Ash gets one of the raidons as his buddy the other raidon (the alt one instead of a copy) can play as Ash’s raidon’s personal antagonist. How the relationship between the two raidons change over time would be interesting to see!

Sprigatito-Floragato-Meowscarda: The Galar anime brought an end to the tradition of Ash being guaranteed at least one of the starters. And before that Kalos broke the tradition of Ash for sure getting the grass starter. But I still feel like the Sprigatito line has the best chance of being part of Ash’s team of the starters. Is this partially fueled by how for every generation to date Ash and I have meshed on starter choices (yeah I guess that doesn’t mean much for the generations he got all three for BUT STILL!!!!) Plus I love the idea of Ash getting a Grass/Dark kitty to go with his Fire/Dark kitty Incineroar!

Fuecoco-Crocalor-Skeldirge: This friendly fella does have a fair chance, although I picture it following the same vein as Oshawott or Rowlet or Totodile before it.

Quaxly-Quaxwell-Quaquaval: Again, I can see it but in the sense of being treated like Oshawott, Rowlet, and Totodile were.

Lechonk-Oinkologne: Hmm, I can’t really see it.

Tarountula-Spidops: Really can’t see it.

Nymble-Lokix: You know, I can sorta picture it. Not one of those “oh yeah totally fits” ones but if it did happen in a canon setting I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at it.

Pawmi-Pawmo-Pawmot: As much as I adore this line Ash NEVER gets the Pika clones since his main buddy is the original Pika pal!!!

Tandemaus-Maushold: Nah I don’t see it happening.

Fidough-Dachsbun: Listen I would LOVE if Ash got this line! My boy deserves an adorable puppy Pokemon okay? It would be the cutest shit imaginable and I would be all in for it! But in a canon setting I personally would be pleasantly surprised if he got one rather than thinking it’s one of those almost guarantees. But holy hell do I want a universe where this dream is real.

Smoliv-Dolliv-Arboliva: I find this to be an adorable little guy who evolves into an interesting guy but I don’t know I can’t exactly see Ash having one. But I can’t exactly give it a hard no either because Ash’s Sewaddle-Swadloon-Leavanny was one I didn’t think would work but ended up fitting more than I expected and the Smoliv line kinda is in that same category.

Squawkabilly: Don’t really see it.

Nacli-Naclstack-Garganacl: Originally I would’ve given this one a pass but I’ve kinda grown on the idea of Ash having one? I don’t know I guess it’s a step above my reasoning for the Nymble-Lokix line for some reason. Yeah, this is one of those “I can’t explain why but the idea is more interesting than expected” ones.

Charcadet-Armarouge-Ceruledge: FUCK YES! Please it would be a travesty if Ash didn’t get one okay? I actually have an idea that follows that plot that tends to get repeated of Ash taking in another trainer’s abused Pokemon. Ash taking in this poor little Charcadet that had been let down over and over by its previous trainer and slowly learns to find a new happier and healthier home with Ash and his friends. And as it grows stronger over time it also has to face up to those emotions it feels over what it went through with its old trainer. And trying to sort through those emotions and how it grows and accepts different aspects of itself and what happened to it and how it will live on comes together when it has to decide which armor it will wear, and thus whether it evolves into Armarouge or Ceruledge. And honestly I think good arguments can be made for it picking either evolution (Ceruledge is my baby so I want that option so badly) but I feel like Armarouge and everything that evolution stands for may ultimately be the one that it takes.

Tadbulb-Bellibolt: Another one of those “don’t picture it too well but wouldn’t be too surprised if it happened” ones.

Wattrel-Kilowattrel: This is a tough one in that Ash has a habit of getting a regional bird (though this tradition is not that set in stone but still happens). But Paldea doesn’t exactly have a true regional bird. The closest would probably be the Wattrel line. I don’t know I’m really fond of the idea of Ash getting one but I’m not as set on it as I expected to be.

Maschiff-Mabosstiff: I don’t think so. I mean a small part of me can picture it but for the most part I feel like this fella is way more associated with my guy Arven. And in this hypothetical anime with Ash I do indeed picture Arven in it and of course they’d give him Mabosstiff.

Shroodle-Grafaiai: I won’t give this one a hard no. I’m not sold in all the scenarios I’m picturing but I can warm up to the idea.

Bramblin-Brambleghast: Not really seeing it.

Toedscool-Toedscruel: Haha I live for the silly run this guy has in the game but no I don’t see Ash having his own.

Klawf: As much as I think this goofy fella is entertaining I don’t see one ever joining Ash’s squad.

