#the ironqrow tag is very heavily weighted toward romcom suburb romance

[aromantic-eight]

I agree with just about all your points, and the redaction was probably for the best, tbh I really just wanted to talk with someone, so thank you for your responses. To end on a more positive note, would you mind sharing recs for good m/m RWBY fanfics? I want to expand my palette without swan diving into slash hell.

Haha, well. That depends a lot on what genre you tend to prefer. The best authors seem to all be in the OzQrow fandom, and most are AUs, so all fics listed below are both unless otherwise stated. Arranged in rough order of recommendation.

In general, my strategy for finding fics is: locate one (1) fic you like, through rec lists or tag searches or word of mouth. Go through that author’s archive, and then their bookmarks. Lather rinse and repeat with every new author you find this way. 

MorteLise is probably my favorite author in the RWBY fandom, and I’d recommend pretty much anything in her archive, in particular In Vino Veritas (canonverse. adorable. One of my fav RWBY fics) and Not Merry, But Bright (cutesad Christmas fic, I thoroughly enjoyed it). 

Bound to You by bummerang - In which Qrow dates a ghost, and it’s incredibly adorable. 

it’s comfortable when it’s not hazardous by bummerang - Canonverse, they’re both awful at dating.

Boys With Charm (and Folly) by itsclydebitches - Oz accidentally hires a holiday boyfriend. I wasn’t sure if this one was going to set off my secondhand embarassment by the summary, but it did not, it’s hilarious, and very cute, and I think? The only fic on this list that actually has Oz need his cane, with the possible exception of jonphaedrus’s stuff.

Promises of an Unknown Coast by TigerMoon - This is an in progress Earth AU that looks really, really promising. Very interesting takes on the characters, this is the main fic I’m looking forward to updates on right now.

Searching the Skies by itsclydebitches - In which Ruby tries to give Ozpin a gift. I adore Ruby and Ozpin’s interactions in this, and Ruby’s characterization in general

it’s quiet uptown by jonphaedrus - This is Oz/Qrow/James OT3, but emphasis on Qrow/James due to Oz being kind of Dead. Some really nice visuals. This is basically what happens in our OT3.5 verse.

your heart overwritten by bummerang - My favorite part of this fic is actually the angsty soulmate worldbuilding re: Oz and Salem, because I’m Like That, but the Ozqrow is cute too.

Whereof What’s Past by CocksAndClocks - Ten years after graduating high school, Qrow’s going to try and ask out his old chem teacher. Really nice fic, some well written trauma, very anatomically improbable car sex. 

there’s a wind alive in the valley by jonphaedrus - this is a wild west OT3 fic. Heavy focus on James and his backstory here, and I found the middle of it moved very slowly at times. Fun fic, though, and well written. 

Five Times Winter Was Oblivious (and the time she finally got the point) by CaptainLeBubbles - This one’s outsider pov on James/Qrow, and it’s pretty fun. I haven’t been as taken in by most of the IronQrow tag, maybe because I tend to like different tropes than are popular in it? 

With a Turn of a Screw by RogueWolf - James/Qrow. Features Qrow fixing James’ prosthetic. Is Qrow qualified to do this? Who knows. It’s a cool image. 

There’s also The Shining Beacon, which is a longform Ozqrow series that takes place while Qrow’s attending Beacon, so strap in for some teacher/student tropes. It’s one of the better written fics in the tag, though be warned that it has a very… Bodice Ripper take on consent at times, particularly in year 4.

And then of course there’s the pwp avia @patrexes and I wrote, Call Me Maybe, which is James/Qrow/Oz, and I personally think is pretty good.