#enemies to lovers remains SUCH a god tier trope

[zombeesknees]

#i will never forgive them for the premature cancellation

Favorite TV Relationships ♡ Lucy Preston and Garcia Flynn (Timeless)

[separatist-apologist]

Which of the bg3 origin character ships/dynamics do you enjoy the most? Or if you have any opinions on any of them that you are willing to share, I would love to read them

I think I, like everyone else, love the Wyll/Karlach dynamic. What's fun is it can really go any way you like it. Enemies to friends to lovers. Platonic best friends. Our fates are intertwined and always have been- the duke's son and the wild child, like every god tier trope exists within their friendship/relationship. Wyll's good ending is going to Avernus WITH Karlach. It's more than just self-sacrificing- he loves her, he'll follow her to literal hell, we're not free until we're BOTH free.

I also really like Gale x Shadowheart because they have the same religious trauma. I don't think it's necessarily romantic, though the dynamic intrigues me at time. She makes time to see him in Waterdeep when its all over. I think the two of them would have a genuine understanding of the grooming that occurred, and all the ways it's messed with them- and that despite how easy it would have been for the pair of them to become cold, and cruel, and mean, they retained that goodness all the same.

Astarion x Karlach- if anyone understands how it feels to not own what happens to your body, its the two of them. They don't seem like they should care about each other and yet they have a soft spot for one another. They were forced to do the bidding of a much more powerful master and refused to let it break them. At every turn they're trying to escape, trying to free themselves, trying to live their lives on their own terms. She can't be touched and he doesn't want to be touched- if they romance each other at the tiefling party, they just sit side by side and talk and they're happy about it. Their bodies will betray them when the game is over, but rather than succumb, they choose to live.

Shadowheart x Lae'zel- I do ship this romantically, and of all the companion romances I think theirs has the most interesting of dynamics. Lae'zel argues you should let her die when you two first meet Shadowheart- Shadowheart turns around and tries to kill Lae'zel the first chance she got. Lae'zel owes her continued existence to Shadowheart, and Shadowheart betrayed Lae'zel's people in order to obtain the artifact. They're both pawns in service of a goddess bent on consuming every piece of them before ultimately discarding them.

Wyll x Astarion- Wyll is the white knight, the tall, dark, and handsome hero, a prince by all accounts. Astarion is an asshole, he's unprotected and used to looking out only for himself, vulnerable and hiding it behind 100 layers of malice and sarcasm. He used to dream of a savior- Wyll would have saved him had he known of Astarion's predicament. Wyll is the monster hunter, Astarion the monster. They trade banter back and forth. Astarion asks Wyll if he's heard of Cazador, Wyll argues that Astarion should remain a spawn and retain whatever remains of his mortality. They should be enemies but they aren't.

Lae'zel and Gale- they are endlessly curious about one another. She offers to teach him to fight, he wants to know more about her home world. Of all the companions, Gale takes the most time to get to know Lae'zel's culture. He laughs when she makes a joke about gnomes. She insults him the least of all the companions- and compliments him first out of everyone. When Mystra orders Gale to kill himself, Lae'zels defense of Gale's ability to take down the brain without sacrificing himself is hands down my favorite piece of dialogue in the game.

[snow-in-the-desert]

Dramione Recommendations

Ok so, 2020 has been A LOT but on a personal note one of the most surprising things to happen was me discovering Dramione fanfiction and becoming unashamedly obsessed with it. I really didn’t see that coming but I’m here now and I’m here to stay. 

I think I started reading in the Dramione fandom around mid July last year?? (In all honesty I’ve lost any true sense of time’s progression at this point so I could be well off the mark with that) And I’ve decided to compile a list of all my favourite fics I’ve read so far. Why? I really just want to gush over all the amazing writers I have found through this fandom because y’all deserve it. 

Side note: If any of the authors actually sees this post just dm so I can buy you coffee or post you writing supplies or something idk I feel like that’s the least I can do for all your amazing work x

Remain Nameless by @heyjude19-writing

Ok I have to start with RN because this fic is pretty much the sole reason I decided to create an account with A03 or a tumblr or just decided to get involved with this fandom at all. 

