#ill be exploring these two together more in the future <3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ranchthoughts · 1 year

Text

thoughts on genre, tropes, Bad Buddy, and My School President, cont. (part 2/3)

This is part 2 of a 3 part post: Part 1 here, Part 3 here, full text here

Pacing

Both MSP and Bad Buddy are also slightly unconventional when it comes to pacing. Both shows hit the standard BL narrative beats (falling for one another, confessions, first kiss, confirmation of relationship, conflict, beach eps, etc) but at unconventional timings, they utilize a lot of time skips, and they also condense plot lines which in other shows might have been much longer.

The Placement of Narrative Beats

I will focus on two of the main places where both Bad Buddy and MSP diverge from the usual BL placement of narrative beats. Firstly, the first kiss on both shows: while there is a lot of variety in the timing of first kisses for BL shows, Pat and Pran’s rooftop kiss at the beginning of ep.5 is perhaps a little earlier than usually, especially since the two do not truly confess or get together until the end of ep.7; and in MSP, their first kiss comes quite late, especially given the numerous near-kisses that happen throughout the latter half of the show. The first kiss for MSP coming in ep.12 is not unheard of for a low-heat BL and really makes sense given the tone and setting of the show (lighthearted, high school), but combined with the early confession of feelings (hinted at as early as ep.3, and fairly confirmed in ep.6) as well as those fake-out kisses makes it feel a little more unusual.

Secondly, both shows eschew the typical ep.11 of doom structure of a BL, where ep.11 sees peak emotional angst and the narrative/plot climax, in favour of a ep.10 (and even ep.9 in Bad Buddy) of doom, an ep.11 denouement, and an ep.12 conclusion. Eps.9 and 10 in Bad Buddy are when Pat and Pran’s friends and parents, the two biggest barriers to their relationship, find out about them. Pat is shot, they learn the real story behind their parents feud, there are a lot of emotions, etc. In ep.10 of MSP, there is the finale of Hot Wave and Gun’s mother’s illness (culminating in her receiving surgery at the end of the episode). Neither show has the main couple break up in their eps. of doom, like is common in other BLs’ ep.11 of doom, though they do have their relationships tested. Ep.11 in both Bad Buddy and MSP are instead the denouement, a quieter, more introspective look at the emotions and plot event of the previous episode(s). Pat and Pran run away from their families for their “honeymoon” on the beach and come to terms with everything they’ve learned, and MSP focuses more on the aftermath of Hot Wave and the tensions and emotions among Chinzilla, though there is of course parts about Tinn and Gun’s relationship in the face of disappointment. The final ep. for both show is thus given a bit more breathing room than in other BLs - they don’t have to wrap up the emotions and plot lines of an ep.11 of doom AND conclude the series, and can instead focus on wrapping up the series and even introducing new ideas and a look into the future (there are timeskips in both ep.12s, Bad Buddy does their PatPran breakup fake out, and MSP explores homophobia).

Time Skips

While time skips aren’t unheard of in BLs, especially in the final episode, Bad Buddy and MSP’s usage of them interject a level of realism into the series that isn’t always seen. The time jump of 6 or so months at the beginning of ep.7 in Bad Buddy means the tension build of the Flirt-Off doesn’t happen over a matter of days or weeks but in fact months. Pat and Pran are stubborn, this won’t be resolved quickly, and it gives time for the tension to realistically reach a breaking point. MSP features several time skips in ep.9, ep.10, and ep.12, stretching both the Hot Wave competition schedule and Tinn and Gun’s budding relationship over a much more realistic full school year, instead of pretending the competition and build up of tension or feelings could be happening over a span of weeks. Paradoxically, the fact that the shows use time skips instead of showing (either in full, in part, or in a montage) the parts they skip (the Flirt-Off, the weeks of Tinn and Gun coming closer together and Chinzilla practicing) connects to my next point: the shows aren’t afraid to speed things up sometimes. The use of time skips both slows down the narrative and emotional arcs over a longer period of time while also demonstrating that the shows feel confident in their narratives: there is no need to stretch story lines out over episodes and episodes.

Condensing Plot Lines

The most striking thing about Bad Buddy and MSP’s pacing is how fast they move through plot lines, especially compared to other shows. In Bad Buddy, the plot line where Pat and Pran are anonymously and unknowingly flirting with each other through gifts and notes left at each other’s doors could have been the plot line for most of a show, if not a whole show, but it is introduced and resolved within ep.2. Ink is introduced in ep.4 and seems to be a potential faen fatale, but by the end of ep.4 this seems somehow unlikely and by halfway through ep.5 it is confirmed that she won’t be. The Flirt-Off happens in large part off-screen, in the 6 months or so time skip between eps.6 and 7, and is shown to us and resolved in ep.7. Other shows could have spent episodes if not half the show exploring that plot line.

I've talked at length about the pacing of MSP here and a bit here - like Bad Buddy, MSP moves quickly through plot lines that might have spanned episodes or even a whole season in another show. By the end of the first episode, MSP establish that Tinn is soft and pining hard over Gun (instead of keeping up the premise that he is cold and out to get the music club), the finale of Hot Wave comes two episodes before the end, the plot lines around Gun’s mother’s health are resolved in about one episode (the conflict around Tinn keeping Gun’s mother’s illness from him is resolved in a couple of scenes, and she has surgery and is pronounced ok by the end of the episode), any jealousy plot line around Nook is resolved in two scenes, the conflict introduced by Sound joining the band is resolved in one episode, and so on. Pretty much every problem introduced at the beginning of an episode is resolved by the end.

Bad Buddy and MSP feel confident, like they know they have narrative material to spare and don’t need to stretch plot lines out with twists, miscommunication, and jealousy. Thus, they move through plot lines much more quickly than other shows would.

Both shows feel so fresh because of this - they keep things moving, they surprise us by resolving things faster than other shows would, they don’t linger in jealousy and miscommunication like many other shows do, they skip over parts that other shows might have lingered on for the biggest punch, and they break the patterns that us, the audience, have come to expect from BLs (like the ep.11 of doom). Even the progression of the relationships, which we know will be romantic and probably happy in the end (these are BLs after all) and conform vaguely to enemies-to-lovers and will-they-won’t-they conventions, stay fresh: Pat and Pran have kissed and all but confessed their feelings, but they now embark on a months long Flirt-Off bet that delays them actually getting together. We know Tinn has a crush on Gun from the end of the first ep. and we begin to see hints that Gun might like him back from ep.3 onwards, and at first the show seems like it is going to go the typical romcom route wherein Gun doesn’t realize Tinn’s crush is on him (especially with him offering to help Tinn flirt with his crush), but like I talked about in my post here, they don’t and instead have Gun know it is him Tinn has a crush on, he’s just uncertain and a bit scared. Bad Buddy and MSP are both quicker and slower than other shows: they move through plot lines without lingering, but they use time skips to create realistic long term development of the core relationships, allowing the characters to build tension, live in hesitancy, and in the case of Tinn and Gun, be realistically slow in the physical progression of their relationship.

To be continued in part 3

#bb #bb meta #msp #msp meta #bl meta #ranch thoughts #bad buddy #my school president #part 2 of 3... this post is a monster #ppt thoughts

9 notes · View notes

nylle-writes · 1 year

Text

He Who Is Driven By Anger - Jefferson Hope

Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet is about the murders of Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson. Sherlock Holmes together with Dr. John Watson follow this scarlet thread of murders and are left baffled as they unravel the mystery of it all. Jefferson Hope, the man behind it all, shows no remorse for the crimes he had committed, claiming that Drebber and Stangerson deserved what befell them.

How does Jefferson Hope's feelings affect his motivation?

a.) Jefferson Hope murdered Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson after they had ruined his life and taken everything close to him. Jefferson Hope and his lover Lucy Ferrier together with her father John Ferrier tried to escape Drebber and Stangerson's grasp by fleeing from Salt Lake City after they had tried to force Lucy into marriage with one of their sons. While Hope was away searching for food, their men took it as a chance to kill John Ferrier and bring Lucy Ferrier back to the City, where she got married but died soon after because of depression. Jefferson Hope has traveled through different countries just to track and kill Drebber and Stangerson for what they did to his lover.

b.) Anger was a big part of Jefferson Hope's motivation as it was what kept him going despite the sickness he was carrying within him. He admitted that his illness makes him easily tired and it has grown worse over the years, yet he persevered, traveling all across the world just to get revenge for his lover, Lucy Ferrier. He did not show any regret after getting caught, but expressed mild satisfaction, even going as far as saying that he wouldn't mind how soon he would go as he had accomplished everything he ever wanted to do - which was to kill Drebber and Stangerson to avenge his lover, Lucy.

Was Jefferson Hope concious of his actions? Was his reasoning humane, did he think it was right or wrong?

a.) Jefferson Hope believes that Drebber and Stangerson deserved what has befell them. "I would be the judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one" he said, explaining to Sherlock Holmes that Drebber and Stangerson were guilty of the death of two people, and therefore had to forfeit their lives. He believed that what he did was a form of justice, justice for his lover Lucy Ferrier.

b.) Jefferson Hope was concious of the choices he was making. He was not insane, nor had any psychological illnesses as he was able to form intricate plans, make poison that he would soon use to kill the gentlemen and was able to escape the grasp of Sherlock Holmes and the police multiple times. He found out where the two gentlemen were living, thought of a way to separate them, as he concluded that killing them at the same time would be hard, and when finally the chance stood upon him, he striked, killing them both. He only had his anger, it was his anger that drove him.

Guide Questions

1.) I chose these questions because Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet focuses on crimes done for revenge. I thought that the psychological approach of criticism would be the best for this novel as I would have a lot to explore about what goes on in the mind of Mr. Jefferson Hope who committed his crimes for vengeance and because of anger.

2.) Some additional resources I used to help enrich my critical review were reviews of the novel. I read about what people felt about the book and incorporated it in my writing.

3.) I intend to begin my opening paragraph by giving a brief history on who Jefferson Hope is and what happened in the book, Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet.

4.) I feel a little nervous about this activity as I have never written a critique before. I feel like at some parts I may have done something wrong, but I do believe that through more research and study I will be able to write a proper critique in the future.

Nylle Venice L. Tan

10 - Newton

8 notes · View notes

elsiebrayisgay · 5 months

Text

20 questions for fic writers

thank you @purlturtle for the tag; i'm honored to be thought of! The questions!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

just one right now but i think it's extremely good! i worked very hard for a long time on it. more of these queer feelings (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43759465/chapters/110039971) is a college AU of phyrexian praetors sheoldred and elesh norn! i also have a second that is very soon to be posted once beta is finished!

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

currently 25,912 and yes i do know off the top of my head :3

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i don't know if i'll write more magic: the gathering but i would like to; beyond that baldur's gate 3 has had a huge impact on me in basically every creative work i do and i keep going back to it!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

there is only just the one i've posted but i will take the opportunity to talk more about more of these queer feelings! it spawned from my girlfriend and i talking about phyrexian high school/college AUs and the fact that magic doesn't have a lot of canon disabled characters; i thought (in my opinion) sheoldred would not be able-bodied in a human au and it is essentially an exploration of two characters who are brutal and terrifying but who get to learn vulnerability if they are just normal humans on earth.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i used to let my girlfriend and co-writer do all of this to remain aloof and cool but i've decided that everyone is cringe in the end and so every commenter will receive all my undying gratitude (as long as it keeps being a reasonable number.)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i think my current WIP, which is shadowzel ballet academy AU has a lot more potential for an angsty ending; shadowheart is pretty set from the start to be on a very limited clock to keep being able to dance and probably will not have any prospects to by the time it ends but i think negotiating the gap between expectations for the future and what reality brings you still has a lot of potential for growth and learning and self-acceptance so it's probably not going to be super brutal if i'm being honest. i like to give queer girls at least happy-ish endings if i can.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

in the middle of writing more of these queer feelings i decided i wanted the very end to be sheoldred and elesh norn, now happily girlfriends, saying they love each other but specifically because i want anyone who feels they relate to either character to know that they are loved and cherished if not immediately then at least through me, through the act of love of sharing parts of myself through my writing. the ending of that fic is about solidarity and love for queer women and disabled women and ND & mentally ill women. absolutely the most earnest happy ending i've ever written.

