#did i mention the gilmore girls vibes?

[kkpwnall]

the roads lead back to you || rated m || chapter 1

a 1990s second-chance winter rom com

huge shoutout, thanks, and all the love to @judasofsuburbia for beta'ing and squealing in the notes at me <33

[read on ao3]

Immediately after defeating Vecna in spring break of 1986, Eddie left Hawkins without a word and never looked back. Now, ten years later, he’s forced to come back to town, and he can’t seem to avoid the friends he left behind. Steve has spent the past ten years putting everything he has into keeping his ragtag family together and running the local diner, with almost no time for anything else. He’s been nursing a not-so-quiet grudge against Eddie since the day he left, so when he stumbles back into Steve’s life, he dredges up all the old feelings Steve thought he left behind years ago. In the winter of 1997, will they take another chance to start over or will the ice between them smother the spark?

snippet under the cut!

Diner Guy’s got a stately patrician nose that looks like it’s been broken at least once or twice and finally healed crooked. A jaw square enough to hang a picture off of. Stormy hazel eyes to die for, and moles dotted all over his face and neck, trailing tantalizingly down the collar of his sweater.

And there, in his right ear, a tiny golden hoop.

Eddie’s had dinner, but he always saves room for dessert.

“Hi there,” he says, leaning over the bar with a winning smile. 

The guy doesn’t even look up at him, just grunts. Like actually grunts, like some sort of caveman in cable knit and keeps wiping the already spotless counter. 

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he tries again. “I’m Eddie.”

That earns him a look. 

“I know.” Tall, Bronze, and Gorgeous deadpans. 

[keep reading on ao3]

[corrodedcoffins-blog]

Bonding of Sorts

older!rockstar!eddie x popstar!reader

note: isla and walker are 15 in the timeline (probably ~mid 2024 vibes)

warning: teenage love, the start of a step-mom/step-daughter relationship <3

word count: 1.8k

isla_munson

liked by walker.scobell, y/nswife_, and others

tagged: @/sienna.taylor, @/Haley08_, @/_jesss, @/lil.lilian, and @/y/nl/n

isla_munson: "everybody knows that private school girls are bad, and bad girls always wear red nail polish" -loerlai gilmore

comments on this post are limited

y/nl/n: gorgeous girls!

lil.lilian: you did me dirty in that pic.

isla_munson: impossible! theres no doing you dirty, you look beautiful at every angle!

lil.lilian: liar but 😘😘

_jesss: not hals completely judging me in the forth pic

Haley08_: yeah, im always judging you

_jesss: 🖕

walker.scobell: cute fit, or lack thereof

isla.munson: omg! thats exactly what my dad said!

sienna.taylor: my little private school girl 🥰

-twitter-

Tina

@/updates_on_y/nl/n

Isla Munson posted these two photos of her and Y/n on her instagram today!

Lani @/percabeth.hearts replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n I've never seen y/n happier!!

Abby (taylor's version) @/decodeisunderrated replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n They're relationship is so cute! 🥰🥰

tess @/it.rhymes.with.jess replying to @/decodeisunderrated y/n and eddie's or y/n and isla's??

Abby (taylor's version) @/decodeisunderrated replying to @/it.rhymes.with.jess Both! 😁

Jamie @/jAmie_ replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n she shouldn't be hanging out with her boyfriends daughter so much until they're more serious.

nia @/parisgellar_stan replying to @/jAmie_ oh? so you know them personally??

anna @/wolfstar.stan replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n why no one mention how pretty isla is?!?!

betty @/betty_broski replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n the thought of eddie taking the second picture warms my heart <33

Kevin @/pens_87 replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n She looks the same age as heR boyfriends kid 😬

leah @/im.talking.nonsense replying to @/updates_on_y/nl/n them out shopping together 😭😭

-

“Ah.” Isla sighed, dropping her phone to her chest, and looking up at the ceiling. She was sitting on the couch in the New York apartment, Y/n had come over and was walking down the stairs when she saw Isla, “What was that love sick look about?” The woman asked, in a teasing voice. 

“Oh, um.. N- nothing.” “Who are they?” Y/n asked, completely disregarding isla’s defence. And coming to sit down next to the girl, forgetting she came down to get her and Eddie drinks. 

“His name’s Walker..” Isla grinned, not being able to stop it when talking about Walker, especially not with Y/n they were too close and comfortable with each other now. “..and we’ve been friends for a couple years, and he’s really cute, and I really like him.”

At Isla’s little rant, Y/n sprung into action, “Okay, I’m gonna go get what I came down here to get for Eddie then I’m coming straight back and we’ll talk about this.” “Okay.” 

Quickly gathering the ice tea Eddie and her wanted, pouring herself some, and getting Eddie a couple snacks to occupy him, not knowing how long this talk with Isla will last. Then saying a quick ‘one sec.’ to Isla, she ran upstairs, opening the door and finding Eddie where he was before. 

“Thank you, angel. Hey, where's yours?” “Downstairs.” Coming to sit on Eddie lap, facing the man, with a serious face on. “What’s wrong?” “Nothings wrong. Just… I wanted to talk to you before I talk to Isla, she wants my advice on a boy, and don’t go be overprotective dad on her. That’s exactly what she doesn’t want. But I need to know what you're okay with me saying, or if you're not okay with me saying anything, and I won’t.”

Smiling, and placing a quick, chaste kiss on his girl’s lips before replying, “Baby, thank you for asking me. I’m fine with you talking to her. So who is he?” “She said his name is Walker? That someone from school or-” “That kid?! Oh well, I don’t think that kid has a bad bone in his body. So yeah, you can.. Give her advice.. On a boy. Geez” “You’re getting old, baby.” Giving the girl a pinch on the ass, causing a jolt of the girl's body and a laugh coming out of her lips, before she continues, “Okay. I’m going. I love you” A quick kiss on her soft lips, and in getting an ‘I love you too’ Y/n walks out of the room, running down the stairs to see where Isla is still sitting. 

“Okay! Tell me everything.”

-

“I just don’t know how you tell a guy you like him.” Nodding in understanding, she mumbles, “It’s hard.” “...How old were you when you got your first boyfriend?” “Umm.. I was 15.” “Did you ask him out or did he ask you?” “He asked me.” The girls were now on the floor, Y/n painting Isla’s toenails, drinking ice tea, and eating popcorn, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ on in the background. 

“Of course he did, cause you’re beautiful. No way he would ask me out.” “Hey. Isla, you are beautiful. And gorgeous, and amazing, and smart. Besides from what you’ve told me about Walker. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did really like you, like you like him, but was just too nervous to say anything.” “Shut up.” Isla says, her face permanently red at this point with how long they’ve been talking about her love life. 

“And guys like when girls take charge and ask them out.” “But we’ve been friends for years, and I don’t want to ruin that.” A completely logical argument, one Y/n had used on her friends years ago. Now switching to paint Isla’s other set of toes red, thinking about what she can say, to satisfy Isla’s need for a solution. “Hey! Why don’t you ask him to hang out here, just the two of you?” “And have Dad hovering over us the whole time? No way!” 

Adjusting her position on the floor, getting more comfortable before continuing, “We’ll what if it was me? A day where you’re Dad will be out and I can come over, you guys take the living room and I’ll stay out of your way upstairs?” “Omg! You can do that?! Please Y/n, please!” “I’ll have to ask Eddie, and if he says no then it’s no.” “Okay! Go! Go! Ask him now!” “I have to finish your toenails!” “I can do that. Go ask my Dad, then if he says yes you have to come help me draft a text to him!” “Okay!”

Hopefully running up the stairs for the last time today, Y/n walks into Eddie’s room, smiling, hoping that might sway Eddie slightly. “I thought you would never come back. What have you been doing down there?” “Painting nails, watching rom-coms, stuffing our faces, the usual for a girls night. But I have to ask you something.” Y/n says, sitting next to Eddie on his bed, pushing his laptop off his lap, in order to have his full attention for this. 

“Why do I feel like it’s going to be something I’ll want to say ‘no’ to?” “Well.. Maybe.. Maybe not.” “That was very reassuring.” “Listen, Isla wants to invite Walker here, to hang out, but she doesn’t want her Dad there-” “We’ll she can’t be alone with a boy.” “You said there wasn’t a bad bone in his body.” Y/n said obviously teasing. not wanting Eddie to think that’s what she was suggesting, “Well he’s still a teenage boy.” “Off topic. I was thinking that maybe, the next best thing for her would be if it was me here. They could stay in the living room, and I’ll just hang out upstairs or something, so I can hear what they’re doing but not hover.” A couple seconds of silence was too long in Y/n’s opinion for this subject. 

“Okay.” “Really?” “Yes, but they can’t go in her room, and you keep the door open of any room they’re in.” “Of course, baby! I want what's best for her." "I know." "Oh Eds, she’ll be so happy!” “I hate this.” “I know, but she’s growing up.” “I know.” “I’m gonna go tell Isla the good news!” Y/n says, running out of the room. Before quickly turning around going to the side of the bed Eddie was on, giving the man a lengthy kiss and whispering an ‘I love you’

“What did he say?!” The question is yelled at the woman, as soon as she’s back in sight. “You’ll be happy.” “Really?!” “Yes.” “Oh my god! Oh my god. We have to figure out what I’m gonna text him.”

-

“-and no going upstairs, and if you go in any room together the door stays open. Understand?” “Yes, Dad. Now go, I have to get ready.” Pushing her Dad towards the door, not wanting him here any longer. 

“Can I say goodbye first?” “If you must.” 

Walking over to Y/n, giving her a peck on her soft lips, then dipping his head down to whisper in the girl's ear, “Please keep an eye on them.” “Of course, Eds, it’s gonna be fine.” With that piece of mind and one last kiss and an ‘i love you’, Eddie walks back towards the door that was already held open for him by his wonderful and loving daughter. “Bye hun, love you.” “Love you too, Dad. Bye!”

Shutting the door and turning to the woman standing at the staircase, “You need to get me ready, and tell me what to wear.”

-

“I can’t believe you let me do this!”

Y/n sat at the kitchen island, watching as Isla paced in front of her. Isla was a wreck as soon as Y/n started getting her ready 30 minutes ago, just after Eddie left for the recording studio. “You are going to be fine.” Y/n said, to nonchalant for Isla’s taste, “You’re too calm!” “The guy I like isn’t coming over.” ‘Well-” Isla was cut off by the sound of the buzzer, “Hey Isla, it’s Walker” running over to the panel on the wall to buzz the boy in, “Hey! Come up… That was too excited, I’m gonna mess this up.” “Isla. In my experience, if you ask a guy to hang out alone they think it’s a date. In a man’s brain ‘hang out alone’ and ‘date’ are synonyms, so the fact he said yes to this, I’m sure he’s just as nervous as you.” “Okay.. Thanks, Y/n”

Interrupted by the doorbell, Isla gave Y/n a quick hug, running to the door. Of course, flattening her hair before opening the door. “Hey, Walker.” “Hey.” And being teenagers who like each other, Y/n swoops in to save the conversation. “Hi, I’m Y/n it’s nice to meet you, Walker.” “It’s nice to meet you too.” “Okay! The living room is free, I’ll be upstairs, and I’ll order pizza later. Walker, cheese or vegetarian good?” “Yeah.” “Okay! Have fun.”

Within only a couple minutes, Y/n could hear the conversation flowing and not wanting to eavesdrop, putting on a show to watch. 

-

About 40 minutes later, pausing the show she was watching to go to the bathroom, Y/n cannot hear anything from downstairs. And she was sure she knew what was happening, but she promised Eddie she would keep an eye on them and at the end of the day Y/n was a curious bitch. 

Creeping slowly down the stairs, not making a sound. Y/n stops abruptly seeing Isla and Walker sharing a small kiss on the couch, in true awkward teenage fashion, Isla’s hands at her sides and Walker's hand on her upper back, the other at his side. 

