#i'm very passionate about this au... one of the best things i've ever come up with

[allpiesforourown]

I know I've posted bingqiu actors au before but I'm having thoughts for another one..

Shen Yuan only occasionally acts in things he's interested in.. he'll be like "oh I like this book, they better not butcher it!" and then because his family is rich, he'll get a role. People who have never worked with him before hate him at first bc he's a nepotism baby, but then they see his passion and acting skills and go "Oh nvm, he's actually really good... he didn't have to audition like everyone else because he has connections, but if he had auditioned, we would have picked him regardless."

Then there's young binghe playing a minor character.. he's not an actor, nor does he want to be, but child labour laws say he can't get a regular job and he wants to help provide for his mom.. a 14 year old can't work at a fast food place, but movies do need real children to act in them, so that was the only option he had

Shen Yuan is 19 at this point and binghe ADORES him. He brings him food he made at home and shyly waits with bated breath for Yuan gege to say it's good. Shen Yuan helps him with his homework when neither of them are in a scene, and whenever binghe acts really well and the director praises him, he ignores everyone to run to shen yuan and ask if he did well.

When production nears its end binghe says he wants to keep working with Yuan ge!! Shen Yuan isn't working on any other projects though, and the ones he is working on won't hire Binghe.

Everyone is impressed enough with Binghe to help him stay in the industry though, and get him another minor role, then another, then a somewhat important role, then a co-lead... by the time he's in his early twenties, binghe is a household name, and shen yuan is "that actor most people will recognize but don't remember from where."

By the time they finally work together again it's like

Binghe: Yuan gege!!!! I'm so excited to work with you again!!!!

Shen Yuan: haha you remember me! I'm happy :)

Binghe, who borderline stalks shen yuan: haha yes of course I remember gege :))

Shen yuan still gives him head pats like when binghe was a kid and binghe still clings to him. One time shen Yuan gently pushes Binghe away after a tight hug that's gone on too long and says "okay okay that's enough" and binghe looks CRUSHED so shen yuan feels like the devil and pulls him back into a hug immediately

The movie comes out and it's very well received. Binghes acting was the best it's ever been (since he wanted to show off in front of Yuan gege) so people are very interested in seeing the behind the scenes footage

When it comes out people see binghe being OBSESSED with shen yuan. Whenever the two of them are in the same frame, binghe is looking at shen yuan with the softest most loving expression while shen yuan is yelling at the script writer about fan service. There's about 10 moments when Binghe comes up from behind and grabs shen yuans waist and sets his head down on shen yuans shoulder. When people see binghe saying "gege open wide, I made this just for you!" And hand feeding shen yuan they're like okay yeah there's no denying it anymore.

Then they find out this isn't their first time working together and find old bts footage of when binghe was 14 and following shen yuan around like a puppy with hearts in his eyes and they go holy fuck he's been obsessed with shen yuan for YEARS

The cast all go to an interview

Interviewer: people were surprised to see how close you two are!

Shen Yuan: well it's not our first time working together :)

Binghe: I've been waiting to work with Yuan ge again for all this time :D

Interviewer: aww! Now about rumors saying Luo Binghe is in love with shen Yuan...

Shen Yuan: obviously they're-

Binghe: true

Interviewer: ..... oh my

Shen Yuan: um...?

Binghe: Yuan ge is very well aware of my feelings, I was very obvious

*camera pans over to shen yuan where his face is red and his mouth is wide open in shock*

[neuroticbookworm]

*deep breath* FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Alright, I'm gonna make my case for the Bad Buddy Rooftop Kiss. This is probably gonna be the most personal I've ever been on this hellsite.

Let's get this out of the way. I loved Kinnporsche. I honestly did (even though it might not look like it since this is the second time I'm passionately campaigning against the show). I loved it so much that I made my very busy best friend, @tonysteve25 who is planning their wedding, make up the time to talk to me so I can rant for two hours about the show (no need to judge me, I know y'all are equally crazy)

I'm gonna strip the plot to the basics and then build my argument, so if I end up reiterating a lot of themes that are already discussed, apologies in advance

Bad Buddy is, at its core, a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Set in a fairly conservative Asian country, and produced by a media industry whose brand of storytelling often involves an AU-esque setting where homophobia does not exist. We are shown time and again that Pat and Pran's friends and family do not have a problem with them being in a same-sex relationship.

So the conflict comes from the history their families have with each other. As a South Asian cinephile, I've watched this trope play out so many times with heterosexual couples that I'm sure it has unwittingly become a part of my brain chemistry. Oftentimes, the reasons why the families are feuding are so over the top that every shred of relatability gets thrown out the window.

In Bad Buddy's case, the reason is kept simple, albeit childish in the beginning. A business rivalry between the two families, and as a result, the boys are also pitted against each other. This simplicity gives way to a lot of levity in the beginning, but as the story progresses, the real strength of this narrative starts seeping through. This show is relatable. Almost too relatable.

The constant pressure to outperform the other in every way, be it academics, sports, or romance; the expectation on Pat to follow his dad's footsteps and match his achievements, even in a dumb singing competition; the guilt that permeates every moment of joy they feel in their relationship, because they are always aware that they are actively disappointing their parents; the quiet, painful realization in the later episodes that they will never be accepted into each other's families, no matter how hard they try; the revelation that the root of the conflict came from a scholarship stolen from a woman, to satisfy the expectations of a patriarch.

Every statement above is the reality of so many Asians living their lives right now. I personally know couples who have been cut off from their families for over 20 years because they don't approve of their love/marriage. I have peers who blindly follow the career path charted for them by their parents because it is easier than resisting and doing something they actually like. A lot of us are left feeling unmoored and struggling to define our self worth in the real world, after we leave academia, because that is all we are ever taught: your grades indicate how worthy you are.

Now, I know not a single word above argues why the kiss is the best, but I'm getting there. Stay with me now. Many people more talented than me have argued the specifics of the kiss, the reasons why it grabbed us by our throats the first time we saw it, and why we are still on that rooftop with them. The reasons submitted in the poll describe it so eloquently, beat by beat (edit: I found out that it was witten by @tiistirtipii, here). @respectthepetty begs us not to disappoint Pat again here, @lurkingshan dives deep into the character analysis and why the kiss is the perfect culmination of narration, pacing, and the characters' journey here, @waitmyturtles explores the importance of foreplay, the 'how did we get here' before the kiss, here.

What I want to draw attention to are two things. One: how this kiss was executed in such a way that all of their deeper struggles are woven into the microexpressions, so when you rewatch the show, all of the added context makes it so much more heartbreaking.

Let's be clear here, Pat and Pran did not get a happily ever after. They did not break all of the chains that were weighing them down. Pat went on to follow his father into the business (who also followed his father into it). They have to keep their relationship a secret, with no end in sight. Even in the end, the audience is shown only a hidden, reluctant acceptance from the parents, not an open love.

Pat and Pran's relationship will always be bittersweet. And the kiss shows it. The fact that the kiss was the very last shot to be filmed is no coincidence. The actors know how it ends, they have already performed it. They also know that the characters in this moment know it too. They have lived all their lives playing their families' games, they know that if they take this leap of faith, then they are willingly giving up so many little moments in life, even something so mundane as entering each other's house through the front door. And we can see it, see all of it clearly in Pran's face. Pran, who plans every detail of his life. Pran, who is also in love with his rival for who knows how long. And then we see it in Pat's face too, if only after a moment, because that's the way he is. Pat, who has looked at Pran all his life as a rival, a bandmate, a secret friend. Pat, who is the only one who can completely understand Pran, his anger and grief and devastation, because they only have each other in this wretched game. We see his face fall, and we see confusion cloud his happiness.

This kiss is the perfect summation of their relationship, shown at the very beginning of it. They can have desire, but be riddled with guilt. They can have happiness, but only in secrecy.

Two: how this kiss did more for Asian queer representation than we can ever comprehend.