8. Do you get hate on fic?

i never have and hopefully never will but know this: if being a shadowzel blog means i am a karheart anti, i will take up arms in defense of what i believe is good and right.

9. Do you write smut?

haven't yet, probably won't, nothing against it, just isn't for me i don't think, for a number of reasons.

10. Do you write crossovers?

i find that a lot of my inspiration to write fic is in the intersection of a piece of media and the au i want to write. i don't know if college aus count as crossovers but while i haven't written anything including many media franchises, i think there is a transformation and a fitting-together of pieces that feels very similar in my great enthusiasm for a modern/period earth AU, which has been a lot of what i've written.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no but i would be kind of honored, honestly. if what i've written is so good that someone else tries to put their name on it, i'm flattered! (uh but please don't though it's still probably bad ;-; my girlfriend said she would beat you up if you stole my writing.)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

oh lord no, but the above answer times a thousand. if someone was to go to that effort i feel like i'd need to send them a special gift basket with seasonal fruits and everything.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! more of these queer feelings was co-written from the very beginning with my now-girlfriend, and though i think we probably would have ended up together anyway by knowing each other, i don't think the writing process did anything at all to dissuade us from our mutual romantic interest.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

before bg3 i don't know if i would have had an answer, maybe like mailee or katara/yue or something but i didn't have particular ships i was super into. that being said, shadowzel has hit me full force and even when it isn't being nominated for goty those ladies are still going to be living rent-free in my head.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

i've been messing around with some wolfic (FFXIV player character, for those unaware) that is probably either just for me or only to inform my roleplay in that game; i have a document but it's probably never getting posted anywhere. still, i think about it and add things sometimes.

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think images and ideas or concepts are my strong suit. i'll have ideas for characters or a scene or a description of something, and try to develop my writing around what i feel is a strong central idea.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

actual narrative structure and more traditional prose fiction skills are not where i developed my writing skills. my english literature education focused largely on poetry, and my extracurricular writing was almost all text-RP so there's a lot of stuff i haven't practiced.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i am a mostly monolingual american and while i have retained some french from speaking it at home with family and from school, it's conversational and jokes at best. that being said if i can get a « qui me frappe avec ce poisson ? » in anywhere i will absolutely try.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

i don't want to talk about the atla OCs RP beyond "those happened, and for a lot of other fandoms as well" but more of these queer feelings was the first time i gave anything a serious go with the intention to produce something good enough i'd be proud to post it.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

i'm going to copy john darnielle and say of course i'm always the most invested in the new thing when i have something new i'm working on, so most of the thoughts i'm having are about hoping other people like shadowzel ballet AU because i'm proud of it, but queer feelings will always have a place in my heart. maybe it's trite but i think i've done a good job with the writing i've put serious effort into; i hope any readers think the same.

#fanfic #writer's game

3 notes · View notes

deepspacedukat · 2 years

Text

Jorik of Vulcan Masterlist

Basic Background Info: Name Pronunciation: Yor-ick Species: Vulcan Sexuality: Bisexual Appearance: Jeff Combs as a Vulcan (think Crawford Tillinghast with the ears, eyebrows, and temperament of a Vulcan) - Or have a look at this beautiful artwork done by @jaxifye! Born: 2298 Affiliation: Starfleet Specialty: Security Rank: Lieutenant Commander Assignment to DS9: 2371 (age 73) Under the command of Lt. Commander Michael Eddington as a result of the Maquis incident in ST:DS9 S2E20&21 “The Maquis” Parts 1&2.

There will be two different story arcs for Jorik: 1.) A more canon-compliant, Jorik/Jadzia arc. 2.) A less canon-compliant, reader-insert arc. There will also be some stories that are applicable to both universes, because they occur prior to the point of divergence between the two. The stories themselves will be marked accordingly.

Fic Masterlist Key:

💛 = SFW, ❤️ = NSFW (18+ ONLY), 👀 = WIP/Coming Soon

Pre-Divergence (Prior to 2371):

~ Broken 💛:

Summary: T'Lir talks to her brother about his future after he tells her about his decision regarding his betrothal.

~ The Hat 💛:

Summary: Jorik explores Earth during a free weekend in his Academy days.

~ A Blue New Year 💛:

Summary: Jorik learns about an old New Year's tradition as he always does - in a completely logical way.

~ Dream A Little Dream ❤️: Summary: *2356* Jorik has a vivid dream after he forgoes his nightly meditation. (Also Kinktober 2022 Day 10)

Jadzia’s Arc:

Reader Insert Arc:

Random OC Musings:

✨S’Talon✨

~ Conference ❤️:

Summary: A Section Thirty-One agent attends a briefing with her Tal Shiar partner, Riov S'Talon.

~ Incentive ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon is recognized while undercover.

~ Predictably Divine ❤️:

Summary: Riov S’Talon spots someone who piques his interest while sketching in Quark’s.

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ - COMPLETE

~ Recenter 💛:

Summary: S'Talon tries to relax after a hard mission but finds it difficult.

~ Safe Haven ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon is sent to a safehouse after a mission, but it's not quite what he expects.

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ Part 3 ✨ - COMPLETE

✨Vaebn✨

~ The Truth About Rain ❤️:

Summary: Vaebn and his lover spend a rainy day together.

~ Trust Your Nurse 💛:

Summary: Vaebn takes care of his partner when she falls ill.

#Jorik of Vulcan #deepspacedukat fic #deepspacedukat's OCs #if you see me making this list before posting fics about Jorik no you don't

6 notes · View notes

viscountessevie · 1 year

Text

The Hellions of Halstead Hall Quick Review!

Okay so having read all the Hellions books here are my quick spoiler free thoughts on them (in order of the books):

1) The Truth About Lord Stoneville

Oliver & Maria - Having read all the books, I can safely say this is one of my favourites! It was an excellent first book and introduction into my new favourite HR family. Ollie and Maria were simply marvellous and a pretty Kathony coded to be honest. I would say less mentally ill - well Maria is, Ollie is actually chock full of even more intense trauma than Ant tbh. I won't say more, yall gotta read to find out!

Honestly everything from the couple to the plot, side characters (Freddy my beloved) and conflict were perfect and entertaining to read. Just the best start to a series!

Kinda rereading it again with Triv @hptriviachamp: I gotta say I love how well it sets up the future siblings’ stories and books and we pretty much get introduced to 2 other in-laws. So the set up and pay offs were really good tbh!

2) A Hellion In Her Bed

Jarret & Annabel - I liked Jarett and Annabel well enough but I think they paled in comparison to a brilliant first book with Maria and Oliver. Still it was enjoyable, a good calm breather of a book after the excitement and drama of Maria and Ollie. I did love their romantic scenes - it's always more fun with a more experience heroine and Annabel and Jarret delivered on that front!

Tbh this ^^ is the nicer version for Goodreads but simply put: they were pretty boring. The sex scenes did make up for it; we really need more experienced heroines in HR. Funny clueless virgins are fun but for me personally, it's hotter and easier to get into sex scenes when the teaching doesn't take up most of the time.

Also despite being boring, I will give them points for staying consistent tonally and being a straightforward story (unlike Book 5 but I digress, I'll expand on this when we get there!)

3) How to Woo a Reluctant Lady

Minerva & Giles - Honestly I would say read the previous book just for the build up of these two, it’s absolutely delicious. I love how unashamed Giles is in his attraction to Minerva and their history together. Minerva was just a delight and fun character to read from Book 1 so I was definitely excited for these two. I mean she’s A GOTHIC WRITER AND HE’S A SPY! Exciting shit and for most part they did deliver! Can I also say that Minerva is the funniest virgin ever because when feeling him up she mistook his erection for a pistol. I CACKLED so hard reading that I literally cannot make this shit up. They were also very hot and I loved them sneaking around to uncover truths about Minerva’s family.

However, I was a bit disappointed in their Act 3 - it might just be a me thing so if yall have read this series or are going to, lemme know what you thought of Act 3! I just think there was a secondary plot point that could have been the main crux of their Act 3 rather than the one Sabrina chose to go with. Other than that, I adored this book and is high up on my ranking (which I’ll be listing below after all my short reviews of the books)

4) To Wed A Wild Lord

Gabriel (Gabe) & Virginia - (I’m calling her Ginny cos I can’t with her name) I absolutely loved this one and I think a big part of it was because Sephy is a horse girl and Gabe provided the best inspo for me to write for Sephy’s horse scenes in the future. Also I knew I would enjoy their book when we got the inciting incident in Minerva & Giles’ book - the drama was d e l i c i o u s. I loved how funny Gabe was in the previous books and this book delivered on that while giving us depth and a proper exploration of both of their traumas. I like how Sabrina showed Gabe’s comedic side is moreso a defense mechanism and how despite Ginny’s hostility to him, she’s actually kind and sunshine incarnate.

Similar to Book 1; the plot was great, I loved the racing scenes, the tension between Gabe and Ginny was on point - though I do wish we gotten to see them interact more during their ‘courtship’ scenes. I adored Freddy as my fave cousin side character but Pierce takes the cake! I am SO glad he gets his own book (which I will talk more about below!) Overall, it was a brilliantly written book and I loved it!

5) A Lady Never Surrenders

Celia & Jackson - This book man, had so much build up but left me so confused in terms of tone, characterisations and the progression. It was the last piece of the Sharpe parents’ murder mystery and also Jackson and Celia had FOUR books of build up. I liked that I was right about the murderer and I loved Jackson and Celia’s scenes in the last four books. Yet the first part of the book was draggy with the suitors plot and while it did come back around - it could have been written tighter. Celia seemed so badass in the other books but fell trap to the tomboy/NLOG trope in the way she was written even though she’s not?? It was really weird. There was a disconnect between the Celia in the last four books and in her own one. Like even with Gabe’s exploration - it still felt like him but Celia felt all over the place for me.

On top of all of this, I especially despised the racist treatment of Viscount Basto and it honestly put me off the book. I had to take a break to calm down and finish the series because I HAD to know what happened to the Sharpe parents. And the racism/xenaphobia gets worse because (skip past the caps if you don’t want spoilers):

🛑 MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES 🛑

I hated how Sabrina used the one foreign guy and made him a secondary villain. It made sense for the character and I suspected him and his wife from the start but why you gotta make him the SINGLE foreigner. It just came across extremely xenophobic. She could have made the Duke of Lyons or Jackson a MoC too, just to offset it ya know. It was just frustrating to see him singled out and villianised.

🛑 MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES END 🛑

Though for all its faults, I did enjoy the romance and how the mystery was solved. That’s why the book confused me like there were bits that were SO bad but then parts that were written SO well I was like ‘Am I reading two different books cos what the fuck??’ But yeah its not my favourite and while I did enjoy the good parts of it better than Jarret and Annabel’s book, at least the latter book was consistent. I will recommend pushing through this to see the reveal and also Jackson being a simp is great.

6) ‘Twas The Night After Christmas

Pierce & Camilla - It’s so funny that this is my #1 Hellion book (honestly tied with Book 1 but still) because Pierce isn’t even technically a Sharpe, he’s Ginny’s cousin but god I loved this book and honestly my one complaint is that Sabrina montaged their courtship week instead of giving us more scenes with them falling in love. Also could have been sluttier to offset the deep Mommy Issues kjdshkdj.