Walking back up the stairs, and waiting a moment the woman makes an over exaggerated amount of noise. Not wanting to embarrass the two that she saw them, “I ordered the pizza! One large cheese, one large vegetarian, and one medium meat lover for your Dad. But Walker, you're welcome to have some of that.” “Thanks Y/n.” Isla said, giving Y/n a look that said ‘go away, this is the same reason I didn’t want my Dad here’ but both of them know that Eddie would be way worse. “Okay.. That’s all, back to it.”

-

As soon as the door closes, Isla jumps around and lets out a squeal that was close to deafening. “Oh my god! I’m so happy you got me to do that!” “So what led up to that kiss?” “Oh! I knew you saw it! God- that’s so embarrassing.” “Hey, I get it. I was a teenage girl once. And I did way more embarrassing things. Come on sit.” Patting the couch cushion next to her, “I wanna know everything.”

"After we kissed, he asked me out for tomorrow... And I was wondering if you could ask my Dad?" "No. You have to, but I can be there for you."

~taglist~

@whoscamila @mystargirl-interlude @creoleguurl @witchwolflea @kissmejoey @taylorswiftsloverfr @random000000sblog

[unhingen]

waddup guys, here are some designs i did of the midnight burger crew. the mucklewains are there, but since they are wave forms, you cant see them. and its totally not because i lowkey forgot (they do have designs i just never got around to drawing them)

but here are some fun facts about how i designed them if anyone is interested:

starting from the left, i mentioned earlier that i based leif of luke from gilmore girls. they both lowkey have the same vibe to me but i only consume gilmore girls in bits and pieces so i could be reading that vibe very wrong.

gloria is based of my mom.

i have a whole post planned about how gloria is important to me as a podcast enjoyer of color, especially as a latine person, so ill gush about her another time. but she just remined me a lot of my own mother and i kinda wanted to honor that

ava was based off of lyla from the spiderverse movies. like with leif, i think both ava and lyla have the same vibe.

Also i kinda deviated from the trend of ava in more academic clothing since i wanted here to fit in the role of diner regular and i feel that the diner regulars are the type of people who would get up and drive to their dennys in their pjs.

casper was actually hard to design since i don't have a wide cataloge of plus size middle aged men in my mental library (for shame).

It end up being a combination of shane from stardew valley and the actor sean astin ( he was in lord of the rings ((im planning to watch the trillogy this week so no spoilers please)))

I also headcannon that he wears sketchers.

leif wears timbs, gloria wears white sneakers, and i almost gave ava crocs but it didn't feel right

and thats it. um thanks for reading this far. i am lowkey scared of posting my art. i plan on making more and posting it on here and my instagram but thats a post for another day. good night and dont stay up for too long. bye

[queensilber]

Supernatural: Witch‘s Canyon

Posting everything in this book that i think you need to know, lets go!

Summary:

Okay, so, the boys head to the Grand Canyon to solve a case of a fourty-year murder cycle. The spirits of variouse humans and animals alike attack the locals and they need to find out why and how to stop it.

It is set somewhere in Season two.

My opinion:

This was so much fun. Like, it was really like watching an episode, just a lot longer and with the magic ability to see into Sam and Deans (and a bunch of other characters) heads.

It also gave a little bit of a fanfiction vibe, just with the addidtion that everything is cannon and that all the random little facts and quotes are a real thing (i‘ll list those in a second)

And also there were flashbacks of their childhood??? That made me cry??? I hated john winchester before, but now even more so. (More about the flashbacks below too)

So yea, it was definetly worth it and i cant wait to read the others!!

Songs:

This is the music Sam and Dean listened to during the course of the book (some locals listened to music too, but i did not list those)

- „paranoid“ by Black Sabbath

- „turn the page“ by Bob Seger

- unspecified tape by Bad Company

Flashbacks:

There are two flashbacks to Sam and Dean‘s Childhood:

- the first one is Dean Remembering a time when John made him and Sam run through an obstacle course at age twelve and eight. Dean had to shoot a gun during it, Sam just had to point and yell „Bang!“.

In the process of that Sam got injured and cried and John yelled at him to keep going and that he was doing poorly. Dean comforted his brother and encouraged him, leading to sam actually making it. Sam did it and Dean cheered, but john kept yelling at them to keep going to the next obstacle.

- the second one was from when Dean was fourteen and Sam was ten. Their Dad gave them backbags and said what was in them could last them fir four days and they all went on a hike together.

In the middle of nowhere john then saud that they should not trust anyone on what they are told and left them alone, telling them that they should find their way (at very least two days of walk) back themsleves and they shouldnt have relied on him so much and he just… left.

When they checked their backbags they found that most in it was useless and they were also filled with rocks to make it seem like it was more than it was.

Thats so fucked up, like

Those are children. And the worst part, when Dean rememvers this he thinks of it almost positively because it taught him a valuable lesson. I cant even begin to describe how my heart hurt for them.

Random facts:

Here are some facts from the book, i do t know anymor if those are mentioned in the show too, but it hardly matters, i think:

- Sam outgrew Dean at the age of 16

- Dean felt gutity over Jessicas death and thought that it was a „more solid basis“ of guilt than Sam had on the matter

- Sam can differentiate between uniforms of different wars in history just by a look

- Dean hates Rats. A lot.

Quotes:

Some quotes from the book:

John Winchester hunted monsters, ghosts, demons — the creatures most people only believed in deep down in their 3:00 am hearts, abd that they laughted off when the sun was bright and their spirits high.

It was a habit Dean had picked up from Dad — reffering to what they did as a „job���. To Sam it was nore of a Mission, even a calling.

„Sammy really likes cops,“ Dean said. „If he didnt have any talents he might have become one“

Sometimes he thought Dean wouldnt mind dying if he could go out in a blaze of glory, as the saying went. In moments of fairness, Sam knew that wasnt true. Dean didnt care about the glory; he cared about making a difference.

„I‘m coming around to the point, Sam.“ „He‘s Dean,“ Sam corrected. „I‘m Sam“. „Sorry, For some reason, you just look more like a Dean to me“

Gilmore Girls reference?

„You tried to shoot my brother“ Dean said.

Sam belived in a highter power, Dean didnt. Sam didnt have any special knowledge that Dean lacked, handt seen or heard or met God.

Lol, not yet.

Dean had been a kid, hadnt ever had a chance to become anything other than what Dad had made of him. That, finally, was the gulf between them — the canyon that could never be bridged.

Dean was an amazing guy, Sam knew, with skills and abilities most people would never imagine, and smarts Dean himself wouldnt credit, even though he relied on them all the time. And yet, at times like this, he was so humble, so unassuming, that he seemed almost unaware of the importance if his iwn contributions. At other times, of course, that humility vanished. Knowing and accepting both Deans, he guessed, was what being brothers was all about. Maybe I wouldnt want to be Dean, he thought, but i‘m sure glad I have him araound.

STOP MAKING MY CRY WTH

So anyways, that book sure was an experiance and i cant wait for the next one! I‘ll post a review of that as well and will update that post with a link to it one i‘m done!

Xoxo! <3

Next>

[booasaur]

Pinned post - F/F Fic Recs

  Anonymous asked:

Hi, I've see you saying that you're reading a lot of fic lately and I was wondering if you could rec some? I so trust your taste and I think we have so many fandons in common...

Hiya! So first, what I was reading over the summer were some new fandoms that I'm still mulling over. Those ships and fics, I'm not ready to recommend anything for, I'll come back to them later.

As you know, I find it hard to pick out faves and recommend things but coincidentally, some time back, when I hadn't read fics for years, I decided to see which I could easily remember. It’s not close to being an exhaustive list, I just noted down whatever came to me over a few hours, and almost all are pretty old, often from my first go-around in each fandom, but it’s a fair number. I've read other great ones that might not be as easily remembered for any number of reasons, like if I was in a particular frame of mind or if I read too many good ones at once so none really stood out, if I read them in between other things going on in life, etc. These ones slotted into the ole memory bank but that doesn't say anything about those left off.

I'm not sure how many of these are fandoms you're into, but when I'm in a real fic-reading mood I'll often try fandoms I don't know, so hopefully you can still give some of them a shot. I tried to organize by fandom though they're mostly in the order I remembered them, so it's not alphabetical or fave first--though it did end up being pretty chronologically backwards. I was literally going back through the years and I don't think I've read some of the anime ones in like, more than a decade? And while for my own list, I often was like oh, all of that author's fics for this ship and would know what I meant, here I tried to narrow it down to one fic per author, since it can be hard to know where to start, but definitely give their other fics a try if you liked that one.

Added a cut for length. All stories are f/f and complete unless specified. As I go through some of these, let me come back here to add that it’s worth keeping in mind as you read these that they are products of their time, some more than a decade ago. 

Gilmore Girls - Paris/Rory

The Best Of It - by dollsome - 74k words » Canon, fake dating, set after the original series (so ignoring A Year in the Life). To win a point on a talk show, Paris announces she's dating Rory. It's incredibly in voice and matches the show vibe so it's just so funny and sweet and just a plain delight. It's what actually made me create this list, I was idly wondering what else I'd read that brought me this much joy.  

Boston Marriage - by Jae - 5k words » Canon, college years, Paris has a proposal. The first fic for this ship I read, I think? Where I was like, oh, so it’s possible to be that in voice and replicate everything about a show even as distinct as this one. One of the ship’s classics (and being from 2005, just a f/f classic overall?).    

The Unbearable Weirdness of Being - by klynkey - 3k words » Canon, assumed high school years, Rory and Paris get into a debate. After having read the one above, I found this soon after and was like, okay, is everyone able to easily replicate that Gilmore Girls patter? (No.) Another ship classic.

Agents of Shield - Bobbi/Jemma

To Keep My Wolves From Your Door - by pirateygoodness - 41k words » Werewolf AU, so elaborate and for a ship so relatively rare, I’m not sure how this exists but I’m glad it does. It’s got some plot, a sweet romance, smut with feelings, just a rewarding read every time I go back to it, which is pretty often. Given my main audience, I’ll mention there are some flashbacks to Bobbi and her ex husband but that didn’t affect my enjoyment at all.  

Soulmate AUs (just chapter 2) - by alittleunstable - 3k words » Canon, cute little soulmate AU, which I’m always a sucker for. 

Star Trek Voyager - Janeway/Seven of Nine

Where the Dream Takes You - by nejvit - 27k words » Canon, one of the tamer getting together Trek setups, more introspective rather than caused by some alien tomfoolery, but I really like how it handles the very commonly featured J/7 conflict of Janeway dating someone in her crew. It is a bit dense but I found the character and dynamic exploration so insightful and interesting. When I first read J/7 fics years ago (in the late ‘00s), this author’s fics didn’t particularly stand out but when I came back to the fandom more recently, they were among my very favorite.  

The Rod and the Staff - by Trek in Tandem - 13k words » Canon, deals with the aftermath of an existing ep where Janeway went on a mission and ran into trouble. The religious stuff comes across as more the writer playing with the episode’s actual religious references than anything heavy-handed so I found it easily ignorable. Really great, clean prose, one of the writers who always stuck out to me for that.    

Not Just Strip Poker - by Pink Rabbit Productions - 15k words » Canon, a funny, lighter piece that definitely starts out as full comedy, after a misunderstanding, but there’s some deceptively interesting discussion later on in this one too.

Stargate SG-1 - Janet/Sam

Bits and Pieces series - by Pink Rabbit Productions - 278k words, WIP » Canon, this series integrates Sam/Janet into the first season of the show and I don't think it was ever finished, and the last one especially was left on a cliffhanger, but the rest of the “episodes” are worth the read. Also, when I put this down for my own list, I just said "Pink Rabbit's Sam/Janet stuff", because I remember going through all of them at some point, the stuff outside this series was fun too, and if this full incomplete series is too daunting, definitely some of the one-shots might be more fun.