I was not present in the Tumblr trenches with y'all when the show originally aired, but I've read many, many posts about how it broke the internet. Western media often fucks up queer characters because they don't write fully fleshed out characters who happen to also be queer. They place enormous emphasis on the character's queerness, and end up writing a stereotypical cardboard cutout in the shape of a queer person. Complex queer representation is hard to come by, add Asian into the mix and the pool gets laughably small.

In the episodes leading up to the kiss, we see the characters get fleshed out, their struggles explored, but they are also deeply rooted in the middle class Asianness of it all. I know it is ironic to say that other shows from Thailand are less Asian than this one, but the struggles of a queer mafia boss/rich businessman/heir to the corporate throne protagonists can sometimes be a tad out of touch for the general populace, and we can only feel so much nostalgia for our school days before we are tired of the saccharine sugar high.

When I saw this kiss for the first time, my eyes teared up, not because these gay characters are having a hard time, but because I could feel their pain, irrespective of my sexuality. I knew deep in my bones how a kiss can simultaneously feel like freedom and a lifelong trap. And I'm sure so many others felt it too. The kiss went viral because it was a perfect representation of so many struggles of Asians and the diaspora (and beyond), and it happened to be queer.

I don't know how the results will tally up when the clock runs out, but I hope we can chalk up a honest-to-goodness happy ending for them, if only in a silly Tumblr poll.

cc @bl-bracket, here ya go, a very long and rambling campaign propaganda

[capriclonus]

hi, i love your fics and have flown through them! any recs for others?

Hi, first off, thank you so much that is so sweet!! I am honoured you have read all of my work and enjoyed them.

As for recs, I don't have nearly as many as I should because I don't read nearly enough fanfiction. But I'll give a few of my favs. I'm adding a cut-off cause there's actually more for me to recommend than I thought. My absolute, absolute favourites are marked in purple.

Shadowzel:

True Silver - mylordshesacactus. M, with a lil smut. One-shot. A famed piece of work in the Shadowzel community and for good reason. It is so beautiful; I think this the best characterisation of Lae'zel I've ever seen. Its a comforting post-game piece, about Shadowheart riding to the Astral Plane with Lae'zel and figuring out parenting together.

though i burn, how could i fall? - Jazzfordshire. E, some smut. One-shot. Shadowheart and Lae'zel fall in love during the game, rewritten with a lot of beauty and passion and direct quotes from the game. Very tender. The first Shadowzel fic I ever read. It was amazing.

Born Again - realdustybones. So far, M. Ongoing. I was hooked on the first paragraph. Post-game, Selunite Shadowheart ventures to the Astral Plane to seek help from Lae'zel, leading the rebellion with Orpheus and Voss, as she has become pregnant with Shar's heir. Amazing description, amazing characterisation, and very intriguing plot.

to feel love (like a sinner) - mermaiddrunk. E, just very smutty. One-shot. Okay, so this is a sex pollen fic. But its got a lil twist. And the atmosphere and longing in this fic are amazing; the relationship between the two is also very well done. There's a bit where Shadowheart jokes about an owlbear that I love. And also its just v hot smut soooooo

An'geth - tieflingliker. E, lots of smut and kink. Complete. Based during the game, Shadowheart and Lae'zel have the famed Knife Scene and realise they have one thing in common: they both have a chastity belt for devotion to their respective Gods.

Losing My Religion - Rina114. E, lots of smut and mild kink. Ongoing, last updated in Jan. Two lonely gals, abandoned by their goddesses, seek that reverence in each other. Lovely. Shadowheart teaches Lae'zel to 'let go,' shall we say.

The Favourite Princess of Murder and Loss - Heckpup. E, violent and dead dove. One-shot. Shadowheart is the chosen of Bhaal and Shar alike. She puts Lae'zel through the torture. Not for the faint-hearted and very fucking tragic. But I do love my angst; fics being able to make me feel so much pain is very talented and reminds me I am an itty bitty baby human.

I Wanna Be Your Dog - meowff. E, lots of smut and horniness and longing. Ongoing. Last updated Nov. Maintenance worker / cam girl porn set up. Shouldn't work nearly as well as it does, but it is a masterpiece. Amazing description. Amazing modern characterisations. Has one of my favourite descriptions of Shadowheart, comparing her to old oil portraits. Beautiful. And, yes, very hot.

Bleeding Hearts - calorem. E, some smut. Ongoing. Last updated March. I've only read the first 3 chapters of this but its amazing so far. Fake dating Au with a dashing of murder and intrigue. We are all hungry for fake dating aus, lets face it.

Gone. - teiflingliker. M, pure fucking tragedy. One-shot. Selunite Shadowheart waits for Lae'zel, still loyal to Vlakiith, to come home. I just read this and oh boy do I need a cuddle. So sad. So beautiful. So hard to get through. Just so tragic.

Now, there are loads more amazing Shadowzel fics out there that I simply haven't had the chance to read. Cellphish, ToriWritesStories, larissel---everyone on the Shadowzel server does amazing work. They are all very passionate writers. Read any of them!

Other Pairings:

Dame Aylin's Home for Wayward Girls - SheOfBadIdeas. Shadowheart/Aylin/Isobel. E, very tender smut and lots of fluff. Very minor angst. Complete. What can I say about this fic? Converted me to the OT3 instantly. It is so tender and loving, and respectful and funny and healing. The characterisation, descriptions....it's all amazing.

Be My Comfort - MiPur. Shadowheart/Tav. E, tender and longing galore. Ongoing. Shadowheart works as an escort at Sharess' Caress, based in modern day. She meets Naivara, who hires her, and there's an immediate and intense connection between them and Shadowheart does not know why. Just very intriguing fic that has me trying to figure out what's going on. And for real, it is very tender. And we have Nym, who is a rare character in BG3 fics!

broken glass to diamonds - within_a_dream. Shadowheart/Aylin/Isobel. E, kink and mild smut but no sex scene. One-shot. Look, I read the 'human furniture' tag and I clicked on it without hesitation, ok? Its a nice lil one shot.

Break You In My Image - QueenMills. Shadowheart/Viconia DeVir (but also not really). E, dead dove. Complete. I've posted about this in an ask I received. The writer is just so smart and poetic. Its about Shadowheart's time at the cloister as an adult, immediately before she leaves on her mission to get the githyanki artefact. Its not for the faint of heart, though, because it is messed up (in the best way possible, you could analyse this fic for a literary essay I s2g).

Haunt Me. Love Me. Take Me Home. - QueenMills. Shadowheart/Shar. Shadowheart/Viconia DeVir. E, dead dove and strong themes of alcoholism, drug use, suicide. Ongoing, last updated Feb. Again just fuuuuuuuck, man. Shadowheart, messed up after her divorce from Lae'zel (and fucked up from an abusive relationship with her mother Viconia) goes to therapy. She falls in love with her therapist. Her therapist? Shar. Modern au. This author is a genius. I seriously feel like I'm reading a poem when I'm reading it; their writing style really gets you into the mindset of POV, and it's beautiful and fucked up.

Oh also, I like a few works by anotheropti - just read anything by them and you'll enjoy it. They got a lot of kink and I very much appreciate that. Most work centres Shadowheart/Tav.

