#and tackled so many tough subjects in such a great way

[tedsbogusjourney]

Kickstart My Heart

Ted "Theodore" Logan X fem!reader genre : one shot - fluff warnings : english isn't my first language. Enjoy !

The record store was quiet, with no customers this early evening. The music playing softly through the store speakers was Dangerous - Shark Island. You blinked, trying to shake off the usual fatigue that crept in at the end of your day. Your gaze landed on Ted’s goofy smile—the one that always gave you butterflies. You’d grown so attached to him over the years, his unshakable optimism like a beacon. His sunny personality had always lifted your spirits, no matter how tough things got.

You missed him more and more now that he, Bill, and you had graduated high school and ventured into your respective lives.

“How’s work going?” you asked softly, tilting your head slightly. His honey-brown eyes sparkled with excitement as he studied your face, his enthusiasm shining through.

“Totally awesome, dudette! College? Not really my vibe, y’know... I’d much rather be here. Way more excellent!”

He ran a hand through his messy dark hair, his trademark grin plastered on his face. You knew music was his life, even though his dad had never approved it. These days, Ted shares an apartment in San Dimas with Bill. Briefly, you wondered if he still had a strained relationship with his father. Of course, you didn’t dare ask. It was a sore subject, and you didn’t want to dredge up painful memories. You’d seen him defeated enough times in high school, back when his dad used to threaten to send him to the military.

“It’s cool that you’re here,” he added, shifting topics with his usual enthusiasm. “I’ve got a late shift tonight—like, really late. But hey, at least it gives me time to spin some killer records and check out non-heinous releases!”

You noticed his shoulders were a bit more muscular than they’d been in high school, and you wondered briefly if he worked out now. Physically, there had been small changes, but mentally? He was still the same Ted—the goofy, happy guy you’d always known. Sometimes, you wished you could be more like him. You, with your overthinking and constant worries, envied his carefree approach to life. Ted tackled problems with a lightness that disarmed you, while you often let your worries weigh you down. Being Ted seemed so much simpler. Maybe even freer.

“I’m glad you still enjoy the job. Are there many customers during the day?”

“Depends on the day,” he replied, setting a Scatterbrain - Here Comes Trouble vinyl on the counter and absentmindedly running his fingers over the cover. “But weekends? Totally triumphant—you wouldn’t believe it!”

He finally looked up at you, his honey-colored eyes gleaming with sincere curiosity. “What about you? Still with the bookshop, or did you find something even most excellent?”

You shook your head slightly, pulling yourself back to the moment as his sparkling gaze met yours. He twirled the record in his hands before gently placing it on the counter. You were deep down gushing about how adorable he was.

“Yeah, still working at that bookshop. But… I think what makes my day really great is coming here and seeing you sometimes. You make everything feel so much lighter, Ted.”

For a moment, Ted seemed surprised by your words, but then his grin widened even further, lighting up his entire face. “Whoa, for real? Thanks, dudette. You’re, like, totally righteous.”

He spun another vinyl, Motley Crüe’s -Kickstart My Heart song blasted through the speakers. He nodded toward you.

“Check this out. Isn’t it totally triumphant?”

You stepped closer, leaning in slightly to hear better, and your shoulders brushed. Your heart skipped a beat. But Ted, being Ted, didn’t seem to notice your nervousness. He turned to you and murmured like he was sharing a secret.

“This is, like, my all-time favorite song. It always makes me feel like everything’s gonna be okay.”

Of course, your crush on Ted wasn’t new. Elizabeth had beaten you to it back in high school, and the two had dated right in front of you. You’d done your best to hide the pain all these years. It was hard. Bill had told you a few months ago that they’d broken up. You weren’t sure what had happened between them…

You took a step closer to look at the vinyl he held, and your fingers brushed lightly against his. A shiver ran through you, but Ted, ever oblivious, just smiled wider, like everything was perfectly normal. Meanwhile, you felt… different, a little lost in that closeness.

Ted leaned forward to adjust the music volume, and suddenly, there was no space between your bodies. You could feel the warmth of his skin, the familiar apple scent of his shampoo on his dark strands, and your heart began to race.

When he straightened, his eyes met yours, a new glimmer in his gaze.

“Wanna see another vinyl? I’ve got something super excellent to show you.”

You couldn’t seem to find your voice, your breath hitching slightly. Was it the music, the closeness, or just Ted himself making your heart pound so hard? “Y-yeah, show me,” you stammered, feeling like an absolute idiot, your eyes locked on his.

Ted spun another vinyl, and Skid Row-Psycho Therapy song boomed through the speakers.

“So, what do you think, dudette? Isn’t it, like, totally excellent?” he asked, nodding along with the beat, his messy hair bouncing with the movement.

“Yeah, it’s… really good,” you replied, smiling, though you weren’t paying much attention to the music. You were too aware of Ted’s presence next to you.

He leaned on the counter beside you, and suddenly, as if struck by a brilliant idea, he jumped up. “Oh, wait! I’ve got something super awesome!”

You watched as he rummaged under the counter, his usual clumsiness sending objects clattering. Finally, he emerged with an old acoustic guitar, a little battered.

“See this? My secret weapon for when the store’s too quiet. Bill says I shouldn’t play it here, but hey, he’s not around, right?” he added with a conspiratorial grin.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you gonna play something now?”

Ted squinted, exaggerating a look of seriousness. “Is that a question, or, like, a challenge?”

“A bit of both,” you replied, crossing your arms with a teasing smile.

“Alright, brace yourself. I’m gonna play… uh…” He paused, glancing densely at the guitar. “I don’t know what yet. But don’t worry—it’s gonna be awesome!”

He strummed a few clumsy chords, but his beaming grin made the whole scene so endearing that you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. Between two off-key notes, he looked up at you.

“Okay, maybe it’s not exactly most excellent, but… it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Definitely. I’d say you’ve got a unique style, Ted. Like very… Ted-esque.”

He paused mid-strum, tilting his head with a mock pout.

“Unique, huh? Is that your way of saying I’m bad?”

“No! It means you’re… you,” you said softly, your laughter fading as your gaze met his twinkling eyes.

He set the guitar down, the silence returning, broken only by the faint crackle of the speakers. This time, he didn’t step away.

“You know,” he said, his voice lower now, “we’ve known each other for, like, forever. But sometimes, I feel like there’s so much I don’t get…”

“Like what?” you asked after a silence, your breath catching slightly.

Ted shrugged, hesitating, and for once, his usual grin faltered. “Like… you. What you’re thinking...Sometimes you get this look… like, right now.”

“What kind of look?” you asked, swallowing hard.

“I don’t know babe,” he admitted, adorably awkward, his eyes searching yours. “A look that makes me wanna do… this.”

Did he just call you babe!?

He leaned in slightly but stopped, doubt flickering in his eyes. You could almost feel his breath, yet he didn’t move closer. “But I don’t wanna mess things up between us. You’re, like, super important to me…”

“It’s not weird,” you whispered, your voice warm as your hand brushed his. “It’s just… you.”

Before you could second-guess yourself, you closed the gap, brushing a soft, tentative kiss against his lips. The moment was gentle, hesitant, and wonderfully awkward.

Ted froze for a second as if trying to process what had just happened. Then he pulled back slightly, his cheeks red.

“Whoa,” he said, touching his lips briefly. “That was like… totally excellent.”

You chuckled softly, your heart still racing. He nodded enthusiastically, his messy hair adding to his boyish charm.

“… Does this mean we’re, like, the heroes of our own epic adventure now?”

“Maybe,” you replied, your sly smile barely hiding your own nervous excitement. “But in this adventure, you’d definitely be the bard playing questionable chords to distract the dragons.”

“Woah,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Okay, fair point dudette. But hey, with my legendary music, I’ll totally protect both of us!”

He looked at you for a moment and gently placed his hand over yours, his expression almost hesitant.

“Thanks for coming tonight. I know I’m not the coolest or most excellent dude, but… you make everything so much better.”

“You don’t have to be impressive, Ted. You’re already you, and that’s more than enough,” you replied softly, your tone reassuring.

He gazed at you, his grin softening into something more tender. Then, as if deciding something important, he jumped up.

“Alright, it’s official! Next time, we’re going on a real epic adventure! With dragons. And magical records. But first, we’re finishing tonight with another non-heinous song.”

As he searched for the next track, you leaned back against the counter, your heart feeling lighter, basking in the warmth of the moment you had just shared, your cheeks flushed with a soft pink hue.

[hwnglx]

can u do a reading ab sunghoon and jake dynamic ? ty 💓

sunghoon + jake's dynamic

based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!

overall dynamic 10ofp, 4ofc+7ofc, sun kingofsw, fool, 3ofp+world

+ very stable and non-turbulent friendship. there isn't really much drama, arguments or gossip between them. very chill. also, a great dynamic for the team, as co-workers and financially. they know how to work together.

i think part of the reason why things are so easygoing for them, is because there's very little emotional attachment. they don't get into many deeper conversations, don't tackle any subjects that could trigger the other emotionally. i believe that sunghoon has a good impact on jake's overly emotional habits in this regard. he can get too lost in his head and all scatter-brained but things are just fun, happy and carefree with sunghoon. they can both let loose and not think too much.

i also think they feel drawn to each other a lot, because it's uniquely comfortable. i get this vibe they just enjoy being around each other without worrying about anything. the type of friend you can do nothing with, and it'll still be a good time. just a very relaxed, chill and lighthearted dynamic. - as much as it's dramafree, there's just.. like no significant emotion between them. i definitely wouldn't say they don't care about each other, but it's just a very blasé type of dynamic, where they probably don't know much about the other's deeper and more intimate worlds. they most likely wouldn't approach each other if they had a worry, or just needed a shoulder to cry on.

they're co-workers first and foremost. this isn't necessarily an awful thing, but the friendship is just based heavily on work, and doesn't go much further than that. i don't think they'd be that close if it wasn't for the sake of the group. but since they know they gotta get along, they make it work.

how does sunghoon feel towards jake? 7ofsw, 9ofw, 2ofp, 3ofw, knofcrx, 7ofp&hangm

there's like zero attachment here. i think, sunghoon just sees jake as this pretty immature and "on the loose" person who's still a bit like a child. on the one hand he can see him as very endearing (like i don't see him harshly judging him because of it, it's more of a playful eyeroll) but on the other hand, he can just be a pain in the butt to deal with sometimes. requires a lot of patience. he can be too moody, too intense and way too overdramatic in sunghoon's eyes.

jake can also be very closed off despite his emotional nature, where you'll see him cry on the one hand, but once you ask him what's wrong, he probably won't tell you. it can get very hard to access him once he's deep in his emotions. so, there is this feeling of "i know i can't really change you or get to you so i won't even try." for sunghoon, where he just accepts jake as the person he is, and doesn't really.. care enough to be bothered by it. he's just very independent and chill, so he takes people as they are, as long as they don't do him any harm.

i really don't think he "dislikes" jake persé, they get along fine, things are comfortable.. but he just doesn't think they mesh well in the end and are very different.

how does jake feel towards sunghoon? world, 7ofw, emper+3ofsw, 7ofc, pagofw, aceofsw

jake seems to think pretty highly of sunghoon. i keep hearing "okay mister perfect 😒" in my head lmao. he admires how unbothered and strong his band member can be, and sees him as this very elegant, mature and confident man. it makes him look back on himself a lot, it seems. i lowkey get this feeling he aspires to be more like that and gain more control over himself. i think he has this habit of comparing himself and getting a little too self-deprecating sometimes ᴖ̈

there might've been times in which sunghoon's more tough nature hurt jake deep down. some things he said might've affected jake quite a lot, though he didn't make it obvious. he's reluctant and insecure to openly showcase his emotions and can get embarrassed and uncomfortable. he doesn't wanna be looked at as "weak", especially by sunghoon.

he's definitely aware of their differences as well, but seems to see it as something potentially beneficial and interesting. they seem to have some nice, mentally stimulating conversations from time to time, that make jake think a lot. he enjoys talking to sunghoon and being around him for sure.