The Devil Wears Prada - Andy/Miranda

Truth and Measure - by Telanu - 272k words » Canon, diverges from the end of the movie as Andy decides to stay with Miranda. What even is there to say about this one? A true f/f classic, has been in the top three of my general f/f recs for more than a decade and still holds up. Just a perfect continuation of the movie, same world, same characters, continuing growth and development of characters and dynamics, a true believable slow burn romance. And the author’s published it without taking down the fic. :)

Facts of Life - Jo/Blair

Ribbon - by Della Street - 15k words » Canon, diverging in the college years. This is the first of her fics I read for this pair and I fell in love with her writing. Back in an era when a lot of authors started off with lots of exposition and setting up the scenario, I was so impressed by how quickly and easily she did her worldbuilding and character development, and how in-voice and and close to the show everyone was. Definitely recommend going through the rest of her Jo/Blair fics.

Birds of Prey (2002) - Barbara/Helena

And Another Thing - by fembuck - 12k words » Canon, a straightforward getting together fic, things come to a head after Helena starts pulling away. After seeing which of the fics I remember best and like most here, I think I really just favor a great execution of a simple premise. And because this is fembuck, whose fic was a load bearing pillar of f/f fandom, there’s a nice balance of humor and angst with the romance.    

An Empirical Question - by harper_m - 30k words » Canon, an accidental fake dating situation spins out into something much more. In a funny coincidence, the same things I said about fembuck apply to harper_m, such a significant contributor to f/f fic over the years (see also this older archive account). This fic is again mostly a well done exploration of the characters and their dynamic if suddenly an explicitly romantic layer was added to canon.

Skins - Effy/Katie

An Imperfection in an Otherwise Perfect Plan - by harper_m - 21k words » WW1 AU, they’re nurses in the army. As with the Mockingnerd werewolf AU above, I’m surprised that for such a rare ship, there’s such a specific (and good) AU, but definitely not complaining. It feels that much nicer to find a true gem in such a tiny collection.    

fate is overgrown - by thememoriesfire - 53k words » Post-series, years later, Katie’s in a rut and stumbles into Effy again. I do find it funny that I have no Glee rec from TMF and instead went for the Skins fic that isn’t even transatlanticism but I really love this one, to the point where there were a couple of months where I just reread it constantly, even downloading my own version to fix formatting and typos. It’s almost slice of life, as Katie and Effy find themselves surprisingly healing together, after their fraught history. 

The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Sarah/Cameron

Resistance - by Anklebones - 120k words, WIP » Canon, diverges from season 2 as Cameron continues to glitch. Like a lot of the good Sarah/Cameron fics, this is a great dissection of AI and sentience and what it means to be human and have free will. I mean, within a great story, not just characters debating. It’s not finished but I really like what’s been written so far.   The author also has a three-part complete fic where Sarah and Cameron are already in a messy thing and then have to confront some things when there’s an attack at school: Just Another day in Paradise… 1 2 3 (19k words).    

No Rest for the Wicked - by InspectorBoxer - 172k words, WIP » Firefly AU, River Tam takes the place of Cameron while Sarah’s a new character to the universe. This is such a fun blend of the two universes and the romance is such a good slow build. As with most of the WIPs I’m linking, there’s enough to really enjoy even if not complete yet.

Once Upon a Time - Emma/Regina

The Secret's in the Telling - by pyrophoric - 250k words » Canon, set pretty early on but where Emma and Regina are at least nominally getting along. Things are set into motion when a mysterious thief shows up and keeps bullying Emma. This is one of my favorite iterations of their dynamic, with long-suffering secretly fond Regina and hapless too-earnest Emma.    

You do not have to walk on your knees - by dollsome - 10k words » Canon, mid-season 2, Regina and Emma learning to get along. As is dollsome’s specialty, a lot of character work and humor. Also would recommend Teenage ... Dream? (12k words), where Regina gets like...kind of emotionally aged down? You’ll see. The premise sounds cracky but again, the character exploration and humor and sweetness. :)

Once Upon a Time - Aurora/Mulan

a story, a tale - by maleficently - 27k words » AU where it’s Maleficent who casts the original curse on Aurora and her true love, not Regina on Snow and Charming. This is so fun because you can see all the similarities and differences in how the story unfolds compared to the show, including flashbacks to the fairy tale world before the curse is cast.    

Object Permanence - by badlance - 18k words » Canon, after Aurora and Phillip have made it to Storybrooke. Aurora’s still furious at Mulan for leaving them to go off with Robin Hood, but suddenly something happens to Mulan and Aurora can’t stop thinking about her. It starts off an interesting look at Aurora and how someone acclimatizes to the real world after Fairy Tale Land so like, therapy, jobs, but it’s quite romantic and sweet in the end.   Also Could Have Been A Year (5k words) and its sequel Bear It Out Even to the Edge (17k words), where Mulan learns the price of staying away from Aurora and gives up everything to make sure Aurora’s okay.

Wicked - Elphie/Glinda

Gelphie Trilogy: 1. Easier Said Than Done 2. Inevitabilities & Eventualities 3. Possibilities and Certainties - by mecelphie - 3.8m words » Rape trigger warning for the very first chapter: Elphie suffers a violent attack and much of the first story is her healing from that, though the other two stories also occasionally bring up the lingering effects on Elphie.     Back when I read it, the first story had some typos, missing punctuation and the like, that might also make it hard for some to get into it, but the world really unfolds into something incredibly rich and rewarding. Note that full series word count, it IS that detailed and extensive a story, almost slice of life, except for the precipitating event and things like homophobia and when Elphie's background is tackled. I haven't actually finished it yet, I pause every once in a while till I have a large chunk of chapters and then reread from the start and get sucked in anew each time.    

The Thrill, Basis Determined - by Ridiculous Mavis - 24k words » Bookverse, just delightful, beautifully written fluff. Everything this writer writes is beautiful. The further down I go on this list the less restraint I feel in linking multiple stories by the same author, so of her other Gelphie fics, I'll also specifically rec The Way Out of Myself (22k words), bookverse bodyswap with Avaric and Elphie where they both learn something about the other and Invitations Under False Pretences (27k words, WIP), bookverse fake dating, it's not marked as complete but it doesn't leave you hanging, if you know what I mean.    

The Week of Ill Repute - by Chudley Cannon - 37k words, WIP » Bookverse again, which, I don't prefer them over musicalverse, it's just worked out that I've remembered (liked?) these fics best. This one I remember from my very first Gelphie fic-reading tour and thinking, wow, this is so good. It never updated after that and I believe it actually does leave you hanging, but I mean, you specifically remember a fic more than 10 years later, it's gotta be on the list, right?

The Bletchley Circle - Millie/Susan

In the Blackout - by RidiculousMavis - 11k words » Canon, set during the Bletchley years, Susan’s just arrived and meets Millie, her flighty and irreverent roommate. A wonderful look at how they start to get along after their personalities and keen minds first clash.    

Clerical Work - by Kivrin - 3k words » Canon, also set during Bletchley, Susan tries to figure out her feelings the way she would a code and then things fall into place in a surprising way. Relatively short but I loved the sharp little characterizations of the main four, including Jean.

Legend of the Seeker - Cara/Kahlan

All the Days - by tcbg77 - 67k words » Post-series, some years after, everything seems to be going well until Richard and Kahlan’s child is kidnapped. Cara, now Richard’s general, sets off with Kahlan to rescue the child. I love the pacing of this one, the length allowing for a full quest and a slow burn, and combined with the well-written action makes it seem like a fantasy story with romance on its own. I basically treat it as exactly that and reread every few years.    

Within My Heart There Is Another Heart - by badlance and pirateygoodness - 26k words » Post-series as well, magic pregnancy. This is pretty in a way that makes my heart ache. i was surprised to see it was 26k words, since it feels so much longer and shorter than that at the same time.

The 100 - Clarke/Lexa

Within Me An Invincible Summer - by badlance - 62k words » Canon post-s2, Clarke gets over her anger at Lexa. One of the many great fics written during the hiatus, I’d put off reading it when I first got into the ship, during the start of s3, wanting to focus on what was canon at the time. And then of course 307 happened and I moved even farther away from canon, but this fic, its two-line summary, it showed up again and again in rec lists and bookmarks and was so haunting at the time, you know, seasons and people not changing, but finally I caved, and it was as wonderful as it had promised to be.    

Love on the Ground - by hedaswolf - 19k words » Also canon post-s2, taking the s3 knife scene from the trailer and again spinning it into eventual forgiveness. There’s a bit in it that is one of my favorite moments in fic ever.     

they take their shots but we're bulletproof - by nightshifted - 10k words » Again, canon post-s2, it’s like a whole genre of amazing fics just within one fandom, all the more precious for how that all turned out in canon. Like Within Me An Invincible Summer above, I couldn’t bear to read it for a long time but I knew it was one of the classics, I’d seen it pass by my dash very early on because of our shared Glee past. And yeah, it was very good, like all these post-s2 fics, allowed to be a little rougher and harsher because they didn’t yet know how much comforting the ship and fandom would need.    

More Women than Warriors - by steklir - 172k words » Boarding school AU, new American student Clarke arrives at a British boarding school where Lexa’s the Head Girl. I don’t know what was going through the author’s mind when they were writing this but given the timing and content, it felt like an extremely low stakes and ultimately fluffy take on these two kids. There’s a lot of the show’s language and customs worked into this school, so that only adds to the impression, but in the end I’ll remember this for being a rewarding sloooowwww burn and really flowery, pretty writing.    

Stud: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Pride - by coeurdastronaute - 61k words » Modern AU, Clarke’s a teacher and Lexa’s a CEO. Really plays into the effortlessly cool Stud!Lexa thing that was going around at the time, but tbh, she was confident but nice, so I liked it. coeurdastronaute tends to write most chapters as self-contained, so it’s more like a string of connected stories than one long narrative. They’re super prolific and have a lot of stories I liked, I picked Stud as the one I remembered first, and then grabbed a few of the other more memorable ones, all modern AUs: Strip:  1, 2, 3 (10k words) -  Lexa gets a lapdance HSAU (37k words) - College AU, I’m kidding, high school AU Heart: 1, 2, 3, Thanksgiving (30k words) -  Lexa’s a heart transplant patient at the hospital where Clarke works    

Aftermath - by MaraudingTurkey - 8k words » Canon, diverging from the middle of s2, Clarke accidentally courting Lexa. It’s super charming and cute (and because of how early it was written, avoids a lot of the angst to come).    

Prompts Collection: Clexa - by nutalexfanfic - 114k words (as of 2022-12-30) » Lots of various short stories with all kinds of premises, canon and AUs. The author has several popular longer stories going as well, but they’re at various levels of completion and I actually remember really liking of the one-shots here. If interested in the longer ones, the firefighter AU Polis 433 (131k words, WIP) is quite popular, and I think the first one I read was the Olympic AU Individual Medley (95k words, WIP).    

Abby Doesn't Ask - by onlyasdark - 3k words » Canon, some vague point past 307 where Lexa doesn’t die, short vignettes in Abby’s POV. A great example of an external perspective on a ship, because you get deliberately limited glimpses, and in this case especially colored by Abby’s not exactly positive feelings about Lexa, but despite all that, the relationship shines through.    

The Library - by ethiobird - 55k words » College AU, they work at a bar (called The Library). I think what drew me to this one is that the Lexa characterization is more stoic than you often see in modern AUs, especially high school or college. I’ve ended up liking a lot of different takes on her but as much as it’s obviously nigh impossible to recreate the circumstances that created canon Lexa, I do have a particular fondness for that version so I like any fic that approaches it.    

although i'm not making plans (i hope you understand there's a reason why) - by brokendevil - 6k words » Modern AU, friends with benefits but secretly in love. The kind of second person fic that really lets you wallow in the angst before the rewarding payoff. The author has several other popular works, especially a year of sundays (98k words), a small town AU, but this one just stuck in my mind.   