And, obviously, I'm just going to say you should read any and every F/F Dark Justiciar fanfic that exists. The complexity and depths of her character are tragic and beautiful and amazing. And sadly I HAVEN'T READ ENOUGH OF THEM BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOO BUSY WRITING MY OWN. (also pls pls pls people write more f/f dj shart fics I'm on my knees begging, I need more of this like the blood in my veins)

[pennyserenade]

there is a plethora of good x-files fanfics out there and i've just started to develop the problem of reading a very good one and not being able to find it again. because of this - and because all of these are genuinely novel worthy and the writers are INSANELY talented - i've decided to compile a list of some of my absolute favorites. some of these are from ao3 & some of them i found on other websites, such as x-libris and the gossamer project. i hope you enjoy these as much as i did and do. they mean the world to my romantic heart.

incrementum by lepusarcticus (explicit) - this was the first x-files fanfic i ever remember reading. i was trying desperately not to spoil the show for myself and i found out that this fic followed along the narrative, which was a godsend. i got the best of both worlds: a delectable, angsty passionate mulder/scully fic (in which they fucked from day 1) and no spoilers. it was so so so so fun reading this alongside watching the show. this writer is brilliant

omens by lepusarcticus (explicit) - i was not lying when i said this writer is brilliant. this entire thing reads like a novel and i could not for the life of me put it down when i stumbled upon it. its angsty and interesting, and could very well be another episode of the x-files because the case mulder and scully are one is so compelling. it is not easy feat to write something this good. chris carter, eat your heart out

triptych by iconicscullyoutfits (not rated but i'd say mature) - THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD. i can't speak highly enough about this one. its an au where mulder is married to diana fowley when he meets scully. its so so so so amazing. like i'd very well call this literature because it expanded my mind (i learned a great deal from this, especially from the chapter ice). i think diana was a very interesting character and i feel as though this fic treats her with the interest she deserves. the writing in this one is simply insane too - i'm envious of it and so so so in love with it.

love in all the wrong places by sisterspooky1013 (explicit) - mulder and scully accidentally have cybersex with each other while trying out online dating group chats. what more can i say? (also i applaud this author for making mulder's online handle allshookup61. that's so fucking mulder)

universal invariants (set from 1 to early season 2) and its sequel, laws of motion (set season 5) (both explicit) by syntax6 - these both hold such a special place in my heart. it is an au that takes on the idea that scully's bf (who was cut from the pilot, never to see the light of day) stays in the picture and there when dana starts working with fox. universal invariants makes me want to weep to because dana and fox are both so young and earnest and stupid! and laws of motion is great because they're still stupid but they're wiser about it. this is very dana and fox. i love, love, love the parts of universal invariants that cover dana's abduction arc. god these are GOOD.

arizona highways by fialka (explicit) - if you're one of those girlies who really likes an x-files episode that has a lot of case-file and scully going on, this one is FOR you. it is angsty in the worst of ways, covering more of what we see in the episodes christmas carol and emily. this is another one that i would call a novel, both in length and content. it is great and it is a very good dive into the character of scully and how she handles problems in her life

heart's desire by malibusunset (explicit) - this another really great scully-focused fic, where mulder is being a bit of an ass - as he is prone to - but she makes him come to his senses accidentally. i love a good jealous mulder and i love it even more when scully isn't exactly aware she's making him that way. this is so good that i stayed up an entire night reading it. you should too!

the guts / the incision / cauterize by wtfmulder (not all of the chapters are explicit but i would call this explicit in general) - this one is so fucking angsty it made me ache incredibly. it is a sucker punch to the gut that only the lovers (or rather, dedicated haters) of the diana/fox/dana situationship can truly appreciate. also, if you like your mulder a bit of an ass (i do! i think he really can be! i think its good to talk about!) this author is for you!!!

doorway to gods by wtfmulder (explicit) - a fic where mulder & scully go investigate a supposed portal to other dimensions shortly after scully recovers from cancer, and they both find themselves in separate hellish alternative universes where other mulder & scullys aren't doing so well. this is angsty, TOP TIER angsty. some of the scenes from this i think about often still and i read this a month ago. also this is hot. i can't not mention that small fact

the tiger complex by longgunguy (i'd say r for graphic violence but no sex or anything) - i'll be real, there isn't a whole lot of mulder/scully romance in this thing, aside from the a hand hold and a lot of quiet affection but this IS the x-files. in another world, this fic is an episode and it is brutal. you'll be biting your nails as you make your way through this one. its got a great cast of original characters and an incredible case-file, up there with an episode like ice.

[dee-morris]

An Overdue Rant and a Christmas Fic

I wrote this Hallmark AU last December. It was supposed to be a jokey little one-shot, but man it ate my brain. My average daily word count is 500-1k words a day, and I think I was doing 2k to 5k a day until it was done. I couldn't fuckin stop, and it was glorious.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43616245/chapters/109670092

This is very important to me, because I came to fanfic like a dying traveler comes to an oasis. After the pandemic I became deeply depressed and I developed chronic writer's block. Marketing was an uphill slog, and not being able to go out and socialize at events made it unbearable. When I did go out, the anxiety I felt about COVID made it not fun. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to write again.

Writing fanfiction was a welcome reprieve from all that: no deadlines! No SEO! No depressingly tiny royalty statements! Positive reinforcement with no dollar signs attached! So it was nice, it was fun, but I didn't really get my groove back until I wrote HallMark. That wasn't just fun. That was drive. That was passion. And it was glorious.

After it was done and posted, I couldn't forget about it. I had to know what it was about that story that grabbed me by the brain cells like that. So I went back and read it again, and I read the comments (thank you all kind people you're the best), and I realized that it was about Aziraphale and Crowley, but it was really about my feelings towards how children are raised.

*I'm not going to completely spoil the fic here, but feel free to go read it before we get further bc I'm about to discuss some thematic elements.*

Crowley is raising the Antichrist to be the destroyer of worlds on the surface, but underneath it he cares about the world, and he cares about Adam too. And that is the side of him that Adam responds to, and why he turns out the way he does. And that's what parents don't understand about children. They are only kind of listening to your words. What they respond to, and what nurtures them, is your behavior towards them and towards the world you're raising them in. If you tell your kid that Jesus loves everyone and we should help the poor, but you vote for people who will cut welfare bc you think you'll get a tax break and a new boat, your kid sees you. If you tell your kid that it's a sin to judge others but you glare at a tall woman going into the ladies room bc you think she might be trans, your kid sees you. They might grow up to be an asshole or they might grow up to think that you're one, but either way you lose.

And if you tell your kid that his destiny is to destroy the world and that living things are fit only to be ground under his heels, but you make him sandwiches and worry about him when he's out of your sight and buy him stupid Christmas crap because it makes him happy, your kid might not turn out as evil as you thought.

(don't actually tell your kid he's the Antichrist, btw, this fic is hyperbole for symbolic thematic purposes and not a parenting guide)

Anyway, my point is if you love your kid and treat him right, if you treat other people right, and give him a stable home and maybe a dog if you can afford it, he'll probably turn out pretty much okay. The rest is just flavor.

Parents stress too much about things that don't matter, but it's not our fault. You have to run the gauntlet a couple of times before you can filter out stuff that matters from stuff that doesn't, because the books and guides and parenting classes will just try to scare you about everything. Let me assure you that your baby does not give two shits if you feed with breast or bottle. But your child will remember whether you were happy, and whether you took pleasure in their presence in your life.

So what sucked me in about this fic was the reversal of what I've seen in the real world. My brain conjured a fantasy of someone who's a good parent despite themselves, instead of a bad parent with a church habit and a fat bank account. Of course I had to bring that fantasy into the world. It's how things become real.

[maaikeatthefullmoon]

This week I have mostly been reading...

May 27th – Jun 2nd, 2024

This week has mostly been taken up by reading the behemoth that is Rough Enough…AND I finished my WIP – all details below. It’s been a week.

Completed works I've read this week:

Rough Enough For Love by Nekhen Rated E – A GO Human AU classic. It’s *extremely* E rated, so pass it up if that’s not your thing – the NSFW isn’t skippable. It’s an absolute BEAST at 403,339 words over 42 chapters and took me most of the week to read but I was HOOKED. It’s a D/s themed story, but atypical and beautifully written. There is so much beautiful vulnerability and the most achingly gorgeous CARE ever written. Also major, hardcore Pining™️ & ©️Yearning. I’ve got some experience in D/s spheres and thought I had my preferences iron-clad in my head and this story has managed to turn EVERYTHING on its head, or at least it's given me a lot to think about. This is one of those fics which will stick with me. As someone with family-related trauma, I’d add a content warning for family judgement/feelings of severe inferiority due to family trauma.