But yes if you like your HR heroes riddled with Mommy Issues, Pierce is the one for you! Camilla is also such a vibe, I love her so much. She’s lowkey a “I can fix everyone” person but it did not come across as annoying at all. But yeah reading this, heads up it gets sad and not enough horniness to make up for it. Overall, also a great Christmas time story!

Final Book Ranking:

1) Tied - The Truth About Lord Stoneville, (tbh pretty perfect to me)

‘Twas The Night After Christmas (needed to be sluttier and Pierce to be more quippy like he is in Book 4 and 5)

To Wed A Wild Lord (Ginny isn’t my fave heroine - I like her but like Maria and Camilla a lot more)

2) How to Woo a Reluctant Lady (Act 3 should have been better)

3) A Hellion In Her Bed (Not exciting of a storyline for me)

4) A Lady Never Surrenders (Confusion over the way the book was written and also the xenaphobia :/)

Overall as a series, I loved how well-connected they were and the overarching plot of solving their parents’ murder was great and I LOVED how each sibling had a piece of the puzzle that added up together and it was all very satisfying at the end because I love being right and called it. I did not expect the twist in Book 5 which would have been better if not for the spoiler I mentioned above. Also I love how close knit the family is and I LIVE for the ensemble moments in the books they just bring me extra joy because everyone is so likeable you’re excited to see them all interact. Mentioned this before but the set up for the future books were BRILLIANT (even if Book 5 didn’t pay off as well as the others).

Hope yall enjoyed reading this and might want to give this series a shot because I need more friends and people reading this and gushing to me about this family. Truly my new favourite comfort family!

#The Hellions of Halstead Hall #The Truth About Lord Stoneville #A Hellion In Her Bed #How to Woo a Reluctant Lady #To Wed A Wild Lord #A Lady Never Surrenders #HR Blogging #Miss Maria Butterfield #Lord Oliver Stoneville #Miss Annabel Lake #Lord Jarret Sharpe #Lady Minerva Sharpe #Giles Master #Lord Gabriel Sharpe #Miss Virginia Waverly #lady Celia Sharpe #Jackson Pinter

4 notes · View notes

novantinuum · 2 years

Note

10 and 15 from the writing meme!

Yay, more numbies! Thank you Lopson! <3

10: which patterns keep popping up in your projects/characters?

Oh, boy. Ummmm... so, over the years, many of my projects have basically taken the form of "project Mental Issue of the Year on current fictional blorbo" fiuhdbnfjshdgb, and my current project is no different.

Back in the Gravity Falls day, I had an extensive Fiddauthor RP going with a friend that was a great way for me to explore queer identity and love in a time where I honestly didn't have many outlets in which to safely do so. My Steven Universe fic writing days were the times of Mental Illness and Broad Musings on the Experience of Therapy and Recovery, which also greatly paralleled my life at the time. And then right now, my biggest fic project is very much doused with sibling yearning and angst,, in that sort of "two people who had fallen apart finally get the chance to come back together and rekindle their bond and make up for those lost years" way, which. Yeah. Once again a very personal subject matter to me. I'm very glad fic gives me a space to wax poetic on topics that deeply matter to me, even if some of them are likely to never come to pass.

The other pattern that shows up with my writing is that I always find myself gravitating towards the characters who have terminal martyr disease. AKA,, the ones who are just itching to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, who feel they have the whole world weighing down on their shoulders, who push themselves way too hard, who may not always realize just how much the people around them actually care, actually want to see them thrive as a person beyond their "destiny" or "purpose" or whatever constrained box they've pressed themselves within...

*coughs*

In order of fandom:

The Doctor, Stanford Pines, Jim Lake Jr., Steven Universe, Link.

15: what do drafting and revision look like for you?

I'm a very, very, very thorough drafter, by nature.

It's to the point that my drafts often feel more like a first draft, at times.

These days, when I get a story idea, the first thing I try and nail down is the emotional journey I want my characters to go on. In the past, I think failing on this point was my biggest weakness... aka, I'd write a plot that characters just existed within instead of a story that actually led characters to change and evolve over time. I'm trying to avoid that now by actually writing out extensive notes about where my characters end up emotionally by the end of it all. This is where I think really hard about my introduction and climax- IMO if the climax of the story isn't intertwined with my character arcs, that's a sign it needs reworking. (A story can have multiple climaxes, too, though! My current story technically has four- two at the end of part one, and two at the end of part two. The part one climaxes are the characters falling to their lowest points, and part two features them rising to a new understanding of themselves/their pasts/their futures.)

The next thing I focus on is the when, where, how, and why of it all. The actual beats of the plot. Once I understand what leads to what, and how the general bones of the story slot together to lead towards the climax(es), I start thinking about the details of how my characters are responding to and choosing and pushing the plot. For instance:

In my current chapter, I know that I want Link to fight a camp of bokoblins, and then later that next morning start to teach his little sister Aryll how to shoot a bow. Those are the main beats of this scene.

Adding more detail to this, and thinking about how my characters are specifically pushing and responding to these plot beats, I later expanded these draft notes to describe how Link had to rush to take out a stray bokoblin last minute with a throwing spear in that fight, because it was stalking towards his sister and he was scared that if he didn't act IMMEDIATELY, she'd get hurt. With that extra detail in mind, the next plot beat now makes a lot more sense on a character scale: Link has decided to teach Aryll how to shoot a bow because he wants her to have a means to protect herself- so she'll be safer in such circumstances- since he's deeply worried about her safety.

Truth be told, I don't have a super extensive revision process though, because I'm a super picky writer from the get-go. I'm very choosy with my words as I'm writing the prose, so much of my revision is just flow/grammar/spell checking.

#jen rambles #ask meme

3 notes · View notes

themovieblogonline · 5 days

Text

Top Ten Catholic Horror Movies To Watch If You Loved The First Omen

Catholic horror has always been the genre that delivered the best of scary experiences. Whether it's the creepy 70s classics or a modern take on the church, religious horror movies can be reliable to creep you out like nothing else. With the release of the critically acclaimed prequel of the classic The Omen, it makes sense if you want to continue this kind of cinematic journey. So get on the ride with these skin-crawling movies to watch if you're a fan of this genre. The Exorcist (1973) The lives of two families are intertwined by a demonic entity. When an actress begins to see violent changes in her daughter, she calls in a priest for help. However, the priest questions his faith when his mother falls ill. This masterpiece is unquestionably one of the best attempts at projecting the fearful side of religion. The very concept of a demonic child is chilling to its core. The Exorcist laid the ground for the future of horror by horrifying innocent children which was further used in many works. It also instills fear by showcasing a powerless priest. 2. The Prophecy (1995) A detective is set on solving a murder case. What could go wrong? Well, when he sees eerie visions of angels preparing for a war, he knows that the case isn’t as simple as he imagined. Original in its conception and thoughtful in its genre, The Prophecy explores the depths of faith and good vs evil in the most chilling way possible. 3. Prince of Darkness (1987) There are weird things in people’s basements, but when Father Loomis cleans out the church basement, he finds a can with suspicious green liquid inside. Upon further investigation with a professor, the sludge turns out to be Satan’s vengeful spirit. 4. The Conjuring (2013) When a family moves into a new house on a farm things are anything but peaceful. With strange occurrences haunting their lives, they decide to call in paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to help them. Soon, they would uncover the disturbing history of the farmhouse house. The characters in The Conjuring were so powerful that they left an indelible mark on the horror movie. The fact that it is based on real-life events, makes it even more terrifying. The meticulous details and real investigation files bring the realness to the film that makes it timelessly admirable. 5. The Devils (1971) Taking place in the 17th century, The Devils is about Father Grandier, who is notorious for his controversial opinions on religion and sexuality. When a vengeful Cardinal vows to ruin Grandier’s reputation, things take a deadly turn as Satanism is involved. The movie remains one of the most iconic attempts when it comes to unconventional horror. The historical grandeur and exposition of power make it delve deeper into the human mind, all the while plaguing our dreams. 6. The Sacrament (2013) The Sacrament is a found-footage horror film that depicts the quest of a reporter who goes into a deep secluded place to rescue his sister, a recovering alcoholic, from a cult. Things seem pretty straightforward until he meets the unhinged cult leader. The way this movie explores psychology and blind faith will always stay ‘sacred’ to me. 7. Saint Maud (2019) Obsession with anything can lead to deadly outcomes, even if it’s saving lives. Saint Maud is about a religious nurse, who seems to be fixated on saving the soul of her patient on the verge of death. The religious elements of the film come smoothly together with mental illness and denial that blows all of our minds away. 8. Carrie (2013) Be careful of who you bully. Carrie, a sheltered high-school girl, is tormented by bullies at school and by her mother at home. When she finally snaps, she unleashes deadly telekinetic powers. What makes this one special is the less-recognized role of religious extremism in causing detrimental effects on children and how bad it can get. 9. The Exorcist III (1990) A series of murder investigations, presumably the works of a serial killer, leads a detective down an unsettling path. Things are more deadly and sinister than he ever anticipated. The good ole classic that does not need to be told about. The dark side of religion and themes of faithlessness are what make The Exorcist III one of the best horror movies of all time. 10. Immaculate (2023) An American nun, Cecilia, goes to the Italian countryside to join a convent. However, things take a horrific turn from the get-go and she’s forced to come face-to-face with the sinister evils lurking within the borders. She must save herself from the tormenting clutches before it’s too late. A modern take on the religious theme. Immaculate satisfies the need to get back to the classic themes with plenty of scary moments and intriguing characters. These horror movies are a must-watch whether it’s the creepy season or not. Picked up from your favorite genres, they will give you unforgettable jump-off-your-couch moments.

0 notes

charbear177 · 6 months

Text

7 Shows To Stream This Fall For A Cozy, Fun, Or Spooky Night In

It’s that time of year again when the weather has cooled and a night snuggled up on the couch sounds more appealing than ever. Maybe you want to enjoy a nice glass of wine, or something hot to drink or perhaps you are looking for viewing options on one of your many streaming services.

There are never-ending options of movies and series to watch if you have the time but if you want some help narrowing down where to start this fall, I have my picks for you. A few are family and others not so much, but all are entertaining and worth a watch. So here’s my list of shows to stream this fall.

7 Shows To Stream This Fall

Bodies

Four detectives in four different time periods of London find themselves investigating the same murder. - IMDB

You will be intrigued by the mystery and the how and why but you need to pay attention to keep track of timelines and investigations. Categorized as crime, drama, and history, Bodies, a limited series, is now streaming on Netflix.

The Fall of The House of Usher

To secure their fortune (and future) two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one. - IMDB

This Edgar Allan Poe-inspired series is dark, spooky, and sexy. With a strong supernatural element, each episode is named after and closely aligns with a Poe tale. For Poe fans, like myself, you will be intrigued by how each story is woven and connected to his classic work. Categorized as drama, horror, and mystery, you can watch all ten episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix.

The Morning Show

An inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the team. - IMDB

Season 3 just dropped on Apple TV and it does not disappoint. This show is binge-worthy, fun, and completely over the top in some of the best ways. The Morning Show is streaming now on Apple TV.

Goosebumps

A group of five high schoolers unleash supernatural forces upon their town. Now, they must work together in order to save it. - IMDB

Based on R.L. Steins work, this family-friendly spooky viewing. Categorized as adventure, comedy, and fantasy, Goosebumps can be watched on both Hulu and Disney Plus.

