#trc humour

[slarxsa]

In the clurb, we all fam

@aglionbyacademia @buymetuna @nonsensical-silly @zoovs @yes-i-exist-shutup @batedible @cat-tastrophee

[hephaestiions]

i write, sometimes

thank you @citrusses for the tag!

how many works do you have on ao3? 17

what's your total ao3 word count? 234k (since WHEN)

your top 5 stories by kudos? — all drarry

you are safe (i know) (e, 42.5k)

though your world is changing (e, 16k)

it's you (e, 1.2k)

dinner and diatribes (e, 4.8k)

my hands are of your colour (e, 8k)

do you respond to comments? i... try

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? ebyt is the obvious answer, but i think my other bite-sized mcd is sadder: nothing to declare here (t, 1k)

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? in retrospect, most of my endings are kind of fucked up, and i think dinner and diatribes is simplest in its offering of stable love & care.

do you write crossovers? i don't, it doesn't really interest me, but never say never!

have you ever received hate on a fic? though your world is changing often gets me called an infidelity apologist (uh.) + everyone seems to hate harry in that one (fair fucks). ebyt sometimes gets some "but WHY didn't they just TALK, author?" (fair, but also. uh.) nothing egregious, though

do you write smut? copying cits: often, and with great joy

have you ever had a fic stolen? couple uploaded to goodreads to be rated, but not wholesale thieving that i know of

have you ever had a fic translated? not yet, but huge shoutout to translators out there, it's such a labour of love and access!

have you ever co-written a fic before? no, and i don't know if i could? but again, never say never!

what's your all-time favorite ship? stupid wizard boys (pynch comes v close though)

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will? i love all my wips! i don't want to relegate any to the "never finish" category. my 50s/60s drarry photography fic is probably the most de-prioritised one right now? there's also a storyboard i once made for a case-fic where chef!draco is framed (or is he?) for poisoning the british minister during a diplomatic visit to romania, but that's really not a wip, i never put a word of that on the page. inspiration is a flighty thing though, who knows when it'll strike for what

what are your writing strengths? uh. uh? don't know how to judge this myself, but i think atmosphere is what i care for most & have sharpened skills to write accordingly

what are your writing weaknesses? many, but i suck at narrative humour especially, which is a travesty because i'd really like to write situational hilarity. also REALLY struggle with dialogue

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? i haven't done this yet & don't know if i'd feel super comfortable if i didn't have some familiarity with the language (though if a fic calls for it, i'd do my best to approach someone who does know the language to help me out). i might use the indian languages i know (hindi & bangla) if i ever write the india sequence follow-up to my erised, and my werewolf anti-ministry wip might put my very rudimentary german to use at some point. i do love it when a fic uses different languages to serve a narrative/experiential purpose though!

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to? trc! i'd love to write a pynch fic someday, once i've done a reread of the original four.

what's your favorite fic you've ever written? the dronarry fest fic i'm currently writing has been quite fun and new, the jeddy fic i'm currently writing also exorcises some nasty demons and is a delight to work on. i don't know if anything in my already published stuff really qualifies as a favourite (they either signal really difficult periods in my life and/or just aren't up to my current standards), but nothing to declare here, again, was short, sad & experimental, and close to four years later, i wouldn't change much about it.

i don't know who's done this, but paging @flightspathfic, @kamaela, @desertforestfic, @sleepstxtic, @phoebe-delia to tell me everything. and if you have already done it, let me know in the comments so i can go peer in your windows.

[adamprrishcycle]

Why do you love Adam so much?

Hiiii 🥰 SO when I was younger and I read trc for the first time I was fixated on ronan and I think that speaks a lot for a younger mindset in a way?? But when I reread trc last year adam climbed inside my brain and won’t get out!!! I feel like although he’s what? 17 years old at the beginning of trc he’s so relatable to older people? (saying older people like I’m fucking ancient lmao) it’s the ceaseless wanting and the lengths that you’ll go to for it all. I think he has the best character development throughout the whole series and honestly? I love watching him struggle and be sad lmao I want to project damnit! I love that steifvater made him even sadder in the dreamer tril like, she did that for me. Oh god where am I going w this? I love adam’s sense of humour and I love watching him learn what love is through experience. I love watching him fuck up with gansey over and over and I love watching him be calm and serious and low key a little bit unhinged. I love that he works hard and I love that he constantly balances on that edge between good and bad. He so could’ve been a “bad guy” in the story, it so could’ve gone that way (and I would’ve been cheering for him) I love seeing him through the others eyes and how much they love him and he’s just out there existing. God he’s just my boy

[wehavedreams]

*To the tune of california girls:

Aglionby boys -

[astudyinfreewill]

ronan: [sees a cute boy & sends up a desperate prayer to god]

gansey, like two days later: hey ronan i’d like to introduce you to my new good friend

adam: nice to meet you my name is firstman houseofgod :)

ronan: 

ronan: ಠ_ಠ

ronan:

[earlgreen]

fun fact actually really sad fact, i don’t know if i have internal organs or not :-)

[bad-news-banjo]

Gansey: *look up at the water tower from a hill outside of town* I have always wanted to see the inside of a water tower.

Henry: Yeah. *nods along* You just know they hide good stuff in there.

Both: *squint at the water tower in wonder*

Blue: *heard everything* *stares at them like “how do you both manage to be the dumbest and smartest people I know* *sarcastically* Yeah, guys. Like water.

[astudyinfreewill]

“...quod nomen est tibi, sir?” 

[creativefiend19]

The Essential Pynch Fics

(This was requested by an Anon and are in no particular order - also there are many more essential Pynch fics, I’m certain, but I haven’t read them yet, so feel free to add your recs)

what useless tools ourselves - @toast-the-unknowing / shinealightonme ‘s LA-verse has everything you could possibly need in your Pynch content.

Laugh-out-loud humour, infinite romance, incredibly intuitive character building and the sexiest smut (with some absolutely impeccable kink thrown in for good measure) that your heart could desire. Toast writes like she just sat down and dashed it all off, but almost every sentence holds a wealth of thoughtful crafting.