Terminus by @emotional-support-demon-crowley Rated T – This was on my WIP list but has now been completed - *sniffle*. Astronaut A is guided back to Earth by controller C after 92 years in space. There are many difficulties both of them have to face and they develop an amazing rapport. Ch 17/17 posted this week.

WIPs which have updated this week (which I devour as soon as I get the update!)

There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out by @phoen1xr0se Rated M - A is a researcher (puffins!), C is a lighthouse keeper on the island where A has run away to to escape his problems and do his research. The author has recently spent a week studying puffins - which is the ultimate dedication, if you ask me. Ch 9/26 posted this week

Find The Light by @klikandtuna Rated E - Headmaster A and Rockstar C. The story teases out a fraught history between them whilst keeping a tension between them in the modern day. Ch 8/? posted this week.

Oddity by @tsyvia48 Rated E - Actor C is contracted by (useless) Gabriel to guest curate an exhibition at the museum where A works. After getting off on the wrong foot, can they work together to pull off this show? Ch 24/26 posted this week

Under The Summer Stars by @pannotbread Rated E - This wonderful fic has taught me more about physics than school ever did (mostly because I never did any physics, but...well). A & C have to share their time at an observatory because there is Only One Telescope. Not only will you learn about astrophysics, astrobiology, and astroecology, you'll also read some of the most poetically, beautifully written masturbation scenes I've ever seen. *ahem* Ch 8/13 posted this week.

Exodus_2 by @tismrot Rated E – Human AU set in a dystopian future. The summary says it best, really: Ezra studies programming at the University of ha-Gan. He’s as determined as he is damaged, as fastidious as he is precise, and likes to believe he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His beliefs are challenged when a new student appears late to the first Ethics module lecture - and his life is changed forever. It's the future, it's dystopian, it's cyber and it's punk. It's political, grimy and slick with tears, lube and chemical snot. TW: Sex, drugs, trauma. Ch 30/35 posted this week.

Free by well, me: imposterssyndrome Rated E - A & C meet (again?) in an acute mental health ward after both having had mental health crises. A runs a bookshop but is very much under his parents' control. C has been homeless since childhood and has struggled his entire life. They do not trust each other when they first meet, but feel strangely drawn to one another all the same. Where will this lead them? This is a passion piece for me. There is a lot of lived experience in it, and extensive research from both professionals and peers. It has been a real journey for me to write it, and as I'm coming closer to the end it's becoming very emotional for me. Ch 48/56 posted this week – I officially finished writing this this week! I’m updating more frequently now, although I still have to proof & edit each chapter before I publish it.

Want more recommendations? This is last week's list.

[hueynomure]

WIP Reblog Game

Thank you @coffeebanana for the tag! I'm not one for very long fics and/or starting posting plotty stuff if I don't already have most of the fic written out (too high of a chance of having to correct/retcon shit) so I'm adding fics that only live in my WIP folder lol

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you’re looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

WIP TITLES

Are Hexagon Square Dances a Thing?: Born as a LoveyWeek entry, I got stuck on the very last chapter fml

Uncovering, Unraveling (working title): Imagine Marinette had accidentally outed her Loveybug identity (as in Woven In) to Cat Walker in the (Un)Suited plotline... basically Farewell Gifts but make it smut lol

The Merits of Bagging a Hero (working title): Adrien and Marinette are invited at Alya's and Nino's place for their usual wine&dine night. Everything is going fine, Mari being flustered and Adrien being oblivious as usual - until Alya brings out the topic of hero-specific free passes and the two become inexplicably passionate about who would be the best hero lay between Ladybug and Chat Noir...

Poker Face: Loveybug AU, Cat Walker angst

Heart(s) on Her Sleeve: Companion piece for Poker Face, Loveybug's side of the angst

UPCOMING

Tbqh the biggest motivation for getting this done is getting it over with, which is probably why I've been having so much trouble tackling it lol. I'll just say that I initially intended it to end with platonic Mariwalker buuuuut there may be some smooching hehe

Turns out I'm a SUCKER for scenarios where Cat Walker learns Marinette is Loveybug lol I will have a lot of fun writing the surprise conversation (won't go too much into details bc spoilers) they'll have about his feelings... with Adrien still inside Marinette, both of them deliberately avoiding addressing the fact or doing anything at all abt it lol

This will be 200% crack and I will have SO MUCH FUN writing the most batshit stuff I can come up with. Alya, ever the shit-stirrer, figures out Adrien is Chat Noir halfway through the conversation and spends the rest of the fic basically eating popcorn and fanning that trashfire of a debate lol

Chat Noir is a necessary outlet for Adrien. When Cat Walker has to pick up Loveybug's slack, his energies and enthusiasm are slowly but surely drain until the only reason he dons his mask, the only reason he gets out of bed, is Loveybug's unrestrained and unconditional affection. This can't last - and yet, it's his duty to carry the weight and not let anything show. I'm gonna enjoy writing the pressure building >:3c

There's one phrase to describe Loveybug!Marinette: bracing for punishment. She's too raw with all the Loveybug intensity, she just CAN'T turn into Ladybug, so she just keeps pouring her heart out knowing that at some point, somehow, she will be horrifically punished for it. Just like with Kim. Just like every time she tried to confess to Adrien. But as a hero, the consequences of her mistakes could be... she doesn't want to think about it. She keeps her head low and prepares for the worst, dreading and longing the moment when she'll be forced to wear Loveybug's lovestruck smile again.

Anyone I would have thought to tag Kayla has already tagged, with the excellent exception of @asukiess, so I won't be tagging anybody else! Feel free to join in the fun and consider this a soft tag if you (yes YOU reading this rn) want to tho :3

[hetchdrive]

SLEEPOVER SATURDAY YAYYYY I have 2.

1. Because I’m still stuck in fucking Texas, top 3 best US states

2. Top potential AU’s for The Terror

Oh noooooo wishing you a speedy departure tomorrow!

I've lived a lot of places and done a lot of road tripping and without further details on which to define "best" I'm going to go with the three states I feel the most personal connection to and say Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan. I love Lake Superior, I grew up in that area and sometimes I am very homesick for it. I've been trying to develop the same feeling of connection to the landscape in New England since transplanting and I'm not going to lie, it is rough going. I keep saying I am going to try to get into hiking and rock identification so I can see the mountains and maybe 2024 is the year I buckle down and do that.

First off: Star Trek AU obviously. I'm really bad at coming up with plots and writing long fics but I am beginning to take notes for a Star Trek AU in case the Terror SciFi Fest happens again this upcoming May.

Secondly: Ghosts/spiritualism/haunted house AU. While I do enjoy a good modern AU from time to time, to me part of the draw of The Terror is the time period it is set. I am fascinated by the Victorian era, the advances in medicine during the time period, the rise in popularity of ghosts and ghost stories, and I think I'd get a lot of enjoyment out of researching to write an AU that takes advantage of this somehow.

Also, I am obsessed with haunted houses as they are used to represent familial trauma, codependence, grief and loneliness, etc etc, and I think it would be fun to take Crozier out of The Horrors only to put him into a different flavor of The Horrors <3

Lastly: Musicians/orchestra AU. Gonna be honest, I do not have any of the requisite knowledge to write this and it does not interest me enough to do this research. I want somebody else to write this so I can read it. However, I saw a post once that was the show writer going through and saying what each character's job would be if they lived in the modern day and what he said about Fitzjames was that he'd be a surgeon or somebody else with very specialized knowledge, someone who is the best at something. And while yeah, a specialist surgeon is this, and specialist surgeons are, in my experience, divas with complexes, for reasons of personal taste (dislike of the medical field irl and preference for show contemporary AUs over modern ones) I think it would be more interesting to just skip over the medical layer and make Fitzjames a diva with a complex.