The Wheel of Time

Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan. - IMDB

Season 2 recently premiered after a nearly two-year wait, and it was worth it. It is beautifully shot, and action-packed. We meet new characters, both heroes and villains, and learn more about the world created by Jordan. Seasons one and two are available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Golden Bachelor

Follow a new kind of love for the golden years, when a hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life. - IMDB

Yes, I know, this seems like an odd choice to be on this list but I just really enjoyed this show. It’s fun and sweet, and quite surprising. I highly recommend you give it a watch on Hulu.

The Midnight Club

The Midnight Club follows an octet of terminally ill teenage patients at Brightcliffe Hospice as they gather at midnight to share scary stories. - IMDB

Created by Mike Flanagan, the writer behind the Tha Haunting of Hill House and Black Mass. This is a dark show, for several reasons, and full of jump scares. You can watch all 10 episodes on Netflix.

I hope you enjoy my recommendations. Happy Fall watching!

#Netflix #Hulu #Amazon Prime Video

0 notes

bad-knees · 1 year

Text

happenings / on my mind

1. i think i might have adhd, and i want to see someone about it to get a proper diagnosis. apparently it’s a common thing for trans women to uncover it once they get on hrt. plus my life has been dizzying with decisions / plans / wondering about this and that. my fears are about being seen as a drug seeker or a hypochondriac. But im tired of being scared about what people might think about me.

2. taking nudes, sending nudes to friends. not even sexual, just aesthetic, happy about my body, the curves and smooth. and the glow after working out.

3. thinking about ffs but i should wait. my work health insurance covers it so im wondering if i should speed run that. when the lighting’s right and im in the right mood, i kinda like the shape of my face. im looking more indian and i love it.

4. using femme voice a lot more, though im not so sure how femme it really is. mostly practice via vrchat. i should post to the trans voice subreddit for feedback.

5. trying to lose belly. cardio every day for 30-60min. also doing leg strength stuff because it helps with the knee pain. i want to lose belly fat so i can gain weight again and it goes to my chest and hips instead. also cardio is just good for my brain.

6. wanting to cook more, trying to at least. wanting to eat good food without having to resort to icky unhealthy restaurant food. want to eat more potatoes. want to learn how to make chicken curry.

7. told my boss im trans. it was awkward haha.

8. want to get the ball rolling with bottom surgery, given how long waitlists can be. though nervous since i won’t have anyone to take care of me, and i’ll probably have to miss a lot of work. well i can get the hair removal done whenever so might as well start that now. the hard part is timing it with potential ffs and when/how i want to come out of the closet more.

9. trying a todo list thing where i make a mind map of all the things i want to get done this week. break things down into smaller tasks and related things and unanswered questions and the reasons im procrastinating. it’s exploded of course, but feels good.

10. i keep trying to write songs but struggling to find words or feeling. well all i can do is listen and capture it when i find it.

11 . i think im done with drinking. one drink im bubbly and want to keep the feeling. two drinks and i get into a mood. three drinks and im horny and reckless. and it ruins the next day too.

12. being bi is dizzying. liking guys is easier. like how do you say “i wanna make out with you” to a girl friend and it not be weird?

13. i need to find a new book to read, fiction of course. things on my mind i want to explore: non-white feminism, trans women experiences, queerness in general, masochism kinks, femme sexuality, that thing people call womanhood, neurodivergence.

14. ill have to go to a christmas party with all my cousins on friday and ill have to pretend to be a straight man. or ill just be myself and let them think im the f-slur. whatever.

15. i want to buy a binder and a hole puncher to catalog mind maps and the ideas i have. so much living in random scraps of paper and in notebooks. i need to get better at developing ideas and connecting them. silly me, always sort of starting from scratch.

16. it’s hard to say what i really want. like what i want the future to look like. i see glimpses and try to piece together a vision. though so much is outside my control. and i get scared of wanting too much and letting myself down. today i see a house somewhere quiet, cuddling in the backyard till the mosquitos piss us off, romantic sex and i love you’s, a big bookshelf full of names I’ve never heard before, letters and calendars and a very full life.

#blog

0 notes

husbandohunter · 3 years

Text

Stardew Impact [Genshin+Stardew Valley/xReader]

Part 1/3 Kaeya, Diluc

Synopsis: “A mysterious phenomenon brought you and your s/o to an unfamiliar world: Pelican Town! Without the power of Visions, the two of you begin to learn the life of what it takes to be...a farmer?”

(DOMESTIC FARM LIFE YIP YIP)

Coming soon...

Albedo and Childe

Zhongli and Xiao

(A/N): So the brainrot was real in this one. I planned to add Albedo for a Mondstadt edition but kinda went overboard so I gotta split this one into parts too. Wordcount_almost 2k spspspsp

______________________________________________________

Diluc

• Already has the whole year planned in his head. Literally if Diluc were to play this game, he'd have a booming farm within year ONE. Calm and collected through and through, though the new environment raises alot of questions, as long as you were still with him, Diluc ain't complaining

• The town welcomes you two with open arms. It was all thanks to the attire. Diluc wore his usual dark coat adorned with regal gold while you had a dress made of Liyue's finest silk, one that he bought for you. Needless to stay both of you reeked the aura of rich aristocrats (Mayor Lewis is pleased that greedy bastard)

• Once the farm was permitted to your owndership, Diluc began to think of ways to turn it into a vineyard. He was a businessman afterall. Although the staff back at the Dawn Winery were the ones who tended the field, Diluc still knew a few things about planting due to his childhood days Master Crepus would bring him out to their yard and demonstrated the process of gardening. He still remembers those days clearly, doing the very same this moment with you.

• Occasionally works at the Saloon bar. It was the perfect opportunity. As you took care of the farm side, Diluc continues to look for more ways to increase the income while gathering information from the folks around town. Gus LOVES to have him over, like he's just so efficient and reliable! They soon become good friends saying if Diluc were ever to own a wine stock, he would gladly buy from him.

• This is why Diluc would stay a little later due to just chatting with the people from the bar. One time you walked into the Saloon only to the front desk with Emily alone. Turns out the others were in the other room, too busy playing a game of pool. You decided to leave him be since it was rare to have Diluc so relaxed in leisure activities. Thus in the end, you spent your time chatting with Emily until a whole hour has passed before your lover notices and apologizes for losing track of time.

• Everything felt like a dream because it was his dream. To live a life undisturbed from chaos, his duties and the dangers that lurk in Teyvat, Diluc grew fond of the domesticity. There was nothing he loved more than to spend his hours by your side, day after day, returning home to your freshly handmade meals.

• Spring: Already up and early planting the parnersnips (I'm very soft for gardener Diluc you see). What do you expect from a workaholic? Even during his leisure time you would often find him near some plant as he does consider this hobby quite therapeutic. But when it rains, Diluc would be standing beside you with an arm around your shoulder, smiling contently as you lean into his touch. He gazes through the dripping window and silently admires the current progress you both made on the farm.

• Between the two annual spring festivities, I would say the flower dance. Diluc is a private man and would prefer to take things where no eyes were on sight. But with a little bit of nudging from Gus (your wingman), he gives in and leads you to the center stage. Elegant. Graceful. The way you two moved together became the talk of the event. Though, Diluc was already used to people staring by now, all he needed to do was to ignore them and keep his focus on you.

• Summer: No blankets in bed. Nope, its bloody hot in Pelican Town. He tends to stay indoors or anywhere with shade, in other words, his work hours in the Saloon increased.

• Diluc always has a nice cold drink prepared for you if by any chance you were to pay a visit after a whole day of labour. It's a habit he's made subconciously as if it would be a natural occurance for you to enter the door. His colleagues would ask him who did he make that drink for? Honestly so cute i cri

• Moments like these remind him of Mondstadt, where he quietly wipes the glasses while listening to you talk. Your voice is soothing. Sun rays peek from the side casting onto the umber tables, reflecting a rich golden light as the radio plays a soft song in the background. It's so peaceful, the town was small hence not many people visited the bar, Diluc came to appreciate this warm privacy (plus no Venti and Kaeya which is a huge pog realization).

• Autumn: Harvest time baby. The kegs are full and the sheds are full of kegs. This season was huge stonks and the house ended up getting an upgrade. Diluc is the type of man who wants to make sure that his spouse wouldn't have to work another day of her life. I reckon this is why he's so ambitious because he wants you to have the best and you deserve the best. (Husband material. Slap a ring on him ladies).

When there was no more work left to do, time would be spend peacefully exploring the woods. While you skipped a few steps ahead as the leaves crunched beneath your feets, Diluc follows slowly from behind. He sees your back but his eyes stares somewhere far beyond whats in front of him: His future.

It was such a stark contrast to the one he envisioned before. One filled with uncertaintly, blocked by darkness with no silver lining in sight, endlessly wandering as he drags the claymore against the ground. There was never a day in which the Darknight hero wouldn't think of Mondstadt. Leaving the city in the incompetent hands of Ordo Favonious while Abyss Mages continue to lurk fuels him to find a way to return as soon as possible and yet...

"Higher big sis!" Jas tightens her hold on the ropes as you pushed the swing with all your might. She laughs, like a child, it was full of innocence and joy. Later Vincent came in and nugdes you, asking when his turn will come.

"You wanna go too? Alright alright don't worry," waiting for Jas to come down, you lift the boy up so that he was seated safely on the chair, "3..2..1 go!"

He wonders if he could just be a little selfish for once.

• Winter: Best man to have in this season. Every morning Diluc would find himself restricted in movements due to a pair of arms around his waist and legs entangled with yours. Turns out you've been doing it subconciously because he's just so warm (Diluc keeps it lowkey and pretends to sleep longer cuz of it)

~~xx~~

Kaeya

• Haha looks like the portal is gone, guess we'll be stuck forever :)). No kidding Kaeya would be so down to stay here for the rest of his life and the best part is to spend it with you. He doesn't show a shred of concern regarding Teyvat, not like he's easily shaken by events that are abnormal, but you can see that Kaeya is truly and genuinely happy. (You're stunned).

• Oho we also have this marvelous landscape just for the two of us? And a cozy little cabin to go along with it as well? This should be fun~

• Of course Kaeya would also know a few things about planting, just the basics since he did grow up with Diluc. When they were kids, Crepus would give each of them their own pots so they can grow their own plants. It eventually became a competitive thing where whoever's plant grows the fastest gets to eat the other person's dessert for a year (no one wins. They end up sabotaging each other which Diluc started first, thinking it'll be funny as a joke).

• You are, and will be going on dates with him. In fact, the amount of dates you two went on increased since then. The townspeople would call you two "lovebirds" since he's practically by your side 24/7.

• I mean he doesn't have the responsibilities as a Cavalry Captain anymore so what else is there to do?

• Would attend all annual events no matter what season.

• Evelyn constantly gushes how much of a wonderful pair you and Kaeya make and often is the one who provides Kaeya a fresh bouqet of flowers for him to use as a gift. George on the otherhand just rolled his eyes mumbling something along the lines of "youngsters these days" and "crazy hormones."

• Befriends Pam. Love for beer plus somewhat cynical attitude? They get along real swell! She starts sending some recipes into the mailbox of course saying if yall ever need a hand, let her know.

• Spring: I can see Kaeya be switching back and forth between caring for the farm or taking quests posted on Pierre's bulletin board. He likes to keep things interesting, learning the ways of the new world while also getting to know the people around town.

• Would NOT return Mayor Lewis' shorts in which he found in Marnie's room. It's such high quality blackmail material. Kaeya is currently plotting what is the best way to use it to his advantage.

• He didn't tell you of course.

• Summer: There are no blankets because he is your blanket. Since your cabin was small so was the bed. That's why he has to hold you so that no one falls off when rolling over. Either he hugs you with your nose close to his neck, or your back against his chest while spooning you or holding hands if sleeping on your sides became too much. Yall need a serious house upgrade.

