#the delightful angsty teens enjoying life

[rwrbficrecs]

The Monarch Haven by @redlightsandicedtea (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I found this fic through @lieselsart's wonderful illustration. Alex isn't the First Son, but his parents are high-ranking politicians. Due to serious mental health issues, he lives secluded in Texas, where he runs a mental health refuge for teens— the Monarch Haven. Secluded, until a real prince seeks refuge there. Alex isn't thrilled but still wants to help. What follows is 76k words of slow burn and domesticity! It's beautifully angsty, with a gradual and moving development. A total comfort read !!

Whiteout by HarmonyWhitlock (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Snowboarder Alex and skier Henry almost collide on the slopes, followed by a heated exchange of words. At the end of the day though, they meet at the bar and, well... This story is part of a series which is all about the CMQ-influenced trope 'In every universe'. I got all giddy with every beautiful story I read: So carefully composed and very well crafted, the emotions and attraction swept me away. Hopefully many more to come !!

I Want Candy by @vanillahigh00 (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Alex as a dad and Henry's house being his daughter's first stop on her quest for Halloween candy are the ingredients to this very sweet fic!

Tiempo de Vals by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Authentic Hispanic details (that are always one of my favorite things about this author's writing), a high school AU, and firstprince dancing- what's not to love?

Workin' On My Fitness by bananamilks (book-verse)

@na-dineee: After gushing to Pez about how hot fitness trainer Alex on Instagram is, he is actually indignant when Pez gives him a gift certificate for a training package to reach his (decidedly not) fitness goal: to be able to lift hot men onto countertops. As always, these two have the hots for each other. And the story around it is really sweet, two seconds angsty, also funny, and just delightful.

If U Seek Amy by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@dot524: Such a cute and meaningful 5+1 centering on Amy Chen and how she views the different members of the First Family. Love an outsider PoV and the sweet moments in this one.

Adrift by @milowren29 (book-verse)

@read-and-write-: An addicting pacific rim AU. I don't even go here and I fully enjoyed it, packed with action, life-threatening monsters and alex-and-henry typical obliviousness and refusal to talk about their feelings which is y'know, canon. Everyone needs to give an opportunity to this one.

In Plain Sight You Hid by @nontoxic-writes (movie-verse)

@dot524: Ever reflect deeply on why everyone hates Miguel? This story fleshes out what he did to Alex and expands on what happened during that hookup and what it had to do with Henry. This is also a study of Alex’s relationship with Henry and what made it special. An insightful and angsty (and sexy) addition to the movie canon.

the beagle, the ghost, and the wardrobe by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@suseagull04: I was immediately intrigued by this fic title's Chronicles of Narnia inspiration, and the fic itself didn't disappoint! Ghost Alex, star-crossed lovers- what more could you ask for?

Jump in with your heart first by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This is a blind date that, despite a hiccup or two along the way, will make you believe in soulmates!

Foxden Park by @myheartalivewrites (book-verse)

@dot524: Really enjoyed the slow burn of this one as the story unfolded. So many fun scenes - horse riding, canoeing, sneaky rendezvous in the library. An addicting, enjoyable read!

check out our past Monthly Faves here ❤️

[doctorprofessorsong]

Destiel Fic Recs

Some more recs for your reading pleasure. This one is AU heavy, so enjoy the feast if that's what you crave.

First Response to Love by Briston and Whitster_lizzy @whitster-lizzy (Explicit, 98k)

This crack taken seriously rom com is an absolute delight. You will be giggling the entire time at this one.

Cas is stuck in a dead end reporter job at a failing station in the unfortunately or hilariously (depending on your level of middle school humor) named town of Uranus.

When Cas' cat gets stuck in a tree, his panicked call results in the fire department (and half of emergency services) showing up - including his wet-dream-slash-crush Dean Winchester. He recognizes Dean from a charity calendar, and he may be just a smidge obsessed with him. Like owns a bunch of merch with his picture obsessed. But what he doesn’t know is Dean also has a massive crush on Castiel. Like an embarrassing, watch DVR recordings of the man over and over crush. Dean manages to get it together enough to ask Cas to report on a public safety measure and what follows is a very public and adorable courtship that just might save the station.

Expect mutual disaster idiots, lots and lots of humor and a delightful cast of residents. But also this fic has an underlying softness that will have you unable to put it down. Also, a developing friendship between Balthazar, Gabriel and Crowley that is the best thing that has happened to me personally in a long time.

Seriously, it's a delight.

Linden by fleeceframe @tasteslikevelvet (Explicit, 76k)

Look, fleeceframe has this incredible ability to write gorgeous, gentle stories that take apart your heart like a 500 piece puzzle and put it back together. This one is both particularly soft and particularly beautiful.

A fairytale AU, this tells the story of Cas, a shy and lonely honey merchant who falls in love with one of the Swans, local celebrities, who as a result of a curse, turn into swans. There are wings. There is gorgeous worldbuilding. But most importantly, there is just this gorgeous love story between two very lonely men who feel invisible.

They don't just accept each other, they cherish each other. It’s gorgeous.

The Handyman's Special by Carrieosity @carrieosity (Explicit, 51k)

If you want a good laugh, this is the fic for you. I was cracking up the ENTIRE time.

Dean, a professor with minimal construction experience and a shoddy home inspection, buys a fixer upper that's more like a money pit. But he can’t face the "I told you so" from Sam, so he hires a contractor in secret. And then to keep that secret, he lies and says the contractor, Cas, is his boyfriend.

What follows is a disaster-Dean rom com with a lot of heart. The angst never gets too angsty. It's fun and sweet and hilarious.

Too Hot To Hunt by Englandwouldfall (Teen, 19k)

A canon fix-it case fic that reverses the fuck or die trope. Dean and Cas encounter a monster that attacks couples during intimacy. Which means two things: 1. Dean has to reveal to his brother that he and Cas have been an item since he came back, and 2. Dean and Cas may have to use their words instead of hiding behind sexual intimacy. So that’s not awkward at all.

This one is just immensely satisfying, digging into all of the things that make Dean and Cas so bad at communicating. It's soft, awkward, and mildly angsty in the best way.

Jurassicatural by anyrei and queerwerewolf @anyreiart @queerwerewolf @the-real-anywolf (Explicit, 34k)

A delightful mashup of Jurassic Park and SPN, this one is just really fun. Chuck Shurley had created a new theme park for long extinct monsters, but his investors have one requirement before opening: sign-off from experts on the creatures.

Enter the Winchester brothers, a Paleontologist and Paleobotanist, and Dr. Cas Novak, Historian. But life finds a way and so does trouble.

In addition to just being fun, this one features an instant obsession between Destiel that is really fun to watch, a delightfully moody Claire, a sunny Jack and some really fun monsters.

Fata morgana by orange_crushed (Teen, 6.6k)

This is a short read but woof. It really packs a punch. A canon adjacent story in Hell told from the perspective of Bela Talbot, it's the kind of fic that will make you want to munch on the shower door.

There's an angel in Hell and Bela is going to find him. The angel? Cas seeking out Dean, the King of Hell.

This one plays with the lore in an extremely satisfying way. It's justice for Bela, though not in a saccharine sweet way, and also some really lovely Cas stuff.

A Demon Like Him by EllenOfOz @ellen-of-oz (Explicit, 24k)

If you are looking for some fun worldbuilding, this fic has you. Set in a world powered by magic, Dean is on the cusp of graduating and becoming a warlock. It's everything his father has ever wanted…and now he has to admit nothing he actually wants. Dean is determined to fail the final exam - to summon and bind himself to a demon - so that he can finally be free. Unfortunately for Dean, he fails at failing and instead summons an incubus, Castiel.

This one has some gorgeous nods to canon and it's simply a fun, sizzling read. The angst isn't too angsty. Cas is basically a sex God. It’s good, dirty fun. On top of that, Dean and Cas have some absolutely gorgeous soft moments.

Dark Side of the Moon by imogenbynight @thevioletcaptain (Mature, 37k)

An astronaut AU similar in some aspects to the Martian: after Dean's crew is killed in an accident on the moon, he's left alone and traumatized. Cas volunteers to help retrieve him, but can they make it in time and what will they find when they get there?

This one has a nice balance of horror elements, trauma, and humor. It also has just really likeable cast of characters. Even though you know it will all end well, there are some delightfully tense moments and the immediate bond between Cas and Dean is a delight.

See my other fic recs on my new sideblog @riversrecs

Tag list

@varlysca @naturallyathief @greatbigbugger @fandoms-and-things @cascodedtech @you-cant-spell-subtext-without @deanwasalwaysbi @fellshish @valleydean @raspberry-tooth @the15yearhatecrime @sunglassesmish

[plutobutartsy]

headcanons for the solaire clan playing the best (worst) german board game ever: Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht (part 2)

here is part 1 with the shaw pack and also where i explained the rules. but if you don't feel like reading all that, apparently it's pretty much just the german version of Sorry.

onto the headcanons

as mentioned before, Sam really likes this game so he's also the one to introduce the clan to it

when he did, Darlin saw their life flash before their eyes. they're so SICK of this game y'all

they still play for Sam, of course, but if you look closely you can see their eyelid twitch and their smile start to falter

they do their best to pretend that they're enjoying it

Sam pretends not to know but he does

Vincent and Bright Eyes have a bet going on to see how long Darlin can keep it up

so far the clan is at 46 games and Darlin has yet to crack

when Sam first brought it up William was DELIGHTED

he's a big board game fan

name a board game and he has it

so of course he also has multiple versions of Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht

so he's also pretty experienced with board games. you think it's impossible to come up with elaborate strategies to win MÄDN? think again

is so serious about it, it's ridiculous

but he still has a lot of fun and isn't a sore loser

clan game night has actually been a mandatory monthly event since Vincent was turned, Will insists the clan needs "family bonding time"

Vincent absolutely hated it at first, especially during his angsty vamp teen phase

but he gradually came to enjoy it

he insists he's the master of all board games but god does he suck most of the time

when playing MÄDN he has two game modes:

1) he loses to Lovely on purpose because they "deserve the world", this means he purposefully tries to roll low numbers so Lovely can catch up to him and throw out his pieces. gets sulky if anyone else does.

and 2) he gets really competitive after being egged on by Bright but he loses anyway and pouts about it

Lovely is Always competitive. they don't care if it's their boyfriend and he's doing his best to help them win, they will throw his pieces out without mercy

of course they use Vincent being all sulky as an excuse to kiss him and engage in heavy pda. the clan is sick of it.

Bright is THE instigator. they love putting everyone against each other, it's their strategy

B: "what, so you're just gonna let Vinny snipe your piece like that, Fred?"

F: "well it wasn't that far along the board yet anyway, it's not a huge loss."

B: "wow, never knew you where such a push-over, see if that was me.."

F: "STOP. i know what you're doing, it's not gonna work."

B: "yeah, okay, whatever, go lose the game then"

V: "yeah, you couldn't beat me if you tried."

F: "okay you knOW WHAT-"

it works every single time and they find it hilarious

one time they even managed to pit Will against everybody else

they're part of how Darlin stays sane playing this god forsaken game. at least as long as Bright doesn't antagonize them

Fred is just trying to play the game normally, he doesn't understand why it always turns to utter chaos

it's "just a game" until Bright uses their instigator skills, then it's life or death for him

once furiously swore at Will because of it and was immediately mortified and embarrassed. Fred didn't play MÄDN at the next game night

Alexis insists that it's dumb and childish but sits down to play it anyways

she (not so) secretly loves it

just like Lovely, she gets incredibly competitive

she's pretty much the only one besides Will who doesn't fall for Bright's tricks

if she and Darlin were to play alone they would kill each other (affectionately)

on the rare chance Alexis isn't playing to obliterate everyone, she's playing to harrass Vincent

just completely zeroes in on him

watches him like a hawk to make him nervous while he's rolling the die, trying to get a 6 so he can put another piece in the game and when he inevitably doesn't roll one she just laughs at him

snipes all the pieces he intended for Lovely to throw out and jokes about how Lovely could do so much better and "marry somebody who's ACTUALLY good at playing Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht"

sometimes Lovely goes along with the jokes and Vincent has yet to know a greater betrayal

overall the solaire clan doesn't play with as much brutality as the shaw pack but the passive agressiveness is INSANE

@super-trouper-lights i promised i would tag you 🤭

[vi-joo]

Things I can(not) do at Arcadia High

Give trolls a guided tour of the school

Steal from the props department without good reason. Note the trolls were curious about budget costumes from x years ago does not count as a good excuse. The clothes are sweaty, what did you think was going to happen?