To the Victor Go the Spoils - by exfactor - 11k words » College AU, Clarke and Lexa’s sororities are locked in a fierce competition. The author has some other very popular (and angstier) works but this one’s cute and fun as hell.    

the business of caring - by coldmackerel - 72k words » College AU, pretty much a workplace comedy set at campus police. Someone’s painting graffiti masterpieces all over the place and as the head of campus police it’s Lexa’s job (she thinks) to catch the culprit. This author is so good at humor, and also can be really poignant at times, like in it's called contraband for a reason (54k words), a jumbled up timeline of the two in prison. I’m told the canon amnesia fic is quite good but I’ve not yet felt emotionally up to it.    

The 300 - by Bucklethorpe - 66k words » Modern AU, Clarke accidentally burns down 300 of Lexa’s trees. This starts off as a bit of a joking take on canon, and is laugh out loud funny the whole way through, but also quite sweet. Definitely a frequent reread.    

sworn under an oath - by faithtastic - 14k words » Canon, diverges from 307, smut with feelings but the feelings are so good. This authors probably far more famous work is don't wanna be your girl (105k words), with one-shot extras and even AUs, in which Clarke is a porn star, and that is funny and hot, but this fix-it so soon after ep 307 will always be a particular balm.    

beat the devil's tattoo - by isawet - 53k words » Modern AU, they’re in college but Lexa’s secretly actually planning to take back the leadership of her small country. They fall in love anyway and it’s funny, hot, sweet, romantic, just a great well-written story with excellent reread value.    

Your Heart On My Sleeve - by aredpen - 58k words, WIP » Soulmate-marking AU set in canon, if that makes sense. Starts when Clarke’s still up in the Ark and it’s just an interesting exploration of how it all would work in those circumstances. I love the little details and insight into what would change and how.     

AGAINST THE MULTIVERSE - orphaned - 13k words » Modern AU, art student Clarke reads an article Lexa wrote and fires off an angry response, starting a correspondence. Despite not being particularly long or having a unique premise, I remember this one because the writing’s so confident and sure of what it wants to be. It feels like a lot of fics--most writing in general, really, tends to flatten itself to not stand out and it was nice to read something so strong.  

To Wear it Like a Crown - by Laney_builds_cathedrals - 42k words, WIP » Teacher/student, kinda, and definitely an age gap, so don’t read if that’s not your thing. Clarke’s the new art therapist at a school for troubled kids and realizes things aren’t quite right. It hasn’t been updated in years but the writing is just gorgeous and I couldn’t leave it off, it’ll always have a place in my lists.    

Remember Me. - by C_AND_B - 11k words » Amnesia AU, they were in a relationship and then Clarke gets in an accident. God, the perfect mix of angst and fluff. This writer has a bunch of adorable one-shots, so check the rest out too.     

tear down the walls - by wariangle - 5k words » Modern AU, Lexa’s an MMA fighter but it’s not really about that, just Clarke falling for her. Extremely hot in a very matter of fact way, but also plenty of feelings involved.    

five times clarke and lexa aren’t sure if they're a couple or not - by nutmeg101 - 8k words » College AU, everyone keeps on thinking Clarke and Lexa are together. They’re not so sure they aren’t. It’s cute! I mean, it’s exactly what a fic like this should be.    

Help, I Need Somebody (Not Just Anybody) - by thesummerofrain - 92k words, WIP » College AU, Clarke volunteers at the college helpline, Lexa writes in. It’s an anonymous line, so no worries about weird tracking or anything like that, things just organically progress so that they meet and slowly become friends. It’s mellow in general and includes lots of slice of life moments with other people as well, and of course the romance is slow burn as heck.

Maleficent - Aurora/Maleficent

The Queen of Sunshine and Bright Things - by alittlelesspain (oprhaned) - 31k words » Canon, after the first movie, Aurora has to learn how to rule while Maleficient has to learn what her place in Aurora’s life is now. Through time skips, distance, and political crises, they relearn how much they still mean to each other. It’s beautiful and romantic and a great fic for those who wanted their connection from the movie to go further.

Glee - Quinn/Rachel

This Kiss - by poetzproblem - 141k words » Canon, set in s2, starting from a game of spin the bottle. Rachel and Quinn are shaken by their kiss and Quinn especially doubles down on her mean girl persona. Faberry’s had a lot of great fics and I’ve loved so many but I remember thinking while reading this one that this is probably how it would go, if it ever happened. It’s patient and takes its time and is one of my definitive fics for them.     Also the Don’t Blink series (788k words as of 2023-01-13) is this expansive, ever-growing universe set after graduation. I haven’t read it all, but I’ve reread some of the earlier parts many times, for the super rewarding payoff to them realizing their feelings are mutual, and others finding out about them.    

A Family of Trees - by powergrapes - 8k words » Canon, diverging after s1, Quinn keeps Beth. Rachel’s somehow the only one the baby will calm down for and Quinn is reluctantly forced to call on her for help. It’s sweet and funny, my favorite from this writer but they’ve written several great fics, most popular being Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - 60k words), a real Faberry classic, where to cheer up Quinn up after giving up Beth, the club goes on a road trip.     

Summer Mornings (oldest chapters at bottom) - by freshtilapia - 35k words » Canon, post-s1, we follow Rachel every morning of her summer vacation as she sees Quinn pass by on her daily run. Slowly they begin to hang out and bond. I think this was one of my first Faberry fics? I was a late bloomer, it took me a while to see their potential, but I really loved how authors saw their post-s1 dynamic and this was a super cute, endearing version of it.    

Boats in the Sky - by WaveGoodbye - 39k words » Canon, diverging after s3, now both in college, Rachel and Quinn are actually friends. Such good friends that Quinn’s roommate thinks maybe there’s something more. As with Clexa above, it’s so interesting how much character dynamics and fandom attitudes change depending on when a fic is written, because unlike the tension in s1 or s2 fics or Quinn being strung so tight with internalized homophobia, now she’s chill, they’re getting along. I love seeing a fic starting with them as friends, plus, a good chunk of it is external POV, which is a fave.    

Our Brilliantly Tangled Thanksgiving - by Elly-Bells - 4k words » Canon, diverging from s1, Quinn has kept Beth--actually, kind of AU too, because her parents are super nice here as well. But it’s just a super fluffy, super cute funny little fic. The author has a fair number of other fluffy fics of varying length to check out as well.    

Crazy on You -  by roxystyle011 - 82k words » Canon, futurefic written early on, Rachel’s a big celebrity now but gets into trouble and is court ordered to see a therapist, who turns out to be Quinn. This is written so early on I’m not sure if people would consider it the most in-character fic out there, though what is in-character when it comes to Glee, but it’s bold and fun and, as with the Clexa multiverse fic above, I just like when people take big swings with characters. There’s a moment near the end of the fic, when a certain page is turned, that still remains one of my favorite, most memorable reveals in fic to this day.

Dune - Chani/Irulan

Serendipity - by Tamoline - 26k words » Canon divergent, Duke Leto survives and Irulan ends up living in the Atreides household as a guest, while Paul is openly with Chani. When Irulan is called off world to testify, Paul sends Chani as her bodyguard. I’m always so grateful that I picked that year to randomly go through the f/f Yuletide entries because this is such a good fic and I could so easily have missed it completely. It’s got politics, action, enemies to lovers, just this great little novella that happens to be set in the world of Dune. It’s fics like this that have me going through the lesser kudosed out there because it’s a genuine fave.

Marvel - Carol Danvers/Jessica Drew

Smell Like I Sound - by Sineala - 7k words » Comicsverse, Carol meets Jess who’s great except Carol can’t shake an unpleasant feeling whenever she’s around. Mostly fluff surrounding the concept of pheromones.    

He Picked the Wrong One - by beckydawolf - 34k words » Comicsverse, Carol and Jess are knocked out in a battle and wake up in an alternate universe where most things are similar, except that Carol is dead and there’s no Jess. They have to figure out what happened and why they were brought there and certain feelings come to light. It’s plotty and fun and the reveal of why they were brought to the alt universe is actually pretty great.    

put them back in poetry (if only I knew how) - by singalellaby - 31k words » Coffee shop AU, Carol and Steve Rogers are best friends and come back from the army to open a bakery together. It’s a lot of slice of life stuff, making friends in the neighborhood, developing crushes on the regulars like one Jessica Drew, grad student, that kind of thing.

Teen Wolf - Allison/Lydia

Untitled - by elvesarebad - 13k words » Canon, post-s2, after recent reveals they’re no longer friends but Lydia asks Allison to help kill Peter. It’s angsty, a lot of raw edges and slow thawing of their frosty relationship in the middle of difficult circumstances, but the canon characters and friendship are so interesting and the writer captures that.

Bleach - Soi Fan/Yoruichi

The Art of Transformation - by siyentista - 30k words  » Mangaverse, mostly, Soi Fan is injured during a big battle and Yoruichi realizes how much Soi Fan means to her. Despite an action-filled start, it settles into more of a slower character-centric fic, lighter and often comical. Given their canon relationship, it’s refreshing to see the dynamic be more mutual and balanced, and despite the relatively short length, the story feels satisfyingly built up (perhaps because of how much history they already have in canon?).

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Amy/Rosa

Farm-to-Table, Non-GMO, Responsibly Sourced - by impertinence - 6k words » Canon, going undercover as a couple to bust a maple syrup heist ring. I mean, what more is there to say, except that it’s appropriately funny and cute.     

Margin of Error - by idiopathicsmile - 8k words » Canon, Amy needs a place to stay and Rosa offers. The humor matches the show so well, and it’s great to see Rosa’s POV since she’s so deadpan.

Les Misérables - Cosette/Eponine

Any More Obvious - by idiopathicsmile - 2k words » High school AU, Cosette decides to befriend the school goth. It’s just sweet and cute.    

This Longing I Inherit - by myrmidryad - 44k words » College AU, Marius starts dating Cosette and brings her into the friend group. Cosette’s so shy and sheltered, she’s thrilled to meet new people, including the cool and intimidating Eponine. As they all become closer, Eponine realizes maybe she’s crushing on her friend’s gf. It’s much more gentle and sweet and friendship-focused than how soapy and angsty this description makes it sound, and the length allows it a slower burn. A frequent reread, especially to get to the payoff.     

she knows her way around - by lavendersgreen - 18k words » College AU, Marius is too nervous to talk to Cosette so Eponine, pining after him, volunteers to be their go-between. Cosette turns out to be surprisingly fun and as they become friends, Eponine starts to question some things about herself. The premise is already cute with even a but the characterizations and dialogue are so snappy and flow so easily, it’s a great execution of this trope.    

to be loved and to be in love - by missandrogyny - 7k words  » Soulmate-marking AU, they’re musical artists who meet at a concert and immediately get along. They start challenging each other to try songs outside their main genres, much to their fans’ excitement. The soulmate reveal is pretty satisfying as it’s seeded early, and the whole fic is sweet and cute.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries - Gigi/Lydia

get loved, make more - by allthingsholy - 10k words » Post-series, Lydia feels uncomfortable around Gigi, given what they share in common and that everyone knows. In a series of vignettes over time, for each of the family events they meet up at, she slowly gets over it, given they have so many other things in common, including a love of gossip, fashion, and teasing their siblings. It’s a great character exploration and the writing’s so sharp and pretty.     

Searching For a Sound We Hadn't Heard Before - by Care - 13k words » Post-series, again things are uneasy at first but they thaw and the two end up taking a road trip. That’s a trope with a lot of potential, now that I’m thinking about it, the way people get to know each other under those very specific circumstances, and this is a great execution of it.    

from the dark with you above - by cairophoenix - 22k words » Post-series, again, an awkward meetup to slow friendship and in this case some prime pining afforded by the longer length. The strangers to friends to lovers pipeline just applies really well to these two, what can I say.    