• For some reason Kaeya becomes more energetic in the summer. He lets you rest in the shade while handling the farm work for the time being. If you guys got a pet it would be a cat. Hes the first one to refill their bowl every morning outside.

Another day passes as summer comes to an end, the town’s Mayor invited you and your lover to see the annual Dance Of the Moonlight Jellies. Kaeya being the opportunist was delighted to come along. Locking the door of your house, you follow him down the path and made your way to the beach.

Everyone from town was already gathered by the docks when the sun had disappeared down the horizon. You stood by his side in a space far from the others, watching the candle boats set off to ride the waves, lighting up a small ray of light for creatures to find.

“Wow,” your tone almost above a whisper, “If only our friends back home could see this too.”

“Perhaps,” he says. Kaeya slips his fingers into yours and you shot him a curious glance, “But let us enjoy this moment shall we? Just the two of us.”

And there they were. A sea of luminescence radiating colours of brilliant blue with hints of green like a city of laterns floating in a world below. Their image reflects in the star of Kaeya's eyes as he wonders, where would they go? Where would the light lead them? They were so free with nothing to worry, so serene just like the sea and unknowningly, he squeezes your hand. It was a sense for confirmation. One to remind him that this moment was indeed a reality he wishes to keep.

Autumn: Finally a house upgrade and a kitchen!! Because it was harvest season, you guys end up making a set of delicious meals with all the recipes the townspeople gave you. Kaeya can cook since he lived by himself back in Mondstadt. Most of the stuff he learned to make were food that can be accompanied by alcohol though...

• Ahah remember Mayor Lewis' lucky shorts? He found a use for them. It was displayed on the stands during the Stardew Valley Fair (Oh my how did this get here? Must be the wind). Ends up buying a Rarecrow for the farm when Lewis bribes him not to tell this to anyone.

Winter: This was mostly an indoor season for the both of you. With the existence of television, nights would be spent until morning while watching movies at the couch. A blanket drapes around your shoulders as extends to his. Oh and don't forget the hot chocolate!

#genshin impact #stardew valley #genshin impact headcanons #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #diluc #diluc ragnvindr #Kaeya #kaeya alberich #genshin x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #nya-writes #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines

406 notes · View notes

spencers-renaissance · 3 years

Text

you know that a boy who likes boys is a dead boy

Summary: Spencer's gay. He joins the BAU and befriends the team, but it is 2003. It's a secret he has to keep. He just didn't expect it to be this hard.

Tags: gay!spencer, coming out, hurt/comfort, insecure!spencer, misunderstandings, angst with a happy ending, dad hotch, protective!hotch, protective!derek, childhood trauma TW: one instance of explicit homophobia, but it is referenced a lot, as is Spencer's internalised homophobia at the start of this fic. A shit ton of heteronormativity but tbh that's just canon lol

Pairing: Spencer Reid/OMC, Spencer Reid & Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid & Aaron Hotchner, The BAU Team & Spencer Reid

Word Count: 6k

Masterlist // Read on AO3

Consider this my contribution to pride month 😌 I've waited so long to post it and I'm so glad I'm finally doing it because it's definitely one of my all time favourites <3 Gideon is here somewhere but just like with all my early season fics he's not really part of the plot I combined my moreid and gen taglists bc it was hard to know the audience for this, but just ignore it if you're not interested!

you know that a boy who likes boys is a dead boy, unless he keeps his mouth shut, which is what you didn’t do, because you are weak and hollow and it doesn’t matter anymore. — richard siken, a primer for the small weird loves

Spencer has only told one person in his whole life.

His mother guessed. For as long as he can remember, she’s used gender neutral pronouns when talking about his future partner, read him all the gay literature she could find, promised him that he’s perfect just the way he is.

The trouble is that Spencer only believes her until the first grade, when Ryan Sampson shoves him over in the playground and calls him gay. His mom had only ever used that term in a sweet, loving way, taking care to associate such words with positivity, as long as his dad wasn’t around to hear. When that word comes out of Ryan Sampson’s mouth, it is not said with sweetness and love; it is said with venom, and Spencer learns quickly that his mom is wrong. He is not perfect just the way he is.

And so, he keeps it a secret. When his mom notices him getting uncomfortable at the mention of future partners, she stops bringing it up, though she refuses to give up the diverse education she provides for him outside of school. His dad tells him that one day he’ll be a strapping young man and marry a nice girl in a church, and Spencer nods along. He ignores the way his stomach turns with anxiety at the thought. Ignores the screaming match his parents have that night. Ignores the fact that it started because Diana chipped in with ‘or boy’.

He’s in high school by the time he’s twelve, and the only part he’s grateful for is the absence of pressure to get a girlfriend. His dad’s out of the picture now, and Spencer tries not to let himself think that maybe if he wasn’t like this he might have stayed. Diana’s so out of it most days that she doesn’t remember what she noticed about him when he was a child, only recalling the last few years of shoving himself so far back in the closet he can hardly see the door anymore.

It feels like he’s lost his last ally.

(He hates that a small part of him feels relieved she doesn’t remember; that he almost feels assured by the fact that the last person to know who he really is has forgotten. There is only this version of Spencer Reid now. No other exists.)

He makes the mistake during his second undergraduate degree. He’s just turned eighteen but he is already a doctor and, fortunately, this alienates him from most of his peers, but someone manages to slide past his defences. Ethan Miller is twenty, in the second year of his (first) undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, and he’s nice. Spencer doesn’t have a lot of experience with friendship, but they get on well and Ethan makes him laugh. For the first time, he feels comfortable in the presence of anyone other than his mother.

They slip into an easy friendship: waiting for each other after class — Spencer back in the undergraduate buildings now he has his first PhD under his belt — and going out for ice cream and pizza and Thai food. Ethan goes to parties while Spencer studies, and then they reconvene to watch Doctor Who and play cards.

For almost a year, Spencer keeps his secret carefully locked up, hidden behind the mask he’s perfected after so many years. Even though he’s eighteen, nearly nineteen now, he doesn’t try and explore that side of himself. No, that’s far too risky. He doesn’t try and pretend any other way either, he just stays silent and lets people’s assumptions lie for him, but he can’t help the longing that claws up his throat when he locks eyes with a passing guy on campus. One time, he’d seen two men kiss on a bench in the city, and he’d run back to his dorm and had a panic attack. Why couldn’t he have that?

The feelings don’t stop, and he doesn’t know how to make them. He hates that he isn’t normal, but still longs for the touch of a man, the feeling of being wrapped up in strong arms, of being kissed by dry, chapped lips, and falling asleep to a heartbeat approximately 11% slower than that of a woman’s.

It’s a constant battle inside him, emotions raging, and he struggles to control it, suppress it, tame it.

He pays a sorry price.

Ethan makes him feel comfortable, and that turns out to be a detriment. He relaxes around the other boy: he tells him about growing up as a pre-teen in a high school, about how a child feels living 260 miles away from home, even about his mother’s illness.

And one day, it slips out. They’re on the beach, lying on towels as they look up at the blue sky, talking about what their futures will look like: Ethan will be a successful chemical engineer in Berlin, and Spencer will work for the FBI, profiling serial killers.

“You’ll have to marry a German girl,” he tells Ethan. “It’ll be tough to convince an American girl to move all the way to Germany as soon as you graduate.”

“Yeah, and what about you? You’ll be off fighting crime around the country, not much of a life for a family.”

“Oh, I imagine my husband will be the type to—”

“Husband?”

Spencer freezes. It shocks him as much as it shocks Ethan. He doesn’t even pay much attention to Ethan’s disgusted face and his outraged tirade. He hears slurs and insults, hears him say that he can’t believe Spencer tricked him like this, that he was probably waiting to make a move on him, that he was never to look in Ethan’s direction again, but Spencer is frozen in time.

He’s never allowed him to think much about what his personal life might look like in the future, but he’d said ‘husband’ on instinct, without thinking, and it’s clearly something he actually wants. Ethan’s words sting, but the moment brings about a realisation Spencer is thankful for; it instigates a journey of self-discovery and self-expression, of the joy of living as your true self.

He loses his first and only friend, but he gains something much more valuable. He visits gay bars — nervously sipping a non-alcoholic drink in the corner at first, before soon becoming confident enough to respond to the men who sidle up to him and ask for his name. He lets go and dances the night away, sometimes going home with one of the many dance partners he acquires during the night, sometimes heading back to his own dorm happily alone.

Makeup and dresses and skirts and heels make their way into his wardrobe, and he befriends girls and drag queens and other gay men who encourage him to be exactly the way he is. And the best part is, he never has to come out to any of them. All of them know, and that’s good enough for everyone.

The fun comes to a sad sort of slow, however, when he joins the BAU. Everyone knows law enforcement’s relationship with the LGBT community is less than adequate — Spencer’s seen it with his own eyes: butch lesbians and men in dresses getting roughed up by angry police officers for ‘lewd behaviour’ or ‘drunkenness’ when they’re just being themselves. It’s not safe for him to tell anyone, so he doesn’t.

He still goes out with his friends when he’s in town and wears makeup and dresses and crop tops when he’s at home, but presents as rigidly straight Dr Spencer Reid to his team at the BAU.

The hardest part about it is that he loves his team. He’s known Gideon for years — and he wouldn’t be surprised if he suspects something after coming over to his house unannounced one night, only to have a man other than Spencer open the door — but he settles into a comforting dynamic with Hotch. He can’t help but see him as something of a father figure, and he knows Hotch has a soft spot for him, always looking out for him and taking him under his wing without a moment’s hesitation.

Elle, JJ, and Penelope all take a shine to him, too, teasing him without a hint of malice in their tones, only the kind of playful kindness that reminds him of his mother. He forms a special bond with Penelope and they spend hours watching Doctor Who together and geeking out on all the areas their interests overlap, and the comfort he feels with her matches the comfort he’s found with his new group of queer friends.

(She doesn’t hold a candle to Ethan, he decides one night, after he’d cried at a movie she’d made him watch and she felt so bad she made him hot chocolate and jam toast and cuddled him until he felt better.)

Derek becomes a brother to him. He puts him in a headlock at least once a day — which Spencer has been reliably informed by multiple sources is a very brotherly thing to do — and teases him relentlessly, while simultaneously being fiercely protective of him. Enough so, that Spencer sometimes wonders if he even has Hotch beat in that department.

He loves his team and his team loves him. It should be simple. It is still 2003.

He comes in one morning late for a briefing, his shirt buttoned wrong and his hair is a mess, and he’s fairly sure that his attempt to cover the hickey at the base of his neck with concealer has been ultimately unsuccessful. It’s obvious why he’s late. Gideon is too engrossed in the case file to notice, but Hotch raises an eyebrow, an amused look on his face as everyone else immediately takes to teasing him.

“Who’s the lucky lady, pretty boy?”

Elle raises an eyebrow to match Derek’s shit-eating grin, “Someone definitely got some strange last night.”

“When do we get to meet her, Spence?” JJ asks, smirking as he takes a seat.

He’s bright red — as if he needed to look any more debauched — and Spencer tries to ignore the hurt that seizes his chest at the reminder of his need to stay quiet. This team respects him, and he can’t throw that away just because Spencer gets too comfortable.

God, he wishes Penelope was here.

“None of your business,” he mutters, trying to keep his tone light. He fails.

Naturally, Hotch notices and swiftly moves the briefing on, and Spencer keeps his gaze locked on the case file, not missing the absence of a reprimand from his superior. He’s constantly thankful for the older man, but in this moment, he wishes he could hug him.