[fallenrocket]

Unhatched Observations: Parks and Recreation

After I started to figure out that I was autistic/ADHD, I realized just how many of "my" movies/shows/etc. have Big Neurodivergent Energy. Lately, I've been looking through old posts on my blog about some of these stories, and it's been fun to revisit what I wrote about them as an "unhatched" AuDHDer. They're basically wall-to-wall "I love everything autistic and/or ADHD about you," even if I didn't have the words to articulate that at the time. Something else to file under How Did It Take Me So Long to Realize???

Anyway, here's some of what I wrote about Parks and Rec! (Side note: Leslie and Ben are far from the only ND-coded characters on the show. But they're my favorites, so they're the ones I was mainly writing about.)

Favorite Characters: Leslie Knope

Whether it’s overseeing a crazy-making public forum, raising money for an ambitious new park project, or searching for a rogue possum spotted in the vicinity of the golf course, she consistently puts in 125%. Leslie thrives on solving crises, and she never met an issue she couldn’t tackle head-on, usually armed with a fastidiously-assembled binder on the subject and an increasingly-complex multi-point plan.

***

She puts her head for obsessively-detailed minutiae into furthering these goals, and she fights tenaciously to see those goals realized.

***

Among her friends/significant others, she’s known for her thoughtful gifts, her love of scrapbooking fond memories, and the irritating degree to which she believes in people and pushes them to be their best. Not to say that work never gets in the way of a relationship or vice versa, but it’s never because Leslie is consciously letting something fall by the wayside. It’s just that she cares about so much that she inevitably loses track of something or someone every now and then, if only for a short while.

***

Like many people, her best qualities can just as easily become her worst ones under particular circumstances. She’s very confident and take-charge, and that means she sometimes “steamrolls” over people under the assumption that she knows what’s best. She cares deeply about what she does, but when she inflates the importance of a situation too far beyond what it warrants, the whole thing can spiral out of control and turn into an even bigger mishap. She’s honest to a fault, and she’s been known to unintentionally hinder herself in her refusal to be crafty or diplomatic.

Favorite Characters: Ben Wyatt

While Chris is the chipper good cop ready to approve everything, Ben is the spreadsheet junkie who makes the tough calls and the hard cuts. But that doesn’t mean Ben is the heartless villain Leslie imagines, a la Ebenezer Scrooge or Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life. Rather, he’s exceedingly practical and doesn’t mince words about it—when cities are bankrupt, hard decisions have to be made, and he’s prepared to do it. 

***

The man named his calculator, bless him.

***

He’s not a player like Tom or a “man’s man” like Ron, but Ben is very self-assured. He knows who he is, and he doesn’t mind. So he takes it when others tease him about being nerdy or liking calzones (Pawnee is relentlessly anti-calzone.) When he gets flustered or overwhelmed, he doesn’t play it off or pretend he’s more confident than he is. He openly admits to being afraid of cops, and roller skates are a turn-on for him.

Relationship Spotlight: Ben Wyatt & Leslie Knope

While Leslie comes in hot, determined to crusade against Ben the evil budget-slasher that she believes is champing at the bit to fire everyone, Ben is just a guy doing his job, one who demonstrates a surprisingly-high tolerance for her manic steamroller tendencies from the jump. It isn’t long before they start to get to know each other and immediately develop a friendlier relationship.

***

Leslie and Ben, delightfully, are simpatico and complementary at the same time. They’re both hardworking policy wonks with a devotion to government who pay great attention to detail. With Ben, we see that come out in his love for budget minutiae, and nothing makes Leslie happier than filling an enormous binder with every last scrap of information about a planned project. They also share a similar dorky glee for a job well done, a tendency to spiral out when they’re stressed, and a fondness for Model UN. Meanwhile, Leslie is a sunshiny dreamer who uses hyperbole like it’s going out of style and brings an Energizer-Bunny-like determination to the proceedings, while Ben thrives on logic and pragmatism, responding dryly to Leslie’s over-the-top enthusiasm.

***

We see how they get along, and what’s more, we really see how they like and admire each other. Yes, they’re both physically-attractive people and that’s part of their attraction to one another (over time, we learn how much Leslie loves Ben’s butt,) but that’s never presented as the reason why they like each other. Instead, first and foremost, they like one another as people, and the love is born out of that.

[yandere-romanticaa]

I wanna watch puss in boots but im not sure if its worth it yk😭😭

Well, I have an excuse to share this TikTok now! But, I'll give you a legit answer - it really is worth the watch.

EDIT: OH MY GOD, I didn't even realize that I went on about this, my bad. Everything is under the cut if you're interested, kinda spoilers for who the wolf really is but chances are that you already know.

I watched the first movie when it came out and while I sadly don't remember it too well, I can tell you that it was fun. A solid movie, nothing groundbreaking but still really fun and cute.

However, Puss in Boots 2 is a delight that I never saw coming.

Something I realized as I'm writing this is that there are a lot of characters in this movie, like, a lot. We have 3 sets of antagonists, Kitty Softpaws, Perrito and Puss himself and some side characters which we see as well. For most movies it's really difficult to develop just one character let alone this many but I have to give a shout out to the antagonists because geez, I love them all.

The Wolf is by far my favorite and I kind of regret being spoiled by social media of who he really is. His presence alone is so chilling, every time the guy is on screen the entire movie suddenly turns into a horror flick! What I also love is how not evil he is and let me explain that a little better.

Yes, he is Death but he ended up helping Puss in the long run. If it weren't for him Puss would have never realized that he already had everything he wanted and would have thrown it all away by making that wish. Death ended up giving him some "tough love" in a way. Sure, he openly enjoys hunting Puss but that is because Death has his own moral code and he sticks to it throughout the entire film. He is an antagonist but he is not a villain, not like Humpty. He reprimands Puss for wasting his life away but in the final battle when Puss realizes that there are indeed people waiting for him and that he has a chance to live a full and true life, Death no longer wishes to fight him. He instead turns his back and says something along the lines of "I shouldn't have played with my food!" and doesn't bother Puss anymore. After all, Death came to take a cocky little legend into the afterlife, not whoever this new Puss in Boots is. Death walks away like the legend that he is, while telling Puss that they will meet again no matter what happens and Puss accepts this. Just overall great writing for both Puss and Death!

Humpty is the true antagonist of the movie and he is hilarious. He's that kind of villain that's there for you to root for his downfall while also delivering some solid comedy while he is at it. He became even better when that green little cricket was with him, that's absolute gold right there.

Goldilocks and the three bears made me tear up, hah. They are I guess what you would say "redeemable villains" but I don't think that description fits them well, if anyone has anything better to add you are more than welcome to do so. This group is the perfect example of the "found family" trope and I am here for it, the ending was so so sweet and I just!! Loved it!!

I also must give a special shout out to Kitty and Perrito, those two are heroes in their own right! That scene in which Puss is having a panic attack and Perrito finds him and comforts him is just... He is a good boy, he deserves everything! And Kitty, oh my. She endured so much and still managed to come on top in the end is just amazing.

This movie really is perfect for the whole family. It doesn't talk down to kids about the more serious subject matters which it tackles but it's colorful and entertaining in the best way possible. Even the adults have something to look forward to because while the main target audience are children, it's still not childish, it's the perfect golden middle.

My only complaint would probably be that the ending felt a little rushed and that Puss's stay in that cat hotel felt a bit dragged out but other than that, I have nothing else to add. I'd rate this movie a 9.5/10, it's just a wonderful experience overall.

[sigrunwebber]

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[whatsonmedia]

Film Friday: Dive into Must-Watch TV Series

“Dive into these must-watch TV series for unforgettable storytelling and unforgettable performances. Discover gripping post-apocalyptic drama in ‘Fallout’ series, exploring the aftermath of a nuclear disaster with intense survivalist themes and complex characters. Dive into the visually stunning sci-fi series ‘3 Body Problem’ for a mind-bending journey through human nature and the mysteries of the universe. Uncover the emotional depth in this ‘Lojja’TV seies, tackling societal pressures and self-worth in a powerful narrative. Experience the visual feast of ‘Heeramandi’ series, a tale of love and betrayal set in Lahore’s red-light district. Delve into the psychological depths series of ‘Baby Reindeer’, a raw and compelling exploration of the impact of stalking.”

Fallout

Fallout is a dark and exciting show about what happens after a nuclear war. It follows people trying to survive in a messed-up world. The characters are interesting and complex, and you’ll be hooked on their struggles. The filming makes the wasteland look amazing, in a creepy way. The actors are all fantastic and draw you into their scary journey. If you like shows about tough times and how people cope, you’ll love Fallout. It’s a world you won’t forget, even after it’s over.

3 Body Problem

“3 Body Problem is a mind-blowing sci-fi show with amazing visuals that explores big ideas about humans, technology, and the universe. The plot is complex and keeps you guessing, and it makes you think about important things. The actors are fantastic and bring the characters to life. With its great story and surprising twists, 3 Body Problem is a must-watch for any sci-fi fan. It’ll make you think long after you finish watching.”

Lojja

Lojja tackles a tough topic: verbal abuse in a seemingly happy marriage. It shows the pressure society puts on women and how important it is to believe in yourself. Some critics say the story is easy to guess and the characters aren’t well-developed. But it’s still a must-watch, especially if you can relate to Jaya’s problems. The acting is great and it will make you think about your feelings. Be prepared for some heavy stuff, though.

Heeramandi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s new web series, Heeramandi, is a feast for the eyes. The trailer wows with its amazing sets, showing the fancy world of a brothel in old Lahore. But it’s not just pretty pictures. The story follows female entertainers, played by big stars like Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha, who deal with love, lies, and India’s fight for freedom. Heeramandi promises a deep drama in a stunning setting.

Baby Reindeer

“Baby Reindeer is different from other stalker stories. It shows how scary it is for both the person being stalked and the stalker themself. Richard Gadd acts so real it might be weird, but it’s also really interesting. It’s funny in a dark way and kind of creepy, but you can’t stop watching. It’s tough to watch, but if you can handle it, Baby Reindeer will stay with you for a long time.”

FAQ

What makes “Fallout” a must-watch series?

“Fallout” offers a gripping post-apocalyptic drama, expertly weaving intense survivalist themes with complex character dynamics. The series immerses viewers in a haunting world, leaving a lasting impact.

What sets “3 Body Problem” apart as a sci-fi series?

“3 Body Problem” captivates with its visually stunning and intellectually captivating narrative, delving deep into human nature, technological advancement, and the mysteries of the universe. The series leaves viewers pondering profound questions long after the credits roll.

What is the central theme of “Lojja” and why is it compelling?

“Lojja” tackles societal pressures and self-worth within a seemingly comfortable marriage, shedding light on an important subject. It offers strong performances and an emotional journey, making it an important watch for many.

What makes “Heeramandi” stand out as a web series?

“Heeramandi” is a visual feast set in Lahore’s red-light district, showcasing a complex drama of love, betrayal, and the burgeoning Indian independence movement. The series promises a compelling narrative against a breathtaking backdrop.

What makes “Baby Reindeer” a unique watch?

“Baby Reindeer” delves deep into the psychological impact of stalking on both victim and perpetrator, offering a raw and compelling exploration. The series challenges viewers and leaves a lasting impact for those who can handle it.

[ishamishra26]

Time Management Tips for Students Preparing for a Competitive Exam

We all know how crucial ‘time management’ is during any exam preparation, especially when it comes to competitive exams. There are simple ways to navigate through this ‘all-important’ aspect of exam prep. Here are some tips.

Craft a plan, adhere to it

Before you start preparing, get a thorough hold of the syllabus, the exam pattern, and learn all about the important topics. This way, you will easily be able to allot to subjects/topics, and daily revision. Also, be very sincere about following this plan while keeping room for other activities.

Review your plan

Next step is to review the plan to check its effectiveness. Once you’ve started implementing it, you can evaluate the way you’ve spent your time all week. You can maintain a record of everything that you’ve done throughout the week, which will help you alter and update the plan when needed.

Up your productivity

Now, focus on optimum productivity, which is also a very effective preparation strategy. So, choose a peaceful study corner and avoid distractions like social media, TV, and other people. This way, you can stay away from procrastination and stay focussed on the task at hand.

Accelerate your pace of learning

Being through with the entire syllabus is tough, but avoid mugging it. Many students do it, which hampers their overall prep. For, rote learning never helps in understanding what you’re learning and you will forget it in a jiffy. So, understand the topic, make notes, and revise these to hasten your learning.