The only problem with reading this series is that it sets the bar so high that you’ll struggle to find other stories as satisfying, both in fic and in fiction.

A Favour Shared EtoileGarden - @etoilegarden ‘s Pynch kid fics are a genre of their own.

Some of the AU stories with Adam caring for his baby brother, others with Ronan's adopted daughter, and (my personal favourite) those with both kids together, satisfy my visceral craving to see Adam and Ronan building a life together.

Arden writes about Pynch taking care of their little charges in a chatty and intimate way, that will immediately draw you in. The little details, Adam’s struggles, Ronan’s daily life, and above all them interacting with the kids, will break your heart and then mend it, again and again. And keep you coming back for more.

A Love Story in Three Acts - @skyermirth has written one of my favourite Pynch AU’s.

Film star Ronan and scientist Adam will reel you in and keep you hooked. Not only is the romance top-shelf, but the depiction of Ronan as a recovering alcoholic and Adam at therapy for his issues is both riveting and realistic, in a way you rarely see in fic. The entire Gangsey are present and perfect, and all of it will leave you wanting more.

seek ye the living charactershoes @charactershoesfic

The language in this Fleabag AU blew me away! Lovely, delicate, gossamer descriptions of an Adam training to be a priest, and a Ronan whose brother Declan is getting married. The hesitant, understated and charming slow burn is a must read for anyone who prefers their fics to read like literature. 

Red Thread Seek_The_Mist @seekthemist

Mist is the uncontested Queen of the Explicit tag (not just for TRC) according to me. This collection of terribly, wonderfully, dirtily erotic chapters - based on Tumblr prompts - places the bar for mind-blowingly sexy (and sometimes filthily kinky) smut so high, that the rest of us are left gazing wistfully up at her achievements. 

Beyond the Edge of Our Hope Seek_The_Mist @seekthemist

This EPIC crossover AU of Pacific Rim and TRC is truly a labour of love. You don’t need to have watched the original film (I hadn’t), but the true genius of this work is how well the two canons are interwoven, not just with Pynch but also with the Fox Way women and Sarchengsey. This fic has the absolute BEST sex scenes, and a certain chapter is the most satisfying one I have ever read. It literally ticks every single box that I ever had for Pynch, and adds a few that I never knew I needed until I read this. I would cheerfully give over my firstborn to see this work filmed.

Time Isn't Real (but you're a constant) SpiritsFlame @spiritsflame

A time-travelling Adam fic, where he is the Magician but doesn’t know how. And he also doesn’t know why his 18 yo self is yanked into a future where he knows Ronan Lynch a little better than he’d ever imagined. This fic takes place in both timelines, which is my fave kind of time-travel fic. It’s a whole magical journey, in more ways than one.

I Don’t Wanna Know About Your New Man boywholivednotdied @dollopheadsandclotpoles 

Excellent AU set in canon Henrietta, where Adam has a huge crush on Blue, except she’s dating Ronan apparently. He gets advice from a friend (an OC) who knows the Lynch family well, and decides to do his best to break Blue and Ronan up. Things start to get very interesting, in more ways than one. I love parts of this so much that I can quote them to you. 

happy anniversary dipshit djhedy @djhedy

Absolutely IMPECCABLE and ultra-romantic Pynch work, that starts around the time Adam needs to move to Harvard. Ronan’s love for Adam is just dialled up to 111 and he’s written note-perfect. This fic kept breaking my heart and then mending it, so that at the end I looked like a piece of  Kintsugi. Holy fucking shit, I wish I could write like this.

when the frightened cattle break dorypop @hklnvgl

This de-aged Adam fic is a must-read, because so much of Adam’s trauma started in childhood. But don’t worry, he’s with Ronan, and snug in the embrace of the Barns and the Lynches and the Gangsey. This fic affected me so much that I had to take a break from reading it at one point. But I gave myself a good talking-to, reminding myself that both Adam and this story were fiction, and then got back to Dory's unparallelled and realistic way of writing children - also checj out her Fifteen Years Later Dads!Pynch series. 

River Town DubiousSparrow

I wanted to live in River Town so bad, I created my own version. Pynch meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after, in this light-hearted and ridiculously funny series. In my dreams, I visit Ronan’s bar and Adam’s [redacted] and pass Seph and Cala in the street. I wave a hi to Opal in her armadillo Halloween costume, and continue to walk along the Main Street, so happy that Sparrow invented this perfect place. This spot in this fic list was almost going to be the pitch-perfect Wondrous Hypotyposis, that I rec every time I open my mouth, but since River Town lives rent free in my mind, it won.

Just To Be Quiet sksai @babzgordon

This fic based on the verse Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, where Adam and Ronan share a strange psychic bond from when they were kids onwards. And, as we know, a lot happens to these two while they were young. Adam then happens to join Aglionby, and things get even more interesting. 

There is a particular scene in this fic that is so brilliantly and unbelievably sexy, considering no one actually touches the other physically, that I need to sit down and take notes about what actually in the amazing writing makes this kind of magic happen. Epic read. 

Ronan Lynch: Nanny in Charge tinyarmedtrex @tinyarmedtrex

Ronan as ex-chef and nanny makes perfect sense to me, and apparently to t-rexes as well, because this is SUCH a good set up (and this is not the only time she’s written a Ronan who knows his way around a kitchen). Trex’s fics Always hit the spot, when you need some sexy, in-character Pynch in a perfectly executed AU. And this fic delivers it in Spades. Also, Adam with his kid is So CUte, y’all. 