(A voice that sounds dangerously close to Ethan’s rises up and taunts him in his ear: he wouldn’t want a dirty homo like you anywhere near him—)

Derek doesn’t let up on the case, continuing to bug him about the special lady in his life. He does concede that it could’ve been a one night stand, which is one front he’s right on, but a couple more concessions are necessary before Derek comes close to the truth of last night.

Eventually, Derek stops, and Spencer notes that the cessation of comments comes suspiciously close to the last time Derek and Hotch were alone together. He doesn’t have it in him to feel angry at Hotch for stepping in when he had it handled; doesn’t have the energy to act as though his pride is wounded, because really, neither of those things are true, and he doesn’t need to add another item to ‘Spencer Reid’s List of Things He Pretends to Be.’

The situation is forgotten, and time moves on.

Things change when he finds his first proper boyfriend. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the giddying rush of emotions it turns out to be, and Spencer spends his days smiling as he daydreams his time away.

His name is Oscar Wilkins, a History professor at Georgetown University, and Spencer falls quickly in love with him. Ever since their mutual friend had introduced them at a gay bar one evening, they’d spent all their free time together. He’s kind and gentle and understanding of Spencer’s hectic and unpredictable job, and he finally has the chance to experience everything he quietly and shamefully longed for as a teenager.

The only downside is the silent breaking of Spencer’s heart that the most important people in his life can’t meet his boyfriend. He longs to show Oscar off, to hold hands in front of his team, lean up to press a tender kiss to Oscar’s lips. He wants to put a framed picture of the two of them at the Washington Monument on his desk to remind him of why he needs to get through the hard days; he doesn’t want to have to sneak out of the hotel room he shares with Derek to whisper hushed, loving goodnights over the phone.

But he’s too scared. Too cowardly.

It’s different being who he is with his gay group of friends littered with wlws and drag queens and other gay and bisexual guys. They understand.

But Derek and Hotch are two extremely masculine, alpha men: Derek’s a ladies’ man and Hotch is married to a woman he met in college with a baby on the way and both have a strong and dominant energy that still sometimes manages to intimidate Spencer even after all these years. And Elle and JJ are lovely — some of his closest friends, really — but sometimes they remind him a little too much of the mean girls he went to high school with.

The hardest person to keep his secret from, though, is Penelope. She’s his best friend and he desperately wants to give her all of him, but he’s so scared. He’s lost a best friend to this secret before, and even though he’s certain she’d be fine with it, what if she accidentally let it slip to Derek? What if Hotch found out and didn’t see him in the same light anymore? What if the girls started teasing him? What if Gideon didn’t want to mentor him anymore?

The fear paralyses him. And it’s a cycle he doesn’t know how to break.

Fear, though, doesn't stop everyone from noticing his daydreaming, his dopey smile when he checks his messages, his urgency to get home where he would’ve stayed until the small hours of the morning before. As excellent as he is at hiding his sexuality, he’s fucking terrible at hiding the fact that he’s in love: it was easy enough to pretend he was straight, but hiding something this all-consuming is an impossible ask.

Derek comes over to perch on the edge of his desk one afternoon, sighing as he sits down. “Pretty boy, this is getting ridiculous,” he says, snatching Spencer’s attention away from his phone. “You’ve been grinning like an idiot for the last twenty minutes as you’ve texted Future Mrs Reid. When are we going to meet her?”

(He hates the new nickname the team has given his mystery significant other, although Oscar had found it hilarious. “It’s funny because when we get married, we’ll hardly be able to tell,” he’d argued through his laughter. “Neither of us will change our name because of our academic profiles, and we’ll both still be ‘Dr’. Our wedding rings will be the only indicator.”

Spencer hadn’t argued back, because he’d been too tongue-tied and flushed pink at Oscar’s use of ‘when’ in regards to their hypothetical nuptials. It was only made bearable by Oscar kissing him gently and tucking him under his arm, not embarrassing him any further as Spencer had sort of anticipated, warmth settling over his chest at the thought of their future together.)

“You won’t,” he replies, perhaps a little too curtly.

Derek starts at that, clearly not expecting it. He definitely should’ve tried to play it off as a joke. “What— should I be offended, pretty boy?”

You wouldn’t call me that if you knew who I really am.

“That’s up to you, Derek,” he says calmly, although he still can’t meet his eyes, “but you won’t meet the ‘Future Mrs Reid, so I think it would probably be best if you left it alone.”

“Damn,” Derek mutters under his breath, clearly pissed off and probably more hurt than Spencer ever intended. “Suit yourself.”

And with that, he gets up and leaves his desk. Spencer’s only solace is the text message he sees on his phone when he picks it back up: I love you so much. You know that, right?

The light-hearted ridicule comes to an abrupt halt after the incident with Derek, and it’s clear that he had been the biggest contributor to the teasing. He’s thankful that the jokes have stopped, but he wishes desperately that it didn’t come with the growing distance between him and his team. Loneliness takes the place of his previous irritated anxiety, and he isn’t sure what’s worse.

It all comes to a head at the end of a case in Michigan. They’re stuck in the lounge of the small inn they’d stayed in the last few days, a snowstorm having blocked them in and grounded the jet, although Gideon had long since retreated to his room. The fire’s going and they’re the only guests around, so it’s cosy enough, but Spencer can’t help but feel sick at the idea of another night away from home.

It’s only been two weeks since he’d snapped at Derek, but the chasm between him and the team is only widening with each passing day. He knows it’s not a case of ‘pick a side’, but the team’s morale relies on light-hearted banter and teasing, and him not being a part of that anymore has only brewed awkwardness. Everyone’s trying to give him space when space is the last thing he wants.

Oscar’s keeping him company over the phone at least, but it’s not quite enough to quell the loneliness swimming around his stomach, and the 'discrete' sideways looks he gets from the team only make him feel worse.

“At least it’s nice and toasty in here,” JJ sighs as she takes a sip of the hot chocolate the kindly inn owner had made for them all.

Elle hums in agreement. “There are worse places to be grounded.”

“I dunno, man, I just wanna get home,” Derek says, not taking his eyes off the fire. Spencer can’t help but agree.

“Oh, come on,” Hotch muses, considerably more jovial now the case is over, “we’re here, and that’s not going to change any time soon. We should make the most of it.”

“It’s at least nice to be somewhere sort-of Christmassy now it’s December,” Elle points out. “We could be stuck in a dingy police station like we probably will be next week.”

“Ooh, I noticed that Jemimah and Kiran started planning the Christmas party last week,” JJ says, smiling at them. “I offered my help, but they seem to have it covered.”

Hotch raises an eyebrow“That’s probably a good thing. You don’t need more work on your plate.”

“Not gonna argue with that,” she murmurs, smiling as she brings her mug to her lips again.

Spencer doesn’t miss that Derek is still stewing on the opposite side of the room.

“Are you looking forward to the Christmas party, Spencer? Will you come?” Hotch asks, clearly trying to rope him into the conversation, which he appreciates. He’s been making a lot of effort with him the past few weeks, and it’s just about the only thing that’s getting him through each day.

Before he can reply, though, Derek erupts from the other side of the room; an already pissed-off man being pushed over the edge. “He won’t even let us meet his fucking girlfriend, Hotch, he’s not gonna want to come to the Christmas party!” he yells, throwing his hands in the air as he glares at Spencer with a stormy expression raging across his face.

Suddenly, Spencer can’t stay silent anymore, and his retort shocks himself just as much as it does everyone else. “I don’t have a girlfriend!”

It might be the loudest he’s ever shouted in his whole life. He’s always been quiet and restrained, the type to state his feelings as calmly as possible no matter how he’s feeling on the inside. Even in the biggest fight he’s had with Oscar, his voice was barely loud enough to qualify as a shout.

There’s a brief stunned silence, but Derek quickly slices his way through it, voice raising to meet Spencer’s fiery emotion, fierce and loud. “Oh, don’t even go there, Reid, you’re really gonna try and argue that? You’re gonna lie about her as well as not let us meet her? What a boyfriend you are.”

“I don’t! I don’t have a girlfriend!” he repeats, voice catching this time as tears rise unbidden to the backs of his eyes and all the emotions of the journey he’s taken with his sexuality over the years flood him in a wave of intensity he’s not prepared for.

“You’re fucking lying—!”

“I have a boyfriend!” he yells. “Alright? I have a boyfriend. I’m gay.”

The anger and emotion quickly dissipates, and he’s left standing alone in front of the team he’s put so much effort into hiding this from, watching shock spell out across everyone’s expressions. He’s never felt smaller than he does in that moment, and he quickly grabs his phone before running upstairs to his room, locking the door behind him.

“Oh God, Oscar, I fucked up so bad,” he cries over the phone as soon as his boyfriend picks up.

“Hey, hey, breathe, baby,” Oscar says gently, but Spencer can hear the anxious concern in his voice, “it’s gonna be okay, I promise. I’m here. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“I just— Oh God, I just told the team.” A new wave of horror rolls over him as he realises what he’s done. Times might be changing, but it’s still only 2006, and he doesn’t know each and every nuance of his team members’ political positions and, fuck, he hates that his existence is a fucking political position.

Oscar’s been so understanding of his reluctance to not tell the team, even though Spencer’s met pretty much everyone in his life. He isn’t sure what he’s done to earn such a gracious and understanding boyfriend, but he’s not about to question it.

“Baby, I know it’s scary, and I know you’re really worked up right now,” he counsels, voice soft and reassuring, using the nickname he knows Spencer loves the most to make him feel as safe as he can from 700 miles away, “but it’s probably not as bad as you think. From what you’ve told me about the team, they love you so much, and even in the case that in the past they've had some issue with gay people, I can't imagine they’d ever actually think of you any differently when it comes down to it, Spencer.”

He’s crying too hard to reply, and Oscar understands immediately, gently transitioning into a story about his day that slowly starts to calm him down, and by the time he’s wrapping it up, his tears are starting to subside.

“Thank you, Ozzy,” he whispers into the phone, lifting himself up off the floor and making his way to sit on the bed instead.

“You know I’d do anything for you, sweetheart,” he murmurs warmly. “Do you want me to stay on the phone for a bit?”

“Yes please,” he whispers again, holding it as close to himself as possible, drawing all the comfort he can from his boyfriend’s voice.

He lies there listening to Oscar’s voice and trying not to think about the disaster downstairs for a good ten minutes before there’s a tap at the door.

“Oz, there’s someone here,” he says, voice panicked.

“I think you should probably speak to them, baby,” he urges. “I’ll stay on the phone with you while you do, if you like?”

“Please.” He gets up from the bed gingerly, keeping his phone tightly gripped in his right hand as he slowly unlocks the door with his left, revealing Hotch on the other side.

“Hey, Spencer. Do you mind if I come in?”

He’s riddled with nerves, but Hotch is smiling warmly, and he’s never said a harsh word to Spencer, so he steps aside and lets him into his room.

Hotch quickly notices the phone in his hand, visibly still on a call. “Is that your boyfriend?”

Spencer nods.

“Do you mind if I talk to him?”

His brows knit in confusion and his lips part slightly in surprise, but it’s all he can do to hand the phone over, watching Hotch carefully.

“Hi, Spencer tells me this is his boyfriend?” Hotch inquires politely into the phone, his tone still warm. “I’m Hotch, Spencer’s boss.”

He can vaguely hear Oscar speaking on the other end of the line, and he worries slightly that Oscar will somehow give away the familial feelings he holds for Hotch, but the conversation doesn’t last long enough for the anxiety to really take over.

“Everything’s fine here, I just want to have a conversation with Spencer, so is it alright if we hang up and I talk to him alone for a minute? He can call you straight back afterwards.” After a brief pause in which Oscar says something, Hotch looks back up at him. “Are you okay with that, Spencer?”

