Why Writing Is So Lonely | Rin T.
Hello writers, and anyone else who uses Tumblr on a daily basis like me. (Although I’ve been inactive off and on.) It’s me, Rin, and I wanted to talk about something that I think a lot of us struggle with. Or at least anyone, and everyone who considers themselves writers.
The loneliness that can come with the writing life and being a writer. We spend so much of our time alone. It doesn’t matter if you're using your laptop or scribbling in notebooks. Or pacing around in your living room and muttering dialogue to yourself (which I'm completely guilty of.)
Writing is really a solitary passion, and it hasn't just recently been like that. I'm sure Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe dealt with similar feelings. And sometimes that isolation can take a real toll that many of us choose to ignore, both on our creativity, our passion, which I assume is writing in this case, and our mental health.
I’ve been writing for about 4 years now, mostly working on my own little passion projects that I plan on publishing and side hustles, not only for my writing project but also my blog (TheWrite AdviceForWriters). I’m currently knee-deep in 4 different novel drafts that I’m absolutely in love with. However, let me tell you. It can get Very lonely a lot of times. There are days when I feel like I’m the only person in the world who cares about these made-up characters and their fictional problems. The characters I create in my mind are so vivid that they seem like the only individuals who actually care about my passion. (They technically are, considering they are basically my passion.)
It’s so easy to start wondering whether anyone will ever want to read the stories I'm pouring my heart into. The self-doubt I get has been a big part of my writing journey, and sometimes it breaks my heart knowing that I may not please everyone who reads my stories. That I possibly could get the worst reviews out there on my book. If it's not perfect for society. For example, I have been reading and receiving news on Alex Aster and the amount of bad reviews she received for her LightLark novel, and she has had a few times where she’s stated she poured her heart into it. And it's not just Aster who deals with these as a published author; there are many others, and it sometimes scares me.
But you know what? I've come to realize that this loneliness is just part of the writer’s journey. And that it truly is going to be the process of every writer’s journey and career. It’s going to be one of the prominent challenges we have to face if we want to do this crazy, wonderful, painful thing we call writing. And I think it's important we talk about it, especially since I'm a blogger who owns a blog specifically for writers. The biggest reason I chose to create this blog was for this reason and the many other challenges of being a writer.
I definitely will consider this blog post to be a discussion, and if anyone wants to reblog or reply to this blog post and start a conversation, please do so, just so we can support each other and figure out healthy ways to cope.
So, why is writing such a lonely pursit? Well, there are quite a few reasons, especially reasons for each individual writer; however, here are a few key reasons:
The Act Itself is Solitary.
At the end of the day, writing is something we have to do on our own. Sure, we can brainstorm with other writers and friends who write or get feedback from beta readers. Or even develop and edit your manuscript with a professional book editor. But the actual act of putting words on the page is a solo endeavor. We’re the ones doing the typing, the (physical) writing, and the constant racking of our brains to find the perfect word or phrase to put down on paper or the blank page on a screen.
Even when we’re writing collaboratively, there’s still a certain level of isolation involved. I mean, after all, our individual writing process and creative visions have to align for the collaboration to work.
And let’s be real—aligning those things isn't always easy.
I’ve reached out to book editors, more so of developmental editors, which is an editor who guides the writer/author on the actual plot and outline of the novel itself. And they have mentioned the difficulties of needing to align with the creativity of the topic or novel. It isn't easy at all.
I know that for me, my most productive writing sessions happen when I'm alone. And I know for a fact I'm not alone on that.
Having no distractions when it's just me, my thoughts, and the blinking cursor on the screen with a Spotify playlist playing in the background. And while that can be deeply fulfilling and very productive, I will admit it can be incredibly lonely.
It's an Emotionally Draining Process.
Writing isn't just about stringing words together. It's about pouring our hearts and souls onto the page. Were digging into our deepest emotions, our biggest fear, our wildest dreams, our thoughts, our philosophy, I can go on. And that kind of vulnerability can be utterly exhausting.
When I'm in the process of drafting a new novel or the many current projects I'm working on. I often find myself emotionally drained at the end of the day. I've been living and breathing these characters, feeling their joys and pains as my own. describing the actions, words, and emotions these characters do and feel. And then after that, I have to close my laptop, put my pen and notebook away, and try to reenter the “real world"—a world that doesn’t always understand the weight I've been carrying.