[theravingcycle-blog]

Pynch soulmate au

Here's a re-upload of a (now edited) pynch soulmate au from my old blog, lynchganseyparrish. Please enjoy and send any other prompts you can think of! The forest on Ronan’s back had wilted. The leaves had curled in, just slightly, and the branches were drooping. Normally, Ronan wouldn’t have thought about it too much – it wasn’t any of his business how his supposed ‘soulmate’ was feeling, plus it wasn’t like he cared either way – only something new had appeared in the tattoo; flowers, of all different colours, peeking out cheerfully through the vines and twisting their way around the trunks of the trees. It bemused Ronan, as it seemed to mean his soulmate was feeling both happy and sad at the same time, and he couldn’t help but wonder what caused it. Ronan also had another reason to be a little more anxious than usual – his best friend was getting married. He was viciously pleased when Gansey asked him to be the best man, because he thought Gansey might have been pressured into asking someone a little more presentable to have by his side in front of the upper-class men and women who would be attending the wedding to see how Senator Gansey’s son had turned out. Of course, Blue wasn’t exactly a ‘presentable’ companion either. In fact, neither Ronan nor Blue were really fitting company for someone like Gansey III, but it wasn’t like Gansey himself had ever complied with tradition. Truly, he and Blue were a perfect match, just as their tattoos had foretold. Ronan loved imagining the looks on the Gansey’s faces when they finally met their son’s soulmate – a 5’ nothing wildfire of a person with a fashion sense to rival their son’s, though at least hers was edgy. Ronan took his spot near the Altar, waiting for the music to start. He nudged Blue, who was standing next to him in a tattered white dress that she had layered with other clothing, and brought his mouth to her ear. He actually had to bend down to reach, which was fucking hilarious. “Last chance to back out. I did have to physically force him not to wear boat shoes,” Ronan whispered, and Blue laughed while cringing. “I think it’s too late,” she muttered back. “Some congress people are here, and if we stop it now I won’t get the chance to yell at them.” “Atta girl,” Ronan said, and ruffled her hair. She scowled and was about to reply when someone put their hand on her shoulder. “Hey Blue, sorry I’m late; Noah almost nailed me with the glitter pot and I only just escaped.” Blue pulled whoever it was down –again, hilarious – for a hug, and then laughed. “He still got you, look, it’s all over your neck!” she sounded a little too gleeful; like she had a plan starting to form in her dwarf brain. Ronan almost felt sorry for the poor dude. Wait, that dude was hot. Okay, Ronan definitely felt sorry for him now. “Ronan,” Blue said. “This is Adam Parrish, my wench of honour.” Parrish rolled his eyes and stuck out a hand. “I prefer man of honour,” he laughed lightly. Wowzer, Ronan thought, and then: Did I just unironically think the word wowzer? Adam’s hand was warm and elegant when he shook it. Ronan really liked Adam’s hands. He cleared his throat. “Ronan Lynch.” Adam smiled softly, he seemed a little – shy? Abashed? Ronan couldn’t tell. “Nice to meet you, Ronan,” he said quietly as the music began to play and the doors started to open. Naturally, Blue had insisted that Gansey walked down the aisle, because the idea of a woman being ‘given away’ by a man, to another man, was incredibly sexist, and if she was going to get married at all, it would not be in a way that ‘further encourages the subtle dehumanisation and oppression of women’ as Blue had put it. Although, she had said it with a lot more feeling, and a lot less child-friendly words. Ronan zoned out again as Gansey reached the altar, but who could blame him? Weddings were boring as fuck. Actually, he was pretty sure Parrish was also zoned out – his eyes were slightly glazed over and he’d been staring at the same spot for the past two minutes. Not that Ronan had been, like, watching him or anything. He’d just…noticed, was all. He forced himself out of that dangerous train of thought as Noah brought the rings. It was quite the scandal when Blue asked Noah to do it – generally people like him weren’t allowed to participate in things such as weddings. Noah didn’t have a soul tattoo, something about which there were many theories – soulmate died before birth, etc. but no one really knew. The more bigoted, stupid and therefore most popular assumption was that those without a soul mark didn’t have souls, and so were not truly alive. Ronan really hated that theory – especially after he met Noah. The guy was the most vibrant person he knew. Suddenly, Gansey and Blue were kissing (did he really zone out that long?) and the wildfire on Gansey’s arm roared into an inferno, licking its way up his neck onto his cheek before it died down as they pulled apart. Ronan’s gaze shifted to the map of Henrietta on Blue’s ankle, and saw the lines representing streets begin to darken until the bolder lines formed a pattern – two crowns, side by side. Gansey really was a sap, Ronan thought, but he couldn’t help grinning a little. Finally, the ceremony was over, and Ronan was free to do as he pleased at the reception. Which was hide in a corner and glare at all the people swarming around Gansey and Blue, whilst simultaneously watching Parrish. Not in a creepy way! Adam was just… interesting. He wondered idly how he became friends with Blue. He didn’t seem to be good friends with anyone else here, in fact, he looked a little lonely, leaning against the wall over there. Maybe Ronan should- “Ronan!” said Blue, a little breathlessly, dragging an apologetic looking Gansey behind her. “There you are! We just escaped the mob,” Gansey winced and looked around in the vain hope that no one heard her “-and we’re all about to go sit, do you know where Adam is?” “Yeah, he’s right over there,” Ronan pointed, and Blue beamed wickedly. She tugged on Gansey’s sleeve, and he bent down – again, fucking hilarious – so she could whisper in his ear. He nodded, then set off. “Been keeping an eye on Parrish, huh?” she smirked. “I mean, I don’t blame you. Adam is smokin’.” “I-what-no!” Ronan spluttered a little (though he would never admit that). He regained his composure, shot her a Ronan Glare ™ and stalked off to find Gansey and their table. “YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TRADITION FOR THE MAID OF HONOUR AND BEST MAN,” Blue shouted at his retreating back. She sounded like she was wiggling her eyebrows at him. He flipped her the bird without turning, and heard the gasps of scandalised guests, along with Blue’s cackle as she went to get Adam. He flopped into the seat next to Gansey, and put his head on the table. “You married a fucking gremlin,” he said to Gansey, who didn’t look put out in the slightest. “She’s