Improvising - by krakens - 3k words » Post-series, some years after, Gigi decides to surprise Lizzy and Darcy with an epilogue posted on Lizzie’s vlog. She enlists Lydia’s help and things escalate. It’s cute and perfect for this particular series, it would have to be that vlog as the catalyst again.    

Candid - by rhymeswithblue - 5k words » Post-series, by simply hanging out with their famous siblings, Gigi and Lydia face some of the same online scrutiny. Again, I kind of love this aspect of a fic set in this world, because of course part it is that there’s a whole audience watching them and it influences them just as much they influence it.

She's the Man - Olivia/Viola

Loose Ends series - by fraidy_bat - 38k words » Post-movie, Olivia comes to terms with the fact that Sebastian isn’t Viola. By the time I was branching out and reading popular f/f fics many years ago, this was already a classic, both as a general f/f fic and in this particular fandom. One of those ships that makes so much sense, and this is an angsty but ultimately very rewarding take on what should have happened after the movie.

Tomb Raider (2013) - Lara/Sam

she traces your scars and rebuilds your world - by lescousinsdangereux - 18k words » Post-2013 game, Lara and Sam are still traumatized by what transpired on the island and lean heavily on each other, even as Lara heads off on another research mission. It’s a great character study at their PTSD but also building on the relationship from canon and sweet and romantic and funny. This was my definitive version of post-game canon, not the other games or the movie or the comics.

Game of Thrones - Margaery/Sansa

Keep the Bouquets series - by Netgirl_y2k - 7k words » Canon diverging...earlyish on, I don’t know the series, but most characters are still alive. Not thinking either’s worthy of Joffrey, the Lannisters arrange a marriage between Sansa and Margaery and they...make it work. Despite being relatively so short, each individual part under 3k words, they’re so effective, these two finding something in that brutal world.

St. Trinian's (2007) - Annabelle/Kelly

This Town We're Painting - by Fahye - 8k words » Post-movies, they’re an established couple, going about the not so normal lives of St. Trinian’s graduates. Funny and in the vein of the movies, bringing in many of the other former students, and solidifying the Annabelle/Kelly dynamic that seemed so full of potential.

Mai Hime - Natsuki/Shizuru

Inter Nos - by ethnewinter - 1.2m words, WIP » Ancient Rome AU, this very detailed, intricate story with all the Mai Hime characters, Shizuru’s a general and Natsuki’s assigned as her bodyguard during a visit to an allied kingdom. I’m gonna be honest, I haven’t read this in many, many years and definitely haven’t caught up, but even back then when it was a fraction of the size, it was already considered a classic. At this length, I feel like just reading what’s there is a reward in itself.

Kim Possible - Kim/Shego

Alone, Together - by Failte200 - 108k words » Canon, Kim and Shego accidentally get sent to an alternate dimension, same Earth, but no human. They have to get along to survive. Another f/f classic, I remember being much younger and the scale of the fic, the years they lived alone and grew older together, took my breath away.   

BSP01: Best Sidekick Possible - by Sobriety - 62k words » Canon, there's a King of Thieves competition and Shego wants the best sidekick possible, i.e., Kim. I think I ended up really liking the romance in this one.

Phoenix Wright - Adrian/Franziska

Follow the Fool - by CantFaketheFunk - 53k words » Canon, post-Phoenix Wright 2, Franziska feels guilty about advising Adrian to perjure herself so when Adrian asks to see her, she invites her to Germany to stay with her. The setting can be a bit goofy, as it is in the game, but the characters and relationship are taken seriously.

Sailor Moon - Haruka/Michiru

FwB - by harukaze - 321k words » AU, no powers, they meet as adults and decide to become friends with benefits. I remember this one Greyhound trip I took from NYC to Toronto, I was riveted to this fic and just read for most of the trip, wanting to see how it'd end. Soapy and angsty and very addicting.

Annnd then these two het fics:

The Big Bang Theory - Penny/Sheldon

The Paladin Protocol - by SpaceAnJL - 88k words » Canon, the guys take Penny LARPing and she ends up enjoying it, and bonding with Sheldon while Leonard feels left out. Very character driven slow burn romance while being funny and presumably true to the characters, I've not actually ever watched the show, but I've seen a few clips on Youtube. Just a great fic and one of the few m/f fics I've read more than once.

Star Trek (2009) - Spock/Uhura

The Place Between - by PsiCygni - 309k words » Canon, set before the movie, Uhura needs an advisor for her project and Commander Spock needs a partner while negotiating with a particular alien species. The only answer? Fake dating! Slowwww burn and since I like both the characters in all their forms, an enjoyable fic.

And ya know, however old some of these might be, if you liked them, think about leaving a nice review. I had a saved fic from a site that’d gone down and like, more than 10 years after it was written I sent an email to the address provided and actually got a reply! 

[melancholicmelanin]

also alsoooo was there any other media that inspired the world building (dichotomy between tashi and maya’s lives, their family members, etc)?? i know twitches has been mentioned lol but did that even cross your mind at the time or were you drawing inspo from somewhere else entirely?

Okay, so picture this. I was sat in front of my laptop trying to brainstorm this thing, it was I believe around June or July and I was playing Friendly Space Ninja's video about Gossip Girl 2021 in the background when it came to me. What if Tashi had a half sister she didn't know about? If you couldn't tell the idea came from Julian and Zoya's storyline in season 1, they are half-sisters who share a mom who passed before the events of the series. Now the inspo goes a bit further then, but I don't want to spoil the rest of the story so I'm gonna have to leave it there.

The whole thing of them meeting on Facebook came to me cause I had watched The Social Network for the first time, I was on Social Network tumblr and somebody pointed out the similarities between the two movies. Also, within the timeline of Challengers, them being on there would have made sense. Especially cause the site was newly available to high school students the year Maya and Tashi meet, so every just fit like a puzzle.

I'm just going to say it now, Twitches was nowhere near on my mind, heck I haven't watched it in years. So when my first comment on Compress/Repress was "This is so Twitches vibes", I was sat at my work office desk in shock. Like, their mind is something else cause damn I didn't see that babes.

Another bit of inspiration were black families within tv and film, especially from the late 90s and early 2000s. I wanted to have Maya and Tashi come from two different worlds, Maya coming from a prestigious upper class black family and Tashi from a fumble lower middle class family. So with that there really isn't one single inspiration, for example Winston was a bit based off of Uncle Phill from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, like Phill he is a lawyer and social justice activist. Tabitha was based off of every upper class older women you've ever seen, think of the rich mom from Diary of A Mad Black woman lol and also funny enough the grandma from Gilmore Girls.

[literaryspinster]

Do you have any fantasy or sci-fi book recs that are tonally and thematically similar to Gen V? And/or have a couple that give the same dynamic as MarieJordan? :3

I think part of the reason I like Jordan and Marie so much is because I really haven't seen a couple quite like them in any medium before. By that I mean the fact that Jordan can change gender and that causes Marie to reflect on her capacity for attraction. That's a really unique concept to me. They did something kind of similar on Lovecraft Country but that storyline gave me the ick so I wouldn't recommend it for that. I hear the show Misfits had a character who could change genders as well but I heard that their powers manifested differently and I'm not sure if that character was involved in a romance. I think I mentioned before that Jordan and Marie's personalities and dynamic give me Paris and Rory vibes, but they were never a couple on Gilmore Girls. As far as books with similar themes, I would perhaps suggest The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman, it's about a group of students at a magical university and it's a pretty fun read, A Blade So Black by LL Mckinney is a YA take on Alice in wonderland with a queer Black girl protagonist, so it has the whole element of being thrust into a dangerous new world thing going for it. And it's not Fantasy, but Tiny Pretty Things (the book, not the show) has the elements of fierce competition and intrigue. Hope that helps somewhat.

[sergeantpixie]

The Fool in her Wedding Gown; and

I am teaching myself to be free, please!

I am genuinely in awe at how tonally different the two stories you picked are, Gabby!

The Fool in Her Wedding Gown:

Vibes, just vibes, nothing but vibes. This is the demonic possession story I mentioned to you! We've got demonic possession and vampire hunting and lots of moody vibes. Bella Swan is the main character very weird to write a character with the same name as me because I'm chronically addicted to ruining defining characteristics. And man, did I ruin her.

And also because I listened to this version of Where Did You Sleep Last Night/In The Pines too many times. However, the story title comes from the Crane Wives album!

It's five years post Bella and Edward's wedding, and she returns to Forks, Washington for the first time, alone. The Forks Police Department has been dealing with a string of unusual deaths - all caused by sulfur poisoning.

an excerpt:

All rational thought has abandoned her, she only knows she does not want it to happen like this; this is not how she wants to become a vampire. Bella will not be like Rosalie Hale.

I am teaching myself how to be free:

A Rory-centric fic titled after Various Storms and Saints by Florence + The Machine!

Rory’s Wild moment takes decidedly more effort. And blood and sweat and tears and really gross camp meals. And not to mention bugs, can’t forget the bugs. All Rory wants is one moment of fucking clarity, is that too much to ask? Apparently so because all she has are blisters, chapped lips, a sunburn, and a cut that she’s starting to worry is infected.

Nine years post the Revival, Rory Gilmore takes another page out of her mother's book. Clarity doesn't come quite as easily to her.

"Of course we're all worried, Rory," Paris is saying. "You showered in the boys' shower for a month when you found a spider in the girls' room at Branford! Why would you decide to go camping?" "I don't know," Rory admits. "I think I'm having some kind of personality breakdown, is that a thing?" She sniffles pathetically. "I can smell myself!" "Yeah, you're singlehandedly diminishing the skunk population of California."

ask me about my WIPs!

@randomestfandoms

[lilacerull0]

I saw your tags and let me tell you, I got the results and yeah it was as expected three mistakes (I didn't obsess over them the whole weekend btw I'm normal), but I got the highest grade in the class and the teacher said that my essay was impressive so it makes up for it!! Anyway how do you not obsess over your grades again?

BUT I aced my math test because I actually enjoyed studying for it. Thank you for listening to my school rants (this makes me feel like luke throwing his usual morning rants at lorelai [you])

In love with the playlist by the way it HITS:

AAAAAAAAAAAA GOOD NEWS!!!!!! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, THIS IS ME RIGHT NOW:

Thank you so much for letting me know how it went, I was worried about you!!!!! I absolutely get the sentiment... We should start a club... (Rory) Gilmore Girls Society. Oohh about obsessing over grades, a hopeful thought I can offer is that I got significantly better at managing the issue and I think that progression started as soon as I made "as long as you're certain that you have in fact learned what needed to be learned, most especially the crux of the subject, you're good" my starting point for well... anything school related. Mistakes are okay!!! (AND GIRL YOUR RESULTS ARE IMPRESSIVE, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THOSE THREE MISTAKES!!!!!) Sometimes it's just not your day, you're human (although. it would also be cool to see a wire under my skin every once in a while... a girl can dream!) And any kind of effort always counts for something, if not immediately then in the long run for sure. + You recognized what you did wrong before receiving the results officially which is good!!! (EXCEPT FOR THE WORRYING PART!!!) That's what I'm talking about, it means you've conquered that topic and that's what's important. Not to mention that academic validation is way better when you don't overwhelm yourself with assumptions regarding how it's all gonna turn out. It also gets you to appreciate the learning process a lot more (even though there's an downside to that as well, I get too immersed in my studies, which I think you can relate to as well chdjdkdkkdkc).

SOOOOOO HAPPY YOU'RE VIBING WITH THE PLAYLIST, sharing music (and knowledge in general) is my favourite activity in the whole world <3 It's also the best medicine I can come up with!!!! And we have a history of doing this, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring back that tradition. I told myself I'd be making one of those for each month and let's hope that idea remains interesting to me until the end of this year at least fjjdkfkdkd.