He nods hesitantly, and Hotch says a quick goodbye to Oscar before surging forwards and wrapping Spencer in a hug. It catches him off guard, but he doesn’t waste any time in burying his face into Hotch’s neck and soaking in the comfort and warmth that always radiates from his father figure.

“Come on,” Hotch says softly as they pull away a good minute or so later, “let’s sit down, shall we?”

“You’re not mad?” Spencer can’t help but ask, the question burning his tongue as anxiety — however quietened from Hotch’s hug — still swims around in his stomach.

“There are many things that could make me mad, Spencer,” he says earnestly, “but this is not one of them. I would never be angry at you for being who you are, okay? I might… I might be overstepping here, and if I am, then tell me and I’ll back off, but I’ve always seen you as a mentee, and over the years that’s developed— well, I see you more as a son these days. And part of that is wanting to protect and support you no matter what you do or say or who you are.”

Spencer wastes no time in diving back in for a hug, clinging onto Hotch for dear life as he hugs back, rubbing his back gently.

“I’m so sorry you didn’t feel like you could tell us sooner, Spencer,” he says in a voice soft with affection and regret. “But I’m so glad you’ve told us now.”

He only presses closer at that, tears springing back to his eyes. “I didn’t want to lose you.” He knows what he’s implying, and even in a roundabout way, he’s glad he’s telling Hotch.

“Oh, Spence,” he sighs sadly, “you couldn’t do a single thing to lose me. I’m in it for the long haul.”

“Really?” he asks, hating how insecure he sounds.

“Really,” Hotch promises, pulling away as Spencer does. “Now, you have a whole team of agents downstairs who are feeling very sorry for themselves and really want to see you.”

Nausea rolls in his stomach and panic springs back up as he looks at Hotch, desperate for some sort of grounding. “Are they angry at me? Do they hate me now?”

“No one hates you, Spencer,” he says firmly. “I promise you that. Everyone just wishes that they’d made you feel more welcome and comfortable. We all hate that you felt you had to lock up something so integral to who you are, and we can’t help but feel we played a part in it.”

“No,” he protests — the last thing he wants is family blaming themselves when it has nothing to do with them, “it’s not your fault, it’s just…”

Hotch nods. “I understand, it’s okay. Now, do you want to go down and see them? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it might help ease your mind to see that they really don’t hate you.”

Spencer pauses, taking a moment to think. “Can I see Derek first?”

“Of course,” Hotch says understandingly, and the comforting smile that crosses his face makes Spencer feel safe and taken care of. “I’ll send him up?”

Spencer nods and Hotch hugs him once more before leaving the room almost reluctantly. He wastes no time in picking up his phone and sending a text to Oscar. You were right. Hotch is fine. He’s just sending Derek up before I go and see the team but he says that no one’s angry and I think I believe him. Thank you, Oscar. I love you.

Not even half a minute goes past before his phone lights up with a text back. I’m so glad, baby. Call me later, okay? I want to make sure you’re okay before I go to bed. I love you more.

Before Spencer can argue that actually, he is the one more in love with the other, a hesitant knock sounds on his door. Nerves suddenly flip his stomach, and he clenches and unclenches his fists a couple of times before forcing himself to cross the room, revealing a very worried and regretful-looking Derek.

“Oh, pretty boy,” he says sadly, before crushing Spencer in a warm and tender hug. Immediately, he relaxes into the arms of one of his best friends, and relief courses through his blood at Derek’s reaction. “I am so sorry that I ever made you feel like you couldn’t tell me that you were gay or had a boyfriend. That’s completely on me. I don’t care who you love, Spencer, I just want you to be happy, okay? And if this guy makes you happy, then that’s fine by me. But if he ever lays a hand on you or—”

“Derek, Derek,” he laughs, “it’s fine I get it. Thank you, though, I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier and for snapping at you in the bullpen that time…”

“I understand, Spence,” he promises. “It’s in the past, okay? And I’m sorry for pushing so hard. I mean, I’d love to meet him but if you don’t feel comfortable or you don’t want to, that’s fine, too. It’s your life, man.”

“No, I… I think I want you guys to meet him. It’s been so hard to keep him away from the people I consider my family, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Maybe after Christmas, we can all have dinner or something.”

Spencer smiles shyly. “Well, Oscar’s a great cook, so I reckon we could work something out.”

Derek grins, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he immediately jumps back into teasing him as they make their way to the door to go downstairs and see the rest of the team. “Ooh, lover boy’s got him a chef, hey? What else does this Oscar have going for him?”

Spencer chatters eagerly about his boyfriend to Derek, barely skipping a beat when he joins everyone downstairs, his friends taking his cues and joining in with the conversation seamlessly. He’s had enough fuss for one night, and the warmth and understanding on everyone’s faces tells him everything he needs to know.

“Do you have any pictures of him?” JJ asks, raising an eyebrow with eager expectancy as they all settle back into their seats by the fire, a warm and unbelievably happy feeling settling in Spencer’s stomach.

He blushes, digging out his phone from his pocket and unlocking it. “More than a few, I think.”

He finds the most recent picture of his boyfriend — a candid shot of him cooking in the kitchen, spatula aloft, and a huge grin on his face — and hands the phone around.

“Oh wow, you like them buff, huh, pretty boy?” Derek teases as soon as he gets his hands on it, and Spencer’s stomach twists in a sudden bout of fear, expecting to see some hesitancy or even disgust on his friend’s face. What if he thinks that Spencer has a crush on him? What if he’s uncomfortable around him now?

But if Derek’s having any of those thoughts, they don’t show on his face. He’s smiling widely and openly, all the pent-up anxiety and frustration borne from hurt gone from his body language, and he looks completely comfortable sat next to Spencer, his arm stretched out behind him on the back of the sofa.

They sit happily around the fire for a couple of hours, settling into a happy, intimate familiarity Spencer hadn’t realised was missing when he was hiding something so integral to his being from his family, and he’s still smiling when they finally part ways to head to bed, the clock ticking closer and closer to 1 am.

He gets ready for bed quickly, brushing his teeth and throwing on the top he’d stolen from Oscar the first time he’d stayed at his place; a welcome change from his worn and wrinkled suit. As soon as his teeth are brushed and the lights are all off except for his bedside lamp, he pulls out his phone, knowing there’s one more thing he has to do before he goes to sleep.

“Spencer?” Penelope’s voice sounds down the line, clearly concerned. “It’s almost 2 am here, are you okay?”

“I’m gay,” he says, getting straight to the point. The main reason he ever kept it from her was because of his fear of it accidentally getting out to the team rather than fear over her reaction. After all, multiple of his drag queen friends are also hers.

“Oh my God,” she says in that small voice she uses when she’s not actually talking to you, before finally actually replying to me. “Spencer, I’m so happy you told me!”

He doesn’t miss her choice of words, or the way she says them and he tilts his head suspiciously. “You already knew, didn’t you?”

She sighs. “Yeah. I’m sorry, a couple of months ago I saw a text from Oscar on your phone when you went to the bathroom during one of our Doctor Who marathons, and it wasn’t hard to figure out the relationship.”

“And… wait, you’re not mad at me for not telling you sooner?”

“Spencer! Of course not. I was waiting for you to be comfortable enough to share it with me. I felt awful that I knew without your consent but I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to catch you off guard or make you feel uncomfortable. It’s fine that you waited, baby genius, I’m just so happy you told me now. What finally gave you the courage?”

“Well, it might have slipped out in front of the team this evening,” he admits sheepishly, “and the only reason I never told you was because I was scared that it would slip out somehow — accidentally, of course, I didn’t think you’d tell anyone on purpose — and now everyone knows. It’s been killing me not to tell you, Penelope, it really has because I love you so much and you’re my best friend and I trust you with my life, it’s just…”

“Whoa, slow down, Spence,” she laughs fondly, “you don’t have to explain yourself to me, I understand. But I’m glad you finally told everyone and you can be yourself completely with us, now. We all love you no matter what, you know that right?”

“I do now.”

“Good. You should get some sleep, baby boy, it’s late and you’ve had an emotional evening.”

Spencer smiles. “Yeah, I know. You should, too, Pen. I’ll see you when we can finally make it home, okay? Love you.”

“Love you, too, 187,” she says softly, and Spencer can hear the smile in her voice. “Goodnight.”

As soon as he hangs up, he settles down into the bed, turning off the light and pulling the duvet up over his shoulders before dialling one more number.

“Hey, baby,” Oscar says, voice as gentle and caring as it always is, although thicker with tiredness now. “I take it everything went okay?”

“Yeah,” Spencer murmurs, already feeling tired as the safety he always feels at the sound of Oscar’s voice settles into the fibres of his being. “It went so well. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.”

“I can’t wait either, sweetheart. Are you in bed now?”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “Can you talk to me as I fall asleep?”

“Anything for you, Spence,” he says softly, before transitioning seamlessly into a story about the professors on campus, and his gentle comfort and the knowledge of the unconditional love his family has for him finally lulls Spencer into the best sleep he’s had in weeks.

taglist : @criminalmindsvibez @moreidstrobed @suburban--gothic @strippersenseii @takeyourleap-of-faith @negativefouriq @makaylajadewrites @iamrenstark @livrere-blue @hotchseyebrows @reidology @i-like-buttons @spencerspecifics @bau-gremlin @hotchedyke @tobias-hankel @goobzoop @marsjareau @garcias-bitch @oliverbrnch @physics-magic @sbeno22 @temily @enbyspencer @im-autistic @anxious-enby @kuolonsyoja @reidreids (add yourself to my taglist via this form!!)

166 notes · View notes

inevitably-johnlocked · 3 years

Note

Hi Steph! reading your blog has become a sort of guilty pleasure for me. Thanks for everything, it’s so clear that you put a lot of time and energy into your content. I was wondering if you have any johnlock fics that feature a particularly well-written or memorable original character? I always love to see how authors integrate their own character creations into johnlock stories!

Hey Nonny!

Ahhhh!! This is a GREAT request, because I like well-written OC’s in fics, so yeah, this is a great list to make. Here’s what I recall from my bookmarks. Please add your own faves, friends!

MEMORABLE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Ex by Itsallfine (T, 1,248 w., 1 Ch. || Angsty Fluff, Love Confessions, Coming Out, Exes, First Kiss, Fake Relationship, Getting Outed) – One night, in the midst of their post-case high and on the cusp of something more, John and Sherlock run into John’s ex. His ex-boyfriend.

The Prize We Sought Is Won by deathfrisbees (E, 4,610 w., 1 Ch. || First Time, Mild D/S, Oral, Military Kink, Bottomlock) – Sherlock's in love, or in lust, or both--unfortunately, the object of his affections is not only his completely oblivious flatmate, but said flatmate would probably run screaming into the hills should he find out. John's been invited to a wedding--unfortunately, the groom used to serve under him back in Afghanistan, and requests that John wear a uniform he's honestly not sure he fits into. Unfortunately for both flatmates, Sherlock's got a military kink the size of Kandahar and John wants to know if he actually can fit into this uniform or if his eyes are deceiving him. It goes from there.

Time on my hands by Mildredandbobbin (M, 7,179 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-S3, One Night Stands, Mutual Pining, Virgin Sherlock, First Time, Sexual Exploration / Discovery, Desperation, Body Worship) – Virginity’s a construct, a concept—what does losing one’s virginity entail for a gay man anyway? Sherlock wants to fill that particular gap in his knowledge but John won’t, can’t, never will assist and there’s only so much desperately unspoken pining even Sherlock can take.