Shortcut techniques help

Learn all the shortcut techniques you can apply, as they really help. Why? Because, competitive exams do have complex questions and shortcut methods are very effective in tackling these. So, practise them while studying till they become a habit, which will eventually help in answering challenging questions.

Online tests, mocks & sample papers

Taking online tests, mocks, practising with sample papers and previous years’ papers, are a great way to revise and fortify whatever you’ve learnt. This also familiarises you with the actual paper pattern, gives you a sense of the real exam environment, and gives a peek into your weak areas.

Peer pressure, keep it at bay

Learn to say ‘no’ to your peers. All those outings, events, projects, study groups, etc., are quite tempting and give a high, but keep all these at bay. Learn to turn down invites and avoid taking on more than needed. This will reduce your stress and anxiety, helping you to stay focused on your goal.

Time management skills are perhaps one of the most important aspects of any competitive exam, and well-prepared students certainly have an edge over others. Besides the tips we gave, joining an online coaching programme to aid your preparation also helps. TG Campus has some excellent online courses for engineering, medicine and law aspirants, among others, with the best faculty that offers excellent guidance.

[uniqueiasblog]

Beyond the Books: How UPSC Coaching Institutes Elevate Your Preparation

UPSC Coaching in Bhopal is a great way to get ahead in the competitive world of civil services. With so many coaching institutes available, it can be difficult to determine which one will provide the best support and guidance for your preparation journey. Thankfully, beyond books and lectures, UPSC coaching institutes offer more than just teaching materials; they also provide students with an array of value-added services that elevate their preparation process.

One such service that UPSC Coaching in Bhopal offer is mock tests or simulations! These are designed to give students a taste of what it’s like taking the actual exam – from time management skills right down to test-taking strategies – all while helping them identify areas where they need improvement before sitting for their final examination paper. In addition, feedback from these tests allows coaches or mentors at these institutions not only to evaluate student performance but also to customize study plans according to individual needs and goals.

Another way UPSC Coaching Institutes help prepare candidates is by providing career counseling sessions with experienced professionals who have gone through this process themselves successfully or have seen others do so as well. This includes advice on how to best approach different topics within each subject, tips on tackling tricky questions, suggestions regarding resources available outside classroom settings (such as online forums), etc. It helps aspirants gain clarity about their own strengths & weaknesses, which further enables them to make informed decisions throughout their preparations.

Also Read: UPSC Interview Preparation

Finally, many top-notch academies host motivational seminars/workshops conducted by experts in the field who share valuable insights into success stories relevant to today's changing times - something extremely beneficial given the current circumstances surrounding the covid19 pandemic! Such events often inspire participants to strive harder towards achieving desired results despite odds stacked against them, thereby giving a much-needed boost to confidence levels during tough times!

In conclusion, there’s no doubt that enrolling in any good-quality UPSC coaching in Bhopal offering comprehensive courses related to the Civil Services Examination can drastically improve chances of clearing the same without wasting too much precious time & energy! Therefore, if you're looking forward to taking up the challenge yourself, then don't forget to check out the various options provided above to enhance your learning experience manifold!

[edushalabhopal]

5 Essential Supplies Every Home Tutor Should Have in Their Toolkit

As a home tutor, having the right tools and supplies to help your students learn is essential. From books and pencils to whiteboards and calculators, there are many items you need in order to be successful. Here are five essential supplies every home tutor in Bhopal should have in their toolkit:

1) Books - Having a variety of textbooks on hand is important for any tutoring session. Whether you’re teaching math or English literature, having the right book can make all the difference when it comes to helping your student understand complex concepts.

2) Pencils & Pens - A good supply of writing utensils will come in handy during each tutoring session as most lessons involve some form of written work or note-taking from both parties involved. Make sure that you always have plenty of pens or pencils on hand!

3) Whiteboard & Markers - A whiteboard is an invaluable resource for any tutor; they provide an easy way for both parties involved to organize ideas visually which helps reinforce key points better than words alone could do! Just don’t forget those markers…they’re just as important too! 

4) Calculator – Calculators can be great resources when tackling tough math problems with older students who may not want (or need!) extra help from their parents at home anymore but still require guidance while working through equations independently during sessions with their teacher/tutor instead. Having one available makes this much easier (and more accurate).

Also Read: English Home Tutor in Bhopal

5) Clock – Time management skills are incredibly valuable no matter what subject someone might be studying; being able to track progress throughout each lesson by keeping tabs on how long things take will prove useful down the line if ever needed again later on so make sure that there's always a clock around somewhere nearby!

[squidproquoclarice]

On a rewatch and can I just say I appreciate so much how LOK pushes the boundaries of representation so much further, and gives people of all ages characters they can better see themselves in. I adore the ATLA Gaang so much.  But there’s a lot of heteronormative, erotonormative, and amatonormative narrative there that these children are almost all full of romantic and carefully-implied-for-Y7 sexual longing, that they need to be paired up with an opposite sex partner, and are in presumably endgame OTPs before age 18, where they’ll live happily ever after, have children, etc.  Toph is the only single one, and given she’s 12 (and doesn’t have Aang’s trauma-based attachment from losing his entire people plus a pressure on TPTB to demonstrate he’ll marry and have kids to continue the Air Nomads) the ready presumption is of course she’ll soon “grow up” into that and find someone. Then we hit LOK and we find that’s not so.  That there are different ways to live your life and that’s OK.  You have the happy hetero/eroto/amatonormative and cheerfully childbearing couples like Tenzin and Pema, yes, and they’re still great.  But Toph has kids by two different fathers, never married, and didn’t seem especially fulfilled by parenting.  You can debate whether Sokka maybe married Suki, but given their glaring absence in LOK with everyone else’s kids front and center, he never had or has no surviving children (please don’t @ me with the fanon theory that Suyin’s his seekrit love child, not buying it.)  Bumi and Kya are both middle-aged, peacefully single, and peacefully childless, and we find out in the comics that Kya is a lesbian as well.  Korra and Asami are both bisexual.  Mako ends the series peacefully single.  Korra, Asami, and Mako are all still friends after the inter-team romantic drama, and we’re shown with them and with Bolin’s numerous romantic fails that breakups are normal, that a teen romance isn’t necessarily meant to be your lifelong partner.

So we’ve got bisexuals, a lesbian, probable aro and/or ace representation, single motherhood, people who weren’t fulfilled by childbearing, childless adults who aren’t miserable about it, single adults who aren’t miserable about it...it’s just a much richer tapestry, and I love seeing it.

[perpetual-stories]

how can I know what I want to write? I'm just trying to write and I don't know what I can write, when I write like ijust delete it quickly because I don't like it :(((

How To ‘Write What You Know’

Hi, Anon! Thank you for sending in your question! I know writing can be overwhelming sometimes but hopefully these tips can help you “know what to write.” I hope this helps!

What Does ‘Write What You Know’ Mean?

“Write what you know” is a piece of writing advice that many aspiring authors are probably sick of hearing but it’s one of the most common advices there is for a reason!

Writing about what you know can take many different forms depending on your writing process and the sort of creative writing project you’re working on.

Writing what you know can range from your expertise in a favorite movie, tv show, book, anime, manga, etc. that’s why often a lot of the time fan fiction is an easy go to. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the few mentioned, if you like tattoos and know a little bit about them maybe writing characters or a quick sentence revolving around that can be a great idea too! Remember: what you’re familiar with and know is one step closer to fleshing out an idea inspired off of your knowledge.

Even if you’re not a complete expect on tattoos, jellyfish, card tricks or whatever you’re interested in don’t be afraid to try and write about it and do research! A lot of great and established writers are never afraid to do research.

Don’t be afraid to just write/ type out whatever pops in your head, there’s a reason why successful writers have multiple drafts. Don’t be harsh on yourself from the start allow yourself to write the silliest thing in your mind and roll with it. Word vomit on the page!

Buy writing prompt books,. There are a million of random writing prompts that can inspire you to branch off of their single sentence idea and create your own story!

4 Ways to Write What You Know

Writing what you know at its simplest level can involve writing about your own life and first-hand personal experiences. If you’re writing fiction or pieces outside of your life experience, it can take a bit more know-how and hard work to find how you relate to your subject matter.

Follow emotional truths. As a good writer, it’s your job to find a way into the material. One way to do this is to focus on the emotional realities of the characters in your piece and look for common ground. J.K. Rowling has very little in common with the fantastical life of Harry Potter, but that doesn’t mean she can’t relate to the universal experience of a teenager trying to find their way in the world during their high school years. As you start writing, especially if you’re a first-time nonfiction writer or are tackling your first novel, look for emotional common ground with your characters.

Reflect on a period of time in your life. Take some time apart from your work to think about a specific time in your life. This can help you find a way into a piece you are working on. Fiction writers like Ernest Hemingway often take direct inspiration from autobiographical events then loosely fictionalize them to use in a novella or full-length novel. First-time fiction writers might find that taking a specific event from their lives and fictionalizing it will demystify the fiction-writing process and help them break through writer’s block.

Freewrite. Freewriting about your own life, whether it be in journal form or something more abstract, is a great way to figure out connections between your personal life and your writing. At first you may not see how deeply personal your work is because, on the surface, it feels so separate from your personal life. Taking the time to write about your writing and the way it intersects with your life can help you see links and forge a more personal connection with your work

Place yourself in your character’s shoes. If you’re having a tough time relating to your work, take a moment to fully inhabit one of your characters and think about how you would approach whatever situation they find themselves in. You’ll always want to empathize with your characters, but setting aside a specific time to reflect on a character’s motives can help you understand them more deeply. What would you do if you found yourself in your character’s position? In what ways is it reminiscent of situations from your past?

I hope this help you Anon or anyone else who might have trouble!

Please follow and reblog for more!

[pregnantseinfeld]

I believe that I made a post like this last year (though i can't find it because of how bad tumblr's search feature is), so here are some books I read in 2022 that I'd recommend!

Black Reconstruction in America By W.E.B. Du Bois

I started this in late 2021. It's a big thorough book but this is so it can carefully dispel every myth about the period, while also using these details to demonstrate a bigger picture: revealing just how much was gained in a short time, and how massive a squandered opportunity it's end represented. I'll have to write more about this sometime because this history is so engrossing that even seemingly minor tangents it takes somehow made me drastically rethink aspects of present day politics. (pdf)

Capital Volume 1 by Karl Marx

Another tough one I'd started the year prior, I don't want to scare anyone off but I suggest looking into some kind of supplementary material online when tackling it. There's not much I can say that others haven't of course, so I'll leave it at this, once I put in the effort and it clicked, I felt... It's as if somebody told you just now for the first time that living things are made up of cells. I hope that makes sense. (pdf)

Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano

Read this one feverishly, it never hit me until this book how little I knew about this huge portion of the world. While as a historical text it is great, it's also is an excellent teacher on subjects like resource extraction and underdevelopment by using concrete examples. It builds a foundation to understanding the ways"wealthy" countries exploit "poor" ones. (pdf)

The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow

As the fear around climate change understandably mounts there is also a growing need to combat eco-fascist rhetoric. This book takes on the misconception that the day we planted too many seeds in one place we became doomed to an unavoidable demise by offering interesting examples from our extremely long journey as a species. It's a book about how much more complicated we are, and how many unique directions we've taken. We are far from predestined for failure because of Mesopotamian farmers. (pdf)

Other Honorable Mentions!

Blackshirts and Reds by Michael Parenti (pdf) is a quick read and offered worthwhile new insights I hadn't considered, even if I was spoiled on the coolest passages from years of them floating around tumblr. A James Connolly Reader edited by Shaun Harkin is a great collection that got me really into Irish revolutionary and socialist James Connolly who was extraordinarily insightful and is not talked about enough!!! Since I cant find the book itself here's an online collection of his writing. Lastly Shame and Endurance by H. Henrietta Stockel (internet archives) is an account of the Chiricahua Apache's 27 years of imprisonment, a too often overlooked atrocity, that uses sources from this time period to document just how obviously observably cruel this situation was.

[ameriden]

AmeDen thoughts

@ladycolumbia-liberty asked for hc’s and history on them, so I typed up my interpretation on them!