I missed you IMMENSELY, thanks for being my Luke <333333

[beachesgetpeaches]

ok Im not about to talk to people in tiktok comments but I need to rant so... gilmore girls rant below cut and if you want to read at your own peril

I think a lot of people would actually benefit from adopting this mindset in life lol. Like go out, believe you're gods gift to other people, it does wonders for you. Also it seems that way because we are watching them as main characters of this show and all of the relationships in the show centre around the two of them like idk I don't find this to be their fault.

//

People love to talk about how Lorelai "took" money from her parents but forget that she intended to return it (did she in the end, ugh I cant remember). They also forget that up until Rory's Chilton education Lorelai was putting her through school and everything all by herself. Working at the inn, hand sewing dresses for her... I mean I know we don't see much of that part but it is heavily implied right? Which also likely contributes to Rory's dissonance about her own status because on one hand she knows what this life is like, she knows of life with not much luxury, but she has also been exposed to a life where she is of some status. Where her last name holds value. And it reflects in that article and her discussion/fight with Logan about it... Anyway.. idk

//

I think the person above starts out well enough but we never get to this conclusion that I have which is... Emily and Richards disappointment and audience disappointment is on them/us for placing certain high expectations on these two women (Lorelai/Rory). And then when they fail, instead of seeing them as human we decide they need to be idk humbled or punished for disappointing us. I think it's quite ironic

//

Dumb opinion. Mitchum did not give her (a very young aspiring journalist) an ounce of good feedback. You don't have it (based on vibes) is not feedback to a young person who has just started studying. It was in no way constructive. It was harsh and Rorys reaction is completely understandable because he doesnt offer her any pointers and direction. He stomps all over her dreams and hopes and is like "based on vibes bro". If he had sat her down and told her that it would be better for her to speak up, do this and that, blah blah... at like any point of the internship, I would be able ti say ya thats an ok feedback why did she go crazy over it. But he didnt do that. So he sucks. Not to mention later on he presenta her as if he is the one who has enabled her to become editor and not brought her down. He never recognises to her face that his pov/vibes were wrong. So like ya Mitchum sucks and is not a good mentor.

[kentos-filmcamera]

new flesh: may (jean kirstein x reader)

Part 2 | Part 3 | Final Part | BONUS

summary: in desperate need of money to get into your college of choice and out of the costal town you resided in, you take in a sudden job opportunity that forces you to face your childhood best friend, Jean Kirstein, after your friendship ended in... some sort of way.

word count: 3.3k

warnings: modern AU, smart!reader, implication of a afab reader, she/they pronouns, somewhat based on gilmore girls, mentions of diagnosed anxiety, mentions of a breakup, somewhat angst, overall just very casual fic with indie film vibes like lady bird.

playlist

ao3

A/N: ik i'm a jjk blog buuuut it's not any harm to try something new every once in a while, yk? anyways, hope you guys like it! this is a short sweet thing i got the idea while listening to current joys. enjoy! -g

Anxiety soon kicked in. You thought about everything and anything all the time. After feeling crushed under the weight of extensive knowledge, your mother advised you to choose what you knew. Upon that list rested your room, your kitchen, the nook by the windowsill in the living room that faced the green path that if you walked a mile or so you would reach the beach, the diner you frequented at, your advanced biology classroom, your car, the library, the tree you sat under on your visits to shore, your favorite vintage shop. Jean Kirstein was all you knew, in terms of men. You had known each other since the beginning of time, back in past lives. All throughout primary and middle school, you were always seen by his side. It was conflicting really; you were the definition of calm, with occasional outbursts, and he was energy itself: energetic, bright, enthusiastic, and annoying even.

Anxiety soon kicked in. You thought about everything and anything all the time. After feeling crushed under the weight of extensive knowledge, your mother advised you to choose what you knew. Upon that list rested your room, your kitchen, the nook by the windowsill in the living room that faced the green path that if you walked a mile or so you would reach the beach, the diner you frequented at, your advanced biology classroom, your car, the library, the tree you sat under on your visits to shore, your favorite vintage shop. Jean Kirstein was all you knew, in terms of men. You had known each other since the beginning of time, back in past lives. All throughout primary and middle school, you were always seen by his side. It was conflicting really; you were the definition of calm, with occasional outbursts, and he was energy itself: energetic, bright, enthusiastic, and annoying even.

Anxiety soon kicked in. You thought about everything and anything all the time. After feeling crushed under the weight of extensive knowledge, your mother advised you to choose what you knew. Upon that list rested your room, your kitchen, the nook by the windowsill in the living room that faced the green path that if you walked a mile or so you would reach the beach, the diner you frequented at, your advanced biology classroom, your car, the library, the tree you sat under on your visits to shore, your favorite vintage shop. Jean Kirstein was all you knew, in terms of men. You had known each other since the beginning of time, back in past lives. All throughout primary and middle school, you were always seen by his side. It was conflicting really; you were the definition of calm, with occasional outbursts, and he was energy itself: energetic, bright, enthusiastic, and annoying even.

The fallout was natural, like a dried leaf leaving its stem in the branch of a tree in late autumn. When he found himself dating Mikasa Ackerman, naturally he gave most of the time he dedicated to you, to her. It doesn’t mean you didn’t hang, but when you did, conversation was trivial. Not like you wanted it to be, there had just been a tiny incident that made you not trust him anymore. While partnering with Armin Arlert, Mikasa’s best friend, he asked about your anxiety diagnosis. You blinked, several times. No one knew you had been diagnosed and were being evaluated at the possibility of medication, except for Jean. After that, you kept yourself low in his radar and kept sharing less and less about your

turbulent life. At the lack of a best friend, you continued on with a sting on your chest, starting new paths in your academic career, just as he did.

The only communication you had, aside from the casual Instagram like and comment or story reply, was waving at the hallways. You smiled briefly and waved as you walked from advanced algebra to the art workshop, as he usually leaned over his locker doing whatever.

‘Dude, do you talk to them?’ One of his friends asked. There was a tone in his voice. Was he shaming him?

‘Uh, not really’ Jean scratched the back of his neck. He felt a pang of guilt. He loved you, you were an amazing friend. Even if you didn’t realize, he didn’t feel really okay with your distance, but people grow and change.

After that, the next time you crossed him in the hallways, he didn’t answer your greeting. He watched as your body physically pulled you back, confused. You blinked several times, made your lips straight into a flat line, and continued on quietly amongst your friends. You never even attempted waving at him anymore. In fact, he barely saw you. He would see you at school functions as the student body president, strolling around the park, eating at your favorite diner, grocery shopping. But you didn’t see him anymore. It was sad, really, but the wound healed leaving a nasty scar. Nevertheless he moved on with tranquillity.

The end of junior year came sooner than expected, and one of your main concerns was college admissions. It had always been, if not, you wouldn’t be doing everything you did. The extracurriculars, charity work, infinite advanced courses that left you mixing coffee and red bull in a blind moment of desperation and drive to achieve your goals. It’s not like you only did all those things for your CV, you had a natural interest and empathy, you just felt like milking it to get the best results; to make everyone proud.

“I can’t afford going to any private unis with what we have” You grumbled, walking into your favorite diner. The owner looked up at you and your mom unimpressed and motioned at you to sit wherever you’d like. You were already regulars, you even had a monthly tab allowed.

Your mom was a sweet woman, young for having an eighteen year old, but had lived and has felt more than anyone else. Your father was unfortunately out of the picture, as he died in a motorcycle accident that the doctors thought was only going to leave him paralized. She leaned her head to the side as you sat in one of the tables next to the windows. “It’s not like we’re living in a cardboard box, y’know?” She attempted humoring you, but you just sighed into your palm, looking out the stained window.

It was a sunny day, and the warmth started to settle in, as June rolled around in its blazing glory. You were considering a trim, since you didn’t want your hair to stick at the nape of your neck with all the sweat that came with the higher temperatures.

“I know, I know. I don’t even think we apply for financial aid but it’s still not enough! A scholarship can only get you so far” You sighed, before giving a quick glance at the menu and ordering blueberry waffles with bacon and an iced tea to switch things up a little.

As your mom devoured her breakfast, her vicious eating came into a halt when two men walked in and headed to greet her. Erwin Smith was a strong man, worked in the military for some time and decided to retire. He always could be seen walking on par with Levi Ackerman, also condecorated military man with an attitude and a stare that could poke holes through you. It was odd, mostly never you would see them without the company of the other. They started conversation, but you paid no mind, toying around with the cut up waffles before eating them. You watched from the corner of your eye as your server looked at you horrified. You were one of the most appreciated clients around, and you didn’t tip toe around your meal.

“Miss Columbia— Or whatever school she decides to go to— here is moping over the fact I’m broke” Your mom took a big dig at you.

“Yale has a better dining hall” You murmured, not taking in the situation at hand. Your eyes moved around as you went through the situation. Once you did, you straightened up in your seat, facing the men.

Levi had the morning newspaper under his arm and stared at you unimpressed. Erwin however, seemed curious at your reaction “I’m not saying you’re broke! I-I— the colleges are too expensive” You mumbled “And my CV is good for college, I have no previous work experience and there’s no way in hell I’m working down at the supermarket—“ With each word, the pitch of your voice raised and you rambled on for what seemed hours.

“May we sit here?” Erwin interrupted you mid speech on how your peak was high school. Feeling as though your skin heated up as if you were roasting under the sun, you nodded and pressed your lips together in embarrassment. Levi gave him a look, sighed and sat down nevertheless.

“You know I open the beach bar as soon as June starts, right?” Erwin started. You didn’t catch the hint and just nodded in affirmation. “And my last crew left, since I tend to hire soon to be high school seniors” He said slowly, watching as you connected the dots and stared at him with wide eyes. “Atta girl” He smiled gently.

“Oh my god, you’re a genius!” Your mother congratulated Erwin “I mean, we live close to the beach and you’re a responsible little gal” She reached in and ruffled your hair.

“At least you’re responsible” Levi grumbled, taking a cup from the table and serving himself straight from the pot that the diner allowed your family. He scrunched his nose and called the waiter for some burning water for his tea.

“Hey, um, could I ask you something?” Niccolo looked straight at you as he served the hot water into Levi’s cup. You nodded and got up, walking with him to a corner. The dinner was his uncle’s business, as his dad ran a high end restaurant more nearby the city. He switched his part time job depending on where he was staying “Is something wrong with the food?”

“Wh— No, why?” You were taken off guard. “The food is perfectly fine actually, why?”

He seemed relieved at your response. “It’s just, you never toy around with your food. Is something bothering you? Do you want extra bacon slices? On the house”

“Not anymore” You answered the first question with a sigh. You felt the anxiety of your lack of money and the possibility of failing to apply to financial aid dissipate. “Wait, are you serious?“

“Do you mind if it’s turkey bacon?” Niccolo asked, apologetically.

You were so happy, you shook your head. “Make it extra crispy!” You smiled widely, the reality of a job setting in.

All Jean had known most of his teenage years was dating and mutual crushing. Hopping around between men and women, he never found himself alone.

“I’m sorry, Jean. You’re a great guy, but…” After Mikasa said those words his mind tuned out. Was she dumping him?

Now that he actually did, he suddenly didn’t allow himself to be all high and mighty. He felt… anxious, and not in the mood for talking. He had gone to the loudest guy in the room, to just a bystander minding his own business. His latest breakup made him think. And he was now thinking all the time. While taking a morning jog, on his way to his part time, in school, before sleeping, everywhere. And the reality that settled in frightened him. He couldn’t be alone.