It can be so isolating, feeling like the only person who understands the emotional journey of your writing. Knowing what it feels like to create characters and their stories and emotions and personalities just as if they were real humans. Our non-writer friends and family members try their best to be supportive, but unless they experience it firsthand, they cannot fully grasp the depth of what we go through. I can tell when I explain my projects to others who aren't writers, it can sometimes feel like they don't care about what I'm saying to them. Or it can also feel like, my stories are just a synopsis for an underrated movie no one’s ever watched.
It's a Profession of Rejection
I think we all know, writing is a tough gig. It's a tough career and job. Even the most successful authors have had to face their fair share of rejection. The rejections can be received from agents, publishers, readers, or critics. (like I mentioned earlier), and that constant stream of “no’s” can really chip away at our confidence and sense of self-worth. And especially if you're an aspiring author and have not yet published your work. Knowing that rejection is a big part of the career of writing is frightening. Really.
I remember when one of my best friends, who is a writer, who is currently in the process of publishing her book, would send query after query only to receive endless rejections. She told me it felt like the entire world was telling her, “Your writing isn't good enough,” and that can be a pretty lonely and demoralizing place to be. It has made me anxious about getting to the querying phase, as I still haven't begun to query yet.
Even when we start to find some success, the fear of rejection never really goes away. Will readers love our next book as much as the last one? Will readers even like my debut novel? Will the critics tear it apart? I know when I first started writing my first novel project. I rewrote the first chapter. 13 times!! And that’s because of all the questions and doubts I had in mind. It’s enough to make any writer want to crawl into a hole and never come out.
And the thing is, as writers, we often don't have the same support system that people in other professions might have. We don't have coworkers to commiserate with or a boss to reassure us; it’s just us. Our doubts and the eerie silence of an empty inbox. For example, Ana Neu, one of my all-time favorite Author-Tuber's, has dealt with similar struggles. She’s mentioned several times how lonely she feels and how her family doesn't fully understand her love and passion for writing. And I completely agree with her. If you want to listen to more of her, please listen to her podcast and watch her videos on YouTube here.
So, now that I went over the key reasons as to why writing is so lonely, I didn't want to end this post on negativity, that’s why I wanted to list the main strategies that have helped me:
Build a Writer’s Community
One of the best ways to combat the isolation of writing is to surround yourself with other writers. That’s why I found social media to be a gift, not just for the other obvious reasons, but because we get to find writers around the world who enjoy the same things we like. Having that sense of community can be a game changer.
When I first started my Tumblr blog, TheWriteAdviceForwers, I was really hoping to create that kind of supportive space for writers. I wanted to create a space where anyone who enjoys writing—not just fiction writers, but anyone who finds writing to be a passion of theirs—can share their dreams and struggles with. It's been amazing to connect with so many incredible people who just “get” the unique challenges we face. Being able to share our achievements and share our compassions. It's been vital for my own mental health as a writer, and I hope that it can also be vital for all of you.
And of course, the community is not about venting or seeking validation from others; its about providing feedback, encouragement, and just being able to make friends. Having that makes the lonely parts of the writing process and journey feel a little less lonely.
Prioritize Self-care
It's so easy to get caught up in the work and neglect our well-being. There have been multiple times where I wouldn't take a break from my writing sessions and simply not eat and drink. I wouldn't give myself time to process everything I wrote, and I immediately after would criticize it.
However, I find that self-care is the most important part of combating the isolation that comes with being a writer. For me, that looks like making sure I get enough sleep. You can't process, learn, and remember anything when you don't have enough sleep. During my personal self-care, when I do 45-to 1-hour writing sessions, I usually take a short nap after. Eating nourishing meals and snacks is important, as is making time for the hobbies and activities that bring me joy. I usually like reading books, spending quality time with my family members, and very feisty (and sometimes scary) cat.
3. Cultivate Gratitude
When loneliness starts to creep in, it can be really helpful to shift our mindset and focus on what we are grateful for; this can be really productive and rewarding. Being a writer is a gift; we get to spend our days doing what we love, bringing our creative visions to life and sharing them with people who love literature. Readers are such a big part of being a writer, and they're huge motivations to me.
So, if you can, just take a moment to appreciate the joys of writing. For example, if you have any writing quirks, I personally have to wear bracelets on both of my wrists in order to produce some type of creativity when I write. I'm not sure why it's just something I noticed. I also really love writing my manuscripts physically. I tend to do this when I'm suffering from writer's block, and for some reason my writing style is a lot better.