Steal everyone's socks to pay of Bagdwella

Steal everyone's socks with help

Shade Mr Stickler and tease him about the time of the month because no one understands that reference except us

Terrify the freshmen with true tales from gym which are actually from our Trollhunter training

Start speaking in trollish. Or Changeling. Only English. Note, no awkward flirting Spanish either

No using the Shadow staff as a euphemism. There are only so many jokes you can make before Claire uses it (heh)

Wonder in halfway through a lesson and when asked where you were answer dying. Stop challenging trolls! And Nomura

Set the goblins on Steve. Steve helps us now. Steve is friendly (really though?) [Yes]

Start a gnome choir. The goblins get jealous and then it gets dicey (how do you know this?) [You don't want to know]

Paint Uhl's truck because white is so boring these days. Saying it was the Reckless Club's idea does not clear you of the crime, YOU ARE PART OF IT (not my best excuse) [ya think, Jimbo?]

Inspired by RedHeadsRock1010 Danny Phantom fic of the same name, but in Amity Park. Feel free to add, and who would read this?

[k-nonsense]

(See updated list on my blog)

My reviews of all my favorite k dramas I have seen so far (up to 12)

1) Hometown Cha Cha Cha: The gold standard. Chief’s kiss. Best show I have watched in a very long time. It’s an absolute masterpiece and delight. I want to live in that fictional town forever. Go watch it now! Its got Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie vibes. 6/5 (Netflix)

2) Her Private Life: Super funny and charming. The romantic leads have insane chemistry. The premise is so good! I LOVE that the lead is a Korean boy band fan girl. Might be the most rewatchable of all the k dramas I’ve seen so far. 5/5 (Netflix)

3) Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung: Great strong female lead. Very good messages. The most adorable prince I’ve ever seen. What more do you need? Couldn’t stop watching. I hope Cha Eun Woo gets more parts like this in the future. 5/5 (Netflix)

4) Start-Up: Great acting, compelling storylines. Very cute love story. Intriguing plot twists. High quality cinematography. Intense love triangle. Grandma is MVP of the show. 4/5 (Netflix)

5) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo: It was refreshing to see a bad-ass yet vulnerable woman like Kim Bok-Joo as a romantic lead. I hope there are more characters like her on tv in the future. The main couple was adorable and very different from most other couples. They had so much fun together which was fun to watch. 4/5 (Viki)

6) Run On: Cute,fun, silly and pretty light. A very easy show to watch. I especially loved the supporting cast. The art student guy was adorable. Can he get a spin off? Strange storyline but it was a fun easy ride. 4/5 (Netflix)

7)Touch Your Heart: Don’t be fooled by the first few episodes, the characters will become very likable and the court cases and romantic storylines will become very intriguing and compelling by episode 3. If you can just stick it out for a while, you will enjoy this cute series. 4/5 (Netflix)

8)Doom at Your Service: I did not think I would like this but I really loved it. I enjoyed the made up theology a lot. The main couple and the smaller side characters were really likable. I didn’t like the second male lead editor guy but he wasn’t in it too much. It was a sometimes real sad yet ultimately heart warming fantasy story. 4/5 (Viki)

9)What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: This show has elements of what I like from every other K-Drama I’ve seen: great chemistry between the leads, hilarious supporting cast, pretty light and fun. That being said, it did feel a bit formulaic at times. It’s pretty much Two Weeks Notice, which I love. 4/5 (Hulu)

10)Crash Landing On You: This show is so interesting. I love seeing what life is like in North Korea. Oh and the main couple has so much chemistry they became a couple in real life. Very lovable side characters. Unfortunately it becomes a bit too melodramatic for me about half way through. The first half was phenomenal though. 3/5 (Netflix)

11)True Beauty: Makes me sad to say this because I love Cha Eun Woo but I just don’t think this one is for me. It’s a great show if you like angsty teen love triangles. It has a good message which I loved but I really didn’t care about the side characters. I found myself fast forwarding through all the parts that didn’t have the main couple in it. 2/5 (Viki)

12)Goblin: I just can’t get through it. I’m currently on episode 12 and I just can’t anymore. The fact that she’s a child and he’s permanently 35 (or 900?) is too creepy. How did this even get made? I think I could have really enjoyed it if they just made her an appropriate age. The only redeeming quality it has is the adorable Grim Reaper but you can watch him without being totally creeped out in Touch Your Heart. Should I force myself to finish this? 1/5 (Viki)

What are your thoughts on these shows? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? What do you think I should watch next? On my growing list to watch are So I Married My Anti-Fan, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Our Beloved Summer, and Oh My Venus. Am I missing anything?

Update: I did finish Goblin. It was pretty painful for me honestly. Thank you commentators for all the recommendations! I added a bunch to the list. Just started So I Married My Anti-Fan. It seems super fun so far! I love that the boss lady from Run On is in it.

[jerzwriter]

be happy...

Book: Open Heart (Book 1)

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x MC, Ethan Ramsey x MC

Title: be happy…

Rating: Teen

Summary: Just weeks after returning from Miami, Ethan secretly watches as Bryce fills the role he so eagerly desires for himself.

Category: Angsty fluff

Warnings: Mentions of sexual situations

A/N: This is the third mini-fic request written as a thank you for helping me reach 200 followers! I am so grateful to each of you! We write for ourselves, yes, but it makes every writer so happy to know their creations bring something to others, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I love writing these little stories based on your ideas, so always feel free to send them along. I may not get to them as fast as I like, but I will always get to them in time. This was going to be a jealous Ethan piece, but as is often the case, the story that wanted to be told found its way. I hope you enjoy it!

A/N2: I am participating in this week's WackyDrabbles prompt challenge. The prompt is highlighted below.

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

“Now, can I count you to not go off and get into more trouble?”

Teresa Martinez looked up at Kaycee as she helped her get back into bed. One look at her mischievous eyes and Kaycee knew she already had her answer.

“You’re going to give me a run for my money, aren’t you?” Kaycee smiled.

“Well, what else do I have to do today, my dear,” Mrs. Martinez beamed.

The intern shook her head, “You keep me on my toes! But can I ask you just please stay out of unauthorized areas of the hospital? You can’t be wandering around construction areas.”

“You just want to keep all the hot construction workers to yourself, Dr. MacClennan, don’t think I’m not on to you!”

“Oh, yes, that’s what I want,” Kaycee giggled, “more complications in my love life.”

She lovingly leaned over and adjusted the old woman’s pillow.

“Teresa, if you’re good, I promise to get you an extra pudding cup tonight. Do we have a deal?”

“Chocolate or vanilla?”

“Your pick.”

“DEAL!”

Knock. Knock.

“Good afternoon, beautiful ladies. It's delightful to see both of you!”

Kaycee smiled at the welcomed interruption.

“Oh, hi Bryce.”

“Hmmm, see, you are trying to keep all of the cute ones for yourself!” Teresa chided.

“Oh, Mr. Martinez, stop it! You know you’re my one and only!”

The old woman’s face lit up when Bryce shot her his megawatt smile. And after all the time Kaycee had to become used to it, it still had an impact on her as well.

“But I am here to steal, Dr. MacClennan. We need you to sign off on a few items before a patient’s surgery.”

“Oh, of course. Mrs. Martinez… remember our deal?”

“Yes, yes! I expect my extra pudding cup at 7:00!”

“Hey, I also promised her an extra pudding cup!” Bryce said astonished.

Kaycee turned and glowered at Mrs. Martinez.

“Teresa! What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I say a girl has to do what a girl has to do around here. I won’t be judged!”

Bryce and Kaycee shook their heads in laughter as they exited her room.

The hallway was unusually quiet. Taking advantage, Bryce looked both ways before gently taking Kaycee's hands in his. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

“Are you doing, ok?” He asked. “I know you’re smiling but I see something else behind those eyes.”

Kaycee's eyes darted toward the floor. She had more than her fair share of things on her mind: Teresa, secretly treating Naveen with Ethan, her guilt at keeping Naveen a secret from her friends, her guilt about not having told Bryce about her and Ethan’s kiss in Miami. Not that it mattered, they weren’t exclusive, and Ethan made it painfully clear that he would never be anything more than her attending, yet when she looked into his chestnut brown eyes, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“I’m fine, Bryce,” she lied, “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Come here,” he said, leading her by hand to a bench located next to the large windows at the end of the hallway.

He pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

“What can I do to cheer you up? I don’t think a pudding cup will do it for you.”

“You never know, is it chocolate?” She smiled up from under her lashes.

“Well, if it’s chocolate pudding you want, I know of a little place in South End that will blow your mind. Hey, what about tonight? You look like you’re more than deserving of a night out with a dashing young man on your arm.”

“Oh, that sounds great, but can you tell me who the dashing young man is?”

“You’re funny, MacClennan,” he said, bopping her nose with his finger. “What do you say? I’ll pick you up around eight? Let me make that smile you always plaster on a little more sincere.”

“Fine,” she smiled, quite genuinely, “I’m so lucky to have you, Bryce.”

“Of course you are! But I’m lucky to have you.”

Assuming the hall was still empty, Bryce leaned down to give her a soft, tender kiss. She lifted her hand to his cheek, and when he backed away, she brought him closer for another sweet, lingering kiss.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You never need to thank me for that,” he said, placing his forehead on hers. “So, eight…it’s a date?”

“Are you saying that it's so great that we have a date at eight, and you won't be late?”

"That's not what I said," he laughed. "Keep that up, and I will change my mind, Kaycee,” he winked as he walked down the hall.

____________________

Ethan stopped in his tracks at the nurse’s station as soon as he saw her sit down next to Lahela. He knew she was tired, and her eyes looked sad, but to him, she was simply radiant. He watched as Lahela did everything that he longed to do… to cheer her up, to take her hand, to make her smile…. kiss her. It felt wrong not looking away and affording them the privacy they deserved (even if they were in a hospital corridor), but he couldn’t peel his eyes away. The tender kiss they shared pressed play on the memory of the one he shared with her just weeks before. Theirs wasn’t this tender, this sweet, and in a way that only caused his jealousy to swell. He wanted her. He wanted her in every possible way.

Yes, he longed to know what it would feel like to hold her in his arms, to touch her, caress her hair as she moaned his name, to feel her surround him as they became one, these images haunted him day and night. But he also wanted that gentle kiss, to wipe her tears, and to make her day brighter. He wanted the sight of him to bring her warmth and comfort before he could even say a word because that is what she gave to him. But he made his choice.

He fought his impulse to reprimand the couple for showing affection in the hall, it was, after all, against hospital policy. But how foolish would he look? How small would he feel? And, most of all, how could he cruelly deny her all that she needs, all that he wanted to give her. She deserved everything good, even if he couldn’t be the man to give it to her. So, he turned away.

____________________

Kaycee leaned back against the windows and smiled as she watched Bryce walk down the hall. He knew how to make her heart feel whole, even when she didn’t want it to. She pictured the new black dress in her closet and how it would look paired with the denim jacket. That’s what she would wear tonight. She hoped he’d like it, as if it were ever a question.

She uncrossed her legs and stood on her feet, much faster than anticipated, so Ethan did not have a chance to turn away before her eyes were upon him.

Did he see? She thought. Of course, he saw. How else could she explain the forlorn expression that shaded his face? At that moment, all she could feel was his lips pounding against hers as the mist from the sea surrounded them, the way that it felt when a dream materialized and then, just as quickly, blew away. And she knew he was thinking of the very same thing.

She smiled faintly and raised her hand to wave. Ethan replied with a sad smile and a nod before walking away.

She should be happy, he thought, and it can’t be with me.

He should be happy, she thought, I just wish he would let it be with me.

Permatags: @adiehardfan @barbean @binny1985 @bluebelle08 @bluerosesbloom @brokenmemoriesblog @charisworld @chemist-ana @custaroonie @everybodyscreamsposts @icecoffee90 @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kachrisberry @kalinahonore @lady-calypso @liaromancewriter @mia143 @mjlbwork @mm2305 @phoenixrising308 @pixelberrygirl @schnitzelbutterfingers @secretaryunpaid @shewillreadyou @shygirl4295 @socalwriterbee @thegreentwin @txfledglingscribe @toadfrog26 @wanderingamongthewildflowers

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@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @wackydrabbles

[darkpurpledawn]

ladling out a bowlful of hubris as I do the fanfic asks game even though I’ve been taking a writing hiatus this whole spring and summer

thank you for the tag @heavens-bookshop!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

14. I tend to leave shorter stuff (<2500 words) on tumblr, but I have several works on Ao3 shorter than my longest tumblr ficlets

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

143,641. someday I’d like to write a fic that’s longer than that. baby steps

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

...it’s pretty much all Good Omens. back in early 2019 I wrote a few bits and pieces of (MCU) Thor fanfic, but GO is the only thing I’ve published!

4) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Anthony J. Crowley, Retired Demon and Airbnb Superhost (3k, G)

Exactly what it says on the tin, in fake review format

A Visit to the Pet Shop (2k, T)

Outside POV of the herp supply store owner who encounters Crowley and Aziraphale

In Mixed Company, Or the Corporate Retreat of Heaven and Hell (52k, M)

Continuing the trend of spelling the whole fic premise in the title. it delights and amuses me to no end that this one is included in the collection “Fics in which Gabriel doesn’t suck”

Come Adore on Bended Knee (and Other Ways to Make an Angel Rejoice) (5k, M)

Friends to mutual blowjobs speedrun, Christmas edition

There Were Angels Dining at the Ice Cream Parlour (2k, T)

My first fic from back in the heady summer days of 2019

All of these are from the time the fandom was just straight up bigger, but looking at patterns among my own fics it seems like weird formats, smut, and very long and specific titles tend to do well, all of which Checks Out

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try! I feel like a goof writing replies, but I am super grateful for them and I do attempt to respond, albeit erratically. I don’t usually reply to comments that are just a few words or emojis, not because I don’t appreciate them, but because I feel a little obnoxious writing a thank you that’s longer than the comment??? idk I’m probably overthinking it

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

SO when I first started writing fanfic, I thought I was going to write all unresolved pining historical fics all the time, and accordingly, my first chaptered fic, A House in the Country, is a melancholy 1920-set slice of life in which Aziraphale and Crowley take a trip to the Lake District and pine for each other. I don’t think it’s super angsty but it ends on a somber note

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I was going to say no, but then I remembered one of my absolute favorite things I’ve written is technically a Good Omens/Macbeth crossover

8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope!

9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, inclined towards “lots of foreplay and then a weird but hopefully suggestive sequence of metaphors, all in some kind of Uncertain and Forbidden Situation”

10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No I keep my fics locked in my fic safe and u can’t have em

11) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!!

12) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope, not yet

13) What’s your all time favourite ship?

Aziraphale/Crowley, definitely. Also shoutout to Hermione/Ron and Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy...apparently my type is Person Who Excelled At Formal Education/Redhead, And They Argue A Lot

14) What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

hey hey hey I am going to finish both of my Good Omens WIPs! I do have an unpublished horror comedy WIP that I’d like to post around Halloween but am completely stuck on because I can’t decide what it should be rated, so I may use parts of that for other things if I can't pick a tone

15) What are your writing strengths?

*Mike Wazowski voice* These are the jokes, kid

I’d also say I can write sexual stuff that is not repetitive and dialogue that sounds in character. Oh, and I genuinely enjoy writing titles and summaries!

16) What are your writing weaknesses?

besides…not writing…

On a structural level, I have a tendency to take too long getting to first plot beats and then rush endings. On a sentence level I think I have a terminal case of Dependent Clause Disease that genuinely interferes with clarity

17) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

No real thoughts other than whenever I am reading an old book and someone says something in gratuitous French or one of the 12 expressions I know in Latin I feel very Smart bc the fifth grade snob lives within me

18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It’s been so interesting seeing responses to this question from people who have been writing fic since their early teens or childhood! I didn’t write any fanfic before 2019 or any fiction at all except for school projects. I wrote maybe 1k words of Thor fanfic that summer and then went straight on to Good Omens

19) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

In Mixed Company, for sure. I’m hopeful that when I finish current WIPs it’ll be Lest They Be Flatmates though!

tagging @lenore-is-lost and @mllekurtz if you'd like, and anybody else who sees this post!

[salty-ironstrange-shipper]

May I has moar cherik fic recs please??

damn, y’all are GREEDY for cherik fics .... I, of course, have more, but damn

as usual, in order of shortest to longest

Brandished Steel, Wicked Rook

Words: 1,057

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Charles’ bare skin is awash in flame and darkness as he lies there, hair splayed over his forehead and eyes as black as crow feathers, glistening. His lips are bright and wet and red. And he says, in his red way, “All hail, Macbeth.”

AU in which Erik and Charles are Macbeth and "Lady" Macbeth, respectively.

Inspired by both the original play and the film version of Macbeth (2015) directed by Justin Kurzel.

Opinion: This is a weird one because it’s very short and not something I would usually read - but at the same time, the dynamic and writing style and reference makes it feel like it was written for me specifically. Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play by far, and Fassbender is very good in the 2015 film. This fic makes me wish it was 60,000 words. If at some point I actually finish my current WIPs, I might force myself to write a long cherik Macbeth AU, and it would be incredibly self-indulgent, smutty, and morally grey/dark. Because I deserve it.

Spark Me Up

Words: 3,007

Rating: Explicit

Summary: "This is Erik raw. This is Erik lost. This is Erik looking at Charles like he is the only piece of wreckage in a vast ocean. The only star in the sky.

And such a look does things to Charles."

After ten years, they are both starving for each other.

Opinion: This one’s a little different. After years in solitary confinement (taking place in Days of Future Past), Erik is very touch-starved and he and Charles ..... get to touching. 

Erik is asexual in this fic and tagged as such, so if asexual characters participating is sexual acts is off-putting to you, maybe give this one a skip.

Never a Place

Words: 3,047

Rating: Teen and Up 

Summary: It takes some getting used to. Charles hasn’t seen Erik cheerful, actually cheerful without a homicidal intent of some sort in a very long time—perhaps never.

Or. Charles takes Erik up on his offer while trying to process everything. Erik is remarkably patient until he isn't.

Opinion: Erik and Charles in Genosha post-Dark Phoenix! Very cute!

You, you, you are what I want

Words: 4,803

Rating: Explicit 

Summary: "Erik was so sure Charles was interested in him as well that whenever the telepath backed away from him it felt extremely confusing."

Opinion: Got some trans!Charles Xavier and Erik being smitten. Always a good combo.

On a Beach, With You

Words: 6,495

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Charles Xavier meets Erik Lehnsherr on a beach in Israel.

Opinion: Charles and Erik meet, fall in love, and get married in like, 2 weeks. It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s well-written, the smut is good, and you kind of think to yourself “yeah normally getting married after knowing each other for so little time is a bad idea, but damn if I don’t think these two can make it”. Definitely worth a read!

Emissary Requiring Interplanetary Cooperation

Words: 15,584

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Charles is drunkenly wandering home one night when he sees a bright light in a field. To his delight, the cause of the light is a gorgeous alien in the form of a man with the biggest dick he's ever seen.

Opinion: Incredibly fun and cracky smut. Enjoy. I know I did ;)

Made To Be Broken

Words: 18,220

Rating: Explicit 

Summary: Charles makes a New Year's Resolution: “No more straight men,” Charles repeated as he began scrolling through the apartment directory for Emma’s name. “No more futility. No more pointless hoping and heartbreak. In 2013, I never want to hear the words ‘exception,’ ‘experimenting’ or ‘phase.’ If, God forbid, I hear ‘bicurious’ even once, I may take a hostage.”

Then he goes into the party, and Erik is there.

Opinion: This is one of those fics you read on a whim one night when you have nothing to do, but keep coming back to weeks after you finish it because it’s so. Damn. Good. Well-written. Shockingly emotional. Smutty. Interesting discussion of relationships and sexuality. I got caught up rereading my favorite parts while making this list. I love this fic and you will too, or else. 

A Wedding Planner Walks Into a Bar

Words: 19,451

Rating: Explicit

Summary: When Raven hires Erik to be the bartender at her wedding, he becomes quickly infatuated with the wedding planner, Charles Xavier, who he thinks is her fiancé.

Opinion: This one’s fun. A bit more chill than some of the others. Plus you have the classic idiots-in-love-don’t-realize-it-because-of-a-misunderstanding-that-could-be-easily-solved-but-won’t-be. 

We’ll Show Them All

Words: 19,529

Rating: Teen and Up 

Summary: Pacific Rim AU. Ten years later, the monsters are back, and newly-instated Marshall Charles Xavier needs to pull a team together to prepare for the coming war. That means finding his talented sister a Drift-compatible copilot -- even if that turns out to be his old flame Erik.

Opinion: This is one of those things that reminds me I need to watch Pacific Rim. It’s good if you haven’t though, and I’m proof of that. Erik and Charles are so angsty here but so in love. Plus, Raven content! Love that for us.

Five Nights In Nuremberg 

Words: 26,138

Rating: Explicit 

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Opinion: This one has potentially triggering content in the form of mutant camps and discrimination. Approach with caution. Otherwise, it’s very good.

Appropriate Boundaries

Words: 33,346

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Charles has been having serious problems with back cramps in the year and a half since he's been in a wheelchair. His doctor prescribes massage therapy. But when Charles meets his masseur, Erik, in some ways they begin to heal each other. So how do you cross the boundaries between professional touch -- and the personal?

Opinion: Erik and canon disabled Charles navigating sex and a relationship. It’s cute! It’s hot! It’s fun! It’s well-characterized! It’s emotional! I’m running out of words to describe these fics, I mean I wouldn’t be reccing them if I didn’t think they were good- 

April

Words: 56,225

Rating: Explicit

Summary: In the sharp, unforgiving plains of the Canadian Arctic, Erik is since long adapted to solitude and silence. Separated from civilization, dedicated to nothing but his research, he has formed a life that suits him. There is nothing he would ever want to change. So, naturally, the arrival of grad student Charles Xavier upends everything Erik ever thought he wanted, for better or for worse.

Opinion: Charles and Erik basically locked in a shack together with no one else for human contact?????? Internalized issues and homophobia?????? Fluff and angst???????? Yes???????

Thou Shalt Not East Stones

Words: 77,422

Rating: Not Rated 

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Opinion: This one’s got everything. Humans being dicks. Protective Erik. Hurt Charles, and pissed-off Charles. Trauma recovery. Rebuilding a relationship. Love. Pain. Everything.

That’s all folks! No one ask me for more until at least after New Years, or I swear to Magneto, I will PUNT YOU

[teacup-tai]

Hi babes! I was wondering if you have any specific hobby besides reading/writing and if you do, could you share a bit with us? Or if you don’t, I’d love to know more about your favorite Brazilian references: artists, poets, musicians, anything that strikes your fancy! Sending lots of love ❤️ - Liv

Oi Liv! Gorgeous question, thanks so much. So, I guess watching series is a hobby, right? lol I'll be cheeky then, and talk about Brazilian series, as most folk around here didn't have the opportunity to discover Brazilian audiovisual art amazeness! Let's do this!

Once upon a time, 15 years old Tainara wanted to study audiovisual arts/cinema, to write screenplays for Brazilian Telenovela. I was OBSESSED with telenovelas since I was a kid. Many of you probably don't know this bit of information, but Brazil used to be the biggest exporter of soap-operas in the whole world. We are BLOODY GOOD AT IT. :) I think it shows, now that we have the opportunity to watch international series online. What to say, drama and creativity run deep in our veins, with hot Latin blood. xD

WARNING: I just realised that being Brazilian, we end up normalizing so much violence. I don't wanna trigger anyone, so be responsible. The only soft one is Capitu, you can jump to that rec and vid if you prefer. CW: drug use, violence, murder, domestic violence and other. well, tipical latin american film/series to be fair. how sad is that? fml.

5 Brazilian series you should watch:

DOM (2021, E+, Amazon prime)

I just finished watching this series and, as always, the depth of the plot is stunning. This series talk about Pedro, a boy from Rio de Janeiro who ends up involved in drugs and criminality. The gorgeous thing about this series, is the amazing 360º approach they take on the story of cocaine in Brazil, in the favelas, how drug addiction impacts the individual, the family, the community, the police, etc. It's really hard to watch bc it's very intense. The acting is gorgeous, the soundtrack is marvellous, the plot is deep and angsty and sexy and oh man, I miss Brazil.

(cw: drug use by adults AND minors, a lot of violence, torture, police brutality, corruption, guns, there's OD, and a lot of great naked sex scenes done the brazilian way: I mean very explicit and crazy hot!).