No matter how hard he tried, this lack of a partner was consuming him on the inside, making his stomach ill. But he knew better than just go out into the streets and be a hoe. That would just leave him more empty. So his mother suggested he get a summer job, too. He needed the distraction, and Connie offered to give him rides whenever he couldn’t use his motorcycle.

Training day couldn’t have come sooner. After much deliberation and remembering the whole ‘senior summer work spot’, he decided to apply, even though the beach was a bit far from where he lived in the town. The bar was empty, and everything was dusty. He coughed lightly before heading where Erwin and Levi chatted, overseeing some papers. He waved to them and decided to hang around, as other trainees arrived. There were a few of them, making Jean realize this was probably their test trial and being told who stayed or not. Or maybe since the bar was relatively big, they would be spread out on different sections.

“Uh, hi, good morning” You rushed inside, watching everyone there, fiddling with the keychain for the keys of a car he didn’t recognize. You stuffed them inside your tote beach bag. “Am I late?” You turned to Levi and Erwin and headed towards, visibly concerned. “My mom murdered my alarm this morning and couldn’t get up on time, promise it won’t happen again”

Jean turned from speaking to a few guys in his class to look at you. He went still for a second. Mom shorts, baby tee. Your ‘summer trim’. Old baseball cap from Yale. Birkenstocks. It had been a while since he had actually taken a while to observe you. And boy, had you changed from the last time he took a look at you during sophomore year. He debated between staying there (staring at you like an idiot), or saying hello, but the sound of a whistle didn’t even let him process what was going on.

You didn’t even notice Jean until he crept up behind you. “Hey”

Your back straightened up from the surprise as you turned to him “Oh… hey” You have him a small wave. The energy between you was weird. To you, it was based on the fact you didn’t even notice he was there. You were very observant and on God that man wouldn’t shut the hell up. But there he was, facing you with a resting face.

“So… how have you been?” He tried striking conversation, ignoring how tense everything felt. He tried to also ignore how your eyes overlooked his.

“I’ve been okay” You nodded, pressing your mouth into a thin line and turning your head away from him. “Well it was nice seeing you. Hope you get the job”

And without even giving him the opportunity to stop you, to let him know everything he felt he needed to know, to apologize, you scurried out of there and into the front of the group, facing your new bosses. The fall out of your friendship seemed natural to him. To you, it felt like a dried leaf being ripped up by a hellish breeze, being let down slowly after holding on for too long, too tight.

The training consisted of cleaning the entire bar, inside and out, making inventory and note down any damages. You were set on kitchen and bar duty, checking the regular supply list and noting down what needed more to fit the demands. Jean was in the cleaning crew inside, assessing any damages like burnt light bulbs or missing pieces of decoration. He watched you scramble on about between the outside and inside, commanding people with brief, simple orders with a calm neutral voice. With your type of personality and expertise, they all followed.

“Here, I made an itemized list of everything we’re missing and could potentially run out before the expected date” You handed the document proudly, signaling each indication with your pencil.

Erwin and Levi shared an impressed look. You were done quicker than the rest, and the few people on your team seemed satisfied with their input. “Great. We’ll give you guys a call by the end of the afternoon. Feel free to help yourselves with some drinks and snacks we’ve set up in the outside bar.” Levi said dryly, reading your report with details.

“You guys can also hang around here for a while. The day is beautiful and the water is clear. See ya!” Erwin dismissed you.

You chatted up with your crew, who you learned their names and what their ambitions in life were. Annie, whose father was from around there and had a beach house nearby, and Hitch, who lived in the city and had a vacation apartment with her boyfriend. You hummed, glad to meet new people. You grabbed some of the complimentary cookies and wrapped them in a napkin to take them to the beach before kicking off your sandals and running into the sand. The other two girls followed you when you jogged up to a good spot, glad the beach team had laid some chairs out to test their state.

As the morning rolled around, everyone was slowly finishing and turning their work in. You snacked on some chips, ate the cookies, went for more, drank lots of water, had a soak with your possible coworkers, played beach volleyball when more people joined you guys at the beach, and gladly had no sight of Jean.

You truly wish you could talk to him, after all he had done nothing wrong and you still appreciated him, but it was still very much different. You didn’t want to deal with your thoughts right now, it made your stomach churn and gave you thoughts of ripping your hair out with your inability to withstand an uncomfortable situation. You just weren’t the same people that you were two years ago.

You celebrated the last match won by your team and high fived Annie, smiling broadly. You were now just wearing a pair of light linen shorts and your bathing suit, still wearing your hat to avoid the sun directly in your eyes. It was around three already, close to your ideal summer lunch time. “Hey, uh, Y/N!”

Surprised, you turned to Connie Springer, Jean’s best friend, who approached you. You excused yourself from the court and walked towards him. Connie had always taken a brief liking on you, and he was a nice goofy guy for all you knew. While you usually hung out with Jean, he hung out with Sasha Braus, another girl in your class. Even if the two boys and her had a bigger connection, Jean made time for you and they could never exclude you in any shape or form.

“Oh hi Connie, long time no see” You smiled, crossing your arms. “What’s up?”

“Have you seen Jean? He told me he was going to be out an hour ago” He asked, not looking at you. He looked over your shoulder to the crowd of teenagers sitting across the small beach area near the bar.

“Oh, he got the cleaning squad. Mr. Ackerman is probably torturing them with the cleaning duties. They’re probably still at the bar outside” You smiled briefly. Even under the blinding sunlight, you knew he was staring at you in a certain way.

“Got it, thanks girl” He gave you a small nod before trotting over the establishment.

You said goodbye to the crew and went over to your chair, picking up your things. You buttoned up a Hawaiian shirt and fitted your sandals before taking the trash and dumping it on the way out. You ran once more into Connie and Jean, just as you got inside your light blue Jeep. It was a cliché to live in a beach town and have an old fashioned Jeep, but your mom thought it would be funny. You waved directly at Connie before hopping into the ride.

“I didn’t know she got a car” Connie noted as you backed away and into the street, driving away. He unlocked his own car, allowing himself in the driver’s seat.

“Or a driver’s license for that matter” Jean shrugged, hopping onto the driver’s seat. Since when has he created so much interest in you? He dissipated his ideas and buckled his seatbelt before the car took off. Did he care about you? Why didn’t he just tell you so? When had you become so unapproachable?

“Everything okay?” Connie asked his friend, noticing how he remained quiet throughout his karaoke playlist. “You’re spacing out again. You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Nope,” Jean replied dryly, and turned further away from his friend. Connie looked over at him briefly, visibly concerned, but didn’t say anything anyways.

The next day, Jean walked inside the bar and noticed the group was cut much shorter than the initial trainees. Amongst the group, he noticed you. You chatted happily with some official coworkers, leaning against the counter of the bar. Jean puffed up his chest, decisive to talk to you. But your new boss interfered, welcoming you and assigning tasks.

“Jean, you’re up with Y/N on the outdoor bar and drink serving duty. She has great productivity skills and you could learn one thing or another from them. For now, you’ll be helping with drink inventory, bar cleaning and decorating” Erwin commanded.

You stared at him briefly before you blinked into nothingness and looked away. This was bound to be a long summer.

[francesderwent]

Okay, I'm guessing some of the list, since this now looks like a guessing game: 13 is Jess and Rory from Gilmore Girls. 2 is Irenedes, Queen's Thief. One of those films is Steve and Peggy. And I *want* to say Zutara's on the TV shows list but I don't think it is, I think it's in the Honourable Mentions.

oh wow I totally did not intend for number 2 to trick you like that!! Irenides comes in at #7 (it's not an OTP until someone loses a limb)

JESS AND RORY

given the fact that I actually screamed and grabbed whichever brother was sitting next to me when I saw it the first time, it's gotta go to the time when he chases her down in the town square and rory says "fine, let's hear it. I've thought a lot about this: what would jess say to me, what could he possibly say?" and jess says "I love you" and then walks away. he's crazy

all gilmore girls ships are, at best, fucked up (affectionate), with the possible exception of lane and dave, but jess and rory do definitely achieve (affectionate) status.

"All You Had to Do Was Stay", by Taylor Swift, because "I think I may have loved you, but I have to let it go" = "it could have been easy / all you had to do was stay"

they've got a little of that good good Han/Leia energy?? because he's always leaving and yet he is really getting better, and she has all these expectations on her but he really sees her.

I live for Jess and Rory in their friendship era, so my preferred AU is always one which gets rid of Dean early but keeps them in their friendship and lets that grow

they didn't make the list! I was extremely picky with my tv show ships, because a lot of them get poisoned in the long run (and not in a fun way) so if specific moments make me insane but the big picture leaves me cold, I left them off

STEVE AND PEGGY

my favorite moment of theirs is actually that last shot of Endgame of their dance!! truly a non-verbal MOMENT, so much is communicated!!!!!

it's Captain America we're talking about, obviously they're wholesome (affectionate)

maybe it just came on my shuffle or maybe it's the perfect song for every good ship out there, but "This Love" by Taylor Swift. "these hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me"

they have that rare thing that is first love and true love at the same time!! who else?? this is a slight cop-out because the boys are identical but Carrot and Angua, of course!!!!

no more of this bullshit separation. they both get sent to 2012 AU

alas they are not on the list

ZUKO AND KATARA

if I didn't say the moment when he took the lightning strike for her...would I even be me? special mention to the bit in ember island players where zuko sits next to katara and then aang whines but zuko refuses to move >:)

this is maybe the hardest couple to categorize yet???? they're so freaking dramatic that it seems underwhelming to call them wholesome but they're not exactly fucked up either?? I'm calling them wholesome but know that I am dissatisfied with my own system

I am going to be extremely annoying and say "All I Need" by Within Temptation because "can you still see the heart of me" has those good good "you were going to heal my scars in the caves and then I betrayed you and I'm just trying to get back to that place where you thought you could maybe trust me" vibes.

I am sorry. (reylo)

stick those kids in a regency AU. zuko is upstart new money he inherited from his father's trading and katara is from an old family with no money at all. they still both have their bending because DUH

you are right! they are in the honorable mentions!!

[jcmiesingh]

TASK 06: CHARACTER INSPO

honorable mentions that aren’t strong parallels but i’m including them just for laffs: dennis reynolds (it’s always sunny in philadelphia), klaus hargreeves (the umbrella academy), jj maybank (outer banks), roman roy (succession), michelle mallon (derry girls), and this text post 

see below for me going alligator_talking.gif about the six main parallels!

lip gallagher (shameless): ok i will not lie it has been years since i watched shameless so this one is mostly just vibes but his vibes are soooo jamie. especially the whole “feeling deeply but not knowing how to express feelings well so they come out in destructive ways” energy. i think the main similarity that differentiates lip from the other characters i included on here is that he’s smart in the same way that jamie is. sometimes i forget but jamie is actually very booksmart lmao it just doesn’t matter to him bc he never showed up to class and did not even consider college. so from what i remember of lip’s arc it’s the same kind of wasted potential energy where he could be applying his brain and succeeding in life but instead he does not give a flying fuck about academia and would rather be a menace to society.

dimitri (anastasia): i just thought of this parallel this morning and now i am absolutely obsessed with it. to be clear, i am not talking about the dimitri in the second half of the movie who learns to be selfless through falling in love and is sexily redeemed. i’m talking about the first half where he’s a lying con who manipulates others to his own ends and is a complete smooth-talking asshole. and also, the whole backstory of growing up poor and believing money will solve all of his problems? very jamie. even just the way he like, talks and carries himself is super similar to jamie’s mannerisms in my mind.

james cook (skins uk): once again i must include a disclaimer that i watched skins a super long time ago and my memory is poo. but ever since i came across this gifset, the jamie/cook parallel has lived rent-free in my head for months. i think the most distinctive thing he brings to the melting pot of jamie parallels is the fact that he is such a fucking survivor. like, no matter what bullshit he gets into & what kind of messes he creates for himself, he gets up and keeps going like a gross lil cockroach u keep trying to squish under your boot (thank you again to blair for that iconic comparison). and of course the general shitty troubled boy energy and the belief that he’s not really worth much at the end of the day.

john bender (the breakfast club): i know this movie is outdated and bender does some things that are straight up not okay but those are not included in this parallel thanks! we’re talking about the reckless disregard of rules and authority, the never knowing when to shut up, impulsivity and always fucking things up for himself. this is yet another case in which i don’t remember that much about the details of this movie lol but the vibes are 100% there.

jess mariano (gilmore girls): it’s this gifset for me if i’m being honest... the sarcasm is absolutely jamie vibes. i don’t think he has a ton in common with jess on a deep personality level but this one is mostly just based on energy? like the no-good kid who has a bad reputation in his small town, doesn’t give a shit what any of those people think, just walks around being a smartass instead. it’s also the mannerisms and the dry humor and emotionless witty facade.

rue bennett (euphoria): we’re just going to ignore rue’s whole addiction storyline because this one is also strong on just vibes! like if i had to describe how jamie carries himself through his day-to-day life, it’d be as a combination of dimitri, jess, and rue. i’m also including her because there is for sure something to be said for the fact that she believes the only thing she can do is hurt people, and there’s no point in trying to really better herself ‘cause she’s always just gonna be a shithead. that’s big jamie energy too.