This man plays the violin and he is the best at it and he and Crozier cannot stand each other because Crozier has been playing longer, does not care about the limelight, and actively scorns Fitzjames for doing so. I just have this idea in my head of Fitzjames saying to someone else that Crozier plays a perfectly serviceable, workmanlike violin, but he obviously doesn't truly care for it, he doesn't play with any passion, and Fitzjames who has been doing this his whole life and made it his whole life, the only thing he's ever been good at that he's had to hang all his hopes on, finds that intolerable. Meanwhile Crozier cares about the violin very deeply but doesn't really show it to anybody and keeps to himself because loving music and loving your coworkers are two different things.

Additional inspiration for this idea is the fact that when Phantom of the Opera shut down on Broadway a couple months ago (last year? What is the passage of time...) I saw a news article about it which said some of the people in the orchestra had been playing the show together since it started running in 1986. The drama within that pit must have been insane and I desperately want to read about it.

[adenei]

Ch 1 - Never Really Over

*Deep breaths*

Soooo I've been working on a new multi-chap romione fic since April. Have kept it pretty quiet aside from my betas who have been wonderful with their help and support because let's be real, finding time to write and allow yourself to become invested in a hobby with an infant is HARD. But that's a whole other slew of issues for another day. You're here for the fic (I assume), so let's get back to that.

I love the direction this is taking, and am super proud of the idea and its development. I think I'm known a lot for taking existing stories/movies/etc and twisting them to fit a ship in an AU, but this one is all me - yay proving to myself that I CAN have original ideas!

It is an American Romione AU in a modern setting.

Summary:

Hermione Granger is a modern woman who doesn’t need to find love for self-fulfillment. Not that finding love is even an option anymore. Her perfect love story has come and gone with the one who got away—sorry, the one who disappeared is more like it.

That fake fairy tale is all well and good until Ron Weasley, the man who ruined everything, suddenly turns back up in her life with no explanation whatsoever. It seems his only goal is to show up wherever she is, attempting to undo the walls she’s built around her heart after he shattered it into a million tiny pieces. But Hermione’s determined not to let him in. With the help of her best friends and an online dating site that promises users their very own ‘happily ever after,’ she sets out to move on from her first love for good. 

After a few misses, Billy slides into her inbox, a sweet, genuine, fun-loving guy who’s easy to talk to and fills Hermione with the hope that perhaps love isn’t off the table after all. Seemingly overnight, she’s gone from perpetually single to balancing a love triangle on a fine, fine line. The deeper she gets, the harder she realizes it’s going to be when she has to choose. The last thing she wants to do is break anyone’s heart—her own included.

So, without further ado, I give you the first chapter of Never Really Over.

Read on AO3

But once in a while I trip up and I cross the line, and I think of you

Work ᐧ a ᐧ hol ᐧ ic (noun) a person who compulsively works long and hard hours.

God, I hate the connotation of that word. And yet it still burns into my mind, distracting me from—unironically—the article I’m trying to finish up at my desk. Am I three months ahead of the current deadline? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean anything. There’s nothing wrong with having backups just in case. It shouldn’t classify me as a workaholic.

Because I’m not.

It’s only haunting me because my brain has a sick and twisted sense of humor. It clearly refuses to follow my strict list of off-limit thoughts, cementing the chokehold the word has on my life.

Ugh. Why am I letting this bother me anyway? I’m Hermione Granger, a capable, independent woman who is perfectly happy with her life right now. A twenty eight-year-old with a house of her own, a career she’s passionate about, and the five best friends a girl could ask for thanks to fate bringing us together during freshman orientation at Kearney University. The memory brings a smile to my lips. What more could one want?

And then the frown returns when I remember that I’m sitting alone in the office on a Friday evening and self-doubt trickles in. If I’m being honest, there’s a lot more I want. Like love. Finding the love of my life would be nice. I thought I’d at least be married by now, and maybe have one kid by the time I turned thirty. Not that I’m a traditional woman by any means. I’m about as modern as they come. It’s just…

No. You’re not allowed to think about him, remember?

Except it’s really hard not to think about him. Especially when that damn word keeps flashing in my mind while I sit here on weekend time, finishing an article that’s nowhere near due. But it doesn’t matter. That inside joke died a long time ago. I stopped finding the word endearing the moment I realized he was no longer in my life. Now if only my brain would get the memo.

I shake my head, brunette curls flying around as I try to refocus on the cursor blinking in front of me. It’s still a tough pill to swallow, but I’ve long since given up on love—or so I’m telling myself. Romantic companionship clearly isn’t in the cards for me, so I turn to the one thing that will never let me down: writing. And right now, I’m only a couple of paragraphs away from completing a lovely little piece on the hidden gems of Bora Bora—the things they won’t tell you in the travel guides.

A long, deep breath helps me push those intrusive thoughts away and brings me back to the salty ocean air and the calm lapping of the waves. If I concentrate long enough, I can feel the sparkling white sand between my toes, and it’s enough to catapult me right back into the article—until my phone rings two minutes later.

I don’t want to answer, but it’s Hannah Abbott, my best friend, and she’s always there for me when I need her. The least I can do is return the favor. Plus, the creative juices are no longer flowing thanks to the interruption, so I may as well see what she wants.

With a swipe right to answer, I do my best not to sound annoyed. “Hello?”

“Where are you?!” Hannah cries, though her voice sounds hushed, like she’s hiding in a closet or something.

“Finishing up an article at work. Why?”

“Unbelievable,” she grumbles, more to herself than to me. “Hermione, I’m going to let you think about why I’m calling for a second and see if you can put the pieces together.”

“What are you talking about?” I’m not in the mood to play this game, but I adjust the phone and hold it against my shoulder so I can lift my laptop and check my desk calendar.

August first. Friday. The day I try to forget. But then I see the periwinkle writing at the bottom of the square.  Harry and Neville’s birthday party.

Remember the strong support system I mentioned earlier? The freshman orientation group turned lifelong friends? Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom are part of that, along with Hannah, of course, and Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown. We never miss anyone’s birthdays, and Hannah knows that.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit! How could I forget?”

Hannah sniggers at me. “Yes, how could you forget? Hermione, I don’t know if it’s because you love your job so much that you’re willing to stay late on a Friday, or because of what day it is, but—”

“We’re not talking about that. I’m leaving now. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

I slam my laptop shut and shove it in my bag a little too haphazardly. I’m already closing my office door by the time Hannah responds again. “Right…”

She’s clearly contemplating whether to push the subject or let it go. After all, she’ll have all night to try and grill me on it, but she knows better. We don’t talk about what happened on August first. Ever.

And just to make sure she doesn’t go there, I try to swing the conversation back to the guys. “Have they noticed I’m not there yet?” 

“Well, considering it’s a small gathering of our closest friends—all of whom are already here because the party started an hour ago—yeah, they’ve noticed.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry, okay? I just—”

“—Got caught up with whatever article you’re working on? I know, I know. You’re lucky it’s only their twenty-eighth birthday and not the big three-oh.”

“Come on, Han, this is one tiny mistake and I feel terrible. You don’t need to make it worse. I’m never late, you know that! And I would never miss something as big as their thirtieth birthdays. Especially not since we’ve already got a running list of themes and ideas going. Just—give me a break, okay? I’ll be there soon. I’m almost to the car now.”

“Alright.” Hannah sighs. There’s a stilted pause and I wait, knowing there’s something else she wants to say, and I brace for the lecture about my workaholic tendencies and what it relates to. Damn psychology major.

“Listen, Hermione, there’s something you should—” But after a long day of reflecting on it, I don’t want to go there right now.

“See you in fifteen, bye!” I hang up the phone before she can finish her sentence. She tries this every year. You’d think after six years she’d let it go. But no, she thinks that one of these days I’ll finally talk about it. Well, she can keep trying, but it’s not going to happen. That part of my life is over and it’ll only hurt more to bring it back up. 

⚭

It takes me a little longer than fifteen minutes, but that’s to be expected with D.C. traffic. Once I’m parked outside Hannah and Neville’s house, I quickly do a once-over on my appearance. Thanks to the mid-summer humidity, my hair is frizzier than when I tamed it into its half-ponytail this morning. It’s too bad my incessant need to run my fingers through the curly strands does nothing to combat its flyaway tendency. I guess I’ll just have to deal with yet another pitch from Lavender to let her help me with my nonexistent beauty regimen. Perks of having a beautician for a friend. 