I headcannon this story hard. But I think even if you aren’t a fan of Dramione you should just read this because it is so unbelievably good and well written and poignant and Draco’s sarcastic personality in this is truly a thing of beauty in this - I relate to his inner monologue’s on a deep personal level. 

I could rave about this story any time, any day of the week, just ask me. In fact, maybe I’ll just start a HeyJude19 fan club to fulfill that urge.

There are so many elements that I love but for the sake of brevity, RN is a beautifully told story of Draco and Hermione finding love and healing in a post-war HP setting. Heyjude19 had the very special ability of making me want to simulatenously laugh, cry and swoon with the power of her words. Just stop what you are doing and go read it now if you havent already, ok?  

I also really enjoyed reading Bells on a Hill, Beers, Potions and Unwise Notions and A Shift in Focus, if you are looking for smaller fics, definitely give these a go. They are all funny and heartfelt stoires that will make your tippy toes wriggle with glee. 

The Rights and Wrongs Series by @lovesbitca8

The Right Thing To Do, All The Wrong Things and The Auction are the holy trinity of Dramione writing. I have christened it thus, so mote it be. And frankly I’m not interested in any other opinion than that one, thank you very much!

After reading this series I don’t think I’ll be able to look back on the orginal HP books without thinking of Hermione’s and Draco’s memories of their time at Hogwarts in these fics as anything other than strictly cannon. 

So many things to love about this series but I think one of the major highlights was Hermione and Draco’s use of occlumency. LoveBitca8 created such beautiful visuals with how occlumency works as a magical practice and seeing Draco and Hermione so devoted to eachother to the point of safeguarding their inner most feelings to protect eachother was unbelievably romantic and poetic. 

Also the smut is divine ;)

Manacled by @senlinyu​

My heart will never be the same after reading this story. Like I actually can’t think about this fic without getting a lump at the back of my throat. I have never felt so emotionally ruined after reading anything, compared to the likes of this fic. Just please, please read it. To badly quote HP, reading Manacled will make you suffer but you’re going to be happy about it.

The flashbacks are a rollercoaster in of themselves but the way Hermione inadvertently refers to them when she is still in a state of memory loss was so heartbreaking to read. My heart still aches for them both. Also its a truly satisfying to see Draco and Hermione written in a way were they are both so fiercly protective of one another. They make my insides go soft. 

I also really enjoyed Snow Fall, Now Is A Gift and All You Want by the author but to be honest anything written by Senlinyu is always thoroughly enjoyable and worth a look. 

The Erised Effect by @adaprix​

Ada is QUEEN of dramione smut but ‘The Erised Effect’ is top tier. Its equal parts funny, romantic, sentimental and oh so sexy. Ada really knows how to build and build on sexual tension and doesn’t disappoint on the final delivery. I’m a big admirer of her writing style and just veraciously read whatever she posts but ‘The Erised Effect’ is just golden. A must read. (Also Pansy’s sexual fantasy in this story is a visual I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remove from my brain so thanks for that Ada)

Also quick side note: Adaprix’ stories were the first I read when I was looking into this fandom and it was enough to get me hooked on the pairing from the get go so I have that to thank Ada for too. I remember devouring all the stories she had posted to A03 and when I was done I was like... now what am I supposed to do with my life?? And that’s basically when I began to look deeper into the fandom and thus the course of my life in 2020 changed for the better. 

Some other stories I love by her are Break for Me, All My Sins, The Big 4-0, The Fucklust Series and The Flat in Bath. 

Clean by @olivieblake​

This 6th Year AU where Draco and Hermione work together on a class assignment and end up falling in love had me feeling all kinds of ways when I read it. I almost don’t know where to start but I think one of the stand out things for me was how immersed I felt in reading it. 

Hogwarts is captured really well, you get a good sense of class atmospheres, character nuances and behind the scenes of events that happen in HBP but from a Draco and Hermione’s perspectives. It’s well executed and intricate tapestry of a fic. With an excellent plot twist ending! 