[georgianadarcies]

just had to suffer through one of my least favourite episodes of gilmore girls, a vineyard valentine…… like i know things happen in the show’s universe off camera but it just feels so strange to me that rory and logan have what seems like this whole other life there. and she’s cooking!!! wtf is that about 😂 gilmores don’t cook hahahah

god yeah I hate that episode too. so much. I will say that I have changed my mind a bit on the rory cooking stuff, because it's not as though her cooking in general is bad or insulting (the idea that women cooking is bad and demeaning is... problematic at best, it's not a bad skill to have) but the vibes and just context of everything was really off and weird? again her cooking in general idc I love her having all these skills BUT everything really felt like they were making her to be mrs. logan huntzberger?? like oh all of a sudden they're always going to the vineyard (which is bull, by the way, they literally had no time for that). oh and rory knows this place like the back of her hand. oh and they're this old married couple now even though they're literally never interacted like this before and never do again. it really just feels like ret-con the festival and it is. painful. not to mention that luke just complains the entire time?? and then he and logan have all these weird interactions and it's all just. not good. and it ending with us finding out that logan let rory plan a whole trip KNOWING that he couldn't go because he had to start working for his father?? and literally did not tell her so she had to find out by overhearing his argument with mitchum?? but like she doesn't get to be angry or anything lmao. I just despise this episode it's so uncomfortable and out of place

[olivicsc]

[ jessica alexander, cisfemale, she/her ] have you seen OLIVIA SCOTT lately ? yeah, i heard they're 23 years old and an IG MODEL now in charleston city. i mean, i don’t know if it’s their CANCER vibes or that they’re -OBSESSIVE and -MANIPULATIVE but also +DEBONAIR and +CHARISMATIC but they remind me of GASOLINE by LEYLA BLUE. here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble around here.

hey loves ! it’s gaya back with a third chara . olivia is brand new so i hope her background will make sense and that i won’t ramble too much .

FULL NAME  :  olivia wren scott NICK NAMES  :  liv , oli , vivi  AGE  : twenty three DATE OF BIRTH  : july 4th , 1998 ASTROLOGY SIGN  :  cancer sun , scorpio moon , leo rising. GENDER  :  cis female.   PRONOUNS  :she / her / hers.   SEXUALITY  :  bisexual.   OCCUPATION : instagram model HOMETOWN  :  charleston , south carolina. POSITIVE TRAITS  : charismatic , debonair , honest , independent , strong willed , charming , intellectual , confident NEGATIVE TRAITS  :  manipulative , obsessive , stubborn , possessive , can be selfish at times , unstable . HABITS  :  tba CHARACTER INSPO  : love quinn , a bit of fallon carrington , rory gilmore , blair waldorf , alex russo , ruby matthews 

tw: mentions of fire , stalking

background:

–– olivia was born on july 4th 1998 to alana and harry scott . her dad grew up in england while her mom is american . she is the last child in the schott family and has an older brother and a sister who are twins .  –– she comes from a very rich family –– mom’s a lawyer and dad owns a hotel company that has hotels in both england and all around the us. –– her mom grew up in charleston , hence why the family lives there . her dad traveled a lot when she grew up and even though her mom was at home more often than her dad she still didn’t get much attention from her parents . –– she did get a ton shit of gifts tho . she never heard the word “no” throughout her life and she sure did get everything she wanted . this affected her when she got to middle school . she had the biggest crush on this guy at school when she was 14 . she followed him after school , trying to learn his routine so she could “accidentally” meet him and possibly make him fall in love with her. –– but little did she know he was already seeing someone . this caused her to act up and burn this girl’s hair “by mistake” at school . no one saw it happening but the girl ended up ratting her out which caused her parents to send her to boarding school in england when she was just 15 .  –– she started her modeling career when she was 18 , after she finished school . she’s been going on trips and doing her thing ever since , but decided to come back home at the age of 21 . she’s been in and out of charleston but has officially moved in the last 6 months .

personality:

–– she has obsessive tendencies . once she gets heavily involved with someone she also gets obsessive .  –– she tries to distance herself from people she crushes on because she’s afraid of what she might do .  –– she has a queen b type of vibe but is not a mean bitch ?? like she will say things as they are but is actually kinda sweet in a weird way lol –– she’s VERY confident . like she knows she’s hot and and she knows what she’s worth and if you’re not into it ? then fuck u she’ll go to someone else –– she lives for attention . give her attention and you��ll have her .  –– she can be very deceiving tho . she may seem sweet and lovely but she can also ruin your life in a blink of an eye –– she’s very much spoiled and loves to be spoiled  –– she’s very well put together but don’t let that fool you cuz deep down she is fighting her demons every freaking day . –– hates her middle name and might smack u if u use it when u talk to her –– heavily based on the songs gasoline by leyla blue and black widow by rita ora and iggy azalea

this is it love u a lot she’s a mess and i’m sorry if this didn’t make any sense <3

[your-turn-to-role]

Feralness of the NPCs? If you like.

this one took me a bit longer, because as critrolestats calculated a couple months ago, across both campaigns, matt has over a thousand npcs, and we'd be here all year if i had to rank all of them 😂

but in my attempt to brainstorm all significant npcs from both campaigns (though i'm sure i'm forgetting someone i'm gonna immediately remember as soon as i post this), i've got gilmore, allura, kima, jarett, kaylie, cassandra, kynan, artagan, kiri, essek, dairon, orly, yeza, and pumat sol, so i can do those guys!

(not including villains, figures we don't know much personal about like the bright queen, or guest pcs, because they're still technically pcs. also not splitting by campaign because allura and artagan appear in both)

1 - kaylie motherfucking shorthalt. i adore her so much, and she is feral as fuck. granted, she's highly competent feral, she's good enough at the flute to challenge scanlan, and good enough at the violin to be a professional fiddler (which, i reiterate, takes so much dedication to learn), and aes adan/the meat man definitely didn't become as powerful as he did all because of scanlan. but also, is a thief and a conman and will 100% get in a bar fight with just about anyone, absolutely unafraid to speak her mind, and her approach to meeting her father for the first time was to work out all her grudges by trying to kill him with a knife. see also - her epilogue was deciding to finish the schooling she dropped out of, but at a really fancy academy so she could prove she's better than all the rich kids, just really rub it in their faces. i so wish i could have seen it.

2 - kima will fight you. kima will fight anyone. i don't know why all the short girls in cr are so feral, but like literally all of them are just pure feral condensed into three feet of girl, i love them. kima is no different, except she has a dragon god on her side and also is very gay and she's great

3 - artagan. now, feral in large part constitutes an unwillingness or inability to play by the rules of a functioning society, and that's all artagan's about. show him a rule and he will run the other direction until he feels safe and then come back invisibly and use that rule to fuck with people. he has the chaos part down too, and i was almost gonna put him in first place. however, feral also implies something of a willingness for violence, and artagan doesn't really have that? like he does to an extent, but in the words of mr matthew mercer, "even the nicest of fey are weird and have their dark sides". and as far as fey go, artagan has been shown to care about people a lot more than he's ever wished them harm. like he's still feral, because he's an archfey and the entire feywild is feral. but like... relatively tame feral. give the boy a pen and some paper and he'll leave you alone.

4 - kiri. she's adorable, and is baby, but is also a bird with a knife whose catchphrase has more or less become "go fuck yourself!". i love her.

5 - orly's pretty chill. but also, let's be real, there's a limit to how non-feral a tortle sailor and tattoo artist with bagpipes fused into his shell can be. also is just generally down for whatever illegal antics the m9 feel like getting up to

6 - cassandra. i debated for a while about putting her higher, because there's definitely an argument to be made for that, but you do have to take into consideration how well put together and fancy she is at nearly all times. however. cassandra at no more than maybe 13 was the only person to not get caught in the briarwood attack, rescued her brother from the dungeon where they were torturing him and keeping the bodies of her other siblings, guided him out, got nearly murdered, and lived in a whitestone full of zombies and villains and vampire mind control for five years. she's feral under the surface, she's had to be

7 - jarett. god i love jarett, i forgot about him last time someone asked me my fave c1 npcs but he's the best. anyway, captain of their guard, good at fighting, terrible liar, Definitely Has Never Dealt Drugs Before, will go kill a dragon with you. but like, as long as you're paying him. he's doing this for money, not just out of base feral instinct. Probably Needs A Break.

8 - dairon taught beau and earned her respect somehow, so you know they're at least a little feral. but also, widely respected expositor of the cobalt soul, competent spy, and at least moderately capable of keeping beau in line, so that knocks down their feralness level a fair bit

9 - essek is a fancy boy, and definitely is beholden to a lot of rules. the whole floating thing shows that, like, he's pretty damn far from feral for most of the time he's in rosohna. but i debated who was higher between all the wizards for a while, and i think just because essek is (or at least was) neutral evil and is so driven by his hunger for knowledge and to explore the darker parts of dunamancy, that does push him up the feral scale a little bit. there's very little essek wouldn't do when it comes to discovering secrets. (also, you know, his entire job as the shadowhand, we've seen involves some fucked up stuff, so he's far from squeamish or naive in that sense)

10 - allura is a wizard and a politician and a fancy person and generally rather chill. but as far as the wizards go, wins second most feral because she's been an adventurer. she took down thordak the first time. casually reminisces about how weird all adventuring groups are when vox machina are like licking the weird powder they found in the necromancer dungeon and mentions she was like that too. girl's seen some shit

11 - pumat is not an adventurer, and has no wish to be, and on the whole, is not feral at all. but also, pumat swole.

12 - kynan, wants to be feral? and then was, kinda, for a bit, and then severely regretted it. has had his moments, but on the whole is a Soft Boy

13 - gilmore. we're definitely getting to the definitively Not Feral end of the scale now. i mean, points for crushing a man to death with his mind, also points for "if you could find a way for me to become a dragon, that would be sexy". but gilmore is extremely concerned at all times with putting on that charming and excited mask, he puts a lot of value on his image and practically nothing will get him to tarnish it (even when thordak nearly killed him and he was still barely hanging on, he tried to use prestidigitation to make himself look better, like... those walls run deep). is also just a really genuinely nice person, cares a lot about people, is very empathetic, and again, refuses to show negative emotion if it will hurt someone else in any way. it's hard to imagine shaun gilmore as feral in any way, and if he did get close to that, it wouldn't be in front of other people

14 - yeza. now, points for the slightly mad scientist vibe yeza's got going on, it seems to be veth's type. but also, veth has 100% of the feral in this relationship and they both know it