incredible,” he agreed reverently, as if Ronan hadn’t just been attempting to insult her. “Whatever,” Ronan said, smushing his face against the table. “Just don’t feed her after midnight.” **** Adam and Blue joined the table shortly after, along with Noah. Adam was really pretty. Not that it mattered, because it wasn’t like Ronan was going to act on it- he found out (subtly) that Adam and Blue had dated when they first met, so odds were he was probably straight. Also, he thought maybe Adam had some mixed feelings about today - he seemed a little wistful when no one else was looking, so maybe he still had feelings for Blue. Tragic, but Ronan would get over it. Probably. “Ronan,” Adam laughed, waving a hand in front of his face. “Rooooonan.” Ronan was coming to the conclusion that Adam was a little tipsy, though it wasn’t his place to judge considering he was much closer to drunk. It was just after the reception, Gansey and Blue having just driven home in the Pig (whether they’d make it home without it breaking down was a different story) and Ronan and Adam were… well, they were just standing there. Should they be heading off too? “Fuck,” said Adam, with a bit of humour in his voice still. “I don’t normally drink. It’s those stupid apple juice Champaign things. They trick me every time.” He groaned, mussing his hair and sending Ronan into cardiac arrest. “I can’t drive home.” “I can give you a lift,” Ronan said, probably a bit too eager to make a good impression on Adam. Adam looked at him like he was an idiot, and well, yeah, fair enough, but it wasn’t a completely stupid thing to offer! “You’re drunker than I am,” Adam said. “You’re not driving anywhere.” Ronan rolled his eyes. “Okay, mom,” he said mockingly, and Adam drew himself up to his full height – which was still just shorter than Ronan. (He should have found this funny but instead he just found it adorable and he was so screwed) “Hey,” Adam said, voice slightly slurred and – was that an accent slipping out? Oh god oh god oh god- “Rules are … important,” he said, poking Ronan in the chest. “I’m calling a cab,” he sighed, getting his phone out. Ronan ignored the twinge of disappointment in his chest as Adam finished speaking and hung up. He started to walk back inside, to see if he could get a lift with someone, when he felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder. “Ronan,” Adam said clearly, and there wasn’t a hint of alcohol in his voice. “I really would like a drive… maybe when we’re both completely sober?” Ronan couldn’t breathe. Is this what it sounds like? Is he… He cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he said, hoping his voice wouldn’t betray him. “I’d- I’d like that.” Adam grinned and Ronan’s breath had just come back, fuck you Parrish- “It’s a date,” he said, and reached for Ronan’s arm. Ronan complied with whatever he was doing mainly because his brain had forgotten how to function properly, because HIS HANDS ARE ON MY ARM, oh fuckfuckfuckfuck- “There,” said Adam, drawing back, and Ronan took his arm back to inspect it. There were numbers written on it (he hadn’t even realised Adam had a pen) and he distantly realised it must have been Adam’s number. He had Adam’s number. Adam’s number was on his arm. Wowzer. He was so out of it he barely registered a cab pulling up. Adam turned away and made to open the door when Ronan spun him round again. “I’ll- uh, see you soon,” Ronan said, and he must have been a hell of a lot drunker than he realised because he leant forwards and kissed Adam on the cheek. He spun quickly and started walking hurriedly back indoors, his thoughts a turmoil of holy fuck I just did that I just DID that! He walked so fast he almost missed Adam’s breathlessly pleased laugh of “…Bye.” Ronan almost ran into the door when he reached it. **** Three weeks later, they were dating. Ronan hadn’t expected Adam to be so much, so smart and witty and kind and fierce and so full of surprises. It had only been three weeks and he had fallen so hard, but then, Ronan never did do things slowly – he lived like he drove, reckless, wild and probably incredibly dangerously for bystanders. He was over at Adam’s place (which was tiny but he didn’t care because it was Adam) after their fourth (or fifth) official date, and he was decidedly too distracted by Adam to care which it was. Adam slid a hand under his shirt, lips still locked feverously, and traced the skin of Ronan’s back. Ronan jumped and pulled away, stifling his groan. “Sorry,” Adam said. “Too much?” “No,” Ronan breathed. “God, no.” Adam regarded him strangely. “Are you alright?” He asked. Ronan took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s just- that’s where my tattoo is,” he said, cautiously, analysing Adam’s face. “Oh,” said Adam. “Can I- Is it alright if I see?” he questioned, sounding a little nervous. Ronan held his breath. “Yeah,” he said, roughly. “Yeah, that’s- okay.” He turned around and slowly pulled his shirt off. He heard Adam gasp, and felt hands ghosting over his back, tracing the trunks of the trees. It had been getting much more impressive in recent times, the forest blooming like nothing he’d seen before, and he had even spotted small animals darting through the trees. Ronan bit his lip as he felt Adam’s blunt nail trace down the curve of his spine, and tried desperately not to do anything to scare him off. Suddenly he felt Adam’s hot breath on his ear. “Ronan,” he said urgently. “Ronan, it’s mine.” Ronan turned around instantly, so he was face to face with Adam once again. “What?” He said disbelievingly, and Adam bit his lip, smiling wider than Ronan had ever seen. “The mark,” he said. “That’s mine.” Ronan lurched forward and pulled him into a desperate, needy kiss. Breaking it off, he said “wait- where’s yours – can I?” and Adam nodded. His brain short circuited as Adam began to pull down his pants, and he was sure he blushed furiously as Adam shot him an amused glance. He’d only tugged it down a little past his hipbone, but Ronan couldn’t find it in himself to be disappointed when he saw the small mark moving on Adams skin. It was really quite small, and he had to lean closer to get a better look at it (well, that was his excuse anyway). It was a raven, only a small one, perched delicately on Adam’s hip. It looked up at him as if to say well, what are you waiting for? Ronan felt recognition and certainty flood through him as the raven took off, soaring in circles around Adam’s body before settling back down on his hip. Ronan leaned forward more, pressed his lips to it, and smiled when he heard Adam’s gasp. He looked up and met Adam’s eyes, resting his head on Adam’s stomach. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, that’s – that’s mine.” Adam laughed breathlessly and pulled him up for a deep, heart-wrenching kiss. The raven cawed soundlessly in triumph and the forest whispered back. They both said the same thing. Finally.