Quick explanation of why I ship it: it started from a crack rp a long time ago! While I didn’t intend to have Denmark and America as a couple at first, we came up with a lot of interesting dialogue and situations that got me into shipping them. They are inevitably friends-to-lovers in most ways I see them get together: a steady friendship where they can be themselves without hesitation, coming to find what they need most in each other is what they’ve been searching for. They both have traumas of abandonment and loneliness to some degree, and their overbearing approach to others mirror their way of coping with it. (This is my personal character flavor of them ofc) 

Historically, both nations are cordial allies (when a US president isn't trying to buy Greenland). Denmark recognized the US after winning independence and established relations, however I like to think they'd be at arm's length in those early years of American history. Denmark had nations/territories under its monarchical rule and the US didn't want European influence in its hemisphere (and Alfred was probably sore on monarchies for awhile). In my opinion, if they were to ever start a relationship it would take root in the start of the 20th century onward.

"Relations" relations wouldn't be a possibility until Alfred tackles the subject of his sexuality. Because I think with all his years, Magnus would be accepting of his attraction to the same sex. I can’t say Alfred would be as quick to resolve his internal turmoil about it and would take his own feelings for camaraderie. There’s room for pining in this era and I couldn’t say how soon it would be for Alfred to come around, but the sexual revolution of the roaring twenties is getting him there (definitely with regards to his idea of romance and sex).

Truthfully, they’re both family orientated people that have a complex history with said families. Some of their traits derive from how they separated from them and it carries through to their own relationship with each other. They take solace in coping with a fractured family and make it a point to be there for each other when needed. For a time they keep their affairs a secret, but Magnus has loose lips when he drinks and Alfred is not as sneaky as he thinks, stealing glances throughout the whole diplomatic conference. While everyone else mostly accepts the arrangement, I think Arthur would be the most upset at being kept in the dark about them. It just strikes a chord for him to see the two of them that into each other (something, something, Alfred the Great..)

The world wars and the US taking active interest in european affairs result in the establishment of the NATO alliance. They’re both founding members, so this is the point of close cooperation between both nations. Peacetime suits their relationship with each other best. There are too many strong emotions unpacking themselves during wartime and they tackle them in opposing ways; Alfred picks at old wounds and digs up grudges that are older than he is, while Denmark is a master at the cold shoulder and can put up barriers that are tough to break through when he gets hurt. I think the cold war brought out a lot of those moments between them due to the stress of nuclear eradication, the world changing faster than before and nations becoming more closely connected than ever in the past.

I don’t like to write or summarize modern history and politics between nations. I like to see them as people first rather than to evaluate their positions as nations and explain away every international blunder. I couldn’t even begin to unpack the nuance of their relationship if the nations were known to the world, because I think they would be scrutinized constantly. 

But if you want any more thoughts on them together a-sensible-unicorn drew this great relationship meme a couple years back, it’s pretty spot on! And I think this post is long enough as it is

[moonlightreal]

This is the “author’s note” I found on the amazon pages for the pretty hardcover Night World books.  My memory is that it was just there, the book-blurb at the top by the cover picture, was this. 

Like a bonehead I just copied the text without grabbing a screencap or noting the date.  The amazon page now has the publication date is December 2016 so this bit of optimism was just before Ms. Smith vanished.  Of course we don’t know when it was written or whose idea it was.  Was Strange Fate really finished or was someone just feeling hopeful? 

NIGHT WORLD Dear Readers, It’s hard to tell you how much the re-release of the Night World books means to me. It has allowed me to come full circle, to complete a cycle that began with Secret Vampire. It has allowed me to finish Strange Fate, which grew into an epic that included roles for almost every Night World character. And Strange Fate allowed me to show the origins of the Night World, the apocalypse that threatens to destroy it, and even a possible future in which the evil side of the Night World prevails. I am often asked how I conceived the idea for the Night World series. It began when I wanted to write stand-alone novels that would combine horror and romance. But I wanted more: I wanted to do a series in which this Night World—a vast, secret world that exists within the everyday world—would slowly reveal itself to readers. That’s why the first book is called Secret Vampire: the inhabitants of the Night World, composed of vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and other supernatural creatures I wanted to invent, are hidden from humans. A vampire is necessarily a secret vampire … because of the laws. I also wanted to write about a new kind of forbidden love. That’s not easy—most good forbidden love topics were old by Shakespeare’s time. But with this series, I could create the possibility of forbidden love simply by saying that the laws of the Night World prohibit a Night Person from falling in love with a human. But I still needed one more ingredient. I needed the rise of the soulmate principle to actively force Night People to fall in love with humans, no matter how hard they fought against it. Voilà! Then it was just a matter of making up interesting characters and setting them loose in my head to see what they would do. I often begin like that: sitting in a quiet room and searching for a sparkle in my mind that could become my new heroine. Sometimes it’s easy and a whole character shimmers before me. Sometimes I only get the faintest firefly glimmer of a new girl, and I have to hold my breath and see if that glimmer will materialize into a three-dimensional person. Heroes and anti-heroes are easier. It’s just a matter of picking one that will be a true soulmate for my heroine. I have a whole collection of these characters in my mind, all trying to crash the party. And they’re usually bad boys. The settings and in-depth plot development are another layer of work. But often the characters just run off and do what they want, and I have trouble keeping up with their antics on my keyboard. One thing I always do is look carefully at my characters and plot from all angles to make sure I’m not plagiarizing a book or series that I may have read before. That’s just normal procedure for ethical authors: we make sure our stories aren’t too much like another story we might have read. Of course, there are many ideas that have been around since the Babylonian myths, and many characters that are archetypal. But, really, it’s almost impossible to take many things from the body of another author’s work—say, someone else’s character(s) or plot or story device—without actually intending to do so. I can’t imagine wanting to do that. I wish I could say every author felt the same. Poppy North is a character I examined very carefully. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t too much like Bonnie McCullough, another petite character of mine from The Vampire Diaries. I didn’t even want to plagiarize myself ! But Poppy convinced me that she was a tough little squirt who by high school had already planned out her future, which is very unlike Bonnie. Poppy was going to marry her mysterious friend James—she just hadn’t informed him yet. Also, unlike Bonnie, she had a fatal flaw in her small body. In Secret Vampire, I knew I was dealing with a serious issue: terminal cancer in a high school girl. So I did a lot of research before deciding on a type of cancer that would be truly inoperable and give Poppy only a month or two to live. I went to several hospitals to talk to nurses in oncology wards. I always brought toys for the hospitalized children, but the whole subject was so heartbreaking I was almost afraid to tackle it. Once I did, though, I found that Poppy was even stronger than I had imagined. In the book, she makes the only choice she can to go on living, and she never looks back. Poppy is one of my favorite girls, and she ushers in Ash Redfern, who quickly became one of my favorite bad boys. Ash has a murky past of womanizing and … well, more womanizing. Ash returns in Daughters of Darkness because he has been ordered by the leader of all vampires, Hunter Redfern, to bring his three runaway sisters back to their cloistered vampire island. But when Ash locates his sisters, he runs straight into the human stargazer Mary-Lynnette, and the sparks begin flying—literally. Mary-Lynnette is a character I made up when I was a kid, and I’m always surprised by how many people like her and Ash together. Mary-Lynnette spends most of the time expressing her feelings for Ash by kicking him in the shins, but their dialogues are some of my favorite passages in the whole series. Ash, in turn, escorts Quinn into the series. And Quinn (who does have a first name, though he rarely uses it) is one really scary guy. A vampire since 1639 A.D., Quinn is sharp, cold, humorless, and heartless. Unlike Ash, who is mainly guilty of an incredibly long series of one-night stands, Quinn enters the series as a human slave trader. That is, he provides vampires with young girls, and he doesn’t ask questions about what happens to the girls afterward. This led to a problem: How on earth was I going to redeem this villain enough to make him someone’s soulmate in The Chosen? I really sweated over that. My first task was to make Quinn more sympathetic. The best way to do it seemed to be by telling a bit of Quinn’s own tragic story: how he falls in love with sweet Dove Redfern, and how her vampire father decides to make Quinn his heir. Dove’s father is Hunter Redfern, one of the most important vampire leaders in Night World history. This is the same Hunter Redfern who, nearly half a millennium later, sends Ash to drag his sisters back home. The same Hunter Redfern who sends his daughter, Lily, after Jez in Huntress. The same Hunter Redfern who tries to turn Delos into a merciless killer in Black Dawn. But, as a boy, Quinn doesn’t know anything about the Night World, and he is deeply in love with gentle Dove. When Hunter makes him a vampire by force and then when Quinn can’t save Dove from being killed, Quinn’s heart freezes over. For four hundred years it accumulates ice—until he meets Rashel. That’s another favorite scene of mine: when Rashel, a dedicated vampire hunter since (guess who?) Hunter Redfern killed her mother, encounters Quinn. A group of Rashel’s fellow vampire slayers have captured Quinn and plan to torture him, and Rashel is left alone to guard him. Quinn, feeling old and tired despite his youthful appearance and great power, gives himself up for dead—and is a little glad to do so. Rashel, however, can’t stomach the idea of torture. When Rashel talks to this most-hated vampire and hears his story, she deliberately sets him free. And that astonishes him. But it’s the soulmate principle working its magic. I loved making two such strong-willed enemies succumb to the silver cord that connects them. I especially loved hearing Quinn warning Rashel not to let him go—and then protecting her when her comrades arrive back in time to see that she’s let him loose. I really loved writing about Quinn and Rashel’s soulmate sequences. As Rashel enters Quinn’s mind, she sees “thorny scary parts” but also “rainbow places that were aching to grow” and “other parts that seemed to quiver with light, desperate to be awakened.” She begins to think that people ask so little of themselves. If the mind of a slave trader can look like this, an ordinary person must have the power to become a saint. It is with this revelation (and much penance on Quinn’s part) that Quinn is redeemed. That’s the thread that binds all the novels together: redemption. The possibility of a second chance. Everyone has choices to make, but even the most evil of vampires can choose to atone and be redeemed. It may not necessarily stave off punishment in this world or the next, but redemption is possible. I’ve been asked who my favorite characters are, and the answer always changes because it depends on the book I’m writing. Right now my favorites are three characters from Strange Fate. As for my favorite couples in the published books? Morgead and Jez—I suppose. Who would find themselves at greater odds than a vampire gang leader and his onetime superior, a vampire who finds out she is half human? I learned some cool martial arts moves as a bonus for writing about them. Then there is Keller, one of my all-time favorite heroines, and Iliana, the beautiful Witch Child, and Galen, ruler of the shapeshifters: the love triangle in Witchlight. Keller starts out seeming brusque and businesslike, but the love of Galen and of the unselfish Iliana help to heal her inner wounds. And I can’t forget Thierry and Hannah, and Circle Daybreak. I created Circle Daybreak because the Night World witches had only two clans: Circle Twilight and Circle Midnight. Those, like Thea in Spellbinder, who belong to Circle Twilight are not-so-wicked witches (that is, they don’t want to exterminate all humans like the darkest witches, those who belong to Circle Midnight), but they are still wicked enough. So what was to be done with all these new soulmates, when Night World law said that they must be put to death? Someone had to make a place for them where they would be safe, and I decided it was Thierry, one of the oldest vampires, and Hannah, his Old Soul soulmate, who has lived hundreds of lifetimes without ever reaching the age of seventeen. They are the ones who revive Circle Daybreak, where humans and Night People can forget about past tragedies and concentrate on a brighter future together. Although Thierry is an old vampire, he isn’t the oldest vampire. There is one older, the one who Changed him. She provides another thread that binds the series: the pitiless Maya. Maya is the first vampire, the witch who finds the secret of eternal life—and chooses to use it for evil. But there will be plenty more about her, including a look at the young Maya, her sister Hellewise, and their mother, Hecate Witch-Queen, in the upcoming Strange Fate. And so now I’ve come full circle, back to Strange Fate. But I can’t finish until I add the other joy that the re-release of Night World has brought me. It’s brought me into contact with you by e-mail. Night World fans write so many intelligent, articulate, courteous, exciting e-mails! I love to get messages from “old” fans, who say my works “got them through high school.” Thank you for them! And messages from new fans, who say they have just read all my reissued books—and are impatient for more. Thank you! And the messages that simply demand: “When is Strange Fate coming out?” Thank you, too! With a full heart, all I can say is thank you, thank you, and thank you again! I never thought I would have a chance to write an open letter to all Night World fans, and I can only wish that you knew how grateful I am … for this second chance. Sincerely, (LJ Smith signature image) P.S. I love to get e-mail, letters, and messages. Visit me at ljanesmith.net!