And don't forget the many other joys of writing, like drafting, and the excitement of sharing your work with others. Having a new idea come to mind that fits perfectly in your plot. Or even a reader or beta reader sharing a comment on your work and giving you encouragement.
Also, please celebrate your wins; it makes writing all too fun, and it's a great way to integrate writing into the real world.
End Note
I wanted to write this post because I know a lot of us deal with feeling lonely; I’ve been feeling that way for quite some time, and I wanted to share it with Tumblr. I feel like each and every one of you all feel the same way. And that’s why I created my Tumblr community; that's the reason I created this blog, and that's the reason I strive to build this into an entire brand.
I want to bring more awareness to writers, we are the people behind the stories, movies, and media that we consume today, and we barely get any credit for our work. I want to make a brand where others who never thought writing to be their passion could actually for once consider “Is writing for me?”
I feel like it's such an underrated yet overrated passion. Yet it's not acknowledged as much.
I hope this post can make you understand that writing is 90% lonely and you are not crazy for thinking so. But, we can use the resources we have today, like social media, to change that and make writing better for the present and the future.
Thank you all for reading. And please, if you are considering joining a community if you haven't already, please join The Write Right Society. We recently met 100 members, and the community is continuing to grow.
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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!
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The Buddy Daddies x Taylor Swift Playlist No One Asked For
I feel like there are a lot of Taylor Swift songs that fit Buddy Daddies! Be it the show in general, KazuRei’s relationship (most songs can be interpreted as both platonic and romantic imo), their relationship with Miri,…
So I decided to make a list!
And since there were more songs than I had initially anticipated, I put the list under a cut. You can find the songs (with link) below, as well as why I think they fit Buddy Daddies! Seriously, this got pretty long… You’ve been warned!
PS: Feel free to add more songs that you think fit! :) Or if you agree with songs I picked but have a more insightful explanation as to why certain songs fit, go ahead!
PPS: You know Kazuki has T-Swift on while cooking. He says it’s because Miri listens to her, but we all know Miri (and Rei, by extension and reluctantly) started listening because of Kazu!
FEARLESS (TAYLOR’S VERSION)
Change:
“Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down”
I feel like this one is fairly obvious! The concept of change is very present in Buddy Daddies, especially in the second half of the season. And listening to the lyrics of this song, it just really fits Kazuki and Rei’s outlook on things in my opinion!
Also:
“You can walk away, say we don’t need this
But there’s something in your eyes
Says we can beat this”
Is this not literally Rei and Kazuki’s conversation in ep11, when Kazuki wants to give up Miri to keep her safe, while Rei wants to take care of her and protect her like that?
This song is such a KazuRei song, guys, like damn!
The Best Day
“I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you’re not scared of anything at all
Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today”
Literally Miri to her Papas and her Mama! Obviously not everything fits, but if we’d gotten a version of the show in which Misaki survived and took care of Miri along with Kazuki and Rei, this would’ve been so perfect!! I guess it’s the perfect song for a fix it fic?
SPEAK NOW
Long Live
"Long live the walls we crashed through
How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you”
I feel like this one has a similar vibe as Change. How Rei and Kazuki overcame so many obstacles on their way to a happy family with Miri. It’s once again a song that carries a lot of hope in my opinion, hope that no matter what you go through, it’ll be all right in the end. Which obviously is very fitting to Buddy Daddies.
Innocent
"It’s alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been”
This could be about either Kazuki or Rei, or one of them towards the other. How the dark part of the world they belong to shouldn’t define who they are as a person (kind of like, just because you do bad things, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, if that makes sense). And how their younger selves (child, teenager, doesn’t really matter) probably had a completely different idea of how their life would turn out (maybe Rei less than Kazuki considering how he grew up…)
EITHER WAY, it fits and it’s giving me feels!
RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION)
Forever Winter
“Too young to know it gets better
I’ll be summer sun for you forever”
I feel like this fits Kazuki when he first met Rei. How Rei was a shell of a person and Kazuki did everything he could to gradually bring the real Rei out (or part of the real Rei because we all know Miri helped a lot with that as well).