[jaywalkers]

Hi hi, uh, idk what to call you cause you do don't have like an about me, BUT you are one of my favorite mutuals 💕💕

Anyways, I know you like the raven cycle, and I been thinking of reading it, but I haven't found like a brief summary of the plot of the sags to actually decide, so if you could help me a bit it would be really really amazing

hihi! ahh i'm so glad you've asked! yes, i did adore it (and recently splurged on a first edition of trb) and would absolutely recommend it!

my main issue with normal summaries of trc is that they focus more on the that first line 'Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love.' it's a fantastic start to the series but it's not the be all end all of a fantastic saga. so here's mine!

the raven cycle is a four book, modern magic, coming of age narrative. it cycles between four main characters — blue, the only non-psychic in her all-woman home; gansey, a rich boy who's on a quest to find the lost burial place of a welsh king; ronan, an assholish smart-ass who's best friends with gansey; and adam, a hard-working scholarship kid at the same school as gansey and adam. they're joined by a group of the most colourful, entertaining side characters who rival the main four for the most interesting, and who all have their own desires and impact on the plot.

the main plot centers itself around gansey's quest to find owain glyndŵr (glendower) which he's dragged the other three into. however, they end up stirring up trouble, either related to the quest or their own plotlines, that end up winding their way into the main plot (it's all very cyclical). there's no true main character, but i would say that the series does set it up so that the raven boys is adam's, the dream thieves is ronan's, blue lily lily blue is blue's, and the raven king is gansey's. there's a very cool range of magic systems and fantasy elements while still remaining very down to earth, thanks to the very teenage nature of the character's lives.

the raven cycle has some fantastic romance in it, but it's not a romance series, really. it is about love though. friends, family, stories and purpose and loving the life you've made for yourself. it's about dragging yourself through your teenage years and looking at what's ahead.

very much would encourage you to get into them! the first book is a little slow but once you get to the end of it i guarantee you'll keep going. the writing style is gorgeous and it has some very well done humour. also if anyone HAS read the series, i wrote a little post-canon fic when i finished them : <33 https://archiveofourown.org/works/42663438

[rotzaprachim]

The energy i want more pynch stuff to have is that point in misfits where they discover the frozen probation worker‘s body (in general I think trc should have a less sex heavy style of offbeat magical/mundane humour) and one of them is like oh yeet ice cream. just Adam and ronan vibing maybe killing a teacher hiding the body in the aglionby freezer and then oh yay Klondike bars!

[yououghtaknow]

18 and 20 for the meta asks? also I already commented on clip 3 but fr this clip was so good that was such a good execution of that scene and s5 has been so good and literally brightens my day thank u 💛 i hope you’re doing well

hi, thank you so much!!!!!!!! i hope you’re doing well too <3 <3

i am putting a read more because i am a rambley person, but underneath you will find talks of unused plot points, the parallels between the girl squad and the lad squad, and what taylor swift album(s) i believe each season has the vibe of.

tw for discussion of abuse, mental health problems, addiction and eating disorders

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

skam brighton has. so many aus. because it itself is an au of an original work. me and two of my great writing friends have written a great numbers of aus including but not limited to riordian-verse, glee, doctor who, rwrb, trc, a murder mystery au, and many aus based on comfort media of mine that i started on never finished (house of anubis, barbie movies, etc.). and many of them are unironically so good???? @fingersmithbysarahwaters and @nightwing642 are incredibly talented screenwriters. but also i did write a screenplay adaptations of the first two books in the raven cycle series and 2/3s of rwrb for no reason other than fun and autism.

as for skam brighton. oh boy. not many plot points have been changed, but some certain scenes/character moments were changed. for example, the scene in season 2 episode 8 where liz has a meltdown at the shopping centre and she has a heart to heart with mary was originally liz having a meltdown and running into al in the sensory room. but i wanted to hold back on revealing al as a main character until season 3. 

also in the og season 3, jake and al didn’t break up. as i was finishing the season, i was getting ideas for how i wanted the series to develop (james’s crush on al namely) so i thought it would be good for both of their developments for them not to end up together. also in season 3 i hadn’t planned for jake to move house originally, so there was a scene in the finale episode of the lad squad hanging out, but it got cut because it just didn’t make sense. 

in season 4, al and bree were a lot meaner to each other originally, because i love it when it gets busy at the brighton and the gay people get mean, but then i thought about it and decided it was out of character for both of them to be downright cruel. al and bree also had a scene in season 4 that was cut due to just not making sense. 

also, in season 5, the “inner white girl” scene originally wasn’t in the show at all, but one day i was listening to the song, and about a week before the episode came out, i wrote it. also, bree wasn’t written to be a she/they until literally the day of putting the clip out because i thought it would be cool. that’s it :)

also the way i write is that i write the full clip out in a google doc and then edit it in ao3 about an hour before i put it out, so a lot of changes happen there. just small things, like making dialogue flow better, changing certain songs because i just want to, and sometimes adding in new sequences that i just thought of.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

oh!!!! there!!!!! is!!!!! 

personally, my favourite thing to write is little symbolic moments that make me happy because i play 4d chess in my head with myself every time i write.

before i go off, i must say, so many hints and clues have been dropped for season six so far. season six has been my favourite season to write and i’m already planning a spin-off project based on it to write, and it’s gonna be starting sooner than you think.

so a piece of writing i’ve been thinking about lately is the parallels between the girl squad and the lad squad. before i begin to go off, these are the characters i think parallel each other the most.