[sun-undone]

You asked for Druck opinion questions - so here goes one: What are your 3 favourite Druck seasons and the best things about each one? Plus, one thing in each you'd like to change/improve?

ooooooh thank you for this! 

my top 3 druck seasons are hands-down 3, 5, and 6, in that order

i’m gonna talk a lot from memory and not really looking back at any notes that i have for these seasons so i apologize in advance if i forget about some things

let’s start with the best things from each of those seasons first

season 3: it’s really really hard to choose just one thing as being the best from this season, cause there’s just so much good in it. but i think i’d have to say that the thing that really makes druck season 3 stand out so so so much to me is how the writers really said “okay we see isak and even, we see them, we appreciate them, and we’re going to respectfully do our own thing thank you very much”. they completely switched up their isak and even characters, not just by making david trans instead of bipolar, but by changing their entire personalities and dynamic together. it’s so DIFFERENT and fresh and hits me in a personal way that i have to say has been even more poignant than how isak and even hit me when i first got into skam all those years ago. matteo and david really just feel like they are characters that have been specially made with my personal tastes in mind, and i KNOW that i’m not even close to being the only one who sees so much of myself reflected in parts of both of their personalities. i love when remakes switch things up, especially with the beloved isak season, and druck really went there with no fear. they made that shit their own, and the ways in which they did so just happen to pluck at my heartstrings so perfectly.

season 5: this season is just so well-crafted, i think a lot of people would agree in saying that it’s druck’s most well-written season. you can really tell that a ton of work went into the overall story arc, properly addressing very touchy subjects like alcoholism and mental illness, introducing all of these new characters, just EVERYTHING. and what a huge fucking task that is, putting out a new season almost completely from scratch right after pissing off all of your fans. but they fucking delivered. there’s so much good in this season, too, so it’s tough to pick just one element to be the very best. but honestly, i think i’ve gotta say mina’s acting??? i was WORRIED about what the acting would be like in the new gen because i was so impressed by the old gen actors and their ability to really make each of their characters so distinct and personable. so going into the new gen, my expectations were already low for a lot of reasons, and i was kind of expecting to just not be as convinced by the actors and therefore not be able to fall in love with most, if any, of the characters. AND BOY WAS I WRONG. i do think a few of the actors were a bit rocky at first, which was also the case with the old gen so i’m not bothered by that at all, but damn they really stepped it up and blew me away once they all found their footing and chemistry with one another, especially mina. i think she’s the second best actor in all of druck (behind michi and maybe tied with or just above anselm), which is insane considering how young she is. she absolutely killed everything she was given and completely drew me into this season that i was fully expecting to not be able to connect to. i really do think that if someone else had played nora, season 5 and the new gen in general would’ve had a much rockier start. she led us into this new generation of characters with such warmth and natural, charismatic talent, and she deserves so so so much credit for that. she had great material, yes, but she really put in the fucking work.

season 6: okay so i still haven’t rewatched season 6 cause i’ve been a tad preoccupied with a different obsession at the moment, BUT i still just know that this season is fantastic and groundbreaking by giving us a biracial couple with no white person in it, a black lesbian main with a learning disability, and tackling performative activism and racism in a really grounded, realistic way. other remakes could never. just like in other druck seasons, it is incredibly obvious that the team worked their asses off to make this season, especially in light of all the covid restrictions. i'm hesitant to name the best thing about this season because i haven’t rewatched it, so i don’t wanna miss something. i WILL say that the soundtrack for this season is fucking phenomenal and has introduced me to so many new artists, particularly artists of color, which i appreciate so much. druck’s soundtracks are always amazing imo, but fatou’s just has something extra to it that i can’t quite put my finger on. maybe it’s just simply most aligned with my own personal tastes, i really don’t know, but it’s fucking brilliant. i also do have to say that i really appreciate how fleshed out kieu my is as a full character, not just as a love interest. she definitely has an advantage from being introduced in the previous season, but the writers could’ve easily made her stagnant once she and fatou started getting together. but NO, they made her even MORE interesting. she really got a full arc along with fatou, and i just love her so fucking much. once i rewatch, maybe i’ll make another post with a more complete answer, but that’s what i’ve got just from my memories of watching the season live.

now onto the thing i would change/improve for each season (i’ll try to keep this more brief because jesus christ why do i talk so much)

season 3: it’s obvious, isn’t it? david’s outing was done poorly, the execution of episode 8 in general was weird and out of place, it’s the only time that i really felt like the show was relying on shock value and drama (maybe even trauma porn) instead of good writing and conflict. there was a way to teach the audience about trans issues and experiences without subjecting david to that pain and also without having him just be absent for so much of the season. in conclusion, the season needed more david but never at his expense.

season 5: i really think that this season is druck’s absolute best in terms of writing and pacing, so it’s hard to find something that i was disappointed by (i would put this season above season 3 if i wasn't so damn emotionally attached to 3). i’m really racking my brains trying to think of something, anything, that bothered me, no matter how small it was. the only thing i can think of is that i remember a few music moments that felt forced or badly edited to me, but that’s literally all that’s coming to mind right now.

season 6: this season definitely wasn’t as well-paced as season 5, but there’s still not many glaring narrative issues that i can remember. there were a few smaller things throughout the season, but nothing too major. the one that i would most like to change is the stupid tinder/”cheating but not really” thing at the end of episode 8 (i think that’s the right episode number). it was just unnecessary and then completely forgotten about by the writers and characters, which shows how unnecessary it really was. 

ask me some opinions about druck, wir kinder vom bahnhof zoo, or really anything!

[nellie-elizabeth]

Queliot Fic Recs - Master Post (March 11, 2020)

Hi everyone! I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but now that we’re staring down the barrel of the show’s official ending, I thought I’d finally take the time to post a master fic rec list!

A couple of notes:

This is by no means comprehensive; I’m sure I’m forgetting several lovely fics, and will be updating this list as I remember/find more.

This list will not include WIPs (the only exception being where I rec a completed story that is part of a series, and mention that sequel(s) are still in progress). I will add the WIPs I’m reading once they are complete!

I am open to suggestions from others, so please reblog and add your own recommendations! I would love to add to this and make it a one-stop-shop resource for people looking for something new to read.

When I know the tumblr handle of the author, I have included it. But in several cases I don’t know the author’s tumblr, if they have one - if you have this information to fill in, please let me know and I will update the master post. (Also, if you notice any broken links or mistakes - I did my best, but this thing is hefty and I’m sure there are errors!)

This took me… forever to put together, so if you find it useful, please reblog - and more importantly, please leave comments & kudos on the stories you read!

Link to the Google Doc, if that’s easier for you to read.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sIUMZcIcpnZ1_9T3o7dkqUaqEw0miwNTfTuZjvjGto4/edit?usp=sharing

Hefty rec list under the cut.

Season Three Gapfillers/Deviations from Canon

These stories usually deal with the aftermath of the mosaic in some way. Many of them were written before the revelations of 4x05, but some were written later, and either comply with canon, or deviate from it from that point.

shipping it by Mizzy (@mizzy2k). Mature. 16,344 words. The Muntjac “ships” Queliot and is trying to help them along. What else can I say? There’s angst, there’s love, it’s silly and it’s sincere.

Sense Memories by mtothedestiel (@summersteve). Explicit. 2,616 words. This is an ABO fic, which is not something I would typically read. But I love this author so much that I decided to give it a try. The thing I like about it is the idea of the mosaic timeline leaving a tangible, physical impact on Quentin and Eliot, and how they might deal with the fallout in this more extreme scenario. If ABO isn’t for you, though, proceed with caution.

throw your shadow over me by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 8,187 words. Okay I’m going to recommend basically everything peacefrog has written, but this one is probably my favorite. It’s a super angst-y sex scene between Quentin and Eliot during season three, where Eliot believes this is his last chance to be with Quentin, and is basically dreading the emotional fallout even while it’s happening.

i start spinning (slipping out of time) by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Teen. 2,570 words. Before Eliot goes to Margo to discuss the god-killing bullet, he and Quentin have a conversation about Quentin’s choice to stay at Blackspire. Features a heartbreaking memory of their life together at the mosaic, and just generally gorgeous canon-compliant angst.

Promises by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Explicit. 7,751 words. Eliot and Quentin have it out about Quentin’s decision to stay in Blackspire, and hash out their feelings for each other. This one is canon-divergent (and is probably the one-shot I am the most proud of!)

Overthinking It by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Teen. 3,581 words. Eliot finds out about the abyss key, and it prompts a discussion about Quentin and Eliot’s relationship.

Honey You’re On Fire, Let Me Help by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 5,857 words. Quentin accidentally picks up the abyss key… Eliot finds him and does what he can to distract him. This is hot, of course, but also so desperately full of feeling and love. As the summary implies, there is a good deal of depression and talk of suicide in this story, so take care.

Can’t Let Go by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 5,384 words. UGH. This is what SHOULD have happened after Eliot and Quentin remember the mosaic time-line. This is so satisfying and gave me some catharsis in the aftermath of the direction the story has taken in canon.

~~~~~

Post-Season Four Fix-Its

These stories maintain the canon of season four, and continue on from there. They generally involve bringing Quentin back from the dead.

What Matter Where by achray. Explicit. 28,782 words. Eliot becomes Prince Consort of the Underworld. He gets to be with Q when he’s back home, though. This is almost tough to read, because my brain doesn’t want to accept any half-happy endings, any reality where Eliot can’t spend all of his time by Quentin’s side. But on the other hand… Eliot has to make a big, big sacrifice to bring Quentin back, and you definitely feel the gravitas of that.

life ain’t fair (so i guess we’d better cheat) by micksgotkicks (@lovelyquentin). Teen. 1,137 words. This is more of a pre-fix-it. Eliot rages against the heavens for taking Quentin from him, and resolves to get him back. Short and painful. Cathartic.

Being Alive by miss_whimsy (@bambiesque). Gen. 7,022 words. Eliot sends the letter to Quentin with the magical stamp. And when that doesn’t work, he sends a bunch more. This is one of the very few fics on this list that has any connection to season five canon, which I’m not watching. I did watch 5x03, however, and this fic is borne out of Eliot Waugh never giving up - the way we all know it should have gone.

What kind of man (loves like this)? by destielpasta (@queliotpasta). Explicit. 3,160 words. Eliot and Quentin go out dancing. This fic has a certain quality about it that’s difficult to describe - I could just really feel their love for each other jump off the page, specifically in how badly they clearly want to care for each other. This fic also straddles the line between categories - the author describes it as a “fix-it” and it does deal with Quentin’s resurrection in a more immediate way, but the subject matter itself is much more about the aftermath, rather than the actual “bringing Q back from the dead” part.

You’re a Story (I Can Follow) by Page161of180. Mature. 19,695 words. I think everyone’s read this, but how could I not include it? This technically isn’t a fix-it, because it was written before the season four finale confirmed the theory of Quentin’s death. This author, like the collective fandom, assumed that death would be temporary… and thus, this is the story of Eliot being the Orpheus to Quentin’s Eurydice. It is stunning - a gold standard in writing intense grief with a happy ending. Eliot is undone by Quentin’s death here, and has to fight through obstacle after obstacle to get him back - the biggest one being, his own lack of self-worth. There’s also a somewhat-connected sequel/prequel called And Remember What You Were Before (Not Rated, 6,998 words), which is completely worth the read.

(like a perfect picture) in a broken frame by PanBoleyn (@eidetictelekinetic). Not Rated. 20,631 words. Another resurrection/fix-it fic… Really great group dynamics as everyone works on bringing Quentin back, but also a focus on Eliot’s despair. Kind of your standard fix-it, exactly what the characters should have tried to do, in a world where canon hadn’t betrayed us so badly.

life fades (but you remain) by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 62,735. Stunning. STUNNING. Eliot finds a way to get Quentin back, but it comes at a cost. The two of them have to work it out. This features some incredibly good angst with a happy ending, scorching sex, a really intriguing OC in an early chapter, and some nice screen-time for the lovely Alice Quinn, to boot.

as it was by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Mature. 3,913 words. Short and sweet - Penny-40 leads Quentin to where he needs to go, and that’s back home to Eliot.

In the Woods Somewhere by pineapplecrushface (@pineapplecrushface). Explicit. 15,528 words. This is the most creative take on a fix-it I’ve seen! The summary outlines the premise best: “Alice being unable to wipe younger Quentin's memory during the timeshare spell had a ripple effect.” Eliot is so desperate for Quentin in this one, and Quentin, from the afterlife, is having to work out how he feels and where he wants to be.

In Which We Grieve by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Teen. 3,413 words. I hesitate to call this a “fix-it” really, since Quentin doesn’t come back to life. But despite that, he and Eliot make it work. This is sad, but cathartic too.

(this is not a) Temporary Love by rizcriz (@sadlittlenerdking). Teen. 20,684 words. A fix-it that includes some intense mosaic feels too, as Margo and Eliot read over some letters/notes written during the mosaic timeline. I also like this one for how the rest of the gang finally notices how sick and worn-down Quentin is, and forces Q and Eliot to take a mental health vacation once Quentin is back in the land of the living!