Capsakid-Scovillain: I can’t imagine this spicy fella with Ash at all honestly!

Rellor-Rabsca: No I can’t see it.

Flittle-Espathra: I really like the evolution of this line but I just can’t see one meshing well with Ash. But part of me would want it to happen just to see how the anime would make it work!

Tinkatink-Tinkatuff-Tinkaton: Listen I’m surprisingly invested in the idea of Ash having one of these fellas on his team. Like it can be genuinely cute and cool and I actually like picturing Ash helping out Tinkatink with gaining bravery and confidence, and how that growth and bond between them affects each evolution.

Wiglett-Wugtrio: Nah, not at all 😂

Bombirdier: Not seeing this one either.

Finizen-Palafin: I’m more into this than I expected! I can’t say hard yes or hard no. But I like the idea of it and would wanna see how it would work in the anime.

Varoom-Revavroom: I don’t see it.

Cyclizar: I don’t see it. And it’s not just because I believe Ash would get one of the raidons, even if they didn’t exist I don’t see Ash clicking with a Cyclizar.

Orthworm: Gosh I love this silly looking guy so much but half the fun is when it’s that giant Titan sized one and unless Ash gets that giant goober what’s the point???

Glimmet-Glimmora: Another one I really don’t picture Ash having for his own.

Greavard-Houndstone: No I don’t see it. I actually picture this Pokémon to be more evolved in a special episode with Ryme that goes into her backstory rather than Ash getting one.

Flamigo: Gosh I want it. I find the idea so funny! And I think Ash could actually work well with one of these guys. Just….the idea of Ash going around with what is basically a fucking flamingo 😂😂😂

Cetoddle-Cetitan: This is yet another one of those 50/50 “can’t say yes for sure but can’t give it a firm no either” ones. I actually find the idea of Ash getting one cute!

Veluza: Don’t see it.

Dondozo: Another don’t see it.

Tatsugiri: And a third don’t see it, sadly!

Frigibax-Arctibax-Baxcalibur: This is an odd one in that you can make a fair argument in either direction and I’d probably say “yeah I get it” every time.

Gimmighoul-Gholdengo: Ahhh this oddball. Yeah sorry, I cannot imagine it in the slightest.

Annihilape: This is one where it’d be nice to have Ash’s Primeape make a comeback for a potential evolution into Annihilape! And you know what it can be a fun episode of character growth of Primeape centering on whether or not it WILL evolve and what that means for it and its character and all the training it has done so far and will continue to do. Plus I love me those good old evolution drama episodes they make for some good character stuff!

Paldean Wooper-Clodsire: I adore this adorably cuddly fella so much!!!! But hmm I just can’t imagine Ash with one. Like I try to picture it and it just doesn’t come through.

Farigiraf: Not really. I never really could picture Ash with a Girafarig to begin with, so it hasn’t really changed with the evolution.

Dudunsparce: Nah, I don’t see it. I can imagine it showing up in a couple joke episodes though!

Kingambit: You know I like the idea of it. Ash finding a small Pawniard who so desperately wants to become strong but is a tiny fella always pushed around. And Ash helps it to train and prove itself to the other Pawniards. And by the end it proves it has grown but knows it needs to explore more to gain more strength and improve. And how better to do that than by joining up with Ash in his journey to ever grow and improve as a Pokémon Master in the making! And we get to watch the little guy grow over several episodes into Bisharp and finally Kingambit.

Paldean Tauros: You know what I was originally gonna say no because Ash already has his herd of 30 Kantonian Tauros. But I started imagining a fun episode where maybe Ash runs into a Paldean Tauros that, for some reason, doesn’t have its own herd and is having difficulty integrating with another. Maybe Ash tries to help this Tauros bond with various herds over the episode but all failing while also he himself bonds with the Tauros. And maybe Ash at the end is like hey I have a bunch of Tauros of my own and they’re a great bunch would you like to join? And Ash has this Paldean Tauros meet his own 30 Kantonian Tauros and at first it’s like “oh Paldean Tauros has already been rejected so many times what if it happens again?” But then the Tauros happily let the Paldean Tauros join the herd. And fuck man now I’m invested in this 🥹

And yup, that’s all my thoughts on which of the Paldean Pokemon Ash would likely get if we did get a Paldea anime with him!

Yeah I know like 99% of my “no” choices basically just came down to me being unable to imagine Ash with that Pokemon 😅 But I did say my opinions would A) basically come down to that and B) be biased because how can it not be? But like I said earlier I would LOVE to hear any other thoughts, both from those who agree or those who disagree. Whatever, I’m game! It’s a fun little thought exercise, right?