Girls from Ipanema (2019, E, Netflix)

Hear me out, this series show a bit of the Brazil from the 50s-60s. It's the story of Malu, a woman from Sao Paulo's high society that after being abandoned by her husband, decides to try her life in Rio de Janeiro. It's a story about women empowerment, as along the way she meets other incredible women. The series touch topics as racism, sexism, domestic violence and growth. It's AMAZING. The actresses are all wonderful, the soundtrack - as always - impecable. We get to learn a bit more about how Bossa Nova was born in a incredible mix of Samba from the favela and Jazz. Please do yourself a favour and watch it!

(cw: domestic violence, rape, great naked sex done the brazilian way etc)

Invisible City (2021, teen and up?, Netflix)

Well, this one is a tad bit lighthearted. There's murder mystery alright, but it's mixed with Brazilian Folklore!All the old legends us Brazilians grown up listening too, there's the river dolphin, the mermaid, the Cuca, Saci... While investigating the murder of his wife, detective Eric is surrounded by invisible forces and magic and suspence. Dudes, this was such a cool watch! just amazing how they made it work, the folklore and the mystery, it's lovely really!

(cw: a bit of violence, a bit of corruption, a bit of dark magic, but it's soft compared with the recs above)

Capitu (2008, T, online probably)

This is a series from 2008, and you probably won't find it in English. I hope I'm wrong, because Capitu is a bloody spectacular creation. It's a short series based in one of the most (if not THE most) aclaimed book of Brazilian literature: "Dom Casmurro" (1899) by Machado de Assis. It is, most definitely, one of my favourite books and author of all times, with unreliable narrator done as brilliant as heaven. It's a story about two teenagers who fall in love against their family approaval, and how, after years in the Seminar, Bentinho (the protagonist and narrator) goes back to Capitu (the girl, the mysterious love interest) and then, a lot of jealousy and shit happens. Anyways, the series is a bloody delight, they got theatre actors, they did not add a stable escenary and decided on a turning one, it's actually done as a play, you feel like you're in the theatre watching it happen in front of your eyes, mesmerised. Sometimes, I wish everyone understood Portuguese, bc honestly, this series is a dream come true. If you can't find it subbed, try to buy and read the book, you won't regret. I couldn't find a trailler in english but I found the videoclip for the series with Elephant Gun, the music theme of the opening. So I hope you all enjoy!

Aruanas (2019, E+, GloboPlay)

Next one on my list ! It's a political-corruption series about Enviromental Activism and Realistic Murder Mystery, probably based in real facts in Amazonia. The casting is TERRIFIC, I'm in love with all of them! Such great actresses. I can't wait to watch it. Seems pretty violent though, but very empowering for the activists out there, that like me, are fighting the good fight against a corrupt government and oppression of vulnerable communities.

(cw: violence, guns, murder, indigenous murder, sex. Probably a lot more, but I haven't watched yet, sorry)

I hope you all enjoy the recs! Don't watch if you think it's too much, take care of yourselves. And that's a wrap!

[princess-of-the-worlds]

tldr: I’m back, babey, with a handful of Torchwood fic recs timed perfectly for Halloween! Now, I tried to collect newer as well as older fics, but honestly, the way it worked out, they all ended up mostly being newer. Still, the fics here are a mixed bag in terms of spooky versus creepiness, and you should definitely find several you like!

I cannot sleep warm by Beleriandings (@ultraviolet-eucatastrophe)

“And I love you too. Now... time to wake up.”

(janto | complete | teen | 11.2K)

Nik: Hi! Do you want to cry? Well, then, read this fic! Set in...well, a scenario I can’t entirely describe without spoilers but can say that it involves dreaming, this fic transcends reality - and also imagination - at times. The author - yes, I am proud to call her my friend - is very good at writing surreal stories, and there are just so many angsty layers to this fic. There’s this symmetric beauty to the first chapter that the second chapter just brings into focus. I immensely enjoyed this fic, but don’t go in expecting a happy ending!

The Picture of Javic Thane by thirteeninafez (@thirteeninafez)

The painting was an old Victorian portrait, showing a man sitting in an almost throne-like chair, posture perfect and facial expression stoic. Deep colours swirled from brilliant brush strokes, perfectly capturing the image it was displaying. It took Ianto a second to realise that the figure in the maroon, nearly purple suit (and matching bow-tie) was in fact the same man that was currently holding the painting in the Hub.

“That’s what came through the Rift?” Ianto asked incredulously, trying to ignore the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth.

(janto | complete | teen | 22.3K)

Nik: Full disclosure, I beta’d this fic, and holy shit, it’s good and perfectly fits the Halloween mood! This fic is essentially a The Picture of Dorian Grey AU, and the author’s descriptions as the painting changes...chef’s kiss! All team’s perspectives on Jack and how he changes is delightful and enough to make you shudder. If dark!Jack is something you’ve been missing in life, read this fic, but also know that it comes with requisite amounts of angst. (But I guess that that’s to be expected!)

Werewolf of Cardiff by Jackdaw816 (@shejustcalledmeafish)

Ianto's a wolf in the bedroom. Literally

(janto | complete | teen | 0.5K)

Nik: Again, full disclosure, I chattered about Werewolf Ianto to the author enough until she wrote this. So you can basically thank me for this fic! Short and sweet, this fic is essentially the quickest and best fluff you can ask to cheer you up or give you the warm fuzzies! Despite being a werewolf, Ianto’s full characterization still comes through, and the author does a delightful job with pouring on the extra love and warmth into the Jack-Ianto relationship.

Jack-O'-Lantern by AVAAntares (@avaantares)

An epistolary story in which Gwen carves, Ianto objects, Owen shirks, and Jack pays.

(Written for Torchwood Halloween Fest 2020. Prompt: Halloween traditions or celebrations)

(janto | complete | general | 0.7K)

Nik: Another quick fic! This one is entirely amusing with a great team dynamic! Brief emails follow the trajectory of the weeks before Halloween in the Hub, including a pumpkin that falls victim to Gwen and Jack as well as other moments of humor. You’ll certainly find yourself giggling along!

Imposters Among Us by gwendolyncooper (@gwendolyncooper)

The Torchwood team (+Rhys) are out for a night of fun when they end up on a spaceship with no power, no info, and no crew. Known only as THE SKELD, the team tries to fix the ship and figure out what happened to its previous occupants.

But something out there is killing them.

Something that may be someone they know.

(gwenrhys, janto | complete | mature | 9.1K)

Nik: This fic, as gut-punchy and well-written as the writing is, may not for the light-hearted, as you can likely see with the tags, but trust me, it’s worth it and ends up paying itself off! It’s essentially real-life Among Us, but playing it in reality is a lot more terrifying than playing it on your phone, and the team proves that! The plot is intriguing as it builds on the lore of the game, and the emotional beats certainly punch very hard, but the fic lands a bit more lightly on its feet at the end. Certainly a must-read if you love Among Us!

Toil, Trouble, and Trick-or-Treating by moonlightrhosyn (@moonlightrhosyn)

“I know what this is. She planned this. She thinks I don’t spend enough time with the kids. That’s why she’s doing this.” “Doing what, Ianto?” Gwen asked him. “What do your sister’s dinner plans have to do with you?” Ianto heaved a sigh. “She just asked me to take David and Mica trick-or-treating so she ‘can go to dinner’ - she just wants me to spend more time with them, and she’s come up with this.” “I can go too,” Jack offered as he joined them. He grinned. “I love kids!” In which Jack and Ianto take Halloween night off to look after Rhiannon's kids, while Gwen and Suzie coordinate Halloween Watch (and Gwen tries to get Suzie a date, after two years of strategizing).

(janto, gwenrhys, kathysuzie | complete | teen | 2.7K)

Nik: Here’s a canon divergence AU where everyone lives, including Suzie, which means we get some fun team times with Halloween! Ianto is tasked with taking David and Mica trick-or-treating, all accompanied by Jack. It’s sweet, light, and a perfect treat, with great little moments like Gwen trying to set Suzie up on a date with Kathy Swanson and David and Mica trying to conspire against Jack and Ianto for candy. There’s no monsters here! I beta’d this fic - you’re probably starting to see a trend here - and 200% recommend this for a fun read if you’re disappointed about not getting to go trick-or-treating this year!

Treat or Trick by NancyBrown

Five unusual trick or treaters show up at the tourist office.

(janto | complete | teen | 1K)

Nik: The author is an icon of this fandom, but this is one of their lesser-read fics, which is a damn shame. Ianto’s Halloween at the tourist office goes a bit awry when he meets the team, not only de-aged but also tossed back in time. It’s quick, witty, and humorous, everything a fic needs! A must-read!

Going Batty by blackkat

Ianto is a vampire. Cue Owen's obligitory Twilight jokes.

(janto | complete | general | 1.4K)

Nik: This fic is completely crack. Completely. If you’re looking for Dracula-esque vampire!Ianto, this is the perfect fic for you. Taking place from the perspective of Gwen, it explores the mystery of Torchwood’s most reclusive member. But again, it is also. 100% crack. But it’s very, very batty. (See what I did there?)

Erlkönig by engagemythrusters (@iianto-jones)

Something lurked in the darkness. It waited and watched, and it was coming for Ianto.

(janto | complete | teen | 5.6K)

Nik: Now, if you really want spooky, this is the right fic for you! The writing is excellent and dripping with tension and suspense, and the way Ianto spirals...now, this is some well-written horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re looking for answers in this fic, don’t expect any, but that only makes it better. A must-read that was - ironically - written in May. I have many, many questions about how this fic resolves; please tell us, author! (Or don’t, to keep the spooky alive!)

Echoing by Beleriandings (@ultraviolet-eucatastrophe)

Ianto wakes up at his desk in the archives, with no memory of how he got there or what happened before, and no way to contact Jack or Gwen. Turns out, all of that's the least of his problems.

(janto, lisaianto | complete | teen | 7.4K)

Nik: Yes, I know; this author has been on the list twice, but she’s on fire this month, with many, many excellent spooky fics. (Not that her fics aren’t always spooky!) This fic once again hits you like a gut-punch. Written in a very disorienting - in the good way - sense, we as readers follow Ianto wandering the Hub, looking for anyone else. He encounters company who aren’t so solid. By the time you’re nearing the end of this fic, you’ll likely have generated thousands of theories if you’re anything like me, but none of them will hurt as much as the actual truth. Expect some much angst from this. Again, another must-read!

[storytimefromthecreed]

Masterlist

It’s been 4 long yeays, and I’ve finally got my stuff together. Literally. Behold, the Masterlist. Everything I’ve ever written not including the stuff I have saved in drafts and queued for you while I’m not here (so I’ll be adding to this later). It’s been a journey, and I want to thank everyone for their requests, words of encouragement, and bearing with me. At long last, enjoy. 

Altair, The Original Baddie, The Original Bae

 Mod!Altair: Watching Scary Movies

Being Sick

It’s Not What It Looks Like

Crack A Smile

A Day With: Altair

Jealous

Habibi

The Plan

Altair Doesn’t Stand for Bullies

Pride

Mod!Altair and The Dead Bodies

Ow, I Got A Papercut...Kiss It?

I Love This Song! Want To Dance

Dadtair

Mod!Altair: I’m Not Overreacting! You Killed Someone!

You’re Eyes Should Be On The Target, Not My Backside

Mod!Altair: Normal People Don’t Have A Basement Stockpiled With Weapons

You Look So Beautiful Covered In Blood

Liquid Confidence

Happily Ever After

You’re An Assassin. Act Like It.

The Mentor

Where The Heart Is

That No Good Apple

Masyaf

Novice

Target

Conspiracy

Dating Altair Would Include:

When A Good Man Goes To War

Pictures With Santa

Altair’s Happy Ending

Darim:

How It Should Have Happened (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Early Bird

Malik

 Malik and The Shirt

Malik and The Artist

Bureau

Nurse Malik

Office Romance

Rainy Days

AltMal

Dai Malik

AltMar

(Disney AU) Once Upon A Dream

AltMalMar

(Disney AU) Prince Malik

Kadar

 Sorry, Was This Your Sweater?

Federico

 Did You Just Set The Kitchen On Fire?

Claudia

(Disney AU) Claudia Won’t Say She’s in Love

Ezio de la la la

 Mod!Ezio: Coming To Your Rescue

I Think I’m in Love With You, and I’m Terrified.

Make It To The Bed

When You Bring Him Home

Jealous

He Must Be Late, and She Must Be Beautiful

A Ezio HC

I’m So Tired

Mod!Ezio: A Date

Chocolate

Serenade

The Man Who Has Everything

La Volpe and Cats

Mod!Ezio and The Passionate Kissing

Mod!Ezio: Study

Big Brother Ezio and The Skirt

Mod!Ezio: Traffic

Let’s Stay In

Here, Let Me Kiss It Better For You

You Only Know One Side of The Story.