~~~~~

Post-Season Four/Post-Possession - Not Fix-Its

These stories take place after the events of season four, or, in some cases, after an imagined ending of season four (written before the series finale aired), ignoring season five canon. They are not fix-its in the sense that either a) they ignore Quentin’s death in canon and proceed like it never happened, or b) Quentin’s resurrection happened “off-screen” and is not the focus of the story. These fics often deal with the aftermath, both physical and psychological, of Eliot’s possession. They also usually deal with Quentin and Eliot’s reconciliation after the events of seasons three and four, and sometimes continue through their time as an established couple.

your body (your heart) in his hands by Allegria23 (@allegria23). Explicit. 18,636 words. This fic follows Eliot and Quentin into their future. I’m recommending it specifically for the way it deals with Quentin’s discipline - I’ve never seen a fic tackle the subject in quite this way, and with so much care and gentleness. If you are not a fan of kid!fic, don’t be put off by the premise - Eliot and Quentin are great fathers with amazing kids in this future universe, but the focus really does remain on their romance. This story is part of a series called second time around which is all worth a read, especially the latest part, entitled The Special Dish. The whole series really embodies the romance of effort, and how putting in the time to nurture and grow a relationship is what makes it work.

Be still my foolish heart (i’m almost me again) by Butterfly (@butterflydm). Explicit. 3,754 words. A birthday fic for Quentin - he’s a little overwhelmed by the party held in his honor. He sneaks off to be alone, Eliot follows him, and Q tells Eliot about his discipline.

Living Room, NY by cartographies (@honeybabydichotomy). Teen. 11,254 words. Eliot goes to therapy. I’m recc’ing this specifically for Eliot’s rambling confession of love to Quentin in chapter two. The whole thing is lovely, but that part really knocked me the fuck out.

Imagine being loved by me. by destielpasta (@queliotpasta). Explicit. 11,225 words. Holy moly. This is a top-tier fave for me. It’s about sex, it’s about love, it’s about working through a relationship after trauma. Eliot is touch-starved but can’t be touched - so Quentin and Eliot must get creative.

Yes and Yes and Maybe Yes by hetrez (@hetrez). Mature. 5,542 words. The author describes this as “consent porn, with feelings,” and that’s a pretty good descriptor. Quentin has PTSD because of the Monster, and Eliot’s touch can be triggering for him. They work together to get through it. This is hot, yes, but it’s hot specifically because of how badly Eliot wants to take care of Quentin and make him feel safe.

The Dreamers by hetrez (@hetrez). Teen. 10,143 words. Post-possession, Quentin and Eliot are together but things aren’t smooth sailing. The scene from this story that always sticks in my head is Quentin asking Eliot if he wants to have a family again, like they did before with Arielle and Teddy - and Eliot’s horrifically wrong-footed response: “You’ll get a wife again and we’ll have another baby.” As might be predicted, Quentin doesn’t take that very well… and this story is at least partially working out where they stand, what they both want.

The Drum Beats Out of Time by HMGFanfic (@hmgfanfic). Mature. 68,605 words. This series features two stories: Suitcase of Memories and I Fall Behind. Both are amazing, but I Fall Behind in particular is one of my top-tier favorite fics in the whole fandom. This fic does not pull its punches in terms of the effects of Eliot’s possession, and it makes things really rough for Quentin and Eliot’s relationship. Quentin does a reckless thing, Eliot panics, they hash it out - but it’s not easy, and it’s not so clear-cut. These fics also features glimpses of their life together at the mosaic, and a lovely epilogue that shows how they’ve made progress and are still healing as a couple.

the right time and place by impossibletruths (@impossibletruths). Teen. 3,675 words. Eliot trying to propose to Quentin. It’s sweet and fluffy and good for the soul.

hearts like houses by impossibletruths (@impossibletruths). Explicit. 11,888 words. Quentin and Eliot celebrate Eliot’s birthday, post-possession. They get away for a trip, to try and put their worries behind them. This story is full of so much intimacy and gentleness that it just melts my whole heart.

five times my writing was better than the magicians by micksgotkicks (@lovelyquentin). Teen. 6,019 words. These are just… soft. It’s five different short fics, all with slight variations on the simple concept of Quentin and Eliot reuniting post-possession. There’s no intensive deep-dive, nothing too grim or challenging. It’s just the two of them finding their way to each other again and again. Very healing to read, in light of canon’s (inferior) version of reality.

struck from a great height by mtothedestiel (@summersteve). Explicit. 4,517 words. “Life affirming sex” is the most telling tag on this thing. Post-possession, Eliot and Quentin find their way into each other’s arms. Really hot sex, lots of feelings… everything we deserved at the end of the Monster story-line.

And So Lift Your Spirits by OrchardsinSnow (@orchardsinsnow). Explicit. 3,437 words. This was one of the first fics I remember reading in the aftermath of my desperate post-season four feelings, and it hit the spot in the best way. Eliot’s POV - he loves Quentin, but has doubts that he’s actually deserving of something so wonderful, that Quentin could really reciprocate and want to stay. Quentin finds an insanely hot, insanely romantic way to reassure him.

Ten Twenty-Eight by Page161of180. Not Rated. 5,974 words. This is slice-of-life about Quentin Coldwater and how he’s spent Eliot’s birthday, October 28, over the years. It’s told through notes from the Library branch of the Underworld, with added comments from Alice and Penny. It’s weird, but rewarding. I love the record-keeping aspect. This author has a real gift for outsider POV, and this is one of my favorites!

Nights and Mornings by Page161of180. Mature. 6,734 words. Two connected stories, in the aftermath of possession. Quentin doesn’t die, but he does still get back together with Alice, a la 4x12. These stories deal with Eliot’s thoughts on that, and… spoiler… Quentin/Alice is just not meant to be. Quentin makes a different choice.

The Honor of Your Presence by Page161of180. Mature. 18,117 words. Quentin and Eliot get married, and we hear the story from three different POVs… Todd, Rafe, and Marina 23. Random? Yes. Brilliant? Also yes. I love how each POV has a different and distinct literary style. And how even the people who aren’t closest to Quentin and Eliot can see how insanely in love they are with each other.

The Wanting Then, the Needing Now by Page161of180. Not rated. 3,799 words. Alice’s POV, as Eliot is saved from possession, and Quentin falls apart. Basically, Alice realizes where Quentin really belongs. I love the way this author does justice to Quentin’s love for Alice - it’s not a footnote, it’s not an insignificant blip. It’s real, and that doesn’t invalidate the fact that Quentin chooses Eliot. This has a much longer sequel which is also very good - but that story is more Alice-centric and not really focused on Queliot as much, even though they definitely play a part.

Lay Me Down (Pockets Full of Stones) by PanBoleyn (@eidetictelekinetic). Not Rated. 10,024 words. Post-possession, Eliot realizes how badly Quentin has been dealing with things. He’s angry at their friends for not keeping a better eye out - but all that matters right now is finding Quentin and making sure he’s alright. I love this story for how messy their reunion is - how all of their feelings just come spilling out of them without finesse.

(one kiss) it all comes down to this by PanBoleyn (@eidetictelekinetic). Not Rated. 6,391 words. True Love’s Kiss… the boys need to talk about their feelings, and a curse forces the issue. This is so entirely my jam.

box of chocolates by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Mature. 9,256 words. This short series begins with the Teen-rated for love (if it finds you worthy) and features Eliot asking Quentin to be his valentine. Because Quentin and Eliot are… Quentin and Eliot, it still takes them a little while to get their shit together, after that.

when lips and skin remember by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 6,163 words. This is for the monthly prompt challenge - “blindfolds” and features Quentin helping Eliot through some sensory issues, post-Monster possession.

an end (but the start of all things that are left to do) by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 2,388 words. Birthday smut! Q is alive and gets a blowjob, as the universe requires.

the one with the dog by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 80,517 words. If you haven’t already read this series, what are you waiting for?? It is IDEAL for soothing the soul. Eliot and Quentin deal with the aftermath of their trauma, both physical and mental. They hang out at the condo in New York, they take care of an adorable dog named Lady Desdemona, they have lots of hot sex of course. They heal. Every single one of the twelve stories in this series is worth reading, but my favorites are probably (this is) the beat of my heart (Explicit, 11,700 words), Five Card Draw (Explicit, 3,531 words), all the way home I’ll be warm (Explicit, 15,640 words), and Come What May (Teen, 3,352 words).

5 Scenes from a Road Trip by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 16,218 words. In the aftermath of season four (sans Quentin’s death), the boys need a change of scenery to begin healing and finding their way back to one another. I love how this fic shows their closeness, and how the boundaries of their relationship often defy description. They love each other beyond sex, beyond conventional romance - although they achieve those things, too, as they definitely deserve.

did you know my baby loves me? by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 7,776 words. Quentin tops Eliot on his birthday. What it says on the tin. But as always with this author, even something that should be ostensibly a PWP is filled with so much feeling and love that you could just drown in it.

To Learn to Be Again by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 18,295 words. “I don’t think- I can’t be anyone’s boyfriend right now, Eliot.” Eliot loves Quentin, Quentin loves Eliot, but that’s not always enough to give them a happily ever after. Quentin goes to therapy, deals with his trauma and his mental health, and Eliot is right there beside him with no expectations. This is so, so lovely and every ounce of their happiness feels earned and all the more precious for the pain that’s mixed up with it.

do not go gentle by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 10,260 words. This is almost a fix-it, in that Quentin imagines the events of 4x13, but they don’t actually happen. So be warned if any depiction of Quentin’s death is a trigger for you. I love the way this story deals with the Alice of it all, and also the way Quentin and Eliot talk through their situation and find a way back to each other once again. (Also shower sex happens). This author has written multiple versions of this same reconciliation, but each one is so lovely and I’ll never get sick of it.

the strange act of living by propinquitous (@propinquitous). Explicit. 13,632 words. So there are a lot of fics out there that deal with the aftermath of Eliot’s possession of course. A lot of fics that feature Eliot and Quentin slowly, painfully, finding a way to reconcile. This one holds a special place in my heart for this particular moment, where Quentin walks past Eliot without saying anything, grabs a muffin from the counter, and leaves the room. Later, Q finds Eliot crying in the shower, and Eliot asks him why he just left, taking the food Eliot had made for him, and then ignoring him. That one moment has stuck with me ever since I read the fic, and I keep coming back to it. In all, this captures a very specific kind of hurt that both Quentin and Eliot are feeling, and gets them on the path to healing. Gorgeous.

the safety of others by propinquitous (@propinquitous). Teen. 8,122 words. Quentin doesn’t die in 4x13, but he does get injured. And Eliot keeps vigil. This is - so powerful. I don’t even know how to describe it. Just read it, please.

Magic Curses by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Explicit. 134,886 words. This series includes six stories, each dealing with Quentin and Eliot’s relationship as they undergo external threats from creative and somewhat evil magical curses. It’s my attempt to write in some more hurt/comfort to the fandom, and also to indulge in some established-relationship goodness! The first story, Lover’s Touch (Explicit, 24,781 words), is summarized thusly: “Q gets cursed, and Alice can’t help. Magic forces Q and Eliot to cuddle and talk about their feelings.”