Prying my eyes away from the visor mirror, I get out of the car and look down at the pale yellow eyelet sundress I put on this morning. There are definite wrinkles and creases from sitting at my desk all day, but what can I do? At least my mascara isn’t running down my face and I don’t have sweat stains under my arms. That’s more than presentable for a backyard barbeque after working all day. Kudos to whoever chose that over some fancy dinner.

Not that my friends would care. They’ve always accepted me for who I am. Sure, I’ll never hear the end of being late tonight, but at least I made it, and in their company,  I’ll be able to accomplish the one thing I’ve struggled with all day: taking my mind off of him.

Faint sounds of laughter echo as I walk up the path to the front door and let myself in. A ‘happy birthday’ sign hangs from the ceiling in the foyer, and red and gold balloons litter the floor leading to the kitchen. Of course they’d deck out the place with the colors of our alma mater—I wouldn’t expect anything less. 

“Hey, I’m here! And sorry I’m late, you know how work is,” I call to a seemingly empty house. 

I poke my head into an empty living room before heading back to the kitchen, where I find Seamus pulling a beer out of the fridge. Everyone else must be out back.

“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up.”

And so it begins. 

Rolling my eyes, I grab a wedge of gouda off the picked over charcuterie board on the counter. “You say that like I intended to show up almost two hours late. I lost track of time.”

That was sort of the truth. After all, I couldn’t tell Seamus I forgot, he’d never let me live it down. Seamus is usually the one who gets called out on things. His affinity for pyrotechnics has created many occasions for us to give him hell, and you can guarantee between the five of us, we never let him live a single one down. So I guess I can’t blame him when he doesn’t miss a beat now the tables are turned.

Which is why I’m not surprised he isn’t letting me off the hook yet. With a snort, he tries to call my bluff. “C’mon, Hermione. We all know you love working so much that you’d skip out on weekends if you could. You don’t have to lie.” And then, to make things weirder, he looks around and lowers his voice to add, “You can tell me the truth about why you’re late. It’ll be our little secret.”

My face scrunches up before I have a chance to control its reaction. Why does he care so much? 

“I…I don’t know what you mean. I really did lose track of time, Shay. Why are you acting so strange?”

A scowl crosses his face as he sets his beer down on the white speckled quartz. He eyes the back deck before lowering his voice and says, “Because I’ve got a bet going with Lav and Nev on whether you were going to show or not.”

“Whether I was going to—why wouldn’t I show? Honestly, it’s not my fault I got wrapped up in research and writing an article all day and then forgot I had plans tonight! Do you guys bet on my predisposition to get lost in my job and failure to show up to events often?” 

I’m so bewildered by the fact that there’s a bet that I don’t even care about letting my forgetfulness slip. Do I need to reconsider how genuine these friendships are? Does this happen often? Are my friends not as supportive as I thought they were?

I open my mouth to ask as much, but clamp it shut when I see the wide-eyed, pale shock cross Seamus’s face. His reaction is far more severe than it should be and now I’m really confused. He spins around and opens the fridge, rummaging around until he pulls out a mango White Claw—my favorite.

Things are getting more suspicious by the second, and I need to know what is going on. “Seamus, what—”

“Here.” He opens the can with a loud crack and hands it to me. “You’re going to need this.”

Oh, come on. “Seriously? You know I don’t care if I’m already three drinks behind.”

“Well, you might this time…” he mumbles before nodding to the door. “Come on, everyone’s out back. I’m sure they’ll be excited to know you finally made it.”

Okay, what is happening? I try not to let my jaw drop as my mind works to decode this odd behavior. Seamus has always been the one with the crazy ideas and adventurous spirit. There’s not a cryptic bone in his body. If anything, he’s always impulsive and up-front with his intentions.

All I can do is shake my head and follow, giving up on trying to make sense of anything. I take a few quick swigs and step through the sliding glass door that Seamus left open for me. Lively conversation comes from my left, where everyone is sitting around the patio table. I prepare myself for more endless teasing as I shut the door behind me, but instead, the chatter dies to a sudden silence. More peculiarity. 

Did I spill something on myself and miss it? No, Seamus would have said something. Or are they really just that shocked about my late arrival? I’m about to ask as much until I look up and see an all too familiar shade of red hair sitting at the table with his back toward me.

Despite the eighty-degree weather, my body breaks into a cold sweat. I’ve spent six years pretending he doesn’t exist anymore. Six years trying to forget that part of my life, convincing myself that he wasn’t the person I thought he was. That he wasn’t ‘the one.’ 

Everyone else’s expressions mirror my shock when they realize I didn’t know he was going to be here, though Hannah’s contains a tiny wince that’s meant to say, ‘I tried to warn you.’ And their reactions are enough to make Ron Weasley, my ex-best friend, ex-confidante, and ex-lover, turn around.

Seeing his face unfreezes my body from its current awkward stance. Anger and hurt burst through the gates that I’ve worked so hard to keep locked up as our eyes meet. In slow motion, my hard seltzer clatters to the ground, soaking my feet and wedge leather sandals in the sticky, bubbly liquid as I try to find my voice. 

As if this paradox couldn’t become any more ironic, he actually seems excited to see me. He opens his mouth to say something, but I’ll never know what since I manage to cut him off with the only scathing question that I can possibly think of. 

“What are you doing here?”

[brzatto]

! i love it! mikey feels like he's in rallying or nascar and carmy is in his fancy pants f1 world and richie as an engineer,, he really is the guy to banter with carmy mid on track fight and be surprised carm nearly strangles him when it distracts him slightly. also gives into like the costs of their family bc getting to motorsports especially f1 (rich man's playground) that shit is so expensive but he'll get those sponsors with so much guilt as an adult. i've only recently been limiting what i write but i make notes on every idea no matter how small or mundane (these are basically minifics). it's mainly because i have so much to write already and im also cycling through like 70 google docs that if i give in and start something else again i will never finish anything. i'm a sucker for playing in other aus with every ship i come into contact like someone has to write the asoiaf au for them or a succession au or a mandatory soulmates au because if not for the 5 carmrich fans on earth then for me. i like how their personalities and character makes everything so much more emotionally charged, the smallest of things impact them, nothing can be simple with them. like don't get me started on carmy wanting to spend more time but he's stunted on how to ask so openly bc being seen and known is too much. he asks for help cleaning the kitchen after that's the best he can ask without being so obvious and he checks over cleaning supplies five times more during the day and doesn't know what to expect besides cleaning. but he finds an empty kitchen at the end of the day. it's one of the worst rejections he faces. he cleans with a spare rag in the bucket.

i was thinking of the cost factor too which is why in my head i think mikey does racing veeery unprofessionally like tbh i think he just fixes janky old cars up with his friends and drifts/races them out on the street LMFAO not entirely sure how plausible that’d be in a city like chicago but either way carmy grows up surrounded by cars and he idolizes mikey for it just because it’s mikey and his passion for it is so real and alive and full of conviction.

this is making me giggle because i feel like our aus are very different but i support you. what ik about succession i only know from cultural osmosis but there’s a very distinct overlap in the audience for both so yeah i support you writing them homoerotically duking it out over stocks or company shares or whatever happens in succession. also you’re right! carmy and richie are both so emotionally repressed and avoidant in terms of dealing with their grief i think even if they WERE to hypothetically be aware of … whatever it is their relationship and feelings towards one another gradually morph into they just still wouldn’t act on it. ever. aside from the obvious reasons why carmy because he lacks the experience to know how to even try even if he wanted to + richie because he DOES have the experience and he also knows how irreparably fucked up things can get if they were to act on it and he isn’t willing to risk whatever tentative bond he has with carmy for it when he knows they really are all that the other has left (<- literally just writing out bcm plot lines now) their self images in relation to other people (carmy always craving mikey’s validation and never getting it, richie finding out the mother of his child only thinks of him as bad news) are so damaged and they’re both sooo emotionally wounded and they’d be so scared of acknowledging what they feel for one another for fear of fucking things up before they can even begin so they just both suck it up and pretend it isn’t there and share smoke breaks together in silence. crazy