“He says he doesn’t believe anything much he hears these days
I say, “Believe in one thing, I won’t go away"”
Just… Is this not Kazuki taking care of Rei? T_T
Run
"There’s been this hole in my heart
This thing was a shot in the dark
Say you’ll never let ‘em tear us apart
And I’ll hold onto you while we run”
I think this one definitely fits more when you view KazuRei as romantic. But I think the sentiment of the song just really fits them wanting to live their own life instead of having to continue to do what the organization wants them to do.
1989
Bad Blood
“Now we got problems
And I don’t think we can solve ’em”
Aka the song that should’ve played during KazuRei’s raid in ep 12!! I think this is just their overall view of the organization by the end of the series. It’s just an epic song and imagining Kazuki and Rei killing Ogino and all the others with this song blasting… Good shit.
I Know Places
“They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run”
It’s kinda hard to explain this one, because it’s more as if the vibe of the song fits the show? If that makes sense? There are lyrics that do fit, of course, mainly the feeling Rei and Kazuki must’ve had knowing the organization was after them, but the feeling of tension and being chased, hunted,… Idk, it fits to me.
This Love
“These hands had to let it go free, and
This love came back to me”
At first I figured this could be seen as a KazuRei song, but while listening to it to see if it could really fit, I realised it could definitely be seen as the love Kazuki and Rei have for Miri? How they had to give her up, how they got her back, how she was the reason they managed to change, how they would never have guessed how much taking care of her would mean to them when they first met Miri,… Just listen to it with all of that in mind and tell me it doesn’t fit!
Wonderland
“We found Wonderland
You and I got lost in it
And we pretended it could last forever”
Aka the song that started this all. I was just randomly listening to this one and my brainrotted mind went “hey, Buddy Daddies” and it works so well!! If you think of “Wonderland” as Rei and Kazuki’s life with Miri, how they were completely enthralled by her and how they lost what they had,…
"But there were strangers watching
And whispers turned to talking
And talking turned to screams”
This is literally when they found out that the organization was after them and Miri. Aaahhh!! I’m normal about this song in combination with BD! It fits so well!!
This song also inspired one of my earlier BD gifsets, which you can find here!
REPUTATION
Dancing With Our Hands Tied
“My, my love had been frozen
Deep blue, but you painted me golden”
This is again a more romantic KazuRei song (the lyric above really feels like Kazuki after Yuzuko’s death). It’s about two people trying to stay together even though others want to tear them apart. This again really fits with the story of Buddy Daddies, with Shigeki wanting to separate Rei from Kazuki (and Miri obviously, but let’s just look at it from a romantic pov this time).
Like
“I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted”
Does this not sum them up?
Delicate
“Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you
Oh, damn, never seen that color blue”
Again a more romatic song for Rei and Kazuki, maybe a bit more from Kazu’s POV? (Especially the lyrics I quoted because is that not Kazuki seeing Rei for the first time in Yadorigi). I think this really fits the relationship between Kazuki and Rei before they know what’s going on between them. They’re partners in their jobs, sure, but sometimes, there are these moments... And it’s confusing and what’s going on and all that.
Also, there’s this amazing male cover of this song, so if you want to picture it even more, be sure to listen to it! (He has more covers of songs listed here, so I’d really recommend listening to them!)
Look What You Made Me Do
“But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time
Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time
I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined”
Obviously this song has strong Bad Blood vibes so it would be also be perfect during Kazuki and Rei’s raid on the Suwa mansion! Okay, now I’m imagining Unhinged Kazuki having his phone on full volume blasting this song while killing a bunch of guys. Rei is so tired of him... Okay, nevermind that tangent, but the song is a vibe and it also fits because if Shigeki would’ve just let Rei be happy with Kazuki and Miri, none of it would’ve happened. Look what you made them do, Shigeki. Look at it!!
LOVER
Daylight
"I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
I don’t wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you
I’ve been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night
And now I see daylight”
I think this one can be interpreted in many ways! A combination of Rei and Kazuki towards each other, in both a romantic as well as a platonic way. But I can definitely see it as Rei and Kazuki towards Miri as well. How she was the reason for the changes they made and how happy they are that they managed to change because of her! How they finally managed to get a soft life after everything they went through!
Also special shout-out to @toripar who’s pointed out how well this song fits them!