Also Hermione and Draco’s relationship in this is equal parts fluffy and smutty and it just ticks all the right boxes that you want to see for those characters ;)

Breath Mints / Battle Scars by @onyx-and-elm​

The angst in this one is just *chef’s kiss*

God I love this fic. The way Draco is portrayed is very true to his defensive and tetchy character in the original books but he is also given so much more depth. The way his diary entries are written are just so well executed. It’s a true testament to the author’s creative writing skill. And I LOVE how even though Draco is clearly in such a messed up place, he still has a basic level of self respect and dignity that he won’t tolerate being used or undervalued in his relationship with Hermione. 

Yep, I really love Draco’s characterisation in this one if you can’t tell.  But Hermione is also well written too. Her stuggles and trauma of returning to Hogwarts after war is described in a believable and grounded way. And my heart definitely ached for them both. I just wanted to wrap the pair of them in a big fuzzy blanket and tell them that everything will be alright. 

WANDS OUT! by @persephonestone​

This murder mystery / Dramione / Theo x Harry / AU crossover is everything I didn’t know I wanted until I read it. I felt like I was picked up and plonked right into an alternative dimension where all the characters of HP are just living it up in an Agatha Christie novel. 

It’s a funny and clever story that I found refreshing to read amongst all the other fanfics that are usually cemented in the HP timeline or universe. Theodore Nott in this fic is perfection he should be written like this in every fic from now on in my opinion. I couldn’t stop giggling any time he had a scene in the story.

And the ‘only one bed’ trope in this fic is 10/10. I don’t want to give spoilers but ohmygod. It hits all the right notes. 

The One With Technical Difficulties by cassielassie 

Cassielassie has an excellent three part series of Dramone called ‘The One with...” but I have to give special credit to this story in particular for one main reason. ELEVATOR TROPES. I can’t get enough of em. I think I have my early childhood viewings of NCIS to thank for my obsession with elevator tropes they just do something to me that simply cannot be explained with mere words. The palpable sexual tension of being in a broken down elevator with an ‘enemies to lovers’ pairing, a heated arguement breaks out followed by a discovery of mutual feelings and a romantic embrace...

Eugh. It gets me everytime. And this fic is no exception. I loved it for all the reasons I’ve already stated above but also for the attention to detail in Draco and Hermione’s careers makes this one particularly immersive. The dynamics between them established in this one-shot are convincingly portrayed and the chemistry between them is so undeniably hot. 

The Light is No Mystery by @masterofinfinities​

Yooo if you want to read a dramione fic that is a deep dive into Pureblood culture and Post-War recovery but is also a perfect allegory for discrimination and today’s political landscape of moral grandstanding for votes then look no further than this one. 

This story has a bit of everything. Intrigue, mystery, ptsd and recovery, enemies to lovers / secret relationship, government conspiracy and humour, to name a few. I eargerly await every update to this story and am anxious to know how it ends!

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen 

Finally! A fic that gives me the Ravenclaw representation I crave. I think I could recommend this fic on the lore depicted of Ravenclaw house alone. ‘The Stacks’ and Rowena Ravenclaw’s own ‘come and go room’ are just such cool details that I could see being real in the HP universe. 

This fic is so cosy and makes me feel like I’m just popping back into Hogwarts for another year. You get to see all the usuals like prof. Mcgongall, Nearly headless Nick, PEEVES, Hagrid, as well as learn more about minor characters from the other school houses. The story follows Hermione going to her day to day classes and there are interesting concepts about magic and alchemy that are explored. 

Draco and Hermione’s relationship in this one is of course very fluffy and heartfelt. But it’s the attention to detail that really makes this fic outstanding and the experience of reading it feels fleshed out and true to HP universe.

A shorter fic by HeartofAspen that I recommend is one called Set in Stone, it has an adventurous, Indianna Jones vibe to it, that I am so down for. 