[arcgeminga]

Imagine: PhantomPros enters Sanctuary if Hades' army defeats Athena and he discovers Renata living alone among the ruins, trying to protect the gold cloths of Cancer and Gemini.

— PHANTOM ASPROS; Hades' Victory AU

*Little pretense: since this is based on my PRIVATE AU plot that I had with a dear partner of mine nearly 10 years ago, there are some tweaks. Such as: 1.) Phantom Aspros is brainwashed by Thanatos, not manipulated by Youma & the Demon Emperor Fist. So, Phantom Aspros, in the Private AU, wouldn't remember his life prior to his mortal death, which means that he won't 'snap' back to his normal self after his loved ones are killed. He has no recollection of anyone thanks to Thanatos' tortures. (My Private AU version of Thanatos is not connected to Ren or her Thanatos at @/deus-exstinguit). 2.) In several discussions with @/eclipticis, we agreed that Hades' goal is to restart humanity. We believe that Hades, after he cleansed the world of the 'ungrateful' humans, will perform a True Ressurection to his Specters and have them restart the human race in the world. With that in mind, in this specific drabble, Aspros is going to be truly resurrected and would probably take up a leadership role similar to the Pope Position of Sanctuary (Pope of ''New Rome'' maybe?? /galaxian'd) Anywho, to the story:

The order was clear: eradicate any living pest in Sanctuary grounds. The Gold Saints were dead, Athena was beheaded, and the land had to be cleansed of these annoying 'justice' rats before it can start anew. To prevent any of the animals that managed to escape the massacre from getting any bright ideas, Lord Aiacos had suggested that they destroy the Gold Cloths, and Aspros found himself agreeing to this notion.

Those things weren't anything more than a nuisance anyway.

The heels of his midnight jeweled armor clicked against cracked cobblestone as he patiently walked up the stairs to where the Gemini rests. He passed the body of many of these brave men and women warriors, but he did not care if their blood stained the rocks beneath his feet. The phantom continued his casual stroll to the Temple of Gemini. Almost as if it was second nature to him, when he arrived at the dilapidated temple, Aspros quickly navigated his way to the pedestal room.

What he didn't expect was the little girl that defiantly scowled at him as her little arms were clutched around an arm of the weeping Gemini and the claw of the ever so silent Cancer cloth. Both of the armors were heavily damaged but still retained their form.

"What bothersome pests, these brats of Sanctuary," Aspros laughed under his breath as he walked toward the little girl and the two cloths. He didn't expect to discover the Cancer Cloth here, but all the better anyway. He flicked a strand of black hair from his face before he calmly approached. "Have you nothing better to do, child? Shouldn't you have joined your bothersome brothers as they were slaughtered?"

He didn't know if he spoke fact or not. Some of these Sanctuary dolts managed to escape thanks to the sacrifice of the Gemini Saint. The few Saints he knew that escaped were the Sagittarius, the Aquarius, and the Leo Saint, along with a few trainees and children they managed to gather in a short amount of time. It took the Gemini Saint's last burst of cosmos to transport them somewhere, then his body gave out like a fly.

It filled Aspros with apathy as he stared down at the unfamiliar face. Only an empty curiosity filled his mind. Aspros watched the man die a slow and painful death as he bled out from his wounds.

"Papa, you've really forgotten about us?" the little girl sniffled, her dark eyes glimmering as new tears formed and slid down her dirt-covered face.

"I don't know who you're calling 'papa', brat," Aspros felt his lips stretch into a smirk, his cosmos flaring dangerously in response to his growing frustration.

He was getting annoyed with how many people were trying to communicate with him as if they were familiar with him.

The Specter hastened his steps toward the little girl, nearly breaking out into a sprint in his hurry to end her puny life. Yet, as she squeaked from fear, the weeping Gold Gemini Cloth let out a screeching sound through its cosmos.

The horrendous wail spiked Aspros with an instant migraine, and he dropped to his knees clutching his head in an attempt to block out the sound. He glanced up through the haze of pain just in time to see a spacial fissure rend the area around the child--and just as instantly as it appeared, it closed.

The Gold Cloths and the child disappeared along with the unprecedented cast of Another Dimension.

Aspros had to take a moment of silence and careful breathing before his headache subsided enough to a bearable degree. He rose to his feet - his mood thoroughly fouled by the Gemini Cloth's cruel trick. Unfortunately, he was incapacitated for a little too long to go chasing after the little girl, wherever the Cloth took her, but no matter. The world was going to end anyway and start anew from its ashes...

The phantom turned his heel and stumbled from the chamber.

No matter... No matter at all...