jake - sandy james - bree nick - rori theo - esther al - liz

jake and sandy is quite an obvious parallel to draw - both are football players, both begin the series closeted and having a close relationship with bryan - but their personalities are quite similar. both of them are closer with their mother than their father, both use their relationships as a method of protection, and both are afraid of of societal rejection at the beginning of the series. they also both discovered their sexualities and mental health issues over the course of their seasons, and both of their love interests are more outgoing theatre kids. jake and sandy’s relationship is also so interesting to me - because they start as very awkward friends, and jake tries to help sandy by making bryan break up with her, but outs her in the process, and sandy doesn’t want to forgive him. she takes her time and comes to terms with it on her own and decides to forgive him because sandy’s just a sweetheart - and this also parallels the way jake takes his time to forgive his mother. also, in their friend groups, they’re both the newcomer to them, and we get the introductions to the group dynamics in their seasons, and in the later seasons, they’re both a lot more relaxed as they’re in recovery <3

james and bree are also very similar characters. both have problems with substance abuse, both have promiscuous reputations, both have both mommy and daddy issues. they are both dean girls, to put it in spn terms. they’re both very funny, and use humour to cover up their struggles. both are dealing with a lot of mental illness and, throughout the series, it becomes more and more clear. they’re also both seen as “the hot ones” of their groups, with a lot of the characters canonically having small crushes on them (liz, rori and nick with james; rori, esther and annabell with bree). they’ve also both canonically hooked up with sophie. which i just think is fun. they also played mimi and roger together, which i think shows their parallels as addicts and people (with roger struggling with recovery and depression until the end, when he begins to get help, and mimi living the high life until it all crumbles down around her). they also share a want for independence and both are very sana-esque characters (james being middle eastern and religious, bree being the cool rebel girl in season 1).

nick and rori are both the “fun friend”. they’re both comedic relief in the early seasons, but we do get in depth with them as the show goes on. in grease, they play james and bree’s love interests (which is ironic, as rori and bree get together and nick is in love with james), and in rent, they play angel and maureen, the two main comedic relief characters. both of them struggle to connect their asian identity with their british identity, and both struggle with how the world perceives them (nick with their gender presentation and rori with her eating disorder). they both struggle with toxic masculinity and toxic femininity and use humour to cover up their struggles.

theo and esther are similar in the fact that they’re the squad members we know the least about. they’re both jewish, they’re both the mum friend of their respective groups, they’re both autistic and they’re both quite nerdy. they’re the most grounded member of their respective groups and tend to take charge and help make decisions. they’re also both quite sarcastic and very firm in their opinions. 

al and liz are parallels simply because they are both nooras and vildes. they’r eboth autistic, they’re both the odd one out in their friend groups - liz being a lot more serious than the girl squad, al being a lot more in his own little world than the lad squad. they’re both very blunt and straight forward and say whatever they’re thinking.

also just some of my favourite bits of foreshadowing: nick being bitchy to liz throughout season 2 because they’re in love with james….. al talking about his sister to jake in season 3 and whenever al talks to the girl squad, bree insults him or walks away…… in season 4 episode 1, audrey mentions bree’s cousin is pregnant and then when bree finds out the results of her pregnancy test, oh no by marina plays (i’m now becoming my own self fulfilling prophecy)....... nick and all of his gender stuff throughout the series……. just all of the character stuff with grease and rent….. also just bree and rori’s whole relationship arc because it has everything. queerbaiting. subverting expectations. musical homoeroticism. a little cheating for fun. and they were best friends. honestly bree and rori season 3 is very august by taylor swift…… you weren’t mine to lose…….. 

speaking of, no one asked by here’s each season of skambr and the taylor swift albums they’re most like.

season 1 - debut/fearless

bro sandy is just such a debut/fearless era person. she’s looking for her place in this world!!!!!! she has the teardrops on my guitar energy (quite literally sandy pre-canon voice i bet he’s beautiful that boy she talks about and he has everything that i have to live without about bryan and sophie)..... the fun giggly crush songs that are deeply homoerotic….. esther season 1 voice the entirety of you belong with me. like esther really made a deeper connection with sandy in one month that bryan did in years of knowing her. sandy also is the type of person to stan love story, she just thinks it’s such a fun song and she does yell the key change every time it comes on. 

season 2 - speak now/lover

elizabeth!!!!! liz is the type of person who only liked old taylor and then got internalised misogyny and then got over it and loves taylor again. the story of us is canonically a liz/rori song…. yes i am still a liz/rori subtext warrior….. liz is very never grow up and dear john is a very her and james song in the fact that they both relate to it……. when they bonded over their trauma “don’t you think i was too young”...... also lover is a liz season 2 album because it’s about liz learning that love is the most important thing in the world….. liz voice i want to be defined by the things that i love. also the archer is just a skam brighton song because it is an isaac song. also i’m just gonna say it. i like me! it’s a good song when brendon urie isn’t in it, you all are just afraid of having fun. also though liz in season 5 is very better than revenge because, while her season is about unlearning your internalised prejudices, i believe she deserves to be misogynistic for 3 minutes 37 seconds.

season 3 - red

now this is controversial. this season is about depression, grief and anger, and these feelings are red. literally jake voice so you were never a saint and i loved in shades of wrong we learn to live with the pain mosaic broken hearts….. like treacherous….. holy ground….. the whole country pop vibe….. the bitchy songs mocking people’s perceptions of the singer…..  22 is a lad squad song…. also jake voice i remember it all too well but it’s about his father’s abuse and his mother’s neglect…… like the whole season is just jake getting to the point where he is at “begin again”. also i feel like jake would like red because he spent a lot of time watching taylor swift music videos as a youth both because he liked the music and had crushes on the guys in them, and he feels red is the perfect middle between the country and the pop and the indie and he just really likes being sad.