“he cleans with a spare rag in the bucket” you’re literally sick for this btw if you know how i feel why would you say that to me

[abandonedsdjfhcvndfbv]

i really appreciate bea's storyline for so many reasons but probably the biggest reason is just how compassion can become entrapping and it's really such a personal thing. It's very anxiety enducing to be trapped and for the thing that you live for to be the thing trapping you. It's probably one of the worst ways to spiral into doom the way she has, being treated like shit by the only thing she has left, yeha.. I really like this AU a very good writer has made, where she does make the decision to run away from it all. abandon it all. I think there are many interpretations i've seen where that IS the best decision, for both her and her father to stop being so damn dependant on his only young adult daughter, but like to see the pain that that decision will inflict, mostly on none other than bea, it's just very real. I really like nitw whatwith whwile being a very complete feeling game , it also feels like the character's lives are also far from as complete as how the gme wraps up. That there's so much opportunity to think about it and ujst how much setup has all there opportunities all these different ways the characters might begin to grow and morph offscreen, after every thing goes down. Like what the janitor says i really like this line. That things don't change you they make you into something else and sometimes it takes time to learn and see what that is. How mae will grow up because really her journey only started as the whole game was her defeating this one giant obstacle made of all the obstacles encompassing her life if that makes sense. it's a good "Everything's ok" ending instaed of a happily ever after one that just makes it seem like...There might be endless sequels ! For these characters. But i really still like the AU by one very talented writer. It's very un-sequely considering the AU nature but it still feels like one somewhat. Like a branch of the timeline that seems natural. And it's very heartfelt too. I think writing comes out best when the writer's really passionate about what they're writing about:) Ok i just like went in to the kitchen and had this really random thought about bea that spiraled into me thinking about lots of things nitw but yeah... I really care about her and i wanna think more and more indepth about like, all the ways her future could go. it's what i'm most interested in. even IF i still also share her sentiment of. maybe in the future gregg and angus probably maybe won't be a thing. It's bittersweet to think about but that's what i like...bittersweet reality is warmest of them all

[urdreamgirls-dreamgirl]

11, 28, 37 for the fic writer thing 💕

11. Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

I technically am a writer for my job (PhD student) but writing fiction is certainly more of a hobby than anything else. The stuff I write for work is certainly quite different than anything I post here lol

28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

Adure on AO3 / @toburnup - I think they're writing is very introspective and realistic; the emotions and interiority of the characters always seem really true to the characters and to the events taking place in the fics. One of my favorite fanfiction authors for sure and I'm definitely super hung up on is your light on? It's very bittersweet and heartbreaking and I can't wait to read the update. (I also LOVE LOVE LOVE throw me one -- I come back to this one all the time <3)

@aidaronan - My favorite is Anywhere, Anytime, but she is the one true voice of the monster fuckers in the ST fandom. Everything she writes is just so fantastic and fun, I love it.

indelicate / @steddielations - I LOVE Trouble Looks Good on You (just saw there's a chapter I haven't read omg) and Dream Boy <3 and they're two of my favorites for sure. She writes the BEST flirting/banter (Trouble Looks Good on You fr fr fr). I haven't read EVERYTHING she's written, but I'm confident I would like it all.

37. Talk about your current wips.

I have FOUR WIPs rn which is UNPRECEDENTED for me. I haven't written fanfiction in ten years and the last time I was in a fandom like this, I only ever wrote one-shots, so the fact that I've even finished multiple multi-chapter fics is honestly amazing to me (while I was taking my doctoral exams????? writing 75 pages of [redacted] for my advisor??? and then also writing over 100,000 words of steddie fanfiction???? crazy of me. unhinged.). Okay, so it's "i can't let go when something's broken" which is almost! done! I'm struggling with the ending and tying everything together, but it's coming!! I promise!! It was only supposed to be the one post, but everyone was really nice and no one wanted to see Steve hurting like that, so. I am powerless to the Steddie gods. Then "it had to be you" which is just so fun. It's a When Harry Met Sally... AU because Steve and Eddie are so Sally/Harry coded, it literally physically hurts me. Steve is Sally!!! He is!!!! I think "it had to be you" has some of the best dialogue/banter I have ever written in my life. Definitely the most fun I've had writing anything ever. Then there's the 10 Things I Hate About You AU which I have big plans for! I actually only intended it to be one post, but people were so nice about it and seemed to like it so. And lastly, "oh my, love is a lie" which is a modern!AU where Steve has been ghosted by Eddie and then re-meets him when Dustin forces Steve to hold a Friendsgiving party at college. LOTS of navigating Steve's abandonment issues and his emotional baggage, which I'm really into rn. Steve angst has me in a chokehold and I love to see him pine from afar. Haven't updated this in soooo long, but I have big plans!!! Lots of stuff to come, I hope.

Thanks for asking <3 <3 <3

[vilelittlecritter]

Okay so I'm seeing a dozen different au's of omori and I ended up kinda brainstorming one in the shower and Ima just throw it out there because why not.

This does contain kind of Omori spoilers so if you haven't finished the game probably best not to read this.

The au is honestly pretty bare bones, it's essentially omoriboy with the plot beats of omori and Scott Pilgrim I guess??? It'll make more sense why I say Scott Pilgrim once I've actually got a good idea of what I'm thinking of but just bear with me.

Okay so the whole plot goes that Mari and Sunny DIDN'T meet any of the faraway friends (at least for now) and the both of them became incredibly reclusive. Mari being Sunny's only real friend and almost parental figure spent almost all her time keeping him safe and comforted, their parents often got into fights and their father as usual in headcanons/au's is absolutely awful berating Mari constantly and Mari having to take blows for Sunny and get into screaming matches to defend him. This pressure alongside the pressure of good grades and such becomes too much for Mary and she either

1. Actually hangs herself which causes their father to finally pack his crap and leave but leaving Sunny alone and feeling guilty (I don't think I'll go down this route unless I can expand upon it enough that it makes sense for Mari to do this as you know suicide is pretty damn serious and I don't want to use it as a dumb plot device)

2. After some sort of fight their Dad leaves but the damage is done as Mari falls into a deep depression and Sunny is left feeling hopeless to helping her as he doesn't know how to and their mother isn't exactly helping (not out of malice but she most likely is struggling severely aswell and doesn't know what to do). Sunny does try to help Mari by going out to get stuff for her, doing activities with her and overall trying to keep her happy however none of these have ever been a permanent fix which leaves Sunny giving up hope over time.

Route 2 seems the most likely as having Mari live is always a neat concept as well as I enjoy the role swap of Mari being Sunny's carer to Sunny trying to be Mari's the best he can.

Okay onto the main boy himself, Sunny. Sunny in this is mentally ALOT better than the original Sunny but still has a lot of issues, fear, anxiety, autism, trauma. It's all there but toned down to where he's able to function a lot better. A majority of his anxiety comes from his crippling loneliness from not having any friends as well as fear over leaving Mari alone for too long. Sunny in this although quiet is a lot more chatty, think about the original Omoriboy for an idea. In this I also imagine that Sunny is in fact the creator of captain SpaceBoy! In this au SpaceBoy is a character Sunny made as a comic to keep him distracted and have a passion project to try and enjoy which he really does!! Also this isn't just a fun detail this is important as Sunny dedicates a lot of time to this comic, moments from Sunny's life directly affect the comic and Sunny submits his comics often to either a local writers group or local competitions; not for prizes but just to share his work. I might tweak the idea of Sunny submitting his comic to local clubs a bit to make it make a little more sense but I plan for Sunny writing captain SpaceBoy to be the main reason he meets a certain someone ;)

That's about as far as I've thought but if I come up with any more ideas I'll share them.

I've got some loose ideas of headspace and the friends but they're not very clear the now.