High and Tight, Soft and Loose by cwb (E, 7,429 w., 1 Ch. || Jealous John, Miscommunications / Misunderstandings, First Kiss / Time, BAMF John, Insecure Sherlock, Clueless Sherlock, POV John, Embarrassed John, Adorable Sherlock, Junk Size, UST / RST) – John pressed the knuckle of his index finger against his mouth and sighed. “So, you're coiled like a spring and ready to be ... sprung?” “If you want to be pedestrian about it, yes.” “Like I said, you should do something about that.” “And like I said, pedestrian. What would you have me do? Take up jogging? Yoga? Oh! Unless you mean –” “I don't mean anything. Let’s drop it.”

Matters of National Security by mistyzeo (E, 8,465 w., 1 Ch. || BAMF John, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Dating, Bisexuality, Arguing, Stupidity, Teasing, First Kiss/Time, Hand Jobs, Frottage, RST, Idiots in Love) – John starts dating a male client of Sherlock's, and Sherlock can't figure out why he's so incensed about it.

High Tide by stardust_made (T, 8,540 w., 1 Ch. || Jealousy, Angst, First Kiss) – A little favour Sherlock stupidly agrees to do for Mycroft leads to John meeting a handsome, affluent man, who is going out of his way to woo him. Sherlock struggles with the situation and with his own reactions to it. Part 1 of The High Tide Series

Iris by slashscribe (E, 11,948 w., 1 Ch. || Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Post-S3) – Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness.

A Brand of Gold by aquabelacqua (M, 12,757 w., 1 Ch. || Mutual Pining, POV John, Phone Sex, Texting, Masturbation, Long Distance, Drunk Texting) – What am I doing? he wondered. The answer came back at once: Flirting. He let the vital, missing piece snap into place as surely and as cleanly as if it had always been there. He was flirting with Sherlock Holmes.

Twelfth Night by yourdykeinshiningarmor (E, 15,139 w., 5 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Christmas, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Angst & Fluff, BJ’s, Anal) – John is invited to his aunt's Twelfth Night ball. Sherlock offers to attend with him as a friendly face among strangers, but John's family force him to address his true feelings for Sherlock.

Vessel by Rhuia (E, 15,695 w., 1 Ch. || Cancer, Medfic) – That was the surprising bit – the way his doctor said it, eyes shining with sympathy but breathing it out, shifting it off her shoulders and thrusting it onto his, making him take it like an unwanted gift.

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w., 1 Ch. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John, Past Abuse, Insecure John, Reassuring / Caring Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Understanding Sherlock) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

Winter's Delights by Kate_Lear (E, 21,173 w., 1 Ch. || Holmes Family, Christmas, Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Bed Sharing, Domestics) – Sherlock takes John home for Christmas to meet the extended Holmes family. Part 1 of Winter's Delights

A Shipless Ocean by myswordfishmind (M, 22,135 w., 4 Ch. || Post-TRF, John has a Kid, Angst, Reunion, Falling in Love, Open Ending) – Ten years after the fall Sherlock goes back to London to find that John no longer lives there. Instead, he resides in a seaside town, a widower, and the father of a seven year old son. Now, Sherlock must struggle with the fact that there may no longer be a place for him in this new world.

Maintaining A Personal Life by Gingerhermit (E, 24,284 w., 6 Ch. || Alternating POV’s, Bisexuality, BAMF!John, Jealous Sherlock, Romance / Drama, Sort-of Case Fic, Peril & Angst, Love Confessions, Toplock, Soft Idiots in Love, Post S3) – Sherlock and John discover some interesting revelations about each other’s sexuality, which lead them both to question the assumptions they've made about one another for years. In the midst of their mutual discoveries, a dangerous psychopath looms on the side-lines who threatens to destroy their new beginning.

26 Pieces by Lanning (E, 28,236 w., 1 Ch. || H/C, Torture, First Time, Happy Ending, Schmoop, Past Abuse) – Mycroft gives Sherlock the apparently simple task of solving a puzzle box containing a stolen microchip. It isn't simple.

Where Else Would I Be? by cwb (E, 34,910 w., 10 Ch. || Retirementlock, Domestic Fluff, Falling in Love, Parentlock, Fluff and Smut, Reminiscing) – John and Sherlock's five-year-old granddaughter spends the weekend with them in Sussex. Sherlock happily indulges her whims, and John takes care of them while quietly revisiting the past thirty years of their lives together.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice, Escort Service) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

Nothing to Make a Song About by emmagrant01 (E, 36,833 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Time, Reunion, Jealous John, Pining Sherlock, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, Sherlock Has a Boyfriend) – When Sherlock returned from his faked death, John could not forgive him for the deception and broke off their friendship. Ten years later, John returns to London in search of yet another new beginning. Sherlock, not surprisingly, is waiting.

Set in Stone by SilentAuror (E, 39,309 w., 1 Ch. || Romance, Wedding, Therapy, Fluff and Angst) – Sherlock and John are back from Ravine Valley and planning their wedding. However, as they move past the trial of the human traffickers, Sherlock can't help but wonder if he's imagining that John is becoming a little distant. Surely he isn't getting cold feet about the wedding... Part 2 of The Ravine Valley series

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst, Promise of Forever) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

Corpus Hominis by mycapeisplaid (E, 47,709 w., 12 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Case Fic, Fluff, Romance, Frottage, Angst, Anal, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Spas / Massages, Shampoo, Jealousy, Fake Relationship) - John knows the human body intimately. He’s had plenty of opportunity for study as a doctor, soldier, and lover. There’s one particular body, however, he knows very little about. When Sherlock launches himself head-first into a new obsession and they get sent on a case in an unlikely location, the pair discovers each other’s bodies with confusing yet delightful (and sometimes hilarious) results.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore (NR [E], 54,437 w., 50 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post S3, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst, Family, Drug Use, Depression, Sherlock POV, Light Humour, Reconnecting, Declarations of Love) – Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world … and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

Wars We Fought, Things We're Not by blueink3 (M, 55,204 w., 10 Ch. || Post S3 / Post TAB, Parentlock, Fluff & Angst, Kidnapping, Whump, Post-TAB, UST/URT, 3G, Mild Peril, Slow Burn, Couple for a Case, Protective Mycroft, Infant Death Pre-Story, Friends to Lovers) – Five months after John's world has fallen apart, Mycroft sends the consulting detective and his doctor on a case that neither is prepared for.

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

The Great Sex Olympics of 221B by XistentialAngst (E, 58,611 w., 10 Ch. || First Time/Kiss, Experiments / Sexual Experimentations, Multi Pairings, Voyeurism) – John Watson thinks Sherlock Holmes should admit that he, Watson, is more of an expert on sex than Sherlock is. But Sherlock refuses to concede the point. He comes up with an experiment plan that will resolve the issue. The results will determine who wins the prize. But sometimes even the best thought-out scientific study has unexpected consequences.

Bridging the Ravine by SilentAuror (E, 58,887 w., 3 Ch. || Post S4, Couple For a Case, Bed-Sharing, First Times, Confessions, Awkwardness, Sex Trafficking, Massages, Wet T-Shirt Contest, Group Therapy, Past Loss of Child) – Sherlock and John go undercover at Ravine Valley, a therapy centre for same-sex male couples in an investigation into a possible human trafficking ring. As they pose as a couple and fake their way through the therapy sessions for the sake of the case, it quickly becomes difficult to avoid discussing their very real issues. Set roughly six nine months after series 4.

The Bells of King's College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It's only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths...

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w., 18 Ch. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he's a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover's trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world's highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

Secrets and Revelations by Hisstah (E, 83,535 w., 9 Ch. || Sentinel / Guides Omegaverse AU || Adventure, Violence, Anal / Oral, Omega!John / Alpha!Sherlock, Case Fic, Politics, Mild DubCon) – Dr John Watson has some major secrets that he's kept from his flatmate, Alpha Sentinel Sherlock Holmes. Now the Sentinel Tower is after him. Can John stay out of their hands until he can reveal his secrets to Sherlock? Part 1 of Secrets and Revelations

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater / Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

Maintenance and Repair by patternofdefiance (E, 106,650 w., 71 Ch. || Future AU, Augmentation || Augmented John, Depression, Body Modification, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi, Self-Care, Body Dysmorphia) – John wants to explain the rush of sensation and data, which is just another form of sensation (or is it the other way around?). John wants to say: Augmentation circuits report temperature, pressure, various forms of quantitative input. Sudden changes are reported as pain, since sudden changes are dangerous, and pain is the quickest way to encourage reflexive extraction. But all John can manage is, “Nng.” Because this sudden touch is not reporting as pain. Part 2 of STATIC

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard (M, 119,150 w., 21 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, John’s Sexuality, S3 Rewrite, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV John Watson, John’s Gay) – When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men. Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Swan Triad Series by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers' attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w., 17 Ch. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We're all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

The Adventure of the Silver Scars by tangledblue (NR [M], 142,458 w., 41 Ch. || S3 Fix-It, Post-HLV/ Post-TAB / Canon Compliant, Case Fic, No Baby, Angst, Humour, UST, Slow Burn, Angry John, Reconciliation, Not Nice Mary / Leaving Mary, Dependent Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Caretaker John, Fist Fights, It’s An Experiment, Virgin Sherlock, Dancing, Drugging, John Whump, Pet Names, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Scars) – It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.

The Lost Special: Family Matters (As Do Relationships) by ShirleyCarlton (M, 144,688 w., 40 Ch. || S4 Fix It Fic, Unreliable Narrator, John’s Mind Bungalow, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending) – Sherrinford is not really the name of some high security prison. That was just a figment of John’s frantic coma dream. And Eurus is not actually Sherlock’s sister. That’s just something random she said to John before shooting him. Sherlock and John were never actually estranged. That was just their act to cover up what really happened to Mary – or Rosamund Moran, as her real name has turned out to be. Sherlock does have a secret sibling, though, and his name is Sherrinford. After finally eliminating Moran – though in a rather dramatically different way than they had envisioned – and exposing the truth about Eurus, John encourages Sherlock to delve into his past and to find out whether the reasons to keep Sherrinford away from Sherlock were the right ones, and to discover what really happened in 1981. Along the way, Sherlock and John gradually, finally, stop keeping each other at a distance, and eventually become a proper family of their own. (SC’s version of Sherrinford may as well be an OC; he’s well written and different from Canon)

Sketchy by serpentynka (E, 184,053 w., 83 Ch. || Post-TRF, Post-Mary, John Whump, Slow Burn Love Story, Case Fic, Art, Porn With Feelings, Switchlock, Travelling, Career Change, Family Secrets, Illness / Health) – What (and who) will be left when nobody cares about your Work? A slow-burn fic with cases, places, mistaken identities, unfair choices, essential changes, violent feels, blatant lies, fearless portraiture, family secrets, high-risk bespoke gifts, durable friendships, bedtime stories, foreign travel and tongues, sickness (and health), and the significance of things which are slow to unfurl -- but cannot be ignored. Oh, and...porn. Part 1: Sherlock takes on an obvious case (barely a 4) and meets someone who will force him to re-examine what it means to see. Part 1 of Sketchy

The Gilded Cage by BeautifulFiction (E, 326,887 w., 31 Ch. || Omegaverse || Omega Sherlock / Alpha John, Friends to Lovers, Dub Con, Reproductive Rights) – In a world where Omegas are the property of the elite Alphas, locked away and treasured by those wealthy enough to buy them, John never questioned his flatmate's secondary gender. Sherlock Holmes was an Alpha through-and through. Wasn't he? A chance discovery turns the world on its head, and John is left grappling to come to terms with Sherlock's past as events conspire to threaten their future.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #original characters #my fic recs #Anonymous #long post

226 notes · View notes