season 4 - reputation

bree big reputation holland!!!!!!!!! she has it all - the romantic drama, the hatred of men, the fucking homoeroticism. bree stans the reputation tour and they have made the entire holland-fletcher family watch it on their netflix (al fucking loved it because he’s a canon swiftie, audrey had a fun time, patrick was a little confused, but has the spirit). listen bree “i did something bad”. bree “look what you made me do”. bree and rori “new year’s day”. bree voice i swear i don’t love the drama, it loves me!!!!!!!!! like the reason the season has a lot of reputation songs and ends with daylight from lover is a metaphor for bree leaving their reputation era…. also reputation has she/they vibes

season 5 - 1989

1989 my best friend 1989!!!!!!! i am coming out here as a 1989 (deluxe) stan. it’s just a serotonin album for me and it is just so nick. the mocking songs about their reputation…… the genuinely deeply depressing homoerotic songs that have fun upbeat music…… the cars….. also clean is just such a nick song. he is in recovery, he is just so personal to me. also nick voice one night he wakes strange look on his face pauses then says you’re my best friend and you knew what it was he is in love!!!!!!! nick canonically in love with all of their best friends braxton!!!!! also nick feels like a 1989 stan because they just have those fun energies. nick WILL scream the spoken part of shake it off at the top of his lungs. also new romantic is just a skamverse song in general. also just. out of the woods. no reason for me to say it other than it’s one of my favourite songs of all time.

season 6 - folklore/evermore

no evermore is not out yet. yes i am claiming it for season 6. see taylor has said that these albums are all about telling stories/fairy tales and that’s what season 6 is about. i cannot wait until next friday when the main and my plans for the hiatus are revealed…….. genuinely i do not know how anyone perceives skam brighton so i don’t know who people think the next main is, but…… i can only describe the state of me writing this season as the various ambiguous disorder gifs.

[gloriouspiratealpaca]

TRC Month Day 12: AU

Kurogane has never understood the appeal of college parties. He understands the appeal of drinking, sure. But the whole idea of dancing and yelling lyrics to some generic pop-song in a crowded room? No thank you. Kurogane would very much prefer to sit and drink and chill with a few friends. Still, it’s not like he can say no when Tomoyo begs him to come to a party. If he tried to say no, she’d pull out her puppy eyes and he’d lose that battle. That doesn’t mean he’ll stay the whole night through. Unfortunately, it’s still way too early for him to leave; it’s barely past eleven. He scans the crowd for Tomoyo, but she’s lost in the sea of people. Sometimes he wishes he could put some sort of rod on her to be able to find her in crowds.

He knows he shouldn’t smoke another cigarette, but it’s the best excuse to go outside he has. Right now, even the possibility of nicotine poisoning sounds better than staying inside. People are getting drunker by the minute, tripping and falling over on the dance floor. With a sigh, he puts the empty bottle he’s holding on a nearby table and sneaks out.

There are fewer people out than the last time he went out. The backdoor of the place Tomoyo has rented leads to some mildly shady alley. The last time he was out here, there must have been at least fifteen people outside. Right now, there are only a group of girls giggling to themselves and a couple trying to suck each other’s faces. The girls glare at Kurogane when he passes them. Kurogane goes to the quietest place he can find: an empty spot next to some crates, facing the door. He fishes the cigarettes out of his pocket. He lights a cigarette and leans back on the cold stone wall. The sky is dark and clouded. A voice speaks up next to him.

“Got a light?”

The guy next to Kurogane might be the most attractive man Kurogane has ever seen. He’s tall, reaching Kurogane’s shoulder, and very slender. He has blonde hair that looks somewhat messy but Kurogane suspects it’s been very deliberately styled that way. The guy’s whole appearance screams ‘I swear I didn’t put in any effort’ in a way that means he definitely did. He’s wearing casual clothes, a simple t-shirt and black jeans, but they fit him perfectly. Kurogane tosses the light to the guy, who catches it with ease.

“Thank you,” the guy says, jumping up on one of the crates next to Kurogane. He moves with cat-like grace. The guy lights his cigarette and tosses the lighter back to Kurogane.

“Not one for parties?” The guy asks. “Or do you just like standing by yourself in dark alleys?”

“The former,” Kurogane answers and the guy grins.

“Good. Wouldn’t have wanted to ask for a light from a serial killer.”

Kurogane snorts. “Shouldn’t you have considered that before approaching me?”

“Mhm,” the guy nods in agreement. He gestures towards the couple and group of girls. “I figured the risk to get murdered was higher over there.”

Kurogane laughs and the guy grins. “What’s your name?”

“Fai. You?”

“Kurogane,” he answers and Fai bursts out laughing.

“Oh, so you’re Kurogane. I should have figured.”

“What do you mean by that?” It comes out more irritated than he intended. Fai laughs harder.

“Tomoyo mentioned you,” Fai says with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Talked about her dear cousin who was insanely attractive, but couldn’t get laid to save his life.”

Kurogane inhales so sharply on his cigarette he chokes on it. Fai laughs so hard he almost falls off the crate as Kurogane coughs. He does his best to glare at Fai, who just grins.

“You should take it as a compliment,” Fai says and Kurogane raises an eyebrow to ask ‘how’. “I just called you insanely attractive. Which, by the way, was not a direct quote from Tomoyo. She just called you objectively good-looking.”

Kurogane is definitely not blushing. In his defence, it’s not every day an insanely attractive guy calls you insanely attractive. “How do you know Tomoyo?” He asks, trying to divert Fai’s attention. It’s definitely not working, judging by the Fai grins at him. But Fai seems to decide to humour him.

“We have a class together,” Fai explains. “Basic French.”

“Ah.” That makes sense. And Kurogane thinks he remembers Tomoyo mentioning some guy in that class that would fit the description of Fai. Kurogane’s brain desperately tries to find something to say.

“What about you?” He asks, for the lack of something better to say. Fai tilts his head in question, again almost like a cat. “Why are you out alone in the alley?”

“Ah, well you see,” Fai waves the cigarette around. “None of my friends smoke. Or well, one of them does, but he’s had more than enough alcohol. No need to add nicotine on top of it.”

Kurogane nods. He really wishes he’d been blessed with the ability to make conversation, especially in the face of attractive strangers. Fai beats him to it by launching into a rant about the terrible music at the party. Kurogane can only agree. He’s surprised to find that Fai likes rock; he’d taken him for more of a pop music guy. He tells Fai as much, who winks and tells Kurogane that he lives to surprise.