Teachable Moments by @purplesugarquills

In this fic Hermione is an innocent little virgin determined to learn everything about sex. And Draco Malfoy is her tutor. If that isn’t enough to get you on board then I don’t know what is. Both Heartfelt and Steamy. PurpleSugarQuills writes smut so well but it’s the progression of their growing attachment and the nervous treading of new uncharted waters of romantic relationships for both of them that just adds a whole other level of feels to the story. Also chapter 9 is like reading poetry - its so good. Eugh just give it a read if you haven’t already.

Les Pèlerins by @pacific-rimbaud

This story is high art. It’s transcendent. Reading this story feels like the emotional equivalent of standing around a hundred glowing fairy lights, sipping hot cocoa and being wrapped in the loving embrace of a s/o. I can’t speak my praises highly enough or even become passably coherent in my words when I try to articulate a review. 

From the very first paragraph I felt like I was just whisked away on a Parisian holiday and I’ve never even bloody been to Paris but damn it if this story didn’t make me feel like I was there. The writing style is just so tactile and intense it’s like I could feel the cold winter air brush against me as I read it. Eugh I just completely fell in love with the story and the writer. 

New Year’s resolution. Read everything PacificRimbaud has ever posted online. 

[flowerslut]

S / T

OOF—I’m super picky with what I read AND write, so strap in for these answers lmao

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

typically what I write and what I read are fairly similar all across the board with the exception being: I’ll usually give a well-written fic a solid chance even if it’s about something I typically can’t fucking stand (crossover fic/modern aus/etc)

BUT!!! no matter the fandom no matter the pairing I can not get ENOUGH of canon divergent stories and fix-it fics. I love when I can read a story where an author took one look at canon, picked a point in the story, and then took the story in a different direction than canon did. as someone who has Big Qualms with the source material of their last few fandoms and the way canon has gone, I’m obsessed with canon-divergent fic. fuck! me! up! also as I writer I usually default to this setting when brainstorming fanfics. it’s how call of the night was born, it’s how changing skies was born, pocket full of stones, swallow your sleep—most of my Big Projects are born from me squinting at canon, going *taylor tomlinson voice* “okay, not this,” then throwing a dart at the canon timeline and diverging from there.

honorable mentions go to hurt/comfort stories, dark fic, and any sort of “enemies-to-lovers” variation. they don’t even need to start off as enemies. they can even be “friends to lovers to enemies to friends”. it doesn’t even matter. show me some ups and downs besties! show me just WHY these character can’t avoid each other within the story 🤩 more shoutouts to slow burn and all other forms of angsty fic. chefs kiss baby

T: Any fandom tropes you can't stand?

I have and will ALWAYS despise with every ounce of my being, love triangles. I fucking hate them. I hated it in twilight, I hated it in the hunger games, I hated the fake version we got of it in naruto, and I hate it in fic. no exceptions.

now, I DO allow one-sided infatuation with a member of the pairing (for example: if jacob’s crush on bella would have remained one sided I would have had a much more enjoyable time reading All Of Eclipse And BD) but as long as it’s made apparent that the infatuation ain’t going to effect the main pairing in any stupid way i.e. one member of the ship is like “oh maybe I DO feel something oh woe is me!” then I can tolerate it. that doesn’t mean I don’t love a little spicy drama initiated by a third party who may or may not feel some type of way about one member of the pairing. but once that line from A to B morphs into a proper triangle and includes a C? i’m out. your fic better be fucking spectacular if I’m going to keep reading it

(honorable mention here goes to @volturialice for getting me to accept the canon that is demetri’s obsession w alice. if u need to know more, go ask her to elaborate. bc that’s some good fuckin good.)

