TOP 5 OFMD AUS (not counting yours which is PERFECT)

(Oh, you! Thank you very much!) Now, THIS is a top five I can sink my teeth into. In the GOmens fandom I did some pretty substantial fic rec lists back in the day, when I had things like energy and time, so picking just five is gonna be tough...I will do my best! There is such a wealth of creativity in this fandom!

First: Leda House and the Kraken 'Verse by @dragonmuse (Usually M, some E, some T). I got in on the ground floor on this one and have been on a beautiful emotional journey with it ever since. It's the drag queen AU that just won't quit. Running the gamut from screamingly funny to heartbreakingly poignant to quietly cathartic, there are even AUs within the AU sure to scratch as many itches as you care to manifest, all while maintaining a solid sense of character and voice throughout. Truly worth investing time and attention to, A+++++.

Second: adrift between the dreaming seas by teaDragon (M). Do you want a funky fairy tale vibe with talking animals, surprising curses, a Kraken with big doe eyes, and a deeply emotional journey to self-acceptance? Of COURSE you do. And you want some lighthouse imagery with that? YES. Put this in your eyeballs immediately, because trust me, TRUST ME, it's a keeper.

Third: The Nettles in the Garden Don't Go Away by JRaylin441 (M). Are you tired of the same old same old soulmate AUs? Just want something with a fresh twist? How about a side of the slowest burn imaginable, heaped with excruciating emotional growth and breathtaking poetic imagery? Don't skip out on this one, then, because if your goal in life is to Feel Things about your blorbos, it doesn't get more feelingsy than this bad boy right here. Drowning in the feelings, you might say. Still updating, just as a warning, but well worth the wait, in my opinion. You feel every second of these boys' growth arcs, and it does absolutely start at childhood and is taking us through canon--and hopefully beyond, but who's to say? A true gem.

Fourth: Catch Fish by Cesare (T). Let's get a little lighter with a series about catfishing and unraveling the plots thereof. Yes, this is less heavy than it seems, so far consisting of two fics covering the two sides of the story: first, Stede and Ed working through how Stede was tricked by someone using Ed's pics and catching some real feelings along the way, and then a prequel, showing Stede's emotional journey through his time being catfished. Funny and sincere and emotional, still updating both fics but a fantastic ride so far.

Fifth: A Minivan Called the Revenge by @duskoscrawl and @doctors-star (T). I am a sucker for kid AUs, and this one is the cream of the crop as far as "crew of Revenge is kids, Stede and Ed are their dads" flavors of kid fic goes. My only complaint is that I want more of it. Even without being super duper long, the emotional bonds between not just the dads themselves but the dads and their kids are really well-established and feel organic, and they don't pull any emotional punches either. Little bitty Buttons with his plush seagulls lives rent-free in my head forever.

(And a most honorable mention to saturday night lights by sometimeseffable (T), the American college football and color guard AU that tingles my brain in ways that just don't make sense for how much I don't care for real-life American football, but probably have to do with being friends with band kids for my entire adolescence and growing up in a football culture. Sweet and funny and going hard on the pining, which is what we're all here for! Still updating, but worth the read!)

There are so many more that are worth mentioning but I've already cheated with six recs so gonna stop while I'm ahead. Thank you!