Kurogane loses track of time; the only sign of time passing is both their cigarettes burning out. Fai lights another one, and despite Kurogane knowing it’s definitely not a good idea, he lights one too. Anything to have an excuse to stay out here with Fai longer. Fai very deliberately drags his fingers over Kurogane’s hand when handing back the lighter. It sends shivers up Kurogane’s spine. Fai’s leaning on his legs when he continues their conversation, leaning into Kurogane’s personal space. Someone slams the door to the locale open and the music almost drowns out their conversation.

“Fai!”  A girl all but jumps down the stairs and runs towards them in a way that tells Kurogane she’s way tipsier than she thinks she is. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you and-” the girl stops, looking Kurogane up and down. “Why, hello. ”

Fai laughs but it sounds a bit awkward. He puts out his cigarette, leaning back to sit upright. “Hi, Hokuto.”

She turns her attention back to Fai. “Listen, you know I would normally never interrupt you when you’re flirting with someone. Especially not when that someone looks like that,” Hokuto gestures towards Kurogane. It’s hard to tell in the dim lights, but Kurogane is pretty sure Fai is blushing. He grins, raising his eyebrows towards Fai, who definitely blushes when he meets Kurogane’s eyes. “But I really need your help with Subaru,” Hokuto continues.

Fai clears his throat awkwardly but seems to regain his composure. “Is he trying to text his psycho ex again?” Hokuto nods and Fai sighs and jumps down from the crate. “Well,” he says, looking at Kurogane. “Seems like I’ve got to save my friend from possibly being murdered. Unlike me, he does chat up serial killers in dark alleys.” Kurogane desperately hopes Fai’s joking.

“Sure,” he says, not knowing what else to say. Asking for Fai’s number seems a bit weird, standing in a dark alley and in front of Fai’s friend. Fai seems to hesitate as well, but Hokuto grabs him by the arm and drags him away before either of them can make a move.

“I’ll see you around,” Fai manages while Hokuto drags him away and Hokuto shouts ‘oh definitely’ over her shoulder. Fai squawks and Kurogane has to laugh.

The door closes behind Fai and Hokuto and Kurogane is alone outside again. He checks his phone again and decides he can escape the party now without disappointing Tomoyo too much. The odds of finding Fai later in the increasing chaos of the party seems unlikely. He could try and find Tomoyo, either to see if she’s doing something fun or to say goodbye but he decides against it. She’ll rope him into some drinking game that can only end in humiliation or nudity, most likely both, and Kurogane is not in the mood for that. He sends her a text telling her he’s left, so she doesn’t have to worry or go looking for him.

When he wakes up the next day he has several texts from Tomoyo complaining about how he ditched her party, but also a couple from an unknown number.

Unknown (9:04 am):

hey! :)

it’s Fai, you know, not-a-serial-killer-guy from last night

I got your number from Tomoyo

look this might be a bit forward, but do you want to get coffee later today?

He doesn’t bother to try and stop the grin spreading on his face.

Kurogane (10:17 am):

Sounds great!

[astudyinfreewill]

adam: [moves into st. agnes]

ronan: you've heard of "elf on the shelf"

adam: please don't

ronan: now get ready for

gansey: ronan no

ronan: PARRISH IN THE PARISH

[creativefiend19]

I just feel like you know Adam and Ronan so well in Iop. Are you still doing TRC asks? Then 1,2,13,25. Also what's your favorite fic of your's? So many questions sorry!

Sorry this is so unforgivably late! I didn’t quite have the bandwidth to reply to all my Asks until now. It’s been a crazy fortnight month!

I am simply chuffed to bits hearing that you like my take on Adam and Ronan in IOP. These boys are so important to me, and I love to hear that people connect with the way I write them. Mainly because I know I’m...pushing the envelope a bit. So - thank you for saying that! 

And too many questions? Ha! No such thing (here’s the TRC Ask Meme BTW) .

1. Fave character: Oh, hands down, Ronan. He’s basically been my favourite almost since the beginning of TRB, but by TDT he firmly became the centre of the entire series for me. 

2. Fave book: Hands down, The Dream Thieves. It just has so many of my fav things, front and centre: Ronan, Adam and Kavinsky. The tangled mess that is Ronan and K’s ‘relationship’. K’s sense of humour and fucking epic one liners. Also - cars! And Adam losing his shit several times and figuring out how to be Cabeswater’s Magician. I mean, what’s not to love?

13. Character I dislike/hate: I had to think about this a bit, but it’s probably Neeve. I have no sympathy for the weak, twisted ambition that led her to enable so much evil.

She had power and fame and talent, and was just - not content. Got greedy. Thought she deserved more. Entitlement is one of my pet peeves.  

Yeah, she too-little-too-late tried to make some half-arsed amends, informing the Fox Way women about the demon, but I actually saw that as OOC and a plot device. I would've had more respect for her if she'd stuck to her villainous guns, like Piper. 

I mean, Neeve wanted to wake up a fucking demon. Then suddenly she’s lecturing Piper on demons being destructive? And how it’s not wise to make alliances with them? And feeling bad about it unmaking the forest? Duh. 

What did you think was going to happen when you woke it, you dumb POS? You didn’t even manage to do that, btw. Just like you didn’t manage to wake the ley line. You didn’t even tie up Whelk properly, ffs.

A collaborator, wishy-washy AND incompetent! Unforgivable! LOLLL

25. Fave minor character: There are so many (like Piper, who I think is simply smashing!). 

But I adore the Fox Way ladies as a whole, including Jimi, Orla and even good ol’ Gwen, with their drinking and their kitchen table (or bathtub) wisdom and their power. They have that particular blend of eccentric toughness and big-hearted warmth that I find irresistable. 

Fave fic of mine: Ah. Hmmm. My fave finished fic is probably Unguibus et Rostro. It has some...interesting parts to it. And it's pretty hot - at least I think so. Not sure what readers feel about it, but I had a lot of fun writing it. 

Thank you for this Ask, Anon! I had so much fun with it! Take care and stay safe.