Coming Home by rizcriz (@sadlittlenerdking). Not Rated. 2,958 words. Short and sweet. The author succinctly describes this as: “Eliot gets to be brave.” And he does. He says the thing he wants to say to Quentin, and Q eventually believes him.

Enough by SabbyStarlight. Teen. 2,746 words. This was written just before 4x13 came out. If only if only this is how it had gone instead… basically just Quentin and Eliot talking about their feelings, negotiating their relationship.

Boyfriend by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Teen. 6,727 words. Quentin is sensitive about the fact that Eliot isn’t introducing him as his boyfriend. This is just… the sweetest. I love that there’s some jealousy and insecurity, but it’s a manageable, reasonable type - Eliot and Quentin are able to talk about it and get past this small bump in the road.

Hunger by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 4,327 words. Quentin gets a birthday blowjob. The end. :)

~~~~~

Mosaic Timeline

These stories are ones that take place almost or entirely within the mosaic timeline - both in keeping with, and in deviation from, what we see in 3x05.

help me hold onto you by ameliajessica (@ameliajessica). Explicit. 14,768 words. This one will hurt your heart, but it’s so rewarding. Featuring Eliot being ridiculously turned on by talking about feelings during sex… and Quentin loving Eliot while grieving for Arielle.

‘Cause my baby’s sweet as can be by destielpasta (@queliotpasta). Teen. 645 words. Tiny fic - maybe the shortest one on the list. Quentin and Eliot are bad at talking about their feelings. Who’s surprised?

flowing all this time by mtothedestiel (@summersteve). Explicit. 5,488 words. This is one of those fics where Arielle isn’t an obstacle for the boys… but rather, Eliot is an obstacle for Quentin and Arielle, in a way. It has some bittersweet moments, but I love how much Eliot loves Quentin here. This is also (spoiler) the rare fic where Arielle chooses to leave, rather than dying.

a cure i know (that soothes the soul) by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 4,857 words. Little snippets of Quentin and Eliot’s life through the years at the mosaic. Recc’ing especially for middle-aged Queliot, which we see all too little of in this fandom!

measure in love by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 51,827 words. This is a series about Quentin, Eliot, and Arielle’s lives together at the mosaic. I don’t know if the author plans to write more in this series or not, but each one can stand alone. I am particularly enamored with The Ways We Fit Together (Explicit, 11,661 words), which is summarized succinctly as “sex and love in the mosaic timeline”, and You Steer My Heart (Explicit, 25,217 words), which follows Eliot’s mindset as he watches Quentin and Arielle fall in love with each other, while Quentin and Eliot continue to love each other as well. It’s stunning, and probably my favorite take on the three of them and their polyamorous relationship. This series has everything - the best combination of smut and feelings you could hope for.

Running All This Time by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Explicit. 179,478 words.The story of the mosaic timeline, built on the foundation of love and communication. To my knowledge, the only completed mosaic long-fic in the fandom thus far! Includes Fillorian nonsense, a quest within a quest, plenty of sex, lots of hurt/comfort, a different take on Arielle, and happy endings for everyone.

Reciprocal by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Teen. 8,259. Eliot is an idiot about his feelings (what else is new?), and he tries to make things better in the worst possible way. This fic imagines a world where Eliot and Quentin find happiness together without Arielle as a part of their romantic/sexual lives.

my heart is thrilled by the still of your hand by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 9,586 words. This is the porn-iest version of “Quentin and Eliot don’t know how to talk about their feelings.” Basically, the boys keep jerking off next to each other in bed, and they don’t talk about it because they’re IDIOTS.

you know that’s my love (bursting loud from inside) by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 11,904 words. Another fic where Arielle decides to leave. Eliot is so good at taking care of his family.

tomorrow past tonight by vegansheilseitan. Explicit. 7,676 words. Okay - if you’re only going to read one gap-filler for 3x05, that’s basically just the missing sex scene and nothing else, make it this one. It’s hot, and it’s aching with everything Quentin and Eliot aren’t saying to each other. This is one of my absolute favorites.

~~~~~

Brakebills Alternate Universe / Season One

These stories are generally, but not always, pure relationship fics where the plot concerns of canon (i.e. the Beast, and time loops) do not exist, and instead Quentin and Eliot get to be magical grad students together, and fall in love.

Every Blessed Thing by achray. Explicit. 7,795 words. Quentin turns himself invisible. This fic is complex in how Alice and Quentin’s relationship is portrayed, and the resolution isn’t clear-cut. I really like this characterization of both Quentin and Eliot.

saturate the atmosphere (wake me from a dream) by Allegria23 (@allegria23). Explicit. 7,394 words. This is some good ol’ sexy times with a healthy dash of feelings. Eliot involuntarily levitates them while Quentin’s giving him a blowjob, so… that’s honestly all you need to know about this one. Go give it a read.

i feel it in my body, know it in my mind by ameliajessica (@ameliajessica). Mature. 11,817 words. Let’s pretend that this is what happened in 1x03, okay? Kady doesn’t interrupt when Eliot pours Q a drink, and sex ensues. I love how flabbergasted Eliot is by everything that happens - especially his reaction to the news that Quentin isn’t straight, and isn’t going to be squeamish at the thought of sleeping with a man. So hot, so cute.

if being him is who you are / say it loud say you know you are by ameliajessica (@ameliajessica). Mature. 5,293 words. Okay, holy shit. Mike’s POV - he decides that he and Eliot should have a threesome with Quentin, so Eliot can get it out of his system. Uh. Yeah, that backfires. Poor Mike. But also - the sex in this is the epitome of tenderness and love. Eliot is so careful with Quentin, so awed and desperate and shaky at the chance to be with him. There is a sequel in the works, too, so watch out for that!

Hedonism for Beginners by ceeainthereforthat (@ceeainthereforthat). Explicit. 20,730 words. A series of filthy sex, basically. Eliot is teaching Quentin about what he likes in bed. I don’t know if the series is abandoned or not, but in any case, each of these works on its own as a PWP but with a deep undercurrent of feelings.

Something Good by HMGFanfic (@hmgfanfic). Teen. 162,260 words. The Gold Standard slow-burn rom-com AU! Seriously, I know everyone’s read this, but if you haven’t for some reason… please do. The slow-burn is so slow you’ll be tearing your hair out by the end, but it’s all worth it when you get to the catharsis. How oblivious can Quentin be about Eliot’s feelings? This fic asks and answers that question, and the answer is - very. There are also two fics that accompany the main story: Someone Good (Eliot’s POV of the main story) and Somewhere Good (future one-shots of Quentin and Eliot’s life together). Both are on hiatus but the author plans to return to them. You can read the existing chapter of each without feeling like anything is unfinished, though.

Not Always Folly by HMGFanfic (@hmgfanfic). Explicit. 262,583 words. Another amazing romantic… comedy? but this one is from Eliot’s POV and is in some ways more a character study of Eliot Waugh than it is simply a romance. Although the romance… you guys… the pining levels are off the charts. Eliot ends up hurting Quentin, and really everyone else he cares about, in this story, but he puts in the work to make it right. I admire this fic for diving deep into Eliot’s psyche while also delivering on an amazing slow-burn of a different sort. Bonus points for Alice and Eliot getting to be friends like they deserve!

Be kind by longnationalnightmare. Explicit. 10,069 words. It’s the highest kudo’d fic in the fandom! I assume that means you’ve all read it? This is a PWP, but I love it specifically for how much Eliot loses his usual control when he’s with Quentin.

to be unbroken or be brave again. by milominderbinder (@disasterbiquentin). Teen. 14,135 words. Hey, it’s a 10 Things I Hate About You AU! Kind of! Josh asks Quentin to pretend to date Eliot to cheer him up after a breakup, so that Margo will go out with Josh. But Q tells Eliot what’s up right away - so they’re fake dating but real feelings happen. Super cheesy, of course, but it hits the spot!

in the world full wrong (you’re the thing that’s right) by Mizzy (@Mizzy2k). Explicit. 5,307 words. Eliot tries to hook up with Quentin Coldwater and gets more than he bargained for. I love this for how matter-of-fact Quentin is, about the fact that Eliot wants to seduce him… and then hpw he ends up doing some seducing of his own.

If You Haven’t Yet by OrchardsinSnow (@orchardsinsnow). Explicit. 5,828 words. Obviously we all love confident Eliot Waugh totally rocking Quentin’s world… but I have a soft spot for oddly confident Quentin who really knows what he’s doing, and this fic has the perfect blend of both dynamics. The best part is Quentin slowly and methodically undressing Eliot and not letting him help. It’s… whew. *fans self*

the heat that drives the light by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 9,296 words. Quentin and Eliot have an antagonistic relationship, until Eliot realizes Quentin might be what he’s looking for in a sexual partner. Sub Eliot, new-to-being-a-Dom Quentin. Super hot.

it started out with a kiss (how did it end up like this) by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 7,896 words. In the aftermath of a bad breakup, Quentin and Eliot find their way to each other. This is super amazing all on its own, but the author is also working on a sequel that I’m really enjoying thus far. Either story could probably be read without the other, too.

the bridge between us by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 16,201 words. Dom Eliot, Sub Quentin. Quentin and Eliot navigate their BDSM sex life, but also their feelings. Eliot is so tender and soft with Q, and Q learns to take care of Eliot in return. This is one of my absolute favorites from this author. Also, as a note, there’s a “prequel” to this fic called paint it red (Explicit, 7,197 words) that could totally be read as a separate piece, but is worth checking out as the origin story of how these two got together and started shaping their dynamics, sexual and otherwise.

(Everyone Has) That Drawer by ProofOfConcept and wilddragonflying. Explicit. 5,782 words. Eliot finds Quentin’s stash of sex toys. It’s enough to get him to finally act on their mutual, unspoken attraction. Hot!

Wake Me Up by rizcriz (@sadlittlenerdking). Not Rated. 4,000 words. Quentin has sleep apnea, but Eliot doesn’t know that… and he gets a little - alarmed. This is objectively an odd premise, but it’s incredibly sweet. rizcriz has about a million stories and I’ve read a lot of them, but I’m a fan of the ones like this, that take a specific concept and run with it, sort of like slice-of-life. Check out more of their work, though, I can’t possibly put them all on the list!

Migraine Mastery by SabbyStarlight. Not rated. 2,012 words. Short and sweet - Quentin has a migraine and Eliot helps.

Between Friends by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 15,019 words. This is the quintessential (Quentin-sential?) Brakebills get-together fic. It’s a party, Quentin and Eliot end up going to bed together… both of them are a little uncertain about what this means, but they work it out. Recc’ing for the hot sex, but even more for the “wake up in the middle of the night to have a tender round two without talking about what it means” sex.

Sex Magic by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 42,006 words. Uhh… what it says on the tin. Every one of these is scorching, but my favorite is probably the first one: How Easy You Are To Need.

All Of You A Verb In Perfect View by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 6,398 words. PWP where Eliot distracts Quentin while he tries to do his homework.