Who Do I Have To Kill For Some Chocolate?

Helping Ezio Kick Butt

You’re An Assassin. Act Like It.

Do It. End This. Please.

I Trusted You!

This Is It. This Is How I Die.

What Could Have Been

EzioLeo 

The Love From Near and Afar 

Yusuf, The Teddybear of Istanbul

 Wake Up!

The Teddybear of Istanbul

Lift

Mod!Yusuf: I’ll Wake You Up When We’re There 

Yusuf is 75% Sure

I Don’t Remember What Life What Like Before Loving You

I Bet I’m A Better Cuddler

You Look Adorable When You’re Cold 

Would You Look At That.

At What Cost?

Dating Yusuf Would Include:

Yusuf and Claudia

 I’ll Wake You Up When We Get There

Claudia Meets Yusuf

Love Affair

Dating Yusuf Would Include:

Yusuf x Arno

Turkish Delight

Connor Kenbae 

 Sleepless

The Hero You Need

Mod!Connor: Watching Scary Movies

Reacting to Your Pregnancy

Being Sick

Connor Doesn’t Stand for Bullies 

A Rainy Day

The Middle of a Thunderstorm

Please Don’t Do This.

Is There A Reason You’re Naked in My Bed?

Sweater Weather

Tell Me A Secret

A Massage

Wanna Dance?

Fainting

Mod!Connor: Helping You Through A Bad Day

It’s A Big World, Connor Kenway

Connor and The Artist

The Death of Charles Lee

Jealous

A Fight

Snow Day

What Were You Dreaming About? You Were Shouting.

Tired

Mod!Connor: A Date

Teddybear

Lift

Mod!Connor: Confessing

Faith, Trust, and Ratonhnhake:ton

Love At First Fight

Jealousy Brews Beasts

Connor vs The Bow

TOKW Connor

Connor and The Cereal

Connor and The Dream

Connor and Cats

Connor and The Arm

Connor and The Dead Bodies

Connor Punches First, Asks Questions Later

Puppy With The Puppy

What Would I Do Without You?

Here, I’ll Kiss It Better For You

You Look Adorable When You’re Cold

Do You Think You Could Just Talk To Me?

Happy Birthday Connor

Family Fun

Beautifully Flawed

Haytham Hits On You, And It Goes How You’d Expect

I’d Do It Again If I Have To

Half Blood (Chapter 1) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3) (Chapter 4) (Chapter 5) (Chapter 6) (Chapter 7) (Chapter 8) (Chapter 9) (Chapter 10) (Chapter 11) (Chapter 12) 

Of Course There’s Blood. What Did You Expect?

This Is The Worst Time For It To Start Raining

The Man With The Silver Tongue

Braiding Connor’s Hair

Angsty

Happily Ever After

You...You Fight Good

I...I...I Think I Love You

Must You Be So Dramatic?

Cat and Mouse

Fire Fire

The Flames

Spur of the Moment

Heart Health

Kanen’to:kon

 This Is Not Funny

Smitten!

Connor & Kanen’to:kon

 Teddybear

Connor & Haytham

Kenways’ Happy Ending (Part 1) (Part 2)

Haytham

 Kiss Me.

Just A Bad Dream

It’s Already, I’ll Manage On My Own

Comparisons

Baby Brother

Shipwrecked

Mod!Haytham & Teen!Connor: Haytham’s Lovelife

Mod!Haytham and The Name

Haytham and The Dream

Haytham and The Passionate Kissing

Ow, I Got A Papercut...Kiss It?

It’s Not Just You That I Love

 Cupid’s Chokehold

Haytham and Ziio:

(Disney AU) Colors of the Wind

Thomas Hickey

 Hickey and The Proposal 

Hickey Asks For A Date

Edward Kenway

 Time Alone

Hey! I Was Gonna Eat That!

I Wish I Could Hate You

A Massage

Fainting

Marry Me?

Jealous

Is There A Reason You’re Naked in My Bed?

This Is Not Funny

Look At Those Muscles

You Can Sit On My Lap, If You Want

Mod!Edward: Hot Chocolate

A Little Trip

Edward is 75% Sure

Edward and The Arm

Mod!Edward and The Skirt

Drunk In Love

I Love This Song! Want To Dance?

That’s Not Exactly What An Apology Sounds Like

Mary Had A Little... (Chapter 1) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3) (Chapter 4) (Chapter 5) (Chapter 6) 

Righting Wrongs (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Mod!Edward: Leather Jackets, Hot Chocolate, Edward Kenway

Goodnight, and Joy Be With You All

Dating Edward Would Include:

(Disney AU) Golly, What a Day!

Charles Vane

 Why Didn’t You Just Ask?

What Would I Do Without You?

It’s Not Just You That I Love

Failing Vane

 Arno Victor Dorian

 Strange Weather

Is There A Reason You’re Naked in My Bed?

Hey! I Was Gonna Eat That! 

 Mod!Arno: Urges

Jealous

The Weird Dream

A Fight

The Fight

Lift

You Can Cook?

This Is Not Funny

Arno and The Ankle

Arno and The Arm

Mod!Arno and The Passionate Kissing

Arno and The Cat

Arno and The Cats

It’s Not Just You That I Love

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dorian

You’re An Assassin. Act Like It.

Arno’s Escape

Dating Arno Would Include:

One Dance

Beginner’s Unluck

Being Arno’s Sister

A Friend In Need

First Kiss

A Cafe in Paris

(NSFW) Happy Birthday, Mr. Dorian

Arno & The Frenchmen Four

 To Save The Savior

We Have A Dog

Mod!Frenchmen: This Is Not Funny

Ghosts

The Thing

I Bet I’m A Better Cuddler Than You

When I Said Start A Small Fire, This Was Not What I Was Talking About

I Got Stabbed...So You Bought Me Cake

If We’re Arrested, It’s Entirely Your Fault

Be Our Guest

Arno, A Man of No Words

Something Blue, Something Borrowed (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

Qu’est-ce que c’est?

The Frenchmen Four

 A Walk In The Park

A Background (My Personal HC)

A Typical Day

Dating HC

Older Siblings HC

Axeman

To The Rescue

Blades

Mod!Gerard: Did You Just Set The Kitchen On Fire?

Lift

Did I Mention How Cute You Look After A Run?

Greencoat

 Bagel

So, Basically, You’re In A Cult

Green Coat, Red Cheeks

Green Eggs and Ham

Ghost

  A Ghost Story

Elise

 Hot Chocolate and Smores?

Shay Patrick Cormac

 Hey, I’m With You, Always

Have You Seen The...? Oh.

Don’t Panic, Love

A Fight

Riven (Chapter 1) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3) (Chapter 4) (Chapter 5) (Chapter 6) (Chapter 7)

Look At Those Muscles

I’ll Wake You Up When We’re There

With Child

Mod!Shay and The Arm

Shay in Jail

Shay is 75% Sure

I Don’t Remember What Life Was Like Before Loving You

Cold? Here, Let Me Hold You

You Look Adorable When You’re Cold

Here, I’ll Kiss It Better For You

I Don’t Need Luck, I Have Hope

Someone’s Trying To Kill Us, And You’re Flirting With Me?

Must You Be So Dramatic?

I Make My Own Luck (Chapter 1) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3) (Chapter 4) (Chapter 5) (Chapter 6) (Chapter 7) (Chapter 8) (Chapter 9) (Chapter 10) (Chapter 11) (Chapter 12) (Chapter 13) (Chapter 14) (Chapter 15) (Chapter 16)

Happy Holidays from The Cormac Family

Soft Shay

Dating Shay Would Include:

(Disney AU) Into the Unknown

Liam O’Brien

 Liam’s Happy Ending

Happy Holidays With Liam

Dating Liam Would Include:

Jacob

 Did You Do That For Me? Aw, Come Here

Jacob Being Sweet

Brawl

Jacob and The Skirt

Mod!Jacob and The Car

Mod!Jacob and The Underwear

Jacob Punches First, Asks Questions Later

A Use of The Rooks

Cold? Here, Let Me Hold You

Mod!Jacob: Hot Chocolate and Smores?

It’s Not Just You That I Love

I Can’t Imagine Being Alone Anymore

Name One Time, I Dare You

Mod!Jacob: Father Frye

You Only Know One Side of The Story.

Happily Ever After

Must You Be So Dramatic?

You’re An Assassin. Act Like it.

I...I Think I Love You

Do It. End This. Please.

You’re The Source of All My Problems

Evie

 A Night With Evie

Evie and The Cereal

Henry

 A Sweet Story

Desmond, Definately Alive, Miles

 Lift

Did You Just Set The Kitchen on Fire?

Fluffy Desmond

Desmond’s Song

Desmond and The Chloroform

Desmond and The Underwear

Desmond is 75% Sure

Desmond

Can’t Imagine Being Alone Anymore

I Love This Song! Want To Dance?

Hot Chocolate and Smores?

Sorry, Was That Your Sweater?

Roof Talks

I Trusted You!

Desmond’s Happy Ending

Shaun

 Shaun and The Demon

Shaun and The Underwear

It’s Not Just You That I Love

I Don’t Remember What Life Was Like Before Loving You

I Bet I’m A Better Cuddler Than You

Grab My Hand. We’re Gonna Make A Jump For It

We’re Not Dating

A Happy Ending With Shaun and Clay

Abstrego

Cavities

Kassandra

Alexios

Have We Met? (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

(Disney AU) Zero to Hero

Brasidas

(NSFW) Baesidas

Assassin Prefernces: 

 When You’re Sick

When They’re Sick

Secret Truths: Talents

Secret Truths: Fears

Secret Truths: Sleeping

Secret Truths: (Axeman, Yusuf, Malik) 

Secret Truths: Sex

Secret Truths: Sex (Evie, Yusuf, Malik)

Secret Truths: Fears (Evie, Jacob, Henry)

How They’d Confess / Ask You Out On Your First Date

Reacting To Your Tattoo

Reacting To Their S/O’s Pregnancy (Altair, Ezio, Connor, Edward, Yusuf, Jacob, Connor, Shay, 

Training Styles (Altair, Ezio, Connor, Shay, Evie, Jacob)

Reacting To Their S/O Speaking Their Language (Altair, Edward, Ezio, 

Secret Truths: Dogs (Altair, Ezio, Connor, Edward, Haytham, Shay, Evie, Jacob)

Secret Truths: Dancing (Connor, Edward, Haytham, Shay, Aveline, Elise, Evie, Altair, Ezio, Jacob, Malik) Bayek (not my addition), Kassandra, Alexios, 

Coffee / Tea Preferences (Everyone)

How They Say “My Wife”

Combo Assassins:

 Connor and Arno: Friends and The Tub 

Falling For Jacob

Gang Gang

Edward Punches First, Asks Questions Later

Aveline, Evie, and The Dead Bodies

Connor, Shay, and The Sprained Ankle

Ezio, Arno, and The Arm

Let Them Eat Cake

Assassins To The Dentist

Sons and Daughters: Backyard Fun

Blackout

A Modern Shakespeare

Shay: I’m Surrounded By Idiots

Connor: Do It. End This. Please.

Jacob: You’re An Assassin. Act Like It.

Edward: Must You Be So Dramatic?