Also Omori is non existent in this au with Sunny being the one to explore his Dreamworld. He may show up as something else but It's Sunny exploring his dreams in this.

This Au is far more light hearted and comedic than regular Omori as if I do continue with this I want it just to be a silly little thing to play about with. It's still sad but not base game Omori sad. It'll mainly just be Sunny living his life and coming out of his shell and hopefully bringing Mari with him.

[cursed-saphire-hart]

So about my EW Next Gen kids-

Lately I've been thinking about a few things when it comes to the fandoms I make content for, things I've seen other artists do, and the material that goes unused when I drop an interest n ect. So ofcourse this includes my EW Next Gen Kids as well as my HS kids, and even my Dear Fellow Traveler characters too.

My current interest is obviously Pokemon with some wiggle room here and there for other stuff every so often, but every so often I look back at my shelved characters who I used to love with a passion, and wish I could have done more for them.

With Ew Next Gen and the years I've spent developing the characters, their personalities, and their fictional lives, but with little pay off compared to what I could have done with them if I had had the right motivation and energy.

So this is where I come to the point of this post and why I bring them up.

I'm thinking of repurposing my Eddsworld kids to use in my Pokemon stories.

A lot of times, when I want to write something at random, but don't have a clear idea of the character it starts, I kind of spit out something n run with till the need is satisfied, and the result isn't the best. It ends up luke warm is not chilly. And usually that thing doesn't see the light of day. Ever.

Also, a lot of the best stories I've read taking place in a fandom always has depth beyond canon and the protagonists of the canon stories, and that's something I want for more if my stories too. It makes the world feel bigger and more alive when the focus isn't just a oc interacting with only the canon of the show or games.

This also harks back to what I always loved about multiverse, Aus, and other things of the like, sorta like what I was doing with Cross This n That. By repurposing old ocs, I can write characters I've missed while keeping in line with my target interest.

What I want to accomplish-

While I don't know how far I'll be able to go with any one project I have, I want to start trying to further my design and story telling skills by also looking back at old material and thinking up ways to either make it better with the different tools I have, or how I can repurpose it to work smarter with a project.

So, since my Eddsworld kids are already a more diverse cast everyone already knows, I'm going to attempt writing them into the Pokeverse as sorta a Cross This n That versions that I can use for my Sweetly Sour n NuzTwist stories.

I dunno how this will work out for me, it may cause me to crash and burn, but I'm gonna make a fucking attempt. XD

With that said, as I go along the process of doing this, there will be changes and such to fit the world building, whether it's family dynamics,name changes ect. Especially since my Next Gen kids are in a very specific narrative. So. Oof.

The kids might not ever play big or important parts of the story, maaaaybe I'll use them for one shots, world building and just to try out new things, but over all, I just want to try and have new kinds of fun with Old ocs.

And I just wanted to get this all out there to look back on and be reminded n ect. Ranting about shit really helps get stuff off your mind.

Dunno if any of this made sense. But I tried.

Ask questions you want. Rant over.

Byyyyyyyyeeeeee.

[thebreakfastgenie]

🌈🕯️💌🤲

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

A lot of my fics put me through the fucking wringer. safe travels was one. I rewrote the final conversation between BJ and Hawkeye a couple of times and I rewrote the BJ-Charles scene even more times. It languished at like 80% done for months. I had such a vivid image in my head of that Hawkeye-BJ conversation and I'm still not sure the final version totally conveyed it, but it got enough.

But the best answer here is The Emergency Room. I wrote a long, in-depth, self-indulgent post about writing this fic once and I'm glad I did because I forget what a hell writing it was. One of my anchor scenes was the one between Josh and Dr. Williams. It was one of those scenes I was so looking forward to writing! And when I got there I just couldn't. It took weeks. Maybe months. And then there was the ending. I had no idea how to end it. I mean, I really, really struggled with this. It was horrible. And then I just... hit upon it. And I've gotten comments about how much people loved the last line so I don't think anyone would guess that felt like a lucky break after days of torture. It's now one of my favorite last lines I've ever written, too.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

I sort of answered this above, but The Emergency Room. I knew the general beats of it. I started writing it impulsively on Christmas 2020, when I'd recently gotten back into The West Wing and was trying to write a different Christmas fic I've tried unsuccessfully to write for seven or eight Christmases now. So I kind of thought it would be easy. It was not. I don't think the story went any place unexpected, but not one single step of the journey was expected.

I should also mention Campfire! The first half of Campfire was supposed to be about Josh's camp counselor being an asshole and Josh was supposed to stay a social outcast for the entire summer. And then some part of my brain was like, what if he had friends? And it ended up being a lot more about that. The loneliness is still there, because he doesn't share his grief and doesn't expect them to understand, but he has friends. It made the story a lot better, because it added a sort of parallel to CJ, Toby, and Sam.

Like I said above, safe travels gave me hell, but it didn't surprise me. It's always the fics where I know where they're going that give me trouble. The ones that surprise me are the ones that come easy.

One fic that took me somewhere I didn't expect was the play's the thing. Gloria's role ended up being much bigger than I originally imagined! She was just supposed to be the cute girl he used as an excuse for auditioning for the play. But I really love how she turned out!

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

I don't know when you're going to see it but I am so excited about everyone seeing chapter 2 of Ghost AU. This isn't a spoiler because it's the premise of the fic; chapter 1 sets up the conditions for Hawkeye's death and he dies at the very end of the chapter. So chapter 2 is everyone's immediate reactions. I'll share that it happens in the O.R. If you want more details you can ask... I may or may not answer (I'll totally answer if you DM me I'm shit at keeping secrets).

🤲what do YOU get out of writing?

Writing is a hobby and I love it! I don't know how not to do it. In terms of fic, it's really a way for me to process how I feel about events and characters. It's not that different from meta, really. When a concept is driving me crazy I write a fic about it and then it usually keeps driving me crazy forever anyway. It's an expression of passions.

[mariaashlay]

fanfic writer asks!!

😅✨💖🤯👀

Thank you so much! I tried to answer them all as best as I could!

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

Literally everything I wrote back when I first started watching One Piece, I don't have the words to describe how much I cringe every time I read or think back on them (which makes me very happy that I had decided to delete them from AO3😅).

And most of the stories that I published in 2022, I don't know how to explain it, but the way I wrote sentences just started to become very unappealing to me (The only one I didn't completely hate being 'Duplicity'), which is sad because I really liked the concepts that I had come up with yet had executed, in my opinion, very poorly, most notably 'Tranquility', which is a story that I think was a very good concept, but had very poor writing.

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

English is not my native language (I'm Dutch) so writing in English at times could be quite the struggle, I didn't know the right words to describe certain moments or emotions, which is why I cringe at all my writing from a while back, but recently I feel like my writing as been improving a lot, which I'm very happy with.

💖 What made you start writing?

To put it simply, to see the content I wanted to see but no one was writing about.

I've always had a thing for very obscure characters that not many people aside from myself are very interested in, most notably Gladius and the rest of his family.

But despite not being a very good writer, I did keep coming up with new scenarios and story ideas in my head, and one day I just decided to start writing it all down.

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

This is not actually a genre, but I do at times struggle to write a characters actions, like what they're doing or are about to do.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

You have no idea what you're asking! I have like a million of 'em!!!

Most of them are about Gladius and Baby 5 (Which probably isn't much of a surprise), but recently I've been writing a what if au about Viola, and what it would like if she had also been tricked into thinking that Doflamingo and his family had saved Dressrosa, which I'm very excited to share once it's finished!

(PS: It will also contain a lot of GladiusXViola.)

Aside from that I've been trying to catch up on last years whumptober that I didn't get the change to participate in at the time, so I have a lot of unfinished angsty Gladius fics laying around, though it will probably take a while before those will be published seeing as I'm very passionate about trying to convey all of the emotions I plan on making the characters feel as well written as possible.

(I'd be happy to talk about them in more detail if someone was ever curious about the other things I'm currently writing😊)