You Can Devastate Me by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 9,018 words. Marqueliot sex scene - Quentin and Eliot are a couple, but Margo is running the show. Just… hot, but of course Eliot’s love for Quentin still permeates the whole piece. So much tenderness, with so much filth.

~~~~~

Alternate Universe (No Magic)

So many of these seem so completely random in premise, but they’re all amazing!

Our Sublime Refrain by destielpasta (@queliotpasta) and mtothedestiel (@summersteve). Explicit. 233,929 words. It’s 1836, Eliot is a pianist. This one is Marqueliot, y’all, and let me tell you - it is a journey. If you are somewhat put off by the idea of an AU so far removed from canon, about a topic you know very little about… please give this a try. I was a little hesitant too, but I promise it will not disappoint.

Pretty Good Year by Hth (@spiders-hth-is-an-outlier). Explicit. 175,728 words. I’m not going to lie - this is a difficult fic for me. It’s stunning, but getting through it was an incredibly emotional, challenging journey. While many fics in this fandom deal with Quentin’s mental illness, I’ve never seen a fic talk about it quite like this one. That’s not to put you off from trying it if you haven’t already - this is one of the most achingly real stories I’ve ever read, and it will reward you for giving it a chance.

opening doors by impossibletruths (@impossibletruths). Mature. 52,230 words. Quentin is a playwright! Eliot is an associate director who used to act! This is a slow-ish burn, and the worldbuilding of the characters in a theatrical setting is so fun!

couch party verse by marcel. Mature. 33,725 words. These two stories feature Quentin, Eliot, and the rest of the gang at a non-magical grad school. The thing I love about these stories is how slow and realistic the escalation of the relationship feels. It’s not a hot hookup right away - they clearly like each other, but circumstances sometimes get in the way, and there’s also no big rush to the finish line. This is a softer, gentler universe that still has its own realism and trauma, too. I hope the author chooses to add to it someday!

Saltwater by mtothedestiel (@summersteve). Explicit. 35,560 words. It’s a pirate AU! What more could you possibly need to know? I love how all of the characters and locations are cleverly repurposed here - the Whitespire and Our Lady Underground are ships, Quentin is a ship’s doctor, Eliot is a captain, etc. And the slowburn between Quentin and Eliot is masterful. This is actually a series - part one is complete, and part two is in progress.

A (Gingerbread) House that we can Build by mtothedestiel (@summersteve), with art by eliotsvests (surprisegents). Explicit. 28,189 words. I am not a cheesy Christmas movie person, and I am not a kid!fic person. So I thought this might not be the story for me, at first. But I’m so glad I clicked on it - this is a story about second chances, and finding happiness when you aren’t even looking for it. And I love the way little Teddy is written here. He’s got all the sweetness of Quentin Coldwater’s son, without tilting over into being saccharine. This is just the right amount of sweet if you want to put yourself back in the holiday spirit.

I’ll Follow My Secret Heart by OrchardsinSnow (@orchardsinsnow). Mature. 17,613 words. I don’t really know how to describe this one… it’s weird! It’s a meet cute, Eliot gets in an accident, there’s a blizzard, bed (floor) sharing so as to prevent freezing to death, Eliot is kinda famous and Quentin doesn’t know. All I can say is, this is precious, and odd, and I got totally swept up in the world.

I Need You So Much Closer by OrchardsinSnow (@orchardsinsnow). Explicit. 14,436 words. I love this story. Eliot is a musician, he and Quentin are exes from years ago, who fell apart because of Eliot’s alcoholism. But he’s sober now, and he’s touring where Quentin lives - so they reconnect. Eliot calls Quentin the “smoke show love of [his] life” at one point in this fic, and that phrase just… stuck with me in the best way. Don’t miss the mini-sequel, You Need Me So Much Closer (Explicit, 3,874 words), either. I really hope the author writes more in this universe!

Experimentation by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 4,812 words. PWP where Eliot meets Quentin at a sex shop and Eliot teaches him what he’s into. Hot hot hot.

(i just might) remember that night by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 4,732 words. This might be crack, I don’t know. There are dick pics, and it’s silly, but also Quentin and Eliot feel this amazing connection to each other right off the bat, and that is honestly my jam.

and if tomorrow it’s all over (at least we had it for a moment) by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Explicit. 45,461 words. Quentin and Eliot were a couple in high school, but they haven’t seen each other in years. They run into each other again at Julia’s wedding, and everything comes rushing back. I like the fact that this fic features very little (if any) angst. The idea is that these two people missed out on their chance to be together, but they haven’t been desperately pining for years. But once they’re back in a room together… their connection is undeniable. Also, the sex is great.

hold me like a (liar) lover does by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart) with art by Doomkitty25. Explicit. 80,812 words. A holiday fic! Fake dating! Mutual pining! So tropey and excellent. Really hot sex, as is the norm for this author! Warning for Alice being something of a villain in this piece, although there’s a potential reconciliation implied right at the end. I love this fic for going beyond just the romance, and also telling a story about Quentin and Eliot’s careers, and what they want out of their lives - in terms of romance, yes, but in terms of their work lives as well.

Ask Me, I Won’t Say No by vegansheilseitan. Explicit. 22,616 words. A… pub trivia AU? Which is a thing I didn’t know I needed? Mostly this is about widower!Quentin, with a kid, meeting Eliot Waugh. They fall in love. The sex in this is incendiary, but the growing relationship between these two is what really makes it worth the read.

~~~~~

Alternate Universe (With Magic)

These stories feature roughly the same worldbuilding as the show’s canon, but the character’s journeys deviate significantly. Maybe Quentin and Eliot don’t meet at Brakebills, or their journey to getting there is different in some other way!

fire and life by everytuesday. Teen. 7,060 words. This is a high school AU, where Eliot discovers his magic, and accidentally kills his father. Quentin helps him to bury the body. It’s a little bit dark, obviously, given that description… so take care.

First Year by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Mature. 11,957 words. Quentin is a Brakebills student, who also happens to be a sylph from Fillory. He has wings, and Eliot is more than a little intrigued. The author may have plans to write a sequel!

push me (further than i thought i could go) by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 15,036 words. Quentin and Eliot meet at a game of Push, and then have their own private contest later on. Mostly recommending this one for the sex, but also for Confident Quentin Coldwater, and for the fact that no matter the circumstances, these boys are gone for each other pretty much right away.

Hedges, Bitch by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 56,568 words. This series has four works, the longest “main” story of which, theón kai andrón, is another personal favorite of mine. It features Eliot as the leader of a coven of hedge witches, and Quentin as a magical novice who didn’t make it into Brakebills. I love the dynamic between Quentin and Eliot in these stories, as they fall naturally into a dom/sub relationship, but Eliot works to make sure the power differential between them doesn’t adversely affect things, either on the job, or in their personal lives. Eliot is just so soft for Quentin in these stories, while also admiring him and depending on him as the gang gets themselves caught up in a dangerous threat to hedges all over the world.

~~~~~

Fillory/Royalty

These stories are sometimes canon deviations, and usually deal with Eliot as the High King, and his relationship with Quentin from there.

oh this is us, this is love and this is where I sleep by buckybunnyteeth. Explicit. 4,360 words. Quentin is jealous of Idri! Eliot is way, way too delighted about it. Really hot. I probably shouldn’t be as charmed by jealous!Quentin as I am. But this is amazing.

Make a list of things you need by longnationalnightmare. Explicit. 10,264 words. Eliot and Quentin are getting married, but Eliot’s okay with keeping it platonic. Quentin… is not. Hot, hot, hot.

i’d be the last shred of truth (in the lost myth of true love) by milominderbinder (@disasterbiquentin), with art by gilestel. Eliot and Margo are made the High Kings of Fillory, and then later Eliot meets a cute Brakebills professor Quentin Coldwater, who is staying at Whitespire for research. There’s a truth curse! Eliot is set to marry Idri, but uh-oh, feelings happen! Tropey as hell, super cute.

and this is the map of my heart by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 14,033 words. Eliot is High King, and he is expected to marry. Quentin magnanimously offers himself for the position, and of course there’s angst about that. And scorching hot sex. And Eliot struggling to be emotionally vulnerable. One of my absolute favorites from the author.

whitespire by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 1,529 words. Eliot sits on his throne, Quentin drops to his knees and calls him “Your Majesty.” So… yeah. Yum.

~~~~~

Brian and Nigel

This is an area where more content needs to exist! Send me a note if there are some I’ve missed.

A Little Disguised, or a Little Mistaken by Page161of180. Mature. 17,807 words. Brian and Nigel find each other, and fall in love. This is gorgeous. Quentin and Eliot are recognizably themselves, but also just different enough that when their real selves start poking through the memory wipe, you can feel the change coming. Another story where canon comes along and steals happiness right out from under them. They were so close!

Shine Through My Memory by PanBoleyn (@eidetictelekinetic). Mature. 61,311 words. This one starts as a fic about Brian and Nigel meeting and falling in love… and then the Monster still possesses Nigel/Eliot, and the events of season four continue from there. But with memories of Brian and Nigel’s love in Quentin’s head, things play out a little differently. We follow the story all the way through to Eliot getting saved by Margo and Quentin, and the reconciliation/reunion afterwards. This fic has a little of everything, and it’s really the only re-telling of season four I’ve seen that covers the canon plot while adding something new and unique to the story!

Reaching in the Dark by sirfoxheart (@sirfoxheart). Mature. 53,040 words. Eliot remembers who he is, but Quentin thinks he’s Brian. Eliot and Alice work together to protect Quentin from the Monster. This is so complex and difficult and sad and challenging, and when you reach the end, you’ll feel so frustrated about how close they were to figuring their shit out. But ultimately, canon comes back to snatch that happy ending away.

~~~~~

Other

The few fics that I couldn’t categorize neatly into any of the above sections.

So It May As Well Be Me by achray. Explicit. 14,596 words. There was only one bed. Trapped in a closet. Sex pollen. Sex magic rituals. Every fanfic trope becomes manifest. Quentin seems oblivious; Eliot is freaking out. This is just the epitome of fun.

our place in the family of things by greywash, with art by yourtinseltinkerbell (@yourtinseltinkerbell). Explicit. 208,582 words. This is sort of a Brakebills AU, I suppose, but it takes place after Eliot has graduated. Quentin comes to visit over the holidays. So here’s the thing about greywash’s prose - they are stunning. They are dense, and complex, and almost hard to read - but I mean that as the highest compliment. This story, and really all of this author’s work, rewards careful study. This story has so, so much to offer. So if you haven’t given it a shot, or you’re intimidated by the length, please give it a try. Featuring Eliot’s complex relationship with his mother, with religion, with his sexuality, with Quentin, with Margo. Featuring a story of queer love that transcends time and convention. Featuring some excellent worldbuilding, especially as concerns Quentin’s family, and Eliot’s career. Featuring beautiful accompanying artwork. Featuring a proposal scene that knocked me the fuck out. Featuring love, in every way.

To Give You Hope and a Future by Page161of180. Not rated. 4,374 words. I couldn’t put this in the fix-it category, or in the mosaic category, or really even in the post-season four category. It’s all and none of those things. Eliot, in the aftermath of Quentin’s death, goes to the mosaic and talks to old man Quentin, who is grieving his husband. This is sad, y’all. But cathartic, too.

Cheat Day by peacefrog (@lizardkingeliot). Explicit. 1,624 words. Set during season four. Quentin misses Eliot, and does something sad and dangerous. Short and… well, sweet is the wrong word. This one will punch you right in the gut.

Movement by pineapplecrushface (@pineapplecrushface). Explicit. 17,036 words. These are three stories that are only loosely connected in that they are about sex, and introspection. They fit into lots of categories - parts of them take place in Eliot’s happy place, parts at the mosaic, parts in the aftermath of possession. All three stories in the series are scorching hot and full of so much feeling. I really admire how they weave through time, following the changing dynamics through the events of canon in a really unique way.

darkness, welcoming by portraitofemmy (@portraitofemmy). Explicit. 17,748 words. I almost put this in the Alternate Universe (With Magic) section, but this is not the same world as canon. Eliot is a vampire! He saves Quentin’s life and then… uh… well, they fall in love, and there’s some blood play. Eliot is super smitten, and it’s precious. Also really hot.

What Was and What Will Be by ProofOfConcept and wilddragonflying. Mature. 35,996 words. This is part mosaic-fic, part post-possession fic… it’s basically just another story of these two idiots being so bad at communication, but finally getting it right. A really satisfying journey, encompassing so many elements of what we all wished for in canon. I especially loved the long and difficult conversation they have during their reunion. The line that really punched me in the gut was: “fuck you for saying ‘I love you’ for the first goddamn time when you’re breaking up with me.”

kiss me harder, you’re better than you know by propinquitous (@propinquitous). Explicit. 4,633 words. This could easily take place in a nebulous post-season-four world, but it exists in its own little bubble and could really slot into any given universe. It deals with Quentin’s depression in a really direct, really devastating way, but also features Eliot being there for Quentin as best as he can. As the tags say, “not the healthiest of coping mechanisms.” But it’s filled with so much tenderness I can hardly stand it.

To Feel the Same by Rizandace (@Nellie-Elizabeth). Teen. 1,725 words. A small gap-filler at the end of the “I think you should probably hug me right now” scene in 2x01.