FOLKLORE
Seven
“And I’ve been meaning to tell you
I think your house is haunted
Your dad is always mad and that must be why
And I think you should come live with
Me and we can be pirates”
Okay, so to be honest, most of this song doesn’t really fit I guess, but holy crap, the lyrics I quoted above?? Is that not Kazuki at Rei? Jfc!! I literally just added this song for those lyrics!
This Is Me Trying
“Pulled the car off the road to the lookout
Could've followed my fears all the way down”
The sentiment in this one really fits both Kazuki and Rei. I know not all the lyrics make sense, but the feeling of trying your best despite all the crap you’ve gone through/are going through really fits both our boys. They both went through crap, but try to be better every day. For Miri, for themselves, for each other.
EVERMORE
Tolerate it
“You assume I’m fine, but what would you do if I
I break free and leave us in ruins?
Took this dagger in me and removed it?
Gain the weight of you then lose it
Believe me, I could do it”
THIS IS LITERALLY A REI SONG?? Just picture Rei and his father’s relationship while listening to it! I feel like it especially fits younger Rei, from before he left his father to live on his own. How even back then, Rei knew that this wasn’t how a father should act towards their son.
I know some things don’t add up, like the idolisation of the other person in the song, which is something Rei didn’t do obviously. The way Shigeki only saw Rei as a cog in the machine that is the organization, how Rei had to accept everything his father said and did… But on the other hand, maybe he once did idiolize his father, when he was younger and didn’t know better yet? Because that’s how it goes in the Suwa family?
Either way, it’s a Rei song!
Cowboy Like Me
“And the skeletons in both our closets
Plotted hard to fuck this up”
Two people doing their sketchy jobs, meeting one another through said jobs and falling in love? Do I need to say more?
Obviously a more romantic song, but I guess in some way it can be interpreted as platonic as well.
Right Where You Left Me
“Everybody moved on
I, I stayed there
Dust collected on my pinned-up hair
They expected me to find somewhere
Some perspective, but I sat and stared
Right where you left me”
This one doesn’t really fit, to be honest, but the part above just really feels like Kazuki after Yuzuko’s death. That’s the only reason I added this song.
It’s Time To Go
“15 years, 15 million tears
Begging 'til my knees bled
I gave it my all, he gave me nothing at all
Then wondered why I left
Now he sits on his throne in his palace of bones
Praying to his greed
He's got my past frozen behind glass
But I've got me”
Again, a song that for the most part doesn’t fit the show, but I just wanted to point out these lyrics because this is literally the relationship between Rei and his father.
MIDNIGHTS
You’re On Your Own, Kid
“I looked around in a blood-soaked gown
And I saw something they can’t take away
'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take"
So for this song it’s mainly the bridge and the ending that fits Buddy Daddies. I feel like there are so many references to Rei and Kazuki, how they did everything they could to protect Miri and their little family, how Rei cut ties with his father, how they let go of their pasts and their traumas to live happily with Miri and each other!
I know this may sound like an exaggeration, but I sometimes tear up during this part just thinking of Buddy Daddies (this being one of my favourite TS songs is probably a reason as well). I might even try to edit a video with this last part of the song…
The Great War
“My hand was the one you reached for
All throughout the Great War”
This is a bit 50/50, but it still fits in a way. I know that the original meaning of the song doesn’t really make sense in the situation, but if you regard "The Great War” (which in the song means an argument) as Kazuki and Rei’s battle to leave the organization and live their life with Miri, it works. Also just the symbolisms of fighting and war and blood and everything that’s mentioned fit with Rei and Kazuki’s jobs.
Bigger Than The Whole Sky
“Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
You were bigger than the whole sky
You were more than just a short time"
I feel like this song really fits how Kazuki and Rei must’ve felt after giving Miri back to Misaki. But besides that, I like to picture that there is a deeper meaning to the song as well:
The song often repeats the lyrics “I’m never gonna meet what could’ve been, would’ve been, what should’ve been you”. And like I said before, this really fits Kazuki and Rei giving Miri up, but I think it also fits Rei and Kazuki giving up the versions of themselves they’d hoped they could’ve become when they started to take care of Miri, bringing back the whole plotline of change.
A while ago, I decided to make a fanvid with this song and the show. If you want to watch it, you can find it here. Feel free to let me know what you think! I’m really happy with how it turned out, even if it is kinda angsty and sad.
If you managed to get to this point and read everything, HOLY CRAP! Thanks for the dedication and for reading my ramblings!! I hope you enjoyed them! <3
~ Charlotte
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