Edward: I Hate Myself

The Other Side of the War

The Assassins As Roommates:

 The Original

Girls’ Nights

Part 2

Nicknames With Jacob

Friendsgiving 2015

British Bromance

Girl’s Night

Break In

Scary Movie

Date Night: Altair and Maria

Christmas 2016

Fight Club (Evie vs Connor) (Desmond vs Jacob) (Malik vs Alexios) (Altair vs Bayek)

Moving Out

Tall Tales

Altair’s Birthday

Altair’s Happy Ending

Canon Crimes

Halloween 2019

Fun

Thanksgiving 2019

Meeting The Spartan Siblings

Christmas 2019

The Christmas Miracle of 2019

(Disney AU) I’ll Make a Man Out of You

[k-nonsense]

(Old ranking - go to my blog for updated rankings)

My reviews of all my favorite k dramas I have seen so far (now up to 10)…

1) Hometown Cha Cha Cha: The gold standard. Chief’s kiss. Best show I have watched in a very long time. It’s an absolute masterpiece and delight. I want to live in that fictional town forever. Go watch it now! Its got Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie vibes. 6/5 (Netflix)

2) Her Private Life: Super funny and charming. The romantic leads have insane chemistry. The premise is so good! I LOVE that the lead is a Korean boy band fan girl. Might be the most rewatchable of all the k dramas I’ve seen so far. 5/5 (Netflix)

3) Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung: Great strong female lead. Very good messages. The most adorable prince I’ve ever seen. What more do you need? Couldn’t stop watching. 5/5 (Netflix)

4) Start-Up: Great acting, compelling storylines. Very cute love story. Intriguing plot twists. High quality cinematography. Intense love triangle. Grandma is MVP of the show. 4/5 (Netflix)

5) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo: It was refreshing to see a bad-ass yet vulnerable woman like Kim Bok-Joo as a romantic lead. I hope there are more characters like her on tv in the future. The main couple was adorable and very different from most other couples. They had so much fun together which was fun to watch. 4/5 (Viki)

6) Run On: Cute,fun, silly and pretty light. A very easy show to watch. I especially loved the supporting cast. The art student guy was adorable. Can he get a spin off? Strange storyline but it was a fun easy ride. 4/5 (Netflix)

7)Touch Your Heart: Don’t be fooled by the first few episodes, the characters will become very likable and the court cases and romantic storylines will become very intriguing and compelling by episode 3. If you can just stick it out for a while, you will enjoy this cute series. 4/5 (Netflix)

8)What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: This show has elements of what I like from every other K-Drama I’ve seen: great chemistry between the leads, hilarious supporting cast, pretty light and fun. That being said, it did feel a bit formulaic at times. It’s pretty much Two Weeks Notice, which I love. 4/5 (Hulu)

9)Crash Landing On You: This show is so interesting. I love seeing what life is like in North Korea. Oh and the main couple has so much chemistry they became a couple in real life. Very lovable side characters. Unfortunately it becomes a bit too melodramatic for me about half way through. The first half was phenomenal though. 3/5 (Netflix)

10)True Beauty: I just don’t think this one is for me. It’s a great show if you like angsty teen love triangles. It has a good message which I loved but I really didn’t care about the side characters. I found myself fast forwarding through all the parts that didn’t have the main couple in it. 3/5 (Viki)

What are your thoughts on these shows? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? What do you think I should watch next?

Update: currently watching Doom at your Service

[paintedrecs]

@mad-madam-m​ tagged me in the “list 5 OTPs from 5 fandoms” meme a couple days ago, which I laughed at her for because (a) she knows my otps FULL WELL (b) our lists are very nearly an exact match (which i am by the way delighted about because half my list right now is full of rare pairs, and I have never before known the hell of treading that landscape alone)

but!

I’m gonna do the meme and double it up as an announcement of what I am currently into and what you’re likely to see on this blog if I start picking up my activity levels a little.

I honestly have no idea how active tumblr is at this point - how many of you are still around, and how many of you I might lose if I start reblogging my other fandoms in addition to Sterek - but after doing a Pillowfort experiment for a while, I think I’ve finally figured out how to use social media again in a way that works better for me.

My old method, before tumblr kinda imploded and fandom got weird (filled with antis and ship hate and constant infighting, ugh why), was to create a separate blog for everything I was into, which is why I have appreciatederek, appreciateshiro, appreciatejack, and...is that it? See, this is why I need to stop scattering myself into a zillion different pieces.

So I’m going to consolidate more (like I do on twitter and now Pillowfort), and also hopefully get back to my fandom roots: digging into more meta, like I did 8 years ago when I first fell in love with Sterek, and posting fic recs, like I also did thanks to Sterek. (And sharing my own fics as I write them. Guess which fandom pushed me down that path, too.)

So it’s fitting that the first ship on this list is...well, an obvious one.

1. STEREK (Teen Wolf)

Y’all know this one. Sterek will always, always be the OTP of my heart. I love their dynamic. I love the creativity and passion of the fandom. I love that they brought my writing back to me and introduced me to so many of you.

I still have dozens of Sterek fic ideas; quite a few of them are partially written or have significant outlines, so at some point I will still be writing them. Life is just, as you know, very busy and very tiring and it’s so hard to fit everything into my days. I’m working on it, I promise. 

I’d like to start doing more updates with snippets of my upcoming fics, maybe a lil Q&A if anyone wants to chat about what I’m working on/my thought process behind what I’ve already written/what you’d like to see from me, etc. Interactive fun stuff! Sterek fandom is still the best and most supportive fandom I’ve ever been a part of, and it makes me happy every time I’m reminded we’re all still around and thriving.

And here’s some of the other stuff I’m into right now...

2. XANATOWEN (Gargoyles)

I have been sailing this ship entirely by myself since January, recently joined by the aforementioned M, who also created this gif for me while she was still in the patient “I’m your friend, I will listen to you yelling about this show” stage. (ha ha ha look at her now, that’s what you get)

I’ve been genuinely holding myself back from spamming tumblr with my thoughts about this show and this ship, which I’m beginning to realize is...maybe silly. I’ll still try to keep it a little bit balanced, but you can definitely look forward to more Gargoyles on the horizon, including:

Fics - 30k so far, with another 4.6k that I’m hoping to post this afternoon, after I look over it and decide if I still like it (ha ha fic writing amirite). I also have a fairy tale AU that I’ve done a substantial outline for, so I’d really like to get that underway.

Episode recaps/meta posts - these are currently being posted over on Pillowfort. The goal is to get the last two episodes of Season 1 up there, then to start crossposting them here.

As long as it’s not a gigantic hassle to paste over all the screencaps, because I uh. I have a lot of them. And a lot of thoughts about the show as a whole, but particularly about the relationship between David Xanatos and Owen Burnett: the meta’s currently averaging from about 1.5k to 2.5k per episode, whoooops.

I love them. I love them a LOT. See my meta posts for very detailed explanations as to why.

3. TREVORCARD (Castlevania)

I honestly did not expect to get this deeply invested in this ship. I watched and liked the first two seasons of Castlevania and really enjoyed the dynamic between Trevor and Alucard, but it wasn’t until the lead-up to Season 3 (and then the devastation of how absolutely terrible that season was) that I realized how much I loved these two together.

So now I’m having a very Sterek Fandom moment of “eff you canon, they’re ours now” in regards to Trevorcard. 

I’ve written one fic for them - it’s a 20k coffee shop/modern/college/artist/musician AU because they deserve all the fandom tropes and so much happiness together..

I don’t currently have plans to write any more, although if I do, it’ll likely be some sort of neighbors AU with wolf!Alucard, since my vast experience with Sterek fandom has taught me the absolute joys of exploring characters who can canonically turn into a beautiful giant effing wolf. 

I’ve also been steadily reading my way through every single Trevorcard fic in the AO3 tag, which unfortunately is only ~200. (HOW is this a rare pair. I will never ever understand it, they’re perfect together, and the animators literally said they intentionally storyboarded moments like the one above with the knowledge that people would start shipping them.)

Once I’ve finished up my AO3 tour, I’m going to compile the ones I enjoyed into rec lists. There are some really wonderful fics in there, and I’m excited to see what the rest are like.

4. TAIBANI (Tiger & Bunny)

I really don’t talk about this ship much, but it’s so immensely close to my heart. I have...so much...official merch of Kotetsu and Barnaby; it makes me happy every single time I see it. If I used my Tiger & Bunny stuff as the standard for what sparks joy during a konmari, the rest of my apartment would probably wind up empty.

The show (which is finally getting a second season in 2022 - Kotetsu & Barnaby had better be getting married) is wonderful. I genuinely can’t recommend it enough. Great writing, wonderful character development, beautiful animation, and Kotetsu and Barnaby are absolutely perfect together. Here’s an old post where I talk about that a little bit.

I’ve only written one fic so far: a canon compliant established relationship future fic that focuses more on their family dynamic as Kotetsu’s daughter adapts to turning 18, becoming a hero, and living with her frustratingly affectionate dad & his new husband.

I have ideas for two AUs: a single dad mature student/young professor one and a sorta weird circus/steve irwin-inspired one. We’ll...we’ll see if I ever get around to either. What I end up writing always surprises me, so I sorta give up on planning what words will come out.

And oh wait! I totally forgot about the third idea, which will be roughly canon compliant, with “Kotetsu sets Barnaby up on a series of blind dates that Barnaby initially thinks will be with HIM” angsty/funny fic. Hrm. I should get back to that one, I’ve outlined part of it.

I haven’t actually read a ton of fic for this pairing, because the more I like canon material, the less I seek out fandom content to “fix” it, but I would like to start going through the AO3 tag after I finish my Trevorcard project. I did an initial rec list ages ago and would like to follow up with another.

5. SHEITH (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Here’s the last pairing I write fics for. I have several more in progress that I’d really like to finish - including a dragon AU that I wish someone else would just finish for me so I can read it, hahhhhhhh sigh. I wrote 15k, did a ton of research, and basically intimidated myself out of continuing, because it’s one of my Big Projects. Not gonna be like, PDIW length or anything, but it should be a pretty hefty fic once it’s done.

Then there’s the roommates AU, the burrito shop AU, the....wow. I really need to get back to these, don’t I. A couple of them are super close to being finished, too.

I’ve also compiled a few fic rec lists, although I haven’t updated those (or my Sheith blog) in a while.

This fandom has been...interesting. Rough sometimes. Sliding into some of the other pairings on this list has provided a good break for me, particularly since they’re all such small fandoms that they’re relatively free from drama and hate. Once I’m fully refreshed and re-inspired, I’d love to get back into writing Sheith. They’re such a perfect, feel-good, extraordinarily balanced and supportive ship, and I am disappointed every single day I remember that Voltron didn’t stick the landing with making them canon.

Look at that almost-kiss. Just...look at it. And tell me they aren’t in love.

[thewalkingfanfictions]

Scarrs and Kisses and Lemon-Scented Skin -- Draco Malfoy x Harry Potter

Drarry Lime Thing — Draco Malfoy x Harry Potter (post Battle of Hogwarts)

Description: Draco finds Harry hiding in the quidditch locker room and finally decides to act on the feelings he's been hiding since the two first met. Light lime ensues.

⚠Warning⚠: kinda-sorta suggestion to past abuse and self harm, two repressed queers making out in a locker room like a couple horny teens, there's probably a curse or two. Spelling/grammar errors.

Genre: Lime. Pure, gay, angsty lime.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Harry Potter (post Battle of Hogwarts)

A/N: I wrote this forever ago with the intent of writing an actual beginning to it, but obviously I never did that cause I'm a lazy bitch, so enjoy that weird ass beginning. This is set post war, and imagine that that one scene in the last movie (that was cut for some goat-fucking reason) (this scene) actually happened. Have fun with my sin, children.

Word count without A/N: 2492

Masterlist

<—————————————>

— So that's why, as he loped down the walk towards who-knows-where, Draco jumped slightly at the sound of the two's voices. He would not be exposed to that conversation again.

Making a quick about-turn, Draco sprinted down a different path, one that brought him closer to the quidditch quart than he would like to have been, the place didn't exactly hold happy memories for the boy. But, the two witches were still behind him, and coming closer every moment he waited.

And so, as a last ditch effort to avoid a confrontation with the two, Draco ran straight towards the closest changing rooms he could see. He didn't realize until a moment later that it was not only not the Slytherin rooms, but, infact, the Gryffindor ones instead.

And he wasn't alone.

"Merlin..." Draco whispered, gazing heavily at the back of one shirtless Harry Potter. His shoulders, rippling with gentle muscle, seemed even thinner in the murky light of the room, smaller, and weaker, and more attractive than the Chosen One should ever be. Continuing his silent gawking (as Harry had yet to notice his rivals presence) Draco began to notice more things about the boys body that would elseways be ignored.

How the skin hugged his ribs a little too tightly for his liking, how the muscles at the base of his spine rippled deliciously with every small movement. And, on a more disturbing note, the criss-crossing of thin scars that covered his entire back. Ones ranging between thin, sharp-edged lines, to thicker ones with pinkish discoloration, that still looked as though they might hurt even now that they were only scar tissue.

The sight caused an uncomfortable twist in Draco's heart, one that hurt him to the point that he thought he would rather have spoken to the witches.

But not quite.

"Merlin," he mumbled again, this time unintentionally louder, loud enough to warn the scarred boy of someone else's presence.

Twisting quickly around, wand now in hand, Harry Potter aimed the weapon at the intruder. Quickly realizing that it was the boy he dubbed to be his enemy, Harry began to prepare a spell in his head.

He didn't want to hurt Draco as he had before, with the spell he didn't know in the bathrooms, he hadn't meant to hurt him that badly then, either. In all honesty, he didn't want to hurt the ex-death eater at all. He had shown his reluctance to be on the side he was on during the war with the things he had done to help Harry, as small as they seemed to be.