I also will not read under any circumstance:

cheating fics

A/B/O

self-insert or y/n fic

any fic where the characters are being tortured just to be tortured. like if you’re going to put your characters through it there better be a fucking reason. show me the plot, you assholes

tropes that I strongly dislike but will read if the writing is good enough or if I trust the author enough:

modern aus

OOC characters (like, I’m reading about these characters because I like them. if you’re writing them out of character—or even, god forbid, just fucking suck at characterizing them—then I’m not interested lmao)

crossover fic

if your writing is too purple. sorry, I’m here for plot and dialogue. get to the point already

again. I’m….. very picky about what I like! if you enjoy any of these listed above, hell yeah! keep rocking! it’s just absolutely not for me lmfao. also while trying to remember fic trope names I came across this awesome tier-maker and made this great visual representation of how I feel about certain popular fic tropes. here’s to hoping mobile doesn’t eat the quality of this:

[solacefruit]

enemies to lovers (or similar) for the fanfiction tropes. it's always been one i personally enjoy, lots of stuff to explore with the characters (and setting, usually)

Hello there! Thank you for asking in.

Enemies-to-lovers: absolutely A tier, god level trope, I love it. I genuinely do not think I could ever be bored of this one, and honestly there are so many potential iterations of it too and they’re all good. 

I love that petty rivals thing where two people basically despise each other out of attraction and envy and it’s especially good when they feel threatened because they’re each almost the best at whatever it is they do, except for this one other person, who they hate for that. I love when people bitterly obsess over each other for reasons that they can only partly articulate, and also it’s so good when that loathing is just a way of coping with and reframing genuine respect and interest that’s so evident to the reader but only fleetingly understood by the character. Very much that “if I didn’t hate you, I would have to adore you and that frightens me more, so I grip closer to hate and find increasingly destructive excuses for interacting with you and justifying the fact I’m not getting over you, I can’t ignore you and somehow that’s your fault” thing. Mint concept in all ways.

But I also love that genuine, heartfelt enemies situation where two people mean each other so much ill and would rip chunks from the other if they got the chance, or worse, but can’t quite get the chance because they’re each other’s foil and match, so it’s a constant, brutal escalation with very real, dangerous stakes. Or perhaps they finally get their chance, and experience a strange twinge of mercy--but maybe not enough. 

I devour this kind of thing, not least of all because the potential resolutions are so delicious. Like, sometimes it’s fun when they kill each other--or one kills the other, or they betray after that tentative moment of kinship and trust, because I’m a little awful and I love a good tragedy and I love strife and tasteful agony. But it’s just as good when they slowly learn to be honest and trust each other, becoming genuine friends; or learn to trust each other enough to fuck occasionally without a fatality risk, but ultimately remain somewhat opposed and at odds; or lean in and stay enemies (in name), be nemeses outwardly, and keep their affection as a secret between them; or never get resolution and smoulder for eternity, going slowly insane from unidentified longing; or be deeply toxic and codependent and destructive, because they’re not a good partnership, they just match each other in intensity--that old thing of getting on like a house on fire (no survivors); or--you get the idea. 

Just about the only thing I can’t forgive is if writers rush from enemies to lovers, as if enemies is just set dressing and not a very challenging thing to become lovers from. It has to ultimately feel earned, whatever is happening. As a writer and as a reader, I really enjoy when characters have conflicting worldviews and ideology in equally persuasive, understandable ways, so that it’s hard to cleanly decide who is “right” (if anyone), and enemies-to-lovers is often that when it’s done in a way that’s satisfying. 

There’s actually this wonderful line in Pratchett’s Masquerade that really gets to the heart of what I enjoy so much about this trope: 

Granny Weatherwax was firmly against fiction. Life was hard enough without lies floating around and changing the way people thought. And because the theater was fiction made flesh, she hated the theater most of all. But that was it—hate was exactly the right word. Hate is a force of attraction. Hate is just love with its back turned.

She didn’t loathe the theater, because, had she done so, she would have avoided it completely. Granny now took every opportunity to visit the traveling theater that came to Lancre, and sat bolt upright in the front row of every performance, staring fiercely.

There’s something about hate that’s fun and compelling. It’s a form of passion, and if you block off the usual path for passion to follow--love, for instance--the river will rise elsewhere and find another way to run whether you like it or not. That’s what good hate is, in my humble opinion.  

Send me a fanfiction trope and I’ll rate it!