When he witnessed Harry and the others being drug into his Manor, injured, bleeding, and hexed, he hadn't told the truth of who Harry was. He could have easily gotten the boy killed then and there, but he didn't, he helped him stay alive so that he could escape later, and save the wizarding world from that genocidal maniac. He ran back to Harry when he saw that he had not died as they all thought during the Battle of Hogwarts. He spoke of how he was forced into becoming a Death Eater by his father and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and had never intended on going against Harry Potter and the rest of the wizarding world at all.

But he was here now, and Harry knew that he had seen the things that Harry had successfully kept hidden all of his school career. The scars that layered the boys back had stories, stories that he would rather not think about, let alone let anyone else learn about.

Coming back to reality now, Harry came to a realization.

Draco hadn't even moved to reach for his wand, hadn't even tried. And his face, his face didn't hold the mask of anger and a sneer as it nearly always did. Now it only held sincerity, a look that seemed so foreign on the boy, it almost seemed unreal. His sharp, pale features were dimmed down to a gentle visual caress, and his body seemed so much less tense than it usually was.

He actually seemed... gentle, for once...

Slowly, Harry began to lower his wand, though he still kept it held tightly in his hand. Making an effort to harden his features, the boy with the scar that everyone in the wizarding world knew about, and the many that nobody knew of, spoke, his voice uncharacteristically broken and vulnerable.

"What do you want Malfoy. Didn't you know that it's considered rude to walk in on someone when they're changing? I ought to hex you right now actually."

Though his voice held no real threat in it, Draco was still slightly fearful. The boy knew that he was already walking on thin ice with the ministry, and the school. One more fight –especially one with the boy he had been accused of trying to kill– would surely get him kicked from Hogwarts forever. Possibly even thrown in Azkaban with his father, a shiver ran down his spine at that thought. If he ever had to see that man again, it would be to soon.

But the look in the dark haired boys eyes, it was enough to make him want to brave the hell that the wizarding prison would be, if only it meant that he could reverse all of the pain that the smaller boy had been forced to endure through all of his short life. The vulnerability in his eyes, it made Draco wish to do nothing less than hold the boy in his arms and tell him that everything would be okay.

Of course, as much as he hated it, he was still bred and born a Malfoy, and Malfoys didn't do things like that. So he did nothing but hold up his hands in surrender and show a small, and what he hopped was a reassuring, smile.

"Hey there, Potter, you know you don't want to do that. And I mean you no harm, of course. No, I was simply trying to avoid a pair of banshees, and stumbled into here for refuge. Its not my fault that you're still here, didn't practice end two hours ago?" The boy internally chuckled at his jab at one of Harry's best friends, and her girlfriend.

It had, Harry knew, ended a good two and a half hours ago. However, Dean had stayed behind for a rather long time to converse with Harry, and he hadn't wanted to change infront of him, as he hadn't wanted the scars on his back to be known about by anyone other than their creator, and their wearer. Of course, that was over with now, as now his rival had seen them. At that thought, Harry reached behind him to grab for his shirt that lay just behind him, and attempted to pull it over his head with only one arm, the other still clutching onto his wand like a lifeline.

Still struggling to find the hole that his head was supposed to fit through, he heard a small chuckle from the other side of the room, echoing around the space of the building almost menacingly. An awful blush suddenly crept up Harry's neck. Oh, how miserable.

Without warning, a pair of cold fingers were suddenly against the skin of his abdomen, following the waistline of his shirt and helping to tug it down for Harry, who, immediately at the contact, became a blushing statue. Arms still thrown akimbo over his head, Harry held perfectly still as the boy he had nearly killed only a year back helped him dress after seeing him nearly half naked.

Finally, several struggling moments later, Harry's messy hair popped from the neck hole of the shirt, shortly followed by the rest of the boys head.

His face, much to Dracos delight, was flushed heavily, but seemed almost contented.

Standing this close to Harry, close enough to see the details on the boys face that otherwise he would never be able to see, Draco couldn't bear to make himself move. His hands still sat on Harry's waist, where he had just helped pull the rest of his shirt down to cover the scars that he was obviously ashamed of.

Their bodies, now close enough to touch, both began to heat up slightly, both boys hearts began to pound at an unnaturally heavy pace, but neither one looked away from the others eyes, and neither boy pushed the other away.

A small, content smile came across Draco's face as he looked into the others, his eyes were much greener than he had thought, almost the same color as the jade stones that speckled the ground all across the campus, but, there was something else, too. As much as it fascinated him, Draco noticed more than just the color of his orbs. It was the haunted look that lurked beneath them, that hovered just under the surface. The lines around his eyes that only came from years of having them clenched closed in fear, the thickness of the eyelashes that bordered the eyes he now realized that he loved, the smile and the frown lines that tugged at the corners of the ovals of his eyes. And all of it seemed so perfect when on the boy that hid behind them.

Draco could feel his hold on the boys waist become tighter as if by its own accord, pulling Harry's abdomen closer to his own than it had been before; and Harry couldn't find the strength to push him away, however much he knew he should. He found the grey-ish light that emanated directly from Draco's eyes to be a magnet that he couldn't escape from. His grip loosened on the wand that he still held in his hand, the 'click-click' of it hitting the ground at the duos feet barely heard through their little hypnosis.

Harry knew it wasn't right, being this close to the boy that had been dubbed his enemy since the very beginning, but the feeling if being held in the taller boys arms was almost addictive, and the look in his eyes was so gentle, so inviting, so unlike anything he had seen it as before. Harry found himself wanting to trust the Ex-Death Eater, and allowed himself to be pulled closer to the boys chest, craving the warmth that Harry never knew Draco could emit.

When Harry brought his hands up to rest on the others chest, Draco had, at first, been slightly afraid that Harry was going to push him away. Make him leave when all Draco wanted to do was get closer. Unable to help himself as an almost possessive feeling took over him, Draco found himself winding his arms entirely around Harry, instead of just letting his hands stay on the smaller boys waist, pulling him closer until their bodies were held flush up against each other, Harry's hands still settled on the muscle that flexed just under Draco's button-down dress shirt.

Draco also couldn't help himself as he moved his gaze down to Harry's slightly-parted lips, and inclined his head slightly, as if asking for permission to come closer, Harry happily obliged, tilting his head up at the same time. Their lips, close enough to brush, still didn't quite touch, both boys waiting for the other to make the first move.

Of course it was Draco to be the one that finally did make it, pushing his head down even farther to accommodate for Harry's shorter stature, Draco finally pressed his lips to Harry's.

The feeling was incredibly soft, softer than Harry thought Dracos lips might be (not that Harry had ever thought about it... not at all), and more comforting than he thought any feeling invoked by the once-enemy could be. The kiss was sweet, gentle, just oh so nice, Harry found himself pushing his hands up the others chest, and wrapping them around the back of his neck, tugging gently on the hair on the base of Draco's head, earning himself a low groan, and a tighter grip around the formers body. Liking the reaction he received, Harry tried it again, pulling harder on the blond boys hair. This time, Draco practically growled.

Backing Harry up until his back was pressed against the lockers, their kiss got harder, more demanding. Keeping Harry pinned to the locker with his own body, Draco began exploring Harry's body with his fingertips. Licking softly at the crease between Harry's lips, Draco asked for entrance, which was quickly given. Draco didn't even have to fight for dominance as his tongue mapped Harry's mouth, the more submissive boy simply giving in to him without any struggle.

Draco, who's hands had now moved from his waist, to Harry's hip, and neck, groaned again as he felt the smaller boy give a tentative tug to his hair. Reciprocating with a hard, yet not quite painful, bite to Harry's bottom lip, he found himself wanting to continue the sweet torture. The sound Harry made, the soft, keening whimper that drew from his lips had Draco shuddering.

Draco decided right then and there, that he didn't care what happened to him, so long as he got to hear those sweet sounds come from this boys lips; and he got to be the reason they were being made.

Pulling back slightly, Draco savored the new whimper that came from Harry at the loss of contact. Still keeping themselves in the same position, pushed up against each other until it was difficult to tell where one boy ended, and the other began, Draco took in the boys appearance. Lips swollen and red from the intensity of their shared kiss, hair even more mussed than usual, glasses very slightly ascue on his nose. Draco believed that the boy had never looked more attractive.

A small smile came to the blonds lips, and he couldn't be restrained –not that anyone had planned too– as he moved back down to plant his lips on the boys once again.

If the two had died and gone to hell at that exact moment, it wouldn't have mattered. The two, so entranced with each other that they probably wouldn't have noticed if they had died, held each other so closely that there wasn't any room for doubt or regret.

And on Dracos side, anyway, there was none whatsoever. Touching Harry, even being close enough to him to be able to notice the small things as he had this evening, was the happiest moment of his life, he decided. No matter how dramatic that sounded, or how much of a wanker it made him seem like, he was happy. For the first time in more years than he'd care to count, he wasn't so filled with his own self-loathing that it foamed over the brim and left scars on his wrists.

[eurosong]

Undo my ESC

Good evening, folks! If you saw my first instalment of “Undo my ESC”, the annual feature where I make a year’s Eurovision better for me by making alterations in each country, you might have thought that ESC getting cancelled had dulled my edge, since, comparing to usual standards, I hardly changed much at all there. Well, that’s because, once again, we have seriously uneven semis, and Semi #1 would have been killer, whilst Semi #2 would have been dead. Here is what Í would have done to even those semis up! 🇦🇱 Albania: The Albanian delegation had seemingly done all it could to wash its hands of, well, two years of comparatively excellent results with authentic, melancholically poëtic and qualitative tracks, namely Malland Ktheju tokës. They brought in Byuckman, in whose interest it is for the contest to become as generically “radio-friendly” as possible, and the genius who brought us lyrics like “this is love/rain falls from above”. As judges. Of a serious musical festival. The foreign jurors did as expected, and voted for the appointed “bop”, but were foiled, however, by one of the minority Albanian jurors on the panel who put it  low in her ranks. An actual renowned music professor who got called all the names under the sun for doing so. And so, to an ensuing shitstorm, the classical and powerful Shaj prevailed instead. Unfortunately, the battle was won but the war was lost, because the representative herself took the lessons of 2018-9, threw them down the aeroplane toilet on the way to LA, and ripped the spirit out of the song, reverting back to the previous Albanian trend of terrible “revamps” and laboured translations into English. The result, Fall from the sky, is but a husk of the original. In my ESC, I’d probably simply keeping the original version of Shaj, which was my uncontested #1 of all songs, but part of me would opt for Ajër, which I love almost as well but which doesn’t carry the baggage of hanging over my head like the sword of Democles this entire season. 🇦🇲 Armenia: I’ve more often than not loved the entries of Hayastan, from the joyous Jan Jan to the soaring Fly with me and defiant Walking out. To say they took a step back this year is kind – it was more like a powerful jump backwards that landed them in the nearest ocean, where they sank like a stone. It was one of the most singularly unpalatable NFs that I have ever watched in this era. Rather than retraumatise myself by going into detail about it, I’ll just say, I would have sent Srbuk or Artsvik again to get the top 10 that I feel both warranted!

🇦🇹 Austria: What a journey for Österreich. From Conchita to this guy, a perky homophobe who explicitly said he wished his kids would not turn out to be gay. He comes up with a third-rate impersonator of a third-rate Benjamin Ingrosso impersonator’s third-rate impersonation of a Timberlake b-side. I would throw that in the bin and invite Pænda back from last year for a shot at redemption after her gorgeous Limits got slept on in 2019.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Some people had the neck to say to me “who needs Hungary when Bulgaria is coming back?” Well, I do. Hungary were constantly in the top of my rankings, and just quietly and consistently brought quality. Bulgaria has brought me one good thing – Poli Genova’s œuvre – and a tonne of hype. Their song this year was one of the favourites, and I still can’t wrap my head around how other than the force of PR. It’s a bizarre, unsettling combination of passive-aggressive “look how much you’re making me hurt myself” lyrics with Disneyish saccharine accompaniment, topped off with a key change?! For want yet again of a national final, I would bring Poli back – third time even luckier? 🇨🇿 Czechia: The Bohemians (and Moravians) keep it contemporary but superficial for a third year running, although, thankfully, for the first time since they began doing national finals, we finally have a song without a dubious attitude towards women in the lyrics. Not that there is much to analyse in those lyrics. It’s a merely ok song for me, no better, no worse: a superior alternative would have been Barbara Mochowa’s lush and contemplative second effort, White and black holes, or the glorious 90s British indie-influenced All the blood. 🇩🇰 Denmark: Did Denmark confound international monitors into calling it the world’s happiest country by exposing them to the relentlessly cheery songs that they pick for Eurovision lately? And yet – I really do say yes to Yes, To a certain extent, to a limited amount of exposure, and despite the fact that it leans a little too hard into the territory of sounding like a second Little talks. It was one of the few good songs from DMGP – I also liked the 80s shoegaze-ish Den eneste goth– and I feel so mad at DR that they won’t give Ben and Tan a guaranteed second shot to represent their country after they won in front of an empty crowd. 🇪🇪 Estonia: The days of Eesti being Beesti seem like from a distant memory to me, but there was some quality and quirkiness in Eesti Laul, buried under mountains of beigedom, like the rich-voiced Egert Miller’s soulful Georgia, the jazzy Write about me, or the feisty earworm that was Ping pong. Instead, we got a dreary dirge with sub-Hallmark lines about wot luv is, which would have sounded dated in a contest 30 years ago, sung by a repugnant guy who tried to get people to vote for him last year by leaning on the idea that he was the “only true Estonian.” I’d have Egert get his rightful place as Jüri Pootsmann’s spiritual successor. 🇫🇮 Finland: I was one of the few to be jubilant when a bizarre ode to an Italian porn star with a backing track sounding like a violated version of Eläköön elämä came second in the polls to its spiritual opposite: a shy and rather awkward guy singing a quietly moving song about the passing of time. I love Looking back and wouldn’t change a thing. 🇬🇪 Georgia: You never know what to expect from Georgia, except the unexpected, and yet even I was surprised by what they came up with: a close-shaven guy with veins popping in his head screaming “why don’t you love meeeee?” to a rocky, electronic backdrop. Me being me, I actually do like it a lot. “Take me as I am” sounds like a veiled potshot at the big 5 and a vindication of Georgia’s “keep it weird, send what we want” philosophy. I could suggest that the lyrics, that sound like those of a spurned angsty teen, change a bit, but that would be defeating the purpose of Georgia: one takes them as they are. 🇬🇪 Greece: So, somehow, despite S!STERS coming dead last with 0 pts in the televote last year, using exclamation marks to substitute the letter I is now a thing in Eurovision with the advent of Superg!rl. I spent an hour watching folk waffle on in Greek in its reveal show only for them to reveal the song literally at the very end, so after that, it was a little underwhelming, and nowhere near as good as Better love in 2019. I don’t hate it – and the music video’s concept of her being an amazing superhero who can change the world, but instead she’s stopping people slipping over bananas and rescuing cats from trees is weirdly endearing, so it can stay, but I’d improve the lyrics, particularly in the chorus. “I’m a supergirl, supergirl, in a crazy world, crazy world” is not much higher than “this is love, rain falls from above” in historically bad Greek lyrics at ESC. 🇮🇸 Iceland: Daði Freyr came back from near-victory with the delightful Is this love, added a lovely inspiration in his newborn daughter to a similarly funky and playful track, and came out with Think about things. Unlike what usually happens with songs that are a little bit odd, I was positively surprised to see it walk the NF, and become a phenomenon even outside the ESC fandom. This was perfect and joyous from beginning to end. I hope Iceland will not be like the other Nordics, and will invite Daði directly back .🇱🇻 Latvia: I have come to enjoy the bizarre chaötic energy of Still breathing, It’s a hot mess, but I take weird over dull any day. It wasn’t my favourite in Supernova – that would be the effortlessly cool Polyester, an earworm with a social conscience, written about the cost of fast fashion but dismissed by many people as “she luvs t-shirts song lol”. Given that Samanta Tina tried over half a dozen times to go to ESC, finally won and then had the chance ripped out of her hands by the cancellation, I don’t have the heart to remove her from my ideal ESC 2020 though. She stays, but maybe the staging changes? It’s odd to have what you believe is a feminist anthem but then relegate your backing singers to in the distance, their faces shielded away. 🇲🇩 Moldova: Life is too short to follow Moldovan national finals, especially when you know, lately, that whoever is backed by the hilariously inaptly named Dream team will win there. They are like a parasite, sucking out the colour and fun out of a country that once had plenty of both – cross-reference Hora din Moldova or Lăutar to name just two examples. I guess out of an uninspiring lineüp, I’d go for Moldoviţa for having at least a hint of the brassy folk that used to be their calling card. 🇵🇱 Poland: Speaking of calling cards, after a one year hiatus with an arresting combo of white voice and rocky instrumentation, Poland has returned to what it has most often done in recent years – presented us with an absolute dirge, Empires, which seems like it was written by an unenthusiastic English student whose homework assignment (for which they received a generous C-) was to write a poëm with a bunch of metaphors “we’re moths to a flame, birds to a pane of glass, gasoline and a match”. Despite having a big music industry from which to choose many gems, Poland offers me little alternative choice given that there were only three songs in their grand final – one by the Czech representative last year who, as you might guess from what I said literally a sentence up, isn’t even Polish!Horny Elf, who’s contractually obliged to write only creepy lyrics for songs, tried to represent Polska with a song inspired by a true-life situation where he went around Tel Aviv with a cardboard cutout of one of the hostesses of the show. It’s a love song inspired by gallivanting around with a piece of cardboard. Addressed to that actual hostess. And it’s an almighty earworm that hasn’t escaped my mind since. Amazingly, his Lucy would be my Polish representative. 🇵🇹 Portugal: Portugal is another country beloved by me by for dancing to the beat of its own drummer, or perhaps, rather shedding tears to the strumming of its own fado guitar. They struggled being different, they won being different, and for the last few years they’ve struggled again, despite having a lot of support for both O jardim and Telemóveis amongst fans. This year, the televote went for one interesting song, the charmingly Gallic, accordion-drenched Passe-partout, a song about a cultured girl shaking off her boorish ex who could “never even get into Piaf”, whilst the jury got behind another interesting song, Gerbera, an entrancing, arresting and poëtic song laden with metaphor about the idea of music competing itself. This let Medo de sentir,second in both polls, turn silver into gold. It’s a lovely, heart-felt track, but rather unexceptional - I would have had one of the other more singular songs win. 🇸🇲 San Marino: The weird boil on the face of ESC that somehow never pops, SM is back after its bewildering qualification with a tone-deaf dentist wailing to a microwaved disco song… with something actually palatable, sort of. The aptly named Freaky is dated, odd, overly busy, but Senhit has a lot of charisma, and the idea of “break[ing] all the rules, mak[ing] up some new [ones] and destroy[ing] all of them too” and “life goes by too quickly not to be freaking it up”, well, maybe we do get on board. 🇷🇸 Serbia: Serbia is usually a byword for quality at the contest – they won with one of the best 21st century winners hands down in Molitva, and also sent some of the most beautiful compositions in the contest’s history at the hands of Željko. This year, they decided to join in the leitmotif of reliable countries sucking by sending a group that sound like a third-rate mid-2000s girl band from Transnistria when beautiful songs like Cvet sa Prokletija were right there. 🇨🇭 Switzerland: Fair play to the Swiss for not doing a Cyprus and leaning in on their success with their male Fuego, She gat me, and instead going in a completely different direction with this moody effort. I’m not entirely convinced by the teenage emo-ish lyrics or the unnecessary falsetto, but Répondez-moi is a refreshing effort, and has the bonus of being in French too! And the automatic qualifiers: 🇫🇷 France: You’ve heard of France, right? You know, that wee country south of Belgium, north of Andorra, not much of a music industry… or so you’d think, given that the troolee jeenyuss new delegation, who abandoned their brilliant national final which showcased how diverse and qualitative their music scene is despite it being a huge success in the fandom, and instead reached out to the writer of last year’s last place song for the UK and a few other rentaswedes and they produced something that sounds like a b-side that not even Westlife would have recorded, replete with a stock key change. About as French as IKEA köttbullar. A real shame for one of Europe’s most highly esteemed cultural hotbeds. If they wanted to pick Tom Leeb, who seems like a nice guy and has written some lovely music, he could have made his own song and it would have indubitably been scores better than this. 🇪🇸 Spain: I’m going to apply this to all the automatic qualifiers voting on this semi-final: they scrapped a national final for this? OT was not an ideal format as last year demonstrated with its shit show of contestants sabotaging themselves so as not to get picked for ESC – but still. There’s not much I can say about this other than I don’t like it much and I’d rather Spain return to a proper NF. You don’t spend time trapped on a bus where this song with its torturous falsetto was on replay and emerge with fond feelings. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Usually, in this space, I can point to a song that the UK should have sent and that I fell in love with – like I wish I loved you more or You. Once again, though, another big 6 nation scrapped their NF after tanking it with a bizarre format last year. The BBC said nothing for months, then were unwilling to spend tv time on ESC this year so just blurted out an announcement of an announcement in  about 40 seconds after some dance show. And then they dropped this song. It’s… passable at best, with an annoying chorus (especially that beat in “my last… breath”) and a staggering amount of repetition in a song that clocks in at only around 80% of the standard Eurovision song length. James Newman surely could have come up with something better. It’s a baby step in the right direction, but one taken at the shore where you need to start running to avoid getting pulled away in a rip.

[semper-legens]

53. The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau

Owned?: Yes Page count: 270 My summary: The city of Ember is always in darkness. Hundreds of years ago, the Builders created the city, and filled it with food and lights enough to last its citizens until the end. But over the years, corruption and decay have set in, the Builders’ words have been lost, and the city is doomed to fail. Only the recovery of the instructions can save them - but when young Lina finds them, can she discover what they really mean? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

I’m back! This one was something of an afterthought for me. I picked it up after vaguely remembering the movie it was adapted into and then seeing it around. I’m pretty sure I got it out of the library after seeing the movie in...2008, wow, I would have been like 12. Anyway, I picked it up as part of my ongoing quest to see how the books I read as a kid measure up when re-read as an adult. So, what does my mature adult brain think of it?

Well, it’s very clear that this is a children’s book, that’s for sure. And, you know, obviously there’s nothing wrong with that! It just meant I, a 24 year old, did not enjoy it as much as I did when I was 12. 

But it’s a pretty good intro to post-apocalyptic fiction for kids! I always like a post-apocalypse that has societies and isn’t just a bunch of lawless assholes shooting at each other. Instead, here we have a functional but crumbling society and the Big Threat is governmental corruption and hoarding of resources rather than a more physical threat. Granted, this is only implicitly an apocalypse situation (I assume what caused the City’s creation is expanded on in later books) but it’s fairly clear early on that’s what’s going on.

Characters! The main character is Lina, a twelve year old girl who’s inherently curious, full of energy, but burdened by responsibility. She and her sister are orphans, living with their grandmother, who has dementia. Lina essentially has to be the caretaker to an elderly lady and a toddler, but she manages with some determination. Still, she’s a realistic kid - she takes some time out from an Important Message to the Mayor to go and dance around on rooftops because she can, and in one heartbreaking sequence deliberates over buying a couple of rare and expensive coloured pencils because it’s too much of a luxury. She’s a delight to read about and honestly makes this book. I can see why young me loved her, she’s cool. The secondary protagonist, Doon, is a bit more generic. He’s the Dystopian Angsty Boy, brooding and serious. It works because Lina needs someone to play off, and because he’s not the focus of the novel. 

I also like how this book treats adults - often, adult characters in teen/kid dystopia novels will be one-dimensionally Useless, but not these! Sure, there’s characters that are corrupt or characters that are wrong, but most of the adults in Lina’s life are just people. It helps that the only people they tell about their discoveries have legitimate reasons to doubt or disbelieve them - we the audience know Lina’s right, but from everyone else’s perspective she’s just some kid running around with a torn scrap of paper acting like it’s important. Still, she’s not patronised or treated like a nuisance, which I enjoyed. Too often kids books have the ‘all adults are shit’ thing, which I don’t think helps kids in the real world distinguish when adults are being horrible to them? Whereas if adults being shit is unusual in their fiction, they’re better equipped to notice it.

The worldbuilding on this was also pretty nice. One running detail I enjoyed was the complete lack of knowledge they have about mundane things - light sources that you can hold are unknown, as is the sky or boats or really anything not suited to their little underground patch. (Uh, spoilers, sorry.) It makes things a lot more tragic from our perspective - we know what they’re missing. Obvious, sure, but this is for kids, I’m not gonna get on its case about that.

All in all, very enjoyable! I wish I could go back in time and read this as a kid again, I’d have gotten a lot more out of it.